Requirements

alexislothian

August 11, 2013

¶ 1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 The main requirement in this class is to read: carefully, thoughtfully, strategically, and collaboratively. I do not expect you to close-read every text in detail, or to be able to unpack every paragraph on every page, but I do expect you to be familiar with each assigned reading each week and to have questions, thoughts, ideas, and challenges to bring to discussion. If you find yourself struggling with language that is unfamiliar, dense, or troubling remind yourself that this is inevitable when you are reading work that breaks away from dominant epistemologies. Persevere; you many well find that a later moment in the argument illuminates something earlier, or that an idea brought up ten pages in to a text is as inspiring as the opening pages were obscure.

¶ 2 Leave a comment on paragraph 2 0 As you read, you will often find yourself encountering references to bodies of knowledge we are not directly studying in class. Do not simply gloss over these but note them down, research where they come from, and think about what it would mean to take up these traditions in your own emerging and ongoing work of knowledge production. Written assignments are designed to develop your expertise in this process, but I also encourage you to meet outside of class to share your perspectives, opinions, and concerns about the readings.

¶ 3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 0 You will be writing a lot for this class, most often in shorter formats requiring you to summarize and synthesize others’ ideas, though you will produce one medium-length piece of writing at the end of the semester. You will also lead class discussion once in the semester. Your final project should connect our class readings and discussions to your own emerging research interests; it may take the form of a research paper but may also be a piece of writing centered less in argument and more in exploratory analysis or literature review.

¶ 4 Leave a comment on paragraph 4 0 You will write regularly on the class website, though student writing will be available only to those registered for the class unless you choose to make it publc. We will be using WordPress and CommentPress, open source web content management and online review software that is widely used among academics. Part of the work that you will be doing when you post your writing will be to take the time to make sure that you understand what happens when you hit “post,” and that you know how to make the appropriate edits if your post doesn’t look the way you expected it to.

¶ 5 Leave a comment on paragraph 5 0 Formal submissions and presentations

¶ 6 Leave a comment on paragraph 6 0 Informal writing posted on blog (40% of your work for the class):
• Introductory reflection
• Four reading summaries
• Two post-class reflections
• Weekly comments
• Closing reflection

¶ 7 Leave a comment on paragraph 7 0 Presentations (10% of your work for the class):
• Leading discussion
• Final presentation (see final project)

¶ 8 Leave a comment on paragraph 8 0 Formal writing submitted via ELMS (50% of your work for the class):
• Contextual exploration (800-1200 words)
• Visionary speculation (800-1200 words)
• Final project (3000 words with preliminary proposal and annotated bibliography)