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Monday, 5-2-05 Not much to announce today--online peer reviews are due Wednesday. If the classmate you have chosen hasn't posted a rough draft by tomorrow evening, pick any peer that has posted something and complete an online peer review for them. See you Wednesday.
I felt really inspired by class discussion today--I think Vargas' ethnography really opened up some interesting dialogue about the complexities of meaning, especially in a term like "ghetto". If you are interested in reading more about the term, check out this link to an essay called "Insult or Inclusive? It's All Ghetto" by Monique Fields. This essay covers some of the issues we touched on in class, and what it suggests is, again, meaning is not static, and meanings evolve over time and in different contexts. So, in a sense, I think both concerns raised (offense or insider term) were on target. Take a look at Vargas' analysis again:
I think one has to appreciate Vargas' effort to grapple with a difficult aspect of this DCs shared knowledge. She makes the point it is for humorous purposes (they value humor), and it isn't about "look[ing] down on each other." In this case, it doesn't appear to serve as an insult, but more as a symbol of solidarity, as if to say "we are poor together." Yet, I also sense a feeling of shame (a strong word to use) when she says "being ghetto is something you try to hide..." So, you can guess the questions--why would the display of poverty be embarrassing? And why would a DC choose to joke about one's economic position? What kinds of values and beliefs underlie this kind of "joking"? Is it suggesting that this DC has been influenced by a culture that sees material possessions as a images of superiority? It isn't easy getting to the root of these beliefs, but, like Vargas, let's make an attempt. Good luck on your first drafts. Give me a call on my cell phone if you have questions (617-501-1193).
Wednesday, 4-25-05
It was nice hearing your opinions today about this fabulous show that has sprung from the depths of our culture. I think there was a fair assessment about the shows panelists (left). Just analyzing the discourse of these three would be very interesting--you've already noticed the roles. I would take it further and look at the notion of "idol" and our cultures obsession with fame, "beauty", and a certain style of pop singing. Your homework assignment is posted. The ethnographies are shaping out to be very interesting. For anyone with extra time, you can find other examples of student ethnographies at the end of chapter 6. See you Friday.
Monday, 4-25-05 I sensed some stress today in class. This is the crunch time of the semester. We have two weeks in class, and about three weeks left in the semester (check out the UMB Academic Calendar link for more details). Do your best to manage your time, and be as disciplined as possible. Summer will be here before you know it. Some interesting observations were made in class today about cultural connections and the influence of setting on your DC. Ophelia's observation about the comfort and the environment of her DC showed very well how important it is in order for that DC to have successful communication. Don't worry so much about what is "right" and what is "wrong"--you are the expert for our class--it is up to you to present your understandings in a way that communicates to us (the class discourse community) the truth and depth of how your DC functions. Now, for Wednesday, you will be looking for a speech act in the DC you are analyzing. When do you notice people trying to "do" something with language? Do you notice this in your conversation? Keep in mind that the list in How to Ask for a Drink is only a short list--you may notice something quite different in your DC--how can you label and explain its significance?
Friday, 4-22-05 For those that did bring their conversations today and were unable to share, I apologize. I didn't manage our class time very well and probably let our conversation regarding "insults" run a little too long. I ask that everyone spend some time reading through your peers' work and feel free to send an email with any questions you might about how someone has approached an assignment. Part II, Trackton offers some interesting insight on how we acquire discourse. As you read about with the young Benjy, rhyming was a key form (or style) in the ways Trackton kids learned how to speak:
Do you notice any "talkin' junk" in your DC? What shape does it take and what does is suggest about the values and beliefs of your DC? Have a fun weekend. I will see you on Monday. C
Wednesday, 4-20-05 Homework is posted. Just a reminder, recorded conversations are due Friday. For those that completed them, you will receive full credit. Please read your assignments closely and call me if you don't understand. The transcription (with glossings) is a large part of your final paper, so it must be completed if you hope to make a good grade for the final unit.
Friday, 4-15-05 Here we go, into Unit 3. It sounds to me that you all have chosen some interesting communities to focus on. Rory brought up an important concern: some of these communities may be very personal. It is up to you to choose one you feel comfortable exploring. If this is the case, you may choose to analyze a community you are an outsider to. Moreover, part of the exercise is to deepen our ability to observe and understand, and what better place to start than the ways people use language? And then to take what we have seen (our research) and synthesize it into a coherent document to share with others. You are all very capable of this. I love this unit because it gives me the opportunity to step into so many different worlds, and like I said in class--you get to be the expert. Have a good weekend. For those that don't know the history of the Marathon, check out this link. For those that missed class, make sure you take a look at the Due Dates for the Ethnography in the Media Room. This maps out everything that is due for the rest of the semester.
Wednesday, 4-13-05
Homer Simpson, American icon. We were able to explore the various discourse communities in the episode "Simpson and Delilah"-- the Simpson family, the workers, the executives, Karl (How do you explain his role? How do we make sense of the kissing scene? How is Karl's "talk" different than Burns'?) and we touched on the larger cultural shared knowledge that helps us understand the issues raised in the show. How does the title add to some of the meanings we talked about in class--the importance of appearance, knowing the ways and mannerisms of a community (remember Homer's first haircut and how it changed when Karl came into the picture) and the politics and discourse of hair? Sounds funny no doubt, but is there a politics of hair? What does your hair say about you? Why do you where it one way and not another? Do you shave (men and women)? Why? As Jeremy reminded us, not all women in Europe are hairy (j/k), but there is nothing mundane about hair, whether one is losing it, growing it long, shaving it, coloring it. It is simple things like this that help to define the discourse communities you will be looking at for your ethnography. And one final question, was the episode successful as a satire? Why and why not? The website is back up and running--please make it a point to get here each day to check assignments and announcements.
Wednesday, 4-6-05 First drafts of Discourse Communities in BFC look great so far. Please bring questions for Friday. Peer review online (utilizing the "post a comment" function" is due for Friday. Please follow the peer review guide in the Media Room--and include just the questions with your respsonses. Each of you should review the classmate that comes before you on the Student Profiles page: Ophelia will review Paula, Frank will review Ophelia, Denis will review Frank, etc. And take some time to read through some of your other classmates essays. How have they approached the assignment? Are they writing about similar issues? Do they help you see your ideas any differently? By the way, for all those that are 21 and over, our very own Rose will be singing and playing guitatr at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge this Thursday evening (tomorrow). Check her out if you have some time.
Monday, 4-4-05 Rough drafts are due on Wednesday. Please bring in two copies to exchange with a classmate. Do your best not to let the assignment overwhelm you--pick two DCs and run with them. As a class, you have really brought some good analysis to BFC, the next step is to put your ideas on paper. Look over the Touchstone (also in the Media Room) for guidance. Let me know if you have any questions. Friday, 4-1-05 Another fine discussion today--I am very impressed by everyone's thinking and by the way you are all showing respect for others ideas. Fear does seem to be a central concern in the film. Drew's point that much of what we do is driven by fear was well put--the question then becomes how to pinpoint the roots of fear and then look at how we cope with it. Do we react in anger? Blame? Depression? Perhaps Moore is asking us to question how fear plays out in our culture as a way to raise our awareness. And taking this further, Tom L. made the fine point that, as one individual, what can we do to change aspects of our culture that bother us? And, could it be that we are content with the status-quo?. Let us not forget that, despite its incongruities and contradictions, we are living in a vibrant democracy. Moore's film proves this in some ways--that for those who chose activism, they can find a voice in the cultural dialogue, which is to say, offer a viewpoint amongst the many. This is not to say it is easy, and as we spoke about in class, social change is a slow process, but it does happen. Look back into history and you will see that American culture has come a long way in this century. Think about women's suffrage. Women were given the right to vote in 1920, eighty-five years ago. Can you imagine arguing against a woman's right to vote today? There were even women who argued that women shouldn't have the right. You can bet it was a heated debate at the time, and it took decades to finally make it a law accepted by the populace at large. The point is, change does seem to start with the individual making a conscious decision not to support something they feel is unjust. If you get a chance, look over for bowlingfortruth.com again. How did you feel about this site? Did you find it to be a reliable site for information? Why or why not? Who created it? What does his language use suggest about his beliefs and values? Have a great weekend, see you on Monday. Wednesday, 3-30-05
We need much more time in class to explore these provocative issues. Please use the discussion thread as a way to continue the discussion in class. I think we have touched on some really important themes regarding the militia and the complex dynamics of a discourse community. Of course, we have been generalizing, and we have to be careful about that, but it seems or generalizations have led to new ways of understanding. Let's also not forget, the Delta Press catalog is extremist (as the image confirms), and I don't think it is useful to associate it with all militia groups. It does offer some interesting insight though into some of the ideologies and shared knowledge that may circulate in some of these communities.
Here is that unseen fear we talked about in class, and it is a critical element of their shared knowledge. Everyone is a possible enemy. These people seem to see the world as inherently hostile. By the way, Brown is from New Hampshire--our neighboring state and considered New England rather than that mysterious region known as middle-America. Taking this one step further, how many of us have used this ambiguous they? They say that smoking is bad for your health. They claim that 6 out of 10 adults are manic depressants. Or what about the vague term the man as a way to refer to the government. What are the affects of such statements? What do they suggest about how we read the world? In the end, our goal is for a balanced critque--how do we reconcile the above t-shirt with the notion of "alienation" raised by Doskoch? As Eli brought up, and others touched on, class and money may have a role here.
Monday, 3-28-05
Friday, 3-25-05 We had a good start today working with the opening scenes of BFC. Do your best to watch the film over the weekend, and if not, by Wednesday or Friday of next week. Don't forget, there is a copy on reserve at the library. Take the assignments is small chunks. I have structured it so the work is evenly spaced out. Don't hesitate to ask questions. Discussion threads are posted. Simply go into the discussion board, click the appropriate discussion thread and click "Reply to this topic." Below you will find conference times for next week:
Keep an eye on the media this weekend (newspapers and tv) and how they cover the tragedy in Minnesota in camparison to the way Columbine was covered. Is anything different? Why? Please share with the class any observations you make.
Wednesday, 3-23-05
"You've made the right call." I appreciate the enthusiasm today with the Scholes' essay. I think it is a good text that helps us begin to think about the powerful images and "visual fascination" that surrounds our daily lives. And it offers us a place to start as we move into Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine and his use of images. How does the media manipulate images for their purposes? How do we make sense of them? Let's not forget language in all of this. Despite the visual nature of these images, they still must be processed through discourse and language. It is at this key conjunction, the meeting point between image, ideology, cultural information and language that determines how we make sense of the world, and how we "read" our culture. Sabina and others brought up the notion of power, while Eli touched on this notion of image--all these elements seem to influence how we comprehend the world around us. I wanted to touch on one thing we didn't get to in class:
Why do we have to know the ump has "made the right call"? What would it mean if he had made the wrong call but was still pulled up to the majors? As was raised in class, what would that suggest about the "American Dream"? One thing to keep in mind here--as we continue to develop our language awareness and our critical thinking, balance is important. This means seeing the contradictions that exist simultaneously in our culture and looking at all sides of difficult issues. Please read through the Bowling for Columbine assignment thoroughly. Call or write with questions. See you Friday
Monday, 3-21-05
Friday, 3-11-05 Alrighty, we made it to spring break. A well deserved one I would say. The memoirs are looking very good. Everyone has approached them a little differently. Final drafts are due the Monday you get back. You also have a reading and informal assignment due, so don't wait until Sunday night to complete everything. Please be careful over the break and enjoy it. I won't be in my office much during the break, so either email or call my cell phone at 617-501-1193 if you have any questions. See you in a week or so. Wednesday, 3-9-05 Peer reviews are great in the sense that, not only do they allow you to get feedback on your writing, but you also learn a lot by seeing how others have approached the assignment. Charlie brought up a good point today about the kind of language you use in your Memoir (is it okay to say "fuck" and how and when should you use it?) As you notice, when I put quotations around the word it gives it an air of legitimacy. But I think the important thing to think about is audience. Who are you writing to, and what are your purposes? And being a more formal paper then what we have written, we want to be thinking about a broader audience. I would suggest this: if you are going to curse in your memoir, do it sparingly and do it effectively. Saying it "fucking sucked" isn't very descriptive--explaining why something "sucked" is essential, curse words or not. So, both written peer review and online peer review are due by Friday. Posting was working the last time I checked so please get your first draft posted. Take some time and read some of you classmates' papers and comments. Monday, 3-7-05 Wow, another great discussion today. As we can tell from the vast list we made on the board, when we start to look closer at the notion of "identity" it quickly becomes pretty complex. Looking closer at these elements of Social Identity can be a good way into writing an effective memoir too. What labels have you donned in your life? What were they in contrast to? Have you ever felt limited by a label? Keep these words in mind while you are writing:
Just like our story-telling exercise, sharing our personal stories is a huge source of knowledge we engage in daily. The Memoir is a formalized version of this human practice. Your goal now is to make it relevant--through details, exploration and connection. Please utilize the sheets I handed out today, and also take a look at the Memoir Touchstone in the Media Room. This is a guide to how it will be assessed. Also, please spend a few minutes looking over the Shared Knowledge Sheet on the classes DEN. A clear example of how we can learn from each other. Friday, 3-4-05 I think Denis deserves some applause for the very bold and daring risk he took as a youngster by sabotaging the soup. The real risk there though was Denis' act of sharing such a funny story with the class. Once again, the Elements of Discourse Competence are not meant to muddy your understanding, they are simply working concepts that are supposed to make actions we naturally do more apparent. And as Rosanne brought up in class, when we can put words to something we do (like "sensitivity to context") it makes it more tangible, more real. The notion of "taking risks" seems to be different than the other four elements. As we discussed in class (and in terms of language), when do those moments arise when the words don't flow? When do we feel we can't ask a question, or when we struggle (physically at times) to say something? When do we stare at a writing assignment, frustrated and unsure where to start? Taking a risk, using language in new ways (in writing or speaking) opens up new understandings. Think about the question raised in class--what is love? Can you think of a more ambiguous, complicated question? Yet, Andrea broke it down for us by giving us a possible structure to begin to understand such a vast concept and the multiple layers of "love":
What Andrea has given us is a way to comprehend a concept like love by naming various facets of love--something the single term love is unable to communicate alone. Not only that, I would claim that Andrea took a risk there--first, she made the effort to share her knowledge by speaking publicly, then, with confidence (and a bit of sassiness) she stood up and wrote the terms on the board. This is shared knowledge. Have a good weekend. The Discussion Board is set up. It is open for comment for anyone who chooses to do so. Please be respectful. The password and username are the same as the ones you use to enter the section. For those that didn't complete
the "Generating Ideas" exercises from Assignment
10, please complete for Monday.
Wednesday, 3-2-05 Bravo today--I really felt like I learned a lot from the discussion--the class had some interesting insight into the various ways we use language in various settings--this is part of discourse competence. I wanted to reiterate my point about the "crap" aspect of your recorded stories. I think a keener way of seeing this (and less negatively) is to ask why the stories seem so fragmented. It isn't so much that we don't know how to speak in a group--I think it has more to do with the group we are speaking to. If this is the case, then it reminds us that knowledge (in the sense of shared knowledge) is not static--meaning, it varies from context to context, from people to people. Another important element here is audience. As speakers/writers, we are looking to draw on our ability to know when and what details to include to create background knowledge, so a reader (or a listener) doesn't say "so what" or, as James mentioned, "why are you telling me this?" or as my sister likes to say, "What the point?" (no 's' intentional). But I am still wondering about this notion of "putting on airs" (or heirs), I mean, really, what is this all about? Is the cliche suggesting that exhibiting one's knowledge is arrogant? Pretentious? Perhaps it depends on how you do it, but it makes me wonder why knowledge would be such a threatening thing. I have given you less homework this time. Be thinking about some possible topics for your Memoir. See you Friday.
Monday, 2-28-05 Thank you to everyone for sharing their stories. Judging by the the noise level of the class, it seemed like a good activity. For those that are asking "why" we did such and exercise, all I can say is, good question. Why tell stories and why record them for that matter? Hopefully we will see the use of such an assignment. A main topic is definately looking at the ways we use language differently. Do your best on the assignment. Please call with any questions. For those that don't have a recorder, remember, it is a requirement for the class. If you are unable to afford one, you can check one out in the Wheatley Media Lab (1st floor, see syllabus) or you can come see me about it--this is always much better politics than coming to class unprepared. Rumor has it there is to be a snow storm tonight, please be careful and be ferociously vigilant about your parking spot. One more note--please review the attendance policy again on the syllabus--some of you are already in jeopardy of hurting your grade. This includes tardies.If you accumlate too many absences, I will ask you to drop the class.
Friday, 2-25-05 I think we explored irony fairly well today. Many of you brought up the notion that irony is "accidental" or random--which, in one sense, it is, when something "unexpected" (Andrea) happens in place of something expected. In Eggers' piece though, we are looking at a different use of irony, one that incorporates sarcastic elements, but moves beyond sarcasm to make a larger comment on the nature of human tragedy and the role ironic humor can play in understanding such events. How can the use of irony add to a writer's style and voice? And Brendan D. made a fine point about the difficulty of reading the text book. It is important to note why some things seem easier to read and others don't, and to keep in mind the purpose of a reading. When we step outside of fiction, and into non-fiction, we may have to read with a different lens. While we may read Eggers' text for pleasure (and for other reasons) we read the text book to cull information. Both serve a distinct purpose. As writers and readers, being aware of this purpose (and audience) is a crucial first step. We won't find a plot in Exploring Literacy, but we will come across some useful information on literacy, language and writing. See everyone on Monday.
Wednesday, 2-23-05 I want everyone to know, I hear their pain when it comes to the amount of work required of you in college. Keep in mind what we spoke about in class--learning can be a difficult process. Part of this process means learning to tolerate it (and be patient) and recognize it as a process. I think Mellix puts it clearly when she writes:
It can be a tiring process, but also gratifying when we see ourselves developing as people. She ends the essay on this note: "... through writing one can continually bring new selves into being, each with new responsibilities and difficulties, but also with new possibilities. Remarkable power, indeed. I write and continually give birth to myself" (67). I ask all of you--what does it mean to continually "give birth to [yourself]? And is it really that important? What are the implications, in terms of knowledge and understanding, of being in continual process as a living, thinking human being ? And what role does writing have in this process? Big questions, no doubt, but something meaty too chew on. No writing due for Friday--see you then.
Friday, 2-18-05 Things were a little hectic today in the computer lab, but hopefully we all got something out of it. For those that are new to computers, be patient. Many of these tasks we are doing will be second nature before long--this is part of the learning experience For those that are feeling more comfortable, feel free to experiment with some HTML. We didn't get to talk too much about the period and comma issue. As I stated at the end of class, utilize those natural rhythms of your voice to hear the differences between using a comma and period. Where does the accent of your voice fall and stop? Where does it pause and continue on? Does it stop, but seem as if it isn't as definate as a period? This might signal a semi-colon or colon. Then, if need be, go to your handbook and read about these forms of puctuation. These types of language issues will iron-out in time, the more you grapple with reading and writing. Keep up the good work. Have a wonderful Presidents Day (hail, oh great chief of state)--please don't wait until Tuesday night to complete your Assignment 8. One suggestion is to break it up into two nights. Don't hesitate to call or write with questions. C
Wednesday, 2-16-05 Okay, I think you all deserve a break for your hard work--no homework tonight. There were some interesting questions raised in class about the use of the website. Rory's point about how our writing changes when we write in a public space brings up some important things to think about. What is gained? What is lost? How does your perception of audience change when you are no longer writing to just one reader? Do we conceal more? What does it mean to move from a private to a public voice? The act of sharing writing is not a simple one at all, and we must all work to make this a safe place to share ideas and experiences. This means being constructive and postponing judgment. When (and if) we get to that point, then deep learning takes place. At the same time, it is up to you to use your own discourse competence and decide what you are comfortable sharing. If it seems to personal, let me know. And I encourage everyone to read each others work. Despite the fact that I am in the role of "instructor", it always amazes me how much I learn each semester from the "students". The goal is to learn from each other, and that's how it should be. The more perspectives we can draw on, the more we understand an issue. Let's continue to talk about the act of sharing work throughout the semester. Class meets in the Gold computer lab in the Healey Library UL 0041, on Friday at 12:30. Please be on time--we have a lot of material to cover and don't forget to bring a soft-copy (on disk) of Assignment 6. Monday, 2-14-05 A happy Valentine's Day to all you lovers out there. I have been really pleased with the way everyone has been participating in class discussion. I think we are ready to move on from Rodriguez. I encourage everyone to check out his book Hunger for Memory of which "Aria" was taken from. It seemed pretty clear the way we delineated between participatory, analytical and evaluative reading. The consensus seemed to be that these are different stages in reading, but that they may overlap sometimes. As Andrea, Rory and Ophelia expressed, those second and third readings can look much different than the first--alternate meanings surface, the structure of the essay becomes clearer, changing our first impressions. We didn't make it to the "genre" group today, but as James, Will, Lawrence and Brendon discussed, genres arise when humans develop certain forms of writing (or other behavioral patters) to meet the needs of a recurring act. In the case of the memoir, we are presented with a genre that includes certain expectations--focusing in on specific events, then stepping back to make sense of an event from the present point-of-view. That doesn't mean we can't experiment with genre expectations--we should. But keep these "elements" (as the genre group labeled them) in mind as you start thinking about your own memoir for class. Pictures look great--thanks to all for participating. Have you ever asked yourself why it is hard to take a picture with people you are just meeting? I'll see you Wednesday.
Friday, 2-11-05 Many of you expressed your frustration with the 4r's, and Brendon hit the issue squarely: it makes things more confusing than it needs to be. While I agree, I also think they can help us develop a better understanding on how we might connect to texts better, as the bottom of page 37 in Exploring Literacy suggests: "These different responses [referring to the 4r's] nevertheless reflect similar processes of engaging in the conversation and interacting with the text--processes that underlie all of our participatory conversations"(Kutz 37). We don't need to over-stress the terminology--the goal is to be more aware of how we are "relating" and connecting in conversations. Excellent insight into the Rodriguez interview too. Rory and others brought up the fact that there seemed to be contradictions in what Rodriguez said. How do we make sense of such contradictions? It suggests to me that difficult issues are often full of contradictions, especially issues of "assimilation" and "diversity" and "miscegenation". Perhaps one of the most difficult things for us to do as humans is step out of either/or thinking in order to see the complexities of issues. Rodriguez may not always do this, but he does get us thinking. Have a great weekend. Call or write with questions. Don't forget--picture day Monday. Make sure you don't have any ketchup stains on your shirt.
Wednesday, 2-9-05 I was very impressed by the glossing today. It may seem like a simple exercise, but glossing your reading will help you in your studying and memory. Once again, there is no right or wrong to it--as you do it more you will develop your own style. As for Rodriguez, what can we say? Rosanne raised the issue, as did Tom L. that Rodriguez was trying too hard not to assimilate, to stay closed off from the outside world. What they have done here is read analytically. Often we'll notice contradictions in a text--when we do, we should make a note of it. Rodriguez does seem to simplify his experience with language, as if it had to be either English, or Spanish, but not both. But he also makes the distinction between a public and private voice--is it possible to have two public voices in two different languages? How can we re-envision Rodriguez's point in light of what we have learned about discourse communities?We also explored the very physical nature of language. Eli brought up the scene where the young Rodriguez feels "bitter" and ashamed by his Father's inability to speak fluent Spanish. So it seems the implications are that there is more to language than we realize. The old cliche that "sticks and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you" seems to be flawed after reading "Aria".
Monday, 2-7-05 Great discussion today. Transcribing is a lot of work, but it is an exercise that allows us to see how language changes shape from the spoken to the written. It also allows us to analyze conversations that are usually just momentary language acts. Charlie also touched on some things we will be looking at later on, the notion of insider knowledge, and how we take on different roles (and different ways of using language), depending on different discourse communities. And, like, we explored, like, that funny word "like" and how it gets tossed around so much. Remember to read the assignments carefully. If there is any confusion, give me a call. Assignment 4 is due Wednesday. I want everyone to "gloss" Rodriguez's "Aria". If you don't want to write in your books, post-its work well. Please use your high-lighter sparingly. Find 2 or 3 things per page that strike you in any way (you relate, confused, angered, you remember something) and explain why (and how) you connect to a particular passage.
Friday, 2-4-05 Well-done today everyone. I think another way to understand meta-level knowledge is thinking about thinking in any kind of language event. There was some wonderful insight in class. Denis's comment about how the tone of voice can change the meaning of a word opened up some interesting discussion. Also, Andrea's thought that somethings are better left unsaid raised some important points about inquiry and reflection. When does reflection become too much reflection? And keep in mind our talk about working concepts, or "tools for thinking". Sometimes new terms can give us new ways of understanding things we know intuitively--like shared knowledge (what), shared purpose (why) and shared ways (how). Keep these things in mind when you record your conversation. The final question in class had to do with the why of what we are studying. How can you take your ability to converse and use it to converse on paper to a larger audience? This will be one of our main goals this semester. Have a good weekend. After you finish transcribing your conversation, jot down some notes on the back of it following the Observation Account on page 16. Give me a call or an email with any questions. Don't forget to bring in three copies of the transcription and your recorded conversation.
Wednesday, 2-2-05 Excellent work today from everyone and the sharing of "My Name". Like we spoke about in class, your own name is an ideal place to start to develop reflective thinking. As well, listening to the conversations you hold with yourself--how are those conversations shaped? How do you speak to yourself? Continue to think about the ways in which you "read" the world. Is it true we can "read" music when we listen to it? What about a movie? Why do some people read movies differently than we do sometimes? Erik made the point in class that sometimes words are inadequate. When and why do those moments arise? And as Andrea suggested, it often happens in conflict and with the common refrain "That's not what I meant." Make sure you check out the link to the UMB Academic Calendar periodically for important dates--today is the last day to drop the class without any repercussions. If you feel unsure about the class and are thinking about dropping it, please give me a call. See you on Friday.
Monday, 1-31-05 Congratulations, you made it through your first week of classes. There were some good questions in class today regarding that funny word "syllabus" and keep in mind what Rosanne told us about "etymology" and how words have a history to their meanings. One of our goals this semester will be to develop our language awareness, especially the ways it is used in social settings. Also, it seems to me we need another look at the Freshman English website and our section website. Take some time and "read" the site. Are there things there that you find odd, unfair--policies you question? If so, let me know. Get familiar with the resources both under the "For Students" link and in our section. These can really help make your academic career at UMB much easier. For those that don't have a book, please get together with someone that has a book and arrange it so you can make copies of the readings until the books come in. NOTE: Make sure you find some kind of recording device for next week. You are going to be recording a conversation. Let me know if you have any questions. Let's hope the snow doesn't hit.
Wednesday, 1-26-05 Welcome students to UMass, Boston and English 101. If you have made it to this page you are doing great. Take your time and get familiar with your section. This will be an important meeting point for us throughout the semester. These first few weeks can be a little hectic, so let me know if you have any questions as you transition into college.
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"We're
not racist, we're not extremist, we're not fundamentalists, were
not terrorists or militants or other such nonsense--we're just concerned
citizens and have a desire to fulfill our responsibility as Americans..."
This quote was taken from the clip we watched in class today and
I think it runs contrary to the way the class was perceiving the
Michigan Militia. This is why it is so important to really pin down
some of the language being used as we attempt to define these communities.
What assumptions are we bringing to the equation? How can we create
a balanced (not overly critical) understanding of what we are seeing
in BFC. Some difficult questions were raised in class, and
both Eli and Tom made some great points about what racism is
and isn't. I think even with the issues Paula and Andrea raised
about racism, what we see is that such a term can be very slippery.
Often times, are disagreements have a lot to do with semantics--the
meanings of words. But, as we have talked about all semester, this
is the nature of language. Keep this in mind though--the goal of
class discussion is not necessarily to reach consensus (agreement)
about meanings--this may happen. But the main purpose, especially
with a sensitive topic like racism, is that we listen openly and
we accept that disagreement and opposing views are essential to
our growth as nimble thinkers.
