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Here are some important notes from my class's assessment (oral) on the last nite:

More continuity between the schooling half and the AT workplaces half.

Workshopping two weeks earlier.
Perhaps have a 10 p. paper due midterm, ahen expand or reshape or drop.
Short response papers early [Have them do them as conference proposals, and use the Swalesian intro!!! Could then choose one for their paper.
In general tghe students want more feedback
Mandate writing and/or office visits.

Survey of class expertise in key topics, and their comfort level, then have class discussion leaders chosen on the basis of that. Students can also lead discussions in small groups and report back.
Want more room to say, "I don't understand this" Peer support (see e-mail below)

Like the readings overall, and the amount of reading was right.
Like theoretical strands drawn through.
Loved the speakers (but want them less serendipidous, if possible)

Want e-mail started earlier and threads started.
One student could read ahead and lead an e-mail thread. (but not too much. One message required per week?)

Want some collaborative creative thing, like:
Create a utopian vision and write it up, perhaps collaboratively, for an audience (a conference?)
Would mitigate the depression they felt on the critical pedagogy/theory parts.

THIS EVALUATION WENT VERY WELL. THEY HAD A GREAT DEAL OF TRUST AND WERE VERY FRANK. (then they filled out the official form--perhaps they got out all the bad in the discussion. We'll see!) Anyway, it was a wonderful, if difficult 10 minutes.

TWO WEEKS LATER 5.8.00

I THINK THEY SHOULD DO THREE ABSTRACTS FOR A CONFERENCE PRESENTATION, ONE EVERY TWO WEEKS, WHICH THEY WOULD WORKSHOP IN SMALL GROUPS (3). THEN WRITE ONE OF THE THREE INTO A CONFERENCE PRES (3000 WDS) AT WEEK 7 OR 8--COMPLETE WITH OVERHEADS, TO HELP THEM ORGANIZE IT. THEN THE LONGER PAPER AT THE END WE WOULD DO AS I DID IT THIS SEMESTER, ONLY THE PROPOSAL WOULD INCLUDE AN ABSTRACT.

GIVE THEM THE SWALESIAN MOVES ON A HANDOUT (PERHAPS ON A WEB PAGE). THEN HAVE THEM LABEL THE PARTS OF THEIR ABSTRACTS ACCORDING TO THE SWALESIAN MOVES (E.G., 1A, 3B, ETC.) TO HELP THEM DO THIS, GIVE THEM EXAMPLES OF SOME OF MY SUCCESSFUL PROPOSALS, AND PERHAPS GET THE PROPOSALS AND PAPERS OF SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES. MAYBE PUT THESE ON THE WEB AS WELL, LABELED WITH THE MOVE NUMBER/LETTERS TOO!

THEN GIVE THEM A REVIEWER'S GUIDE SHEET LIKE THE ONES FROM JOURNALS (OR THE VERY ONES FROM JOURNALS) AND HAVE THEM WRITE A REVIEW OF THE TWO PROPOSALS, THE CONFERENCE PAPER, AND THE FINAL PAPER.

I COULD THEN SEND AN EMAIL TO RPC FACULTY AND GRAD STUDENTS EXPLAINING WHAT WE DID AND PROPOSING IT AS A TOOL FOR PREPARING CONFERENCE PROPOSALS (AND BY IMPLICATION, TEACHING AND TAKING THEIR GRAD COURSE).

English 621 Calendar

(last updated 12/20/99)

This online version of the course syllabus will always represent the most current information. As the semester proceeds, the syllabus will no doubt be modified, at least in minor ways, to accommodate scheduling practicalities as well as the interests and needs of the class. As these changes occur, this online syllabus will be updated and the date recorded here.

Date / Topic / Writings / Readings/Viewings
Jan 11
/ Introduction and introductions
The dialectic of cutlural stability and change: Education as all / o Kozol, Jonathan. from Savage Inequality (1992)
WEEK 2
Jan 18
/ Conservatives, liberals, and Radicals: The politics of literacy. / o Suzanne de Castell and Allan Luke. "Defining `Literacy' in North American Schools. In Barry Kintgen et al. Perspectives on Literacy. Southern Illinois UP, 1988., pp. 159-174.
o Marx, Karl. From Economic & Philosophical Manuscripts 1844
o Dewey, John. Democracy & Education, Ch. 1 & 2
o Bowles & Gintis. Schooling in Capitalist America Ch. 2
o Luke, Allan. Getting Over Method 1998 ms
WEEK 3
Jan 25
/ US Critical Pedagogy / o Friere, Paolo. View: Meeting Friere Video 000 385
o Hall, Stuart. VIEW Representation & the media NB: Video at Parks Library Media Center Call # 002 750
o Hall, Stuart. VIEW Race: the floating signifier NB: Video at Parks Library Media Center Call # 002 751
o George, Diana & Trimbur, John. "Cultural Studies and Composition"
WEEK 4
Feb 1
/ US Critical Pedagogy (cont.) / o Shor, Ira. What is critical literacy? (Shor 1-30)
o Gramsci, Antonio from Prison Notebooks 189-209; 347-349
o Pari, Caroline. Resisting Assimilation: Academic Discourse in the Writing Classroom. (Shor 103-125)
o LeCourt, Donna."WAC as Critical Pedagogy: The Third Stage?" JAC 16 (January 1996): 389-405.
o Bazerman, "From Cultural Criticism to Disciplinary Participation: Living with Powerful Words."
WEEK 5
Feb 8
/ US Cultural studies / o Berlin, James. Students (Re)Writing Culture (Shor 280-307)
o Boudin, Kathy. Participatory Literacy: Education Behind Bars AIDS Opens the Doors (Shor 183-210)
o Bauer, Dale. The other F word: The Feminist in the Classroom (Shor 225-237)
o Baker, Houston. Local Pedagogy; or, How I Redeemed My Spring Semester (Shor 126-139)
o Herzberg, Bruce. Community Service & Critical Thinking (Shor 246-257)
o Fox, Tim. Basic Writing as Cultural Conflict (Shor 68-86)
WEEK 6
Feb 15 / US Cultural studies (cont.) / o Pratt, Mary Louise. "Arts of the Contact Zone"
o Miller, Richard. "Fault Lines in the Contact Zone"
o Lu, Min-zhan. Professing Multiculturalism: The Politics of Style in the Contact Zone.College Composition and Communication v45 n4 p442-58 Dec 1994
o Villanueva, Victor. "Of Color, Classes, and Classrooms"
WEEK 7
Feb 22 / Cultural Historical Activity Theory / o Vygotsky, L. (1930/1978) Mind in Society. Harvard U. Press. pp. 19-57.
o Cole, Michael. from Cultural Psychology. Ch. 5.
WEEK 8
Feb 29
/ Activity Theory & Genre / o Paul Prior. Writing/Disciplinarity. Erlbaum 1998. "A Microhistory of Mediated Authorship and Disciplinary Enculturation."
o Lave, Jean. "The Culture of Acquistion and the Practice of Understanding"
o Russell, David R. Rethinking Genre in School and Society: An Activity Theory Analysis WC 14 (1997): 504-554.
WEEK 9
Mar 7
/ Activity Theory & Situated Cognition / o Berkenkotter & Ravotas. Genre as a Tool in the Transmission of Practice Over Time and Across Professional Boundaries." Mind, Culture, and Activity 4 (1997): 256-74.
o Geisler, Cher;yl. Academic Licteracy and the Nature of Expertise. Chs. 10 & 11.
o Patrick Dias et al. Worlds Apart: Acting and Writing in Academic and Workplace Contexts . Erlbaum,1998. Chapters 2 and 3.
WEEK 10
Mar 21
/ Paper Proposal due (if not before!) / o Patrick Dias et al. Worlds Apart: Acting and Writing in Academic and Workplace Contexts . Erlbaum,1998. Chapters 6, 7 and 11
WEEK 11
Mar 28
/ Bourdieu's Theory of Practice and Symbolic Power / o Bourdieu, Pierre. from Language and Symbolic Power.
~Editor's Introduction (John B. Thompson)
~"On Symbolic Power
~"Social Space and the Genesis of Classes
o Schryer, Catherine. "Walking a Fine Line: 'Negative News' Letters in an Insurance Company" (ms)
WEEK 12
Apr 4
/ Feminist Sociology and Narrative Therapy / Apr 11 presenters' papers & article due / o McCarthy & Gerring. "Revising Psychiatry's Charter Document, DSM-IV. WC 11 (1994): 147-192.
o Carr, Alan. "Michael White's Narrative Therapy"
o Madigan, Stephen. "The Politics of Identitiy: Considering Community Discourse in the Externalizing of Internalized Problem Conversations
WEEK 13
Apr 11
/ Presentations / Apr 18 presenters' papers & article due / Readings and papers from presenters
WEEK 14
Apr 18
/ Presentations / Apr 25 presenters' papers & article due / Readings and papers from presenters
WEEK 15
Apr 27 NOTE
CHANGE
/ Presentations / Readings and papers from presenters
May 2
/ Final period (2-hour). Presentations (if necessary) and/or
Reflections and course evaluation / Final draft of paper due