Welcome to Our 3364 Class Blog
First off, welcome to the blog. Just so you know, only class members are permitted to blog. This is a private blog and no one else will be reading your comments but your classmates and me.
Each week you will need to post a minimum of two posts, unless it is stated otherwise on the syllabus. I have listed on the syllabus days that you will need to make four or more posts becasue we will not meet in class. I am asking that you post a minimum of two times per week--so we can develop a virtual dialog between ourselves. That means blogging during the week, and not all at once in a row. I ask that you make these posts no later than midnight the Saturday before class. This allows me time to read all the last minute posts and make comments on them before we meet on Monday. I will go through each week and read all of the comments (as I require you too) and note how many times you comment. That's just a technical thing on my part, so I can see who is participating.
Keep in mind that you will need to look on our blog more than one time per week. If you are an early blogger with your posts, wait a day or two to respond to other comments. It may take a while for people to respond. For those who respond later in the week I still expect everybody to read the entire week of posts—even if that means going back to read them. If you miss a week, do not post in the past week. Post your comments for the previous week in the current week. Just let us know you are doing that.
You need to read the syllabus for more information and then look to Week One for reading assignments and any other information and to begin posting. Usually, I will have some comments, questions, or thoughts to begin a discussion for a week. Sometimes I may not. Those are merely to begin a discussion. My comments do not determine the discussion. They are mere prompts to create a discussion. My perspective is but one of many. It does not rule.
The books we are using, I hope, will be interesting to you. A word about reading books: There is only so much we can take in from a book with one read. We/you/I may read it from a personal perspective, political, environmental, social, gendered, etc.—there are many ways to engage in a book. I am asking that you look at it from a personal, professional, artistic and/or community perspectives. Feel free to engage yourself in our conversations. Ask questions. Make mistakes. Think beyond. Agree with books. Challenge them.
Each week, I'll try to have a few comments posted to get us started on our readings. Please feel free to bring in movies, books, articles, talks, exhibitions, websites, work experiences, and anything else you feel is pertinent to our class. I am hoping we will develop a personal and intimate dialogue on this blog.
Please always use "I" language. It will make your posts even more powerful. I ask that you comment in "I" language. Let me demonstrate: “I feel that…,” “I believe that…,” “My experiences have been…,” I am hoping that you will blend in your personal, professional, community, and other aspects of your life experiences in your comments.Feel free to ask questions in your posts. We may not have the answers. Feel free to recommend books or readings or films or exhibitions that relate to our talks/posts. And please read everybody's posts. That will mean you will probably have to catch-up on Sunday morning/evening for a few later posts. And feel free to carry discussions forward from one week to the next. And, one last comment about posting on the blog. Starting our second week, post once or twice initial comments about the readings. Then, wait a bit, read some of the other posts and post one or two more times. That way we get a better discussion. Try not to post four times in a row. I understand that means that you might have to go back in another day to see what people have posted. But that’s the nature of a non-synchronous course like this. We’ll get into a groove that hopefully will work for most of us in the class.
Also, keep in mind that I have made all of us authors, meaning that you can add video and pictures as I can. It’s much easier to do that as an author than a reader.
The first person to post a response gets a a soda, or a water if you are worried about the phosphoric acid eating away at your bones.
On here you will get the chance to be candid about topics we read and discuss in class. I do ask that you stay on topic as much as possible (though relevant tangents are welcome), and I also ask that you respect the opinions of others.
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