Schedule | Syllabus | Moodle | Handouts and Assignments | Email Professor

Schedule | Fall 2017

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August

     
WEEK 1
 T 8/29  

Welcome to ENGL 8906!

This course introduces first-year MA students to advanced literary study in two ways.

  1. First, we will read and discuss works of critical theory, highlighting the fundamental questions they ask and answer, and examining how they can be relevant to the study of literature and culture.
  2. Second, we will learn and actively apply the practices of literary scholarship: how to identify suitable objects of inquiry, to do research, and to develop and present arguments in literary studies.

For more, see the syllabus.

Day 1. Introductions:
How Might Understanding Theory Make Us Better Critics, Scholars, and (Even) Writers of Texts?

Plato's Cave, inside

Today

  • MA Program
    • courses
    • emphases
    • advisors
    • Plan B's
    • Exam Committee
    • Comprehensive Exam (Written and Oral)
  • Syllabus
  • Books
  • Discussion Questions in Moodle
  • Homework for Thursday
  • Tentative Schedule
  • Seminar Paper (and other documents)
  • Terms: "Critical" "Theory";
  • Layer 1: How Does the Work Relate to Meaning and Culture(s)?
  • Plato

Resources

 
R 8/31

Homework

Read

Plato, The Republic, Book X (I will give you a handout for this reading): pages 307-324.1

Write and Post to Moodle By Noon

Before noon on the day of class, post

  • one discussion question to the Moodle forum "Plato's Idealism" and
  • one discussion question to the forum "Idealism in Writng and Reading"

The first question should help us see how Plato is idealist in his philosophy, and to understand the logic of this

The second question should help us see how Plato's idealism might inform the writing, reading, and criticism of texts. (In other words, how do we tell whether we're following the logic of idealism when we're writing, reading, interpreting, or critiquing a text?)

Directions for Writing Both Questions

Be sure to wrap each question around a specific quotation from the reading

Cite a particular passage and page number. It helps to identify the column (R or L, if there are columns on the page) and how far down the page with a decimal point (e.g., .5 for halfway down).

Also include beneath each question a sentence or two commenting on the directions that you hope the question might send discussion.

Please label the parts of the question:

  1. Set-Up
  2. Question
  3. Rationale

Read and Take Notes (noon - 3)

Between noon and 3:00, read your classmates' questions and make notes on your responses.

Try to find another quotation from the reading to "wrap" your reaction or answer.

Day 2. Plato, Writing & Idealism:
How Might a Platonic Belief in the Primacy of Ideas Affect One's Writing, Reading, and Interpretation of Texts?

Plato's Cave, outside

Today

  • Questions
  • Structure of web site
  • Meetings
  • Text, meaning, culture(s) (hierarchies)
  • Homework for Tuesday
  • Plato Topics (from your questions):

Resources

 

September

     

WEEK 2
 T 9/5

Homework

Read

1. Marx. "Preface" to A Contribution to a Critique of Political Economy. (1859) Szeman and Kaposy, pages 106-108

2. Marx and Engels. "The German Ideology." (1846) Szeman and Kaposy, pages 161-171

3. Marxist critic Fredric Jameson's definition of history from his book The Political Unconscous.

Write and Post by Noon

Write a discussion question--using the "Set-Up, Question, Rationale" format as before--about one or more of the readings assigned. Post it to the Moodle forum "Marx"

This questions should help lead us to consider and understand something about the Marx readings as examples of "materialist" thinking (as opposed to idealist or constructionist thinking). Your question should follow from our organizing question for today (above right).

Between Noon and 3:00

Read over your classmate's posts for today, decide on two questions you think would be most helpful to consider in class, and note down the page numbers of some quotations or ideas you'd use in answering.

Bring 8 Copies of 2 CFPs

From one or both of the sources below--or elsewhere, if you prefer--search through academic CFPs (Call for Papers) to find two conferences, events, or special issues with topics that interest you.

Make and bring enough copies of both CFPs for everyone.

Things to Consider in Choosing

  • In particular, consider how these CFPs might describe potential venues where you might be able to present or publish the paper you might write for this class.
  • Be open to the idea that a CFP might suggest a topic, rather a topic always determining the choice of CFP.
  • Look, too, for ways that a CFP might give you alternative ideas for development, or new approaches to what is a subject familiar to you.
  • Your chosen CFP may describe conferences or deadlines that have already passed.

Day 3: Marx and Materialism:

In what ways do texts reflect their material contexts, and how does the awareness condition our writing, reading, and interpretation of texts?

Resources

 

 
R 9/7

Homework

CFPs

Read over the CFPs you received last time and make notes toward answering these questions:

  • How can we learn to read and use a CFP to help us conceive the connecctions and patterns helpful in developing an premise for a seminar paper?

Read

Jacques Lacan. "The Instance of the Letter in the Unconscious, or Reason since Freud" Szeman and Kaposy, pages, 432-448

Write and Post Before Noon

In the Moodle forum, "Lacan" write a discussion question that helps us begin exploring te organizing question for today (above right).

Be sure to wrap the question around a specific quotation with a page number.

Label the parts of the question:

  1. Set-Up
  2. Question
  3. Rationale

Between Noon and 3:00

Read over your classmate's posts for today, decide on two questions you think would be most helpful to consider in class, and some quotations or ideas you'd use in answering.

 

Day 4. Lacan and Constructionism

In what ways is (what we call) reality as much a product of our shared ways of talking and seeing as it is about actual things or ideas?

Resources

WEEK 3
 T 9/12

Homework

Email me to set up a time to meet early this week to talk about

  • Your plans in the program
  • Your questions and concerns
  • Your possible premise for a seminar paper
  • Other matters related to 8906

No Class Meeting
R 9/14

Homework

Print and Read

William Wordsworth's Preface to Lyrical Ballads (1800).

Print out this PDF, and read it on paper. Mark in the margins to prepare for class discussion. Bring your marked copy to class. No reading on devices, please!

Write and Post Before Noon

Post a discussion question to the Moodle forum "Romantic Theory."

Your question should point us to a useful discussion of how Wordsworth helps us answer the organizing question for the day (above right)

Be sure to cite a particular passage and page number.

Be sure to label the parts of the question:

  1. Set-Up
  2. Question
  3. Rationale

Between Noon and 3:00

Read over your classmate's posts for today, decide on two questions you think would be most helpful to consider in class, and some quotations or ideas you'd use in answering.

Bring a Laptop

Bring a laptop computer to class if you have one. (For our purposes, a tablet or phone won't work since we're going to be downloading software.)

Day 5. Wordsworth and Romanticism

Is Romanticism more Idealist, Materialist, or Constructionist in its concepts, attitudes, and values--and how might we use each of the three critically to account for Romanticism?

Caspar David Friedrich, Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, 1818 (see present-day update)

Resources

WEEK 4
 T 9/19

Homework

Read

1. Matthew Arnold, "'Sweetness and Light' (1869)," Szeman and Kaposy, pgs 12-17

2. Prinout and read on paper to PDF file "Raymond Williams' "Culture" from Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society

Write and Post Before Noon

Post a discussion question to the Moodle forum "Arnold."

Your question should point us to a useful discussion of how Arnold defines the nature and function of culture, and what implications that might have on the kinds of writing, reading, and interpretation we do in English Studies.

For context, read the Williams' entry on "Culture," which you may reference in your question if it helps.

Be sure to cite a particular passage and page number. It helps to identify the column (R or L) and how far down the page with a decimal point (e.g., .5 for halfway down).

Label the parts of the question:

  1. Set-Up
  2. Question
  3. Rationale

Between Noon and 3:00

Read over your classmate's posts for today, decide on two questions you think would be most helpful to consider in class, and some quotations or ideas you'd use in answering.

 

Day 6. Matthew Arnold:

What is the nature and function of culture?

Zotero Exercise (3:00 - 3:30)

Please follow the steps below for the first portion of class. Help one another as needed.

  1. Go to <https://www.zotero.org/>
  2. There, click the "Download" button
  3. Download and install the Zotero Standalone
  4. Download and intall the Zotero Connector for your browser

  5. Look over Zotero's Quck Start Guide

  6. Open Zotero Standalone and create a free account

  7. Go to the UMD Library Page for Databases
  8. From the drop-down menu for Subjects, choose "English"
  9. From the list, choose a database to query: for example, "MLA Bibliography"
  10. In that database, type in search terms related to your topic
  11. Click to one article or resource from the search results
  12. While viewing the page for that article or resource, click the Zotero icon in your browser's add-on toolbar (usually in the upper portion of the browser window)
  13. Look in the Zotero app to see if the information on that article or resource has been saved. 

  14. Make a Works Cited entry from  and paste it into Word or some other text-editing program (see Zotero's Documentation page for links to specific instructions)
  15. Query another database and capture information for another article or resource (try JSTOR from the UMD Database list)
  16. From UMD Library's Search Page for Books and Articles, find a book related to your topic.  Capture the bibliographic information on that book into Zotero
  17. Search for a book on Worldcat and save the information about that book into Zotero

  18. Create a "collection" of the all items you've put into Zotero (see Zotero's Documentation page for links to specific instructions)

  19. Create a bibliography (Works Cited list) of the entire collection that you just created and paste those entries into a page in Word or another text-editing program. 

Resources

 
R 9/21

Homework

Print and Read (as examples of "Aestheticism") and Post to Moodle

Write a discussion question--using the "Set-Up, Question, Rationale" format from last time--leading us to consider and understand something about aestheticism as represented by these texts.

How does aestheticism represent one way to answer our organizing question for today (see above right)?

By noon, post this question as a reply to the Moodle forum "Aestheticism."

Print and Read (as Describing a Theory of Non-Theory)

There is no discussion question due for this reading, though if you think of one please note it down for class.

Consider: what are the similarities and differences between Liberal Humanism and Aestheticism as represented in the Pater and Wilde readings.

Read and Post to Moodle

"Introduction" to The Awakening 3 - 21

As you read, think about the possible ways that this introduction might suggests certain theoretical assumptions: that is, assumptions of the kinds we've been talking about in Plato, Marx, Lacan, Wordsworth, Jameson, or Arnold (as well as Wilde and Pater). How do these theorists and critics help us characterize how this introduction answers our oraganizing question for today (see above right)?

By noon, post a discussion question (same format as previously) as a reply to the Moodle forum "Introduction to The Awakening" which gives us an opportunity to consider the issues above.

Bring to Class

In addition to the printouts above, please bring to class

  • your copy of Williams' "Culture," and
  • your Szeman and Kaposy book

 

Day 07: Aestheticism, Liberal Humanism, The Awakening

What do we talk about when we talk about texts, literature, society, culture, history, and so on?

Oscar Wilde

Resources

WEEK 5
 T 9/26

Homework

Read and Bring Questions

Since your 100-Word Proposals for your seminar papers will be due in a week, please read the handout "Seminar Paper Proposal Format" and bring questions about it.

Read

Read pages 22 - 79 of The Awakening.

Write and Post Before Noon

Post a discussion question to the Moodle forum "Chopin 1."

Organizing question TBA.

Be sure to cite a particular passage and page number. It helps to identify how far down the page with a decimal point (e.g., .5 for halfway down).

Be sure to label the parts of the question:

  1. Set-Up
  2. Question
  3. Rationale

Between Noon and 3:00

Read over your classmate's posts for today, decide on two questions you think would be most helpful to consider in class, and some quotations or ideas you'd use in answering.

Day 8. The Awakening (1)

How do we assign meaning to aspects of The Awakening as a fictional text?

The Awakening (beach)

Resources
R 9/28

Homework

Read

  • The remainer of the novel, pages 79 - 139
  • "Critical History" 169 - 194

Write and Post Before Noon

1. Post a discussion question to the Moodle forum "Chopin 2."

Your question should point us toward a useful discussion that attempts to consider one of the components of the "Seminar Paper Proposal Format": aspect, context, terminology, critical problem.

Be sure to cite a particular passage and page number. It helps to identify how far down the page with a decimal point (e.g., .5 for halfway down).

Be sure to label the parts of the question:

  1. Set-Up
  2. Question
  3. Rationale

Find and Transcribe to Moodle

As you look at critical resources for writing your papers (or elsewhere), please collect at least one brief passage that serves as an "origin myth" of an argument or analysis.

Please transcribe that passage into a reply to the Moodle forum "Critical Origin Myths" and include the page number, author, title of the work.

Day 9. The Awakening (2), Critical History

Resources

October

     

WEEK 6
 T 10/3

Homework

Write, print 8 copies

Bring in copies of a 100-word proposal for your seminar project.

Bring

Bring The Awakening book and the Critical Theory book, as well as all printouts and handouts.

 

 

 

Day 10. 100-Word Proposals, Taking Stock

Resources

 

 
R 10/5

Homework

Read

1. "What is Reader-Response Criticism?" page 337- in The Awakening casebook.

2. Paula Treichler "The Construction of Ambiguity in The Awakening: A Linguistic Analysis" page 352- in The Awakening casebook.

Write and Post Before Noon

1. Post a discussion question to the Moodle forum "Reader Response Criticism" which helps us address the organizing question for today.

Be sure to cite a particular passage and page number. Identify how far down the page the passage is with a decimal point (e.g., .5 for halfway down).

Be sure to label the parts of the question:

  1. Set-Up
  2. Question
  3. Rationale

Between Noon and Class Time

Read over your classmate's posts for today, decide on two questions you think would be most helpful to consider in class, and some quotations or ideas you'd use in answering.

Day 11: Reader Response Criticism

What role do readers play in determining the meaning of a text--and how do we talk about that role?

from the cover of Janice Radway's Reading the Romance.

WEEK 7
 T 10/10

Homework

Read

  • "What is Feminist Criticism: Feminist Criticism and The Awakening," pages 186-202 in The Awakening casebook.
  • Elaine Showalter. "Tradition and the Female Talent: The Awakening as a Solitary Book" pages 202-222 in The Awakening casebook.

Write and Post Before Noon

1. Post a discussion question to the Moodle forum "Feminist Criticism" which helps us address the organizing question for today.

Be sure to cite a particular passage and page number. Identify how far down the page the passage is with a decimal point (e.g., .5 for halfway down).

Be sure to label the parts of the question:

  1. Set-Up
  2. Question
  3. Rationale

Between Noon and Class Time

Read over your classmate's posts for today, decide on two questions you think would be most helpful to consider in class, and some quotations or ideas you'd use in answering

Day 12. Feminist Criticism

How does social identity inform critical reading and criticism?

Emmeline Pankhurst arrested outside Buckingham Palace, May 1914

Resources

 

R 10/12

Homework

Read

Antonio Gramsci, "Hegemony" (from Prison Notebooks 1929-1935), Szeman and Kaposy, pages 188-201

Write and Post

In the Moodle forum, "Gramsci," write a discussion question that would enable us to explore in the Gramsci reading the organizing question for today.

Use the usual format:

  1. Set-Up
  2. Question
  3. Rationale

Read and Begin Drafting

Download, print, and read the handout, "Seminar Paper Abstract Format."

Starting with a copy of your 100-word proposal (being sure to save the original), start to draft your abstract. See due date below.

Day 13. Gramsci: Ideology, Intellectuals

Why does political inequality persist through history, and what role do intellectuals play in historical change?

Terms

  • Ideology,
  • Power,
  • Identity
  • intellectuals
  • revolution
  • hegemony
  • common sense

Resources

 

WEEK 8
 T 10/17

Homework

Read

Read the three articles I distributed to you.

Come in with a Question for Each Visitor

The writers of these three articles will be visiting ENGL 8906 to talk about the method, theory, and process of their scholarly and critical writing.

For each writer, come in with a question that attempts to engage with questions such the following:

  • what theoretical or methodological approaches underpin the work
  • how the work and its purpose was conceived (as in the Critical Origin Myth)
  • how (and to what extent) theory appears in the work
  • how the theoretical approaches, methods, and ideas contribute to the work's ultimate purposes

 

Day 14: Research/Method/Theory Roundtable

Today, three members of the Graduate Faculty will be discussing the various ways that theory informs their scholarly work.

Resources

 
R 10/19

Homework

Read

1. "What is the New Historicism?" In The Awakening casebook, pages 257-269

2. Margit Stange: "Personal Property: Exchange Value and the Female Self in The Awakening." In The Awakening casebook, pages 274-290

Write and Post Before Noon

In the Moodle forum "New Historicism" write a discussion question that helps unpack and explore our organizing question for today.

Be sure to label the parts of each question:

  1. Set-Up
  2. Question
  3. Rationale

Between Noon and 3:00

Read over your classmate's posts for today, decide on two questions you think would be most helpful to consider in class, and some quotations or ideas you'd use in answering.

 

Day 15: New Historicism

What distinguishes New Historicism from traditional historical analysis?

"Vanitas still life" Edwaert Collier 1662 (See Christie's "Collier Decoded...")

Resources

 

WEEK 9
 T 10/24

Homework

Read

  • Louis Althusser, "Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses." Szeman and Kaposy, pages, 204-222
  • Fredric Jameson. "Reification and Utopia in Mass Culture." Szeman and Kaposy, pages 60-71.

Write and Post Before Noon

1. Post a discussion question to the Moodle forum "Althusser, Jameson (Reification)"

Be sure to cite a particular passage and page number. Identify how far down the page the passage is with a decimal point (e.g., .5 for halfway down).

Be sure to label the parts of the question:

  1. Set-Up
  2. Question
  3. Rationale

Between Noon and 3:00

Read over your classmate's posts for today, decide on two questions you think would be most helpful to consider in class, and some quotations or ideas you'd use in answering.

 

Day 16: Althusser, Jameson (Reification)

How does a materialist approach to culture contradict conventional humanistic assumptions about identity, morality, critique, or social value?
R 10/26  

Fall Break
WEEK 10
 T 10/31

Homework

Bring seven copies of your 500-word "Seminar Paper Abstract"

 

Day 17: 500-Word Abstracts Due

Hearing the Abstracts

  • Something you like,
  • Something you want to hear more about,
  • Something about why that "more" might be productive

Resources

 


November

     
R 11/2  

No Class Meeting

WEEK 11
 T 11/7

Homework

Abstracts

Come prepared to provide feedback on the abstracts you received and heard read last meeting.

Read

Raymond Williams, "Culture is Ordinary" (1958), Szeman and Kaposy, pgs 53-

Raymond Williams, "Dominant, Residual, and Emergent" (1977), Szeman and Kaposy, pgs 353-

Write and Post Before Noon

Post a discussion question to the Moodle forum "Raymond Williams."

Be sure to quote and cite a particular passage and page number. When you do, it helps to identify the column (R or L) and how far down the page with a decimal point (e.g., .5 for halfway down).

Be sure to label the parts of the question:

  1. Set-Up
  2. Question
  3. Rationale

Between Noon and 3:00

Read over your classmate's posts for today, decide on two questions you think would be most helpful to consider in class, and some quotations or ideas you'd use in answering.

Day 18. Raymond Williams

How does Williams' definition of culture differ from Arnold's?
How does Williams situate himself in relation to high and mass culture?

Resources
R 11/9

Homework

Read

1. Download, print, and read Michel Foucault, "What is an Author?"

[If you want to cite this article, see this longer, alternative version which includes the bibliographical information and page numbers

2. Read Michel Foucault. "Method" Szeman and Kaposy, pages, 134-138

Write and Post

In the Moodle forum, "Foucault," write a discussion question.

Be sure to wrap each question around a specific quotation with a page number.

Label the parts of the question:

  1. Set-Up
  2. Question
  3. Rationale

Between Noon and 3:00

Read over your classmate's posts for today, decide on two questions you think would be most helpful to consider in class, and some quotations or ideas you'd use in answering.

Day 19: Foucault

How would our methods of literary, cultural, or historical analysis change if we radically stopped believing in the preeminence of ideas like individualism, society, intention, morality, law, truth, etc. as categories of meaning?

Resources

WEEK 12
 T 11/14

Homework

Read

  • Gender Criticism and The Awakening 223-236
  • Elizabeth LeBlanc. "The Metaphorical Lesbian: Edna Pontellier in The Awakening." The Awakening casebook, starting on page 237.

Write and Post

In the Moodle forum, "Gender Criticism," write a discussion question the piece "Gender Criticism and The Awakening"

In the Moodle forum, "LeBlanc," write a discussion question about the article ""The Metaphorical Lesbian"

Be sure to wrap each question around a specific quotation (or two) with a page number(s).

Label the parts of the question:

  1. Set-Up
  2. Question
  3. Rationale

Between Noon and 3:00

Read over your classmate's posts for today, decide on two questions you think would be most helpful to consider in class, and some quotations or ideas you'd use in answering.

 

 

Day 23: Gender Criticism

How is gender criticism necessarily distinct from feminstic criticism?

What similarities can you see between the techniques/assumptions of gender criticism and other "constructionist" approaches to literature, culture, and identity?

Resources
R 11/16

Homework

Read

What is Deconstruction? pgs 291- 310, in The Awakening casebook

"'A Language Which Nobody Understood': Emancipatory Strategies in The Awakening," pages 311-336 in The Awakening casebook

Write and Post

In the Moodle forum, "Deconstruction," write a discussion question that attempts to connect the two readings for today.

Be sure to wrap the question around a specific quotation (or two) with a page number(s).

Label the parts of the question:

  1. Set-Up
  2. Question
  3. Rationale

Between Noon and 3:00

Read over your classmate's posts for today, decide on two questions you think would be most helpful to consider in class, and some quotations or ideas you'd use in answering.

 

Day 24: Deconstruction

Resources

WEEK 13
 T 11/21

  

No Class Meeting: Research Day (Annotated Bibs)
R 11/23  

Thankgiving: No Class Meeting

WEEK 14
 T 11/28

Homework

Annotated Bibliographies due

The annotated bibliography should contain between 8 and 12 sources. These should be presented alphabetically in MLA citation format, double spaced.

Choice of Items

Items should be selected for their relevance to your paper topic. This relevance may come from their usefulness

  • as direct sources (that you plan on citing in your paper),
  • as models of analytical method, style, or thinking
  • as "foils" against which you will argue.

Annotations

Beneath each item you shoud write an annotation of at least 3 sentnces which makes clear the relevance of the source to your own project. Annotations may

  • summarize the source
  • evaluate its argument, methods, or conclusion
  • reflect on its relevance or usefulness as a source, model, and/or foil.
  • a combination of these.

Bring All Books, Handouts, Printouts, etc.

 

By 7 a.m. Tomorrow (Rereadings)

Choose a 1- to 3-page portion of a reading from this semester to revisit.

Ideally, this is a passage or excerpt that could be relevant to your seminar paper (whether as an explicitly cited source, or an inspiration)

In a reply to the Moodle forum "Rereadings," post the author's name, article title, and selected page numbers for the passage you would like us to reread and discuss.

In the post, very briefly gloss your reasons for wanting to revisit this excerpt. (These can be individual to your project, or your own interests.

Day 25. Annotated Bibliographies;
Taking Stock

Resources
R 11/30

Homework

See "By 7 a.m. Tomorrow" for Tuesday 11/28 above.

Reread

Reread the selections chosen by your classmates for today's class.

Be prepared to discuss your second reading of these texts, and to talk about their possible relevance to the concerns of your paper as well as your peers' projects.

Day 26. Rereadings


December

     

WEEK 15
 T 12/5

Homework

Complete Your Penultimate Draft

For class today, please write and print a complete, penultimate draft to submit.

This draft will form the basis of your presentation on Thursday, and well as for a Final Draft to be turned in by Monday at 4:00.

On your draft, please write a question or concern (or 2) that you would like me to respond to in the next few days.

Bring Books and Printouts for Re-Readings

We will also talk about the remaining re-readings from last class meeting. See the Moodle forum "Rereadings."

You will need the Cultural Theory book, The Awakening casebook, and your printout of Plato.

Day 27. Paper Drafts due
R 12/7

Homework

Prepare Your Presentation

Purpose

Your role as presenter is to share an overview of your research project with the department in ways that

  • are cultually and intellectually engaging
  • give a clear, brief overview of your project
  • introduce you as a scholar to the program

Format

You may use notes or an outline, but do not just read to the audience the entire time from a prepared text or from your slides.

Do, however, introduce and read a 1-2 minute section to give the department a sense of your writing voice, and to demonstrate a wrierly/scholarly move you make in the paper.

Please limit your presentation to no more than 8 minutes. Be sure to practice and time your presentation ahead of time, and be prepared to field some questions afterward.

Elements of the Presentation

Your presentation should offer your audience the following:

1. an overview of your topic and thesis

  • how did you become interested in this topic?
  • with what questions did your project begin?
  • what background information do we need to know?
  • what is your essay's main question, concern, or idea?

2. a summary of the major points of your analysis

3. a few key quotes and examples from your primary text(s) and secondary sources for each

4. a 1-2 minute sample of your writing in which you demonstrate a move you make in the paper, showing how you make one of the p 

5. an explanation of your project's conclusions.

Visuals

To help listeners follow your talk, please prepare a visual supplement to your presentation, combining text and images, in the form of

  • Google Slides or Google Docs, or
  • a paper handout.

(Note: if you're used to working with Pointpoint, you can put together your slides in that software, and then open the .ppt file with Google Slides to convert ahead of time.

If you're used to Keynote, you can choose File > Export to save the .key file to a .ppt format for conversion to Google Slides as described above.)

On the visual supplement:

  • List your presentations main topics and points to help us listen and follow your presentation.
    • Set up individual points on each slide to appear one at a time via the app's “animation” feature.
    • Include any quotes from your primary or critical sources, so we can follow along as you read.
    • Relevant images are always helpful, and help give your slides a professional look.
    • Avoid using elaborate or distracting animation or sound effects.
    • PROOFREAD YOUR VISUAL AIDS!

We will use one laptop for all presentations, so plan to bring your presentation on a USB flash drive to load onto the laptop's desktop ahead of time, or save it in a public Google Drive folder and post the URL to the Moodle forum "Presentation Resources."

 

 

Presentations

FINALS WK
M 12/11

Papers due by 4:00 or Before

Place them in my mailbox, Humanities 420

  

R 12/14

 

Final Exam (Mock Comprehensive Exam)

In a time window today between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., you will spend 2 hours writing responses to two of the questions on the Final Exam.

To give yourself the entire two-hour period, you should start the exam no later than 3 p.m.

We will use the couse Moodle site to make the questions available, and to enable you to write and submit your responses online.

You have a choice of when and where you write the Final Exam, but you will need to plan to complete it within one 2 hour block of time, which you complete no later than 5 p.m.

Directions for the Online Final Exam

During the time window above, open the Moodle quiz "Final Exam."

You will find several questions with text boxes under each.

Remember to answer only two of the questions.

Advice: Write Outside of Moodle and Paste

As a precaution, be sure to write each answer in text-editing software and save it in a file on your computer.

After you have completed each answer, copy the text into that question's text box in Moodle.

What If Moodle Goes Down?

If you have technical problems with Moodle during the exam time, please complete writing the exam, and then copy the text of your answers into an email and send the email to me no more than 90 minutes after the time you started the exam.

If you are using Firefox and have trouble typing into a text box, use the handle grip in the lower right of the text box to enlarge it slightly.

For technical questions about Moodle, call the ITSS Help Desk at 726-8847 during office hours.