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Great Works Cohort Project

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Today our group has had a lot of back and forth on a separate Google doc about what we could imagine as resources for a hybrid Great Works course. At base the very idea of resource is up for grabs, as we have all chimed in with different expectations, uses, thoughts as to what could be resourceful.

We are treating this project a kind of “beginning” of a compilation that branches out in different ways an topics germane to Great Works. Over the course of the week, we will be brainstorming, reflecting, and hopefully generating a document that offers different ways to spur interest in ways to hybridize the class.  Some of us are thinking of how these resources can be worked directly into possible assignments, while others are looking towards readings that will help instructors frame, model, or instruct students to use a hybrid learning model.

We have broken the resources into these subtopics that we are working on in groups:

Close reading / reading comprehension (Meechal)
Oral presentation
Comparative analysis (Nicole)
Audio and video
Research (Nicole, Cheryl)
Literature and social media (literature on Twitter, Tumblr, blogs)
Literature and visual art:  20th Cent. (Volume F) online/out of classroom resources (Jeanne); Miciah
Literature and music:  20th Cent. (Volume F) online/out of classroom resources (Jeanne)
Literature on the stage
Literature in/and NYC (Meechal, Miciah)
Literary translation (Meechal, Cheryl)

5 thoughts on “Great Works Cohort Project”

  1. Today, I learned to sympathize with frazzled students who fell out of synch with the group. Literally, I mean out of synch. Every excuse my students used in class has just filled my pocket for today. I am documenting this only because it is one of the issues students may face with one leg in digital space and one leg trying to keep a train door open long enough to squeeze through.
    – Day begins with no WiFi at home [thanks verizon torture].
    – Bright idea, run to campus and since I am the iPhone Queen, on the commute, I can work out of pocket.
    – Working Out of Pocket is a great idea until I realize that all the google docs are on baruchmail, which is not the email synched to my phone.
    – Go to download google doc app on my phone and of course, turns out I messed up my password and locked myself out. How do I reset password, oh I forgot to synch apple ID to my gmail, which means I have an ancient yahoo account that I use for these things, which means by the time I figure out the password I hit the tunnel.
    – Finally on campus, yay, I have free wifi. Uh-oh training session has started and everyone will flip if I try to download this google doc while learning about makerbot.
    – Learn about makerbot. Connect it to the hybrid class assignments. And just as I am about to go run to a solitary space and computer…
    – Life explosion: Friend needs to be picked up post-surgery so she will not pass out on the streets of Manhattan.
    – Life Explosion is a very long train ride to the Bronx with groggy friend.
    – Still no access to yahoo. Have to go through baruchmail address to get to google doc. Google doc app not downloaded. etc etc

    This has made me think how to address on the first day the necessity of a checklist for hybrid students. All the things I wished I had done today:
    1. Access tech gear and make sure all apps/software updated.
    2. Synching all tech or at least have two plans for what happens when your central lifeline to the digital world is not available.
    3. Do not use outdated email for anything. [I think this is just me]

    I am sure there is more but it is now near 3am and I am ready to list what my responsibilities for my cohort are — thanks for the group for giving me some to choose from based on the blogposts.

    1. Oral Presentation
    2. Audio/Video
    3. Social Media & I’d add the 3D programs as a way to develop a closer relation with the museum artifacts since The Met just posted up a bunch of great 3D images of their sculptures to play with

    I am not sure if we can always foresee tech glitches and life explosions but I honestly feel for the student who has kids to pick up from school, work, and then classes. I am going to think of checklists and best practices for working on the go and other kinds of trouble shooting for students.

    I just want to be transparent about this process for me. I am learning even during my moments of utter failure.

  2. This is terrific, including Zohra’s follow up, which reflects what can (and will) happen in hybrid courses. A well-designed course will anticipate and account for such glitches, and offer students a variety of modes and means to make their commitment visible.

    I’m excited to see what you guys come up with. As a side note, if you’re interested in embedding your G Doc on this blog, please let me know; it would be interesting to see your work in action, and we have the capability to embed Drive tools within this space.

  3. This looks exciting! And definitely, Zohra, the troubleshooting aspect is important; but I am sorry about your crazy day.
    I’d also love to see the work-in-progress as it develops.
    Where do you envision these documents eventually residing, and how do you think they would ideally be a resource for future instructors?

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