Welcome. Because of our hybrid structure, we won’t be meeting in-person until Wednesday, August 31st. Here are your assignments for the week. Please pay careful attention to any due dates I have assigned, and don’t be shy about reaching out via email ([email protected]) if you have any questions.
1.In advance of Wednesday’s class, please read the syllabus for our course. You can find it by clicking on “Syllabus” above. In a comment on this post, please share one observation and/or one question that you have about the information shared in the syllabus. Please do this before our class on Wednesday.
2. Compose a short (300-400 word) introduction to yourself and post it to our course blog. Be sure to create this as a “new post” rather than posting your introduction as a comment on this assignment. Please identify your blog by selecting the category “introductions.” It’s up to you to decide what you wish to share with the class about your background, academic interests, hobbies, etc…, but please also respond to the following questions. Please also let us know what name you’d like us to use to address you in the classroom and on the blog and what pronouns you’d prefer.
Describe a text that made a lasting impression on you. What was it about this text that stuck with you? Has this or any other text ever changed your perspective about some aspect of the world or your own life? How? (You can understand the word “text” here to include written texts, movies, plays, songs, videos, or photographs.) This could be something from your childhood or something you encountered very recently. Don’t worry about choosing something “academic”; focus instead on choosing an example that is meaningful to you.
Please add a photograph to your post, if possible. This can be a photograph of you or some other image that complements your post.
In order to create a new post, look for the button “Add New” under the “Posts” option. Before you post your introduction, please select the category “introductions” on the right hand side of your screen.
Please share your introduction by Friday, September 2nd.
3. For next Wednesday’s class (Sept. 7th), please read Feng Menglong’s short story, “Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger”. If you have already acquired the Norton Anthology, you can find the story in Volume D of the anthology. If you don’t yet have the required texts, you can find a link to the story under the “Texts” tab at the top of the blog. Please bring a hard copy of the text with you to class on Wednesday or have the ability to access it electronically during class. In a separate post, you can find discussion questions about the text. Please post a response to one of the questions either before or after class.
4. In your blogs@baruch account, please replace the stock “Bearcat” photo with a photograph of yourself!
One observation I made while reading the syllabus was that even though this class is asynchronous on Mondays, there will be times when we meet in small groups or individually and we will have to meet at least twice this entire semester.
I noticed the unique grading approach. It’s my first time hearing about it and I’m excited to see how it’ll go.
I had a question about the section, What is ENG 2850?
It says “Through our readings, discussion, and written work, we will wrestle with what these texts have to tell us about the human condition, about our own lives and identities, about the complexities of language and meaning-making, and about the contexts in which the works were created. ”
I am wondering what the human condition is/means.
Love this question! The “human condition” is a broad term that refers generally to the situation of being mortal – what does it mean to be a person, to understand that we (and everyone around us) are mortal (meaning our days are limited) and fallible, to struggle to find meaning and connection in life, etc…
In the syllabus, I noticed how we will be looking at texts of different languages which will be something new and interesting for me as I will be gaining more knowledge of different types of literary works. I also noticed how different the grading in this class is compared to most college classes. It’s definitely something I’m looking forward to see unfold as the semester continues.
I am really looking forward to the new grading approach, “ungrading”. It is really interesting and I really like the idea of how it really focuses on the concept of “learning”. Though a bit confusing, since effort isn’t as visible. So I wonder exactly what the expectation is, and how is “seriousness and attention” measured. Also, what will happen as “consistency and quality of effort” changes later in the semester, because of stress from other classes?
I’ve never heard of “ungrading” until now and I’m interested in seeing how it works this semester.
The grading approach for this class is very unique and something I ‘ve never done before. I appreciate how the goal isn’t grades but actually learning, I’m excited to see how it turns out for me!
One thing that I noticed was this new grading style which has me much more excited for the rest of this class. The upgrading feature helps me decide my own grade, so I don’t really have to stress about how particularly well I do I can enjoy what I create.
The grading system for this class is really amazing. I automatically feel more motivated to genuinely learn in this class, knowing that I am in full control of the grade I get. There have been times in the past where the grade given to an assignment did not reflect the amount of work and effort I put into it. When this happens, I instantly feel inclined to see assignments only as numerical grades, rather than incorporating complex thinking or growth. With this grading system, I feel encouraged to focus on learning.