Announcements
- Student Showcase: Media Literacy Matters: Current Landscape, Student Actions, and Future Directions
- Submission Deadline: 5:00 PM EST on Friday, February 9, 2024
- Conference Date: March 21, 2024
- Submission Form
Introduction Plan
Today we’re going to get more acquainted with the course materials and requirements. I’m hoping to use this webpage and Canvas for all class needs–notes, exams, course policies, readings not in the books, etc.
- Go over the course syllabus (if needed)
- Isaac Asimov’s “A Cult of Ignorance”–page devoted to the article
- Thirty Years of English Computer Labs
- Technology and yourself, a reflective essay (Due 2/06; 2/22)
- Red Hot Chili Peppers. “Californication.” {Video and Lyrics}
Weekly Discussion Posts
You’ll have 14 Weekly Discussion Posts this semester, and they’ll be due Fridays at 11:00pm. Set a reminder now for the rest of the semester, so you don’t miss any. There will be no make ups for these posts. The first post is due this week–Friday, January, 19, 11:00pm. It’s an introduction of yourself and worth 5 points. The remaining 13 posts will be worth 15 points each and will usually be about the materials from that week. {There’s no post the week of Spring Break.}
Things We Most Likely Can’t Disagree About
We carry on our lives without truly understanding the forces at work—social, scientific, and technological. When we use mobile phones, computers, cars, etc., we don’t have to understand the science or engineering behind how they work. Of course, some of us do but only if one is in a technical discipline or just really curious and has the time to “dissect” the black boxes of various technologies.
We don’t understand the science and engineering behind many of the technologies we use.
Reflection on 30 years of English in Computer Labs
Twenty years ago, webpages were the thing students did to demonstrate they had mastery of communication in digital environments. A webpage is still a great tool to showcase your work, but, specifically reflecting on our course topics can be done other ways. Let’s consider ways to think about yor final assignment, The Technology Project. Most of you are so-called “digital natives,” having been immersed in a world where the internet was constantly available since the time you were born.
American Culture
I have other course pages devoted to this listed below, so check them out for more information. Don’t worry about getting this all at once; we’ll be exploring American culture all semester, and you’ll be arguing for (or against) what seem to be essential American qualities in your writing. Although it might seem that American culture in monolithic, it isn’t. However, we will often focus on the hegemonic aspects of American culture.
Places to review the think more about American culture:
Introduction to Cultural Studies
Our discussions are a beginning and not a closing of discussion; it’s a beginning (notice I didn’t write the beginning). Let’s turn our attention to what this has to do with humanities research. The major, nearly universal assumption Americans have about technology is that it will advance. I know that sounds simple, but it’s a prevailing assumption we share. It doesn’t mean we all think technology will make our lives better, but how often have you said (or heard) “one day they’ll create a pill to cure that,” or “someday there will be a new technology to do that work”? We assume technology will advance; that is a shared cultural assumption.
How might the following American values be reflected in technologies we use:
- Capitalism (think efficiency and, well, making money)
- Freedom
- Equality
- Consumerism
I have information about Marxism below because it’s important for cultural studies. Again, it’s for information and not to start a Marxist revolution. We will not go into every aspect I have online, but there’s more information if you’re interested. Let’s at least have workable definitions for there two theories:
Celebrating Ignorance
Let’s discuss how these texts reflect anti-intellectualism and trite, nationalistic ideology. In addition to the links below, if you have time, you can read a short piece about “American Contradiction” from a rather interesting book (opens as a PDF).
Are You Normal?
According to the US Census Bureau…
- One-third of the US population has a bachelor’s degree (or higher)
- In 2018, “13.1% of U.S. adults have an advanced degree”
- In 2018, it looks like 2.6% have doctoral degrees (same link)
Future Stuff
If we have time left, we’ll jump onto Thursday’s (1/18) discussion. Remember, I never let students out early. Seventy-five minutes isn’t too long…and rhetoric of technology goes by so quickly.
Make sure you get the books and get onto Canvas to post a little bit about yourself. If you didn’t get around to today’s readings, please do so before Thursday. We’re starting off with short readings and can easily catch up if we need to.