{"id":6745,"date":"2007-05-15T13:20:58","date_gmt":"2007-05-15T13:20:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.earthwidemoth.com\/blog\/2007\/05\/15\/ends-and-begins\/"},"modified":"2007-05-15T13:20:58","modified_gmt":"2007-05-15T13:20:58","slug":"ends-and-begins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.earthwidemoth.com\/blog\/2007\/05\/15\/ends-and-begins\/","title":{"rendered":"Ends and Begins"},"content":{"rendered":"\u23f3 Approximate reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> mins<\/span><\/span>

I turned in grades a few minutes ago, so my semester has officially ended.
\nI taught an online seniors-only section of WRT205 this semester. As far as
\nI know, it’s the first time the Writing Program offered the course in exactly
\nthis way (online and for seniors). At this stage, there’s not a whole lot
\nI can say for<\/i> the course. It tends to enroll students who didn’t complete
\nthis sophomore-level writing course (emphasizing textual research) when they
\nwere sophomores. Or juniors. Certainly there is an inherent obstacle
\nin their putting off this course for any number of reasons, ranging from bad
\nexperiences (withdrawing) to more enticing course offerings to presumptions
\nabout the tortures of academic writing. On this, the last last day of the
\nsemester, I’d be hesitant to describe what took shape over the past sixteen
\nweeks as an unqualified success. Good at times, and less good at other times.
\nThe general attitude toward online courses at SU seems to me–given admittedly
\nlimited experience teaching online for SU–to be one of avoidance or
\ndisengagement. The online course isn’t the scene students flock toward for more
\nlively, engaging, and rigorous experiences.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Shoot, all of that sounds fairly grim, doesn’t it? Let me say this,
\nthen. While this isn’t the ideal way for students to take a required
\nsophomore-level writing course (online, I mean, and in their final semesters of
\nundergraduate studies), there were impressive projects and bright moments.
\nOne student worked at the knot where systems for juvenile punishment tie messily
\nin with effective rehabilitation efforts (looking, that is, at how such
\ninstitutions risk reinscribing criminality). Another project sorted
\nthrough the uses of Latour and SNA for understanding the complexity of the
\nUnited Nations. And then there was
\nthis project<\/a>,
\na sequence on interactivity influenced by McCloud.<\/p>\n

As much for my successful prospectus hearing as for capping WRT205, I’m
\nrelieved the semester is over. Next, I’m headed to Detroit for Computers
\nand Writing. Aside from trips to Arizona and Michigan in June and teaching
\nan online course for old U. and moving, what’s left will be filled up with the
\ndiss.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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