1.25.2005

responses and responsibility

when asked about how to compose text responses by someone in class last week, i initially indicated "somewhere in between" formal and personal, and offered to post an example of what i meant. i couldn't get that response out of my head all weekend and, as i stood transfixed by the snow from time to time on saturday, i couldn't help but wonder what my responsibility is in this situation. as a graduate student i relished the opportunity to truly experiment with responses to text, in both content and form. (and for many of those opportunities, i thank susan lytle)
so, in this situation (where i am in the position of instructor) i continually wonder about my responsibility to create similar opportunities for students in this class. it was the risk of boundless expectations that my inquiry thrived on... the risk of how to engage with the text while exploring the very nature of representation.

therefore, after much reflection i've come to what i hope will be the best conclusion for all of involved in this course journey: the format of the text responses are open. but here's what i would like to see with respect to content: for the first one - engaging a series of articles and/or shorter pieces in the response. and for the second response - engaging a single and more complete text, such as a book, documentary, or full edited volume.

i'm look forward to seeing where these text-plorations take us!

:)

No comments: