Professor
Kathryn Conrad
Fall 2014
MWF 1-1:50
pm, 4037 Wescoe
Office
hours: MTW, 2-4, 3001L Wescoe
Page last updated 12-5-14
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course explores literature that asks, explicitly or implicitly, how do we know what we think we know? What is the "reality" we think we are accessing? What limits our capacity for knowledge? We will examine a variety of texts, including poetry, essays, and novels, in order to begin to probe those questions and more, with a special focus on the relationship between humans and their tools for knowing. Topics we will consider will include metaphor, time perception, language, technology, the nature of the human, and the concept of the "noosphere." Authors will include William Blake, Oliver Sacks, Jaron Lanier, Bram Stoker, Alan Lightman, and Daniel Suarez.
THIS COURSE FULFILLS:
This course fulfills the second KU Core Goal 2.1 (written communication) requirement. It will also count as one of the two required written communication courses for the BA in the College.
As a KU Core Goal 2.1 course, this course is intended to help you develop your writing, from idea and research through revision and final product, for multiple genres and communication situations. Writing will be the supermajority of your grade in the course, in keeping with Goal 2.1 standards.
This course also serves as one of the Honors Course Requirements for the KU Honors Program.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Students
will be expected to write in a variety of genres: a literary analysis,
an
analysis of visual rhetoric, a research paper, and blog postings
focused on
several kinds of genres and evaluative tasks.
OTHER
REQUIREMENTS:
TEXTS:
In addition to several texts available online, I have ordered the following texts:
RESOURCES, POLICIES, & CONTACTS (Adapted from statements and policies from the KU Registrar, CLAS, the Writing Center, the KU Faculty Council, and the English Department)
Grading: In this course we will be using the +/- grading scale, approved by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to describe intermediate levels of performance between a maximum of A and a minimum of F. Intermediate grades represented by plus or minus shall be calculated as .3 units above or below the corresponding letter grade.
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism
is stealing and passing off someone else's ideas
or words as one's own or using information from another's work without
crediting the source. Any detected cheating offense--including but not
limited
to plagiarism; the unauthorized use of crib sheets, texts, or other
materials
during an examination or quiz; the copying of another student's work
(even with
the permission or aid of that student, who is thereby culpable); the
use of
prewritten essays (the student's own or someone else's); the uncredited
adoption of another writer's interpretation of a work; or the
unauthorized use
of work written for another assignment or class--will be reported to
the
University. A record of each verified offense will be kept throughout
the
student's association with the University.
Plagiarism
is not a game, nor is it simply a
"shortcut" when time presses. It is a very serious form of academic
misconduct and will be treated as such in this class. When you consult
outside
sources for ideas--through published or unpublished essays, interviews,
the
Internet, conversation, etc.--you must cite those sources in your work.
I
understand that academic work can be daunting: if you are struggling
with an
assignment, are unclear about my expectations, or are behind on your
work,
please consult me. There is always a better path than plagiarism; I can
work
with you to help you find your own voice while incorporating others'
ideas
appropriately. If after reading the statement above, you are still
unclear
about what constitutes plagiarism, ask me BEFORE turning in an
assignment.
A
plagiarized assignment will result in failure of the
assignment (no credit given); it also impacts your larger course grade
more
than a paper that merely receives an F, and will usually result in
failure of
the course. The Department of English has a zero-tolerance policy on
plagiarism. Formal records are currently kept by the Department of
English and
the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. I may also send a copy of the
plagiarism form to the home department or school of any student who is
found to
have plagiarized.
KU Statement on Diversity
and Inclusion:
As a premier international research university, the University of
Kansas is committed to an open, diverse and inclusive learning and
working environment that nurtures the growth and development of all. KU
holds steadfast in the belief that an array of values, interests,
experiences, and intellectual and cultural viewpoints enrich learning
and our workplace. The promotion of and support for a diverse and
inclusive community of mutual respect require the engagement of the
entire university.
Recording of Classes: At KU, course materials prepared by the instructor, together with the content of lectures, are the property of the instructor. Video and audio recording of lectures and review sessions without the consent of the instructor is prohibited. On request, the instructor will usually grant permission for students to audio tape lectures, on the condition that these audio tapes are only used as a study aid by the individual making the recording. Unless explicit permission is obtained from the instructor, recordings of lectures and review sessions may not be modified and must not be transferred or transmitted to any other person, whether or not that individual is enrolled in the course.
Attendance and Termination of Enrollment: Students may neither add nor change sections in any English course after Friday, August 29 without departmental permission. For courses numbered above 200, instructor's permission is required to add or change sections. The last day to petition to add classes is Monday, September 22. The Department of English reserves the right to terminate administratively the enrollment of any student who misses two consecutive class meetings during the first two weeks of the semester.* Should an emergency situation cause the student to miss two consecutive class meetings, the student should contact the instructor(s) or the English Department, 864-4520, immediately.
Students
who decide to
drop
English classes should do so promptly so that other students may enroll
in the
class.
Students with Disabilities: The Academic Achievement & Access Center (AAAC) coordinates accommodations and services for all KU students who are eligible. If you have a disability for which you wish to request accommodations and have not contacted the AAAC, please do so as soon as possible. Their office is located in 22 Strong Hall; their phone number is 785-864-2620.
Information about their services can be found at http://disability.ku.edu. I also encourage you to contact me privately in regard to your needs in this course.
Drop policy: If you are having trouble succeeding in the course, it is especially important that you consult with me so that we can develop a plan of action that may enable you to complete the course. If you decide to drop this class, please refer to the Website below:
http://www.registrar.ku.edu/current/schedule.shtml
Policy on Student Academic Creations: Since one of the aims of this course is to teach students to write for specific audiences, ungraded student-authored work may be shared with other class members during the semester in which you are enrolled in the class. Please do not submit materials on sensitive subjects that you would not want your classmates to see or read, unless you inform the instructor in advance that you do not want your work shared with others.
Other uses of student-authored work are subject to the University's Policy on Intellectual Property and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. If your instructor desires to use your work outside of this class (e.g. as a sample for another class or future classes), you will be asked to fill out and sign a written form authorizing such use.
Writing
Resources: For
help
with your writing, I strongly encourage you to contact
the KU Writing Center. At the Writing Center you can talk
about
your
writing with trained tutors or consult reference materials in a
comfortable
working environment. You may ask for feedback on your papers,
advice and
tips on writing (for all your courses), or for guidance on special
writing
tasks. Please check the website
at http://www.writing.ku.edu/students/ for
current locations and
hours. The Writing Center welcomes both drop-ins and appointments, and
there is
no charge for their services. For more information, please call (785)
864-2399
or send an e-mail to <writing@ku.edu>.
The
website is loaded with helpful information about writing
of all sorts, so even if you consider yourself a good writer, I
encourage you
to visit.
Weather cancellations: Call 864-SNOW to discover whether classes have been cancelled by the University due to inclement weather. Cancelled classes will be held online; see this website for details. Be sure that Blackboard has your correct contact information, since I will use it to send e-mail in case of a cancellation.
BLOGGING FAQ:
*How
many
blog postings are required?
You
should post 5 times, including any required posts listed on
the syllabus. These must be completed before class time on the
date on
which we discuss the text or topic.
If you
miss a class for any reason, you should post on the text or
topic for which you missed discussion (AKA, an 'absence
post'). This will help mitigate the
loss of
participation. Any 'absence
posts'
do not count toward the 5 required posts, although you may post on a
text as a
required post and then post again on the same text as an 'absence
post.' 'Absence
posts' may be completed after the date on which
the text or topic was
discussed; required posts may not.
*Why
a blog?
We'll be
using a course blog much the same way other
courses use discussion boards. The benefit of the blog format is that
it is
easy to follow the thread of the discussion visually. Blogging allows
you to
share your ideas on the material, starting from a prompt provided by
the
instructor. Unlike classroom discussion, which is spontaneous and
sometimes
fast-paced, blogging offers an opportunity for you to provide a
thoughtful,
articulate response.
*
What's a "substantial blog
posting"?
A
substantial blog posting is a short paragraph
response either to the instructor prompt or to another student's
posting on the
topic. A substantial posting also takes into consideration the entire
conversation, even if it is directed primarily toward one comment. In
other
words, read other people's posts before posting.
Blog discussions, like any discussions, can get off
topic; that's fine, but the blog postings that count toward your
requirement
are those that are on-topic.
*
Do
all
of my postings
have to be "substantial"?
Not at
all. You are welcome to use the blog
informally, just as in any discussion. When postings are required,
however, you
must offer at least one substantial post.
* Can I start a new thread?
Yes, you
can start a new thread. Please do so only if
you feel it is a significantly different issue than that raised by the
initial
thread(s), just to ensure you get a good audience that isn't divided
between
threads. There may be days where
there is no prompt; you are welcome to start a thread on those days as
well.
*
Will you
tell me how many posts I have completed or that I have
left to complete?
No. You
are
responsible for keeping track of your required and absence posts over
the
course of the semester. I will
tally them all at the end of the semester.
Schedule of readings:
M
8/25
Introduction.
W
8/27
Romantic Approaches to Knowing
William
Blake, "Introduction" (to Songs of
Innocence), "Introduction" (to Songs
of
Experience), "The Little Black Boy" (SOI),
"The Chimney
Sweeper"
(SOI and SOE).
Available
online (please
read both):
Text only:
http://www.poemhunter.com/william-blake
or http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/574/pg574.txt
Illuminated:http://www.blakearchive.org/exist/blake/archive/work.xq?workid=songsie&java=no
F 8/29
Blake, "The Lamb" (SOI),
"The Tyger" (SOE).
See above for links.
M
9/1
Labor
Day: class does not meet.
W 9/3
catch-up: Blake, "The Tyger"
F
9/5
Samuel
Taylor Coleridge, "Eolian Harp" http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/183957
Coleridge,
"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173253
M
9/8
Coleridge, "Kubla Khan"
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173247
Preface to
Kubla Khan: http://www.english.uga.edu/~nhilton/232/stc/im-34.htm
W 9/10
"Kubla
Khan" cont.
F
9/12
[Writing
literary essays (lecture/discussion, in class)]
M
9/15
Bram
Stoker, Dracula,
through Ch. IV.
W 9/17
Dracula,
through Ch. IX.
F
9/19
Dracula,
through Ch. XIII.
M
9/22
Dracula,
through Ch. XX. First
draft of
literary analysis due. Note
date change.
(last
day
to add or
swap a class/last day
petition for late enrollment/last day 50% refund)
W
9/24
Dracula,
through Ch. XXIV
F 9/26
Dracula,
finish.
M
9/29
[Dracula, politics, "science," and physiognomy: slideshow in class]
W 10/1
John Szarkowski, "The
Photographer's Eye." http://pages.ramapo.edu/~jlipkin/206/readings/2.the.photographers.eye.pdf
F
10/3 Szarkowski
continued; read the introduction to "The Photographer's Eye" here (you
needn't answer the questions at the beginning, but we may discuss them).
http://www.cabrillo.edu/~vmay/AP46a_john_szarkowski.pdf
M
10/6
Brooke
Gladstone, Influencing
Machine, through p. 95.
W 10/8
Influencing
Machine, through p. 121. Implicit
association test, Harvard.
F
10/10
[Writing
visual rhetorical analyses.]
M
10/13
Fall
break: class does not meet.
W
10/15
Influencing
Machine, finish.
F
10/17
Oliver
Sacks, "What the Blind
See." http://powers.media.mit.edu/wiki/upload/MindsEye.pdf
M
10/20
Lakoff
& Johnson, selections from "Concepts We Live By" at http://theliterarylink.com/metaphors.html
Visual rhetorical
analysis draft
due.
W 10/22
Finish Lakoff & Johnson discssion. Alan
Lightman, Einstein's
Dreams, through p. 24 ("26
April").
F
10/24
Einstein's Dreams,
through p.60 ("15 May").
M
10/27
Einstein's Dreams, through
p. 82 ("2 June")
W 10/29
Einstein's Dreams, through
end. Go Royals.
F
10/30
Daniel
Suarez, Kill
Decision, through Ch. 9.
M
11/3
[Writing
research papers.]
W
11/5
Kill
Decision, through 331.
F
11/7
Research day: class does not meet.
M
11/10
Kill Decision, finish. The
Hive Mind. http://io9.com/how-much-longer-until-humanity-becomes-a-hive-mind-453848055
W
11/12
Jaron
Lanier, You
Are Not a Gadget,
selected chapters.
F
11/14 [sick day: no class]
M
11/17
Research
paper draft due. You
Are Not a Gadget, ch2-3. Thomas Nagel, 'What Is It Like to Be
a
Bat?' http://organizations.utep.edu/portals/1475/nagel_bat.pdf
W
11/19
Sherri
Turkle, Alone
Together, Intro + Chs 1-4 http://oreducativa.wikispaces.com/file/view/Alone+Together+-+Why+We+Expect+More+from+Technology+and+Less+from+Each+Other+-+Sherry+Turkle.pdf
F
11/21
Alone
Together. Turing
tests online: http://www.turinghub.com
M
11/24
Alone
Together
W 11/26
Thanksgiving
break: class does not meet.
F 11/27
Thanksgiving
break: class does not
meet.
M 12/1
The
Matrix
W 12/3
The
Matrix
F
12/5
The Matrix
M
12/8
Discussion of The Matrix. Essays/articles about The
Matrix (available
online):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation_hypothesis
http://discovermagazine.com/2013/dec/09-do-we-live-in-the-matrix
http://www.simulation-argument.com/matrix2.html
http://www.gizmag.com/3d-hologram-universe-laser-fermilab-experiment/33546/
W
12/10
finish discussion of The Matrix and essays.. Evaluations of instructor. Last day of classes. Finish any absence posts by midnight tonight.
Portfolio
of writing (first
drafts with comments, final drafts,
evaluation
sheets) due
by 4 pm in 3001L Wescoe Hall. I will be in my office from 2-4
pm. You may turn essays in under the door prior to that point.