Grades & Assignments

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I follow the standard 100 point grading scale, using numbers and letters with a + or a  -. I take grading to be an ethical contract: I demonstrate what the expectations are for each level, and you are confident as to where you stand as the semester progresses.   

Collaborative Unit Exams

At the end of each unit, you will contribute to the identification and explication of key concepts and vocabulary from our theoretical texts for that unit.  Part individual exercise and part collaborative knowledge sharing. Three instances, each at 5% for quantity & 5% for quality = 30%

Writing Projects:  Interpretive Projects

Midterm Interpretive Project: At the midterm, you will work to demonstrate your developing ability to navigate theoretical texts and conduct theoretical interpretations. A medium length paper (>2000 words) or mixed media project.  15% of your grade.

Final Interpretive Project: At the end of the term, you will demonstrate your developing ability to navigate theoretical texts and conduct theoretical interpretations. A medium length paper (>2000 words) or mixed media project. 15% of your grade.

Weekly Writing Projects

Writing about Reading: Blogs: Each week you will write a brief responses to that week’s material and post it to our blogs.  I’ll begin the term by asking a direct question for the week to get you started, but expect over the course of the term that you will develop individual topics from the reading materials and class discussion.  You’ll write three different sorts of posts each week . The three types of responses due each week are (1) An analysis/interpretation of some new/under examined issue from that week’s theoretical reading (due by 12 noon each Tuesday, at least 100 words & no more than 250); (2) Initial application or connection between a theoretical reading and a text(due on Thursdays by 12 noon, at least 100 words & no more than 250);  and (3) Thoughtful response to two students’ posts (due by 1159pm each Wednesday and Sunday, 50 words minimum & no more than 200). 10% for quantity & 5% for quality = 15%

Writing about Research: Wiki  You will conduct independent research each week through the semester to identify scholarly articles that either propose/advance a theoretical perspective or that apply theory to some meaningful text. 10% for quantity & 5% for quality =  15%

Informed Participation: A qualitative measure of your participatory work in the course, both in-class and beyond the class. Poor attendance correlates with poor participation. 10%.