multigenre literacy in a global context

7 PROJECTS

I. Blog
During the first week of class, create a blog devoted to multigenre literacy. NOTE: Your blog is important! You’ll have all of your work, including weekly reflections, and links to other Web projects posted on your blog; your classmates will read your blog as will scholars from across the world. Since this is your personal blog, it will be tempting to write informally, as if you’re chatting to a friend. All of your work, however, must meet high academic standards including a formal tone. But feel free to be creative; experiment with new media. When you create your blog, be sure to do the following:

1. Email me your blog address
2. Include your preferred email address on your blog
3. Title your blog
4. Post weekly reflections @100 - 250 words (e.g., apply the week's reading to a brief analysis of, say, a YouTube clip)
5. Include all assignments

NOTE: SAVE ALL WRITTEN WORK, e.g, Microsoft Word

II. Collaborative Myth Presentation
With your group members, you will lead a 30-minute discussion on one of Chapters 2-6 in Myth and Knowing. The week before your presentation you will assign one of the myths in your chapter to be read by everyone in the class. Your presentation should focus on the myth that you have assigned and the introductory material presented in your chapter (where appropriate).

The goal of your discussion is to help your classmates better understand the assigned reading and the category of myth this reading represents (e.g., creation, female divine, male divine, trickster, and sacred places). You can design your presentation how you wish, but it must incorporate PowerPoint slides and a classroom activity.

This assignment is designed to enable you to gain experience using PowerPoint, to enhance your understanding and analysis of world mythology as required by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and to help you to practice pedagogical skills as you engage the members of the class with the material. Your presentation will be evaluated for its a) organization, b) how effectively you use PowerPoint, c) how insightfully you present the material, and d) how successful the strategy is.

III. Collaborative Media Literacy Presentation
With your group members, deliver a 15-30 minute presentation in which you outline a unit or individual lesson on media literacy for a middle or high school classroom. In keeping with Buckingham's assertion that the best way to analyze media is to use media, your unit or lesson should analyze at least one form of modern communications or information media. You should specify the grade level, rationale, and objectives for your unit/lesson, and include a reference to Buckingham's Media Education. You can imagine that your school has unlimited resources/time, and you do not have to adhere to any particular state standards.

IV. Poetry Analysis Essay (3-5 pages, excluding Works Cited)
Write an analytic essay in which you explicate any poem from 100 Best-Loved Poems that has not been discussed in class. Your essay must have a thesis and you should support this thesis with examples from the text. You should consider the formal aspects of the poem as well as the literary elements; for instance, you might want to consider figurative language, sound devices, use of (white) space, line length, punctuation, speaker, voice/tone, audience, or other elements defined in Deutsch's Poetry Handbook. In addition, you should support your thesis by engaging with at least two secondary scholarly sources. Cite sources following MLA guidelines and conclude your paper with a list of Works Cited following MLA guidelines.

V. Creative Writing (Poetry)
Submit two poems based on our class discussions and assignments. Indicate the form at the top of each poem.

VI. World Text Analysis Essay (3-5 pages, excluding Works Cited)
Write an analytic essay in which you explicate the film we viewed for class, taking into account the historical/cultural contexts of the story and the graphic features of the text. Your essay should be argumentative in nature and have a clearly defined thesis (i.e. you should be defending a particular interpretation of the text). You should cite specific passages/scenes from the film you are analyzing to support your various arguments. In addition, you should support your thesis by engaging with at least two secondary scholarly sources. Cite sources following MLA guidelines and conclude your paper with a list of Works Cited following MLA guidelines. You'll post a draft of your essay on WebCT so that you can get feedback on your work and respond to your colleagues' drafts before you turn in the essay.

VII. Final Blog Portfolio
Your blog portfolio is graded holistically and consists of the following:

A new revision of your poetry analysis essay
A new revision of your creative writing (poetry) assignment
A new revision of your world fiction analysis essay

GRADES
I grade holistically. Your assignments will receive comments, suggestions, and a grade range, e.g., "A-/B+". Your final grade will come at the semester's end, once your work is assessed in its entirety. Please feel free to come by my office, email, or phone me if you have concerns at any time during the semester. NOTE: it is most important that you check your email throughout the semester.

ATTENDANCE
This class is a workshop of peers and attendance is absolutely necessary. Please do not come late to class since repeated late arrivals will count as a full absence.

NOTE: You cannot pass this course if you miss more than three classes, miss an assignment, or plagiarize.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
You must be scrupulously honest in documenting the work that you have drawn from others. Like other institutions, CSUN maintains a strict academic honesty policy. Plagiarism is illegal and dishonest. All cases of academic dishonesty must be reported to the Dean, who may suspend or permanently dismiss you from CSUN. You will receive a course grade of F if you plagiarize in our class.