First, please read the following texts:
Then, please post your responses to the following two questions as a reply to this post:
1. List three questions that you have about the Course or the Syllabus.
2. What would you like this course to be about?
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1. I’m still a bit confused on when we are supposed to write in our class journal.
2. Can the class journal be electrical? (Just one big Google Doc)
3. Will we be writing our own science fiction piece?
I would like English 2420 to teach me about the history of the Science Fiction genre and help me develop a deeper appreciation for the genre as a whole.
1/ I would like you to take notes during each class session and keep a reading journal. You can keep these separately or in one notebook. At the midterm and at the final, you will hand in both (either as one or two separate notebooks) so I can see the work that you’ve done.
2/ The reading journal can be digital, but I’d like you to take notes during each class session on paper. Please come talk to me if you would prefer to, or need to, use a computer for taking notes.
3/ I encourage you to. However, this class will be focused on reading and writing about the works of others.
1.) Three questions
– How long are the exams? multiple choice or short response?
– How does the group project work?
– What do you check for in a reading journal?
2.) I’d like this course to be about finding appreciation for this genre.
1/ The exams will consist of short questions asking you to define specific keywords and issues, as well as short essay questions.
2/ We will discuss this at length once we get to it.
3/ Completeness. Clarity. Engagement.
1. a) Are most of the materials being explored in literature form?
b) I understand the purpose of annotation, but how do they help? (Example, you write all over your document and most likely confusing yourself when you read it again)
c) Is the main focus of our study on 20th century works alone or can there be more recent works in the 21st century involved?
2. I would like this course to focus more on visual elements such as movies and short films with a backing of literature to reinforce the content. (For example, The Time Machine (2002) and its literary counterpart.)
a/ We will be studying science fiction texts in several different media: print, film, digital.
b/ Yes. They absolutely help. If you’d like to read more about the cognitive benefits of annotation, I’ll be happy to provide you with some readings related to that.
c/ Having studied works from the 20th c. (and probably a couple of 19th c. works) in the first part of the course, you can certainly select a 21st c. text to work with for your final project.
1) will we watch films if so, will we read the book or part of the book first?
2) I still do not understand the purpose of the journal
3) will we be able to discuss games that relate to the topics?
I the course to focus on the many aspects that make science fiction enjoyable to read, as well as give idea to each other on good books or films to enjoy. Also to go deeper on aspects that are intriguing about certain Science fictions
1/ Yes, we will watch one or two films. We read the story the film was based on first.
2/ See below and above. Please also feel free to come talk to me.
3/ Yes.
1) Will we be discussing science fiction stories that are mostly distopian ?
2) Will we be discussing more than just Films and Books on Science Fiction?
3) Do we choose whatever topic relating to Science Fiction for the personal project?
In the Course i hope to understand more about Science Fiction and how it affects the the society we live in today and how we can learn from it.
1/ The course is focused on science fiction generally, not specifically dystopian fiction. However, I think we may discover that themes of dystopia and utopia generally exist in most science fiction.
2/ Such as…? Please let me know what you are thinking of and I will then respond to your question.
3/ Yes. Of course, that topic will relate to other topics that we discuss in the course.
1) 3 questions:
1) Will we at some time during the course, bring in some of our favorite work?
2) Will we be having group discussion activities?
3) Are the exams multiple choice?
2) I would like this course to be more about the visual aspect of science fiction. Yes I know most of the time, the actually book is better than the movie or show, but I feel like Science Fiction is something that needs more to be seen and experienced, more than read. Thanks!
1/ I’d definitely like to keep an ongoing list of works that we, as a class, are interested in. You may also be able to work more closely with one of the works you are particularly interested in for your final project.
2/ Yes.
3/ No.
1. a. Will we be watching and discussing media pieces?
b. How many separate journals or notebooks do we actually need for this course?
c. Will we have a chance to explore writing our own science fiction pieces?
2. I would like this course to show me the vastness that is science fiction literature. I would also like to explore the different types of media science fiction is expressed in. I would hope to discuss how science fiction is often a reflection of the political climate of different places as well as how it is can and often is a reflection of social issues.
1a/ We will be studying science fiction texts across different media, i.e., print, film, digital.
2b./ One for class notes and one for your reading journal.
2c./ This course is dedicated to a study of science fiction works and criticism. However, I am also involved with writing science fiction and I’m happy to talk to you about that. Issues related to writing science fiction will be an integral part of our discussions. However, if your question is “can I write science fiction instead of writing about science fiction for the course?”, the answer is that you will need to do both.
1. Within the works that are listed and mentioned for the class, are there any that are definitely required for the course to read ahead of time, or are all of the works decided weekly?
2. We are supposed to keep two weekly journals: a class journal for our in-class topics, and a reading journal to analyze the works assigned to us that week, and both will be handed in at the end of the semester. Is this correct?
3. For the reading journals, are we expected to do a detailed analysis (as in pages) of a work, or is it only necessary to give a brief 1-2 paragraph summary?
I would like this course to give a precise understanding of science fiction as a genre of fiction, any common objectives of science fiction works, and what separates science fiction from other genres such as standard fiction, fantasy, etc.
1/ The readings for the course are all listed in the Digital Course Reader. While we may, as a class, choose to expand this list, the texts listed are the ones that we will definitely be reading…assuming we have time for all of them.
2/ Yes.
3/ The reading journal assignments require that you both summarize and analyze a text.
1.) Will we have to watch sf films at home for assignments?
2.) For our journals, will we be writing what we wrote down or writing what we wrote down in our own words?
3.) Will there be anything related to Star Wars (A Star Wars holiday takes place during the spring semester)?
As for what I’d like this course to be about, I’d like this course to be about what makes a sf a memorable one as well as get an in-depth view of sf movies, stories, etc that I’ve seen.
1/ Yes.
2/ I’m not understanding your question. Could you re-write it to clarify it?
3/ Thanks for letting me know about the Star Wars holiday. When is it? What does it involve? If you are particularly interested in studying some element of one of the Star Wars films, you can certainly do this as part of your final project.
1. I still don’t really know how our own personal journal will work. Do we have to write on them once a week?
2. On what section of blackboard are we going to post our assignments to?
3. Are the exams on essay form?
I would like this course to be simply about just reading some interesting pieces of SF work.
1/ You will be writing and taking notes in your Reading Journal every week.
2/ Are we using Bb? Would you like to?
3/ The exams will be comprised of a few questions asking you to define some terms and one or two short essay questions.
1)
1. How will the journal be graded?
2. Can we do any extra credit if needed during this course?
3. Are we going to be watching sf movies too, if yes are they going to be related to our reedings?
2) I would like to learn where sf came from, how it began. Simply more about sf in the past since most of the sf I’ve read have been from recent works.
1/ Your journal will be graded on a Pass/Fail basis. If you keep a Reading Journal and take Class Notes Journal, you get a passing grade for that assignment. The Reading and Writing Assignments, which you post to the OpenLab will be graded according to this rubric:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LMJL4v-3YWMQXeRsuggAzsc2LQoGMdpHFMxD4XSWMlk/edit?usp=sharing
2/ Yes.
3/ Yes.
My Three Questions:
Will we go in depth within the grand mythos of authors works within this course?
I’ve been looking through the syllabus to see if we will do any presentations, will we? just wondered of course… not that I want any!
* In the syllabus section “A Note on what college is:” it is mentioned that, “the one thing that does not change is that deciding to go to college is a choice. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE HERE. Instead, it is your choice to be here.”; however, how can we ever know what is truly our choice? if we don’t know which part of us is picking it? for what is the truest meaning of being? who or what truly decides such a choice? *note: I choose to attend college and this course, but I’m curious to see your answer. I know, I’m weird for this.
1/ Hmmm. Sure, I think, though to provide an answer to this question, I need to understand your definition of “mythos.” It is not a technical term in literary studies ;)
2/ Yes. You will present your final project to the class. However, this may be a group project, so you may be presenting with others.
3/ These are really great questions that I would never intended my “A Note on What College Is” syllabus section to raise. Of the four questions that you list, the fourth is the most relevant to the intent of this section of the syllabus. You ask, “who or what truly decides such a choice?” My response: In the case of college, it should be your choice, not your parents’, not society’s, not your peers’, not your high school counselors’. College, as I think I explained, is, in my opinion, a huge investment of time and money. It is important that students are aware of that. If you’d like to talk more about this question, I’d be very happy to do that in person.
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