Hi everyone,
Here is the last post of the semseter. I want you to use it to reflect on the course and what you've learned, not learned, encountered, been challenged by, etc.
To get us started, I will reflect first for you, and then want you to do the same.
In case you don't remember, the course description read as follows: "Language impacts everything we do: how we think, how we learn, how we view ourselves and interact with others. We will look carefully at the patterns and functions of language to gain a better sense of how language establishes our cultural identities and social allegiances, how language creates and disseminates knowledge, how it develops and maintains power. We will interrogate the functions of language and consider how simple alterations in language use might lead to distinctly different outcomes, both in terms of meaning and cultural impact."
As I read this, I think about the semester and what I feel worked well in the course and what didn't work so well. I don't think we got to the last part of the course description at all, the 'how simple alterations...might lead to distinctly different outcomes.' But, I do think we got at most of the rest of the items in the course description.
For me, I wish we had spent more time on the concepts of the course, perhaps earlier on so that we had more time to work with them through the different 'content' readings. And, I wish I'd organized the schedule differently so that you were working on one concept at a time, rather than working on your ethnographies while we were introducing critical discourse analysis. Also, I wasn't terribly happy with the book, and have made significant revisions to the course for next semester. I've selected a bunch of new readings (which I'll happily make available to you if you want them) and have reorganized the schedule.
I have really enjoyed reading what you put together for the assignments. I think those worked pretty well in terms of encouraging you to think analytically about language and society and power. I can tell that most of you were stretched by the processes in the assignments, and that's a good thing.
I learned that talking about and analyzing language is a tough thing to get started on. It is so much the 'water that we swim in' that it's very hard to see analytically and critically. However, I do feel that you were able to make this leap and see language through a newly-conscious lens. Some were able to do it more than others, some struggled with it, which is normal for all courses. But, everyone seemed to get to a new level of interpretation and understanding. Most, if not all, of you have said to me at some point, "I didn't ever think of that before." which is the beginning of becoming critical viewers of the communities in which we live. Being critical gives you a power that you may not have had before, because then you can interpret your worlds with intention.
So, all in all, I am pleased with the course and with being able to share the semester with you all, but I have had a nice critical look at the experience and going to revise many things about this course in hopes of improving the learning experience for students in the future.
Thanks,
Tiffany
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
First I want to thank you for being such a cool teatcher, it made things, like being in class and learning easier. The concepts introduced were not as hard as they sound,like you said they were introduced with litlle space in between making it confusing at times, especialy when it came time to apply them. I was very surprised at how naive some people in class are in regards to issues concerning illegal immigration and the dangers of this phenomenon. All opinions are respected but there's an underlaying ignorance that really worries me. I guess because i am lucky for having friends in special forces in different branches, i know things that should be front page on the newspaper to wake poeple up regarding the world we live in but unfortunatly is not,so many perish by lack of knowledge. Not just a physical death but a spiritual one too, knowledge is power. I enjoyed our discussions in the different topics introduced in class and I for sure I will always suppport English as the official language in the US and never accept ebonics as a language. Well the day Harvard regnonizes it and makes it part of it's curriculum I'll think about it, fair?. I respect to a certain degree everyones believes, meaning i will never accept someones believes regardles of their country of origin regarding women's rights to basically exist for the purpose of reproduction like in the Middle East, women have no rights they are treated below animals and when they go to another country and bring the same ideals with them and try to apply them and justify their behavior by stating that it's part of their culture, well cow pie to that. We have brains for many purposes and one of them is to be rationals thinkers and honorable towards the weak. Overall i enjoyed the course and since i have very strong views on matters discussed in class it made it interesting to hear other opinions. Have a Merry christmas and a very happy new year full of joy and peace. Again thank you. Nadia Gordon
I've noticed that many of my fellow classmates have put more words into their personal goodbye speech than they ever did into a weekly blog. I'm guessing it's because it's easier for us to say anything when it's from the heart, than it would ever be with something we've recently learned. Tiffany, I've been here at this school longer than I ever should have been, I've had many classes with many experiences.That being said, you are one in my top three favority teachers. I not only think you're a great person but I truly feel you care about your students coming out in the end with a better perspective than they did when they walked through the door the first day. You worked hard this semester and it doesn't take a scientist to know that our class was a tuff one, - everybody for the most part were pretty conservative and weren't more open with their own thoughts on whatever. Wether I get a bad grade or not, I wan't to personally say thank you.
To my classmates, good luck with everything, never give up on anything and be happy for being who you are.
Post a Comment