Knowledge in the classroom is constantly being produced in a dynamic polygon formed by the assigned text(s), the instructor, and every single student. Knowledge is never static: we read the text, we discuss; we all learn from each other, and what we learn changes how we understand the text.
Because of circumstances outside of our control, we can't have a traditional discussion, but through a combination of technology and patience we're going to do what we can to keep up the in-person aspect of the course. Our discussion will take place via Moodle forum and Zoom. To facilitate discussion, I will email the class an hour in advance of our meeting with some topics to think about, and I will post a short (~5 minute) video; please watch this video before you join the discussion or post to the forum. Both the live discussion and the forum will open ten minutes after the posted start of class to give you time to read my email and watch the video.
Live discussion
Every week during class time (starting at 11:50), I will host group discussions on Zoom for anyone who is able to attend. These sessions are not required, but I strongly encourage you to attend if you are able. By emulating some of in-person, face-to-face elements of the course, these meetings will keep you feeling involved, engaged, and focused.
Guidelines for live discussion: As with in-person discussions, if you know you're someone who always has a lot to say in class, remember to step back to give others room to talk. If you don't usually like speaking up in class, please step up and give others the opportunity to hear your thoughts. When you're in small groups, speak to one another, not to me. The technology is new to many of us, so there will be plenty of troubleshooting as we get started. Have your book with you, please wear clothing (pajamas are fine), and if you want to eat, ask your classmates if it's ok with them (some people have auditory issues with hearing others eat). If you have pets, I want to see them.
Forum
To make sure that everyone is participating in class discussion, part of the conversation will take place asynchronously on a Moodle forum. After reading my email and watching the short video, post to the forum either in response to my prompts, starting your own prompt, or responding to someone else. If you are able to participate in the live discussion, write at least 2 posts. If you are unable to participate, write at least 3 posts. The forum will open at 11:50 CDT on Thursdays and will remain open through the weekend.
Guidelines for forum posts: Please be substantive in your responses. Not just "I agree" but something more along the lines of "I also thought that X was Υ, because of passage Z in the assignment." If you disagree, remember to disagree with the idea, not the person. And you don't have to just agree or disagree! A comment can be a segue like "this reminds me of another thing we read in this class" or "this reminds me of something I learned about in a different class/saw on TV/read on the internet." You don't need to be formal, but in order to communicate clearly please use complete sentences and be conscientious with your spelling.
Criteria
I want to hear from you every week. For full credit, come to the video meeting and post 2x each week, or if you can't come to the video meeting, post 3x each week. Note that only eight out of nine class meetings count toward this grade category.
Check your email on Thursday mornings for some things to think about during discussion and invitations to the day's discussion groups.
Everybody writes at least 2 posts on the forum.
Come to the live discussion if you can!
If you have work or family obligations or connectivity issues and can't attend the live discussion, you can make up the face-to-face portion of class discussion by writing an additional 1 forum post (3 total).
The Moodle forums open at 11:50 on Thursday; please get your commenting done by Sunday at 8 PM CDT.
Discussion is worth 5 points each week x 8 weeks = 40% of your grade.