LITR
4332 American Minority Literature 2008 Syllabus
Student Presentations: General Information
Each student will lead a class presentation. Each assignment requires a posting to the course webpage via email to the instructor.
Four presentation options are available.
Minority-Culture Reader / Discussion Leader
Literary-Style Reader / Discussion Leader
Posting for webpage
-
A web posting for your presentation is required.
-
Most students email the posting to me before class and use it during presentation, but after class is OK.
-
The instructor uploads the posting to the course webpage.
What's in a web posting for a presentation?
-
Review Model Assignments of previous semesters' presentations.
-
Bullet points are usually preferable to long paragraghs.
-
Indicated passages in readings.
-
State main themes, issues, or interpretations.
-
List discussion questions.
A web posting is required, but sometimes it's not used in class . . .
Email can go wrong, or a student may prefer a less high-tech style--once or twice a semester, students don't use the web-projector for their presentations.
This is not automatically a problem! I need a posting from you eventually, but mainly for grading purposes.
Since email can go wrong, always bring at least a paper copy of your outline that you can use. Sometimes students simply upload a file from their jump-drive to the screen.
How presentations are assigned . . .
Students indicate presentation preferences (or no preference) on ID cards at opening class.
Requests are honored when possible, but the needs of the overall class may outweigh individual preferences.
A draft of the presentation schedule will be emailed to students soon after the first class meeting.
At second class meeting, presentation assignments are reviewed and modeled.
If a conflict develops so that you need to change your presentation, try to work out an exchange with another student and suggest those changes to the instructor.
Question(s) for discussion (except for Web Highlight)-
Your presentation must end with questions for class discussion, which you will lead.
-
Quality of questions: The best questions pick up themes and points from your presentation.
-
Avoid perfunctory questions like “What do you think?”
-
Welcome to ask open-ended questions: “Can you think of other examples?” Specific appeals to the class for help are often productive of good discussion.
“Silent Grade” for presentations & participation
You are graded for the quality of your work in presentations and general class participation, but this grade is not announced until the end of the semester, when it is recorded in the Final Grade Report that is emailed to you.
The reason for this “silent grade” is to avoid unproductive behavior from students in relation to the presentations, such as second-guessing, comparing grades, competing to each other’s detriment, or performing to the teacher.
Altogether the presentations are a cooperative exercise on the part of the class, so it’s better to keep grading out of sight; however, since some students would work less otherwise, the leverage of a grade is necessary.
The instructor always welcomes you to discuss the quality of your work in conference.