Syllabus 2.0

I sat down yesterday in the backyard, and found myself revamping the syllabus. Why do professors do such things? Behind the scenes, I think we like to think we're good tinkerers. Or, at least, that tinkering is important.

Moving a syllabus used in a regular semester to a 4-week summer session takes some adaptation. Plus, I'm going from 20-25 students down to a half-dozen. Constraints and opportunities...and Syllabus 1.0 wasn't taking full notice and advantage. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

No coincidence that I finished Henry Jenkins' CONVERGENCE CULTURE for 396 prep yesterday...Jenkins gestures towards media literacy, and in particular the fostering of a more participatory media culture, as his key pedagogical issue. Reading him this month (both this and FANS, GAMERS & BLOGGERS) pushed me to have students make blogs like this. But with a class of six, I realize I can bring in some additional production stuff the textbook offers and still keep it managable.

So a few chapters in theory are off, a whole week on media production practices is on, and a third chapter of media debates (docs & reality tv) are also now in the mix.

Plus, time-management issues gesture towards in-class screenings. Mr Ledezma would be proud of me.

Now if I could only get someone to post a comment....

Hope this doesn't B to the L-O-W

What can I say--this is a test run....Seems to me that everyone taking a media class in 2007 should have their own blog....Can I get a witness?!