This was the first English course I made myself. Although the course topic - Science Fiction - was chosen for me, the design of the rest of the course was up to me. I was pleased with the course's description, which articulates what separated my class from other science fiction classes:
This course explores what it means to be 'human' by looking at various science fiction texts that trouble straightforward definitions of humanity. By looking at the monsters, aliens, androids, and cyborgs that populate scifi, we will sketch a genealogy of the genre from Frankenstein forward and survey various theories of the self in order to explore the utopian and dystopian possibilities suggested by these hybrid, uncanny post-humans. We will be particularly attentive to issues of race, gender, disability, and otherness more broadly, as well as to how our ideas of who we are change in an age of social media and MMOs.
This was also the first time I taught electronic literature in the classroom. I was pleased and impressed with how well the students did with e-lit and have, in my subsequent classes, incorporated more of it.
Paper 1: Close Reading
Paper 2: Arguing, With Sources
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
Paper 1: Graded w/ Comments (B-)
Paper 2: Draft w/ Comments; Final
Draft: Graded w/ Endnote (A)
Paper 2: Draft w/ Comments; Final
Draft: Graded w/ Endnote (B/B+)