Next week’s readings, by Barthes and Foucault, are available on 3-hr reserve from the library. Info here: http://e-reserves.library.brocku.ca/reserves/visa-3p97/#
See you Wednesday!
Copyright Law
- Familiarize yourself with Canadian and international copyright law and with the issues facing artists, musicians and the general public by reading some of the links under “copyright” to the left of this post. Try to read a selection of pages from different sources, but be sure to read many of the links on Brock University’s Copyright page: http://brocku.ca/library/campus-copyright-information
- Read as many of the links as you can (guideline: at least 40-50 pages of text). Take notes and keep track of what information came from where. What are the main issues? What different points of view can you find? Has copyright law changed over time?
- Think about the issues raised by copyright and come to class ready to discuss them. Whose rights are more important? Authors? Or readers? How often do you break copyright law? When and where? Do you feel differently about breaking the law now than before you read this information?
- I will continue to update these links over the next few days as I gather more material, so check back for more readings
- Questions? Concerns? Email me!
Because enrollment for this class is relatively large, the class will be divided into three working groups. Each week, you will contribute to discussion within your working group and your peers will grade your contribution.
Your participation and engagement with the material is crucial. Each week, the class will be loosely structured to enable this kind of engagement in the following way:
1-2 pm: working group discussion and analysis of texts and examples
2 -3 pm: working groups present key ideas and issues to the class; larger class discussion
3-4 pm: introduction to next week’s readings and topic, in lecture format
How to be successful in this course:
1) Do careful, close and critical readings of all the texts.
What is a critical reading? How Do I do a close reading?
A fast description: Roland Paris, “How to Read Critically,” University of Ottawa, Accessed January 12, 2012. <http://aix1.uottawa.ca/~rparis/critical.html>
A nuanced description, with helpful tips: Deborah Knott, “Critical Reading Towards Critical Writing,” New College Writing Centre, University of Toronto, Accessed January 12, 2012. <http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/reading-and-researching/critical-reading>
How to read: Patricia Kane, “How to Do a Close Reading,” the Writing Center at Harvard University, 1998, Accessed January 12, 2012. <http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/CloseReading.html>
2) Engage with the material
How? When you are reading, think about how the ideas connect with other ideas, such as material from other courses, other readings in this course, what you see out in the world (on the Internet, in books and magazines that you read, on the street, in galleries, in popular culture, in your own practice, in conversation with peers, on television, etc.). Bring these examples to the class. Thinking about ideas through examples is the best way to engage with material.
I will offer focus questions whenever appropriate.
3) Do your share of the work
Read critically, engage with the material and bring your notes to class. Participate in the discussion. Together, in your group, devise a system that allows everyone to participate (take turns, go through the reading paragraph by paragraph and have a different person state the main point, assign a group of students to bring in examples, each week, etc.). Keep the discussion focused on class material. If one of your peers continues to stray from the material, gently turn the focus back to the reading or example.
The goal of this format is to encourage students to be active learners. Study after study has shown that passive learning (i.e. sitting in a lecture, listening) is significantly less effective. This is your education. Take ownership of it!
4) Begin assignments well ahead of the due date
This is self explanatory!
