It’s not what you “get” in this course, it’s how deep you go.*
Imagine that you’re standing on the seashore and Word-Art is the ocean. Enter and go as deep as you dare…
Wading
There’s nothing wrong with staying in the shallows; this approach may work for you if Word-Art is likely to be your only English course, you’ve never read poetry, and you can’t draw. Waders are mainly concerned with meeting course requirements and figuring out WHAT a text means (plot, characters, themes).
Snorkeling
You have a grasp of the basics of words and images and are ready to explore below the surface WHAT to the underlying HOW and WHY. They dig deeper into texts, grapple with ambiguity, ask questions that don’t have easy answers, and respectfully challenge assumptions through lively debate.
Scuba Diving
You want to explore the depths, using all the critical tools and imaginative capacities available. You want to grapple with texts and put them in conversation with theories. “Divers” don’t take the course’s structure or content as natural or inevitable. They see (and then fill) the course’s gaps. They are curious, passionate, and concerned about why Word-Art matters.
Of course, it’s also possible to stay on the sand, occasionally dipping in your foot to test the water, or to turn your back to the ocean and head for higher ground, but I hope you’ll dive in deep.
For assignment overview and grade break down, see requirements.
Questions? Contact:
Dr. Suzanne Churchill
Office: Chamber 3288
Office Hours: MW 2:30-4 pm, Th 9:30-11 am & by appt
Phone: 704.894.2695
E-mail: suchurchill@davidson.edu
Website: http://suzannechurchill.com/
Questions about syllabus & tech issues: ENG3930_201502@davidson.edu
Please e-mail me at suchurchill@davidson.edu to schedule an appointment. I am eager to get to know you and support you as best I can. I enjoy conversations in person and try never to advise by email. You don’t need an appointment for my office hours, though, which are MW 2:30-4 p.m. & Th 9:30-11 a.m., in CH 3288.
*Thanks to Dr. Tona Hangen for sharing her model syllabus.
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