Assemblage Expression

• Note: Detailed descriptions will appear here, including requirements and evaluation criteria.

“Exercise” Assignments (500 words & 10 points each)

These informal assignments serve to illustrate both attentive reading and effort toward attempting the ideas and practices that course introduces. Evaluation will correspond accordingly, with credit assigned
(1) for submitting work on-time; (2) for demonstrating both attention to assigned reading and to class discussion topics, particularly by describing insights and connections; (3) for providing thoughtful and relevant responses to prompts, with (4) specific examples from media within and outside of class, while (5) minimizing and/or avoiding summary, repetition, digression, and any unnecessary discussion. Supplementary details for prompts from textbook will be appear online, including deadlines and submission method (unless noted, posted by class time on student’s blog).

• Exercise 1 (due 22-Jan): “Obtuse Meanings” (p. 46) & “Illuminations” (p. 63)
• Exercise 2 (due 05-Feb): “Memory Glimpse” (p.90) & “Mapping the Popcycle” (p. 114)
• Exercise 3 (due 04-Mar): “High Concept” (p. 198)
• Exercise 4 (due 03-Apr): “Lyric” (p. 223) & “Being Singular” (p.241)
• Exercise 5 (due 11-Apr ): “Automatic Emblems” (p.253) & “Default Moods” (p.290)
  

Blog Entries (10 minimum; 200 words. Credit/no credit assigned.)

Every student will create and maintain a blog throughout the semester, beginning week 2 and due each Wednesday except when noted (e.g. project weeks). Entries are informal and ungraded, except for credit. This is an on-going “Research Journal, ” testing ideas and compiling “materials” for the projects: associative links and media, questions and hypotheses; observations and insights—particularly connections between media within and outside of class.
While Wordpress.com is preferred, other sites are acceptable (excluding Tumblr and Facebook).

Project 1:

Triangulating Position within Family and Career Discourse

• Description (Due: 19-Feb; 1000 words, 25 points)

Project 2:

Reclaiming Entertainment and Community Discourse

• Description (Due: 27-Mar; 1000 words, 25 points)

Project 3:

Refashioning Culture through “Widesite” and “Emblem”

• Description (Due: 23-Apr; 1500 words, 35 points)

Extra Credit Opportunities

• Comment upon or “blog about” a classmate’s entry, (for participation credit).
• Respond to a classmate’s “Exercise” entry, (150-200 words; for assignment credit).
  — Replies must be productive, relevant, and above all respectful in order to receive credit.
• Compose additional “Exercise,” discussing media internal/external to class, on week without an assignment (2 maximum; contact me for prompt.)