Sunday, January 30, 2011

New Media Faculty-Staff Development Seminar


Dr. Gardner Campbell



I am excited about participating in a New Media Faculty-Staff Development Seminar titled, “Awakening the Digital Imagination.” The course meets once a week to discuss the intellectual history of the digital age "we currently inhabit—and our students are more immersed in every day” as described by our leader, Dr. Gardener Campbell, director of the Academy for Teaching and Learning.

During the course, we will read an anthology titled The New Media Reader. According to the editors' preface: "Understanding new media is almost impossible for those who aren't actively involved in the experience of new media; for deep understanding, actually creating new media projects is essential to grasping their workings and poetics. The ideas described in these selections can open important new creative areas for beginners and professionals alike.”

The book contains several essays written by various artists, ranging from Vannevar Bush to Marshall McLuhan. I think the chapters will help provide context and ideas for the courses I teach. I am always looking for new ideas for my courses with the hopes of improving them.

Each week, participants will take turns leading discussions. My colleague Liz and I signed up for the chapter written by McLuhan because it is one with which we are most familiar. However, I am very excited about the other chapters as well.  We are required to blog about readings throughout the seminar, so you will definitely get to know more about the book and new media.


Tuesday, January 4, 2011

New Clean Version of 'Huckleberry Finn'

A new edition Of 'Huckleberry Finn' eliminates offensive words http://n.pr/fkIQCm. Because of the controversy over whether Huckleberry Finn is racist or anti-racist, and because the word "nigger" is frequently used in the novel, many have questioned the appropriateness of teaching the book in the U.S. public school system. 

Although I am against censorship, I advocate postponing when students read this. Although the book has a good plot, and good intentions, the use of the "n" word was enough to make me not want to go to school when we read it. I remember thinking the white students were going to think that all black people are slow and ignorant like Jim.

I don't think postponing when students read the book is revising history or censorship. There are much better ways to inform students about black history than reading a book with a subservient, shucking and jiving black character. For example, I teach my children about black history year round at home. We discuss slavery as well as inventions by black people. After all, you can't know where you are going if you do not know your history. And of course, most students discuss black history/slavery during the month of February at school. I'm not in favor of revising history or denying that racism/Jim Crowe/slavery etc. existed.



Many Twain scholars have argued that the book is an attack on racism. It humanizes Jim and exposes the fallacies of the racist assumptions of slavery. However, the book falls short, especially in its depiction of Jim. Twain was unable to fully rise above the stereotypes of black people that white readers of his era expected and enjoyed, and therefore resorted to minstrel show-style comedy to provide humor at Jim's expense, and ended up confirming rather than challenging late-19th century racist stereotypes.


To Kill A Mockingbird also contains the N word. I don't have  a problem with this book. It also contains stereotypical messages about women and minorities; however, it's positive messages are much easier to detect. In other words, the good messages outweigh the bad ones. In the end, it teaches you about empathy and walking in another person's shoes. I'm afraid that many people are unable to empathize.. .