About this site: how to use it

This is the web presence for ENG 317 - The Greek Myths at Portland State University, Spring Term 2009. Please see the Syllabus for complete course description and learning objectives. 

Online discussion fulfills several key criteria for the class: to create opportunities for student-driven discussion and interpretation of texts; to create a way for us to connect the individual texts to larger themes related to the course; to create an environment where students can try out ideas that can lead to paper topics, or form parts of larger arguments and discussion in more formal writing assignments.
The use of online discussion is congruent with the overall mission of classroom discussion and close reading. Learning from literature takes place not only in the classroom, but in reflection and thought, and in dialogue with others.

Expectations for Students

• demonstrate engagement with the texts in both their written posts and comments on the posts of others. “Engagement” can mean questioning, critiquing or otherwise interrogating the text in a thoughtful and generally productive way. We asks questions of literature not so much to find answers, but to generate more and better questions.
• Strictly speaking, this weblog is not a requirement for the class - but participating in online discussions will help your final grade for the course. Substantive comments or post are worth one point each (up to a total of 50 for term), and these points can augment your scores on exams and assignments. A substantive comment or post is one meets all or some of the following criteria: 
  •  does not merely repeat another's words 
  • adds something new to either online or in class discussion, or brings up wholly new topic 
  • alerts the class to something interesting online (i.e. an item in the news about a text or figure we are studying)

Observe the norms and community standards of online and in-class interaction. Disagreement is in no way discouraged - agreement is not the goal. Meaning is created by differences, and that is what makes the study of literature worthwhile to begin with. But no form of discourtesy or inappropriate discourse will be tolerated.

How to participate: 

All posts have a "comment" function. It requires no login account, but please use your first name and last initial as your screen name (SeanP) for easy identification. 

If you want to author a post rather than a comment, send a message to spollack@pdx.edu and you will be given a login account. 

Posts and comments will not be held to the same standards of grammar, usage, and mechanics as more formal written work such as essays.

This is the web presence for ENG 317 - The Greek Myths at Portland State University, Spring Term 2009. Please see the Syllabus for complete course description and learning objectives. 

Online discussion fulfills several key criteria for the class: to create opportunities for student-driven discussion and interpretation of texts; to create a way for us to connect the individual texts to larger themes related to the course; to create an environment where students can try out ideas that can lead to paper topics, or form parts of larger arguments and discussion in more formal writing assignments.
The use of online discussion is congruent with the overall mission of classroom discussion and close reading. Learning from literature takes place not only in the classroom, but in reflection and thought, and in dialogue with others.

Expectations for Students

• demonstrate engagement with the texts in both their written posts and comments on the posts of others. “Engagement” can mean questioning, critiquing or otherwise interrogating the text in a thoughtful and generally productive way. We asks questions of literature not so much to find answers, but to generate more and better questions.
• Strictly speaking, this weblog is not a requirement for the class - but participating in online discussions will help your final grade for the course. Substantive comments or post are worth one point each (up to a total of 50 for term), and these points can augment your scores on exams and assignments. A substantive comment or post is one meets all or some of the following criteria: 
  •  does not merely repeat another's words 
  • adds something new to either online or in class discussion, or brings up wholly new topic 
  • alerts the class to something interesting online (i.e. an item in the news about a text or figure we are studying)

Observe the norms and community standards of online and in-class interaction. Disagreement is in no way discouraged - agreement is not the goal. Meaning is created by differences, and that is what makes the study of literature worthwhile to begin with. But no form of discourtesy or inappropriate discourse will be tolerated.

How to participate: 

All posts have a "comment" function. It requires no login account, but please use your first name and last initial as your screen name (SeanP) for easy identification. 

If you want to author a post rather than a comment, send a message to spollack@pdx.edu and you will be given a login account. 

Posts and comments will not be held to the same standards of grammar, usage, and mechanics as more formal written work such as essays.