Current Collage
Below is an excerpt of an exchange that is currently unfolding on the WPA-list. I am posting it here as an example of some "thoughts" concerning collage.
You'll note that I have included Jenny Edbauer's smart thoughts on this matter. I will say that I admire Jenny's work a great deal, and --truth be told-- I am more than a little envious of her recent job appointment at Penn State.
When I read Jenny's post, it reminded me of the importance of sometimes saying one's views quickly and then letting others contribute (or not contribute). I modeled my response, in this case, on her brevity, though you'll note that I also feel compelled to demonstrate/perform some of my ideas in the third part of my reply.
I am curious what you or Thomas think about Todd's questions and --if there's anything to say at all-- about my reply by way of collage. Let me say this, however, before you read what is enclosed:
I have this dream or fantasy that folks on WPA --and perhaps in the field of English overall-- that, in addition to all the fine adminstrative ideas and necessary data collecting that there will be micro-movements of performance in the approach to "writing." Jenny Edbauer's work, I think, elsewhere approaches this sense, though it doesn't really come across in the short message I have excerpted here. (Again, I think brevity is important, but then there are times when I'd like to get caught up in a "performance" of some kind.)
Thomas does this is in explication of Brian Enos, particularly his taking anecdotes from Enos's experience w/ a phonograph and re-mixing that into this discussion of Taylor. I like illustrations like these. I've never really listened to Enos before, but Thomas's work makes me want to check it out.
... This is what I like about Collage : There are so many things to check out and re-link w/. Mark C. Taylor, as I may have mentioned earlier, gets a lot of mileage out of his daughter's bedroom collage in -Nots- ... He plays w/ the Derridean sense of "GAP" as well as noting interesting juxtapositions w/ Robert Raushenberg.
I don't know. I guess I've always seen COLLEGE as COLLAGE ... I love re-mixing ... So, I am sharing that here, for what it's worth. I know people are busy and that Summer 05 is soon to become Fall ...
######
I've written to this list before with some general questions; now I come with
a fairly specific, though large, one. I am on the core team to create
a new high school in Douglas County, CO, a little south of Denver. We open
next fall. We've been charged by the new principal to create something
different, something outside of the traditional model of high school. Basically,
we've been given the freedom to think "outside the box."
This is, of course, why I am writing. I am heading the curriculum committee. While we do want to be non-traditional, we also want to make sure that our students get what they need for college. I'd like to set up a 9-16 articulation, at least as much as possible.
Given the quality of the experts on this list, I'm hoping to draw on your
knowledge. So, I'd like to ask a few questions. I'd appreciate any responses or thoughts you have. I'll hopefully be taking these responses as we build the curriculum for the new school. Reply on or off list. I'd just really like to hear what you have to say on some of the following questions:
1) We're building an English department from scratch. As college
educators, and FYC teachers, what would you like to see us provide our students?
2) If you could say anything to a new high school regarding the
curriculum -- English or beyond -- what would you suggest?
3) In your eyes, since you see our kids after we let them go, what
areas should we really try to improve in this new high school? What are the weaknesses you see in your students that we might create a curriculum to
try to fix?
Of course, I'll take any suggestions, thoughts, book suggestions, etc.
I just want as many quality voices as I can get since without voices we
can't make a quality decision. It's an exciting time, but we can't forget that
we, as a high school, are in a context that includes college -- a reality for
the majority of our incoming students.
Thank you in advance for your comments. I look forward to reading them.
Todd Reynolds
English, High School 8
Castle Rock, Colorado
Yeatsian@aol.com
#######
Todd,
What a cool opportunity this is. Two suggestions:
(1) Bring students into a curriculum that is designed for a digital age.
It's surprising to me when students think of "writing" only as the thing you do
in Microsoft Word. The skills of "digital literacy" (if you want to use this contested term) are every bit as important as teaching The Essay. You can teach things like rhetorical reading in many ways, not just essay-based analyses.
(2) Keep the joy, interest, creativity. Every semester, I start off with
at least a few first year students who tell me how much they hate, dread, and
fear writing. I can't say that I blame them, however. I remember high school
English class, which wasn't so different from their experiences. Research papers
don't inspire enjoyment. That's a loss--one that does a lot of real damage.
Good luck,
Jenny
#############
Todd,
I'll limit my suggestions to two as well:
1) Stress the importance of bibliographic networks over the "Great Book
tradition" that tend to valorize individual genius, or what can be worse, the
high school textbook tradition that makes use of linear timelines rather than intertextual negotiation.
2) Allow students to experiment and invent new methods of learning through
electronic mediums that Jenny mentions below. Although such experimentation
may run counter to stated goals and objectives, it important that high school
teachers find ways to accomodate (and extend) student / cultural variation.
Drifting w/ a recent encounter --an itch towards your scratch-- re-begin the
next curriculum development meeting simply with the word "Adaptation."
See where it takes you and others ...
Here's one such example :
http://www.allmoviephoto.com/photo/2002_adaptation_007.html (scroll down)
http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hc&cf=gen&id=1800018581
http://www.creativequotations.com/one/1672.htm
http://www.mediamatic.net/article-200.5768.html&q_person=200.2286
best,
Geof
##############
You'll note that I have included Jenny Edbauer's smart thoughts on this matter. I will say that I admire Jenny's work a great deal, and --truth be told-- I am more than a little envious of her recent job appointment at Penn State.
When I read Jenny's post, it reminded me of the importance of sometimes saying one's views quickly and then letting others contribute (or not contribute). I modeled my response, in this case, on her brevity, though you'll note that I also feel compelled to demonstrate/perform some of my ideas in the third part of my reply.
I am curious what you or Thomas think about Todd's questions and --if there's anything to say at all-- about my reply by way of collage. Let me say this, however, before you read what is enclosed:
I have this dream or fantasy that folks on WPA --and perhaps in the field of English overall-- that, in addition to all the fine adminstrative ideas and necessary data collecting that there will be micro-movements of performance in the approach to "writing." Jenny Edbauer's work, I think, elsewhere approaches this sense, though it doesn't really come across in the short message I have excerpted here. (Again, I think brevity is important, but then there are times when I'd like to get caught up in a "performance" of some kind.)
Thomas does this is in explication of Brian Enos, particularly his taking anecdotes from Enos's experience w/ a phonograph and re-mixing that into this discussion of Taylor. I like illustrations like these. I've never really listened to Enos before, but Thomas's work makes me want to check it out.
... This is what I like about Collage : There are so many things to check out and re-link w/. Mark C. Taylor, as I may have mentioned earlier, gets a lot of mileage out of his daughter's bedroom collage in -Nots- ... He plays w/ the Derridean sense of "GAP" as well as noting interesting juxtapositions w/ Robert Raushenberg.
I don't know. I guess I've always seen COLLEGE as COLLAGE ... I love re-mixing ... So, I am sharing that here, for what it's worth. I know people are busy and that Summer 05 is soon to become Fall ...
######
I've written to this list before with some general questions; now I come with
a fairly specific, though large, one. I am on the core team to create
a new high school in Douglas County, CO, a little south of Denver. We open
next fall. We've been charged by the new principal to create something
different, something outside of the traditional model of high school. Basically,
we've been given the freedom to think "outside the box."
This is, of course, why I am writing. I am heading the curriculum committee. While we do want to be non-traditional, we also want to make sure that our students get what they need for college. I'd like to set up a 9-16 articulation, at least as much as possible.
Given the quality of the experts on this list, I'm hoping to draw on your
knowledge. So, I'd like to ask a few questions. I'd appreciate any responses or thoughts you have. I'll hopefully be taking these responses as we build the curriculum for the new school. Reply on or off list. I'd just really like to hear what you have to say on some of the following questions:
1) We're building an English department from scratch. As college
educators, and FYC teachers, what would you like to see us provide our students?
2) If you could say anything to a new high school regarding the
curriculum -- English or beyond -- what would you suggest?
3) In your eyes, since you see our kids after we let them go, what
areas should we really try to improve in this new high school? What are the weaknesses you see in your students that we might create a curriculum to
try to fix?
Of course, I'll take any suggestions, thoughts, book suggestions, etc.
I just want as many quality voices as I can get since without voices we
can't make a quality decision. It's an exciting time, but we can't forget that
we, as a high school, are in a context that includes college -- a reality for
the majority of our incoming students.
Thank you in advance for your comments. I look forward to reading them.
Todd Reynolds
English, High School 8
Castle Rock, Colorado
Yeatsian@aol.com
#######
Todd,
What a cool opportunity this is. Two suggestions:
(1) Bring students into a curriculum that is designed for a digital age.
It's surprising to me when students think of "writing" only as the thing you do
in Microsoft Word. The skills of "digital literacy" (if you want to use this contested term) are every bit as important as teaching The Essay. You can teach things like rhetorical reading in many ways, not just essay-based analyses.
(2) Keep the joy, interest, creativity. Every semester, I start off with
at least a few first year students who tell me how much they hate, dread, and
fear writing. I can't say that I blame them, however. I remember high school
English class, which wasn't so different from their experiences. Research papers
don't inspire enjoyment. That's a loss--one that does a lot of real damage.
Good luck,
Jenny
#############
Todd,
I'll limit my suggestions to two as well:
1) Stress the importance of bibliographic networks over the "Great Book
tradition" that tend to valorize individual genius, or what can be worse, the
high school textbook tradition that makes use of linear timelines rather than intertextual negotiation.
2) Allow students to experiment and invent new methods of learning through
electronic mediums that Jenny mentions below. Although such experimentation
may run counter to stated goals and objectives, it important that high school
teachers find ways to accomodate (and extend) student / cultural variation.
Drifting w/ a recent encounter --an itch towards your scratch-- re-begin the
next curriculum development meeting simply with the word "Adaptation."
See where it takes you and others ...
Here's one such example :
http://www.allmoviephoto.com/photo/2002_adaptation_007.html (scroll down)
http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hc&cf=gen&id=1800018581
http://www.creativequotations.com/one/1672.htm
http://www.mediamatic.net/article-200.5768.html&q_person=200.2286
best,
Geof
##############
posted by gvcarter at 8:56 AM
1 Comments:
It is my experience that, yes, collage is a form that students are drawn towards. However, I note that your experience w/ the collage is in seeing what emerges as something of a redundant mishmash.
My response to this is that what is worth looking for is precisely these redundancies or repetitions.
It has been my experience that such redundancies come from what Ulmer calls the "popular culture" turn of his POPCYCLE, or quadripodes of discourse.
This is important. It means that their collages are not exactly a DISPERSED mishmash. The redundancies are not yet returns of DIFFERENCE.
This is why I ask students to re-motivate their signatures.
Instead of a mishmash, they are working out a line of consistency. (They didn't "choose" all the words that appear in their name, and yet there is some choice.)
As they assemble their collage, I expect them to draw primarily from popular culture. I un/just must become familiar with that culture on their terms. This means --alas-- I must be prepared to do my homework on their redundancies.
But! What I am purposing is ALL FOUR TURNS of the POPCYCLE, and this is the logic of heuretics, or CONDUCTION.
Now, I tried in some sense to suggest something of a conductive experiment in my response to Todd.
Notice that the four links that I suggest traverse a number of different wave lengths.
Ulmer's Popcycle includes Personal, Popular Culture, Historical, and Disciplinary/Theoretical concerns.
How do these various turns extend the sense of the links that are suggested? ... it took me awhile to "write" that example because I wanted to suggest something of a mood to Todd.
Can we teach students to be self-conscious about collage? I don't know. This suggests something of a method.
My response: Paul Feyerabend
Self-conscious collage might be thought through Feyerabend ...
I don't know as I would say Feyerabend is Utopic. For that, you might be better served by Imre Lakatos ...
What do you make of my bending the question through a signature, k?
As one tenured faculty member once said, "Who has the time?"
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