Author Archives: Mike

Everything’s a Remix

Everything is a Remix Part 3 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo. Part 3 of 4 videos by Kirby Ferguson on the idea of remixing, copying, creativity, innovation, etc. I will be using this video tomorrow in a discussion group with … Continue reading

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CFP: Imagining Socialism in 19th-century American Fiction

CFP: Imagining Socialism in 19th-century American Fiction Panel Proposed for C19: The Society of Nineteenth-Century Americanists, “Prospects: A New Century” – Berkeley, CA, April 12-15 2012 http://c19americanists.org/conference/ In keeping with the conference theme of “Prospects,” I would like to propose … Continue reading

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A note to my students in ENGL 349 this fall (and to whoever else cares)

You probably have questions or, if not questions, curiosities about the course: what are we reading?, what are the writing assignments?, things like that.  Maybe the syllabus (opens in new window) will answer some of the these.  Maybe perusing the OAKS course … Continue reading

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19th c. American Novels Not as Big a Deal in 19th c. America as We Thought?

I just read John Austin’s surprisingly brief contribution (“United States, 1780-1850”) to the “Market for Novels–Some Statistical Profiles” section of Franco Moretti’s The Novel, vol. 1.  Austin begins with Lyle Wright’s significant bibliographic study, but adds to it data from later … Continue reading

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Socialist colonization plan

I’m doing a lot of reading on socialism at the turn of the 20th century in the United States, and as is usually the case when taking on a new, major project, I am just beginning to glimpse how complex … Continue reading

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Salman Khan has me thinking

I’m finding that summer is blogging season for me.  Maybe it’s just that during the academic year I’m so busy with teaching and service (and what research I can squeeze in) that I don’t have much time or energy to … Continue reading

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DOK: Another Piece of Educational Theory/Practice I Know Nothing About

Re: Bloom’s Taxonomy & DOK (Depth of Knowledge) When I worked in a writing across the curriculum (WAC) program, just after finishing grad school in American Literature, I began learning about Bloom’s taxonomy (see this site for a rundown). I … Continue reading

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Should have done draft workshops: rethinking the rethought plan for this semester

In my upper-division class, Late 19th Century American Literature, I thought I would change up the writing instruction a bit.  Typically, I have either individual meetings to discuss drafts or I have small group draft workshops of 3-4 students, and … Continue reading

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“An Exceptional Nation”: Lipset and Marks’s Rundown on “American Exceptionalism” Hypotheses for Socialism’s Failure to Take Root in the US

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“Questions are Crucial”: Some Thoughts on Organizing My Upcoming Classes

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