Schedule

WEEK 1: Course Introduction

Wed Jan 10

  • Class Topics:
    • Course and Syllabus Introduction
    • Website / OAKS
    • Reflection and Discussion: Why are we here?

WEEK 2: Literature, Knowledge, and the World

Mon Jan 15: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day—no class meeting

Wed Jan 17

*** Blog Post 1 Due Sunday Jan 21 by midnight ***

WEEK 3: Navigating the World through Literary Reflection I

Mon Jan 22

  • Class Topics and Activities:
  • Readings Due: 
    • “Against Narratives” (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), Cecile Alduy
    • The Power of Narrative,” Klaus Schwab and Thierry Malleret
    • “The Power of Narrative,” Steven Mintz
    • Excerpt from Hitz, Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life, Chapter 1 (Princeton UP 2020). Available as “Hitz, Lost in Thought” under Supplementary Readings module in OAKS Content.

Wed Jan 24

  • Class Topics and Activities:
  • Readings Due: 
    • Read everyone’s Blog Post 1: Your English Story. Provide a rich comment for at least 3 students.
    • Book of Delights, 1 – 90
    • Poetry Unbound podcast: Pádraig Ó Tuama on Laura Villareal’s “My Worries Have Worries” (listen) 

WEEK 4: Navigating the World through Literary Reflection II

Mon Jan 29 

  • Class Topics and Activities:

Wed Jan 31

*** Blog Post 2 due Sunday Feb 4 by midnight ***

WEEK 5: Viability and Projection

Mon Feb 5

  • Class Topics and Activities:
  • Readings Due:
    • You Can Do Anything, Part 1: Your Strengths (1-76)
    • Excerpt from Madsbjerg, Sensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm(2017): Foreword, Introduction, and Chapter 1 (vii – 24). Available in OAKS Supplementary Readings Module
    • “The Humanities Are in Crisis,” Benjamin Schmidt (PDF)
    • Excerpt from Ramsey and Grobman, Major Decisions: College, Career, and the Case for the Humanities (2020): Chapter 3, “Making the Invisible Visible: Careers in the Humanities.” Available under Supplementary Readings module in OAKS Content.

Wed Feb 7

  • Class Topics and Activities:
  • Readings Due:
    • You Can Do Anything, Part II: Your Opportunities (80-173)
    • Excerpt from Ramsey and Grobman, Major Decisions: College, Career, and the Case for the Humanities (2020): Chapter 4, “Beyond Jobs and Careers: The Enduring Value of the Humanities” (2020). Available under Supplementary Readings module in OAKS Content.

*** Blog Post 3 due Sunday Feb 11 by midnight ***

WEEK 6: Your English Story, Alumni Week Preparation and Peer Review

Mon Feb 12

Wed Feb 14

  •  Class Topics and Activities:
    • One-on-One meetings stand in for regular class today (Reflective Engagement 9). Select a time during this week to meet with me, either dropping in during office hours (MW 1-1:45 and 4:45-5:30) or scheduling a time here. We’ll work together on your ideas for Blog Post 4. 

WEEK 7: Alumni Roundtables

Mon Feb 19 & Wed Feb 21: This week, we will host alumni for alumni roundtables visits (5 alumni attending on each day). You will also be paired with an alumni on whom you will be writing a profile, which you should be working on during this week. 

  • Both roundtables will be virtual; we will meet in our regular classroom. You will have prepared questions to ask individual alums. 

WEEK 8

Mon Feb 26

Wed Feb 28

  • Class Activities:
    • CV/Resume workshop: Bring to class, in the form of a Google doc, your resume as it currently stands—which can be a simple listing of information, or a carefully generated and formatted document, however it currently exists.  (Bring your laptop or tablet, as well.)
    • Resume rubric
  •  Readings Due: 
    • From What Color Is Your Parachute: 
      • Chapter 3 “How do Deal with Any Challenges You Have in the Job Search” (37-69)
      • Chapter 4 “Choose a Career, Change a Career, or Find a Job: What Works” (71-95)
      • Chapter 9: Fifteen Tips About Your Job Interview (243-277)
  • Additional Readings: please begin work on the “Flower Exercise” readings (see next week’s schedule). You can find the Field Report 2 assignment sheet under the “assignments” tab. You might try a petal a day, or carve out a few evenings for this work.

Thurs Feb 29

  • Please attend the the Spring 2024 Career Exploration Fair, 12-4pm, at the Charleston Gaillard Center. Find further info here on the Hub.
    • If you go, submit to me afterwards, via email, a 200+ -word reflection on your experience, and with that you can replace a missing Reflective Engagement, or substitute this for a future one, or accumulate some extra credit it you have no missing REs at the end of the semester.

*** Blog Post 4 is due Friday March 2 by 5pm (prior to spring break) ***

Spring Break: No Class Mar 4 and Mar 6

WEEK 9

Mon Mar 11

  • Class Activities:
    • Peer Review of Blog Post 4
  • Preparation
    • Please create or refine your LinkedIn profile
  • Readings Due: 
    • From What Color Is Your Parachute: 
      • Chapter 8 “Your Resume is Already Online” (211-226)–note that you already read the second part of this chapter
      • Chapter 5-6 “The Flower Exercise: Self-inventory Parts 1 and II” (97 – 188)

Wed Mar 13

  • Class Activities:
  • Readings Due: 
  • Assignments Due:
    • Before 2pm Wednesday: Email completed peer review feedback form to each student whose Blog Post 4 you reviewed; copy me on the email (seamanm@cfoc.edu).
    • See deadline below for Field Report 1 and for revision of Blog Post 4.

***Due Sunday March 17 by midnight— Field Report 1: Alumni Profile and revision of Blog Post 4 (simply post your revised version in place of your previous version)***

WEEK 10

Mon Mar 18

In Module 3, we will take up the tasks of revising and polishing previous work, adapting a previous assignment for a new audience, and designing our ePortfolios.

Wed Mar 20

  • Class Activities:
    • Career Center Visit: Job searching, Networking, & LinkedIn
  • Assignment Due: See below

***Due Sunday March 24 by midnight: Field Report 2: Flower Exercise from What Color***

WEEK 11

Mon Mar 25

  • Class Activities: 
  • Assignments Due: 
  • Training Due: 
    • Between now and Wednesday’s class, complete the “WordPress.com Essential Training” course, which you can find in the OAKS Content, on the Supplemental Readings page.
      • The most relevant sections of the training will be 4-7 (though you should get to know the Administrative Area, in section 2).

Wed Mar 27

  • Class Activities:
    • Workshop on starting to build your ePortfolio (attendance expectation is the same as usual)—please bring your laptop to class
      • You may find the readings for next Monday’s class helpful at this stage.
    • Investigate Folio (2023)

WEEK 12

Mon Apr 1

Wed Apr 3

  • Class Activities: 
    • Collaborative work on producing “Beyond the English Major” page of Folio (with visit from WRP capstone team)
    • Style evaluation of ePortfolio content
  • Readings Due:
    • Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace, Part I, 27-95. This is a standard classic with broad application to professional and academic writing. **I think you’re really going to enjoy this reading!**
    • Optional: Begin LinkedIn Learning course: “Writing with Flair: How to Become an Exceptional Writer” (5 hours total)

Fri Apr 5

  • Attend English Day! Lilly, Julie, Brooke, and Michael will all be sharing their work. It’s a wonderful celebration of all English majors, most especially our graduates (that is: you!) It’s 2:30-4 in the Stern Center Ballroom.

WEEK 13

Mon Apr 8

  • Class Activities: 
  • Assignments Due:
    • Please be ready to share your website design and artifact selections during our meeting on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday
  • Readings Due: 
    • Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace, Part III (125-185)
    • Optional: Conclude LinkedIn Learning course: “Writing with Flair: How to Become an Exceptional Writer” (5 hours total)

Wed Apr 10

  • Class Activities: 
  • Assignments due:
    • Bring Artifact 2 to class in an editable format (e.g. Word doc or Google doc).
    • Online peer review feedback of Academic Artifact 1 is due before class.

WEEK 14

Mon Apr 15

  • Class Activities:
    • Discuss Final ePortfolio Presentation and ePortfolio Grading Rubric (see final portfolio assignment sheet)
    • Headshots!
    • ePortfolio group Workshop
    • Final Prep for Presentations, Course Reflection, and Evals

Wed Apr 17

  • Class Activities:
    • We won’t meet for class. I’ll he hosting optional one-on-one conferences this Monday – Wednesday. (You can sign up here.)

WEEK 15

Mon Apr 22

Wed Apr 24: Last Day of Class

  • Class Activities: 
    • Final Presentations–ePortfolio Showcase

Click on a Module above, and it will expand to reveal details.