Dr. Geller reminded everyone that in addition to talking about Counterstory we had also said we’d re-look at the course schedule, consider how we wanted to use our last three classes, and talk (per requests) about final projects.

We started class with discussion of what we wanted our plan to be for the next two weeks. We agreed we wanted to spend two weeks reading about, thinking about, and experimenting with AI tools. After some discussion, we planned what we would do for the next week — see the By the Week for November 9th — and agreed that on the 9th we’d plan the 16th. There was some agreement that we wanted to try out some AI writing tools/tools and there was also some discussion about whether we wanted to do this for the 16th or while we’re together in class on the 16th. Dr. Geller added Futurepedia to the “Other Texts and Resources” By the Week for the 9th so we could start to consider tools we might want to try out. Feel free to add any other AI resources to the comments here or bring ideas to class on the 9th.

We moved on to a discussion of final projects. Cynthia asked Dr. Geller whether there was any theme or thread from class she wanted to see in all of the projects, and she said she didn’t think there was any way at this point in the semester with the way everyone has been engaged and thinking and reading that all of the projects wouldn’t end up related in some way to what we’ve been exploring together. She reminded everyone that what’s important is that these projects be meaningful in relation to individual interests, passions, and aspirations as scholars and writers. And Dr. Geller also reminded everyone that it wasn’t that a seminar paper type of final project was discouraged in any way if someone wanted to write that. It’s that many other genres for many other audiences written in many different styles are also possible and invited, especially if that allows a final project to live beyond class and for audiences other than just Dr. Geller.

We had a discussion about what this type of freedom feels like for end of semester work, what genres could be possible (What _is_ possible beyond a paper? Especially if you’ve never imagined anything else for a final project and if you don’t want to develop pedagogical materials). Dr. Geller suggested some of these projects might be beginnings — pilot projects for later research that would need IRB/Human Subjects approval to live beyond English 170. Dr. Geller encouraged everyone to take five minutes to describe projects they could imagine but might not even want to do, and we heard and imagined some of these. We also heard a bit about what some are thinking about doing (in very early stages of development). We agreed to set aside 15-20 minutes on the 9th for sharing preliminary project ideas.

We started talking about chapters two, three, and four, and five of Counterstory in three small groups, with the idea that each group would bring what struck them most/what they wanted to talk about most back to the large group. At about 6:30pm we started talking in the large group, and those notes are here. Feel free to add any comments and/or additional notes to this document. Matthew added some comments as a way of joining the conversation.

Have a good week everyone! Email with letter two when you’re ready. Email if you want to talk about final projects (even if this email isn’t letter two) — by email exchange or if you’d like to set a time to Zoom. Dr. Geller will add a list of AI resources to the By the Week and here (as soon as she organizes the mess that is her collected resources) — feel free to add to that too. As always, add any thoughts or revisions here in comments.

And, if anyone is free on Tuesday morning, this should be a great SJU Institute for Critical Race and Ethnic Studies event, Tuesday, November 7th, 10-11:30am online — I’ll be there. Register here.