Fordham University: Approaches to American Literature Before 1900: Spring 2012
From Keywords
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Approaches to American Literature Before 1900---ENGL 5849---Spring 2012
Glenn Hendler, Instructor
Course Description
An introduction to recent Americanist literary scholarship, comparing and contrasting methodologies that have been brought to bear on three or four important works of U.S. literature published before 1900.
Assignments
Collaborative Annotated Bibliographies
One of the primary assignments for this class will double as the means we will use to come up with the readings for each unit of the course. Click on Collaborative Annotated Bibliographies-ENGL 5849-spring 2012 for instructions and links to the spaces where that will happen.
Top Ten Keywords Project
Over the course of the semester we will work to identify the top ten keywords that emerge from our exploration of the scholarship on pre-20th-century U.S. literature. Click on Top Ten Keywords Project-ENGL5849-Spring 2012 for instructions and a link to the space where that will happen.
Final project
The final assignment for this course is to write a review essay about the scholarship on any pre-1900 American literary text you choose, so long as it is not by one of the four authors we are discussing this semester. Click on Final project-ENGL 5849-Spring 2012 to find more detailed instructions for this assignment, and to find links to the wiki pages where you will begin it (though it will not be completed here in the Collaboratory).
Instructions for First-Time Users
Students: Students enrolled in this class need to create an account, and then email me your user name so I can give you privileges to edit and create pages. I recommend choosing a name that I can recognize, but remember that anyone in the world can access this site, so it would be best not to use your first and last name. If I were a student, I'd be "GlennH." Please note: You can only modify pages once I have activated your account.
- To create an account, click on the link in the top right-hand corner of this page.
- Submit all the information requested on the registration page. Make sure to remember your user name and password.
- Email me your user name so I can activate your account. You will not be able to edit pages in this Collaboratory until you have received a reply to that e-mail.
- Even before I activate your account, you're welcome to experiment with editing pages in the Sandbox. Check out the Help and FAQs pages for tips on how to format pages.
- Once you get an email reply from me, you'll be able to edit pages.
Other Visitors to the Site: If you're not enrolled in this class, you can still read and comment on the work we're generating throughout the semester. This is a work in progress, so please check back for new additions and developments. You're also welcome to me with any questions or comments about our course.
Test area--do this after you've received an e-mail from Professor Hendler saying you're approved
As soon as you've been approved as a collaboratory participant (and to make sure you have been approved), go into the page linked below. In it you'll find the e-mail addresses of all members of the class, including yours. Open the "edit" tab for the page, change the e-mail address to your actual name, and feel free to add a couple of words afterward. For example, if your name is Jane Doe, you'll change "jdoe@fordham.edu" to Jane Doe, and can add "was here" after your name. Save the page, and you should see a sentence that says "Jane Doe was here." If you can't make this change, you aren't properly signed in or haven't been approved yet. Make sure you're signed in, and if you are, check with me to get yourself approved as a participant.
- Note: I discovered after our class discussion today that it is possible to get an e-mail when pages are changed. In preferences, click "Email me on page changes."
Helpful Tips and Links
- The best browsers to use for editing are the most recent versions of Firefox and Internet Explorer because they support the MediaWiki editing toolbar. Other browsers may not support the toolbar. However, it's very easy to add and edit text without the toolbar. For very simple coding instructions, check out the Cheat Sheet of Wiki Markup Language.
- Another editing option is the Wiki Edit app for iPads.
- A page for new users, with basic information about how to do the things you need to do.
