I don’t even remember a time when I didn’t use the expression: “On G.P.” There are some things that you just do… ON GP… general principle… it is simply the principle of the thing (the t-shirt to the left is an online company devoted to this notion).
Many of the things you see on this webpage called “On G.P.” should be obvious; these are things you should be doing ON PRINCIPLE. For instance, there will be cell phone policies for this class but these policies should be obvious. There will be times in class when you will need your phone to look up things or share items with colleagues. But you should have enough respect for yourself and your colleagues not to send text messages or check twitter while a colleague is presenting, while you are sitting in a small group, or a demo is being offered during class. You should know NOT to answer your phone and have a conversation OUT LOUD during class. If you have an emergency, remember that you are GROWN: excuse yourself and walk out of the classroom and tend to your bid'ness. The rest of us don’t need to hear it. All you need is good common sense or some self-respect. If you have friends who cannot leave you be while you are in class and need to text you the entire time w/ expectations of a reply, then you need some new friends. If what they are telling you is not advancing your life and goals in MORE significant ways than your college learning, then you will have some hard times ahead of you because you are not surrounding yourself with people who will BUILD you up— your peoples will tear you down instead. Learn these lessons now rather than later when your mistakes just become even more costly to you. As for the cutie hollerin at you DURING class, just take it from an older sista like Carmen: THAT ain’t gon last long. Holla back after class. Don’t confuse your priorities no matter how slap-yo-momma-fine they might be. They can wait too! Yes, you will lower your class grade for these kinds of behaviors in class, but that is the least of your worries. The things you see folk doing in here are the same things they will do outside of here… at work, at meetings— at least until they are fired. Some things you should be doing and knowing JUST ON G.P.!
Many of the things you see on this webpage called “On G.P.” should be obvious; these are things you should be doing ON PRINCIPLE. For instance, there will be cell phone policies for this class but these policies should be obvious. There will be times in class when you will need your phone to look up things or share items with colleagues. But you should have enough respect for yourself and your colleagues not to send text messages or check twitter while a colleague is presenting, while you are sitting in a small group, or a demo is being offered during class. You should know NOT to answer your phone and have a conversation OUT LOUD during class. If you have an emergency, remember that you are GROWN: excuse yourself and walk out of the classroom and tend to your bid'ness. The rest of us don’t need to hear it. All you need is good common sense or some self-respect. If you have friends who cannot leave you be while you are in class and need to text you the entire time w/ expectations of a reply, then you need some new friends. If what they are telling you is not advancing your life and goals in MORE significant ways than your college learning, then you will have some hard times ahead of you because you are not surrounding yourself with people who will BUILD you up— your peoples will tear you down instead. Learn these lessons now rather than later when your mistakes just become even more costly to you. As for the cutie hollerin at you DURING class, just take it from an older sista like Carmen: THAT ain’t gon last long. Holla back after class. Don’t confuse your priorities no matter how slap-yo-momma-fine they might be. They can wait too! Yes, you will lower your class grade for these kinds of behaviors in class, but that is the least of your worries. The things you see folk doing in here are the same things they will do outside of here… at work, at meetings— at least until they are fired. Some things you should be doing and knowing JUST ON G.P.!
Attendance & AgendasYour PUNCTUAL attendance is mandatory. Attendance is taken each class and lateness is marked after five minutes. Almost each class will begin with a writing prompt or demonstration. If you miss something, it will not be repeated for you. Each class agenda is available to you online so if you miss a class, find the agenda of the class on this website and look to see what you missed. This is your own responsibility. Attendance counts for ten points of your final grade.
There will be an agenda for each class--- think of the agenda as the powerpoint/lecture presentation of the class. Those agendas will be posted here on the website so if you ever need to look at what we did in a class, you only need to go back and look at the agenda. Please make sure that you leave every class understanding what is expected of you for the next class. Handheld DevicesPlease remember to SILENCE/VIBRATE your phones during class and dismiss yourself from the room in the event of an emergency call that you must attend to. You will be trusted to answer only those calls that pertain to emergencies. You will also be trusted NOT to text, tweet, facebook, etc. during class (even in the downtime) and especially during groupwork (plus, all the hotties and honies can wait--- they will still be there when class is over... truss me on this one, been there, done that!... let em sweat you a little, don't give in so easy). Unless you are some kinda world-famous neurosurgeon, ain’t nobody tryna hear that your business is so important that you can’t wait for 90 minutes. Failure to refrain from these behaviors will result in a significantly lowered grade for the class. Think of it this way: if you were at work in a meeting, you would get fired. You can't get fired here, but you can be sure you won't be promoted as someone ready for college.
AccommodationsSpecial learning needs will be accommodated in this class by both teacher AND peers. Please see Carmen immediately whenever and if-ever your needs have not been met. We will work it out until it gets worked.
Offensive LanguageRacist, homophobic, sexist language is generally inappropriate for any classroom but moreso here, given what we are studying. Such issues will be addressed seriously so don’t go there.
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ParticipationThroughout the course, you will be expected to participate in small group discussions and whole-class discussions. All of this will happen face-to-face and sometimes online. If you are someone who likes to talk and participate in class, make a point of giving others the space to share their ideas. If you are someone who is a bit shy-er and tries to be silent during class, make a point to challenge yourself to lift up your voice and share your opinions with the people around you. Sharing your ideas and questioning peers’ responses are critical to your learning and so participation in class will be also. Participation will be factored into your grade for this course, but participation does not mean runnin’ your mouth all over the place. It is about how you talk to others and, most importantly, how you listen to them. In this class, it will be as impressive, if not moreso, to notice a colleague in class who hasn't talked much and give them the floor than run your own mouth all the time. When we reach that moment in the semester when someone says: "Professor Carmen, Shamika has been wanting to say something for a while now, can we encourage her to do so" and then the whole class moves in that direction, then we are achieving a real collective. That's the kind of participation we are striving for here.
Required SuppliesYou will need to print out your writings for this class. Other than this cost, there is no other cost to you. All materials are at this website.
You need to hold on to every piece of writing that you do in this class since all of your writings will be included in your final portfolio. If you do not already have a gmail account, get one NOW and get on google drive. If your computer crashes or you get pocket/purse goo on your USB drive and you don't have the work from the early part of the class, no concessions will be made for you. Remember, with google docs, you won;t need any office software like word, etc. Make google docs your friend. You will need an email account that you check regularly. You can expect emails from Carmen from one of the following accounts: [email protected] AND [email protected]. You will also need regular access to a computer and the internet since all course materials are online. If you do not have internet access at home, plan to spend a considerable amount of time on campus computers. |
The Required Plagiarism Policy |
Because the assignments of the course strive to be highly original, the likelihood of plagiarism is diminished. Nonetheless, university policy requires a plagiarism policy clearly explained on the syllabus. So, in the event that you intentionally copy someone else’s words, you will have to sit down with Carmen and make amends to each author whose work you have hi-jacked. Creative borrowing is cool. Str8-biting someone's style is not.
Let’s take this website— it is certainly NOT original given the texts, images and sounds that are borrowed from all over the internet. No one is in here acting like we went and made these images ourselves or that these songs on this website are by us! Let these folk shine on their own and get your own shine besides them. |
Go ‘head and RE-MIX in fabulous ways, yes-yes, but know that straight hi-jacking is not cool… we will talk about the differences. Plagiarism will be an issue that we talk about here in the course because you need some awareness of what those conversations sound like at your college. Please go here to see John Jay’s policies which are categorized as: cheating, plagiarism, internet plagiarism, obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents.
For the purposes of this class (and, if you so choose, for your identity as a writer), a Yoruba proverb will be our guide: “We stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us.” Standing on the shoulders of your elders, ancestors, and community/communities means that you acknowledge them. When you are inspired by someone’s wisdom and vision, when you are conscious of their imprint, you say THAT... you release that acknowledgement into the universe. There are many kinds of cultural motifs that can help us understand the importance of such acknowledgement: ceremonies that begin by the audiences calling the names of heroes, sheroes, and ancestors to name them and bring them into the room; formal libations AND informal libations (pouring some out for the homies who were taken from us--- for those of you who know the practice.) Please take seriously the philosophy guiding this Yoruba proverb and the practices just described: you always stop, take notice, and make mention of where you come from and who got you there. Let that guide you as a writing practice.
Make the ways of citing and siting your sources of wisdom a deeper practice than just summarizing, paraphrasing, and memorizing the rules of APA or MLA style so no one can accuse you of plagiarism. Pay homage to the shoulders you are standing on. It makes a difference.
For the purposes of this class (and, if you so choose, for your identity as a writer), a Yoruba proverb will be our guide: “We stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us.” Standing on the shoulders of your elders, ancestors, and community/communities means that you acknowledge them. When you are inspired by someone’s wisdom and vision, when you are conscious of their imprint, you say THAT... you release that acknowledgement into the universe. There are many kinds of cultural motifs that can help us understand the importance of such acknowledgement: ceremonies that begin by the audiences calling the names of heroes, sheroes, and ancestors to name them and bring them into the room; formal libations AND informal libations (pouring some out for the homies who were taken from us--- for those of you who know the practice.) Please take seriously the philosophy guiding this Yoruba proverb and the practices just described: you always stop, take notice, and make mention of where you come from and who got you there. Let that guide you as a writing practice.
Make the ways of citing and siting your sources of wisdom a deeper practice than just summarizing, paraphrasing, and memorizing the rules of APA or MLA style so no one can accuse you of plagiarism. Pay homage to the shoulders you are standing on. It makes a difference.
This class is not a difficult class but there is a lot of work. You need to keep up and stay on grind throughout the semester and you will do well. Be physically and mentally present... and always in it to win it!
