Check this page regularly for announcements and updates regarding the course.

NEW April 9:

Dear Students,

Here we are, the last “class” day of the semester. You had the weirdest year. One semester of disruption was bad enough; two in a row is a little over-the-top. Someone should have a word with the writers.

You’ve all been remarkable and I’m so happy to have had the chance to meet you and to work and learn with you. My time in the classroom with you has always been the best part of my week and, to be honest, I’m feeling that loss acutely. I know that the circumstances are difficult for you all in complex ways. We are all learning a lot about being a person in these times. I hope that you’re finding ways to stay in touch with the things that make you feel like people. I hope that, if you are struggling, you are able to connect with the helpers. Remember that UNBC has lots of helpers – the Wellness Centre, Counselling, the First Nations Centre, Student Life, your profs. We all want to make sure you’re doing okay. So, as Mr. Rogers says, look for the helpers.

Thank you so much for bringing your brains and your hearts, your willingness to share and to try, your curiosity and your hopefulness. Every day you teach me how to be a person, how to share and try and to be curious and hopeful. We don’t know what this world is going to look like when we can all meet again, but I know that you will bring all of those qualities with you and it will be a better place because of your presence in it.

Also, remember this: You don’t have to be amazing every day. Sometimes you can take off your cape and watch movies in your PJs.

Get your sleeps. Eat your foods. Be well.

April 7:

  1. I have written you a lecture/synthesis for Beyond Grammar Chapters 4-7. It is posted under the Powerpoints heading on the Links/Docs page. Thank you to everyone who submitted your Top 5 for these chapters. I have received and read them and used them to help me decide how to “fill in the blanks” and draw out some core themes for this lecture. I have recorded your assignments in the Class Contribution portion of your assessment model.
  2. I am still working on assignments. Because computer time is very bad for my arms and because all I do is computer time in our new reality, I am having to set a slower pace than usual. But I will get everything to you as soon as I possibly can. I apologize for the delays and I thank you again for your patience. 
  3. Office Hours. I will be open for office hours this week, Thursday 12:30-2:00. Please keep an eye on your email for that link to the Bluejeans session.  After this week I will not be holding open office hours but will be available for appointments. I am also willing to host you if you would like to set up some small study groups. Email me to make those appointments.
  4. Take-Home Exam. I am working on this document and will send it out to those of you who signed up for the final. Hopefully this will happen on Wednesday, so please keep an eye on your UNBC email.
  5. I hope you are all well and are getting your sleeps and all the colours of food. Take good care.

 

April 2:

1. I am still working on your assignments. Because my arms are quite terrible at the moment, I can only cut/paste/email/do computer things for limited periods, so it might take me a little bit to get all of the feedback out to you. Thank you for your patience.

2. I will be holding Bluejeans office hours again today from 12:30-1:30 (see the link in your email). I have so far had no takers in office hours, so I’m considering moving to an appointment-only model for next week. Email me to make your appointment. That said, I also know that some of you are missing talking about the material with your groups, so, if anyone would like to set up a group study and needs an online venue, get in touch and I can set you up a breakout room in Bluejeans.

MARCH 30: GRADING: I am working on your assignments. This process is slower than usual because I need to do everything on the computer and, as we know, my issues with my shoulders make that a bit problematic. Thank you for your patience.

NOTE: PLEASE remember to use the requested FORMAT FOR NAMING FILES and to use WORD or an equivalent for your files. This practice will help me to keep track of your assignments and comment upon them more easily.

MARCH 24 2020:

  1. TOP 5 for Beyond Grammar chapters: I have begun to receive some Top 5 documents from you. Remember to look at the class plan documents I sent you for instructions for this final section of the course and to make sure you get some class contribution grades for those readings. Once I receive your Top 5s, I will do a round-up document and maybe try a narrated PPT to pull all of those readings together.
  2. VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS: Reminder: I will be holding virtual drop-in hours on Bluejeans WED 9-10 and THURS 12:30-2:30. I sent you the URL to access these meetings. Please check your UNBC email. As these are public sessions, if you would like to discuss anything of a personal nature, send me an email and we can set up a separate private session.
  3. ASSIGNMENTS: Now that I’ve got some organizational stuff done and am ensconced at home, I will be turning all my attention to your assignments. Please keep an eye on your UNBC email for updates.
  4. Finally, I hope you are all doing okay. Remember to get your sleeps! Drop by on Bluejeans and let me know how it’s going.

MARCH 20, 2020

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Please always be sure to read down the page to make sure you have not missed any announcements.

TODAY: Today will be my last day on campus for a while. I will be in my office until 4PM. 

FUTURE ASSIGNMENTS: Given the developing situation, I am going to request that ALL FUTURE ASSIGNMENTS for this semester be submitted by EMAIL as per the instructions in the documents linked below. Remember that there is a class contribution assignment in the readings revision document so make sure to read that so you don’t miss out on that 10%.

ENGL 390 COVID19 class plan and instructions

ENGL 390 COVID19 readings revision and instructions March 17 2020

OFFICE HOURS: I will be holding online office hours using Bluejeans video conferencing. I will send you the URL  via your UNBC email. We will hold hours at the regular times, although slightly curtailed on Thursday: WED 9-10 and THURS 12:30-2:30. If you want to chat outside of these times, send me an email and I can open a separate session.

CHECKING IN: I hope that you are all coping okay with our rapidly changing circumstances. Remember to look after yourselves. Anything to do with the course can be dealt with and we don’t want anyone to make themselves vulnerable to illness by adding stress. If you want to talk privately about the course or the assignments or just to check in, drop me an email and we can open a Bluejeans session and have a chat. Be well and stop touching your face! 🙂

MARCH 19, 2020

  1. Please make sure you are reading downthread here to catch any announcements you might have missed.
  2. A reminder of the COVID19 update and instructions document I posted on the weekend, and the updated readings revisions and instructions posted on Tuesday. The updated readings also includes information on class contribution grade via email participation:ENGL 390 COVID19 readings revision and instructions March 17 2020ENGL 390 COVID19 class plan and instructions
  3. OFFICE HOURS:
    1. Today: DROP-IN hours 12:30-3:30.
    2. FRI March 20: 10-4PM (for collecting assignments)
    3. NEXT WEEK: I will be working from home starting Monday, March 23 except on days when assignments are due. I will be setting up some online office hours through Bluejeans and will send out the URL for that on the morning of my office hours. For consistency’s sake, we will keep them at the same time as usual: WED 9-10 and THURS 12:30-3:30.

 

MARCH 17, 2020: Please find linked below the updated plan for the remainder of the readings. I will also send this document to your UNBC email addresses. Note that I will be applying the work you do on the remaining readings to your CLASS CONTRIBUTION GRADE, so be sure to read the instructions carefully.

Also, I will be in my office 9:00-3:00 every day this week, 9-4 on Friday. Please feel free to drop by. If I am not there, I will be back shortly.

The link to the new instructions is below:

ENGL 390 COVID19 readings revision and instructions March 17 2020

MARCH 14, 2020:

Hello All:

As you have heard by now, Faculty have been asked to shift away from face-to-face course delivery to a version of online instruction. I am still working on the details, but I have drafted an information document to help you get sorted in terms of our class time and assignments. Please read the document linked below carefully. I have also sent a copy to your UNBC email.

ENGL 390 COVID19 class plan and instructions

I know that you have been asked to cope with a lot over this past school year. I am tremendously impressed with your grace and adaptability. That said, I am aware that some of you may find that these new circumstances place unexpected pressures on you. Please feel free to contact me if you are having difficulty with these new measures and class plans. We will all have to be flexible and compassionate during the coming days. I promise to do what I can to make this transition manageable for all of you.

 

Feb 24,2020: I have added some new links about fonts and typography to the Links/Docs page in the Audio/Video and Websites of Interest sections. Remember to bring examples of your favourite typography or books for class on Friday, Feb 28. Annelise Dowd will bring some rare and wonderful books from the archives.

Feb 12, 2020: I have added two PPTs to the Links/Docs page: “Making Sense” and “Mechanics Part 2.” I also distributed the Awake Journal homework assignment (see the Assignment Descriptions page) and requested that students bring examples of books or typography that they like or find interesting to class on Friday, March 28.

I also added two videos of Amber Galloway Gallego, the world’s fastest Sign Language Music Interpreter, her performance at a hip hop concert and her TEDMED talk. Really interesting!

 

Feb 11, 2020: I have added a copy of the homework assignment, “Awake Journal Homework,” to the Assignment Descriptions page. I will hand out hardcopies of this assignment in class on Wednesday.

Feb 7, 2020: I have added two items to the Links/Docs page: Annelise’s slides for the dictionary lesson, under the Guides and Tipsheets heading; Dr. Owen’s slides for his guest lecture on American Sign Language under the Powerpoints heading.

Jan 31, 2020: I have replaced the Readings and Assignment Schedule with a revised version that accommodates our Guest Speaker, Dr. William Owen, and that includes some additional detail for later sections of the schedule. Please replace your saved list with this one. No additional readings have been added.

Jan 29, 2020: SCHEDULE ADDITION: On February 7, Dr. William Owen from the Psychology Department will be our guest. He will talk about English, American Sign Language and the brain, including a look at degenerative brain diseases that affect language.

JAN 28, 2020: REMINDER: Wednesday we will be meeting Annelise Dowd in 5-234 which is on the 2nd floor of the library for our etymology information session. I have also added a “Late Middle Ages Linguistic Apartheid concept map” to the Links/Docs page under the “Sketchnotes and Concept Maps” heading. This map summarizes the work we did last week.

Jan 16, 2020 ADDITIONAL: I have corrected a typo on the READINGS AND ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE and the corresponding date on the ASSIGNMENTS page. The DUE DATE for the Annotated Bibliography is MARCH 6, not March 8 as previously listed. Please update your records.

Jan 16, 2020: My by-appointment student hours today are curtailed due to a committee meeting I must attend. I will be in my office today 12:30-1:15. I don’t have anyone signed up yet, though, so please keep in mind that you can sign up for a 20minute meeting by putting your name on the form on my office door.

Jan 15, 2020: Today we are experiencing extreme cold. I will be holding my classes as usual but I don’t want anyone to put themselves at risk to get to school on the bus. Just email me to let me know if you can’t make it so that I can make plans and adjust our schedule.

Also, I usually have some snacks in my office for anyone who needs one. Feel free to drop by to get a granola bar. If you come to my student drop-in hours, I’ll even make you tea!

 

Jan 10, 2020: I am in contact with the Bookstore regarding getting additional copies of Beyond Grammar and will let you know when they are available.

JAN 7, 2020: I HAVE UPDATED THE READINGS AND ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE and replaced the one posted on Jan 6. Please update your files.