Aloha
mai. Welcome to English 100. This is a place-based composition course that will
prepare you for the demands of university-level writing.
As your instructor, I argue that place is
foundational to identity, knowledge, and creativity, and will emphasize the
role of place in our work. ‘Āina is that which feeds. As we cultivate writing
habits, research techniques, and critical thinking skills, we will reflect on
how place has fed us, physically, intellectually, and culturally.
You will begin the semester with a brief but
valuable narrative of home. Where do you consider home? Where have you cultivated a sense of belonging and trust? Indeed, the
knowledge each of us brings to the classroom has been shaped in many ways by
the places where we have lived, worked, created, suffered loss, changed our
minds, and took risks. Our first major assignment asks you to explore
these connections in a home narrative. Subsequently, an interview project will extend your narrative skills, and you will produce a profile on a classmate and his or her story about home.
Next, you will create a comparative image
analysis of advertising images that attempt to “sell” Hawai‘i. We will
critically discuss issues of representation.
Lastly, the argumentative research project will build on
your narrative and analytical skills while introducing you to the demands of
research, and collaborative work. Throughout the
semester, we will identify and refine our literacy practices as well as
challenge our assumptions about place and knowledge.
In this
active learning environment, passionate discussions will occur. Our classroom
is a safe and supportive space, and we must all be respectful of each other.
Remember, we are not only developing as writers but also as critical
thinkers. So while we may disagree, it
is important that we listen to each other and exchange ideas in considerate
ways.