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.
We
will begin the semester with a brief but valuable narrative of your definition of home. 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, took risks, and evolved. Our
first major assignment asks you to explore these connections in a home narrative.
Subsequently, an interview project will open your story to incorporate another
layer of experience and knowledge in a formal profile and oral presentation.
You
will also produce a comparative image analysis of advertising images that
attempt to “sell” Hawai‘i. We will critically discuss issues of representation.
Lastly,
the research project will build on your narrative and analytical skills while
introducing you to the demands of research, collaborative work, and an oral
presentation. 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.