spring 2024 syllabus and schedule

Spring 2024  Story Connections Weekly Schedule

Class this semester will be different from the fall class.

I invite you to think of this as a practicum project that you will be getting credit for.

Your learning objective is this:

To discover how sharing personal stories can build a bridge across difference.

Your goal related to the project is to

1. Have fun
2. create a book together with our story partners which will honor the stories that are shared. (alt: Tuesday night group: to discuss—you will create your own instruction booklet to leave at the Center. We can choose one Tuesday in April to go deliver the booklet)
3. For a fuller description of the goals and methods of the project, visit this page

Assignments:

1. The most important assignment is to SHOW UP for our community partners. Once the dates are finalized for our meetings, you are expected to attend every session. Assuming you go to every session,  you will get an “A”  for this portion of the class.
   1. Stuff happens. If stuff happens on a session day, you MUST connect with me right away. If you are not at the bus on time, we can’t wait for you. The worst is when we don’t know if you are just late or if you got sick and can’t come. SO: we will have a GroupMe, and you must send a message!
2. Activity Reflections: In our class blog, you should write 1-2 paragraphs of reflection within 24 hours of community-based activity, and mark them in the category “Experiential Reflections” as well as under your name.  The question we are asking this semester is: how can stories build bridges across difference? So your reflection should include what stories were told (give details but not names) and any observations about the effect of the stories.  Consider: what else did you talk about when not telling stories? What did you observe about body language? What did you notice about the groups? What similarities and differences did you hear in the stories? You can also note any other connection you make to anything we read fall or spring, or any other connections you are making…
3. Class citizenship: The challenge this semester is to be a citizen in a project group, as well as a citizen of our class. We’ll create a goals document for this, and you will have the chance to reflect on your citizenship in a 1-2 page reflection.
4. Group Project: The storytelling sessions will result in a group project. It will get a simple letter grade, and every student will receive that same grade.
5. Final Reflective Essay: you will use “artifacts” or “exhibits” from your reflective blog posts and from your projects to answer a final reflective question.

Grading: