Northeastern State University
College of Arts and Letters
English and Languages Department
Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Instructor: Mary Stanley Telephone: x3621 e-mail: stanlemf@nsuok.edu
Office: Seminary Hall 343
Office Hours:
Catalog Description of Course:
Explores the philosophical underpinnings of the
feminist movement and examines how feminist theory and principles are reflected
in literature and other texts, teaching practice, and educational
administration.
Purpose:
This course is designed to help students prepare for both teaching and administering from a feminist perspective in the field of education.
Expected Course Outcomes:
After the course, students will:
·
Identify and apply a
feminist approach to reading and writing tasks
·
Apply feminist criticism
to a text
·
Develop lesson plans
that include the best of feminist principles
·
Identify and address
gender differences/problems in the classroom setting
·
Identify and distinguish
differing management styles in educational administration
·
Identify positive
feminist approaches to educational management.
·
Plan a personal
development program that allows the incorporation of the best of
the feminist principles
Instructional Materials: (required)
Managing Women.
Sue Adler et al.
Online materials
Copy packet materials as needed
Instructional
Procedures:
This course will be conducted
online but in a seminar fashion. Students will learn various feminist philosophical
perspectives, rhetorical approaches, classroom teaching and management
strategies, and ways to apply feminist principles to administrative and
managerial duties. These expected course outcomes will be realized through a
variety of instructional strategies designed to complement students’ life
experiences. These strategies include, but are not limited to the following:
expository-discussion, demonstration, inquiry, and group activities.
Student Performance Activities: (Attendance/Punctuality).
Consistent
and punctual online posting in response to assignments and the meeting of class
deadlines are essential to success in this course. Weekly discussion posts will
be evaluated for both quality and quantity; there will also be a rhetorical
text analysis, a book review, a semester research paper and a final exam.
Assignment Due Dates:
Posting assignments are due each Monday, preferably by
noon. Quizzes over reading assignments may be given without prior notice. See
schedule for major assignment due dates.
Student Evaluation:
Grades will be based upon formal written examinations, periodic quizzes, written assignments, research paper, meaningful, weekly class discussion/participation postings, and the final exam.
Weekly discussion postings 30%
Text Analysis (criticism) 15%
Book Review 15%
Semester Paper 20%
Final Exam 20%
1. Class participation in the discussion boards means
interaction with other students and the instructor--not simple presence. Class comments should reflect our readings
and honest consideration of the viewpoints of other students. Students are
expected to deal with one another and the instructor in a professional, courteous
manner.
2. Students wishing to visit with the professor should come to Seminary Hall, Room 343, or contact me through e-mail
3. The last date to withdraw with a W is April 11,
2003.
ADA Compliance:
If any member of the class
feels that he/she has a disability and needs special accommodations of any
nature whatsoever, please advise the instructor of such disability at the first
class attended.
Inclement Weather/Disaster Policy:
The
following are basic premises for the inclement weather policy at Northeastern
State University
1. Classes are expected to be held if at all
possible.
2. It is the student's responsibility to receive the information when weather is questionable.
3.
Neither students nor faculty are expected to risk life or limb.
4. Faculty members are obligated to hold
classes if the University is not closed, unless the faculty member is unable to
get to campus.
Policy: During times of inclement weather, decisions
concerning day classes will be made by 6:00 a.m. in order for the media to be
notified and for students to receive the announcement before they leave
home. Decisions concerning night
classes will be made by 3:00 p.m.
The automated attendant message on 918-456-5511 will
be modified to include information concerning campus operations during
inclement weather.
The preceding relates to
physical attendance, but it is entirely possible that participation in an
online course can also be negatively affected; should that situation arise,
appropriate changes in schedule, etc., will be made.
Application of feminist
critical text analysis methods (February)
Our major resource for this
assignment is the chapter on “Gendering the Text,” an excerpt from Steven
Lynn’s Text and Contexts literary criticism book. I do not, however, want to limit
this assignment to literature or poetry. There are too many other
interesting texts out there such as biographies, or autobiographies,
management training materials, etc. Lynn sets the parameters, though,
for any of these in that we look at language itself, the treatment (or lack of
treatment) of women as opposed to that of men, and the continuance, indeed,
reinforcement of cultural stereotypes of women.
For your selection, choose an
excerpt or a complete text the equivalent in length to a short story. Some short
story suggestions are Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour,” Alice Walker’s
“Everyday Use,” Eudora Welty’s “Why I Live at the Post Office,” Charlotte
Gilman”s “The Yellow Wallpaper,” or Sarah Jewett’s “The White Heron.” If
interested in biography and history, check out Sisterhood of Spies, the
stories of the women who served the OSS in World War II. (Tahlequah public
library has this book.) Also, various women writers are represented in A
Voice of One’s Own, on reserve in Tahelquah NSU library. In addition, for
wild woman archetype, check out the readings in Women Who Run With Wolves
that features myths and stories passed down through the years.
There are also the areas of
moral development, ethics, even bioethics.
Just let me know your choice
ahead of time, please.
Semester Research Paper (May)
Although this is not due
until the last week of class, a decision on what, when, and where you want to
research should be made by end of February. By doing this you will be able to
choose a book for the review project that ties into your research for this
paper. This paper should be about 10 pages presented in the MLA format. The
topics are wide open as long as they relate to how women are represented in
text, how feminist principles inform and enhance classroom instruction, and/or
how these principles apply to management or administrative work in the field of
education.
With text, you are free to go
back into history for those created in Greece or Rome or choose anything
written since. Whatever text you choose, your paper should reflect how you
would teach that particular piece at the college level.
With classroom instructional
practices, you are free to design a lesson plan that incorporates and/or survey
the literature on feminist strategies for teaching. And finally, if you are
interested in becoming a manager one of these days, you may explore the options
for including feminist principles in such a position.
Book Review
Ideally you would read and
write a book review that is relevant to your research interests. See the list
of potentials in the Books section or go to the feminist.com site and search
for a book in your particular area of interest. My hope for this activity is
that we will each gain new and more specific information about this broad subject
of feminism through sharing our reading.
The final exam will be essay, and
you will have at least 3 options to choose for a response.