As 乐播传媒 professors lined up for Convocation last week, we asked a few what they鈥檙e excited to teach this fall.
In sum, they told us about some things old, some things new, and some things renewed.
In his second year at 乐播传媒, Assistant Professor of English Jos茅 Villagrana is teaching a new course, 鈥淢ilton and the English Civil War.鈥�
John Milton, of course, is a canonical figure in literature. By looking at Milton鈥檚 writings through the lens of the English Civil War (1642鈥�51), Villagrana’s students can make fresh connections to 鈥渢imely discourses on revolution, armed conflict, and the role of free speech and censorship.鈥�
In his second year at 乐播传媒, Assistant Professor of English Jos茅 Villagrana is teaching a new course, 鈥淢ilton and the English Civil War.” (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
Lecturer in Anthropology Kristen Barnett looks forward to teaching her two sections of 鈥淚ntroduction to Archaeology.鈥澛燬he began teaching the course three years ago and has completely overhauled it.
Now the course focuses more attention on concepts of social justice, ethics, and 鈥渢ensions between Indigenous communities and the archaeological community,鈥� she explains. The course will also delve into questions of how certain colonizing practices are 鈥渆stablished and perpetuated through archaeology.鈥�
A 乐播传媒 faculty member since 1991, Professor of Physics Hong Lin is trying something new this year: teaching one of the department鈥檚 upper-level courses, 鈥淓lectrodynamics.鈥�
鈥淚t will be my first time teaching this course, but I love the topic,鈥� she says. Lin has taught a similar course, 鈥淓lectricity and Magnetism,鈥� which covers the material at a lower level. 鈥淚t will be good to help students see the topic in more depth,鈥� she says.
Lecturer in Anthropology Kristen Barnett has revamped the introductory archaeology course. (Jay Burns/乐播传媒 College)
In one of 39 First-Year Seminars, which are geared toward the college鈥檚 newest students, Professor of Anthropology Elizabeth Eames will teach 鈥淒isney Demystified: Race, Gender, and Sexuality in the Magic Kingdom.鈥�
Popular culture being what it is, 鈥渨e all have a bit of Disney in us,鈥� Eames says. In other words, 鈥淒isney is a cultural text. And from that text, we can discern America鈥檚 beliefs and values. And we can unearth the cultural politics embedded in Disney productions.鈥�
Professor of Psychology Georgia Nigro is teaching 鈥淐ommunity-Based Research Methods.鈥� Offered in a variety of disciplines, methods courses give students a chance to exercise their emerging research skills.
This fall, Nigro says, her 18 students 鈥渁re going to learn with a community partner, the .鈥� The institute is working closely with the Lewiston School Department, which is seeking to infuse .
Professor of Psychology Georgia Nigro is teaching a course that will support efforts to introduce restorative justice practices in Lewiston public schools. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
鈥淢y students will look at data already collected from teachers, who are working to be more restorative in their practices,鈥� Nigro says. Restorative justice tries to 鈥渞eplace the old-fashioned punitive disciplinary practices with practices that repair the harm.鈥�
Raj Saha 鈥�03, a lecturer in geology and physics, is eager to teach his First-Year Seminar, 鈥淭he Living Planet,鈥� and hopes his students are ready for a surprise.
Raj Saha 鈥�03, a lecturer in geology and physics, is teaching a First-Year Seminar, 鈥淭he Living Planet.” (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
In its examination of intricate connections among the Earth鈥檚 living systems, the course sits 鈥渁t the intersection of math, science, environmental studies, and social justice,鈥� he says.
It might surprise these new 乐播传媒 students, he says, 鈥渢hat there is scientific basis for concepts that we often label as moral or ethical, such as the need for diversity, what diversity does in an ecosystem, and how you can translate these qualities to society in general 鈥� what makes us more resilient.鈥�
Su Langdon, a lecturer in psychology, is excited to have more time to teach 鈥淧rinciples of Psychology.鈥�
Drawing from the tenets of problem-based learning, the course uses 鈥渃onsider scenarios,鈥� in which students look at real-life situations from psychological perspectives. For example, how do gymnasts and other athletes accomplish complex motoric tasks? Why do we feel 鈥渁ll gooey inside鈥� when we think about someone we鈥檙e attracted to?
Having taught the course a 鈥済azillion times,鈥� Langdon wanted the flexibility to add a few more scenarios, including ones her students suggested. To do so, 鈥淚 needed to reclaim some time,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o be more creative, I needed about a week.鈥�
Working with the Accessible Education and Student Support office 鈥� to ensure that the changes met the needs of all her students 鈥� Langdon moved the course鈥檚 traditional in-class exams to online exams, outside of class.
And presto: A whole week of new time!
