This Class

This class was structured unlike any other class I've ever taken. I have had three other classes, now four, with Jodi Dean and enjoyed her other class structures much better. However, the content and discussions in this class fostered much intellectual curiosity in my brain. I remember continually leaving her other classes with a firm grasp on Rousseau's paradox of founding or Locke's notions of property because there were firm concepts. I always left this class with more questions than answers, (which I think may have been the point in a lot of cases). There was a very serious and scholarly atmosphere in modern political philosophy in which all students were expected to come prepared and participate, this class was more laid back and easy-going. Of course she expected us to be prepared and participate, but it was easier in this course. First, she was generally a more understanding and open teacher throughout this experience which, I hope, will continue on to her understanding of my final project. I find it funny that I just labeled this course as an experience, rather than a class, which I think says something. This class didn't really have to be as prepared because most of the subjects we were discussing were well known to everyone already. You couldn't really ‘jump’ into a discussion of Kant or Nietzsche without reading the previous night because it would be obvious to everyone (especially professor Dean) that you were just making statements without regard to the text. In Internet & Politics it was easy for any student to jump into a discussion of internet privacy, ethics, media technology in the presidential campaign and everything else because we are inclined to have some knowledge of it already as we are all avid internet users. I think that really added a lot to the class because people were interested in most of the topics. I also think it took away from the class because students didn’t feel compelled to read because they knew they wouldn’t ‘get caught’ if they didn’t. Most students don't read if they don't have any immediate consequences. I felt that there was a real lack of reading and utilizing the sources she provided, which she ended up catching on to (see the poll “how many sources have you used?” for evidence of this). The tone of the class was set the first day when she wasn’t there and guided it through the blog. I enjoyed this class a lot, and would take it again if I had to do this semester over, but think a little bit more structure would have been helpful.
Matt