For our final essay this semester, we're looking at the cultural and technological shifts in the very idea of what literature is, what new shapes it takes, and what roles it assumes in our media and art landscape. Sometimes it's easy to forget that the essay itself is a literary form that is artistic at its heart.
After we watch this TED video together, we're going to break into three groups in Zoom breakout rooms for about 15 minutes. Each group will prepare "debate" points to support their assigned position. It doesn't matter whether you agree with the position your group is assigned. After you discuss and brainstorm your ideas with your group, we'll reconvene as the whole class for a Zoom debate.
Group 1 will argue that traditional literature (static words on paper or on screen) is the best way to access and experience literature. They will provide reasons and examples why they feel this to be true.
Group 2 will argue that traditional literature is a thing of the past. Why ride a horse if you can drive a car? Why spend so much time reading a novel when you can see a film version in a fraction of the time? They will provide reasons and examples why they believe their position is valid.
Group 3 will argue that the debate itself is misguided because it is not an either/or thing. Some traditional modes of literature will always be culturally valuable. And some innovative and new modes of literature are equally valuable. They will provide reasons and examples why it's not an all or nothing argument.
I will be the debate moderator, and at the end we'll all take a vote in chat to see which of the three groups "won" the debate. All group members need to participate. Don't leave one of your group members with all the work. This is going to be fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment