I’ve been thinking about what courses to take to re-up my South Dakota teaching certificate. I have until summer 2019 to take six university credits to keep my teacher chops sharp. But what to study?
A look at this week’s Board of Regents agenda tells me Dakota State University is about to answer my question with a new graduate certificate program in digital humanities:
Digital Humanities is an interdisciplinary academic field that brings digital technology to bear on the study of anthropology, classics, history, geography, language and literature, law and politics, the performing arts, philosophy, religion, and the visual arts. Dakota State University’s Certificate in DH aims to support the university mission, within the larger BOR system, to stay at the forefront of digital and technological humanities teaching and research, and to increase connections with the community, business, and government agencies. The digital humanities certificate will challenge students to learn new skills and engage in professionalizing activities, concentrate digital expertise in the English for New Media degree program and connect humanities studies and teaching across Arts and Sciences programs in the South Dakota BOR system [Dakota State University, request for new graduate certificate program, Board of Regents Agenda Item 7-A(1), June 2017].
Digital Humanities—I’m trying to figure out of that’s an oxymoron, a lost Isaac Asimov novel, or maybe just a fancy term for blogging.
Can’t resisit- digital humanities wingnut style- the middle finger salute?
You could be an adjunct professor.
It sounds like the American Studies course I took from Donus Roberts, Merle Heidenreich, Florence Bruhn and Stanley Schluter. Four hours a day, five days a week as a junior in high school. I wrote an essay to Mr. Roberts thanking him and expounding on how the course gave me background to become a chef. Had digi-tech been available the research would have been quicker and the personal growth larger.
Robin’s right. This would be too easy for you, Cory. How about Organic Chemistry? You’d love that. :0)
I haven’t read the comments, but I can’t think of anyone who would be better at such a discpline than you, Cory. You already know digital and you already know humanities and you’re an excellent writer. We need more of you in the digital humanities field.
Could get a field promotion to Potus- Brevet Man in Charge of America.
Porter, I’d love to see a film of that class with Donus Roberts! What did you cover?
Organic chemistry? No way! I really don’t think I’d have much use for it.
Thanks, Robin! I wish they had offered that certificate when I was at DSU, or maybe even a full doctoral track in that area, since that’s probably where my research interests (civic participation, e-government, online democracy) would have fit.
American Studies was taught by Watertown High’s premier English, American History, Music and Art teachers. The students were hand chosen, as my class was the inaugural (About 75 in the class. We met in a two room unit with a moveable wall.) It taught the correlation of these four disciplines within American history’ framework. e.g. How slavery influenced the music, art and language of the beginning of our country. Why Yankees and Rebels differed culturally. Why guerilla warfare beat the British. etc.
~ In my culinary arts education I used this background to study WHY a country’s food item exists using the history, language, art and musical influences that shaped the dish. e.g. Why there’s no cheese in China. Why Southern Italy uses olive oil sauces instead of cream sauces.
~ As an aside … Donus Roberts wore a different outfit every day of the school year. It might have been just a different combo of jacket, slacks, shirt and tie but it never repeated. Outstanding teacher. A few years ago I asked him if he remembered the class. He had personal notes on me and every student he taught. Kind of embarrassing. lol But, his quote about the first year of American Studies was something to the effect that, “We teachers just kind of winged it and kept what was good for the next 20 years it was taught.” Maybe it’s still in the curriculum?
Organic chemistry? You’d use it, Cory. You know your mom always wanted you to be a Doctor. lol
History, literature, music, and art, all together, all in context—brilliant!
And yes, Watertown’s American Studies course appears to still exist!
(Doctor? I don’t recall any specification maternal aspirations of that sort. But now around our house, my wife handles biology; I handle physics. ;-) )
… kinky 😎
In retro I consider the exposure to AmStudies to be why so many fine liberals came from my class while just two classes before me (with no such study in WHY things happen) that Powerline guy, Hinderaker, turned out to be such a horses ass. lol Even with a Harvard education he wastes the time of Minnesota, daily.
What? There’s no cheese in China? If they take over the world it will bode horrible for those who enjoy breakfasting! Please tell me they like potatoes and sausage gravy.
No potatoes or sausage gravy. Rice is the starch and tofu (soy bean curd). Lots of pork sausage but 90% of East Asians are lactose intolerant. The only large group that can process milk products beyond infancy, without intestinal distress are Northern Europeans. And of the Northern Europeans the only adult milk drinking countries are USA and Canada. The rest can tolerate cheese but not Asians.
FYInspection, Mr. Heidelberger … :0)
Here’s American Studies as taught in university.
“I am a white, middle class male professor at a big, public university, and every year I get up in front of a hundred and fifty to two hundred undergraduates in a class on the history of race in America and I ask them to shout white racial slurs at me. The results are usually disappointing.”
“White privilege is the right of whites, and only whites, to be judged as individuals, to be treated as a unique self, possessed of all the rights and protections of citizenship. I am not a race, I am the unmarked subject.”
https://medium.com/the-secret-history-of-america/douchebag-the-white-racial-slur-weve-all-been-waiting-for-a2323002f85d
Come at us, Cory! This certificate program is starting in the Fall, and we’d love to have you in the program. If there is a way for me to spread the word to others who might be interested in order to keep the SD teaching certificate credits up to date, let me know.
https://dsu.edu/graduate-students/digital-humanities-graduate-certificate
Launching this fall? That’s great! I can use some recertification credits. When can we apply?
Who’s teaching the classes, Stacey? And will all three be available for distance students?