2008-09 Courses: Fall

Orissi, one of the major classical dance styles of India, combines both rhythmic movement and expressive mime. This class will be devoted to the principles of Orissi dance: the synthesis of foot, wrist, hand and face movement in a lyrical flow to express the philosophy of yoga. Throughout the quarter we will study tala (rhythm). Students will keep a journal of class notes, discuss the readings and have cross-cultural dialogues.

We will examine the spread of our species out of Africa into South and Southeast Asia, Australia, New Guinea, Europe, the Americas, and the Pacific, which began about 125,000 years ago. We will draw on evidence from archaeology, palaeobotany, ice-age geology, and molecular genetics, paying particular attention to how that evidence is gathered and interpreted.

This course emphasizes beginning-level skill development in camera function, exposure, and black-and-white film development and printing, as well as an introduction to computer imaging. We will focus on photography's role in issues of the arts, cultural representation and mass media. Students will have assignments, critiques, collaborations and viewing of work by other photographers. Each student will complete a final project for the end of the quarter.

This course will introduce students to photographic practice through digital means. Building from students' existing photographic skills and vocabulary, we will explore image-making with both digital and film cameras, and work with computers, scanners and inkjet printers. Students will create work as exhibition-quality prints, and also create a photographic portfolio for the Web.

This course is designed to help students in the Prior Learning from Experience (PLE) program progress with their document writing. We will concentrate on writing essays that address the learning language in the knowledge areas identified in the Writing from Life course. Students will also create the structure of their document by writing the introduction, table of contents and synthesis of learning essay.

What is the purpose of education? What practices turn learning into schooling, and schooled experience into what Paulo Freire called the “restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and each other”? We will explore the foundational principles of progressive education through writers like John Dewey, W.E.B. Dubois, Myles Horton, bell hooks, Ira Shor, and others in the context of our own diverse educational histories. In addition, this course will address the learning needs of students making the transition from the requirements of a traditional system to Evergreen's unique approach to learning.

This course will give students a broad overview of prose writing, and help them to broaden, deepen and improve their own writing practice. We will explore every step of the writing process, learning to brainstorm, structure, draft, critique, rewrite, polish and "share out" in ways large and small. The course will also address key principles of good writing, challenges such as procrastination and writer's block, and ways to develop productive writing routines.

This course will begin to prepare students for calculus and more advanced mathematics. It is a good course for students who have recently had a college-level math class or at least three years of high school math. Students should enter the class with a good knowledge of supporting algebra. The course will include an in-depth study of linear, quadratic, exponential and logarithmic functions. Collaborative learning, data analysis and approaching problems algebraically, numerically, graphically, and verbally will be emphasized.

Exploring all areas of the Evergreen non-toxic printmaking studio, students will learn a variety of technical skills through two-week workshop-like sessions. Relief, intaglio, serigraphy, lithography and letterpress applications will be demonstrated. Proper paper handling and editioning practices will be stressed throughout the quarter. Students will learn the history and contemporary applications of all techniques through presentations and assigned readings. Students will work toward building a technical printmaking portfolio, highlighting both concept and craft.

Using an interdisciplinary approach combining the research and theories of psychology, sociology, gender studies and feminist theory, the course will investigate the psychological lives of men and women in the U.S. today through a gender lens. Topics covered include the gendered body, sexuality, emotions, power and mental health.

This course is designed to provide an environment for students to reflect on and integrate knowledge acquired from study and travel abroad into their academic work, professional goals and personal development. Students will learn about cross-cultural theories including stages of intercultural sensitivity and ethno-relativism, research academic scholarship opportunities or community organizations related to students’ international interests, and develop an international interest project.

In this course you will learn how to decipher the Cyrillic alphabet; read, write, and construct sentences; and eventually express yourself in Russian. Constant exposure to the authentic Russian language, literature, history and culture will enable you to move forward in your mastery of Russian grammar, vocabulary and communicative skills. Students who already know some Russian will have a great opportunity to polish writing, reading and speaking abilities. A variety of activities including staging skits, acting out true-to-life situations, viewing Russian films and listening to a variety of Russian music will help you strengthen your comprehension skills and build the necessary confidence in using Russian. Embrace the opportunity to celebrate Christmas and New Year's "Russian Style" with us!

This survey of ancient sacred texts will explore their poetic and literary influence, past and present. How do they frame philosophical, moral, ethical and spiritual insights? How have they inspired lives of contemplative mysticism and active social justice? How are sacred texts passed on through oral traditions and illuminated or printed manuscripts? What is the impact of modern poetic translations? We will conduct our studies through an interdisciplinary lens and ecumenical dialogue that affirms both religious and secular perspectives. We will combine rigorous academic inquiry and poetic insight, with somatic and contemplative practices, such as yoga, meditation and performance. We will look at chants, invocations, and creation myths, as well as contemporary translations of Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim and Christian texts, along with a contemporary novel that synthesizes insights from various spiritual traditions.

The current practice of using Google and other engines to search the web has led to public interest in how to write "good search engines" that find relevant information as well as how to write "good web pages" that search engines find. However, web pages are not the only potential information we might want to find on the web. Many internet sites now contain information in non-text format such as databases, images, sound, etc. This course will consist of lectures by experts on the web, web searching, and linguistics. Topics will center on conceptual, technical and cognitive issues of searching the web and on how web developers will build the Semantic Web (aka the Deep Web). We will ask how computers can help communicate and interpret meaning and process information overload, for example, as Google does when it aims to understand "just" what information we are searching for, or as some web sites provide useful data aggregations. Speakers will explore the complexity of interfaces between humans and the web, and will be selected from among experts in linguistics and computer science.

The series is open to students and members of the Evergreen and Olympia Communities. Some background in designing web sites or web applications, computer science, or linguistics will enable students to get the most out of the lectures, but there are no prerequisites. Students wishing to receive credit must register for the course, attend all lectures and hand in a written 1-2 page summary of each lecture.

Note: This lecture series is funded by a grant from Evergreen's PLATO Royalty Fund.

This four-credit graphics/media workshop examines the simple act of telling stories with picture and words. We will study the history of related popular film, animation and comics as well as story structure, character development, shadow puppet theatre and visual storyboarding. This class is great preparation for students interested in developing ideas for short films or illustrated stories.

In this course, students will gain a basic foundation in Spanish vocabulary and grammar. The course work will focus on verbal, written and reading exercises to acquire essential vocabulary and develop communication skills. Many aspects of Latino and Spanish culture and society will be presented throughout. The course is taught primarily in Spanish and involves work in affinity groups. The fall course is the first in a series of three quarters of beginning level Spanish.

This course builds upon previous work to strengthen communication skills and fluency in Spanish. The course work focuses on intensive conversation, reading and writing, as well as practice of grammatical structures. Group conversations and written work will focus on practical themes, as well as on many topics related to Latin American societies and Hispanic cultures. Communication in class takes place entirely in Spanish. The fall course is the first of a three-quarter sequence. Students uncertain about entry into intermediate level should contact faculty to arrange for level assessment.

This course covers the central competencies in special education assessment. It provides a basic knowledge of the purposes, implementation and interpretation of formal and informal assessments. Participants gain an understanding of how to administer, score, interpret and report on formal and informal assessments, and analyze the accessibility and appropriateness of assessments for students with disabilities to determine the effectiveness of Individual Education Plans, and modifications and accommodations to general curriculum. Students are required to complete five 6-hour classes and 36 hours of practicum.

This course is an introduction to statistics for students with limited mathematical skills, little if any formal exposure to data and data analysis, and no experience with statistics. This class will introduce the student to the statistical process, including data collection, ways of organizing data, an introduction to data analysis and an opportunity to learn how practitioners present their findings. We will examine several case studies, explore how data is used in explaining common events, and develop a more critical understanding about how statistics allows us to understand the world around us.

Many idealistic, well-intentioned new teachers find themselves frustrated by their early experiences in public schools and soon leave public education entirely. However, this frustration is not inevitable. Taught by an Evergreen graduate with more than 30 years’ experience teaching in public schools, this course will explore the skills needed to become a passionate, powerful teacher in the 21st century. We will investigate some of the inevitable struggles - both political and personal - that teachers encounter in public schools today, and we will hear how passionate teachers overcome those tensions. This course may be of particular interest to upper-division students who are considering careers in education, but will also interest any student who wishes to look closely at issues in public education today. As part of this course, upper-division students who plan to apply to the Master in Teaching program can complete the classroom observations required for application.

Each quarter there are some graduate courses offered through the Master of Environmental Studies program which may be open to advanced undergraduate students on a space-available basis. In the fall of 2008, these courses include:

• Behavior and Ecology of Pacific Salmon (Faculty: Larry Dominguez)
• Ecology of Western Washington (Faculty: Alison Styring)
• Global and Regional Climate Change (Faculty: Kurt Unger)

For more information about these courses, please visit the MES website: www.evergreen.edu/mes/

Each quarter there are some graduate courses offered through the Master of Public Administration program which may be open to advanced undergraduate students on a very limited, space-available basis. In the fall of 2008, these courses include:

• Discovering the Social Entrepreneur Within (Faculty: Nelson Pizarro)
• Advocacy and Social Change (Faculty: Nita Rinehart)
• Organizational Theory, Development and Change (Faculty: Rene-Marc Mangin)
• Performance Management (Faculty: Steve Marshall)
• Budget and Financial Management (Faculty: Dick Cushing)
• Management when Differences Matter (Faculty: Helena Meyer-Knapp)

For more information about these courses, please visit the MPA website: www.evergreen.edu/mpa/

This poetry course will focus on the Japanese masters Basho, Busson, Issa and others. Students will research and study the lives of ancient poets and explore traditional forms of haiku, renga and haibun. Students will practice writing poetry in these ancient forms and will work collaboratively and individually as they create a portfolio of poems. Beginners and science students are especially encouraged to take this class.

There is a sense of personal satisfaction and creative accomplishment to be gained from working with wood. The aim of this course is to provide a way to realize that intention through an understanding of the basic principles of designing in wood, the physical properties of the material, and the fundamental skills necessary to shape timber to a purpose. One section of this course is reserved for freshmen and sophomores.

This course is designed to assist Prior Learning from Experience students in writing their documents. We will explore various techniques for deriving, clarifying and expressing meaning from life experience. Students will identify specific knowledge they have gained and will explore various writing techniques available for self-expression. Students should be prepared to work collaboratively on creating their document content as they work in small groups to discuss ideas and give feedback on each other's writing.