Rachel's Spot

GWSS Tech Talk: Feminist Teaching with Technology
Wednesday, Jan. 30 from 12 - 2 p.m. in the Feminist Media Center (FMC), 468 Ford Hall
Facilitator: Rachel Raimist - raim0007@umn.edu

In this GWSS Tech Talk / FEMINIST MEDIA CENTER (FMC) workshop, I will share some theories and practices of feminist teaching, learning, research, and creativity using technology. I will use examples from GWSS courses: GWSS 1001:Gender, Power and Everyday Life: An Intro to GWSS, GWSS 3002:Feminist Thought and Theory, GWSS 3307 ( small enrollment class) + (large enrollment class 1 + 2: Feminist Film Studies, and GWSS 3390: Feminist Media Making: Theory + Practice.

In this session, I will:

+ Demonstrate multiple uses of course blogs: as tools to create community, continue/deepen course discussions, post reading responses, track news items, post event info, and easily share media content to all members of the classroom community for large and small course enrollments

+ Demonstrate key uses of WEBVISTA (formerly WebCT): site as a reading repository for enrolled students, place of accessible web links, announcements, computer-graded quiz tools, message boards, chat rooms, calendar tool, gradebook, and other helpful features

+ Illustrate uses of UMN supported multimedia tools: BREEZE, MOODLE, WIKIs, JABBER, and other digital media tools offered through MyU PORTAL

+ Share UMN tech resources - free and low cost classes, free CD-rom, tutorials, and new state of the art available for course use

Posted by Rae at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (144)

It's been a wonderful break but now it's back to work - writing papers for incompletes, writing/revising papers for exams, editing and building webpages.

Recap:

- Got another WoSt faculty member blogging and built her some personal web pages. Go Richa!

- B-Girl Be

I didn't do too much. Spoke on a panel on hip hop scholarship with Dr. Roxanne Shante. She was definitely the highlight of the weekend for me personally.

Spent much of the weekend listening to her speak (my favorite quote on rap videos/tv shows/movies: It's not How I'm Livin', it's how I'm lyin'!, and just hanging out with her and her beautiful daughter. My Tiana and her Tajai even busted a rap at the open mic while Roxanne and I were on a panel. Of course while she was saying: my kids don't do hip hop. Yah right, hip hop moms raise b-girl babies.

Beautiful ladies, lots of energy, and just good vibes this weekend. I only filmed Tiana painting. Usry handled the filming and the flicking and promises me a link to all his photos soon.

Tiana's highlights were playing and painting, of course:

Medusa, Asia, Pam, Des, and Maria Isa put on a phenomenal show.

Posted by Rae at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (43)

I'm trying to wake up, I both literally and figuratively. I smell the coffee (literally), and what a happy and comforting smell it is to me. I had (tried) to give up coffee but now the jury is conflicted (so coffee makes you pee more often, I'm already having to go every few minutes), so coffee is back in!!! There's something about a morning cup that helps shake the cobwebs loose and gets me focused and ready for the day.

I'm printing off drafts of every seminar paper I've written since enrolling at the U. Man, I'm into the second ream of paper. Who knew I'd actually written so much? I didn't! I've finished coursework and am trying to assemble 3 papers for my exams. Roughly they are 1- feminist theory 2- feminist methods 3- topic of my choice. Seems easy, right? Wrong. All the papers I'm considering blend a bit of each. My advisors (who are great and very supportive) have suggested I just write and then we'll make sense of it all and get me through these exams. I still have no idea of dissertation topic but the point right now is to just get through this exam process. My girl (I'm so sad you moved away OCB buddy) is finishing her diss as we speak and will defend in August. GO GIRL!

I've been on a very bumpy and unstable road the past few months (that's why I haven't blogged). We became an official and serious we, and got pregnant with twins. After too many foot-long needles, ultrasounds, and blood tests we learned Baby B wasn't doing so good. Many tissues and doctor appointments later Baby A is flying solo, is healthy, moving tooooo much, and is expected in the Fall (due date is halloween - isn't that weird). We are getting married soon. Started to plan a wedding - found a dress I like (and thought I could squeeze my rapidly expanding body into), picked my favorite local photographer, and found a really beautiful place to have our ceremony:

the peace (rock) garden, minneapolis

... but then reality of life, bills, stress of exams, and the fact that we'll soon have another mouth to feed. We've decided to marry and do a ceremony/party later (after we get a house, a mini-van for soccer mom (yes, me!) or at least when I'm less stressed and overwhelmed. I'm fixated on a house. I love our place and it will be fine for a new, small family member but man, I need a master suite bathroom. Our bathroom is the farthest possible point from our bed and that's killing me. I've had sooo many near misses lately.

Tiana became a Jr. Girlscout after a year of Brownies. Was very cool. This summer she swims everyday (except Sunday, every soccer mom needs a day of rest). Lessons outside and in. Soccer 2x a week. Hoping to go to Rock Camp in July (her favorite music teacher Mike teaches keyboard, guitar, drums and things like that). T is begging to go to "School of Rock". Then, August is her bday and then sleepaway horse camp. I'm definitely nervous about her first time away (she's only 8) but she's told me to calm down and let her go.

Many amazing things going on -

Asia and Medusa will be here SOON! B-Girl Be is happening this week! I didn't curate this week (too much on my plate) but as a founder and fan of women in hip hop, I'll be there for every minute of it!

Full Schedule is HERE!

Nobody Knows My Name is out on DVD in Japan!

Time for swimming lessons now. Can't slow my roll...

Posted by Rae at 9:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (84)

We've done it - we've funded and installed the new Feminist Media Center (FMC) in the Women's Studies Department! 16 emacs (with fast processors to do web, graphics, word processing, and bio of women labs) and 3 G5's to do all of the above plus final cut. I'm excited. Part of my vision and mission is about teaching and creating opportunity.

My hope is that my students will take what I offer and leave me in the dust. At every screening of Nobody somebody asks "Are you gonna make another?? A new, updated..." and I respond, "why don't you?? Pick up the camera and do it, and do it better than I did" So PLEASE MAKE SOME MEDIA LADIES!!!

Shouts to Favianna - a lady who is doing her thing. She does amazing graphics, posters, art... I'm buying this for the home and the FMC.

And now I feel so special cuz the NY Times says the a cinema degree is a new M.B.A. [read more here]. Well, with two degrees from UCLA film school I should be golden!

Posted by Rae at 9:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (281)