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April 17, 2000

ULM presents "The Whale and the Web: Teaching Herman Melville"

The primary goal of this institute is to help the participants gain more familiarity and confidence with those of Melville's works most often taught in high school curricula: Moby-Dick, "Bartleby, the Scrivener," Benito Cereno, and Billy Budd. These major texts will constitute the principal readings for the course. Through a combination of lecture and discussion, we will attempt to clarify major themes, apply both standard and newly developing interpretive strategies, and become more familiar with recent trends in Melville scholarship. In addition, a significant portion of the lecture/discussion will be focused on creating and demonstrating teaching techniques that will clarify much of the complex content of these readings.

The second major goal of the institute will be to provide introductory training in the construction of the student's own Melville web site. Through hands-on workshops in ULM's Computer Assisted Composition Classroom, students will learn to use the latest web authoring software to create individual web sites devoted either to Melville as an author or to one of the works on the syllabus. At the completion of the course, students will be able to return to their teaching not only with their own web materials in place but more importantly with the knowledge and skill required to maintain and expand literature web sites. Finally, we will also discuss and explore ways to incorporate literature web sites into classroom teaching.

Eligibility: The institute is designed primarily for full-time or continuing part-time humanities teachers, administrators, and librarians in the public, private, and parochial schools of Louisiana. Twenty-five participants will be selected for the institute based on their interest in the subject, application letters and references. Every effort will be made to admit a diverse group of participants from different backgrounds and areas.

Format: The institute will meet June 5 to June 29, Monday through Thursday from 9:00 to 12:00, on the ULM campus. Participants will also be invited to a pre-institute workshop in May. The institute will include a combination of lecture and discussion, oral reports by participants, and workshops in web site construction. Participants taking the institute for graduate credit will be required to write a research essay and present an audio-visual report detailing the progress made on their web sites.

Stipends: A $500 stipend will be paid to each participant. The stipend will be paid at the conclusion of the institute. Participants will be eligible for a tuition waiver and will receive their own copies of the institute's web authoring software.

Graduate Credit: Participants who meet the requirements of the Graduate School can earn three hours of graduate credit. Graduate enrollment for credit is not a requirement for participation in the institute.

Director: Dr. Clark Davis: Clark Davis holds a B.A. from Rice University and a Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He is currently Associate Professor of English at ULM and holds the English department's Endowed Professor in English. He is the author of After the Whale: Melville in the Wake of Moby-Dick (Alabama, 1995) and numerous articles on American writers.

How to Apply: Write a brief letter of application (1 page) explaining your objectives in applying for this institute. Discuss what you wish to gain from taking this course. Enclose ddresses and phone numbers of two professional references.

Mail the letter of application by April 24, 2000 to: Dr. Clark Davis, Dept. of English, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209

Need More Information?

Contact Dr. Clark Davis, Institute Director, at 318-342-1505, 318-387-9051.

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