There is plenty of extra credit built into the course, and there will likely be some additional extra credit opportunities throughout the semester. Extra credit, however, is just that–“extra.” No matter how much extra credit you do, it cannot take the place of a completely absent assignment. Most extra credit points can only be applied to particular parts of the course requirements. Indeed extra-credit can be very helpful in raising your overall score a few points, but it will not provide you with enough points to make up for absent, incomplete, or otherwise insufficient work.
That being said, a few points is not insignificant; sometimes a few points is the difference between one letter grade and another. So please do avail yourself of extra credit opportunities.
Three Forms of Extra-Credit in this Course
1-Extra Posts: You are encouraged but not required to post more than the required number of posts. While the post is extra, the content of the post should still be clearly relevant to the course material. For example: Your required post might have been on one of the readings assigned that week, and your extra credit post, might be on the other reading assigned; OR – Perhaps you have more than one part of the text you wish to explore in a single text, so you focus on one aspect in your required post and another aspect in your extra credit post; OR – You may share a relevant outside text that (with link and/or citation information) and a brief description of the what this text is and a discussion about why (exactly) you find it relevant to the class discussion and how it helps our discussion to also consider this text.
Any such “extra” posts, published by 8:00 pm the day before the relevant class discussion, will be counted as extra credit towards your in-class discussion grade. If you submit such a post after class, and it is thorough and thoughtful (and not a repetition of what’s been discussed by anyone in class), I will count that additional post to your online-discussion grade.
2-Commenting on Your Classmates’ Post: While you are required to have read your classmates’ posts and be ready to reference and engage them in class, I am not requiring that you comment on any of the posts online. However you are welcomed to do so for extra credit. I will count clear, relevant, and thoughtful responses to posts as extra credit towards your online discussion grade.
Note: Responses and comments are not grades, evaluations, or reviews of your classmates’ work. Thus, you must do more than state that your approval or disapproval of the post.
If you agree or like the post, you must state exactly what you agree with or like about the post and why. Moreover you must extend the conversation the post begins. (e.g. You might provide another salient example, which drives home the argument; or perhaps you show how your classmate’s line of reason also importantly extends to another text or another area of our class discussion).
If you disagree or dislike, you must state exactly what you disagree with and why. Moreover you should provide some sort of counter point or counter interpretation of your own. Clear, thoughtful, and relevant responses to your peers’ posts will count as extra credit towards your online class discussion grade.
3-Ad Hoc Extra Credit Assignments: From time to time, I may offer an ad hoc extra credit assignment.* Typically such assignments emerge from our class discussion and are not pre-planned. The professor is not responsible if you miss the announcement for an ad hoc extra credit assignment due to absence, lateness, or being otherwise indisposed or distracted. The professor may or may not post the extra-credit opportunity after class. If you miss the challenge, then unfortunately, you miss it. There will likely be more than one. Additionally extra credit is built into the syllabus (see above).
*Ad Hoc Extra Credit Assignments differ from Pop-Up Post Challenge differ only in the fact that the former may not involve finding a relevant cultural example and/or posting to the site where as the latter always will. For every two-pop up challenges a student meets beyond the required two for your participation grade, I will count as extra-credit toward the part of your participation grade that would most benefit the extra points.
Black Matter 