Graffiti is a public marker in most urban landscapes, but what does it signify? In this course, students will engage theory and practice in order to understand, interpret, and practice contemporary graffiti and its history; public voice as a component of U.S.-American Democracy; and relationships between race/ethnicity, gender/sexuality, poverty, youth, power, public voice, permission, and art. The course will culminate in a public voice graffiti art project during the praxis weekend.
Pedagogically and politically, young people need to be given the opportunity to narrate themselves, to speak from the actual places where their experiences are shaped and mediated. - Dr. Henry Giroux
I like to think I have the guts to stand up anonymously in a western democracy and call for things no-one else believes in - like peace and justice and freedom. – Banksy (UK Graffiti Artist)
Mondays, 6:00 – 9:30 pm
January 6 – February 17, 2014
AND
Friday, February 21,
1:00 - 4:30 pm
Saturday, February 22, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
We understand our role and responsibility to you and the institution as facilitators of a productive learning environment. We also believe that democratic pedagogy supports increased student engagement and learning. Bridging our role as facilitators with a democratic approach, we have provided some structures and guidance to facilitate your learning, and we welcome and encourage your collaboration on how to best structure our time together. One the first day of class, we will review and negotiate the syllabus. We have included areas within the syllabus where you can make choices about the course content, and we welcome additional changes that best fit the learning needs of this particular classroom community.
During the seven weeks of Monday evening class time we will discuss readings/media, practice graffiti art, travel on field trips, and prepare for our two-day public voice graffiti art project, which will occur on Fri-Sat, February 21-22.
Due to the community-engaged nature of this course, students are asked to remain flexible as the course schedule may change. Any changes to the course schedule will be discussed and agreed upon as a group, and the updated schedule will be posted to Canvas and sent out to all students by the instructor through a Canvas announcement. As opportunities arise, the class may leave campus during the class meeting time, always returning to campus by the end of our scheduled classroom time.
As a result of participation in this course, students will:
Learn how to read and write graffiti and use the various tools of graffiti art
Identify and critically analyze historical, socio-cultural, and political/power contexts of graffiti as public voice
Explore the purpose, content, and use of individual and collective public voice
Collaborate to develop and implement a public voice graffiti art project
Co-created by students and co-instructors on the first day of class:
Seminar Participation: Your active participation is of primary importance to your learning in a Praxis course structure and environment. In order to build an effective learning community it is essential that each participant is present. As such, a major basis for accountability and evaluation is regular and timely participation in the seminar. If you are unable to attend class – either due to illness or other unavoidable conflicts, please notify your seminar instructor in advance. You will have opportunities to participate in dialogue with community members, reflective group discussions, and the public voice graffiti art project. In addition, taking an active research role while engaging the Reading/Media List and contributing other resources to this list will help you and the classroom community gain deeper understanding. You will complete a Self-Evaluation and Grading Rubric at the end of the course and a Final Project Evaluation Grading Rubric evaluating the entire classroom community's performance on the final project. We will provide this rubric to help you with the self-grading process, which is open to your revision. The first section of the rubric will directly correlate to the course learning goals, and the second section will include the below democratic learning performance goals. Grade Distribution: Did I actively engage with course content: preparatory reading/media, reflective group dialogue, and the public voice graffiti art project? Was my engagement meaningful? Did I contribute to the co-creation of knowledge in useful and meaningful ways? Did I engage in multi-directional dialogue? Did I demonstrate critical analysis and creative thinking? Did I help create a democratic learning environment? Did I demonstrate agency in my learning and the learning of others, as well as encourage agency of others in the classroom community (not relying solely on the instructors for my learning experience) Were my interactions respectful? Respectful of other voices by being concise, but thorough in my contributions Limit judgmental tone/language Speak for myself, and not inappropriately speak for others Share experiences, reflections, and/or questions, while trying not to make assumptions about other cultures and people Honor the value that each person brings to the classroom community, knowing that we are all products of different experiences, educational backgrounds, opportunities, cultures, and histories, and are at different places in our own self understanding and understanding of others Did I encourage equitable contribution within the classroom community (i.e.: encouraging others to speak if I speak often; speaking up more often if I tend to be quiet; and asking opinions of those who might have something valuable to contribute)? Did I encourage the classroom community to consider multiple perspectives, including those not obviously present in the classroom?Evaluation
Grading Component
Evaluator(s)
% of your Final Grade
Self-Evaluation Grading Rubric (participation, performance, learning)
You
50 %
Final Project Evaluation Grading Rubric (participation, performance)
Class
30 %
Final Critical Reflection (critical thinking)
Co-Instructors
20 %
Evaluation of your learning and performance should look at both the quality and quantity of your engagement with course content and the learning community. Here are some example questions to keep in mind as you think about evaluating your learning and performance:
Attendance: If you are going to miss class, please communicate this in advance with the instructors. Absence from class equivalent to 20% of the course (7 hours of a four-credit course), will result in suspension from the course and a Withdrawal Failing (WF) recorded on your transcript. We begin and end class on time. If you are persistently late or leaving class early, this time will be counted as absence from class and may lead to suspension from the course and a WF grade. Incompletes: If incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook for Policies and Procedures. Pass/Fail: Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the second class session. Academic Integrity and Community Covenant: All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook, or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook, as appropriate. All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant. Accommodations: Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs. Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations. The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146. Writing Lab: Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments. Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab, which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft. Inclusive Language: It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community. Policies and Services
Demonstrate a complex interdisciplinary understanding of historical and contemporary social change strategies and movements; Develop and practice an inclusive and collaborative approach to social change leadership; andMASC Degree Learning Goals
I am working on a map that has different graffiti spots on it that you can check out. It is biased with Your Name in Graffiti mural locations and I will add additional spots that you can discover. Part of the real beauty of graffiti is finding the locations on your own while discovering the city. There are some locations that are secret and only found through word of mouth or by accident. Be safe, but be adventurous.
-LeMoN
Denver Graffiti Spots
Date | Day | Details | |
Jan 07, 2014 | Tue | Week 1: Graffiti & Class Introductions and Asset Mapping | due by 01:00AM |
Jan 14, 2014 | Tue | Week 2: Graffiti Tools and History | due by 01:00AM |
Jan 21, 2014 | Tue | Week 3 - NO CLASS, HOMEWORK INSTEAD - Implicit Public Voice: The Birth of Graffiti in NYC | due by 01:00AM |
Jan 28, 2014 | Tue | Week 4: Project Proposals and Graffiti Art | due by 01:00AM |
Feb 04, 2014 | Tue | Week 5: Workshop | due by 01:00AM |
Feb 11, 2014 | Tue | Week 6: Workshop | due by 01:00AM |
Feb 18, 2014 | Tue | Week 7: Graffiti Education & Final Project Preparation | due by 01:00AM |
Feb 21, 2014 | Fri | Praxis: Day 1 - Graffiti Public Voice Project | due by 08:00PM |
Feb 22, 2014 | Sat | Praxis: Day 2 - Graffiti Public Voice Project | due by 04:00PM |
Mar 14, 2014 | Fri | Critical Reflection Paper | due by 03:00PM |