Note-taking and response

Rethinking How We Teach International Relations
Note-taking guide

Jim Goldgeier
One thought/reaction/expectation you had after his introduction, before rest of the panel (1-2 sentences)?

Meredith Loken
Mainstream IR scholars are likely to stay that “We can’t simply chuck the canon [realism/liberalism/constructivism]. ” As you start this video, is your first instinct to agree or disagree with this argument (2-3 sentences)

“Race is often considered as a perspective” – She thinks it is the wrong approach. What should we do instead? (2-3) sentences. Include at least one concrete example.

One other key takeaway/reaction you had to this presentation (1-2 sentences)

Robbie Shilliam
Three key points from his remarks:

What was your overall reaction to this presentation (1-2 sentences)?

Paul Poast:
What is the tension between international reputation of Woodrow Wilson and domestic views? (1-2 sentences)

How does he use Wilson’s racist views as a lead-in to teaching the “isms”? Do you think this is a good strategy? Why or why not? (3-4 sentences)

One other key takeaway/reaction you had to this presentation (1-2 sentences)

James Goldgeier:
What is an example of the way that the personal views American diplomat George Kennan (who was hugely influential in U.S. Cold War policy) affected his foreign policy views?

Meg Guilford:
Four things that leadership in public policy schools can do with regard to race:

Do you agree with her that senior leaders (e.g., Dean Cohen, SAIS) need to publicly acknowledge personal experience with race, as they engage in more public issues? What was your reaction to her examples? (1-2 sentences)

Problem with the way that “Scramble for Africa” can be taught in IR classes (1-2 sentences).

One other key takeaway/reaction you had to this presentation (1-2 sentences)

Anjali Dayal:
She notes that because she is not white, and the majority of her students are not white, the majority of classroom conversations are going to be “reflexively critical” of international relations scholarship. Do you find yourself instinctively agreeing with this point? Why or why not? (2-3 sentences).

Her remarks focus on three big takeaways: positionality; assumed neutrality of “whiteness” in mainstream in IR; interdisciplinarity of IR

One thing she said about “positionality” that really struck you:

One thing she said about assumed neutrality of “whiteness” that really struck you:

One thing she said about interdisciplinarity that really struck you:

Kim Yi Dionne:
One guiding principle that helps me engage the public: representation. What does she mean? (1-2 sentences)

What was the question from the South African viewer? What is your reaction to the question, and Kim’s response? (1-2 sentences)

What was her point about “not writing for that guy”? What is your reaction to that, and why? (2-3 sentences)

One other key takeaway/reaction you had to this presentation (1-2 sentences)

Question & Answers:
Listen to the discussion of TA strategies/strategies when you don’t have control over content being presented. In 2-3 sentences, what is your reaction to this discussion? Any thoughts you think are particularly important for graduate students or professors?

Listen to the discussion of US versus European systems. In 2-3 sentences, what do you think is particularly interesting/important– and why?

Listen to the discussion about grades. Consider your own undergraduate and graduate experiences, and the role of grades in your learning experience. In 2-3 sentences, do you have any reactions/suggestions to this discussion based on your own experiences?

REFLECTION (4-5 sentences per question)

What, if anything, did you find most compelling about this discussion? Why?
What, if anything, were you NOT persuaded by? Why?
If you had a chance to ask one question of any of the interviewees, what would it be? Why?