This class will teach you how to surf (the Internet) and about the various ways that English studies have been transformed over the last few decades.  Starting with some basic close-reading and analysis skills, we will then explore how those skills have been increasingly applied to new areas of inquiry (tv, film, culture, critical theory, and politics).  We will also employ new digital tools that change the way we approach our subjects of inquiry, including Web annotation, timeline-building, gallery-building and GIS mapping.  As we proceed, we will consider the nature of English studies:  What is an English department and how does it relate to the rest of the university?  What can you do with an English degree?  Why is it necessary to fight for English in an increasingly STEM-oriented world?