Classes start in less than a week and I am busy developing the syllabus for my ANTHRO 397 Public Anthropology course. I have high hopes and great ideas for what I want to achieve in this class. I’ve chosen the books and am busy combing through the chapters and a stack of journal articles to decide upon just the right order. How can I create the right path for students to travel – one that will guide them through the history and contemporary range of practices and theoretical understandings about engaged anthropology? I don’t want to give them information. I want to inspire them! I want them to walk away from this class convinced that anthropology matters and that, using the skills they obtain with an anthropology degree, they can make a difference in this world that so desperately needs it. I have 13 weeks to accomplish this task. Did I mention our time slot challenge? Our class meets twice a week, at 8am! I’ve convinced myself that this will bring in only the best and most committed students. In my bag of pedagogical tricks for this semester I have included a blog entry assignment as well as expectations for tweets and facebook posts. We are going to map out a continuum of public anthropology practices. And the final project – instead of a paper students will each create a youtube video that shares their ideas about what public anthropology is, why it matters, how anthropologists can (and are) making positive change in the world. Their videos will feature the public anthropology work of UMass Amherst Anthropology faculty, linking the work of their chosen faculty member with larger theoretical and methodological issues in public anthropology. 6 days and counting until go time…