Culmination - Part 1

As we stated at the beginning of this journey, Atiba Ellis and I began this blog to document our experiences using technology, inter-disciplinary teaching and the case of Citizens United. The purpose was to explore the mandate set out by the Society of American law Teachers: transformative teaching. Specifically, we wanted to explore the following:
Whether the Citizens United case provides an opportunity to expose the power that corporations have to change the political landscape and how that power has been augmented through the Citizens United opinion.
To do so, we wanted to illustrate the creative methodologies that can be used to demonstrate how corporate influence can transform the individual person’s relationship with the state. Specifically, at the conference, we had hoped to present the results of a semester of teaching the Citizens United case in our respective fields of Corporations and Election Law. We were going to discuss how we first took the opportunity to have a collaborative conversation among ourselves as professors to compare our disciplinary-specific analyses of the Citizens United case as well as elaborate on points of common reference which cross our disciplinary boundaries. Second, we wanted to discuss how each of us crafted an approach in each of our individual courses. Third, we wanted to reflect on our discussions of the Citizens United case in a cross-disciplinary forum at our law school and the techniques we used to generate discussion and focus on the power relationships created and reshaped by the decision.
Our presentation was to focus on how we as professors strove to bring to light—both individually and collaboratively—how the power relationships between corporations and political power have been reshaped through this decision, how those relationships have worked to the detriment of individual voters, and how, using the different disciplinary tools we possess, students should assess and answer the concerns raised by the Citizens United precedent.
Our goal was to present our findings to the Society of American Law Teachers at their conference in December.
As is the case with many projects, what our project became was very different from where we began. What had started as a project that would primarily focus on the Citizens United case and its impact on teaching, became a more generalized examination of teaching, Millennials, and technology.
What always amazes me is how much you learn, not from achieving your goals but from taking the journey to get there. For me, my fall semester, exploring all the frustrations, challenges and victories in making this vision a reality has helped me develop a better understanding of my students and myself as a teacher. I also was reminded of the challenges and rewards of working on a collaborative project.
I presented my insights during our panel discussion in December, but for those of you who were unable to attend, I summarize the main points here:
1. The Challenges in teaching Millennials;
2. The Student Engagement Conundrum – how to get students to engage;
3. The Substance – using Citizens United to teach;
4. The Effect this project had on my on my teaching and my scholarship;
5. Our Failures & Successes – and what I learned from them.
Over the next few mpnths, I will try and spend some time discussing each aspect of this. Hopefully, you can offer feedback and share your experiences as I review the last part of the journey.