The Panoptiblog began as an experiment. I wanted to use blogs with students in my high school English classes, and coerced Jen into starting one with me, so we could figure out the nuts and bolts of it together.
Knowing only what we’d picked up from reading blogs ourselves, and bringing our perspectives as educational researchers, literary freaks and pop-culture junkies, Jen and I chose the title as an homage to Michel Foucault, our philosophical touchstone, and as an excuse to write about a variety of disparate topics: education, pop culture, philosophy, local dining (that is, in Iowa City), comic books, sports, literature, and politics. We wanted to free ourselves to blog about whatever subjects interested us, to look in any direction at any time.
Since then I’ve done the lion’s share of the blogging. Jen joins in now and then, as does my brother Zeke.
About Michael
I grew up in Iowa City, where I live with Jen and my two kids. Someday I intend to get back to making graphic novels, but first I’ve got to nail down this dissertation. I’m a doctoral student (A.B.D.) in the Language, Literacy, and Culture program at the University of Iowa; I’m especially interested in digital literacies and identity. I’m in my eighth year of teaching high school English, and in my second year of asking students to blog along with me.
About Jen
Jen is a poet, artist, philosopher, and stepmom.
About Zeke
Zeke is an actor and pro/fantasy football fanatic.
