~Final Words~

Percentage - Points - Grade
94% - 100% 1034 - 1100 A
90% - 93% 990 - 1033 A-
87% - 89% 957 - 989 B+
83% - 86% 913 -956 B
80% - 82% 880 - 912 B-
77% - 79% 847 - 879 C+
73% - 76% 803 - 846 C
70% - 72% 770 - 802 C-
67% - 69% 737 - 769 D+
63% - 66% 693 - 736 D
60% -62% 660 - 692 D-
59% - Below 659 - 0 F

Note that some of the values have changed. For example Essay #2 is now out of 90 points, since the outline was graded separately. Also note that the grades for the finals have been posted. Congratulations to the few of you who got perfect scores! Those that didn't, please make sure you read your prompts carefully and answer them fully in the future. The main thing keeping some of you from a higher score was focusing on how wrong Hough's hypothetical figures for Ernie and Bill's incomes were and not about any of the other values college has to offer. The prompt asked you to look beyond the surface.

I ask you to continue to do that in your future.


Take a deep breath. It's over.



If you would like your work back, or to talk to me about a grade, please send me an email so that we may set up a meeting time for sometime in July.

Finally, whether you hated the class, me, or both, please take a minute and read the below statement. Even if I am nothing but a fool, I too went through college -- not long ago, and perhaps I can offer some advice that you will find helpful. Simply put,
I would like to take a minute to reiterate ideas that I have tried to convey throughout the semester. Please consider these ideas general tips of advice. I am not directing this at anyone. I have seen it many times in my own classes, not just in this class. Although some of the advice may be harsh, or even elementary, this is not meant to offend you; it is meant to help you. I am not trying to be condescending, and I know many of you have heard similar advice over and over again, especially from me, but I want you guys to know how to step it up a bit. This is college. Remember, I want you to succeed beyond just my class, and in order to do that you have to:

Get involved in Your Education!

Here are some simple ways to do that.

Communicate
If you have problems communicate them to the teacher. If that is hard, communicate them to your peers.
+If you do not understand something, ask a question. If you cannot figure it out on your own, do not wait for some one else to ask it, or wait to figure it out on your own later. And definitely do not continue without ever trying to figure it out.
+If something is happening outside of school that is keeping you from doing your work, let your instructors know. Some instructors will not care, but some will be willing to work with you. If nothing else, let them know when you will be absent – preferably before you are absent or the day of the absence (not days/weeks later).
+If you are having trouble understanding an assignment, having trouble completing an assignment, or turning an assignment in on time, you should talk to your instructors in person or at least send them an email (Before it is due!). Even if they do not cut you some slack, they will at least know you are trying.


However, sometimes these people will fail you, so…

Become Self Reliant.
+Find resources for yourself and practice discipline.
+There is such a thing as a stupid question. Stupid questions are ones you can figure out on your own or have already been answered a few times.
+But it’s far better to ask a stupid question and be a little embarrassed, then to be ignorant.
+Remember if you do not understand something, it is up to you to figure out a way to learn it.
+If you cannot get something, it is up to you to find a way to get it – even if it seems unreasonable or unobtainable.
+Teach yourself to self analyze and learn to spot your own errors.
+Check your own work. If you see something that is wrong, fix it.
+Know your own weakness and strengths. Work to make these two things more equal.
+When something is difficult, explore ways that you can fix it on your own. (Do your own research).
+No one will be there to force you to do your homework or come to class. Try to think of it less like Work and more like Working Out. Much like the gym, you are not here to get paid, you paid to be here. The harder you try here, the more value you get for your money.
+Be in charge of your own brain. Do not accept everything you are told. If you analyze what you are being told there will be times where you question what professors are telling you. Don’t be afraid to do your own research, ask other students, other professors, or even the professor him/herself.

Network
Often, you will be the only one you can count on, but when you have the opportunity, reach out to other people. Even a small community can help make both learning and assignments easier.
+Proofread each other’s work (and your own).
+Ask each other questions.
+Use each other’s strengths. You probably do this with your friends all the time. It may be time to do this now with new people.
+Get phone numbers and email addresses of other students, and don’t be afraid to use them when you need to.
+Be someone other people can rely on, but don’t let people rely on you when they offer you nothing in return.
+Talk to professors. They often will be willing to help you – even after you have passed their class. They also come in handy when you need things like letters of recommendation later.

Failure Happens
Not everything always goes according to plan.
+When you fail, it is up to you to fix it.
**Sometimes the teacher is a jerk, sometimes you get sick, sometimes you just mess up, but what ever happens, you can fix it. You just have to be willing to try (I mean really try).
+When failure happens, ask yourself why it happened. Apply your critical lens to the situation, and remember to apply it to yourself as well.
+If you cannot figure out what went wrong, ASK (politely).
+Failure is only failure if you learned nothing from the experience.
+Sometimes people just need more time to master something. Everyone develops at a different rate, and that rate is seldom the four months in a semester.
+Remember that failure is a powerful teacher.

Be Professional
As a student in a university, you are a professional scholar – act like it. But remember this advice is applicable to other professions as well.
+Be presentable.
Even having a professional sounding email address can go a long ways.
+Try to eliminate things that are easy to catch before they become problems.
+Try not to shoot yourself in the foot. And try to make things easier for those above you or evaluating you.
+Take your time, but do not procrastinate.
+Professionals read, and they also read the directions.
+Professionals practice manners and courtesy with their superiors and each other.
+Professionals are always prepared.
+Professionals know their material, but are not afraid to admit when they don’t; but when they don’t, they quickly find out, so that it never happens again.
+And professionals are familiar with the above four sections – especially failure.
**Professionals communicate when they need to. They are self reliant, but they network when they need to. And most of all, professionals fail. The only thing that is different is that when professionals fail, they learn from their failure, so they don’t fail next time.


Now, there is obviously one thing I left out: Fun. Yes, it is actually important to have fun. People actually learn more when they have fun. Also things tend to feel less overwhelming when they are fun. So, when you have an assignment, try to pick subjects that interest you. Do not always take all of the “hard” classes together. Spread them out, or you will fatigue. Make sure you plan some fun into your life, but keep it balanced. Have fun. There is no reason why fun cannot be part of the equation when it is appropriate. As an adult, it is up to you to figure out what that means.


Good luck to all of you in the future.

Sincerely,
Brewster Swanlund

Wrapping It Up

Please remember that all revisions are due in my box in the English Dept by this Wednesday.
Continue to check Turnitin.com, as I will be inputting grades as I finish them.

I will be on campus Tuesday and Thursday, if you would like to come talk to me about something, but please know that I will not have either of the final papers graded by then.
I am also available by appointment, if you need to see me. Or you can send me an email.

It has been a great semester. I hope all of you have learned something. I wish you luck in the future.

The Last Journal

Here is the last reading assignment for the year.
This reading asks a very important question that I think all of you should consider.
For the homework, simply write a response to this article.
It can be as long as you like and as detailed as you like, but there are no requirements.
Just know that the more you consider the question that this reading asks, the more equipped you will be to handle your future.


http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/CollegeAndFamily/CutCollegeCosts/is-a-college-degree-worthless.aspx?page=1

Additionally, due the take home quiz and bring that on Wednesday along with a Blue Book.

Note: I have extended the revision due date so that all revisions are due in my box in the department office by 5:00 May 19.

This Too Shall Pass

This weekend you guys should be working on your rough drafts for Essay #3. For Monday, please have two copies of your essay for peer review.

Those of you who wish to turn your paper in early so that you can do a revision should make arrangements to get peer reviewed on your own before you submit it to Turnitin.com.
When you get two people to read your paper you should work on anything they mention. Then when you submit your paper to Turnitin.com, email me their comments so that I see that you took care of this before you turned it in (otherwise you will not get those points for prewriting). Then for Monday you should still bring two copies of your paper, as the in-class peer review should help you with your revision.

As I mentioned in class, here are a couple of articles I came across on the Internet. They are funny and contain some interesting ideas, but they also contain some humorous elements. You are all adults, so you should be able to handle it. If you do not like it, you do not have to read it. There is no response due for this.


http://donmilleris.com/2010/05/04/how-to-not-really-win-an-argument/

http://www.cracked.com/article_18458_6-subtle-ways-news-media-disguises-bullshit-as-fact_p1.html

Final Ouline

I would like everyone to have a final draft of their outline for Essay #3 for Wednesday's class (05/05).

The following Monday (05/10) I would like everyone to have a rough draft of their final essay.
If you plan on turning your essay in early, please conduct peer review on your own and document it. Please, ask me about this if it is unclear.

I will be on campus tomorrow, so if you have questions for me and would like to meet, please send me an email.

Some of you have expressed an interest in meeting on Wednesday. I can meet you before class or after our class but before my meeting at 5:00. Please, send me an email if you would like to meet so I can get an idea of what my schedule will look like.

I may also be on campus on Friday, if that would be better for you.

The End Is Nigh

Hopefully, most of you are prepared for the debates that will be starting next week. If you feel that my making you get prepared was a cruel unnecessary joke, you are mistaken. Know that if no one asked me a question, we would have started the debates today. Now you don't have to worry about them over the weekend.

Also, everyone should have an idea for Essay #3. We will do our workshop for that essay on Monday, as well as begin the debates.
I would like everyone to have a rough draft of an outline for their paper for Monday's class.

Please also continue to work on revisions, reviewing your fallacies, and studying your grammar.
I will be on campus in the afternoon tomorrow. If you would like to meet, please send me an email.

Finding Answers

Work on Essay #3 (you should have topic by now), your revisions, and prepare for the debates!

The only other homework for tonight, other than working on your papers, revisions, and debates, is to look at the comments I have marked on your papers and your homework assignments.

Now, please make some notes on any that you feel are unclear, you need explained, or that you see continue to come up over and over again on your papers. Make sure your make a note of what the comment or correction was, as well as write down the sentence that goes with the comment. Everyone should have roughly 1-3 questions for me at least.

Some comments will be more detailed or specific to your entire text, so these may need to be discussed in a private meeting, but I encourage you to seek answers to anything that is unclear.

As it Stands

Here are the groups, topics, and stances.
Please look them over and consider who you want to go against.

Group #1
Alex, Kenny, Oscar, Jonathan, and Eddie
Topic 1: Gun Control Stance: Pro
Topic 2: Illegal Immigration Stance: Pro
Group #2
Chris, Jackson, Robert, Adam, and Julia
Topic 1: Animal Testing Stance: Pro
Topic 2: Lowering the Drinking Age Stance: Pro
Group #3
Amber, Ashley, Chelsea, and Danielle
Topic 1: Teaching about Contraceptives Stance: Pro
Topic 2: Genetic Engineering Stance: Pro
Group #4
Alyssa, Aileen, Karina, and Thao
Topic 1: Lowering the Drinking Age Stance: Against
Topic 2: Teaching Contraceptives Stance: Against
Group #5
J.V., Rebecca, Daniella, and Ryan
Topic 1: Genetic Engineering Stance: Against
Topic 2: Animal Testing Stance: Against
Group #6
Chris, Austin, John, Vince, and Nick
Topic 1: Illegal Immigration Stance: Against
Topic 2: Gun Control Stance: Against


Also, I recommend that your group begins researching your topic.

Essay #3 - Argumentative Essay

Outline/Prewriting TBD
Rough Draft Due TBD
Final Draft Due 05-12-09
Note: The paper must be turned in before the due date in order to be eligible for the revision.

Essay Assignment #3 – Argumentative Essay

Arguments are a part of everyday life and a major component of your college work. In fact, I believe you can become a better citizen if you know how to disassemble arguments and create your own, as you will be able to make choices for yourself and question those made by people around you – or even in power. I also believe that if you cannot argue your point, you are a detriment to your cause, as you must not only believe in something and support it, you must also know why. So for this essay you must write a well-developed, cohesive paper that states a point and supports it. Additionally, you must support your point with at least one scholarly source, as knowing how to research an idea before arguing it is extremely important.
Write a 4 page paper minimum in which you argue a position. This position can be virtually anything: taking a side on a political controversy, propose a policy change, provide an answer to a personal crisis, something you want, etc. Whatever your topic, you must focus on a debatable point—something someone could, theoretically, at least, disagree with. However, you must pick something that can be supported with evidence, so try to stay away from faith based arguments (things like abortion and so on). If you would like to argue on something that often uses a faith-based argument but approach it in a different way, you may talk to me. Additionally, you must avoid fallacies. Fallacies in your argument not only weaken your ethos on the position, as they show you do not have a grasp of logic, they do not provide a valid argument, and thus will not satisfy this assignment.
Remember to place your thesis statement at the end of the introduction in which you clearly articulate your topic and your stance regarding your topic, so that your argument is explicitly clear from the beginning. You will also need to include a counterargument in which you recognize and address the major opposition to your view point. As always, papers shorter than the four-page absolute minimum will be severely penalized or summarily failed, depending on how short the essay is. There will be no second chances on this one. If you anticipate wanting to revise, you might want to get your paper to me before the deadline; however, this does not guarantee that I will get to it before the end of the semester, so try to turn in your best work the first time around.

Choose a topic you are interested in and write a well-developed, cohesive essay arguing your point. Make sure you acknowledge the opposing side’s argument in a counterargument and include at least one (no more than three) scholarly source(s).
You may write your essay on the same topic your group is debating on; however, you must take the opposing side/stance for the paper.
The essays must be:
- Double spaced
- **Typed in 12-pt Times New Roman font**
- **At least 4 full pages long.**
- and Follow MLA guidelines for citations and format
Note: Failure to comply with these specifications will result in an unredeemable loss of points.

If you have written an argumentative paper for another class, please write a new paper. I will not accept papers from other classes.

Review

I have been marking some things all semester and I have frequently asked if you guys understand them. I am going to email you guys some notes on Commas; however, my advice for you is to review the following items on your own:
Sentence Errors:
-Active/Passive Voice
-Run-On Sentences
-Comma Splices
-Fragments
-Semicolons
-Commas and Restrictive/Nonrestrictive Elements
-Contractions
-Number agreement
Paragraph Issues:
-Transitions
-Organization
-Tone
Additional Information:
-The Appeals/ Modes of Persuasion
-Paper Formatting
-Works Cited Formatting

Find a way to get the information!
If you bought the suggested text this should be easy, but if you didn't you can still find a way.
<--The Owl link on the side will take you to a site that helps with Works Cited pages, but it also has other resources that you could use as well.
You do not need to do it if you don't want to, and you do not need to write a response, but you should familiarize yourself with this information. I guarantee those that have at least some understanding of this information will have an easier time with English in the future.

Taking a Stand

I would like you guys to work with your groups and come up with a topic for the debates and take a stance on it. Try to pick something you could realistically argue on for the assignment and that you are interested in, so that you will not be forced to research something you do not enjoy thinking about. Then email this information to me before 12:00 p.m. on Sunday.

If you are considering multiple topics and cannot decide between them, list them all and your stances on the topics in the email and perhaps I can help you guys decide.

As the topics come in I will post them on the website here so that you know what has already been taken and you can be thinking about who your team wants to go against for the second half of the debate.

Send me an Email if you have a question.

Argumentative Assignments

You guys should have gotten an email containing some pages about a few fallacies. In addition to the fallacies in the reading, you should find at least one on your own that was not in the reading and document it (as in look up a new one). The only page requirement for the "response" to this portion of the assignment is that it sufficient enough to explains the fallacy in your own words, where you found it, and offers any other information you think is important.

Second go to: http://www.southparkstudios.com/guide/809/
And watch the episode of South Park relating to Walmart.
In a one page response consider:
How it compares to "The High Costs of Low Prices"?
Although it is crude, analyze the argument of the show. Look carefully at this.
You might also consider things like:
What is the show's stance on Walmart?
How can you tell? Does it use any of the fallacies?

Warrants, Claims, Fallacies, Oh my!

First, you guys should have gotten two emails. (Check your emails)
The Elements of an Argument (Warrant, Claim, etc) were broken into two emails, but the files should be in the correct order. Please, read those 9 pages. They are not that long. Try to familiarize yourself with the ideas and terminology. You do not need to write a response, but I recommend doing what you have to to understand them.

Second, do not forget you should have read the "Troubleshooting guide to research" and "Evaluating Web Pages". The response to this is due on Monday.

Third, please bring your partner evaluations for Essay #2 (or Essay #1 if you still haven't done that).

Finally, if you have not yet presented, you will go on Monday, so make sure you are prepared.

Research and Sources

Please read the pages I emailed you entitled "A Troubleshooting Guide to Research."

You should also read the page on Evaluating Web Pages at http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html

Consider the importance of this information beyond just this class.
I have decided you do need to do a minimum of one page for your response for both of these assignments, but I HIGHLY recommend you read them in full. They really aren't that long.
This response will be due next Monday, not this Wednesday.

Student Public Service Announcements

Advertisement Assignment
Due: Wednesday April 14.



Save the ______________!
or
Stop the ______________!

Assignment: In order to further develop your understanding of the considerations and decisions that the creators of visual arguments (advertisers) make, as well as how these choices reflect and affect the audience of these arguments, you will be creating your own visual argument. Basically you will be arguing a point visually. Whether it is a product or an idea, you will need to take into account the various factors that affect your audience and decide which tactics will be most effective in making your case.
For this assignment, you have freedom in terms of creativity, so please take advantage of that, but make sure you are appropriate in your decisions. Also, you need to make sure the emphasis is placed on the visual aspects of your argument.
While you do not have to be a great artist to do well on this assignment, please spend some time on it. I will be able to tell if you didn't.

Choose something that does not need saving or stopping and create an advertisement supporting this cause.

1. Briefly describe your visual argument. What appeals do you use? What type of media did you use? Why?

2. What is the objective of your argument? Who specifically is your intended audience? How does your advertisement appeal them specifically? How are you reaching them? Where would you put this advertisement? Remember “everyone” is not an audience. Be specific.

3. Who is not your intended audience or your unintended audience? Why are these people not part of the target audience? Does it alienate any groups of people? If it does alienate people, how/why does it do this?

Nothin' Much

There is no homework this weekend; however, you may want to begin working on revising essay #1.
Presentations will continue next week.
Please, be respectful while people are presenting by paying attention and remaining quiet.

Some General Points to Consider upon Revising Your Essay

1. Is my title one that is narrowed enough? Does it set the tone for the words following to be worthy of my reader’s attention?
2. Does my introduction begin in a general kind of way that opens discussion on my topic, while at the same time remain focused on my topic, enough to cat my reader’s interest?
3. Is my thesis straightforward and easily recognizable? Does it make sense? And does it reflect the paper?
4. Does each body paragraph open with its topic sentence relative to my thesis or in some way support my thesis?
5. Do each of my ideas relate back to the thesis in some way or are there places where I go off topic?
6. Do I give enough specific examples to illustrate the points I am making in each body paragraph?
7. Are my ideas fully developed? Are there places that could be developed any further?
8. Does my conclusion bring the entire paper to a fitting end? Does it enable my essay to work as a unit, without leaving gaps or questions in the reader’s mind?
9. Am I using the active voice as much as I could? Do I place any Direct Objects in the primary position of the sentence?
10. Am I incorporating elements of descriptive writing in my essay?
11. Am I answering the prompt? Am I leaving anything out?
12. Have I successfully avoided the use of the 2nd person throughout my essay?
13. Have I avoided making announcements such as “In this essay” or “In conclusion” all throughout my paper?
14. Are my subjects in agreement in number, gender, etc?
15. Have I spelled my words correctly, checked them, and if I’ve used a thesaurus, have I chosen appropriate synonyms?
16. Am I using the proper forms of words, such as “there,” “their,” and “they’re,” and other words that are commonly confused?
17. Have I avoided using contractions and other informal language/tone?
18. Are my sentences structured correctly throughout my paper; does each sentence, when read aloud so I can hear it, make sense? Are my words in their proper places sp their sentences operate smoothly?
19. Have I made any sentence fragments? Do all of my sentences include a subject and a verb?
20. Have I made any run-on errors or comma splices?
21. Have I maintained MLA formatting throughout my paper?

Week Eleven

Turn in your Essay #2 through turnitin.com by Wednesday (4-07) before midnight.
If you have an advertisement, your essay should include a link to where I can find it.
If you have a print advertisement and would like to, you can turn that into me on Wednesday with a cover page with your standard information on it, including the title of your essay.

Please, remember that your essay should not include a lot of outside information. Just analyze the ad/movie/commercial/etc. Do not tell me more about the product or message than can be seen in the ad. If you do use outside information, perhaps to tell me briefly about a movie, make sure you cite it -- but again the information you need should be in the movie (check the credits).

Also, be aware that Presentations are this week. Unless you have been in a coma, this should not be a surprise. Everyone should have signed up and know their time and day. Come prepared - even if you are confident you are not going. Forcing me to skip you will affect your grade.

Please, bring your partner comments (peer review) from Essay #1.
That is the last piece of your grade for your first essays and then I can tell you what you got. That's right, I grade those too. So if you are a weak partner, I will see. If they emailed them to you, print them out. Find them. Kick them out from whatever stack you dropped them under. If you have more than just two, bring them all.

:Notes on Revising Essays:
When revising essays, highlight your changes. This can be done with a marker or in the computer file, but I want to see where you modified your essay (this is not highlighted by the way. This is changing the color of the text). *But since it is hard to read, chances are you HIGHLIGHTED it to read it. :) Now you know the difference.
Your revision should then be turned into me in hardcopy form. Make sure you go beyond just fixing what I marked. If there is a problem that appeared throughout your essay, chances are I only marked a couple. Also, remember that if you only fix something small (a couple of commas), you will not be getting many points. I want to see significant changes. You have until the end of the semester to do your revisions, but smart people do them earlier.
You can come talk to me about this too. Talking to me is a good first step for the revision process. A tutor can also help you.

Finally, just to recap what I talked about in class yesterday.
Do not neglect the small things. Take care of them. Failure to do so shows carelessness and alienates your audience. Small errors can be distracting. Make sure you read through and take care of everything you know how to fix. I can only believe you know how to do what you show me. Frequent small errors tell me that you may have larger functional issues than you may actually have. If you do not understand something I am marking, seek help! Those things will only continue to be marked and drag your down throughout the semester. Also, if I continue to mark them and you do not make an improvement, it shows you do not care (even if that is not the case). If you are seeking help and I do not see the improvement, you may want to talk to me.

A note on the Essay

Make sure you are specific on who you think the audience is.
*Do not just say the audience is "everyone".
*Once you figure out who the ad is targeting, decide who it is targeting more specifically.
*Use evidence in the advertisement to support this.

Do not bring in outside information or mention things that are not in the ad.
*You can mention stereotypes or other cultural information the advertisement may be drawing on, but do not become distracted by things outside of the ad.
*You may make connections to other things, but do not say those connections are in the ad. They aren't! They're in your head; however, the advertisement may want you to make those connections. There is a difference.
*Stay focused on the advertisement and its argument.

Spring Break HW

For this week the assignments are essentially to get started on writing your paper.

Sometimes during this break, before midnight on Sunday (04/04), please turn in your Outline for Essay #2. I will attempt to read it and provide you with some feed back. If you have any questions, please send me an email. The earlier you turn this in the more likely you are to get feedback that can help you with your paper.

For Monday (04/05), please have two copies of you Rough Draft so that we can do peer review.

Also remember that on Wednesday (04/07) the Final Draft of you essay will be due.

Presentations will begin that day as well. In these presentations you will present your findings and your advertisement, paying special attention to the argument of the advertisement, the appeals, and the elements that demonstrate these things within your advertisement.
*The same is true if you are doing a movie*
The presentations are roughly 6 minutes long and will be graded on Preparedness and Analysis.
Come prepared, even if it isn't your day.

I can has cheezBerger?

I have mailed everyone a series of scanned images of an essay entitled "Sex as a Symbol in Fashion Advertising," "Checklist for Analyzing Print Advertisements," and "A Primer on Analyzing Television Commercials" by Arthur Berger. Hopefully you got this email and can read the text in the images. Let me know if you can't!
This should help with your analyses, as well as make you aware of a few things you perhaps did not know about before. Read it and respond to it in no more than a page. This means your response must be concise but poignant, but still use the same sort of format that we always use.
The last two parts (the "checklist" and the "primer") are definitely things you should consider when you work on your own topic for your essay (which I will be passing out the prompt for on Wednesday).

Essay Assignment #2 – Media Analysis Paper

Outline Due: 04/04
Rough Draft Due: 04/05
Final Draft Due: 04/07
The media permeates and saturates virtually every aspect of our lives, but we seldom analyze it beyond our initial response to the product they are peddling. However, in order to be effective consumers, that is exactly what we must do! We must turn on our brains and analyze what the images and products we are buying say about us -- both as individuals and as a society. For this assignment you must analyze a piece of media, which essentially means you must take that image, advertisement, or movie and break it into its components and examine those components carefully.

Choose one of the following essay prompts, and a corresponding piece of media, and write a well-developed, cohesive essay about the different elements presented within.
The essays must be:
- Double spaced
- **Typed in 12-pt Times New Roman font**
- **At least 4 full pages long.**
- and Follow MLA guidelines

Note: Failure to comply with these specifications will result in a terrible loss of points.

Prompt #1
Analyze stereotypes (or lack there of), the main character(s) (limit two), or the themes (limit three) in either a movie or a video game of your choosing. I recommend choosing a movie/game you can sit through a couple of times. Do not analyze all three of these things; however, a character, for instance, may be stereotyped or play an important part in a theme, so it is okay to include these ideas if they are relevant to your analysis of one element. Things you should consider when looking at the above elements include: cinematography, dialogue, lighting, music, story, genre, and audience expectations. Then try to draw some conclusions about the audience of this particular movie/game. Are they reinforcing these ideas by paying for a ticket/ buying the game? How culpable is the audience in what is displayed on the screen? Although in a movie, the movie itself is the product, be aware of any product placement or instances where they are trying to get the audience to buy or buy into a certain thing.
Note: Do not spend more than one paragraph summarizing the movie/game. Although it may help to choose a critically acclaimed movie/game or one that has won an award of some nature, you do not need to. If you do choose a movie/game with serious or extensive reviews, do not simply recycle what the critics say!

Prompt #2
Print ads make a complex argument in a very limited space – even if they are on huge billboards. Analyze a print advertisement of your choosing (you may want to pick one that you feel strongly about). Look both at the appeals and the visuals presented in the ad that assist with these appeals. How are these appeals conveyed? How do they affect the audience? Who is that audience? What does that say about the audience that looks supports or responds to these ads? You may want to start by describing the advertisement; if so, keep it brief. The real description should be sprinkled throughout the various paragraphs that are analyzing different aspects of the advertisement. Berger’s “Checklist for Analyzing Print Advertisements” might help here. Consider things such as: who is in the ad (is it anyone famous?), color, space, mood, design, product being sold, models used (race, gender, class of those models), use of text, and where the ad is found. Also, try to boil down the advertisement’s argument to its most extreme message.
Note: You must turn in a copy of your advertisement to me with a cover page with the title of your paper and your standard information on it on the day the paper is due.

Prompt #3
Live action commercials fall somewhere between print advertisements and movies. They often have plots, likeable characters, and delightful music, in addition to trying to sell their product. Choose a commercial (preferably one you feel strongly about or can watch a few times) and analyze it by looking at the combination of appeals and visual arguments, and how these two elements work together to persuade the audience to buy a product. How are these appeals conveyed? How do they affect the audience? Who is that audience? What does that say about the audience that looks at, supports, or responds to these ads? You may want to start by describing the advertisement; if so, keep it brief. The real description should be sprinkled throughout the various paragraphs that are analyzing different aspects of the advertisement. Consider things such as: who is in the ad (is it anyone famous?), color, space, mood, product being sold, models used (race, gender, class of those models), use of text, and where the ad is found. You may also consider: cinematography, dialogue, lighting, music, story, audience expectations, product being sold, and the importance of the central character (including his/her personality/charisma/effectiveness). Berger’s “A Primer on Analyzing Television Commercials” may be of some help here. Just as with the print ad, try to boil down the advertisement’s argument to its most extreme message.
Note: You must find a website that hosts this commercial and include the link at the end of the essay, so that I may watch it.

Appendix: What does it mean to look at Gender/Racial/ Class Stereotypes?
For gender, show how the characters or models are either typically feminine or masculine or how they do not fit the normal categorization of gender, as well as the implications of this gender “norm.” If looking at race, are they stereotyped? Are the models/characters simply tokens intended to appeal to a great audience? Are the models even that ethnically diverse or are they extreme representations of their race? Do they act naturally or do they seem false? If the main character is a certain race, how are other races situated around him/her? When looking at class, see if the main “character” is part of a certain class. How can you tell? How are other classes represented? Are they stereotyped, offensive, over the top, or more moderate? Does that help indicate who this product is being marketed to? When you check, see if the models/characters are sexualized, objectified, stereotyped, or realistic. Look at their physical characteristics, emotional behavior, actions, clothing, and word choice. These are important focal points for this assignment. Virtually all of these ideas can also then be applied to the audience.

Prompt #4
Creative Options: In these options you are the force behind the advertisement. While the creative options require less writing, you must have a clear understanding of the techniques you are utilizing, as well as have a clear focus of what you are trying to achieve. Also, you must get your idea cleared by me before you can do it as an option.

Choose one of the below options:

+Create a movie trailer roughly one to three minutes in length for a movie that does not exist. Write up a short explanation of the video and the techniques you used to appeal to the audience and entice them to come see the movie (one page minimum). You may also want to tell me what the plot of the movie “would” be.

+Create a live action commercial roughly thirty to sixty seconds in length for a product that does not exist. Write up a short analysis of your commercial telling me about the appeals you used, your target audience, and your commercials main method of persuading the audience to buy your product (two page minimum). You may also want to explain what the product you are selling is or does.

+Design a detailed print advertisement on a professional medium for a product or cause that does not exist. Write up an analysis of your own advertisement (similar to prompt #2), where you describe the major appeals and techniques you used in order to persuade the audience to buy your product (3 page minimum). You may also want to explain what the cause or product that you are promoting does.

Swiftly Moving On

Read "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift and analyze/ respond to his argument.

http://www.online-literature.com/swift/947/

Look through the Swift essay "A Modest Proposal" and locate instances of each of the 3 Modes of Persuasion (Ethos, Pathos, and Logos), or if you see any of the appeals in there as well. In roughly (80-100%) a page, briefly list each one and the effect you think it has on the reader.

Second, look for things like irony, word play, and humor.

Finally, in addition to poverty, think about what other specific problems are facing Ireland. Happy St. Patrick's Day -- can you feel the irony? For these problems, only consider the ones Swift points to in his essay. As the essay was written in 1729, I do not want contemporary problems that Ireland has to deal with. To answer this, you may want to ask yourself, what problems are leading to Ireland's poverty? What policies, social orders, or beliefs cause the Irish to continue their "terrible" cycle of existence? You do not have to provide outside research, but I would like you to analyze the essay. In roughly a page record a few of your findings and analyze the way in which this mode of persuasion, appeal, or whatever is conveyed and the effect it has on the reader.

So, to clarify, for the minimum, you should write roughly a page regarding the appeals and roughly a page regarding the problems facing Ireland question, but you can always go over the minimum. If you have some good ideas then write them down!

Body Language

We are beginning our analysis of media portion of the class. For this we will be looking at how media affects us in our everyday lives. You guys just finished the first aspect of that: analyzing a movie. So, hooray!
Your assignment for Wednesday is to find a single advertisement that is in print (either on the Internet or in a magazine or newspaper) that has 1-5 people in it. Analyze the way the people are positioned.
Consider: what the people look like, the way they are positioned, their facial expressions, their stances, "movement," relation to other people/product, and what affect their body language has on the advertisement AND audience.
How do you think the people help sell the product?

Write roughly one page on this. You can use the standard questions for this by considering the visual language of their bodies. Only look at the people, do not look at the actual words or anything else in the advertisement. Bring a copy of your advertisement with your response.

Blank Blue Books

The only homework for this weekend is to get a blue book for Monday's midterm.

Enjoy your weekend.

Turning in Essays

Just to reiterate the procedure for turning in papers, since I am getting a few questions about it:
Essays are due through Turnitin.com on the day the paper is due by midnight.

I do not need nor want a hard copy. All final drafts of the out of class essays are handled only through Turnitin.com.


For Essay #1, it is due tonight (Wednesday 3/10) before midnight.

Testy Test Page

This weekend's assignment is relatively easy.
Work on your paper, since it is due next Wednesday (3/10).
Also, make sure you make a TurnItIn.com account and submit a test page.
Although super easy, it is an actual assignment that you get points for.
So do it!
Send me an email if you have any questions.

Also, next week we will be watching a movie in class.
Bring a snack or something if you want.
It should be a nice change of pace after the paper.

Roughing It

The homework for tonight is simple.
Work on your papers and produce a rough draft that is at least Two Full Pages long.
Bring Two Copies of this Rough Draft for Wednesday.

You might also want to consider making a Writing Center appointment.

Get Started!

Sorry for delaying this post, but you guys should know what to expect for this weekend, right?

This weekend you guys are revising your Outlines for Essay #1.
Try to revise your Outlines to better reflect your paper. And since we talked about theses on Wednesday, revise your Thesis and include it in your Outline. Make sure you write in complete (but brief) sentences and use the standard hierarchical format to structure your formal outline. Bring One copy of this Outline on Monday.

Also, you may want to begin working on your essays, as a rough draft will be due on Wednesday (03/03). Although the minimum for the rough draft is two pages and 3 full pages for the final draft (meaning it touches the fourth page), it does not mean that you are limited to only that many pages. Do not feel obligated to go beyond, but the idea is that you write as much as you need to in order to fully explore your topic. This is a writing class, and as such, you will never be punished for writing more than the minimum. Of course, if you write 3 pages of meandering nonsense and three pages of good information, you will obviously not do well -- and I will tell you to reduce it.

Turn It In

Our TurnItIn.com account is now up and running.
Hopefully you noticed there is a link on the side bar.
<<<<< http://turnitin.com/static/index.html
If you have never used TurnItIn.com before, go to the site, then click the link marked student, under Create New Account. Follow the directions it provides from there. If you run into a problem, send me a message.

Information you will need:
Class Name: English101Spring
Class Id # 3084849
Pasword is in your email box.

Zombies and Outlines

Here is your reading assignments for this evening. Enjoy!

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2008/04/how-to-battle-z/
The second will be in your mail box.

Write roughly a one page response to these two articles (One page minimum).
In that response, compare the two articles and try to find how they connect to our assignments.

Then you should look at your own topic. You may want to begin researching your subject. Work on refining and narrowing down what it is you want to include in your paper.
You should have a formal outline of your paper for Wednesday's class.

Additionally, I want you guys to begin considering the format of your papers. I will talk more about it as we get closer to writing the paper.
Here is a site that will help you with MLA (Modern Language Associations) format. This site also contains tips for writing a formal outline as well -- just look around.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01

This is usually how many teachers want your papers formatted -- especially English teachers.

Note: There is a link to Works Cited help on this page as well.
(See our little OWL for a direct link)


Also, here, as per request, is my outline that I presented in class of "The Dark Knight".
The asterisks represent the spaces for each line.


A New Age in Gotham

I. The introduction offers a brief overview of the success of the movie “The Dark Knight.”
*****A. Its success in the box office.
**********1. Earned more than $500 million at the North American box office.
********** 2. Earned more than $1 billion world wide.
*****B. The film received numerous awards nominations and two Academy Awards.
********** 1. Best sound editing
********** 2. Best Supporting Actor
*****C. Thesis: “The conflict between chaos and order is personified in the struggle for Gotham’s soul between Batman and the Joker.”
II. This section offers a brief overview of the plot.
*****A. Audience
**********1. Demographics
**********2. Expectations
***************a. Exceeded Expectations
*****B. Super Hero Movies
**********1. Complexity of Character
***************a. Both Batman and The Joker are insane
**********2. Moral Grey Area
***************a. How far can a hero go to stop a mad man?
**********3. Deep Critique of Society
III. “Batman has no limits” – Bruce Wayne
*****A. This section offers an analysis of Batman’s character.
*****B. What types of gadgets does Batman use?
**********1. Sonar imaging system.
***************a. Provides him with incredible power
*************************i. Lucius Fox
*************************ii. The destruction of the mainframe
***************b. Provides him with the ability to better control his environment
**********2. Other specialized equipment.
***************a. He is so rigid, he can’t turn his head.
***************b. Grants him the Power to be Batman
*************************i. “I’m not wearing hockey pads” -Batman
*****C. What does Batman stand for?
**********1. People do not have to be afraid
**********2. Criminals do
*****D. What lines will Batman not cross?
**********1. Batman usually refrains from maliciously hurting people
**********2. Batman refuses to kill people
*****E. Batman is order incarnate because he restores order to a disorderly world (Gotham).
IV. “A better class of criminal” – The Joker
*****A. This section offers an analysis of the Joker’s character
*****B. What does the Joker favor? (destruction)
**********1. Cheap Weapons
***************a. Dynamite
***************b. Gunpowder
*************************i. Thompson Submachine Gun
***************c. Gasoline
*************************i. Burns the Money
**********2. Mayhem
***************a. “Nothing in his pockets but knives and lint”-Lt. James Gordon
*****C. The Joker is Chaos incarnate, because his goal is to disassemble order in Gotham City.
V. “Some men just want to watch the world burn” –Alfred Pennywise
*****A. The Final Confrontation between the Joker and Batman
**********1. “This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object”-The Joker
B. This section offers the connection between the characters and the theme.
**********1. Alfred’s story of the man in Burma
********** 2. Lighting/Cinematography
***************a. Serious Tone
VI. The conclusion reiterates the thesis in new words: “The Joker and Batman both are intensely powerful characters on their own, but their effectiveness at captivating audiences comes from their complex interactions, and through these interactions they become modern archetypes of Chaos and Order.”
*****A. This section recaps the conflict between the major characters.
*****B. Poses some ideas as to why “The Dark Knight” was so successful.
**********1. Because it friggin’ rocks!

Weekend Assignment

This weekend we begin working on the first essay assignment.
I will email you guys a small 3 page essay. It is just an example. We will talk about it on Monday.
Write a journal response to this essay.


You should also begin thinking about your up coming essay. Come to class with a topic and some sort of bare bones outline. A bare bones outline should include some basic information or ideas about what you are going to write about.


Finally, do not forget the "in-class" assignment of finding something in the Arboretum that interested you. That will be due Monday as well.

Essay #1

Revised Outline Due: 03-01-10
Rough Draft Due: 03-03-10
Final Draft Due: 03-10-10

Essay Assignment #1 – Expository Essay

Expository essays are all about the “How”. In class, and in our conferences, you have had a chance to discuss something that interests you, as well as take some time to examine these things closely. But now I want you to describe the method behind some of the things you love. Choose one of the following essay prompts and write a well-developed, cohesive essay about something that interests you.
Essays must be:
- Double spaced
- Typed in 12-pt Times New Roman font
- At least 3 full pages long.
- and Follow MLA guidelines

1) From cooking shows with Julia Childs to Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe, the best explanations of how something gets done have personality, in addition to the information. Believe it or not there is something you are an expert on! Tell me about something you like to do. Describe in detail the process you go through to do this activity. The "what", "how", and the "why". If it has numbers/weights/values be sure to include them. If it requires special tools, make sure you let me know what they are and why they are important for this job. Does it require help? Does it require special materials? Or a special location? What are the specifics? This may require that you think about the process in an entirely new way (you may even need to do a little research). Make this explanation personal, but stay focused on the topic. Remember I don’t know as much about this topic as you do. You might also include why you like to do this activity or why you do this activity at all (Does it make you money? Is it a means to an end?). Let me know the details, but concentrate on the procedure. Explain it to me. I want to learn something.

2) Almost everyone has a dream for his/her own life. Sometimes these goals are dreamlike and vague (like being rich), but sometimes the goals are very specific and concrete (like visiting Notre Dame Cathedral). This prompt is for those of you who have a very specific goal in their life. Tell me about your goal and how you are going to reach it. If you want to have a job like someone, what do you have to do to become like this person? If you want to go somewhere on a trip, what do you have to do to get there? If it’s a personal goal, what do you have to change to reach it? What do you have to learn? What about this attracts you to this goal? It doesn’t have to be a job, but it cannot be simply graduating college (although college can be a milestone on your road to this goal). It can be anything from a trip you want to take to a future career. It can be an exercise routine that you need to maintain to get into the military or just a skill you want to acquire. Plan it out and tell me about the process you would need to take to get there.

Conferences

Meet me in the Arboretum by the pond on Wednesday (2/17).
Here is the map: http://www.fullerton.edu/campusmap/CampusMap.htm

Do not go to the classroom.
Send me an email if you have a question.

Be on Time and Come prepared!

While at the Arboretum, find something that interests you. Try to look for something natural and unique to the Arboretum (such as a plant or area). This will be due Monday (2/22).

Name / Time
1:00
1:05
1:10
1:15
1:20 Amber Z.
1:25
1:30 Chris Mar
1:35
1:40
1:45 Ashley Loup
1:50
1:55 John Lee
2:00 Chris O'Connell
2:05 Vince Briones
2:10 Oscar Rico
2:15 Becky Monroy
2:20 Alyssa Robbins
2:25 Daniela Recinos
2:30 Alexander Diaz
2:35 Thao Ngo
2:40 Aileen Mai
2:45 Austin Neal
2:50 Robert Gates
2:55 Jonathan Vong
3:00 Jackson Ta
3:05 Julia Duong
3:10 J.V. Boykin
3:15 Karina Bonnin
3:20 Danielle Altman
3:25 Ryan Cassells
3:30 Adam Galwey
3:35 Chelsea Alcantara
3:40 Nicholas Gonzales
3:45
3:50
3:55
4:00 Kenny Asheri

An Interest in Interests

For our meeting in the Arboretum.

Read the article at:
http://www.wetfeet.com/Experienced-Hire/Getting-hired/Articles/Tell-Me-About-Yourself.aspx

Then, in addition to the normal journal response (answering the standard questions), write me a page about something that interests you. I want you to focus the “tell me about yourself” question on a specific topic, hobby, or activity that you enjoy. You should have a relatively good understanding of this activity. It can be anything, but keep in mind this is going to be what we talk about in our conference on Wednesday. This journal should help you prepare. Consider the guidelines outlined in the article. Your topic should be something you enjoy (passion), it should be something you know a lot about (value), you should allow your unique perspective on the topic to come out (personality), and your ideas should be condensed and organized enough that they fit our four minute conference window with enough time left over for me to ask you any questions I might have (brevity & openness). Have fun with the assignment.

Also, if you did not finish the view finder assignment, make sure you bring that for me as well.

Identify and Classify

These past couple of weeks I have been getting to know you, and next week the class assignment will be to meet with me in the Arboretum to continue this trend. Eventually you will be asked to put some of yourself into your writing. But what does that mean to put yourself into a paper? Obviously one cannot ever put everything that constitutes their identity into a single paper. We, as individuals, are far too complex for that -- in fact the idea of identity is far too complex for that.
But here is an exercise I would like you guys to try:
I would like each of you to pick out 3-5 pieces of clothing (or accessories) that you own and wear that you think says something very crucial and specific about who you are. You can put them on or just lay them out, but I want you to really look at them. Describe them to me briefly (Summary) and then tell me how they reflect who you are (Analysis and Connection). What would they tell a stranger about you, if that stranger was looking at you from across the room and could not hear you talk or see how you behave.

Once you have completed that task, consider this:
In addition to complicating the world of grammar, Shakespeare frequently defined (or complicated) identity by the clothes his characters wore. Often a character gained and lost power by the way they dressed. Do you think this is true? Is your identity contained within yourself or is it something that is worn, or is it even something you have control of? Could your identity be something that is contained not in you, but in what people perceive you to be?

Provide me with roughly a 2 page response to this, including what those articles of clothing are and what they say about you. Keep it brief and try to stay within the page requirement if you are doing only 3 articles, as this will force you to use your language effectively. No repetition or unnecessary phrasing. Be precise! Practice what Roberts said in his essay. If you do 5 articles you can only have one additional page, but feel free to give it a shot.

I would recommend picking things that other people would be able to identify. Try to place yourself in their shoes. So for example, if you choose just plain jeans, they might say a number of things about you. The same pair of jeans might mean you are relaxed, rugged, or poor depending on who is looking at them. How would a stranger know what those jeans mean to you? However, if your jeans are baggy, have mustard stains, and are completely wrinkled, that might say something more specific about you that even a stranger could pick up on.

Try to have fun with it.
Consider this: instead of reading "articles" from some website or book, you are reading articles of clothing.

Send me an email if you have a question.

Watch your tone

It's the weekend, which means a slightly longer assignment than usual, but it should be less work that it appears to be on the surface.
Check your Emails. I sent out Roberts' essay "How to Say Nothing in 500 Words". The file numbers correspond to the page numbers. I think you can figure it out. Read it and respond using the questions I gave out in class.

Then we shall look at tone. Just like punctuation functions like rests in music, tone also exists in written mediums, but sometimes it is harder to notice. Therefore, music is an easier and more straightforward place to look for examples of tone. However, we will be looking at songs that are not in English, that way you cannot cheat and get a hint of the tone based on the lyrics. Please do not choose a song in a language you are familiar with. Also, try to do as much of the assignment without really watching or relying on the visuals. This is audio assignment.

Choose one of the following and analyze the tone.
Here are your choices:

"Ave Maria" - Performed by Andrea Bocelli (Italian)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvdX5Ht3U9w

"Links 2 3 4" - Rammstein (German)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX9GFIPjuD0

"Enfant Terrible" - Sonny J (French)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gdIvC86tdk

"Dragostea Din Tei" - O-Zone (Romanian) Note: The song really starts about a minute in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRx5PrAlUdY

"Po pi po" - Miku Hatsune (Japanese)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6Uyz4m1mVM&feature=related


Note: I do not endorse anything in the videos or any of the links youtube displays on the sides. Just another reason why you shouldn't pay attention to the videos.

Try your best. Instead of the standard questions that I gave in class, use the following guidelines to structure your response to the musical piece.
Write as much as you think it takes (should be around 1/2 - 1 page)
-What is the tone of this piece? (It will go beyond formal or informal). Consider: lyrics/voice, instruments used, and tempo/beat. (You may also want to examine bass and volume as well)
-How does it affect the audience? (You can consider yourself the audience)
-What type of mood does it create?
-What instruments are used to achieve this goal (synthesizers count)?
-How are they effective?
-How does the performer's voice convey the tone?
-Why/How does the performer's voice affect the mood? (Be specific) Also, be specific in your moods. If it is a complex mood, describe what it means to you.

Once you have analyzed one of the above three pieces, you have one more thing to do. You must choose one of the following options and complete it.
Just like before, this response should be as long as it needs to be. (roughly 1/2 - 1 page in length)

1) I have shown you some of the songs I like. Now it is your turn to analyze a song you like. Choose your favorite song and analyze the tone. Depending on the song you choose, this maybe easy or difficult. (Remember that no one is judging you on the song you select as your favorite). Since your song does not have to be in a foreign language, try to look at the song's specific language and tell me how that affects the mood, tone, and audience.

2) For those of you who are creative and want to give a different sort of assignment a try, watch this video: "Angel" - Massive Attack http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaef2NgwqHY
and write a short explanation as to why you think the main character is being chased. Use elements (tone, images, beat, etc) from the song and video to support your story. Feel free to make it interesting and interpret those elements creatively. (write as much as you need to, but don't get carried away).

Send me an email if you have any questions. Remember you also have the numbers and emails of other students if you feel you want to talk to somebody about the assignment.

Language Skillz

Try to read Chang and Gonzales first! (Essay being mailed to you later this evening and Link Below)
http://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/americanvarieties/spanglish/viva/
They both have similar arguments, so they can be done together. So even though I said in class that you had to do a page for each, you may do a single page for both of these readings (Chang and Gonzales), provided that it sufficiently answers the questions I gave you, and the questions below.
For your Journal:
In at least one page, explain to me the connections between these two papers and their importance.
What are their arguments? Try to provide this information in the form of a "Thesis".
Do you agree with them? Use specific information when discussing them. I want to see your evidence. You should also consider the list of questions I gave you in class (but do not feel limited to or by them). As I mentioned in class, treat the questions like a scaffold to build your response.
Note: The Chang essay will be mailed later this evening or earlier tomorrow. Sorry for the delay.

Then read the excerpt from Malcolm X's biography. The text is a little small and hard to read, but I am sure you can figure out a way to make it easier on yourself.

For page 2 of your journal:
http://eserver.org/~mruben/csem17readings/malcolmx.html
Answer the journal questions, and compare they way he feels about his language to the way Chang/Gonzales feel about theirs.
What is the difference? Do they agree or disagree? How do you feel about your own language? How do you feel about Malcolm's argument?

Remember the goal is analysis! Do not summarize. Connect it anyway you like, but show me that you are going beneath the surface information.
Try to avoid repetition or vague statements.
I want to see you connecting with and using the material in your responses.
At least, your responses should be specific enough that I know what you are referring to.
Send me an email if you have a question.

~*Emails*~

I have sent out an email to the email address you provided me. Please check and verify that you received it. If you didn't, please send me an email from the address that you check often so that I may correct/add your address to the mailing list. Note: If you received the email, you do not need to respond; this was only a test.

Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Paulo Freire and the Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Here is the link for the first part of this weekend's assignments: http://www.marxists.org/subject/education/freire/pedagogy/ch02.htm
For this assignment, write a one page minimum response ( note: all assignments are always double-spaced) to Freire's essay in which you attempt to answer those questions that I gave you in class. This is a difficult work (perhaps the most difficult reading of the semester), but consider this: The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible. Remember do not summarize the essay!

Analyzing another Homework Assignment
The second part of the assignment requires you to take a critical look at another class. Choose a single assignment or lecture and analyze it. In a one page minimum response answer the questions I gave you in class (your response should be apart from your response to Freire's essay, but you may make connections if you would like). Naturally, as a student, you should actively be evaluating, assimilating, and engaging with the material you are exposed to in your classes and in the world around you. Learning to do that well is vital for success in this class. Also try to remember that although you are providing this for an English class (and thus should be looking at the language or connecting it to what I talked about in class), do not limit your examination only to the language. Try and show me the value (or lack of value) in what you are being exposed to -- beyond the "all important grade" (and subsequent degree) that you hope to earn eventually.

These assignments are due on Monday at the beginning of class. If you have a question, or for some reason the link does not work, send me an email and I will get back to you shortly.

Reminder: If you have not turned in your blue cards to the Writing Center, do so before Monday.

First Assignment

Woo! You read the syllabus. If not, you were at least curious enough to check out our website. I hope you have already started on the first assignment. Take a look around. I recommend bookmarking this site -- you can always delete it later. Remember to visit: 1) My Office - sign in with your Email address (Make sure the address works and you write legibly) 2) Writing Center – Turn in your Blue Card (Consider making an appointment to see a tutor)