You have some options for class today.

Check either your email or Blackboard "announcements" for more information.

National Weather Service Issues Warnings about the "immediate threat" of death for those who hazard to drive in the Snow! (i.e. why I will be attending class via G-chat!)

just got a gazillion alerts about the "extreme danger" going to appear on the highways up here tomorrow (tomorrow = Wednesday, March 7). snow-ice-slush-wind drama, I guess. sometimes they make a lot of fuss for no reason, but most times they don't make enough fuss, so I am going to listen, I guess. (and, yeah: it is now Wednesday and I'm looking out my window and thinking they made a bunch of drama for NOTHING. maybe it's just because it's, like, the *only* snow storm we've had all year. :)

Summary: I will not *physically* come to class tomorrow, but that's OK because I want you to do some stuff without my help anyway. (and if you do need help, enter the power of the internets and real-time long-distance chatting capability!)

here's what I want you to do in class:

1) work in groups of 3-4 (if you really, really, really hate group work, I guess you can elect a "class captain" to lead a class-wide discussion, but I think you'll do better work in groups, so unless there's, like, extreme objection, do the group work thing.)

2) first, practice some logic chains. think of four "controversial" subjects that have at least two viewpoints. (we did abortion, so not that one, but I'm sure y'all can think of others. school vouchers, civil unions, sanctions on Iran, existence of Israel, low-carb diets, mustaches and the Honor code, basically anything people get mad about.) take each viewpoint, and trace the logic back through the logic chain until you get to an axiom. find the common axiom in each controversy, and compare the differences between the logic chains on each side of each controversy. If you need a reminder of what a logic chain looks like, there's a Blackboard handout in the "Persuasion/Angry Letters Aids" folder called something like "problematic bias and axiomatic ethical logic chains." It has an example of pro/anti abortion logic chains you can look at.

2) Next, get a computer (use the podium one if you want) and go to the NSAL example papers on Blackboard (under "sample papers" which is in "course materials"). Read the two "good" NSALs, and then read the two "not-so-good" NSALs. (You might not have time to read them all out loud, so read a page or two of each, then skim, or read silently maybe?) Using the NSAL "checklist" (under the "persuasion NSAL aids"), talk about how the presence of research strengthens the papers, and discuss the other things that make the papers "good" or "not-so-good."

3) turn the following in to me: first, your four sets of logic chains, noting the shared axiom. Second, your observations about the differences between the two sets of NSALs. Why were the good ones better than the not-so-good ones? How did research help/hurt? Were there non-research-based differences? (Turn this in either through email, or just give me a hard copy on Friday. You only need to turn in one summary per group, but make sure all your names are on it.)

Questions? Email me. Or, if anyone has gmail and is interested, I can be available for g-chat during class, answering questions as they come in. Yay internets! I could probably do Facebook, too, but I think we'd have to be friends or something. If y'all care, send me an email at the start of class, and we'll figure it out.

here's to a not-so-snowy Friday. see you then,

k

MOA Hunt Tomorrow!

So, all week I told y'all in class that tomorrow was the MOA hunt. When I actually *looked* at the calendar, it said it was supposed to be next week. Which really makes more sense, because you don't need to know Art terms until the GW paper, which is what we're talking about next week. But, oh well. I'm going to go with what I told you in class. I updated the calendar to match.

So tomorrow! MOA hunt!

It's a simple game. On Blackboard, you'll find a list of "Art Terms." (It may be named something like, "Art terms in case you do your GW paper on Art." It's just a paper with art terms and definitions. It was compiled by the Tate Britain, not me, so blame them for their fancy English.) I think it's under "Critical Analysis Aids," which is under "Course Materials." Wait... I'll check... OK. Yeah, it's there.

What to do with art terms: at the MOA (Museum of Art in case you hadn't figured it out), find a piece of art that illustrates each of the "tools." You can do this alone or in groups. You'll probably be able to finish the whole list in 50 minutes--there might be one or two that there aren't any examples of. You don't need to spend longer than 50 minutes if you don't finish, but if you only have two terms done, it's kinda obvious you didn't really do anything, so that could hurt your grade. You'll turn in your list of examples for credit by midnight. If you do it at some other time than our class period, as long as you get your list to me by midnight, I'll never know.

AN UNRELATED NOTE:

You get credit for having a rough draft of each paper by the day of the ICPP for that unit. Some people turned in drafts, but most didn't, which makes me think it was unclear somehow. I'll modify the calendar. You can have till the next ICPP (next week I think? or maybe the one after that?) to turn in your Wiki rough draft, since I didn't clear it up before now.

Any questions about the activity or anything else, email me.

GW Hunting Part two! (If you don't see this until you get to class and I'm not there, have no fear: Your first step of today's GW Hunt is to get a copy of the GW list from the Honors advisement Center downstairs!)

I hope Friday's MOA hunt was informative for you. But did you know that there are *more* great works categories than just Art? And that you have to write your GW papers on two different genres of Great Works? Yeah. You probably knew that.

Here's the thing. To write a paper about a great work, you have to, like, *be exposed* to great works. But there are a lot of those. How do you pick?

So here's what I want you to do with our class time this beautiful Halloween Monday (if you are wearing a costume while you do this, I will totally give you extra credit):

1) Obtain a copy of the Great Works list. You can get this from the student advisement center in the basement of the MSRB, or you can download it from online.

2) Next you need to *go* somewhere. Use the GW list to guide you. For example:

If you find that you're drawn to the theater/musical options of the list, go over to the HFAC, find out when stuff is playing; choose something you want to watch; maybe even buy your tickets. (You don't have to see anything *right then,* (unless you want to) but you want to be ready.)

If you want to do something sciency, walk yourself over to one of the science buildings. See if they have any special events planned. Talk to department offices or wander the halls looking for flyers. Find a professor and ask them if you can come observe a class. Make arrangements.

If you're interested in film, ask the Honors advisement center which films from the international cinema count this year. Then find a schedule and choose a time you'll go to a movie.

On the other hand, if you are a lover of literature, you could go to the library and find the book you need to read. Find books *about* the book you need to read. Check them out and start reading.

There are other options, right? I can't remember right now because I'm spacey like that. Consult the list and figure out an appropriate place to go.

3) I need to know that you actually *did* this assignment and didn't just use the hour to do your math homework, so I'm going to need proof. Take a picture of yourself wherever you end up and send it to me along with a half a paragraph about what you did.

You can do this alone or in groups or in pairs or even with your girlfriend or a random stranger. Have fun!

Special Instructions for Today's ICPP's!

You may notice I'm not in class today. That is because I'm puking my guts out and you don't want to be near me.

Here is what I want y'all to do:

1) pick a class captain who can pretend to be me and who'll run class. (this shouldn't be too hard since class is just two paper presentations. all the captain has to do is make sure they happen.)

2) do the ICPP just like you would if I were there with you.

3) people presenting feel free to email me a copy of your paper and I'll give you my own thoughts on it over the internet.

4) hold on to your eBay and NSAL rough drafts until next Monday. Or email them to me.

If you have questions, have the class captain email me and we can chat on Monday. Or you can email me yourself and I'll do my best to answer.

good luck!

Class today won't be in class! Here's what you should do.

Sometime before class next Friday, you should find your way to the Reading and Writing Center. You should bring one of your papers with you. Have a little visit with one of the TA's and make sure they send me a yellow paper saying you came so you can get credit for the experience. Any questions, feel free to email me. I may have little use of my voice, but my typing fingers are fine.

Good luck!

Instructions for the MOA Scavenger Hunt

On Blackboard there's a list of art terms.  Look under "course materials" and then the Great Works aids.  Have someone in your peer review group print off a copy for you. 

With your p.r. groups, proceed quietly (no running, no yelling, no jumping, no being crazy people, etc.) throughout the museum. Look for an example of each of the terms on the list. Find as many as you can within the 50 minute space of class, but don't stay longer than 50 minutes. The group with the most might get a prize.

Bring your list of art/term matches to class on Wednesday in case we need it.

ps: no need to comment on this post