Sunday, January 31, 2010

Social Advocacy What Happened in Class

Links to Ch. 1 of Nuclear Nebraska and article on nuclear waste.

Each person brought a social issue they thought important to class. The instructor also contributed five. We listed all the issues and then categorized them. We broke it into five categories plus two that stood alone without individual issues:

Unemployment and bringing jobs back to America
--higher minimum wage
--Federal money going into infrastructure
--sweatshops

Education
--rising tuition and book costs
--debt repayment
--online book exchange
--special needs students

Healthcare
--medical marijuana
--better healthcare options for unemployed
--healthcare for young adults
--steroids

Social inequality
--teen pregnancy
--gay marriage
--gun violence
--trafficking of children
--mentors

Haiti
--trafficking of children
--amputees from Haiti
--response time to disasters

Topics without subheads:

Global warming

Keeping nonprofits honest

After the break, the instructor went over the assignments, listed below. Most are research and reading.

Note: instructor to fill in topics here

She distributed questions for the DVD about Saul Alinsky. We attempted to pick up where we left off but there were technical issues. The instructor will check out the recording on other systems, as Robert noted that he had been in the classroom earlier and the instructor for that class had had technical issues.

To Do for Next Class:

Read the links at the top of the page, Nuclear Nebraska Ch. 1 and the accompanying article on nuclear storage.

Read Ch. 3 in Kush.

Read and research topics that you are interested in (listed above) and come prepared to advocate for the issue you think is best.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Writing 102 Saturday

Link to poetry genres/students.

We learned to write citations and we chose poetry genres.

First we went to the library where we took hard copies of publications and wrote citations out by hand. The purpose of this exercise was to show students how to locate the model for their citation in the MLA guidelines. We did books with a single author, books with multiple authors, encyclopedias, newspapers, etc.

After writing the citations, we took a break and the instructor explained the assignments for the week.

She showed students the literary databases and how to look up journal articles.

We then put the poetry genres on a table (see link above). The instructor showed students how to find an article of literary criticism for their genre.

Next class:

Bring in a list of 10 citations for the research paper. They should be written according to MLA format and typed. After each citation should be a summary of the article or news show. Print out two copies, as we will be correcting them in class.

Bring in one literary criticsm piece pulled from the databases for the student's poetry genre.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Public Speaking 129 What Happened in Class

Note: on Feb. 5 we will be working in a computer lab at the library from 7:05-8:45 (Rm. L112). We will be doing Works Cited and internal text citations.

Link to clips of new newspaper/magazine formats, iPad, texting, etc.

How to watch TV on the Internet and get rid of your cable company.

The instructor reviewed the blog and links page for new students.

She then discussed Ch. 17, which was the online reading assigned last week. After the discussion, students met with their partner from last week to fill out the definitions. The purpose of the exercise was to clarify and cement the terms in the students' minds.

The next class activity was the "I Am" journal assignment. Students read the assignment in class and the instructor went over it, too. Students ranked themselves with the terms in class. These terms are to be referred to in the paper as they are "self-perception." Contrast them with how others see you.

A 3-minute "how-to" (demonstrative) speech was assigned. Students worked in small groups to decide on topics.

Next week:

--Begin reading first three chapters in the text, which relate to the "I Am" assignment. All three chapters must be completed by Feb. 12. Do not be surprised if there is a brief pop quiz over the first chapter.
--Get at least two interviews for the "I Am" paper and bring the rankings to class next week.
--Prepare and practice your 3-minute "how to" speech. We will have four speeches next week.
--Bring a style guide (Hacker) to next week's class to work on the Annotated Works Cited.
--Be sure you have a password that allows you to get into the system at the computer lab next week.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Writing 102 M-W What Happened in Class

Notice to students: for our Monday February 1 class, we will first meet in our usual classroom and then go to the library at around 8 p.m. Be sure you bring your Hacker guide to work from, as I will be showing you how to do MLA citations. Have a notebook with clean paper on which to write, too.


Wednesday:
We did a writing sample.

Monday:
We went through the syllabus with each person reading a section. Occasionally the instructor added comments.

At our next class, students will provide a writing sample. An assignment sheet will be provided. In the meantime, however, students can think about the writing question. The writing question for Wednesday night will be to write about a question that has never been adequately explained or answered.

Next class:

Obtain books
Make folders on home PC and obtain a file, 3-ring notebook, or some other type of folder that will keep class materials organized.

Social Advocacy

We went over the syllabus, which was posted online (link at left).

The instructor passed out the class projects and asked students to think about which two they would like to do. Students should do one prior to midterm and one after the midterm.

After reading the syllabus, we took a short break and then watched a DVD about Saul Alinksy, the founder of community organizing.The instructor told the class there would be questions that would be completed at the conclusion of the video. Students can refer to their notes to complete the questions.

We did paired introductions in the last 45" of class. We finished all of them but two students, who will give their intros at the next class.


Next class:

Order books and keep a copy of your order if you order online
Read through page 29 in Kush (One-Hour Activist)
Think about issues that we might take on as a cause for the class
Think about which projects you might like to do. Be prepared to report on what two projects you would like to do at the next class

3960 Advertising What Happened in Class

Wednesday

The instructor returned input on students' answers to the questions on the market research chapter. About half the class did not understand the difference between a nonprobability sample and a probability sample. The instructor provided a way to remember this.

The questions were then gathered and the instructor covered focus groups, media research, and trading area surveys. The questions were again returned and the students worked in pairs to complete them.

Next week:

We went over the work for the coming week, which is to read chapters 1 and 2. Carly is taking question 4 on noise from Ch. 1 and Justin is taking chapter 2, question 8. There are no guidelines for how students present their answer. The instructor told students they could use their creativity, and she pointed out they could use the text, handouts (she will make copies if sent in advance), Powerpoints, or just a simple oral delivery.





Monday


The instructor handed out questions based on the lecture for the day. The questions were based on Ch. 7, which students were to read online. they were also based on the lecture, which was about the instructor's experiences in the research world. The questions were picked up after the students had read them.

Next the instructor brought up numerous screens which accompanied her discussion of market research work. They were such sites as The Urban Institute and Mathematica.

Then the instructor asked the students to get into pairs and she returned the questionnaires. Students worked together to answer the questions.

Next class:

Order books online or purchase them at the bookstore.
Continue reading Ch. 7.
Read Ch. 1 if you have your book.
Read "The Tower," which the instructor handed out in class
Look for a "client" and come prepared to tell who your client is at next week's class.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Writing 102 Sat. What Happened in Class

We went over the syllabus, with each student reading a sectionwith the instructor occasionally interjecting on various topics. The syllabus was handed out hard copy and a copy is also available online from the links at left.

Next the instructor provided the students with a writing topic and asked them to do a writing sample. For this section of the class, we went to the computer lab in Rm. 225.

In the final part of class the instructor went over the blog, books, and links. She provided the assignment for next week. We also filled out a contact sheet. She handed out a citation guide from the library.

Next Class:

Obtain books
Read Ch. 3 of Langan (online)
Organize a notebook and make folders on the computer for this class
Think about a topic for the research paper
Go to poets.org and choose a genre for the poetry roundtable. Make a backup choice, too.
Read the green citation guide handed out in class

Friday, January 22, 2010

Public Speaking 129

We went over the syllabus, with each person reading a section. The syllabus will be posted for student download off the Student Links page at left.

Students exchanged names and contact information.

We took a brief break.

The instructor passed out a green citation guide from the library called "UCC Libraries Citation Guide."

Next we broke into pairs and each person interviewed a colleague for purposes of writing an introduction. The instructor showed students how to construct an introduction outline. Students composed their outlines and then we delivered the introductions.

Next class:

1. Read citation guide (green). Also read Ch. 17 (online) (scroll down).

2. Order or purchase book at bookstore. If book is purchased from the internet, print out your order. Students have two weeks to get the book.

3. Make folders on computer for class. For hard copy organization, a list of organizers to be distributed at next class.

4. Think about a topic for the informative speech

5. Get a computer account so library databases can be accessed

Thursday, January 21, 2010

3960 Adv What Happened in Class

We went over the syllabus.

Students are to read Ch. 7 before next class. Link at left.

Syllabus link is updated.