Should You Take a Nap Before Class?

This NY Times article tells how a nap after lunch increases learning. In one case, where names were to be remembered, students who had a nap increased their score by 10 per cent.

Still Have Service, Attn: Sat. a.m. students

Added at 10 p.m. Friday evening:

I still haven't gotten my car out so we will start class at 10 a.m.

-----------------------------

Yay, got through the night with heat, electricity, and internet.

Sat. a.m. students: I am thinking to start at 10 a.m. instead of 9.

Check back or look at your email later today.

I still don't have my car out and the lower part of the private road is pretty dicey. I just got through shoveling for two hours, trying to help a neighbor who got stuck on it.

Notice to All Students

The snow back here in the woods is intense. All day long I have been knocking snow off the branches to keep my power lines from falling down. I've been somewhat successful with the power lines but less so with the Comcast cable lines. They are in a place where it looks like a branch could break them.

My purpose in conveying this is so you know I might not be able to get on to post about whether I'll be in class or not.

It won't do any good to call my 4300 # as my phone is Internet-based.

102 Students--Some Tips

Re the poetry assignment, I just found something interesting. If you are considering a genre and want to know a little more about it, try this:

Go to reference.com:

http://ask.reference.com/information

Put in "elegy poem" or "prose poem" or whatever type of poetry you are considering. I was surprised at how much info it turned up. You should use this to search for additional information to help you make up your mind on whether you want to take a certain genre or not.

Second:

A few students have been writing me about the definitions section. Some people are under the impression that the definitions section is a list of words and their definitions. It is, but it has to be written in the format like the rest of your paper.

Here is an email to one of the students where I provided examples of how the definitions section should be written.

From an academic book:

Maybe it shouldn't surprise us that a well-educated British Christian would so disparage elements of "primitive religion." ("Primitive religion" denotes the religion of nonliterate peoples broadly, whether hunter-gatherer or agrarian.)

From another area of the chapter:

"Animism" is sometimes definted as the attribution of life to the inanimate--considering rivers and clouds and stars alive. This is part of what Tylor meant by the term, but not all. The primitive animist, in Tyler's scheme, saw living and nonliving things alike as inhabited by--animated by--a soul or spirit; rivers and clouds, birds and beasts, and people, too, has this "ghost-soul," this "vapour film, or shadow," this "cause of life and thought in the individual it animates."

Note how in the second example, the writer gets into a discussion of how the terms compare to the experts with whom he is working. The name of this book I took the above passages from is The Evolution of God by Robert Wright.

Social Advocacy Links

Please see the updated post from class on 2/22.

Last night I reviewed some reference books and found the following links that may help in your research. These links are from How to Track Politics on the Internet and are from the "Education" section:

AskEric
The Center for Education Reform
Nat'l Center for Education Statistics
PTA
Vote Smart/Education
Public Agenda
U.S. Dept. of Education

Writing 102 Mon-Wed What Happened in Class

Wednesday:

The instructor picked up each student's tentative working thesis and three points, the revised Annotated Works Cited, and the list of words for the definitions section. We reviewed a few of the thesis statements on the doc cam.

Next there was an internal text citation handout and the instructor went over it.

The instructor was unable to provide the written research paper assignment as the copy machine was out. The documents are uploaded and available, however:

Research Paper Assignment and Parts of Research Paper

Finally, at the end of the class, we went over the poetry assignment. The three links needed to work on this assignment are at the left: a) poetry assignment, b) poetry explication, and c) "How to Read a Poem."

To Do for Next Class:

Write Point 1, which is due March 1. Write the definitions section.

Read 1st half of "How to Read a Poem" by Wed., Mar 3

On Wed, March 3, students will select their genre. Come prepared with one back up choice. Choose the genre.






Monday:

We exchanged the Annotated Works Cited and each student corrected another's paper. The instructor told what items to look for, such as 12 pt. type, centered "Works Cited" with no boldface, etc.

Next the instructor demonstrated how to come up with a working thesis statement and the three points. She also talked about the definitions section. She asked students for their research question and from the RQ went on to develop a working thesis and three supporting points.

We did a Langan check-in.

Next class:

Due: Corrected Annotated Works Cited.

Working thesis with three supporting points. List of words that will be defined in the paper.

Social Advocacy What Happened in Class

Agenda:

Nuclear Nebraska book discussion on Ch's 3 & 4

Congressional representative materials--check in

Assignments and reading schedule

Position paper writing sections


In the first part of the class, we divided into groups and answered questions on Nuclear Nebraska Ch.'s 3 & 4. The purpose of the questions was to help students recognize was the activists did right and what they might have done better. At the conclusion of the discussion, each group reported on what they thought the best strategies were.

Next we went over the new assignments and reading schedule. The schedule is posted at the end of this blog entry.

We worked from the handout that had been distributed the previous week on the position paper. The instructor put "jobs" on the board and a breakdown of the topics that needed to be written. Students chose to be "researchers," "reporters," "writers," "editors," etc. Then each person chose a topic on which to work.

We turned in the congressional representatives contact list. The instructor emphasized how knowing how people donate can help with organizing a campaign. At a future class, she will go over how to look this material up in more detail.

To do for next class:

Researchers and other people with assignments this week are to bring information for the writers to start on next week.

Read Ch.'s 5 & 6 in Craigin, Action 5 in Kush.

----------------
List of Position Paper Assignments:


Position Paper

Datagraphics & Design: Dariany

Editors: Emily, Monica

Reporters: Pedro, Daryl, Garrett, Dan

Researchers (education, legislation): Allison, Janeika, Ropb't, Nicole, Ananda

Writers: Lisa, Faith, Rich, Yolanda, Justin, Adrienne, Greg

Topics:

Yolanda/Rob't: Why an educated populace is important. Where is the country going? Where are the jobs? What education is needed for such jobs?

Greg/Allison: Trends in the cost of education over the past decade

Adriana/Nicole: How NJ fits into the national scheme (port, immigrants, proximity NYC, etc.)

Lisa/Ananda: Why is NJ important to the nation?

Justin/Reporters/Garrett: Who is the opposition. Names of groups, organizations, etc.

Rich/Faith/Janeka: Legislation currently being considered

----------------

Reading Schedule:

Activity
2/8/10
Ch.'s 3, 4, Craigin
Action 4, Kush
Interest groups
2/22/10
Ch. 5, 6 Craigin
Action 5, Kush
Create legislative agenda
2/29/10
Ch. 7, Craigin
Action 6, Kush
Analyze a bill
4/5/10
Ch. 8, Craigin
Action 7, Kush
Opposition research
4/12/10
Ch. 9, Craigin
Action 8, 15, Kush
Letter writing
4/19/10
Ch. 10, Craigin
Action 10
Compelling Phone Call
4/26/10
Ch. 11, Craigin
Action 11, 17, 20
3” Persuasive Speech
5/3/10
Ch. 12, Craigin
Action 13, 19
Speeches
5/10/10
Ch. 12 Craigin
Online activism

Skipping Actions 9 & 14

Advertising 3960 What Happened in Class

10:27: This email was sent to students a few minutes ago:

I have heard back from one of your colleagues whom I asked to check the link. The link is now working, so you can take the test at your convenience today:

https://www.eztestonline.com/606870/12667658138213800.tp4

So, to be clear: don't go to class today. Take the test at the above link. Check the blog tomorrow because the copywriting assignment will be posted there.

Also, please note that you have to be registered to take the test. If you were in class Monday, you should be registered.

---------------------------
This email was sent to students this morning at around 9:35:

I'm thinking the school might cancel classes today. Even if they don't, I might have trouble getting out on the private road.

So I've come up with an option. Students could take the test today instead and not have to go to class. You can do the same work we'd do in the computer lab from your own home computer.

I have asked one of your colleagues to help me troubleshoot this plan and when I hear back from her, I'll have more information. After our last class, I contacted McGraw-Hill Tech Service and they told me they would have to set up another page. Once I make sure the test appears there, I will be back in touch with you.

I will also post this information at the blog, too.

Instructor

----------------------------------

Note to students: McGraw-Hill says they will have this fixed in 24 hours. We will probably try to take the tests again at the next class.
__________________________________

Link.

We tried to take the EZ Test but the test the instructor prepared did not show up at the publisher's web site. The instructor will consult technical service. Students are now registered for the tests.

Next we chose chapters/questions for the month of March:

March 11, Ch. 8, q. 11, Heather
March 22, q. 6, Ch 9, Emily (CPM), Robert (GRP). Worksheet for each
March 25, Ch. 10, q. 4, Michael, q. 7, Heather, q. 10, Scarov
March 29, Ch. 11, Nicole, q.1, Jackie, q. 9

We talked about direct mail copywriting. The instructor handed out a copy from the d-m piece in the book and pointed out ways the piece immediately gained credibility.

Next class:

Be prepared in case the test issue is resolved (Ch. 4)
Bring a direct mail piece
Be on the lookout for a packaging piece with which to work on features/benefits
Reading: Kennedy, 17-109 (have read before Thurs. class)

Note: I will post the market research assignment here on Tuesday.

Writing 102 What Happened in Class

We worked on the tentative working thesis and supporting points. The instructor took the topics of three separate students and wrote examples of working thesis statements on the overhead. The working thesis statements were derived from the students' original research question.

Next the instructor asked students to review their working thesis statement and the sources they had turned up and which were on the AWC. She asked them to list three points they could prove to support the working thesis. Later, this work was translated into a plan for writing the first two pages and the definition section of the assignment for the next week.

We worked on poetry. The instructor talked about how poetry is concise and intensified. We analyzed Ezra Pound's poem about The Metro. She talked about how one has to get the "cruxes" out in order to understand the poem.

We went to the lab and students typed up their work plan for the week and the instructor reviewed and edited it. In addition, students listed terms for which they had to prepare definitions.

The instructor asked students to put their source for everything they wrote next to where they took it by noting the author's last name. Next week she will show students how to do MLA internal text citation.

Next Week:

Have first half of "How to Read a Poem" read (see link at left, toward bottom)
Write two pages of Point 1 of research paper
Write definitions section
Read Lester, Ch. 3
Work in Langan. Next week the instructor will record completed chapters

Speech 129

Link to student topics.

We listened to "how to" speeches on such topics as salsa, rolling a cigar, taking ones blood pressure, and decaffeinating a cup of tea.

Next the instructor went over the informative speech. We decided upon dates, which will be featured in this blog post.

We chose topics for the informative speeches and the instructor put them on a chart at the link above.

The instructor collected the "I Am" journal papers.

Next class:

Read Ch. 4

Research for speech. Bring five sources annotated and in MLA format next Friday

Advertising 3960 What Happened in Class

We discussed the ad account management assignment and set some dates:

Part A due on Monday, Feb. 22
Email instructor offer or ad information from Mar. 1-11
Instructor has all ad material returned: Mar. 18
Computer lab date to prepare ad materials for newspaper ad layout staff: Mar. 22
Deadline date: April 1

The next class will be in the 4th floor computer lab where we will work together to take the first test. Go directly to 402.

Justin presented his question on marketing warfare. He had a PowerPoint and provided numerous examples for his points.

We watched around 35" of Objectified. The instructor will prepare some questions to bring out the main points she wants students to get from the DVD.

Next class:

Be prepared to take a test on Ch. 4 to prove you read it.
Read Kennedy, 17-70. If we have enough time after the test, we will focus on some copy principles per this reading.

The ad account management dates were added to the calendar. Click the arrows on the upper left to go to March.

Writing 102 Saturday What Happened in Class

Students were asked to get out their Annotated Works Cited and we corrected them in class. Each student exchanged papers with a colleague. The instructor went over various items, such as the correct way to capitalize titles in MLA, whether underlining or italics were correctly formatted, whether there was a one-inch margin or not, and other various criteria. Students corrected the papers and returned them to their colleagues.

Next the instructor introduced Langan. She told students to make regular progress on the chapters and that she would record how many chapters had been done each week. She said students had to do the entire book by the end of the class.

We took a short break and then she distributed the written research paper assignment sheet. We read it in class and put notes on the accompanying table.

We worked with the thesis statement and looked to Lester for help with writing a thesis statement. The instructor advised that only a tentative working thesis was needed at this time. Later, she explained, students would have to introduce an original thesis statement. She explained ways students could add originality to their papers, citing an example of a student who worked at Merck and a student who did a paper about bats. Each of these students were able to bring in originality by observing their surroundings or making a field trip and interviewing experts.

The last item on the agenda was to go over the poetry assignment. Students were to bring criticism for their genre. The instructor recorded which students had this assignment.

The instructor pointed out the three poetry links on the Links section of the blog. She went through the assignment and showed students examples of the completed assignment. A few students kept the assignments and are returning them next week. Those students are: Kenia, Aruna, Diana, and Shalia.

Three students volunteered to have their poetry presentations for March 6: Jennifer, Kenia, and Humberto. These students should email their presentations to the instructor by March 4 so the instructor can photocopy them for the class the next day. Students can, of course, elect to make their own copies if they wish.

Next week:

Make corrections on Annotated Works Cited. Be sure summaries are written for each source (annotation). Bring two copies to class.

Continue to add sources to the Annotated Works Cited. This is part of the research process for the paper.

Do a chapter or two or three in Langan.

In Lester, read Ch's 1 & 2.

Work on the poetry assignment by a) reading the criticism, b) doing research on the genre, 3) locating a poem or mp3 reading of the poem.

Attn: Advertising Students, Kean

I won't be able to make it to class today. Please check your e-mail.

I will see you on Feb. 18.

Mon-Wed Writing 102

Notice: for Wednesday, Febr. 17, we are booked into the computer lab N41 from 8:40 through 9:50 p.m. Go directly to the computer lab. We will be learning to format the MLA Works Cited page, so be sure you have the file of work you have already completed ready.

Mon., Feb. 8

We first met in the classroom before we went to the library. The instructor talked about online citations, which is what we would be doing in the library session.

After getting logged on at the library computer lab, we began doing online citations. The instructor asked students to do three online citations, among them an online encyclopedia entry. She showed students how the entries provided by the database are incorrect.

At our next class session, which will be in the lab, we will learn to format the Works Cited page.

Please note there is no class on Monday, February 15 (holiday).

On Wednesday, February 17, we will meet in the classroom and then head to the lab.

Next week: students should be accumulating 10 citations for their research paper. They should be written in MLA format and each should include a summary. We will work on formatting them at the next class.

Social Advocacy What Happened in Class

February 8 class:

Results of Vote (which issue):

Education: 10
Haiti: 1
Healthcare: 5
Unemployment: 2
Social Inequality: 2

What We Did in Class:

First the instructor talked about the section of the country in which Nuclear Nebraska takes place. She showed a Powerpoint. She distributed a handout with five questions and students went into pairs to complete the questions. Later we discussed the questions.

The instructor distributed a NY Times editorial about student loan money and how the Senate is holding up the vote.

Next we discussed the issue on which we wanted to work. We voted and the results are listed above.

We then went to the computer lab and the instructor showed students how to look up their congressional representatives. She handed out a worksheet for the students to record the information. The purpose of this exercise was to show students how to find the information and also to keep the information for purposes of communication later on in the class.

In addition, students learned how to find out who is donating to their representatives and how much money has been given to them.

Next week:

No class because of the holiday.

Week of Febr. 22:

--Read Ch's 3 & 4 in Nuclear Nebraska
--Read Action 4 in Kush

----------------------------------


Links for class:

Equality Trust

Equality research

Computer Lab:

Find your representatives and how they voted. Also who donates to them.

Who donates to politicians: Open Secrets

Advertising 3960 What Happened in Class

Mon., Feb. 8:

We created a spreadsheet and each student stated their potential client.

The instructor reminded the class there is no session on Monday, Feb. 15 (holiday), so we went over the readings and clarified the test dates. They are listed below, under "Next Week."

Prof. Pat Lauro and Eileen Ruf of the Comm. Department visited us to talk about the role of the student newspaper, how it differs from the Cougars Byte, and how to work with the advertising schedule and media kit.

We watched one Superbowl ad at the end of class. We will watch others at our next class.

Next class:

Finish Ch. 4. We will take the exam for Ch. 4 on Feb. 18.
Read Ch's 5 & 6. The exam for Ch. 5 is on Feb 22 and the exam for Ch. 6 is on Feb. 25.
Review the media kit and contact your advertiser.

---------------------
Thursday:
Links for class:

Superbowl ads

Fans create Superbowl ads

Finalists on Superbowl ads

Writing 102 Saturday IMPORTANT

No class tomorrow. I received an email from the Dir. of Public Safety and school is cancelled.

See you 2/13.

Public Speaking 129 What Happened in Class

Important: The deadline for the "I Am" paper has been extended. It will be due on Feb. 19.

We talked about preparation for speeches. The instructor answered questions about the interviews for the "I Am" paper.

Two interviews were assigned for this week, and we traded the interviews and the instructor checked them in.

Next we had a quiz on Ch. 1. We graded the quizzes in class.

The instructor gave a brief overview of MLA citation, which is what we learned during the remainder of the class. We went to the library and wrote citations for a book with two authors, an encyclopedia entry, and a newspaper or magazine entry.

After writing the citations, we formatted the MLA citation page by adding a header, centering the title, italicizing names of books, added quotations to articles, and then we double-spaced the entire page.

Next week:

"How-to" speeches. The first people to go will be the four who were supposed to go 2/5, next will be the volunteers and if we run out of volunteers, the instructor will call on students. All students must be ready for the 12th but if a student has a good deal of equipment to bring, it should be brought up with the instructor via e-mail.


Read Ch's. 1-3.

Work on "I Am" paper.

Bring MLA citation guide, as we will be working with online databases.

Writing 102 Mon-Wed

Note to class: on Monday, we will be in the computer lab at the library. I think it's L112. On this date, meet at the classroom first. On Wednesday, we will be in the computer lab in N41, 8:40-9:45. Go directly to the lab.


Wednesday

We discussed research paper topics and then went to the library to work on online citations.

To do for next class:

Work on getting 10 sources/citations for your research paper.


Monday

The instructor returned writing samples with comments on what she wanted students to work on and also with suggestions for the research paper.

She explained the process for doing print citations in MLA and, using the doc cam, showed how to set up the page for the library session.

We went the library and started with a book citation with two authors. We then moved on to doing an encyclopedia citation and a newspaper citation.

At our next class session, we will go to the library and do citations from the library's databases.

Next class:

Students should be reading and researching for their research paper. Keep bookmarks of all research that seems promising. An upcoming assignment calls for 10 citations, annotated (summarized).

Advertising 3960 What Happened in Class

Thursday

Note: the market research assignment can be copied and pasted. It is at the end of this blog post.

First Carly talked about "noise" in advertising. She had overhead visual aids. On Monday of next week, Justin will talk about his question from Ch. 2.

Next the instructor showed students input from the writing they did at the last class (what they wanted to learn from the class). She divided the responses by 3960 and 3100.

The market research assignment was read and the instructor explained it and took students to surveymonkey.com.

The last item on the agenda was a media clip which the class listened to. Later the instructor explained how students could begin their careers now by building a blog in an area in which they are interested. She talked about a student whose interest was in local sports. Then she showed students the LOLCats site as an example of a site that generates large amounts of traffic and revenue and which employs 22 people.

The clip discussed sites where the blog owners make $200,000 a year covering such things as suburban news.

Emily told about textfromlastnight.com, which performs a similar function.

Next week:

The instructor said the testing procedure is being set up and she will provide further information on it on Monday.

Students are to read half of Ch. 4 by Monday and the other half by Thursday. The exam for this chapter will be on the week of the 15th.

Students electing to work on a market research project should locate a client and interview them for what their biggest business problem is. This information will be used for writing the questions for the survey. Students doing this assignment should also open an account at surveymonkey.com.


Monday
The instructor asked students for feedback on what they wanted to learn from the course. Students put this in writing under "3100" and "3960."

Next was a pop quiz on market research. We corrected the quizzes in class.

The account management assignment was handed out. We went over the assignment in class, reading through it and brainstorming what the three benefits to advertisers were.

Next class:

We will work with material from the chapters 1-4.

Instructor will show students how to take the tests for the chapters

Next Monday:

Guests Eileen Ruf and Pat Lauro will discuss the newspaper ad submission process and the newspaper content of The Tower.

Have your advertiser selected and be ready to tell who it is for the spreadsheet.

----------------------------

Market Research Assignment Advertising 3960


Using the questions in Ch. 7 of the text as a guide, write a total of 10 questions for your client. The last two are demographic (m/f and age or income category, whichever is most relevant.


Turn in the questions for review by the instructor.


After the questions are returned, revise them and put them in two forms:


a) Word doc

b) surveymonkey.com


Get at least 25 people to take the survey so you have a printout and can analyze the answers.


Turn in all three documents to the instructor for a grade.