Final Blog Post

Hello Class!

This will be my final post to this blog. I hope that you have learned a bit over the course of the semester. My students never cease to amaze me. I think I learn just as much from my students, if not more, than my students learn from me. In short, I have had a great time with you this semester, and wish each of you a relaxing and happy winter break.

After I returned home last night, I updated all of the grades on D2L.  Everything completed during the semester should be reflected in D2L, so take a look at it to see your final points total for the class  There is a column at the end of your grades that should total up all of your earned points.  Take a look at it then find your total on the following scale to see your grade in the class:

A 950-1000
A- 900-949
B+ 870-899
B 840-869
B- 800-839
C+ 770-799
C 740-769
C- 700-739
D+ 670-699
D 640-669
D- 600-639
F 600 and below

I will post grades at some point tomorrow, but I don't think they will be released for a day or two. The mysjsu system will release grades at its own pace.

I will check the class email address until Sunday. After Sunday, if you need to contact me, please do so at my SJSU email account, which can be found on my faculty webpage. I will no longer check the class email address after Sunday, please make note of this!

Again, I have had a great time with you all this semester, and hope that you have a wonderful winter!

Signing off for the last time.....

The Blogging Prof

Group Facilitation Papers

Hello Folks!

I will be returning a few Group Facilitation Papers tonight, but the majority will be returned tomorrow.  We can chat about why they will be returned after your final exam, tomorrow when we meet in person.

Have a wonderful night everyone, and I will see you tomorrow for the final.

:)
The Blogging Prof.

Last day of office hours

Hi Folks,

Just a reminder that today will be my last day for office hours.

Have a great day, and see you on Thursday.

:)
The Blogging Prof.

Final Exam Reminders

Hello Folks,

As previously noted, our final exam will be THIS THURSDAY, December 16th.  Listed below is the final exam schedule for Comm 41.  Please find your section, and show up at the appropriate place and time.

Section 81
Date:  December 16, 2010
Time: 5:15pm
Location: CL229

Section 82
Date:  December 16, 2010
Time: 5:15pm
Location: CL229

Section 83
Date:  December 16, 2010
Time: 7:45pm
Location: CL229

Remember, this is an open book/open notes final exam.  You will work individually, but will have your notes to rely on.

See you all on Thursday!

Office Hours

Hello Folks,

As a reminder, I will be holding office hours through next week.  If you want to chat we can connect through Yahoo Messenger, a phone conversation, or through email.

Have a great day!
:)
The Blogging Prof.

Week of December 5 - 9: It's a SHORT week.

Hello Class!  This is our final week of class, our final chapter reading, and our final discussion.  After Thursday, which is the last day to post for discussion, we will no longer have any responsibility in this class EXCEPT for the final exam on December 16th.  As a reminder, here is the final exam schedule for Comm 41:


Section 81
Date:  December 16, 2010
Time: 5:15pm
Location: CL229

Section 82
Date:  December 16, 2010
Time: 5:15pm
Location: CL229

Section 83
Date:  December 16, 2010
Time: 7:45pm
Location: CL229


NOTE:  After you are done with your final exam, you may leave.  I will not keep you past the time you finish the exam.


Here is what's on the Schedule and Participation Pages for this week:
Due this week:
*Read Chapter 14, Generalizing
*Participate in Week 13 discussion.


Discussion Questions:
Answer one question in its entirety in each of your three separate posts - due to the short week, there is NO time restriction for posts.  You may complete them all at the same time, so please start early!!!. EACH POST MUST BE 150 WORDS OR MORE.

1). What have you learned in this class over the course of the semester?  Please be specific.

2). What was your favorite thing about this class?  What was your least favorite thing about this class?  How can this class be improved?

3). Pick one concept or idea from any point in the semester, or in Chapter 14, that you found useful or interesting.

Comments - Remember to post ONE comment ON THREE DIFFERENT BLOGS between 12:01am on Sunday and 11:59pm on Thursday night. Remember to comment within your section.  Each comment must be a minimum of 100 words.

Group Facilitation Papers

I have received your papers and I am in the process of confirming your paper submissions.  You should receive an email from me today confirming that I have received your paper on time.

There has been some question about the Group Participation Assessments that we completed for our first project.  I have canceled the assessment for this project because most students worked so well together during the first project, I saw no need to repeat the process.  I generally have students complete a Group Participation Assessment during the first project, and for each subsequent project when things are a bit rocky in their groups.  However, during the first project, there was an overwhelming response to stay in the same group, and an abundance of students reporting that they were working really well together, that I saw no need to give you additional work. 

I mentioned there was no individual part to this essay, and no assessment in THIS post.  Please review it. 

For those of you that submitted Group Participation Assessments, I really appreciate it!  It gives me a little glimpse into the inner-workings of your group.   If you have not, please do not complete one.  That only makes more work for you. 

Look out for a post a bit later today with what's due for this week.

:)
The Blogging Prof.

Grades Posted

Hello Folks,

Grades have been updated.  Please look over your grade for the last few weeks of discussion and email me if there are any issues.

Have a fabulous night!
:)
The Blogging Prof.

More final exam notes

Folks have been asking for a study sheet for the final exam.  I do not provide a study sheet, however, the exam is open book/open notes.  So be sure to bring your books and/or notes with you to the final exam on the 16th.

You will NOT need a scantron sheet - just a pen/pencil, notes and your course books.

I hope this helps to clarify some questions.

:)
The Blogging Prof.

Final Exam Confirmation

On October 29th I posted THIS notice to my blog.  To follow up with that post, I noted on October 31st in THIS post, that folks had until November 6th at the latest to make alternate arrangements if there was a University accepted scheduling conflict.  Please review the posts to refresh your memory if needed.  If no alternative arrangements were made by November 6th, you are required to take the final exam in accordance with the final exam schedule as set by San Jose State University. 

In accordance with the SJSU Final Exam Schedule, the Comm 41 final exams will be administered on December 16th at 5:15pm and 7:45pm.  Please note that these dates/times are not chosen by me, but by the University, as they set the final exam schedule.

Your specific final exam will be administered according to this schedule:

Section 81
Date:  December 16, 2010
Time: 5:15pm
Location: CL229


Section 82
Date:  December 16, 2010
Time: 5:15pm
Location: CL229

Section 83
Date:  December 16, 2010
Time: 7:45pm
Location: CL229

Week of November 28 - December 4

Hello Class! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving Holiday.

Here is what's on the Schedule and Participation Pages for this week:

*Read Chapter 13 - Numbers?

*Take Test#4 in the class on Chapters 8-10, 12, 13 & 15 by 11:59pm on Saturday

*Continue to work on your final project in this course. Remember, your Group Facilitation Projects are due by December 4th @ 11:59pm. Please submit your projects early to avoid late penalty. As you will notice on the syllabus, the penalty for late submissions is 50%. As a reminder, this project is worth 20% of your grade, so make sure it's your absolute BEST work.  There is no individual portion, or evaluation portion to this paper.  The project is worth 200 points, and will be based on the group paper and corresponding video.

Week of November 21-27

There is nothing to do this week besides working on your final project.

Reminder:  Final projects are due by December 4, 2010 @ 11:59pm.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!

Critical Thinking and Social Organizations - Returned

I will be emailing everyone the evaluation sheet for the group papers late tonight.  I will email your group, with a pdf attachment. 

Overall, y'all did a great job on the papers. 

The Blogging Prof.

Office Hours Reminder

Hello Folks,

Today is Tuesday, which means that I am holding office hours until 11am this morning.  You can chat with me three ways:

1). Yahoo Messenger
2). Email
3). Phone - message me and we can set up a time to chat.  I'm always available to chat by phone.

Have a great day!
The Blogging Prof.

Readings for this week

Hello Folks,

There have been some questions regarding the reading for this week.  Please read through both websites that I have linked on my blog (see post below).  Basically I want you to click through and read the links on both websites.  Spend some time reading through the material.  Some material may be review, and some will be brand new.  So click through the links and read both websites.

Let me know if you have any questions about the reading this week.

The Blogging Prof.

Week of November 14-20

Hello Class!

Here is what's on the Schedule and Participation Pages for this week:
Due this week:
*Read Chapter 15, Cause and Effect.
*Participate in Week 14 discussion.
*Read Cause Effect Website
*Read through and participate in the Mission Critical Website
*Keep working on Assignment #3. 

Discussion Questions:
Answer one question in its entirety in each of your three separate posts, at least 12 hours apart. Please make sure you are creating a NEW POST for each question on your blog. You MUST WAIT at least 12 hours from the first post in order to create a second post. The same is true for the second and third post. I will record dates and time of your posts, so make sure they are at least 12 hours apart. EACH POST MUST BE 150 WORDS OR MORE.

1). What was useful about the Cause and Effect website reading and exercises?

2). What was useful about the Mission Critical webiste?

3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading (chapter 15), that we have not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

Comments - Remember to post ONE comment ON THREE DIFFERENT BLOGS between 12:01am on Sunday and 11:59pm on Saturday. This means that you will log onto MY BLOG at: http://comm41fall2010.blogspot.com/ and look under the section YOU ARE ENROLLED IN to see a list of your colleagues blogs. Click on those blogs, read what was posted for this week and respond. You need to make sure you are responding to only what was discussed THIS WEEK (starting Sunday and ending Saturday of the current week). Comments posted to blogs that were NOT within this week will not be counted for points. Each comment must be a minimum of 100 words.

Veteran's Day

Reminder:  Thursday is Veteran's Day.  SJSU will be closed, and I will not be holding office hours.  I will be checking email on Thursday, and throughout the weekend.

:)
The Blogging Prof.

Reasoning by Analogy

Chapter 12 covers the topic of reasoning by analogy. While I have taught this course before, the texts that I have chosen have covered many forms of reasoning, not just one or two. I used to use a book called "Everyday Argumentation", but have since switched over to the Epstein text for a number of reasons.

Other forms of reasoning I cover in my other classes are:

1). Reasoning by Analogy
2). Sign Reasoning
3). Causal Reasoning
4). Reasoning by Criteria
5). Reasoning by Example
6). Inductive
7). Deductive

You can click on the links above to take you to another webpage that explains different types of reasoning. While I do not encourage students to use wikipedia as a source on formal papers (at least until more regulation is in place for wikipedia), it is a great place to start research. The bottom of most wikipedia pages will have a list of resources. That list is a students best friend, not the wikipedia page itself.

There are also a couple of different types of links listed above.

You are more than welcome to apply any of these types of reasoning to your final projects in this course. Since you must apply a number of course concepts, feel free to use this list of reasoning when writing about your group facilitation's.

Week of November 7 - 13

Hello Class!

Here is what's on the Schedule and Participation Pages for this week:
Due this week:
*Read Chapter 12, Reasoning by Analogy.
*Participate in Week 13 discussion.
*Keep working on Assignment #3. 

Discussion Questions:
Answer one question in its entirety in each of your three separate posts, at least 12 hours apart. Please make sure you are creating a NEW POST for each question on your blog. You MUST WAIT at least 12 hours from the first post in order to create a second post. The same is true for the second and third post. I will record dates and time of your posts, so make sure they are at least 12 hours apart. EACH POST MUST BE 150 WORDS OR MORE.

1). Read through the different types of reasoning posted to the instructors blog.  Give an example of each type of reasoning outlined on the instructors blog.  The example should be something the folks in class can relate to, so try to use real world examples.

2). Sometimes when something is diffciult to understand, it becomes a bit clearer when we try to explain it to someone else.  Which type of reasoning was most difficult to understand?  Please do some additional internet research on that specific type of reasoning and discuss what you learned.

3). Pick one concept or idea from the assigned reading, that we have not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting, and discuss it.

Comments - Remember to post ONE comment ON THREE DIFFERENT BLOGS between 12:01am on Sunday and 11:59pm on Saturday. This means that you will log onto MY BLOG at: http://comm41fall2010.blogspot.com/ and look under the section YOU ARE ENROLLED IN to see a list of your colleagues blogs. Click on those blogs, read what was posted for this week and respond. You need to make sure you are responding to only what was discussed THIS WEEK (starting Sunday and ending Saturday of the current week). Comments posted to blogs that were NOT within this week will not be counted for points. Each comment must be a minimum of 100 words.

Turn your clocks back tonight.....

Hello Folks!

Please remember to turn your clocks back tonight before you go to bed.

Have a great weekend!
:)
The Blogging Prof.

FAQ's about the Small Group Facilitation Project

Hello Wonderful Students! I have come up with a frequently asked questions list to answer some questions that have come up over the last week or so about the Small Group Facilitation Project. I will post more a bit later, but email me if you have additional questions, and I will post more FAQ's as they come in.  Here they are:

1). Do I have to gather 5-7 people at the same time?
Yes - this is THE culminating project in this class and will cover concepts from both texts. Because it is a small group project, you will need to gather7-10  people to make that happen. You can gather family, friends, folks from church, etc... to help you with this project. Promising people food is always a motivator.  The 7-10 folks are in addition to the folks from class.  The folks from class are simply observers and facilitators.  The group of 7-10 folks are the participants and will be making the decisions about the case study.

2). Am I a part of the project?
Yes and No - You act as the facilitator of the project (see assignment sheet), but you will not be a part of the small group itself. You will ask probing questions to find patterns of small group communication, critical thinking, reasoning, arguments, etc.... but you will not be a part of that process. Rather, you will facilitate the process. Then you will write about what concepts emerged in the required essay.

3). What is the due date of the project?
The due date is no later than December 4th @ 11:59pm. Any submissions after 11:59pm (even one minute) will result in a 50% deduction.

4). I can't upload more than 10 minutes to youtube, what do I do?
You can do a number of things. You can split up your video into multiple parts and upload it that way. You can find another free video hosting website and upload it there. You can copy the facilitation onto a DVD and turn it into the Communication Studies Office. As long as I can verify that they facilitation took place with the minimum number of folks required, I will accept it.

5). I can't find 7-10 people. All of my friends are busy. What do I do?
Because you are working in groups of approximately 5 people from class, you should have no problem gathering 7-10 folks.

6). If I submit an audio/video tape will I get it back?
No. Unfortunately, due to budget constrictions at SJSU, all audio/video tapes MUST be uploaded to the web.  In previous semesters students were able to drop off tapes, but the Comm. Dept. Office has requested that students do not drop off tapes.  Please record your facilitation by video and upload it to YouTube or Vimeo.

7). What type of probing questions should I ask my group when I'm facilitating the discussion?
Whatever types of questions you would like. You might want to think it through ahead of time to possibly be prepared with some questions before your group arrives to your facilitation activity.

8). Since this is a small group project, will I be working with the same group from class?
Yes.  You will be working in the same group you have been working with all semester.  However, the 7-10 people you will gather SHOULD NOT be students from class, rather, outside participants.

9). How are you going to grade the essay?
There is a grading sheet attached to the assignment sheet. Please review the grading sheet in its entirety before beginning the project, and refer to it often while writing your paper. There should be NO ambiguity when it comes to how I will grade this project.

10). I don't have a tape recorder and I don't know how to post a video to youtube.
Well, to be honest, you're just going to have to figure this one out. You are required to turn in an audio tape, video tape, or youtube video so I can verify that your facilitation took place. You wouldn't believe how many people will try to fake a project like this.

Grades Posted

Hi Folks!

I have just finished posting grades for the week of October 17th - October 23rd.  Please take a look at your grade on D2L and let me know if you have any questions.

I will not email you individually about your grades from this point forward.  You should, by now, check at least weekly to review your updated grades.  (Plus, most students do not have questions on a continual basis, rendering my emails almost useless when you can simply log onto D2L and check your grades whenever you have time).

I hope you all have a great day today!
:)
The Blogging Prof.

Election Day

Hello Folks,

I will be exercising my right to vote, and I hope that you will too.  My office hours will be cut a bit short because of the voting process, but if you need to contact me, please email me.  I will check my email all day long today.

Happy Election Day Everyone!
:)
The Blogging Prof.

Week of October 31 - November 6

Hello Class! Here is what's on the Schedule and Participation Pages for this week:
Due this week:
*Read Chapter 10, Too Much Emotion.
*Participate in Week 12 discussion.
*Keep working on Assignment #3.  I will post some FAQ's this week, so keep an eye out for that.
*Note on the Final Exam:  Review the post before this one about the final exam (if you haven't already).  The final exam will be held on the SJSU campus on December 16th at either 5:15pm or 7:45pm in accordance with the SJSU final exam schedule for online classes.  If there is a scheduling conflict, you have until the end of the week to contact me (email me by November 6th @ 11:59pm).  If I do not hear from you by that date and time, it is assumed that you will be at the final exam with no scheduling conflicts.  If there is a scheduling conflict, you will need to make yourself available for the final exam on Dec. 16th. 

Discussion Questions:
Answer one question in its entirety in each of your three separate posts, at least 12 hours apart. Please make sure you are creating a NEW POST for each question on your blog. You MUST WAIT at least 12 hours from the first post in order to create a second post. The same is true for the second and third post. I will record dates and time of your posts, so make sure they are at least 12 hours apart. EACH POST MUST BE 150 WORDS OR MORE.

1). Discuss the idea of Appeal to Emotion. There are different aspects of Appeal to Emotion, which type of Appeal to Emotion strikes you, and why?

2). Pertaining to page 195, complete objective 1, 2, 3, 6 or 7. (Please choose only one to complete).

3). Pick one concept, idea or exercise from the assigned reading, that we have no already discussed, that you found useful or interesting, and discuss it.

Comments - Remember to post ONE comment ON THREE DIFFERENT BLOGS between 12:01am on Sunday and 11:59pm on Saturday. This means that you will log onto MY BLOG at: http://comm41fall2010.blogspot.com/ and look under the section YOU ARE ENROLLED IN to see a list of your colleagues blogs. Click on those blogs, read what was posted for this week and respond. You need to make sure you are responding to only what was discussed THIS WEEK (starting Sunday and ending Saturday of the current week). Comments posted to blogs that were NOT within this week will not be counted for points. Each comment must be a minimum of 100 words.

Final Exam Date

Hello Folks,

I have been getting a few questions about the final exam date.  As it states on the schedule, syllabus and participation pages on D2L, the final exam is TBD.  I have sent in a room request form for Thursday, December 16th, but have yet to hear back.  I assumed that I would have heard back by now, but I alas, I have not.

I'm pretty sure the exam will be on December 16th at either 5:00pm or 7:15pm.  I will email your specific section with a time and location, but plan on the final exam on Dec. 16th.  This is in direct accordance with the SJSU final exam schedule for online classes.

Please email immediately if you have a valid scheduling conflict.

:)
The Blogging Prof.

Office Hours Delayed but Extended

Hello Folks,

I will hold office hours, but I will be a bit late.  A last minute appointment was scheduled this morning that I can't get out of.  I expect to be online about 10am or 10:30am.  I will be online for a couple of hours after I log on, so stop by if you want to chat.

If for some reason I miss you, we can schedule a time to chat today either over the phone or online.

My apologies about the change in office hours.

The Blogging Prof.

UPDATE:  I logged on at 10am, and will be online until at least 12pm.  

Week of October 24th - October 30th

Hello Folks!

Here is what is listed on the Schedule and Participation Page from D2L for this week.

Due this week:
*Read Appendix: Truth Tables, pages 359-372
*Read Appendix: Aristotelian Logic, pages 373-383
*Get in contact with your group and start working on the final assignment in this class - Group Facilitation. 

There is no discussion this week, so please use this time wisely and get a jump start on your final assignment.  I will post more about the final assignment this week.

Office Hours Reminder

Hello Folks!

As a reminder, I will not be holding office hours today.  If you need to chat, please email me as I will be checking email regularly.


Have a great day!
:)
The Blogging Prof.

Week of October 17th - October 23th

Hello Folks!

Here is what is listed on the Participation Page from D2L for this week.

Due this week:
*Read Chapter 8: General Claims
*Participate in the discussion (see questions below)
*The second group paper is due this Saturday. Please have ONE group member email me the final paper by Saturday, October 23, 2010 by 11:59pm.

Discussion Questions:
Answer one question in its entirety in each of your three separate posts, at least 12 hours apart. Please make sure you are creating a NEW POST for each question on your blog. You MUST WAIT at least 12 hours from the first post in order to create a second post. The same is true for the second and third post. I will record dates and time of your posts, so make sure they are at least 12 hours apart. EACH POST MUST BE 150 WORDS OR MORE.

1).Please discuss, in detail, what you learned from reading Chapter 8.  Discuss at least 2 things you learned.
Please explain the concepts and give a personal example or personal story for each.

2). Since we are almost finished with assignment #2, please discuss the usefulness of the first or second major course assignment. Use specific examples.

3). Pick one concept in the class that we have covered so far in the class that you think needs further discussion.  Please do some additional web research on that particular topic and discuss what you have found.  Include weblinks in your blog post so the class can see what you have researched, and so the class can gain greater understanding of that particular topic.  (Note:  You might want to go back and read through your blog to see what you found difficult to understand from simply reading the book.  This will help you understand that topic a little more thoroughly, and help others in the class understand a bit more too - it's called community learning).  :) 

Comments - Remember to post ONE comment ON THREE DIFFERENT BLOGS between 12:01am on Sunday and 11:59pm on Saturday. This means that you will log onto MY BLOG at: http://comm41fall2010.blogspot.com/ and look under the section YOU ARE ENROLLED IN to see a list of your colleagues blogs. Click on those blogs, read what was posted for this week and respond. You need to make sure you are responding to only what was discussed THIS WEEK (starting Sunday and ending Saturday of the current week). Comments posted to blogs that were NOT within this week will not be counted for points. Each comment must be a minimum of 100 words.

Until later......

The Blogging Prof.


SIDE NOTE ABOUT OFFICE HOURS THIS WEEK:  I will hold office hours on Tuesday, but will not be holding office hours on Thursday.  I will be attending a 3 day workshop starting very early Thursday morning, and will be unable to be near a computer during the day.  I will be checking my email regularly.

D2L Issues

Hi folks,

I received emails regarding network issues from a number of folks across all three sections of Comm 41 about D2L issues. Unfortunately I only have connectivity through my iPhone and can't deal with the D2L issues until I return from the marathon on Sunday night.

Please be assured that there was an issue with D2L tonight close to the deadline of the midterm, and I will take appropriate steps to get things figured out when I return from the marathon. Rest easy, we'll figure this thing out!

:)
The Blogging Prof.

Instructor Availability over the weekend

Hello Everyone!

I will be participating in the Nike Women's Marathon over the weekend, and will not be readily available as I usually am.  I will check my email on and off over the weekend, but I cannot guarantee that I will be able to answer your email until Sunday night!

Good luck on the midterm!
:)
The Blogging Prof.

Scanner Issues

Hello Folks -

I will return your grades for the News and Politics assignment on Friday.  My apologies!

Until tomorrow.....

Week of October 10th - October 16th

There are only two things due this week:

1). MIDTERM:  Be sure to take the midterm (or test #3) this week.  Please have it submitted by the end of the week, which is on Saturday, by 11:59pm.  Start early so you can have the test submitted early.  The test covers Chapters 1-7, 9&11.  Please work independently for this test, do not share answers, test questions, etc....

2). Continue working on Assignment #2 - Critical Thinking in Social Organizations.

Reminders and Notes:
* Your second paper is due by Saturday, October 23 by 11:59pm.  There is no individual portion to this paper, only the group paper.

*Since this is midterm week, it's going to be pretty quiet around my blog, and your colleagues blogs.

*Your first assignment will be returned by Thursday night (at the latest).  I will email it to all group members.

*I will post grades for the last two weeks of blogging during the week. I will post to my blog when I have completed that.

*I have compiled all of the 'grade your group-mates' grades.  It looks like most of you worked really well together.  Heck, most of you graded one another very high.  This along with the overwhelming majority vote to stay in the same groups for the second assignment tells me that most groups across all three sections are working well in their groups.  Since most groups are working very well together, I will not require you to grade each other for this paper.  I will simply grade the group essay out of 100 points rather than splitting the grade into two sections (group paper 80 points, grading assessment 20 points).  Most folks did really well working in their groups, so I see no need to do another round of grading each other.  This will take the pressure off you to grade each other for this project.  :)

Until later......

Week of October 3rd - October 9th

Hello Folks!

Here is what is listed on the Participation Page from D2L for this week.

Due this week:
*Read Chapter 6: Compound Claims
*Read Chapter 7: Counterarguments
*Participate in the discussion (see questions below)
*Complete the Argument Mapping Tutorial: CLICK HERE to go to the tutorial.

Discussion Questions:
Answer one question in its entirety in each of your three separate posts, at least 12 hours apart. Please make sure you are creating a NEW POST for each question on your blog. You MUST WAIT at least 12 hours from the first post in order to create a second post. The same is true for the second and third post. I will record dates and time of your posts, so make sure they are at least 12 hours apart. EACH POST MUST BE 150 WORDS OR MORE.

1).Please discuss, in detail, what you learned from reading Chapter 6.  Discuss at least 2 things you learned.

2). Please discuss, in detail, what you learned from reading Chapter 7.  Discuss at least 2 things you learned.

3). Pick one concept from either text, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it. Use either Chapter 6 or Chapter 7.

Comments - Remember to post ONE comment ON THREE DIFFERENT BLOGS between 12:01am on Sunday and 11:59pm on Saturday. This means that you will log onto MY BLOG at: http://comm41fall2010.blogspot.com/ and look under the section YOU ARE ENROLLED IN to see a list of your colleagues blogs. Click on those blogs, read what was posted for this week and respond. You need to make sure you are responding to only what was discussed THIS WEEK (starting Sunday and ending Saturday of the current week). Comments posted to blogs that were NOT within this week will not be counted for points. Each comment must be a minimum of 100 words.


MIDTERM: As a reminder, the midterm exam is next week. It will cover chapters 1-7, 9 & 11. Please start studying early. You are more than welcome to study in groups, but the midterm is AN INDIVIDUAL EXAM. Please do not share questions/answers with anyone - you must work alone on the exam.

Voting Results

Here is the email I just sent out to all sections:

Hello Sections 81, 82 & 83,

The opportunity to vote has now passed.  Due to overwhelming response, you will stay in the same groups to complete the second paper, as you did for the first paper. 

I must admit, I'm shocked at the results.  Across all sections, and out of 75 students, only a couple of folks voted to switch groups.  When I say a 'couple' of students, I really mean one or two students total out of 75.  I don't think I have ever had such a positive response to stay in the same groups!  Wow!!!  Working in the same groups will allow you to really get to know your group-mate's and gel together even more as a group. 

Please set up an initial meeting with your existing group to start working on your second project (Critical Thinking and Social Organizations).  Please elect one person to email me from your group to let me know when your first meeting will be (start a new email, DO NOT reply to this email).  Please set up the meeting date/time/location by Saturday, October 2 @ 11:59pm.  This means that you should simply have a meeting date/time set up - you do not have to meet by that time.  Do not be afraid to call the folks in your group.  Sometimes folks get a bit busy and forget to check their email.

Let me know if there are any questions about this project.
:)
Carol

Note:  The reason why I asked each student to vote is because I really want YOU to be a part of the decision making of this course.  I have found that students too often do not have a say in their classes, and after all, this is YOUR education, right?  So voting for groups is one way to get you involved in the decision making process of this course.

After looking over the results, it looks like I heard from at least 2 members of every group.  That tells me that something is working right within the group process!  YOU determine your experience in this class, and I'm very glad I'm able to give the students back some power over their education. 

I look forward to hearing from each group about their first scheduled meeting.  Remember, your first meeting MUST be in real time (conference call, in-person meeting, or real time chat). 

Voting

Hello Folks!

As you know, I sent out an email earlier this week regarding your preference to either keep the same group you have already worked with, or switch to a new group.  Please reply to that email by midnight tonight to cast your vote.

I can't wait to hear from each of you!
:)
The Blogging Prof.

Week of September 26th - October 2nd

Hello Folks!

Here is what's listed on the Schedule Page from Desire2Learn:

*Read Chapter 4 - Repairing Arguments
*Read Chapter 5 - Is that true?
*Quiz/Test - There is a Quiz/Test on Desire2Learn this week. It will be available from today and will end on Saturday. You must log onto Desire2Learn to take Test #2. There are 25 questions on the test, each question is worth 2 points. The quiz/test is on chapters 1-5, 9 & 11. You will have 35 minutes to complete the quiz/test. It is an open book/open notes quiz. DO NOT SHARE ANSWERS WITH ANYONE FROM THIS CLASS OR ANOTHER Comm 41 CLASS. Please review the Academic Integrity Policy on the Quizzes/Tests Page on Desire2Learn.
*Start working with your group on Assignment #2 - Critical Evaluation of a Social Organization. It is quite a bit more involved than Assignment #1, so please start early. I will need notification of when your group meets for this assignment as well, so please set up a meeting and email me ASAP with your meeting date and time.
*Participate in Week 6 Discussion.

Discussion Questions:
Answer one question in its entirety in each of your three separate posts, at least 12 hours apart. Please make sure you are creating a NEW POST for each question on your blog. You MUST WAIT at least 12 hours from the first post in order to create a second post. The same is true for the second and third post. I will record dates and time of your posts, so make sure they are at least 12 hours apart. EACH POST MUST BE 150 WORDS OR MORE.

1). In our last discussion week we talked about Violating the Principle of Rational Discussion (page 202) and Content Fallacies (page 201). This week I would like you to discuss the idea of repairing arguments. For this question, please come up with an argument that needs to be repaired. Look over the examples on pages 63-67. Come up with your own example and 'discuss' it as they do in the text. To accomplish this, you should understand the Principle of Rational Discussion and the concept of Repairing Arguments.

2). Concerning Section C in Chapter 5, Advertising on the Internet. Please find a piece of advertising on the internet, provide a link on your blog, a screenshot, or include the advertisement in your post so the class can see what you are discussing. You should then relate the piece of advertising back to the concepts in Sections A & B in chapter 5 and discuss.

3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

Comments - Remember to post ONE comment ON THREE DIFFERENT BLOGS between 12:01am on Sunday and 11:59pm on Saturday. This means that you will log onto MY BLOG at: http://comm41fall2010.blogspot.com/ and look under the section YOU ARE ENROLLED IN to see a list of your colleagues blogs. Click on those blogs, read what was posted for this week and respond. You need to make sure you are responding to only what was discussed THIS WEEK (starting Sunday and ending Saturday of the current week). Comments posted to blogs that were NOT within this week will not be counted for points. Each comment must be a minimum of 100 words.

DUE TOMORROW

Hello Folks!

As you know, the fist group assignment "Critical Thinking in News and Politics" is due tomorrow night by 11:59pm.  Make sure you submit your assignment early to avoid late penalty.

Elect one member of your group to submit the final assignment.  There should only be one document, the group portion the paper should be first, then each individual paper should be listed after the group portion.

Look out for an instructor wrap up this weekend.

Until later....
The Blogging Prof.

Week of September 19th - September 25th

Hello Folks!

Here is what is listed on the Schedule and Participation Page from D2L for this week. 

Due this week:
*Read Chapter 9 in the Epstein text -Concealed Claims

NOTE:  The first assignment, Critical Thinking in News and Politics is due by Saturday, September 25 @ 11:59pm.

There is no discussion this week due to the first course assignment due date.  Please be sure to have one member of your group submit the paper early to avoid late penalty.

Individual Emails

Hi Folks!

I will email you this week if you have earned less than full credit for the last discussion week.  From this point forward, you will not receive an email from me unless you have earned less than full credit.

:)
The Blogging Prof.

Questions about Section F - News and Politics

Hello Class!

I have gotten a repetitive question regarding the first assignment, Critical Thinking in News and Politics.

Section 2f states: "Finally, each member should write a 1 page explanation stating whether you agree or disagree with the writer in this argument, and why.  Please use specific principles from the book regarding strong/valid/weak arguments, types of reasoning used, fallacies, etc....  This is based on what YOU think, and should NOT be a group decision.  You are working individually on this portion of the project.  The individual 1 page essays should be attached to the name of the group member who wrote them. (This is separate from the 1200-1500 word essay)."

Please include these paragraphs at the end of the paper and simply put the writer's name above the paragraph. The individual paragraphs are not counted in the total word count of the paper. This means that whoever is the elected person to compile the paper and send it to me should have the individual papers early so they can format the paragraphs to match the paper, and include them in the final draft to be submitted to me before the 11:59pm deadline.

Let me know if you have more questions about this. :)

What is an editorial?

Hello Folks!

I hope you are all diligently working on your first projects, as they are due next Saturday, September 25th by 11:59pm. As you know, this first project is a group project. It is required that you work with a group for this project! (See the assignment sheet for more information).

I have been getting a few questions here and there and wanted to clarify something. Here is the definition of an editorial in case there is any ambiguity:

An editorial, also called a leading article, is a piece of writing intended to promote an opinion or perspective. Editorials are featured in many newspapers and magazines, usually written by the senior editorial staff or publisher of the publication. Additionally, most print publications feature an editorial, or letter followed by a Letters to the Editor section.

I hope this helps, and I can't wait to see what your group puts together.

Week of September 12th - September 18th

Hello Folks!

Here is what is listed on the Schedule and Participation Page from D2L for this week.  If you haven't already, download those pages from D2L and read over them.  They will answer quite a few questions for you. 

Due this week:
*Read Chapter 11 in the Epstein text - Fallacies: A Summary of Bad Arguments
*Read Chapter 4 in the Small Group Text - Communication in Organizations
*Participate in the discussion (see questions below)
***Continue to work in your groups for the first group project.  As a reminder, the first group project is due on September 25th by 11:59pm.  Late submissions (meaning even one minute after the deadline) will be assigned a penalty, so submit early.

Discussion Questions:
Answer one question in its entirety in each of your three separate posts, at least 12 hours apart. Please make sure you are creating a NEW POST for each question on your blog. You MUST WAIT at least 12 hours from the first post in order to create a second post. The same is true for the second and third post. I will record dates and time of your posts, so make sure they are at least 12 hours apart. EACH POST MUST BE 150 WORDS OR MORE.

1). Concerning 221 - 225 Complex Arguments for Analysis: Page 225 contains exercises on the Structure of Arguments.  Please choose one of the 5 exercises and complete the exercise in one post to your blog.  After you have completed the exercise, discuss whether or not this exercise was useful.

2). Violating the Principle of Rational Discussion (page 202) and Content Fallacies (page 201).  Pick one, explain the fallacy in your own words, then give a real world example that you have heard in the past.  (You may need to do additional 'research' for the fallacy that you have chosen if the concept is not clear from the text.  You can 'google' the particular fallacy you have chosen for an additional explanation).

3). Pick one concept from either text from this weeks reading, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

Comments - Remember to post ONE comment ON THREE DIFFERENT BLOGS between 12:01am on Sunday and 11:59pm on Saturday. This means that you will log onto MY BLOG at: http://comm41fall2010.blogspot.com/ and look under the section YOU ARE ENROLLED IN to see a list of your colleagues blogs. Click on those blogs, read what was posted for this week and respond. You need to make sure you are responding to only what was discussed THIS WEEK (starting Sunday and ending Saturday of the current week). Comments posted to blogs that were NOT within this week will not be counted for points. Each comment must be a minimum of 100 words.

A note about posts and comments

I have emailed each student with a brief report about the first week of discussion.  Here are some reminders:

*Posts should be 150 words minimum.  There is no maximum.

*Comments should be at least 100 words minimum.  There is no maximum.

*Comments should be made within your section only.  Comments made on another section other than the one you are enrolled will not count for credit.

*Post dates/times are stamped onto your post when you start the post, not when you hit 'publish'.  So if you want to get ahead, you can type them out ahead of time in a word document and then transfer them when your 12 hour limit is up. Blogger is a bit funny, in that the time stamps are when you start the post, not when you finish the post.  Go figure.....

*Comments - make sure that you are staying on topic when you make comments.  That means that you should comment on the course material, not on some obscure subject in the post.  An example would be of a vague sentence.  Perhaps a student posts to their blog about a vague sentence and uses 'fashion' as their 'real world' example.  You should comment about the vague sentence, NOT about fashion.  Does this make sense?  In other words, stick with the course content in your comments, and not so much about sports, fashion, SJSU, cars, etc.... 

*Keep a log of all of your posts and comments in case there is ever a discrepancy in grading.   I have mentioned this a number of times now, and it will come in very handy if you ever have any questions about your grade.  I can only grade what I see, and if I don't see a comment or post, I can't grade it.

With these reminders in mind, the first discussion week went rather smoothly.  Keep it up folks, you're doing a great job!!!!

Have a wonderful night!
:)
The Blogging Prof.

Instructor Wrap Up - Epstein Chapter 3

Hello Folks,

As you know, on occasion I post to my blog about the content of what we are covering for the week.  This week we are reading Chapter 3 in the Epstein text, and Chapter 3 in the Small Group Communication text.  I will discuss a bit about the Epstein text in this post.  I will leave you to read Chapter 3 in the Small Group Communication text, as that is a brief chapter.

Chapter 3 covers: Good Reason to Believe (Plausible claims and Begging the question), The Conclusion Follows From the Premises (Valid Argument, Strong and Weak Arguments), The Tests for an Argument to Be Good, and Strong vs. Valid Arguments.

Good Reason to Believe:
*A good argument is one in which the premises give good reason to believe the conclusion is true.  In other words, you need to have a good reason to believe that the premises are true, and in turn believe the conclusion to be true.

*Plausible claims: A claim is plausible if we have good reason to believe it is true.  It is less plausible the less reason we have to believe it is true.  It is implausible or dubious if we have no reason to believe it is true.

*Begging the Question: An argument begs the question if one of its premises is no more plausible than the conclusion.  You can read a bit more about the fallacy Begging the Question HERE.

The Conclusion Follows From the Premises
The book gives this description:
"Even if an argument has plausible premises, that's not enough.  Consider:

Dr. E teaches critical thinking.
So Dr. E is bald

There's no connection: The conclusion does not follow from the premises.  The premises do not lead to, support, establish the conclusion."

*Valid Argument: An argument is valid if there is no possible way for its premises to be true and its conclusion to be false (at the same time).

*Strong and weak arguments: An argument is strong if there is some way, some possibility, for its premises to be true and its conclusion false (at the same time), but every such possibility is extremely unlikely.  An argument is weak if it is possible and not unlikely for its premises to be true and its conclusion false (at the same time).

*The conclusion follows from the premises: "The conclusion follows from the premises" means that the argument is valid or strong.

The Tests for an Argument to Be Good
1). The premises are plausible.
2). The premises are more plausible than the conclusion.
3). The argument is valid or strong.

See the examples of pages 42 - 46.

Strong vs. Valid Arguments
*A strong argument with true premises is sometimes better than a valid one with the same conclusion.
Read more about this on page 48.  The author gives some good examples.

Do we have to meet my Saturday?

Hi Folks!

I have received this question a few times now, and it seems I need to clarify.

No, you do not have to meet by Saturday.  However, you need to notify me of your meeting date/time/location by Saturday.  If you have already met with your group WONDERFUL!!!!!  You are ahead of the game.  If you have not met with your group yet, that's ok, just set up a meeting by Saturday, then have one member of your group email me to notify me of date/time/location of the meeting.

I hope this clarifies things a bit!

Have a great day!
:)
The Blogging Prof.

Critical Thinking in News and Politics - Groups Assigned

Hello Comm 41 - all sections!

By now you should have received an email (yesterday) stating who you would be working with for the first group assignment.  Please get in contact by the end of the week and decide on a meeting place/time, etc...  Elect 1 person from your group to email me and let me know when/where/how you will be meeting.  Remember, you must meet in real time for the first meeting. It is preferred that you meet in person, however, since this is an online class, I understand that folks are busy!

As a reminder, the groups that earn the highest grades on the group assignments in this class, are the groups that have great communication with one another.

Email me if you have any questions about the assignment.

Have a great night!
The Blogging Prof.

Week of September 5th - September 11th

Hello Folks!

Here is what is listed on the Participation Page from D2L for this week.  If you haven't already, please get to know the materials well, that I have uploaded to D2L.  It is recommended that you keep a binder for this class, and print out the materials on D2L so you can have them close to you at all times.

Due this week:
*Read Chapter 3 in the Epstein text - What Is a Good Argument?
*Read Chapter 3 in the Small Group Text - Leadership and Decision Making in Groups and Teams.
*Participate in the discussion (see questions below)
*Complete the Library Tutorial.  Click HERE to take you to the tutorial.  No need to send me your score for this tutorial.
***Get in contact with your group and set up a time to meet.  Have one person from your group send me an email with the date/time/location of your first meeting.  The meeting MUST be a 'real time' meeting.  In other words, you must meet over the phone, in person, or on the internet in 'real time'. This means that your first meeting cannot be over email, but it can be in a chat room. I will email you more about this on Sunday evening.....change of plans.....I will email you more about this on Monday.

Discussion Questions:
Answer one question in its entirety in each of your three separate posts, at least 12 hours apart. Please make sure you are creating a NEW POST for each question on your blog. You MUST WAIT at least 12 hours from the first post in order to create a second post. The same is true for the second and third post. I will record dates and time of your posts, so make sure they are at least 12 hours apart. EACH POST MUST BE 150 WORDS OR MORE.

1). Concerning part "C" in chapter 3 of the Epstein text, The Tests for an Argument to Be Good - there are three tests an argument must pass in order for the argument to be good. There are many examples in the book on pages 42-45. Please come up with an argument just like the examples, and discuss it using the three tests on Page 42. Keep in mind that your test should be different from the examples in the book and that you should discuss the three criteria in detail. This post may be quite a bit more than 150 words. In addition, it is imperative that you understand the concepts contained within the 3 tests for an argument (page 42).

2). Discuss Strong versus Valid Arguments in detail. Give an example of each from everyday life.

3). Pick one concept from either text, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

Comments - Remember to post ONE comment ON THREE DIFFERENT BLOGS between 12:01am on Sunday and 11:59pm on Saturday. This means that you will log onto MY BLOG at: http://comm41fall2010.blogspot.com/ and look under the section YOU ARE ENROLLED IN to see a list of your colleagues blogs. Click on those blogs, read what was posted for this week and respond. You need to make sure you are responding to only what was discussed THIS WEEK (starting Sunday and ending Saturday of the current week). Comments posted to blogs that were NOT within this week will not be counted for points. Each comment must be a minimum of 100 words.

FAQ's

Some of you have emailed me with questions and I thought it would be helpful if the entire class saw the answers. Here you go:

1). Q- Do I have to post on 3 different blogs? Or can I post two or three times on the same blog as long as they are different posts?
A- You should comment on 3 different blogs.

2). Q- How do you keep track of our posts and comments?
A- I keep track of every post and comment on a spreadsheet every week we have a discussion. Each post you make on your blog will have a date and time stamp and I keep track of them to make sure they are at least 12 hours apart. Then, I check all comments made for that week. I will record the location of your comments.

3). Q- If I comment on someones post from last week, will I get credit?
A- No, I only check the blog posts for that week. Make sure you are checking the dates of the posts you are commenting on and of course, the content of the question to make sure it is an appropriate post.

4). Q- Do comments have to be at least 100 words?
A- Yes, while posts require 150 words, comments need to be at least 100 words. I do word counts on all posts and comments to make sure you are reaching the word minimum. Of course you can post more than the minimum amount of words required, but please meet the minimum.

5). Q- Should I keep track of the location of my comments?
A- Yes. Please keep track of comments and locations in case there is a discrepancy in recording or grading.

6). Q- What do I post as a comment?
A- Whatever you'd like as long as it has to do with the content of the post and related to the question I have asked. You can agree, disagree, add to the comment, ask thoughtful questions to the poster,give feedback, etc.... The comment content is up to you as long as it relates to course material, and of course the post itself.

7). Q- If I comment back to someone on my blog, do I get credit for it?
A- In short, no. You will only get credit for your three posts and three comments on other people's blogs. However, when someone asks you a question face to face, do you ignore them or give them the courtesy of an answer?

8). Q- How do you grade posts?
A- Content, answering the question in full, expressed thoughtfulness of course content and of course word count.

9). Q- Can I post to my blog and comment at the same time?
A- Yes. You only need to worry about posting 12 hours apart on YOUR blog. You can comment anytime as long as it is within our discussion week (12:01am on Sunday through 11:59pm on Saturday). You can post to your blog and then comment at the same time.....or you can do all three comments at the same time. As long as the posts on your blog are 12 hours apart, go ahead and make three comments on three different blogs at any point during our discussion week. Make sure you comment on a qualifying post on the other persons blog. This means you must comment on a post that was made during the current discussion week.

Instructor Wrap Up - Epstein Chapter 2

Hello Class!

On occasion I will post to my blog about the content of what we are covering for the week.  This week we are reading Chapter 2 in the Epstein text, and Chapter 2 in the Small Group Communication text.  I will discuss a bit about the Epstein text in this post.

Chapter 2 covers Vague Sentences, Drawing the Line Fallacy, Subjective and Objective Claims, Prescriptive Claims and Value Judgments and Definitions.  Here is a brief summary of these ideas, with some links to further help explain the concepts.

Vague Sentences:  Epstein describes vague sentences as, "A sentence is too vague if there are so many ways to understand it that we can't settle on one of those without the speaker making it clearer".  Here is a link to the Mission Critical website from SJSU.   In previous semesters of this course I have introduced the Mission Critical website towards the end of the semester.  However, my students suggested introducing it much earlier - so here you go!  This website will be invaluable to you as you study the components of Critical Thinking throughout this course. Click on the link provided to read more about 'vague and ambiguous' statements.

Drawing the line fallacy:  This fallacy states, "It's bad reasoning to argue that if you can't make the difference precise, then there is no difference".  Read more about the fallacy HERE, HERE and HERE. 

Subjective and Objective Claims:  Here are Epstein's definitions:   A claim is subjective if whether it is true or false depends on what someone (or something or some group) thinks, believes, or feels.  A subjective claim invokes personal standards.  A claim is objective is it is not subjective.  An objective claim invokes impersonal standards.  You can read more about the difference between subjective and objective claims by clicking on this sentence. 

Subjectivist Fallacy:  Epstein explains the fallacy like this, "It's a mistake to argue that because there is a lot of disagreement about whether a claim is true, it's therefore subjective."  This fallacy is obviously linked to subjective and objective claims.  You can read more about the fallacy HERE.

Prescriptive Claims and Value Judgments: Descriptive and prescriptive claims are described by Epstein - "A claim is a descriptive claim if it says what is.  A claim is prescriptive if it says what should be."  See your book for examples, and a further description.

Definitions: A definition explains or stipulates how to use a word or phrase. 

These are the basic concepts that we have covered this week in class so far.  Please DO NOT replace reading your book with my posts on the basic ideas we will cover.  The book gives further definitions and it also gives some wonderful examples to help you understand the concepts.  I have linked a number of webpages to this post so you can further explore and understand the topics that we are covering.

Over the last year or so that I have been teaching this course online, I have found that the book does a good job of explaining the concepts and providing examples.  However, some students need a bit more of an explanation of the ideas - thus the webpages I have linked to in this post.  Please be sure to read the book, and use the links contained within this post to help you understand the ideas we are covering in the class.  Shortly, we will be using these ideas in our course projects/papers.

Have a wonderful evening!
:)
The Blogging Prof signing off