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).
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, September 24, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
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.
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.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
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. :)
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.
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.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, September 10, 2010
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.
*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.
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.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, September 3, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
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
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
More about Blogging
Since we are in the middle of our discussion week, I thought I would post a bit more about blogging. You can post anytime during the discussion week as long as it is between Sunday morning 12:01am and Saturday night at 11:59pm. Each post to your blog should be a minimum of 12 hours apart. There is no time restriction when it comes to commenting, meaning you can comment on three blogs at the same time.
To post to your blog, please log into your blog and hit the New Post button. Make sure to publish your post when you are finished typing your post. It is your responsibility to make sure that the posts to your blog are at least 12 hours apart.
After you post, make sure to go back and view your blog. If you can't see your post, neither can I or your classmates. You should check your blog to make sure your post appears, and that it looks the way you want it to look.
Date and Time Stamps: Each post you create on your blog will have a date and time stamp. I record each of these to make sure your posts are at least 12 hours apart (yep, it's a lot of paperwork). Again, once you have posted, go back and check to make sure your posts date and time stamp are at least 12 hours apart. Again, I can only see what is on your blog. If your posts are not at least 12 hours apart, your post will not count and you will not earn points for that post. Also, make sure each post to your blog is at least 150 words minimum.
Commenting: For every discussion week you should comment on at least 3 blogs. It is your responsibility to make sure your comments are within the discussion week. This means that if you post a comment to a blog and that comment was made on the previous week of discussion, you will not earn credit for your comment. Comments need to be 100 words minimum. To comment on another blog, please go to my blog and click on the section you are enrolled. Click on the names, read the post, and comment. The 'comment' button will be below the post. Again, I WILL NOT go back and check posts from a past week to see if you mistakenly commented on a post from a previous week. If you accidentally comment on a post from a student in another section, the comment will not be counted for credit. You must comment within your section only.
Keeping track of posts and comments: I keep track of posts to your blog and comments. Because I'm human, sometimes I make mistakes. I HIGHLY recommend that you keep track of your posts and your comments. This should include dates/times/locations of your posts/comments. If you ever have any questions about your points total for a week, or if you think I'm missing a post or comment, YOU will need to provide the dates/times of YOUR POSTS and also the dates/times/locations of your COMMENTS. Please keep a log every week of where and when you posted and commented.
Display Names: If you haven't already, please go back and check your Display Name. There are directions on the "Checklist" page on Desire2Learn.
Sunday Morning: I will post to my blog on Sunday morning everything that is due for the coming week. The information I will post to my blog will be the same as what is listed on the Schedule and Participation Pages on D2L. To get a head start, check out those pages.
Have a fabulous day!
To post to your blog, please log into your blog and hit the New Post button. Make sure to publish your post when you are finished typing your post. It is your responsibility to make sure that the posts to your blog are at least 12 hours apart.
After you post, make sure to go back and view your blog. If you can't see your post, neither can I or your classmates. You should check your blog to make sure your post appears, and that it looks the way you want it to look.
Date and Time Stamps: Each post you create on your blog will have a date and time stamp. I record each of these to make sure your posts are at least 12 hours apart (yep, it's a lot of paperwork). Again, once you have posted, go back and check to make sure your posts date and time stamp are at least 12 hours apart. Again, I can only see what is on your blog. If your posts are not at least 12 hours apart, your post will not count and you will not earn points for that post. Also, make sure each post to your blog is at least 150 words minimum.
Commenting: For every discussion week you should comment on at least 3 blogs. It is your responsibility to make sure your comments are within the discussion week. This means that if you post a comment to a blog and that comment was made on the previous week of discussion, you will not earn credit for your comment. Comments need to be 100 words minimum. To comment on another blog, please go to my blog and click on the section you are enrolled. Click on the names, read the post, and comment. The 'comment' button will be below the post. Again, I WILL NOT go back and check posts from a past week to see if you mistakenly commented on a post from a previous week. If you accidentally comment on a post from a student in another section, the comment will not be counted for credit. You must comment within your section only.
Keeping track of posts and comments: I keep track of posts to your blog and comments. Because I'm human, sometimes I make mistakes. I HIGHLY recommend that you keep track of your posts and your comments. This should include dates/times/locations of your posts/comments. If you ever have any questions about your points total for a week, or if you think I'm missing a post or comment, YOU will need to provide the dates/times of YOUR POSTS and also the dates/times/locations of your COMMENTS. Please keep a log every week of where and when you posted and commented.
Display Names: If you haven't already, please go back and check your Display Name. There are directions on the "Checklist" page on Desire2Learn.
Sunday Morning: I will post to my blog on Sunday morning everything that is due for the coming week. The information I will post to my blog will be the same as what is listed on the Schedule and Participation Pages on D2L. To get a head start, check out those pages.
Have a fabulous day!
Blogging Questions
I have been receiving some repetitive emails about how a few things in the course work. Please read the blog in its entirety:
Blogging:
Since we will be blogging throughout this course, I thought I would explain how blogging works. There is quite a bit of information located on the "Participation" page about how blogging works. Here is an abbreviated version.
We have all created a blogspot webpage. This is where we will be having discussions rather than on Desire2Learn. Each week that there is a discussion, you will write 1 new post for each question, every week typically has 3 questions. You should post your first blog, wait AT LEAST 12 hours, then you are able to post another blog. Blogging must be done at least 12 hours apart. For example, you can post on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As long as the date/time stamp on your blog is 12 hours apart, you should receive at least some credit for your blogs. I record dates and times, and it is your responsibility to make sure they are at least 12 hours apart.
In addition to blogging, you will need to comment on 3 other people's blogs in the course during a discussion week. Log onto my blog and visit some other blogs. There is a list of students blog for each section on my blog (yours should be there). Click on YOUR SECTION at the top of my blog, and the click on any of the icons and read the blog then comment on it by clicking on "comment" at the bottom of the post. You need to make sure that when you leave a comment, you see your alias name so I can record that you have actually left a comment. It is your responsibility to make sure your name appears on the other person's blog. It may take a few tries to get it right, but you will soon catch on and become an expert at blogging. You are more than welcome to practice by leaving a comment or two on any of my posts to make sure you are commenting correctly.
As I have noted on the "Participation" page located on Desire2Learn, each post is worth 5 points (which needs to be done on your blog as a "New Post"), and each comment is worth 3 points (which is where you comment on other people's blogs). There is NO TIME restriction for commenting on other people's blogs. You can comment anytime during the week, and it does not need to be 12 hours apart. Make sure you are commenting on a post from the CURRENT week of discussion.
So to summarize, you will post 3 times in a given discussion week. You will create a new post for each question and make sure your posts are at least 12 hours apart. You will also comment on 3 other blogs during a discussion week. Each post should be 150 words minimum and each comment should be a minimum of 100 words, otherwise there will be a point deduction.
Until later......
Blogging:
Since we will be blogging throughout this course, I thought I would explain how blogging works. There is quite a bit of information located on the "Participation" page about how blogging works. Here is an abbreviated version.
We have all created a blogspot webpage. This is where we will be having discussions rather than on Desire2Learn. Each week that there is a discussion, you will write 1 new post for each question, every week typically has 3 questions. You should post your first blog, wait AT LEAST 12 hours, then you are able to post another blog. Blogging must be done at least 12 hours apart. For example, you can post on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As long as the date/time stamp on your blog is 12 hours apart, you should receive at least some credit for your blogs. I record dates and times, and it is your responsibility to make sure they are at least 12 hours apart.
In addition to blogging, you will need to comment on 3 other people's blogs in the course during a discussion week. Log onto my blog and visit some other blogs. There is a list of students blog for each section on my blog (yours should be there). Click on YOUR SECTION at the top of my blog, and the click on any of the icons and read the blog then comment on it by clicking on "comment" at the bottom of the post. You need to make sure that when you leave a comment, you see your alias name so I can record that you have actually left a comment. It is your responsibility to make sure your name appears on the other person's blog. It may take a few tries to get it right, but you will soon catch on and become an expert at blogging. You are more than welcome to practice by leaving a comment or two on any of my posts to make sure you are commenting correctly.
As I have noted on the "Participation" page located on Desire2Learn, each post is worth 5 points (which needs to be done on your blog as a "New Post"), and each comment is worth 3 points (which is where you comment on other people's blogs). There is NO TIME restriction for commenting on other people's blogs. You can comment anytime during the week, and it does not need to be 12 hours apart. Make sure you are commenting on a post from the CURRENT week of discussion.
So to summarize, you will post 3 times in a given discussion week. You will create a new post for each question and make sure your posts are at least 12 hours apart. You will also comment on 3 other blogs during a discussion week. Each post should be 150 words minimum and each comment should be a minimum of 100 words, otherwise there will be a point deduction.
Until later......
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