Turnitin Up and running

Looks like several of you have been able to post your essay on  canvas. If you haven't done so, please give it a try.

Problems with turnitin?

If you have problems this evening, submitting your essay through turnitin, please send me the essay as an attachment and try turnitin one more time in the morning.

Just make sure to bring me a hard copy tomorrow.

reading and writing journals

If you plan on turning in reading and writing journals on Thursday make sure you follow ALL the instructions. If you haven't followed the instructions, your grade will be significantly lower.  And, I won't have the opportunity to remind you.

Remember to include the prompt!

Bring technology book to Final Exam

Make sure you remember your technology book for the final and any other written items you might want to refer to. NO technology.

Pokemon Go in the news

MIght be of interest: Take a look at this article.
https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/just-visiting/five-reasons-why-pok%C3%A9mon-go-will-change-education-and-one-reason-why-it-wont

Need some extra credit? Write a thoughtful (read critical thinking) summary of the article for 5 extra points.

Final Essay Folder

Joining the conversation
Preparing for your project handout
Thesis, prolepsis, what would it take to prove you wrong
Confusion to Clarity
Justified Belief Outline
3 Page draft with revision
Critical Thinking while drafting

Missing essays

If you do not have a grade for an essay in the gradebook on canvas, you need to make sure that I have BOTH the hard copy and the internet copy of the essay in order to get that graded. If I asked you to redo the essay and turn it in, make sure you get that to me ASAP. And, if you have some difficulties in your writing that I have noted, please make sure to get help from the writing lab before you turn in that final essay on Thursday.

Just wondering how the Pokemon Go challenge is proceeding?

Fluoride making us stupid?

I was intrigued by the research mentioned in class today, and so I did a bit of research. You might want to take a look at this article . . . if you want to brush up on your fluoride facts.

http://www.livescience.com/37123-fluoridation.html

How green is the ipad

Here is an intriguing chart/article (very brief, so you won't even need to skim it!) about whether electronics or books are better for the environment

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/04/04/opinion/04opchart.html?_r=0

Posting your essay on canvas

The interface for posting the essay on canvas has changed. You will now be submitting your essay to turn-it-in before it comes to me. So, when you click on the essay, you will get a window that says something like "this needs to be opened in another window". Click on that. You will have to agree to turn-it-in's policies and then you will get a window you can download the essay into. PLEASE do not wait until the last minute to post your essay, so if you have any problems I can help you.

Rubric for tomorrow's project presentations is posted in Hand outs

Wikipedia

This is an interesting article on Wikipedia for any of you interested in how it is regarded as a source.

http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2016/07/opinion/steven-bell/from-pariah-to-partner-wikipedias-growing-campus-presence-from-the-bell-tower/#_

Project Conversation order

1. Maddie, Andrew and Donna
2. Jack, Hannah and Brittany
3. Erin, Daniela, Jennifer
4. Wilson, Brian and Micaiah
5. Evelyn and Renat

In Lab on July 14th

Class cancelled July 11

Woke up with the flu this morning, so will be cancelling class. Please continue with the schedule as it is posted in the blog. Tomorrow, you should have today's homework AND your rough draft.

I apologize for any inconvenience and hopefully will see you Tuesday.

Technology Argument from Essay folder

Preparing for Essay (should include introduction and modeled paragraph)
Curiosity at Work
Modeled Paragraph and  Introduction
Rough Draft
Revision
What Makes you say that
Reverse outline
Add creativity/curiosity to paragraphs
Label paragraphs in rough draft

Introduction for Argument from Technology Book

Thesis: While technology can lead to great practical advances, it does almost nothing to advance our spiritual, existential or humanistic sense of self or the world. In fact, it may harm and/or detract from their development.

In Matthew Crawford’s groundbreaking books, both Shopcraft as Soulcraft and The World Beyond Your Head, the philosopher and motorcycle mechanic makes a convincing argument that as modern technology has gained ground in society our attention to the world around us, to our engagement with the world and to our sense of who we are has deteriorated and in some cases actually been replaced by the technology.  The consequences are not pretty: we are becoming robotic, dehumanized automatons with little individuality and almost no distinct sense of self.  Harsh sounding indictment, certainly, and some may find it hyperbole. But Crawford’s personal and data driven support leave little doubt. As Crawford states, only through shared attention to the world of real things, can minds “become powerful and achieve genuine independence (World Beyond Your Head, 23). So while that computer on our desk, that phone in our pocket (or more likely in our hand) and that perpetual drain on our attention and energy is not just a distraction issue that we can easily overcome but a threat to our very humanness. While technology can lead to great practical advances, it does almost nothing to advance our spiritual, existential or humanistic sense of self or the world. In fact, it may harm and/or detract from their development.

Source use: to build ethos and contribute ideas

Fallacies

I mentioned fallacies in class when discussing Kelly's argument. This is a link to a fairly comprehensive discussion of fallacies.

https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/fallacies_list.html

Equality

The discussion in class today about equality of opportunity vs. income equality is an excellent reminder of why, as critical thinkers, we want to carefully define our terms.

And, if you are interested in learning more about equality of opportunity, here is a pretty balanced discussion
 https://edeq.stanford.edu/sections/equality-opportunity-introduction

Article on the question of does the Internet make us biased

https://medium.com/@SeanBlanda/the-other-side-is-not-dumb-2670c1294063#.qswoje59l

If you read the article AND post some comments and discuss the topic substantially, there may be some extra credit in it. I encourage you to read the article regardless.

Here is a quote from the article that emphasizes the importance of both ethos and the counter argument:
"any debate club veteran knows, if you can’t make your opponent’s point for them, you don’t truly grasp the issue. We can bemoan political gridlock and a divisive media all we want. But we won’t truly progress as individuals until we make an honest effort to understand those that are not like us. And you won’t convince anyone to feel the way you do if you don’t respect their position and opinions. A dare for the next time you’re in discussion with someone you disagree with: Don’t try to “win.” Don’t try to “convince” anyone of your viewpoint. Don’t score points by mocking them to your peers. Instead try to “lose.” Hear them out. Ask them to convince you and mean it."

Email

Please do NOT send me email through Canvas. I cannot directly reply to you. Please email me to the emails I gave you. If you have grade questions, please see me after class.

Evaluation Essay

Please post on canvas AND bring a hard copy to class on Wednesday.

Reading writing journal

By today, I should have at least 3 of your reading writing journal entries. Please make sure to get those to me ASAP, if you haven't already.

Also, always include the full prompt with the journal entry.

From Wednesday's class

Understanding Kevin Kelly’s The Seventh Kingdom

Issue: Kelly asks the question: just how is the development of technology related to the development of organisms?

Conclusion: Just like organisms evolve through a series of steps from simple to complex that build on one another, technologies parallel the human development of ideas and intellect to ultimately build the technium which is just the continuation of the development of information in organisms that started with the first replicating molecule.

What is necessary to prove this analogy works?

1. Show the development of organisms and provide parallel development of technology in humans
2. Define technology in such a way that it is limited to the intellectual aspects (tractors don’t evolve to change our feet)
3. Show that technologies build on one another and go from simple to complex and that this is also how our minds have developed into a vast ordering of information that will go on as long as we live
4. While technology does not necessarily have ancestors that can pass on genes like organisms do, instead technology passes along traits laterally across time without any necessary ancestral connection. For example, a clock has no relationship to a car but cars could not run without the invention of clocks.  

In order to build on technology, each technology has to interconnect with others.

Kelly takes a very complex idea and attempts to slowly unpack it in “The 7th Kingdom” to demonstrate his thesis that the technium is just the 7th in the six categories of organisms. Just like organisms evolve through a series of steps from simple to complex that build on one another, technologies parallel the human development of ideas and intellect to ultimately build the never ending technium, which is just the continuation of the development of information in organisms that started with the first replicating molecule. Kelly is patient with his reader and provides a step by step process to explain his idea, executing his reasoning with expert support and logic. He even takes time to address counter arguments.  But, despite these good intentions, I still finished the essay wondering if this analogy really holds up. In some ways, he left little room to doubt, but that in itself inspired doubt.

Reason 1 Kelly uses a patient, didactic approach to explaining his concept that takes the reader through his reasoning, step by step. But just because the evolution steps can be mapped on the “technium” steps does not make it so. As Alfred Korzybski stated, “the map is not the territory.” It almost feels as if Kelly creates an imaginary world, defines the limits of it and then tells us that it’s real, a circular way of reasoning.  I define the technium in this way and so when I argue that this is the technium, I get to use my own definition as proof.

Turning in your evaluation essay

Remember to bring a folder:

In the folder, you will want
1. Rubric for evaluation essay (on blog, please print this out)
2. Way of using sources list
3. Rough draft with workshop (please label this essay, "Rough Draft"
4. Evaluation preparation HO
5. Final draft, please label this essay, "Final Draft"

RSS feed

You can subscribe to "announcements" in canvas by clicking on the RSS feed button. That way, whenever I post something (or a classmate does!), you'll get notified.

Exploratory essay post on canvas

As soon as I get your essay on canvas I can grade it. If I don't have it today, you won't be able to have it back, graded, tomorrow.

Exploratory Essay Folder

Please include

1. Planning portion of essay assignment
2. Introduction with my comments
3. Your rough draft that we worked on in class (with revisions included)
4. Your final draft with revisions included
5. Revision handout that includes rubric

Syllabus updates

Office hours: online from 9-10 Tues and Thurs
Writing lab is open! 10:30-12 or so and then 4-5:30 or so (check out hours on the lab door)

Welcome Summer Students

Welcome to English 126 at San Ramon Campus
Looking forward to meeting you all

Turning in your final essay

If you would like your final essay graded and returned to you, please make sure you turn it into me by Friday May 20th.

If you do NOT turn the essay into me by Friday May 20th, please EMAIL me the final essay by Wednesday May 25th at 10am. You will not get the essay back because we will not meet again before it is graded.

Please do not wait until the last minute or assume you could turn in work late. The last day and time to accept work is May 25th at 10am. I am going out of the country that evening so it will be impossible to reach me.

Grades will be posted by May 27th on Web Advisor. Please do not email me to ask about your grade. If you have any questions about your grade, see me on Wednesday when we will go over grades.

Conversations start Wednesday! Here is the order we will do them.

Heba
Erik
David
Kristen
Megan, Aashir, Kenna
Alec and Daniel
Adrienne

Project Proposal Monday

On Monday you will complete your project proposal in the lab. If you want to do your project with a partner or in a group (no more than three people) please make sure you've talked with your partners BEFORE class, so you are ready to fill out the proposal during class time. You will be expected to turn in the proposal at the end of Monday's class.

We will have class may 2nd

There will be class on May 2nd.  Was able to get a sub. Please make every effort to attend.

Thanks!

Argument Essay generating a thesis slide show

This is (should be!) a link to the slide show from Wednesday's class generating a thesis and reasons for the Technology essay.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1jmPB6iA3TCjbNg7HbEHsCzhy5udtKUASOJ0vWrv9yUg/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000

Class Cancelled 3/16

Unfortunately, I am really not feeling well and am going to have to cancel class. I apologize for the inconvenience.  Please work on your Rhetorical Analysis and make sure to look at the Hand out in the pages column on the blog with examples for thesis statements. If you have any questions, please EMAIL me.

Have a good break.

March 30th assignment

Please disregard the assignment that is due March 30th.

MLA Citation for Patti Smith reference

Class cancelled March 2nd

Unfortunately, I have to cancel class today because I'm not feeling well.

Continue your reading of Just Kids and please prepare Monday's assignment of finding an article about patti smith that might be useful for your evaluation essay and preparing a discussion of the article with the class. We will be sharing the information from the articles in class on Monday.

 If you have questions, please let me know.

Reading and Writing Journal

By Wednesday, I should have at least ONE entry for the reading and writing journal from everyone. Please make sure you are getting to those as part of your homework.

For Weds. Feb. 17th

In addition to reading that is on the schedule, please read On learning from failure, pp. 220-224 (have students read this in class) Free write about a failure you had, how you responded then and what you think now about the failure. This is IN ADDITION to the assignment on your schedule.

Please, please, please get Habits of the Creative Mind for class and BRING it!

Have a good week

Change of Schedule

Note that we have no class on Monday Feb. 15th. So the schedule will be pushed off one day. That means that your exploratory essay will now be due on Feb. 24th instead of Feb. 22nd.

Class has been approved!

We are a go for the semester. So, that's great news. If you can get your books before class on Monday, that would be great so we can get back on track.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mvasudeva@dvc.edu.

Will see you all on Monday.

Question 3, p. 7 in Technology

At the end of his essay, Hughes refers to the "Janus face of technology." If you are not familiar with what this reference to the Roman God Janus means, look it up. In one or two paragraphs reflect on how Janus relates to the issues Hughes raises in relation to defining technology and his discussion of technology.

Welcome!

Welcome to English 126. On this blog you will find regular announcements, our schedule and hand outs. Please familiarize yourself with the layout.