Tuesday, April 18

So . . . last week campus cancelled our class because of a snow storm that never happened. Ironically, this week, I am out of town for a work meeting and have been caught in a very real snow storm. I was supposed to travel home yesterday but was unable, and my travel today is still uncertain.

Since I don't know when I will be able to make it back to town either today or even possibly tomorrow, I am afraid that I feel it necessary to cancel class again. I'm very frustrated because last week's cancellation makes this more complicated than it should be.

Thus, here is the revised schedule for the rest of the semester:

April 23: Your MWP #3 + Annotated Bib will be due at the end of class. We will peer review your papers in class and you will have time to polish your papers before the end of class. You will turn in your annotated bibliography and paper at this time. (No annotated bibs due today, April 16.)

April 30: Your portfolios are due and your portfolio letters will be your final. I will grade these in class and return your portfolios before you leave.

Thank you for your patience. And, wish me blue skies and clear roads.

This week's homework!

Your task this week is to find two articles for your paper. Write a precis for each article and post to your blog. Remember you are writing about issues of race within your area of study.

Revised Calendar!

Here is the revised calendar for the rest of the semester:

April 2: MWP #2 due + Start MWP #3

April 9: Research and Writing MWP #3 + In-Class Grading Conferences

April 16: MWP #3 Annotated Bib Due

April 23: MWP #3 Paper Due + Portfolios Due

April 30: FINAL

Location!

So . . . . we are finally giving up on our perpetually locked classroom in the Chemistry building.

Instead, we will happily meet in LARC 217 from now on!

Research!

In class today, we were introduced to the problem/proposal paper. We did the following in class:

* Looked at current Colorado legislation at this web sites:

http://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2013A/csl.nsf/BillFoldersSenate?OpenFrameSet

and

http://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2013A/csl.nsf/BillFoldersCom?OpenFrameSet

* Found a piece of legislation from the 2013 session that we found interesting.

* Visited news.google.com to find what the popular media had to say on the topic.

* Engaged in freewriting for 7 minutes on everything we know -- up to that point -- about the legislation.

* Engaged in academic research on the topic, such as: mandatory sentencing, wildfire mitigation, homeless discrimination, homeschool law, etc.

* * * *

YOUR HOMEWORK:

* Read three academic articles on your topic.

* Write and post a rhetorical precis for each article on your topic.

NOTE: You will need 4 academic resources for your paper + the legislation. You are welcome to include additional popular research to support your paper. These means 4 academic articles + 1 piece of legislation + whatever popular research supports your topic = your total research for this paper.

REMEMBER your task is to demonstrate that you understand the current conversations -- including academic conversations -- about your topic.

Your Homework!

Read Chapter 13 in Good Reasons.

Write and post a rhetorical precis.

Read Chapter 24 in Good Reasons.

Write and post a rhetorical precis.

DUE at the start of class on March 5.

Extra Credit!

I have TWO opportunities for extra credit for you:

1. Angela Davis! She is speaking tonight (Wed., 2/20) at the OUC at 7 p.m. Like I said last night, this is a great opportunity to hear from a remarkable, newsworthy, and well-educated woman. I hope to see you all there. Here is some information about Angela Davis.

2. “Contested Bodies: Lynching Photographs and the Struggle for African-American Freedom and Identity." This is a lecture by CSU-Pueblo professor Dr. Scott Gage. The lecture will be held at El Pueblo History Museum at 6:30 pm on Thursday, 2/28. Here is a link to more information about the event.

I will be at both of these important and powerful events. To earn extra credit, you simply must connect with me at the event.

MWP #1 Due

Just a happy reminder . . .

Your papers are due at beginning of class on Tuesday, February 26. Looking forward to reading your work!

Research + Summary!

Thanks to our favorite (and super helpful!) librarian, you should have a skilled command of databases and research tools. Your task tonight is to put your research skills into action . . . and, of course, your precis writing skills too!

Before class today, you should have already found one article and written one precis towards your first paper.

Tonight, I want you to begin finding and summarizing (using precis format) four more sources for your paper. [Please include an MLA-formatted citation -- using your handy Quick Access book -- with each precis! Trust me, this will make your life easier.]

Before the next class (Feb. 12), you should have read and summarized a total of five articles that fit your paper. All five precis must be posted to your blog before the start of class.

In class, on Tuesday, Feb. 12., we will transform your precis into an annotated bibliography, which you will turn in before the END of class. (Note, this is different than the assignment sheet states.)


NOTE: Your sources must be current! Please limit your sources to articles or books written in the last 4-5 years.

And, please, give Ms. Heedt your respect and enthusiasm as she assists you tonight!

Should information be free?

Read this article from the New Yorker.

While you are reading the article, I want you to think about the information that you currently get for free. Where do you get your news? Where do you get your entertainment? Do you pay for this?

Now think about how much CSU-Pueblo pays each year for databases and scholarly journal subscriptions.

Also, think about Kevin Seeber's presentation on academic publishing models.

Remember this article about Aaron Swartz.

Write a 300-word blog entry that considers all of this information. Should information be free? Are wikis a good model? How does this relate to your work as a researcher/scholar at a university? How does this relate to systems of power?

(In your blog, I encourage you to include a picture and/or a hyperlink.)

Paper Free . . . Mostly!

For English 102, we are committed to being as paper-free as possible. Thus, we do nearly all of our homework on a blog. Each student must keep a blog and share it with their classmates.

You can find your homework assignments on the calendar on Blackboard.

Your blogging participation is part of your professionalism grade, which is 30% of your total grade for the class. I also include blogging participation as part of your final paper grades.