Synthesis

Initial Post (November 20th): To practice for your final paper, pick one of the theses (how desire leads to education or how education leads to desire), and list ONE reason, at least two pieces of evidence (quote or paraphrase) from different sources, and your analysis of how the two relate to your thesis.

Example:

Thesis: Desire leads to education

Reason: In an effort to succeed in school, often times students will sacrifice personal relationships for their education.
Evidence 1.1: Hooks separated herself from the seemingly frivilous desires of her white roommates at her first college and, instead, "lived in the world of books" (1).
Evidence 1.2: "I devoted myself entirely to my studies. I became bookish, puzzling to all my family. Ambition set me apart" (Rodriguez 17).
Analysis: Hooks and Rodriguez both distanced themselves from interpersonal bonds in favor of their book world, which helped focus their desire for education.

Reply to classmate (Due November 22nd): give your classmate a quote that might help them to further prove their Reason or to fulfill their analysis.

Example:

What about using, "[Stanford] was the place for me to go--a place where intellect was valued over foolish fun and games and dress up" (hooks 2) as one piece of evidence to support your final analysis?

DO NOT just tell your classmate s/he did a good job with his/her post.

Rhetorical Analysis: APOK

I know, it's not the "I Have a Dream" speech, but not everyone is Dr. King, but people make speeches all of the time for different reasons that can be inspiring (or not, depending on how you interpret each message).

For your initial response: determine the Audience, Purpose and Occasion for the following video, and then note whether or not Kutcher uses ethos, logos and pathos in his speech, and how he uses the elements you identify. Finally, say whether or not you think he was effective in his speech, and why (ex. how did he format his speech to help build his logos or ethos? How could he have better formatted his speech and why?).

In your reply: ask your classmate a question about his/her post regarding his/her thought-process regarding one or more of the determinations he/she makes (ex. "Do you really think his audience was the people sitting at the Teen Choice Awards or were they the people sitting at home?).

Logical Fallacies

Watch the following video:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-june-28-2007/immigrant-disease

Look at the different logical fallacies that you see in the video. Find a video, news article, or interview that has at least one of fallacies depicted in the video. Post a link to your found source, and then name and define the fallacy you noticed in your source.

Post your initial post by Wednesday, October 9th. Post your reply to a classmate by Friday, October 11th.

Your reply should address your classmate's source. Respond by listing at least one additional fallacy your classmate might have missed, and why you think the fallacy should be addressed, or respond by addressing whether or not you believe your classmate has rightly addressed his/her fallacy in his/her source.

As always, stay professional with your classmates.

Week Four: Sunscreen

Please watch the following video, and answer the questions below:

If you could make a video as a message to your past self, what would you say? What would be the main theme of your video, the main message? (such as: wear sunscreen.) What approach would you take with yourself? Would you tell yourself the advice in a straight-forward way, or would your past self take some convincing? What kind of visuals would you use? What would be some minor themes to support your major theme?

Try to keep your responses to approximately 200 words. Take your time to think about the answers.

Answer the initial prompt by Wednesday, September 18, midnight. Respond to a classmate by Friday, September 20, midnight.

Response: Ask your classmate a question about his/her post. The question should continue to be respectful, and should provoke your classmate to think more deeply about the message s/he is sending to him/herself.

Week One: Pure Corruption

Please answer the following questions/prompts about the video clip, "Pure Corruption," and incorporate your answers into a 200-word paragraph.

What is the overreaching point of the clip?
What are some of the minor arguments in the clip?
What is the main argument the clip made for its audience?
What are some repeated ideas?
Describe some of the new words in the video, and define what they mean in the context of the clip's main topic.

Stick to information that was only in the video and nothing more. Please keep your post free of opinion, as this is mean to only be a summary.

By Friday, midnight, reply to a classmate. Point out one aspect of your classmate's summary that made sense to you, and mention one aspect of your classmate's summary that you disagree with and explain why.

Please remain thoughtful and respectful with your interactions with each other.

For those who did not make it to class, please post your blog before midnight tonight. The clip we watched was Chapter 2, "Pure Corruption" from the movie, Freakonomics. You can also find the video  clip on http://vimeo.com/12033732, or on Netflix instant watch.

Welcome!

Each week, I will post a 21st century composition, and--based on the current unit--you will analyze and comment on that composition. Each student will also comment on at least one post by another classmate. Opinions are welcome, but are to be respectful and respected by all students, especially where the language in the posts is concerned. Any opinion presented as fact must have some sort of citation to back it up. Conversations may continue into the classroom, where time permits.