OFFICE VISITS

Sign up for a time using the comment option at the bottom of this post. Be sure that you read your classmate's comments and are not overlapping with a time someone else has already claimed. If none of the listed times work for you EMAIL me.

MONDAY: April 6
9:00 AM
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WEDNESDAY: April 8
9:00 AM
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MONDAY: April 13
9:00 AM
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WEDNESDAY: April 15
9:00 AM
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Money, Success and Individual Opportunity

For this week:

• Post your song/poem/short story on your blog. View and comment on each member of your small group. Remember - you cannot examine the same text.
• Read "Serving in Florida" and "Framing Class, Vicarious Living and Conspicuous Consumption"
• Create a post in response to these readings, use the questions at the end of each selection to help formulate your ideas.

Argument in Academia

For this week please read:
"The Roots of Debate in Education and the Hope of Dialogue" by Tannen p. 219

Consider the following in your post:

Throughout this essay Tannen critiques the "debate" rhetoric we often rely on in college classrooms. What is wrong with this, according to Tannen? How does Tannen suggest we move beyond this argument culture? Does Tannen move beyond simply arguing a point in this essay and engage in a higher order of critical thinking?

Remember to respond with two comments this week as well. Try to read and respond to blogs you have not posted on before.

Gatto & Rose Readings

For this week please read the following:

John Taylor Gatto's "Against Schools" page 152
Mike Rose's "I Just Wanna Be Average" page 161

In a post discuss elements of Rhetoric as pertain to each piece. Look for particularly strong places where rhetoric is used well and places where effective rhetoric breaks down.

Let's talk rhetoric....

For this week please read "Idiot Nation" in ReReading America. Write a post detailing your response to this essay.

Also, remember to post comments on two blogs you have not commented on before and post your grammar post.

Discourse Communities in Family and Society

Hey everyone - I am posting this incredibly late - so for Thursday just be sure that you have your reading done - I will NOT require a post on these readings, but if you have thoughts to share across the wide, wide web, by all means, please feel free.

For Thursday read:

"An Indian Story" and "From Changing American Families" in ReReading America

For Thursday also come with copies of your paragraphs (for the political cartoon analysis assignment). You will need one copy for each member of your small group.

Sorry again -

The American Dream & The 1950's

For next week please read:

"Looking for Work": By Gary Soto, p. 26and"What We Really Miss About the 1950's": By Stephanie Coontz, p. 31

These are two distinctly different pieces addressing the ideas of home and family. As you read think critically about these texts and what the authors are saying. Be sure you examine what is happening on all three levels of critical thinking: literal, analytical and interpretive/rhetorical.

You need to create a post addressing these readings, and I am most interested in your analytical and interpretive/rhetorical thoughts.

Consider the following in your response:

• Each essay is written in different writing styles, there are things to learn from each. Using your analytical skills choose one or two elements to focus on from each essay (ie: Soto's use of pop culture references, Coontz's use of research) explain how these elements do or do not contribute to effective writing.
• On the interpretive/rhetorical level of critical thinking, what do you think these authors are driving at?
• Given the nature of our text, do these pieces challenge or critique some cultural beliefs about American families?
• What do you find the most interesting about each of these pieces.

**Remember to read and respond to your classmates' posts! Also remember to post your political cartoons and your grammar spotlights for this week.