Syllabus
Links, Articles, and Handouts
Ken Robinson- Changing Education Paradigms
PBS- Frontline- Digital Nation
Nicholas Carr- The Atlantic– What the Internet is doing to our brains: Is Google Making Us Stupid?
If We’re Gonna Have Guns, Let’s Get’em out in the Open–or Else!
Who Cares If Johnny Can’t Read?
Projects
Argument Log #1- Forms of Persuasion (2/22)
Argument Log #2- Add Value Assumptions (2/28)
Argument Log #3- Add Reality Assumptions (3/7)
Argument Log #4- Add Ethics (3/21)
Argument Log #5- Add Reasoning (3/28)
Media Log Description
Introduction- Describe your current relationship with media (4/12)
Week #1- A minimum of 2 posts. One post is entirely open (free choice). The second post must address one of the following (4/23) :
Choose a current topic/story in the news and examine the language being used by 2 different media (news) outlets reporting on the topic/story. Make sure to link to both sources. This post is similar to the NPR story you listened to about the gun debate. The linked I provided is to an infographic that shows the political bias of different news outlets according to their organization.
Keeping in mind the main ideas of “Politics and the English Language”, seek out a piece of political ‘speech’. This can be a recent news editorial about politics (the piece should be a decent length) , recent interview with a politician, a recent speech given by a politician, etc. Using your knowledge of Orwell’s essay, evaluate the piece and describe if it is evidence of “the decay of language” or does it avoid the abuses Orwell outlines in the essay.
Week #2- A minimum of 2 posts and 2 comments. One post is entirely open (free choice). The second post should examine and evaluate one of four topics from The Persuaders in your current media landscape. Do not simply summarize the information you learned about the topic. Rather, share an experience(s) with the topic. This reflection should display an understanding of the topic and what you believe the impact of this persuasion tool has on society. (4/30)
Week #3- A minimum of 2 posts and 2 comments. Both posts are open (free choice). (5/7)
Week #4– A minimum of 2 posts and 2 comments. One post is open (free choice). One post that analyzes a piece of entertainment media. It can be a type, a genre, or a specific piece. (5/15)
Week #5– One post and one comment. The post should examine and evaluate a topic from Merchants of Cool in your current media landscape. (5/21)
Week #6– One post related to the documentary, MissRepresentation (remember, do not simply summarize the documentary or a portion of it). This post must be up by Saturday Night (5/25). By Wednesday morning, comment on 3 MissRepresentation posts written by your classmates. The second post is open (free choice) and is due by Wednesday morning, no additional comments due. (5/29)
Week #7- One post (free choice) and one comment. (6/5)
Marketing Analysis Project