GSW 1110 Blog-Fall 2009

Questions on “Children Need to Play, Not Compete”

Sep 21st, 2009 by

Please answer the following questions after reading the article on pp. 276-279, SMG. Please finish this work by 9:00 pm 9/22. Each student is supposed to read some and respond to two posts.

1. Relate this piece to your life experience. Have you competed for anything? Like a prize, an honor, or grades? If so, how did you feel then, physically and psychologically? What are the consequences? What are the major differences between competition and collaboration?

2. Are you convinced by the author? Which part is your favorite? Why? List at least three strategies you would like to borrow from this essay, and briefly explain why.

2. Who are the intended audiences of the essay? How do you know?

Posted in Readings | 31 Comments »

For 9/11-9/13

Sep 11th, 2009 by

Please read pp. 241-247 and 73-85 in AWR, and answer the following questions briefly. You are supposed to complete this work by 6:00pm 9/13.

1. Suppose you are a member of an interest group. One assignment for you is to improve a part of an automobile. When you work on it, suddenly you think of a message from an engineer, and you think you can use some of his ideas in your design. Should you give credit? On which page, can you find evidence?

2. What’s the safest way to use other people’s words or ideas?

3. What’s the difference between “revising” and “editing”?

Posted in Readings | 17 Comments »

For 9/2–Group Work

Sep 2nd, 2009 by

Form a group of five or six, and complete the following tasks with your group memebers. Please include group members’ names and prompt number(for example, #1) when you answer the questions.

1. What are the major arguments for each of the two essays?

2. Compare and discuss the Topics Chart you make based on the readings on “torture” (pp 266-271, SMG), and post your group’s chart by replying to this prompt.

Posted in In-Class Discussions and Follow-Ups | 8 Comments »

For 8/28–8/30

Aug 28th, 2009 by

Give a 100/150-word answer to the following questions. You are also expected to read and respond to at least TWO students’ anwers. When you respond to a student’s answer, please make the number of the answer clear. For example, you can first say “In response to Comment #3,” and then you leave your response. Finish the work by 6:00 pm Sunday so that you have some time to read all posts.

1. Read and re-read “The Perfect Crime?” by Alexander Cheung in SMG (196-199). How is this essay similar to or different from the essays you wrote in high school? What are the two things (or more) you really like. Give examples or evidence from the text.

2. Read and annotate “No Child Left Behind: ‘Historic Initiative’ or ‘Just an Empty Promise’?” by Athena Alexander (211-216). You can use “The Perfect Crime?” as an example. Who do you think are the audiences of the paper? What is the purpose? What’s the context?

3. Are both articles trying to argue for or against an idea? What are the common features of both essays?

Posted in Readings | 34 Comments »

For 8/28–In-Class Questions

Aug 27th, 2009 by

For 8/28–In-Class Questions

1. How do you understand “purpose,” “audience,” and “context” (p. 22, AWR)? Do you read a text the same way you read a visual?

2. What is an argument (p. 28, AWR)? When does it occur? What’s the purpose of argument? How do you treat people who disagree with you?

3. How can a student become a good writer? What/how should he/she learn? (Ch 1, SMG)

4. How can a student develop critical reading, thinking and writing skills? (Ch 1, SMG)

Posted in In-Class Discussions and Follow-Ups | 8 Comments »

For 8/28 –Takehome Questions

Aug 27th, 2009 by

1. The main idea of “Use writing as a tool for learning” (p. 4, AWR) is that writing is a great aid to learning. Of all the uses on list, which one is the most important to you? Give an example or share a story with your classmates.

2. On page 6 AWR, we are given some suggestions about being successful at college. What else can do add to the list? Why?

Posted in In-Class Discussions and Follow-Ups | 5 Comments »

Welcome Message

Aug 25th, 2009 by

Hi all, here is a page where you could leave a welcome message. Just have fun here. Introduce who you are, what you expect from this class, and what kinds of comments and responses you like, etc.

Posted in Welcome Message | 5 Comments »