Today in class we had what I'd describe as a comprehensive overview of the COA library materials related to critical thinking and information literacy. Without answering my own questions, I want to pose a few for you to respond to with details related to what you learned from the lecture and what knowledge was reinforced or clarified. Due today.
Assignment
Complete in 250 words or so
1. Give an overview of the library presentation and its presenter; include what was covered. Was there an outline? How knowledgeable was the professor about the topic?
2. Give specific points covered and what you learned about research strategies and evaluating information.
3. Professor Sparks spent time at the beginning of the lecture helping students brainstorm. This activity corresponded directly to certain handouts. Talk about the supplementary materials (3).
4. What did you think of the website evaluation and notes on plagiarism and what he called "Free Use"? Had you known about this before?
5. Evaluate Tim Wise's website http://www.timwise.org/ using the C.R.A.A.P. test (handout). Compare to http://www.alternet.org/
If you weren't in class then you can't complete this assignment.
Other class notes
Students also turned in their assignments from WLTC Exercise 3B (58-59).
We are behind in the reading. We didn't get to discuss Denial on Tuesday, so we will start there and continue with Resistance on Tuesday/Thursday, February 23-24, introducing Collaboration. We want to complete the book in two weeks (early March).
Next week we will look at how Wise incorporates evidence to support his claims or arguments. We will look at the types of arguments he uses. Are they claims of fact, claims of policy, or claims of value? We will also note his transitions--is it contextual or does he use "transition" words?
We will also evaluate his evidence for credibility and discuss the use of oneself as fact or example and how that gives one's argument credibility or at times undermines the same. Who is Wise's audience? Does the viewpoint ever shift?
We will probably hangout in Chapter 3-5 for a minute and catch up in Wise. Chapter 5 looks at Definition, which we need to cover as it is the type of essay students will write for the Wise Assignment (smile).
Don't stress on the essay. Students will be able to discard one of the four essays assigned this semester (that is the lowest score). The essay will be about 3-4 pages not including a works cited page. Besides Wise's book, students will have to cite from two other scholarly sources.
We'll check in next week on Thursday to see how students are doing. It isn't the blind leading the blind, but it often feels like it I'm sure. Next week I will prepare another lecture (smile) covering Chapters 2-3.
The following week we will have the Chapter 4-5 lecture. If students are lost in a concept, we can slow things down a tad . . . not too much, but a little. This course is not accelerated, but you have to spend a lot of time studying along. I would love to see students stated a study group. I could meet with you on Thursdays after class 12-1 PM.
These critical thinking concepts might be intuitive, but the language of argument is not.
I'll type and post the lectures if students think that will be helpful. Let me know.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Andrea Giang
ReplyDeleteProfessor Sabir
English 5
17 February 2011
During the library presentation today, many topics regarding research and finding resources for papers were discussed. There was a PowerPoint presentation with handouts for us to look at. The professor was very knowledgeable. He provided many examples using the College of Alameda library site to link to databases. Professor Sparks also gave us three handouts as guidelines to research.
One of the handouts helps identify legitimate sites by teaching us the C.R.A.A.P test. By performing this test, we would know how current the information is, how relevant, the people behind the site, the accuracy of the information by using the source citations provided, and the reason why the site was made. If the site is legitimate, it would have all this information. However, with a hoax site or an unreliable site, there are likely no sources cited that someone can refer to and check for authenticity of the information provided. Another handout talked about plagiarism and how that included the buying, paraphrasing, and copying of someone else’s paper without giving them credit. The professor also mentioned “free use,” a phrase I did not know of before today. He said that it was something that could be used on campus but can never be published. The last handout was about narrowing down a topic for research papers.
Some of the points Professor Sparks covered was the different sources we can use to research our topics. He showed us examples of some printed sources we could use as reference to talk about race. The professor mentioned that World encyclopedias were not detailed enough for college level research papers, but there are volumes containing signed articles with citations that are specifically about a topic, such as race.
On Tim Wise’s webpage, Wise updates his articles often. His most recent post was on January 17, 2011. His essays have appeared in notable websites and he has links directly to some of his sources. He also has a page of links that lead to different groups and research sites. Under each of his articles, there are tags that indicate what the subject of the article is about. Wise also has testimonials from professors from different universities. He also has a page that gives people information about himself and a contact page with his email address. The purpose of this site is to inform and teach people about antiracism which can be seen through the website.
On the Alternet.org website, there are many articles by various authors from other different sites. While there is a page telling people about the site and the editorial team behind Alternet, there is not much information about the people behind the articles written. There are a lot of articles that are updated often so they are current. However, the contact page does not let us know who we are contacting. We have to give them our information without knowing who or where we are emailing. The organization also asks for donations and advertisers to work with them. Although Alternet.org does pass many of the C.R.A.A.P. test, it seems to be looking for ways to make money to keep their organization going.
Darin Lago
ReplyDeleteProfessor Sabir
English 5
February 17, 2011
Assignment Library Discussion
1. The whole presentation was about how to properly search or do research for your paper. This presentation was informative about new researching methods such as using the database’s which I found interesting. The presenter did a decent job explaining to look beyond and check any sources for its credibility, because it may be false information or a hoax website.
2. Some key points we covered was how to get started such as brainstorming by weighing out the pros and cons of an argument. Then we discussed how to utilize certain resources such as database’s through the internet and how to check its validity by doing a background check. After that we touched briefly on the seriousness of plagiarism that it’s basically like stealing or cheating because you are not using your own ideas.
3. Professor Sparks helped us brainstorm by using the handout titled “Narrowing a Topic for a RE/SEARCH STRATEGY”. As the title states, it’s to help us get started in choosing a topic for writing a paper. The three handout materials he gave us is like a guideline to help us write a better paper or something to look back on if we get stuck or have questions. These will be helpful when coming up with future argumentative writing assignments.
4. Plagiarism involves anything from using a source and its content without giving any credit to the publisher or author even if the content is purchased or paraphrased. The content is not rightfully yours and should be credited properly such as using quotation marks and a “Works Cited” page. I did not know the term “free use” until today and involves using information on campus without publishing it. It’s not plagiarism if it’s not published.
5. The information or articles on Tim Wise’s website is current along with posted dates. His website includes articles or news about anything that relates to racism or prejudice. He has testimonials on his web page and of course qualifications as a writer/author, contact information, etc. Some of articles do not have direct links to his sources, but can easily be checked through the search engine Google. He does have links to other related groups or websites for related information. The purpose of this website is to provide information for the uninformative and to further raise awareness about racism.
Compared to the AlterNet website, there are articles that are current with today’s news and events, and there is a wide range of different topics or genre that is covered. However, the authors on most of the articles are free writers or random journalists from other websites. It’s hard to check the validity or credibility about certain authors. Maybe not the best website source as it uses information from other website journalist.
Jeff Norkunas
ReplyDeleteProfessor Sabir
English 5
February 20, 2011
Assumptions:
1. It was certainly a cavalier attitude about drug use, and the prospects of getting in trouble, that white folks brought to Greatful Dead concerts, for nearly forty years, and that I carried with me in the summer of 1990, when my girlfriend at the time and I went to see two shows, one outside of Kansas city, the other in Louisville.
Greatful Dead shows were about privilege- not so; it was about freedom of expression and non violence. There was no fighting at the shows, but if the police harassed the patrons, they would have rioted. Better to tolerate them for 2-3 days than risk a riot.
2. Without question, I saw far more drugs, drug use, and drug dealing going on at Tulane, on my dorm floor alone, in any given week, than I ever saw in public housing projects, where I would work as a community organizer many years later.
College is low level, brief drug dealing for a few years; housing projects are lifelong commitments to drug sales with very organized procedures.
Facts:
1. Then in the wake of Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676, which witnessed both European and African laborers joining forces to overthrow the government of Governor Berkeley, elites began to pass a flurry of new laws intended to limit black freedom, elevate whites, and thus divide and conquer any emerging cross-racial alliances between the two groups.
The direct results of these actions can still be seen in present day America
Inference:
1. It’s much like the way whites responded after 9/11, in a way that was nothing if not bizarre to people of color, by saying things like, “Now we know what it’s like to be attacked for who we are.” Or “9/11 was the worst act of terrorism in our nation’s history.” Or, “Why do they hate us?”
The events happened yet were these reasons that caused the attack?
2. Of course, having a father who was an actor gave me a leg up and assured me a prominent role in whatever production was chosen as our annual play.
Just because his father had acted; did not mean that he had any talent.
Judgments:
1. It’s much like the way whites responded after 9/11, in a way that was nothing if not bizarre to people of color, by saying things like, “Now we know what it’s like to be attacked for who we are.” Or “9/11 was the worst act of terrorism in our nation’s history.” Or, “Why do they hate us?”
Most Americans have not traveled outside the United States and when they do, they tend to stay in “Americanized” locations.
2. Consider what a young white woman in the audience of the Phil Donahue Show said: the night that Professor Michael Eric Dyson and I were on, and the subject of 9/11 came up. Dyson made the rather obvious yet critical point that although 9/11 had been a tragedy of great magnitude, his people, black folks, had known about terrorism for a long time. As he put it:” I know a lot of you here in New York were running for your lives on 9/11, and that was terrible, but my people have been running for four hundred years, so what else is new?”
the judgment in this statement is that his people have been running for four hundred years; where is the true comparison to 9/11 which was one attack that no one is really sure of who is responsible.
Standard Form:
Such persons might argue that the past can’t be undone, and anyway, the fact that white folks in previous generations created a system of racism and white supremacy is not the fault of whites living today. So why should whites today have to deal with the residue of other folks’ actions?
1. The past can’t be undone.
2. White folks in previous generations created a system of racism and white supremacy is not the fault of whites living today.
Why should whites today have to deal with the residue of other folks’ actions?
OceaN Beverly
ReplyDeleteProfessor Sabir
English 5
In the library resource center Professor Sparks talk to us about the importance of brainstorming and making your ideas your own. First he addressed the number on e rule which is plagiarism. Plagiarism is when you use someone else’s work or ideas without giving them credit. The handout on plagiarism also touched on the importance of citation and citing sources when using them as a reference in your paper. Another point that he stressed was to know exactly what your assignments are and what your teacher is looking for, for example how the paper is formatted. We also received an handout on research strategies which o found the most helpful because of all the books article and research you can find on any given topic, its Is sometime hard to determine which sources best suit your paper. The CRAAP test is like a check list to follow when researching your research and information sources. Wise follows the CRAAP test faily well, since he uses his personal experiences he doesn’t have to authenticate them.
Frena Zamudio
ReplyDeleteProfessor Sabir
English 5
21 February 2011
We had to go in the library on Thursday to listen to Professor Sparks’ presentation about many topics relating to research papers, like what are the tools we can use from the COA library’s website. There was a PowerPoint presentation and also handouts for us to look at. He also showed us different kinds of books that can be found in the library. The presentation was informative and interesting because not a lot of us knew about the school’s databases on the website. Professor Sparks did an excellent job explaining how to use it and also showed us how an easier way to cite that website, he also told us the things we should look out for in order to make sure that the source that we use is creditable.
One of the handouts that he talked about was the C.R.A.A.P test, he tried to make it as a joke too, he tried to be funny, it worked for me. Haha. This test helps us identify the legitimacy of a specific website. Through this test, we would know how current the information is, how relevant, the authors (people behind that website), the information’s accuracy by using and finding out the source provided and the reasons why such website was made. If the website has all these information, then that means it is legitimate. The second handout was about plagiarism, which is copying and /or paraphrasing someone else’s work without giving that person credit. The third handout was about breaking down a big topic into small more precise and concise topic for research papers. I did not know what ‘free use’ meant until Thursday, I don’t think I have heard of it, but I found out that it is using information at school without publishing it, it is not plagiarism because it was never published. I also found out how some people actually pay people online to write them essays, like wow! People actually sell their work.
Looking at the information on Tim Wises’s website, I can pretty much say that they are updated. He has articles that relate to racism or prejudice. He has his opinions/comments/testimonials. He also put his contact information maybe in case if someone wants to question anything about his website. The purpose of this website is basically to have a deeper information about racism, so we can just look at one specific website and find everything we need about racism.
On the other hand, the AlterNet website also has updated information and articles and the topic wasn’t very specific, but the authors are just from random people who can say their opinions about certain things, freewriters from other websites and because of that, I realized that the website may not be the best website to get information from because the we are not sure if the authors are credible enough with no bias involved.