End of bill of rights?

Bill Summary & Status, 112th Congress (2011 -- 2012) | S.1867 | Latest Title: National Defense Authorization Act for.

This bill, passed late last night in a 93-7 vote, declares the entire USA to be a "battleground" upon which U.S. military forces can operate with impunity, overriding Posse Comitatus and granting the military the unchecked power to arrest, detain, interrogate and even assassinate U.S. citizens with impunity.

hw #8 (12/7) & Reminder

Please complete the following prompt for class this Wednesday. Also, make note of the schedule for the last few meetings periods, especially including the date of the final exam on 12/19.

M 12/5:
Paper #3 Final Copy Due
Peer-edit of Practice Exam #1
e-journal #8: What are three things that you have found are most important when taking a timed, handwritten essay exam?

W 12/7:
handout – Article #2a for Practice Exam #2
handout – Final Essay Exam Rubric
in-class e-journal #9: Identify some trends in your fellows writing and your own that reoccurred during the peer-edit. What are some areas which need improvement? How might these "problems" be solved in the future? How might they be prevented during the final exam?

M 12/12:
Practice Exam #2

W 12/14:
Peer edit of Practice Exam #2


FINALS WEEK

M 12/19 -- 8:00am -- AC/1E02

Updates, and Westlake and Braden

Hello everyone,

I have made a few changes to the schedule for the next two weeks, as detailed below and on the Schedule page linked above. I have only gotten through half of the Essay #2 RDs. I will be handing them back on Wednesday morning; therefore, I pushed the Final Draft back until the 16th. Notice that the optional revision is due this Wednesday. Please include all previous drafts should you choose to revise!

The Westlake article can be obtained here, while the Braden is here.

M 11/7:
Avoiding Plagiarism
In-class: BH, p.482-487
Hempel with Lehman, “The Myspace Generation”
HW ~ BH, p.438f, 442-458, 462-475

W 11/9:
Revision of Essay #1 Due (Optional)
Conducting Research & Evaluating Sources
handout – Proper Citation in a Works Cited Page and Annotated Bibliography 
Essay #3 Rubric

M 11/14: 
handout – Westlake, "Friend Me If You Facebook: Generation Y and Performative Surveillance" (only pages 25-27, 30f... stop after the second-to-last paragraph on p.27)

W 11/16:Westlake, "Friend Me If You Facebook"
Essay #2 Final Copy Due
handout –  Braden, “Is the Internet the Harbinger of Orwell’s Nightmares?”
HW ~ BH, p.379-387, 392-400
e-journal #7: After reading Braden, consider any questions presented in the following prompt when responding: Many would argue that the Internet is merely another window through which the public may be spied upon by “big government” or by secret agencies. Do you feel that Braden and Westlake share a similar argument regarding this issue? According to these authors, and in your opinion, what are the weakest points (literally, sites) of the Internet? What are some potential results of the Internet’s ability to replicate and publish information? Do you feel that you participate in citizen-surveillance? Do you contribute to content on the web? If so, what kind? What aspect of the Internet are you most wary about? Use at least two, properly cited textual examples in your response.

Hempel with Lehman, and #6 (11/7)

Okay folks, here is the next reading for over the weekend by Jessie Hempel, co-written with her editorial assistant Paula Lehman.  Please download, print, read, annotate, and bring this article to class on Monday.

Also, be sure to complete the e-journal before we meet again. Here is the prompt:

Spend the weekend being a bit more aware about your social internet usage, via your computer, your phone, or otherwise. Describe in detail what you are typically doing when you visit one of these sites. How many hours a day do you spend on social sites? Are you a multi-tasker too? Do you feel that face-to-face interaction is at risk of becoming obsolete, or do you believe that social ties are becoming stronger via new, electronic mediums?

Rubric for Essay #2

Here is the updated Rubric for Essay #2. Please feel free to email me with questions regarding the assignment, especially if you need help with choosing a secondary source!

I have also updated a number of the On-Campus Links to allow easy access while off-campus. Additionally, I have included a link to the Library Virtual Private Network (or VPN), which affords you another means to access the library resources when researching articles, essays, and other texts. So be sure to click a few of these and try them out! You will find them helpful with the present essay assignment no doubt.

Have a good weekend all,
s.

#5 (10/26)

Please complete the following ejournal for class Wednesday.


Complete the BH reading, then take one of your paragraphs from e-journal #4 and revise accordingly. Then, as a second requirement, offer a draft thesis statement which you would consider using for your upcoming essay assignment. I will anonymously select some for review in class.

Winn Article & #4 (10/24)

Hi everyone,

I am very pleased with your responses and the discussion of Gore's text today in class. Hopefully we were able to illustrate how meaningful and insightful a text can be when it is written coherently and effectively.

Here is the next reading: Winn, "TV Addiction". Please download and print this text so that you can bring it to class on Monday.

Also, be sure to reply to the following e-journal prompt:

In a well-developed paragraph describe the negative effects that Winn sees in habitual TV watching. Does Gore agree with her sentiments? Do you? What are some ways in which these two authors’ arguments compare and/or contrast? Use at least one example from each of these two texts in your response.

Enjoy your weekend!
s.

Correction Key Handout

Hi everyone,

I have made available the correction key handout. This document provides a brief legend to the correction symbols I utilize when grading your written work.


Best,
s.

Gore Article

Hi Folks,

So here is the Gore reading. Please download and print this document, reading and annotating the text for our next class meeting on Wednesday.


Thanks!
s.

Schedule Posted... (#3 10/12) Gladwell

If you have not done so yet, be sure the check the recently added Class Schedule. Here you can view upcoming reading assignments and plan ahead for your written work. This schedule is tentative, so revisit it frequently for updates!

I am providing the next reading for Wednesday, by Malcolm Gladwell. It is the first chapter from his book titled The Tipping Point. No, it's not the Roots album; however, this text does offer interesting commentary and observation of contemporary culture and society. Print this document, annotate it, and bring it to our next class meeting so that we can examine it more closely as a group.

After reading Gladwell, respond to the following prompt: Describe, with sensory detail where possible, a fashion trend that you have noticed and participated in during the past three or four years. Where did it begin (if you know), or where did you first begin to notice it? Who were the people to first wear this style? Does this particular fashion help identify a particular group? If so, who or what? Do you identify with them or it? Is there a music genre attached to this group; a set of beliefs; ideals; behaviors or rituals? Devote two paragraphs to this e-journal response, citing at least one quotation from Gladwell’s text to support your conclusions.

Lastly, begin revising Essay #1 over the long weekend, using the comments left by your fellows during the peer-edit to assist you in your improvements. I will be handing your work back to you next Wednesday with my comments. Remember that the final draft is due Monday, October 17th!