Hey Nerdillios:
This is a catch up post and is quite lengthy. Please read the entire post, and answer the questions at the end by hitting "comment."
Announcements:
1. I am in still in court, but I anticipate being done by next Tuesday or Thursday (or earlier).
2. I have graded a whole host of work, and I will be dropping it off for Mr. Sponsler to return to you on Thursday.
3. I understand that many of you are coming to court on Tuesday. I think it will be a great opportunity for you to see justice in action. There are a few rules of court, though, that I would like you to observe.
First, the court requires appropriate dress (no hoodies, no mid shirts, etc.). I believe the judge prefers jackets for the men and "business casual" for women. You will see that I am actually dressed up. Look closely, as it does not happen often.
The second rule is that no food or drinks are allowed in the court room.
The third rule is that there is absolutely no talking allowed in court. You may bring notebooks, and I am going to ask you to write up a little ditty about the experience (just your thoughts about it - nothing formal). You may bring these materials with you to court.
Finally, as I am sure you are aware, this case is about my son, and it is of a very personal nature. You will hear all about my body parts and whatnot (as it is about my son's birth). Please understand that I am allowing you to come because I believe that you have a wonderful opportunity to see justice in action, but please recognize that this case is very real to me and my family. You may see me cry or get angry in my chair. These are real emotions, as this case is very real to me. I may not be able to talk to you, but I will try to meet you outside of the court room at 2:10. If not, please know that I appreciate your attendance and value your support. Upon my return, we can talk about the case and all the various components.
CLASS NOTES
Pamela asked some really good questions in an earlier email to me. I promised her I would post the answers here so that all of you can benefit from the response.
You may wonder what we are doing in class and how it applies to College English. As I mentioned earlier in the semester, I teach 105 as a research-based seminar in conjunction with a forms of writing course.
Your first paper, the definition essay, required you to think outside of the box. It required you to define a term that we all use but few of us understand. In writing this essay, you had to suspend what you may have learned in previous English courses. The bottom line was to demonstrate two concepts. First, we may not always know the answer to a question, as there might be problems with the language we use and how we use it. Ambiguity is a difficult concept to teach, but, by requiring you to define "problem," you learned that not all words have concrete meaning. So, as writers, it is important to select words carefully. Secondly, you learned that writing in college has different expectations than at the HS level. This concept can only be taught with a challenging assignment.
In interviewing Dr. Bradley, you learned a primary research skill (interviewing with technology). You also learned summary skills (a college English skill). Additionally, you learned about open source science.
In the Mentos and Coke experiment, you learned that process is important to final product (just like the writing process). When we just went out and did the experiment, there was no solid goal. After a week of looking at different examples, getting hints from online, and doing rough research, you all came up with better ideas about how to do the experiment. The same is true in writing. We don't just sit down and write; we have to gather, analyze, discuss, assess, and then (only then) are we prepared to write.
In interviewing Thom and Vickie, you learned how to conduct a live interview. You learned how to listen to a guest speaker and take careful notes. This is a research skill, as well.
In the narrative essay, you learned how to tell a story with a point (to persuade, inform, or entertain). The topic was meant to get you looking at the people and culture of Sierra Leone (in order to make your story believable). This is another form of research (factual data).
In the Games of Truth assignment, you learned to compare and contrast various existing truths. The presentation you made has been delivered to a teacher at LCTI, and his students will be providing feedback to you.
In working with Mr. Sponsler, you are learning the importance of journal research (we will go over this again when I return). You also learned the importance of MLA.
When I return, we will discuss process writing (the drug development process), compare and contrast (in a more formal way), and persuasive writing. All of these assignments will build up to the research paper. You will use parts of all of your work thus far (with the exception of the "story" within the narrative) to compile your research paper.
At this point, I would like all of you to think about your position on open source science. If you wish to work ahead, begin doing research on the drug development process. How does a drug start in Dr. Bradley's lab and end up in Sierra Leone? Your task will be to write a process paper that maps out the process.
Please let me know if you have questions. I look forward to seeing all of you. I miss you terribly.
Finally, please respond to these questions in the comment tab:
What information do you feel will be most helpful in preparing to write your research paper? What concerns you most right now? What can I do, as your guide, to help you be successul with this research endeavor?
NERD
