Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Blog for day 10
Using Rogerian argumentative style, please argue for what grade you think you truly deserve in this class.
Blog for day 9
Movie critic Mark Palermo compellingly writes, "The Great Debaters handles conventions well, making an important piece of history affecting and resonant."
What do you think Palermo means by this statement. Please describe. Also, do you agree with his analysis? Explain.
What do you think Palermo means by this statement. Please describe. Also, do you agree with his analysis? Explain.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Day 8 blog
Please write your own paragraph entitled either "Love is a Fallacy" or "Love is not a Fallacy." Be as creative as you wish.
Day 7 blog
Please read "Love is a Fallacy" by Max Shulman on pages 371-79 of your text and then address the writing prompt on page 380. You only need to write a developed paragraph in response.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Day 6 blog
Please watch the video "Time for Some Campaignin'" at jibjab.com. Then share your thoughts on the social commentary the video is making here.
Day 5 blog
Please read the following excert from Peter A. Facione's article, "Critical Thinking: What It Is and Why It Counts" and then discuss the implications of what he is saying.
George Carlin worked “critical
thinking” into one of his monologue rants on
the perils of trusting our lives and fortunes
to the decision-making of a gullible,
uninformed, and unreflective citizenry. The
argument that higher education, while surely
both, is more of a public good than a private
good, is beginning to be recognized. Is it not
a wiser social policy to invest in the
education of the future workforce, rather
than to suffer the financial loses and endure
the fiscal and social burdens associated
with economic weakness, public health
problems, crime, and avoidable poverty?
Teach people to make good decisions and
you equip them to improve their own futures
and become contributing members of
society, rather than burdens on society.
Becoming educated and practicing good
judgment does not absolutely guarantee a
life of happiness, virtue, or economic
success, but it surely offers a better chance
at those things. And it is clearly better than
enduring the consequences of making bad
decisions and better than burdening friends,
family, and all the rest of us with the
unwanted and avoidable consequences of
those poor choices.
George Carlin worked “critical
thinking” into one of his monologue rants on
the perils of trusting our lives and fortunes
to the decision-making of a gullible,
uninformed, and unreflective citizenry. The
argument that higher education, while surely
both, is more of a public good than a private
good, is beginning to be recognized. Is it not
a wiser social policy to invest in the
education of the future workforce, rather
than to suffer the financial loses and endure
the fiscal and social burdens associated
with economic weakness, public health
problems, crime, and avoidable poverty?
Teach people to make good decisions and
you equip them to improve their own futures
and become contributing members of
society, rather than burdens on society.
Becoming educated and practicing good
judgment does not absolutely guarantee a
life of happiness, virtue, or economic
success, but it surely offers a better chance
at those things. And it is clearly better than
enduring the consequences of making bad
decisions and better than burdening friends,
family, and all the rest of us with the
unwanted and avoidable consequences of
those poor choices.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Day 4 blog
According to scholar Robert Ennis, “Critical thinking is useful only in those situations where human beings need to solve problems, make decisions, or decide in a reasonable and reflective way what to believe or what to do. That is, just about everywhere and all the time.”
A “well cultivated critical thinker," writes Ennis,
raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely;
gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively;
comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards;
thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions,
and practical consequences; and communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.
As a critical thinker, please read the late Senator Jesse Helms' obituary write-up from The Economist magazine and evaluate how Helms is presented. Is the obituary fair, based on what you know or can find out about the late senator. Would you have focused the article differently? How so? Please discuss.
http://www.economist.com/obituary/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11701805
A “well cultivated critical thinker," writes Ennis,
raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely;
gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively;
comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards;
thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions,
and practical consequences; and communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.
As a critical thinker, please read the late Senator Jesse Helms' obituary write-up from The Economist magazine and evaluate how Helms is presented. Is the obituary fair, based on what you know or can find out about the late senator. Would you have focused the article differently? How so? Please discuss.
http://www.economist.com/obituary/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11701805
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
