My gift to you!

http://youtu.be/UV_27QuGCu0

Dear Students...

At the end of the semester, I always have conflicting feelings. On the one hand, I'm happy that it's over and that I'm going to get some time off. On the other hand, I'm sad that we have to disband after building our very own little international community and finally getting truly at ease with each other. So, bittersweet... 

Yours was really an outstanding class, filled with smart, interesting, and interested students (a teacher's dream). Coming to "work" with you guys was always a pleasure. I enjoyed our many conversations and activities. I wish we had had time for more. 

For those of you staying in Houston--please come and visit me at the LCC or email me (holly_cin@yahoo.com) or call (713-721-3460) to say hi. If you throw a party, invite me and I will try my best to come. Also, if you need anything while you are in Houston, and I can be of help, feel free to contact me. Former students often consult with me on their academic decisions as well as their parking tickets and baby questions! Should you have a legal issue, my husband is a good person to consult. If in the future you lose my contact information, you can always call the LCC office and they'll know how to reach me. At the very least, you can remember my last name. That's Cin. C-I-N. Like cinammon. Or cinema. Of course I hope you will remember more than my last name!

For those of you entering the university, I wish you tremendous success. It won't be easy but with hard work and determination you will achieve your goals. To be a successful student requires a good brain (which you all have) and a lot of hard work.

For those of you returning home, I wish you a safe and pleasant journey and I hope you continue to learn and to practice, and I hope to see you in your country one of these days soon.

Finally, I want to congratulate Veronica for her excellent graduation speech and Ileana for being chosen as outstanding student. There were lots of smart and hard working students so it was not easy to isolate the "most outstanding."

Thanks, guys, for a really fun semester. I will miss you a lot!

Yours,
Holly

p.s. I will post our class pictures on the blog when I get the chance to download them from my camera. Give me a little time!

Celebration dinner

Would anyone like to join me and Ileana for a celebration dinner Thursday night at 7:30 at Madras Pavilion (cuisine is Indian vegetarian--tasty and inexpensive)?

3910 Kirby Dr
Ste 130
Houston, TX 77098

713) 521-2617

See you guys soon!  

Next Week's Schedule

Monday: Writing Sample (9 a.m. in Roy Cullen 102 (LCC Bldg)
Tuesday: Free
Wednesday: Field Trip to San Antonio
Thursday: Final conferences (beginning at 10:00 IN GREG'S ROOM)
GRADUATION REHEARSAL: 1:15 (Chapel)
GRADUATION: 2:00

Final conference schedule:
10:00:  Eiman
10:10:  Lin
10:20:  Shay
10:30:  Kyoung
10:40:  Ileana
10:50:  Luisa
11:00:  Jacky
11:10:  Veronica
11:20:  Fatimah
11:30:  Yo
11:40:  Jo
11:50:  Vu
12:00:  Bank
12:10:  Chune
12:20:  Omar
12:30:  Mohammad

Please post a comment as to which time you'd like. If you're not going to come to the final conference, you need to sign the form which allows someone else to pick up your records. Go to the office for that form, sign it, and then ask someone to place it in my box.

Are any of you interested in a final celebration on Thursday night? If so, may I recommend Madras Pavilion, which is one of the few restaurants that I'm able to eat at due to my kosher restrictions. It's on Kirby near Richmond. If everyone prefers a different restaurant, that's okay. I'll come, but I won't eat :D. I can't go earlier than 7:30.

Was it the power of context?

http://news.yahoo.com/homeless-man-charged-ny-subway-riders-death-075012828.html

Reading Test and Schedule for tomorrow

I want to make sure that all of you are aware that the test will cover the last chapters of the reading book on argument and reasoning, even though we didn't discuss the material in class. Sometimes that's the way it works at the university, so at the end of level 6, I expect you can do this. You can prepare by doing the exercises in the book, for which you have the answers, and on line at TownsendPress. If you have questions, post them here, or you can ask Greg before the test tomorrow. SCHEDULE TOMORROW: You will have both classes in our room. The first class will be with Greg. For the first 45 minutes, he will review your tests with you. Then at 9:15, Greg will give you my reading test. We will switch classes at 10:30. From 10:30-12:30, we will try to complete all of the presentations. Feel free to bring popcorn :D I know it will be a long time to sit and listen, but your patience is appreciated. I will try to give you a short break after 3 or 4 presentations. If we don't finish all of the presentations by 12:30, then those who haven't presented will have to present with me (and with whichever classmates would like to stay) after 12:30. All presentations must be completed by 1:20! If I am correct, we have 10 presentations to cover tomorrow.

PARTY POST SCRIPT

Well, I hope you guys had as much fun as I did tonight. I wish the party would have gone on even longer! I would have loved to play poker with you guys! I'm so glad that most of you came. Of course we really missed Eiman and Fatimah and Jacky and Joe and Omar. Maybe we can go out together as a class to celebrate your graduation next Thursday night. Please forgive me for forgetting to thank Ileana, Veronica, and Vu for coming early and helping out with all of the food preparation. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Your Process Presentations

Vu/Bank:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NzTedWQ6UA

Shay/Omar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsIsixtYBm0

Luisa/Lin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOeZrPGMUm8

Veronica/Mohammad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27TPZL9DPME

Jacky/Kyoung:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nB13GU40eI

Ileana/Joe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMJ44ZxCSCY

Your Final Presentations

Vu:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7xoxTBU19Q

Vero:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A6unUHsu5I

Luisa:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDI9CC8i34E

Bank:
 http://youtu.be/S8eOo8TnBbM

Lin:
 http://youtu.be/6TMiBxUTksk

Shay:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj3Ig2U0f7Q

Ileana:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaNOOOE53ic

Chune:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgVWJlh1_mg

Kyoung:
 http://youtu.be/O2xs1KTJ5LA

Jacky:
 http://youtu.be/3mLXVbvH5Y8

Mohammad: 
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYRkxVNZ4aw






 

Looking ahead to next week...

Since we are pressed for time, we will start class promptly at 8:30 each day next week! By next Friday, the reading assignments on the internet (townsendpress.com) MUST BE COMPLETED. These grades will be considered as part of your final reading grade. But the main reason I'm having you do them is that they are fantastic reading practice.  Friday, November 30: COMPASS TEST! HW: Tipping Point, chapters seven and eight (reading test on Monday) Lecture preparation (TBA)

Monday, December 3: Research presentations (1 hour) Listen to lecture for final exam tomorrow (30 minutes) Tipping Point reading exam (chapters 6 and 7) OPEN NOTE (30 minutes)

Tuesday, December 4:*

Research presentations (1 hour)

Listening exam (1 hour)

Class Party!

Thursday, December 6:

Research presentations (1 hour)

Final Reading exam (chapters 8, 9, and 10) (1 hour)

Tipping Point Reading Test Chapter 5 (due Thursday night at midnight!)

You may use your notes. I trust you not to use your book.

3 Questions:

1.     Gladwell writes:  “As human beings…we can only handle so much information at once. Once we pass a certain boundary, we become overwhelmed. What I’m describing here is an intellectual capacity—our ability to process raw information. But if you think about it, we clearly have a channel capacity for feelings as well” (TP, 176).                                                                  

 The Tipping Point was written before the phenomenon of Facebook. What do you think Gladwell would say about Facebook friends in terms of this “channel capacity?”

 

2.  Explain the concept of transactive (shared) memory as it relates to the chapter. Give an example how it might work in one of your relationships.

  

3.     The Ya-Ya Sisterhood epidemic reveals the critical role that groups play in social epidemics. Psychologists tell us much the same thing: that when people are asked to consider evidence or make decisions in a group, they come to very different conclusions than when they are asked the same questions by themselves. Can we ever really make a decision in a vacuum (which means, in isolation), solely based on our own feelings, or do our peers or surroundings always influence us somehow? Explain.

Presentation Schedule

You can switch with each other. Just let me know.

Thursday:  Veronica, Vu, Luisa
Monday:  Chune, Jacky, Mohammad, Lin
Tuesday:  Kyoung, Fatimah, Joe, Yo
Thursday:  Eiman, Ileana, Shay, Bank

Grammar Powerpoint Presentations

Here are some powerpoints that I made for my 5 class. I'm posting them here in case you guys want to review before the Compass. Also, here is a link to my video reviewing adverb clauses (it says adjective clauses by mistake): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTKXw9v2NF4 If you watch it, please tell me how I did!

Good news

I've decided to cancel the listening test this week. We will have a final listening test next week and that will be it. We just don't have time. I know that you're all going to be very depressed about this, but you'll get over it ;) Tomorrow I'd like to spend the entire time talking about arguments, fallacies, facts and opinions, and bias. Then on Thursday we'll have 3 presentations, a TP reading quiz, and we'll speak some more about arguments, fallacies, facts and opinions, and bias.

Invitation to the party

Please check your gmail accounts for the evite.

Final Presentations: Presenting Your Research Paper

 We're going to do four presentations each day, beginning on Thursday, and then continuing next Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday (there is no class this Friday due to the Compass test and then next week there is no class on Wednesday or Friday). I am looking for volunteers who can be ready for Thursday, so please let me know. Otherwise, I will pick presenters ARBITRARILY (to use one of our vocabulary words).

 Final Presentation Instructions

1.     Address your topic in an interesting and informative manner in 7-10 minutes. You will then spend 2-3 minutes for questions from the audience and/or use your discussion questions to facilitate conversation.   

2.     Organize your talk into:

·      An introduction (including the background to the topic, if necessary, and the main points of your presentation).

·       A main body (including all the supporting points and any examples you think may make the meaning more clear).

·      A conclusion (in which you sum up the main ideas already presented). Include your own opinion about the topic if you wish.

3.     Be properly prepared:  Good presenters always rehearse what they are going to say.  Do this a couple of times every day starting a few days before you give the presentation.  I strongly advise that you do not memorize your research paper and stand in front of class and recite it.  That will be a very mundane presentation and your audience will be bored.  Be prepared to explain your points in more detail and show visual examples.

4.     Know your pronunciation problems: You are advised to ask your teacher how to say those words in advance.  Remember to stress key words.

5.  Use visual aids.  This is a requirement, not an option.  Select the information you choose to show wisely.  What you show us should either guide your audience and/or help illustrate your main point.  It should not be a distraction.

6.  Key/Vocabulary Words:  Be sure to prepare adequate explanations of any new, key words that you plan to use in your presentation. Choose only those vocabulary words that your classmates probably don't know, but that are essential to understand the topic and your discussion.  Put these words and their definitions (five or less) on a sheet of paper and make enough copies for each person in the class.

7.  Use cues and transition words/phrases to help your audience understand the format of your presentation.

8.  Be sure to refer to your sources either during the presentation or after.  Your last slide should be your bibliography. 

9.  You may use a NOTECARD during your presentation that includes key words, but nothing else.  

10. You must prepare two discussion questions that you can ask your classmates after the presentation.  These should not be yes/no questions.  They should be thinking questions.

Audience's Instructions

1.   It is your responsibility to understand the presentation, so if you have a question, please ask.  However, it is polite to wait until the end.

2. It is your responsibility to be a good audience which means being polite and attentive, maintaining good eye contact with the presenter, and responding to the presenter's questions.

Hi Guys... Checking in...

I hope everyone has had a good Thanksgiving break. And I hope it won't be too hard to come back to class tomorrow (me included)!

I had a good time camping with my family. Thankfully, the weather was mild.

I mentioned having a class party at my home this week. I'd like to postpone it until Tuesday, December 4th because there is no class that Wednesday so we can hang out without the pressure of having to wake up early the next day. Actually, I will have to go to the LCC, but you won't. Please let me know if there is an objection to the party next Tuesday.

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Please post a comment if you did anything worth talking about!

Friday Fun Days

Bowling Queens

Happy Feet

Fall Festival

Friday Fun Day:  Halloween Edition

Work for this week

This week I'd like to cover the chapter on argument.
I'd like to you to do practices 2-6 and review tests 3 and 4.
We'll talk about argument in class on Tuesday.
On Monday we'll have presentations and the vocabulary test.
On Tuesday we'll have presentations and talk about argument.
We'll hold off on a Tipping Point reading quiz until we return from the break.

Sign of the Times

 Having some coffee

 dinner in a restaurant

 appreciating art in the museum

 conversation in a coffee shop

 a pleasant day at the beach

 rooting for your team

 a date with your boyfriend or girlfriend

sightseeing...

Albert Einstein:
"I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of IDIOTS."

Schedule Update

Thursday:

Listen to the lecture and take notes

Listening test

Irony:  Why I Want a Wife

Friday:

Short TP reading quiz on ch. 4

Eiman/Yo and Omar/Shay

Monday:

Vocabulary test (Lists 1, 2, and 3)

Vu/Bank, Chune/Fatimah, Luisa/Lin

Tuesday:

Mohammad/Veronica, Jacky/Kyoung, Joe/Ileana

Switching rooms on Wednesday

On Wednesday, you'll have both classes in Greg's room. I'll teach there the first two hours and then the last two hours with Greg, as usual. He needs to use my room so that 5A can do presentations.

Looking ahead to next week..

I forgot to mention that today was our two month anniversary together. Happy anniversary, guys!

Also, what a great debate today. I am very impressed with your preparation as well as your teamwork. I have to say that this is one of the best classes I've ever had in this regard. You just work so well with each other. That's why I'm pairing you up again for presentations.

Let me try to give you a heads up for some of the work ahead next week:

Monday:
First, we'll have our second debate. I think we'll allow each team about 10 minutes to argue each time. Then we'll discuss "Sex, Lies, and Conversation." If there's time, we'll do listening work.

Tuesday:
Listening work/lecture 7
(If you want to start preparing for this, look over the vocabulary on p. 105, read the article on p. 106, and do exercises 12 and 14)

Wednesday:
Listening work/listening test

Thursday:
2 process presentations
Tipping Point vocabulary test (introduction and chapters 1-3)

Friday:
2 process presentations

It's possible that I won't give a reading test on chapter 4 of Tipping Point. I might ask you to do something else with this chapter, such as write a short paper. I haven't decided yet.

Finally, please go on line to townsendpress.net and do the work on the inference chapter which I've assigned.

Process Presentations

For this presentation, I'd like you to explain a process--either how something works, or how something is made. Please post your team's topic as a comment so I can approve the topic and avoid repetition. Very simple topics (like how to cook something) are to be avoided.

It could be a process that you're already familiar with, or it can be something that you learn about. Pick something that you're both interested in. Make sure you tell us the source of your information to avoid plagiarism.

Process Presentations

Here's the schedule:

Thursday:  Ileana/Joe     Luisa/Lin
Friday:  Eiman/Yo   Omar/Shay
Monday:  Vu/Bank   Chune/Fatimah
Tuesday:  Mohammad/Veronica   Jacky/Kyoung


Here are some good examples of process presentations (which) you can watch from a prior class. Notice how these presenters use good cues to lead us from one step to another.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RhBAocTGP8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uugUKmeOWjA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5wTBoJhrTI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrLACH-8aGI

An episode of Blues' Clues

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ri1rEOgmoU&feature=related

In case you wanted to know what made this show so sticky...

Sex, Lies, and Conversation Test

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B-rIza1967iVZldRQ0NKU3F2Mms

Your Technology Presentations

Ileana/Chune:

http://youtu.be/G3334iNSFQE

Shay/Bank:

 http://youtu.be/4CAOy0TT1cs

Veronica/Eiman:

 http://youtu.be/j4YTNiQ2LVY

Vu/Fatimah:



Jacky/Omar:

  http://youtu.be/EtyPe3GsoTM

Joe/Mohammad:

 http://youtu.be/Kw6Sm08TXuU

Lin/Kyoung:

 http://youtu.be/r6VJJZwmh-0

Luisa/Yo:

 http://youtu.be/L8_zyupdGAU

Tipping Point Quiz 4 on Chapter 3

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B-rIza1967iVVnY4MWg1U0pQdGs

Change in the schedule

Hi Guys,

I want to correct the schedule, which says that we're having a listening test on Friday. I gave you the listening test today, so there is no other listening test for this week.

Tomorrow we'll have a reading test on "Sex, Lies, and Conversation," a short reading test on "Tipping Point," chapter 3 (stickiness), and then we'll discuss "S, L, and C." We'll also go over some of the homework I asked you to do in the inference chapter (including "What I learned from Shamu.")

On Friday we'll have the debate and begin the chapter on purpose and tone.

This sounds like fun

International Explosion (Talent Show)

Wednesday, November 7th
6:30pm–8:30pm
Cullen Performance Hall

Different groups on campus will be performing to find out who truly is the best. There will be music, dancing, etc. Come support this FREE talent show.

http://www.uh.edu/csiceo/#

Little Brown Handbook

Hi guys,
Greg wants to everybody know the following: "LB Handbook e-book course has been fixed:
go to the pearsonmylab.com website and register for the URQUHART87798 (no spaces; it is not case senstive either), and you WILL be successful."

So, we can register now.

Saludos,

From Amnesty International: Two Current Prisoners of Conscience

 Notice all of your new vocabulary from today:

 

15 October 2012

Forced “confessions” and unfair trials: two Bahraini teachers sentenced to imprisonment

Tweet
//
Mahdi 'Issa Mahdi Abu Dheeb and Jalila al-Salman. © Private
Jalila al-Salman and Mahdi 'Issa Mahdi Abu Dheeb are former leaders of the Bahrain Teachers’ Association.

On 21 October an appeal court upheld the guilty verdict against Mahdi and Jalila but reduced their prison sentences to five years and six months respectively.
They were arrested in 2011 after calling for a teachers strike in support of protesters’ calls for reform in Bahrain. Whilst in detention they were held in solitary confinement, where they say they were subjected to torture or other ill-treatment and forced to sign “confessions”.  
They were initially tried before a military court and convicted of, among other things, attempting to overthrow the ruling system by force and inciting hatred of the regime. Amnesty International believes neither or them used or advocated violence and is not aware that any such evidence was presented during their trials.

We need you to continue putting pressure on the Bahraini authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mahdi, as a prisoner of conscience, and ensure that Jalila does not serve any of her remaining sentence. In the face of injustice and repression they need your support now.


Sign the petition below:
 
Your Excellency,
We the undersigned call on you to ensure that the convictions and sentences of Jalila al-Salman and Mahdi 'Issa Mahdi Abu Dheeb’s are quashed, that Mahdi, as a prisoner of conscience, is immediately and unconditionally released and that Jalila is not returned to prison to serve the remainder of her sentence.
We respectfully urge you to investigate their allegations of torture and other ill-treatment in custody, make the results public and hold anyone responsible to account.
Sincerely,

3287

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Wednesday's Debate

Debate 1:  Internal Affairs and International Relations

Team A:  Human rights abuses are international issues that should be of concern to foreign governments, trade partners, and others in the international community.

Luisa, Kyoung, Shay, Omar

Team B:  Human rights abuses are issues that should be handled internally without international interference.

Veronica, Eiman, Yo, Lin

Debate 2:  Amnesty International's Principles
Team A:  AI's principles are the best means by which to deal with the problems of human rights violations.

Jacky, Bank, Fatimah, Vu

Team B:  AI's principles need changing. There are more effective ways to deal with human rights violations.

Joe, Mohammad, Ileana, Chune

Homework for the weekend and other things...

1.  If you're going to the Renaissance Festival, HAVE A GREAT TIME and TAKE PICTURES and then SEND ME YOUR PICTURES!

2.  Daylight savings time:  We turn the clocks back one hour on Sunday. Enjoy the extra hour in your day, but don't be late for class on Monday!

3.  In RS, ch. 7 (Inference); pp. 283-292 (this was previously assigned as homework); also, review test 4, which I think you will enjoy, but it has a lot of vocabulary that you might not know, so you'll probably need to read it twice. We'll talk about the first part on Monday, but let's discuss review test 4 on Tuesday. Please be prepared!

4.  Listening work--already posted for you on the blog. Due Tuesday.

5.  Tipping Point--We'll do chapter 2 next week (on stickiness). I don't have the vocabulary list yet, but I'll post it when I have it for you. We'll have the reading quiz on Thursday in the Call Lab.

6.  Listen to Learn:  study the vocabulary in the box on p. 70 and do exercise 12 on p. 79. We'll listen to the lecture on Monday and Tuesday.

6.  I encourage you to listen to each other's voicethread presentations.
Also, for those of you who haven't completed them yet, please do so.

7.  Finally, what a great group of presentations you guys did! Each and every one was thoughtful and entertaining. Nice work.

Listening Work #6: "Choice, Happiness, and Spaghetti Sauce" (due Tuesday, 11/6)

http://www.ted.com/talks/malcolm_gladwell_on_spaghetti_sauce.html

What's the main idea and what did you learn from it?

For Friday

Please read pp. 284-292 in the reading book (inference) for tomorrow. We'll also finish the technology presentations.

Tomorrow is Friday Fun Day. You can bring snacks and you can dress up (the theme of the fun day is Halloween).

We'll finish our technology presentations.

I received questions from Ileana, Lin, Veronica, and Eiman.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rIza1967iVaERCYms1bVF0dTg/edit

Update from today

Schedule for this week is posted under weekly schedules and right here:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B-rIza1967iVQWZTS0dVcVI3cjA

For those of you who were absent from my class today--Joe, Luisa, Omar, and Mohammed--please look over the schedule carefully so that you understand everything we're doing this week (there's a lot). Since you missed the group work in class related to the articles, I will post some special blog work for you to do to allow you to discuss them.

Have a great LONG weekend!

Like I said today in class, I cannot believe that we're at mid-term. Wow! I want to let you know how much I'm enjoying our class. While each one of you is so entirely unique, together you are just awesome. I look forward to doing more team projects in the second half. The presentations this week were just fantastic. Also, your writing on the blog and your voicethread contributions have been very thoughtful, so I look forward to more of those as well.

For Tuesday, I'd like you to read two articles in the book, one of which you were supposed to read already. That's chapter 5, review test 4 (pp. 205-215) and chapter 6, review test 4 (pp. 256-262). I will post questions on the blog for you to respond to regarding these readings.

Of course you know that you have to keep up with The Tipping Point. However, your next reading test probaby won't be until we go back into the Call Lab the following Monday. I'm posting the list under vocabulary lists. I'll also post it right here: 
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B-rIza1967iVMGdlZ2NINklyb1E

Finally, I have posted another TED lecture for you to listen to and respond to. I hope you enjoy it.

I hope you'll all come out for a great time on Sunday. I'll be there from 1-4. The picnic tables are near the basketball court. The park isn't that big so you shouldn't have trouble locating us.  I'll bring a propane stove and kettle so we can make hot cocoa/tea/coffee and I'll also bring tablecloths and some charcoal and maybe some hotdogs to grill. If some of you bring snacks and drinks, we'll be set.

Tipping Point Vocabulary Slides (updated)

Introduction and chapter 1:
http://www.slideshare.net/holly_cin/tipping-pointslideschapter1-14976424

Texas Renaissance Festival information

Tickets for the TexRenFest are now for sale in room 118. 

This is a great event that you shouldn't miss! 

Vocabulary Practice for You

In order for you to improve your vocabulary in general, I have given you access to the on-line materials available at Townsend Press. So when you log in, go to the vocabulary book. Although I am not going to test you on this, I recommend that you try to do 2-3 chapters a week on your own. It is not required, but I will give you extra credit for doing the exercises and on-line tests. This is truly a wonderful way for you to build your vocabulary substantially each week. In turn, this will make reading much easier and far more enjoyable for you.

If you finish all of the chapters from this book, I will open up more materials for you to access :D

Missing Listening Work

Mohammad:  2, 4
Omar:  1, 2, 3, 4
Jacky:  1, 2, 3, 4
Vu:  3
Vero:  3
Shay:  1, 4

Please watch the videos and post your responses ASAP.

Listening Work #5: Creativity in the Workplace (due Tuesday 10/30)

http://www.ted.com/talks/tim_brown_on_creativity_and_play.html

Picnic on Sunday

Let's get together for some fun, frisbee, and football at Godwin Park, which is located near my home at 5101 Rutherglenn Drive  Houston, Texas 77096.

From 1-4.

Bring your friends.  

Let me know if you need a ride. We'll arrange rides, so don't worry.

Reading work for chapters 5 & 6 (organizational patterns)

I have opened up some mastery tests on the Townsend Press site for you to practice. I'd like you to do mastery tests 1 and 2 from each chapter. If you want to do more, you are welcome to do so.

LCC Social Events

The LCC would like to have a weekly social event. This week, the event is the UH football game on Saturday. Students can meet at the fountain outside the LCC at 2 pm, walk to the tailgate at 2:30, and go to the game at 3:30.  Conversation Club guides will be wearing LCC T-shirts. We'll encourage students to wear their T-shirts, too. To get in for free, students must bring their UH IDs.  Details will be posted on Facebook and the bulletin board.

Blog Writing: Responding to "Personal Relationships..." (due Wednesday, 10/24)

Read the article "Personal Relationships in the Not-So-Good Old Days," on pp. 163-165, and answer TWO out of the three the following questions.

(Ileana, Vero, Lin, Kyoung, and Fatimah do not have to answer these questions but are welcome to if they so choose since the topic is so interesting.)

1.  The author writes that "when wives beat their husbands, it was the husband, not the wife, who was likely to be punished... He had shamed the village by not controlling his wife properly." Do you think there are still men today who feel they are supposed to "control" their wives?  Explain.

2.  In paragraph 7, Stark states that in the traditional family "the primary unit of society and attachment was not the family but the peer group." Does this statement apply at all to society today?  At which stages or in what situations might people today feel closer to their peers than to their family members?

3.  The author writes, "Only in modern times have most people married for love."  Do you think love is the only thing people consider today when choosing a mate?  What other factors might be important to consider when selecting a potential life partner?

Post-lecture listening (Milestones in Technology) (due Thurdsay, 10/25)

1.  The lecturer names several inventions from after the Industrial Revolution. Which ones do you consider to be true milestones when examined from a perspective covering many thousands of years of technological advances?

2.  Do you believe that some areas of technological research and development should be limited or prohibited? If so, which ones? Why?

I posted the schedule for this week under weekly schedules

homework for Tuesday

Monday, October 15: CALL LAB

Voicethread (On technology)

Implied main ideas on line (mastery tests 1, 2, and 3)

TP reading quiz, chapter 2 (until p. 59)

HW: RS, pp. 162-167 (chapter 4, review test 4), reading and questions; blog response (due Wednesday)

VT on technology (due Wednesday)

LL, pp. 49-50, activities 8 and 9 (vocabulary)

Tipping Point Reading Quiz #2 (chapter 2, pp. 30-59)

1.  Explain the concept of “six degrees of separation.”

2.  Describe what a connector is and explain why they are so successful at bringing people together.

3.  According to Gladwell, what is the basis for most friendships?

4.  Gladwell writes that in finding a job, “weak ties are more important than strong ties.” Explain.

5.  What has been the most interesting part of the book for you so far?

Blog Writing: Tipping Point, chapter 2 questions

Have a great weekend!

Homework:

1. Tipping Point, pp. 30-59. Take notes. Prepare 4 questions that you expect me to ask on the test. Send me the questions by Sunday night: holly_cin@yahoo.com

2.  Reading Skills:
pp. 150-151, check your understanding (CYU)
pp. 153-154 (CYU)
Review test 2 and 4
Mastery test 4 and 6

Holly's lecture on plagiarism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Lp7cPtb35Ec#!

The quality of the image isn't great but the audio is good.

Vocabulary list for TP chapter 1 slides (due Monday)

Don't look in the dictionary unless you're desperate. First, find the word in its context in the book. You can even use the sentence from the book in your slide (but put it in quotes and cite the book and page number--ie. Tipping Point, p. 25)

Introduction:

Baffled--Mohammad

Staple (adj. or noun)-(rice is a staple of Asian cuisine)--Mohammad

Conventional explanations--Eiman

Plunge--Eiman

Plummet--Ileana

“Ebb and flow”--Ileana

Contagious--Fatimah

Decline--Fatimah

Incremental changes--Omar

Taper off--Omar

Decelerate--Jacky

Radical notion--Jacky

Intuitively--Joe

Deliberately--Joe

Chapter one:

Equilibrium--Lin

Culprit--Lin

Deteriorate--Vu

Hollowing out--Vu

Subtle--Yo

Severe/severity--Yo

Scale back--Kyoung

Demolition/demolish--Kyoung

Shatter--Shay

Acute infection--Shay

Chronic infection--Veronica

Lingering problem--Veronica

Keep [something] in check--Bank

Purge--Bank

Have an impact on someone or something--Chune

Provocative--Chune

Cluster--Luisa

Anonymity--Luisa

Alienation--Luisa

Diffused--Luisa

Slides list 3

http://www.slideshare.net/holly_cin/r-svocablist3-14765768

please let me know if you've sent slides and they're not here.

The debate format tonight

I wasn't sure about the issues to be discussed in the debate tonight, and now I know why. The format is called a "Town Hall," where undecided voters in the audience get to ask the candidates questions, unlike the prior debate which was conducted by a moderator asking the questions. The questions are pre-screened to make sure they are appropriate so we can expect DECORUM in the room.

I'm getting my popcorn ready...

"Town Hall" Presidential Debate tonight at 9pm et / 6pm pt

By Nate, on October 16th, 2012

The second in the series of three Presidential Debates will take place tonight featuring a "town hall" style format from Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. This debate will be 90 minutes long and will featured pre-screened questions from a group of undecided voters. The topics will range from domestic to foreign policy and everything in between. We will have the live stream embedded so you can watch the debate right here on this page.
Air Time: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 @ 8pm
Channels: ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and more including CNN Espanol and others

Tipping Point reading quiz 1 (introduction and chapter 1)

1.  In the introduction, Gladwell mentions snow as a tipping point phenomenon. Explain.

2.  What does the "Law of the Few" mean?

3.  What does "the stickiness factor" mean and why is it important in "tipping?"

4.  Gladwell uses the example of the New York City murder of Kitty Genovese, which was witnessed by 38 bystanders, to illustrate "the power of context." Explain what this means.

Listening Work #4: On Teaching Math (due Wednesday 10/17)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-YFwwl-DIU&feature=youtu.be

This lecture relates to the discussion we had in class on Friday following Mohammed's presentation and his comments on how he succeeded in math. Thank you to Ileana for bringing this video to my attention.

Here's my question for you to comment on:  What does this lecture teach you, not about math, but about teaching?

Have a great weekend

Hi Guys,
I can't believe we just completed 4 weeks together (well, I know that I wasn't there for four weeks, but you know what I mean). Now I'm in. Every day.

I think you know what to do to be prepared for Monday. We'll do a voicethread discussion of "Return to the Source," so please be ready for that. Also, I'll give you a reading quiz on the intro and chapter 1 of Tipping Point. You can use a page of notes, so take good notes.

I don't have the listening work yet. I'll post it tomorrow or Sunday. I think it will have something to do with the election.




Here is the slides list for vocab list 3 (due Monday):

Slides List 3:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B-rIza1967iVWlFZcGVwdFJkaDQ

Have a great weekend--enjoy the mild weather. 
HC

p.s. I forgot to say how impressed I've been with your awesome presentations. What a pleasure to watch and learn from you! 

The Vice Presidential Debates Tonight

I know I said that we were going to talk about the presidential debates but have yet to do it.

We will do it next week. We'll talk about the first debate and then prepare for the second debate, which is next week.

In the meanwhile, the vice presidential debate is TONIGHT. This should be something interesting for you to watch, and of course it will be excellent listening practice.

The key to enjoying this debate and getting the most out of it is PREPARATION. If you know what to expect, then the listening will be a lot easier. To do some pre-listening, read the following short article:

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/eleven-things-hear-tonights-vice-presidential-debate/story?id=17453918#.UHdYdhiAFLA

You can also watch this short video clip:
http://gma.yahoo.com/5-things-watch-vice-presidential-debate-064654960.html

You can watch the debate on line or on tv. (NBC).  The debate begins at 8p.m.

If you're not interested, that's okay. But this is history in the making and you're right here!

If you watch them, please post your initial impressions of the candidates as a comment.

Reading book's website

For the reading book on-line companion site, go to:

http://www.townsendpress.com/learning-center/

Click on learning center (at the bottom).
Sign in to the account.
Locate me as your instructor.
Let me know if you're in.

If you didn't pass the main ideas test...

please meet me tomorrow after class at 12:30 to go over the test and practice finding the main idea.

Also, if you missed any of the previous tests, I can give it to you then as well.

Please buy this book for our class

I have finally decided on which book we're going to read this term. It's not a novel, as I had originally planned. Rather, its a book about the social phenomena of epidemics--not the spread of medical diseases but instead how new ideas, trends, and fashions spread "epidemically" through a culture. I think that you will find the material very interesting and extremely well-written. It was a best-seller here in the U.S.

The name of the book is The Tipping Point. The author is Malcolm Gladwell. You can buy the book on Amazon for 3 or 4 dollars (including shipping). You can also find the book in a local bookstore (not the campus bookstore), and probably even at Half Price Books.

Please get the book as soon as possible. I'd like you to be ready to discuss chapter one next Monday (a week from tomorrow). I will photocopy the introduction and first chapter for you and give it to you on Wednesday or Thursday.  In general, we will read about 30-40 pages of the book a week so be prepared to dedicate 3-4 hours a week to do this reading.