Readings for Tuesday: Kidz on Drugz February 25, 2007
Posted by damienpfister in Readings.3 comments
http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2004-05/04-019.html
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2005/105_kids.html
http://mentalhealth.about.com/cs/psychopharmacology/a/kidzoloft.htm
the first is a website with info about add and all the facts then it has
some treatments as well
http://add.about.com/
this website is a discussion board that people in our class might want to
post of they feel so others can see not just in our class
http://www.behavior.net/bolforums/showthread.php?s=d7b79a485b699e5e633bfdaa7a421299&t=254
drug free article
http://www.borntoexplore.org/drugfree.htm
Comments from Self-Evaluations, 2/22 Style (cool) February 24, 2007
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–I really didn’t feel comfortable with this discussion, first time this semester. Sometimes its hard to go against the class. I do like brands…
(see, spiral of silence!)
–I was really into the topic at first, but then the topic turned to pop/rock bands and Hollister and I got confused because it was a complete cultural difference.
(spiral of silence with a cultural twist–remember, “culture” can be read very broadly!!)
–People get mad if we go off topic, but then they take us off topic. Whatever.
(spiral of annoyance?)
–Honesty of the class was very noble, today!
(spiral of good intentions?)
–My mom still buys my clothes, and I stole these shoes from my dad.
(spiral of awesomeness.)
–About us as a whole: Hmmm…I feel like there’s a kind of pride/irrelevant competition among us. Sometimes a discussion about fast food or labels’ influences brought on possibly prideful comments: “Well, I always find a way to eat healthy. People who can’t walk up the hill or a little farther are just lazy.” or “I got my shirt for $8,” “Oh yeah? I got mine for $1.”
(now that’s an interesting observation. we might discuss this and any other reactions in the comments section…)
Comments from Self-Evaluations February 21, 2007
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–The group as a whole doesn’t use the online readings enough. I don’t expect people to cite exact lines, but just a “in the third reading…” would be nice every once in a while.
–So awesome…The class should use the way the discussion went today as a model.
–Convo didn’t move at all for me–needed to focus on board material–didn’t happen.
–A suggestion to keep swearing or crude language to a minimum–for me, I sometimes get distracted from understanding a person’s point when they are using crude language.
Discussion Reshedyule February 19, 2007
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I have finally redone the schedule for class since we have gotten a little off track. Basically, I have moved the “leading discussion” assignments to before spring break, with an occasional “discussion breakdown.” You’ll notice that the “discussion breakdown” has particular groups assigned to it–these groups will be primarily responsible for engaging in the conversation on those days; meaning that you should be extra-responsible about knowing the articles well. We’ll be doing what is called “the fishbowl” as a way to re-arrange who gets to talk when. I’ll explain it more when that day comes.
Initially, we discussed turning in a “portfolio” of short papers at the end of the semester. Upon further review, I think that it might be wise to turn these papers in as we go through the semester. They aren’t that laborious taken one at a time, and it will increase my ability to give you feedback throughout the course.
So let’s plan on turning the first paper in this Thursday. A reminder of the assignment:
Objective: To encourage written reflection on ongoing discussions, To promote critical thinking about discussion as a practice
Assignment: Throughout the course of the semester, you will be asked to reflect on a particular question regarding the quality of our classroom discussions. In a 2-3 page reflection, you should critically and reflexively answer the questions drawing from the readings and examples based in the class’s conversations.
So, the first question is:
What are your strengths and weaknesses as a discussion participant? How might you overcome your weaknesses?
Answers to this question will nicely complement our discussion on Tuesday of the particular weaknesses in the broader group discussion dynamic. Needless to say, I want DETAILS of your own experience, with specifics over platitudes.
Thursday’s Discussion February 18, 2007
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From Jenn:
“Watch parts 5 & 6 dealing with the feedback loop as well as
packaging products in a way that is accepted by the mainstream.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/view/For our discussion, we were first going to start with brands, ads, and
labels and how they are so much apart of our everyday lives, and what
makes a particular brand ‘cool’. “
Tuesday’s Readings February 18, 2007
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Is marriage necessary? Tuesday’s group will be discussing marriage, relationships, and related issues. Here’s their web resources…
reviews on marriage. and is marriage outdated
www.dooyoo.co.uk/discussion/marriage-is-it-outdated/reviews
Census Bureau
www.census.gov
why we need marriage
www.libchrist.com/bible/whymarriage.html
Everyone’s favorite know-it-all..Dr.Phil
www.drphil.com/articles/category/5
the mtv curse of marriages
www.associatedcontent.com/article/55794/mtvs_wedding_curse_three_celebrity.html
Comments from Self-Evaluations February 16, 2007
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–I really payed attention to the discussion but I couldn’t put in my comments because everytime I wanted to say something someone else did and then the conversation moved on to another aspect of rap.
–Bill & Luke’s beatbox rap was inspirational.
–There’s one thing bothering me: why our class says “personal responsibility” for every other topic but this one.
–I like how this went, but I think we could have developed some ideas further.
–People tell personal stories that really drag out.
–People moved from subjects too quickly for me to make a meaningful comment. This is a class full of extroverts and there isn’t any room for introverts.
–We didn’t get into deep points of rap, we kinda stayed superficial.
–SMOKE CRACK KILL PEOPLE
–A lot of side conversations were going on.
Remember your assignment for Tuesday: diagnose one major problem we’re having in our discussions and suggest a way to solve that problem.
Comments from Self-Evaluations, 2/27–Drugz February 28, 2007
Posted by damienpfister in Comments.6 comments
I think that this was a more sensitive subject than I had initially realized. At times, I feel like perhaps we weren’t being totally fair in representing some views (for example, I think that the “don’t medicate kids” perspective was perhaps a little too over-represented.) At the same time, I think that this was a somewhat balanced conversation and one that touched on touchy subjects with a degree of decorum often missing in broader public debates.
On to the comments:
–Only a handful of people provided actual insight. Too much rambling.
–This was a touchy subject for me which is why I stayed quiet for a while…
–This conversation was deep and I honestly think I learned a whole lot.
–It’s interesting to note the brief periods of silence on this topic. Is that because of lack of interest or because its just so deep that people were taking it in and really thinking about it?
–Today’s conversation basically made me not want to participate so much. When dealing with a subject…that I have experience with…and people just seem to be giving opinions with no merit.
–Maybe at the end we can have a couple of comments that sum up conversations or give predictions about the future.
–I think people with no experience with prescription drugs should be quiet–it’s a very personal topic.
–We always seem to point fingers. We just complain and figure out who to blame instead of having an actual discussion.
–I don’t know (what the strong points of the discussion were), this just pisses me off. I’ll blame someone else for everything. As Walter Sobchak of the Big Lebowski once said: The Chinaman is not the issue here, dude.
–To try and solve such an out-of-control topic, we are setting ourselves up for frustration.
–We are like the Sudanese…read bottom of page 165-66 in What is the What. (I did, and it’s awesome. That should be enough incentive for you to get cracking!)