GROUP PRESENTATION AND WRITE-UP

EACH STUDENT WILL SIGN UP TO PRESENT A READING TO THE CLASS AND LEAD THE SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION. EACH PERSON WILL HAVE THE OPTION OF PROVIDING AN ADDITIONAL EMAILED WRITTEN SYNOPSIS FOR A POTENTIAL END OF THE YEAR BONUS. THE WRITE-UP IS TO BE NO LONGER THAN 2 PAGES TYPED, DOUBLE SPACED, WITH FONT SIZE 14. YOUR PRESENTATION AND YOUR WRITE-UP SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

1. THE PRESENTATION SHOULD INCLUDE TWO WELL THOUGHT OUT QUESTIONS, BASED ON THE READING, FOR THE GROUP TO DISCUSS AND YOUR RESPONSE TO THESE QUESTIONS BACKED UP BY REASONED ARGUMENT (SEE TIP FOR READING).

2. THE OPTIONAL WRITE-UP/SYNOPSIS SHOULD INCLUDE A BRIEF AND CLEAR FORMULATION/ CRYSTALIZATION/ANALYSIS OF THE MAIN POINT OR ARGUMENT IN YOUR OWN WORDS. IF THERE IS MORE THAN ONE MAIN POINT, PICK WHAT YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE 2 OR 3 MOST IMPORTANT POINTS AND SUMMARIZE THOSE.

3. THE PRESENTATION WILL BE ASSESSSED ON THE BASIS OF THREE CRITERIA: INNOVATION, INTERACTIVENESS, AND COMPREHENSION OF MATERIALS.

4. THE SYNOPSIS IS TO BE E-MAILED IN A “WORD” FILE {LABELED BY – FULL NAME, CHAPTER, COURSE, SECTION} BY EACH STUDENT INDIVIDUALLY TO THE PROFESSOR POST-PRESENTATION THE FOLLOWING WEEK{S}.

JUST A FINAL ASSIGNMENT NOTE: THE WRITE-UP/SYNOPSIS {SEE # 2 & 4} IS ONLY REVIEWED IF AT THE END OF THE YEAR YOU GET A BORDERLINE GRADE (SAY 74 - B). I CHECK THE WRITE-UP FOR SOPHISTICATION AND TO JOG MY MEMORY. AND USE IT TO JUSTIFY THE FLEXIBLITY OF MOVING THE GRADE TO (75 - B+). IF YOU ARE NOT BORDERLINE, I DO NOT LOOK AT THE FILE. IF YOU DON'T THINK IT IS APPLICABLE TO YOU, YOU MAY FORGO THIS REQUIREMENT.

JUST A FINAL PERSONAL NOTE: I HAVE FOUND THAT THE BEST PRESENTATIONS EMPLOY MIXED-MEDIA METHODS. MIXED-MEDIA PRESENTATIONS TEND TO BE CONDUCIVE TO A MORE TESTURED, DENSE, STIMULATING, MULTI-DIMENSIONAL, AND MULTI-DIRECTIONAL DECONSTRUCTION OF THE SUBJECT MATTER.

SOME TIPS ON READING

Here are a few questions to ask as you read an assignment or various articles.

1. What are the main points?

2. Why are these important?

3. Is there evidence and supporting detail

4. Answer the 5 W’s - What, Why When Who and Where, if possible, and then look at the implications.

After you have read the text, formulate more specific questions, based on the material, then try to make some assessments.

5. Have you understood the material? Are there words, examples, theories that you don’t understand? If so, what specific questions do you need to ask? Others can help you, if the questions are specific.

6. Do you agree/ disagree with the point of view, the argument, the conclusions.

7. Can you identify any weaknesses in the argument? Is enough evidence presented to support the author, or have areas been ne4glected or left out?

8. How does this material compare with other items you have read on the same topic?

9. What have you learned that is new? Have you opinions changed based on what you are learning and reading?

10. Can you prepare study questions for yourself and your seminar group? Here are some points to help you.

QUESTIONS CAN BE POSED ON SEVERAL LEVELS

A. Level one questions involve recognition and recall - giving back the information. Usually, there is a “right” answer for this kind of question.

B. Level two questions involve the learner to a greater degree. In this kind of question one can ask “what did the author mean?” Now you, the reader, must be able to understand and interpret the material, not just recall it. You can ask about concepts and the logic of an argument.

C. Now you can move to the third level, where you critically analyze facts and inferences. You can apply, analyze, synthesize and evaluate material.

D. By level four, you are able to utilize new information in original ways. You may be creative, and approach the information in new ways, and use it to carry out research in a new direction.

NOTES FOR LEADING A SEMINAR

The following components should be included in the presentation:

I Introduction

A) Initiating activity

II Strategies for stimulating participation and discussion

III Wrap-up

A) Time for processing and synthesizing

IV Question and answer period

Consider the following in planning your presentation

I - GOAL

Once you have identified the key issues or key concepts, it should be easy to develop a broad goal that will reflect the purpose and direction of your presentation.

II - INITIATING ACTIVITY

You want to capture the participants attention in a creative way. The following are but a few suggestions for stimulating initiating activities: role-playing, panel discussion, debate, brief audio/visual presentation, pictures, taped conversation from a classroom, simulation of a classroom situation, brief arts and crafts activity.

III - STRATEGIES FOR STIMULATION DISCUSSION

Questioning skills are very important. You will want to use questions that tap higher level cognitive processes. The handouts on questioning skills may be helpful to you as you plan the kinds of questions you will ask.

Listening is also very important. Listen to what the participants are saying and build their reactions into your seminar.

IV - WRAP-UP

Summarize the major points of both your presentation and the discussion.

The following questions reflect some of the issues that should be addressed after your presentation.

1. Was your presentation successful in your view? Why or why not?

2. Did you respond to the needs of the group?

3. Did your plans change? If so, did the changes strengthen or weaken your presentation?

4. If you were able to give your presentation again, what aspects would you change?

5. If you where marking yourself, what grade would you give? Why?

ACADEMIC PAPERS

1) THESIS == ACADEMIC == BEGINS PAPER

A) ISSUE

B) RESEARCH CONTEXT

C) THESIS

D) BLUEPRINT

2) OTHER WRITING

A) NEWS PAPER WRITING OFTEN HAS A HOOK == JONATHAN SWIFT, FROM HIS --- THOUGHTS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS, MORAL AND DIVERTING --- “A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES” {MULTICULTUALISM ANALOGY} “WHEN A TRUE GENIUS APPEARS IN THE WORLD, YOU MAY KNOW HIM BY THIS SIGN, THAT THE DUNCES ARE ALL IN CONFEDERACY AGAINST HIM”

B) DISCUSSION PAPERS DISSEMINATE RESEARCH QUICKLY IN ORDER TO GENERATE COMMENT AND SUGGESTIONS FOR REVISION OR IMPROVEMENT. THEY MAY HAVE BEEN PRESENTED AT CONFERENCES ORWORKSHOPS ALREADY, BUT WILL NOT YET HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN JOURNALS.

C) BACKGROUND PAPERS OUTLINE CURRENT POLICIES AND ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS TO A PARTICULAR SOCIAL ISSUE OR PROBLEM.

D) ***POLICY PAPERS ARE CRITICAL ANALYSES OF AN IMPORTANT SOCIAL ISSUE OR PROBLEM THAT INVOLVES THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOP OF A DEFENSIBLE PLAN (POLICY PROPOSAL) FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM AND FORMULATE WORKABLE STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN. {***A FORM OF ACADEMIC — SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS AIMED AT INFLUENCING PUBLIC POLICY}.

3) FOCUS =è ACADEMIC PAPERS SHOULD ALWAYS BE TRIANGULATE AROUND [I] {SOCIETAL FORCES} CULTURE, IDEOLOGY, AND POWER. {HOW DOES SOCIETY WORK? IT IS CREATED BY ETHNIC AND RACIAL CULTURES, MAINTAINED AND ENFORCED BY POWER AND JUSTIFIED BY IDEOLOGY =è [II]{SOCIETAL CONTEXTS} PAPERS SHOULD ALWAYS BE TARGETED AT AND/OR FRAMED BY AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE “ANALYTIC CONTEXT” OF AND FOR A TOPIC. THIS MEANS AT THE SOCIAL STRUCTURAL LEVEL, YOUR TOPIC {E.G., WHATEVER IT IS – IMMIGRATION POINT SYSTEM, RACIAL PROFILING, ETC.,} IS INVARIABLE CONTAINED/FRAMED BY ONE OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:

1. GLOBAL CAPITALISM (AND ATTENDANT POLITICS OF NEOLIBERALISM)

2. PATRIARCHY (WHITE MALESTREAM REALITY)

3. WHITE SUPREMACY (ASIDE: IN OUR CLASS WE PREFERRED THE TERM “CULTURAL HEGEMONY”)

4) GOOD THESIS

A) SUBSTANTIVE, CONTESTABLE, EXPLICIT

B) QUESTION: WHAT DO I NEED TO COVER TO DEMONSTRATE MY THESIS.