I start teaching next Monday so it was with great interest that I read the messages about the first day of classes ... interest and also a bit of dismay. I would like to know the level of the teaching in which these practices are used. Freshman courses?
Thanks, Martha ****************************** On Wed, 17 Aug 2005, Karen Loeb wrote: > > Yeah, you know, I think I got the Merchants idea from you, Andi. Oh, when I > present the scenario of the high school girl starving herself, etc. I get a > little dramatic and thrust a recent fashion magazine picked up from a > doctor's office or (sob!) my daughters, and challenge a (female) student to > find a model in it that isn't pencil-thin. Then I ask the student at the end > of the class to show us any non-thin models she found, which, of course, she > hasn't, but one student a few years ago told the class she didn't bother to > look because she knew she wouldn't find any. I don't recommend giving the > fashion magazine to the guys--they just end up ogling the scantily clad > models--defeats the whole purpose of the exercise. > > Karen > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Andi Stepnick" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 10:15 AM > Subject: TEACHSOC: Re: That time of the year again ... > > > > Thanks, Karen. > > You're right about Merchants. It gets under their skin... > > Andi > -------------- > Every object, every being, > Is a jar of delight. > Be a connoisseur. > ~Rumi~ > > Life is raw material. We are artisans. We can sculpt our existence into > something beautiful, or debase it into ugliness. It's in our hands. > ~Cathy Better~ > > Things which matter most should never be at the mercy of things which > matter least. > ~Johann von Goethe~ > > > Dr. Andi Stepnick > Associate Professor and Chair of Sociology > 300-C Wheeler Humanities Building > Belmont University > Nashville TN 37212-3757 > > Direct Line: (615) 460-6249 > Office Manager: (615) 460-5505 > Sociology Fax: (615) 460-6997 > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Karen Loeb <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 9:53 am > Subject: TEACHSOC: Re: That time of the year again ... > > > Sure, Andi, no problem; I'm attaching the PPT for the different > > scenarios.By the way, I was thinking about the class discussion on > > obesity (in > > contrast to the anorexic girl) and I remember letting the students > > make the > > connection between obesity and social issues. They came up with > > them all, > > including, the proliferation of fast food restaurants and children > > spendingmore inactive time on computers and watching t.v. I'm the > > one who presented > > the social class component. And yes, I saw the Tommy Lee reality > > show and > > thought about showing it to my students for the same reasons you > > mentioned.What worked well in this regard, as well, was the PBS > > documentary, Merchants > > of Cool (which you can get on their website). It worked so well in > > convincing students of all the subtle ways they are pressured by the > > advertising industry to buy merchandise. I showed the first half > > hour of it > > in the beginning of the semester, but students kept bringing it up > > in their > > essays and responses to other articles and concepts. > > > > Karen > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Andi Stepnick" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Cc: <[email protected]> > > Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 8:54 AM > > Subject: TEACHSOC: Re: That time of the year again ... > > > > > > > > Great idea. Any chance you'd share that PPT with us? (No pressure.) > > > > Brian - We start on the 24th. Oy! I am totally revising my > > courses...and still at it. > > > > I greet students at the door with a handshake, introduction, and > > welcome. Later, after going over the syllabus, they write about > > how it > > made them feel. They also reflect on their goals, what they expect > > from me/themselves/others. > > > > Then, I have them share all of the above. > > > > I amazed at how many say they felt humanized, excited, cared for, etc > > by the handshake! > > > > It's good for students to hear that others have expectations for them. > > > > Normally, I go over the syllabus, but have groups of students > > share "the bottom line" about different sections. So, it's not > > just me > > saying things. Then, we go to the lab and spend half the class in > > WebCT?doing posts and whatnot. > > > > However, I've been thinking of scrapping all that--although it works > > well. Last night I taped Tommy Lee goes to College. (Yes, good lord, > > but maybe he can make it cool?) I thought about showing part of it > > and talking about college?where our ideas come from about what college > > is like, what feelings he has that they can relate to. > > > > For those who didn't see it, Tommy tries out for the band and although > > he's a "great rock drummer" can't keep up?he's lost in Chem, Hort, > > etc. He feels like a loser, needs help, has to work and prioritize. > > He seems to want to do well and learn but doesn't know how. He > > gets a > > tutor, but struggles. She has faith in him. But then he throws a > > partyinstead of studying. But, he does get up, on time, for band > > practice. > > Those "lessons" (e.g., balance work/fun, faith in self, getting help, > > staying focused) resonated with me as something useful. We have a lot > > of music students so it's applicable, too! > > > > Did anyone see it? Maybe you all can help me maximize using this > > show? Ideas? Maybe I'd do a combo of Karen's PPT (maybe 2 cases) > > mixed with Tommy Lee. Hmmm? > > > > Another option is analyzing music?something that's always worked for > > me. In small groups, then together. Pick anything with a > > sociologicaltheme. > > > > I would add that student's have homework due the next class that > > involves going over the syllabus and WebCT page and respond in writing > > with questions. They also tell me about goals, interests, etc. It's > > useful for getting questions out early and giving me a chance to give > > quick, personalized feedback by week 2. > > > > Good luck, All! > > > > > > Andi > > -------------- > > Every object, every being, > > Is a jar of delight. > > Be a connoisseur. > > ~Rumi~ > > > > Life is raw material. We are artisans. We can sculpt our existence > > intosomething beautiful, or debase it into ugliness. It's in our > > hands. ~Cathy Better~ > > > > Things which matter most should never be at the mercy of things which > > matter least. > > ~Johann von Goethe~ > > > > > > Dr. Andi Stepnick > > Associate Professor and Chair of Sociology > > 300-C Wheeler Humanities Building > > Belmont University > > Nashville TN 37212-3757 > > > > Direct Line: (615) 460-6249 > > Office Manager: (615) 460-5505 > > Sociology Fax: (615) 460-6997 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Karen Loeb <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Date: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 8:35 am > > Subject: TEACHSOC: Re: That time of the year again ... > > > > > Hi Brian, > > > > > > On the first day of class, I distribute the syllabus but I don't > > > go over it until the second time the class meets. Instead, I tell > > > students, since they probably don't have a good idea of what > > > sociology is by way of introduction, I present (on a powerpoint) > > > four individuals experiencing "personal troubles," i.e., a high > > > school student starving herself in order to be thin and > > > attractive; a person who loses their job and eventually becomes > > > homeless; a man who commits suicide after losing a job and then I > > > make the connection between these individuals' problems and > > > "public issues." Last year one of my students brought up the > > > phenomena of obesity being a problem in America (in contrast to > > > the anorexic girl) and we had a wonderful discussion about how > > > obesity is often a function of social class (NPR did a wonderful > > > series on this last year). This introduction has worked really > > > well for me. > > > > > > Karen > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: Brian Webb > > > To: [email protected] > > > Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 8:06 AM > > > Subject: TEACHSOC: That time of the year again ... > > > > > > > > > Good Morning - > > > > > > Believe it or not, our term opens next Tuesday, August 23rd. > > > And as usual, I am giving some thought to things I might do or say > > > in those first couple of classes that will grab the students' > > > attention and open their eyes to the facination of this "special > > > kind of passion" known as sociology. One thing I have learned is > > > that those first few classes are crucial and can and often do 'set > > > the tone' for the rest of the semester. A word about my > > audience - > > > I teach in a private Qu?bec CEGEP with 1700 students. This is a > > > level of education after the end of High School, but before > > > university. All students go through the CEGEPs en route to > > > university. Our students are 16 - 18 years old, highly motivated, > > > middle to upper class, urban, well travelled, multilingual and > > > multicultural. Any suggestions for things that you have found > > > particularly effective for 'opening day'? And one more thing - > > > are there any other folks out there who are starting before Labour > > > Day? Misery likes company ... > > > > > > Brian Webb > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >
