That makes sense! :)
Martha On Wed, 17 Aug 2005, Andi Stepnick wrote: > > Yes. In my case, Intro 101. Trying for a hook...before they freak at > the workload. > > 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: GIMENEZ MARTHA E <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 12:19 pm > Subject: TEACHSOC: Re: That time of the year again ... > > > > > 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 Québec 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] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
