Wednesday, September 14, 2011

ENG 200 - Caribbean Lit 1900-1929 Essay Questions

Having read "Miss Jamaica" by Harvey Clarke and "Jane's Career" by H.G. De Lisser, examine their depictions of the working class West Indian woman. What ideas about gender roles, class, and language do they each suggest? Are the perspectives presented by the two writers in harmony?

In addition to your response to your selected question (at least 5 pages), it is expected that you will provide at least two sources. Start your research on all facets of your chosen question as soon as possible. If you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact me.


Essay to be in Arial or Times 12pt font and double spaced. Be sure to cite in accordance with MLA guidelines.

This essay is DUE Wednesday, September 21, 2011
NO EXCEPTIONS

In his essay "Claude McKay" J.E. Clare McFarlane argued that McKay's poems in Creole "do not embrace [...] the full range of McKay's poetic powers." Using McKay's poems both in 'dialect' and 'orthodox language,' explore McFarlane's position in this essay.


In addition to your response to your selected question (at least 5 pages), it is expected that you will provide at least two sources. Start your research on all facets of your chosen question as soon as possible. If you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact me.


Essay to be in Arial or Times 12pt font and double spaced. Be sure to cite in accordance with MLA guidelines.

This essay is DUE Friday, September 23, 2011
NO EXCEPTIONS

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

ENG 105 - Scott Berkun Articles

Scott Berkun is a motivational speaker and author. He has written this brilliant essay about ideas and our stubborn attachments to old ones. Read How to be a free thinker.

After that, please read his entertaining article How to detect bullshit.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

ENG 200 - Oral Presentations

Your presentations need to focus on the concepts of the theory and how they are applied to the text. Please do not spend time on historical dates or figures. The purpose of the exercise is to communicate the theory to the class. At the end of your presentation, mention your academic sources. Hint: No Wikipedia references.


The list of theories: Aestheticism, Deconstruction, Formalism, New Criticism, New Historicism, Structuralism, Liberal Humanism, Critical Theorism, Postmodernism.


The rubric follows:


Organization
Student presents information in logical, interesting sequence which audience can follow.
Marks: 1-5


Subject Knowledge
Student demonstrates full knowledge (more than required) by answering all class questions with explanations and elaboration.
Marks: 1-5


Mechanics
Presentation has no grammatical errors.
Marks: 1-5
Diction
Student uses a clear voice and correct, precise pronunciation of terms so that all audience members can hear presentation.
Marks: 1-5

Sustainable Back to School Shopping

http://www.hackcollege.com/blog/2011/8/23/be-sustainable-as-you-do-back-to-school-shopping.html

Rental & Used Textbooks Cheaper than Digital

http://mashable.com/2011/08/24/etextbooks-textbooks-rental/

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

ENG 200 - George Orwell

Review the following essay and respond to one via email to georgeshlscc@gmail.com by Monday 22 August 2011. Your response should include be 350-400 words. In it, summarize Orwell's main points, talk about what measures you can take to avoid similar impreciseness in your own work.

George Orwell, "Politics and the English Language," 1946

See a video of interest on George Orwell after the jump.


Sunday, April 17, 2011

HUM 205 - Unit Essay Questions

The essays should be about 750 words long and selected from Eight of the Ten Units. Please make sure you only answer one question per Unit. I encourage you to illustrate your responses with real world, personal, and historical examples both within and outside the read text. The final deadline for submission is May 6th. The film questions will be provided by Mrs. Smith.

Unit One - Personal Leadership Philosophy
1. The Philosopher King - Write a defense or critique of Plato's Philosopher King.
2. Discourse of Angostura - "No other form of government is as weak as a democracy." Discuss Bolivar's provocative statement on democracy and examine the weaknesses and strengths of it as a political system.

Unit Two - Leading by Serving
1. The Art of Charodic Leadership - Do you agree with Hock's implications that the tenets of servant - leadership are important to growth as an individual as well as to the growth or improvement of society and the economy?
2. Journey to the East - Write a defense or critique of Leo's "Law of service".
(or previous essay on Harriet Tubman)

Unit Three - Understanding Ethical Leadership
1. Universal Human Values - If Kidder interviewed you, how would you answer the question "If you could create a global code of ethics, what would be on it?"
2. K'ung Fu-tzu - What do The Analects tells us about followership?

Unit Four - Articulating a Vision
1. Enlist Others - Under what conditions are people most responsive to the appeals of others?
2. Vision and Meaning - Do you agree with Vaughan that "you never achieve your vision?"

Unit Five - Building a Team
1. The Secrets of Great Groups - For a group to be a "Great Group," must there always be a price to pay on the part of the individual members?
2. 1984 Address to The Commonwealth Club of California - Why do you think Chavez succeeded in organizing farm workers into a group or team that could successfully negotiate labor contracts with growers, when other organizers had not?

Unit Six - Leading with Goals
1. Man's Search for Meaning - What does Frankl suggest is the outcome of a person's lack of clear purpose?
2. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass - Douglass' vision for the future could be said to be the abolition of slavery for all blacks. For each of the steps or goals that Douglass sets and achieves for himself in this reading, describe how each is a necessary step toward attaining the vision for the larger group.
(or previous question on Douglass)

Unit Seven - Making Decisions
1. A Question of Leadership - Do democratic processes always result in groupthink?
2. Chief Joseph - How do Chief Joseph's decisions seek to uphold the several 'laws,' or values, important to the Nez Perces that he lists early in the speech?

Unit Eight - Guiding Through Conflict
1. Conflict - What are the author's four suggestions of actions that may help the individual resolve a conflict? Are these good suggestions for group decision making too?
2. Chimate Chumbolo - Why do you think Chimate Chumbolo tried to persuade disputants to use Dita custom first before turning to the courts?

Unit Nine - Realizing Change
1. Allegory of the Cave - What role does insight play in defining and influencing change within an organization?
2. Letter from a Birmingham Jail - Why do you think King encountered resistance to his tactics and goals from people within the civil rights movement?

Unit Ten - Empowering Others
1. From Transactional to Transformational Leadership - Why do you think employees exert extra effort for transformational leaders?
2. Long Walk to Freedom - How does Mandela balance his ideals of African democracy, unity, and peace with the policy of violence adopted by the African National Congress (ANC)? Is his justification acceptable to you? Why or why not?