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First Week's AssignmentsUnder the Influence: What We Buy
Introduction
You made it--Welcome! You are in the CATALYST Classroom, which is where we will meet each week for class lectures and discussion. Links to your readings and weekly assignments will also be detailed here. THERE IS NO BOOK FOR THIS CLASS! Oh, have you read the syllabus yet? If not, see the link at the top of our course page. As we begin, it is important you know how the class works, what activities you will be required to do and how they will be graded--the syllabus covers all this information. Your success in this class is really simple--just show up and participate. I will help you achieve your goals! Make sure that you login to this course at the start of the week so you don’t fall behind. Online courses seem to start up pretty quickly, so it’s important that you have read the syllabus, understand the course design and are ready to get started with your work.
I should stress to you that this is NOT a self-paced course. We rely on a vibrant online community of learners to make our way through the material, and this means you must join us and participate each week. There are discussion topics related to the readings, and you are graded on how often you post. Please read the syllabus if you want to learn more about participation grades for this course.
EWRT 1A is designed to give you an introduction to college-level reading and writing, and toward that end, we will be reviewing the elements of expository and argumentative writing and reading essays and other media designed to stimulate your thinking and generate topics for your papers. It should be fun, but be prepared to spend a lot of time on this class. I spend a few hours every night reading and responding to discussion, sending and receiving emails, posting assignments. You can expect to do the same. Are you ready?????
If you have any questions or problems this week, please email me at r_stolpe@yahoo.com. I am ready to help you.
Mini-Lecture
In his article “Warning, Advertising May be Hazardous to Your Health,” Roy F. Fox describes the constant barrage of messages we face on any given day—messages carefully crafted and delivered by the billion dollar advertising industry. “Because we live in a market-driven economy in which we consume more than we produce,” Fox argues, “advertising flows constantly—from television billboards to print ads to blinking internet messages to elevator rides.” Fox goes so far as to argue:
"Consumption—and the advertising that drives it—is our most powerful cultural force, shaping our attitudes, beliefs, values, and lifestyles. Pervasive and powerful, advertising’s effects largely go unseen, because we think about advertising like fish think about water—we don’t."
What do you think about his statement?
In this first unit, we will begin to reflect on the role advertising plays in shaping our identities and influencing our lives. Research has shown that we are exposed to roughly 1000 advertisements every day, but how many of you can recall even a handful of the ads you encountered even in the last hour? Because the messages are constant and everywhere, we tend to tune them out or bury their messages in our subconscious. In order to begin a discussion about advertising, we’ll have to resist the temptation to tune these messages out—instead, we’ll have to become more conscious, critical observers of our environments and of ourselves. Read Fox's article (See Activities & Readings) and join us in the class cafe as we discuss the role advertising plays in our lives.
NOTE: If you are waiting to add the class, you will not be able to submit work to Catalyst. You may choose to do it and then, if you receive and add code, you will be permitted to post it late.
Week 1 Activities
These are the required activities for this week. The final day to submit responses to the reading is Saturday, but you will get more out of the discussion the sooner you begin participating!
Activity 1.1 Stop by the class café for a potluck meet and greet with your instructor and classmates. Bring something yummy to eat or drink (virtual, of course) and tell us a little bit about yourself.
Activity 1.2 Take the advertising quiz (it’s just for fun). How well did you do on this quiz? What are your thoughts/reactions? You will get a chance to respond to this quiz when you discuss the next activity in the class café.
Activity 1.3 Read Warning: Advertising May Be Hazardous to Your Health by Roy F. Fox. NOTE: The link will not open in a new browser. You should print out the article and then use your back button to return to this page.
In the forum for this activity (remember you also need to register to post on the forums), post a comment to the article’s ideas that strike you as interesting. Your comment should be written clearly, with specific detail and references to the article that demonstrate you have read it thoughtfully. You may, for example, agree or take issue with one of Fox’s main points and use personal experience or observation to develop your point of view. Your purpose is to engage the class in a discussion of Fox’s ideas, so the more specific you are, the better.
Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts, and return to your original post to see if anyone has opened up a conversation with you that warrants your response.
Activity 1.4 Read It's an Ad, Ad World for Today's Tweens and Teens by Kristi Gustafson.
Based on the models given by Danielle and Alex in Gustafson’s essay, keep your own Ad Diary for 24 hours. Use a small note pad you can keep in your pocket or purse and carry it with you throughout the day. This will be a hard exercise since we are accustomed to tuning out the ads around us, so on this one day, you will have to resist the temptation. Remember to include all forms of traditional (magazine, television, radio) and non-traditional (logos, labels, shopping bags, internet …?) ads that catch your eye. Note your reaction to each ad—whether the product appeals to you or not and why. Write it up like Danielle’s and Alex’s and post your diary to the forum for this activity.
After you have posted your diary and have had a chance to read the others, reflect on what you learned and share your comments with the class.
EMINDERS ABOUT PARTICIPATION GRADES Post two times during the week. Respond to at least four of your classmates’ posts, and return to your original post to see if anyone has opened up a conversation with you that warrants your response. If you post 6 or more times per week, you will receive 100% for participation. Online classes are more fun when people actually talk to one another, so we really rely on your participation.
Café discussion is due by Saturday each week. Remember that to earn an A for participation, you need to post six times per week.
Activity 1.5 Writing Quiz #1
Read the following web-chapters in the Online Guide to Grammar and Writing and prepared to take quiz #1 in Catalyst. Weekly skills test are due Saturday. If you have questions or comments about this material, you can post them in the forum devoted to these readings.
Writing With a Sense of Purpose
Tone: A Matter of Attitude
Principles of Organization
The Thesis Statement
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