Monday, March 30th (M)
• Due: Read and annotate “Super-Toys Last All Summer Long”; work on I, Robot paper.
• Class: Lesson on “Super-Toys” by Bonnie.
Tuesday, March 31st (T)
• Due: Rough draft of I, Robot paper.
• Class: Peer review of papers; finish “Measure of a Man.”
Wednesday, April 1st (W)
• Class does not meet.
Thursday, April 2nd (H)
• Due: Final draft of I, Robot paper.
• Class: Introduce unit on predetermination, predestination, and the limitations of knowledge (what, not ambitious enough for you??); begin Gattaca.
Friday, April 3rd (F)
• Due: Work on eugenics reading and blog post.
• Class: Continue Gattaca.
Monday, April 6th (S)
• Due: Eugenics reading and blog post; work on getting a copy of our second literature circle text (are we still doing A Clockwork Orange?).
• Class: Wrap up Gattaca; class discussion.
Note: We’ll be writing a brief reader response (or “viewer response,” rather) to Gattaca early next week, so take notes as we watch.
Reminder: If you went to see Of Thee I Sing and would like to earn extra credit from me, write a one page, typed reflection on the experience, due on or before Friday, April 10th, the last day of the term.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Class Calendar: March 23rd to March 30th
Monday, March 23rd (W)
• Class does not meet.
Tuesday, March 23rd (H)
• Due: Read “Liar” and “Lost Little Robot,” taking notes.
• Class: Wrap up Descartes passages; discuss stories; social critic Chuck Klosterman’s position on the likelihood of hostile takeover by robot armies.
Q: How would your views about war, politics, and the role of the military change if all future conflicts were fought by armies of robots (that is to say, if all nations agreed to conduct wars exclusively with machines so that human casualties would be virtually nonexistent)?
— Chuck Klosterman, Chuck Klosterman IV
Wednesday, March 24th (F)
• Due: Read “Escape” (optional) and start on “Evidence,” taking notes.
• Class: The “Uncanny Valley” and “Fear of a Bot Planet.”
Thursday, March 25th (S)
• Due: Read “Evidence” and “The Evitable Conflict,” taking notes.
• Class: Discuss stories; the “Three Laws of Robotics,” redux.
Friday, March 26th (U)
• Due: Begin work on writing assignment (creative, hooray!).
• Class: “Measure of a Man.”
Monday, March 30th (M)
• Due: Read and annotate “Super-Toys” (write your observations, questions, connections, complaints, and random brainstorms in the margins of the story as or after you read).
• Class: Lesson on “Super-Toys” by Bonnie.
• Class does not meet.
Tuesday, March 23rd (H)
• Due: Read “Liar” and “Lost Little Robot,” taking notes.
• Class: Wrap up Descartes passages; discuss stories; social critic Chuck Klosterman’s position on the likelihood of hostile takeover by robot armies.
Q: How would your views about war, politics, and the role of the military change if all future conflicts were fought by armies of robots (that is to say, if all nations agreed to conduct wars exclusively with machines so that human casualties would be virtually nonexistent)?
— Chuck Klosterman, Chuck Klosterman IV
Wednesday, March 24th (F)
• Due: Read “Escape” (optional) and start on “Evidence,” taking notes.
• Class: The “Uncanny Valley” and “Fear of a Bot Planet.”
Thursday, March 25th (S)
• Due: Read “Evidence” and “The Evitable Conflict,” taking notes.
• Class: Discuss stories; the “Three Laws of Robotics,” redux.
Friday, March 26th (U)
• Due: Begin work on writing assignment (creative, hooray!).
• Class: “Measure of a Man.”
Monday, March 30th (M)
• Due: Read and annotate “Super-Toys” (write your observations, questions, connections, complaints, and random brainstorms in the margins of the story as or after you read).
• Class: Lesson on “Super-Toys” by Bonnie.
Teaching Reminders
I've updated the teaching reminders on the sidebar with your assignments; please check there for sample lesson plans, reminders, rubrics, etc!!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Class Calendar: March 16th to March 24th
Monday, March 16th (F)
• Due: Final draft of papers on The Martian Chronicles.
• Class: Parallelism exercises; “The Three Laws of Robotics.”
Tuesday, March 17th (S)
• Due: Read “Introduction” and “Robbie,” taking brief notes for class discussion.
• Class: Wrap up from yesterday; discuss “Robbie.”
Wednesday, March 18th (U)
• Due: Read “Runaround,” taking notes.
• Class: Discuss “Runaround”; a brief history of robots;
Thursday, March 19th (M)
• Due: Read “Reason,” taking notes.
• Class: Discuss “Reason”; the Turing test (and alternatives).
Friday, March 20th (T)
• Due: Read “Catch that Rabbit,” taking notes.
• Class: Tentatively scheduled guest lecture on Meditations on First Philosophy.
Monday, March 23rd (W)
• Class does not meet.
Tuesday, March 24th (H)
• Due: Read “Liar” and “Lost Little Robot,” taking notes.
• Class: Discussion stories; social critic Chuck Klosterman’s position on the likelihood of hostile takeover by robot armies. Consider:
Q: How would your views about war, politics, and the role of the military change if all future conflicts were fought by armies of robots (that is to say, if all nations agreed to conduct wars exclusively with machines so that human casualties would be virtually nonexistent)?
— Chuck Klosterman, Chuck Klosterman IV
• Due: Final draft of papers on The Martian Chronicles.
• Class: Parallelism exercises; “The Three Laws of Robotics.”
Tuesday, March 17th (S)
• Due: Read “Introduction” and “Robbie,” taking brief notes for class discussion.
• Class: Wrap up from yesterday; discuss “Robbie.”
Wednesday, March 18th (U)
• Due: Read “Runaround,” taking notes.
• Class: Discuss “Runaround”; a brief history of robots;
Thursday, March 19th (M)
• Due: Read “Reason,” taking notes.
• Class: Discuss “Reason”; the Turing test (and alternatives).
Friday, March 20th (T)
• Due: Read “Catch that Rabbit,” taking notes.
• Class: Tentatively scheduled guest lecture on Meditations on First Philosophy.
Monday, March 23rd (W)
• Class does not meet.
Tuesday, March 24th (H)
• Due: Read “Liar” and “Lost Little Robot,” taking notes.
• Class: Discussion stories; social critic Chuck Klosterman’s position on the likelihood of hostile takeover by robot armies. Consider:
Q: How would your views about war, politics, and the role of the military change if all future conflicts were fought by armies of robots (that is to say, if all nations agreed to conduct wars exclusively with machines so that human casualties would be virtually nonexistent)?
— Chuck Klosterman, Chuck Klosterman IV
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Class Calendar: March 9th to March 16th
Monday, March 9th (U)
• Due: Consider posting film reactions to the Watchmen blog (extra credit).
• Class: Share rhetorical analysis; communicate teaching preferences; read and discuss “The Other Foot” (sequel to “Way Up in the Air”).
Tuesday, March 10th (M)
• Due: Finish reading The Martian Chronicles, taking notes on study questions.
• Class: Discussion and mapping of themes in The Martian Chronicles; craft paper topics.
Wednesday, March 11th (T)
• Due: Work on paper (draft due Friday).
• Class: Writing workshop on parallelism; wrap up yesterday’s discussion.
Thursday, March 12th (W)
• Class does not meet.
Friday, March 13th (H)
• Due: Rough draft of paper on The Martian Chronicles.
• Class: Peer review of papers; the continuing saga of Dr. Horrible.
Monday, March 16th (F)
• Due: Paper on The Martian Chronicles.
• Class: “The Three Laws of Robotics.”
• Due: Consider posting film reactions to the Watchmen blog (extra credit).
• Class: Share rhetorical analysis; communicate teaching preferences; read and discuss “The Other Foot” (sequel to “Way Up in the Air”).
Tuesday, March 10th (M)
• Due: Finish reading The Martian Chronicles, taking notes on study questions.
• Class: Discussion and mapping of themes in The Martian Chronicles; craft paper topics.
Wednesday, March 11th (T)
• Due: Work on paper (draft due Friday).
• Class: Writing workshop on parallelism; wrap up yesterday’s discussion.
Thursday, March 12th (W)
• Class does not meet.
Friday, March 13th (H)
• Due: Rough draft of paper on The Martian Chronicles.
• Class: Peer review of papers; the continuing saga of Dr. Horrible.
Monday, March 16th (F)
• Due: Paper on The Martian Chronicles.
• Class: “The Three Laws of Robotics.”
Friday, March 6, 2009
Who Watches the Watchmen?
Don't forget that the Watchmen conversation continues! I'll email last semester's peeps and some other interested folk; feel free to invite friends that you think would enjoy our discussion. Just remind them that this is still a course website, so keep it clean, etc, etc.
Have a great weekend!
Have a great weekend!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Class Calendar: March 2nd to March 9th
Monday, March 2nd
• Snow day! Build snowmen, drink hot cocoa, and all that jazz.
Tuesday, March 3rd (W)
• Class does not meet. Miss me?
Wednesday, March 4th (H)
• Due: Finish reading Watchmen and complete second blog post (remember the expectations and criteria, also posted on the blog).
• Class: Style comparison of H.G. Wells and Ray Bradbury.
Thursday, March 5th (F)
• Due: Read The Martian Chronicles through “The Martian” (p. 131), taking notes on study questions.
• Class: Discussion of The Martian Chronicles and Watchmen.
Friday, March 6th (S)
• Due: Continue reading The Martian Chronicles.
• Class: “The Other Foot” by Ray Bradbury.
Monday, March 9th (U)
• Due: Finish reading The Martian Chronicles, taking notes on study questions.
• Class: Discussion of the reading; development of paper topics.
• Snow day! Build snowmen, drink hot cocoa, and all that jazz.
Tuesday, March 3rd (W)
• Class does not meet. Miss me?
Wednesday, March 4th (H)
• Due: Finish reading Watchmen and complete second blog post (remember the expectations and criteria, also posted on the blog).
• Class: Style comparison of H.G. Wells and Ray Bradbury.
Thursday, March 5th (F)
• Due: Read The Martian Chronicles through “The Martian” (p. 131), taking notes on study questions.
• Class: Discussion of The Martian Chronicles and Watchmen.
Friday, March 6th (S)
• Due: Continue reading The Martian Chronicles.
• Class: “The Other Foot” by Ray Bradbury.
Monday, March 9th (U)
• Due: Finish reading The Martian Chronicles, taking notes on study questions.
• Class: Discussion of the reading; development of paper topics.
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