BEFORE CLASSES START

SYLLABUS open this document to read course policies

PRELIMINARY REQUIREMENTS
If you cannot follow the instructions and comply with the requirements, most likely you won't be able to complete the course.

1. EMAIL
   Open this document and follow the instructions.
    
2. Send an email message to the course email address (see cell above).
   
   Email subject: I RECEIVED THE SYLLABUS  (and don't misspell "receive," please).
   
   In the message body, ANSWER the following question in your own words (don't copy the
   question's wording.)
   
   Are you willing to comply with the provisions stated in the syllabus and the course homepage in order to get a final grade that will fully reflect your academic performance?
   
   Wait for my reply before moving to n. 3.
   I will ONLY ACKNOWLEDGE AND REPLY to messages that followed all the instructions.
    
3. BLOG: see the link in the top cell. Open it and leave your COMMENTS to the postings.
   
   You must complete the blog assignment before moving on to the next task.
    
4. DEADLINE, JUNE 5: TAKE A SELFIE with your copy Pascal D'Angelo: SON OF ITALY.  Attach it to a message: SUBJECT: Son of Italy.  The message MUST have your full signature
   (scroll below to see list of required texts)
   NOTICE: I did not order the books through the bookstore. You can find better deals online (new or used.) E-books are OK but there may be some differences with page numbers etc.
    
5. DEADLINE, JUNE 5: access to FILMS. Some films area available on Youtube and similar services. Some are available on Netflix or pay-per-view online. If you don't find them anywhere, go to the LANGUAGE LAB in BOYLAN 4316.

Assignments instructions.


 

1. Assignment due June 1 (pre-requisite) Returned
    
2. LECTURE-ASSIGNMENT due June 8  Returned
   
   LECTURE June 8
    
3. Lecture - Assignment due June 13 returned
4. Lecture - Assignment due June 18 returned
5. Lecture - Assignment due June 22 returned
6. Lecture - Assignment due June 26 returned
7. Lecture - Assignment due June 30 returned
8. Lecture - Assignment due July 5 no writing assign.
9. Lecture - Assignment due July 8 returned
10. Lecture - Assignment due July 14
    
    PORTFOLIO: due JULY 14
    
    Create a new document (doc, docx, rtf)
    
    FILENAME: lastname.portfolio
    Email subject: portfolio
    
    Copy/Paste ALL the assignments I returned to you with GRADE AND COMMENTS.
    
    Put them in chronological order (oldest to most recent.)

DOWNLOAD THE TESTS due June 28, 8:00PM
Test 1     Test 2     Test 3  June 28 
GRADED AND RETURNED

Test 4 (July 9)  graded and returned

COURSE MATERIALS

USEFUL STUFF

1. Example of good note taking
2. This is how I take notes
3. More of my note-taking
4. More notes
 

ON WRITING

1) every text (book, article, photo, film, whatever) triggers FIRST an immediate emotional response.  Make a note of your FIRST IMMEDIATE emotional reaction. This is the raw material.
Write it down if it helps. EX: curious to find out more, intrigued, repulsed, fascinated and repulsed at the same time, bored, offended, pleased, tickled, annoyed etc. etc. etc.

2) At the end of reading/screening a text we are left with a DIFFUSED sensation: pleasure, anxiety, anger, pain, sympathy, empathy, antipathy, you name it. Make a note of the TONE of your emotional state.

3) Reflect back and report: what was your FIRST emotional response? What was the DIFFUSED sensation left?  In between FIRST and DIFFUSED there was some THINKING.  This thinking is MENTAL PROCESSING.

4) Last stage: THOUGHTS become IDEAS. Ideas are thoughts that are communicable, that you can translate into language that others can understand.  That requires ARGUMENTS. ARGUMENTS illustrate your ideas, ideas that derive from thoughts, which, in turn derive from the chaos of emotions.

5) You can describe the process, or you can focus on the thoughts, or the emotions. But in order to do so, you must have AN IDEA of what you are talking about.

6) It's very very simple. It's the simplest and best way to write, because you write about things you know, namely YOURSELF and the way your emotions become ideas. If you write FROM INSIDE OUT, you cannot go wrong. But you must start there.

READING

1. Get close to the text.

2. Read slowly at first. Sound the words in your mind. If necessary, "lip read" to slow yourself down.

3. Take notes of whatever strikes you. Make it a dialogue with yourself: a word you don't know; a sharp idea; a revealing detail; your mood; your guesses; a personal memory. Write down the page number.