Course Update and MLA/Annotation Prep```````````````````````````````````````````````````````` QQQA A q qqqAAA

  • Class Connection and Upcoming Topics

    • The instructor aims to correlate current class activities with the content of the 13011301 class.
    • Students in the 13011301 class are currently focusing on punctuation and spelling assignments.
    • Some students noted their 13011301 class was canceled due to the instructor's illness or important commitments.
    • Upcoming topics in this class will include detailed discussions on paraphrasing, conjunctions, and effectively using quotes, including in-text citations.

  • Review of Prior Week's Material (Week 6)

    • MLA Format: Discussion on understanding the Modern Language Association (MLA) format guidelines.
    • Parallel Structure: covered principles for creating grammatically balanced sentences.
    • MLA Heading Arrangement: The correct setup and arrangement of headings in MLA style documents.
    • Aristotle's Appeals (Ethos, Pathos, Logos):
      • Students were assigned videos related to these rhetorical appeals.
      • The emphasis is on identifying how these appeals are used within arguments, claims, and the sources of reasoning that support factual information.
      • The related assignment, which asks students to analyze an argument (e.g., the "Empire of AI" video) and identify claims and supporting evidence using Aristotle's appeals, has had its deadline extended.

  • Upcoming Topics and Assignments (Starting Next Week)

    • Conjunctions, Quotations, and Integration: Future sessions will focus on incorporating conjunctions and quotations smoothly into sentences and paragraphs.
    • Annotation: An introductory session on annotation will be provided, focusing on marking articles, textbooks, or other provided content.
    • Detailed Annotation Process: This will include:
      • Visual Connections: Students will search for and use pictures to visually represent concepts, especially Ethos, Pathos, and Logos, as part of their annotation.
      • Rewriting and Summarizing: Practicing rewriting, paraphrasing, and summarizing difficult passages or messages.
      • Personal Connections: Making meaningful connections between the material and personal life experiences.
      • New Perspectives: Describing new perspectives gained from analyzing content (e.g., from the "Empire of AI" video).
      • Current Events: Connecting content to current events and exploring societal issues.
      • Diverse Genres: Analyzing and annotating various forms of media, including movies, comic books, graphic novels, news events, stories, plays, songs, and poems.
      • Specific Annotation Activities: This includes annotating a movie and discussing personal feelings towards it, using comic books/graphic novels for analysis, annotating news events, and choosing a favorite song to discuss new perspectives gained from its lyrics or message.
      • Contextual Analysis: Explaining historical context, traditions, and social constructs within a passage.
      • Interpretation: Offering analysis and interpretation of what is happening in texts, plays, or news events.
      • Literary Techniques: Identifying and discussing literary techniques used by authors, a field of specific expertise for the instructor (English literature PhD focus).
    • Technical Aspects: The class will review how to add footnotes and in-text citations, which are fundamental skills for academic writing.

  • MLA Formatting and Microsoft Word Usage Guide

    • Addressing Technical Issues: Students reported that links to mla.gov and other assignment resources were redirecting to casino ads; the instructor will regenerate and update these links.
    • Double Spacing Explained: Double spacing means an empty line between lines of text throughout the entire document, from top to bottom.
    • Setting up MLA in MS Word: The instructor provided a step-by-step guide:
      • Go to the "References" tab in Word.
      • Select "MLA" from the citation style dropdown menu (which also contains options like APA and Chicago).
      • Navigate to the "Home" tab.
      • Set the font to "Times New Roman" and the font size to 1212.
      • Use the line spacing option (typically an icon with up/down arrows and horizontal lines) and select 2.02.0 for double spacing.
      • Other formatting options, such as text alignment (left, center, right, justify), are also available on the Home tab.
    • Rationale: This comprehensive setup ensures papers meet formatting requirements for this class and prepares students for future academic courses (e.g., sociology, psychology, history) where specific citation styles (MLA, APA) will be mandatory.

  • Current Assignment Details (MLA Formatting and Aristotle's Appeals)

    • The current assignment requires students to set up the paper in correct MLA format, including headings and title.
    • Students must watch a specific video (likely the extended Aristotle appeals video).
    • They are to identify and type a short paragraph discussing two to three brief arguments presented in the video (e.g., the community example).
    • A link to a political blog or editorial that connects with the video's content must also be provided.
    • The instructor is developing resources for citing videos, which will be provided to students.
    • It was noted that developmental classes are also successfully completing this assignment, indicating its feasibility.

  • Additional Resources and Administrative Notes

    • The instructor has supplementary assignments on semicolons, commas, and colons, which can be introduced if needed, though they may differ from those used in the 13011301 class.
    • Attendance was taken during the session.
    • Students were encouraged to ask any further questions regarding assignments, MLA formatting, or upcoming topics. The instructor emphasized the importance of mastering these formatting skills for future academic endeavors in various disciplines.