Advanced Critical Thinking 2

COURSE DESCRIPTION :
?The medium is the message.? Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980) the high priest of pop-culture coined this phrase for the advent of technology in the global village. This class will probe this statement by using different medium to learn to ask discerning pertinent questions concerning various input: books, film, music, television, discussion, lecture, presentations, articles, and technology. Answering these questions through the process of writing, sharper critical thinking will explore new forms of organization and synthesis to create clear written response and better understanding.

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY :
There are two modules for this semester:
1) the media and how medium impacts our lives and place in society, and
2) gender studies; what does it mean to be a man or woman, the problems and stereotypes concerning gender, and the evolution of gender perception in today?s world. Each class contains lecture/ presentation, review and discussion, and in-class writing to demonstrate learned concepts. These modules will be the pivotal focus for your figuring out things using your own mind while incorporating writing as the means and end to answering questions and conducting research. A weekly question eliciting written response will go into the journal. Students will get plenty of opportunity work separately and in groups. Special attention will be paid to peer analysis.

EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students will be able to:
- Receive information from books, lectures and multi ?media sources, identify the audience, question the validity of the information, extract and arrange the ideas in order of importance and react with reflective written response.
- Formulate probing questions targeting explicit tasks, think differently about given subjects with the ability to explain what they have synthesized to others
- Target the audience, and expand their vocabulary accordingly
- Exercise and develop cognitive skills; enhance intellectual disposition, and to see the opportunity to use these skills inside and outside the classroom

TEXT :
J.M. Coetzee, Disgrace, Penguin Books: 2000
John Berger, Ways of Seeing, Edition designated by SMD books
A Guide to Mindfulness- a User?s Guide and Workbook compiled by Johanna Levy

EVALUATION :
Grammar and Vocabulary Checks-10% (5% each)
Class Participation- 20% (2 group presentations 10% -with group and individual grades)
Mid-term Essay-20%
Journal and written work-20%
Final Examination-30% - 10 % reading question, 20 % Five-paragraph persuasive essay with formal outline