Here is this weeks article enjoy:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/24/world/americas/schoolwork-gets-swept-up-in-rush-to-go-digital.html?ref=technology

1. How does the rise in digital textbook sales reflect changes in education/how students learn?

2. Is this new craze a good change, something that we should be wary of, or something in between?

3. If digital textbooks continue to rise in popularity, how might this affect the student, publishers, and academic environments?

Penn State Football

Hey everyone,

Here is the article for the week. It is in regards to the athletic director at Penn State's court case, about him sexually assaulting a little boy in 1999 in the Penn State locker room. He was recently convicted of lying in a court of law, and convicted on perjury in connection with this case.

1. How much does this affect the stellar reputation the Penn State football team that has been developed by Joe Paterno's 40+ years there?

2. Do you think Joe Paterno's job should be safe? or should he fear for his job as a result of this occurring under his watch as coach? Do you think he could be remembered for this incident like Woody Hayes is remembered for punching the Clemson player in the bowl game?

3. What does this do to the Big Ten Conference's reputation as a whole, taking into account what has happened with the allegations at The Ohio State University Recently, Indiana's basketball team, and the allegations under Rich Rodriguez at Michigan.

No need to answer all the questions, I just found this article incredibly interesting with all that has gone on this past year in college football

http://www.freep.com/article/20111106/NEWS07/111060648/Jerry-Sandusky-former-Penn-State-coach-accused-molesting-boys-barred-from-campus?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cp

-Collin

REPUBLICAN DEBATE: OF MAGNETS AND MEN

Hey everyone,

Here are this weeks blog post and questions (be sure to watch the video before reading/commenting):

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/closeread/2011/10/republican-debate-magnets-and-men.html

1) Did watching the video make you dive into the article with certain expectations? Did it further your understanding of the topic at hand? Why might the author have decided to incorporate the video in her article?

2) How is humor used throughout the article? Is the use of humor effective (i.e. does it aid your understanding of the article or does it just overshadow the author's message)?

3) How does recapping the exchange between Bachmann and Anderson Cooper add to the article?

Comment Away!

CDC Tracks Thoughts of Suicide in Adults, State by State

By Sora Song

http://healthland.time.com/2011/10/21/cdc-tracks-thoughts-of-suicide-in-adults-state-by-state/?hpt=he_c2

1. Why do certain regions have higher percentages of people contemplating suicide?

2. What made scientists analyze people's thoughts about suicide apposed to actual suicide rates?

3. What audience is targeted in this article? How does this article effect the the targeted audience?

The Rhetoric of Charts

In the theme of our blog discussion on Occupy Wall Street today, I wanted to post this link to a list of charts titled "What Wall Street Protesters are so Angry About". These charts and graphs display trends in wealth distribution, employment, taxation, etc that the protesters are responding to. I thought that this may be useful information to understand the protests, and also an opportunity to analyze the rhetoric of diagrams such as these and how they communicate a message differently than, say, protest signs, news articles, blog posts, etc.

http://www.businessinsider.com/what-wall-street-protesters-are-so-angry-about-2011-10

Graham Hill: Why I'm a weekday vegetarian | Video on TED.com

Hey Folks,

A friend fowarded me this quick 4 minute video today on "weekday vegetarianism" - I thought that it's an interesting perspective and wanted to pass it on!

Graham Hill: Why I'm a weekday vegetarian | Video on TED.com

Challenges loom as world population hits 7 billion

Hey Everybody,

The post of the week is already up, but I thought I would share this anyway. It relates directly to the class, possibly even what some of you are doing your research project on. Again, this is not the post of the week from the assigned group, it is an independent posting. No questions, just food for thought. Feel free to comment though if you like.

-Steve

Link -------> http://news.yahoo.com/challenges-loom-world-population-hits-7-billion-040835519.html

Who's behind the Wall Street protests?

http://news.yahoo.com/whos-behind-wall-st-protests-110834998.html

Here are a couple of questions to guide you as you comment:

1: Who is the audience that Egan is trying to capture with this article?

2: Do the examples Egan give make the article more credible or more interesting?

3: Are the protesters really analyzing the situation, or are they jumping to conclusions based on prior opinions?

4: What writing strategies does the author use in this article?

5: Does Egan takes any sides, against or in support of the OWS, or does he remain unbiased throughout the article?

The Power of Taking the Big Chance

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/business/steve-jobs-and-the-power-of-taking-the-big-chance.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=technology

Questions: How does Lohr give memorial to Steve Jobs and carry on his legacy?

Do the personal accounts from the interviewees who worked closely with Steve Jobs give credibility to the article?

Relating back to Writing Analytically and what we have been reviewing, do you think is a an analytical or argumentative piece, and how does this style help the overall message?

"Liking is for Cowards"

I decided to kick off the blog project with a post of my own so that you can practice commenting. I chose a New York Times Opinion/Editorial article by Jonathan Franzen from May 2011. I chose this because it relates to our conversation from class on Wednesday about how simply "liking" something on facebook is a snap judgment, which closes down analysis and conversation. Use the link below to read the article and then practice posting a short (5-10 sentences) comment. As you read, (hopefully) enjoy, and comment away, remember that our goal is to avoid judgments as well; so the goal is not to discuss whether we like, dislike, agree, or disagree with Franzen's point, but rather to observe how he makes his point and what effect it has on the audience.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/opinion/29franzen.html

Here are a couple of questions to guide you as you comment:

1) What sorts of metaphors or comparisons does Franzen set up to make his point? Are they effective?

2) How does Franzen provide evidence for his claims (data, citing other writers, observation, personal experience?). Is his use of evidence convincing?

3) Describe the tone of the article. Does the piece seem to be more analytical or more argumentative? Why?