Week 2/24: video responses part 1

Patricia – I’m not sure that I agree that by omitting the methods and results sections of scientific articles in mass communications the structure of the classical argument arrangement is broken and effectiveness is lost. I think the public just isn’t informed enough to understand….

Maryn – The presentation felt disjointed between what she was saying and what was on the screen. I still don't fully grasp what a terministic screen is and will need to google term to grasp a better understand. 

Joy - Agree that words and images in harmony are more effective. I feel like I learned the most from this presentation – visual rhetoric is very interesting and totally new to me. It was interesting to think about how figures of speech work as visuals. I walked away acknowledging that images are much more succinct that words but rely on the reader to know many things in order to properly understand the message and meaning.

Zretta – Why do we ask questions that we know the answer to? Social interaction to build relationships? According to Socrates questions generate knowledge. Socrates questions and Blooms taxonomy are complimentary.  Instructors should use higher order questions to promote student learning.

Michelle – commonplace = assumption agreed upon by a particular group. Topoi – places to look for arguments. Interesting examples of songs about money.

Mark – love the visuals and juxtaposition. Idea of audience as a group vs. individual, the delivery as written vs. music, the synchronous vs. asynchronous  

Week 2/9: Plato makes me mad...

I know that Plato is acknowledged as one of the world’s greatest thinkers – but I couldn’t help but wonder throughout the entire reading – is he really one the greatest OR was he simply the first to write ideas down and that should be his acknowledged role in history. The biggest challenge I have with him is that the mind is pre-loaded with ALL TRUTH. First history has demonstrated that over time more and more is understood about the natural world and human condition – at Plato’s time very little truth or fact had been scientifically revealed. Second since he was the father of his field his theories in my mind were like drafts  that have since been revised and refined – what happened to the saying standing on the shoulders of giants. Second were these teachings at all intended for implementation? They don’t seem like it, instead more like thought games of if-then situations. I’m a very pragmatic person, so not generating knowledge and solutions is a waste in my mind. Instead of finding TRUTH and knowledge in his mind was he instead simply establishing a philosophical agenda?

Questions:

Forms are real knowledge reached by the mind: but are forms things or simply ideas?

How accurate in this book?

Thoughts on the graphic novel

Pros: Easy to digest nuggets of knowledge set the stage for further study and application. Allows one to quickly pick-up on topics on interest without being miered in the details, overwhelm by complexity or confused by new terms/concepts. Like the idea on not being stodgy in graduate school about what we read, instead progressively accepting everything has a purpose.

Con: Wanted TOC or roadmap of ideas, arrangement felt very random.

Term paper

I am interested to examine the role of kairos and/or commonplace in the context of English Second Language authors in working in the discipline of biomedicine. Globalization has created a single scientific community where English is universal language and scientific journals and conferences are a commonplace. Technology has enabled scientific discovery as well as the establishment of a global community, but the playing field is not equal. English first language authors are at a distinct advantage, when it comes to presenting their work and it’s significance in manuscripts, conference proceedings and grants. In the term paper I would like to investigating hurdles as well as aids that ESL authors face and how a shared understanding of required elements in each communication can be leveraged to assist ESL authors successfully participate in a global scientific community.