Monday, September 7, 2009

Hi AB students, from your new ARW teacher

Hi AB students,

I'll see you today in class and I just wanted to say Hi on this blog because Chris very kindly gave the link and permission to post.

If you see this, could you leave a short comment?

Also, how do you want to keep using this blog? Could you let me know by a comment or by email?

Thanks!

Mark

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Meiland Discussion Questions from Group 6 (Pgs 27-31)

Choose one question to respond to, or you can respond to what someone else has posted:

1. A stupid question is defined as "a question that you hesitate to ask during class (or even after class) because you feel that the other students already know the answer from reading the text or listening to the lecture, and thus your question would simply waste class time" (p28, lines 21-23). Have you ever felt you had a stupid question you were afraid to ask? What did you do?

2. "Will this be on the exam?" (p30, line 15) is considered to be a bad question. Have you ever asked this type of question? If so, how did your teacher respond?

3. Meiland defines bad students as those "who do not participate sufficiently in their own education and who do not actively demand enough from their teachers" (p31, lines 2-3). Have you ever behaved this way? Did you think you were behaving badly?

Group 6 Leaders:
Fumika K.
Riku T.
Masanori S.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Meiland Discussion Questions from Group 5 (Pgs 23-27)

Choose one question to respond to, or you can respond to what someone else has posted:

1. Humanities contain subjects such as art, languages, literature, history etc. Meiland says "What is required in the humanities...is not proof but sensitivity" (P25, lines 14-15) . Explain why "sensitivity" and not real proof is needed when we search for truth in the humanities.

2. For us in the humanities, sensitivity is very important. According to Meiland, "sensitivity can be cultivated" (p25, line 33). How can we cultivate our "sensitivity"? Give an example.


3. Meiland says that "Even though we cannot prove that one interpretation or opinion is better than another, nevertheless some are better because they are more sensitive and insightful"(P26, lines 16-18). Do you think it is true? If so, please give an example and explain the reason.

Group 5 Leaders:
Natsumi Y.
Haruna W.
Keisuke I.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Meiland Discussion Questions from Group 4 (Pgs 17-23)

Choose one question to respond to, or you can respond to what someone else has posted:

1. Meiland said readers should ask and answer 7 questions during the process of reading (p18-19). Are there any other questions that you ask and answer when reading a text?

2. Meiland mentioned that, "a good piece of writing can produce the same types of feelings and experiences that a beautiful painting can produce" (20, line 10). Have you ever had an experience like this? If you have, what kind of book?

3. There are 7 questions to ask and answer when reading, and Meiland said No.7 (include a counter argument and refutation) is most important (P19, line 4). Which of these questions do you think is the second most important? Why do you think so?

Group 4 Leaders:
Takayuki K.
Shoko I.
Yumena T.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Meiland Discussion Questions from Group 3 (Pgs 12-17)

Choose one question to respond to, or you can respond to what someone else has posted:

1. Meiland asked "Is it true that good reasons make truth more likely?"(p1-12 line 32). Do you agree with this? If you answer "yes", give us examples.

2. In Meiland "Socrates is saying that if people have a merely true belief without knowing the justification of that belief, then they are not likely to have that belief for very long" (p1-15 line 8). Is this always true? Do you have any beliefs that you keep even without justification?

3. On page 1-16, there are six types of evidence which are used in justifying beliefs and making arguments in college. Do you always think of these when you do college work? Which ones do you use more than others? Which ones not at all?

Group 3 Leaders:
Satoshi A.
Hana S.
Mika O.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Meiland Discussion Questions from Group 2 (Pgs 7-12)

Choose one question to respond to, or you can respond to what someone else has posted:

1. Meiland says there is no need to give good reasons for "why" in personal matters (p 1-9 line 14). Do you really think is always so?

2. According to Meiland, the questioning of everything is a subversive activity. Even Socrates knew that, but he continued seeking good reasons, and he was finally put to death. If you were Socrates, could you have behaved like him?

3. Meiland says college work has a direct connection with important aspects of "real" life (p 1-11 line 23). When do you feel the connection between college work and real life?

Group 2 Leaders:
Asuka M.
Haruna F.
Shunsuke N.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Meiland Discussion Questions from Group 1 (Pgs 3-7)

Choose one question to respond to, or you can respond to what someone else has posted:

1. Meiland said that in high school the emphasis is on "learning facts through memorization." On the other hand, in university the emphasis is on understanding the material deeply. Do you think that high school students should study like university students do? Why?

2. Meiland said that "the perceived emphasis in secondary education is on learning facts through memorization" (p 1-3, line 31). How was this either true or not true for you in high school?

3. Meiland states that "College is taken to be diferent from high school only in being more difficult" (p 1-4, line 7). When you were a high school student, what did you expect college to be like? How is it different from what you expected?

Group 1 Leaders:
Yuka N.
Maya I.
Ro M.