GT Seminar II: Roger Ebert

Thanks for listening to and discussing my contribution to "Awesome People You've (Probably) Never Heard Of." To get a taste of Roger Ebert's blog, check out All the Lonely People and/or Go Gentle Into That Good Night. 

As you know, I fell in love with Roger's philosophy on life: 

"Kindness" covers all of my political beliefs. No need to spell them out. I believe that if, at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn't always know this, and am happy I lived long enough to find it out. - Roger Ebert, Life Itself

Let it all soak in, and then write a blog post with a personal reaction (at least 2 paragraphs) to everything you've learned about Mr. Ebert in the past two days. Think back to my original question as well: Why, when faced with a personal tragedy, do some people swim while others sink?

I look forward to reading your responses.

GT Seminar II: Racism in America

"We must acknowledge -- with eyes and minds wide open -- the world as it is if we want to change it." - Charles M. Blow, The Perfect-Victim Pitfall

It's been an enlightening journey these past several weeks, and I've enjoyed learning from you all. Racism is a TOUGH TOPIC; I thank you for your honesty and all of your questions and research. To culminate our unit, I think it's necessary to debrief, in writing. Choose at least 2 of the topics below and dedicate at least 2 paragraphs to each. I'm looking forward to reading your thoughtful personal responses.

-Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and many others
-Institutional racism
-The Criminal Justice System (Stop and Frisk policies, militarization of police, incarceration & recidivism rates, The War on Drugs, etc.)
-White Privilege
-Intersectionality
-Immigration
-Respectability Politics, identity deletion
-Cultural appropriation

GT Seminar I: The Ethics of Autonomous Cars

Write a response to the Wired.com article we read in class. Discuss your opinions on the first scenario (SUV vs Mini Cooper) and the second scenario (motorcyclists with helmet vs without helmet). 

Then, discuss whether or not you think the idea to have the car make decisions through a random-number generator is a good one or not. 

Finally, answer commenter Alexander Karasulas's question:  If the driver is not making control decisions, should the driver be responsible for any outcomes at all? Why or why not?

This is an Assessment grade.

GT Seminar I: Who are the outliers of the world?

Identify a TRUE outlier. This is likely to be a prominent, distinguished, and/or influential person. Or perhaps not! (Think Chris Langan.)

Using Malcolm Gladwell's definition, defend your choice as an actual outlier. You will need to do significant research into this person's life experiences.

Search for and identify those special opportunities and stepping stones that may have allowed this person to achieve success.

You must also incorporate Dr. Robert Sternberg's Triarchic Theory of Intelligence by evaluating this person's analytical, creative, and practical intelligence.

Be sure to include your sources.

Passion Project: Reflections on your progress

You will be writing a blog post every 2 weeks in which you reflect on your Passion Project progress to date. It should be comprised of your thoughts on your achievements and obstacles and will serve as documentation of what you learn along the way. If you face an obstacle big or small, be sure to write about how you overcame it or how you will. Work your way up this "Taxonomy of Reflection":

G&T II: Jeremy Rifkin's Empathic Civilization

After listening to and reading Jeremy Rifkin's thoughts, discuss your own. How can we bring out our "empathic socialibity?" What do you think are the most pressing issues facing humanity as a whole right now? Is it possible we can extend our empathy to the entire human race? (Is it impossible to even imagine it?) Use Rifkin and do some other research to support your points. 

Passion Project Update

To date, you have had 5 Passion Project days (2/21, 2/28, 3/7, 3/14, and 3/21). We have approximately 8 Fridays left until presentations begin. 

Write a reflection on your Passion Project progress thus far.  

Your reflection should be an honest account of your progress, achievements and obstacles in the past 5 weeks. You should also include a list of things you still need to do and a plan to overcome current and/or anticipated obstacles.

G&T I: Blog post due by Thursday, March 27
G&T II and ROGATE 8: Blog post due by Monday, March 31