The Human Experience: Who Am I? HMXP 102 Dr. Fike.

The Human Experience: Who Am I?

HMXP 102

Dr. Fike

Professor Information

• Dr. Fike • Office:  Bancroft 258 • Office Hours:  MTWR, 3:30-4:30; and by

appointment• Office Phone/Voicemail:  803-323-4575 • Departmental Office:  Bancroft 250, 803-323-

2171 (secretary = Carol)• E-mail:  [email protected] • Website:  http://faculty.winthrop.edu/fikem

Website

• http://faculty.winthrop.edu/fikem

• THERE IS NO “WWW” IN THIS URL.

• Get syllabus, calendar, and other documents from my website. See especially the links on the calendar of assignments.

Course Description

• HMXP 102 is the second part of Winthrop University’s Touchstone sequence. 

• Through your reading, writing, and speaking, the course develops the skills that WRIT 101 introduced and prepares you for the critical thinking that CRTW 201 requires. 

• Therefore, HMXP 102 is a “hinge” course.

Exploration of the Self

• Along the way, we will examine the self in various contexts that structure the readings in our anthology: – Education – Autonomy – Community (Diversity and the Other, Alienation, The

Social Self)– Nature (Evolution, Ecology)– The Sacred

• Our common book, William Kamkwamba’s The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, touches on all of these contexts.

Add Ons

• The anthology lacks anything about death, mysticism, and the afterlife. I have attempted to rectify this omission by including two films.

“I”

• It will be essential to use the pronoun “I” in your papers.

• You should write about yourself in particular, not about the Self in general. In other words, it is not okay to write about the all persons or “the individual in today’s society.”

Discussion

• Since discussion will take up most of our time in class, you are expected to write your essays outside of class. 

• Discussion is a major requirement in HMXP 102. You must speak up every day. Twenty percent of your grade is for large-group discussion.

Memorandum of Understanding• Punctuality: The class starts on time. Please be a few minutes early. If you happen to arrive

late, speak to the professor after class so that he converts your absence to a tardy. Be sure to review the tardy and absence policies in the syllabus.

• Reading: You are required to read, annotate, and bring to class the day's assigned materials, as indicated on the course calendar. For HMXP and CRTW: All of the books required for this course are on reserve at the Dacus Library: you can make a photocopy of the day's text(s) even if you do not yet own the book.

• Preparation: I send students out of the room to get their materials if they do not bring them. Tardy and absence policies apply. (Ask me why I have this policy.)

• Electronic devices: Turn off and put away all electronic devices.

• Eating and drinking: You may consume clear water with no ice but nothing else. You may not eat in the classroom before or during class.

• Comprehension: If you do not understand what the professor is saying, ask him a question about it.

• Conferences with the professor: If you want your professor to read your paper, ask him to do so at your conference. Bring two word-processed copies. You need to express clearly the degree of assistance you seek. He will gladly let you know if you are on the right track. He will answer whatever questions you have.

• Nontraditional Students: Please come see me this week.

Further Guidelines

• The syllabus includes a detailed list of expectations. Please familiarize yourself with it.

Preparation

• Spend two hours outside of class for every hour that you are in class.

• Do the math:– Regular semester: 3 hours in class times 2 equals 6

hours a week just on preparation. – [C Term: 8 hours in class times 2 equals 16 hours a

week just on preparation.]

• The reading will probably not take you all 6 hours, so use the rest to work on your papers.

Requirements

• Winthrop requires at least 3 papers, 4,500 words, and discussion. Here is how I have broken this down:

• 60%:  Three 5-6 page papers (each paper is worth 20%) • 20%:  Class participation (you are welcome to keep

and submit an optional discussion log; see instructions in the syllabus)

• 10%:  A final examination essay during the exam period• 10%:  Class presence (attendance)

Papers

• All papers must be based on the classical argument, which means that you must look at an issue from more than one side (you must include objections to arguments and replies to objections). 

• In other words, HMXP 102 picks up where WRIT 101 leaves off.

• Note: This is an important part of why HMXP is a hinge course. Argumentation anticipates what you will do in CRTW.

More on Papers

• FOCUS: Your papers MUST have a focused topic, which means a narrow illustration from personal experience.

• Focus is THE most important element of college writing.

• A paper without a focused topic is an automatic F.

Four Fundamental Questions• What do you believe, why do you believe it, what if you are

wrong, and what have you learned about yourself as a result of exploring your belief in connection with a focused topic?  These are the main questions that will inform our discussions and your writing. 

• In other words, you are NOT here to stay in the same old intellectual groove. Challenge yourself to EXAMINE what you think and to consider alternatives.

• Working with conclusions and alternatives is important preparation for CRTW 201 because they are two of the “elements” of critical thinking.

• Deep learning = learning that helps you forge connections between class and life, as well as learning that transforms you in fundamental ways.

My Role

• I will function as your facilitator, coach, and co-learner; therefore, the success or failure of our class sessions is largely up to you.  Discussion is crucially important.

• It is inevitable that some of my own views and interests will filter into our discussions, however hard I try to remain neutral. But you do not have to agree with my position if you want to get a good grade. You are missing the point if you think this.

• However, you DO have to be able to make arguments for what you believe.

The Point Is…

• My J-O-B is to get you to push yourself. That is what your parents WANT me to do! That is what you are PAYING me to do.

• Do not mistake constructive criticism—along with my attempts to get you to think more deeply, to read and write more effectively, and to participate actively in discussion—for ill will, hostility, or some kind of intellectual coercion. I am simply trying to help you become a better reader, thinker, and writer.

More

• Finally, do not assume that you are required to do only what I tell you to do:  active engagement calls for your own initiative and ingenuity.

• I expect revision to be part of your writing process for all three papers. Therefore, put your paper through multiple drafts BEFORE you submit it. Go to the Writing Center for help. Come see me at my office to talk about your work in progress: my office hour is MTWR from 3:30-4:30. (It is best to make an appointment.)

The Next Part of This Slide Show

• I will now survey the most important points from the syllabus.

Outcomes• Engage in serious consideration of various ways of defining and

understanding the “self.” (Note: You do not get to talk about the “self” in general and never learn anything about YOURself. This is a course about WHO YOU ARE as an individual human being.)

• Accomplish the above by reading thoroughly and critically and by making connections between the reading material and your understanding of yourself and others.

• Share your reactions and understanding with your classmates and learn to understand other perspectives.

• Learn to develop and communicate ideas by reading carefully, listening intensely, and writing and speaking clearly.

• You will understand that knowledge is a social construct and that thoughts are things.

• For additional outcomes, see the syllabus.

Required Texts

• The Human Experience:  Who Am I? (8th ed. or any edition with par. numbers)

• The Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage (3rd custom ed. for WU or any edition with the new MLA format in it)

• The Common Book: William Kamkwamba’s The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.

• Note: All of these books are on reserve at the library.

Required Supplies• A good dictionary (look up words that you do not understand)• A spiral notebook (please bring this to class every day) • A back-up disk or flash drive (e-mailing your work to yourself and

saving it on the network are also good safeguards; save early, save often; things like "the computer 'ate' my paper,” “my hard drive froze,” “I couldn’t print my paper,” and “my husband stepped on my computer” are not valid excuses)

• A stapler (all work submitted in this class must be stapled) • A Winthrop University e-mail address (I may e-mail reminders

through the system, and you are welcome to use the list server as well:  hmxp102***@class.winthrop.edu; at the *** plug in your section number).

• An account on turnitin.com

NOTE: There is no listserv in the summer.

Course Listserv

• If you are not registered for the course by the day before the term begins, you must go to http://www.winthrop.edu/acc/default.asp?Page=pages/classlist.asp and add yourself to the listserv. Similarly, if you drop the course at some point, you must go to this website and remove your e-mail address.

Grading Scale

• A, 95-100; A-, 90-94; B+, 87-89; B, 83-86; B-, 80-82; C+, 77-79; C, 73-76; C-, 70-72; D+, 67-69; D, 63-66; D-, 60-62; F, 0-59.

• You need a C- to avoid having to retake HMXP 102.

Summer Only:Order of Paper Assignments

• Week one: Nothing due• Week two: Paper One• Week three: Paper Two• Week four: Paper Three• Week five: Final exam

• Note: All paper submissions must be accompanied by a copy of the Paper Comment Sheet.

• (Summer 2010: 4 papers, 1 revision, a cover letter, and a final examination)

On Your Own

• Read the following:– Notes on Grading– Rubrics– Departmental Policies– Course Policies

Papers: The Basic Requirements

• 5 full pages is the absolute minimum• A focused topic in connection with a text• A thesis (qualification, controversial idea about the focus,

a reason why): “Although . . . I will argue that . . . because. . . .” All three parts must be about the focused topic.

• Classical argument, including multiple paragraphs for arguments, objections, and replies

• MLA format (signal phrases, parenthetical citation, works cited)

• Reflection on yourself in the conclusion.

Three Key Policies

• Attendance

• Tardiness

• Format for Papers

Attendance

• We will follow Winthrop's standard attendance policy: "If a student's absences in a course total 25 percent or more of the class meetings for the course, the student will receive a grade of N, F, or U, whichever is appropriate" (Undergraduate Catalog).

• Regular semester: There are 28 scheduled class meetings; 7 = 25%; therefore, a seventh absence means that you have failed the course.

• Summer: There are 20 scheduled class meetings; 5 = 25%; therefore, a 5th absence means that you have failed the course.

Winthrop-Related Absences

• An important note for athletes:  Your athletic-trip-related absences are still absences.  You do not get three "free" absences on top of your trip-related absences.  Like everyone else, you only get three "free" absences, so do not skip class just because you do not feel like coming.  Furthermore, if you have work due on a trip day, you must submit it before you leave.  By staying in this class, you agree to these terms.  If you insist that being an athlete entitles you to extra absences, expect me to phone the athletic department.  If you miss a presentation because of an athletic trip, you must still help the group prepare, and I will allow you to do a make-up assignment to cover the rest of your obligation.

Tardiness

• Please remember that coming in late disrupts everyone and may even stop the class for a few moments.  Try to arrive at least a few minutes early and be ready to begin right at the start of the hour. Get out your book, notebook, and pen or pencil BEFORE the day’s activities begin.  Arriving 10 or more minutes late (or leaving 10 or more minutes early) will be considered a full absence.  I will count every three tardy arrivals (less than 10 minutes late) as a full absence.  Tardy-generated absences will count against the university's 25% attendance policy.  Finally, if you come in late, you must see me after class so that I change your absence mark to a tardy mark.  If you do not see me after class, your tardiness on a given day will count as an absence.

Format for Papers• Use Courier New, 12-point, which is what you are reading right now.

• I will not accept papers if they are not in the proper format.

• “Format for Papers” gives you a full description of the requirements.

Assignments for the Next Two Class Sessions

• Before our next class, read the following three things; they are linked to the calendar:– “How To Write the College Essay”– “Paper One Slide Show”– “Guidelines for Papers and Suggested Paper Topics”

• For our third class:– Reading: Plato, "The Allegory of the Cave," 3-6.– You must bring this text (your book or a photocopy of Plato). If

you do not, I will make you go get it, and you will receive an absence for the day. The HMXP anthology is on reserve in the library.

Introductions

• Dr. Matthew Fike– Degrees:

• B.A., Hope College, 1982• M.A., University of Michigan, 1985• Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1988

– I have been at WU since 2000. Before that I worked for the American University in Bulgaria for nine years.

– My interests:• Sailing• Psychology• Exercise

– I have taught HMXP for many years. If you were taking the course from another instructor, chances are good that s/he would be using some of my slide shows.

Introductions

• Regular semester: Find a partner and exchange information (6 minutes—three minutes apiece). Introduce your partner to the rest of the class.

OR

• June term: Let’s talk as a whole class, one person at a time. Introduce yourself and respond to classmates’ questions.

Question

• What did you do in WRIT 101?

• Again, get with your partner and do some brainstorming (4 minutes).

• In particular, what did you read, and what kinds of papers did you write?

• How is HMXP 102 different?

Distinction

• HMXP 102 is billed as “a course with a significant writing component.”

• You will get the most out of it, however, if you regard it as a freshman writing course or as a writing-intensive course.

Implications of HMXP 102 as a Writing Course

• Prewriting and revision are very important.

• Conferences are important.

• Process writing is key.

• Do not start your papers at the last minute.

• See me as your coach: the papers and the final exam are the bar; my job is to get you in shape to clear it by the end of the semester.

Note

• You do not know what you think about something until you write about it! Writing is a “heuristic” (a tool for discovery).

• Therefore, the notion that you can explore a text apart from writing about it is a half truth.

Writing in Class

• Free-writing: Write about your education—formal or informal. Set down anything that comes to mind. It does not have to be your WU education. It can be your high school education or any other experience that taught you things.

• After 5 minutes we will check in and get some feedback. What did you write? What questions do you have for each other?

Next Step: More Free-Writing

• What are your paradigms? In other words, what “models for thinking” do you embrace? What are your “filters,” “barriers,” “lenses,” or “impediments”?

• Write down as many as you can.

Final Step

• What if those paradigms are actually impediments to accurately perceiving and critically thinking about yourself and the world?

• This is what Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave,” your reading for next time, is about.

• Therefore, as you read this text, ask yourself if you might, in some way, be a cave dweller (a person who sees the world from a perspective that is limited, distorted, and fundamentally incorrect).

Paper One Topics

• Topics: http://faculty.winthrop.edu/fikem/Courses/GNED

%20102/GNED%20102%20Suggested%20Paper%20Topics.htm

• Paper One Slide Show: http://faculty.winthrop.edu/fikem/Courses/GNED

%20102/GNED%20102%20Feedback%20on%20Paper%20One.pps

Our Four Questions in HMXP 102

• What do I believe?• Why do I believe it?• What if I’m wrong? • What have I learned about myself by thinking things

through?• For example, are you a cave dweller who needs to move

up to the light? Are your beliefs holding you back?• WHO ARE YOU in the context of formal and informal

education?• THINK ON THESE THINGS AS YOU READ PLATO

FOR NEXT TIME.

END