4. “ the same type of things every class” an opinion “is ever seen as wrong by students or a professor just because it is different” “ push ideas on us” rather than “inform us thoroughly so we can make educated beliefs” “ a class where someone is judged for expressing an unpopular opinion” “ one-sided discussions” “ each class session is a lecture” “ lecture, quiz, lecture, test” “ should not be vague” without “background or supporting information for me to be able to actively participate” “ close-minded, by-the-book teachings” “ tell us what to think” rather than “help us understand the facts to we can form an opinion” “ relies on PowerPoint to teach” homework & papers are “simply busywork” “ a class that is rushed to get through a specified amount of material” [rather than] “one that can takes its time discussing one subject matter at a time."” “ you’re wrong, I’m right” and just “having arguments going back and forth”
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Editor's Notes
Set-up : PowerPoint Course website Navigation for course website Everything’s available through the website (including all assignments); you can always get an early start Polleverywhere Start by getting your picture taken. These pictures will be available on PBWorks (“Who We Are”) by the end of the day That’s what you need to do for next time. Most of you have completed what I asked you to do before this first class. Especially submitting the information form and introducing yourself on Voicethread Some of you haven’t, and so need to catch up. There are people on a waiting list, and so I’d like to hear from you asap so that I can get back to those folks if spaces open up. If you did not receive some emails from me at your SMC address during August, you need to speak with me right away so that we can get you up and running. If you did work through the New Students page, you already got background on what we’ll study in here and how the course is laid out I’m not going to go over that again today. That’s why it was online. What all of you need to do for next time: Read assignments listed for August 25 th Read first 9 pages in syllabus to refresh your memory about requirements, etc.
Here’s what we will do today. Introductions : Me • 25 th year (note that I didn’ t teach this class last year) • hometown • ND • no office hours due to administrative duties • email’s a great way to get ahold of me—I’ll always be back to you that same day • what to call me Everyone else (name, hometown, major, where you live locally)
I want to be very clear that you can do extremely well in this class if you’re not Catholic, Christian, or a believer in God You can probably be a moral scoundrel and do very well in here too I say this because some of you mentioned that you’re not Catholic or not a practicing Catholic or not religious or don’t have any background in religion beyond your first course at Saint Mary’s Trust me—none of that matters for how well you can read, think, speak, and write You don’t have to be religious to study God You don’t have to be a rock to study geology.
Each of these presupposes the next. Have to have faculty information before you can use it.
Acquiring information is probably the easiest to do alone. The other two require some kind of active engagement. discussing applying active learning in general this is why experiential learning is especially important in a class like this But to do these things, need to do the necessary preparation outside of class on your own The need for active learning—especially in a class such as this—is why the course is structured as it is why I ask that you collaborate with each other outside of class why I don’t lecture at you in class, and try to structure things in class where you’re talking and learning from each other and why I do a lot of asking you what you’re learning by self-assessing yourself I put a premium on self-reflection and self-assessment You should always know your level of mastery of the material be able to see your skills developing When you learn what you learn, you learn more deeply. And you also come to take ownership of your own ideas and thoughts, which will help you share them with more confidence with the rest of us. So, we’re here to collaborate, not to compete; because there’s a greater truth than any one of us knows all by ourselves It’s why I expect to learn from you as well. And learning means being open to that greater truth that others have. Helping others learn helps you learn by getting clearer on what you yourself thinks and how best to articulate it. You know something when you can teach it to someone else That’s how we’re going to get from A to B & C That’s one of the reasons you’ll be discussing the material online outside of class. Now, a word about respect I don’t know any of you yet, and so I can’t possibly be picking anyone out here But I can pretty much guarantee that at some point, you’ll hear someone say something that will strike you as just off the wall I might even be the one saying it We need to have some groundrules of basic respect in here so that everyone feels free to speak and contribute If I think every time I open my mouth, some of you will be rolling your eyes or giving knowing glances to others of you, then I’m going to shut up It’s really important that we all feel safe in here and out of here online when we discuss some very controversial subjects That’s not to say you can’t think (or SAY) that others are absolutely 100% dead wrong about something But you need to practice the same respect you’d expect back
The other is that the computer itself is shaping many of the issues we’ll study. The computer isn’t just changing our lives by giving us access to more information; it’s also allowing possibilities (and creating moral issues) that we’ve never had before and revolutionizing lives in ways that go beyond just the provision of more data sooner
Or, you can kill yourself online (or you used to be able to) Self-Deliverance program used in Australia on 4 or 5 occasions
I cannot stress enough that everything in this class cascades out from the learning outcomes. Left column is SMC General Education goals or outcomes (what you should be able to know or do, with hard work, by the time you leave class) Middle column are the learning outcomes for this class. Right columns let you see which of the different assignments further those outcomes Assignments are all tied to outcomes. They are means to the ends. The point here is that everything has a purpose You should never be asking yourself why are we doing this? When students understand what the assignments are helping them accomplish, they see the assignments’ utility and find the work more meaningful. And again, here are the different requirements (next slide)
The first two won’t begin until next week You’ll need to get in the practice of both the Voicethread before class and the self-assessment after class Neither of these can be made up, but you do get two skips without penalty to your grade If you don’t turn one in, you get no grade for that day. In general, don’t ever be afraid to ask questions (eg., question about male infertility) I’ll say more about the papers before the first one is due All assignments are now online As is information about late papers & academic honesty One of the most important things I want you to learn how to do this semester is give reasons for what you think That’s what these papers are for RUBRICS are available for all your papers—they tell you exactly what I’m looking for Emphasize the need to get your semester project choice resolved as soon as you can. choice due by 9/2 highlight CFH option
Over the next couple classes, we’ll be talking much more about what ethics is and how it’s done. But for now, let me lay out a few points so that you can begin to see what this class can do for you: The hardest thing you can ever learn is yourself. much more room for ambiguity, for having previous views shaken, and for what that will mean for your sense of you when/if it happens This is why studying ethics is a bit different from studying a foreign language or studying chemistry
Now, I’d like you to think where these issues touch down or become real in people’s lives Get in groups of about 4 Introduce yourself Tell me what areas of your lives are affected or influenced by the ethical values you hold. Or another way of thinking about it is to come up with a list of what parts of your life are affected by what you love. The values we have affect our life way down deep They influence whom we hang around with (friends as second selves) They influence how we vote, for whom we vote, and what our politics are They help us determine the goals we should pursue in our lives (major, etc.) and how we should pursue them They affect whether you marry, whom you marry, where you’ll live, how and whether you bring children in the world, how you raise those children, how you live, perhaps how you die, and certainly what you would die for You discover yourself in all the things you love, as well as in all the things that break your heart. And note too that it’s not just values life, but life experiences values Dr. Laura questioner (out of my character) in important ways, we are what we do And what we do shapes us into who we are
I gave you these questions as examples of what you should be able to address by the time you leave the class. Here you see affects of moral issues on: birth death politics economics poverty gender issues crime & punishment war & peace Now, suppose you survive all this. What are you going to be able to say on a job interview or a graduate school application? Think in terms of the specifics that you mentioned when I asked what you planned on doing when you left SMC.
Computers not for FB (if caught, you owe us a song) Do try to always have some paper on hand in case we do any quick writes on the material
Polleverywhere.com Any questions on the syllabus? Any questions on the requirements? Any questions on the project options? Any questions on me or my background? Completely anonymous—I don’t know who’s writing what.
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