February 11 - 15, 2008

Monday:
Journal# 11

Tuesday: Writer's Autobiography Conferences
Journal# 12 - Practice Pressure Comp
In "Shakespeare Never Lost a Manuscript to a Computer Crash," Theodore Roszak of CSU Hayward argues that "the computer contributes nothing essential to the life of the mind. No, not even all the information that comes gushing out of the World Wide Web... Am I saying that computers might actually get in the way of significant intellectual work? Yes, I am."

Drawing from your own experiences, explain whether you agree or disagree with Roszak's claim that "the computer contributes nothing essential to the life of the mind." Support your position with reasons, explanations, and examples.

Wednesday: Writer's Autobiography Conferences (cont.)
Journal# 13 - Practice Pressure Comp
According to one writer, "ambition is socially useful. It sustains economic vitality. It prods people to take risks and exert themselves. The internet is the offspring of workaholics spending long hours to invent a new world and make a fortune... Ambition and its creative powers permeate the arts, the professions, academia and science."

Using logical reasons and specific examples, explain whether you agree or disagree with the author's claim about the usefulness of ambition.

Thursday: Bad Valentine's Day Poetry
Journal# 14
"At the touch of Love, everyone becomes a poet" - Plato
"Love stinks. Yeah yeah." - J. Geils Band

Listen as Mr. Brashears reads terrible poems, and then create your own bad Valentine's Day poetry. Due at the end of the period.

Friday:
Creed #4

Make a list of 3-7 Big Questions about life, the world, reality, the universe that have claimed your attention enough to call them an influence. If you haven’t brainstormed Big Questions before, you might need to stay with this a while. If questions don’t come, try some breathing exercises, or take a short break, and come back to it later. Big Questions should be deep issues about life you have wondered about more than once. Here are some examples students have come up with:

- Is there life on other planets?
- Why was I put on the earth?
- Is there life after death?
- How can adults expect us to resolve problems peacefully when they provide such a poor
example?

Choose 1-3 Big Questions that influence you the most. Write a reflective paragraph
on how each of your most influential Big Questions influences, inspires, or affects you.

Unit Evaluation - A chance for you to give me feedback on the course

Pressure Comp Preparation - Look for key verbs in pressure comp instructions

*** Next Pressure Comp will be Tuesday, February 26 ***

Final Draft of Writer's Autobiography Due
Journals Due