This is the course blog for our section of BIS 390. I will mainly use it to make announcements and adjustments to our schedule. You will mainly use it to post your research log entries and to extend the classroom discussion.
Click here to preview the course syllabus.
Please write a test post in the reply below so I can make sure the blog is working for everyone. I believe you can either use an existing Google/Gmail I.D. or make a Blogger I.D. Let me know if you have any difficulty and I can help. It would be best if your test post was some kind of question or comment about the syllabus. Read it carefully!
I look forward to meeting all of you soon.
Hello Everyone,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sending the syllabus in advance of class, Dr. Winter. I just spoke with Lee, of the Fairfax campus Barnes & Noble bookstore, regarding our required text, "The Thinker’s Guide to the Art of Asking Essential Questions." It is not currently in stock, but they should have a sufficient quantity of copies in the bookstore late next week.
I also look forward to meeting you all on Wednesday,
Gail C.
P.S. I wonder if the authors have also co-written "The Thinker’s Guide to the Art of Finding the Answers to all of the Essential Questions" . . . If so, I'm all over that one!
Thanks for the info Gail... the text in question is actually a free brochure distributed by an organization called "The Critical Thinking Company." Hopefully they'll get it in stock but I won't say it's the most important part of our syllabus.
ReplyDeleteOne thing we'll discuss is that asking good questions is the most important step in the research process, so in that sense it's already the key to answering them.
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI have never posted to a blog before or used Google Docs, so I'm a little apprehensive about keeping up. I consider myself tech-savvy, but I am not a social networker by any means!
I am sorry to hear you are living with your wife's parents. I hope that situation resolves itself quickly.
Julie
Julie, they are not so bad. Ha ha. It's old fashioned social networking, right? As for the tools for class, just let me know if something doesn't work.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI too have never posted to a blog or used Google Docs. Can you tell me if the all of the required texts are at the GMU bookstore?
L. as far as I know they are all there except the "Thinker's Guide" mentioned above... I have just received free copies of that for everyone.
ReplyDeleteHello All,
ReplyDeleteupdate on books - Currently the BIS 390 custom reader, Craft of Research, and Academic Writer's Handbook are all backordered.
Geez, I see we're off to a good start already. Ha ha.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning all,
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to meeting and working with everyone. As to living with the in-laws, been there - overall a good experience. It's where my mother-in-law gave me her sage advice on marriage: "the first 15 years are absolutely wretched.....after that it's worth every minute".
I'm happy to take "unsolicited life wisdom" from anyone - no matter how many decades separate us. As Indiana Jones says: "It ain't the years, it's the mileage".
Only 12 more years to go and I will have a happy marriage! Though if I take the Indiana Jones principle literally, my wife & I do have a lot of miles.
ReplyDeleteAaron,
ReplyDeleteAm I correct in remembering that you posted some example research proposals for your 490 class? If I am correct, would you mind posting them for us? I am very interested in seeing a finished product for planning purposes.
Thanks!
Tthe syllabus lays out a challenging class, and I'm excited about it. Anyvet is my blog name (Jeremiah Foxwell).
ReplyDeleteLooking at the syllabus, I noticed that this class will cover a lot of material very quickly. This will probably give me frequent headaches, but as long as I stay on task then I should be alright.
ReplyDelete-Nina
Julie, see my additions to the most recent post. Jeremy's post reminds me to tell everyone that if your username doesn't have your actual name in it, I'd like you to go ahead and include your name in all of your messages just as a convenience to me. I agree with Nina that this course gets off to a very fast and possibly headache inducing start; the way it looks to me is that the reading is frontloaded and the writing/research is backloaded.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Aaron, I have read the two examples. I can't seem to find the "Assessing Student Work" article here on the blog. Am I missing something? I did figure out Google docs; I can attest to the class that it is very easy to use. If anyone wants to share with me, my email is juliepaupfowler_at_gmail.com.
ReplyDeleteHello Julie and Friends, I just located a copy of the Boix Mansilla "Assessing Student Work at Disciplinary Crossroads" (2005) article in my BIS 300 Fall 2009 Reader. I realize that this may not help everyone, but if you own a recent version of the BIS 300 reader, it may also be included in your copy. Gail
ReplyDeleteHello, I am very excited to be in this class. I think I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Its very dim but its there!!!(I HOPE THATS WHAT IT IS). I am a little confused on what is due when we meet again but I will look at the grid to see if it can shed some light. I look forward to working with and learning from everyone. Shareen.
ReplyDeleteI would like to post under my name Jeremiah instead of my blog title, but I haven't figured out how to change that setting yet. Anybody have any suggestions, besides making a blog account?
ReplyDeletehi everyone, i'm not familiar with blogging but I was able to dig up an old gmail account that I barely used...anyway, i was looking for the Boix Mansilla article "Assessing Student Work at Disciplinary Crossroads" that is supposed to be posted in the blog...I could not find it, can someone direct me to it? We are supposed to read for next class. Thank you, Laura
ReplyDeleteJulie & Laura, I'm on it... I believe the course director intended this to be some sort of scavenger hunt, but then I think I promised you I'd find it, so sorry for the delay and I am scavenging it presently. Shareen, I made a new post with the reminders, which are also in the syllabus calendar. Jeremiah, I wish I knew but if you can't figure it out just write Jeremiah somewhere in the post as a low-tech solution.
ReplyDeleteDr. Winter, please disregard my earlier question about classroom location. I just panic too quickly as I do not want to miss the class for being lost.
ReplyDeleteMore importantly, there are books I could not get at our book store, they said that you have to tell them to order. The thinkers guide to the art of asking essential questions and effective writing. If this is going to be too much work for you, I will try finding these two at the amazon. This is also my first time blogging. It took my awhile. Many thanks
About the books, perhaps you missed the start of class last week when I discussed this? I can catch you up to speed in office hours if you like.
ReplyDeleteMany many thanks Dr. Winter. If I am not stranded in traffic tonite (last week was a mess, I could not even find a spot to park), I will try to see you at your office this afternoon at 6:00 PM.
ReplyDeleteHi Class!
ReplyDeleteStarting the semester on the wrong foot... my brother got married over the weekend so I am playing catch up with work, school and life in general. I will be better I promise!
I am not sure if my name (Heather Roed) will show up when I post or if the name of my blog “Notes from the Roed” (a play on my name and a sick hobby that I have) just a heads up.
Cheers!
Heather
It says Heather, good enough for me. What a great blog title too.
ReplyDeleteI finally created a gmail-account. Hello! I am excited about the class and the research project. I am following my "calling" - inspired by some passionate people in this class. Aaron, thanks for your feedback yesterday. I am looking forward to your comments on the Statement of Interest. -iris
ReplyDeleteI still have not receive an email from the book store re-BIS Course Reader. I just don't feel like driving there, parking and walking to the bookstore and to hear hear that the prints are not done..Has anyone waiting for this book received their print yet? Do I remember correctly that during our last class meeting Dr. Winter said, that if the prints are not made by the next meeting..he could possibly remedy this problem?
ReplyDelete