Social Justice Movies

The theme this year for SCH 101 is Social Justice.  Over the summer, we asked the students to watch Ghandi and School of Rock.  However,  now we are looking at the whole semester of material.  This is one list of Social Justice movies.  What movies would you put on the list and why?  Use the commentings to add ideas.

Late July

I know it has been quite some time since the last post, but I just returned from 3 weeks at the Park City Math Institute where I learned about the isoperimetric problem and also about General Relativity.  If neither of these make sense to you, just imagine me sitting in a classroom feeling just as lost as the majority of my students in my undergraduate math courses.  It certainly helps renew my sympathy for the students sitting in the back row hoping I don't notice them.

This year we have 29 new first year students from five different states, although none from below the Mason-Dixon line this year.  We have accepted one international student who will be joining us when the finances get worked out.  We have eight gentlemen, so the odds are good for some, but not for others.

This Fall, the first thing these students will do is write the syllabus for their Fall Term course with the theme of Social Justice.  As is typical for this course, students will first be asked to define Social Justice without checking the dictionary.  Although the Catholic Church has a long, specific, list of Social Justice topics, I thought we should focus on those issues which rise to the top of the concerns of college students.  Here are some resources:

• Top 5 Social Justice issues of Social Workers
• Catholic Themes of Social Teaching
• The Jesuits on Social Justice (okay, I know the current Pope believes the Jesuits are Catholic.)
• Lutheran Justice in Society (ELCA)

Keep Sharp Over the Summer

Sometimes, after a few weeks of working a minimum wage job, you start to miss college.  Here are some thinks you can do to keep yourself sharp over the summer:

1. Report things you did to earn Scholars Culture Points.  Okay, I know this isn't your favorite activity, but it will help you reflect on the things you did over the last year and is worth the time it takes.
2. Read some of the books that the first year Scholars are reading.  Personally, I really enjoyed reading the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and can't wait to start discussing the issues that the text raises.
3. Listen to National Public Radio or watch Public Television.  Because these information sources are not tied to advertising revenue, they can take the time to study one topic in depth.  You can even to this over the internet if you do not receive radio signals where you are living.
4. Join the Scholars Facebook Group and discuss the books or topics of the day with the new students.

Personally, I will be going to math camp for three weeks in July, so if you are wondering why Dr. Birgen is not getting back to you quickly, it is because I am having fun.

Feel free to add things in the comments section of the Blog.

SCH 101 Goals and Objectives

Dr. Earl and I got together to plot for SCH 101.  We decided to turn the Jail over to the inmates in the Fall.  So, new students you will need to know some things about the course:

This first-year course develops students’ critical inquiry and communication skills as they take responsibility for their education and actions within the context of becoming Wartburg liberally educated persons.  Must be completed during the first year.

Goals and Outcomes of SCH 101

The intended  goals (numbers) and outcomes (bullets under goals) for this course follow.

1.      Students will understand the primary characteristics of a liberally educated person.

·         Students will articulate and describe the primary characteristics of a liberally educated person.

2.      Students will become critical inquirers.

·         Students will be able to identify and explain

the thesis of a text.

the author’s position.

the assumptions, strengths, and limitations in a text.

·         Students will develop information literacy  by

designing and performing search strategies.

gathering and using appropriate information and materials for projects and assignments.

effectively evaluating the quality of information sources.

·         Students will assess their tolerance for ambiguity and reflect on the implications for their   engagement in critical inquiry.

3.      Students will become more effective communicators.

·         Students will demonstrate effective communication through

civil discourse.

small group interactions.

various kinds of writing/composition.

4.      Students will become responsible for their education and actions.

·         Students will be able to demonstrate the attitudes and behaviors of active learners.

·         Students will develop an appreciation for and a commitment to continued engagement with the world beyond the classroom.

·         Students will develop and utilize strategies for making successful adjustments to college life.

·         Students will explore connections among their interest, aptitudes, and educational goals.

           

Course Criteria

1.      Individual/team-generated content connects to the common goals and outcomes.

2.      Course content draws from a variety of disciplines, preferably across all three knowledge domains.

3.      Course material includes primary sources.

4.      The course is writing intensive.

Additionally, since the course is writing intensive, you will want to know the requirements for that type of course:

Goals of all writing intensive courses:

1.      Students will write clearly, confidently, and persuasively.

2.      Students will use writing as a means of enhancing their learning.

3.      Students will learn the writing conventions and genres appropriate to their major.

 Outcomes

·         Students will produce written work that is varied in kind and length (e.g., drafts, informal writing, essay test, in-class papers, journals, collaborative writing, polished papers, etc.).

·         Students will produce written work to meet a variety of purposes (e.g., as a learning/discovery took, to stimulate reflection and/or discussion, to demonstrate their mastery of course content, to present information in a form and style appropriate to a specific discipline, etc.).

·         Students will produce finished written work that responds to constructive feedback during the writing process.

 Course Criteria

1.      Course requires at least 20 pages or 5,000 words of written work

2.      At least 40 percent of the course grade is based on evaluation of writing work.

3.      The instructor must intervene in the writing process to draw attention to ideas or problems as they are developed through writing and/or to emphasize the importance of writing and style for a specific discipline.

Department of Energy wants you

2013 Wartburg College Graduates from the Wartburg Scholars

• Jordan Achilles graduated with Scholars Thesis “Wartburg Carbon Footprint”
• Kristine Arnold graduated Cum Laude
• Kaitlyn Baldrige graduated
• Kaylee Benning graduated Cum Laude
• Amanda Burt graduated
• Erica Bush graduated Magna Cum Laude
• Alex Ciota graduated Suma Cum Laude
• Susannah Gafkjen graduated Magna Cum Laude
• Hollis Hanson-Pollock graduated Suma Cum Laude with Departmental Honors in Accounting
• Torie Jochims graduated Suma Cum Laude with Departmental Honors in Writing
• Jon Juett graduated Suma Cum Laude with Departmental Honors in Computer Science and Scholars Thesis “John Deere Driving Simulation”
• Shea Kruger graduated Suma Cum Laude
• Sydney Marsh graduated Suma Cum Laude with Departmental Honors in Biochemistry
• Mary O'Loughlin graduated Magna Cum Laude with Scholars Thesis “Effects of fructose consumption on hypothalamic SOCS3 and POMC protein expression in mice.”
• Jamie Peterson graduated Magna Cum Laude with Departmental Honors in Mathematics Education and Scholars Thesis “A More Modern Teaching Portfolio”
• Amy Reicks graduated Cum Laude
• Chelsea Reisner graduated Suma Cum Laude with Departmental Honors in Music Perfomance and Scholars Thesis “New Music at Wartburg: Composers' Recital”
• Gordon Roedel graduated Suma Cum Laude with Scholars Thesis “Preliminary Analysis of Saccharomyces and Brettanomyces in Farmhouse Ales”
• Erin Seymour graduated Cum Laude
• David Wedeking graduated Magna Cum Laude
• Sarah Wilkin graduated Cum Laude

Welcome Back - Do You Want Points With That?

Welcome back to all our Scholars from their May Term trips and travels.  May Term travel courses can earn 2 Scholars Culture Points for students who fill out a report on their trip.  Students can earn an additional 2 Culture Points for giving a presentations on what they learned at a public event.  Students who are interested in this option should contact the Academic Committee to schedule their presentation for Fall 2013.