Schedule

*In-Class Freewriting

Introduction to Course (Self-Help, Zoom, OpenLab, & One Another)

• Welcome to course 🙂

Due

• Register for OpenLab account, join our course site, and familiarize yourself with its content and navigation

Self-Help: Introduction

*Th 2/4: Last Day to drop without the grade of WD.

*F 2/5: Course Withdrawal Drop Period Begins; A grade of WD is assigned to students who officially drop a class

• Review Course Materials (especially Syllabus, Schedule, OpenLab Composing (Blogging) Grading Rubric / Expectations & Guidelines, Resources)

Blog

• “Introductions” post (due W 2/3) + read/comment on others’ posts (if you need help, refer to OpenLab Help to get started blogging)
• Complete Student Survey (due W 2/3)

Self-Help: definitions, genre, history, & key terms

• The Secret (Rhonda Byrne), 2006. Read from beginning through (including) “Powerful Processes” and then at least one of the next chapters (of your choosing). Of course, I encourage you read more … it’s a quick read 🙂

*Make sure you actively/close “read” this text. You should take notes as you read, annotating it (looking up words you don’t know, taking notes, asking questions, noting down elements of fiction, writing down quotes–cited by page number in MLA format, making claims). Bring these notes to class with you, and come ready to discuss specifics of the text (including pieces of textual evidence). I may ask you to show me your notes in class or submit them.

*Make sure to read the exact versions (follow the links) to the texts, so we are literally all on the same page.

Due

•  Reading Response #1: The Secret (make a blog post + categorize as “The Secret”)

In-Class Group Work on The Secret

Writing Workshop: active reading + annotation

• The Secret (continued)

Due

• People’s Choice Post #1: The Secret (due: Th 2/11 by 9am) 

• The Secret (continued)
• Browse The Secret website to get a feel for the franchise
• Watch The Secret documentary (available on Netflix)

*Make sure you actively/close “read” this film the same way you would for a written text (article, short story, novel). You should take notes as you watch the documentary, annotating it (looking up words you don’t know, taking notes, asking questions, noting down elements of fiction, writing down quotes–cited by the time (hour:minute:second), making claims). Bring these notes to class with you, and come ready to discuss specifics of the film (including pieces of textual evidence). Click here to submit these annotations via Dropbox.

Due

• Continue work individually on the group work handout on The Secret from class on Tu 2/11 *Click here to submit this homework via Dropbox)

• The Secret franchise (continued)

Due

• nothing 🙂

History of Genre

• Self-Help; with Illustrations of Conduct and Perseverance (Samuel Smiles), 1859*read all front matter + Chapter I: Self-Help– National and Individual + Chapter IV: Application and Perseverance + one chapter of your own choosing (make sure to indicate in your annotations and blog which chapter you chose)*Use the PDF linked above (so we are all on the same page, literally). This PDF is created from the book files at Project Gutenberg

Due

• Annotations of reading, with MLA citations. You can annotated in-line in the PDF itself, take notes in another digital document, or handwrite. Either way, convert before class to a single PDF file, clearly labeled and be ready to submit your work at the start of class, if requested.*Submit Smiles annotations via this Dropbox link
• Reading Response #2:  Self-Help (Samuel Smiles)

History of Genre (continued)

• Self-Help (Samuel Smiles) [continued]

Due

• People’s Choice #2: Self-Help (Samuel Smiles) (due: Th 2/25 by 9am) 

Student Lightning Presentations on Smiles chapters

Self-Help as Education: Curriculum & Pedagogy

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change (Stephen R. Covey) [excerpts]
• The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Personal Workbook
  
  *This is a GoogleBooks preview, so only excerpts are shown (and there are some pages missing every now and then). Just look through what’s there, to get a feel for the workbook/curriculum of this text.
• 7 Habits website (FranklinCovey): browse, explore, click on links, watch, read, etc. (include your annotations for the website along with your annotations for the two texts above)

Due

• Annotations of Covey texts (submit via this Dropbox link)
• Reading Response #3:  The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Self-Help as Education: Curriculum & Pedagogy

Writing Workshop: Blogging

• The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (continued)

Due

• People’s Choice Post #3:  The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (due: Th 3/4 by 9am) 

• self-care 🙂

Due

• Blog #4: Self-Care

self-help, grief, and the pandemic

*Faculty to Inform Students of Midterm Grades

• self-care 🙂

Due

• People’s Choice Post #4: Self-Care (due Th 3/11 by 9am)
• self-care 🙂

attention, mindfulness, meditation

• Covid: One Year Later + various links on mental health, grief, and the pandemic [find your own!]
• read ahead in The Power of Now (entire book for next week)

Due

• work on your Pandemic Processing reflective blog posts
• Continue reading and annotating The Power of Now (full book being discussed week of 3/23)

Processing the Pandemic: loss, grief, self-help

• read ahead in The Power of Now (entire book for next week)

Due

• Class Discussion #1: Meditation Reflection
• Blog #5: Pandemic Processing

*This is an open-ended response, but should be reflective and detailed. I encourage you to be creative (include photos, videos, artwork, etc.). If you’re having trouble getting started, you can always explore some specific prompts for inspiration, and do some initial freewriting (for example: Reflecting. on Daily Life during the Coronavirus–scroll down to #3; Journal Prompts for a Pandemic)

the present moment, mindfulness, meditation

• The Power of Now (Eckhart Tolle)*You need to get a physical copy of this book, this edition. Make sure to buy the paperback version of this book (hard copy: no eBooks or audiobooks), using this ISBN-13: 978-1577314806), so we are literally all on the same page.

Due

• explore various meditation apps (e.g., Calm, Insight Timer, 10% Happier, 10 Minute Mind, Headspace) to find the one that you resonate most with … you will be developing a daily meditation practice going forward for an upcoming assignment
• People’s Choice #5: Pandemic Processing (due: Sa 3/20)
• Annotations for The Power of Now*Submit your annotations before class begins via this Dropbox link
• Reading Response #6: The Power of Now

the present moment, mindfulness, meditation

• The Power of Now (continued)

Due

• People’s Choice Post #6: The Power of Now (due Th 3/25 by 9am)

• The Power of Now (continued)

Due

• Research & experiment with meditation programs/apps
• The Power of Now (continued)

Due

• Blog #7: Meditation Assignment Prep (categorize as “meditation) as first-step (pre-draft) of Meditation Assignment (worth 15% of course grade; due Tu 4/27). Include:

1) Preconceptions about assignment (worries, hopes, fears?) and what you hope to get out of it.

2) Research & evaluate meditation programs/apps and make a choice as to which one you will use. You may pick any program of your choosing (though meditations should be guided, and a minimum of 10 minutes long), but you need to explore at least 3 different apps and make an intentional choice. Your blog should explain what you evaluated (with links), your assessment of the various apps, and why you chose what you chose. You also should discuss your plan for which meditations you will do and your schedule (where/when will you meditate, daily?).

I’ll sign off (approve) your meditation plan on Thursday and then you will get started on Friday (4/9) with your program (daily meditation for 14 days) and your log of meditation sessions + reflective journaling before and afterwards.

• “The Mindfulness Revolution” (Kate Pickert)
• “The Mindfulness Conspiracy” (Ronald Purser)
• “The Problem of Mindfulness” (Sahanika Ratnayake)

Due

• Reading Response #8: Mindfulness & Its Critiques (categorize as “self-help critiques”)
• Work on Meditation Assignment
• (Optional) Extra Credit Opportunity: Literary Arts Festival (attend event & blog by start of class on Th 4/15)

• mindfulness critiques [continued]

Due

• People’s Choice Post #7: Mindfulness & Its Critiques (due Th 4/15 by 9am)
• Work on Meditation Assignment

• individual research/reading on self-help topics in preparation for your individual research project
• Three sources (self-help critiques) of your own choosing [read/annotate]

Due

• Reading Response #8: Self-Help Critiques (categorize as “self-help critiques”)

*This blog should introduce the class to your topic, your three sources (with links and full MLA citations), and clearly state their main argument/points. You should also prepare a 5-7 presentation to give in class next week on the topic/sources–embed your presentation (the slides) in the blog post itself.

• Work on Meditation Assignment

• Self-Help Critique Sources (continued)

Due

• People’s Choice Post #8: Self-Help Critiques (due Th 4/22 by 9am)
• Work on Meditation Assignment

Due

• Meditation Assignment (submit via this Dropbox link)

• Individual Research for Final Project

Due

• Research Project research + proposal. Create a blog post with your proposal and sources (categorize as “Research Projects” + “Proposals”)*Make sure to read the Proposal Details & Tips (under “Assignments,” “Research Project”) before getting started with your research and proposal

• Research Project
• Individual Research for Final Project

Due

• Work on revised research proposals & annotations (due W 5/5)

• Individual Research for Final Project

Due

• Blog: Revised Research Proposals, Annotated Sources, & Reflection(due W 5/5) — categorize as “Research Project” + “Revised Proposal & Sources”

• Individual Research for Final Project

Due

• Continue to work on annotations, research, and drafts of presentation & abstract

In-Class Research Project Lightning Presentations + Peer Review

*F 5/14: SET Deadline

*M 5/17: Last day  to drop class and receive W (no academic penalty but students should discuss with financial questions with financial aid office)

• Individual Research for Final Project

Due

• In-Class Lightning Presentations & Abstract Drafts (blog: categorize as “Research Project” + “Presentations”)
• Complete SET (Student Evaluation of Teaching) online (sent by college to your City Tech email), due F 5/14

*Continue work on Research Project & Final Course Reflection

Final Exams

• Review course materials, annotations, Class Notes, blogs, assignments for Final Course Reflection (Final Exam)

Due

• Research Project

Final Exams

*F 5/28: Final Grades Due (they will post on CUNYfirst)

• Review course materials, annotations, Class Notes, blogs, assignments for Final Course Reflection (Final Exam)

Due

• Final Course Reflection (Final Exam)