Category: Uncategorized (Page 2 of 3)

Hi Class,

Agenda,

1–The Conditional Sentence (how many sentence types have we learned so far?)

If Samantha had trained her dragon properly, then Skippy would not have eaten all those people, and she wouldn’t have been disqualified from the dragon race.  Compound-Complex sentence.

2–Discussion of PSA brainstorm/freewrite and topics development

3–Student PSA examples

Homework due Monday, October 21:

Read Jill Lapore’s article and complete the three steps listed for yesterday’s homework (pay attention to her filing cabinet metaphor); essentially you should finish Week 2 tasks. Consult the PSA instructions and the appendix if you have questions. In addition, consult my example. Lastly, make sure to write down your steps and what questions you ask Google and/or ChatGPT. I want to read how you progressed through this project.

Hi Class,

Agenda,

1–Freewrite (discussion of Chat practice)

2–Quiz 2

3–PSA project instructions

4–Explore PSA examples

5–Begin reviewing appendix

Homework due Wednesday, October 16:

–Spend 30-40 minutes on these three tasks for your PSA project:

Note: All the work you do for your PSA will be added to the same post.

#1: Brainstorm topics for your PSA project: This should be done quickly. Make sure to write down all of your thoughts so that you don’t struggle next week.  After you initial 5 minute brainstorm/freewrite, narrow your list down to 4 or 5 topics. Post to OpenLab: Student PSA Projects. See my example.

#2: Find two PSAs that you appreciate/like. They do not have to be connected to your AI PSA project. Create an APA citation with a link and post to your OpenLab PSA post. See my example.

#3: If you still a few minutes left, begin to search for an article about AI and a topic that interests you. Read the article carefully so that you can tell us what you learned.  Make sure to save/copy the source on your OpenLab post.

For example, a sample search in Google:

“Articles on AI and the Brooklyn Nets”

“Articles on AI and electric guitars”

“Articles on AI and learning to make my own iPhone app”

“Articles on AI and New York State parks”

“Articles on AI and learning to paint”

IMPORTANT: WE DO NOT HAVE CLASS ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, BUT WE DO HAVE CLASS ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15–AND WE HAVE OUR USUAL WEDNESDAY CLASS ON OCTOBER 16.

[Essentially, we have Monday’s classes on Tuesday]

Hi Class, here’s our agenda:

1–Return diagnostic

2–Discuss #9 of the questionnaire: Do you think AI will affect your dream job? [Simple, Complex, Compound, Simple]

3–Discuss article and the Wesch video

4–Sign up for ChatGPT using a new email account (please). Remember: never pay for any AI service for my class.

City Tech AI Task Force Guidelines:

https://www.citytech.cuny.edu/ai/guidelines.aspx

Getting Started:

**Students may also use Chat GPT-40 version which is a non-login version of ChatGPT. It is also free.

1. Create a new email account–make sure to keep new credentials in a safe but accessible place
2. Use your new email account to create a ChatGPT account
3. Begin practicing with the Chat
4. Here are some sample prompts that are geared for our PSA project:
   1. What are 3 (or 5 or 7) benefits of using ChatGPT?
   2. What are 3 (or 5 or 7) dangers of using ChatGPT?
   3. What are the dangers for college students? For Lawyers? For medical doctors? For architects? For artists? For teachers?
   4. How can I mitigate these dangers?
   5. Remember to iterate, iterate, iterate! Don’t be satisfied with on question.

Homework due Tuesday, Oct 15: Read and prepare for Quiz 2, which will cover Crawford, Biever, and Halpern

Read Celeste Biever’s article “The Easy Intelligence Tests that AI Chatbots Fail” 

Quiz prep questions:

1–Why is it important to know if an AI system is providing accurate answers?

2–What is the Turing test?

3–What is anthropomorphization in terms of AI systems?

Read Sue Halpern ‘s article “The Year A.I. Ate the Internet”

Quiz prep questions

1–Halpern mentions legal and ethical issues as students and teachers wrestle over how AI can be used. Be able to relate one concrete problem Halpern raises in terms of education. 

2–Near the end of the article, Halpern says she easily and “intuitively” created a “chatbot that determines which medications are not safe to take together,” and which restaurants “can accommodate specific food allergies.” What is the danger of relying on a chatbot for this type of advice?

Hi Class,

Here’s the agenda:

1–Discuss sentences (four functions and four structures)

Sentences-Functions-and-Structures-2

2–Freewrite on AI readings/video

3–Watch the Michael Wesch film and discuss:

4–Discuss AI Readings/Video

Homework due Wednesday, October 9:

1–Fill out the form below. (participation points)

 

Questionnaire Form on Artificial Intelligence:

NOTE: I need to cancel today’s office hours as I have overlapping meetings. Please email me if you have questions.

-Prof. Scanlan

ESSAY 1 NOTE: Students may upload a PDF or Word document of Essay 1. Or, students can paste the entire essay into the editing block tool–like Virtual Coffeehouse #2.

GENERAL NOTE FOR MONDAY: We do not have class on Wednesday!

Agenda for Monday:

–Freewrite

–Discussion about Artificial Intelligence

–Sentences

Homework due Monday, Oct 7:

Watch: “Generative AI in a Nutshell – how to survive and thrive in the age of AI” by Henrik Kniberg, then, in your notes, write down five things that you learned from this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IK3DFHRFfw

 

Both readings are in the Readings menu tab in the AI section:

Read: “MLA-CCCC Joint Task Force on Writing and AI Working Paper: Overview of the Issues, Statement of Principles, and Recommendations,”  then, in your notes, write down two things that you learned from this short reading.

Read: Kate Crawford’s “Introduction” from  Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence, then, in your notes, write down five things that you learned from this reading.

Agenda:

1–Freewrite: what do you need to do to finish this essay?

****Quotations, finding Q and making them relate, add length, organization, clean up/edit, matching quotes to photos, relating terms, ideas, and photos, Details and stories, transitioning between ideas within a paragraph and transitions from Para to Para, What kind of story to tell?, introduction

2-Q and A on essay 1

3-Peer Review

4-Submission info for Essay 1

Homework due before class on Monday, Sept, 30:

Finish Essay 1 over the weekend. Make sure to edit, proofread, and spellcheck before uploading to our Openlab site. Category: My Photo Essay. Students may upload a PDF or Word document. Or, students can paste the entire essay into the editing block tool–like Virtual Coffeehouse #2.

NOTE: I need to cancel office hours today (Tuesday, Sept 24). Sorry, to do this at the last minute. Email any questions that you have. In addition, I can stay after class on Wednesday if you have questions.

————————————–

Agenda:

1–Review Quiz 1 (note taking review)

2–Review coffeehouse 2 student examples

3–Review Essay 1 instructions, especially the rubric.

4–Approval of student photos

Homework for Wednesday, Sept 25:

Work on Essay 1 and bring in a printed draft for peer review. Goal: at least two full pages. The photos do not need to be in color, but they should be on the essay so that your peer reviewer can see them.

Agenda:

1–Quiz 1

2–Discuss Terms: Review Reality Effect, Studium, Punctum, and then terms 14-28

3–Student Example of a Photo Essay

4–How to post an image

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14–Rule of Thirds: A tool for composing in which an image is divided into nine equal parts and the focal point is aligned with the intersecting points of the grid lines. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thirds

15–Depth of Field: A photography term that describes where the sharp focus is. A shallow DOF will blur the background (f1.4) and a deep DOF will keep all objects in focus (f22). See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field

16–Balance: Describes the harmonious combination of elements (texture, color, form, and shape) in an image.

17–Composition: The arrangement or structure of the formal elements that make up an image.

18–Focus: Refers to the areas of the image that are the sharpest. Focus can create areas of emphasis and influence the mood of the image.

19–Foreground, middle ground, and background: describe the areas in the front, middle, and back of the composition.

20–Framing: describes the area within the boundaries of the photograph.

21–Light: refers to the light and dark areas in the image. Light in the image can be natural or artificial. This is different from value, which describes the range of light to dark tones in the image.

22–Line: describes a dominant path of movement in an image. Lines can vary in direction and length. For example, they can be horizontal or vertical, straight or curved. By creating paths through the image, lines help communicate information and influence our interaction with the image.

23–Scale: describes relationships of each part of the composition to the whole and to each other part.

24–Shapes: are created from lines. They can be organic and irregular, or geometric and organized.

25–Space: describes the area between objects. Space between objects contributes to the perception of depth in the image.

26–Pattern: refers to repetition in the image. Textures can be repeated, but so can shapes and other elements.

27–Proportion: is related to balance, but it refers to the specific combination of the sizes of different elements in the image.

28–Vantage point: is the position from which the photographer takes the photograph. The vantage point can be from a particular angle: straight on, or at a diagonal, for example. It can also be elevated, at a distance, or close in proximity.

Homework due Monday, Sept. 23: Getting Started on the Photo Essay

1–Take at least three photos. They can be of anything, but we need to establish some rules. For my class, unless they are in the distant background, do not photograph people without their permission–be super friendly and professional (get their name so you can use it in the caption). For my class, do not photograph small children. Do not take photos that embarrass you or anybody else. Keep it “rated G.” You may edit your photos, but please keep a record of what app/software/filter you used (for example: Lightroom or Glitch Studio or Slow Shutter, there are many others). 

2–Decide on three photos that you want to post on our website (Virtual Coffeehouse #2). Make sure to give each photo a clear title.

3–Below each photo, provide the title, then write a short paragraph (about 75-100 words) explaining why you took the photo and what it means to you. Use our terms and handouts to guide you. If they are connected, great! If they are the photos you want to use in your essay, great. If you are not sure they are what you want to write about for your photo essay, no worries. This is good practice.

**Category: Virtual Coffeehouse #2. We will discuss how to post images on Wednesday. Total word length: 200-300 words.

How to post an image

Agenda:

–Review and discuss Essay 1 instructions

Possible topic sentence for a conclusion: Finally, I would like to reflect on three things that I learned while writing my photo essay: photo composition, the college sentence (the thesis blueprint), and dominant impression.

–Freewrite

–New Photo Terms

–Discuss Calle’s and Berger’s essays

Homework due Wednesday, Sept 18: Study for Quiz 1

Prepare for Quiz 1 by reading Susan Sontag’s essay “On Photography” (it’s actually a short selection of a longer essay). Pay close attention to what she says about photographs/photography AND families, tourism,  experience, voyeurism, violence, weapons, and death. The quiz will cover the main points in Cole, Berger, and Sontag. 

Agenda:

1–Freewrite (The Still Life)

2–Discuss Teju Cole’s essay

3–New Terms 11-13 (see below)

4–Sentences: The Thesis Blueprint (complex sentence type…also the college sentence)

• While X, I think Y.
• Thesis blueprint = College Sentence =  Complex Sentence type

While Webb and Barthes are both great writers, I prefer Barthes because of the philosophy that he provides.

–apples to apples!

–Complex sentence: dependent clause + independent clause.

–Focusing sentence: Notice that the two books are in the center of the photo, and there are two small objects on either side. Next, notice that to the right is my hand sanitizer and to the left are my earbuds.

5–Homework

Continuing with our 28 photo terms:

11. Reality Effect:

A term made famous by Roland Barthes to mean the photographic illusions that add to a photo’s realism. In other words, the details that make a photo seem real rather than fake or fantasy. Therefore, it helps to describe a photo has having a high reality effect (see Jeff Roberts’s photo on our OpenLab site) or a low reality effect (see Cindy Sherman’s photos, for example). From Barthes’ The Rustle of Language (1984).

12. Studium:

Roland Barthes also made these two terms famous.

The studium of a photograph is the public and historical grounding of a photo. The studium is the photo’s context and its general understanding, which includes the precise time and place and weather. The studium of a photo must be visible not hidden. Additionally, the studium includes the cultural reading of people (their faces and clothing), gestures, buildings, trees, and actions within a photo.

13. Punctum:

The punctum of a photograph is highly individual, not public. The punctum pierces the viewer in a particular, private way. The punctum, which must be visible, pierces the viewer like an arrow, raising certain individual memories and consciousnesses to the surface. The punctum bruises me but not you. The punctum is about loving, while the studium is about liking.

*These definitions are from Barthes’ Camera Lucida. Hill and Wang, 1981.

Barthes’ example of punctum:

Little Italy. New York, 1954. Photo by William Klein

“What I stubbornly see are one boy’s bad teeth…”

Homework due Monday, Sept 16, before class.

#1: Study Studium and Punctum (above)

The following essays are in the Readings menu tab

#2 Read Sophe Calle’s short photo essay “Souris” and take notes. How did this photo essay make your feel? How does it compare to Rebecca Norris Webb’s photo essay? What is the reality effect of the images?

#3 Read John Berger’s essay “Understanding a Photograph.” Take notes. What are Berger’s main points? Write down at least three questions that you have. There is nothing to turn in, but I will call on each student. Cole, Berger, and Sontag will be the focus of Quiz 1, which will take place on Wednesday, September 18.