WEEK 1 Assignments

1. Reconsider the Plato reading with the following questions in mind: a)What are the qualities of a democracy? b)What are the qualities of the democratic person? c)What are the advantages of democracy? d)What threatens democracy?

2. Read Dewey to p.100. Remember to read actively (see note at the bottom of this post) and engage the text, and come to class prepared to discuss.

3. Read the "Socratic Method" post on the blog, which will help prepare you for every future discussion you will ever have...

4. Start keeping a journal in which you observe your workplace-- and our nation's culture-- through the theoretical frameworks we discuss in class.

5. Bring in a resource that you think is relevant, and which your classmates will find interesting and/or helpful. A resource can be a website, article, book, speaker, company, or anything else that supports and extends our understanding of Democracy & Education. Please bring the resource to class, along with a brief write-up that includes bibliographic data (i.e., where we can find it) and 1-2 paragraphs describing the value of the resource (i.e., why we should look for it in the first place).

A NOTE ABOUT ACTIVE READING
Although you have experience in academic reading, I would like to see you extend your critical thinking skills during this course. In addition to the traditional approach of highlighting and/or underlining main ideas, I want you to engage the text by annotating it with your own comments and questions. Anything is fair game-- write a note in the margin whenever you agree, disagree or question an idea. Also, keep a quality dictionary nearby when you read; I often find that academic reading presents opportunities to learn something new or remember something forgotten.