ENGH 101
Section 64, Fall 2014
TR 10:30-11:45am - Innovation Hall 330

Dr. Kenneth C. Thompson
Office: Aquia 234B (in the BIS suite, Aquia 230)
Office Phone: 703-993-2305  
Email: kthomps4 [at] gmu.edu
Syllabus: http://mason.gmu.edu/~kthomps4/101-64-f14/
Course Blog: http://10164f14.wordpress.com/
WRITING TUTORING: The Transition Resource Center (part of the Center for Academic Advising, Retention and Transitions or CAART) and  Living Learning Community Development (the LLC office is part of University Life) at GMU are sponsoring Living Learning Community tutoring especially for students in this and other LLC 1st year classes. Our tutors--Jessica, Bobby and David--have been specially trained to help you with your writing as well as to work with you on peer review. A flyer will be distributed to Univ150 classes as well as the Engineering and Business/Economics LLC sections of Engh101.  Each ENGH 101 LLC student is required to attend at least three tutoring sessions this semester. The tutors will hold their hours in Hanover L012 and the granite study tables nearby.  You will be receiving an email with instructions on how to schedule appointments. 

To sign up for a specific appointment, click here 

Too see a schedule of appointment times and instructions, click here
Dr. Thompson's Office Hours in Aquia 230:
TR 4:30-5:30pm and by appointment

Jessica's Office Hours Hanover L012
(or nearby study tables):
 Tues 11-2pm; Thurs 6-9pm; Fri 10am-1pm

Bobby's Office Hours Hanover L012
 (or nearby study tables):  
Mon 7-10pm; Tues 7-10pm; Wed 6:30-7:30pm
Thurs 7-10pm

David's Office Hours Hanover L012 
(or nearby study tables):
Mon 4-7pm; Tues 5-8pm; Thurs 3-6pm

TEXTS:

RESOURCES (Writing and Research):   

RESOURCES (Life at George Mason): 

COURSE BLOG: Over the course of the semester, you will regularly post short writing assignments on the class blog. The blog will be the place to post as a place to post personal reflections and your responses to readings and films as well as try out ideas for your more formal print papers while receiving feedback from your fellow students . I will put instructions on the site and go over procedures in class. If you have problems, please contact me. The blog can be found at: http://10164f14.wordpress.com/ (note no dashes in the URL)

COURSE FRAMEWORK: This section of English 101 is specifically designed for students in Engineering, Business and Economics or for students especially interested in those subjects. About 60+% of the class is also taking University 150 as part of either the Engineering or Business and Economics Living Learning Communities (LLC). University 150 is intended to help students transition from high school to college. The main objectives of this course are to develop relationships with others in the class including the instructor and peer advisor, to establish a knowledge base of campus resources, and to acquire basic academic skills for success.  Engh101 will enable you to improve your writing and research skills while you study the history of electrification in 19th century America and the development of computers in the mid 20th century from both an Engineering and Business point of view. In your English course, you will regularly post short essays on the class blog, and comment on each others longer papers using editing sheets I will prepare for each assignment. You will also be required to do exercises from Diana Hacker's Pocket Style Manual website (click on continue at bottom of webpage) keyed to my comments on your writing.

WRITING TUTORS:  Our tutors--Jessica, Bobby and David--have been specially trained to help you with your writing as well as to work with you on peer review. A flyer will be distributed to Univ100 classes as well as the Engineering and Business/Economics LLC sections of Engh101.  Each ENGH 101 LLC student is required to attend at least three tutoring sessions this semester. The tutors will hold their hours in the Hanover L012 and study tables nearby.  You will be receiving an email with instructions on how to schedule appointments.  To sign up for a specific appointment with Jessica, Bobby or David, click here.  Make sure to bring a print copy of your assignment, paper/draft and other materials you want to work on with you when you visit Jessica, Bobby or David unless you are having a brainstorming sessions.  Also take notes during or after your meeting-you will be required to write up what you went over to get credit for your session.  

REQUIREMENTS: 1) Regular attendance. Participation in all class activities including workshops, group projects, films, trips and individual presentations. 2) Completion of all assigned reading. 3) On-time completion of all written work including papers, blog posts, editing sheets, quizzes, papers, bibliographies, and proposals. After three late assignments, each succeeding late project will be lowered half a grade. I will accept no assignments that are over one week late. All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day indicated on the syllabus. Students who do not earn a "C" or higher will receive the grade "NC" (No Credit) and are required to take Engh101 again. P>

FILM SCREENINGS: There will be three required Cinema and Supper showings with free pizza and soda at 7pm and a film at 7:30pm. The films are scheduled as follows:

NOTE ON PLAGIARISM: The English Department defines plagiarism as "using the exact words, opinions, or factual information from another source without giving that source credit. Writers give credit through the use of accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical citation, footnotes, or end notes; a simple listing of books, articles, and websites is not sufficient. Plagiarism is the equivalent of intellectual robbery and cannot be tolerated in an academic setting." I will not tolerate plagiarism in my classes and will report incidents to the appropriate authorities.

DISABILITIES: If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please see me and contact the Office of Disability Resources at 703.993.2474. All academic accommodations must be arranged through that office.

ENENROLLMENT: Students are responsible for verifying their enrollment in this class. Schedule adjustments should be made by the deadlines published in the Schedule of Classes. Last day to add is Sept 2nd; last day to drop is Sept 26th. After the last day to drop, withdrawing from this class requires the approval of the Dean and is only allowed for nonacademic reasons. Undergraduate students may choose to exercise a selective withdrawal. See the Schedule of Classes for selective withdrawal procedures.

PRINTING IN INNOVATION HALL: to use the printers outside the lab on the third floor of Innovation Hall, you will need to add money to your Mason ID card for printing by going to  http://masonmoney.gmu.edu and clicking on the link “Buy Online.” On the next page, click “Deposit Online Now” at the top. On the next page that opens, enter your G-number and your pin. If you have never used the site before, your pin is 1111. You can then use a credit card to add Mason Money to your ID.

PAPERS 1 & 2: 33%
PAPERS 3 & 4: 33%
PARTICIPATION AND GROUP WORK (including blog posts): 33%

SCHEDULE (SUBJECT TO REVISION)

DATE ENENGH 101
Tues Aug 26 Introduction to the course; print and fill out the class Information Sheet and bring it to class on Thurs. Go to Mason Live and set up mail forwarding if you do not check your GMU email several times a week. See the tutorials section for several ways to set this up.  I will also help you add my email addresses to your safe list so messages about the class will not be blocked by GMU's spam filter. (We may have to finish some of these items during our second meeting.) You should also create a course folder in your Mason Live account so you can easily locate course related messages.  In addition, this week, 1) you will register on Wordpress.com; 2) I will give you write permissions on the class blog; 3) you will introduce yourself to your fellow students; and 4) you will comment on each other's postings. The instructions for the assignment are at page/prompt 03 on the upper right of the class blog; instructions for registering and posting are at page/prompts 02a and 02b as well as below.

Blog set up and online introductions to the class.  There are five steps: 
1) you will receive an email from kthomps4 inviting you to be an author on the BIS 300 course blog; 2) you will follow the link in the email (#1 Signup) and register on Wordpress.com; 3) you will then accept the invitation to join the class blog (#2 Accept Invitation in email) and then you will log on to the class blog if you are not already logged on; 4) you will introduce yourself to your fellow students

TO REGISTER ON WORDPRESS click on Signup for a Wordpress Account in the email you receive at your GMU email account from the class Wordpress Blog.  Or, go to the Get Started with Wordpress.com page.  DO NOT SIGN UP FOR A BLOG BUT JUST A USER NAME (see the signup for just a user name in very small print to the right of the blog address box). Use your GMU user name and email address; write down your password (or use one you will remember). If your user name is already taken on WordPress, add letters or numbers to your GMU user name.  You agree to the terms of service by clicking Sign up. How you fill in your profile on the next page is up to you. Click submit.  

If you have any problems, let me know and come to the instructor station.  You must be registered on both WordPress and the class blog before you can log on and see the Dashboard and New Post link at the top left of the class blog.  The login link for the course blog is at the lower right of the page under Meta. There is also a link to wordpress.com there.  Once you are fully registered and logged on at Wordpress, you should also see the course blog under My Blogs on the left side of the page. Click on that link (and choose the blog for this course if you are registered for more than one blog).

You should see a New Post link at the top of the class blog. Give your post a title like “03-Intro Ken T” and enter the text of your post in the box under Post. Once I have given you authorship privileges, you should also see a check box with your name under People at the top right of the Write page (its one of the “categories”). Also check Introductions before you click on Publish. If I haven’t entered your first name and last initial yet under the name categories, you can edit your post in a day or two, check your name category and click save changes. For this and all subsequent posts, title the post with the assignment number/name and your first name/last initial. (Note: you can edit your published posts by clicking on the edit button underneath the post.)

Before next class respond to at least one of your fellow students' intros using the Leave a Comment or #Comments link under the post.
Thurs Aug 28 Before class, read Jill Jonnes, Empires of Light, Introduction (xiii-xiv) and pp. 3-15 (Morgan's House Was Lighted Up Last Night).

Class blog posting and commenting on introductions continued. Introduction to Edison, his inventions and the War of the Currents.

We will watch selections from Edison: Miracle of Light during class.
Mon Sept 1 LABOR DAY, UNIVERSITY CLOSED
Tues Sept 2 Before class, read Empires of Light, pp. 51-85 (Thomas Edison: The Wizard of Menlo Park). 

Before class also watch the interview with Jill Jonnes on CSPAN Booknotes at
http://www.booknotes.org/Watch/178806-1/Jill+Jonnes.aspx
You will need to review this interview as you are writing your first paper but watching it now will help the reading stick in your memory.

We will watch the rest of Edison: Miracle of Light during class.

Extra-credit post 4b due by Sun at 11:49pm, the same time as your required post 4a on Edison's most important invention, which you will discuss in groups on Thurs.  

SEPT 2-LAST DAY TO DROP WITH NO TUITION PENALTY, LAST DAY TO ADD CLASSES 
Thurs Sept 4

Before class read the section from the end of Empires of Light on Edison's later work (347-353), review Jonnes on Edison (51-85), and study the following resources for information and ideas about Edison's inventions in preparation for your first paper (due after we cover Tesla as well as Edison):

Group discussion of what you consider Edison's most important invention or inventions and the reasons for your views. Then post individually on what you consider Edison's most important invention or inventions. Make sure to provide reasons and evidence to back up your choice(s) and take into account contrary views on the part of your group members. See page/prompt 4a on the class blog for the assignment. This post is due before midnight Sun Sept 7th, comments on the posts of your group members before class on Tues Sept 9th, and responses to the comments on your post by your group members by the end of the day on Thurs Sept 11th. 

In your comments indicate whether you agree or disagree with your group members' claims about Edison’s most important inventions.  Also indicate whether there is enough evidence to support the claim and whether the criteria for importance are made clear.  After you have read at least two comments on your own post, update your post, either by revising  it (a good start for the paper) or by adding a statement at the top of your post indicating what responses you received and how you will take them into account in writing your paper.  If you revise your post, also include a brief statement about how you will take into account the feedback you have received.  All updates are due by Thurs Sept 11th at 11:59pm.  You will not receive credit for the assignment if you have not completed all parts of it by that day. 

NOTE:  Extra-credit post 4b is due by Sun at 11:49pm, the same time as your updated required post 4a on Edison's most important invention. 

Tues Sept 9

Before class, read Edison's Story from the Lemelson Center at the Smithsonian.  Also watch Thomas Edison: The Electric-Light Bulb (you will need to watch an advertisement to access the video).  

Remember that comments on the posts of your group members is due before class today  and responses to the comments on your post by your group members by the end of the day on Thurs Sept 11th.  In your comments indicate whether you agree or disagree with your group members' claims about Edison’s most important inventions.  Also indicate whether there is enough evidence to support the claim and whether the criteria for importance are made clear. 

During class we will go over the reading and I will discuss Edison using Paul Israel's Edison: A Life of Invention (not assigned but on reserve at JC Library), pp. 119 and 167; Jill Jonnes' Empire of Light, p. 67; and Randall Stross, The Wizard of Menlo Park: How Thomas Edison Invented the Modern World (Google Books and JC), pp. 288-290. Both Stross and Israel see Edison as a transitional figure. For Israel, Edison stands at a point of transition between the individual inventor working in the context of 19th century shop culture and the modern director of research and development in a corporate lab. Stross sees Edison as a celebrity, both in his time and ours, precisely because he was not an anonymous researcher but an individual. And he ties some of Edison's failures to the burden of modern celebrity and the unrealistic expectations it entailed.

Intro to in-text citations and paper formats in MLA/APA, using Diana Hacker's A Pocket Style Manual.  Next week we will use the companion website, Research and Documentation online site. Start bringing A Pocket Style Manual to class.   

If there is time, I will discuss Edison by going over some key sections of Empire of Light that point to simplifications in the film Edison The Man (the film we will watch Fri) that have their roots in Edison's own manipulation of the press in the 19th century:

  • pp. 55-6 on Edison's showmanship
  • pp. 57-8 on Edison's "playing the unschooled hick"
  • pp. 73-4 on Edison's lobbying NYC Aldermen
  • pp. 77-78 on his association with the Gold Indicator Co.

We will watch selections from Edison Tech in class (4:40-20:25). This material is potentially relevant to paper #1, a draft of which is due Sept 18th.

Thurs Sept 11 Before class read Empires of Light, pp. 87-115 (Nikola Tesla: Our Parisian). We will discuss both the reading and go over the assignment for paper #1.  During class, we will begin watching  Tesla: Master of Lighting 

After you have read at least two comments by your group members on your post 4a on Edison, update your post by today, either by revising  it (a good start for the paper) or by adding a statement at the top of your post indicating what responses you received and how you will take them into account in writing your paper.  If you revise your post, also include a brief statement about how you will take into account the feedback you have received.  All updates are due by 11:59pm today.  You will not receive credit for the assignment if you have not completed all parts of it by today. 

During or after class, review Jonnes 87-115 and read pp. 353-367 (Tesla's later career); begin your post on what you consider to be Tesla's most important invention with a description of how it worked (or might have worked) and your view of why it was important. Your post on Tesla's most important invention(s) (page/prompt 06a) is due before class next Tues. You will then comment on at least two of your fellow students' posts during or after class. You may find the following sites informative and interesting as you prepare your post and work on your paper.  The Tesla Memorial sites are fan sites and the last two are not scholarly but fun.  

Introduction to LLC Tutoring.  For Jessica's, Bobby's and David's hours starting Tues Sept 16th, click here.  LLC Peer tutoring begins Tues Sept 16th in Hanover L012 (Seminar room) and study tables nearby.  You will be receiving an email with instructions to sign up for appointments, but can see the schedule here.  

SEPT 16-LAST DAY TO DROP WITH 33% TUITION PENALTY
Fri Sept 12

Edison The Man (1940) at Blue Ridge classroom (room 129).  Pizza at 7pm; film showing at 7:30pm.

By Sun at 11:59pm, post to the class blog your reaction to the film, indicating what struck you as most interesting about the portrayal of Edison and his work and what you liked and didn't like about the film. See page/prompt 5 for details. 

The film showing is required but if you have to miss it because of a course conflict or family emergency email me in advance and then write a 300 word paper/post comparing Edison as presented in Edison The Man with what you know of him from your reading in Jonnes’ Empire of Light and Edison: Miracle of Light (this post is in addition to the reaction post described above). You can also bring in Israel’s Edison: A Life of Invention and Stross’ The Wizard of Menlo Park using the PDF's I sent you of the sections I discussed in class. Be specific, cite sources (using MLA or APA) and conclude by writing about how the process of discovery is represented in Edison The Man. The paper/post is due by the beginning of class next Thurs. If you attend the showing you can also write the paper/post for extra credit. Edison may be available online on OVGuide and a VHS tape will be on reserve in the JC library. 

Tues Sept 16

Before class, read Empires of Light, pp.153-163 (Tesla, Martin, lecture to AIEE, Westinghouse) and 179-183 (Tesla in Pittsburg then NYC again).  Review Jonnes 87-115 (Our Parisian) and pp. 353-367 (Tesla's later career).  In class today, we will watch more of Tesla: Master of Lighting.  Thurs we will watch selections from Bernard Carlson's Tesla in New York (You Tube 7:30 min-).  If you are writing your first paper on Tesla, I highly recommend watching the whole Carlson lecture on your own.   

CLASSROOM VISIT BY THE LLC TUTORS.  For Jessica's, Bobby's and David's hours starting Tues Sept 16th, click here.  LLC Peer tutoring begins TODAY (Tues Sept 16th) in Hanover L012 (Seminar room) and study tables nearby.  You will be receiving an email with instructions to sign up for appointments, but can see the schedule here.    

On your own, review Hacker on citing articles found using databases in MLA p. 146 (APA 188) and citing articles from periodicals in MLA, pp. 135-137 (APA 182-4). Here are links to the corresponding sections of Hacker's online site:  

  1. citing articles you found using one of the library databases (MLA or APA)
  2. citing articles from periodicals (MLA or APA)

SEPT 16-LAST DAY TO DROP WITH 33% TUITION PENALTY
Thurs Sept 18

Review your Edison and Tesla posts and bring to class a print copy a draft of your first paper (2 pages).  Peer Review of paper in class. 

Paper #1, a 2 page paper (typed & double spaced) essay on Edison's or Tesla's most important invention(s) is due at the beginning of class. In-class editing using an editing sheet I will provide. After the peer review you will revise the paper and hand it in Thurs Sept 25th along with a paragraph or two about the feedback you received from the LLC tutors and from peer review and what you changed.  Also include the editing sheet your fellow student used during the in-class peer review.     

We will watch about 10 minutes of Tesla in New York (7:30-18:48) at the end of class.  Listen to the NPR interviews if you are writing on Tesla. 

If we don't get to it in class, watch the video lecture, How Does an Electric Motor Work (a DC motor with commutators and brushes), particularly if you are writing on Tesla's AC motor design.  You might also enjoy Marco Tempest: The electric rise and fall of Nikola Tesla, particularly if you are writing on Tesla's use of visualization.  

Next class we will go over MLA and APA citations formats, using Diana Hacker's A Pocket Style Manual and its companion website, Research and Documentation online.

Tues Sept 23

At the beginning of class, after talking about Tesla more generally, we will watch more of Bernard Carlson's 2009 lecture in Spain Tesla in New York (starting at 17 min, to wireless lighting).  During class, I will draw on Carlson's Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age which is on reserve in the JC library (call number TK140 T4 C37 2013). 

Then, we will go over MLA and APA citations formats, using Diana Hacker's A Pocket Style Manual.  I will also use the companion website, Research and Documentation online. We will begin with MLA and an overview of the relation between in-text entries and the works cited page, look at the drop down for in-text cites and items on the works cited page, and then go over some of the works cited format for some of the sources you have available for your paper.  As you are rewriting your paper review MLA or APA citations.  For MLA see the following: 1) books; 2) articles in journals; 3) articles in magazines and newspapers; 4) websites and short works from websites; 5) online video clips; 6) DVDs; 6) radio or TV programs; and lectures or public addresses. As we will see over the next few weeks, sometimes these your sources will be a mix. For the APA guidelines, see the overview, and the drop-down menu for APA in-text citations and APA list of references. Note that APA is more narrowly targeted at research publications and so does not have as many categories or types of sources as MLA.

For example, To cite Carlson's lecture (Madrid), follow the model at http://dianahacker for lectures but add "Web" for the online source; for the On Point interview, follow the Hacker model for radio interview but also add "Web" for online access. For Tesla Master of Lightning, follow the model for Radio or Television program but add VHS or DVD (or web) depending on how you saw the program. 

LLC Peer tutoring began Tues Sept 16th in Hanover L012 (Seminar room) and study tables nearby.  Missing appointments will lower your class participation grade (or require two make-up visits). During class, I will give you some time to sign up for appointments.  You will have received an email with instructions to sign up for appointments, but can see the schedule here.   For Jessica's, Bobby's and David's hours, click here. 

You are required to see one of the Engineering and Business/Economics LLC tutors as you draft and/or revise paper #1 (paper due Sept 18th, revision due Sept 25th).    

Thurs Sept 25 Revised paper #1 due in print form at the beginning of class.  LLC Peer tutoring began Tues Sept 16th in Hanover L012 (Seminar room) and study tables nearby.  You are required to see a tutor at least once as you are writing and revising the paper.  See the schedule and make appointments click here. For Jessica's, Bobby's and David's hours, click here.

At the beginning of class we will watch the sections on Faraday from Einstein's Big Idea (DVD chap 3 and part of 5) using the clips on YouTube, Part I and Part II set up a discussion of Jonnes, pp. 39-42.  Our discussion of Faraday will focus on some of the technical breakthroughs that set up the more commercially oriented work of Edison and Tesla and the advantage AC had in the War of the Currents because there were no DC transformers till much later and AC could therefore be transmitted more efficiently.  In the process, we will look ahead to Jonnes on transformers and AC (pp. 130-131) and look at the diagram on AC delivery (p. 135).    

We will then move on to the War of the Currents and the issue of ethics and integrity in business and technology.  Over the next few weeks, we will be studying a famous case where the ethics of Edison's public relations assault on Alternating Current (AC) and Westinghouse has often been questioned. You will learn about the history of the rather vicious standards war and then write a letter supporting either Edison's or Westinghouse's position. I suggest you write as if you are one of their contemporaries although you also have the option of writing from the future. One final option would be to try to determine the truth of their claims by writing a letter as if you are a NYC regulator. Before you write the paper, make sure to review the interview with Jill Jonnes on CSPAN Booknotes, available online at http://www.booknotes.org/Watch/178806-1/Jill+Jonnes.aspx 

SEPT 26-FINAL DROP DEADLINE (67% TUITION PENALTY)
Tues Sept 30

Read before class Empires of Light, pp. 117-124 and 129-139 (George Westinghouse). Review pp. 123 and 130-132 especially carefully. As you are working on your next paper, look over the following resources on Westinghouse to see what you might draw on in writing about Westinghouse's role in the War of the Currents.  We went over the reading in Jonnes last class.

In-class discussion of the reading, group discussion of how transformers work and how Westinghouse improved the Gaulard Gibbs design.  In-class group post on how transformers work (see page/prompt 07). The group post should be complete by this coming Thurs. 

To see what a technically detailed explanation by a physicist can look like, see Electricity & Magnetism, Walter Lewin, MIT Lecture 24 (21:30min- Transformers; 32min- coils)
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-02-electricity-and-magnetism-spring-2002/video-lectures/lecture-24-transformers-car-coils-and-rc-circuits/   For a more accessible account (by an industry insider) see Lionel Barthold's video intro (What is a Transformer) at:  http://www.edisontechcenter.org/Transformers.html

While you are working in groups, I will return your first paper and have individual conferences on what you could do to improve the paper in an optional rewrite.  LLC Peer tutoring continues in Hanover L012 (Seminar room) and study tables nearby.  During class, I will give you some time to sign up for appointments.  See the schedule and sign-up sheet here.   For Jessica's, Bobby's and David's hours, click here.  If you do the optional rewrite you need to see a tutor again to go over your plan, my comments, and your revision (in process).   
Thurs Oct 2

Before class read Empires of Light, pp. 141-152 and 165-179 (Edison Declares War; Constant Danger).   

By Sun Oct 5th, post to the blog the optional (extra credit ) post on Brown’s role in Edison’s public relations campaign against AC. Before you state your opinion on Brown, make sure to discuss what he did, what his connection with Edison was, and why Edison resorted to such tactics. At the end of class, we will listen to selections from chapter 7 on Brown in AC/DC: The Savage Tale of the First Standards War by Tom McNichol (not assigned but in the JC library under call number QC641 .M36 2006 and available selectively at books.google.com).  If you have time McNichol is worth looking at but we will listen from 2:57:21 to 3:14:00 so you have a better sense of Brown's personality, career and the experiments he did at Edison's West Orange lab.   

THE FINAL OPTIONAL REVISION OF PAPER #1 IS DUE TUES OCT 14TH.  IF YOU WANT TO REVISE THE PAPER YOU NEED TO HAVE SEEN A TUTOR TO GO OVER MY COMMENTS AND YOUR PLAN FOR REVISION, NEW DRAFTS, ETC.  I also recommend using the ENGH 101-f14 Resources Page to locate new sources on Edison and Tesla.  

LLC Peer tutoring continues in Hanover L012.  During class, I will give you some time to sign up for appointments.  See the schedule and sign-up sheet here.   For Jessica's, Bobby's and David's hours, click here.  If you do the optional rewrite you need to see a tutor again to go over your plan, my comments, and your revision (in process).   

As you are working on your papers, review Hacker on citing online sources in MLA, pp. 137-143 (APA (177-181); on citing articles found using databases in MLA, p 140 (APA 178); and citing articles from periodicals in MLA, pp. 134-136 (APA 174-7). Here are links to the corresponding sections of Hacker's online site that you should use:

  1. citing online sources (MLA and APA)
  2. citing articles you found using one of the library databases (MLA or APA)
  3. citing articles from periodicals (MLA or APA)
Tues Oct 07 Before class, read Empires of Light, pp. 198-204 (the PR struggle over the electrocution of a Western Union lineman in The Horrible Experiment).  After we review the reading (we discussed it last Thurs in class), you will begin the preliminary draft of paper #2 in class following page/prompt #8 on the blog. Imagine you are either Edison or Westinghouse (or one of their allies, a NYC regulator, or even someone from the future) and begin your post to the class blog in the form of a letter to one of the New York papers on the Western Union lineman case and the safety of AC and DC. You will continue to update your post next class and then once again on Oct 16th after you have read the exchange between Edison and Westinghouse in the North American Review.

In class today, there will also be time for groups to polish their account of transformers (see  page/prompt 07).  Think about adding a short intro and brief transitions between sections.  Next class, you will vote for the group with the best technical account and best account for a general audience using the blog's comment function. 

During class I will go over how to use ProQuest Historical Newspapers. You will then find the Oct 12th, 1889 New York Times article on Feeks' electrocution--"Met Death in the Wires." Read the article and email it to yourself for future use. As noted above, you will have time in class to work on blog post #8--I suggest, among other things, adding details from "Met Death in the Wires"--while I talk to you about how you plan to approach the assignment. Complete your preliminary post during or after class. 

You may want to include an account of the "barehanding" of high voltage transmission lines if you are going to write from the future in support of Westinghouse. Today we will watch the short Dominion Power video on the procedure at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9QJGXln1lE  
Thurs Oct 9 This class and next you will read the exchange between Edison and Westinghouse from the North American Review (see the paper #2 assignment for the links).  Today read Edison's article from the North American Review.  Next Thurs read Westinghouse's response.  You will then update your post on Western Union lineman John Feeks' death from electrocution, drawing on the exchange between Westinghouse and Edison as well as the NY Times article on his death and your reading in Jonnes. Follow the lineman's death prompt on the blog (page/prompt 8). Make sure to include quotes from the North American Review exchange and the New York Times account of Feeks' death we found using the Proquest Historical Newspapers on Tues Oct 7th. 

We will discuss Edison's NAR letter during class today.  You will then continue to work on post 8 (think about where you can use summaries and quotes from the New York Times article "Met Death in the Wires" and Edison's NAR letter).  Also vote on the best account of transformers in post 7 (one vote for the group with the best technical account and one vote for best account for a general audience using the blog's comment function. 

For paper #2, you will write a 2-3+ pages (typed and double spaced) revision of your letter to the New York papers on the Western Union lineman case and the safety of AC and DC.  A print draft of the paper is due Tues Oct 21st with blog posts updates before that. 

At the end of class, we will go over Hacker on shifts in point of view (pp. 8-9) and do exercises 5-1 to 5-4 under clarity at the companion exercises web site to your Hacker writing handbook. This site is listed at the beginning of the syllabus; you can always find it by going to http://dianahacker.com/pocket and clicking on "continue to the previous edition site" at the bottom of the page.  

If there is time, we will go over how to use Lexis-Nexis Academic and you will look for an article on Edison entitled The Father of Invention by Debra Galant from the New York Times, June 1st, 1997. Once you have found the article, read up to the section "Nationally Revered But Locally Ignored" and email the piece to yourself.

Tues Oct 14

NO CLASS--COLUMBUS DAY OCT 14th, MON CLASSES MEET TUES, TUES CLASSES DO NOT MEET

REVISION OF PAPER #1 IS DUE EITHER TODAY (bring it to my office in Aquia 230) OR THURS (in class) YOU NEED TO SEE A TUTOR TO GO OVER YOUR PLAN, MY COMMENTS AND YOUR REVISION IN PROCESS.  PUT YOUR REVISION ON TOP AND INCLUDE YOUR THE EARLIER VERSION WITH MY COMMENTS UNDERNEATH.  STAPLE THE PACKET OR PUT IT IN A FOLDER.  As you are working on your revision, use the  ENGH 101-f14 Resources Page for additional sources.

 
Thurs Oct 16

Before class today read Westinghouse from the North American Review.    Your blog post draft (see page/prompt 08) of your 2nd paper should be done today and you should comment on your group members posts by Friday at midnight.  I will give you time in class today to work on these assignments.  We discussed Westinghouse in class last week. 

During class today, indicate who you are writing as (as well as who you really are) in the subject heading of your post. Then find a post by a student who has taken a different approach than your own and leave a critique from the perspective you took in your own posting using the blog's comment function (note:  if you cannot find a posting from a different point of view than your own, leave a friendly critique). By Fri Oct 17th at 11:59pm you should have completed this comment as well as a more objective critique of at least one other student's post(s), concentrating on the persuasiveness of their arguments, use of evidence and sources, rhetorical strategy.

I suggest learning more about the "barehanding" of high voltage transmission lines if you are going to write from the future in support of Westinghouse. Review the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9QJGXln1lE and search for the Sept 7th, 2010 article by Kafia Hosh from the Washington Post entitled Barehanding Technique Allows Power-line Repair Crews to Work with Live Wires. Chapter 12 of Tom McNichol's AC/DC: The Savage Tale of the First Standards War (in the JC library under call number QC641 .M36 2006 and selectively at books.google.com) is also relevant if you write your paper from the point of view of someone from the future.  The Wikipedia article on Live-Line Working includes information on when various techniques were introduced and provides a reference to the Live Work Guide for Substations published by EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute) on 10-28-2004.  If you are technically inclined these could be useful sources if you are writing from the future. 

For recent developments in lighting, see The Future of Light Is the LED, from Wired, September 2001, at http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/08/ff_lightbulbs/all/1 and Companies Strive To Build a Better (more expensive) Light Bulb from The Washington Post, October 14, 2011.  

Remember that you are required to have at least one tutoring session as you are working on paper #2.  A draft of paper #2 is due Oct 21st and the revision Oct 28th.  

 OCT 17--MIDTERM PROGRESS REPORT DUE
Tues Oct 21

A draft of paper #2 due at the beginning of class. The paper should be 2 pages, typed and double-spaced, and include in-text cites and a works cited page. Make sure you draw on (and cite) the exchange between Westinghouse and Edison from the North American Review, the Oct 12th 1889 New York Times article, "Met Death in the Wires," and your reading in Jonnes and other sources.  Jonnes was obviously written long after the Edison/Westinghouse exchange but you can refer to her as a contemporary to preserve the point of view of your letter. You should use at least three sources and quote selectively where relevant to your argument. See Hacker on Integrating Sources, pp. 110-115, starting with 31a (MLA) or pp. 165-173, starting with 35c (APA).

Paper workshop:  you are required to bring a print copy of your draft to class. During class, you will read your letter to a fellow student while they stop you with any questions or comments they have. Pause in your reading and jot down any problems you see as you read the paper.  Then exchange your print copies and note in writing any problem areas you find in your fellow student's paper including the letter's point of view, writing style and rhetorical strategy, grammar and clarity, and the use of evidence and citations. Put your name as the editor at the top of the paper and return it to your fellow student. He or she will hand in this draft with your comments next Tues along with their revised paper and documentation for any tutoring sessions on paper #2, including a printed note on who you saw and when, what you went over with the tutor, and what you changed as a result.

At the end of class, we will begin watching The Machine That Changed the World, Part I (to Babbage and human computers, 12min) after I introduce the subject of revolutions in communications technology to set up the second part of the course on the development of networked personal computers. 

LLC Peer tutoring will continue in Hanover L012 (Seminar room) and study tables nearby. During class, I will give you some time to sign up for appointments. For Jessica, Bobby and David's hours, click here. Missing appointments will lower your class participation grade (or require two make-up visits).

Thurs Oct 23

During class, we will finish The Machine That Changed the World, Part I (12:00-55:40), stopping to discuss the issues the documentary covers.  W

Next Tues we watch Part II and go on to Part III. Take notes during all these classes in preparation for a blog post on why the development of computers was an important technical and social achievement and an account at least three of the most important figures, ideas or devices in this series of inventions (at least one for Part I, one for Part II, and one for Part III), giving the reasons why you think your choices are noteworthy.   

OCT 24th-INCOMPLETE WORK FROM s14 AND sum14 DUE TO INSTRUCTOR
Fri Oct 24th Required Cinema and Supper showing of The Prestige (2006) at the Blue Ridge classroom (room 129). Pizza at 7pm; film showing at 7:30pm. By Sun at 11:59, post to the blog your reactions to the film (page/prompt 10).

I will play selections from Mike Daisey's Great Men of Genius monologue on Tesla and mad scientists in the theatre before the film.   

The film showing is required but if you have to miss it because of a course conflict or family emergency, in addition to the post write a 250 word post comparing Tesla as presented in The Prestige with what you know about Tesla from at least one of the following sources: Empires of Light (pp. 87-115, 153-163, 179-183, and 353-367), the documentary Tesla: Master of Lighting, and/or Carlson's Tesla in New York. The post paper is due next Thurs. If you attend the showing you can also write the post for extra credit.
Tues Oct 28

First revision of paper #2 due in print form at the beginning of class (optional 2nd revision due Nov 18th. 

Include documentation for the required tutoring sessions on paper #2, including your printed note on who you saw and when, what you went over with the tutor, and what you changed as a result. Also include the draft edited by your fellow student. 

During class today we will watch The Machine That Changed the World Part II (0-53min).  and begin Part III (The Paperback Computer).  Take notes and begin your post on the history of computing (page/prompt 11).  

Thurs Oct 30 Last class, we watched The Machine That Changed the World, Part II.  Today, we will watch Part III (to 35 min).  You should have taken notes as you watch all three parts of the documentary but can review particular sections using Waxy.org bookmarks and notes.  As mentioned above, you should have paid particular attention to ideas about computers as universal machines used by everyone--not just as calculating machines for scientists and engineers--and taken notes on the individuals and groups involved in this shift. 

During class you will work on your post (page/prompt 11) on The Machine That Changed the World. Begin your post with your view of why the development of computers was an important technical and social achievement. Then write an account of at least three of the most important figures, ideas or devices in this series of inventions (at least one for Part I, one for Part II, and one for Part III), giving the reasons why you think your choices are noteworthy. Your posts must be completed by Sun Nov 2nd at 11:59pm.

To see an interesting anticipation of one relatively recent trend in interface design--Microsoft Kinect--see the clip from Spielberg's film Minority Report's (2002) gestural interface here and its designer, John Underkoffler's, more recent commercial product, Oblog Industries g-speak gestural multi-user interface.  See his Ted Talk, Pointing to the Future of UI (15 min). 
Tues Nov 4 Before class, read Diana Hacker on wordy sentences, pp. 2-3 and on pronoun reference, pp. 32-33.  During class, you will do the online exercises on wordiness at (1-1 to 1-4 under Grammar Exercises/Clarity) at http://dianahacker.com/pocket/gm_menu.asp as well as the exercises on pronoun reference (12-4 through 12-6 under Grammar Exercises/Grammar). 

During class today comment on post #11 of the students sitting next to you, indicating what you think of their choices for the most important figures, ideas or devices and how you would compare your choices with theirs.

I will return your second paper and have conferences with you about your 2nd paper while you are doing the Hacker exercises and reading/commenting on your fellow students most recent posts.   

At the beginning of class, I will briefly introduce the reading for Thurs from Michael Hiltzik, Dealers of Lightning: Xerox PARC and the Dawn of the Computer Age.  Make sure you have the text.     

NOTE: Priority registration for my Spring 2015 LLC Engh202 (From Literature to Entertainment) is Nov 14th for 1st year students in this class and the Engineering/Business/Econ LLCs. The class should be of special interest to students in Engineering, Business and Economics. For more information or to enroll, contact CAART at trcdesk@gmu.edu or at 703-993-9082. To enroll, you will need to provide the following information: 1) name; 2) identification number (G number); and 3) the LLC you are enrolled in. This section of the required Mason Core Literature class will fill up so you should register through CAART on Nov 14th--or soon thereafter--if you want to take the course.   
Thurs Nov 6 Before class, read Michael Hiltzik, Dealers of Lightning: Xerox PARC and the Dawn of the Computer Age, pp. xix-xxvii and 163-177 (the Alto). 

During class, we will watch selected clips from Engelbart's 1968 demo. We will watch the Highlights at http://dougengelbart.org/events/1968-demo-highlights.html (24 min) and talk about Engelbart's contributions.  We will also discuss Hiltzik, pp. 63-67 on Engelbart's history, his contributions to the personal computer paradigm, and Bob Taylor's raid on Engelbart's engineering team. These pages will be assigned later but we will discuss them now in conjunction with watching the 1968 demo highlights.    

If there is time, we will begin going over the following pages from Diana Hacker's A Pocket Style Manual in class:  active verbs (3-5), misplaced and misplaced modifiers (10-12), commas after intro word groups (55-56) and restrictive & non-restrictive elements (57-58).  Next week, we will do the corresponding exercises and talk about restrictive and non-restrictive clauses by going over an example from the Republican Convention in 1984 in the Language Debates section on that vs. which at http://dianahacker.com/pocket. 
Tues Nov 11 Before class, read Hiltzik, pp. 10-20 and 40-51 (Bob Taylor) and pp. 54-67. 

Also before class study the information on the following websites--Engelbart's 1968 demo and the Stanford Mouse Site.  Last Thurs we watched the Highlights at http://dougengelbart.org/events/1968-demo-highlights.html.  At the beginning of class, we will watch some more of the video in class today and talk about Engelbart.  Then we will go on to discuss Bob Taylor, his history, and his leadership style. 

Today in class we will review Hacker's A Pocket Style Manual on active verbs (3-5), dangling  modifiers (11-12), commas after intro word groups (55-56) and restrictive & non-restrictive elements (57-58) and look at the example from the Republican Convention in 1984 in the Language Debates section on that vs. which at http://dianahacker.com/pocket. 

You will then do Exercises 2-1 to 2-3 under Grammar Exercises/Clarity (active vs. passive), and 17-1 to 17-5 under Punctuation (commas) at http://dianahacker.com/pocket/gm_menu.asp.    
Thurs Nov 13 Before class, read Michael Hiltzik, Dealers of Lightning, pp. 78-96 & 211-228 (Alan Kay).

During class, we will go over the reading and then watch Alan Kay's history of computer interfaces, Doing with Images Creates Symbols, part 1 at http://www.archive.org/details/AlanKeyD1987 starting with Dynabook and Parc at 26:35 (20 min). I highly recommend watching more of the lecture on your own. Also see Space War: Fanatic Life and Symbolic Death Among the Computer Bums and The Graphical User Interface Gallery for Xerox at http://toastytech.com/guis/indexxerox.html

NOTE: Priority registration for my Spring 2015 LLC Engh202 (From Literature to Entertainment) is Nov 14th for 1st year students in this class and the Engineering/Business/Econ LLCs. The class should be of special interest to students in Engineering, Business and Economics. For more information or to enroll, contact CAART at trcdesk@gmu.edu or at 703-993-9082. To enroll, you will need to provide the following information: 1) name; 2) identification number (G number); and 3) the LLC you are enrolled in. This section of the required General Education Literature class will fill up soon so you should register now if you want to take the course.   
Tues Nov 18 Before class, read Michael Hiltzik, Dealers of Lightning: Xerox PARC and the Dawn of the Computer Age, pp. 314-328 (Alan Kay and LRG's NoteTaker vs. CSG's Dorado) and Alan Kay's Design Summary of the NoteTaker-2. We will go over the Kay's Design Summary of the Notetaker-2 in detail and then you will work in groups on page/prompt 12.  See the group list at page/prompt 12b. 

During class, you will get into groups and begin work on a memo to George Pake, the Director of Parc, about why Xerox should fund the development of a small personal computer like the NoteTaker. Make sure to include an account of the purpose/uses of the device, its design, at least four potential markets and your plan of action (what Kay calls a research plan). One approach you could take is to do some in-class research on the i-Pad and write a memo from the future to on why Xerox should develop the NoteTaker. But the key information you should draw on is from Kay's Design Summary and what you know about Xerox and Xerox Parc from your reading in Hiltzik. 

If there is time at the end of class, in order to highlight the kind of technical detail I am expecting in your group post and final paper, we will listen to a section from the Audible reading of Hiltzik 3:14:34-3:19:30min; pp. 225-8) on overlapping windows.   

Revision of paper #2 due by today if you saw one of the LLC tutors.  

By Dec 11th, you should have met with a peer tutor three times (more if you missed an appointment without letting us know in advance and more if you revised one or more  papers).  For Jessica, Bobby and David's hours, click here.  To sign up for an appointment, click here.
 



Thurs Nov 20		 Group work continued on Memo to George Pake about why Xerox should fund the development of a small personal computer like the NoteTaker.  Most of you have already divided up the tasks; your ultimate success on this project also requires talking to each other about your ideas and strategy, coordinating your efforts, and refining your ideas and approach. You do not need to include a works cited/references page but do cite quotes and paraphrases from Kay and Jonnes.  Along the way, make sure to include: 

    1) an account of the purpose/uses of the device
    2) its design
    3) at least four potential markets
    4) your plan of action (what Kay calls a research plan).  

Remember that you are writing about the present and future, not primarily about the past, although you can cover what has been done already where relevant to your proposal.  Your goal is to convince Pake and Xerox executives to provide the funding needed to create prototype Notetakers, study how people will use the devices and their associated information libraries, and then refine the system based on this feedback. 

You also need to lay out a long-term strategy for commercializing and marketing the system once costs come down.  Review Kay's Design Summary of the NoteTaker-2 and Jonnes and build on/improve or rethink Kay's proposal.  Above all, think about what arguments will be effective with Pake and the Xerox executives back in Stanford Conn.  You can divide up the post but indicate who did what and put your group members names at the top.  All sections of this post should be completed on Thurs Nov 20th although you have till Sun at 11:59 to make updates since you can meet at the Cinema and Supper tomorrow. See page/prompt 12 for more details. 

At the beginning of class, we will listen to Clayton Christensen explain his theory of disruptive innovation from a Harvard Business Review interview (7:51 min).  By Dec 4th, I recommend watching at least the first of his four part Fortune Global Forum lecture on YouTube (New Delhi, 2007) in preparation for your final paper.  After the semester is over, I suggest looking at Christensen's book The Innovator's Dilemma if you find these ideas interesting.  

At the end of class, we will review Hacker on balancing parallel ideas (pp. 5-6) and semi-colon use (pp. 62-3).  During or after class, you should do the first set of exercises below on parallelism and the 2nd if you have had problems with semi-colon use.    
  • Review Hacker, pp. 5-6, on parallelism and do grammar exercises 3-1 to 3-3 under Clarity at Diana Hacker's online site on parallelism.  As you are doing the exercises, keep in mind how Alan Kay used both numbered lists and parallel grammatical form in his Design Summary.  Both lists and parallelism are particularly useful when writing for busy people who need to take in information quickly. 
  • If I have pointed to problems with the use of the semi-colon in your papers, do exercises 18-1 to 18-3 under grammar/punctuation at http://dianahacker.com/pocket over the weekend after reviewing Hacker, pp. 62-3.  

Fri Nov 21 Required Cinema and Supper showing of A Study in Pink at Blue Ridge (room 129). Pizza at 7pm (room 127); film showing after 7:30pm.  A Study in Pink is Episode 1 from Season 1 of Sherlock.  Season 3 of Sherlock had its premiere on Jan 19th 2014 on PBS.  We will be reading several Doyle stories in ENGH202 this spring as well as watching film adaptations of Sherlock Holmes.     

By Sun Nov 23rd at 11:59, post to the blog your reactions to the film (page/prompt 14).

The film showing is required but if you have to miss it because of a course conflict or family emergency, in addition to the post write a 200 word paper/post on Sherlock's use of mobile communications technology in the BBC TV adaptation.  The paper/post is due next Thurs.  Make sure to include specific details and not just generalizations.  If you attend the showing you can also write the paper for extra credit.  
Tues Nov 25 Before class, read Hiltzik, Dealers of Lightning,pp.127-144 (laser printer) and pp. 329-345 and 423-4 (Steve Jobs' visit to Parc). 

In class today you will vote (using the blogs comment feature) for the memo most likely to convince Pake and the Xerox executives back in Stamford Connecticut to:  1) fund the building of a research prototype; and 2) continue funding the program after the initial research phase.  As part of your vote explain why you believe the memo you chose is likely to do this (see page/prompt 12).

We will then discuss Gary Starkweather's difficulties convincing Xerox to market his invention in the context of the frequent claim that Xerox "blew it" (see the reading for the Tues after break) as well as Steve Jobs' astonishment that Xerox had no plans to market the technology he saw during his visit to Parc. (Note:  If you want to listen to selections from Hiltzik, see the following: Starkweather and the laser printer (Audible 1:59:51- ); Steve Jobs visit to Parc (Audible 4:38:31 to 4:53:20); Did Xerox Blow It (Audible 5:39:40 to 5:51:55). 

During class, we will look at an image of the laser, scanning mirror, beam alignment lens and drum in a laser printer.  We will also look at the easy to understand video on how laser printers work. 

We will also watch a clips from The Triumph of the Nerds on Jobs visit to Xerox Parc and his conclusion that Xerox failed to adopt the new technologies developed there because Xerox was run by "sales and marketing" not "product" people.  Last week we listened to Clayton Christensen on disruptive innovation. 

Christensen provides us with some language to talk about why Apple could benefits from Xerox inventions while Xerox could not.  Gary Starkweather was obviously a product person, in Jobs sense, but however disruptive the laser printer might have seemed to the "toner heads" and marketers in Webster/Stamford, the laser printer was delayed, not killed so it was not as disruptive to Xerox's existing business as the personal computer.  In order to prepare for your final paper and the blog post due when we return from break, you will want to think through these issues carefully.   

NOTE: Priority registration for my Spring 2015 LLC Engh202 (From Literature to Entertainment) will end soon for 1st year students in this class and the Engineering/Business/Econ LLCs. The class should be of special interest to students in Engineering, Business and Economics. For more information or to enroll, contact CAART at trcdesk@gmu.edu or at 703-993-9082. To enroll, you will need to provide the following information: 1) name; 2) identification number (G number); and 3) the LLC you are enrolled in. This section of the required General Education Literature class will fill up soon so you should register now if you want to take the course.   
Thurs Nov 27 NO CLASSES, THANKSGIVING RECECSS NOV 26-30  

Over break, I think you will enjoy watching the clip (4:59-6:11min) of the futuristic gestural computer interface from Minority Report (2002) designed by John Underkoffler and then review the recent demonstration of Oblog Industries g-speak gestural multi-user interface.  Underkoffler is one of the founders of Oblong.  If you are interested in reading more about g-speak, see Minority Report Interface Is Real, Hitting Mainstream Soon.  Finally, watch the clip of Tony Stark creating a new element from Iron Man 2. We will return to the issue of individual/mobile/collaborative computer interfaces next week.   
Tues Dec 2 Before class, read Hiltzik, pp. 389-398, Did Xerox Blow It (Audible 5:39:40-5:51:55).  Then  post a brief account of Steve Jobs visit to Xerox Parc and your preliminary position on whether Xerox “blew it” (see question 1 on paper #4).  Make sure to cover at least one specific example as you address the question of Xerox “blowing it.”  See page/prompt 14 for details. 

To introduce you to one of the options for Thurs reading as well as to highlight the importance of memos and other more formal kinds of writing at Xerox Parc, we will watch Bob Metcalfe talk on the History of Ethernet and look at two documents from the Ethernet Timeline: 1) Metcalfe's May 22nd Memo (click refresh page if the doc doesn't appear at first); and 2) Metcalfe and Boggs 1975 paper from the Association of Computing Machinery entitled Ethernet: Distributed Packet Switching for Local Computer Networks. I recommend that you listen to Metcalfe's talk at the Computer History Museum (5:30-14:30 min).  If there is time during class, we will listen to this selection. 

At the end of class, we will review Hacker on fragments and run-on sentences (pp. 40-45).  If I have noted problems in these areas on your papers, do exercises 14-1 to 14-3 and 15-1 to 15-3 under Grammar at  http://dianahacker.com/pocket.  And if you did not do the exercises on active verbs, semi-colon use, and parallelism do those today.  Also review Hacker on finding a voice (pp. 16-19). Her glossary of usage (pp. 232-242) will be a useful resource as you work on your paper.

While you are doing these exercises, I will return rewrites, go over any work you are missing, and answer questions you have about my comments on your earlier paper. 

NOTE: Priority registration for my Spring 2015 LLC Engh202 (From Literature to Entertainment) will end soon for 1st year students in this class and the Engineering/Business/Econ LLCs. The class should be of special interest to students in Engineering, Business and Economics. For more information or to enroll, contact CAART at trcdesk@gmu.edu or at 703-993-9082. To enroll, you will need to provide the following information: 1) name; 2) identification number (G number); and 3) the LLC you are enrolled in. This section of the required General Education Literature class will fill up soon so you should register now if you want to take the course.   
Thurs Dec 4 Read Michael Hiltzik, on one of the following: Ethernet (178-193), Superpaint--graphics (229-241), The Star--office system (242-256, 361-370).  Chose your reading based on your sense of what you can draw on in writing your final paper as well as your interests more generally.

Those writing your final exam paper on question #1 (Did Xerox Blow It), for example, should consider reading both the sections on the Star and/or the Ethernet.  Another topic you could cover in question 1 is Xerox's failure to market an inexpensive Alto (261-5, 278, 283-287). Don't try to cover all of these areas but pick those that you find interesting and relevant to your argument in the paper #4.   

As with our discussion last class, we will go over some key points in the reading that may be relevant to your final paper. Today we will focus on the Xerox Star and Alto III. If there is time, we will supplement Hiltzik on the Star (pp. 242-256 & 361-370; Audible 5:08:56 to 5:19:57) by watching the beginning of David Liddle's presentation at Parc in 1998, Xerox Star 8010 Final Demo. We will also discuss the Office System Division's success in blocking Ellenby's attempt to commercialize the Alto III in 1976 (261-265, 278-287; Audible 3:47-3:53:43).

In preparation for your paper, I also recommend learning more about Clayton Christensen's notion of disruptive innovation by watching at least the first of his four part Fortune Global Forum lecture on YouTube (New Delhi, 2007).  Over the holidays, I suggest looking at Christensen's book The Innovator's Dilemma if you find these ideas interesting.  

After we go over some key points in the reading during class, you will work on paper #4 in class while I talk to you individually about your plans for the final paper.

LAST DAY OF CLASSES Dec 6th
READING DAYS DEC 8th-Dec 9th
EXAM PERIOD Dec 10th-17th 
Tues Dec 16 Scheduled Final Exam Time 10:30-1:15pm in our regular classroom.  We will not have an exam but you will bring Paper #4 on Xerox Parc due. It should be 2-3 pages, typed and double-spaced, and include at least three in-text cites and a works-cited page. See Diana Hacker's Research and Documentation Online to review citation formats etc. See Hacker, for example, on how to reference video clips on your works cited page, and how to cite a book. Also study carefully the sample paper on her site for how to include headers, titles, etc.

Chose one of the following questions: 1) Who is the most interesting and/or important figure who worked at Parc and why; 2) after reading Hiltzik on Steve Jobs' visit to Parc (329-345, 423-4) and on whether Xerox "blew it" (389-398), write a paper following up on the chapter title for Hiltzik's epilogue: "Did Xerox Blow It?" See the assignment sheet for details.

By Dec 11th, you should have met with a peer tutor three times (more if you missed an appointment without letting us know in advance and more if you revised one or more  papers).  For Jessica, Bobby and David's hours, click here.  To sign up for an appointment, click here.