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Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Quiz Amnesty: One Time Opportunity To Earn A Better Grade

You have a one-time opportunity to make up online quizzes . . . if you did not complete one or more of the quizzes posted online, you may do so no later than noon Saturday 28 May.

Here are the requirements:

  1. Follow the directions posted online for any quiz (or quizzes) that you want to make up. 
  2. All entries must be emailed and arrive no later than noon Kuwait time on 28 May. 
  3. Email format must be exact as explained in the posting. 
  4. Word documents only will be accepted and graded.
  5. Spelling, grammar and punctuation all count as part of the grade.
  6. Because you did not do the work when it was originally due, your grade will be reduced by one full letter, i.e. if the quiz would have scored an A had it been delivered on time, you will receive a B, etc. 
The EEK Quiz does not count as part of the final grade so there's no need to complete it.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

I Like These Quotes

I'm passing along some of my favorite quotes . . . each gives you something to think about!

“Show me a store cleark with a goal and I’ll show you a man who will change the world. Show me a man with no goal and I will show you a store clerk.”
     James Cash Penney, founder, J.C. Penney Department Stores

Visitor: “You and God have a beautiful garden.”
Church Pastor: “Thank you. You should have seen it four months ago when God had it all to himself!”
      
“If you have integrity nothing else matters. If you have no integrity, nothing else matters.”
     * Alan K. Simpson, U.S. Senator, Wyoming

“The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”
     * Football Coach Vince Lombardi

“The brain is a wonderful organ. It begins working the moment you wake up and stops when you arrive at the office.”
     * Robert Frost

Friday, May 20, 2011

Project: Due Noon Saturday 28 May 2011 (At The Latest)

Projects account for 15% of your grade. This is the final project of the semester. It's due no later than Saturday 28 May 2011. You may not collaborate with (work with) another student to complete this project. You may not copy another student's work. If I suspect your assignment was copied, or if it includes the same information submitted by one or more other students, all students involved will earn a zero for the assignment. Do your own work, and work alone.
  • Write an essay of at least 250 words and no more than 500 words. 
  • Title the essay: The 10 Most Important Things I Learned About Media
  • List the 10 most important points/lessons you learned about media this semester
  • Tell me why each point is "most important"
  • Tell me why you will or will not pursue a career in media
  • Tell me how you will use any form of media to improve your qualifications
  • Check your Basic English . . . the Grading Rubric is in full force!
Meet the deadline
Submit your Word file to me (use only this address) via email. The deadline is 12 noon Saturday 28 May 2011. Name your Word file in this format only: PROJ_(YourFirstName)_(Your4DigitGUST-ID).doc.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Trying Is Overrated: Doing Is All That Matters!

Bazaar magazine published my article about "trying". It was inspired by GUST students my first semester at the university. You can read the article at Bazaar online

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Online Assignment: Due By Noon 21 May

Each student is required to participate in this online assignment. The assignment is part of your Participation grade. Each student is required to do the following:

1.  Read each of the three articles from the International Herald Tribune:




Each article discusses societal issues in other countries . . . and all three have one unfortunate element in common: violence

I selected these articles because they present opportunities for you to come to conclusions about violence in society. Some people have said that Americans are violent people, as depicted by movies and television . . . but these articles demonstrate that violence isn't only an issue in America. 

2.  In the Comments section below this blog post, you can post your own Comments about at least one of the above articles. Answer one of the following questions and type your comments in the Comment section. 
  • Within a society there are schisms (divisions) of people who are violent . . . thus the article about Neo-Nazis. Could Neo-Nazis, or a similar "hate" group, exist in Kuwait?
  • Media have recently included many stories about the persecution of Christians in the Muslim world. What's up with that? Should Christians be on guard? What's the source of this violence?
  • What should be done in the Congo to protect women from rape? Are you alarmed by the statistics? What does this tell you about the Congo?  
3.  Finally, post Comments about at least two of the Comments posted by your colleagues. In other words, read the Comments posted by other students and then respond to at least two of their Comments, offering your opinion about what they said. 

Of course, spelling, grammar, and basic English count!

You have until Saturday noon, 21 May, to complete this assignment. 

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

International Press Freedom: Due Saturday 14 May By Noon!

Read Social Issues: International Press Freedom on page 439 of your textbook.

After you've finished reading and reflecting on the information, do an online search to learn more about the topic. Find the Freedom House report.

Then answer these questions:

  1. How does Kuwait rank in the 2009 Freedom House report?
  2. Based on what you know, or think you know, explain why Kuwait deserves or doesn't deserve its rating.
  3. What are 3 advantages of press freedom?
  4. What are 3 disadvantages of press freedom?

Answer in complete thoughts. Avoid one word answers, or (bullet) itemized answers that do not provide complete thoughts. Check (and double check) your use of English.

Open a Word document and save it in this format: FreeP_YourFirstName_YourGUST4DigitID.doc. Send the document to me before the deadline using only this email address. Do your own work!

DEADLINE
By noon Saturday 14 May. Not one second later.

Monday, May 9, 2011

What Do You Think About Americans? Due At 5 PM 11 May

Read Social Issues on page 424 of your textbook.

After you're finished reading and understanding the information, answer these questions:
  1. How much American media do you consume? (In other words, how much American TV do you watch, and how many American publications do you read, etc.?)
  2. How, if at all, have your opinions about Americans been formed by the American media you consume? (If you don't consume American media, then which media, if any, have helped form your opinions about Americans?).
  3. What are your opinions about Americans? I am looking for complete answers and not one word answers, i.e. "Nice."
  4. Why have you arrived at these opinions? 
Write in complete thoughts. It's okay to include bullet points. Do your own work! Check your English usage.

Open a Word file. Save it in this format: Am_YourFirstName_Your4DigitGUST_ID.doc. Email the document to me before the deadline.

DEADLINE
This assignment must be emailed to this address no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday 11 May. Note: I will not accept the assignment after 5 p.m. (doesn't matter what your reason is) and I will not grade an assignment that isn't in a Word document and saved in the format that I require above.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Broadcast Television Quiz: Due At Noon On Saturday 7 May 2011

This is a graded Quiz. You may not collaborate (work with) another student to answer these questions. You may not copy another student's work. If I suspect your assignment was copied, or if it includes the same information submitted by one or more other students, all students involved will earn a zero for the assignment. Do your own work, and work alone. Open a new Word document. Save the document like this (but use your personal information): TV_(YourFirstName)_(Your4DigitGUST-ID).doc. . . . Oh, one more thing: You are welcome to use your textbook for this quiz.

  1. What are the defining features of the TV medium?
  2. Who owns America's TV networks?
  3. Who owns Kuwait's TV networks?
  4. In what era were TV programs criticized for excessive violence?
  5. In your own words, do you think TV has a positive or negative effect on people?

Meet the deadline
Submit your Word file (assignment) to me (use only this address) via email. The deadline is 12 noon Saturday 7 May 2011. 

Monday, May 2, 2011

Multi-Topic Quiz: Due 5 pm 4 May 2011

  1. What was the major challenge facing Viacom and Arab Media Group upon the launch of MTV Arabia?
  2. What obstacle would MTV Arabia need to overcome to achieve a local presence for the network?  
  3. What alternative Arab music was expected to be showcased on MTV Arabia?
  4. Why was Viacom interested in bringing MTV to Arabia? 
  5. What role did AMB play in the launch of MTV Arabia?
  6. What size was the advertising revenue for MTV Arabia when it launched?
  7. Al Jazeera initially created controversy in 2001 by broadcasting from where and about what? 
  8. Al Jazeera is known for presenting "the opinion and the other opinion" and it shocked viewers when it was the first to broadcast . . . what news?
  9. San Antonio-based market-research firm Pear Analytics analyzed 2,000 tweets (originating from the US and in English) over a two-week period in August 2009 from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM (CST) and separated them into six categories. What are the categories and the percentages? 
  10. In a 2009 Time essay, technology author Steven Johnson described the basic mechanics of Twitter as "remarkably simple." What did he say about Twitter to describe it?
You can use online sources to find the answers to these questions. The information was not presented by your fellow students (but could have been, and some of it should have been). You'll have to do some online searching to get the information, but it's readily (quickly) available. 


NOTE: This is a graded quiz. If I suspect your answers are the same as another student's, both students will get a zero. Make sure your answers are in your own words. You are not permitted to discuss or share the sources of information with another student. You are not permitted to discuss the contents of this quiz with another student. You are not permitted to share information of any kind. Do your own work!   

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Planning: It's An Important Part Of Your Job As A Student. Especially As We Near Finals!

Please note: "FA" is not a grade that can be reversed once it's issued by GUST . . . missed assignments result in zero and will lower the earned Final Grade (and these assignments cannot be made up) . . . Keeping an eye on the Blog constitutes smart planning for any student looking to get a good grade in this course!

"Have a plan. Follow the plan, and you'll be surprised how successful you can be."
-- Paul "Bear" Bryant, American Football Coach

"You should plan and work for your life aas if you're going to live forever, and you should plan and work for the Hereafter as if you're going to die tomorrow."
-- Famous Arab Message

"Always plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark."
-- (Boston Cardinal) Richard Cushing

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."
-- Benjamin Franklin, a founding father of the USA