| Topic and Activites | Reading Assignment Due | Writing Assignment Due | |
| 1/13 | Introduction to RCL II | ||
| 1/15 | Discussion of Unit FiveDiscussion of “stance.”Schedule a time for conferences starting on Monday. | Read prompt for Unit Five, the “This I Believe” assignment. Listen to a selection (at least three) of “This I Believe” broadcasts at thisibelieve.org. Review Civic Issues (CI) blog topics. | Under your RCL blog category, write an entry that includes at least two ideas for your “This I Believe” podcast, two ideas for your Passion Blog, and two ideas for your Civic Issues blog.Paterno Fellows Collegiate Laws of Life Essay Contest entries due Friday, January 16. (Optional) |
| 1/20 | In lieu of class, students will conference with instructor (10-minute session) to review “This I Believe” drafts and blog topic ideas. | Review feedback on your RCL blog entry. Decide on “This I Believe,” Passion, and Civic Issues Blog topics. | Complete full draft of “This I Believe” script and post under RCL category. (To maximize the effectiveness of your conference I recommend finishing your draft before your meeting with me.) |
| 1/22 | Draft workshop of “This I Believe” scripts. Practice voice modulation and oral delivery strategies. Civic Issue Blog teams formed. Brief introduction to Think Tank and Deliberation Unit. | Revise “This I Believe” script for in-class workshop and post under RCL blog category. In another RCL blog entry, announce your topics for the Passion and Civic Issues Blogs. | |
| 1/27 | Discussion of Chapter 8 and 9 and more discussion of Unit 6 Assignments and Think Tank projects. | Read Chapter 8 and 9 of Rhetoric and Civic Life, “Conversation and Discussion” (pp. 163-187) and “The ‘Nasty Effect:’ Online Incivility and Risk Perceptions of Emerging Technologies” (pp. 188-205). | Polish “This I Believe” scripts for recording. |
| 1/29 | Class-time to brainstorm Think Tank name and project team deliberation topics | Passion Blog for all and Red Bloggers’ Civic Issue entries due. Think of deliberation topics.“This I Believe” podcast due in ANGEL dropbox by midnight. | |
| 2/3 | Teams announce topics for deliberation. Discuss readings. Work on researching and framing deliberation topics. Teams select deliberation event dates/times. | Read “Naming and Framing Difficult Issues to Make Sound Decisions,” “Traits of Successful Framing,” and “Core American Values,” under the Resources Tab. | Groups decide for Tuesday on deliberation topic |
| 2/5 | Blogging, Week 2. Work on researching and framing deliberation topics. | Passion Blog for all and Blue Bloggers’ Civic Issue entries due | |
| 2/10 | Discuss reading. Deliberation guide workshop among teams | Read “Framing for Deliberation” under Resources tab. | Teams create and print 14 copies of deliberation guide for in-class workshop. |
| 2/12 | Blogging, Week 3. Teams plan their introductory presentation for their deliberation event. | Read “Letter from Birmingham Jail”and “Malcolm X’s speech at the Founding Rally of the Organization of Afro-American Unity”Both Articles are on Angel | Passion Blog for all and Red Bloggers’ Civic Issue entries due. Teams revise deliberation guide based on feedback. |
| 2/17 | Discuss reading. Teams do a presentation run-through for partner team. Facilitating practice. | Read “Facilitating Deliberations” under Resources Tab. Teams prepare their ten-minute presentations to deliver to partner team. | |
| 2/19 | Blogging, Week 4. Teams revise and practice presentations. | Passion Blog for all and Blue Bloggers’ Civic Issue entries due. Teams work on their presentations for next week’s public events. All team members should promote the event this weekend. | |
| 2/24 | 50 Deliberations takes place February 23 to March 3.TBA | ||
| 2/26 | Blogging, Week 5. Introduction to Unit Seven: Persuading and Advocating: Issue Brief and Advocacy Projects. Discuss differences among deliberation, persuasion and advocacy. Look at examples of effective persuasion and advocacy campaigns. | Passion Blog for all and Red Bloggers’ Civic Issue entries due. | |
| 3/3 | Issue Brief Proposal assigned | Consider topics for Issue Brief and Advocacy Projects | |
| 3/5 | Blogging, Week 6. Discussion of deliberation events and post-deliberation reports.Issue Brief Proposal Due | Passion Blog for all and Blue Bloggers’ Civic Issue entries due | |
| 3/10 | Spring Break | ||
| 3/12 | Spring Break | ||
| 3/17 | Look at sample issue briefs. Revisit kairos as an element of persuasion. Deliberation teams confer to write post-deliberation report. | ||
| 3/19 | Blogging, Week 7. Persuading with (info-)graphics. | Passion Blog for all and Red Bloggers’ Civic Issue entries due | |
| 3/24 | Review citation practices for scholarly papers. Discuss Issue Brief format and use of endnotes. Start drafting issue brief. | Team-written post-deliberation report due in ANGEL dropbox before midnight. | |
| 3/26 | Blogging, Week 8. Final tips for issue brief drafting and brainstorming for advocacy projects. Review advocacy organizations’ mission, web presences, messaging strategies. | Passion Blog for all and Blue Bloggers’ Civic Issue entries due. Schedule a conference time for next week. | |
| 3/31 | No formal class. Conferences for issue brief and advocacy project. No blogs this week. | For conferences this week: draft issue brief and post to your RCL category by the time of your conference. Also be prepared to discuss advocacy project ideas | |
| 4/2 | Dr. Keifer-Boyd will visit to discuss her Wikipedia-A-Thon project. No blogs this week. | ||
| 4/7 | Peer-Review Day for Issue Briefs.Discuss sample advocacy pieces. Small-group discussion of modal choices and audience for individual advocacy projects. | Bring your fully completed draft to class for Peer-Review day. Advocacy groups must plan at least two meetings to begin working on their materials. Groups must send a selfie of their meeting. | |
| 4/9 | Blogging, Week 9. Discuss more sample advocacy pieces | Passion Blog for all and Red Bloggers’ Civic Issue entries due. Issue Brief due as a Word document before midnight in the ANGEL dropbox and emailed to Kyle as a PDF. | |
| 4/14 | Introduction to Unit Eight: Presenting Yourself. Review sample e-portfolios and platforms available for e-portfolio creation. Brainstorm purpose(s) and audience(s) for e-portfolios. | Read Unit 8 assignment under Assignments tab on course website. | Work on advocacy projects |
| 4/16 | Blogging, Week 10. Students work on e-portfolios in class. | Passion Blog for all and Blue Bloggers’ Civic Issues entries due. | |
| 4/21 | No formal class. Work out of class to finish advocacy projects. sign up for extended office hours | ||
| 4/23 | Additional tips, pointers, and possibilities for e-portfolio design. Work on e-portfolios in class. | Advocacy projects due by 2 PM on Saturday, April 25. | |
| 4/28 | Review advocacy projects. Work on e-portfolios. Bring laptops. | ||
| 4/30 | Last day of class. Review advocacy projects. Work on e-portfolios | E-portfolios are due Monday, May 4 at noon |