NEW WORDS FOR THE NEW MILLENIUM

BLAMESTORMING: Sitting around in a group, discussing why a
deadline was missed or a project failed, and who was
responsible.

CHAINSAW CONSULTANT: An outside expert brought in to reduce
the employee headcount, leaving the top brass with clean
hands.

CUBE FARM: An office filled with cubicles.

IDEA HAMSTERS: People who always seem to have their idea
generator running.

MOUSE POTATO: The on-line, wired generation's answer to the
couch potato.

PRAIRIE DOGGING: When someone yells or drops something loudly
in a cube farm, and people's heads pop up over the walls to
see what's going on.

SITCOMs: (Single Income, Two Children, Oppressive Mortgage)
What yuppies turn into when they have children and one of them
stops working to stay home with the kids.

STARTER MARRIAGE: A short-lived first marriage that ends in
divorce with no kids, no property and no regrets.

STRESS PUPPY: A person who seems to thrive on being stressed
out and whiny.

SWIPED OUT: An ATM or credit card that has been rendered
useless because the magnetic strip is worn away from extensive
use.

TOURISTS: People who take training classes just to get a
vacation from their jobs. "We had three serious students in
the class; the rest were just tourists."

TREEWARE: Hacker slang for documentation or other printed
material.

XEROX SUBSIDY: Euphemism for swiping free photocopies from
one's workplace.

ALPHA GEEK: The most knowledgeable, technically proficient
person in an office or work group.

CHIPS & SALSA: Chips = hardware, Salsa = software. "Well,
first we gotta figure out if the problem's in your chips or
your salsa.

Syllabus -- Critical Thinking

ENGLISH 75 Syllabus Lincoln University

CRITICAL THINKING

Dr. Sylvia Y. R. Schoemaker profsylvia@gmail.com

Semester: Spring 2006

Contact hours: 48

Units: 3

Days: T-Th; Time: 9:30 -10:45; Location: Room 303

Office hours: T-Th, 9-9:30, 12:15-1, by arrangement

Phone: 510.628.8036

Course Blog: criticalthinkingmatters.blogspot.com

Objectives:

Students will develop their cognitive skills and enhance their communicative strategies for defining, applying, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating information. The course will incorporate the following University learner and institutional goals:

University learner goals 1 -6, and specifically (3.2) To examine objectively various sides of issues; (3.3) To utilize the procedures involved in systematic problem solving; and in English:: To develop basic academic and professional skills(1); To develop the ability to communicate effective in English, oral and in writing, and to read with understanding (1.1) and institutional goals , especially 1,(1.1-1.4), 2.4

Catalog Course Description

ENG 75- CRITICAL THINKING (UNIVERSITY COURSE LISTING) Consideration of cognitive skills and communicative strategies for defining, applying, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating information. Course includes structural and operational approaches to task/mission analysis, decision-making, change forecasting, adaptation, and evaluation. Systems approach to analysis and solution of complex problems. Conceptual issues in problem definition, goal determination and measurement of effectiveness. (3 units)

Methods and Materials

A cooperative learning model will be employed. Small group and individual discovery exercises and presentations will augment lectures, class discussions and applications.

Emphasis will be on a systems approach to analysis and solution of complex problems, a conceptual approach to issues in problem definition, goal determination and measurement of effectiveness.

Required Texts:

(TFY) Mayfield, Marlys. Thinking for Yourself. 6^th Edition. Boston: Heinle, 2004. (ISBN: 0-8384-0735-8)

(CRCB) Daiek,Deborah and Macomb, Nancy. Critical Reading for College and Beyond. McGraw-Hill, 2004. (ISBN: 0072473762)

Recommended Text:

(CPS) Harris, Robert. A. Creative Problem Solving. Los Angeles: Pyrczak Publishing, 2002. ISBN: 1-884585-43-4

Student Responsibilities:

Students are expected to attend class, be punctual, follow classroom decorum, complete assignments, participate in the course in a productive manner, and to take personal responsibility for meeting the objectives of the course.

Evaluation

Students will be evaluated on the basis of all assignments, exercises, class participation, portfolios, midterm and final presentations; extra credit work/journals. Student course productivity will be averaged in appropriate proportions in determining the final grade along the following guidelines:

Classroom work:

Attendance, punctuality, decorum 10%

Productive classroom participation 10%

Class quizzes, exercises 15%

Individual/ group presentations 10%

Term Assignments:

Midterm portfolio 20%

Final portfolio 25%

Extra credit work/journals 10%

					TFY			CRCB
#	Tuesday	Thursday
1	1/17/2006	1/19/2006		Observation	1		Reading	1
2	1/24/2006	1/26/2006		Word Precision	2		Vocabulary	2
3	1/31/2006	2/2/2006		Facts	3		Memory	3
4	2/7/2006	2/9/2006		Inferences	4		Time	4
5	2/14/2006	2/16/2006		Assumptions	5		Main Ideas	5
6	2/21/2006	2/23/2006		Opinions	6		Details	6
7	2/28/2006	3/2/2006		Evaluations	7		Inference	7
8	3/7/2006	3/9/2006		MT Portfolio	Review		Texts	8
	3/14/2006	3/16/2006	Spring recess 13-17
9	3/21/2006	3/23/2006		Review	Review		PSR Strategies	9
10	3/28/2006	3/30/2006		Viewpoints	8		Marking	10
11	4/4/2006	4/6/2006		Argument	9		Advanced Strategies	11
12	4/11/2006	4/13/2006		Fallacies	10		Arguments	12
13	4/18/2006	4/20/2006		Inductive Reasoning	11		Cognitive Domain	13
14	4/25/2006	4/27/2006		Deductive Reasoning	12		Evaluation	14
15	5/2/2006	5/4/2006		Research Paper	Appendix		Applications
16	5/9/2006	5/11/2006		Prepare Portfolios			Prepare Portfolios
17	5/16/2006	5/18/2006	Finals Week	Final Portfolios			Final Portfolio

Assignment Schedule

TFY: Thinking for Yourself -- CRCB: Critical Reading for College and Beyond

Assignments -- Spring 2006

Week #	Tuesday	Thursday
1	1/17/2006	1/19/2006		Observation	1		Reading	1
2	1/24/2006	1/26/2006		Word Precision	2		Vocabulary	2
3	1/31/2006	2/2/2006		Facts	3		Memory	3
4	2/7/2006	2/9/2006		Inferences	4		Time	4
5	2/14/2006	2/16/2006		Assumptions	5		Main Ideas	5
6	2/21/2006	2/23/2006		Opinions	6		Details	6
7	2/28/2006	3/2/2006		Evaluations	7		Inference	7
8	3/7/2006	3/9/2006		MT Portfolio	Review		Texts	8
	3/14/2006	3/16/2006	Spring recess 13-17
9	3/21/2006	3/23/2006		Review	Review		PSR Strategies	9
10	3/28/2006	3/30/2006		Viewpoints	8		Marking	10
11	4/4/2006	4/6/2006		Argument	9		Adv. Strategies	11
12	4/11/2006	4/13/2006		Fallacies	10		Arguments	12
13	4/18/2006	4/20/2006		Inductive Reasoning	11		Cognitive Domain	46
14	4/25/2006	4/27/2006		Deductive Reasoning	12		Evaluation	14
15	5/2/2006	5/4/2006		Research Paper	Appendix		Applications	Application 1 or 2
16	5/9/2006	5/11/2006		Prepare Portfolios			Prepare Portfolios
17	5/16/2006	5/18/2006	Finals Week	Final Portfolios			Final Portfolio