Philosophy (inspiration):

• I believe we have choices about how technology will shape our lives in the future.  I want you to care.
  
• The only way to seek knowledge is to be curious, open your hands and let your opinions drop.
  
• if something seems wrong to you do not ignore it, pay more attention and try to understand the point of view.
• I will show you the steps of my thinking about various issues; I want to see the steps of your thinking.
• This course (and most college courses) is about learning to think critically more than it is about learning facts.

Some students like this course and some students don't:

• Past students wrote:
  
• "The instructor was always ready and available to ask questions to. She challenged us which I enjoyed. The course taught me things that I have been able to apply to other classes."
• "very interesting class. enjoyable"
  
• another student wrote: "Hard topics with abstract philosophies and ideas.  Boring lecture style, hard to listen."
  
• which student do you want to be?
  
• What you should take from this: you get from the course what you put into it
• The keys to learning effectively:
  
• Forget: Forget your preconceptions
• Active: Read actively (compare to your own experience) and participate
• State: Feel the excitement and curiosity to learn. Sit up, lean forward
• if you make the effort to be interested you will enjoy the course

Teach: Read and listen as though you were getting ready to teach this to others.

How to do well in this course:

• Understand that it is not the professor's job to spoon feed you the information--learn to put it together for yourself
  
• The lectures do not repeat the readings but give you a larger picture.  You are responsible for both reading and lectures
• Reading books is important in history courses--what historians do is write books, more detailed analyses of cause and effect than is possible in a 20 page article
  
• the small group assignments are designed to prepare you for the large individual ones
• Read assignments carefully and follow instructions
• if an assignment seems to be missing, send the professor an email
• if you are feeling lost or don't understand what is expected, go talk to the teaching assistant and/or the professor

The Syllabus!

• your guide to the course--read it and consult it when you have questions
  
• it is your responsibility to keep track of assignments