Due Sep 21
They Say, I Say
For Lecture this week and last I had you read short pieces discussing (1) the teaching strategies in Vsauce and (2) the value of Khan Academy for teaching classroom math. For today's assignment, I'd like you to use one of those articles as a point of reference in your own analysis.
Start by re-reading both articles, looking for an idea or opinion that you'd like to respond to. Maybe you agree or disagree—or maybe the quote strikes you as explaining something you hadn't understood before. Several options (of many possible):
- Use a quotation as a starting point: "Stevens says X, but ... "
- Bring in a quotation to solve a problem / confirm an insight of your own: "This approach to video education is advocated by Michael Stevens of VSauce fame...."
Structurally, the choice here is between moving from the article's ideas to yours, or from your ideas ideas to the article. If you opt for A, cover the article in ¶1, and use ¶2 to introduce your video evidence that complicates or confirms his account. Alternatively, if you follow option B, use ¶1 to present your video, ending the ¶ with an insight about how it works or a puzzle about why it works. Then use ¶2 to introduce the article as confirming the insight or solving the puzzle. Alternatively—a third option—move from your ideas to the article and back in a sequence of three ¶s.
To provide an evidentiary basis for your ideas, you will need to select a YouTube educational video. So think about all the videos you've watched over the past few weeks, and the ideas they've stirred in you, and then look at a few others that pop up in YouTube's "up next" column. Make sure you cite key details from the video OR from your experience watching the video as evidence for your account of how/why this video teaches (or fails to teach) the viewer.
Who are you quoting? If you use a quote or idea from Michael Stevens, be sure to introduce HIM as your source. On the other hand, if you use a quote or idea from Jessica Lahey, author of the article on VSauce, be sure to introduce HER as your source.
Source Citation: Make sure to give an MLA-style citation for any quotes. This is our first chance to discuss MLA citation, so it's helpful for me to see what you already know.