ArguendoClass.com

You have read basic material describing the Toulmin model. At its simplest, the model says that any argument consists of a claim with support, and that the support takes the form of a warrant that connects some data to the claim.

In a comment on this thread, your assignment is to provide examples of arguments as follows:

1. Use the subject line of the comment for the claim.
   
2. Embed a link to a quote that supports the claim
   
3. In the quote, use bold to highlight the data and warrant.

My first comment on this thread illustrates the form.

Let's make arguments about whether or not there is enough argument in our culture. For your last assignment you were told:

3) As you read, make a list of the arguments for and against the proposition that the media and society need more debate. Open a word document in your computer to save the notes in.

4. Find a newspaper article or transcript from a TV show that uses the "he said/she said" approach to journalism. Copy and paste the link to the article you find into your notes.

5. Post a comment in the "Debate Debate" thread after it appears at on the arguendoclass.com blog.

Click on "There's more" to see what to do now.

Welcome to Spring 22007 on ArguendoClass.com.  Use this diary to post a test comment and introduce yourself to the virtual class.  More to come!

Below is a thread for a live class blog on the third CT-Sen debate held on Monday, October 23, 2006.  The debate is being viewed during class on Tuesday, October 24, 2006.  

We'll use this thread to have an in-class live blog from the University of Mary Washington on Thursday, October 19, 2006 from 9:30 until 10:45.

We will be "live" blogging the CT-Sen Debate between which happened on October 16th between Joseph Lieberman, Ned Lamont and Alan Schlesinger.

The video feed is available at the Campaign Network. To comment on the debate, paste your comments below.

Once you've built up your debating skills through research and practice, the next step in cultivating your advocacy skills is to hone your ability to make good judgments.  Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to judge a debate!  The details are below...

The Director of National Intelligence has declassified a "National Intelligence Estimate" that in their words,

is the declassified Key Judgments from the larger, classified National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Trends in Global Terrorism: Implications for the United States that was produced in April 2006. The NIE analyzes the nature of the threat that terrorist groups across the world will pose to US lives and interests, including the Homeland, during the next five years.

Their homepage has the links.

Great job on finding "hot research sites" on the web.  Now, you get to dig deeper.  Start by reading an article from "Source Watch" - a project of the Center for Media and Democracy.

This diary compiles comments that share research resources with others in Arguendoclass. So, find a site (think tank or other site) with useful materials and post a comment to this thread.
The format should be:

The name of the site (embed the link)

A description of the kinds of materials found on the site, orientation, etc. Of particular value would be a description that speaks to the topics which are might be used for the debates.

Last night, President Bush delivered a nationally televised address on the 5th anniversary of 9-11.   This speech capped off a two week effort to mobilize public support for the war on terror. You should watch or read the speech.

In reading over the media coverage this morning, two things stuck out in the span of three paragraphs in a Washington Post story:

White House officials are hopeful that the round of speeches will have some impact on moving public opinion. They said that Bush has presented an enormous amount of information and background about Iraq and terrorism, much of which they believe will come as news to many Americans with only a general impression of events.

"I am not so sure that the views [about the Iraq war and terrorism] are chiseled in stone," said White House press secretary Tony Snow. "There's been a lot of debate -- one side that may not have been fully represented in ours. . . . It seems that on a lot of things, people may not have fully understood the approach the president took and his thinking."

Both Snow and White House counselor Dan Bartlett singled out the effort to quote the terrorists' own words as a tactic they hope will break through to ordinary Americans who may not be aware of the terrorists' aims. "We may be having a debate in this country about whether Iraq is part of the war on terrorism, but our enemies believe it is," Bartlett said. "We were trying to transcend the political debate in Washington by letting the words of the enemies speak for themselves."

First, how is debate being used here?  What is its nature and purpose?

Second, what do you make of the strategy of "quoting" the terrorists?  How does that square with our understanding of what counts as good evidence?  

You may be aware of the huge controversy that ABC/Disney has stirred up. They have a 5 hour long "dramatization" mini-series, "The Path to 9/11," which they plan to air this week.

They say it is based in part on the official 9/11 Commission report, but the bipartisan authors of the report have highlighted inaccuracies. Aditionally, President Clinton, forme NSC advisor Sandy Berger, former Sec. of State Madeline Albright, and many others have argued that the deviations from the facts are slanderous and dangerous.

ABC counters that because they will run a disclaimer that calls the show a "dramatization" there is no problem confusing people.

But if you understand the power of narrative, you should be able to see the potential problem.

In the comments to this thread, share what you have found in your research.

Specifically:

Your comment title should describe the claim your argument makes.

The body of the comment should include:

1. A sentence or so summarizing the argument.
   
2. The citation to the source of the argument (embed the link if it is from the web, but not if it is from a library online database).
   
3. A blockquote supporting your argument with a paragraph or two from the article.

The thread starts with a comment that is my example.

Demos, Broeckriede, and Fischer all talk about persuasion as a process that requires a change in perspective. At some point our minds are open, someone argues with us as a lover, a story is told that does not fit with our pre-existing narratives, empathy is evoked . . .

Click discuss and give examples of having actually been persuaded to change an important belief. What did the trick?

Let's make arguments about whether or not there is enough argument in our culture. For your last assignment you were told:

3) As you read, make a list of the arguments for and against the proposition that the media and society need more debate. Open a word document in your computer to save the notes in.

4. Find a newspaper article or transcript from a TV show that uses the "he said/she said" approach to journalism. Copy and paste the link to the article you find into your notes.

5. Post a comment in the "Debate Debate" thread after it appears at on the arguendoclass.com blog.

Click on "There's more" to see what to do now.

Let's get arguing and blogging!

Before long, we should have robust diaries, comments and good debates underway.

Assignment: post a comment that introduces you and has a link embedded on this thread.

Read the FAQ. Read it. Really. It should answer your questions.

If the FAQ is wrong, or doesn't help you with the problem you have, let me know in comments or e-mail. I keep updating it.
When reading a diary someone else wrote, hit the recommend button (will be on top right of the page) if you think the diary is above average. Once there are a sufficient number of recommends, the list of recommended  diaries on the right side of the page will change to reflect the more recently recommended entries.

Post comments on this thread to ask questions and answer questions for each other, and just to practice with the formatting, etc. Try to embed one link in your comment.

Click "there's more" just below to see the rest of this story and the comments . . .