All but the final paper(s)

Hey everybody:

Before I forget:
By now you should have received an email from the "system" requesting your evaluation of the course and the instructor.  Please complete the evaluation.  (I am told that it is still the old questionnaire with a gazillion questions and that from next term it will be the short one.  So, bear with the length one last time.)
I want to re-assure you that I will not get the results of your evaluations until into the next term.  So, your feedback--favorable or otherwise--will not have any effect on your grades in any which way. 

I have updated the grades page not only with the the scores so far, but also in terms of your standing as of now with only the final paper pending.  Of course, students taking the class for graduate credit need to submit the research paper in addition to the final paper.  If past trends are repeated in this class, then almost always the final papers from students will be of much better quality than the previous ones, which means that the final course grade will go up a tad for most of you.  So, give the final paper your best shot.

After I am done with this note, I will send out individual emails with feedback on your Essay 2.  As you will notice from the grades page, the overall trend was one of better essays compared to the first one.  I ran into very few papers with problems with the mechanics of writing.  Thanks for paying attention to my feedback.  Content-wise, except for a couple of essays where the authors did not stay focused on the specific question I had asked, most of the rest made sure you addressed the question.

There are a few students from whom I haven't heard anything regarding the final paper.  This means that I will not be able to give you feedback in time for you to develop your arguments and get appropriate reference materials.  We still have time to get this done.  Let me know if there is anything particular that is preventing you from completing the task.

Otherwise, it is back to the grind, I suppose.  Stay focused on the tasks that remain in this class and the other classes that you might be in this term.  A few more days, and then you get a break; so, try your best to avoid distractions over the next few days.

Finally, thanks to that one student who did provide me with feedback on the Majora Carter TED talk video.  Here is an excerpt from that student's email:

[The] reality of urban poverty is one of the unfortunate tangible effects of our individualistic culture. The system justiifies the existence of urban poverty. But she, in her radiating passion, remains humbled- blaming no one- not even the structural policies that have stacked the cards against her. Her stark resistance is a forgiving tale of her environmental conditions and that places her near the top of my list of role models.

The final paper, and more

If my final (?) YouTube clip for this course does not come across in this email, well, you know where to go and get it :-)

BTW, did anybody watch that video of the talk by Majora Carter about urban renewal in the Bronx?  If you did, any thoughts on that?  Am I merely talking to myself, as I do in my regular classes, too? :-)

And, above all, are you keeping up with the work needed for you to put together the final paper?
A friendly reminder:

• Before noon on November 24th, email the instructor the following as a word-proccessed document:
• The proposed title for the paper
• The thesis statement
• The list of references

Meanwhile, I am reviewing/grading your essays.  More on this later.

The home stretch, and more

There are two videos that I have embedded here.  If they do not come across, then head to the notes blog for the posting with the title "The home stretch, and more"
The first video is my YouTube clip.  I had to edit out the first minute-plus because .... after recording, I found while reviewing that there was no sound .... aaaah!  I was talking about Thanksgiving, towards the end of which apparently the bluetooth device started working.  Oh well .... Most of the video clip is about the final task, and a recap of what we have accomplished thus far.

The second video is from Ted.com, and is a talk by Majora Carter, about urban renewal in the Bronx.  I have this video for multiple reasons: it might provide you with some more perspectives on the topics we will look at for the rest of the term, and, of course, the final task I have for you.  If we were in a regular class, I might show this video and then invite comments and rejoinders.  So, please watch it and, of course, let us know if you have any comments ....

My plan includes doing another video clip in the next couple of days to discuss some of the specific ideas/concepts in the readings--I am hoping that by then you would have scanned through them and, therefore, will be able to follow along.  So, until then ....

FYI .... on "virtual classrooms"

This is not about urban geography per se--though there are implications one might infer!
But, this might be of interest to you because, well, here we are in a "virtual" classroom, and we can certainly expect more, and not less, online teaching and learning in the future.
As this NY Times report observes:

Champions of digital learning want to turn teaching into yet another form of content. Allow anyone anywhere to take whatever course they want, whenever, over any medium, they say. Make universities compete on quality, price and convenience. Let students combine credits from various courses into a degree by taking an exit exam. Let them live in Paris, take classes from M.I.T. and transfer them to a German university for a diploma.

If only it can happen easily :-)  A typical reason why this is not happening, given the level of technology we already have:

Education, re-imagined as a consumer product, will become about giving the young what they want now, not what they need or might later want, critics say. They worry that universities will cede their role in civilizing us and passing down the heritage of the past, and will become glorified vocational schools.
Education’s goal, the novelist Mark Slouka wrote in Harper’s Magazine, should be “to teach people, not tasks; to participate in the complex and infinitely worthwhile labor of forming citizens, men and women capable of furthering what’s best about us and forestalling what’s worst. It is only secondarily — one might say incidentally — about producing workers.”

I have always believed that my online classes are strictly about education in that grander sense of it being something way above and beyond "producing workers."  So are my "regular" classes.  If anybody took a look at, say, the syllabus for this course, the work that I ask you to do in order to demonstrate your understanding of the ideas, the kind of feedback I give you, I cannot imagine them even remotely thinking that this undermines the grand idea of what education is all about. 

Now, I don't want to give any impression that my work is under criticism--far from that.  It is just that I always prefer using my personal examples; this way I do not then unintentionally insult/hurt others. 

As always, I welcome your thoughts on this.  I have been logging a whole bunch of ideas related to online teaching and learning, and am always looking to fine-tune my understanding.  (Of course, I do not want you to take you away from completing Essay 2, your work for other classes, and the final exam stuff I emailed you earlier!)

BTW, watch out for an email requesting you to complete an online evaluation of this course and the instructor.  While the university conducts such evaluations only during one term (Winter, I think), I almost always ask for evaluations every term: students deserve that opportunity, and I always want to know if there are patterns in student responses to the evaluation questions so that I can continue to improve the course and enhance student learning.  And, I will not get the results of the evaluation until early next term--so, there need not be any worry that evaluations might influence your grade for the course.

The final paper

In presenting the question for Essay2, I remarked about the peculiarities of the fall term calendar that circumscribe the pedagogical options.  More so when the course is online.

So, as we head into Week 8, you are probably wondering what we are going to be doing now.  Well, mystery solved :-)

The final paper will be in the context of the reading materials that I have listed for the next three weeks. 

But, there are a few steps that I want you to systematically follow in order to put together that 2,500-word essay.

Step 1:

• Read the materials that I have listed for the next three weeks.  Jot down what comes across as important ideas in each of those.
  
• Re-read the materials that I have listed for the next three weeks.  When you do, I bet you will find a few ideas that you missed the first time around.
• By now, you have in your notes a whole bunch of interesting notes that you want to discuss.  Which is where Step 2 comes in. 
• Note: DO NOT skip out on any of the readings--these are all related.  By skipping some, you might unnecessarily put yourself at a disadvantage when it comes to the final paper.
  

Step 2:

• As you reflect on the materials you have read, and the notes you made, identify the theme that you want to explore in detail through a final paper
• Write out that thesis statement in about 75 to 125 words.
  
• Locate at least four authoritative references that will be of help to you in arguing your thesis
• These ought to be references not listed in the course syllabus
  
• Before noon on November 24th, email the instructor the following as a word-proccessed document:
• The proposed title for the paper
• The thesis statement
• The list of references

Step 3:

• Enjoy Thanksgiving
• Be thankful that Sriram will not bug you for too long after!
• Discuss your thesis statement (the paper idea) with family and friends after the meal.  
• I am not kidding here
• The topic will be of interest to them, and you might gain clarity through such conversations.
• Before noon on November 29th, email the instructor an outline of your paper as a word-processed document

Step 4:

• Pay attention to the instructor's feedback
  
• Develop the first draft of the paper by December 2nd
• Set that aside for a day and work on the papers and exams for your other classes
• Now, edit/re-write the final paper
• Email the final paper to the instructor some time after noon on December 4th and before 8:00 am on December 7th

Step 5:

• Enjoy the winter break, and come back re-energized for the winter term.

As simple as this :-)

More on the question for Essay 2

A follow-up the question I sent you earlier today.

This week we are scheduled to look at Chapter 8 of the text.  Depending on the edition you are using, the chapter might be titled "Slicing the urban pie" or "Foundations of urban social landscapes."  Most of the question can be answered by reflecting on the various ideas presented in this chapter.  With either edition, as you read the chapters you might even quickly recognize the phrases I have used in the question--some are even verbatim.

So, what is this chapter about?  About how where people live in a city can be clustered into social groups and analyzed in many ways.  What do you mean by "social groups", you ask?  That is a fair question.  And the answer is, well, whatever you want.  I mean it.  It can be social groups of rich and poor.  Or black and white. Or Chinatown and Little Italy. Or Skid Row. Or ..... you see what I mean?  It turns out that there are significant geographic patterns in such social groupings across urban spaces.  It is not without reason that the zipcode "90210" triggers very specific demographic images, right?

Geographers, sociologists, economists, well, everybody but rocket scientists seem to have had something to say about this issue.  And, as if such multiple perspectives were not enough, now we see that there is another layer of globalization to worry about.  Well, the text does a good job of presenting all these interpretations.  And it is absolutely information- and idea-rich, which will require you to read the chapter more than once.  So, read that more than once.

Then, do not start responding to the question I have for you.  Yet.
Because you need to spend some time thinking through all that new stuff.  And you will find that everything we have discussed over the last six weeks neatly blend into this discussion as well.  And, to some extent, the chapter for next week and the two readings there also fit in really well.  So, think about all these.

But, do not start writing your response yet. 
Because, you need to figure out in your mind the thesis statement that best answers the question.  You know, the bottom line.

As you start sketching out your essay, you will remember that you need to locate at least one additional reference material.  This should be easy by now--because you have your thesis statement.

Let me know if I might clarify further.  Or if there is any particular concept in the book that requires explanations.  I shall gladly jump in.

Question for Essay 2

One feedback that I get from students in the online classes--pretty much every term--is that the Discussion Questions are the ones they liked the most.  As much as I too like how wonderfully educational those discussion opportunities are, well, we can't have too much of a good thing :-) 

Ok, seriously, the fall term calendar restricts us a lot.  As a student, I felt that the fall term ought to end with Thanksgiving itself--the week-plus after the event always felt like a drag.  Now that I am a faculty, this calendar issue does not affect me much, but I sense similar sentiments in students, fall term after fall term.  So, in order to make sure that students stay encouraged enough to demonstrate their understanding of the materials, I cut down on DQs the online classes ..... Let me know if you have other ideas .....

So, Essay 2.

One idea we have clearly established from the first week itself: urban geography is about change.  The changes come in many different flavors--including telecommunications that we looked at last week.  (Later, I will post my comments on your responses to the final DQ, which was on telecommunications.)
We have also established the link between economics and cities.

The question then pops up: does the slicing up of this delicious urban economic pie result in any systematic patterns of social groups across the urban space?
Turns out that there are many different interpretations to this and, as you may have come to understand by now, academic explanations rarely converge on a bottom line, and confuse the life out of everybody--students in particular :-)

Your task for Essay 2 is to respond to the following prompt:

Could it be the case that if we do observe patterns of social groups across urban spaces, well, it is not anything new; that is how humans have always lived?  Could it be that we see now is nothing but a cumulative effect of processes--past and ongoing--and these effects are no different than they were in the past?

All the resources that are listed for weeks five through eight of the term will help you think through this, and will help you articulate your thesis.
In addition, you need to get at least one other authoritative reference to support your arguments.  This reference can be an article in a "scholarly journal", or a publication from a think-tank, or an analytical report in a newspaper, .... the bottom-line is that the source should be credible and considered authoritative enough.

As you write the essay, and definitely after you finish it, compare it with the rubric that I will use to evaluate your essays.  This way, you can then amend your essay if appropriate. And keep in my mind my feedback on your first essays and the general feedback to the class also. 

And when you are all done, email your essay as an attachment tome--not to the class.

The deadline?  As stated in the contract for this class, your first essay is due before 8:00 am on November 17th.

It does not mean that you cannot ask me questions.  feel free to check with me as you progress along with the essay--my job is not to "test" you but to help you understand the issues and to also assist you in articulating that understanding you have gained.

Veterans Day

Hey students:

A pain-in-the-*&% that I am when it comes to being focused only on course-related matters, there are a few occasions when I take up class time for something other than the course topics themselves.  In the fall term, there are two such events: Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving.  In the past, I have not engaged my online students on such non-course events, but why not start now, eh!

11/11--November 11th--was the day that the First World War came to an end after inflicting the kind of casualties listed in the following table

It was a cruel irony that this "Great War" was the war to end all wars, and promote peace ....

While it might not seem to be a peaceful world now, we certainly do live during the most peaceful moments of human history.  We have a long way to go regarding world peace, and beauty pageant contestants are certainly doing their part by wishing for it, but let us not forget that what we have now in most of the world is an amazing level of peace that people in the past literally died for ....

In the process of keeping peace, we are also incredibly lucky that many soldiers are still around, and on November 11th we honor American veterans of all wars.  (It was in 1954 that through a Congressional/Presidential act Armistice Day became Veterans Day here in the US. )

So, it will be awesome if you took a moment to thank the veterans you know--a simple phone call, an email, .... Or, if you have a few minutes, enjoy a dinner or cappuccino with them.  Which is why I am discussing this with you on 11/9, two days prior to 11/11 itself.

If there is any veteran in this class, our thanks to you.

Finally, if the embedded video does not come across, then head to the posting on Veterans Day at the notes page to watch this one-minute video of a soldier coming home surprising his daughter at her class.

The Final Discussion Question!

You see how fast time flies when we have fun like how we are having in this course :-)

It is the sixth week of the term, which means we do not have very many left.  Granted that you are very, very, sad that it is all coming to an end so fast (hey, don't chuckle!) I am sure you want a really, really, interesting Discussion Question.  I know I want to read some fantastic responses from you--give it your best shot, particularly because this is the final one.

For this DQ, you will be in one of the two groups:

• Group A: if your last name begins with one of the letters of alphabet A through K
• Group B: if your last name begins with one of the letters of alphabet L through Z

Group A:

your task is to relate the discussions in the text to the article "The city that never sleeps", and explain an issue or two that really deserves our attention.  Key here: link text to the article and then expand on that observation with your comments.

Group B:

your task is to relate the discussions in the text to the article "Will there be cities in a virtual world?", and explain an issue or two that really deserves our attention.  Key here: link text to the article and then expand on that observation with your comments.

Should be engaging.

Telecommunications and the city

Hey, I suppose this term has not been that good for me--minor health issues that prevent me from doing YouTube clips.  It is not that I could not get it done yesterday; I actually did.  But, I suppose the old adage that the face is a reflection of how well we feel is true--I looked and sounded quite horrible.  Well, more horrible than usual :-)  Unlike a regular classroom, a YouTube video with that much negatives ...... well, ....

So, I am going to engage you only through this text/visual email.

You might recall that Onion clip I earlier shared with you--about Blockbuster.   That is pretty much a story of how advances in telecommunications influence the physical built environment of a city.

Historic ‘Blockbuster’ Store Offers Glimpse Of How Movies Were Rented In The Past
One of the interesting issues with telecommunications and the city is whether this will cause dispersal or concentration, which is explored in the text as well.

But then even within the examples discussed in the text, we find that there is a great deal to debate about: for instance, the book presents an argument about universities as an example of geographic concentration.  Now, consider this class--it is online, which actually facilitates geographic dispersal!

In other words, there will be this intense duality of concentration and dispersal, which is not inconsistent with other forms of concentration and dispersal either.  Residential concentration in downtowns versus dispersal into the suburbs and exurbs is another classic example.  Even here, one could argue that telecommunications will facilitate telecommuting and disperse the population even more.  But, humans are not merely about work--families, entertainment, kids and schools, .... all these require geographic concentration.

Economic dispersal has certainly become way too easy thanks to telecommunications.  The growth of Bangalore or Hyderabad as important technology cities in India, while also functioning as the "back office" for the firms here in the US is the kind of geographic dispersal that would blow the minds of a time traveler from even 50 years ago.

So, for now, read the text--should be an interesting and easy reading.  And then read the two articles I have listed for this week.  Then re-read the text.  Why?  The next Discussion Question will be about these, and will be a fascinating one :-)

Feedback on DQ#4, and more--version 2.0

Hey, I had to edit/re-send this because the earlier one got all garbled because of the video that I had embedded there :-(
****
It was absolutely disappointing to read this morning about the USC Trojans' loss.  But, I am sure all will be well come August.  Wondering what I am talking about? Wonder no more :-)

For DQ#4, I wanted you to focus on a few concepts:

• The importance of human talent in modern economic georgaphy
• Flexibility of production
• Agglomeration economies (urbanization and localization economies)
  
• The Rust Belt
• The Central Business District (CBD) and suburbs

Thanks to Ashley's response, where she notes that Florida is himself the source for Table 7.3--Software workers in metro areas.  To quote Johnny Carson, "I did not know that!" :-) So, yes, that alone makes a convincing argument that Florida's essay that I had assigned will, after all, be consistent with the arguments in the text regarding the concepts.
BTW, please do not feel slighted if I do not quote from your responses.  It is just that I want to make sure I am able to tell a story before I lose the audience.  What?  Don't leave.  Sit down. :-)

Now, Jessica writes,

Without Western, and the creative and intellectual draw that comes with being a university town, Monmouth would be a sleepy little place with a gas station as a stopping point

Yes, and no.  It is certainly the case that the university is pretty much THE reason for the local economy.  But, our challenge is the same as that of OSU, UO, .....  Which is, such a presence of a knowledge-producing place, and the agglomeration of a highly qualified labor force has not resulted in the kind of large-scale economic transformations that have happened in the San Francisco Bay area, or in Austin, or in North Carolina's "Research Triangle" .....

In other words, we can see a distinction between necessary and sufficient conditions.  A highly qualified youthful labor force is necessary for an area to undergo economic transformation, but that alone is not sufficient.  You probably then want to ask me why we are unable to produce that kind of an effect in Oregon, and what it will take to transform Oregon's sluggish economy.  That is a gazillion dollar question for which if I knew THE reason, well, I will be one rich dude!

Are you still with me?  Hey, I said sit down!!! :-)

Many of you (plug in your name here) pointed out that these geographic and economic transformations point to the "evolution" from a manufacturing-based economy to a very different kind now that seems to involve lots of intangibles.  Yes, true.  And it is also because of the lots of intangibles that Florida focuses what he refers to as the "Creative Class" and which has also received a lot of criticism. 

Now, as much as there is a wonderful circular/cumulative causation that brings together all these concepts, well, we need to keep in mind that these same forces can also come together for everything to unravel really rapidly.  I hate to give away the stories that we will look at the end of this course; so, I will provide you additional stuff!
A recent article--I read this early this morning; that recent--I came across a fascinating exploration of Detroit in a manner that I hadn't thought before.  Now, even in your responses some of you (again, plug your name here) referred to Detroit--how the decline of the auto industry has affected the population and economics of the area.  Well, the writer of this article refers to a "feral Detroit":

in rapidly shrinking Detroit, where tens of thousands of structures have sat empty for years, people are starting to describe houses and neighborhoods as feral—that is, as places where human activity ceased so long ago that nature has reclaimed them.

Read it--a short piece it is--and you will see how everything we have discussed over the last five weeks comes together in a very Halloweenish manner.  The article has a link to this collection of photos that tell stories on how nature is reclaiming Detroit.  Share it with friends and family at Thanksgiving--it will surely generate enough discussions for everybody to forget all about the football games on TV!

Yes, as always, I welcome your rejoinders.  My plans are to do a YouTube clip later today. 

Discussion Question #4

So, I could not do a YouTube video lecture yesterday--I fell victim to a nasty migraine headache.  This has not been a good term as far as my health is concerned.  Oh well.  At least I have not had to cancel any class yet.
Anyway, I was all set with my talking points and to record a video from my office on campus.  But, guess what?  I didn't bring with me the Bluetooth gadget ..... aaaaaaahhhh!!!! 

Chapters 6 and 7 are discussions on many interesting aspects of urban economic georgaphy--you know, the kind of topics that keep me going on and on. 
DO NOT worry about the differences in the urban models that are discussed there. But, I want you to get a feel for how we might reduce the complex world to models.  Obviously, when we reduce the complexities of the world to simpler models, well, we have to sacrifice on nuances--which is the reason why we then have competing models.

I would like you to make sure you understand the importance of the following concepts, at least:

• The importance of human talent in modern economic georgaphy
• Flexibility of production
• Agglomeration economies (urbanization and localization economies)
  
• The Rust Belt
• The Central Business District (CBD) and suburbs

Now, after reading up the chapters and having an understanding of the concepts I have listed, you might probably wonder whether all these are strictly academic concepts that pointy-headed intellectuals worry about in their free time, or whether they actually have real world implications. 

So, I want you to have an opportunity to check it out for yourself, which is where DQ #4 comes in.
Read this article by Richard Florida.  Don't worry--it is a very, very, very, short piece :-) 
After reading the article, think about the article with respect to the concepts that I asked you to focus on--the previous bullet list.

Your task for DQ#4:

Take up any one of those concepts and test that against Florida's arguments--does Florida's essay validate those concepts?  Contradict those concepts?  ....

Your response does not have to be about each and every one of those concepts--focusing on one of them is all you need to do.  Which also then means that later responses should either be about the uncovered concepts or should continue with the conversation with richer details and arguments.

Let me know if I have not presented the task clearly enough. 

Feedback on Essay 1, and grades

First, I have posted here my feedback (your scores) on your DQs and Essay 1.

Second, Bob emailed me that the text notes that the:

terms "Third World, Less developed world, and Developing countries" are all used interchangeably.(pg 425 bottom left)

I would "argue" with the text's authors that using "Third World" in academic contexts is not kosher--has not been kosher for a few years now.

Now, about the essay itself:
1. Stay focused on the question.  In most of my classes, and definitely in the online classes, I started requiring paper-length responses to specific questions.  Only graduate students get the "luxury" of choosing a topic on their own for a final paper. 
The question this time was specifically about urbanization and economic development.  It was not about the US alone, and not about urban sprawl.

2. Follow the directions. 

3. Write well.Avoid some of the common issues that I came across--such as:

• "we", "you", "our", etc.: if you mean by "we" the United States, then write it out as "the United States".  "You" refers to the reader, which is me and I bet that is not what you--as the writer--intended.
• "I feel", "I believe", "I think", etc.: It is your paper that you are writing.  So, unless you are borrowing ideas from somebody else, then I as the reader know that those are your arguments.  No need to qualify them with additional wording.  
• spelling mistakes: More so when word-processing programs highlight the mistake even as we type a word.  Spell-check maniacally!
• metaphors: the best rule is to avoid them.  If you simply cannot resist that temptation, then use them sparingly.  And, most of all, do not mix metaphors.  

4. Support your arguments.  Think of yourself as a lawyer presenting a case to the judge and jury.  As much as lawyers can be very good talkers, they make sure they introduce evidence to support their arguments.  They bring in experts to testify.  It is the same logic here. 
Do not base all your arguments only on one example--particularly the personal examples.  A quick question should arise right away: what if the example is merely an exception?  Thus, we find support through what other people have demonstrated through their research and analysis.

5. Use appropriate technical knowledge gained from this course.  For instance, when you want to argue that urbanization and economic development have a mutually reinforcing relationship, maybe that is when you can highlight circular/cumulative causation.  

In a way, the rubric I had referred you to addresses many of these aspects of writing a paper. 

My computer is having problems with attaching files.  So, I will have to wait--maybe until tomorrow--to email you the Word files of yours where I have inserted my comments. 
I have provided an example of a good response to the question.  I have removed from the paper the name of the student--so, there is no loss of privacy.

Finally, do not get discouraged if the grade is not what you were expecting, or if I have too many comments on your paper.  This is after all only one component for the final grade. I am confident that your next set of responses will be significantly better than this one--that has been my experience in classes past, and there is no reason for me to even remotely think improvements will not happen this time too.

As always, feel free to contact me.

First and Third Worlds .... no more

Hey, I am a tad past the halfway mark in terms of the number of essays I have graded thus far.  I should be able to complete the grading before this evening.  I will update you at that time.

In your responses to DQ 3 and in some of your essays I notice the usage of "Third World" countries and cities.  Yes, colloquially we use them.  But not anymore in the academic world.  Which is why the textbook authors and I use phrases like "developing countries" ....

So, what is the deal with "First" and "Third" Worlds anyway?  It refers more to the Cold War era than anything else.  Western European countries, Japan, Australia, US, Canada, etc. were classified as the First World, back in the dark ages of the nasty Cold War, and the Soviet bloc countries were the Second World.  And the rest of the world, which was mostly poor countries anyway, were referred to as the Third World.

In a way, a majority of the so-called Third World countries were also members of the Non-Aligned Movement--that they were not aligned with the American influence nor with the Soviet influence.  I personally think that this non-alignment was more a fiction than a fact; but the reality was that this was a large number of countries.

Of course, the fall of the Soviet Union and the communist governments of its erstwhile ideologically aligned countries means that there is no longer a "Soviet bloc" and no "Second World."  East Germany--a former Second World country--does not exist anymore and neither does Czechoslovakia, which split up into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Meanwhile, many old Third World countries have rapidly moved out of "Third World" economic conditions.  Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Brazil, ..... the list is long.

So, the academic world, and the political world too, has abandoned the usage of "Third World".  If we are not happy with a dualistic Developed versus Developing usage, then we go with, for instance, "high income", "middle income" and "low income".  Note that "middle income" does not mean the old "Second World"--there is no one-to-one correspondence other than that at the high-income level.

I hope this helps.  Let me know if I can "talk" more about this; will gladly do.  Meanwhile, I will get back to grading.

Essay 1: urbanization and econ. dev.

When Mark came by my office to chat about stuff, I remarked to him that putting together a 10-minute video clip is way too much of work.  I first have to have my talking points ready.  Then the camera and mic have to cooperate.  Finally, there cannot be too many screw-ups.
Well, guess what?  Things never go well!  It is typically a second or third "take" that I share with the class.  Not that I am entirely happy with the product, but I just tire of the attempts :-)
Why this rambling preamble?  Because I have for you here a video of a few thoughts related to the essay question.  It was my second attempt--the first one I had to ditch after 7-plus minutes because my talking points paper flew away!  So, even though I am not quite satisfied with the second video, well, here it is:
(BTW, my plan is to complete the grading before the weekend is over.)

Discussion Question #3

My toughest part of the term begins starting today--I have to read and evaluate your responses, and also the exam responses from my intro class. 

I know what you are thinking: that my job is within my control, and that I can make my job easier by not forcing you students to do all this work :-)  But then, I want to make sure you get the best return on your investment.  So, on that note, here is something for you think through for this week.

One of the first articles I required you to read was an attempt to understand the "American city."  in the readings for this week, you will find a general discussion of cities in the developed world, and cities in the developing countries.  So, if we had a little bit of difficulty figuring out what an American city is, then you can easily imagine how huge a problem it will be to develop some kind of a generalizable model of a city.

But, we want to discover common patterns among cities so that we might be able to generalize.  After all, that is a distinguishing aspect of a scientific approach to understanding the world--we try to create order out of the chaos we observe. 

While it might have its own set of limitations, what do you see as the general patterns:

• Among the cities in the developed world
  
• Among the cities in the developing world
• Among all the cities of the world?

Now, I understand that this is not a question that can be effectively and completely answered in 75 words.  So, highlight what you think are the most important ones.  As you get into the act later than others, make sure you continue the conversation--by qualifying statements, highlighting the contradictions, etc.

I look forward to your responses.

BTW, I could not do a part 2 of the YouTube video because I was knocked out with stomach ache and headache, and was practically curled up in a fetal position pretty much from 7:00 last evening until 8:00 this morning.  But, I am back on the saddle, as they say, so that I can bug my students :-)

Intro to Week 4 contents

Hey, I have started receiving essays from students.  Looks like we are on schedule then :-)

This week, the material you are required to read are from the textbook--nothing additional.  I thought I would highlight a few ideas through a YouTube clip.  (A reminder one last time: the video embedding does not seem to work with the email.  So, always head to the notes page for this class for the videos, including mine.)
So, here is that video introduction to the issues this week.  Well, actually the first part.  I will complete the "set" tomorrow with the second installment :-)

Now, I refer to China in my talk.  If you want more info on that, here are two resources, both from James Fallows.  The first has way more photos than text about Shanghai, Beijing, and Chinese cities.  The second is a 3-minute video excerpt from his DVD about doing business in China:

Charter Cities

Hey, if we had a regular class, I would have been yakking away, right?  And, if you have been in my regular classes, you also know that I bring in videos that I think enrich the understanding .....
So, here is the video that would have shown in the context where we are in the course now.  It is a wonderful talk by Paul Romer, who is a Stanford economist. (If the embedded video does not show up in the email, head to the notes page for the class.)



If you get excited with this and wish to discuss it, I am all ready.  If you merely want more info, then check out his website primarily about this topic. 
On the other hand, if you decide not to watch the video, well, unlike the regular class, I will never know :-)

Question for Essay 1

Hey, I have meditated (and been sufficiently medicated with caffeine!) and have figured out the way in which you can demonstrate your understanding of the concepts thus far.  I mean it here that it is an opportunity for you--I don't believe in the incorrect notion that students have to be "tested" ....

Through your responses to DQ1 and DQ2, we have already identified that there is a link between urbanization and economic transformation.  This relationship is not something new, and can be traced even back to the time when humans figured out that settled, permanent agriculture is a lot more beneficial than is a nomadic existence.
So, is the relationship strictly one-way, or does it work both ways?  I.e.,:

• Is urbanization a result of changes in the economic aspects?, or
• Did (does?) urbanization trigger economic transformation?, or
• Is there a reinforcing relationship between urbanization and economic changes?

Any, or all, of the resources that are listed for the first three weeks of the term will help you think through this, and will help you articulate your thesis.
In addition, you need to get at least one other authoritative reference to support your arguments.  This reference can be an article in a "scholarly journal", or a publication from a think-tank, or an analytical report in a newspaper, .... the bottom-line is that the source should be credible and considered authoritative enough.

As you write the essay, and definitely after you finish it, compare it with the rubric that I will use to evaluate your essays.  This way, you can then amend your essay if appropriate. And when you are all done, email your essay as an attachment tome--not to the class.

The deadline?  As stated in the contract for this class, your first essay is due before 8:00 am on October 20th.

It does not mean that you cannot ask me questions.  feel free to check with me as you progress along with the essay--my job is not to "test" you but to help you understand the issues and to also assist you in articulating that understanding you have gained.

Excited enough?  What are you waiting for then? :-)

Are you ready for Essay 1?

Interesting set of readings this week also, right?

Ok, first, I have recapped the first two weeks, with my rejoinders to your responses to DQ1 and DQ2, through a video clip.  Yes, I got the microphone to work--watch the video to find out how I made it work.
So, click here for the video, and a couple of hyperlinks I have provided in case you want to follow up with more info.
Maybe you will have to adjust the volume level in your computer to make sure you can hear me, and to get past my accent as well :-)

Ok, about the Essay 1 question itself?  I will email that to you tomorrow.  Keep reading, and email me questions; I am simply waiting for opportunities to go on and on and on and .....

A quick recap of two weeks, and more

Below this embedded YouTube clip, I have provided a few links that you might want to follow-up on, if you choose to.


First, the Onion clip that I refer to :-)

Historic ‘Blockbuster’ Store Offers Glimpse Of How Movies Were Rented In The Past

The Time magazine cover story on Detroit (I have the date of the issue wrong in the video!)
A very recent update on the controversy over Rome's population numbers

Discussion Question 2

Well, maybe you are not completely done with the readings for this week--yet.  In that case, perhaps this Discussion Question will catalyze you into reading them, and re-reading them.

Now, a couple of things I need to remind you about how to frame your responses:
Make sure you DO NOT alter the subject of the email--simply hit reply and continue the conversation
DO NOT email your response to me--it needs to be sent to the entire class
Too short a response almost always suggests that you have not given the question enough thought.
Finally, include appropriate evidence from the readings to support your view.  By the same token, DO NOT include a couple of sentences from the readings simply because ....

Ok, finally the question itself:
As you read through the first two chapters from the book, I am sure you have picked up on a few reasons for why cities came into existence.  After all, not too long ago humans were in rural, agrarian societies.  (BTW, we have reached a milestone now, with more than half the world's population now living in urban areas.  Hence the relatively lighthearted usage of homo urbanus)
So, as you chew the metaphorical cud over the reasons why historically cities came into existence, I want you to then think about the two readings from last week also--you know, the ones from Dissent and the WSJ. 
As you overlay a lot of history ending up with projections into the future, what strikes you as stark similarities and differences?

I look forward to your responses and rejoinders.

Week 2: a few pointers

So, if you were in a "regular class" of mine that met on TR, you would have known that I was away from campus on Thursday--I was down in San Diego at the annual meeting of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers, whose publication, Pacifica, I edit.  Now, there, that is done!

Before I head into outlining how you might want to approach the readings this week, I want to highlight some of the aspects of DQ1.

1. Make sure your responses reflect an understanding of all the materials you are required to address in the question I assign.  For instance, a response that is strictly with reference to the WSJ article but with little to say about the essay from Dissent becomes incomplete.  (BTW, my toughest job will come up when I have to assign letter grades! Here is a great essay on this issue, but you will have to eventually route through the library to access it)
2. A typical course on urban geography at a larger school will usually have a very different structure from what I have here.  I use this format because our university is small, and I find that I add more value to students if I am able to include readings that are less jargon-filled.  So, again, at the end of the course, feel free to provide me your comments on the readings also.
3. The Dissent essay was a wonderful overview of many of the topics we will cover in this course.  It provided an introduction of sorts to the course.  So, keep going back to it every week and you may find it more useful than you initially thought.  I was confident that the WSJ item would immediately grab your attention, and your responses clearly indicate that it did.  One of the panelists listed there, David Plane, was at the conference as well and he talked about how his Top Ten were not quite the same as the final list. Plane said that everybody agreed that DC will be a hot magnet because of the number of jobs that were being generated there--triggered by the federal involvement in stimulating the economy.
   
4. Some of you did point out the irony of Portland--a wonderful city, indeed, but not with many jobs to offer.  Eventually the college graduated baristas will tire of the gazillionth espresso order.  Where will they go?  This is a contrast to the way American cities grew--people flocked to cities because they offered jobs of all types.  The historical growth of Chicago and New York are classic examples.  The current Great Recession seems to suggest that there will be a big time rethinking of where and how Americans will want to live, and where their jobs might be.  
5. You maybe got the impression from both the essays that American cities seem to be always changing--the big ones become small, new ones come up, the shape and flavor changes .... that is uniquely American, I would think.  As much as Americans reinvent themselves, the cities also do; if they don't they risk losing out completely!
   

Now, for this week:

• The two chapters are relatively non-technical and easy to read.  The bottom-line in the first chapter is this: there are many different approaches to urban geography.  An economic lens into urban geography will yield results that are different from when one uses a political lens.  Most of what I do typically involve an economic lens, but in a course like this that serves students from different majors, I try to address more than the economic perspective alone.  Again, refer to earlier Point 2.
• If you have never ever read about the history of cities, then you might be in for a big surprise when you find out through Chapter 2 that cities are very, very recent in the history of humans, and that the earliest cities were not in what we recognize as the advanced countries of today.  Many of them are still around and inhabited.  Again, the historical content will be an easy read.
• Read them.  If you find something that triggers a need for clarification or discussion, yes, bring that up for conversations--just as we would in a regular class.  I hope to get going with the camera this weekend and I shall start YouTubing my thoughts soon :-)
• Finally, as promised in the schedule, I will send you DQ2 on Wednesday.  Make sure that you address all the components of that question, and do not skip anything.
  

Note: My "notes" such as this email will usually include hyperlinks--it is not required that you read the materials at those links.  But, your understanding of this subject will be richer if you did.  Think of all my stuff here as the equivalent of my lecture--I am doing you a favor by not making you sleep in my class :-)

And, BTW, in this course we will NOT take up the issue of how we might create a better city, or how to mitigate problems that urban areas face.  Those set of issues are handled in a separate course, GEOG 425.

Discussion Question 1

It is time to celebrate--the university's web servers are all up and running and all my course syllabi are accessible. 
I figured the best celebration would be ...... emailing you the first of the Discussion Questions :-)

You may have noticed that we will be discussing the opening chapters from the text over two weeks.  That is because I figured that there is always a possibility that a student or two might not have the book yet--for whatever logistical reasons.

Which is why I have for you the essay from the summer 2009 issue of Dissent: "What is an American City?"  The author, Michael Katz, makes a lot of reference to Jane Jacobs' immensely influential book from years past and there is a chance you feel like you have walked into the middle of a conversation.  Don't feel threatened by that.  Read it, re-read it, and you will zoom into some of the urban characteristics and growth dynamics that are uniquely American.

After you have all your notes from that essay, read this report from the Wall Street Journal on "The next hot youth-magnet cities."  If you fall into the demographic that is discussed in this report, well, you might even have some personal opinions on it.

So, after having read the essay in Dissent, and the report in the Wall Street Journal, I bet you will want to share your thoughts with somebody.  My job is to provide you with that outlet so that you don't end up talking about this to unappreciative family members who decide that their lives will become nightmarish because you will want to talk about your class 24x7 .....

Your task:
Any compare/contrast on the "American city" and the "youth-magnet cities" that you think merits discussing with the class. 

Constraints:

• DO NOT send a separate email to the class about this.  Always hit "reply" without altering the subject line so that we can all easily keep track of the conversations.
• Your opinions ought to be appropriately supported by evidence from the two readings.  
• After the first couple of responses, and ideally, a discussion will be a conversation amongst the students.  This is how we do it in the real world, and we will try to replicate it as much in the cyberworld too.
• While one well-informed and well-thought out response (about 75-100 words) is all that is required, you may post longer responses or as many responses as you want, just as in class many of us are more eager than others to participate in conversations. 
• And, of course, as stated in the contract for this class, your responses are due before Sunday noon.

A trivial endnote here:
Dissent is a left-of-center publication, and the Wall Street Journal comes from the other side of the political spectrum.

Your intros?

Hey, today was (and is) a reminder of the chaos that can result when technology fails--the university's website has been down since this morning, which means that online classes, including the ones on Moodle, are down too. 
For that matter, even my regular class is affected because the syllabus and the readings are all online! oh well.
Here is to the "tomorrow is another day" that Scarlett O'Hara so memorably uttered :-)

Because you, too, won't be able to access the syllabus, for now, I am going to restrict myself to asking you to introduce yourselves to the class, by responding to the following questions (in the same order please):

1. Your name
2. The population of the town where you attended high school
3. The largest city (in terms of population) you have ever visited
4. If there is one question that you want to be able to answer by taking this course, that question is ....?

BTW, I am hoping that at the end of the term nobody will even remotely think of uttering Rhett Butler's famous last words from that same movie :-)

Welcome, and about this class ...

Hey, the first formal communication to students in GEOG 413/513 in Fall 2009.

Many of you responded to my previous email a couple of weeks ago--that was to make sure you had information about the textbook we will use for this course. 

A few things first:

• About me: I am starting my eighth year here at WOU.  Prior to this I was at CSU-Bakersfield.  More about my education and work background here.
• My last name is pronounced like the letter "K"--as simple as that.  The "Sri" in the first name is like the "Sri" in the country, Sri Lanka.  And "Ram" is pronounced as if there are two "a"s--as if it is written as "Raam"
  Feel free to address me by my first name.  If you prefer the last name, that is ok, too.
• You don't have to go to any place for this course--everything will come to you as emails.  This course will NOT be in the Moodle environment. There are a few issues I have with Moodle and other course management systems and, hence, I avoid them :-)  Further, because we are more used to regularly checking our emails, I am convinced that this is a better system than requiring students to go to a new cyber-place.
  And, because all the class-related emails will have the [GEOG 413-online] prefix in the subject line, we can easily keep track of them.
• The syllabus and other course-related information is at: http://www.wou.edu/~khes/geog413online/
  Please click over to that site after reading this email and make sure you have read through the requirements for this class.
• We have to make adjustments to be successful in the online teaching and learning environment.  I am hoping I am getting better at this, and thus far I do not have significant negative feedback for me to worry :-)  And, I am constantly on the lookout for discussions related to online teaching.  Towards the end of this term, I will ask you for your feedback too.
  On your part, spend some time understanding how to be the best online student you can be.
• In the online mode, it is way easier to fall behind.  Easier than it is in the regular classroom.  The parallel I can think of is how I fail to keep up with my "going to the gym" schedule, because there is no enforcer.  And then it shows :-)  So, develop your own routines, and stick to that as much as you can.
  

Will connect with you again tomorrow.  Email me with tour questions or comments.  Remember that you can always email the entire class with one single email address: geog418@wou.edu

Once again, a big welcome to you.  I look forward to a fantastic fall term with you folks. 

Welcome to GEOG413-online

Hey everybody, a quick note to welcome you to the class.
Yes, this email is coming to you from your instructor, Sriram. Or, maybe some of you know me only as Dr. Khé.

Class does not start for a while--do not panic. At least, not yet!  Enjoy your summer (it is raining outside though).

This email is to alert you about the text for the course:

The text we will use is titled Urban Geography, which is authored by David Kaplan, James Wheeler, Steven Holloway, and Thomas Hodler.  John Wiley is the publisher. 

Because of the online nature of the class, you need to make sure you have the text right from the first week of classes.

• You may use the first edition, or the latest—second—edition.  
• In either case, you will have to purchase it online, because the text will not be available in the bookstore.  
• Note that the new edition might be a tad expensive.  The publisher’s site will have only new copies.  You might be able to locate used texts, which will be less expensive, at other sites, including Amazon.com or
• If you are comfortable with electronic versions of the textbook, you will be able to purchase it from the publisher's CourseSmart site.  While you will pay only half the price of a new textbook for this electronic version, I don’t think you can “return” it when the term is over.
  

Let me know if you need any other info at this point.  If not, I will "see you" towards the end of the month.