Blogs (on Wordpress)
Reading and Discussion Schedule:
Week 1: Mathematical Models
Monday, January 6:
For class: Cathy O’Neil, Weapons of Math Destruction, Introduction, Chapter 1 & 2
After class: Blog Post: What is a model? What is an WMD? If you were to make a model for ranking liberal arts colleges, what factors would it include? Why?
Tuesday, January 7:
For class: Cathy O’Neil, Weapons of Math Destruction, Chapters 3 & 4
Article: How U.S. News Calculated the 2020 Best Colleges Rankings
After class: Comment on two other students' blog posts
Be Thinking About: Ideas for a prompt for Wednesday's blog post!
Wednesday, January 8:
For class: Cathy O’Neil, Weapons of Math Destruction, Chapters 5 & 6
Article: Harvard’s Admissions Process, Once Secret, Is Unveiled in Affirmative Action Trial
Movie: The Big Short (Note: It's okay to not be following everything! This film is meant to be a way to look at a financial WMD in real life without getting too technical.)
After class: Blog Post on one (or more!) of the following:
How do you define diversity? How does an institution achieve diversity? Is this process fair?
What is a feedback loop? What are some examples of negative feedback loops?
How can we prevent a model from becoming a WMD? Is this possible?
Any thoughtful response to our class discussions or readings from this week (including tomorrow's reading)
Thursday, January 9:
For class: Cathy O’Neil, Weapons of Math Destruction, Chapters 7 & 8
After class: Comment on two other students' blog posts
Be Thinking About: A social justice topic you might want to research more
Friday, January 10:
For class: Cathy O’Neil, Weapons of Math Destruction, Chapters 9, 10, & Conclusion
After class:
Blog post: What do you think the future will look like in terms of WMDs? What are a couple of social justice topics you are interested in learning more about?
Assignment (due in class Monday): Create a model ( at least 5 characteristics, quantification, % of model) for ranking charity organizations
Week 2: Networks!
Monday, January 13:
For class: Kristoff & WuDunn, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, Introduction and Chapter 1
Blog post on one of the following:
What fact(s) surprised you most from the reading and why? Why do you think you were unaware and how can awareness be raised?
Do you think voluntary prostitution for adults should be legalized - why or why not?
Read the article about the Golden State killer. Do you think the methods the police used to catch the killer are ethical? Why or why not?
Social Justice Topics: email me suggestions or add/comment on THIS LIST!!
Tuesday, January 14:
For class: Kristoff & WuDunn, Half the Sky , Chapter 2
After class: Comment on two other students' blog posts if you haven't already!
Social Justice Topics: decide on your topic and your group.
Wednesday, January 15: DON'T FORGET CLASS MEETS AT 9AM TODAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For class: Kristoff & WuDunn, Half the Sky , Chapter 3
Lab! (adapted from Mathematics for Social Justice by Karaali and Khadjavi, module by Beier)
Blog post: Suppose you are leading a class discussion on Chapter 3 or 4. What question would you ask the class? What would your response to that question be?
Thursday - Monday, January 16-20
Focus: Working on Social Justice Group Projects
Research your issue and decide on a finalized topic - email me the topic by Friday night!
Decide on readings to assign to the class - email me a tentative list by Sunday night
Optional: find a documentary/video to show in class about your topic
Come up with a list of discussion questions for class and a prompt (or prompts) for a blog post about your topic - email these to me by Monday
Research ways to make a difference with your issue (either as a society or as an individual). These should include (but are not limited to) the following:
Charities involved in your issue
How we could use the LC fair to do this
Note 1: If you would like to meet with me or set up a time to video chat on Sunday or Monday, I am happy to!
Note 2: I will post a tentative schedule for these topics by Sunday evening
Week 3: Our own Social Justice Topics (and Networks!)
Tuesday, January 21
For class: Kristoff & WuDunn, Half the Sky , Chapter 4
Wednesday, January 22: Just War (Haruka, Kyle, Koki, and David)
For class:
Reading - these can be found on the Ikeda website:
Just War Theory by Brooks, Thom (2013), Introduction
The Choice of War : The Iraq War and the Just War Tradition by Albert L. Weeks (2009) , Introduction
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/soka-ebooks/reader.action?docID=539674&ppg=12
Blog Post (before Wednesday's class), answer one or more of the following:
What is just war according to just war theory?
What is just war FOR YOU?
What do you think about the model of just war?
Do you come up with any examples of just war?
Evaluate an actual war based on just war theory.
Thursday, January 23: Microfinance (Risa, Chris, and Mai)
For class:
Reading (this can be found on the Ikeda website):
Banker To The Poor : Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty by Yunus (2007), Chapters 4 & 5
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/soka-ebooks/detail.action?docID=665879
Blog Post (before Thursday's class), answer one or more questions from the following:
The current annual interest (15 years fixed) rate for mortgage is 3.25 percent in the U.S. As mentioned in the book, Grameen sets 20% interest per year. Do you think this rate is too high? Why or Why not? What reasons can be behind this relatively high interest? Do you think the bank can fulfill its mission of helping the poor with this much of interest? How can they lower the interest rate?
How can micro-finance improve women's social status? How can this eradicate poverty?
Lab 2! (adapted from Mathematics for Social Justice by Karaali and Khadjavi, module by Beier)
Friday, January 24: Educational Gaps (Nick, Komi, and Makoto) - Remember! We will meet in MAA 207 at 12:55 today!!!!
For class:
Reading: the following four articles
Blog Post (before class Friday), answer one or more of the following:
What is education (achievement) gap?
What do you have as your general knowledge of education gap?
What can parents from poor socioeconomic status do for their children to bridge their achievement gap?
What can we do to minimize education gap?
Guest Speaker! Soledad Gompf, Interim Executive Director of FINCA, who will speak to us about FINCA and microfinance.
Please prepare 1-2 questions to ask the speaker
After class:
Blog Post: Reflect on this week in some way. This could answer, but not be limited to one of the following questions:
What was something new that you learned?
How have your opinions about a social justice issue changed?
What surprised you most?
If you were going to investigate another social justice topic, what might it be?
Please add the charities (along with website) that your group is still considering for the LC Fair here.
Work on your posters for LC Fair - we will need to send them to IT Monday.
Sign up for Half the Sky chapters!
Week 4: LC Fair
Monday, January 27
For class:
Please read three chapters in Half the Sky (sign up here!) When we discuss the book in class, you'll be partially responsible for representing your chapters.
Bring your maps!
Guest Speaker! David McGarry from DataRobot who will speak to us about Mathematical Modeling. (A short bio will be emailed!)
Please prepare 1-2 questions to ask the speaker
After class: Please comment on one other student's blog and make sure you have approved all of the comments on your own blog!
Tuesday, January 28: Please arrive by 12:55pm today!!
Sgt. Brett Gardner from the Aliso Viejo Sheriff's Department who will speak to us about crime and decision making by police officers.
Please prepare 1-2 questions to ask the speaker
FYI: The newspaper photographer will also be coming today at 1pm
Lab 3! (adapted from Mathematics for Social Justice by Karaali and Khadjavi, module by Beier)
Thank you notes: please write thank you notes to Soledad and David. I will send them notes Wednesday!
Wednesday, January 29: LC Fair
Schedule:
12pm everyone arrives to set up!
12 - 1pm: Microfinance Group
1 - 2pm: Just War Theory Group
2 - 3pm: Education Gaps Group
After Class Updates!
David M. came across this story on NPR and thought we might be interested given our course topic: Graduates Of Historically Black Colleges May Be Paying More For Loans: Watchdog Group