There are four asks for class on Tuesday. I expect that these tasks will take less than 1.5 hours to complete.

1. Please post to your blog your thoughts about Strickland’s article “What Every Kid Wants” — you can use what you wrote in class (10 minutes).

2. Read Tseng & Fogg’s essay on “Credibility and Computing Technology.” This article lays out some key concepts we will use throughout the semester. (25 minutes)

3. Refer to this page of resources: Module 1 Readings & Resources. Rather than choosing one text (as I said in class), please spend about 45 minutes (or more, if you like) with different texts (short articles, scholarly articles, videos). In other words, you can choose 1 or several, but plan to spend about 45 minutes total (or more) in reading & viewing.  (45 minutes)

4. Post to your blog about what your read. The post can be informal — you can approach it the way you approach in-class writing (set a timer for 10 minutes and write like crazy). Of course, some people like to write really long blog posts. But that’s a real art form (or mania).

The first chapter of A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking offers some great observations about the work we’ll do in this course.

First, the authors emphasize that public speaking is a valuable skill that applies to your other courses and to your whole life.

Second, they point out that communication is essential for citizenship: in a democracy, effective communicators have the opportunity to shape law and policy.

Finally, they give some tips for how to draw on your prior knowledge and experience to succeed in this course.

Access the text via Canvas:

Bill Strickland’s essay, “What Every Kid Wants,” is a nostalgia-soaked meditation on the role of bicycles in American childhood.

Read Strickland’s essay (available via Canvas) for Thursday, January 25th.

You can read more of Strickland’s work at Bicycling magazine.

Use 1 or 2 slides, as appropriate.

You have three main tasks to complete before Tuesday: explore, read, write.

Your task is a “space observation.” Walk, bike, or otherwise transport yourself to an outdoor location off-campus and carefully observe the space.

Here are some questions to get you started. You don’t need to answer each of these — they are suggestions to get you thinking:

Places you could go (again, just suggestions… I invite you to explore on your own):

Chris Carlsson, “I’m in a Hurry, so Slow Down!” (blog post/essay)

John Zimmer, “The Third Transportation Revolution” (blog post/essay)

Write a blog post discussing the arguments of Zimmer & Carlsson. Zimmer, as I mentioned in class, is a co-founder of Lyft. Carlsson is a San Francisco writer, activist, and co-founder of Critical Mass.

Your post should show that you are thinking about what ideas and positions these two authors share, and also where they differ.  You can also evaluate their points.

Your post should also include information about your spatial observation expedition.

If it makes sense to connect your observation to bicycles, please do.

Include a relevant image (photo, graph, chart…).

Due before class Tuesday September 27th. Thanks everyone for a great trip to the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. It was great to meet Executive Director Brian Wiedenmeier and Membership Assistant Kelsey Roeder (you can read their bios on the sfbike.org.

For Thursday, here are your 4 tasks:

Winifred Horner’s short chapter on credibility is based on ancient  theories of rhetoric.

According to Aristotle, a speaker’s credibility depends on three characteristics:

Horner discusses these three forms of credibility (or ethos) using the example of Martin Luther King, Jr.

For Tuesday, August 29, read Horner’s short chapter (it originally appeared in a textbook for undergraduate students). The PDF is available here. Chris Carlsson, a San Francisco activist and writer, was there at the beginning of Critical Mass (or the “Commute Clot,” as it was originally known).

Since the first Critical Mass more than twenty years ago, the event has spread around the world. Here in San Francisco, as elsewhere, it has sometimes caused controversy.

In short, the event has variable credibility: some people strongly approve of it, while others are sharply critical of it (or of some elements of it).

Your assignment is to read some selections in a book edited by Carlsson (many other people contributed to the book, as you’ll see). Read Carlsson’s Introduction and a few of the selections that follow. This will give you a sense of the participants’ view of the event. The PDF is linked here.

The entire book is available at the USF library in print form and at nearby bookstores such as Green Apple Books.

If you’re thinking of going to Critical Mass, you might also want to watch the rest of USF student Ellie Vanderlip’s film The Human Motor.

The ride begins at Justin Herman Plaza on the last Friday of every month. People begin assembling around 5 or 5:30 pm, and they actually begin riding around 6 pm usually. There is no leader and no one is in charge.
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