Announcements

You must check here for announcements pertinent to the class while the class is in progress

BULLETIN BOARD STORIES

Girl with two heads 5-30-05

ANNOUNCEMENT  12-22-10

The Course is now closed. Thank you to all who persevered and provided feedback at the end.  GRADES are POSTED

 

ANNOUNCEMENT  12-20-10

 

ANNOUNCEMENT  12-13-10

GRADES are POSTED Modules 1-7

********************ANNOUNCEMENT  11-29-10   ***********************

GRADES are POSTED Modules 1-7

I will not accept any further submissions of written assignments for modules 1 to 7.  Please focus on completing the semester and the bonus activity at the very end.

********************ANNOUNCEMENT  11-29-10   ***********************

GRADES are POSTED Modules 1-6

********************ANNOUNCEMENT  11-22-10   ***********************

GRADES are POSTED Modules 1-5

PROJECTED FINAL GRADES are also posted.

ANNOUNCEMENT  11-15-10

ANNOUNCEMENT  11-8-10  The PROBLEM of EVIL This week.

ANNOUNCEMENT  11-1-10 REMINDER  !!!  Written Assignments

4A    Arguments for the existence of a deity based on reason  was due 10-24-10 

4B Arguments for the existence of a deity based on experience is due  11-7-10

ANNOUNCEMENT  10-25-10

ANNOUNCEMENT  10-18-10

ANNOUNCEMENT  10-11-10

MID COURSE EVALUATIONS  Time for Feedback  THANK YOU !!

ANNOUNCEMENT  10-9-10  GRADES are POSTED Modules 1-3

PROJECTED FINAL GRADES are also posted.

Your grades are under the last 4 digits of your personal id # QCC rosters or esims.

Read below the grade table for explanations of grades.

CLASS STATUS as of the last module:

  • Enrolled: 24

  • Formally Withdrew 7

  • Entered the class website in last Mod: 12

  • Participated in discussions in last Mod: 12

  • Submitted written assignment: 12

  • Attempting to INTERACT: 5

  • Achieved highest grade(2-4-5) :1

  • To increase your grades on written assignments call me to go over your submission if you want to revise and resubmit.  718 281 5038

ANNOUNCEMENT  10-4-10

 

ANNOUNCEMENT  10-3-10  GRADES are POSTED Modules 1-2

PROJECTED FINAL GRADES are also posted.

Your grades are under the last 4 digits of your personal id # QCC rosters or esims.

Read below the grade table for explanations of grades.

CLASS STATUS as of the last module:

  • Enrolled: 24

  • Formally Withdrew 3

  • Entered the class website in last Mod: 19

  • Participated in discussions in last Mod: 12

  • Submitted written assignment: 12

  • Attempting to INTERACT: 7

  • Achieved highest grade(2-4-5) : 2

  • To increase your grades on written assignments call me to go over your submission if you want to revise and resubmit.  718 281 5038

 

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENT  9-27-10  MODULE Three SCIENCE and RELIGION

ANNOUNCEMENT  9-20-10 Islam and Zoroastrianism  thsi week

ANNOUNCEMENT  9-13-10 Western Religions this week

Keep up with the discussions.

Most students this semester indicated that they took this class to learn of other religions.  This is the module where you do that.  This module is NOT Philosophy. It is what most of you wanted.   It is comparative religion or history of religions.  Philosophy will begin in this class in module 4.

ANNOUNCEMENT  9-10-10  ATTENDANCE HOLY DAYS and HOLIDAYS

READ the material on this on the course outline HERE

ANNOUNCEMENT  9-10-10

I have observed the activity in the class for two weeks now.  I wish to inform members of the class as to how well they are doing.  I will send out an email to those who I think are doing particularly well and another to those I think are doing very poorly.   I hope that this will encourage improvements that will make a rich learning experience this semester for all in the class.

If you are doing well I hope that you will continue and perhaps even encourage others to improve and join you in full participation in the LEARNING COMMUNITY of this class.

If you are not doing well you might want to contact me to go over what you might do to improve.

Please observe the email protocols for sending me communications

 

**** ANNOUNCEMENT  9-6-10 *********************

Grades Posted: click here

Class Status at end of Module One:

  • ROSTER: 25

  • Withdrew: 0

  • Not entered BB site: 6

  • Participated in Discussions during the module period: 10

  • Submitted assignments: 14

  • Earned Highest grades earned: 2-4-5:  2

****************** ANNOUNCEMENT  9-6-10 **********************

World Religions: China  and Confucianism and Taoism

ANNOUNCEMENTS 8-30-10 Module Two Now Open.

World Religions:  the East  Hinduism Buddhism, Jainism

ANNOUNCEMENT 8-26-10    Welcome!

Professor Philip A. Pecorino

VIEW:  Welcome Opening http://www.youtube.com/v/Qv939exyF60

LET's Get STARTED!!!

Well, congratulations on entering the class site and getting this far.  Now we get into it.  If you got this far you can make it through the rest of this.  I look forward to working with all of you and hope that we will produce successful outcomes for each one of you taking this course.

Prepare for one heck of an experience.

Intense and rapid!!

15 weeks of work and thinking, thinking , thinking.

Are you ready!

Fun, work, opportunities, work, rewards, work.

9 to 12 hours of work per week!!!!

God? Gods? Religions? Souls? Afterlife? Meaning? Truth?

Explore new perspectives!

Expect challenges to your cherished beliefs!

A Survivor Course!

 

<<<<< Check out what all the buttons on the left Navigation Bar or Column have in them. Explore the site. Read what is below and then click on Getting Started link.

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You are about to enter into an EXPERIENCE. For most of us involved this will be a completely unique first time experience. Part of it will be about learning of Philosophy and Religion and the basic ISSUES and problems that have been associated with Philosophy of Religion for over two thousand years. Another part of the experience will be learning about me and your classmates and their views on many important philosophical topics. Perhaps, the most important part of the experience will be what you shall learn about yourself and what you are capable of doing and what you are capable of learning and how critically you can think about important and very basic questions and issues that have perplexed humans around this planet for millennia!!!!

You should start by going to COURSE INFORMATION and reading all the documents there. Then do the "Icebreaker" exercises or assignments that are in the first ORIENTATION week module as soon as possible.
Here is a quick link to that list.

Your next Steps

One of the most important aspects of this course is student interaction, and I don't want anyone working ahead - that's why I shall discourage you from moving ahead of the time schedule for activities and assignments. (See Schedule-CALENDAR in the COURSE INFORMATION section and print it out for yourself. )

Keep your mind open, and be prepared for a challenging and thought-provoking course. If you are the curious type, and if you like to think, I believe you will enjoy this course a great deal. Curiosity may have killed a cat somewhere or other once upon a time but curiosity is near the origin of philosophical thought in humankind.

CURIOSITY, WONDER and CRITICAL THOUGHT are hallmarks of a philosophical disposition.

Whether on the ground in an ordinary classroom or online in the virtual classroom in cyberspace, this course involves a lot or work. Reading, thinking, writing, thinking, writing, reflecting, writing, questioning, writing, interacting with the instructor and fellow classmates. Most will find that all the work is worth expending because of the value derived from that expenditure. Some of the labor involved might be a bit uncomfortable, disquieting and perhaps, painful. But remember:
NO PAIN: NO GAIN!!

One of the oldest people to have ever taken a class with me taught me this:

A mind is like a parachute:
it must open to work correctly !!!

So Please keep your mind OPEN.

Open to learning and to having some fun

This experience is designed to provide you with opportunities to experience value. One of those values is learning, knowledge is another, skill development is a third but FUN is also included as a valued goal.

1. Communication with the instructor

The first place to ask the instructor a question about the class is in the ASK THE PROFESSOR FORUM of the DISCUSSION BOARD

If you need to communicate a private matter to the professor then use the email address.

Follow this format in the subject line:  PROTOCOL for EMAIL to Prof. Pecorino

First Name Last Name  SS610 section of the class FNET or F or G or H1 and then choose one of the following HELP or Question or Assignment# when sending the assignment.

Do not send attachments as assignments. Copy and paste the text from the word processor to the message window of the email.

2. Participation in discussions is very very important.  You should enter the discussion board three times each week:  at the beginning middle and end of the week.  Discussions close on Sunday night.  Each person should participate in each forum.  Answer questions and post your own thread related to the topic. BE SURE TO RESPOND TO ALL QUESTIONS and REQUESTS POSED TO YOU.

3. LEARNING COMMUNITY

We are looking to develop a learning community in this class where people assist one another.  Ask one another for help in the STUDENT CAFE.  Ask one another questions about the topics within the discussion forums.

You may post a draft of your written assignment in the STUDENT CAFE and ask for feedback from others on it.  They can proof read and comment on it.  You should then revise it before submitting to the instructor.

Postings to Discussion Board
Postings to Discussion Board
Please follow these Terms of Service or Conditions for Use:
No sloppy postings, please use a spell check and then copy and paste into the discussion box
No inflammatory messages, count to 10 before posting, No (masked) vulgarity,
No trolling
No spamming,
No mentioning of pink elephants, etc
YES, be polite
Yes, be helpful
Yes, copy and paste materials into your posts to support your positions
Yes, ask questions of your classmates
Yes, point out inconsistencies, contradictions and vagueness
Yes, respond to those you respond to you
acceptable posting language.
Do NOT use all CAPITAL letters.  It is considered rude to do so.
No spelling short cuts or emoticons,
No lower case "i" in referring to oneself.
No sentence fragments and sentences that begin without an upper-case letter.

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BB Assistance and the HELP DESK
Technical Help is Available at QCC Online.
QCC Online help can be obtained by sending e-mail to: BBSupport@qcc.cuny.edu

Telephone HELPLINE : 718 631 6624
url for QCC Online 
http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/qcconline/Students/default.htm
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For online help, E-mail your questions to
BBSupport@qcc.cuny.edu
You should have an answer the next business day.

If you have trouble then email me at:
ppecorino@qcc.cuny.edu
We will respond the next business day.

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CUNY WRITE SITE
There is assistance available for your writing. CUNY has an online site. The WriteSite is available free from any internet-connected computer anywhere in the world. Point your internet browser to: http://writesite.cuny.edu

There is more information on this under Course Information Documents-Assistance with Written Assignments.

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Research in Philosophy on the Internet.
Free tutorial on doing research in Philosophy on the Internet.

http://www.humbul.ac.uk/vts/philosophy/index.htm