George Mason University is on Eastern Standard Time and our Spring Semester begins January 24th and ends May 7th. We typically meet Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:30-11:45, but we may have some flexibility in re-scheduling if we act soon.


___________________________________________________
John G. Dale
Assistant Professor 
Department of Sociology and Anthropology,
Affiliate Faculty for the Institute for Conflict Analysis & Resolution,
Associate Faculty of the Center for Global Studies, and the Center for Justice, Law, and Society
George Mason University
4400 University Drive, MS 3G5
Robinson Hall B, Rm. 314
Fairfax, Virginia 22030 USA
Phone: 703-993-1444 
Fax:   703-993-1446
Email: [log in to unmask]

----- Original Message -----
From: Enzo Colombo <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wednesday, September 29, 2010 6:29 am
Subject: R: An initial set of questions regarding our courses in the spring

> Italian trimester begins 11 April and ends 25 June (21-30 April are
> holidays). We will have 20 times 1h 45 min. class (two every week, on
> Tuesday (from 10.30 to 12.15) and Wednesday (from 12.30 to 14.15)  
> – CET).
> Due to logistic restriction in our University, it would be very 
> difficultfor me to find another, more suitable, collocation (but 
> I’m trying to do my
> best in succeeding)
> 
> Enzo Colombo
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Da: The Partners Project [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Per 
> conto di
> Coates, Rodney D. Dr.
> Inviato: martedì 28 settembre 2010 19.17
> A: [log in to unmask]
> Oggetto: An initial set of questions regarding our courses in the 
> spring
> 
> 
> Dear Partners:
> 
> 
> 
> In anticipation of the next phase of our project I have below 
> posted a set
> of questions that have been raised. While there are probably more, 
> and I
> hope you as partners bring them to this forum, these are the most 
> criticalones to date that have surfaced.  I ask that you consider 
> how we might best
> address these questions, collectively.   
> 
> 
> 
> Please either respond directly to the Partners list, or if you like 
> to me
> and I will post your responses.  It would be great if we could have 
> specificanswers to these and related questions by the end of this 
> month.   Remember,
> these are not all the questions, just the immediate ones that have 
> beenidentified.  I expect that as we proceed others will surface –most
> noticeably ..those related to technological access, logistics, and 
> the like.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And now for the questions:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From our Partners in Moscow:
> 
> 
> 
> 1)         I welcome the idea of joint assignments - our experience 
> showsthat it is very useful tool. However I would like to start 
> discussing them
> ASAP as we have to plan the number of assignments for this semester 
> and for
> the course in general, so we have to take into the account at least 
> thenumber of assignments you are planning to have for the Jan-March 
> period.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From our Partners in Lisbon 
> 
> 
> 
> From Lisbon, we send you some thoughts and questions to be 
> addressed. 
> 
> 1.       Would it be available a common web site to present the 
> main global
> information about our classes? Will each class need its own local 
> webpage or
> would we work a local webpage inside the common website? 
> 
> 2.       It is important to schedule two or three join sessions of all
> classes by tele-conference: day and time. We all should be prepared to
> receive this join session. 
> 
> a)      We propose two hours sessions (30´ to present the subject; 
> 60´ to
> “global” discussion between the conference person and the students; 
> 30´ will
> be time lost)
> 
> b)      The subject should be the definitions of “human rights” and 
> “socialJustice”. A third subject could be presented. As in Portugal 
> we only have 10
> weeks we wonder if the schedule of the third join session will be 
> in time
> for us: it will depend of our collective decision about it.
> 
> c)       A CV of the conference person and the paper supporting the
> conference should be available earlier enough in order to help the
> preparation of the joint session (one can choose to comment the papers
> presented in the Syllabus). 
> 
> d)      Depending on the number of classes in the program, one should
> preview the way it would be possible to organize interactive 
> conversationduring teleconferences. It would be not possible that 
> any student could ask
> his question and receive an answer since one would have 200 students
> connected. One must define clear rules and prepare the interaction. 
> Forinstance, only some classes would be allowed to interact each 
> time (5
> classes by 60´ become 12´ question/answers each class).
> 
> e)      We do not feel it is appropriate to schedule more than three
> teleconference join sessions, since it would be experimental. We 
> need time
> to understand better the best way to do it. 
> 
> f)       The Portuguese schedule for late classes run through 18:00 
> till22:30 hours Greenish time. This is the best hours to come 
> together with
> north-American colleagues.  
> 
> 3.       Should record in tape each local class session?
> 
> a)      We have the possibility to upload video records in the 
> internet.Would we have this facility available in our website? 
> Should we upload all
> class sessions in order to be possible each partner to look at 
> other partner
> work?
> 
> b)      Such a data bank would be useful to deep discussions (and 
> to support
> formal research) about different habits, cultures and concerns in 
> differentparts of the world.  Both for teachers and students. 
> 
> 4.       In Europe we speak very different languages.
> 
> a)      Even English would be, of course, the main international 
> language -
> both written and spoken – different languages open different forms of
> thinking, showing  and doing. Depending on the circumstances, it 
> would be
> possible that Portuguese or French languages (the native languages 
> of the
> professors in Lisbon) would be used as reading or discussing 
> languages.Doing so, one has to ensure the necessary translation 
> ability in order to
> reach all students in class – some of them would be not Portuguese 
> or French
> native in language. Do you think it is OK or you see any kind of 
> problem? 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From me:
> 
> 1)      When does your semester begin, when does it end?  What time 
> zone are
> you on?  (here is a world clock that might be of interests:
> http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks..
> 
> 
> 
> Rodneyc..
> 
> 
> 
>