coldhearted scientist وداد

My culture course is not as challenging as the version of it being given by the Spanish Professor, but the students are still having a hard time. That is probably because, as was revealed today in a study, a majority of courses at my institution lack sufficient rigor. My course imitates a course given at Columbia although my assignments are easier; still it does require real conceptual analysis, not just memorization of information and expression of feeling, and that is the problem.

I received this ad for a book and I am wondering, has anyone used it? It will not fit my course because mine has to cover Spain as well. Also, my course is not a “civilization” course but an introduction to cultural studies and the study of cultural objects, so this is a different course. Still, I notice that the students do not know any facts at all and I am beginning to wonder, should one in fact use something like this? What do you think?

Hoja de ruta, cult. y civ. de Latinoamérica 6th ed. updated and restructured: student friendlier to engage them in critical thinking and discussion.

With five successful editions, Hoja de ruta has been recommended as “the most engaging textbook of its kind in the market” for introducing students, not only to a historical overview of Latin America, but most prominently to the most updated information and an array of current topics of interest at the best price compared to other textbooks in the market for the course of culture and civilization of Latin America: $65 if bought directly from Academic Press ENE (price even lower than used books bought anywhere else), $95 if bought at the bookstores, still the lowest price.

Hoja de ruta (6^th Ed.) has been restructured taking into consideration the ways in which the twenty-first century students learn giving them the tools to understand and analyze geopolitical trends in this always changing continent. For example, it is not enough to know the fact that President Chávez was reelected for a third period; most importantly it is to think about the repercussions for the future of Venezuela and for the entire region if due to his illness he cannot assume power; what will happen with his 5 point plan to consolidate the “Socialismo del Siglo XXI” in Venezuela and expand it to Latin America?

The text is written in a student friendly narrative which makes all aspects of Latin American culture and history accessible to students developing their critical thinking skills, engaging them in lively discussions in the classroom and providing them with the key elements to develop individual projects. For instructors, the textbook is enhanced with access to a PPT slide show summarizing the important points in each chapter which includes additional pictures, maps and extra graphics as well as links to reliable videos and clips to show in class.

Updated to November 2012, Hoja de ruta (6^th) includes other topics of current interest such as:

• the effects that the constitutional changes introduced in countries such as Nicaragua, Ecuador, Bolivia and possibly Argentina to allow multiple reelections could have in the development of democracy
• the relevance that the student movements in Chile, Mexico and Colombia could potentially have in changing the political arena of the different countries
• the impact that the peace negotiations between the Government and the FARC in Colombia could have in the country´s future
• the political stakes that President Obama´s immigration mandate could have on the future of the undocumented Hispanic youth in the USA
• new laws and changes in favor of women and the LGBT population
• new trends in film and literature

Divided in three sections: “Nuestro pasado histórico”, “Nuestro presente”, and “Aspectos de nuestra civilización y cultura” the book follows a skillful, didactic strategy: the “hoja de ruta” or roadmap of the chapter; a self-evaluation, “¿Cuánto sabemos?”, of students’ knowledge on the topic; the chapter itself; a review guide with questions and puzzles, “¿Cuánto sabemos ahora?”; and finally, topics to think, research, write and discuss about which can be assigned for oral presentations.

Axé.