IAP 2018 Activities by Sponsor - Mechanical Engineering

Barbara Smith

Enrollment: Email bsmith@mit.edu
Sign-up by 01/05
Limited to 50 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

Have you always wondered why some people seem at ease in public speaking? Have others told you to speak up because you speak too softly, or perhaps you are self-conscious because of your foreign accent? Well, this course is for you! You will learn the proper techniques for projecting your voice and delivering that talk.

Students must sign up by 1/5/18 and must attend all 6 classes. Please send an email to bsmith@mit.edu to sign up. Enrollment limited to 50. 

Sponsor(s): Mechanical Engineering
Contact: Barbara Smith, 5-320, 617-253-0137, bsmith@mit.edu

---

Effective Speaking

	Jan/09	Tue	04:30PM-06:30PM	4-163
	Jan/11	Thu	04:30PM-06:30PM	4-163
	Jan/16	Tue	04:30PM-06:30PM	4-163
	Jan/18	Thu	04:30PM-06:30PM	4-163
	Jan/23	Tue	04:30PM-06:30PM	4-163
	Jan/25	Thu	04:30PM-06:30PM	4-163

Barbara Smith

Shekhar Shastri

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/15
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

Romantic poetry was considered the supreme form of aesthetics in ancient Indian literature. Strikingly uninhibited in their content and intensity, the works of poets such as Bhartrhari, Kalidasa, and Jayadeva are unparalleled in their sublime expression of love which provide deep insight into ancient Indian society, culture, and relationships in general. In addition, a brief background in Indian aesthetics would be provided to help in understanding the literary works and the sensibilities of the era under study; paintings inspired from the above-mentioned love poetry would be shown and discussed.

Students would be encouraged to create original works on their own deriving inspiration from the works studied in the class. The final session will take place in the Indian Art gallery at The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Comments from IAP 2011-14 students:

“ … very engaging and dynamic ... what a wonderful way to learn Indian culture. … drew us in immediately …very stimulating ... beautiful ... moving”

Instructor

Shekhar Shastri is an entrepreneur, poet, and filmmaker and is a Director of Meru Education Foundation, which produces educational programs on the arts and culture of India. He writes poetry and plays in Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, and English. He has produced four films, one of which was nominated for a National award in India.

To register, please email:  shastri.shekhar@gmail.com

Sponsor(s): Mechanical Engineering
Contact: Shekhar Shastri, shastri.shekhar@gmail.com

---

	Jan/23	Tue	07:00PM-09:00PM	TBD
	Jan/25	Thu	07:00PM-09:00PM	TBD
	Jan/30	Tue	07:00PM-09:00PM	TBD
	Feb/01	Thu	07:00PM-09:00PM	TBD

First four classes at MIT.  Fifth and final class at MFA, Boston - date TBD.

Shekhar Shastri

Amy Carleton, Lecturer: Writing, Rhetoric, and Professional Communication, Jane Kokernak, Lecturer: Writing, Rhetoric, and Professional Communication

	Jan/31	Wed	10:00AM-01:00PM	4-231
	Feb/01	Thu	10:00AM-01:00PM	4-231

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Limited to 60 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

Embarking on any research-based writing project, like the undergraduate thesis or a technical report, can often seem daunting. How does one choose a suitable topic or focus? What is an approach for conducting and cataloguing a literature search? What are strategies for outlining and drafting your final document? What are the qualities of effective technical prose?

This IAP workshop will offer students a strategic and intense opportunity to prepare for their upcoming thesis or other large writing project by

 - conducting genre analysis of sample theses and reports,
 - formulating a viable research question,
 - generating a preliminary research bibliography,
 - examining the features of effective prose, and
 - designing a realistic timeline keyed to the chief writing tasks.

Day one will focus on the components of thesis and report writing, the research question, and background research with help from an MIT research Librarian.  On day two, we will isolate features of technical prose and their application to your writing, design a project timeline and get quick feedback, and address questions specific to your project.  Participants are asked to bring laptops and any project guidelines to the meetings. Note: while the emphasis is on undergraduate research in MechE, anyone is welcome to attend.

Attendance capped at 60.

To register, fill out the Google form here: http://bit.ly/2ijWgXK

Sponsor(s): Comparative Media Studies/Writing, Mechanical Engineering, Writing, Rhetoric, and Professional Communication
Contact: Amy Carleton, amymarie@mit.edu