And So...

I shall dub this class the "Small World" class. In this group of students, I found contained:

- a cousin of a friend of mine
- a friend of friends of mine
- a friend of a friend of my sister
- someone who reminds me of the best man at our wedding

Again, it's been a fun experience with you guys. Thanks for the memories and the pleasant sendoff.

And you guys will have the added benefit of not running the risk of encountering me on campus in future quarters, forcing you to ask yourselves the question- 'do I acknowledge I see her, or do I pretend not to notice?' Apparently this is a troubling concern for many former students. None the less, I do hope you feel free to keep in touch, and I wish you all a wonderful summer and good luck in the rest of your college careers.

An Observation

While I was grading all of the blog essays, one thing I noticed that really stood out and made an essay work well was this- including a photo and then directly addressing it in the body of the text. Explaining what the photo meant in relation to the topic was really effective. For those that wish to revise.

Really Bloggy Blog Essays

Here's a few examples of essays that converted really well to blogs. If you're still struggling with making them less academic, check these out while working on your revision and notice what they do.

http://idontknowatimdoing.blogspot.com/2010/05/wild-children-theyre-in-your-backyard.html

Above is a link to Britainy Gober's blog on Feral Children. Her introduction is spot on, with excellent tone - it's conversational, funny, and surprising. The whole thing reads like a persuasive call to arms, written by someone really engaged in the subject- meaning, someone who cares enough to blog about it. (Sure, you guys were all forced to do this, but it's okay for your essay to read like you weren't!)

http://halpinja.blogspot.com/2010/05/mutations-in-your-backyard.html

Jenna does a great job with genetic mutations- especially in her use of photos to illustrate her points.

http://samdropsdead.blogspot.com/2010/05/samsung-3d-led-tv-full-commercial.html

Sam does a really great job with organizing his essay- breaking it into easy to read parts.

Grading

Grades are cropping up in your Blackboard grades list, which is exciting and frightening I'm sure! Remember, even after all those grades are filled, the percentage displayed might NOT BE your REAL FINAL grade. Attendance, cell phone usage and extra credit will all influence the final grade that I will be submitting.

You will be getting my notes on your blog essays in class on Weds. - I'm writing them out so your fellow classmates can't see your grades, good or bad. You will then have until the Weds. of exam week to revise your blog essay if you wish to improve your grade. Be sure to let me know you intend to do so, and email me once you have it posted so I know to go back in and check the new version. I won't submit final grades until Thursday of exam week, at the earliest.

Once again, if you wish to do the extra credit and have not already done so, that is also due next Weds. and you should also email me when you post it so I know to check.

Blog Checklist: Week Nine

This is the last week you need to post anything new to your blog, unless you revise your blog essay or turn in the extra credit listed a few entries back. (If you do attempt the extra credit, email me so that I know to go check your blog, in case I've done up the final grades for it before you post. Extra credit can be posted until Weds. of exam week.)

Checklist:

-Random weekly blog post
- Blog essay

'Homework' for Weds.

Finish writing your final reflection essay (pg 293 in the Student Guide) and type it up. Bring in a hard copy to turn in on Weds. I won't be writing notes or comments on it, just inputing a grade to Blackboard, and I won't be on campus next year to bring the stack in, but if you really want it back email me and we can make arrangements. Remember, it needs to be a solid 1-2 pages (double space) and show serious reflection on your work from this quarter.

What I'm looking for:

- how the concerns you had at the start of the class have been resolved/what advances have you made in your writing?
- what did you do really well in your papers/what are you proud of?
- what do you think still needs work?

Posting a Video

To Post a video:

* This is VERY IMPORTANT- make sure you post the video first if you're working through YouTube (note- you can upload videos from your own computer much as you upload pictures).

1. Find the video you want

2. Click on the Share button under the video- it has a twitter, FB etc. logo

3. Click on the Blogger button and a new window with the video will crop up- a new entry. (You do need to be logged in for this to work!)

4. Put the entry together!

5. If you publish the post, you can then go back in through the Dashboard to Edit Post and you will have all of the options you need to put in photos, etc. So don't panic!

How To- The Blogging Edition

Follow these simple steps to insert a picture:

1. Click the Add Image button (to the right of Spell Check)
2. Upload your photo (click browse then look through your files)
[you can also link to a site like photbucket, but from your computer is probably easier]
3. Select a location for the photo in regards to your text
4. Select a size for your photo
5. Click the little box saying you accept the Terms of Service
6. Hit Upload Image

And voila!

To put in a link:

1. Click the button next to the text color button- it looks like it has an infinity symbol and a globe on it

2. Copy/paste the link you intend to include

3. You'll probably be needing an http:// link, so the default setting is fine

4. Delete the http:// already provided if it's already included in the web address, if you're typing from memory, just type the address right in

5. Hit okay

For example: http://www.failbook.com

Extra Credit

Here's another opportunity for extra credit, in the form of 1% being added on to your final grade percentage at the end of the quarter. It may not seem like much, but it could be the difference between a B+ and an A-.

For the point, you must go to a blog that accepts submissions. I'll provide a few link examples- you are welcome to use one you already read, or something else you happen upon. Read a few pages and determine what kind of content they accept, then write your own. It must be at least 500 words to get the points. Type it up and post it to your blog, including a link to the blog you are writing in response to. If you feel brave, submit your piece to the blog for the publication- if you get it published before the end of the quarter (yes, I know- out of your hands on the timing, but none the less) send me an email with the link to the post showing your work and you'll get more extra credit.

A few fun examples that I know I get a kick out of sometimes: (and the sort of thing I'm looking for, so this should hopefully be a fun potential assignment)

http://www.retailhellunderground.com/

http://myveryworstdate.com/

http://myveryworstroommate.com/

Homework for Monday

Peer review! Print off copies of the papers emailed to you, read them, and fill out the peer review worksheets as you did with the research papers. Peer review in class on Monday.

A Note on the Rough Drafts

For those that haven't already sent them:

- Must be a minimum of 3 pages, double spaced, proper MLA format, etc.
- TEXT ONLY, saved to a Word document
- Emailed to me sometime Friday


ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE:

Email copies to your peer reviewers! You can find your peers through the Blackboard site- communication, send email, select users. Send to the same people you worked with last time.

Revisions of the research paper are also due Friday.

Blog Checklist: Week Eight

Very short- this week:

- Random weekly blog post

Conferences

Remember- these will be held in Starbucks! "Forgetting" where they are and not showing up will make me very irritated. I do them to help you, not for my own health! (Sitting in a coffee shop for hours is just an evil temptation, you see.) Missing your conference counts as missing class.

Here's the schedule- if you find out you need a different time, you can email me, but don't wait until the last minute as I won't be near a computer while I'm at Starbucks.

Monday:

11:00- Victoria
11:10- Amira
11:20- Xanthia
11:30- Sam
12:00- Ryan
12:10- Rachel
12:20- Britainy G.
12:30- David
1:00- Uzair
1:10- Shaynah
1:20- Dana
1:30- Alena
1:40- Lauren

Wednesday:

11:00- Brittany C.
11:10- Kelli
12:00- Jenna
12:10- Nathan
12:20- Sara
12:30- Elizabeth

ALSO REMEMBER: Rough draft of your four page blog essay is due Friday! Email it to me, as you did this research paper. No pictures or links here- those will be added for the final version. Rough draft should be a minimum of 3 pages, double spaced.

A Brief Note on Grades

First- the NP grade means that the essay earned a mark below a C-, and you'd be heartily advised to revise it. Yes, I have to assign a percentage to it for the gradebook, but NP stands for Not Passing, the same grade you could (but I know none of you will, right?) earn for the class.

Second- you now have a grade up on your Blackboard grade book. Do not panic if you do not like this grade! Remember, nothing else has been put in yet, and can't be as nothing else is done being graded on the grand scale. However, don't get cocky either- remember, percentage points are taken off of your final grade for missing too many classes, and other grades put in will surely lower an amazingly high percentage.

Third- keep this in mind during finals week, the grade posted to Blackboard is only the percentage for work, before penalties, or extra credit additions. You might think you have a B- there, but end up with a C+ when grades are turned in. Check how many classes you missed or how often you texted in class when this happens.

Fourth- once grades are finally submitted, they're final. I put a lot of thought into the grades I submit to the Registrar and won't go in and alter one because you aren't happy about it. Remember gang, you get out of the class what you put into it!

Blog Checklist: Week Seven

Short list, again.

- Random weekly blog post
- Why you write

Why I Write

When I see a blank page, I see both limitless possiblity- and a challenge. I know that I can write whatever I want on that blank surface, and I feel like I must write something. So I do. I write stories, to-do lists, journal entries, and thirty page letters. I write down poems I find and like, and I write down turns of phrase that crop up in my mind that strike me as beautiful. And then- then I fill the notebook, use up the pens, and feel accomplished. It is a compulsion that drives me, and it may not be entirely healthy.

I also write to tell stories. I've written and shared swtories since I was in fourth grade. For some reason, my teachers encouraged me. I have to assume they found it cute. But it made my classmates laugh, and I enjoyed having that power, timid little thing that I was. As I got older, I learned I could make them cry too- but that wasn't as much fun. I'd rather male them laugh, and my life has been weird enough to provide the material!

There's even more to it, of course. Sometimes I feel like ideas for stories fill the air around me and all I need to do is reach out and pluck them down onto the page. Sometimes perfect scenes and dialogue play out in my head while I'm walking. (These rarely make it to the page- or if they do, they are in a horribly altered form! I'd doubt my genius... but.... Well, one must be careful about doing so.) And sometime, sometimes I have to write to silence the inspiration pounding through my entire body with my blood at 3 am- just so I can finally go to sleep.

This all, of course, uses up those blank pages and proves that I've done... something...?

Homework for Weds.

Finish your short 'Why I Write' essay, type it up and post it to your blog. Also bring a hard copy to class on Weds.- we will be sharing what you've written as a group.

If you feel saucy and bold, try submitting your story to the website and see if they'll post it. The perspective of a college undergraduate is a unique one, especially in regards to writing. Email submissions to whywewrite@gmail.com.

Why We Write

An interesting blog project in which people send in their reasons for writing. In class today we'll discuss a few of these entries, and then you'll get the chance to write your own, and try submitting it for publication on the Why We Write blog (if you wish to be so bold, that is).

http://whywewriteseries.wordpress.com/

We will also discuss:

-What's the purpose of this sort of project?
- Do you think it's useful/interesting/worth the time and effort?
- How is the blogging format being used here? Do you think another format would work better? Why?

Useful Blog Articles

An essay on the basics of blogs for those unfamiliar with them:

http://www.dvorak.org/blog/primer/blogprimer1.htm


Tips on how to get people to read your blog:

http://www.copyblogger.com/why-read-your-blog/


Why read blogs?

http://redmonk.com/sogrady/2004/09/24/how-to-get-into-blogs-101/

Revisions

This is rather an important annoucement. I don't know how many of you remember my mention of the possibility of revision on our first class day, but here I'll remind you. If you are not happy with the grade you have recieved on your research paper, which, I hope you recall, is 30% of your final grade, you have the possibility to revise it just once in the hopes of getting a better grade.

You will have one week from the date that I return your papers to you to revise. Anything done later than that will not be accepted. You must also meet with me to discuss what you can do to improve the essay, or I will not accept it. I suppose it would be possible to make it worse through revision, but if somehow that is accomplished, you will still keep the better grade.

Blog Checklist: Week Six

Here's what you need for this week:

- Random weekly blog post
- Found blog evaluation homework (from Weds.)

Homework for Weds.

In preparation for our last paper, which will be a blog essay on your topic, it seems prudent to have you guys go out there and look around to determine what a blog essay might look like.

So here's what you need to do.

1. Go online and find a blog that looks promising- could be political, affiliated with a newspaper, etc. - they're everywhere, just give it a look
2. Find an entry posted in one that's a good, solid 4-5 paragraphs MINIMUM, and give favor to posts that are responding to one particular thing- say, a news article, broadcast, something specific
3. Read it! And then post the link to your blog so you can share that essay
4. Answer the following questions in your blog:
- What is the blogger responding to?
- What is their opinion on the topic? Do they agree/disagree with whatever view they're discussing?
- What are they trying to persuade their reader of? How are they doing it?
- How does this seem to be different from an essay in a book, or something you might read in class?
5. Copy and paste a hard copy of the homework to turn in to me on Weds.


One other note: ATTENDANCE- I know I won't fail you guys straight out for attendance, and I know it's beautiful weather and early mornings and spring quarter to boot, but you really need to come to class and be on time. You lose a lot of points in homework and in-class work, not to mention off of the attendance and participation grade, even beyond the percentage points docked from the final grade. Don't fail a class because you didn't want to wake up, gang.

Homework for Monday

Go to the Blackboard site and print two copies of the peer review form (posted under Course Documents). Read the essays given to you by your peers, and fill out the peer review forms in regards to them. Put some real thought and effort into the feedback, and they'll be sure to do the same for you. Do not leave any spots on the form blank. Be specific- say, rather than "I think your paper was really good," "I really liked how you brought in x idea in paragraph 5- it was really effective for me." You will be graded on how well you respond to your peers, and be sure you DO NOT MISS class Monday, as peer review is important.

Also, we'll be meeting at Starbucks for peer review. Go straight to Starbucks for class on Monday- meet on the top floor.

Blog Checklist: Week Five

We're past the half-way mark of the quarter now, gang!

Here's the list for this week, shorter than usual:

- Random weekly blog post
- Your lovely outlines

Writing Center

The Writing Center is a great resource when you start to revise your papers. It's located on the very same floor of McMicken that our class is on- room 257. While some of the workers will take walk-ins, I would recommend you call ahead to schedule a session: 513-556-3912. Further details are in your Student Guide on page 19. This is a very helpful resource, so if you find yourself struggling.... go there!

Possible Movies for Weds.

This is the place to put suggestions for possible movies to watch on Weds. I'll tell you now that I don't have kids movies, chick flicks, or really violent "horror" movies. I do have action, fantasy, comedy, etc. If there's a movie you want to put forward that you own a copy of and you're willing to bring that- include that information in your comment. Most votes to a movie- wins.

Homework for Friday

There is no homework for Weds. beyond- start working on your rough draft!

Here's what you'll need to turn in on Friday, and be extra sure you're in class that day as you're in serious trouble if you miss:

- a copy of the 5 page (or more) rough draft to me
- 2 copies to give to peers for review

If you find you fill five pages easily, this is a good indication that you're right on track for the final paper. If you find that hard to manage, it's a sign that you might want to expand your topic a little bit.

The rough drafts need to be double spaced, in proper MLA format, which means: (and you will lose points if you do not follow these rules)

- 12 point Times New Roman font
- your last name and the page number in the upper right corner of EVERY page
- 1" margins (default on the newest Word, needs to be manually set on older versions)
- a header in the top left corner with
your name
my name
course
date the paper is due
- include a title
- include your Works Cited (this does not count as page five, sorry!)

MLA Citation Rundown

Here's a few of the major things you need to know for your MLA in-text citations- anything else can be found in the back of your A&B book.

To put a direct quote into a paragraph, "you need to set it up like this" (AuthorLastName page#).

* Do not put in a paragraph number, and if you don't have a page number because it's a web resource, just use the last name of the author. If there is no specific author, use the first word of the article title.

If you are paraphrasing, which means, if you are summarizing a story or bit of information you got from an article, you still need to provide the proper citation- it may be your words (So you don't need to put it in quotation marks) but it is still their information. Be sure to include at the end of the summary the (name page#).

Often quotes can seem a bit awkward just dropped into a paragraph. Always be sure to explain what the quote is saying and why it's important to your argument. Also, a handy cheat for putting a quote in and making it look natural there is to follow this format:

As Author says in their article article title, "insert the quote itself here" (page #).

Note, if you include the author name in the sentence itself, you DO NOT need to include afterwards with the page number.

Homework for Monday

Finish the outline you've worked on in class, type it up and bring a hard copy to class, as well as posting to blog. And voila- your paper is practically written!

Monday we're going to discuss rebuttals, which tends to be fun as we can have an in-class debate. If you guys work hard without complaint today and Monday, we might have a party day on Weds. And then, rough draft due Friday- and you'll need to bring 3 copies.

Blog Checklist: Week Four

It's all gotten easier since week one, eh?

Here's what you need to have:
- Proposal
- Introduction and Conclusion
- Random Weekly Blog Post

REMEMBER that you need to do the random weekly blog post every single week, and it should be about a page long, some response to something we did in class, or something interesting you found about your topic- etc. I will not remind you in class, it is your responsibility to remember to do this at any point during the week, up until Friday at 5pm. You will lose points if this is not done.

In Class 4/23

Today we're going to start working on the paper outlines in order to get a framework for the essay. The more detailed the outline, the easier the paper is to write. So, in preparation, here are a few steps to follow.

1. Take the annotated bibliography you got back and label each source ABCDE, etc.
2. Under each source, number the individual quotes, 1-?, so that each quote can be easily identified (ex. A3, the third quote from your first source)
3. Take a clean sheet of paper and write your thesis on it- what are you trying to prove in regards to your topic? Remember- the thesis is you stating your personal opinion.
4. List the major points that support your opinion - only list the major points (ex. saying that Slytherins are the most successful house is the major point, do not go into why they are the most successful house- yet)
5. List the major objections against your viewpoint
6. Now go back and fill in the details under the major points in your favor- anecdotes, statistics, and here is where you list the quotes by the identifying number (so you don't have the recopy the whole quote back out- clever, eh?)
7. Respond to the points against you using the evidence you've gathered- why are they wrong?
8. Take all of this information and put it together into a coherent order- thus creating your outline!
9. At the top of the outline, write in a few details regarding the history of the issue up for discussion- say, the history of Hogwarts, that sort of thing- it's helpful to your reader if you lead in with this information

New Attendance Policy

I know we're an early morning class and sometimes it's hard to get out of bed, so I'm going to revise the attendance policy a little bit. I would rather start strict and get easier if the class is good, which you are- so lucky you! The current rule is that you have three classes you can miss, and the fourth will fail you. Here's the new rule:

You have three classes you can miss with no problems. Miss a fourth and you'll get a warning letting you know that it will start hurting your grade if you miss another. Rather than failing the class, each class you miss after the fourth will cost you one percentage point off the final grade. Since we're also having lateness issues, if you're more than five minutes late it will count as missing the class and the consequences will be the same.

You can bring in homework on time if you miss a class because it's all posted here, but anything due the day you missed will be late and thus not worth full points, and you won't get any in-class points, so missing will hurt your grade, but it won't immediately fail you.

Homework for Fri.

For homework, I want you to take the introduction and conclusion you wrote in class today and revise it, incorporating the advice from your peers. Turn the paragraphs into something you will actually use when you go to write the paper itself. Type them up, and turn them in on Friday, as well as posting them to your blog.

Homework for Weds.

Write a Paper Proposal:

The description for this assignment is on page 174. It should be 1-2 solid paragraphs, and it will help you focus in on exactly what you really are planning to do in your paper. If you're going into a field where you'll be submitting papers to present at conferences, the paper proposal is what you submit to the conference as your presentation- you're telling them what your paper is going to be about, so they can decide if they want to offer you a spot on a panel. As someone who wrote one just last quarter, it really did help to shape up my thought process on my final paper and made me feel a lot better about what I was working on- like I had a viable idea.

Include what your topic is, why you're writing about that topic, why that topic is important, how you plan to approach your topic, what you want to accomplish in your paper (convince who of what?), where you're looking for research, and why the topic is important to you and why you have a right to discuss it.

A good example of a paper proposal can be found in the Student Guide on page 175.

Proposals should be posted to the blog, and turned in as a hard copy during class on Weds.

Worries About Participation?

I know some of you are worried about participation. I know I was dreadfully shy in class as an undergrad, so here's another fun option for getting those participation points without needing to raise your hand and speak up in class- read and respond to the blogs of your fellow students! I'll see your comments when I check the blogs on weekends and I'll appreciate you offering comments, feedback, advice etc. to your peers.

Reflections on Blog Presentation

I found the presentation on blogging in the classroom to be very interesting, this past Friday. Though this is not the first time I've used such a tool in the classroom, I already feel that this is definately the most effective use I've made of blogs, and it gratified me to see that they were being used in a similiar way in other classrooms, with equal success. However, the presentation did clarify a few things that I was noticing without really making it clear to myself.

For example, the way that blogs allow me to post more direct feedback to all of you guys. I can respond personally to each and every one of your posts, or whichever posts I feel deserve a response. This allows you to see that I'm reading your work, specifically, and thinking about it. It also allows me to engage you guys in a more personal conversation, even if you don't respond to the comment.

Then, of course, the main reason I proposed the use of blogs- to keep all of your thoughts and information together for your research. I think they're doing a great job for that, and I'm having a wonderful time seeing how it's working out.

One of the potential drawbacks of blogging in the classroom is the easy slide into informal chat/text speak that can come up, the presentation warned- and there's another advantage (other than portability) to having you print hard copies of assignments. If you know you're handing in a typed copy, it keeps you using more formal language, so I don't have to cringe at the text speak.

I'm very satisfied with how the blogs are going so far and enjoy very much having this central class blog for all of my thoughts, useful information and assignments.

Blog Checklist: Week Three

Short list this week, lucky for you guys!

You should have:

- Annotated Bibliography
- Random weekly blog post
- Possibly the extra credit response

Extra Credit

As promised, here is your extra credit option.

Friday, instead of having class, I will be running the Composing Ourselves conference in TUC all day. Your extra credit assignment, if you so wish to take up the challenge, is to attend a session and listen to the presentation on using blogs in the classroom. This session is the last of the day, starting at 4:00 and running to 5:25. The blog paper will be presented second (after a paper on Stephen Colbert, so not too bad, eh?). You do not need to arrive at 4, as papers generally run 15 minutes or so- but if might be safer to err on the side of 'too early.' You are free to leave as soon as the blog paper is presented, or you can stay for the rest of the panel. If you plan to leave, please sit in the back near a door so you don't make too much noise. I will be there and see you if you attend.

After listening to the presentation, the rest of the assignment is to write up a short (one page) response to the talk and post it to your blog. This WILL NOT COUNT as your weekly blog post- it is extra, after all. But, if you attend and write a blog response, you will get an additional 1% added to your final grade, which may not seem like much... unless you're right at the border between a B+ and an A-.

Homework For Weds.

For Weds. I want you guys to put together an Annotated Bibliography. This is one of the most useful steps you can take while putting together a research paper (or so former students have told me.)

Here's what to do:

- Take five sources you're (probably) going to use for your paper- you should already have these.
- Do proper MLA citations for all five (www.easybib.com is a good source for this)
- For each entry, summarize the main points/thesis of the article (which you should already have more or less done) and pull out 2-3 quotes you think you might want to incorporate in your final paper- include page number.

This will help familiarize you with your sources so that when you go to write your paper, you'll already know what your sources say and where you can find a lot of the information you'll need. I recommend printing hard copies of the sources and reading them with a highlighter or underlining key passages with a pen.

A good example of what I'm looking for is on page 181 of the Student Guide. Citation first, information about the article under, next citation and so on. Be sure to bring a hard copy to class, and post to the blog.

* If you have more than five sources, you DO NOT need to include them here, but if you feel ambitious enough to do so, it will help you out later as you'll have your Works Cited all but done, and quotes right on hand without having to search the article all over again for that thing you sorta remembered reading that would be useful.

My Own Reflections

So far I have to admit that I'm enjoying this quarter and this group. You guys are great about speaking up, and despite the early hour you're generally fairly bright eyed and cheerful. It's no fun to have a room full of students scowling at you for an hour, let me tell you! Consider this a thank you for the last two weeks and a hope for a great rest of the quarter. I'm also excited to read your papers- you're doing really interesting topics.

I'm also enjoying this blog. It allows me to post homework for you guys easily, and it allows me to post thoughts I had after class on the topic of the day. Things I couldn't quite articulate as clearly as I liked, or that didn't occur to me at the time, and here you all have the benefit of seeing those thoughts as well. (Assuming you take the time to read beyond the homework, that is... you're free to comment by the way. Please, if you've read this, do! Everyone loves comments!)

ALSO- I appreciate the enthusiasm, but you don't need to post links to every single assignment you post to the blog. Just the link to the blog itself and I can find the assignment in there. Thanks though!

Blog Checklist: Week Two

Here is a list of everything that should be posted to your blog by the end of Week Two. Make sure everything is there (or done, in the case of this week) by the end of Friday.

- Blog created
- Link to blog posted in Discussion Board
- Random weekly post on class
- 3 possible topics
- 3 sources
- Research question/potential thesis
- 5 sources with thesis/audience


IMPORTANT NOTES: This week I've not taken any points off for homework handed in a day late if it was posted to the blog on time, or homework that was hand written. However, as discussed in the policy sheet on the first day, homework should always be handed in, typed, hard copy, on the day assigned for full credit. Please make sure you do this, because starting next week it will cost you points. I know the blog won't let you type and copy/paste from Word- just print the blog page- you won't lose points for format. And if your printer is out of ink, run to the library or a computer lab. There is one in the basement of McMicken.

Homework For Friday

Since the first step for a research paper is, you guessed it, research, the homework involves expanding your sources. You should have a pretty good idea of what area you're researching now, and your research question, as well as some idea of a thesis, so for homework you get to look for more sources. I know you all love it.

The homework is this: Find five sources, post the links (remember, use the link post button next to the page alignment buttons) and under each link post the thesis of the article, and, going along with what we're discussing in class on Weds., identify who you think the intended audience of the article is. Two of these sources can be those you found last time, with the new information, but three should be new. For your final paper you will need to have five total sources, so doing this will ensure you have at least six, in case one doesn't work. In summary: Five sources (3 new)- post the link, the thesis, and the intended audience for each.

Thesis With Tension

While you will not be required to use a thesis with tension in the final draft of your paper, it is a good way of making your introduction more dynamic and interesting- remember, the element of surprise at your opinion will make your reader more interested in your position/paper. However, a thesis that is nothing more than a statement of your opinion is perfectly valid, so long as it is clear.

There is a benefit to working with a thesis with tension, even if you do not end up using it. Remember, a thesis with tension is subverting what is likely the most general assumption on the topic. By attempting to write a thesis with tension, you are considering what other opinions on the topic might be, and these are the opinions you will later need to disprove in your paper. So, a thesis with tension makes you consider alternative viewpoints, and reminds you of the opinions you need to prove incorrect. While you may not use it in your paper, it is still a useful exercise when starting to think about your topic and the outline and content of your paper.

Another way you can do this is to write a list of all the opinions you discover that people hold of your topic, mark the one you agree with, and mark the one that you see coming up most often that argues with you. This will also help you keep your focus.

Homework for Weds.

For Weds. please write out the research question you're going to work with for the paper. The second part of this assignment is to write a thesis statement that you think you might use. (The thesis being your own opinion on the topic that you wish to convince the reader of.) Be sure to post the research question and thesis to your blog, and bring a hard copy to class.

Example of what I'm looking for:

Research Question: What are the merits of the different Hogwarts houses, and is one better than another to be sorted into?

Thesis: Slytherin is totally the best Hogwarts house.

(Thesis with tension [not required for assignment unless you wish to do it]: Although many assume that Gryffindor is the best Hogwarts house to be sorted into, I believe Slytherin is by far superior.)

Homework For Monday

FOR MONDAY:

Start researching the topic you think you might want to work on. Take the 2-3 possible questions you devised during class, and start researching what's out there. This will give you a good idea of the viability of the topic - is there enough (unbiased) information? Is there too much? And hopefully a quick search will give you a clearer focus.

What you need to do for Monday is find 3 sources relating to your (potential) topic. Post the links to each article in your blog, along with a summary of what the article is discussing. List the main points the author of the article makes. Post this assignment to your blog, and also bring a hard copy to class on Monday.

As for searching online, remember- no Wikipedia, or any other online source that can be edited by anyone with too much free time! I suggest looking through the library database, or if the topic is a bit too interesting for a dry literary essay, try to stick to sites that end in .org, or .edu as sources.

What To Do- With These Blogs!

I want these blogs to be a record of your research, a place for you to stash article links and reflect on what you've found, a place for you to ponder over what you've learned about your topic, about writing, about class discussion. In a way, it will be your (useful, hopefully) diary of this class. As such, anything you think about and want to record in relation to the class is welcomed here- even if it's something along the lines of 'ahhh! I have no idea what I'm doing! -panic attack-' That's still a valid experience you're having during these ten weeks, caused by this particular class.

Sometimes, even often, there will be assignments I ask you to post to the blog. Most of these will relate to your developing paper/research topic. This is so you can keep a dated record of how your project went forward. However, some posts, and content, will be left up to you. So, here's what you particularly need to know to get full credit for your blog.

When I grade your blog at the end of the quarter I will be looking for in the blog:

- All research assignments/homework that I specify
- At least one reflective post a week on a class related topic of your choice (starting week two for a total of 9) - this can be a response to a class discussion, an article you found, a concern you have, etc. These posts should be at least one page in length (double spaced), and posted any day between Monday and Friday.

Please feel free to post more than this! I would highly encourage it, even! It's an easy way to impress the teacher, if nothing else. But please don't ramble on about the latest party- keep on topic!

ONE IMPORTANT WARNING: Some of you may have noticed by now (hopefully not) but if you type up a post in Word and try to copy/paste to the New Post window, it won't always work. I've had this problem myself. I've heard that it can be done without difficulty on a school computer, or you can just type directly into the blog post window. Don't worry- it has a spellcheck too!

Welcome!

Welcome to Composition 102! Our focus, as a class, will be on blogs. What purpose do they serve? Why do we read/write them? How can they help us? And how can they hurt us?

In addition to discussing blogs in class, and reading blogs/articles about blogs, students will be expected to keep a blog of their own, in which they will respond to class discussion/the readings, as well as keep track of their own research. For this to work, every student will need to create a blog (using this same site- Blogger). Once the blog is created, click on View Blog, then copy-paste the link and go to our Blackboard site under Course Discussions, enter the Class Blogs forum, and create a thread where you can post the link, so we can all join blogs in a huge, hopefully happy, community.