Course Schedule (each new week released by Monday at 5pm)
Week #10 (7/23-8/2)
Objectives:
*complete and return your peer review partner’s 5 questions by Thursday 7/26 at midnight (via email)
*complete course evaluation for NMSU-A at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ENGL111G_A20_SU
*FINAL draft and reflection due in “Assignments” by midnight on Thursday 8/2 at midnight (our last day of class)
Notes for the Week:
WOW! We are in our last week! What impresses me most about all of you, even besides your great writing and work, is that we are on track to having a 100% retention rate for our 111 class. This is no small accomplishment for an online or face-to-face course. It is representative of all of your willingness to be a part of our classroom community. This summer semester has been very enjoyable for me—I’ve loved reading your work and ideas and getting to know you all.
This week will actually encompass 7/23-8/2, which is about a week and a half. After returning your peer review to your partner (completing his/her 5 questions) by Thursday, you will have until next Thursday 8/2 to submit your final draft and reflection via “Assignments.” So, there is no Canvas discussion post this week. Do be sure to complete the course feedback survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ENGL111G_A20_SU (this is one specifically for NMSU-A).
I’ve been working through Week #8’s drafts and reflections and will be looking at your latest revision this week. It is very important (and more efficient) that if you have questions as you are writing/revising that you contact me early via email. As most of you know, I pretty much have my phone on me at all hours, (for better or worse), and am always happy to answer any questions.
Thanks so much and congrats on a great semester! Best wishes to you as you write and revise this week.
Work Due:
--Peer review (5 questions) answered and returned to your partner via email by 7/26 at midnight.
--NMSU-A course evaluation (complete as soon as you can this week). http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ENGL111G_A20_SU
--FINAL draft and written reflection due Thursday 8/2 by midnight in “Assignments.” (You can upload both documents into the same forum labeled “Final Draft and Reflection)
*complete and return your peer review partner’s 5 questions by Thursday 7/26 at midnight (via email)
*complete course evaluation for NMSU-A at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ENGL111G_A20_SU
*FINAL draft and reflection due in “Assignments” by midnight on Thursday 8/2 at midnight (our last day of class)
Notes for the Week:
WOW! We are in our last week! What impresses me most about all of you, even besides your great writing and work, is that we are on track to having a 100% retention rate for our 111 class. This is no small accomplishment for an online or face-to-face course. It is representative of all of your willingness to be a part of our classroom community. This summer semester has been very enjoyable for me—I’ve loved reading your work and ideas and getting to know you all.
This week will actually encompass 7/23-8/2, which is about a week and a half. After returning your peer review to your partner (completing his/her 5 questions) by Thursday, you will have until next Thursday 8/2 to submit your final draft and reflection via “Assignments.” So, there is no Canvas discussion post this week. Do be sure to complete the course feedback survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ENGL111G_A20_SU (this is one specifically for NMSU-A).
I’ve been working through Week #8’s drafts and reflections and will be looking at your latest revision this week. It is very important (and more efficient) that if you have questions as you are writing/revising that you contact me early via email. As most of you know, I pretty much have my phone on me at all hours, (for better or worse), and am always happy to answer any questions.
Thanks so much and congrats on a great semester! Best wishes to you as you write and revise this week.
Work Due:
--Peer review (5 questions) answered and returned to your partner via email by 7/26 at midnight.
--NMSU-A course evaluation (complete as soon as you can this week). http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ENGL111G_A20_SU
--FINAL draft and written reflection due Thursday 8/2 by midnight in “Assignments.” (You can upload both documents into the same forum labeled “Final Draft and Reflection)
Below is an example of how to format your final documents. For page numbers, in Word, go to the "Insert" menu and choose "page numbers." When they appear, go back to your document and double-click next to the number on the first page. A box with a cursor will appear--type your last name next to the page number and it will repeat on each page
Week #9 (7/16-7/22)
Objectives:
*post questions or suggestions for the “Final Essay Rubric” in Canvas discussions Due Thursday 7/19 at Midnight (no length requirement for post)
*read “Final Essay Rubric and Info” under “Additional Readings and .pdfs” on Weebly
*read over the document “Create Your Own Peer Review” in “additional readings and .pdfs” on Weebly.
*make initial revisions on your draft
*compose “Create Your Own Peer Review” questions and send a copy to your peer review partner along with this revised copy of your essay. Also, post a copy of both documents in “Assignments”
Notes for the Week:
We are moving into the home stretch! We have two full weeks of class left (and a short ½ week with no additional assignments). This week, you will work on the first revision of your final essay and you’ll develop your own peer review questions (due with your 1st revision on Sunday at Midnight).
Be sure to read “Final Essay Rubric and Info” in “additional readings and .pdfs” before you begin any work this week. For Thursday’s post, please post any questions or suggestions for the grading rubric (a rubric is a set of criteria on which each student’s essay will be assessed). This is your chance to have input on how your final essay will be assessed. If you don’t have suggestions for improvement or questions, and you are fine with the document as it is, please state that in your post.
Also, you’ll want to work on the first round of revision of your final essay. After you’ve revised, include a paragraph at the end of your essay that talks about changes you’ve made to the draft this week.
After you’ve revised your essay, you’ll complete “Create Your Own Peer Review” questions. So, we’ve done a couple of peer reviews at this point. Let me emphasize that the peer reviews are mandatory—don’t leave your partner hanging. This week, you’ll create a set of 5 specific questions for your peer reviewer to answer about your essay (you can use our past peer review sheets as a model if you wish). You can use the “Create Your Own Peer Review” document as a template.
On Sunday 7/22 by midnight, you’ll send a copy of your 1st revision of the final essay and a copy of “Create Your Own Peer Review” to your peer review partner, and also post copies of both documents into “Assignments.” NOTE: you are only handing over your peer review questions this week, you will complete/answer them for one another’s work NEXT WEEK.
Scheduling this week and next has been a bit of a dance—have to get that timing just right! If anything is confusing to you, please let me know as soon as possible. In Weeks #9 and #10 you are working exclusively with the revision process in steps. The final revision and supporting written reflection (*see “Final Essay Rubric and Info”) is due Thursday, 8/2 at Midnight (our last day of class).
Week #9/Week #10 Peer Review Partners:
Ed/Paul
Tonya/Angela
Eric/Margaret
Virginia/Katie
DeAna/Sonia
David/Sandy
Gessica/Velma
Christina/Joanne
Jaylynn/Danielle
Clary/Dawna
Thanks and have a great week!
Work Due:
*Read: “Final Essay Rubric and Info” document and “Create Your Own Peer Review” document in “additional readings and .pdfs” on Weebly.
.*Write: Due by Thursday 7/12 at midnight—Canvas post (specific directions above)
Due by Sunday 7/15 at midnight—copies of 1st Revision of final draft, and “Create Your Own Peer Review” questions due to your partner by email, and post copies of both documents for me in “Assignments.”
*post questions or suggestions for the “Final Essay Rubric” in Canvas discussions Due Thursday 7/19 at Midnight (no length requirement for post)
*read “Final Essay Rubric and Info” under “Additional Readings and .pdfs” on Weebly
*read over the document “Create Your Own Peer Review” in “additional readings and .pdfs” on Weebly.
*make initial revisions on your draft
*compose “Create Your Own Peer Review” questions and send a copy to your peer review partner along with this revised copy of your essay. Also, post a copy of both documents in “Assignments”
Notes for the Week:
We are moving into the home stretch! We have two full weeks of class left (and a short ½ week with no additional assignments). This week, you will work on the first revision of your final essay and you’ll develop your own peer review questions (due with your 1st revision on Sunday at Midnight).
Be sure to read “Final Essay Rubric and Info” in “additional readings and .pdfs” before you begin any work this week. For Thursday’s post, please post any questions or suggestions for the grading rubric (a rubric is a set of criteria on which each student’s essay will be assessed). This is your chance to have input on how your final essay will be assessed. If you don’t have suggestions for improvement or questions, and you are fine with the document as it is, please state that in your post.
Also, you’ll want to work on the first round of revision of your final essay. After you’ve revised, include a paragraph at the end of your essay that talks about changes you’ve made to the draft this week.
After you’ve revised your essay, you’ll complete “Create Your Own Peer Review” questions. So, we’ve done a couple of peer reviews at this point. Let me emphasize that the peer reviews are mandatory—don’t leave your partner hanging. This week, you’ll create a set of 5 specific questions for your peer reviewer to answer about your essay (you can use our past peer review sheets as a model if you wish). You can use the “Create Your Own Peer Review” document as a template.
On Sunday 7/22 by midnight, you’ll send a copy of your 1st revision of the final essay and a copy of “Create Your Own Peer Review” to your peer review partner, and also post copies of both documents into “Assignments.” NOTE: you are only handing over your peer review questions this week, you will complete/answer them for one another’s work NEXT WEEK.
Scheduling this week and next has been a bit of a dance—have to get that timing just right! If anything is confusing to you, please let me know as soon as possible. In Weeks #9 and #10 you are working exclusively with the revision process in steps. The final revision and supporting written reflection (*see “Final Essay Rubric and Info”) is due Thursday, 8/2 at Midnight (our last day of class).
Week #9/Week #10 Peer Review Partners:
Ed/Paul
Tonya/Angela
Eric/Margaret
Virginia/Katie
DeAna/Sonia
David/Sandy
Gessica/Velma
Christina/Joanne
Jaylynn/Danielle
Clary/Dawna
Thanks and have a great week!
Work Due:
*Read: “Final Essay Rubric and Info” document and “Create Your Own Peer Review” document in “additional readings and .pdfs” on Weebly.
.*Write: Due by Thursday 7/12 at midnight—Canvas post (specific directions above)
Due by Sunday 7/15 at midnight—copies of 1st Revision of final draft, and “Create Your Own Peer Review” questions due to your partner by email, and post copies of both documents for me in “Assignments.”
Week #8 (7/9-7/15)
Objectives:
*choose one of your essay drafts to revise/expand for the final project
*read the document “The How and Why of Revision,” and post a reflection on revision (details below) in this week’s Canvas discussion post, Due Thursday 7/12 at Midnight
*read the document “The How and Why of Revision,” and write a reflection/plan for approaching your essay’s next stage (detailed instructions below) Due Sunday, 7/15 at Midnight)
Notes for the Week:
This week is time for reflection and planning, two extremely important pieces of any writing process. First, look back through your drafts from this semester. Now that you’ve had some time away from them—in which essay are you most invested or most interested? Choose one of your drafts that you will work on revising in weeks 8, 9, and ultimately turn in at the end of Week #10. The final version of your final project will be due on Thursday 8/2 at Midnight (last day of our class).
For this week’s Canvas post, read the document “The How and Why of Revision,” available on Weebly under “additional readings and .pdfs.” In about 250 words, discuss which of the steps (outlined in this document) are most challenging/frustrating/annoying/troubling for you when it comes to revision. You may discuss past experiences as well as experiences in class this semester. You may also address aspects that make the most sense to you in relation to your final draft for our class. Please use direct quotes from “The How and Why of Revision” in your discussion. This will be due by Thursday 7/12 at Midnight.
For this week’s Sunday assignment, revisit the draft you chose to revise for your final project. Open the document. Underneath what you’ve already written, write about 250 words (or more, if you’d like), IN A TEXT COLOR OTHER THAN BLACK so we can distinguish the reflection from the original draft, about what you plan to do with the piece. Using “The How and Why of Revision” as a guide, discuss what you will cut from the piece, how you might reorganize it, etc… You might also reflect on other things you’ve learned this semester about your own writing. This is YOUR SPACE to talk about your writing and process. You should not, at this point, make changes within the document draft, but rather talk about changes you will make in Week #9. Post this new document in “Assignments” in Canvas.
Reflective writing is a great way to get yourself thinking about your writing without the pressure of actually digging in and making multiple changes right away. This should help you get the “big picture” of what you plan to accomplish.
Work Due:
**First, select the essay you will revise for the final project, before you continue to anything else this week.
*Read: “The How and Why of Revision” document in “additional readings and .pdfs” on Weebly.
*Write: Due by Thursday 7/12 at midnight—Canvas post (specific directions above)
Due by Sunday 7/15 at midnight--Initial reflection and plan for revision, typed in a text color other than black, into original draft document (specific directions above). Upload the new version of the document into "Assignments" in Canvas.
*choose one of your essay drafts to revise/expand for the final project
*read the document “The How and Why of Revision,” and post a reflection on revision (details below) in this week’s Canvas discussion post, Due Thursday 7/12 at Midnight
*read the document “The How and Why of Revision,” and write a reflection/plan for approaching your essay’s next stage (detailed instructions below) Due Sunday, 7/15 at Midnight)
Notes for the Week:
This week is time for reflection and planning, two extremely important pieces of any writing process. First, look back through your drafts from this semester. Now that you’ve had some time away from them—in which essay are you most invested or most interested? Choose one of your drafts that you will work on revising in weeks 8, 9, and ultimately turn in at the end of Week #10. The final version of your final project will be due on Thursday 8/2 at Midnight (last day of our class).
For this week’s Canvas post, read the document “The How and Why of Revision,” available on Weebly under “additional readings and .pdfs.” In about 250 words, discuss which of the steps (outlined in this document) are most challenging/frustrating/annoying/troubling for you when it comes to revision. You may discuss past experiences as well as experiences in class this semester. You may also address aspects that make the most sense to you in relation to your final draft for our class. Please use direct quotes from “The How and Why of Revision” in your discussion. This will be due by Thursday 7/12 at Midnight.
For this week’s Sunday assignment, revisit the draft you chose to revise for your final project. Open the document. Underneath what you’ve already written, write about 250 words (or more, if you’d like), IN A TEXT COLOR OTHER THAN BLACK so we can distinguish the reflection from the original draft, about what you plan to do with the piece. Using “The How and Why of Revision” as a guide, discuss what you will cut from the piece, how you might reorganize it, etc… You might also reflect on other things you’ve learned this semester about your own writing. This is YOUR SPACE to talk about your writing and process. You should not, at this point, make changes within the document draft, but rather talk about changes you will make in Week #9. Post this new document in “Assignments” in Canvas.
Reflective writing is a great way to get yourself thinking about your writing without the pressure of actually digging in and making multiple changes right away. This should help you get the “big picture” of what you plan to accomplish.
Work Due:
**First, select the essay you will revise for the final project, before you continue to anything else this week.
*Read: “The How and Why of Revision” document in “additional readings and .pdfs” on Weebly.
*Write: Due by Thursday 7/12 at midnight—Canvas post (specific directions above)
Due by Sunday 7/15 at midnight--Initial reflection and plan for revision, typed in a text color other than black, into original draft document (specific directions above). Upload the new version of the document into "Assignments" in Canvas.
Week #7 (7/2-7/8)
Objectives:
*continue working with analytical writing by revising your draft to include ideas you’ve considered from the Spain chapter (available on Weebly or in the link I sent by email). This is the essay that was extended from Sunday, 7/1 at Midnight to Thursday, 7/5 at Midnight.
*if you are unclear on how to incorporate Spain’s ideas, take a look at the student example I posted last week under “additional readings and .pdfs” in Weebly, or email me directly.
*provide constructive feedback for a peer on this draft (peer review due Sunday 7/8 at Midnight in “assignments” Canvas tab. The peer review is under Week #7, “additional readings and .pdfs.” This will be run in the same format as the last peer review. Turn in one electronic copy of it to me via “assignments,” and send one copy via email to your partner.
*read “Useful Tips for Revision” available in a .pdf under “additional readings and .pdfs” on Weebly.
Notes for the Week:
Remember that writing is experimental, it’s messy, and it’s a process. It is hard sometimes not to be a perfectionist, or to be hard on ourselves as we write. Try to be open to suggestions as well as willing to offer constructive feedback to your colleague, who is engaging in the same process.
This week is a little different from our regular schedule, since I extended the deadline for the spaces/Daphne Spain draft. I thought it would be a good opportunity to offer an extra credit assignment.
For this extra credit assignment, read Gloria Anzaldua's "How to Tame a Wild Tongue," on pg. 521 of Reading Culture. Answer #1 under "Writing Assignments" on page 528. Please note this prompt asks you to discuss your experience of Anzaldua's language style as a reader, rather than commenting exclusively on the content of the essay.
The form for this week’s peer review is in “additional readings and .pdfs” on Weebly. In addition, you should read “Useful Tips for Revision,” which is posted in the same place. Below are the peer review partners for this week. 8 people have turned in their drafts to me ahead of Thursday’s deadline, so I partnered those students together so you can get started on your peer review.
I’ve been very excited and pleased with all of your work this semester! Next week in week #8, you will choose one of your drafts from this semester to expand for the final writing assignment, due in Week #10.
Week #7 Peer Review Partners:
Ed/Clary
Joanne/Tonya
Eric/Gessica
Christina/Jaylynn
Paul/Velma
Sandy/Margaret
Danielle/Angela
Sonia/Virginia
DeAna/David
Katie/Dawna
Work Due:
*Read: “Useful Tips for Revision” .pdf
“Peer Review for Public Space/Gendered Spaces Draft” .pdf
.*Write: Due by Thursday 7/5 at midnight—Public Space/Gendered Spaces draft uploaded to “Assignments” in Canvas. In addition, send a copy via email to your peer review partner.
Due by Sunday 7/8 at midnight--Completed peer review form for your partner. Post one copy in “assignments” and email the other to your partner.
(Optional) Due by Sunday 7/8 at midnight--Canvas discussion post on Anzaldua essay from Reading Culture (details above).
*continue working with analytical writing by revising your draft to include ideas you’ve considered from the Spain chapter (available on Weebly or in the link I sent by email). This is the essay that was extended from Sunday, 7/1 at Midnight to Thursday, 7/5 at Midnight.
*if you are unclear on how to incorporate Spain’s ideas, take a look at the student example I posted last week under “additional readings and .pdfs” in Weebly, or email me directly.
*provide constructive feedback for a peer on this draft (peer review due Sunday 7/8 at Midnight in “assignments” Canvas tab. The peer review is under Week #7, “additional readings and .pdfs.” This will be run in the same format as the last peer review. Turn in one electronic copy of it to me via “assignments,” and send one copy via email to your partner.
*read “Useful Tips for Revision” available in a .pdf under “additional readings and .pdfs” on Weebly.
Notes for the Week:
Remember that writing is experimental, it’s messy, and it’s a process. It is hard sometimes not to be a perfectionist, or to be hard on ourselves as we write. Try to be open to suggestions as well as willing to offer constructive feedback to your colleague, who is engaging in the same process.
This week is a little different from our regular schedule, since I extended the deadline for the spaces/Daphne Spain draft. I thought it would be a good opportunity to offer an extra credit assignment.
For this extra credit assignment, read Gloria Anzaldua's "How to Tame a Wild Tongue," on pg. 521 of Reading Culture. Answer #1 under "Writing Assignments" on page 528. Please note this prompt asks you to discuss your experience of Anzaldua's language style as a reader, rather than commenting exclusively on the content of the essay.
The form for this week’s peer review is in “additional readings and .pdfs” on Weebly. In addition, you should read “Useful Tips for Revision,” which is posted in the same place. Below are the peer review partners for this week. 8 people have turned in their drafts to me ahead of Thursday’s deadline, so I partnered those students together so you can get started on your peer review.
I’ve been very excited and pleased with all of your work this semester! Next week in week #8, you will choose one of your drafts from this semester to expand for the final writing assignment, due in Week #10.
Week #7 Peer Review Partners:
Ed/Clary
Joanne/Tonya
Eric/Gessica
Christina/Jaylynn
Paul/Velma
Sandy/Margaret
Danielle/Angela
Sonia/Virginia
DeAna/David
Katie/Dawna
Work Due:
*Read: “Useful Tips for Revision” .pdf
“Peer Review for Public Space/Gendered Spaces Draft” .pdf
.*Write: Due by Thursday 7/5 at midnight—Public Space/Gendered Spaces draft uploaded to “Assignments” in Canvas. In addition, send a copy via email to your peer review partner.
Due by Sunday 7/8 at midnight--Completed peer review form for your partner. Post one copy in “assignments” and email the other to your partner.
(Optional) Due by Sunday 7/8 at midnight--Canvas discussion post on Anzaldua essay from Reading Culture (details above).
Week #6 (6/25-7/1)
Objectives:
*continue working with analytical writing by reading a selection from Daphne Spain’s book Gendered Spaces and using it to write about this week’s readings.
* engage with Pinterest boards (http://pinterest.com/janisjoplin/), especially if you haven’t yet done this—there are many websites on the boards that are related to class, but that we won’t cover during the semester. Aside from being interesting, cruising through them might help enrich your experience of our classroom setting and community.
*compose a second version of last week’s draft using this week’s readings and Daphne Spain’s work (try to not use “I” even though your writing may draw on personal experience. If you do use it, try to use it sparingly).
Notes for the Week:
I’m sensing it is midterm! Much like a traditional school-year semester, I’ve received many frantic emails from students within the past couple of days because it is midterm, which means more tests and work from different classes. Though we don’t have a traditional midterm test in this class, we will be switching gears after this week in order to focus on revision and critical analysis of your own work. Keep your head up!
Though it’s tough, this is the time of the semester you must try to “power through” instead of becoming overwhelmed. It is often around this time that work starts to build up, and has a tendency to “snowball” if you aren’t able to stay on top of it. My hope is to have all 20 of you finish out the course! It would be awesome to have a 100% retention rate, especially in an online setting.
This week, as we continue to discuss public space, we’ll focus on a couple of new ideas—notably power, gender in public spaces. Using your draft from last week, you will incorporate new ideas from Daphne Spain’s work Gendered Spaces, to analyze your existing public space draft. How do Spain’s ideas help you think differently about your space analysis from last week? Specific instructions follow these notes. As I told you at the beginning of the semester, we’ll be building on and revising drafts to gain a better understanding of the moves we each make as writers.
This week’s discussion board prompt will come out of Reading Culture pp. 404-414, Stephen Greenhouse, “Worked Over and Overworked.” In about 250 words, you will respond to #1 under “Writing Assignments” on page 415. A few of you wrote about workplaces in last week’s public space draft. This discussion about work conditions and expectations in relation to Greenhouse’s essay will be practice for interacting with Spain’s work for this week’s revision of your public space draft.
If you have any questions, contact me early. The Gendered Spaces reading is about 20 pages long, so you’ll want to make sure and get started on it so you have time to think about it in your revision.
Work Due:
*Read: *Reading Culture pp. 404-415, Stephen Greenhouse “Worked Over and Overworked.”
*Selection from Daphne Spain’s Gendered Spaces, available as a .pdf in “Additional Readings and .PDFs” on the embedded Weebly page.
*Write
Due by Thursday 6/21 at midnight—Canvas Discussion
For this week’s discussion, you should respond in about 250 words to #1 under “Writing Assignments” on page 415 in Reading Culture. Be as specific as you can when referring to Greenhouse’s ideas. Think of your post as a conversation with his essay--read what he has to say and respond accordingly with your own assertions and examples.
Work is a common experience. Think of it broadly. Greenhouse offers several anecdotal stories about workers, but for this discussion, you can consider self-employment and unemployment, as well as missionary work and volunteer work under the same broad label. Respond to classmates (by video, audio, or text) where appropriate.
Due by Sunday 7/1 at midnight—Draft Week #6 (directions below)
Expanding on Last Week’s Draft
1) First, read all of the .pdf of Daphne Spain’s Gendered Spaces (available under “additional readings and .pdfs” on the Weebly page). Then, read back through your draft from last week. How do Spain’s notions of gender, power, and space make you think differently about your draft/analysis of a public space? I HIGHLY suggest annotating the .pdf, or at least taking notes while you read. Annotation/note taking helps you remember what you were thinking as you read the article. Otherwise, the information (especially in a piece of academic writing) can become jumbled or overwhelming.
2) After you’ve made notes on Spain’s work, and re-examined your draft from last week, revise your draft to incorporate your reaction to (one or more of) Spain’s ideas. How can you re-imagine your public space in terms of gender and power divisions? Revision may include cutting some of your existing work, as well as expanding in other places.
You should add at least 1-2 new pages of writing (double-spaced) to your draft. Don’t think about this as “tacking on a page to the end,” but rather look for places within the existing draft, before the conclusion, to expand. You may use direct quotes from the text and/or summary of Spain’s ideas.
3) As a last step, write 1-2 paragraphs (or more, if you’d like) at the END of the paper (after the conclusion) where you reflect on the challenges and realizations of revising your piece and wrestling with Spain’s ideas. What did you find particularly interesting? How did you incorporate her work into your existing discussion? Did you learn anything new in the process? These questions are just to get you started thinking—you may write about any part of your thinking, writing, or research process (yes, this is research!).
4) Post the new draft under "Assignments" in Canvas by Sunday at Midnight.
*continue working with analytical writing by reading a selection from Daphne Spain’s book Gendered Spaces and using it to write about this week’s readings.
* engage with Pinterest boards (http://pinterest.com/janisjoplin/), especially if you haven’t yet done this—there are many websites on the boards that are related to class, but that we won’t cover during the semester. Aside from being interesting, cruising through them might help enrich your experience of our classroom setting and community.
*compose a second version of last week’s draft using this week’s readings and Daphne Spain’s work (try to not use “I” even though your writing may draw on personal experience. If you do use it, try to use it sparingly).
Notes for the Week:
I’m sensing it is midterm! Much like a traditional school-year semester, I’ve received many frantic emails from students within the past couple of days because it is midterm, which means more tests and work from different classes. Though we don’t have a traditional midterm test in this class, we will be switching gears after this week in order to focus on revision and critical analysis of your own work. Keep your head up!
Though it’s tough, this is the time of the semester you must try to “power through” instead of becoming overwhelmed. It is often around this time that work starts to build up, and has a tendency to “snowball” if you aren’t able to stay on top of it. My hope is to have all 20 of you finish out the course! It would be awesome to have a 100% retention rate, especially in an online setting.
This week, as we continue to discuss public space, we’ll focus on a couple of new ideas—notably power, gender in public spaces. Using your draft from last week, you will incorporate new ideas from Daphne Spain’s work Gendered Spaces, to analyze your existing public space draft. How do Spain’s ideas help you think differently about your space analysis from last week? Specific instructions follow these notes. As I told you at the beginning of the semester, we’ll be building on and revising drafts to gain a better understanding of the moves we each make as writers.
This week’s discussion board prompt will come out of Reading Culture pp. 404-414, Stephen Greenhouse, “Worked Over and Overworked.” In about 250 words, you will respond to #1 under “Writing Assignments” on page 415. A few of you wrote about workplaces in last week’s public space draft. This discussion about work conditions and expectations in relation to Greenhouse’s essay will be practice for interacting with Spain’s work for this week’s revision of your public space draft.
If you have any questions, contact me early. The Gendered Spaces reading is about 20 pages long, so you’ll want to make sure and get started on it so you have time to think about it in your revision.
Work Due:
*Read: *Reading Culture pp. 404-415, Stephen Greenhouse “Worked Over and Overworked.”
*Selection from Daphne Spain’s Gendered Spaces, available as a .pdf in “Additional Readings and .PDFs” on the embedded Weebly page.
*Write
Due by Thursday 6/21 at midnight—Canvas Discussion
For this week’s discussion, you should respond in about 250 words to #1 under “Writing Assignments” on page 415 in Reading Culture. Be as specific as you can when referring to Greenhouse’s ideas. Think of your post as a conversation with his essay--read what he has to say and respond accordingly with your own assertions and examples.
Work is a common experience. Think of it broadly. Greenhouse offers several anecdotal stories about workers, but for this discussion, you can consider self-employment and unemployment, as well as missionary work and volunteer work under the same broad label. Respond to classmates (by video, audio, or text) where appropriate.
Due by Sunday 7/1 at midnight—Draft Week #6 (directions below)
Expanding on Last Week’s Draft
1) First, read all of the .pdf of Daphne Spain’s Gendered Spaces (available under “additional readings and .pdfs” on the Weebly page). Then, read back through your draft from last week. How do Spain’s notions of gender, power, and space make you think differently about your draft/analysis of a public space? I HIGHLY suggest annotating the .pdf, or at least taking notes while you read. Annotation/note taking helps you remember what you were thinking as you read the article. Otherwise, the information (especially in a piece of academic writing) can become jumbled or overwhelming.
2) After you’ve made notes on Spain’s work, and re-examined your draft from last week, revise your draft to incorporate your reaction to (one or more of) Spain’s ideas. How can you re-imagine your public space in terms of gender and power divisions? Revision may include cutting some of your existing work, as well as expanding in other places.
You should add at least 1-2 new pages of writing (double-spaced) to your draft. Don’t think about this as “tacking on a page to the end,” but rather look for places within the existing draft, before the conclusion, to expand. You may use direct quotes from the text and/or summary of Spain’s ideas.
3) As a last step, write 1-2 paragraphs (or more, if you’d like) at the END of the paper (after the conclusion) where you reflect on the challenges and realizations of revising your piece and wrestling with Spain’s ideas. What did you find particularly interesting? How did you incorporate her work into your existing discussion? Did you learn anything new in the process? These questions are just to get you started thinking—you may write about any part of your thinking, writing, or research process (yes, this is research!).
4) Post the new draft under "Assignments" in Canvas by Sunday at Midnight.
Week #5 (6/18-6/24)
Objectives:
*in regard to this week’s readings and material, consider the topic of public space, and how we each navigate and understand/inhabit/perform in particular spaces.
* engage with Pinterest boards on Public Space and Public Art (more information below)
* engage with another classmate (via Canvas discussion)
* compose a new draft on the topic of Observation of a Public Space (due Sunday at midnight)
Notes for the Week: (It’s mid-term at the end of this week—can you believe it?)
There are a lot of visually-oriented readings this week, as well as visits to the Pinterest boards. These are the same readings I gave last week for you in advance.
I closed the SurveyMonkey feedback survey today. There were 15 responders, so thanks to those of you who completed it, your feedback is very helpful. There comment that was most common was in regard to organization on Canvas. I’ll try this week to see what else I can do to remedy that problem. Also, it was split down the middle on types of feedback you’d prefer, so I’ll try to do a mix of methods as the semester goes on. The reason I ask for pictures for the roster is because it is one way to get a sense of classmates as real people on the other end of the computer. Though a picture of yourself is preferred, if you absolutely don’t want to post a picture of yourself, perhaps pick a photograph of a certain place you like, or have visited, any kind of “avatar” or representation of some sort will do. These small things help enrich the online classroom environment by bringing a human element into the technology. I’m enjoying interacting with you all this semester, too.
In regard to feedback surveys—I’ll send another link to one in 2-3 weeks. Though they are anonymous and I can’t track them, it’s your chance to help me tailor the class for you as learners. Your comments and concerns also help me become a better online professor.
This week make sure you read through your peer review from your partner (that you should have received on Sunday by midnight). We’ll be talking more about revision and using feedback to revise next week. Toward the end of the semester (weeks 8-10) you will work toward revising and expanding one of your drafts for the final project. You’ll turn in your peer reviews with the final.
We will spend Weeks #5 and #6 on topics of Public Space and Public Art. This is a topic on which I’ve done much research—in the fall (and last Spring) I’ll be teaching an English 211 course on main campus titled, Occupying Public Space: Graffiti, Street Art, Music and Architecture. I look forward to our discussions and your writing this week!
Work Due:
*Read: Reading Culture pp. 273-274, Public Spaces chapter intro
pp. 297-321, “D.C. Libraries: Homeless Shelters No More,” “Signs from the Heart: California Chicano Murals,” “Banksy,” “Cancer Alley,” and the “Fieldwork” section on 320-321.
Investigate the “Public Space and Public Art” Pinterest board and links at http://pinterest.com/janisjoplin/public-space-public-art/ By “investigate,” I mean look around and navigate it as you would other pages on the internet—click, open pages, browse around until something catches your eye, read, look at the photographs, hopefully be inspired/”get the gears turning,” in relation to the topic.
*Write:
Due by Thursday 6/21 at midnight—Canvas Discussion
For this week’s discussion, you should respond in about 250 words to either #1 under "Writing Assignments" on page 312 (following the Banksy essay), or “Talking About the Reading” on page 309 (following “Signs from the Heart” mural essay). Engage with at least one other classmate (even if his/her topic is not the same as your own).
Remember that since we can’t see/hear each other—though I’d love to get you guys using optional video responses…I’m going to see about that as a possible option for next week—make sure you refer to very specific examples from our readings in Reading Culture or from the Pinterest board http://pinterest.com/janisjoplin/public-space-public-art/ to show your engagement with the texts.
Due by Sunday 6/24 at midnight—Draft #3 (directions below)
Observation of a Public Space
After completing the readings for this week, choose a physical space that is open to the public. You may do a building or an open area such as a park or cemetery. You may do clusters of buildings such as a small downtown section, a playground, mall, picnic area, common area in a workplace, bus stop, street, neighborhood, restaurant, grocery store, etc... (But do not choose a large complex because you think you will have more to write about; I want depth, detail, and analysis, not just a lot of description.) You may choose a particular part of a building such as the entry way or a certain floor or office space, but if you do this, you still need to deal with the context of your space: the access to it, the area surrounding it, as well as other businesses or operations in close proximity. I want you to choose a space that is local or nearby, something that you can go to and see often and easily.
But don’t dwell only or largely on description. Your main job is to analyze how this space is set up to create particular expectations from the people who use this space. Not surprisingly, you should know who is using this space, why, and how. How is it set up to be conducive to public use? What types of responses, attitudes, and behaviors does it elicit? Does this space work well, or does it work poorly? How and why? Has this space been changed or revamped? How and why? What is the connection between the old use of the building and the new?
Though you don’t have to use in-text citation or other formal citation from the essays you read, you must make reference at least one of the readings/viewings for this week. The purpose of this draft is to practice using analysis and observation in writing. This will be another draft to possible revise and expand for your final project.
*Note: try not to rely to heavily on the first person point of view (“I”) in the essay. Avoid using “I,” unless you believe it is necessary and relevant for that particular portion of your writing.
As always, contact me with any questions or concerns. Thanks and have a good week!
*in regard to this week’s readings and material, consider the topic of public space, and how we each navigate and understand/inhabit/perform in particular spaces.
* engage with Pinterest boards on Public Space and Public Art (more information below)
* engage with another classmate (via Canvas discussion)
* compose a new draft on the topic of Observation of a Public Space (due Sunday at midnight)
Notes for the Week: (It’s mid-term at the end of this week—can you believe it?)
There are a lot of visually-oriented readings this week, as well as visits to the Pinterest boards. These are the same readings I gave last week for you in advance.
I closed the SurveyMonkey feedback survey today. There were 15 responders, so thanks to those of you who completed it, your feedback is very helpful. There comment that was most common was in regard to organization on Canvas. I’ll try this week to see what else I can do to remedy that problem. Also, it was split down the middle on types of feedback you’d prefer, so I’ll try to do a mix of methods as the semester goes on. The reason I ask for pictures for the roster is because it is one way to get a sense of classmates as real people on the other end of the computer. Though a picture of yourself is preferred, if you absolutely don’t want to post a picture of yourself, perhaps pick a photograph of a certain place you like, or have visited, any kind of “avatar” or representation of some sort will do. These small things help enrich the online classroom environment by bringing a human element into the technology. I’m enjoying interacting with you all this semester, too.
In regard to feedback surveys—I’ll send another link to one in 2-3 weeks. Though they are anonymous and I can’t track them, it’s your chance to help me tailor the class for you as learners. Your comments and concerns also help me become a better online professor.
This week make sure you read through your peer review from your partner (that you should have received on Sunday by midnight). We’ll be talking more about revision and using feedback to revise next week. Toward the end of the semester (weeks 8-10) you will work toward revising and expanding one of your drafts for the final project. You’ll turn in your peer reviews with the final.
We will spend Weeks #5 and #6 on topics of Public Space and Public Art. This is a topic on which I’ve done much research—in the fall (and last Spring) I’ll be teaching an English 211 course on main campus titled, Occupying Public Space: Graffiti, Street Art, Music and Architecture. I look forward to our discussions and your writing this week!
Work Due:
*Read: Reading Culture pp. 273-274, Public Spaces chapter intro
pp. 297-321, “D.C. Libraries: Homeless Shelters No More,” “Signs from the Heart: California Chicano Murals,” “Banksy,” “Cancer Alley,” and the “Fieldwork” section on 320-321.
Investigate the “Public Space and Public Art” Pinterest board and links at http://pinterest.com/janisjoplin/public-space-public-art/ By “investigate,” I mean look around and navigate it as you would other pages on the internet—click, open pages, browse around until something catches your eye, read, look at the photographs, hopefully be inspired/”get the gears turning,” in relation to the topic.
*Write:
Due by Thursday 6/21 at midnight—Canvas Discussion
For this week’s discussion, you should respond in about 250 words to either #1 under "Writing Assignments" on page 312 (following the Banksy essay), or “Talking About the Reading” on page 309 (following “Signs from the Heart” mural essay). Engage with at least one other classmate (even if his/her topic is not the same as your own).
Remember that since we can’t see/hear each other—though I’d love to get you guys using optional video responses…I’m going to see about that as a possible option for next week—make sure you refer to very specific examples from our readings in Reading Culture or from the Pinterest board http://pinterest.com/janisjoplin/public-space-public-art/ to show your engagement with the texts.
Due by Sunday 6/24 at midnight—Draft #3 (directions below)
Observation of a Public Space
After completing the readings for this week, choose a physical space that is open to the public. You may do a building or an open area such as a park or cemetery. You may do clusters of buildings such as a small downtown section, a playground, mall, picnic area, common area in a workplace, bus stop, street, neighborhood, restaurant, grocery store, etc... (But do not choose a large complex because you think you will have more to write about; I want depth, detail, and analysis, not just a lot of description.) You may choose a particular part of a building such as the entry way or a certain floor or office space, but if you do this, you still need to deal with the context of your space: the access to it, the area surrounding it, as well as other businesses or operations in close proximity. I want you to choose a space that is local or nearby, something that you can go to and see often and easily.
But don’t dwell only or largely on description. Your main job is to analyze how this space is set up to create particular expectations from the people who use this space. Not surprisingly, you should know who is using this space, why, and how. How is it set up to be conducive to public use? What types of responses, attitudes, and behaviors does it elicit? Does this space work well, or does it work poorly? How and why? Has this space been changed or revamped? How and why? What is the connection between the old use of the building and the new?
Though you don’t have to use in-text citation or other formal citation from the essays you read, you must make reference at least one of the readings/viewings for this week. The purpose of this draft is to practice using analysis and observation in writing. This will be another draft to possible revise and expand for your final project.
*Note: try not to rely to heavily on the first person point of view (“I”) in the essay. Avoid using “I,” unless you believe it is necessary and relevant for that particular portion of your writing.
As always, contact me with any questions or concerns. Thanks and have a good week!
Week #4 (6/11-6/17)
Objectives:
*Engage with a classmate (assigned partner) in regard to his/her piece of writing for class by using the Peer Review form under “Additional Readings and .PDFs” on our embedded course Weebly page.
*Provide anonymous feedback for the course by completing the survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FXG98LP
*Read ahead for next week, if applicable. Readings are listed below.
*If you haven’t yet done so, please go to the “People” tab and upload a picture of yourself on the roster. To do this, go to “Profile” in the top-right menu bar. Click on the icon next to your name. You will then be prompted to change your picture.
NOTES FOR THE WEEK:
One of the great things about an online class is that we all have access to one another more readily than in a face-to-face classroom. Especially important is the interaction that takes places between students regarding writing and revision. This week you’ll have a chance to have a one-on-one discussion with someone else in class. If you, as the writer of the essay, have specific questions about your draft, please let your partner know in advance.
Also, if you have time I recommend reading ahead for next week. The readings are listed in this post, along with the link to a Pinterest board, “Public Space and Public Art.” http://pinterest.com/janisjoplin/public-space-public-art/ When you click on an image, it will pop up again in a frame. Click the now larger version of the image to visit the original website for the photo.
Here are the peer review partners for this week:
Ed/Joanne
Tonya/Clary
Danielle/Margaret
Eric/Sonia
DeAna/Virginia
David/Paul
Sandy/Katie
Gessica/Dawna
Christina/Angela
Jaylynn/Velma
Work Due:
**There is no reading from the text due for Week #4, but I’ve provided next week’s readings (Week #5) to give you a head start. I suggest diving into these this week, if you have time:
*Read: Reading Culture pp. 273-274, Public Spaces chapter introduction
pp. 297-321, “D.C. Libraries: Homeless Shelters No More,” “Signs from the Heart: California Chicano Murals,” “Banksy,” “Cancer Alley,” and the “Fieldwork” section on 320-321.
Investigate the “Public Space and Public Art” Pinterest board and links at http://pinterest.com/janisjoplin/public-space-public-art/ By “investigate,” I mean look around and navigate it as you would other pages on the internet—click, open pages, browse around until something catches your eye, read, look at the photographs, hopefully be inspired/”get the gears turning,” in relation to the topic.
*Write
Due by Thursday 6/14 at midnight (no discussion post this week):
Exchange a draft of either one of your narrative essays with a partner through Canvas email by Thursday at midnight. You do not need to revise what you’ve already turned in during Week #2 and #3, just pick one of the two, as-is, and send it to your partner for review.
Use the Peer Review feedback form under “additional readings and pdfs” on the embedded course Weebly page to review your partner’s piece of writing.
You may complete the Survey Monkey anonymous course feedback survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FXG98LP anytime before Sunday 6/17 at midnight.
Due Sunday 6/10 at Midnight: Peer Review Due
After you’ve completed the peer review for your partner, send one copy of the file to your partner via Canvas email, and turn in a second copy of the file under “Assignments” in Canvas.
You may complete the Survey Monkey anonymous course feedback survey at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FXG98LP anytime before Sunday 6/17 at midnight.
*Engage with a classmate (assigned partner) in regard to his/her piece of writing for class by using the Peer Review form under “Additional Readings and .PDFs” on our embedded course Weebly page.
*Provide anonymous feedback for the course by completing the survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FXG98LP
*Read ahead for next week, if applicable. Readings are listed below.
*If you haven’t yet done so, please go to the “People” tab and upload a picture of yourself on the roster. To do this, go to “Profile” in the top-right menu bar. Click on the icon next to your name. You will then be prompted to change your picture.
NOTES FOR THE WEEK:
One of the great things about an online class is that we all have access to one another more readily than in a face-to-face classroom. Especially important is the interaction that takes places between students regarding writing and revision. This week you’ll have a chance to have a one-on-one discussion with someone else in class. If you, as the writer of the essay, have specific questions about your draft, please let your partner know in advance.
Also, if you have time I recommend reading ahead for next week. The readings are listed in this post, along with the link to a Pinterest board, “Public Space and Public Art.” http://pinterest.com/janisjoplin/public-space-public-art/ When you click on an image, it will pop up again in a frame. Click the now larger version of the image to visit the original website for the photo.
Here are the peer review partners for this week:
Ed/Joanne
Tonya/Clary
Danielle/Margaret
Eric/Sonia
DeAna/Virginia
David/Paul
Sandy/Katie
Gessica/Dawna
Christina/Angela
Jaylynn/Velma
Work Due:
**There is no reading from the text due for Week #4, but I’ve provided next week’s readings (Week #5) to give you a head start. I suggest diving into these this week, if you have time:
*Read: Reading Culture pp. 273-274, Public Spaces chapter introduction
pp. 297-321, “D.C. Libraries: Homeless Shelters No More,” “Signs from the Heart: California Chicano Murals,” “Banksy,” “Cancer Alley,” and the “Fieldwork” section on 320-321.
Investigate the “Public Space and Public Art” Pinterest board and links at http://pinterest.com/janisjoplin/public-space-public-art/ By “investigate,” I mean look around and navigate it as you would other pages on the internet—click, open pages, browse around until something catches your eye, read, look at the photographs, hopefully be inspired/”get the gears turning,” in relation to the topic.
*Write
Due by Thursday 6/14 at midnight (no discussion post this week):
Exchange a draft of either one of your narrative essays with a partner through Canvas email by Thursday at midnight. You do not need to revise what you’ve already turned in during Week #2 and #3, just pick one of the two, as-is, and send it to your partner for review.
Use the Peer Review feedback form under “additional readings and pdfs” on the embedded course Weebly page to review your partner’s piece of writing.
You may complete the Survey Monkey anonymous course feedback survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FXG98LP anytime before Sunday 6/17 at midnight.
Due Sunday 6/10 at Midnight: Peer Review Due
After you’ve completed the peer review for your partner, send one copy of the file to your partner via Canvas email, and turn in a second copy of the file under “Assignments” in Canvas.
You may complete the Survey Monkey anonymous course feedback survey at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FXG98LP anytime before Sunday 6/17 at midnight.
Week #3 (6/4-6/10)
Objectives:
*In light of our discussions of culture (and your posts and writings thus far), consider notions of age, appearance, and generational/intergenerational expectations of your own various cultures and of modern American culture.
*Engage with at least one other classmate (through Discussion Posts)
*Engage with class Pinterest board (details below)
*Write a 2-3 page draft for Sunday night (prompt below)
*If you haven’t yet done so, please go to the “People” tab and upload a picture of yourself on the roster. To do this, go to “Profile” in the top-right menu bar. Click on the icon next to your name. You will then be prompted to change your picture.
NOTES FOR THE WEEK:
Exploring generational differences and boundaries is important to find out how culture defines aging and opportunities and disadvantages associated with it. In some cultures (as several of you have discussed already) there are certain rituals associated with elders.
The material on our Pinterest site specifically addresses the idea of aging/creativity/fashion and breaking down contemporary American notions of “how” an elder should be or act. The writing assignments for this week ask you to consider and analyze the way writing and technology intertwine, how we each approach this connectedness from different world views, and to discuss culturally-specific notions of attitudes toward aging.
Work Due:
*Read: Reading Culture pp. 90-93, Judith Ortiz Cofer’s “Casa”
also read, Kurt Vonnegut’s “On Writing,” which is available to download as a .pdf under “Additional Readings and PDFs” on our course Weebly site.
*Navigate/Watch: http://pinterest.com/janisjoplin/material-for-english-111-online/
This is our class Pinterest site. You are free to navigate any materials on this site and explore the space. For this week, I would like you to click on the “pin” or box titled, “Advanced Style: Ilona Royce Smithkin Material for Week #3.” A box will pop up with an arrow in the middle. Click the arrow to watch the video. If you have technical issues, please let me know.
You are welcome to click around and look at the rest of the material. All of it is comprised of electronic material I gathered for possible use this semester and I will keep adding new material as we progress. The Pinterest site will hopefully give you a visual dimension for our class and allow you to further engage with material and texts.
*Write
Due by Thursday 6/7 at midnight (about 250 words):
*go to either “Assignments” and click on Canvas Post #3, or go to “Discussions” and click on “Canvas Post #3. Make sure you complete your post in the forum I created. Don't click "start a new topic," but rather go into the topic I created for us this week.
First, reflect on your experience with technology. How have generational boundaries affected the way you interact with technology of any kind? In what specific ways has your past experience with technology (growing up, jobs, teaching others, etc..) affected the way you navigate online spaces?
Second, after reading Vonnegut’s “On Writing,” what specific ideas of his can you relate to? Why? Do all of his “rules” translate into online spaces? How?
Remember that especially because we can’t see/hear one another in the traditional sense, you’ll want to show your engagement with the reading/text by referring to specific examples from what you’ve read, in this case, any of the material from the Pinterest board or from “Casa” or “On Writing.” The purpose of this post is to reflect on our experiences with technology in order to better understand the countless avenues from which we’ve all arrived in this online space.
Try to respond to at least one other classmate’s post. There is no word limit on the response to your classmate—again, just try to think of it as brief conversation.
Due Sunday 6/10 at Midnight: Narrative Draft #1
For Draft #3, complete Writing Assignment #2 OR #3 on pg. 94 of Reading Culture. Though these prompts are very specific, try not to feel confined. If you start writing and “get into a groove,” follow that energy in your writing—it means you are onto something!
The draft should be at least 2 pages, double spaced. Make sure that your Draft #3 has a title!
Please submit your draft in "Assignments" as a .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .pdf file format. If you work in Pages, go to file and "save a version," which will allow you to choose your file format. I cannot read .odf (Pages) files.
*In light of our discussions of culture (and your posts and writings thus far), consider notions of age, appearance, and generational/intergenerational expectations of your own various cultures and of modern American culture.
*Engage with at least one other classmate (through Discussion Posts)
*Engage with class Pinterest board (details below)
*Write a 2-3 page draft for Sunday night (prompt below)
*If you haven’t yet done so, please go to the “People” tab and upload a picture of yourself on the roster. To do this, go to “Profile” in the top-right menu bar. Click on the icon next to your name. You will then be prompted to change your picture.
NOTES FOR THE WEEK:
Exploring generational differences and boundaries is important to find out how culture defines aging and opportunities and disadvantages associated with it. In some cultures (as several of you have discussed already) there are certain rituals associated with elders.
The material on our Pinterest site specifically addresses the idea of aging/creativity/fashion and breaking down contemporary American notions of “how” an elder should be or act. The writing assignments for this week ask you to consider and analyze the way writing and technology intertwine, how we each approach this connectedness from different world views, and to discuss culturally-specific notions of attitudes toward aging.
Work Due:
*Read: Reading Culture pp. 90-93, Judith Ortiz Cofer’s “Casa”
also read, Kurt Vonnegut’s “On Writing,” which is available to download as a .pdf under “Additional Readings and PDFs” on our course Weebly site.
*Navigate/Watch: http://pinterest.com/janisjoplin/material-for-english-111-online/
This is our class Pinterest site. You are free to navigate any materials on this site and explore the space. For this week, I would like you to click on the “pin” or box titled, “Advanced Style: Ilona Royce Smithkin Material for Week #3.” A box will pop up with an arrow in the middle. Click the arrow to watch the video. If you have technical issues, please let me know.
You are welcome to click around and look at the rest of the material. All of it is comprised of electronic material I gathered for possible use this semester and I will keep adding new material as we progress. The Pinterest site will hopefully give you a visual dimension for our class and allow you to further engage with material and texts.
*Write
Due by Thursday 6/7 at midnight (about 250 words):
*go to either “Assignments” and click on Canvas Post #3, or go to “Discussions” and click on “Canvas Post #3. Make sure you complete your post in the forum I created. Don't click "start a new topic," but rather go into the topic I created for us this week.
First, reflect on your experience with technology. How have generational boundaries affected the way you interact with technology of any kind? In what specific ways has your past experience with technology (growing up, jobs, teaching others, etc..) affected the way you navigate online spaces?
Second, after reading Vonnegut’s “On Writing,” what specific ideas of his can you relate to? Why? Do all of his “rules” translate into online spaces? How?
Remember that especially because we can’t see/hear one another in the traditional sense, you’ll want to show your engagement with the reading/text by referring to specific examples from what you’ve read, in this case, any of the material from the Pinterest board or from “Casa” or “On Writing.” The purpose of this post is to reflect on our experiences with technology in order to better understand the countless avenues from which we’ve all arrived in this online space.
Try to respond to at least one other classmate’s post. There is no word limit on the response to your classmate—again, just try to think of it as brief conversation.
Due Sunday 6/10 at Midnight: Narrative Draft #1
For Draft #3, complete Writing Assignment #2 OR #3 on pg. 94 of Reading Culture. Though these prompts are very specific, try not to feel confined. If you start writing and “get into a groove,” follow that energy in your writing—it means you are onto something!
The draft should be at least 2 pages, double spaced. Make sure that your Draft #3 has a title!
Please submit your draft in "Assignments" as a .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .pdf file format. If you work in Pages, go to file and "save a version," which will allow you to choose your file format. I cannot read .odf (Pages) files.
Week
#2 (5/28-6/3) (You will need the Reading Culture text for this week)..Because several people do not yet have the textbook, I've made a .pdf file of the readings under "Additional Readings and PDFs".
Objectives:
*Start considering various ways we each interpret ideas of culture and art in different ways through engaging in the discussion posts
*Engage with at least one other classmate (through Discussion Posts)
*Using Sedaris’ essay as a model, create your own narrative that reaches beyond personal memory into memoir—something to which an audience can relate
*If you haven’t yet done so, please go to the “People” tab and upload a picture of yourself on the roster. This is essential in the online environment! (and it might be easier than uploading one into the introductions page we did last week)
Work Due:
*Read
Reading Culture Introduction: pp. 1-9
Chapter 2 “Generations” Introduction: pp. 49-50
“Millenials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change,” pp. 55-66
David Sedaris “Giant Dreams, Midget Abilities,” pp. 67-74
*Write
1. Due by Thursday 5/31 at midnight (about 250 words):
*go to either “Assignments” and click on Canvas Post #2, or go to “Discussions” and click on “Canvas Post #2. Type your post into the discussion.
Complete “Exploratory Writing” at the bottom of page 3 in Reading Culture (the prompt starts, “Begin your investigations of culture by reading through the passages reprinted here.”)
Remember that especially because we can’t see/hear one another in the traditional sense, you’ll want to show your engagement with the reading/text by referring to specific examples from what you’ve read, in this case, the quoted definitions of culture. The purpose of this post is to explore the multifaceted nature of the term, and try to decide what “culture” might mean specifically for our online class and our online colleagues. Use specific examples from your own experience to add to your discussion-- for instance, how did the place you grew up shape your understanding of culture? Or, what is family culture? Etc, etc.. find a way you can connect to the material.
For example, you could state, “Cesaire states, ‘Culture is everything.’ It is interesting to note he wrote this in 1959…” and then go on writing. Try to think of it as entering into a conversation.
Try to respond to at least one other classmate’s post. There is no word limit on the response to your classmate—again, just try to think of it as brief conversation.
2. Due Sunday 6/3 at Midnight: Narrative Draft #1
For Narrative Draft #1, complete Writing Assingment #2 on pg. 74 of Reading Culture--
In addition to the prompt in the book, consider what makes Sedaris' writing style particularly memorable. Pick one element you thought worked particularly well in his essay and try to mimic his writing move in your own narrative. You will have the option to use this narrative draft to build on over the course of the semester, so think of it as a work in progress. The draft should be 2-3 pages, double spaced. Make sure that your Narrative Draft #1 has a title!
Please submit your draft in "Assignments" as a .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .pdf file format. If you work in Pages, go to file and "save a version," which will allow you to choose your file format. I cannot read .odf (Pages) files.
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Week #1 (5/24-5/30) (You will need the Reading Culture text for Week #2 assignments, but not for this week)..
Objectives:
*Read Syllabus and Schedule on the Course Website and Canvas Announcements tab to familiarize yourself with the course
*Introduce yourself to the class by including a bio and picture on the "Introduce Yourself" page under "Pages" button on the left hand side of the Canvas screen.
*Begin thinking critically about how you can most efficiently learn in an online environment
*Explore the concept of Netiquette as a method for personal online interaction
NOTES FOR THE WEEK:
I recommend opening a free dropbox account—this is a failsafe way to store your documents for this class and for others. It is very easy to set up. Go to dropbox.com to create an account. This is a space on the internet from which you can save and access your files at any time. No more, “my computer crashed” emergencies for the documents you have saved here. Remember to save to a USB memory stick and to dropbox so you always have your files backed up twice.
Just a reminder to log into Canvas once daily and consult the Class Schedule. By each Monday at 5pm, I will post the Weekly Plan here on the Course Schedule.
If you have never taken an online class (and even if you have), it is very important to remember to compose all of your writing in a Word document or Open Office document, INSTEAD OF typing directly into Canvas. By typing your writing directly into Canvas, you risk losing all of your hard work if the technology or internet connections fails. Type and save all work into word processing documents, then cut and paste into the appropriate areas in Canvas.
Work Due:
There are two items that must be completed by Midnight on Sunday 5/27.
First, write a 250 word reaction to the class "Netiquette Guidelines" on the class home page. You may react to any part of the document, but please also address the following 3 questions:
1. How do you think online learning/classes differ from face to face classes?
2. What concerns/questions do you have about the online environment or more specifically, the class syllabus? What makes you nervous/excited about taking a class online?
3. If you had enough free time to become an expert on a subject, what would it be?
For your second assignment, click on the "Pages" button on the left side of your Canvas screen. In the box on the right hand side of the screen, click the page "Please Introduce Yourself." Write a short biography and include a picture that represents you at this point in your career/life. This will help all of us to have a better idea of who is part of our online community.
Objectives:
*Start considering various ways we each interpret ideas of culture and art in different ways through engaging in the discussion posts
*Engage with at least one other classmate (through Discussion Posts)
*Using Sedaris’ essay as a model, create your own narrative that reaches beyond personal memory into memoir—something to which an audience can relate
*If you haven’t yet done so, please go to the “People” tab and upload a picture of yourself on the roster. This is essential in the online environment! (and it might be easier than uploading one into the introductions page we did last week)
Work Due:
*Read
Reading Culture Introduction: pp. 1-9
Chapter 2 “Generations” Introduction: pp. 49-50
“Millenials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change,” pp. 55-66
David Sedaris “Giant Dreams, Midget Abilities,” pp. 67-74
*Write
1. Due by Thursday 5/31 at midnight (about 250 words):
*go to either “Assignments” and click on Canvas Post #2, or go to “Discussions” and click on “Canvas Post #2. Type your post into the discussion.
Complete “Exploratory Writing” at the bottom of page 3 in Reading Culture (the prompt starts, “Begin your investigations of culture by reading through the passages reprinted here.”)
Remember that especially because we can’t see/hear one another in the traditional sense, you’ll want to show your engagement with the reading/text by referring to specific examples from what you’ve read, in this case, the quoted definitions of culture. The purpose of this post is to explore the multifaceted nature of the term, and try to decide what “culture” might mean specifically for our online class and our online colleagues. Use specific examples from your own experience to add to your discussion-- for instance, how did the place you grew up shape your understanding of culture? Or, what is family culture? Etc, etc.. find a way you can connect to the material.
For example, you could state, “Cesaire states, ‘Culture is everything.’ It is interesting to note he wrote this in 1959…” and then go on writing. Try to think of it as entering into a conversation.
Try to respond to at least one other classmate’s post. There is no word limit on the response to your classmate—again, just try to think of it as brief conversation.
2. Due Sunday 6/3 at Midnight: Narrative Draft #1
For Narrative Draft #1, complete Writing Assingment #2 on pg. 74 of Reading Culture--
In addition to the prompt in the book, consider what makes Sedaris' writing style particularly memorable. Pick one element you thought worked particularly well in his essay and try to mimic his writing move in your own narrative. You will have the option to use this narrative draft to build on over the course of the semester, so think of it as a work in progress. The draft should be 2-3 pages, double spaced. Make sure that your Narrative Draft #1 has a title!
Please submit your draft in "Assignments" as a .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .pdf file format. If you work in Pages, go to file and "save a version," which will allow you to choose your file format. I cannot read .odf (Pages) files.
--------------------------------
Week #1 (5/24-5/30) (You will need the Reading Culture text for Week #2 assignments, but not for this week)..
Objectives:
*Read Syllabus and Schedule on the Course Website and Canvas Announcements tab to familiarize yourself with the course
*Introduce yourself to the class by including a bio and picture on the "Introduce Yourself" page under "Pages" button on the left hand side of the Canvas screen.
*Begin thinking critically about how you can most efficiently learn in an online environment
*Explore the concept of Netiquette as a method for personal online interaction
NOTES FOR THE WEEK:
I recommend opening a free dropbox account—this is a failsafe way to store your documents for this class and for others. It is very easy to set up. Go to dropbox.com to create an account. This is a space on the internet from which you can save and access your files at any time. No more, “my computer crashed” emergencies for the documents you have saved here. Remember to save to a USB memory stick and to dropbox so you always have your files backed up twice.
Just a reminder to log into Canvas once daily and consult the Class Schedule. By each Monday at 5pm, I will post the Weekly Plan here on the Course Schedule.
If you have never taken an online class (and even if you have), it is very important to remember to compose all of your writing in a Word document or Open Office document, INSTEAD OF typing directly into Canvas. By typing your writing directly into Canvas, you risk losing all of your hard work if the technology or internet connections fails. Type and save all work into word processing documents, then cut and paste into the appropriate areas in Canvas.
Work Due:
There are two items that must be completed by Midnight on Sunday 5/27.
First, write a 250 word reaction to the class "Netiquette Guidelines" on the class home page. You may react to any part of the document, but please also address the following 3 questions:
1. How do you think online learning/classes differ from face to face classes?
2. What concerns/questions do you have about the online environment or more specifically, the class syllabus? What makes you nervous/excited about taking a class online?
3. If you had enough free time to become an expert on a subject, what would it be?
For your second assignment, click on the "Pages" button on the left side of your Canvas screen. In the box on the right hand side of the screen, click the page "Please Introduce Yourself." Write a short biography and include a picture that represents you at this point in your career/life. This will help all of us to have a better idea of who is part of our online community.