Monday, September 30, 2002
Conferences today went pretty well--everybody seems friendly and happy, more or less.
Tendency seems to be to say that there are good and bad things about blogs--I'm trying to encourage papers that go beyond this. No other significant insights to pass along.
Oh yeah, and the opinion thing. I had to tell everyone--"make sure you put yourself in this paper. I want to know what you think about weblogging. "
Can't believe how on the edge I am--gotta go do a bunch of stuff.
Tendency seems to be to say that there are good and bad things about blogs--I'm trying to encourage papers that go beyond this. No other significant insights to pass along.
Oh yeah, and the opinion thing. I had to tell everyone--"make sure you put yourself in this paper. I want to know what you think about weblogging. "
Can't believe how on the edge I am--gotta go do a bunch of stuff.
Friday, September 27, 2002
Did a peer review sessions today, after a "stay home and write" day on Wednesday. About 3/4 had drafts, with the other 1/4 ranging from nothing to outlines to two pages.
FAQs: Can I include my opinion in this paper?--I guess I must have been stressing "arguments" too much, research too much.
MLA stuff: who drills this concern into students?
All the sources say the same thing--what do I do? I suggested that was a good thing, and that they could lists the sources who say the same thing.
Also introduced "sideshadowing." One student said "this is a really good brainstorming strategy" or something like that. Most seemed to do it pretty diligently and effectively--I will follow up on this Monday and Tuesday. I decided that I had better conference with students and just get a little more face time, a little more 1:1 contact.
I'm also working on revising the Unit 2 schedule--trying to build in more structure, more assigned readings, etc. I should look at your schedules, shouldn't I.
FAQs: Can I include my opinion in this paper?--I guess I must have been stressing "arguments" too much, research too much.
MLA stuff: who drills this concern into students?
All the sources say the same thing--what do I do? I suggested that was a good thing, and that they could lists the sources who say the same thing.
Also introduced "sideshadowing." One student said "this is a really good brainstorming strategy" or something like that. Most seemed to do it pretty diligently and effectively--I will follow up on this Monday and Tuesday. I decided that I had better conference with students and just get a little more face time, a little more 1:1 contact.
I'm also working on revising the Unit 2 schedule--trying to build in more structure, more assigned readings, etc. I should look at your schedules, shouldn't I.
Wednesday, September 25, 2002
Thanks Cindy. I brainstormed last night. Will post it soon. I only get like 600-700 words. Ugh.
Tuesday, September 24, 2002
I will be SO game to do this again next year. Will aid me in my thesis writing. Man, writing that made me a little scared. I have to LEAVE this place after all? Darn it!!
Ok, so I told Kevin about this and Cindy, you'll be pleased too.. the contact I have with the Spectrum wants me to write up a little article about blogging.. about our class. I had to try to EXPLAIN what the *&$%@ blogging was first, but she seemed up for it. It may go in there next week sometime. I also may get to write up other articles about STUFF too.. Cool Studies I am thinking. They should have a page just for that. Yup, yup, yup.
MY BIG QUESTION FOR YOU BOTH IS: How do I go about starting this article? Do I pertain it to just our classes? Give an overview of what blogging is? Advertise a little? Shout out to our students that they are doing something DIFFERENT and COOL? I don't know where to begin. Kevin's ideas for title: The Attack of the Killer Weblog. Violence and blogging.. rock on. ALSO- do I do it in weblog-format or will that confuse people?? Well, everyone but our students anyway... I am sort of stumped. Will write up a draft and have you both rip it apart. Kevin will just give me as many pages in feedback as the paper is long (it's a JOKE!!). Heck, I could run some ideas past Kevin on the way to that conference on Thursday too.. I should bring my iBook.
Ok, so I told Kevin about this and Cindy, you'll be pleased too.. the contact I have with the Spectrum wants me to write up a little article about blogging.. about our class. I had to try to EXPLAIN what the *&$%@ blogging was first, but she seemed up for it. It may go in there next week sometime. I also may get to write up other articles about STUFF too.. Cool Studies I am thinking. They should have a page just for that. Yup, yup, yup.
MY BIG QUESTION FOR YOU BOTH IS: How do I go about starting this article? Do I pertain it to just our classes? Give an overview of what blogging is? Advertise a little? Shout out to our students that they are doing something DIFFERENT and COOL? I don't know where to begin. Kevin's ideas for title: The Attack of the Killer Weblog. Violence and blogging.. rock on. ALSO- do I do it in weblog-format or will that confuse people?? Well, everyone but our students anyway... I am sort of stumped. Will write up a draft and have you both rip it apart. Kevin will just give me as many pages in feedback as the paper is long (it's a JOKE!!). Heck, I could run some ideas past Kevin on the way to that conference on Thursday too.. I should bring my iBook.
Catching up on my Friday class--
i took ten minutes to try and review course goals and give people a sense of where they should be, where we are heading. Then I asked for feedback--gave them about 15 minutes to answer three questions about the class. One Q about the need to structure the research component, one Q about collaboration, and one Q about writing arguments. I'll report findings later.
Then I talked for another 15--tried to do a little oprah thingy, tried to get a little discussion going. Went okay--wish I had had a better interactive component planned, but c'est la vie. Feeling more rested and hopeful again, thinking way ahead to next year:
1. Start with short writing assignments--one a week, more or less. Keep things structured, keep in good touch with everyone. Last time I taught 110 (1999), I did this and it worked very well. I thought the blogs would provide this, but no.
2. Save this question: blogs, what's the use, until the final unit. Cindy mentioned this.
3. Start with class blog or just Blackboard discussion. Actually, if you are both game next fall, I guess I would like to stick with the blogs--each of us have one community blog for our class, and try to simply get some cross-class blog interaction. Let those who want to branch out into the personal blog do so (as part of unit 2, defining myNewLiteracy).
4. Coming full circle back to Sybil's instincts (and what I use to do): start with "SElf in the Information Age." Maybe we don't need to start with Gergen's essay, but we can bring in some of his ideas, and start with other material that asks them to think about who they are, starting college, moving into a high-tech, digital environment (whether they like it or not).
5. Maybe the "blog" component of the first unit can be very non-threatening--entries about movies and books that deal with "identity" generally and "self in the information age" specifically.
Enough planning for now. I got knocked down pretty badly last week, but I am ready to get back on the horse. I think I can even pull in the reins for this course and make it go roughly in the direction I want it to go.
i took ten minutes to try and review course goals and give people a sense of where they should be, where we are heading. Then I asked for feedback--gave them about 15 minutes to answer three questions about the class. One Q about the need to structure the research component, one Q about collaboration, and one Q about writing arguments. I'll report findings later.
Then I talked for another 15--tried to do a little oprah thingy, tried to get a little discussion going. Went okay--wish I had had a better interactive component planned, but c'est la vie. Feeling more rested and hopeful again, thinking way ahead to next year:
1. Start with short writing assignments--one a week, more or less. Keep things structured, keep in good touch with everyone. Last time I taught 110 (1999), I did this and it worked very well. I thought the blogs would provide this, but no.
2. Save this question: blogs, what's the use, until the final unit. Cindy mentioned this.
3. Start with class blog or just Blackboard discussion. Actually, if you are both game next fall, I guess I would like to stick with the blogs--each of us have one community blog for our class, and try to simply get some cross-class blog interaction. Let those who want to branch out into the personal blog do so (as part of unit 2, defining myNewLiteracy).
4. Coming full circle back to Sybil's instincts (and what I use to do): start with "SElf in the Information Age." Maybe we don't need to start with Gergen's essay, but we can bring in some of his ideas, and start with other material that asks them to think about who they are, starting college, moving into a high-tech, digital environment (whether they like it or not).
5. Maybe the "blog" component of the first unit can be very non-threatening--entries about movies and books that deal with "identity" generally and "self in the information age" specifically.
Enough planning for now. I got knocked down pretty badly last week, but I am ready to get back on the horse. I think I can even pull in the reins for this course and make it go roughly in the direction I want it to go.
Whatever I can do to help. Or say to help. Whatever.
+ I looked at drafts via e-mail on Monday, which would be yesterday. Today, class was optional. Many came by to ask questions, drop of their Creative Minute Paper, etc... they have Thursday off to continue to add to their papers.. quotes from other bloggers (integrating quotes is more of a 120 class isn't it?).. elaborate and get into groups. I will have to have them hand in something to show me they DID meet with their blog teams. I have a hard time making them accountable for things. I need to enforce MORE.
+ Had a student drop off his papers in person today.. he looked sicker than a... well, really sick person. I applaud kids like that. That really did it for me today. He even joked and said I should sanitize the papers before I touch them. I told him to take a nap.. he mentioned going to another class.. but man, he looked horrible. I suppose the sickness season is going to hit us soon too, huh? yuck.
+ In class on Tuesday, I am thinking of putting together my toolkit online (beforehand) AND putting together a.. well, a 'grammar' handout.. something that covers tidbits of the important stuff from Harbrace.. and sentence structure.. maybe the basics to MLA Works Cited pages.. a handout/booklet that has everything. (??)
+ I need the link or whatever to the essay with the O'Day and Nardi (man, are those the right names?)... please forward asap.
+ I believe, today, after having read some of these Creative Minute Papers that every person has SOMETHING to say. We just have to tap into that.
+ I looked at drafts via e-mail on Monday, which would be yesterday. Today, class was optional. Many came by to ask questions, drop of their Creative Minute Paper, etc... they have Thursday off to continue to add to their papers.. quotes from other bloggers (integrating quotes is more of a 120 class isn't it?).. elaborate and get into groups. I will have to have them hand in something to show me they DID meet with their blog teams. I have a hard time making them accountable for things. I need to enforce MORE.
+ Had a student drop off his papers in person today.. he looked sicker than a... well, really sick person. I applaud kids like that. That really did it for me today. He even joked and said I should sanitize the papers before I touch them. I told him to take a nap.. he mentioned going to another class.. but man, he looked horrible. I suppose the sickness season is going to hit us soon too, huh? yuck.
+ In class on Tuesday, I am thinking of putting together my toolkit online (beforehand) AND putting together a.. well, a 'grammar' handout.. something that covers tidbits of the important stuff from Harbrace.. and sentence structure.. maybe the basics to MLA Works Cited pages.. a handout/booklet that has everything. (??)
+ I need the link or whatever to the essay with the O'Day and Nardi (man, are those the right names?)... please forward asap.
+ I believe, today, after having read some of these Creative Minute Papers that every person has SOMETHING to say. We just have to tap into that.
Monday, September 23, 2002
Go Team Go. L - E - T - S - G- O !!!.. Let's Go!! Okay.. that was my cheer for the day. I could probably find some bloomers and a cheerleading outfit too, but that might put me over the edge and completely insane.
Wow. You two have a lot of.. um... baggage when it comes to teaching. And I have a lot when it comes to adminstration or parents.. two things I rarely deal with NOW (which is maybe why I am so optimistic.. I keep thinking "Remember when so-and-so tried to tell me how to teach English! Ha! That loser!". I feel like I am too naive (and lately: un-smart) to be giving any sort of advice.. so I will use my vibes (and telepathy) to encourage and support.
I liked your metaphor about.. orgasmic experiences... when I think back to my 110/120 classes (well, back then: 110/111) and Cindy's Creative Writing class I took.. the orgasmic experiences.. the epiphanies occurred on my own. Not usually in class. Sometimes one thing that a teacher says/does/brings up will really REALLY hit home for a student. Some students will not be on the same wavelength as a student.. Example: Me and Krishnan. The man, I know, is brillant, but I don't think I took anything from his class. Others did. And I even showed up and listened, for crying outloud.
Anyhow, I am doing a good old Peer Review day tomorrow. They have the option of showing up and going into their blog teams in class OR meeting on their own time outside of class. May be shooting myself in the foot with that, but I wanted to give them flexibility. Especially since at 8am, their brains sometimes aren't ready. I gave them Thursday off to do more work on their papers and then an almost-final draft is due in class next Tuesday. I'll be in my office from 7-11am that day in case they want to meet with me, etc. I am really trying to make them depend more on peer feedback rather than my own. After looking at 5, they all look the same. My feedback starts to sound rehearsed. I detest that. I am thinking that with the other 2 papers, requiring them to meet with me and their teams OTHERWISE I will not take their papers. Amy did this last year, and while it seems threatening, she said she got better papers.
Their rough drafts (due to me via e-mail today) look rather good actually. Some have ideas that I didn't have in my paper on blogging.. hard to imagine I KNOW. But they look.. seem.. promising. Cross fingers, cross toes.
Wow. You two have a lot of.. um... baggage when it comes to teaching. And I have a lot when it comes to adminstration or parents.. two things I rarely deal with NOW (which is maybe why I am so optimistic.. I keep thinking "Remember when so-and-so tried to tell me how to teach English! Ha! That loser!". I feel like I am too naive (and lately: un-smart) to be giving any sort of advice.. so I will use my vibes (and telepathy) to encourage and support.
I liked your metaphor about.. orgasmic experiences... when I think back to my 110/120 classes (well, back then: 110/111) and Cindy's Creative Writing class I took.. the orgasmic experiences.. the epiphanies occurred on my own. Not usually in class. Sometimes one thing that a teacher says/does/brings up will really REALLY hit home for a student. Some students will not be on the same wavelength as a student.. Example: Me and Krishnan. The man, I know, is brillant, but I don't think I took anything from his class. Others did. And I even showed up and listened, for crying outloud.
Anyhow, I am doing a good old Peer Review day tomorrow. They have the option of showing up and going into their blog teams in class OR meeting on their own time outside of class. May be shooting myself in the foot with that, but I wanted to give them flexibility. Especially since at 8am, their brains sometimes aren't ready. I gave them Thursday off to do more work on their papers and then an almost-final draft is due in class next Tuesday. I'll be in my office from 7-11am that day in case they want to meet with me, etc. I am really trying to make them depend more on peer feedback rather than my own. After looking at 5, they all look the same. My feedback starts to sound rehearsed. I detest that. I am thinking that with the other 2 papers, requiring them to meet with me and their teams OTHERWISE I will not take their papers. Amy did this last year, and while it seems threatening, she said she got better papers.
Their rough drafts (due to me via e-mail today) look rather good actually. Some have ideas that I didn't have in my paper on blogging.. hard to imagine I KNOW. But they look.. seem.. promising. Cross fingers, cross toes.
Sunday, September 22, 2002
Thanks for all the encouragement, again. Sorry to be such drag. I wish I could say that I don't sweat it, because I know I shouldn't sweat it, and I know that I shouldn't put this much psychic energy into a first-year class made up of 18 students with a variety of interests, desires, and backgrounds. But I do. And increasingly I have to admit to myself that I do this with almost every class. Teaching is a chore for me. I go in happy and with energy (I think), I give it my best college try, and when my energy and excitement is just absorbed and muted, I feel drained and cheated.
I feel pretty lucky to be teaching with both of you because I think I will learn how to be more fun and personable in class, but it seems like a persona that I can't quite pull off. I think research, reading, and writing is a pretty orgasmic experience, but . . . I probably shouldn't pursue this metaphor.
I react. I take in everything in my surroundings. I internalize. I can't ignore anything. I focus on the negative too much, and ignore the positive. I let it eat me up, while appearing calm and cool on the surface. My insides are speaking here. I leave my calm and cool behind when I write. I need to write more.
Weblogging is not about self-expression, it is about group therapy.
I feel pretty lucky to be teaching with both of you because I think I will learn how to be more fun and personable in class, but it seems like a persona that I can't quite pull off. I think research, reading, and writing is a pretty orgasmic experience, but . . . I probably shouldn't pursue this metaphor.
I react. I take in everything in my surroundings. I internalize. I can't ignore anything. I focus on the negative too much, and ignore the positive. I let it eat me up, while appearing calm and cool on the surface. My insides are speaking here. I leave my calm and cool behind when I write. I need to write more.
Weblogging is not about self-expression, it is about group therapy.
Friday, September 20, 2002
Comments/Responses from Previous Entries:
=A girl in my SocioLinguistics class is a 'something' at the Spectrum so I will ask her if they'd like an article on blogging.. man, my ego would love to write that up. I would have a hard time staying under so many words. AND it may boost the morale that some of our students are lacking. Maybe. (Optimisitic cheerleader has spoken.)
=The book you spoke of, Kevin, The Writing Cure, etc.. sounds great. I will steal it. What don't I steal from you?? Or, ok, borrow?
=Asking them about their engagement of technology in general. Yea.. good idea. Some asked me if I am on Blackboard and I giggled. "I can only keep up with my weblog and website".. most seemed to understand.
=Another insight a former student gave me the other day: My attitude leaks onto them. He said that even though he detested writing pretty much everything (even when I made things FUN!! ugh), he did it to please me because he liked me as a teacher and person. Like a wierd parental thing. So, maybe we have to take that into account. What is your attitude when you walk in the room? Are you smiling? Do you try to make them laugh? Maybe this is my quirky approach to teaching?? Do these sound like corny questions?
=On Tuesday (before giving them Thursday off to blog and brainstorm and gather in groups), I went through Paper One as well as I could.. had them come up with the rubric (a thing Katey and some other grad. students like to do. Do others do this?). MANY said that they should be assessed on making these INTERESTING, include their personal experience as well as quotes, etc from other bloggers.. I really wonder how these papers will go. Hmm. Some are straight from high schools where they all did a big senior research paper- so maybe all will be well with them not starting out with a personal narrative.. altho, this does sorta include that.
=Got an e-mail from a girl in my Comp/Rhet class (e-mailed it to you two also) about setting up a blog for her middle school kids for their literature class. Yippee. I should quit grad. school and travel the country setting up blogs.. teaching about them. All the while, STILL keeping my own. Cool beans.
=A girl in my SocioLinguistics class is a 'something' at the Spectrum so I will ask her if they'd like an article on blogging.. man, my ego would love to write that up. I would have a hard time staying under so many words. AND it may boost the morale that some of our students are lacking. Maybe. (Optimisitic cheerleader has spoken.)
=The book you spoke of, Kevin, The Writing Cure, etc.. sounds great. I will steal it. What don't I steal from you?? Or, ok, borrow?
=Asking them about their engagement of technology in general. Yea.. good idea. Some asked me if I am on Blackboard and I giggled. "I can only keep up with my weblog and website".. most seemed to understand.
=Another insight a former student gave me the other day: My attitude leaks onto them. He said that even though he detested writing pretty much everything (even when I made things FUN!! ugh), he did it to please me because he liked me as a teacher and person. Like a wierd parental thing. So, maybe we have to take that into account. What is your attitude when you walk in the room? Are you smiling? Do you try to make them laugh? Maybe this is my quirky approach to teaching?? Do these sound like corny questions?
=On Tuesday (before giving them Thursday off to blog and brainstorm and gather in groups), I went through Paper One as well as I could.. had them come up with the rubric (a thing Katey and some other grad. students like to do. Do others do this?). MANY said that they should be assessed on making these INTERESTING, include their personal experience as well as quotes, etc from other bloggers.. I really wonder how these papers will go. Hmm. Some are straight from high schools where they all did a big senior research paper- so maybe all will be well with them not starting out with a personal narrative.. altho, this does sorta include that.
=Got an e-mail from a girl in my Comp/Rhet class (e-mailed it to you two also) about setting up a blog for her middle school kids for their literature class. Yippee. I should quit grad. school and travel the country setting up blogs.. teaching about them. All the while, STILL keeping my own. Cool beans.
11 of 18 students today. Only 1 or 2 seem to have interest any more. I think more do--some movement on the weblogs--but overall, this might be one of the worst class dynamics I have ever had.
I'll need to try and figure out what is going on Monday. Part of it might be too hands off, although I have asked them to do 10 weblog entries, about 5 of them very specifically defined. One student did stick around to talk about that, but it is one of those frustrating cases where he says "I don't know what you want" and I say "ten weblog entries" and he says "but I don't know how you want them," and I say "well, after your first 2, I told you that they were good, but they don't have to be that long." I also made links to good entries, talked about them in class, yadda yadda yadda.
He's not sure if he is going to make it through the class; another student alluded to that in a weblog entry, I am already at 18 from some early drops. I probably do need a classroom visit to help me figure out what is going on.
For the 11 brave today, I tried to start them thinking about the transition from weblogging to essay writing. I introduced 3 different kinds of arguments—causal, evaluation, proposal--and asked them to outline an argument about weblogging using one of these arguments. They were in two groups of 4, one of 3. Pretty much like pulling teeth. Probably too much information, probably too vague in my delivery. Made me want to just throw in the towel.
I think I'll go read that essay by T. R. Johnson in CCC: "School Sucks."
I'll need to try and figure out what is going on Monday. Part of it might be too hands off, although I have asked them to do 10 weblog entries, about 5 of them very specifically defined. One student did stick around to talk about that, but it is one of those frustrating cases where he says "I don't know what you want" and I say "ten weblog entries" and he says "but I don't know how you want them," and I say "well, after your first 2, I told you that they were good, but they don't have to be that long." I also made links to good entries, talked about them in class, yadda yadda yadda.
He's not sure if he is going to make it through the class; another student alluded to that in a weblog entry, I am already at 18 from some early drops. I probably do need a classroom visit to help me figure out what is going on.
For the 11 brave today, I tried to start them thinking about the transition from weblogging to essay writing. I introduced 3 different kinds of arguments—causal, evaluation, proposal--and asked them to outline an argument about weblogging using one of these arguments. They were in two groups of 4, one of 3. Pretty much like pulling teeth. Probably too much information, probably too vague in my delivery. Made me want to just throw in the towel.
I think I'll go read that essay by T. R. Johnson in CCC: "School Sucks."
Wednesday, September 18, 2002
Couple of other notes.
I mentioned the PC-Rat thing a few times. One student said "yeah, rat in a maze."
In my attempt to help them be problem-solvers, I clearly need to provide a few more breadcrumbs. I guess that is what I saw as the function of my weblog, but they aren't reading it.
I think I need to pose the question: how would you like to learn? Does weblogging support it? What would support it?
I mentioned the PC-Rat thing a few times. One student said "yeah, rat in a maze."
In my attempt to help them be problem-solvers, I clearly need to provide a few more breadcrumbs. I guess that is what I saw as the function of my weblog, but they aren't reading it.
I think I need to pose the question: how would you like to learn? Does weblogging support it? What would support it?
Hey, where'd the community go?
Class today was what I called the second loop on the research cycle: I asked them to assess what they knew about weblogging in education based on the research they have been doing. I also asked them to identify what else they need to know in order answer the question--weblogs, what's the use?--and I asked them how they are going to get the information they need.
Wide range of responses: some students have already figured out that weblogging isn't really for them, although they like and are interested in forums or community blogs. I am going to set up a class blog tomorrow. The students most interested in this both said that they just didn't like writing "for themselves", but they were both on forums where good info about topics they are interested in are regularly discussed.
A handful of students seem not have done much research at all, and seem to be at about the same spot they were 10 days ago. Sigh. One said that it is hard to find information. I was a bit snotty and said something like "nobody said education was supposed to be easy."
When we discussed what they need to do to get information, I asked that they think about this without doing a search. Someone said "email Rebecca Blood" and somebody else said "email the professor at FSU." But they didn't get much further than that. I told them to visit my web page and my blog--that seemed to be news to many.
A few are thinking that it might be okay for a teacher to keep a blog, but the majority don't seem to think that they should be keeping weblogs--at least not individual ones. My most articulate student also mentioned that 2 of his professors maintain personal/class websites, 3 uses Blackboard (all differently), and one doesn't use either. He said he spends an hour and a half most nights just crusing the different information sources to keep track of what is going on, and that he finds all the different means of communicating pretty overwhelming. We might think about spinning out a "case study" from each of our five classes, where we talk with students about not only this class, but their engagement with technology their first semester at NDSU.
okay--let's hope this posts.
Class today was what I called the second loop on the research cycle: I asked them to assess what they knew about weblogging in education based on the research they have been doing. I also asked them to identify what else they need to know in order answer the question--weblogs, what's the use?--and I asked them how they are going to get the information they need.
Wide range of responses: some students have already figured out that weblogging isn't really for them, although they like and are interested in forums or community blogs. I am going to set up a class blog tomorrow. The students most interested in this both said that they just didn't like writing "for themselves", but they were both on forums where good info about topics they are interested in are regularly discussed.
A handful of students seem not have done much research at all, and seem to be at about the same spot they were 10 days ago. Sigh. One said that it is hard to find information. I was a bit snotty and said something like "nobody said education was supposed to be easy."
When we discussed what they need to do to get information, I asked that they think about this without doing a search. Someone said "email Rebecca Blood" and somebody else said "email the professor at FSU." But they didn't get much further than that. I told them to visit my web page and my blog--that seemed to be news to many.
A few are thinking that it might be okay for a teacher to keep a blog, but the majority don't seem to think that they should be keeping weblogs--at least not individual ones. My most articulate student also mentioned that 2 of his professors maintain personal/class websites, 3 uses Blackboard (all differently), and one doesn't use either. He said he spends an hour and a half most nights just crusing the different information sources to keep track of what is going on, and that he finds all the different means of communicating pretty overwhelming. We might think about spinning out a "case study" from each of our five classes, where we talk with students about not only this class, but their engagement with technology their first semester at NDSU.
okay--let's hope this posts.
Monday, September 16, 2002
No introspection today--just the facts.
Class was fine. 3 presentations on articles read (including a web-available powerpoint presentation that is very much on topic for us--I'll dig up the url asap), and 3 on personal blogging. Not sure we really pushed into the secondary material the way I had hoped to. I feel like I have under-assigned readings, imaging that the students would be reading more actively and widely.
then i talked for 20 minutes. oops. gotta remember to plan more variety. i realized that having the class listen to each other for 30 minutes, followed by 20 minutes from me, is not real breaking things up very much.
i feel like the class might be close to breaking through, breaking out, into blogdom; i'm going to try and be patient and not force the issue.
Filtered a new essay from CCC, "From Analysis to Design: Visual Communication in the TEaching of Writing" that might interest you both. Later.
Class was fine. 3 presentations on articles read (including a web-available powerpoint presentation that is very much on topic for us--I'll dig up the url asap), and 3 on personal blogging. Not sure we really pushed into the secondary material the way I had hoped to. I feel like I have under-assigned readings, imaging that the students would be reading more actively and widely.
then i talked for 20 minutes. oops. gotta remember to plan more variety. i realized that having the class listen to each other for 30 minutes, followed by 20 minutes from me, is not real breaking things up very much.
i feel like the class might be close to breaking through, breaking out, into blogdom; i'm going to try and be patient and not force the issue.
Filtered a new essay from CCC, "From Analysis to Design: Visual Communication in the TEaching of Writing" that might interest you both. Later.
Sunday, September 15, 2002
I've been really up and down this semester, but ya know, writing about it helps!
This whole writing as therapy, writing as finding out about yourself, writing like anybody at all instead of writing like some sort of academic pointy-head is really taking over my life and causing all sorts of personal introspection. In a Rhetoric and Professional Communication PhD program, you can imagine that we weren't encouraged to be exploring our feelings and helping students get to know themselves better. But I am pretty convinced now of something like what Sybil is saying--that the most important thing we can do is help students mature, be reflective, be introspective.
I am really excited about some of the stuff going on: the FSU connection, the Analog Cereal guy, a student of mine wrote a long, powerful entry about being clean for 40 some days now--since her best friend OD'ed and died this summer. Others in the class have read it and are staring to write about it. Two students are looking into setting up their own sites so they have more control--and like Sybil's students, they are thinking of keeping a blog for the rest of their college careers--and beyond. Wouldn't this be a great way to stay in touch with students over the years? !!
If we do build some momentum, we should get the spectrum to do a story on our classes and feature some bloggers. For the right person, it might be quite a trip to be the official blogger of NDSU--to achieve cult status among your fellow students.
I order a book via ILL today: The Writing Cure: Psychoanalysis, Composition, and the Aims of Education. I'll share it with you both when I get it.
This whole writing as therapy, writing as finding out about yourself, writing like anybody at all instead of writing like some sort of academic pointy-head is really taking over my life and causing all sorts of personal introspection. In a Rhetoric and Professional Communication PhD program, you can imagine that we weren't encouraged to be exploring our feelings and helping students get to know themselves better. But I am pretty convinced now of something like what Sybil is saying--that the most important thing we can do is help students mature, be reflective, be introspective.
I am really excited about some of the stuff going on: the FSU connection, the Analog Cereal guy, a student of mine wrote a long, powerful entry about being clean for 40 some days now--since her best friend OD'ed and died this summer. Others in the class have read it and are staring to write about it. Two students are looking into setting up their own sites so they have more control--and like Sybil's students, they are thinking of keeping a blog for the rest of their college careers--and beyond. Wouldn't this be a great way to stay in touch with students over the years? !!
If we do build some momentum, we should get the spectrum to do a story on our classes and feature some bloggers. For the right person, it might be quite a trip to be the official blogger of NDSU--to achieve cult status among your fellow students.
I order a book via ILL today: The Writing Cure: Psychoanalysis, Composition, and the Aims of Education. I'll share it with you both when I get it.
KEVIN- keep your spirits up. TRUST ME you are teaching them SOMETHING. I am almost glad I got fired.. ok, let go, from high school teaching BECAUSE the students, within the last months, told me things I definitely needed to hear. AND since I felt like I had failed, they were even more inclined to tell me the good they had learned.
It is my (maybe silly) belief that by teaching them writing, we teach them more about themselves. This seems much more valuable to me. Sure, awesome sentence structure makes me giddy, but if they can look internally and connect that to what they are writing, blogging... that RULES.
And (or But) to be honest, I don't remember my freshman year. Yea. The party scene is overwhelming. Still can't believe I had a B- average after that year. HOWEVER, they are learning a lot about themselves.. writing helps. Dwell, maybe, more on the community that it creates. Students are using technology and their communication via the internet to meet others. Rant and rave about their chaotic lives. SOME of mine have mentioned keeping the blog through college. That makes my day, of course.
Cindy, you rule. Yea, with teaching, like life, shit happens. Thanks for cheering me up.
And I am jealous that you two got an e-mail from a fellow blogger... *glares* ;-)
It is my (maybe silly) belief that by teaching them writing, we teach them more about themselves. This seems much more valuable to me. Sure, awesome sentence structure makes me giddy, but if they can look internally and connect that to what they are writing, blogging... that RULES.
And (or But) to be honest, I don't remember my freshman year. Yea. The party scene is overwhelming. Still can't believe I had a B- average after that year. HOWEVER, they are learning a lot about themselves.. writing helps. Dwell, maybe, more on the community that it creates. Students are using technology and their communication via the internet to meet others. Rant and rave about their chaotic lives. SOME of mine have mentioned keeping the blog through college. That makes my day, of course.
Cindy, you rule. Yea, with teaching, like life, shit happens. Thanks for cheering me up.
And I am jealous that you two got an e-mail from a fellow blogger... *glares* ;-)
Saturday, September 14, 2002
Friday's class--another day, another story. Same routine, different result. Started with a good presentation about a personal website by "littleminx" or something close to that. Went downhill from there. Wed., students gave handouts and used effective overheads. You'd think Friday presenters would learn from their good work -- what Vygotsky calls the "zone of proximal development". No luck. First presenter had a good handout, one other person had some overheads, the others, if they had anything, just passed something around--never works.
Most folks were looking flat and worn out. Two presenters came in late. A few people were missing. The weekend starts on Thursday, doesn't it. Sybil, you were an undergrad here, you were with the party scene--how bad (i.e. good) is it? Are we pretty much wasting our breath and energy teaching first-year students at SU? Not all, obviously, but many, perhaps. Most of my reading of research about comp. supports the notion that the first-year is a blurr and a loss for most students.
I would say that I really only have 2 or 3 students who have done even close to the amount of blogging I would have expected by now, but I'm not too bumbed. Learning to go with the flow--or something like that.
Also gave all of my students 3rd week reports this morning via email. That's how I know where they are at. I'd say without fail that they are competent writers with a fairly typical range of abilities. I do feel good about teaching them something (i.e. introducing them to blogging), but as usual, I'm not convinced that the class is really about writing. I am one of those comp. folks who isn't certain that writing can be taught very effectively.
I've cut too things from this post that might have gotten me in trouble with the wrong eyes reading it--so much for turning myself inside out.
Most folks were looking flat and worn out. Two presenters came in late. A few people were missing. The weekend starts on Thursday, doesn't it. Sybil, you were an undergrad here, you were with the party scene--how bad (i.e. good) is it? Are we pretty much wasting our breath and energy teaching first-year students at SU? Not all, obviously, but many, perhaps. Most of my reading of research about comp. supports the notion that the first-year is a blurr and a loss for most students.
I would say that I really only have 2 or 3 students who have done even close to the amount of blogging I would have expected by now, but I'm not too bumbed. Learning to go with the flow--or something like that.
Also gave all of my students 3rd week reports this morning via email. That's how I know where they are at. I'd say without fail that they are competent writers with a fairly typical range of abilities. I do feel good about teaching them something (i.e. introducing them to blogging), but as usual, I'm not convinced that the class is really about writing. I am one of those comp. folks who isn't certain that writing can be taught very effectively.
I've cut too things from this post that might have gotten me in trouble with the wrong eyes reading it--so much for turning myself inside out.
Thursday, September 12, 2002
I guess I am not suppose to put up links. Blogger doesn't like me.
p.s. Tamara is using blogs in her Concordia class (es)... theme: Identity. Cool, huh?
p.s. Tamara is using blogs in her Concordia class (es)... theme: Identity. Cool, huh?
I feel behind on this. You two are SO addictive to this.. hee hee. I gave you both a disease. Ok, maybe not addictive but.. something. Ok... . SO, Tuesday stunk. A student who wasn't 'getting' what was going on gave me some attitude.. what I took as attitude.. THEN my grandmother e-mailed me a note that torked me off. I was waiting for the third bomb of the day, but went home to take a much needed nap instead. [those were my reasons for not blogging- would have been negative and I hate negativity] Yesterday, realized that my problems are nothing (in comparison to much.. like 9/11 people... had my students blog about that day a year ago- where were they, etc). TODAY, Thursday, I found out that the student who didn't get it, GETS it now AND that Tom, one of my bloggers in the 8am class is becoming a celebrity. Plus, he told me I remind him of a lunch lady he had in high school. Yea.
Found out today through Kevin that blogging is an up and coming profession. So, I will be quitting my teaching job as of.... just kidding.
IN my classes, we have been reading A LOT.. they like to blog and attitudes about it get better and better. I think it helps that I am enthusiastic about it's possibilities.. and they know I keep like 4 blogs of my own. Should that be taken into account with our research? That I am overly cheerleader-like about blogs?
Cindy- interesting observation about my teaching blog not being directed at my students.. my
Found out today through Kevin that blogging is an up and coming profession. So, I will be quitting my teaching job as of.... just kidding.
IN my classes, we have been reading A LOT.. they like to blog and attitudes about it get better and better. I think it helps that I am enthusiastic about it's possibilities.. and they know I keep like 4 blogs of my own. Should that be taken into account with our research? That I am overly cheerleader-like about blogs?
Cindy- interesting observation about my teaching blog not being directed at my students.. my
