Thursday, November 21, 2002
My students are going through conferences right now (thru next week) for Paper #3 which turned into a personal narrative (fractured if they wanted) answering "Who Are You".. I tried to keep it within the technology range and have them write about themselves in this age of Tech., but I also wanted to give them free reign for once.. just write about them. Many drafts have looked awesome.
This makes me wonder. When I only concentrated on personal narrative and description last fall, the papers were not as innovative or interesting to me as these. Maybe after doing research, they want to dive into something they know and that is why these have been great. I don't know.
I will enjoy seeing their online portfolios get created too, I think.
This makes me wonder. When I only concentrated on personal narrative and description last fall, the papers were not as innovative or interesting to me as these. Maybe after doing research, they want to dive into something they know and that is why these have been great. I don't know.
I will enjoy seeing their online portfolios get created too, I think.
Wednesday, November 20, 2002
Went over a week on my class blog for the first time--although I keep picking up signs that people actually have read and used it. Tighter integration with the course website seems like a high priority--I think the blog could be wrapped into website more effectively. Do I really want to spend the time on it...?
Last few classes have been fine. I thought today would tank, but I asked them to list some ways in which they are different from parents due to influence of info technologies. They shared many ideas. Also interesting comments about online communities and f2f communities.
Definitely plowing through this unit--I feel sorry for them. Essay 2 done: mainly Cs and Bs, which I consider fine. Writing a good academic essay is a really tough thing for first-year students to do. Interestingly, many take a very conservative stand--"new literacy" is all hype, and we need to stay focused on "reading and writing." Even though they seem to dislike both activities ; )
Last few classes have been fine. I thought today would tank, but I asked them to list some ways in which they are different from parents due to influence of info technologies. They shared many ideas. Also interesting comments about online communities and f2f communities.
Definitely plowing through this unit--I feel sorry for them. Essay 2 done: mainly Cs and Bs, which I consider fine. Writing a good academic essay is a really tough thing for first-year students to do. Interestingly, many take a very conservative stand--"new literacy" is all hype, and we need to stay focused on "reading and writing." Even though they seem to dislike both activities ; )
Thursday, November 14, 2002
My momentum has been up and down with the teaching blog. I haven't used my web site's one for a long time due to having to dial in from home (having to wait until late at night to do so, etc)... and I go back and forth from the class blog to my xanga one repeating myself. Next spring- just a class blog I think. For fall, same thing with a list of the personal ones down the side.
My personal blog as been getting smacked in the head. NOT because I don't want to write, but because, again, dialing into campus sucks AND our old house has bad phone wires (dad will tackle soon) SO when I do dial in, sometimes, the phone connection goes dead altogether. I have been, however, writing in a document that I have titled "iBlog" :-) on my VW desktop almost every night. I usually place most of it (cut and paste) into my blog when I DO get on the internet. Access access access...
My kids.. students.. did their presentations today, final ones. My 8am class is much more ambitious than my 9:30ers. Must be the vibe. I have lost about 5 in each class due to something or another. About two just haven't come at all the whole semester so... I have that effect on some people I guess. Tuesday: Computer lab to look at more hypertext (I'll show 'em your collaborative project from awhile ago Kevin since that's what I want to do) that I find and they find, sign up for conferences... Thursday: Peer Review (although I still haven't mastered getting them to DO THIS properly.. tried worksheets and points given.. ugh).. then Thurs- Tues: conferences. Paper #3s will be due b4 break on Wed.
P.S. I TOO was extremely impressed with their projects. Only a few went wimpy on me and didn't really do what they planned on doing. Lots have said: "I am glad I got to do this." since many did research on their majors. I plan on listing the ones that did web sites on our 110 group blog soon.
My personal blog as been getting smacked in the head. NOT because I don't want to write, but because, again, dialing into campus sucks AND our old house has bad phone wires (dad will tackle soon) SO when I do dial in, sometimes, the phone connection goes dead altogether. I have been, however, writing in a document that I have titled "iBlog" :-) on my VW desktop almost every night. I usually place most of it (cut and paste) into my blog when I DO get on the internet. Access access access...
My kids.. students.. did their presentations today, final ones. My 8am class is much more ambitious than my 9:30ers. Must be the vibe. I have lost about 5 in each class due to something or another. About two just haven't come at all the whole semester so... I have that effect on some people I guess. Tuesday: Computer lab to look at more hypertext (I'll show 'em your collaborative project from awhile ago Kevin since that's what I want to do) that I find and they find, sign up for conferences... Thursday: Peer Review (although I still haven't mastered getting them to DO THIS properly.. tried worksheets and points given.. ugh).. then Thurs- Tues: conferences. Paper #3s will be due b4 break on Wed.
P.S. I TOO was extremely impressed with their projects. Only a few went wimpy on me and didn't really do what they planned on doing. Lots have said: "I am glad I got to do this." since many did research on their majors. I plan on listing the ones that did web sites on our 110 group blog soon.
First posting in 10 days. I have dropped down to once a week on my class blog. How have you two been doing? I haven't even made the time to check up on you. One thing is clear about my blogging experience--momentum is hard to keep. Maybe the lack of community (just the 3 of us), maybe just the pressing nature of day-to-day, maybe the absence of anything to say. Is your personal blog still trucking along, Sybil? I think my student who kept a blog before the semester began has kept some momentum.
Anyway, something to reflect on in the many journal articles we will be writing. We need to pull together a final survey (I'll check my draft), and gather whatever info we want/need.
As for class, my group finished up stretch presentations on Wed. I am pretty sold on the stretch assignment. I think almost everyone has said something like "this was fun," even when their project didn't quite work out. I ended up with quite a wide range of projects: two power point presentations, one movie, 8 websites, all doing very different things (Flash on one, photo manipulation on another, home-made weblogs on 2, more traditional personal web sites for 2, a very personal one about a students battle with Cancer, one discussion board), 2 CAD projects, 1 computer program learner, one Mathematica learner. If you do the math, you can see that I am down to 15 students
; never really had more than 18, but the course (and life) has taken a toll on the class. Imagining a kinder, gentler class for '03.
Tackling Gergen on Friday. At least my expectations will be reasonable--very tough essay, not expecting students to be all over it. Will try to go in and put the issues in language they understand. One student said something like "8 pages!" when the essay printed--that disturbs me a bit. I think we ask them to do so little reading in 110 and 120, and the thought of an 8 page essay horrifies some students. McLuhan drew on some research on the physiology of reading to say that even in the 1970s, adolescents were having trouble reading because their eyes were not strong enough (i.e., they didn't have the necessary muscular strength to stay focused on line after line of text). Makes a lot of sense to me. Maybe we need to present 110 and 120 to students as an "exercise" class--read for an hour everyday, build up your eye muscles, and see how much more quickly and effectively you can read by the end of the semester.
Anyway, something to reflect on in the many journal articles we will be writing. We need to pull together a final survey (I'll check my draft), and gather whatever info we want/need.
As for class, my group finished up stretch presentations on Wed. I am pretty sold on the stretch assignment. I think almost everyone has said something like "this was fun," even when their project didn't quite work out. I ended up with quite a wide range of projects: two power point presentations, one movie, 8 websites, all doing very different things (Flash on one, photo manipulation on another, home-made weblogs on 2, more traditional personal web sites for 2, a very personal one about a students battle with Cancer, one discussion board), 2 CAD projects, 1 computer program learner, one Mathematica learner. If you do the math, you can see that I am down to 15 students
; never really had more than 18, but the course (and life) has taken a toll on the class. Imagining a kinder, gentler class for '03.
Tackling Gergen on Friday. At least my expectations will be reasonable--very tough essay, not expecting students to be all over it. Will try to go in and put the issues in language they understand. One student said something like "8 pages!" when the essay printed--that disturbs me a bit. I think we ask them to do so little reading in 110 and 120, and the thought of an 8 page essay horrifies some students. McLuhan drew on some research on the physiology of reading to say that even in the 1970s, adolescents were having trouble reading because their eyes were not strong enough (i.e., they didn't have the necessary muscular strength to stay focused on line after line of text). Makes a lot of sense to me. Maybe we need to present 110 and 120 to students as an "exercise" class--read for an hour everyday, build up your eye muscles, and see how much more quickly and effectively you can read by the end of the semester.
Tuesday, November 12, 2002
So, we don't take ourselves seriously? Theory and no comp. Ugh. They are going to LOVE me (sarcasm).
Class today- looked at essays listed on my xanga blog. They write better answers than they vocalize, but oh well.
Thursday will be informal final presenatations. They are typing/printing up their project summaries and website for everyone to look at. They'll talk a little, but it won't be a speech class senario.
Next week- a computer day to look at more online items related to Paper #3, Thursday- peer review and then conferences from Thursday until the following Tuesday. Paper #3 will be due the Wed before Thanksgiving.
Class today- looked at essays listed on my xanga blog. They write better answers than they vocalize, but oh well.
Thursday will be informal final presenatations. They are typing/printing up their project summaries and website for everyone to look at. They'll talk a little, but it won't be a speech class senario.
Next week- a computer day to look at more online items related to Paper #3, Thursday- peer review and then conferences from Thursday until the following Tuesday. Paper #3 will be due the Wed before Thanksgiving.
Monday, November 04, 2002
Sybil, you might hope for a less stuffy conference with grad students, and you might get it, but those Canadian graduate programs take themselves pretty seriously. U of A takes itself very, very, seriously. Lots of theory, no composition. You'll knock their socks off!!
I was hoping to visit your class tomorrow but another meeting popped up. I'll make it some time soon ( I hope).
My students continued to read and respond to each others' stretch assignments. They sure don't write very much (e.g. "cool site, man--keep it up!"). I try to model more constructive feedback, but I sometimes think it pains students to have to communicate.
The Gergen will definitely be tough to chew on, and the stuff from Wired more accessible. I'll be interested in seeing your knew reading list.
I was hoping to visit your class tomorrow but another meeting popped up. I'll make it some time soon ( I hope).
My students continued to read and respond to each others' stretch assignments. They sure don't write very much (e.g. "cool site, man--keep it up!"). I try to model more constructive feedback, but I sometimes think it pains students to have to communicate.
The Gergen will definitely be tough to chew on, and the stuff from Wired more accessible. I'll be interested in seeing your knew reading list.
Sunday, November 03, 2002
This last week.. we met Tuesday in the computer lab to do mid-presentations... I think I talked about those below. Then Wed thru this coming Tues I am conducting writing conferences. So many of them want to know EXACTLY what to do.. I am NOT the one writing the paper guys! Goodness. Anyhow, those are going well. Redid my syllabus tonight a little bit since I will be canceling class Dec. 5 due to the conference I am going to in Canada. Yea- Cindy, I am presenting my weblogging paper from Kevin's class as well as talking briefly on our class. It's a grad. student conference so hopefully less stuffy (no offense profs).. :-) .. For Paper #3, I created my own example of what I am looking for... they need to answer "Who Am I?" with some other minor sub-questions too dealing with technology/college/them in the information age, etc..
Kevin, I too feel like wrapping up before Thanksgiving.. but tonight I found lots of other interesting things (mainly on the archives of Wired Magazine) that I want them to read as well as Gergen. Oh, I found his website.. is the 'article' the one titled something like 'self in the information age'? I think I found it. Looks like a tough one for them to chew on.
That's all from my homefront.. next week: Tuesday- Talk about Paper #3, show examples, create rubric, and maybe bring in a reading from Wired. Also, show them the changes in syllabus. Thursday- More information on this unit with readings and brainstorming for Paper #3. Plus, Paper #2 is due Friday.
Kevin, I too feel like wrapping up before Thanksgiving.. but tonight I found lots of other interesting things (mainly on the archives of Wired Magazine) that I want them to read as well as Gergen. Oh, I found his website.. is the 'article' the one titled something like 'self in the information age'? I think I found it. Looks like a tough one for them to chew on.
That's all from my homefront.. next week: Tuesday- Talk about Paper #3, show examples, create rubric, and maybe bring in a reading from Wired. Also, show them the changes in syllabus. Thursday- More information on this unit with readings and brainstorming for Paper #3. Plus, Paper #2 is due Friday.
Friday, November 01, 2002
is blogger still always one post behind?
I have a few student url's to share--stretch project stuff.
These three, plus a student who is doing a non-web project are "presenting" today--others will browse and give feedback. I probably won't report on how it goes, because it all should go quietly ; )
These three, plus a student who is doing a non-web project are "presenting" today--others will browse and give feedback. I probably won't report on how it goes, because it all should go quietly ; )
