Over and Out

Dear Writers,

Well, that was fun.

Sorry it’s taken all week to get “grades” posted. My house was dealing with two ear infections, two eye infections, two sinus infections, and one viral infection. All four of us were on various forms of amoxicillin, though we seem to be on the mend just in time to hop in the car and drive to New York. Wish us luck.

I enjoyed getting to know each of you this semester, and I think we achieved a nice balance of fun and productivity (something my old high school students used to refer to as funductivity). Let me know if I can be of assistance to you in the future. I’ll be in  my Sweetland office at least through the end of the school year. After that, who knows? I’ve got a Major Review coming next semester which is kind of like a job performance review for Lecturers. (Yes, I’m not technically a professor, though some of you wanted to call me one.)  Anyway, I’d be glad to bump into you in the future.

I’ve had a chance to skim through everyone’s portfolio, and my plan is to share some individualized feedback by email before the end of the year. That’s more likely to happen in the days after Christmas, so be patient. Nothing extravagant, but I do hope you realize your work is valued. Thanks for putting in some effort this semester. Your three credits were well-earned.

Finally, I wish you a warm and relaxing holiday break. I’ll be hanging with my foxes (see below) and trying to get healthy. Be well.

Thrive,

Tim

Winding Down

So, folks, the time is nigh. Hope you stay sane as you’re finishing up the semester. Plan to have your blog/portfolio complete and ready for evaluation by Friday morning (say, 8:00 a.m.). Consult that blue handout (or find it again as part of the previous blog post) to double-check whether you’ve covered everything that’s expected of you. Let me know if you have questions.

Thanks for playing along and putting together some interesting “TED” talks. I know it’s not easy to write, prepare, and deliver this type of performance, and I appreciate how everyone pulled through and supported one another.

If you’ve not yet done so, please complete the course evaluation (we’re up to a 71% completion rate) which you can access through your CTools Workspace (or by clicking the link that’s probably been emailed to you multiple times).

I’ll respond to you individually by email after I’ve had a chance to review your blog/portfolio, and I’ll try to pass along at least a couple pieces of advice as you head toward your future writing challenges. Give me a couple weeks to get through everything; you may not get a response from me until after I’ve submitted “grades” (credit) for the course.

This probably won’t be my last blog post, but so long for now.

Thrive,

Tim

In Case You Missed It …

Here’s the handout that was distributed in class today. It provides information on the last bits of writing you should include on your blog. I’ll have paper copies next week, too, if you need one. 

 

Blog Expectations and Final Reflections 2013

How to Deliver a Good Talk

• Use narrative elements
• Establish a personal stake in the subject matter
• Eye contact
• Visual aids – props (food, ox)
• Confidence is key – Practice helps
• Speak clearly, good pace
• Don’t move around too much
• Write on board, slides (don’t read from them), images, video clips
• Aim for the unexpected    

Listen and Learn

Here’s a link to that Nathan Heller essay you read earlier this semester. Be prepared on Wednesday to share at least one piece of advice about giving a “TED” talk. You can come up with this suggestion by reading the Chris Anderson essay I distributed last week, re-reading the Heller essay, and/or studying some TED talks on your own. Have fun, and think about how you can apply the advice to your own presentation.

Modern Times

Here’s the full movie (and here’s the link to it on Youtube). Remember that you only need to address the first 20 minutes in your response, but feel free to check out (and write about) the entire film if you’re so inclined. Responses are due next Monday. Bring a paper copy to class. Here, again, is the assignment sheet: Modern Times – Analysis as Argument

 

Essay Organizer

I’ll distribute this form in class today, but I wanted to make it available digitally in case you might find it useful in the future (or if you lose your copy).

Analysis Essay Organizer

Weekly Reminders

All of this week’s readings are available on our Resources page. Be sure to check out the essays by Rushin, King, Trump, and Browne. All of them are forms of cultural analysis, and you might gain further insight into your own projects. Post a response to at least one of them by Wednesday.

Wednesday, we’ll hear speeches from Francesca, Joel, George, and Heather. Then next Monday we’ll hear from Mimi, Jaron, Carly, Caleb, and Taylor. Be ready to roll (and form a receptive audience).

We’ll talk more this week about the expectations for your cultural analysis essay. Once you’ve narrowed down a topic, don’t forget that you should include some analytical aspect rather than simply sharing factual information.

In other words, you’ll want your essay to do more than just state WHAT SOMETHING IS; you’ll want to communicate some ideas about WHAT IT MEANS. A good way to explore this angle is to consider why your topic is of interest or why it is increasing in popularity. Why, for instance, does our culture have an obsession with zombies? [See photo.] Why is there increased interest in local level renewable energies? Are certain video games popular because they satisfy our violent urges rather than inspire them? Hopefully, everyone will continue to narrow their focus, and we’ll share our ideas more fully on Wednesday. In the meantime, let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Good luck.

Getting Started – Topics and Research

First of all, remember that we’ll be meeting on Monday in the Hatcher computer lab. Come to class prepared to explore some potential topics for your cultural analysis. Bring the “Exploring a Topic” handout that you received last Wednesday, and demonstrate that you’ve put some thought into the process by filling out at least part of it. Also come with questions. Monday will be a good opportunity to get yourself pointed in the right direction.

I’ve attached here that “Exploring a Topic” handout, as well as an example of how one might make use of this form. Check it out.

Brainstorming Worksheet

Brainstorming Worksheet – Example

To further help you get started, here is a link to a library guide on selecting a topic and narrowing your research focus. This may be useful for this assignment as well as other coursework in a variety of disciplines.

Also don’t forget to post a new response to one of the readings from this week or last (Chabon, Posnanski, Klosterman). The goal continues to be developing your critical reading skills as they related to rhetorical analysis. How are these writers making and advancing an argument? Essentially, they’re doing the same kind of thing you’ll be doing with your cultural analysis essay, so it should be useful to figure out how these samples “work.”

Finally, we’ll get started with our speech presentations next Wednesday. Kicking things off will be George, Heather, Francecsa, and Joel. Looking forward to it. Have fun.

Meeting in Hatcher

Here’s your first reminder about next week:

1. On Wednesday, we’ll meet for class in the computer lab on the main floor of the Hatcher Graduate Library (Hatcher 100). Enter from the Diag and go through the lobby past the stairs. Head up the ramp on your left and look for the computer lab on your right.

2. We’ll be in the library lab the following Monday as well. The idea is to provide you with some general instruction about conducting research at the university that goes beyond Wikipedia and Google searches. Ideally, you’ll come to the lab with some ideas about the subject matter you might pursue for your cultural analysis essay. Becoming familiar with how to navigate databases, as well as understanding the roles of the research librarians on campus, should help you be more productive over the next three years.

3. I should also remind you to read the Klosterman essays about fantasy football and Harry Potter. These might further inspire you to consider your own analysis project. By the end of next week, I’ll want you to have written a blog post about at least one of these essays OR one of the essays we read this week (Chabon or Posnanski). Your post should reveal some critical thinking about the arguments being advanced and the rhetorical strategies that contribute to the writer’s success (or lack thereof).

4. Finally, I’d strongly advise you to check out the Peer Tutoring services as you work on your speech revision. There are at least two weeks before the next draft is due, so you’ve got ample opportunity to seek additional feedback. Don’t forget to document your Exploring Resources obligations by creating a new page on your blog and writing about your experiences. For more information, consult the Exploring Resources information on the handout (or here).

5. One more thing: there are no regularly scheduled conferences next week. Monday, October 21 kicks off our next “B” week schedule.

ENJOY YOUR BREAK!