Week 3: Identity & Intellection

Hello class!

Thanks for posting some wonderful writing last week. I was curious to read what you'd have to say about your own identities as students in an online class since the question is so pertinent. I was glad to read the honest, well-considered responses. Personally, as the teacher of this online class, I feel like I've gotten a feel for who you are, even more so than my students in the traditional classes I'm teaching! It's good to "know" you somewhat, and to feel excited about the work you're producing.

I also appreciated your consideration of morality. It was a topic that inspired a wide range of opinions! Though all of the writing was interesting, I'll remind you that the type of writing that works best for this class (and that will receive full credit) responds specifically and directly to the question asked and uses thoughts of depth, as conceived while or after reading the articles from your textbook. Some of you had wonderful reflective writing posted and I enjoyed it very much; however, it's in your best interest to know that, without the analytical, academic component, it receives less than full credit despite your efforts.

This week, you'll continue your investigation of identity and consciousness by reading scientific perspectives. Afterwards, you'll have some options to choose from for your blog topics. Respond to only one and indicate clearly which topic you've chosen by writing the question into the beginning of your blog post.

Furthermore, you'll respond to blog posts left by several of your class members, as described in your calendar. See the margin of our blog site for a list of peer groups for this unit. As students continue to find their footing, some of your classmates might quit blogging. If there's no post, you can't comment and that's okay - just write a note into your review about not finding posts by the student in question. By the time we begin Unit 2, the roster will be much more firm and your groups will function more reliably. For now, thanks for your patience.

Over the next couple of days, you should also hear back from me if you sent emails about scheduling a meeting. If you don't, know that there must have been an error in email communication and write again. I look forward to speaking with you about your progress thus far, and to answering any questions you may still have!

Thank you for starting out the semester with some wonderful writing! I've been happy to read it.

Here are just a few of the "Greatest Hits" from your previous posting:

Amity's post from Thursday the 26th starts with an excellent example of effective thesis writing. Her questions are clear, direct, and provocative, and perfectly prepares us for what's to follow (http://amity215.blogspot.com/2010/08/can-we-be-good-without-god-can-we-be.html).

Also see Katie's introduction post, which has amazing texture and interest due to her smart placement of photographs and because of the friendly, descriptive writing. Also note her playful title: naming her post "Background Check" brings a professional quality to her blog writing
(http://katiekosturik.blogspot.com/2010/08/background-check.html).

See Armando's post for a great example of how to use correct in-text MLA citation for the blog writing, and to get a sense of how much of your post can actually relate to the articles you were assigned (by no means are you expected to know everything about everything in response to these blog assignments! Just use the text to back up your ideas.) (http://weeklyclasswork.blogspot.com/2010/08/social-psychology-individual-self.html)

See Tasha's post for her excellent use of rhetorical questions as an effective stylistic choice; this intro paragraph would make for a great thesis (http://tashasfinalenglishclass.blogspot.com/2010/08/good-without-god.html).

Happy Writing! :-)
-AP

Week 2: Considering Self & Spirit

Hi class :-)

Now that you've got your blogs set up, it's time to put them to use.

It was great getting to know you through the blog intros! I already know more about you than I do about the students in my traditional classes and that feels great. Feel free to add more pictures and to play with design elements of your blog through the semester. If you're unhappy with the design of your blog, one resource past students have had great luck utilizing is http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/. Remember: you'll be staring at your own blogs for several hours each week! Making it a pleasant place for you to visit is a great idea - just make sure you keep your fonts legible and professional.

Soon, I'll be posting your blog links to the class blog site. Once the links to your blogs are posted, it will be an easy way for everyone to access each others' blogs without even logging onto Blackboard.

This week, your course calendar will direct you to several articles in your reader. The discussion questions posed about the readings will assist you to reflect and respond to the articles. Part of your goal in blog writing will be to display that you've comprehended the reading and that you can integrate specific thoughts from the reading into your response. Whenever you borrow ideas, however, make sure you cite in-text. You should also begin writing with a thesis question or statement to clarify the intent of your discussion.

Your first readings consider the nature of self as it's modified by modern communities, such as online communities. As members of an online class, can we ever truly know one another, or are we necessarily strangers? We'll also consider the nature of morality and whether morality as a value is dependant on a belief in God.

I encourage you to look over your homework assingments early each week in case you need to email with questions in advance. You'll find that I read your work often which allows me to keep an up-to-date recording of your progress. However, I do try to "butt out" as you post and peer review for one another in order to honor the interaction between you and your fellow classmates.

As for getting insight about my own thoughts and assessment of your posting, you're welcome to inquire by email and set up an appointment. I'm happy to keep you updated on your progress.

I hope the beginning of this semester has been seamless and happy for you all! Enjoy Week 2. I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts!

-AP

Week 1: Easing Into a New Semester

Dear class,

Welcome to Fall 2010!

AND, welcome to our class blog site for ENG 215!

At the beginning of each week (between Sunday and Tuesday), I'll post a note to the blog with notes about your past and future work. It's a great landing spot for you to begin each work week, before you sit down to complete the course assignments. You'll also find a list of links for all of your classmates' blog sites in the side margin, and a list of your peer groups, which changes after each unit.

In English 215, you will practice skills of advanced college writing, which can only be crafted through the consideration and usage of research from academic journal sources. Your readings in "Academic Communities/Disciplinary Conventions" all come directly from academic journal sources and are organized by theme. Under each theme (the themes we'll look at this semester are "Identity and Consciousness", "Gender and Sexuality", and "Capital Economies"), there are collections of journal articles from various disciplines. They give us the opportunity to observe single topics in such specific and unlike ways that we learn more about the content of each academic genre. Philosophers, for instance, investigate ideas about identity in ways that are vastly dissimilar from the ways a biologist investigates. You'll become familiar with the ways various types of disciplines conduct their thinking and writing by reading from this book, and you'll better learn, by example, how to think and write when you're asked to write a paper in future classes that are related to some of these disciplines.

Your other book, "Researching and Writing Across the Curriculum", is a detailed writing guide. It coaches you to observe skills that are more advanced than the skills you built on during your first year writing courses. You can use this book as a reference, especially when it's time to craft a formal essay assignment for the course. You can also hold onto this book for future courses since it gives useful tips on ways to structure writing and conduct smart research.

Depending on your familiarity with academic journals, this course might be "easy" or "hard". I have no expectations about your ability levels and can support you regardless of your level of experience. What I do ask, however, is that you check in with yourself about your own level of comfort with these materials, and that you seek out the additional support that you may deserve in order to succeed in this class. After all, English writing courses are results-based courses. That means, though your effort does count for a substantial portion of your grade, a majority of your grade will be calculated based on the effectiveness of your final essay writing. If you have any questions of clarity about grading criteria, let me know! I'll be posting a Rubric to "Course Documents" on Blackboard before your first essay is due, and that should help clarify.

As for the fact that this is an online course, I'll urge you to take seriously whether or not this particular course is right for you. My expectation is that you meet or beat the requirements of each assignment in order to succeed in this class. It's not fair to you or to other students if I give you credit for work that doesn't meet criteria, for late-posted work, etc., so if you have questions about your ability to self-direct your studies and stay organized with our schedule, please consider choosing another type of class that works better for you. Hybrid classes, for instance, can give you some schedule flexibility while giving you enough in-person interaction to feel clear about what you're learning. In either case, you can best assess whether or not this course will work for you by reading our course syllabus and calendar, and by visiting several completed blogs from a previous section of ENG 215 which are temporarily linked to this page.

However, if you do wish to stay with the course, know that, by staying organized and positive, and by being pro-active about your learning, you can absolutely create a rewarding learning experience. I'm here to assist, and so are librarians, tutors, and all manner of writers who have left a trail for you to follow through your textbooks. You can make an appointment with me by emailing amisha.patel@asu.edu, and I encourage you to do so at least once in the first half of the semester. I keep your major grades handy for you on Gradebook, though your weekly assignments are given an overall grade at the end of the semester and won't be posted til the semester is over. To know where you stand with the weekly assignments, you can feel free to contact me any time for feedback.

Also, visit this link to view a short, one-minute video about the best resources for online classes: http://http//lib.asu.edu/librarychannel/2010/06/03/libminute_027/

Lastly, I encourage you to have some fun as you create your blogs for the semester. These blogs will be a significant part of your ENG 215 experience, and you can personalize them as much as you'd like, as long as we can still easily read the text you post. There are many free "blog skins" available online if you'd like to look them up and use something that represents you more perfectly than the ones available on blogger.com. Posting pictures of yourself will allow us to form a greater sense of community, and I highly encourage it. It'll also make it easier for me to identify you around campus and give you a warm hello when I meet you in person!

Enjoy this first week of classes. :-)

May the upcoming semester be full of joyous learning!

-AP