CommuniWrite

Poetry Packet for April 1st

2011-03-30T15:47:00.002-05:00

After you look through and listen to the music for Friday's discussion, post a blog about one aspect of the poems that stuck the most out to you. Try to analyze it as best you can, and feel free to use this forum for a mini-draft of your gist!

Our First Explication Experience!

2011-03-28T19:34:00.000-05:00

Congratulations! You have completed your first travels down the road of poetic explication! I hope that you enjoyed today's class and that it's helping you read the poems for Wednesday.

As for your blog post, you'll need to put this explication-practice to work. I want you to explicate the poem "The Flea" by John Donne.

See you on Wednesday!

Have a Great Weekend!

2011-03-25T10:42:00.000-05:00

Your blogging assignment over the weekend is fairly simple. I want you to tell me about your experiences with poetry, thus far. What did you learn in high school or middle school? Do you enjoy poetry? What poets are you fond of, which ones make you cringe? Are there any particular poems that are your favorites? Lastly, I'd like you to give me your personal definition of what a poem is!

Thanks and see you all on Monday!

The End of Faustus

2011-03-23T23:17:00.000-05:00

As we finish up Doctor Faustus, I hope all of you are working hard on your next paper!

Use this blog to do one of the following:

1). Comment on an aspect of our class discussion.
2). Comment on an intriguing part of the text.
3). Present your research question and possible rationale so that I can give you feedback!

Thanks for your great class discussion today! I really enjoyed it!

A Faustian Blog Post

2011-03-21T16:10:00.002-05:00

For today's blog post, we decided that you would discuss either a part in the play that really stood out to you, or something from our class discussion that really got you thinking!

Blogging Assignment for Monday!

2011-03-19T21:37:00.000-05:00

You should read up to scene VI of Doctor Faustus. Between the part that we read in class and the part you read on your own, I want you to blog about one thing that really sticks out to you. I want you to tell me what it is and why it jumps out at you. Then, I want you to explain to me how it works to achieve that effect.

This is a good way to practice the process of analyzing a text. I hope that this blogging assignment will help you when it comes time to analyze not only this play, but any other text that you might come across!

State of the Union

2011-01-25T13:40:00.000-06:00

Hey!

This is just a reminder that President Obama will be delivering the annual State of the Union Address this evening at 8:00 pm. In order to receive your extra credit, you should watch the speech and then evaluate it.

I want to know not only what President Obama said during the speech, but what you think about his propositions and comments. Also, feel free to comment on the Congressmen and dignitaries that will be in attendance. Usually, one or two of them act out in a rather inappropriate way, and because the speech streams live it's always entertaining to watch!

For additional extra credit, listen to the Republican response which will be delivered immediately following President Obama's remarks. Comment on the rhetoric used in both speeches. Tell me how they work together--or don't.

This is a great way for you to earn some extra points, but more importantly it's important to stay informed about the country you live in.

Cheers!

Just a Few Final Thoughts . . .

2011-01-21T16:01:00.000-06:00

Hello Class!

I just wanted to thank you all for such a great first week of class! We've had some really great discussions and I'm super impressed with each of you. I wasn't sure how you would handle this book, because it is quite challenging, but I have to say you're doing quite well!

Next week we're going to dig even deeper into the book, so I encourage you to really pay close attention to what you're reading. At this point, you should start picking up on themes and general trends in the novel.

I hope you have a great weekend and happy reading!

Lindsey

Welcome Back!

2011-01-12T22:46:00.000-06:00

Hey!

I hope you're happy to be back at USD! Congratulations on completing your first semester of college! You should be very proud of yourselves!

I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you during this semester. One way I'm going to do that is through this, our class blog. CommuniWrite offers all of us the opportunity to have great discussions about our class readings and events happening around the world!

I really hope you enjoy using the blog, it's one of my favorite parts of teaching. Although it may seem tedious at first, I'm sure by May you'll learn to love it!

I encourage you to link this homepage to your personal blog page so that you can easily find your way here! Remember, oftentimes I will offer extra credit for responding to some of my posts!

But, before we get to work, I'd really like to learn more about you. For your first CommuniWrite post, introduce yourself. Tell me, and your fellow classmates, what you want us to know about you! You'll find as the semester progresses that you're going to become quite close with your classmates, so don't be embarrassed, tell us something entertaining!

All the best,

Lynz

Writing a Literary Analysis

2010-11-27T23:06:00.000-06:00

I've read almost half of the literary analysis essays and I'm starting to think that we're a little bit unclear on what it means to analyze something. First of all, consider the definition of the word "analyze." I've listed a few definitions below:

analyze- to study or determine the nature and the relationship of the parts by analysis (Merriam-Webster)

So, what exactly is an analysis?

analysis- an examination of a complex, its elements, and their relations (Merriam-Webster)

Okay, so what does that mean?

Take Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for example. If we were going to do an analysis of it, we would need to, according to the aforementioned definition, determine the relationship of its parts. Okay. So, first we need to find the "parts." This comes from knowing which specific part you want to analyze.

Say we're analyzing the importance of Harry's scar. The parts we look at are the important parts of the text, so I can list those: the scar hurts when he first gets to Hogwarts, his scar hurts when he's in the Black Forest, his scar hurts when he's at the Leaky Cauldron, we know he got his scar from Voldemort, we know his scar is on his forehead, we know it's in the shape of a lightening bolt.

Okay, so we have the parts. Now we have to conduct an analysis. That means we have to examine a complex, or the whole of something. For this example, that means how the scar impacts the entire novel. In order to determine this, it's advantageous to first examine "the elements and their relations." This means the parts we've already picked out.

So I think that each of the parts are related because they signify some kind of warning. The scar hurts when Harry needs to be warned that Voldemort is near. In each instance that the scar hurts, he's by Professor Quirrel, who Voldemort lives off of as a parasite. We can conclude that the scar warns him of Voldemort because Voldemort is the one who put it there. Also, lightening is a common symbol of warning or danger.

What we've done here is connected all of the parts. In order to relate that to the whole (being the novel or the entire series) we can say that because Harry's scar works as a warning symbol, signifying Voldemort's presence, we, as readers, can also be warned when Voldemort is close--even if we don't technically know he's there (i.e. even if the text doesn't read "Voldemort is here").

Throughout this process we use the backing of scholars, but don't use them too often, only to further substantiate your own claims.

Analysis is a complicated process. It takes a significant portion of time to write a solid analysis, which is why each of you should dedicate as much time as you can to completing the analysis. Follow the steps that I've shown you here, re-read this post if you need to. It very simplistically tells you how to go about writing an analysis.

Checking Your Reviewed Literary Analysis Essays

2010-11-27T15:14:00.002-06:00

STEP ONE: Sign in to Turnitin.com

STEP TWO: Scroll down to Literary Analysis Revision 1 (a few of you didn't submit your paper to the right place, so you'll have to figure out where you submitted it to.)

STEP THREE: Look on the right side, and click on "show details" it is in blue writing.

STEP FOUR: A new menu will appear. On the right side there are three things from which to pick: originality, grade mark, and download. Beneath grade mark, click on the conversation bubble with a number beside it.

STEP FIVE: A new screen will pop up. Simply roll your mouse over the blue comments, and they will expand to show you what I've written. They are attached with yellow lines that point directly to the sentence I'm referring to.

STEP SIX: Print off a copy, there will be a number guide to show you where the comments go.

STEP SEVEN: After you've printed off a copy, begin revising your paper. Also, you have 5 SLC's to do. They are marked on your paper as "SLC #1," "SLC #2," and so on. When you submit your corrections (due on December 7th) they should be in MLA format and look as follows:

Susan Bones Bones 1

Ms. Lindsey Simmons

ENGL 101: Composition

7 December 2010

Sentence Level Corrections: Literary Analysis

Rule 21C: Write the appropriate rule here. Please note that YOU have to find the corresponding alphanumeric rule combination. I'll tell you what's wrong, but you must find the correct rule that fixes the problem.

Original: Write your original sentence.

Correction: Write the corrected version.

And, repeat this process for all five SLC's.

I hope that you're having a great Thanksgiving vacation! See you on Tuesday!

Who Wants Some Extra Credit?!?!?

2010-11-18T13:28:00.000-06:00

So, while I realize we're all a little stressed from finals and, perhaps, not the best midterm results, I'm offering another extra credit opportunity!

We talked about this in class a little, but I wanted it to be written out for you.

This project is a creative writing assignment. You are responsible for coming up with a brilliant piece of fiction!

Here are the requirements:
-MLA format
-Must be SuPeR creative!
-Must begin with the first sentence, "The boy saw the girl on the floor."

You have to start with that first sentence, and then, go from there! The piece can be as long, or short, as you want it to be. But, extra credit points will be given based on length, grammar, creativity, MLA style, and overall appearance. So, the better you do, the more points you get!

Please take note that this is DUE TUESDAY NOVEMBER 30th!!!
You must turn it in at the beginning of class. Per usual, I will accept no late papers!

Good luck! And, have a great Thanksgiving!!!

Update!

2010-11-14T13:40:00.000-06:00

Hey Class!

I just wanted to make sure that everyone knew I put comments on your thesis statements.

Here are a few helpful hints as you revise them!

Don't forget the

* WHO - (Author's name)
*WHAT- (What are you trying to argue?)
*WHEN - (Put it in a context)
*WHERE- (Name of the text)
*WHY - (How is this happening? What is going on? Give us an explanation)

ALSO!!!

-Keep your thesis statement as concise as possible. This means only one sentence long. And cut out unnecessary words. For example, instead of having "is representing" just say "represents" and so forth. Get rid of those pesky "to be" verbs.

-For the most part I liked what I saw! I hope you're having a fabulous weekend. I'll be checking the blogs again tomorrow for an updated thesis statement, so get your thesis-writing on!

Election Day (And, potential Extra Credit Post!)

2010-11-02T20:12:00.000-05:00

Hey Class!!!

Because I'm sure you're super concerned with what I'm doing at this very moment, I'm going to reveal the secret.

I'm watching exit polls on MSNBC! Yay! Super fun!

They just revealed that the Republican party will be taking over the House of Representatives, so we should be in store for some very interesting changes in the next couple of years.

So, this is what I'm interested in--did you vote? Why or why not? Why do you think people between the ages of 18-25 are the least likely group of people to vote?

Personally, I think it's a great honor to vote. People from all over the world die each day fighting for the basic liberties that we so blindly take for granted. Our ancestors fought in this battle. And, unless we practice these liberties our posterity could fight this battle, yet again.

Let me know what you think about the election process in general. I, for one, grew completely sick of the Kristi Noem/ Stephanie Herseth Sandlin banter for the last two months.

Instead of posting in your own blog, post it as a comment to my blog so we can see everyone's thoughts! You'll receive extra credit points based on the quality, originality, and intelligence of your response!

"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas"

2010-10-21T11:24:00.000-05:00

I was surprised and impressed with your comments on this piece.

I think each one of you brought up some very interesting and complex thoughts about the piece.

Would you be able to walk away?

I'd like to say that I would be able to, but I don't honestly know if I can. There's an altruism about these things, sometimes it truly is more important to do what's best for the majority of people. Is it in this situation? I don't know.

Think about your loved ones. Could you take happiness away from them? Away from your Mom? Your Dad? What about your own life? Could you live without happiness?

Each time I read this, I wonder if Le Guin is simply pointing out that we all behave this way. To me, the subject of her story is not on the child, nor is it on the town itself. The focus of this story is on the people who "walk away." The ones who leave. The most logical question is, why do they leave? Do they leave because they want to start a better life? Do they leave because they cannot handle the truth of their actions? Do they leave to be alone? Perhaps it's a combination of this, but it's my opinion that very few people could leave.

What I believe in more, is perhaps changing the person who is put in the basement. If one person must suffer for everyone else to be happy, I know for a fact I would volunteer myself. I'd do it for my family--and, I'm certain they'd do it for me as well. Rather than putting an unsuspecting child in the basement, let us choose who goes into that basement. Let the person choose for themselves that they want to be used for that purpose.

Sacrifice is not an uncommon occurrence throughout the world. Since the beginning of time one person has been sacrificed to please the gods for the benefit of the whole. Even today we sacrifice people for the good of the whole. In America, we call these people members of the armed forces. We call these people firefighters or police. We call these people heroes.

So, could I walk away?

No. Not at all.

But, I would stay. I would stay on the dirt. I would stay with the brooms. I would stay in the dark, so no one else would have to walk away.

What are your thoughts?

Just Remember This . . .

2010-10-10T19:22:00.000-05:00

I just read your blogs. Many of you have great ideas for potential RBAA topics. As your doing your research, please consider different political, economical, and social aspects for different arguments you run across.

I've attached this political cartoon, if you feel like it, please let me know what you think. Do you agree/disagree? Do you see any evidence of this in the research you've been doing for your topic? Does any of your research have a common sense argument?

Life on Another Planet?

2010-09-29T22:27:00.000-05:00

Just curious, but how many of you think there's life somewhere other than earth? Do you think it's possible? Do you think we'll ever know the answer?

Here's an interesting article. Apparently, some astronomers believe they have actually found a planet with life on it!

Read this and let me know what you think!

Earth-like Planet

British Petroleum Well Is Closed!

2010-09-19T15:05:00.000-05:00

I'm curious as to when you first heard about the oil spill in the gulf?

If you have a minute, read the following article New York Times: US Says BP Well is Finally Dead.

After five months, apparently the well is 'dead'. Admittedly, it's good more oil cannot go into the gulf (although this has been the case since July), but does the closing of the well help solve any of the problems it's already caused?

According to the article, "an estimated 4.9 million barrels or 250 gallons" has entered the water. I've attached some pictures for you to look at.

What do you think about the spill? Is there anything that can be done to fix the situation, or is it permanent? And, here's the BIG question, does the oil spill affect you? Why or why not?

I'm very interested to hear your perspectives on this! And, if you're interested in this topic, it could easily be used for your proposal essay.

The above picture is a map that was released shortly after the spill. It is a prediction of where the oil would go, and how much of it would end up in different areas. Below is a map--only two months after the spill--showing where the most calls for relief from the spill were coming from.

Boys vs. Girls

2010-09-09T12:02:00.000-05:00

So, I wanted to thank you guys for a wonderful conversation on the characteristics of boys vs. girls. It was pretty entertaining. For that reason, I thought I'd give you something to blog about in case you were coming up short.

How accurately do you think we described men and women today?
Is there anything you would add or take away?
Have you ever thought about what it would be like to live as the opposite sex?
Would it be hard or easy?

And, in an effort to make you all go into deeper thought regarding this, I've posted a link to Beyonce's "If I Were a Boy."

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

If I Were A Boy -- Beyonce

Yawp!

2010-09-08T19:54:00.000-05:00

In lieu of a reading assignment over the weekend, you are responsible for watching Dead Poets Society. Below I've linked the entire film, which is about two hours long. I'm sorry I don't have one full link for you to use, but you are free to search for your own, or to go rent the film.

After you watch the film, you will write a one-page review of the movie. I want you to tell me what you thought about the film, what moments had an impact on you, and what your overall opinion of the film was. Did you like it? What would you do if you were a student at this school? How does watching this film change your view of writing? Or, does it?

Your paper needs to be in MLA format as shown in your Portfolio Composition Guide.

Enjoy, and happy writing!

   Part One
   Part Two
   Part Three
   Part Four
   Part Five
   Part Six

Just Curious . . .

2010-09-07T11:01:00.000-05:00

As I was sitting in my lonely little cubicle I began to wonder what different topics I should teach you this semester. Then, it hit me. It really shouldn't be my choice, it should be yours. So here's what I want to know.

What sort of topics would YOU be interested in learning about?

What kind of writing is the hardest for you?

What grammar rules are the ones you don't know the best?

It's more important to me that I'm teaching something that will actually be useful to you than simply teaching what "I think" sounds good.

Please, please, please let me know!

"War is the realm of uncertainty." -- Vice President Biden

2010-09-01T07:51:00.000-05:00

   I was at the University of Nebraska's pole vaulting camp in December 2003. I remember waking up and turning the news on. I couldn't escape it. Every channel played the same five second video image--knocking over Saddam Hussein's statue.

   For almost a decade we've been citizen's of a country constantly at war. It's a different kind of war. It's one we can ignore by changing the channel. It's one easily forgotten unless you're personally connected to it. It's a war that's dominated the entirety of your adult life--but are you affected by it?

   I'd really like to know your thoughts on living through a war. How much did it impact your life? How aware of the war have you been the past seven years? Did you agree/disagree with it? Were you even old enough to understand what it was about?

Day Number One

2010-08-31T11:04:00.000-05:00

I hope you're all having a great first day of classes! Remember, set up your account and email me your link information! After you've done that make sure to post something about yourself! This can be anything you want to share. Be creative!

Welcome to ENGL 101!

2010-08-18T23:12:00.000-05:00

I hope the summer has been kind to you, although I'm sure a few of you are sad to see it go. English 101 is going to be an exciting semester and I can't wait to meet you all! There are a lot of fun, interesting, and at times completely strange activities we're going to take part in this semester. I hope you'll take the time to look around the site in order to learn more about what to expect this semester!