Spring is sprung...

Spring is always a crazy time of year, I'm busy, you guys are busy, and then we all get distracted by a smattering of gorgeous days. But here we are at semesters end, and I hope it has been a productive one for all of you.
It has been great to see the leaps and bounds many of you have made this semester in terms of your writing progress. I have learned a lot this semester from you guys as an 1102 class. Some things that worked and others that fell flat. In that spirit, now seems like as good a time as any to reflect where we have succeeded this semester and where we have failed. Part of learning and growing as students and writers is thinking about how we can learn from those failures.
So for this last blog assignment I would like you to evaluate yourself. I'd like you to write an entry of no fewer than 250 words evaluating yourself as a writer. How have you grown and changed this semester? In what ways were you successful in this class and which areas might need some fine tuning? This is due before class begins Thursday April 23rd
It's been a pleasure working with you all this semester and I look forward to seeing you Thursday
~Dionne

Questions

Think of a recent experience in your life that has generated questions for you—for example, reading a book or magazine, watching a film or TV show, participating in a class discussion, or observing an incident in the dorms. Briefly describe the experience and them, based on your ponderings pose several questions arising from the experience that you think are problematic, significant and interesting.
This is due before class begins on Thursday April 9th

Everything's an argument

If everything's an argument, that includes newspaper headlines. For each of the following online newspapers, choose three different headlines (along with their brief accompanying teasers) and state what exactly those headlines are aruging.

• The Wall Street Journal
• The Onion
• Atlanta Journal Constitution
  
• USA Today

On your blog include bot the headline, what it's arguing and a link to the article. This is due before class begins Thursday April 2nd.

Is it great?

Hi all,
I hope you all had a restful spring break. For this week's blog you will actually respond AFTER class on Thursday. On Thursday we will watch part of The Great Gatsby in class. Once we have, on you blog I'd like you discuss the way the American Dream is portrayed in the film and what that portrayal says about the dream.
Due by 9am Friday March 13th

You are what you eat

I'm a totally foodie. Living in Providence for 5 years I got the chance to eat at some of the best restaurants in the country, many of which were fairly inexpensive. Since moving to Atlanta I've discovered in many ways you get what you pay for! But I did have a lovely meal the other night at Craft. Using what we talked about in terms of creating an evaluative argument (reread Chapter 9 in Everything's an Argument if you don't know what this means) make a case for me for your favorite Atlanta restaurant. Please make sure to write at least 250 words. This is due Thursday February 26th.

More Piano Lessons

For Thursday write about whatever you would like, just make sure it is at least 250 words.
Due before class Thursday Feb. 19th

Play the video to get your assignment

I'll tell you my dirty little secret

Check out the web site Post Secret. Spend a few minutes looking at the site and then answer these questions on your blog ( a sentence or two per response is fine)

1. What were some of your initial reactions to the site?
2. Why do you think that the images on the site were good visual manifestations of this secret.
3. What is the importance of the writing versus the images in this type of project?
4. What spoke to you more, the images or the words?
5. Pic one secret and link to it on your blog, what do you think, if anything that secret is arguing?


This is due before class begins on THURSDAY FEB. 5th

Like playing a piano

For Thursday write about whatever you would like, just make sure it is at least 250 words.
Due before class Thursday January 29th

Reading as a Believer and a Doubter

In order to read and respond to arguments with intelligence and precision, we must actually be able to hear what the author is saying. In order to ensure full and fair comprehension, you should try to read everything you encounter—regardless of your own position—from two standpoints: Read first as a ‘believer’—suspending (as much as you

can) your judgment of the author’s views, and trying to place yourself in his or her shoes.

Next, read critically, as a ‘doubter’—questioning and finding gaps in the author’s logic, challenging his or her assumptions and even values, and just generally withholding, rather than granting, your assent. This means you will read each draft twice and you should be able to say different things each time.

Read this article about facebook first as a believer and then as a doubter. Post one paragraph on your blog detailing how you read this piece first as a believer and what the piece argued and and how it made that argument. Next post a second paragraph detailing how you intrepreted those same elements when reading the peice as a doubter.

This is due THURS JAN 22nd before class.

Defining the Dream

In the American Dream packet we went over in class on Thursday there were were two dictionary definitions of the American Dream (see the hand out to review these). For Thursday January 15th I would like you to each write your own definition of The American Dream based on what you believe it is and post it on your blog.

Face It, You'll Never Be Rich

Here is the article I'd like you to read by Michael Moore it's called "Face it You'll Never be Rich"


And for those of you still on the hunt for Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich ..... Amazon has it here for a low .96 cents. You can't beat that!