Pre-Thanksgiving Conferences

Next Tuesday, we won't meet at our regular class time. Instead, I'll be available throughout the day to meet with you in conference. The conferences are optional. We can use the time to talk about the quality of your blogs, to go over any grammatical issues you may have, to discuss any successes or difficulties you're having, and so on. I also have a few spots available for conferences this Thursday.

If you're interested in scheduling a conference, please e-mail me at lljakiela@gmail.com.

If you schedule a conference, please be sure not to miss it. If you miss a scheduled conference, it counts as a class absence.

Assignments for Next Week

One blog post -- topic of your choice.
Comment on other blogs. Be good citizens!
Read in BLOGGING HEROES -- The Introduction, the interview with Mark Frauenfelder of BoingBoing on p. 91 and the interview with Gina Trapani of Lifehacker on p. 25. Be prepared to discuss the readings.

Number-Crunching

Because you asked...

The total number of blogs you should have by the end of the semester: 25
The total number of comments you should have made on others' blogs by the end of the semester: 35
The reward for having done a good job all term: Priceless.

In order to receive an A, both you and your blog should have been active all term. That means:
a) You've attended class
b) You've thoughtfully, intellectually participated in class
c) Your blog's been kept reasonably up-to-date.

Although you can't time-machine yourself back to classes you missed (if you can, please let me know immediately), and you can't completely correct a blog that's been flabby for months, you can add extra posts to try to balance things a bit. This would show verve and commitment and will likely help your grade.

Note that word "likely." There are no guarantees, but common sense rules here.

Remember, of course, that quality counts. A lot. So you want to always balance your desire for the correct number of posts with the importance of having quality posts. Simply having 25 posts won't guarantee you a sweet grade. Those posts have to show effort. They have to reveal the attributes of good blogging per our text.

You have a few weeks to kick it up a notch. So as Emeril would put it, Bam! Let's see what you've got.

Tonight's Presentations -- Tuesday, Nov. 17

Tonight we have three sparkling presentations:

Greg Garland on Zen Habits
Rin Little on Generacion Y
Jesse Milliner on Bad Astronomy

Be sure to pay attention, ask questions, take notes, and do other assorted good-scout things. Questions about the presentations may show up on your final quiz. Just saying.

Blog Assignment: Pay Attention

The poet Antonio Machado said the only advice young writers needed was this: "Pay attention." Think about your day. What caught your attention? What did you notice today? How alert were you to your world?

Make a list of five things/people you noticed. Be vivid. Use specific details and description to show rather than tell readers what you saw/experienced.

After you've made your list, go back over it. Can you see any connections between the things you've listed? Is there a theme to your day and, if so, what is it?

Write about this.

Final Grades -- A Checklist

Your final grade this term will be based on the following:

• Quality and consistency of your blog – 30 percent of your grade

o Is it well-written?
o Has it been active all semester? (3 posts per week up until Nov. 10, then one post per week until the end of the term)
o Have you been active in your blog community?
o Have you responded to comments/feedback?
o Do you seem to care about your work and about the feedback you receive on your blog?
o Have you shown evidence of revision?
o Have you been able to apply what you’ve learned from The Huffington guide?
o Have you been creative and professional in your approach?
o Have you shown the ability to work independently?
o Have you followed Huffington’s golden rule of blogging?

• Quizzes (3 of these) – 20 percent of your grade

• Attendance and Participation – 20 percent of your grade


• In-Class Presentation – 15 percent

• Final Paper (based on in-class presentation) – 15 percent

Extra Credit: Attendance at Oresick reading = 2 blog posts

Tonight in Blogging

We have five fabulous presentations tonight:
Laura Kopa on Mashable; Katie Braun on the People of Walmart; Jamie Pope on DetentionSlip; Matt Wilson on Metafilter; and Tashaine Campbell on The Huffington Post.

Assignment Details:
From this point, we'll cut back on the individual posts you'll do each week. Instead of three posts, you'll be required to do one post based on an assignment I'll give you in class (and post here, of course). You can do more than this, of course, so don't feel restrained.

You should now go back and look at the work you've done this term. If you're missing posts, now is a good time to catch up a bit. Edit old posts as needed. Polish things up and prepare for the end of the term, when I'll take a close look at your blog for your final grade.

Need extra credit?

If you've fallen behind a blog post or two, come to poet Peter Oresick's reading on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. in Powers Hall 120. I'll have a sign-up sheet available. Attending the reading will earn you extra credit. The extra credit will count for two blog posts. (Also, there will be brownies.)

Tonight in Blogging

We'll be discussing cyberpolarization and extremism in the blogosphere. Three of you -- Caitlin, Tashaine, and Jason -- will give your presentations tonight.

Assignments: Handout on texting. Write a blog post based on the handout (this will count as one of your required posts for the week). Read in Huffington -- Chapters 6 and 7.

Pendulum Submissions

Pendulum, UPG's student-run literary magazine, is accepting submissions for the fall issue. Editors are hunting quality poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, photography and art work. If you've written a terrific blog post and would like to share it in print, send it as a creative-nonfiction submission. The deadline is November 13. Send submissions to upgpendulum@gmail.com. For more information, see Prof. Vollmer or Prof. Jakiela, the magazine's advisers.