Blog Prompt

Hello alls,

Your blog prompt, due TONIGHT (Monday 1 Aug) AT MIDNIGHT, is to create an outline for your research paper.  Look at what you have so far, and see how it fits into the formulas/outlines we discussed on Friday.  Post the outline, including specific points and how they are contributing to your thesis, and tlak about what you may need to still include, what you may need to cut, etc.  If you already have an outline, great--post it, and talk about what may need to change still.

I'll see you each at conferences and in class on Wednesday!

-cbh

IP Thesis

Hello alls,

Don't forget your blog prompt for tonight:  write out a tentative IP thesis statement.  It doesn't have to be something you'll necessarily stick with, but it has to be enough to direct your research for the rest of this week.  The idea is that you'll specify/narrow your topic as you go.  But in order to start, of course, you need a direction.

Also, don't forget that we'll be in the Library on Wednesday AND Friday (2232 HBLL).  See you there--you'll hopefully get a lot of research done this week!

-cbh

Blog Prompt

Hello class,

Look at me, posting the blog prompt so promptly :-).  I therefore expect you to get your blog posted on time as well--tomorrow (Saturday) at noon.  Here's the prompt:

Write a reflection on the Rhetorical Analysis process.  Ask yourself similar questions that you did when reflecting on the OpEd process--what went well, what didn't, and why, etc.  Also, compare it to the OpEd process.  Was it better?  Worse?  Why?  Etc.

Have a great weekend--see Harry Potter if you get the chance.  Its AWESOME.  And I'll see you all on Monday (with hard copy drafts of your RAs, with rubric attached, in MLA format!).

-cbh

Belated Blog Prompt...!

Hello class,

I know, I know, I didn't post the prompt yesterday as I said I would.  I apologize.  I notice there are quite a few of you that didn't post last night as well, so here's the deal:  if you get your post up by midnight TONIGHT, I'll give you credit.  If not, I won't.  OK, here's the prompt...

Analyze how the article that you have chosen for your Rhetorical Analysis uses various forms of figurative language.  List as many of these forms as you can, and discuss whether or not the author uses them effectively.  If appropriate, integrate this analysis into your Rhetorical Analysis (if you haven't already).  Good luck!

-cbh

TWO Blog Prompts*

*Unless you already did the first one on Saturday


So here's the rub:  I know I forgot to post the prompt for your blog post on saturday, and because of that I'll allow those of you who haven't posted it yet to post it by midnight tonight along with your post for today.  Here's the prompt:


Write a reflection on the OpEd process.  Discuss the following questions (or any others that come to mind):  How did it go?  What went well, what didn't go well, and why do you think so?  What could have improved in the process?  What could you have done better?  What could I have done better?  Did you enjoy it (relative to other writing assignments)?


And your writing prompt for today:


Write a thesis statement for your Rhetorical Analysis (using the components we discussed in class today--the thesis handout can be found online, through Blackboard).  Also, write a body paragraph for your Rhetorical Analysis (again, using the elements we discussed in class--clear topic sentence, specific example, analysis, and discussing how it effects the audience).


Good luck!  See you all on Friday!


-cbh

Blog Prompt and Videos

Hello alls,

You have a blog post due tonight at MIDNIGHT.  The prompt is to analyze the claims, reasons, and assumptions within your Opinion Editorial (as we did with a number of rhetorical situations in class today).  You can do this in any format you would like that is helpful to you (outline, paragraphs, whatever).

Also, I'm still waiting on two videos (Group 1:  Linking Marks and Group 3:  Enclosing Marks).  Get them to me asap!  Thanks!

-cbh

FIRST POST OF SUMMER TERM

Hello alls,

Welcome to Writing 150, Summer Term 2011.  I think we're going to have a great class this term...!  And without further ado, here is your blog prompt for tonight:

BLOG PROMPT:  Write a brief bio about yourself.  Who are you?  Where did you grow up?  What are you likes/dislikes?  What do you want to accomplish with your life?  What goals do you have?  What makes you an interesting person (you're all interesting)?  You don't have to answer every one of those questions, but thats the sort of think I want you to discuss.

Also, at the end of the post, tack on a *potential* topic and/or thesis you're formulating for your OpEd.  I want to get you thinking about it.

Looking forward to reading!

Blog Prompt for THURSDAY

Hello alls,

You have a blog post due THURSDAY AT MIDNIGHT (even though we will have no official class on that day because of conferences).  Your assignment is to analyze a piece of rhetoric (it can be whatever you want--a TV show, a speech, an article, a blog post, even the article you analyzed for your RA, whatever) and then attempt to make an OUTLINE of the piece--the intro, the main points, the conclusion, whether there are pathetic appeals, counterarguments, etc.  Good outlining!

And you DO have to comment this week!

-cbh

5 Background Sources

Hello alls,

As you should be aware, you have an assignment due by midnight tomorrow--5 background sources.  While I think the syllabus says to email them to me, please post them to your blog instead (it makes things much easier).  Repeat:  do not email the 5 background sources to me--instead, post them on your blog (if you've already emailed them to me, which some of you have, that is fine, but I would like you to post it to your blog as well).

However, you are not required to comment on these posts.  And, since no other posts were assigned this week, you are not required to comment at all on any blogs this week (so this is a week off from commenting, as it were).

Now, about the sources.  I don't want anything fancy--not even MLA format in this case.  Just give me the name of the article/entry/whatever, along with the name of the author (if there is one), and the URL (if there is one).  Thats really all I'm looking for.  No summary, no analysis, just the source itself.

And I'm looking for BACKGROUND sources here--which means you probably won't cite them explicitly in your paper.  Background sources are more for broadening your knowledge of the topic you are researching in preparation for writing.  Examples of background sources include nearly everything Rita showed you on Friday in the library, as well as encyclopedia entries, and even Wikipedia (that said, I don't want ALL your background sources to be Wikipedia articles--I'll accept a maximum of two Wikipedia entries, the others have to be from other places).  The idea behind background research is, in addition to broadening your knowledge of the topic, to also point you in the direction of more specific and/or useful and/or credible sources--as was mentioned on Friday, the bibliographies of these articles are usually great places to find real sources to use (including Wikipedia entries--they usually have fairly credible bibliographies).

So--that's the idea.  5 background sources, posted to your blog by midnight tomorrow (Thursday).  No summary, no fluff, just the sources themselves.

Happy Information Hunting!

-cbh

IP Group Topic Conferences and Blog Prompt

Hello class,

Here is the schedule for Group Topic Conferences.  Remember, we will NOT be having class on Tuesday (instead I will be meeting with those who signed up for those slots).  Also note that while the Tuesday conferences are IN OUR REGULAR CLASSROOM, the Wednesday conferences are IN (OR NEAR) MY OFFICE.

Tuesday 8 March:

10:00  Nick, Taylor, Madi
10:15  Meghan S., Michelle, Candace
10:30  Natalie, Kendall, Megan B.


Wednesday 9 March:

11:00  Ashlyn, Sydney
11:15  Abby, Kimberly
11:30  Liz, Molly, Sara


For those of you who weren't able to sign up for a time, or who couldn't meet me at any of the specified times, please email me and we'll work something out.  I would prefer to meet with all of you at once, to retain to "collaborative" feel of the conference.

Also, remember your blog post due TOMORROW at NOON.  This post should simply be a tentative thesis for your Issues Paper (you may use the thesis generator we used in class on Thursday--you can find that under Course Materials on Blackboard).  I just want to get a gist of where each of you are going in your research.

Have a great weekend!  Good luck researching, and I'll see you all next week.  Let me know if you have any questions, as always.

-cbh

Blog Prompt: RA Reflection

Hello class,

Just a reminder:  Rhetorical Analysis due on TUESDAY, hard copy, stapled, with rubric from Supplemental Guide attached.  Also, feel free to go to the writing center anytime between now and when it is due for some extra help on your paper AND 10 points of extra credit (redeemable once only for the RA, of course).

Also:  Blog post due tomorrow at NOON.  This should be a reflection on the RA process.  How did it go? Good/bad?  What worked well, what didn't?  More or less difficult than the OpEd?  What could you have done better?  What could I have done better, or the department, or whatever?  What would you change about it?  And so forth.

Word.  Keep it real this weekend and I'll see you all on Tuesday!

-cbh

Blog Prompt: Diction, Tone, and Figurative Language

Hello class,

Your blog prompt for this week, due this Saturday (tomorrow) at noon, is to look through the article you are analyzing for your rhetorical analysis and find ways the author uses diction, tone, and figurative language (and, of course, how those decisions affect the reader).  You may list a number of examples or focus on one or two.

Also, we will be peer-reviewing this coming Thursday.  We will be doing this in groups, probably of 4-5.  I will send out an email this weekend letting each of you know whose papers you will be reviewing, and with specific instructions as to how the peer review will be run.

Have a great three-day weekend!

-cbh

Schedule Changes

Hey alls,

As requested, here are the schedule changes for the following week or so:

F 11 Feb - RA Grading (Bring SG)

T 15 Feb - Conferences with me (no regular class)

Th 17 Feb - Rhetorical Fallacies (review WR ch. 4)

F 18 Feb - The Power of the Word (read WR 85-103; RA Polished Draft due)

Also, there is no official blog post for this week.  As always, you can post one about anything whenever you want, but there is no prompt on which you will be graded for this week.  Good luck with your RA first drafts!

-cbh

OpEd Blog Post

Hello class,

Sorry this is late in the posting--I know some of you have already posted and that is fine, but here is the official prompt in case you were wondering:

Write a blog post reflecting on the OpEd process.  How did it go?  What went well?  What didn't go well?  How do you think it could have gone better?  What could you/I have done differently to make it easier?  How did this compare to other papers you've written?  And so forth . . .

And remember, this post is due at NOON tomorrow (Saturday).  Good luck!

-cbh

Blog Prompt for Tonight!

Hello alls,

Great peer review today--I think it went well enough, at least!  Now, for your blog post tonight:

What are your first impressions of the peer review process?  Was it useful to you?  If so, how?  In what ways do you think it could be better?

That's it!  Don't forget your reading for Thursday, (from all three books!).

-cbh

Blog Post # 3

Hello class,

I know this is late, but I'm assuming you all got the message in class today.  You have a blogpost due by midnight tonight; once again, the post revolves around your OpEd.  Write a brief purpose statement/paragraph (or two) that outlines what you plan to do in your Opinion Editorial assignment.  Helpful things to include:  the rhetorical situation behind your OpEd (issue, writer, reader, purpose, etc.), where in the rhetorical lifecycle your issue is, why you think it is kairotic, potential counterarguments that you may need to address, specific examples of how you're going to prove your point/convince your audience, and so forth.

Also, remember that from now on each post of yours should include at least one form of rhetoric OTHER than writing (which may include, but is certainly not limited to, links, videos, and pictures).  Remember the copyright basics we discussed in class last week when determining what multimedia forms to use in your blog.

Finally, I've embedded a YouTube video on how to embed YouTube videos on your blog (whoa . . . trippy).  Its not the most high quality or informative video I've seen, but it should get you going.  Here it is:



Also, when embedding videos you may find that the video is too large for your blog when you publish the post (i.e. it extends beyond the blog post panel into other panels and areas of your blog).  There's an easy fix to this:  when in the "Edit HTML" version of your post, there are two areas that say "height:" and "width:"  Mess around with these numbers to get the size that fits your blogpost panel.


And, just for fun, and because the previous video reminds me of it, here is "Shane singing five octaves on the piano" (a YouTube classic!).  Enjoy!

Assignment and Prompt # 2

Hello class,

Remember your reading assignment for tomorrow:  find three blogs that interest you (Google search is the best way to go--you can search specifically for blogs, or search for sites that have lists of blogs e.g. "top ten nursing blogs," "top 100 creative writing blogs," "best Starcraft 2 blogs," etc.), read the past 5 posts or so on each of the blogs, and come to class tomorrow prepared to discuss

1. what each of the blogs is about (purpose)
2. who each blog is written for (audience)
3. what you like/don't like about how the bloggers present their ideas (good/bad format, boring prose, good multimedia and links, etc.)

Also, the remaining three OpEd groups from today will present their OpEds at the beginning of class tomorrow.

BLOG PROMPT # 2

Your next blog post is due by tomorrow (Friday 7th) at midnight.  It will be a brainstorm post on the topic(s) you are considering for your Opinion Editorial.  Review the SG 1-15 for guidelines on the OpEd.  For this class, we'll say that each of you are writing your OpEd as if you were writing it for the Daily Universe, meaning that your "audience" will be BYU students, faculty, professors, and so forth.  Your topic, given that parameter, may be whatever you wish (preferably something you feel strongly about).

So:  1-3 paragraphs of brainstorming, due tomorrow at midnight!

And, of course, don't forget to comment on each others' blogs!

Blog Prompt # 1

Hello fearless bloggers,

In case you missed the assignment this morning, or somehow forgot, your duty for tonight is to 1) create your blog and email me the URL and 2) send your first blogpost out into the blogosphere!

Your first post should be a brief intro to yourself now and where you see yourself in the future (occupationally, physically, geneologically, ecumenically, grammatically, whatever.  Give us some insights into who you are and what you want to do with your life (or, perhaps, what you don't know you want to do with your life).

And, of course, don't forget to comment!*  Happy blogging and I'll see you all on Thursday--with syllabus contracts signed and ready for me, right? :-)**

-cbh

*  Which, speaking of commenting, please leave a signature for each comment you post so I know who is commenting on what.  You should be commenting through your Blogger account, but just in case just put your first name, initials, or some identifiable characteristic of you at the end of each comment (e.g. like what I've done at the end of the body of this post with "cbh" [my initials]).


**  Check it...I just used an emoticon.

Welcome!

Welcome to the BYU Writing 150 Class Blog.  This is where you'll find the prompts for your own weekly blog posts, descriptions of other class assignments, various announcements, and much more.  Please add this blog (and the blog of each of your classmates) to your own blogroll, and prepare yourselves to participate in the blogosphere!

-cbh