eal blog description & guidelines

Knowledge can’t be given. We make our own meaning. And the blog is the construction site. Content – the texts, the reading – animates this class. Although it nurtures other skills and aptitudes, this course wants to get you elbow deep in the literature and empower you to know it deeply, intimately, intricately. So your primary mission this term is to read -- closely, critically, agilely – and to document the meaning you make.

guidelines
· post to the blog every week for a total of 11 entries (including the finals week entry)
· posts should go up by Friday at midnight, and each post should always include the following components:
a. vivid summaries and thoughtful analysis of the readings: what popped? what stirred? what texts, scenes, quotes, or characters got a foothold in your brain? and why? (Yep, you’ve gotta quote here.)
b. engaging descriptions and active reflection on class discussions: what questions or ideas really fueled your thinking? What historical, cultural, or media connections were most significant for you? what’s the most important thing you learned this week?
c. favorite quotes
d. questions that invite your readers to comment or post on the blog
· write in your own voice; write what matters; write what moves; use humor, sarcasm, or slang; develop a distinctive virtual persona and presence.
· remember that the blog is a very public medium, so don’t diss the class, its content, or members of its community. This is not a space to rant, rave, grunt, or groan.
· as the quarter unfolds, you should extend, amplify, and enrich certain entries with the following:
a. at least 3 autobiographical connections: did a reading or discussion point make you rethink a facet of your own life experience? did anything give you a deeper or different understanding of a friend, co-worker, coach, teacher, or family member? Did you find yourself thinking or talking about the course material outside class? when and why? how has the reading and conversation impacted the way you see your self or your world?
b. at least 2 tv, music, movie, or other cultural connections: did a reading or discussion point make you remind you of contemporary film or television show? Did anything give you a deeper or different understanding of a song, a band, a celebrity, a fad, a trend, a contemporary event, etc?
c. photos: include images when they seem especially rich and relevant
d. at least 2 historical research connections: dive into outside sources on the witch trials, slavery, Indian genocide, the Revolution, an author’s biography, or any other historical event that’s relevant to the course material, and summarize what you find. At least 2 print (book or article sources) required. Follow Mla in-text citation and bibliography format.
· while you can revise and extend previous blogs, you can’t make up a missed or absent blog, so it’s in your best interest to post something each week – even if it’s very rough or incomplete

length spec’s
· individual entries will range from 500-1500 words (which translates into 2-6 typed, double spaced pages)
· by the end of the term, the blog should represent a comprehensive expanse of our readings and discussions in content and length, totaling at least 10,000 words (or 40 typed, double spaced pages). Most blogs will be about 50 pages or 12,500 words.
· 2/3rds of its content should center on the texts and classroom dialogue, with a bit more emphasis on the reading: for a 40 page blog, that means at least 5000 words or 20 pages on the readings, 2500 words or 10 pages on the class, and 2500 words or 10 pages devoted to additional components
· the finals week entry should be at least 1500 words (6 pages), reflect holistically on your learning in the class, provide a meaningful conclusion for the blog, create a sense of climax and closure, and go up by Tuesday, 12 March at midnight

feedback, revisions, and grade breakdown
· I’ll follow your blog all quarter, posting the occasional comment and tracking the evolution of your thought
· you’ll earn up to 10 points of “process credit” each week for submitting complete blogs and making each Friday’s deadline
· at the mid-term, I’ll send you an email with substantive feedback on the strengths of the blog, areas you might develop or improve, your total process credit to date, and a forecast of your “product grade”
· you’ll have an opportunity to revise past entries and author future posts with that feedback in mind
· the product grade won’t be finalized until you submit your last post, and the final process-and-product grade will break down like this: process 20 % and product 20%

grading criteria
1 2 3 4 length, research, & content guidelines met
1 2 3 4 evidence of comprehensive & close reading
1 2 3 4 evidence of consistent class attendance & active engagement
1 2 3 4 creative, insightful, complex
1 2 3 4 personal, distinctive, self-aware
1 2 3 4 well written