Week 10 Day Two: Google Docs and Peer Editing

The Palmetto Writers were introduced to Google docs today in preparation for the peer editing of their comparison-contrast papers.

They had no problems opening a Google account and following the detailed instructions I had provided for them using screen captures of the step-by-step process of uploading their Paper 2 drafts and getting to the Share link step of the process.

I soon discovered that this generation of learners do not like to follow directions; they prefer to figure it out themselves. With the exception of one student in the class who changed the access from "Can View" to "Can Edit", no one else clicked on the editing access box.

It was only after I got back to the office and opened the links to the papers did I notice that 99% of the papers were set to View Only. Alas.....now I know in the future to do the process with them or at least warn them to click on that finally button at the end of the directions for access to editing.

After doing this, they worked in their Peer Review teams to discuss a sample comparison-contrast paper I had found online comparing and contrasting two restaurants. The students used the Paper 2 rubric I had provided for them and each member was assigned a different criterion to use in the discussion. For example, one person might look at the organization and fluency of the essay. Another might look at the introduction, the thesis, and the conclusion. Another would discuss the grammar and mechanics of the paper. 

You can find the link to that essay at www.roanestate.edu/owl/Mac.html.

After the small group discussion, we had a group critiquing discussion. When I asked the students what grade they would give the paper, the majority said a 'C' with a few saying the paper should be a 'B.' We went through the criteria on the rubric and began to knock off points for organization, lack of research and support, and all those problems with grammar and mechanics. The paper went from a 'B' or a 'C' to a 'D' after this lively discussion.

I was quick to point out that in an effective critique, it is important to mention the strong areas. We all decided we liked the writer's MLA first page format and the vivid description of Fox's Diner. We also liked that the writer had a clearly stated thesis.

We spent the next few minutes going over how to make changes in a Google document using the Insert....Comment feature. I wish I had had more time for discussing the paper and reading through the comments I had made on that paper the previous day. I did put the link to this paper with the comments in the discussion forum, but I seriously doubt that people will take the time to read the comments that I made.

Check out this video tutorial on using Google docs. from YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCJFgieFxfU&feature=related 

 

Week 10 Day One: Poster Making with Glogster

The Part 2 of our visual rhetoric module consisted of the Palmetto Writers making and analyzing their own social issue poster using Glogster.


If you aren't familiar with this cool interactive poster making tool check out the following video.





The Palmetto Writers had to apply what they learned the previous day about visual rhetoric and make a poster for an FGCU student body audience on texting while driving. The all out winners of this poster making contest were Reid and Nicole A.

http://nzalvarez.glogster.com/glog/ 

And here is their analysis:

The use of blood spatter in the background and the color red is a powerful tool in presenting an ominous and morbid image. The visual slogan seen at the top is easy to understand, yet very powerful. The video used is a great example of how text messaging while driving is not only a risk to you, but also to innocent pedestrians. Everything in the poster is simple enough for anyone to understand and is also not too overcrowded. The images and text can be easily distinguished.  

Here are some other examples of what was done:

Carly C. and Nicole R.

http://carlyglog.glogster.com/texting-and-driving/

Our advertisement has an eerie mood because of the blood splattered background and graphic images. Our statistics show real proof that texting and driving is an issue among young people and the facts will scare them into taking the issue seriously. The last written text on the bottom is a little funny because it uses texting  so students can relate. The photo is an actual image from a news channel; therefore, an image of fear is instilled because it is something real. The text above the image is in all capital letters because we want it to catch the viewer's attention and stick in their brain. 

Michaela and Brian 

http://michaela1224.glogster.com/texting-kills/ 

The mood of the poster is that if you choose to text while driving it will result in fatality or injury. We used scare tactics to show the reader that there will be a lot of blood and tears along with gore. The video shows a careless outing of three teens but when the driver starts to text it results in a car crash that no one gets out unharmed. The media of the poster is scattered to imply that the accident that will result from texting will be chaotic. You won't have your grounding and it will make a mess of people's lives. The images show that there will be damage to your vehicle as well as to the people inside. The bottom line is don't text and drive if you don't want to hurt people.

Carly M. and Mel

http://cmarsh0306.glogster.com/dont-text-for-life-carly-and-mel/ 

Our texting while driving poster has a dark and frightening mood. The way we created this mood was by using dark images, blood, and pictures referencing death. We designed the poster that way meaningful parts would pop out to the viewers. The relationship between the pictures and written material show the dangers of texting while driving. We used arrows to draw the attention to our main image and also represent the way cars collide into each other. We added a tombstone with a rose, a skull and bones, and different frames to impact the viewers with the idea that texting and driving equals death. We hope that our dark and gloomy poster will scare the viewers from wanting to text and drive!

The Palmetto Writers were given 30 minutes for this task but needed 45. The writing of the analysis paper was rushed.

If I were to do this lesson again, I would have shared the results of the midterm assessment of my instruction at the end of the hour if there was time.


I was disappointed that there wasn't time to do a show and tell.

Week 9 Day Two: Obesity Poster Analysis

Visual Rhetoric was the theme for today's lesson. Surprisingly enough, not one person could define what that word meant despite a whole presentation on it for the homework.

A simple definition of visual rhetoric is the following:

It is the way the images work on their own and collaborate with written text to create an argument designed to move a specific audience.

The Palmetto Writers analyzed obesity posters using some guiding questions.

Here is what Eric and Kylie came up with.

1. What is the general ambience of the advertisement? What mood does it create? How does it do this?
- The general ambience is at a barbeque. The mood it creates is enjoyable. The beer and hamburger show the mood of enjoyable.

2. What is the design of the advertisement? Does it use axial balance or some other form? How are the basic components or elements arranged?
- The design of the advertisement is that eating unhealthy things and drinking beer will make you fat. The advertisement does not use axial balance it uses dynamic balance, the visual elements are not arranged in a balanced manner. If you put a vertical line down the middle of the advertisement on the left you see half of the beer cup and half of the hamburger. On the right you see the other half of the beer and the hamburger and the gentleman’s beer belly.

3. What is the use of space in the advertisement? Is there a lot of 'white space" or is it full of graphic and written elements?
- The only white space in the advertisement is the gentleman’s white shirt. Other than that the advertisement is full of the rest of the graphic and written element

4. If there are figures (men, women, children, animals) what are they like? What can be said about their facial expressions, poses, hairstyle, age, sex, hair color, ethnicity, education, occupation, relationships (of one to the other)?
- Looking at the advertisement you can tell that the person posing for the picture is a gentleman by his strong veiny hands. You can also see that the advertisers might be trying to make his shirt look like whip cream. The bottom of the shirt looks like it is swirling to the top like whip cream inside of the can.

5. What does the background tell us? Where is the advertisement taking place and what significance does this background have?
- The advertisement is taking place outside at a barbeque, the significance of the background is the greenish colors in the background that can symbolize trees or grass.

6. What is the item being advertised and what role does it play in American culture and society?
- The items being advertised are beer and hamburgers the roles they play in American culture and society are that beer and hamburgers are a big part of American culture. Almost every out door party you go to serves them.

7. What about aesthetic decisions? If the advertisement is a photograph, what kind of a shot is it? What significance do long shots, medium shots, close-up shots have? What about the lighting, use of color, angle of the shot?
- It is a close up shot. The lighting is bright enough to see what is happening in the advertisement.

8. What sociological, political, economic or cultural attitudes are indirectly reflected in the advertisement? An advertisement may be about a pair of blue jeans but it might, indirectly, reflect such matters as sexism, alienation, stereotyped thinking, conformism, generational conflict, loneliness, elitism, and so on.

The only thing that didn't work on this assignment was that some of the pictures were too small and the text couldn't be read. In future, I will put the pictures on a PowerPoint and number them and assign the photos.

I liked the fact that I provided an example of the analysis. Everyone did a good job on this assignment and seemed engaged. The timing was perfect and we even had time for a couple of the pairs to do their show and tell. This lesson is definitely a keeper!

Week 9 Day One: Reflections

Week 8 Day One: Reflect, Write, & Learn

My Palmetto Writers used this online class to reflect on their learning over the past eight weeks of Composition 1101. The following is a sampling of the reflections. These writers were to address the following questions:

1. What did I learn?
2. How did I learn what I learned?
3. Why is this learning significant?
4. How will I use this learning in my future courses or in my career?

The Essentials of a Modern World

Reid G.

            Taking a composition class is essential for a student making his or her way into the working world. Not only has this class been a great mentor for learning the proper and improper ways of writing, but it has also been on top of what the new generation needs to know about technology. Now that the internet is slowly becoming the main source of information and entertainment, it is essential that the rising generation learns how to use it to advance in work and education. The one tool that I have learned from this class and will use to my benefit is the use of websites designed to organize and better understand my literary knowledge.

            Because of the transition that that has rapidly taken place the past few decades, the computer is now important and often required to earn and keep a successful career. Without the invention of the internet it would be difficult to perform some jobs, especially ones that require immediate communication with foreign alias. Now that we have such inventions as Skype or Instant Messengers, communication is simple and instant. With this in mind it can be seen why the internet should be used as a tool instead of entertainment. The most effective and useful tool learned in this class so far is the Ediscio Flashcards. With this website I am able to not only keep track of what words I want to learn, but also learn them just as I would with any other flashcards. Included in this is also the ability to share my words with other classmates. I could see myself using this in many different cases. For example, I may be in a business setting where I need to have a group learn a topic or facts about a certain subject. Using this website, I can put down what the subject is and what we need to know about it, and then send it to everyone working on this project alongside me. This tool can be used for more than just vocabulary words.

            Another website that can be used in a work environment is Poll Everywhere. This website has an unlimited amount of uses and possible subjects. If I am in a meeting and I need to get a good idea about how a group of people thinks when it comes to a certain subject, I can just ask them to text in their vote and prevent anyone from having a false vote due to nerves or fear. This will eventually be a key tool for most businesses that need anonymous opinions on a subject. If a business needed to know how the staff would feel about homosexuals openly discussing their sexuality, it would be less hectic and much safer to do the voting anonymously.

            Many of the websites learned in this class would be perfect for the working world, such as Wall Wisher. Each one can get a large group of people to discuss a topic in a variety of different methods. Wall Wisher is similar to Poll Everywhere, except participates can write in their own opinions instead of voting for pre-determined ones. The posts can either be anonymous or not and are all in one area for a specific group of people. This is perfect for those companies wanting to know what the opinions of the employees really are in their own words. This is much more useful if the question the company is asking involves an open-ended question, such as “What do you think the company’s slogan should be?”

            Although it is very important to learn how to type in proper MLA format, using technology in the working world has become something that is almost second nature. It’s hard to say where the world would be without the internet because it has become such a big part of everyday life. We must use and understand this technology for our benefit in order to become more successful in life. The internet is more than just entertainment; it is also a tool for higher learning.

 

12 October, 2011

Dear Professor Bolduc-Simpson,

You are the most enthusiastic professor I think I will ever have throughout my college career and it is a joy to be in your class.  To start out, you have taught me more in this class than I have learned in one year of high school.  Critical thinking was the first thing I learned in your class.  Lack of respect for reason or evidence will destroy one’s ability for critical thought.  If there are more than 2 options to something but someone only chooses to see 2, then that is considered black and white thinking.  It reflects an intolerance of something that may be unclear.  Many black and white thinkers search for a comfort zone by jumping to flawed conclusions.  The activity that helped me to understand critical thinking was the summary and creation of the Wordle.  It is significant because if you can improve your critical thinking, you will be able to create your own effective solution to a multitude of problems.  I can use this learning to acknowledge my problems and weaknesses, which in turn will help me think and assess information more comprehensively.

Descriptive writing is probably the most intense writing style I have ever endured.  For the most part you have to completely get out of your comfort circle and start thinking outside the box.  I feel as if someone stamped a “show more, tell less” onto my brain, telling me to use similes and metaphors in order to create a mental picture in the readers mind.  With these images you describe, you are able to entertain, express experiences, and advise the reader.  The rewrite of the cliché paragraph, the descriptive paragraph of my pet peeve, all the blog posts and our first paper on describing an abstract term helped the most when learning it.  This learning matters because it will enhance what you are saying through words and allow readers to see what you want them to.  Hopefully I am able to stay on track with my major and later become a physical therapist; I will use this learning to describe in reports what the patient is feeling during certain exercises and will also have to describe thoroughly how to do certain exercises when written on paper.

I also learned how to spot sites that are authoritative and others that aren’t very authoritative.  Authoritative sites have ethos, which means credibility.  Anyone can buy a domain name available for purchase, such as “.com” for commercial sites, “.org” for organizational sites, “.Gov.” for governmental sites, “.edu” for educational sites, and “.net” for network sites.  Although a site might be .org it may not be an organization, just because the site is on the internet does not mean it is credible.  News sites are mostly authoritative because they contain gatekeepers, or editors who check the validity of the facts before the story is able to be published.  Many sites contain clues to whether they are reliable or not; connected to TV and radio, interviews with known people, nationally known companies advertise on the site.  At the bottom of the homepage you may or may not find who published the site, and you can also check in the sites “About” page if it contains one.  The C.A.R.S. checklist is also helpful in finding credible sites. C.A.R.S. stands for credibility, accuracy, reasonableness, and support.  Credibility is a trustworthy source with author’s credentials.  Accuracy is when a site is up to date, factual and detailed.  Reasonableness is a source that engages the subject thoughtfully and reasonably.  Support provides listed sources and contact information.  The most helpful thing when learning about credible sites was the YouTube video “Evaluating Web Sites Tutorial”.  This is very significant when you are looking for websites with accurate information.  Some sites could be unreliable and others may not contain all the facts.  I will use this learning throughout my undergraduate and graduate career when I need to cite websites that contain information that I utilize in my field of study.

MLA format is huge part of writing an essay that I have learned about.  Although I already knew where to write my name, my professors name, the course, and the date.  Also that it has to be double spaced with 1 inch margins; there were several things I did not have a clear understanding of.  The in-text citations and the work cited page was always a gray area for me.  But now I know how to correctly cite websites, books, and articles.  The reason we use in-text citation is to give the reader a way to find where we found our information.  The information given in the in-text citation is enough to get them to the source listed in the work cited page. After paraphrasing you must provide the authors last name and the page number in parentheses.  When the in-text citation is a website with no page number, you either use the name of the website or the author.  The first time you refer to an author you use both, first and last name, but every other time after that you can just use the last name.  Whenever you summarize, paraphrase, or quote someone directly you use in-text citation.  I have also learned that there are many sites other than Easy Bib to help with your work cited page; Citation Machine, Rapid Cite, and Knight Cite.  The work cited page goes at the end of your paper on a separate page.  The page should be labeled Work Cited and should be centered at the top of the page.  The work cited page is extremely important because it shows where you found your information and the in-text citation shows that you didn’t just copy and paste without giving credit.  I will be using this every time I write an essay. When I look to the internet or a book for information, I will ensure the work is cited properly.

Plagiarism, which goes hand in hand with in-text citations and work cited pages, is the stealing of someone else’s words, if no credit is given.  Some forms of plagiarism include buying papers off the internet, having a friend write your paper for you, or using a paper that was from a previous class.  A way to avoid plagiarism is by paraphrasing, which is where you use your own words to restate the main idea while still giving credit to the author.  Some times while paraphrasing it is a good idea to keep some of the author’s own words, because it is the best way of communicating them, but they must be in quotations.  The activity that helped me was the paraphrasing activity, with the guidance of the YouTube video “Stop, Thief!”  This learning is significant because it keeps you from taking others words as your own, which is highly frowned upon.  With paraphrasing and the two thirds rule you are able to take information from your source safely and legally.  The goals I will set would be to paraphrase more and to quote less to help me improve at summarizing.

Compare and contrast is something I always struggled when putting into words, but seems so easy when you’re just talking about two things.  I learned that when you are writing a comparison and contrast paper that you must choose a purpose to your writing, also that you never want to choose a topic that is already well known to the reader. Then there is a way to organize your details, either block pattern or alternating pattern.  Block pattern is where you make all points about one subject and then make all the points about the other subject after.  Alternating patter is where you make a point about one subject then one about the other subject and continue alternating between them.  The activities that helped me with comparison and contrast were blogs four and five, in four we used block pattern and in five we used alternating pattern.  This way of learning helps when you have to compare two people, places, or objects together.  Going back to my major and becoming a physical therapist, if there are patients that could only do a certain amount of exercises, I would have to choose between them, and comparing or contrasting them would help me decided what is the safest and most productive course of action.

             

Sincerely,

Eric Wilcox

Week 7 Day Two: Which .... Am I Describing?

http://portal.sliderocket.com/AMHUL/Compare-Contrast-Photos

Which sunset are we describing? (Bryan and Brittany)

The sunset is high above, shining a bluish green light upon the rough seas. The clouds cut through as they scatter, making rays of hope for all who see. The clouds give shape and for the young imaginative minds of children give form of strange creatures in the sky. The beautiful sunset is one that gives you a happy feeling knowing that the day is ending with the sound of the waves crashing. As you look upon the vast horizon, all you see is the endless blue sea.

Which old house are we describing? (Malorie and Lisa)

Last night, I was on a run through the tall hills, when I came across this old, mysterious house. It was built sometime in the 1920’s. The tornado last night must have really affected this house.  The shingles on the roof were all out of place, loose and falling off. The furniture from the inside of the house was now pushed outside the front door. It looked like maybe the house had caught fire. I was able to see the burnt debris and the peeling walls. This house was in a low income community, that had been vacated for awhile.  As I kept running, there was not another house in sight for three miles. 

Which forest are we describing? (Eric and Conner C.)

The sunlight burst through the limbs of the largely inhabited forest.  With most of the leaves either dead or completely gone, the trees shiver in the wind.  Even with the beams of sunlight, the leaves still don’t shine with its full potential.  But, the sunlight still provides nutrients for the grass growing on the slanted hill.  The trail is full of tree stumps and surprises that lead you to a never-ending adventure.    

Week 7 Day Two: Midterm Objectives Clinic

Students worked in pairs on 13 exercises worth 5 points each. They went from table to table to work on the exercises based on the following learning outcomes.

·         Use a rigorous writing process that includes inventing, drafting, and revising a descriptive paper

·         Employ the conventions of standard written English.

·         Employ conventions specific to descriptive writing.

·         Formulate a topic and develop it for a specific audience and purpose.

·         Select, organize, and relate ideas and information with clarity and precision.

·         Use basic research skills(MLA style and format, citation tools, and evaluating sources using the CARS Checklist (credibility, accuracy, reliability, support)

·         Define and describe plagiarism.

·         Identify thesis statements in readings.

·         Apply critical reading and thinking skills.

·         Develop technological literacy and use technology appropriate to writing situation (Ediscio Flashcards, Evernote, Polleverywhere, Wordle, Wallwisher, Animoto).

Grammar Points Covered from August 22 – October 13

1.  Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices (Week 2)

2.  Commas After Introductory Phrases (Week 3)

3.  Apostrophes (Week 4)

4.  Pronoun Use (Week 5)

5.  Pronoun References (Week 6)

6.  Subject-Verb Agreement (Week 7)

The winners of the Midterm Objectives Clinic were:

1. Mackenzie and Jake
2. Carly C. and Eric 

The activity began at 11:30 and finished at 12:15, the end of class. I am glad I didn't have 12 exercises. The next time I do this activity, I will have only ten exercises.

The exercises that proved to be the hardest were the run-on and comma splices sentences and the MLA Works Cited page format. 

Be sure and check out my tweet posting the question, "What is the best way to teach grammar and mechanics (spelling, punctuation, capitalization) to first-year composition students? On Thursday, we will follow up with a game on run ons and comma splices.






Week 6 Day Two: Apples to Pears

The Palmetto Writers have begun their comparison-contrast unit after having just completed their descriptive writing unit.

Today's in-class activity consisted of working in pairs to compare and contrast two deodorant commercials: one by Axe and the other an Old Spice commercial.

Here are the commercials:

The pairs had to complete the table and write a justification for one being more effective than the other.

The categories in the table were the following: target audience, message, setting, visual techniques, aural techniques. 

Reid and Scott did a good job with their table and justification paragraph.

1.       Decide which commercial is more effective and write your justification in a small paragraph. 
    
   
The Old Spice commercial was more  effective because the commercial included reference to both sexes, thereby doubling the market share. In saying, "Ladies...", the commercial was speaking directly to women, making this commercial more effective. In the Axe commercial, the main target was men, making the commercial less effective.

    The timing was right on this activity, but I would have wanted more depth in the analysis paragraph and even more information in the chart. I had hoped that the students would have read the definitions of each of the components and written more. In general, the analysis was a superficial one. However, with that being said, this would be a good tool to use in the planning stage of a comparison-contrast paper. Using a table and category format, students can organize their ideas.