Greg Baran's Blog

Tue. March, 9, 2010

2010-03-10T11:06:00.001-08:00

We watched "The Listening Project." Kudos to Josh! This movie is an excellent visual supplement to Said, Pratt, and Anzaldua. One student had to leave early, but on his way out he told me he was sorry to leave because he was enjoying the film. After watching half the film, I opened up the discussion. Listening to responses, I could tell the film had a profound impact on everyone's world paradigm due to the thoughtful and insightful perspectives. We didn't have time to finish the film nor our discussion, but we'll do so on Thursday.

Additionally, I handed back 2.1. Reading and commenting on these took a significant amount of time since I sought to offer substantial feedback. I think I put more time into commenting on this piece than any other project in both 107 classes. Many students engaged the prompt and topic from a challenging perspective, grappling with their community, its purpose and message, and how it conveys its sense of identity to others. One student stayed after class and told me this project really offered her a chance to ask herself why she is doing what she is doing. I prefer not to go into details, but she found that although she doesn't question her community's purpose, she sometimes questions the "why" behind it. Needless to say, my heart was gladdened that a project caused my student to significantly question why she was making specific choices. In the end, she found renewed commitment to her choice and community.

Back to the paper... For other students, I wonder how effective my comments will be? This is the last paper--I'm hoping they feel motivated to take my comments and work with them. I ended class ten minutes early and told them to read the comments and if they had any questions, to stay behind so we could talk. Only three students stayed. I was hoping more would stay to discuss where they are. I know it's their grade and life, but I want to motivate them--this will be a question I have for Sunny and Brenda--how to motivate non-English major students to want to improve their writing? I put a lot of time and effort into thinking about and implementing motivational moves in my pedagogy, but feedback from those who have done it for years will be helpful

Thur. March 4, 2010

2010-03-10T10:55:00.000-08:00

Students turned in their first draft of the Project 2.1 assignment. Additionally, I asked them to bring in three total copies so we could workshop papers. In work shopping, I put specific questions on the board for them to answer. I prefaced their peer work with the notion of not just saying "good" or "bad", but actually offering substantial feedback. For example, one question called for students not to just list the writer's purpose, but give a thoughtful sentence that summarizes the writer's purpose. Also, they had to list the actual aspects that created each person's community. In other words, the paper focuses on community identity and how this identity is constructed and conveyed to the world at large. They had to use outside sources, scholarly and non-scholarly, and Said to build their argument, so the peer reviewer was called upon to examine and critique whether or not these tasks were effectively accomplished. Further, I called attention to the fact that this exercise is also an attempt for them to build their own critical muscles so they can go home and do the same critiquing of their own papers. In regards to actual progress, I found they worked hard and critiqued well. Many students wrote significant feedback.

I experimented today. I've found many students rely on cliches to try and convey their points. So as a group, we brainstormed cliches and I asked two students to write the cliches on the board. After many good laughs, I pulled a sentence from a student paper and put it on the board. It read, "Sometimes, this is when volunteer spirit has to kick in and we have to do the right thing." I asked students to identify the cliches and see if they could replace these instances with more specific language, language that "really " says what they mean. I thought they did a terrific job of taking in the notion of saying what they mean rather than relying on out-worn phrases. Most took the notion to their peer-reviewing work and began seeing where cliches were limiting them. In the end, I was pleased by our progress and the connections we're making.

Thur. Feb. 25, 2010

2010-03-10T10:45:00.000-08:00

Utilizing Blackboard and the projector, we looked at a sample 2.1 paper I had from last quarter. We went through it page-by-page to see how this writer went about constructing their piece--writerly/rhetorical moves, etc. Interestingly, after a few minutes, students began calling my attention to places where the text tripped into "readability issues." I came up with this term as an overall designation for content lapses, grammar, syntax errors, and places that cause the reader to halt. This term became necessary after students called me on the fact that I said I don't put a large onus on grammar, and yet I was calling attention to syntax and grammar errors. However, when I created an umbrella that covers many "errors" that cause lapses in readability, students could see the connection. I had one student read the paper out loud and she began getting frustrated when she had to stop because of these "readability" issues. Other students soon joined in so that as the reader tripped, students were calling attention to "why" she tripped.

Pedagogically speaking, I regularly try to make connections between my students' writing and the world outside of academia. Hence, I was pleased when they called my attention to the fact that a problem could arise if their boss continually "tripped" over readability issues in their writing. In the end, hopefully, we're moving towards to the notion of correcting errors in a positive light so the reader can follow along without "tripping." This seems to be working--we'll see how it goes.

Tue. Feb. 23, 2010

2010-03-10T10:38:00.000-08:00

More unpacking of Said's text. Working in groups, students focused on questions that I tried to relate to their own writing--Said's purpose, meaning, how he goes about articulating his argument, writer/rhetorical moves Said makes to bring the reader over to his side, etc. Additionally, since photos are an integral aspect of Project 2, we focused on the messages brought to and conveyed through the photographs in "States." Lastly, we began writing an introduction to 2.1 together. We picked one student who had a firm notion of what he wanted to write about, and then students brainstormed ways to go about beginning writing the project. I wrote the ideas on the board as we went along and then we began crafting the beginning to 2.1 together.

Overall, I'm seeing students are making "synaptical" connections between the writerly moves Said makes and their own writing process. Thye offered moves that pleasantly surprised me, and I think, themselves.

Thur. Feb. 18, 2010

2010-02-23T13:24:00.000-08:00

A day of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The Good...We worked in groups un-packing Said. Some students really came up with some fantastic observations--blew me away with their insights. I felt fantastic being able to point out their successes--most were afraid of saying the wrong thing, but a few words of encouragement and they were rolling. BTW, I put questions on the board, broke the class into five groups and them let them roll.

The Bad... I have a student who insists on disrupting the class.

The Ugly... Having to deal with this kind of situation. However, it's an opportunity for growth.

Tue. Feb. 16, 2010

2010-02-16T13:21:00.001-08:00

Another conference day. I'm liking conference day and the one-on-one opportunity. I wish I had more time throughout the quarter to have at least one more conference day. Students are firmly situated in 1.3 and they will be turning them in next Tuesday. No complaints--wait, I had one student who didn't want to engage the prompt. She felt she didn't want to talk about contact zones and instead wrote on the idea of safe-houses. I like the idea, but her piece didn't address safe-houses either. So this was a good opportunity for me to understand a students motivations. During our conference, she shared information about her previous experiences that told me she has trouble with listening to authority--this materialized in her school and work situation. That piece of knowledge helped me to not take her situation personally and rather understand she is working off past programming. My hope is to help her see following some authority--in this case the prompt and myself--can be beneficial.

Tue. Feb. 9, 2010

2010-02-09T17:22:00.000-08:00

Conferences today. My mind is ready for a rest. I began at 10 am with a half hour conference and then went into the writing center to tutor for 2.5 hours before finishing off the day in my office with my class conferences. I must say--I really like conferencing. It gives me chance to talk one-on-one with my students. Lets me get into their heads, see what makes them tick, and to get a pulse on how they're viewing the class. On their own, most mentioned they're enjoying it--so I feel like I'm doing something right--even if only some of the time. Tutoring has been a helpful foundation for conferences--the practice of listening and then getting right to the point in a short time period. All is well....Out!

Thu. Feb. 4, 2010

2010-02-09T17:19:00.000-08:00

Nice day today... We worked in class on writing transition for 1.1 into 1.2. I modeled from a prior piece (last quarter), and the students seem to grasp where we were headed. I then asked them to write their own transitions--which worked fairly well. I felt good having them implement a move we had just practiced together.

Tue. Feb. 4, 2010

2010-02-04T13:31:00.000-08:00

Another good day, although I felt drained afterward since we worked diligently on crating in intro to 1.2 and revised 1.1. I switched east/est sides of the class today so students don't feel left out or "subjugated." Overall, things seem to be going well. They've given me 1.1 final drafts and are turning in 1.2 first drafts on Thursday. I'm amazed at the own learning curve--in other words, things that created havoc last quarter, such as how to fill a class with a days worth work, just aren't as stressful this go-around. BTW, I'm enjoying teaching Pratt and Anzaldua more this quarter, as well as linking the writing projects to their writings--I think this is because I have a fuller understanding of the connections between the readings and what I'm seeking to teach concerning my students writing about said readings.

Thu. Jan 28, 2010

2010-02-02T13:24:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I confronted a student situation today and it worked out well. At our last TA meeting, I mentioned a student I've had trouble with--a negative attitude and disrespectful. Today, I had the front and back rows switch--putting this student up front--along with another talker. the situation turned around! Having these two students up front put them jn a situation where they had to squarely interact with me--and they did fairly well. The point is that moving them up front physically took their ability to talk out of their hands. Chloe suggested this move to me after I told her about the situation--she had gotten it from Mary Boland. On Tuesday, I'll switch the sides of the class so students don't feel singled out.

Thur. Jan. 21, 2010

2010-01-24T21:11:00.000-08:00

An okay day, today. I had a challenging situation come up with a disgruntled student after class. Turns out, he's frustrated because he feels we're moving too slow for him. I reminded him I have 28 students and he's only one of them. I suggested he use this as a learning experience, that in his career, he'll come across situations that will challenge him to be patient and he can use this experience as one way to become better at handling adversity. i'm going to check withhim next week to see where he's at. This is good for me as well--I'm seeing the old adage in better clarity--no pain, no gain.

Tue. Jan. 20, 2010

2010-01-20T08:40:00.000-08:00

Today was our first foray into Pratt and "Arts of the Contact Zone." I tried to get students situated into the text by the class reading a fair amount of the piece together--each student reading a paragraph. I'm not sure if this worked too well. We had discussion afterward, but it was mostly me asking questions and getting short responses. By the looks on their faces, I don't think they related Pratt's text to their lives. Thursday, we're going to watch Dave Chapelle's "Clarence Bigsby" skit. Last quarter, we watched this skit and the students laughed and relaxed when they watched Chapelle's version of an authoethnography. In regards to the accompanying writing assignment, I'm not making students create a parody (a la Chapelle), or even truly write an autoethnography, just engage the contact zone and think about writing to the representations others have of them.

Thur. Jan. 14, 2010

2010-01-18T12:13:00.000-08:00

Things going well. Thursday's class encouraged me because my students did a goood job of engaging our discussion. I didn't have to prod or pull, they walked right in to Bartholomae's introduction and staked a place to sit. The idea I had for each student to talk about what they highlighted worked. Each person was able to share why the piece spoke to them. I look forward to trying this with Pratt. This is a lively group--I wonder if the afternoon classes are regualry this way. It could be that we're in winter quarter, so the nervous apprehension of university has worn off. Either way, like I mentioned, I'm encouraged--I'll seek to convey and translate my enthusiasm over to my students.

Tue. Jan. 14, 2010

2010-01-14T09:42:00.000-08:00

Back at it--class went well. Students this quarter seem a bit more like they've been around the block. Last quarter, I had to spell things out at times--this group looked at me when I asked them if they knew how to access BB like I was from another planet. Also, when I assigned the first day's reading, there were no sighs, just matter of fact grunts. Good stuff!

This quarter, I decided to let them peruse the syllabus and come back on day 2 with questions--last quarter, I went over the syllabus on the first day. I'm excited to get into this quarter--for Thursday, I scanned the introduction to "Ways" and asked them to mark it up with highlighters, pencil, etc. I want to see how they go about placing emphasis on what's meaningful to them. We're going to talk about what's important to each reader, first summarizing the piece and then working to find which parts of the text they make meaning from. Then, my notion is to explain that from this standpoint they can begin to incorporate the new information in order to forward it and add to the conversation. We'll see how it goes.

Dec. 7, 2009 -- Last Day

2009-12-07T12:23:00.000-08:00

Okay! Last day is finished, Just have to grade papers now. Overall, class went well. I've seen some real improvement in their writing and nice verbal critical thinking connections in class. I'm looking forward to next quarter. Really glad to have the first quarter jitters out of the "ship."

Thanks, Brenda! Great tutelage!

Wed. Nov. 25, 2009

2009-11-25T12:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Nice day. I brought in two one page articles I had the students read and discuss a few weeks ago--one about how words and language shape thought and another that defines critical thinking as making connections. Both are easy to read articles that explain concepts the English department ascribes--yet again, in styles that makes sense through use of metaphors and analogies. I pulled each up on blackboard and interjected examples from the pieces into current 2.2 drafts. I think they now have a better grasp how to forward, analyze, and incorporated other thinkers into their writing.

Mon. Nov. 23, 2009

2009-11-23T12:14:00.001-08:00

A strange class today. They were unusually unmotivated. In the end, I believe Thanksgiving break is having a big impact on thought processes. They're ready for a vacation. We have a draft of the second project due Wednesday and while I'm not overly concerned, I'm keeping my finger on the pulse to keep in touch with where they're at. We'll see.

Fri. Nov. 23, 2009

2009-11-23T12:07:00.000-08:00

Nice class today. We focused on using the internet to access data (Ebscohost) and how to apply the data to their writing projects. I'm workshopping a lot right now -- my idea is that through regular writing in class, they can go home and utilize the tools we have practiced in class. For instance, today we traded papers and worked on searching out sentences that are jumbled or not complete thoughts. I explained that if an entire paper is not clear, one can begin looking on a sentence level to begin seeing incomplete thoughts on a sentence level arena.

Wed. Nov. 18, 2009

2009-11-18T12:48:00.000-08:00

Good class today. I modeled an intro to the 21. project, having students chime in with ideas. They did a nice job, hesitatingly at first, of putting words to someone elses' work.

Mon. Nov. 15, 2009

2009-11-18T12:43:00.000-08:00

Although I was a bit frustrated prior to this class, we got a lot done. My class was having a hard time locating themselves with project 2.1. Specifically, finding a community and analyzing it. We talked through, I had one student get up and share his data, and we then did collaborative work. Overall, I wasn't sure how they were doing, but they seem better now.

Fri. Nov. 13, 2009

2009-11-13T12:16:00.001-08:00

Funny class today--at least I thought so. Students are scared of Project 2.0. I'm asking them to first ask what is the purpose and meaning of their communit. Some were really squirming when i asked them for an answer. One student is a cheerleader and. She asked me what the purpose and meaning of cheerleading. I turned it back on her and she said, "I don't know." I told her this project is to get her to start asking why she thinks and does things -- so that in 20 years when someone asks why she's a mother to three kids, she can have an answer "why."

Mon. Nov. 9, 2009

2009-11-09T12:06:00.000-08:00

We looked in-depth into Said today. Students had insightful comments and ideas.

I have a pair of students who at times talk too much between themselves while we're holding class discussions. I had had it this morning, so I firmly said, "Will you two please stop.?." I then went on with class, paying close attention to how they and the class responded. I don't want to diminish self-esteem. The two acted well throughout the rest of class--I engaged one of them in a question on Said in order to bring them out of any shell. Personally, at times I see I have to be really firm in order to get the message across. I'm used to substituting where we have to be firm, but I'm seeing this approach is sometimes necessary in comp. class.

Fri., Nov. 6, 2009

2009-11-06T12:07:00.000-08:00

Good Friday, today. We began Said today. First, I pulled up a map of the world on Google maps in order to locate Israel for students--I wanted to put an actual face to the piece. Also, I knew many students would be clueless where Israel was--a few didn't know where Egypt was--many didn't know where Iraq was located. Then, we moved on to Israel and I pulled up a map showing Israel and Palestine in close-up, showing Bethlehem and Jerusalem--so students could see why there's so much contention in this part of the world.

We then hand a base to work from on Said. They could put a "where" to the "what."

Mon, Nov. 2, 2009

2009-11-02T12:04:00.001-08:00

Students turned in 1.3 today. I'm excited to see how far we've come. We finished up the first unit with a thoughtful round-table discussion on Anzaldua and why humans feel a need to be accepted. Why do we seek it? Are we okay without it? One student labeled her paper, "Sticks and Stones," so I asked why is it that as children we don' allow language to affects us as much as adults? Most jumped in with good, strong responses. The highlight of my day was wen a student re-focused on "La Facultad"-- he got it and is now paying more attention to it.

Fri., Oct. 23, 2009

2009-10-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

Another good day. Brenda observed while we worked on putting 1.1 and 1.2 together to make 1.3. I think they got where we're headed--further, they're writing and thinking--no need to fret and worry about more.

Brenda had a great idea--we were working on the transition between the two pieces and I had modeled a transition; she suggested I then stop and have them write a transition of their own. A terrific idea! I'll do that next time--then, at that moment, they'll be putting theory into practice.

Oct. 19, 2009

2009-10-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

Gave back 1.1 with grades today. I have mixed emotions--excitement and nervous apprehension. Did I grade it right? Did I cover my ass? Who's going to shoot me cause they are pissed at the grade? On the other hand, I received a couple of superb papers--they handled the contact zone in sophisticated, thoughtful, generous ways.

In the edn, good experience--I look forward to Wednesday when I can talk to them about their responses.

Oct. 16, 2009

2009-10-16T12:16:00.001-07:00

Good day again. Students turned in Final draft 1.1. We moved to Anzaldua--worked in one large group analyzing Anzaldua. One third to one-half did not read it yet; that was the only drawback. Engagement of text by students tells me more good stuff to come from them.

Wed. Oct. 14, 2009

2009-10-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

Really good day. Had a modeling day, working with a student piece (1st draft) that engaged the prompt well and articulated a thorough "contact zone" experience. I put the paper on blackboard, pdf, and then we read through it together--finding positives as well as places for improvement.

Oct. 12, 2009

2009-10-12T12:25:00.000-07:00

Good day. Students handed in first drafts for the essay and we did a revising workshop. They did a good job of looking to clarify rather than editing. On Wednesday, we'll shift into editing this draft. Had a couple no-shows, I'm not surprised at the people who didn't show--these two have been, how shall I say it politely, "behind," most of the quarter. Onwards and upwards!

Oct. 9, 2009

2009-10-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

Good day. We worked in class on the essay. Many made good progress. I'm having to juggle the schedule to allow more time for writing--cut out outside readings. Don't want to make too many changes, but when it's less reading, I know they "like it!!"

Day 5

2009-10-07T12:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, we finished up Pratt and I handed out the prompt. They seemed pretty good with the prompt, like they will engage a contact zone space and grapple with it. I was pleased they seemed excited to write about the topic. On a side note, we did the Open-Focus writing (that's the meditation/visualization I'm designing and working on) -- half came up with an idea for their paper during the meditation! I'll take half any day!

Day 4

2009-10-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

Just finished my first foray into Pratt. I was hoping to send them into groups, but I saw it necessary to stay in a large group because most mentioned they didn't understand it. I think this move worked well as several students noted at the end of class they now understood the article and its intent. Wednesday I'll assign the first essay---I think this will help clarify the two main points I'm focusing on in Pratt, contact zones and autoethnography. One student asked if all the readings are as difficult--I thought for a moment and then told her, "At the end of the quarter, let me know." She smiled, understanding my intent.

Eng. 107 Days 1,2, and 3

2009-10-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm back...

Day one -- amalgam -- it was my voice speaking, but I heard an amlagam of "Professor's past" pouring from my mouth. The feeling was strange, similar to the notion, "I'll never be like my parents, but, 'oh shit!' I just handled that the way my mom would have." However, by day two I felt more myself, although still finding my footing. Day three--I shifted gaers and put the students into groups to make meaning out of the text for themselves. This worked well! Each group did a short presentation afterwards--worked well. Took pressure off me and got them more involved. Overall, moving swiftly, yet I find with each day, I, and they, are settling in.

Eng. 658 – Week 10 Blog 2

2008-06-04T23:14:00.000-07:00

Julian Dibbell’s “A Rape in Cyber Space” fascinatingly gives a reflective look at the psychological ramifications of non-responsible technology use. On first glance, the article reads like a the board game Clue on the drug “ecstasy.” Yet after reading the piece, the underlying psychology of the article shines through on the purveyance of sociopathic behavior amongst pockets of society. In other words, the figure known as “Bungle,” who later becomes “Dr. Jest,” is in the end an amalgam of NYU students all shouting out replies to moves on a computer game. This technology-meets-game meets-sociopath-behavior seems to be playing out in the other social setting such as the movies. Technological “thrillers” based on murderous behaviors such as Saw build on our inner demons that are let out when certain individuals don the masks of computer aliases. However, the article does bring up other questions? Where else is technology heading that people can be manipulated by aliases? Why do people allow themselves to be manipulated by computer games? And why don’t they just say “no?” Maybe the last question is naïve; Steven King’s book sales show society is enthralled with being scared. Maybe it is this same fascination that drove those people to play “Bungles’s” game—a drive that is stronger than personal responsibility, the drive to be scared out of a seemingly mundane existence into some kind of altered “exciting” world. Who knows?

Eng. 658 – Week 10 Blog 1

2008-06-04T22:29:00.000-07:00

The Post-Journal article on education being changed by incorporating technology complements the discourse we have engaged over the past three months. As a substitute teacher, I find the possibilities helpful and exciting. For instance, last week in a math class the students needed to find the square root of a number. Instantly, I remembered our technology discussions and pedagogies surrounding them and asked the students to take out their cell phones (I saw this as a ways to integrated technology into the classroom). I did this to the students’ amazement—as we know they are not allowed and should not take out phones for personal matters in class. After they pulled out their phones, I asked them to navigate to the calculator page, and then I showed them the square root button. Now they had a new use for their phones, and we took the phone out of simply the “phone” instrument category and into a usable school tool. Although the kids were excited, they said I was “cool” because “No teacher ever has us use our phones,” the value of integrating technology into the classroom took the obnoxious cell phone from being a teachers’ enemy to being an aid. However, this does not take away from the phone being a nuisance at times, but the experience showed me the value of being open to bringing technology into the classroom. In fact, I have a class tomorrow that is a tough one, and after reading this article, I’m churning my brain to find a way to bring some form of technology into the classroom to engage the students, to take them out of the box into other realms of learning.

Eng 609 – Week 10 Blog 2

2008-06-04T21:49:00.000-07:00

Aristotle’s “Degree” topoi can be fashioned into a lens for viewing Okawa’s essay on coming to consciousness. As an American woman of Japanese descent, Okawa speaks of her journey to consciousness, having to endure racism, gender slamming, and academic belittling because of her ethnic and cultural background. However, the degree I am speaking of is her focus on Freire’s critical consciousness. She paraphrases Freire, “coming to critical consciousness becomes a liberator alternative, involving reflective reconsidering and the discovery of a dialectical relationship between theory and practice…” (282). This liberatory alternative comprises the humanness inside each of us and our innate humanness. Further, Freire and Okawa are stating that as we move in degrees to a deeper self-reflective relationship with ourselves, we gain in our humanity—we gain in our ability to see the beauty in each other—even those we don’t agree with. In addition, Okawa and Freire lay groundwork for connecting theory and practice in the academy so that we may move past barriers and stereotypes into a higher humanity. This ties into my current research into meditation and the composition classroom. Meditation’s aim is always a deeper understanding of ourselves, a self-reflection so we may slow our minds in order to enjoy the “joy” around us as well as see the “non-joy” we create through our non-reflective think that does not allow for critical consciousness. Hence, Freire and Okawa will play a role in my further research, my continuing effort to dig for deeper degrees of critical consciousness.

Eng. 609 – Week 10 Blog 1

2008-06-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

Listening to Professor Glascott, I was reminded and so wanted to muse on Aristotle’s topoi concerning authority. Aristotle states that citing experts lends credibility to one’s argument; however, following an authorities lead can also produce credibility in our own abilities. Professor Glascott laid out her circuitous route to her doctorate, and I felt a kinship. I did not come back to school to become an English scholar, I came back to enhance my composition skills, yet I found myself wholeheartedly drawn into English studies. My circuitous route has been fashioned at times on cartographies laid down by those who have come before me, those who have become authorities in their fields. Thanks to them, I’m enjoying my own path to authority…

Professor Glascott’s talk also intrigued me in regards to her visit to the Huntington. Earlier in the quarter, we learned of the Huntington’s collection, and at the time I paused to mull over my own excitement at the possibility of actually touching one of these old texts. Being book “geeks”, I don’t think most people understand the excitement we feel at the possibility of holding one of these ancient texts with its musky smell and pungent wet dog aroma. I guess that is the joy of being an authority—no need to care what others think. After all this time and effort, we deserve to feel comfortable and confident in the value of the words we cherish, the texts that bind them and the research that leads us to them.

Eng. 659 – Week 9 Blog 2

2008-05-31T21:18:00.000-07:00

The article concerning schools substituting field trips for “virtual video” trips brings up two tough questions, and each are addressed in the story. First, can a video trip supplant the real deal: crawling along the shore, touching a starfish, sand between the fingers and toes, and the moist cool ocean breeze on exposed skin? The second question seems to answer the first—should we do a virtual trip if we cannot afford to do otherwise? The answer seems to be “of course.” It’s sad that the kids can’t get to the ocean on a real fieldtrip, yet at least they’re making it by video. The “naysayers” may need to walk into the classroom and experience the video class firsthand to see if their objections are too hasty. For some of the kids’, surely this will be the closest they come to tidal pools.

However, I do believe the classes should visit places within budget and time constraints—the local park, gardens, or mountains to experience nature. Further, we're all aware that for a child, dirtying their hands and getting wet is truly a significant factor in the experience. In the end, I don’t know if watching a container of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream being eaten is fun, but I do know that taking a big honking bite of their “Crème Brulet” is awesome—and virtual can’t even compare. Yet if one can’t afford the savory stuff, virtual will have to do.

Eng. 658 – Week 9 Blog 1

2008-05-31T20:43:00.000-07:00

Last week I stopped by my local library and picked up a copy of Benjamin’s “The Arcades Project.” Fascinated and inspired were the immediate thoughts that surged through my head. The “Arcades” Benjamin writes about are the ancestors of our modern-day strip malls, except these malls were enclosed in glass and had an ambience that absolutely smelled of Paris—and that image only comes to me through Benjamin’s photos of the shops (one can imagine the quaint feel of actually spending a day strolling the charming malls). The bourgeoisie of Paris inhabited these places; thus, they attracted a finery that was not seen out on the streets, away from the enclosed cocoon, almost controlled atmosphere in the arcades. Moreover, the flavor and taste with which Benjamin reflects upon the burgeoning industrial commerce of Paris places one amongst the splendor of the malls: the coffee roasting, baking bread, musty cigar shops, and of course fine dress shops and men’s boutiques. Benjamin interlaces his observations of the arcades with quotations from some of the brilliant artists and thinker of his day, such as Baudelaire and Gautier, and the quotes emit a feeling of being in the right place at just the right time. All in all, the work impresses and inspires, it reminds one that simple life surrounds us with myriad joys and interests—things at our fingertips when we stop to smell the fragrant roses at out side.

Eng. 609 – Week 9 Blog 2

2008-05-26T21:35:00.000-07:00

Aristotle’s topoi of “the good” is concerned with legislative bodies and thusly with what is good in regard to the public. Looking at David Seitz’s essay “Keeping Honest” (1998), “the good” came to mind with Seitz’s documentation of teen organizations. Seitz writes that “90% of these organizations judged effective by the teens involved are not organized around ethnic interests. Rather, they are built around youth-based projects, often in team athletics or arts troupes, that develops a “core of personal efficacy achieved as a member of a close and personally collected group” (75). In other words, these teens practice what most of us have been taught, which is to look past the skin and gender to the person underneath. This is the materialization of Aristotle’s “good” for the public concern. Taking this a step further, can we adults do this in everyday discourse? Can we get rid of labels of any sort and see the person as they are? Further, do we need to label someone? It seems labeling is simply an egocentric way of differentiating one from another, but from a larger perspective, we are all connected as brothers and sisters. This concept may not be acceptable in the postmodern academic world, especially since this is a place where intellect is valued over emotion or heart; however, the teens Seitz speaks about on page 75 have mastered the ability to look past differences. Can we adults do the same?

Eng. 609 – Week 9 Blog 1

2008-05-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

Anne Donadey and Francoise Lionnet, in “Feminisms, Genders, Sexualities” (2005), utilize Aristotle’s topoi of authorities to bring the topics to bear. The authorities are people who have had to deal with the brunt of being classed as secondary citizens in a male, white, hegemonic system and society. Therefore, the authorities I am speaking of in regard to this article are largely women and homosexuals. The authors’ use stories of women such as Gloria Anzaldua who have fought the “good ole boy” system to better their personal and political fortunes. Interestingly, the authority part comes into play as memoir writing by academics has taken foot. Donadey notes, “The current popularity of memoir writing may have been triggered by the need to ‘write with feeling’ (Kaplan 2319) in an academic world that still tends to reject the possible contribution of emotions to knowledge. Thankfully, these women have broken across borders to tell their stories, and they are authorities in climbing over and breaking down walls. A nice consequence of their work is the author’s observation that the “well-established” division between literary criticism and creative writing in English departments is becoming more porous” (230).

Eng. 658 – Week 8 Blog 2

2008-05-19T22:13:00.000-07:00

Typography, huh… who’d have thought it could be so important to composition and design, and that a group of individuals passionately pursue new designs and re-imaginings of older one for the benefit of end-users. The essays in VRDW opened my eyes to elements of visual design that I had not pondered before, namely the impact certain typefaces have on a reader. As I read the essays, I realized I pay attention when making business cards or flyers, yet as I compose essays, I stick to Times New Roman without a second thought. In prior classes, I remember instructors telling students to stick with Times or something like it; however, I wonder about the advantages or disadvantages of experimenting with other typefaces? Could one select a typeface that fits the mood of a particular piece and have the typeface convey the underlying mood more poignantly? My initial thought would be yes, although we run the risk of alienating the reader if they are not open to new design elements. In class last week, a couple students noted that Sirc’s essay had the text set up in unusual designs that supported the thoughts he was conveying. Some students liked Sirc’s designs while others did not. So do we experiment or not? I think this last assignment offers an opportunity to do just that, to throw a mud-ball at the wall and see what sticks.

Eng. 658 – Week 8 Blog 1

2008-05-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

Richard Buchanan offers information in his "Design" essay that I had not pondered before. Up until now, I've thought of design as something we feel, something we do, something we learn as we go along--and some of us have this as a natural ability, and some of us don't. However, I see Buchanan's point that it should be possible to create a theory that explains how to go about designing a "thing" for any given purpose. But is it feasible to think we can distill art and inspiration into a step-by-step procedure?...

Richard Buchanan, in “Rhetoric, Humanism, and Design” (1995), asserts that design theory needs a re-thinking and a new conception of the discipline which incorporates a humanistic element along with the recognition of the inherent rhetorical nature of design thinking (228). Buchanan states, “The exploration of design is therefore, a contribution to the philosophy of culture in our time” (252), and he supports this view with a strong and extensive background view of design, its inherent rhetorical purposes, its uses in commerce and art, and its beginning in Aristotle’s day through to the industrial revolution and on into today’s post-modern world. Buchanan’s intent is to call for the creation of a concrete theory of design that can be utilized to put design theory into practice for lay persons and professionals. Buchanan’s fervent argument interests his audience of graduate students, scholars, artists, and instructors who are interested in the implications of design upon society.

Eng. 609 - Week 8 Blog 2

2008-05-18T17:24:00.000-07:00

Kenneth W. Warren's "Race and Ethnicity” incorporates the topoi of past fact/future fact in an effort to help us see the past can enlighten us to our ancestors mistakes in regards to racial issues. His essay’s focus on thinkers like W. E. DuBois helps the essay read like an overall history of racial theorems and acts that defined our current state. Further, his reflections of the African diaspora and subsequent injustices are not a plea for handouts. Warren makes a strong argument that we must approach literature without rosy colored lenses where we view racism as some left-wing agenda to incite us. Instead, he argues the future can only be altered and changed when we look at our motives and then change them to honor everyone as equal…

Kenneth W. Warren, in “Race and Ethnicity” (2005) argues that although understanding race as an ideology and a discourse helps us to better comprehend our social, literary history, and texts that make up our literary history, that same knowledge should not be expected to give us tools to fix the current racial inequalities in America (258). Warren supports his argument by offering an insightful history of thinkers and acts, as well as psychological positions that have created a world rife with racism. Warren’s intent is to make the reader aware of the folly of relying on past understanding to fix the current racial tension in our world. Warren creates a formal relationship with his audience of graduate students, scholars, and instructors who are interested in racial theory

Eng. 609 – Week 8 Blog 1

2008-05-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

Aristotle’s topoi of “definition” relates to Susan Stanford Friedman’s essay and its map of cultural and literature studies by defining this exciting “new” field. Friedmann’s essay and its extensive description piqued my interest. Friedmann quotes many authors unfamiliar to me, yet the quotes felt familiar because they were impassioned words that arose from the writers’ hearts. I imagine all of us have been part of a diaspora of sorts–maybe for some the simple expulsion from their parents secure borderlands, while others have endured fates similar to those we read about in Friedmann’s essay. Either way, our collective human experience is wrapped up in these persecuted writers’ works; further, it’s comforting to know there is a field growing whose intent it is to bring these voices to the world…

Susan Stanford Friedmann, in “Migrations, Diasporas, and Borders” (2005), offers a wide and comprehensive map of literature and cultural studies in regards to history, geography, and language. Friedmann builds her chart of literature and cultural theory by focusing on human migrations, diasporas, and physical and metaphorical borders that she believes have suffused into a new field of literature studies. Friedmann’s intent is to add and lay groundwork for future research into the relatively new field of study. Friedmann creates an informal relationship with her audience of graduate students, instructors and scholars who are interested in understanding the expanding world of English studies and its ever-growing borders.

Eng. 658 - Week 7 Blog 2

2008-05-18T14:12:00.001-07:00

The Arcade and CARP articles set my mind in motion—I’d just like to lay down a couple thoughts…

On the first day of Eng. 658, Professor Rhodes gave an outline of the mid-term and final visual projects. At the time, my limbs and gut stiffened reflexively from the fear of engaging something completely new. However, Rhodes then said we should feel nervous when approaching a new arena of work, for if we never do, we never learn. I kept this idea in mind as I approached the mid-term, practicing calming myself through a well-timed deep breath here and there when overwhelm crept in and sat beside me.

…When the mid-term passed and the final project sauntered in the room, it smirked at me—right away I forgot Rhodes’ prior words. Then that bloated figure named overwhelm came to sit on my lap—until I read the CARP and Arcade articles. Sighing, I sucked in a deep breath again…

So now I sense an opportunity to create something fun and visual, and a chance to relate it to my scholarly work. I don’t presume to make this a masterpiece, just an experiment with working in a new format. Over the past couple of years, I’ve tried to take this tact—instead of approaching a project with the old mindset that they have to be great, my focus now is to learn what I can in the process. It takes repetition, though. But no problem, there, huh. We're in the master’s program, and there’s plenty of opportunities to practice new stuff!

Eng. 658 – Week 7 Blog 1

2008-05-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

Geoffrey Sirc, in his article, “box-logic,” brings up so many ideas and questions. His ability to walk between traditionalism and the new digital wave is admirable. Never does one feel he steps too far one way or the other, as we see many who support or don’t support the digital era. On a visual note, even the text layout of his article is unique, it is avant garde at times when he is introducing the artists who influenced him (texts boxes spread across pages, cubist boxes straddled next to each other), but then he falls back into traditional layout when he speaks of bringing his different views into the composition classroom. This tells me he understand he cannot change the system without entering the discourse in a way that will not alienate the reader who doesn’t share his non-traditional mindset.

As for his assignments, they are again unique in that they blend visual elements with traditional prose essays. Personally, I welcome this kind of pedagogy—I think today’s’ student can be encouraged to accept and engage academia when they realize academia accepts and engages them.

Eng. 609 – Week 7 Blog 2

2008-05-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

Witnesses… this is one of Aristotle’s topoi. I’ll address it after my précis of Jerome McGann’s essay on interpreting texts.

Jerome McGann, in “Interpretation” (2005), lays out a how-to guide for up-and-coming scholars for discerning texts and documents. McGann supports his endeavor by illustrating how one goes about conducting performative interpretation and scholarly interpretation, an act he likens to “finding flesh and blood” (161). McGann’s purpose is to help his reader understand how to read a text with a more critical eye, searching for nuances that bare truths about the text and ourselves. He creates a trusting relationship with his audience of graduate students, instructors, and scholars, who are interest in and need interpretive tools to broaden their critical abilities.

So if McGann is calling for us to develop more nuanced and critical eyes, then he is asking us to witness many things an author is attempting—theme, political convictions, persuasions, morals, monetary issues, ideological issues, etc. (just to name a truly small few). In other words, we are witnesses to an author’s argument, story, poem, film, speech, etc. As witnesses, do we have a responsibility to stand up and testify to what we have observed?

Eng. 609 – Week 7 Blog 1

2008-05-14T21:20:00.000-07:00

Jean Franco, in “Cultural Studies” (2005), offers a fascinating overview of cultural studies and its place and impact upon globalization as well as the history of cultural studies and its births in Britain, America, and Latin America. Also, if one analyzes this essay with the topoi of “contraries,” we see a contradiction between English Studies and Cultural Studies. Composition and rhetoric sometimes excludes other fields because its status seems tremulous at times—and justifiably so, with budget cuts, etc. On the other hand, cultural studies embraces other fields because it needs them to grow, create its foundation, and continue to offer items for theorization. In the end, neither way is wrong, although I do feel composition would benefit from bringing other fields input into our trajectory.

Back to Franco… he supports his narrative with cultural theorists like Antonio Gramsci (prominent theorist of hegemonic influences on society) who helped created the field and its current contemporary position and place of growing prominence. His purpose is to give his readers an overview of cultural studies and its cross-bordering influence on English studies, academia, and society at large. Franco creates an informal relationship with his audience of graduate students, instructors, and scholars.

Eng. 609 - Week 6 Blog 3

2008-05-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

Professor Pilinovsky's lecture on translations touched on a question that has fascinated me--does a translator have a right to change an author's original text? Professor Rhodes and Pilinovsky subsequently engaged this question, yet I found myself really wondering whose right it is to change an author's material. I realize we have to take into account the era in which a text is translated, but as the "holy kiss"' to a "hearty handshake" points out, a translator has a large responsibility with their translation--whether it takes away, leaves as is, or adds to the original text. Personally, I would rather see a text be translated as is and let me do the discerning. My assertion may be wrong, for as Pilinovsky points out, Shakespeare doesn't translate well into Russian because the two languages just just don't share similar eloquences. Still, I'm going to side with the traditionalists--please let the work stand as is.

Eng. 658 – Week 6 Blog 2

2008-05-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

McCloud’s terrific comic stands out as a groundbreaking piece of theoretical imagery. His assumption and theory that we connect with cartoon characters because we can see ourselves in them versus life-like images within whom we cannot view ourselves seems revolutionary. To date, I have not heard of, although it may exist, a similar theory into this element of our psyche…

Scott McCloud, in “The Vocabulary of Comics” (1994), asserts the new historicist notion that if “who I am matters less, maybe what I say will matter more” (208). McCloud brilliantly supports his claim through an excellent and fascinating comic strip that utilizes McCloud himself as a cartoon character exploring the rhetorical discourse and rhetorical ramifications visual icons and cartoon characters have on their audiences. McCloud’s purpose is to educate his audience concerning the influence of rhetorical visual imagery and rhetorical writing in order to make his audience more critical thinkers. McCloud successfully connects with his audience of graduate students and scholars interested in the rhetorical uses of visual imagery.

Eng. 658 – Week 6 Blog 1

2008-05-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

Ehses’ handling of the posters associated with Macbeth creatively lays a foundation for artists and visual designers of all types to study rhetoric and its influence on visual design in and out of the classroom...

Hanno H.J. Ehses, in “Representing Macbeth: A Case Study in Visual Rhetoric” (1989), suggests that “The creative process of finding appropriate design solutions to visual problems would become more accessible and more probable, and could be enriched if designers were more conscious of the underlying system of concept formation” (164). Ehses supports her claim by arguing that rhetoric is the “underlying system of concept formation,” and she bolsters her declaration through examining the principles of rhetoric as they pertain to images (i.e. metaphor, metonymy, personification, synecdoche, irony, etc.). Ehses’ intent is to inform readers of the value of understanding rhetoric in order to create images with more visual impact as well as to argue that visual design and rhetoric go hand-in-hand. Ehses establishes a trusting relationship with her audience of graduate students, instructors, and scholars through her clear mastery of rhetorical practices and by using Macbeth posters that clearly show design elements of visual rhetoric.

Eng. 609 – Week 6 Blog 2

2008-05-06T11:02:00.000-07:00

Mann’s library research guidebook sets a well-needed foundation for me in regards to becoming a professional scholar, researcher, and instructor. As I read these chapters, I find myself repeatedly grateful to him for the tips and stones he over-turns.

Thomas Mann, in chapter five of The Oxford Guide to Library Research (2005), suggests that an important distinction exists between amateur and professional researchers: when one has reached the point of truly digesting the material in his book and looks beyond the easy convenience of online resources without having to be prodded by a librarian, then they will have ascended into the realm of professionalism (108). Mann supports his idea not by deriding researchers who haven’t yet ventured beyond the “easy” net, but instead offers a micro-education into keyword and controlled vocabulary searching for the reason that he realizes these same researchers simply have not yet been introduced to these advanced techniques. Mann’s intent with this chapter is to support “new” researchers and scholars in their endeavor to move past simple and amateurish Internet keyword searching and into professional in-depth scholarly research. Mann certainly establishes a rapport with his audience of graduate students who need his tutelage and who are interested in becoming professional scholars and instructors.

Eng. 609 Week 6 - Blog 1

2008-05-04T15:45:00.000-07:00

Venuti’s translation studies explication is my first introduction to the topic. I found the subject fascinating. Venuti claims translation studies is void of composition studies in-house fighting? I wonder if the cause is related to the number of translation scholars and instructors versus the number of composition scholars and instructors? In other words, the bigger a system grows (comp. is comparatively huge), the more difficult to find consensus and balance…

Lawrence Venuti, in “Translation Studies” (2005), asserts that text translation is affected by three main categories or theoretical perspectives: equivalence and shifts (meaning changes in textual denotation and connotation), cultural systems and norms (the cultures texts are translated from and into), and ethics and politics (just how much should be shifted, if any, for a particular cultures’ sensibilities?). Venuti supports his thesis with examples of each category and the prominent writer or theoretician responsible for the theories underpinnings. Venuti’s intention is to formulate an explication of the current state of translational studies. Venuti accomplishes his goal and creates a trusting relationship with his audience of graduate students immersed in English studies through his obvious mastery of the subject.

Eng. 658 - Week 5 Blog 3

2008-04-29T13:36:00.000-07:00

Kenney's article (a joy to read), concise and clear, with numerous visual examples, defines and clarifies not only visual rhetoric but verbal rhetoric as well...

Keith Kenney, in “Building Visual Communication Theory by Borrowing from Rhetoric" (2002), lays the groundwork for the somewhat new discipline of visual communication theory that can be used by critics and scholars to understand the impact of visual rhetoric. Kenny masterfully supports his position through numerous examples of images; for example, the Tienanmen Square tank photo, that have acted in rhetorical ways upon society. Kenney’s purpose is to argue and create a communication theory that combines elements of verbal and visual rhetoric so as we may have a foundation to study the effects of visual rhetoric upon all of us. Through his well-conceived and clear understanding of the topic, along with a personable style, Kenny establishes an informal relationship with his audience of critics, scholars, instructors, and students interested in understanding the impact of visual rhetoric.

Eng. 658 - Week 5 Blog 2

2008-04-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

David S. Birdsell and Leo Groarke, in their essay “Toward a Theory of Visual Argument” (1996), make a compelling appeal for scholars to consider the notion that visual rhetoric and visual images are indeed arguments and not simply images. Birdsell and Groarke support their claim by offering powerful examples of imagery that act as rhetoric as well as arguments; these images strike against the prevalent notion that “visual images are in some way arbitrary, vague and ambiguous” (310). The purpose of the authors’ argument is to build upon the theory that through the comprehension of visual rhetoric we will “flesh out” (319) a healthy and sturdy theoretical backbone upon which we may build visual argumentation—one which may one day rival verbal argumentation. Birdsell and Groarke develop an informal relationship with their audience of scholars and graduate students who are interested in seeing both sides of the visual argument issue.

Eng. 658 - Week 5 Blog 1

2008-04-28T19:35:00.000-07:00

In her essay “Toward New Media Texts” (2004), Cynthia Self contends that in order not to “run the risk of making composition studies increasingly irrelevant to students engaging in contemporary practices of communication” (72), contemporary instructors raised and trained on alphabetic texts must embrace and be open to the advantageous possibilities brought about by new media. Self develops her ideas through a fervent argument that shows the benefits of bringing technology into the classroom, markedly so through visual assignments designed for even the most novice of instructors (new to media) to administer. Selfe’s purpose is clearly to educate instructors on the inherent benefits of introducing technology into the classroom in order for us not to lose touch with students raised on and with technology. Selfe creates an informal relationship with her audience of scholars, college, high school, and elementary teachers who are concerned about how to incorporate new media into the classroom.

Eng. 609 - Week 5 Blog 2

2008-04-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

Aristotle’s topoi concerning deliberative oratory focuses on using persuasion to illustrate for a society the advantages or disadvantages of certain topics affecting the societies overall health. Paul J. Hopper's essay “Linguistics,” while focusing minimally on the negative theories affecting linguistics, markedly centers on the advantages theorists and applicationists have brought to the field of linguistics. Hence, this week I will again work on a rhetorical précis using the topoi within the précis…

Paul J. Hopper, in his article “Linguistics” (2005), conveys the major themes and assumptions (20) that have created contemporary linguistics; namely “speech production and comprehension are distinguished from a ‘mentally represented language system,’ and this language system is ‘access[ed]’ when we speak” (20). Hopper supports his overview by offering a comprehensive historical and biographical illustration of the advantageous occurrences, theories, and theorists that have created linguistics current sturdy state. Hopper’s purpose is to give a foundational painting of linguistics for readers needing to familiarize themselves with linguistics. Hopper creates a formal relationship with his audience of graduate students interested in linguistics who “need a research agenda for linguists” (20).

Eng. 609 - Week 5 Blog 1

2008-04-28T09:59:00.000-07:00

Wow! Unless one is in the TESL track, this weeks readings consisted of some dense stuff... That being said, I'm going to do a rhetorical precis and apply Aristotle's topoi within the precis--

Heidi Byrnes, in her essay "Language Acquisition and Language Learning" (2005), articulates a general overview of modern linguistics. Byrnes accomplishes this by showing examples of the general theoretical and applicational laws (topoi) of linguistics that have molded the field into its current formation. Her purpose is to make her readers aware of the current state of linguistics and its underpinnings so they will be better prepared as scholars and teachers to engage linguistics in work environments, “knowledge is presented in the fields of linguistics, psychology, sociology and education would enable scholars to understand better something they also do, namely, teach a language” (48). Byrnes establishes a formal relationship with her audience of university students and scholars searching for a deeper understanding of lingustical laws that they can translate and apply in scholarly and intsructive pursuits.

658 Week 4 – Blog 2

2008-04-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

How and why do certain writers create a relationship with a reader that involves trust and believability? I’ve often pondered this question, especially while reading the work of composition scholars (fiction writers have to do this. It’s the Comp. scholars that don’t have to, but I believe they miss out on truly connecting with us when they don’t develop a rapport with the reader). The question resurfaces while reading Irit Rogoff’s Studying Visual Culture (1998), and rather than concentrating on the media focus of her essay, at the moment this question attracts me more (since I write four blogs per week, once in a while I can afford to wander off). I feel the answer lies in Rogoff’s voice and tone. Rogoff doesn't take an authoritarian stance, in other words, she sets up her word choice and syntax in such a way that we do not feel we are being talked down to. Indeed, she brings us into her world through her humility. The essay’s first line creates the mood, “How can we characterize the emergent field of “visual culture”? (italics added, 381). The word “we” is the key that opens the door. I went back and reviewed some of the other essays in this anthology, and most begin with an authoritative sentence by the writer that seems to declare “This is what I think, and it is right.” However, Rogoff’s humility through the use of “we,” and the question itself shows she is confident and doesn’t need to convince us—she believes her thesis, she trusts its efficacy, and she is confident in her ability to share it. Further, and we know this from psychology, humility actually contains elements of strength, not arrogance or hubris, as Rogoff and her essay demonstrate.

Breaking off, this concludes my short foray into the reader/writer relationship (no scrolling if possible). Also, in the end, I do think this topic pertains to class. Aren’t we always seeking to create a good rapport with a reader generous and kind enough to actually take the time to read our work?…

658 Week 4 – Blog 1

2008-04-21T13:20:00.001-07:00

Cynthia Selfe, in her essay Students Who Teach Us (2004), asserts that in this quickly changing and paradigm shifting world, teachers need to be humble enough at times to allow our students to teach us about the new and exciting uses of technology. Selfe supports this thesis through her example of a student, David Damon, who although smart and talented with computer technology, lacks in regards to transferring his talent to traditional Standard English. Selfe’s intention is to argue that even though a student may lack proficiency with Standard English skills, we (teachers) need to shift and open our perspective in order to be more open and aware to talents that students possess which do not fall into traditional paradigms. Selfe creates a relationship with her audience of graduate students and scholars who are interested in the possibilities and challenges of bringing new media into their classrooms.

609 Week 4 - Blog 2

2008-04-19T17:59:00.000-07:00

Concerning Leah. S. Marcus’ essay, Textual Scholarship, Aristotle’s topoi focusing on witnesses feasibly applies. Marcus describes textual scholars as those entrusted with keeping the integrity of literary documents. Marcus lists numerous examples of texts changed by editors, who, although well meaning, changed the thrust of the authors writing through their corrections. In this digital age, we have all witnessed something similar. Wikipedia articles, for example, although they may not be original and canonical literature, have the ability to be altered (thereby enhancing or depleting) and edited by any registered user (witness).

Moving on, this article fascinated me as it gave insight into a librarian’s head. Although Marcus may be a textual scholar, she has strong elements of a librarian’s mindset. Hence, she allows us to witness the inner workings of texts and their somewhat changing landscape. In addition, Marcus adds to Mann’s concept that copyrights are the drive behind how a text is altered from one “material presentation to another” (153). In other words, copyrights—the money protectors, decide how we, the witnesses to these books, ingest the material inside them.

609 Week 4 - Blog 1

2008-04-19T15:51:00.001-07:00

Where to begin…? Where to begin…?

Catherine Gallagher’s essay Historical Scholarship sweeps across the eras of written and oral history to introduce students and scholars to literature through a new historicist lens—one in which the author is placed into equal parts along with his/her piece, the era it is written, and the culture which spawned the author's intent. Aristotle’s topoi of Whole/Parts then seems a likely focus as Gallagher breaks literature down into parts—author, text, reader, literature, and finally, nation, race, and empire. Her intent succeeds as it is explicates for new scholars the finer points of keeping true to an author's original concepts as texts are republished over years and eras. The "Author" segment spent time on the new historicist approach to texts--this frustrated me a bit. From my perspective, new historicists sometimes don't take into account the sweat, toil, and heart necessary to bring a piece of literature (book, not article) to the world. Further on, the text segments concentration on textual indeterminancy highlighted again the difficulty in staying true to texts over long periods of time (millenia).

Where Gallagher does shine is in the "Reader" section. She writes, “Like the history of authorship, the history of reading has a twist at the end, when the reader, like the author, after centuries, of getting consolidated, suddenly comes apart into fragments or altogether disperses into a digital vapor” (184). Indeed, technology has affected us in numerous and significant ways, and at the moment, we’re still trying to piece the parts of technology together so we might bring it to our students in the most helpful and concise way. On a sidenote, it's interesting that as teachers we're turning to our students to teach US how technology works. The last segments on "Literature and Nation, Race, and Empire" round the piece out and bring the parts back to a whole. From a students perspective, she offers a highly in-depth view of history, literature, and new historicism.

658 Week 3 - Blog 2

2008-04-18T16:20:00.000-07:00

...Another shot at Rhetorical Precis.

Catherine L. Hobbs, in Learning from the Past: Verbal and Visual Literacy in Early Modern Rhetoric and Writing Pedagogy (2002), shows that instructors of the language arts have always utilized visual aids and theories while teaching. Hobbs supports her theory by offering numerous examples of teachers of antiquity, beginning with Plato and Aristotle, who included visual elements in their pedagogies. Her purpose is to make her readers aware that utilizing visual elements—for example, computers in the classroom, is not new to language arts instruction nor has it ever left the practice; thus, we should embrace technology as it integrates with our classes. She develops a trusting rapport with her audience, namely graduate students and scholars, through her impressive, concise, and encyclopedic knowledge of the history of the language arts.

On a commentory note, Hobbs convinced me with her detailed knowledge of language arts history that she brilliantly knows her stuff. Further, I felt enlightened after her essay, as if I had learned some foundational facts about our shared human history. Hobbs’ ending with Da Vinci’s quote masterfully utilized Quintilian’s theory that we must bring emotions to our audience and we must ourselves be moved by our themes (58).

658 Week 3 - Blog 1

2008-04-17T14:36:00.001-07:00

This is my second attempt using Woodworth’s Rhetorical Precis... her invention is definitely a handy tool.

Craig Stoupe, in Visualizing English: Recognizing the Hybrid Literacy of Visual and Verbal Authorship (2000), asserts that composition will flourish from incorporating technology rather than being debilitated by it. Baker supports his thesis by offering contrasting examples of visual rhetoric and print that show the two modes can co-exist and prosper when used together. His intent is to persuade compositionists that to embrace digital technology and not fear it will enhance all composition pursuits. He creates a connection with his audience of graduate students and scholars who are interested in understanding the uses, positivity, and negativity of adding visual rhetoric into the composition classrooms.

609 Week 3 - Blog 2

2008-04-17T13:39:00.000-07:00

Charles Bernstein is clearly an authority (topoi) on poetics, composition, and style. As for his essay Poetics, it doesn’t utilize the scientific style associated with composition scholars, and for that reason his argument proved salient for me. This idea piggybacks on one of his quotes in regard to undergraduate, graduate, and scholarly essays, “…an unorganized (or differently organized) essay that suggests active thinking is often more useful in response to a literary work than a paper of impeccable logic that has little to say” (127). Because Bernstein places this observation out in the open, I’d like to follow his lead. So many times we read essays where the author has a sound grasp on composition’s scientific reasoning, in other words, the author can make a logical argument, yet there is little “meat.” Indeed, these authors can speak in the collegiate discourse, yet deep, original, self-reflective, and active thinking has not occurred. A while back when I was in the Master’s application process, I spoke with a friend in this very graduate program and asked her if I could look at one of her papers. She gave me one—I read it and then responded, “It’s written well, you’ve used elevated diction and collegiate discourse, but it doesn’t really say much.” She answered, “I know.” (She got an “A” on the paper). So when does how we say something become more important than what we say? And in the end, does it help the university to reward mediocre thinking that spews forth proficient collegiate language that is void or consists of little substance?

609 Week 3 - Blog 1

2008-04-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

Susan C. Jarrat, in her essay “Rhetoric” (2007), shows the lineage of rhetoric—its beginnings in ancient Greece, its flourishing over the next two thousand years, its subsequent demise in the 19^th century due to advances in science, and finally that it has been reborn due to the growth of contemporary composition. Jarrat masterfully supports her notions by unearthing the auspicious beginnings of rhetoric in Greece; it was needed by citizens to argue their cases in the newly democratized country, and then she illustrates her point with prominent world figures such as Freud and Marx who clearly utilized rhetorical thinking and writing. Jarrat makes these connections in order to educate undergraduate, graduate, and academics to the importance of rhetoric not only as a field of study but as a means to show the need for rhetoric in our tumultuous and quickly-changing world. Further, she establishes an informal relationship with her audience who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of rhetoric and its applications in today’s world.

658 Week 2 - Blog 2

2008-04-15T19:44:00.001-07:00

Wysocki's position reminds me of many "composers," she is open-minded and realizes there is no universal pedagogy that will suffice for all composition classes or situations. Where her writing begins to shine is the activities section. So many times as instructors, we are thrown into a teaching situation and just told "go for it." Wysocki gives us tools to draw the students out so we can build a bridge between composition and the world they live in. Further, I see these tools as a way to show non-English majors the value of seeing the world with a different perspective. For example, if I can use Wysocki's example of someone interrupting the class in order to pique an economics major's interest in composition (24), I feel I have won half the battle. I can utilize that initial excitement to show them there is value in many things they may not know about—namely at this point that learning composition skills will help them navigate later classes and work situations.

658 Week 2 - Blog 1

2008-04-15T19:43:00.000-07:00

The introduction to VRDW piqued my curiosity. It asks, “Why do some writing curricula’s continue to focus only on words when today’s documents are increasingly hybrids of words, images, and design” (9). Like many Comp. majors, I have an extreme fondness for pieces of paper. As the professor mentioned last week, the texture and smell of a book are one of the joys of life. So where does the line get drawn as to when too much digital is too much? Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on one’s opinion), I don’t think anyone has the answer. As teachers and researchers, this is where theory has a boundary and practical application will hold the answer for instructors. This is one of those times when we are exploring new territory—how about the analogy of exploring the bottom of the ocean or outer space? Truly, digital media and the effect it will have as a teaching aid and later as a replacement for paper are as yet unknown. As for me, I used to be more close-minded about the “intrusion” of digital media into literature, but now I’ve opened myself to the benefits. But if I die today, please bury me with my paper book—and don’t let anybody pry that tome from my rigid hand!

609 Week 2 - Blog 2

2008-04-15T19:42:00.001-07:00

"Re-Centering Authority," Ellen Cushman and Terese Monberg reflect back on Cushman's groundbreaking essay about taking composition to the streets. How does this fit in with topoi? Because both works center on injecting smaller parts, ourselves, into the larger mass of humanity. The authors' write, "Repositioning oneself means establishing reciprocal relationships with those outside one's "comfort zone" (178). Indeed, in composition sometimes the ivory tower syndrome takes place whereas compositionists feel academia is the only appropriate place for academians'. However, the authors continually challenge us as teachers and researchers to self-reflect and see where we can step out of our comfort zone and become a part of the larger species. On a personal note, like most Master's candidates, I've had friends and family approach me for help with composing, critiquing, and enhancing resumes, advertisements, personal writing, etc. and I've found helping them to be rewarding. Further, as I lend a hand, I feel better about myself through reflecting on the growth I've made as a Comp. major.

609 Week 2 - Blog 1

2008-04-15T19:40:00.001-07:00

Aristotle's topoi of cause and affect speaks to me in regards to Peter Vandenberg’s article, "Composing Composition Studies." Vandenberg’s clear and coherent thinking cuts through much of the muddled and egocentric thinking that fosters and creates the continuing hierarchy in English studies. Vandenberg’s last couple of sentences sum up the situation, “To the extent that the top-down relationship of “research” to teaching appears natural, logical, or self-evident rather than historical, contingent, and economically determined, the present division of labor in rhetoric and composition and the university at large is certain to persist” (29). How true! What strikes me is Vandenberg’s clarity. At times, I am guilty of thinking it is natural and self-evident research should have the limelight because it is the work “leading the way.” But who says that research entitles anyone to anything extra (effect)? Don’t soldiers risking their lives in the trenches deserve as much credit as the general leading the way atop the hill? Vandenberg’s clear wording and thinking contends historical, contingent, and economics (follow the money trail) are the actual cause of the conditions of working teachers. In one sentence, he seems to have summed up what dozens, hundreds, have tried to do in thousands of pages.

609 Week 1 - Blog 2

2008-04-15T19:37:00.000-07:00

Following Aristotle’s topoi, I am going to try and weave a similar string between Bruce Robbins’ “The Scholar in Society” from Intro. to Scholarship and Deborah Mutnick’s “Rethinking the Personal Narrative” from Under Construction. Where the two essays seem to share a bond is in their notion that individuals willing to have an open and positive outlook can help composition flourish. Looking to Robbins, although his essay at times touches on the somewhat redundant, worrisome, and negative thinking that pervades aspects of theoretical composition (i.e. there are no jobs and there is no pay for teachers), he also brings to his argument positive aspects. At one point, Robbins focuses on the notion of inspiration and the fact that he believes students deserve to be inspired by those teaching them. He states, “Students want a demonstration that the mountain of material before them is not merely, like Everest, to be climbed because it is there but worth studying because it is significant” (317). Indeed, unlike investors investing in commodities on Wall Street, students deserve more of a guarantee that the return on their investment will reap rewards. How to stock the odds in their favor? As Robbins says, “Teachers stand up for something they believe, attesting by their investment of time, energy, and emotion that to them, personally, the subject matter matters” (317). Truly, a valid point. As students, teachers, and human beings, we sense when someone cares. Moreover, we can sense when a teacher (or student) is, to use the term Mutnick’s uses a few times, self-reflective enough to stand back and see if their investment is paying off for them.

Similar to Robbins, Mutnick is passionate about composition’s continued existence, overall health, and growth. Mutnick’s essay focuses on the debate about whether or not to use personal narratives in composition classes. Mutnick feels it is too easy to dismiss autobiographies as not ready for collegiate discourse (80). She builds her argument on students who have come from different cultures - Russian, Latina, suburban ghettos’, and shows how writing autobiographies helps students make “sense out of complex experience” (80). The positivity of her quest culminates with the essay’s last segment, which focuses on The Journal of Ordinary Thought. This publication involving parents of elementary school children in Chicago has as its motto “Every person is a philosopher.” The editor, Hal Adams, calls himself the “outsider from the university,” and Adams’ intent is to give dignity to people who feel they lead “ordinary” lives that don’t matter. This idea is reminiscent of Robbins notion that teachers should inspire students and give them inspiring positive “food” to feed on. How does the personal narrative tie in? One woman wrote about a “bad day” in which she “traipses around town failing to get her welfare check, medical card, and food no longer on sale, returns home, cooks dinner, with what she has - not enough for both her her and her family - and goes to bed hungry” (90). The power of this narrative is that students who read this narrative, elementary and collegiate, understand that “bad days” are difficult, but one can survive them with a head held high. In addition, the students realize the positive impact and importance literary texts, even written by “little old ladies,” can add to their lives.

Concluding, the string that binds these two essays is a shared hope in the people that comprise the field. Both authors point to teachers as having the capability to inspire their students, and both authors believe teachers can come together to find ways to help the field to flourish while assisting society understand the merits of literature.

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A Beginning

April 5, 2008 by gregbaran

The purpose of my blog?… The “why?”, the “what then?”, and the “how?” interest me. As someone who loves to write creatively, and whose focus is a Master’s in composition and literature, I sense an exciting opportunity here. I’m ready to learn more about how to blend electronic research with composition and rhetoric.

In December 2007, I received my bachelor’s from CSUSB’s Palm Desert campus. Looking back, I remember the first time I walked into the Electronic Library on campus. I expected to stroll in and find a large formal library with rows and rows of books and only a few computers clustered in a corner. However, what I found was the complete opposite. The library was almost completely electronic. In fact, it was the computers ordered in rows and the orphan books who were clustered in a small corner.

As I begin this class, expansion draws my attention. For instance, I look forward to an expansion of knowledge through understanding what “research as a rhetorical act” means. Further, expansion in regards to electronic discourse i.e. new method of research, materials, etc. Also, I see an opportunity to expand my knowledge of computer use in order to increase my marketability as a teacher and writer.

Maybe this is a possible research thread for me? I’m sure many of you already know how technology can be utilized to assist English professionals, but being new to the experience, I wonder how I can incorporate IT into my world and those I come in contact with–whether at work, school, etc.

Thanks for the time,

658 Week 1 - Blog 1

2008-04-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

Lanham:

The first part of Richard Lanham's "The Implications of Electronic Information for the Sociology of Knowledge" confused me. This confusion may have come from my relativeness newness with the graduate program discourse, but it I also believe it arose from Lanham's convoluted discourse. Lanham's focus on technology took him from his obvious speciality, literature, yet when he proposes his class material (468), i.e. the Shakespeare class, he hits his stride and lays down some serious composition pedagogy that we can relate to. The notion of students perusing the class internet website, each other's work, making movies, and adding artwork to assignments - as we are now doing, is an excellent pedagogy. It delves into our humanness, our common bonds of sharing, our common fears and joys, and also breaks down walls between colleagues.

Lanham further includes a list of "fundamental changes" (472) affected by technology in the humanities operating system:

- affects the undergraduate "major"

- affects what traditional graduate disciplines will study as well as how they will study it

- affects affects libraries because it affects books, and in the most intimate way

- affects, therefore, library buildings and the budgets thereof

affects professional specializations and departmental structures, and therefore university administrative structures at all levels

In all, Lanham's observations point to some deficits, as in budget cuts, but the notions of a changing curriculum affected by the positivity of technology seems to be helpful. As for Lanham's notion that libraries and books are fading into obscurity, he need only read Thomas Mann's book on research. Having just read the first part of this influential book, which points to the fallacy of the belief that books are going the way of the dinosaur, Lanham would observe that a belief that anything can take down the trusty, comfortable, and familiar print of a book is just that, a fallacy.

Lemke:

Lemke's ideas are sincere, yet I wonder what such a virtual world takes from us. Lemke's focus is to bring technology into our lives and schools on a massive scale, and he sees this as an absolute, so he suggests why not embrace technology (87). Further, he views interactive programs of literacy not as fiction, but as soon-to-be reality. In his world, and I may have misunderstood, it seems teachers will be replaced by computer models that adapt to a students needs. Further, Lemke's essay expands out from literature into the everyday world. In his VR World, he mentions burrowing with insects, walking on Mars, or grasping molecules (90). Yet these virtual realities are only virtual, they are not real. And this feels like a weakness. Mind you, it would be fun to walk on Mars or fly to the moon, but why do we not feel content with our lives? Why do we need over-stimulants to make us feel content? And why aren't flesh and bone teachers good enough to teach our students? I am reminded of an experiment done with baby chimpanzees in the 70's. One baby was allowed to be with his mother, another to see his mother occasionally, and another baby recieved no contact. The no-contact baby soon died and the "occasional contact" baby had severe behavioral problems while the baby allowed to be with his mother grew up healthy.

So my question for Lemke is - does his model take the human out of being human? If we put a student in a VR world without interaction with a real teacher, will that create a "Stepford" child? Along with course content and learning, isn't socialization and human contact important?

In the end, I concur with Lemke that technology is extremly valuable in life and school, and I appreciate his passion; however, having lived for many years in the mountains, I wonder what it would feel like not to walk in a real forest, but to stroll under a simulated pine canopy. And as a child, what would it feel like to get my daily lessons from a computer simulation? According to Lemke, I do not have to wonder, for it is coming. Maybe, may-be...

658 - A Beginning

2008-04-15T19:30:00.000-07:00

A Beginning

This is my second quarter in the Master's program and I'm excited about this foray into technology, digital media, and new ways of learning to communicate. My past experience with blogging has been minimal - only a bit in a class requiring a few posts. However, I am intrigued by what I don't know--like Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land" (no underlining button visible). Indeed, a ten-year old child probably has more knowledge about the blogging community than me. This also interests me. I want to know what lies out there in the electronic fringes (well, to me they're fringes). I see a possibility of learning anew and then utilizing that knowledge in my writing and teaching. As I sit here in front of my computer, a sense arises that I'll have to pay more attention to the youngin's around me and ask them where this technology leads.

Turning to the technical terms and aspects, I'm unfamiliar with IMing, and Network technology dredges up the frustrated emotions I felt when linking my home computers. As for print and visual design, I would love to learn more about these aspects of computing. Right now, "print" means my HP deskjet--and maybe some clip-art.

Thanks for listening,

Greg