Columbia State-Ender's Game

Write about your favorite character from the novel. What do you like or dislike about this character? How does he/she change the plot or the story? How does your chosen character develop or change in the novel?

NW Shoals-Poetry

Write about the theme of war in the poems you are reading for November 26th. How is the theme of war or death or the idea of the soldier present in each poem?

NW Shoals-The Glass Menagerie

Tell me the different ways in which this play is autobiographical. Also, identify the three main characters from the play and their significance to the plot.

NW Shoals-Othello

What are your thoughts on Othello? After you have read the play, tell me the downfall of Othello? What does he suffer from the most? How is Iago the most important character in this play? What are your favorite parts of the play?

Adventure is Calling

Respond to this essay in class. Answer the five questions that follow at the end of the essay. Type in paragraph format.

Class Blog Response

For both essays--What basic principle, issue, or value is at the root of the argument? What is the main claim? What arguments does the author present? What values do these authors present in their arguments?

CState -Paper 1

Tell me about today's peer review. Do you feel like it helped you with the writing of your essay? What has been your experience writing your essay so far? Difficult, easy, etc?

NW Shoals-Character Analysis

Analyze the characters from all four short stories remaining on the syllabus which you are reading for homework. Tell me about their traits, how they affect the plot of the story, how they speak, etc.

NW-Shoals-Write about the symbolism found within the three short stories!

CState-Write about the Debate-What are your thoughts on the death penalty?

CState-Is Google Making Us Stupid?

While the article does not specifically attack Google, it does mention it as a definite tool being used by most information seekers today. Do you agree with our author that Google and on-line reading has changed the way we interpret texts? Has it changed how our minds work? Do you feel it has affected you personally? Do you believe you read more or less now that you can access most books, news networks, etc on-line? How did reading this article make you feel about the way you process information?

Reader Response NW

For those of you who have not posted your first reader response, please do so here. This will allow me to make sure everyone gets credit for their first response.

CState book problems

For my 3:30 Columbia State class--
I have a different book edition and page numbers are not going to match. I will try to get a different book version for Wed. Until then, do not worry about the reading assignment.

CState Wed. August 29th

Tell me why you chose to come to Columbia State.

Reader Response for Wednesday--Write about two of the stories listed on the syllabus for Wed. Make sure to note information about the author, symbols, and themes. Any other information or observations you find relevant about the story should be noted in your blog. Three to four paragraphs should be sufficient. Make sure that you write before you come to class Wed. to earn full credit.

Why do you have to take pre-requisite courses such as comp II when this is not your major? What are the benefits? What are the downfalls? How do you think this class can help you prepare for your future?

Composition II

Tell me about your first day in Comp II. What was your experience? How do you feel about the class? Suggestions for the class?

Collaborative Writing:
Consider the role collaboration plays in the wiki. How might building collaboration into your course as an integral part, rather than an add on, change your pedagogy?

Also consider the public nature of writing. How might making all course writing public change what students write?

What other reflections on technology and literacy do you have so far?

1. By building a collaborative wiki into the course as an integral part instead of an add on I would completely revolutionize my teaching style. At present, my courses consist of lecture, class discussion, essay writing, and group work. However, by making the wiki an integral part of the class, I would change my class from teacher centered to student centered. This would allow all students to become a part of the course and its central make-up. They would be able to change and add things to the syllabus and assignments. This would also address their many different learning styles as most are prone to use technology anyway. Using wikis throughout the course would allow for more collaboration between students and their peers and would teach them to work with others in the professional setting. However, it might be hard for some students to accept a collaboration grade. For most, they need to earn an individual grade and do not wish to rely on the work of others to earn said grade. Therefore, some might initially revolt at the idea of collaboration through technology.

2. When considering the public nature of writing, I am not sure that wikis would affect what students write. Our students live in a world obsessed with technology and sharing one's every moment via Facebook. Therefore, I believe a classroom wiki would simply add to their need to share everything they are thinking. I will say, however, that there would be some students who felt nervous about posting assignments in a place where everyone could see them. These same students would be afraid of judgment and persecution from their peers about their writing abilities. This might cause some students to hold back or alter their writing to fit certain perceptions.

3. Reflections-So far, my reflection on technology is to be amazed at the virtual possibilities that more technology could bring to a composition or literature class. There are endless possibilities to utilizing the tools in technology that we have covered so far in this class. By bringing these tools into our classrooms, we could completely revamp our pedagogy and begin enticing students to learn at a different pace and in many different ways. I have also learned a lot more about literacy and its many diverse forms. As teachers, I think it is important that we understand the many different types of literacy and the literacy discourses of our students. By understanding, we can become much more effective in the classroom.

After viewing the two different film versions, the most important thing that stuck out to me was the symbolism provided by the ever present clocks in each. The clocks were in every scene of each film. The characters always seemed to be aware of the time. In the 1960 version, the men were concerned that their host was late for dinner and that they had other, more important things to attend to. In the second film, the main charcter was late for a meeting with his gilfriend and this caused all of the events of her death to be set in motion. More than once in each film, the phrase "Time controls us or makes us prisoners, etc" was noticed. This is so true. It was true for both time periods in which these films were created and it still holds true today. We are controlled by time everyday, especially as Americans. It is always "how fast can we get this job done" and "how long will you have to give workers for breaks" etc.
Americans live fast-paced lives, more so than most other countries. Therefore, the thinking of technology did change somewhat between films. In the first, the characters saw no use for a time travel machine. They even questioned how one could market such an invention. However, in the second film, the use for time travel becomes much more obvious. Second, I found the technology portrayed in the films to be very similar. The modes of transportation (horse and buggy) were present in each film. This only changed slightly in the newer film version when the main character sees an automobile for the first time. Of course, when he travels to the future, we as viewers see the presence of technology and how it changes throughout time. This shows how our view of the world as a society changed. We became a society intrigued by the "next big thing." We want everything and we want it fast. Hence the slogan in the second film-"the future is now." We have to have the future at our fingertips, there is no waiting for it to arrive