11.14 Revised calendar, rhetorical analysis of publication venue, and short projects,

Revised calendar.  The revised calendar is posted to the right.  It is mostly correct - though as you pointed out in class there are a few misleading headings/due dates left over from the old draft (which I used as a template).  To confirm what is due when, as usual, you will need to check the blog.

Rhetorical analysis of publication venues.   The assignment sheet for this project is also posted to the right.  We talked through the purpose and the requirements during class.  Here are some sample handouts by students from last year's class:  Creative Nonfiction, The Kenyon Review, and The Fourth Genre (be sure to scroll down to read all of this one).  The handout will be your visual aid for your presentation to the class. It will be on the screen while you talk - and you can click through the links to show your classmates the journal's site, sample CNF essays, and other relevant information.

Short projects 1& 2.  During the second part of class we talked over expectations for the "short essays" that use emerging forms (or not).  We left a lot of room for choosing what kind of format/media you wanted to use. I suggested that you might do "essays" similar to any of the examples on the calendar. Readings listed on the calendar include regular "short" essays (less than 750 words), blog entries with and without hyperlinks, videos with voice over, hypertext (text with links) essays with images and animation, and etc.  You may create a project that is like any of the examples - or that is your own creation.  Keep in mind that you are writing this piece for an audience associated with a publication - so you might want to look through the publication list to see if any journals publish "essays" similar to yours.

We decided to create the assignment sheet for these projects (particularly the criteria for grades)  in response to the kinds of projects you post for your first drafts.  We will look over the kinds of drafts you have come up with and identify important features and criteria for describing and evaluating those features.  I will post the resulting assignment sheet after class on 11.28.

For the next couple of weeks:
Read:  Lord, "I met a man," p. 115; Braner, "Soundtrack," p. 29;  McNight, "Mother's Day," p 120;  look around Mike Steinberg's blog http://www.mjsteinberg.net/blog.htm (don't forget to read the comments), Bresland, "Les Cruel Shoes," p. 31 (read it first in your book - and then check out http://www.blackbird.vcu.edu/v4n1/gallery/bresland/shoes.htm  you will need realplayer - free downolad) .  What is Multimodal Composing? by Sonya Huber http://www.sonyahuber.com/project/Huber/projindex.html

Blog 9 : Post Brainstorming/ideas for Short essay 14

Blog 10 :  Due: final draft long essay 

Both of these blogs are officially due on 11.28.  If you post your final long essay on or by 11.28, I will return it the following week with a grade and comments.  If you post it by 11.21, I will return it by class 11. 28. 

In class on 11.28 we will look at/respond to your drafts for tShort Essay 1 and develop the assignment sheet.  You will also do some brainstorming for Short Essay 2 (due the following week, 12.4, as a blog post). During the second part of class, I will talk through the requirements for the reflective essay and for the portfolio (the format/requirements for the portfolio are posted to the right). You will also do some journaling on descriptive writing that makes a point without stating what the point is.   

Have a great Thanksgiving - have fun with your short projects - and see you in a couple of weeks!