There is nothing you have to do for class on Thursday, December 4. It may help if you have chosen a topic for your final project. But we're going to storyboard in class.
Do remember than any revisions of essays one and two must be sent to me by noon on Wednesday, December 3. I will not accept any late revisions.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Blog Postings are Done
I have just checked everyone's blogs and will figure out blog grades in the next few days. I'll email them to each of you individually through Blackboard. And, no, you can't backdate any entries and say that I missed them later. I've checked each blog, and anything that was not there five minutes ago does not count. I've used Blogger too long to know that there is no lag between posting entries and having them appear.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Action List for Tuesday, December 2
There are only a couple of weeks left in class, believe it or not. But there are still things to do.
- Go back to the book assigned to you and find five specific pages where you think the author is doing something interesting and effective with her or his use of words and/or images. Team One has Bechdel, Team Two has Thompson, Team Three has Spiegelman, and Team Four has Satrapi.
- Compose a blog post that lists those pages and describes why you think they are so effective and post it before class.
Prompt for Final Graphic Memoir
This is it! Your final project for this course! As you know from the syllabus, you are going to complete your own graphic memoir for this course. You have read work by several writers. You have thought about what makes a good graphic memoir and what makes a week one. You have judged the work of others. Now, it's time for you to put all that knowledge and all those opinions to work.
You will create a four to six page graphic memoir. It's a memoir, which means that you should take a moment from your life and tell its story. It's graphic, which means that you should use words and images to tell that story. This is not a huge amount of space, so choose a focus carefully. If you would like to base this graphic memoir on the portrait that you created early in the semester, that would be fine.
There are many options you can use to create this, all of which I will describe in class. For those who do not come to class on Tuesday, November 25, the methods I recommend include:
1) Completing It by Hand: It is very possible to create this by hand, drawing the images and writing out the words or typing out the words and sticking a printout of them with photographs on a piece of paper. Or you may do some combination of techniques. If you choose this method, then I do recommend turning in color photocopies. Keep the original safe.
2) Using Comic Life: If you own a Mac or want to use one in a campus computer lab, then you might want to try out this program. It's what I used to create the first page of the course syllabus. This program was invented just to create documents like this. You'll have to use photographs or scanned images, but this program does make it relatively easy to create panels (and gutters) and add word balloons. If you chose this option, you can create a PDF and take it somewhere that has a color printer, such as the campus printing store in Hillyer.
3) Using Microsoft PowerPoint: PowerPoint does allow you to import images and create word balloons, but you don't have the ease of creating different types of panels. Still, you can use PowerPoint to complete this project if you intend to use photographs or scanned images.
There are other options, too, such as Microsoft Word or graphic design programs like Adobe InDesign. I don't care how you create it. I just want you to have paper copies with you in class the day this due.
When I grade this, I will not be looking at your artistic ability. I will be looking at the ideas behind the artwork. It's possible to earn an A for this assignment by drawing stick figures on a piece of paper if your work shows effort and depth. Remember everything we have gone over in this class. I'll look at how you use the gutter, synaesthetics, and line. When it comes to grading, I'll be evaluating your ability to choose a focus, create coherence, and exhibit details and depth.
Along with the memoir, please write a one to two page statement that describes what you tried to accomplish in this memoir. What choices did you make and why? What parts of the memoirs we read this semester inspired you and why? What parts of McCloud did you try to incorporate into your own work? You can email this statement in .doc or .rtf as long as it arrives before class on Thursday, December 11.
This is all due at the start of class on Thursday, December 13. You should bring two copies to class that day. You will put one copy out for everyone to read and give one copy to me. Color photocopies or printouts will be fine. I will keep my copy on file, and you can take the other with you. If you created the original by hand, then you may want to keep that to yourself in case something happens to these copies.
Be aware that I may invite guests to join us that day such as other faculty and administrators. Many people are interested in what is happening in these first-year seminars, so I may invite them so that they can see.
Warning: I will absolutely not accept any late work for this assignment. If it is not in at the start of class on that day, then you will receive an F for this part of the course. I have been known to go to my office, grade final projects, and turn in those final grades before checking my email or mailbox for late submissions. So no late work for any reason, got it?
You will create a four to six page graphic memoir. It's a memoir, which means that you should take a moment from your life and tell its story. It's graphic, which means that you should use words and images to tell that story. This is not a huge amount of space, so choose a focus carefully. If you would like to base this graphic memoir on the portrait that you created early in the semester, that would be fine.
There are many options you can use to create this, all of which I will describe in class. For those who do not come to class on Tuesday, November 25, the methods I recommend include:
1) Completing It by Hand: It is very possible to create this by hand, drawing the images and writing out the words or typing out the words and sticking a printout of them with photographs on a piece of paper. Or you may do some combination of techniques. If you choose this method, then I do recommend turning in color photocopies. Keep the original safe.
2) Using Comic Life: If you own a Mac or want to use one in a campus computer lab, then you might want to try out this program. It's what I used to create the first page of the course syllabus. This program was invented just to create documents like this. You'll have to use photographs or scanned images, but this program does make it relatively easy to create panels (and gutters) and add word balloons. If you chose this option, you can create a PDF and take it somewhere that has a color printer, such as the campus printing store in Hillyer.
3) Using Microsoft PowerPoint: PowerPoint does allow you to import images and create word balloons, but you don't have the ease of creating different types of panels. Still, you can use PowerPoint to complete this project if you intend to use photographs or scanned images.
There are other options, too, such as Microsoft Word or graphic design programs like Adobe InDesign. I don't care how you create it. I just want you to have paper copies with you in class the day this due.
When I grade this, I will not be looking at your artistic ability. I will be looking at the ideas behind the artwork. It's possible to earn an A for this assignment by drawing stick figures on a piece of paper if your work shows effort and depth. Remember everything we have gone over in this class. I'll look at how you use the gutter, synaesthetics, and line. When it comes to grading, I'll be evaluating your ability to choose a focus, create coherence, and exhibit details and depth.
Along with the memoir, please write a one to two page statement that describes what you tried to accomplish in this memoir. What choices did you make and why? What parts of the memoirs we read this semester inspired you and why? What parts of McCloud did you try to incorporate into your own work? You can email this statement in .doc or .rtf as long as it arrives before class on Thursday, December 11.
This is all due at the start of class on Thursday, December 13. You should bring two copies to class that day. You will put one copy out for everyone to read and give one copy to me. Color photocopies or printouts will be fine. I will keep my copy on file, and you can take the other with you. If you created the original by hand, then you may want to keep that to yourself in case something happens to these copies.
Be aware that I may invite guests to join us that day such as other faculty and administrators. Many people are interested in what is happening in these first-year seminars, so I may invite them so that they can see.
Warning: I will absolutely not accept any late work for this assignment. If it is not in at the start of class on that day, then you will receive an F for this part of the course. I have been known to go to my office, grade final projects, and turn in those final grades before checking my email or mailbox for late submissions. So no late work for any reason, got it?
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Action List for Tuesday, November 25
As you have been told ad naseum, essay three is due by noon on Sunday, November 23. For class next week, you do not need to prepare anything. I will be going over the final project in detail, showing you the different ways you can complete it (including different technologies you can use).
Revisions, Deadlines, and Fairness
At the end of class today, I made a decision after talking with one of your peers. I will allow those of you who did not turn in essay one or essay two to turn either or both of those essays in by the time revisions are due, which is by noon on Wednesday, December 3.
I think this is fair for a few reasons. One, those of you who turned in essays on time received extensive feedback from me, which will really help guide you during revision. Two, those of you who turned in work within the late period did not receive comments from me but do have the option of meeting with me to go over your essays. Three, those of you who did not turn in work during the late period will now be allowed to turn in essays one and/or two by the deadline for revisions but without the opportunity to discuss the work with me.
This seems fair because those who turn in work on time clearly benefit from it. Those who turn in work late have some benefits but not all. And those who did not turn in work late will not be in danger of failing the course but will not have the benefits everyone else had when it comes to preparing those essays.
But let's be clear about deadlines. Essay three is due by noon on Sunday, November 23. My standard late policy does apply to this essay, which means it must be turned in by noon on Sunday, November 30 (but will receive no comments). I will not accept any submissions of essay three after this final deadline. You will not be able to revise this essay.
Revisions of essays one and two are due by noon on Wednesday, December 3. I will not accept late revisions.
The final project, which I will describe in class on Tuesday, is due at the start of class on Thursday, December 11. I will not accept late submissions of the final project.
I certainly understand that some of you have had trouble working with time management in the transition to college. Therefore, I am allowing the chances for revisions and late submissions that I describe in this post. But the deadlines as described in this post do stand. Get them in your calendar, check out what is due in your other classes, and make plans for finishing this semester as smoothly as possible.
If you have questions or concerns, let me know.
I think this is fair for a few reasons. One, those of you who turned in essays on time received extensive feedback from me, which will really help guide you during revision. Two, those of you who turned in work within the late period did not receive comments from me but do have the option of meeting with me to go over your essays. Three, those of you who did not turn in work during the late period will now be allowed to turn in essays one and/or two by the deadline for revisions but without the opportunity to discuss the work with me.
This seems fair because those who turn in work on time clearly benefit from it. Those who turn in work late have some benefits but not all. And those who did not turn in work late will not be in danger of failing the course but will not have the benefits everyone else had when it comes to preparing those essays.
But let's be clear about deadlines. Essay three is due by noon on Sunday, November 23. My standard late policy does apply to this essay, which means it must be turned in by noon on Sunday, November 30 (but will receive no comments). I will not accept any submissions of essay three after this final deadline. You will not be able to revise this essay.
Revisions of essays one and two are due by noon on Wednesday, December 3. I will not accept late revisions.
The final project, which I will describe in class on Tuesday, is due at the start of class on Thursday, December 11. I will not accept late submissions of the final project.
I certainly understand that some of you have had trouble working with time management in the transition to college. Therefore, I am allowing the chances for revisions and late submissions that I describe in this post. But the deadlines as described in this post do stand. Get them in your calendar, check out what is due in your other classes, and make plans for finishing this semester as smoothly as possible.
If you have questions or concerns, let me know.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Action List for Thursday, November 13
On Thursday, we're watching the film version of Persepolis, and there's nothing to do to prepare for it. Just come ready to watch!
Action List for Tuesday, November 11
Are we really just about done with the last reading for the course?
- Finish Persepolis (different than the pages listed on the schedule); prepare for Reading Quiz #14.
- Prepare to discuss with the class how your team's discussion topic is at work in the text (Team One has Topic D, Team Two has Topic A, Team Three has Topic B, and Team Four has Topic C).
- Create a blog post responding to Persepolis that focuses not just on your response but on how you see your team's discussion topic working in the text.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Action List for Thursday, November 6
We're starting the last book!
- Read up to page 110 of Persepolis (different than the pages listed on the schedule); prepare for Reading Quiz #13.
- Prepare to discuss with the class how your team's discussion topic is at work in the text (Team One has Topic D, Team Two has Topic A, Team Three has Topic B, and Team Four has Topic C).
- Create a blog post responding to Persepolis that focuses not just on your response but on how you see your team's discussion topic working in the text.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Action List for Tuesday, November 4
Same old story:
- Read the rest of book two of Maus; prepare for Reading Quiz #12B.
- Prepare to discuss with the class how your team's discussion topic is at work in the text (Team One has Topic C, Team Two has Topic D, Team Three has Topic A, and Team Four has Topic B).
- Create a blog post responding to Maus that focuses not just on your response but on how you see your team's discussion topic working in the text.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Action List for Thursday, October 30
According the schedule, you have all of volume two to read of Maus, but I'm going to give you a bit of a break on that.
- Read chapters one and two of book two of Maus; prepare for Reading Quiz #12A.
- Prepare to discuss with the class how your team's discussion topic is at work in the text (Team One has Topic C, Team Two has Topic D, Team Three has Topic A, and Team Four has Topic B).
- Create a blog post responding to Maus that focuses not just on your response but on how you see your team's discussion topic working in the text.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Revisions
It's now about 3:30 on Sunday, and the second essays were due at noon. I've received essays from five of you and have graded them all. The lateness of the other ten essays disturbs me. I can speculate about why, but I need you all to tell me what I can do to make the writing process easier for you. I want you to write strong essays for these class and learn the skills that will make your writing stronger in all of your current and future courses (as well as internship, volunteer, and work settings). We'll talk more about this in class on Tuesday.
My late policy now kicks in for the ten of you who have not turned in work yet. You have until next Sunday at noon to get essays to me. You will not receive a grade penalty but you will also not receive comments. I am going to allow everyone to revise the second essays as well as the first, but you have to turn in an essay if you want to have the options to revise. You can't revise something you have not written, so I have to have received an essay from you to be eligible for revision.
Revisions of both essay one and essay two are due by noon on Wednesday, December 3 (in .doc or .rtf); I will not accept late revisions. You can send them anytime before, of course, but you only have one opportunity to revise. If you send it to me next week, you cannot revise it again after I grade that revision. But you do have the chance to revise for an entirely new grade, so take advantage of this opportunity. We can have a meeting in my office to go over your work, and you can also meet with Lauren to talk about it. You can also visit the Center for Reading and Writing. Use all of the resources available to you to write the best essay and earn the highest grade possible.
You will NOT be able to revise the third essay or the final graphic memoir. So take the opportunity to revise what you can while you have the chance.
My late policy now kicks in for the ten of you who have not turned in work yet. You have until next Sunday at noon to get essays to me. You will not receive a grade penalty but you will also not receive comments. I am going to allow everyone to revise the second essays as well as the first, but you have to turn in an essay if you want to have the options to revise. You can't revise something you have not written, so I have to have received an essay from you to be eligible for revision.
Revisions of both essay one and essay two are due by noon on Wednesday, December 3 (in .doc or .rtf); I will not accept late revisions. You can send them anytime before, of course, but you only have one opportunity to revise. If you send it to me next week, you cannot revise it again after I grade that revision. But you do have the chance to revise for an entirely new grade, so take advantage of this opportunity. We can have a meeting in my office to go over your work, and you can also meet with Lauren to talk about it. You can also visit the Center for Reading and Writing. Use all of the resources available to you to write the best essay and earn the highest grade possible.
You will NOT be able to revise the third essay or the final graphic memoir. So take the opportunity to revise what you can while you have the chance.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Action List for Tuesday, October 28
We're moving on to the next unit.
- Email your second essay to me in the correct format by noon on Sunday.
- Read book one of Maus; prepare for Reading Quiz #11.
- Prepare to discuss with the class how your team's discussion topic is at work in the text (Team One has Topic C, Team Two has Topic D, Team Three has Topic A, and Team Four has Topic B).
- Create a blog post responding to Maus that focuses not just on your response but on how you see your team's discussion topic working in the text.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Action List for Thursday, October 23
The main thing, of course, is to get the essay done.
- Read (or re-read) the following sections in A Writer's Resource: (sections 6c [pgs. 70-5] and 10a-c [pgs. 121-30]).
- Bring A Writer's Resource to class.
- Bring at least two pages of a draft of this essay to class.
- Start reading Maus because we will be discussing the entire thing next week.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Blog Posts, Comments, and Grades
I have just gone over everyone's blog to see who is keeping up and who is not. After this review, I do have a few concerns. Some people are doing a great job of writing detailed entries, but many are not keeping up with the blog. Also, there is only one substantial comment from anyone who is not Lauren or me. Remember that you must comment on each other's entries to earn a higher grade for this part of the course. But that's in addition to keeping up with the required blog postings.
So, I have kept track of who has done what postings up to today, the conclusion of Blankets. Don't go back and write entries after the fact, but do keep up with all entries from now on. In terms of comments, it doesn't make a lot of sense to go back and post comments on entries about the essays, but you still have time to comment on entries about Fun Home and Blankets.
Here's the deal. I will allow everyone to comment on entries about Fun Home and Blankets up to the time the second essay is due. After that, there's not a whole lot of point to commenting when we have moved on. But if you want to raise your grade for this part of the course, then start making comments. No one will be able to earn an A for this part of the course without keeping up with the required blog entries and making comments on the blog entries of others.
Some people are writing some great entries, and it would benefit everyone to keep up with them.
So, I have kept track of who has done what postings up to today, the conclusion of Blankets. Don't go back and write entries after the fact, but do keep up with all entries from now on. In terms of comments, it doesn't make a lot of sense to go back and post comments on entries about the essays, but you still have time to comment on entries about Fun Home and Blankets.
Here's the deal. I will allow everyone to comment on entries about Fun Home and Blankets up to the time the second essay is due. After that, there's not a whole lot of point to commenting when we have moved on. But if you want to raise your grade for this part of the course, then start making comments. No one will be able to earn an A for this part of the course without keeping up with the required blog entries and making comments on the blog entries of others.
Some people are writing some great entries, and it would benefit everyone to keep up with them.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Action List for Tuesday, October 21
There is no class on Thursday, October 16, as I will be attending the Who Owns Writing conference at Hofstra University. The timing is pretty good since you can use the break to start working on your second major essay.
- Read and be prepared to answer questions about the following sections in A Writer's Resource: (sections 5c and 5d [pgs. 48-52], 6c [pgs. 70-5], 10a-c [pgs. 121-30]).
- Bring A Writer's Resource to class on Tuesday.
- Review the strategies for developing ideas in A Writer's Resource and use some of them to develop ideas for your second essay.
- Draft paragraphs for your essay if you think you have developed strong ideas and are ready to go.
- Email Lauren with a sense of the focus you are going to take with this essay. Try to shape it into as strong of a thesis as possible. She'll take a look at it and reply with questions and such to get you thinking a bit more about what to do next. Just copy-and-paste into an email; don't worry about attachments. Get it to her by 4:00 PM or so on Monday, October 20 (I've told her she is under no obligation to offer feedback to anyone who sends it late).
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Action List for Tuesday, October 14
Things can move fast in a college course. Next week, we'll finish the second book, and you all will be starting serious work on the next essay.
- Review the new policy on laptops in class.
- Finish Blankets.
- Prepare to take Reading Quiz #10 and to discuss with the class how your team's discussion topic is at work in the text (Team One has Topic B, Team Two has Topic C, Team Three has Topic D, and Team Four has Topic A).
- Create a blog post responding to Blankets that focuses not just on your response but on how you see your team's discussion topic working in the text.
New Class Laptop Policy
I understand that many of you prefer to type out notes rather than write them, but I'm concerned that it's too easy not to contribute to our discussions. So, if you pop open the computer now and then to type things, that's fine. But if you have the laptop open the entire time, please show me one full day's worth of note taking so I can see how you benefit from having it open the entire time and what results from all that typing. If you are taking pages of notes, then great. But if not, then that's problem. I also reserve the right to ask to see the notes you have taken (I may email you after class and ask you to send me a copy).
It's your choice if you want to come to class and engage with us or stay out and do the other work you are trying to do on the computer. Make a choice to be here or not.
It's your choice if you want to come to class and engage with us or stay out and do the other work you are trying to do on the computer. Make a choice to be here or not.
Fun Home
Before we get wrapped up in Blankets (so to speak), I wanted to put down a few thoughts about Fun Home, which is a book I love. I taught it last year in Gay and Lesbian Literature, but we focused mostly on the narrative, the pure story. In this class, of course, we're focusing on the relationship of text and image, and I got a lot more out of reading it this time around. I was really happy about some of the things that came up in our discussion, like how Henry said the father is drawn with strict, taut lines, while Bechdel draws herself much softer, like the child she is. That helped me point out the spot yesterday where the father's eyes seem larger and softer than in any other part of the text, signaling his shift in perspective at that moment. I also think Lauren is up to something when she pointed out the womb-like images of Bechdel lying on the floor with the telephone as a kind of umbilical cord. Kim's points about the father being drawn in drakness during one of his kinder moments earlier in the book is also spot on.
Now, the question will be how Blankets is similar and different. I'm already finding some interesting connections in my reading tonight.
Now, the question will be how Blankets is similar and different. I'm already finding some interesting connections in my reading tonight.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Action List for Thursday, October 9
We have finished the first major text of the course and will move on to the next.
- Read chapters one and two of Craig Thompson's Blankets.
- Prepare to take Reading Quiz #9 and to discuss with the class how your team's discussion topic is at work in the text (Team One has Topic B, Team Two has Topic C, Team Three has Topic D, and Team Four has Topic A).
- Create a blog post responding to Blankets that focuses not just on your response but on how you see your team's discussion topic working in the text.
- Bring A Writer's Resource to class; at this point, you should be bringing Understanding Comics to class whenever we are discussing one of the major texts, too.
- Read my suggestions on how to review your graded essays, and review your essay when I email it back to you.
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