End of the semester blogging assignments

Blogging is coming to an end very soon. Here is what is left:

Next week:

1) Write a post that describes what your ideal life after college would be like (this idea was inspired by Creativity Guru Keri Smith who has a similar prompt here.)

2) Reflect on your experience in a learning community (the same group of students placed in two classes) and tell us what you'll miss most about seeing this group of people every T/R in two classes next semester.

3) Your very last Campus Safari!!

Finals week:

1) Post your video.

2) Post your final self-assessment (assignment posted on the blog in a separate post).

Both of these are due by Saturday Dec 17 at midnight.

This week's blog posts

For this week, you need to submit only one blog post again, by Wednesday (plus a campus safari post by Saturday as usual). Your post this week should be about your video and you can do a short update on where you are with it. But the most important part of the post should be addressing the following issue:

How are you going to make your final video interesting, creative, distinctive, unique? How are you going to make it a step up from your midterm video and how are you going to make it stand out from others in the class? Be specific? How exactly are you going to add originality to your work?

You may not be sure where to start in adding a creative spin to your project, so here is a direction you might explore.

In terms of creativity, artist and writer Keri Smith always inspires me. She has a great post on her blog that everyone should read; it's called "Secrets of the Self Employed (or How to be an Amazing [insert profession here])" and it lays out some basic guidelines that are applicable to many professions and pursuits. Some of my favorites from this post are:

-- You are always working for yourself, even when you work for others.

-- There are no actual rules for how to become a successful [insert profession here]. Make your own path.

-- What you think becomes your reality.

-- Take some small risks on a regular basis.

-- Always come back to work that excites you. Even if you get off track for a while.

-- You can reinvent yourself at any time.

Sometimes in the midst of stress (like the end of the semester crunch time), it's hard to see these truths, but I believe they are truths that can help us focus on the bigger picture. Read the rest of her post -- there's a lot of food for thought there.

Proposal Comments

Only about half of you completed a project proposal which is your blog grade for this week. I commented on every proposal posted by this morning since I am hoping that you all will be getting started on your video projects soon (1st draft due Tuesday).

A few general comments:

1. Try to make your final project different than your midterm project(and a step up in terms of quality). You don't have to interview anyone for the final, but you may find it to be a useful tool to use again. If so, also include other elements so it doesn't look or feel too similar to the midterm projects.

2. Be as specific as you can; avoid just talking in general about your topic. Always go more in-depth into your topic rather than just adding more information or more video filler.

3. Have fun with it. Add something creative to spice it up.

4. Have as much of a complete 1st draft as possible on Tuesday so you will know what you need to get feedback on and what problems you need help with.

Sample Proposal

Check out Hanna's blog for an example of what your project proposal might look like.

And here is a video done by an INQ student in another class. Her assignment is not exactly the same as ours, but it is similar in that it addresses a specific problem on campus.

Final Video Project Assignment

INQ Final Video Project:
Identify a Problem/Question and Propose a Solution/Response


Project Description

Reflect on your first semester at college. What problems have you faced and what have you learned? Brainstorm ideas that concern yourself as well as SCSU as well as college students in general (readings, class discussions, blog posts, and presentations might help with this phase.)

Out of your brainstorming, choose one topic or a set of related topics. make sure your video will not cover so much ground that it won’t go enough in-depth but also make sure your topic is broad enough to keep your viewers’ interest in the video. It can be possible to fit just about any topic into a problem/solution format, but if you are lost for a topic, feel free to choose one that we came up with in class. Make sure you come up with an original title to open your video.

The video itself should present the problem/topic/set of questions. There are many ways to sketch out your ideas in this part, including using narration, research, data, quotes, surveys, interviews, and filmed skits. Explore the nuances of the problem, not just the surface. What causes it? Why is it important? Who does it affect or matter to? What consequences stem from it? What are people trying to do about it? Why aren’t more people doing more about it? (These are just a few questions you might explore in this part of the assignment.

The video should also present some possible responses to the problem and evaluate them, pointing viewers to what you see as the best solution and why. How can this solution be implemented? What are the steps viewers need to take? What will be the effect of such an implementation? How would the lives of college students change for the better? However, also consider some obstacles that may need to be overcome in addressing the problem in this way.

Finally, the video should leave viewers with some type of closure. This might be another place to use creativity in your presentation style (perhaps by including a skit or interview or survey quotes or image/text montage). Also remember to have credits roll at the end to acknowledge any research or people that might have contributed to your project. Also, make sure you list yourself as the author/creator of the video either on your title page or as a closing signature.


Project Criteria

Your video should be 8-10 minutes long, include photo, sound, text, and video, and should be submitted in a format that can be uploaded to the internet (youtube, vimeo, blogger) and linked to or embedded on your blog.

Be sure to narrow down your focus so that the video has a clear beginning, middle, and end with a significant portion of the video devoted to exploring the problem, a significant portion devoted to possible solutions, and a significant portion devoted to the conclusion. The video should inform as well as engage. It should demonstrate creativity as well as college-level thinking. It should make some interesting concluding points, and it should provide evidence to back up those points. Finally, try to make the project unique, distinctive, and not just like everyone else's in class, both in topic/content as well as form/style.


Project Deadlines

⌾ Project Proposal due Wednesday, November 23, posted on your blog (this will count for your blog grade for the week)

⌾ Video 1st draft due Tuesday, November 29

⌾ Video 2nd drafts due December 1-December 8 (sign-up in class for a screening date)

⌾ Final Video due by the Saturday of Final Exam Week, midnight



Additional Project Resources

This assignment mirrors a problem/solution essay, so you may find it helpful to read more about that genre in thinking about how to structure your video: http://www.enotes.com/topics/how-write-problem-solution-essay

Video Projects incorporate many elements of digital storytelling, so you may find the links gathered at this page helpful: http://couros.wikispaces.com/digitalstorytelling

Readings for Thursday

11:00 section:

Kevin, Kenny, and Merril's group sent the following message:

These are the articles that our group came up with about Dorm Life vs. Commuting.

1:http://reflector.uindy.edu/2007/11/07/dorm-life-vs-commuter-life-weighing-the-options/

2: http://www.ecampustours.com/campuslife/livingonandoffcampus/livingoncampusvsoffcampus.htm


-We will also have a debate on whether Dorm Life or Commuting is better. So pick sides.

12:25 section:

For Ashley, Hanna, Kelsey, and Erin's group, read the following:

http://www.collegeview.com/articles/article/the-top-8-ways-to-build-a-social-life-in-college

http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/archives/000241.htm

Also, please watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yGxC-gzoms

Registration Snags

Registration is in process for most of you, and there have been a few snags along the way. Don't stress out too much because most of these will get fixed in the next few days. A few messages have been passed on from the FYE Office:

1) For those who may have been locked out of Spanish earlier today, try again. The registrar has opened a new section of Span 101 and opened two 200 level Spanish Courses to address the lack of open sections earlier.

2) The registrar has opened one more section of INQ for the Spring for anyone who withdrew this semester or knows that they will fail INQ in Fall. (I am hopeful that anyone reading this post is not in this predicament, but this might be useful information for friends, classmates, etc.)

3)The FYE Office is staffed to help with other problems you might encounter (and you can email me, come see me, talk about it in class with me too).

Readings for Tuesday's Presentations UPDATED

11:00 section:

1) Here are the links and a message from the first group:

Hi -

This is what our group came up with for the readings.

http://web-us.com/brain/LRBrain.html

www.keepartsinschools.org/Research/Materials/CriticalEvidence.pdf

We also, if possible, want everyone to come to class with a short paragraph explaining which side of the brain they think they are and why, and also to pick one topic from the second source that they think is most important or interesting.

Thanks so much!
Love, Sam Paige Tori and Allison :)

2) Here are the readings from Amanda's group:

http://www.greatschools.org/students/academic-skills/540-learn-second-language.gs

http://www.southernct.edu/foreign_languages/whylearnaforeignlanguage/

UPDATE: PLUS TWO MORE

http://www.adfl.org/resources/lang_brochure.pdf

http://www.edukacjachicago.com/en/bilingualizm-dzieci-–-mity-i-fakty/


12:25 section:

1) Here is the message from Louie's group:

So, first thing we'd need everybody to do is take this kind-of-long personality test:
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp
NOTE: You do not have to answer every question to get a result.

After they finish it, they should click on the type descriptions under their results to learn a bit more about what each result means. They also need to write down their results (INFJ, ESTP, LMNO, ETC.) for they are necessary for the beginning of class.

Also these two articles must be read afterwards:

http://www.angelfire.com/wi/2brains/left.html

http://www.angelfire.com/wi/2brains/right.html

2) UPDATE -- Here are the links from Dominique's group:

http://college.lovetoknow.com/College_Dating

http://www.eduinreview.com/resources/how-long-distance-relationships-can-thrive-in-college/

http://www.examiner.com/wine-in-san-francisco/the-hook-up-culture

Day of Peace and Campus Safari Opportunity

One INQ section has organized a Day of Peace with many events going on. They are trying to get a lot of people to attend in order to make it a success. Therefore, I will count the Day of Peace as a Campus Safari entry. You can go and blog about it in a Campus Safari and that can take the place of any other Campus Safari item.

Here is a letter from the INQ instructor explaining the Day of Peace and detailing some of the events included:


My name is Michael Ruscoe, and I teach a section of Inquiry based on the theme of “The Beatles, Rock and Roll, and Teen Culture.” For our class project this semester, we’re producing Southern’s first-ever “Day of Peace.” Scheduled to coincide with the anniversary of the death of former Beatle and noted peace activist John Lennon, the Day of Peace is a collection of events designed to help promote peace within ourselves, across the campus, across the community, across the nation, and around the world.

We have a tremendous schedule of events planned. On Wednesday, November 30, we have two World War II veterans—one American and one German—who will participate in a panel discussion on the topic of “The Cost of War, The Benefit of Peace.” That event will take place at 12:15 p.m. in Engleman C112. Then, on December 1, we have an afternoon and evening of entertainment taking place in Lyman Auditorium. The show will feature presentations by the Southern Dance Team, Step Team, and the Symphonic Pulse Dance Company; a demonstration by the Southern Karate Club, a Slam Poetry reading, a concert by the vintage rock-and-roll band Old Man Noises, and a student variety show. Mayor DeStefano will also be on hand to speak, and a number of other dignitaries have been invited to appear as well. A club fair will also be held in the lobby of Lyman Auditorium during the Day of Peace. The festivities begin at 3 p.m., and last until 10:30. A schedule of events will be distributed to you soon.

My students have worked incredibly hard to pull this all together, and we have a tremendous slate of events planned. What we need now is an audience. I implore you in the strongest possible terms to urge your students to attend our Day of Peace festivities. In fact, you might even consider basing an assignment on their attendance of our event. If your class period coincides with the Day of Peace events, you might consider using that time to have your students attend the festivities. You could ask your students to attend and write about the importance of peace in their daily lives. You might ask them to watch a portion of our show and direct them to write about how the show contributes to peace within themselves, or on the campus as a whole. You could ask them to write about new things they’ve discovered about the campus by watching our presentation. You could even ask them to write a review of the portion of the show they saw. The possibilities are endless, and we encourage you to share your own suggestions. What we need most are people in the seats!

Readings for Thurs Nov 10 -- updated

Here are the readings for Krista's group, 11:00 section:


http://www.learningrx.com/types-of-learning-styles-faq.htm

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f01/web2/wise.html



For the 12:25 section, Adriana's group assigns the following readings on parenting styles:

http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/parenting-style.htm


http://www.mommycosm.com/journal/2009/7/19/ineffective-parenting-techniques.html

http://articles.cnn.com/2009-11-02/tech/kids.social.networks_1_social-networking-sites-social-networking-facebook?_s=PM:TECH

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-kids-consume-media-2011-4#

SCSU Common Read Update

News from the FYE Office:

Save the date! Wes Moore, author of "The Other Wes Moore" (this year's common read - remember that book you read before the Hurricane?) will be on campus and giving a talk November 15th at 7:30 in Lyman!

Blogging Reminder

For this week and next week (student-led discussion topics), the Mon and Wed regular blog posts will center around those readings. Please respond to one or more of the assigned readings in your post. Posts can also draw from or follow up on class discussion when responding to specific readings.

UPDATED Readings for Tuesday's class: 12:25 section

Here is one set of readings from Ashlee, Spencer, Emily, and Kelsey:

http://www.bucknell.edu/x7828.xml

http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/college/freshman_15.html

Here are the readings from Dion's group:

http://www.alcohol101plus.org/downloads/collegestudents.pdf

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-03-15-college-drug-use_N.htm

Readings for Tuesday's class -- 11:00 section

Here is one set of readings for Tuesday (11:00 only) from Tina, Nina, and Mike:


http://redtape.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2009/05/12/6345760-college-grad-i-wish-id-gone-to-prison-instead

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/10/27/should-college-grads-get-a-break-on-their-loans/?scp=1&sq=college+debt&st=cse

http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news-impact/2011/02/report-calls-for-national-effort-to-get-millions-of-young-americans-onto-a-realistic-path-to-employa/


And here is the assignment from Rachel, Bobby, Nicole, and Valerie:

http://www.alt-healthsearch.com/articles/view/the_negative_effects_of_stress_on_health_and_suggestions_for_de_stressing/

Group Project Schedule: 12:25 Section

Here is the schedule for the 12:25 section of INQ:

Tues Nov 8

Group 1: Dion -- Sex, Drugs, Alcohol

Group 2: Ashlee -- Nutrition, Sleep, Dorm Life

Thurs Nov 10

Group 3: Adriana -- Parenting Styles

Tues Nov 15:

Group 4: Louie -- Personality Types

Group 5: Nicole -- Healthy Relationships

Thurs Nov 17

Group 6: Hanna -- Social Life in College

Group Project Schedule: 11:00 Section

Here is the schedule for the 11:00 section of INQ:

Tues Nov 8

Group 1: Tina -- Debt, College, Graduating in 4 Years

Group 2: Rachel -- Stress in Colege

Thurs Nov 10

Group 3: Krista -- Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles

Tues Nov 15:

Group 4: Tori -- Arts and Education

Group 5: Amanda -- Language Requirements in College

Thurs Nov 17

Group 6: Kenny -- Dorm Life Pros and Cons

This week and Beyond...

This Tuesday in class we will be signing up for group work days and getting all of that in order. I will post each group's readings on my blog as I get them.

Thursday in class we will be doing a writing/blogging workshop with Mike, and he has asked you to read the two following blogs to prepare for Thursday's class:

1. http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2010/11/18/what-its-like-to-have-sex-with-someone-with-aspergers/

2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marty-kaplan/future-occupy-wall-street_b_1067550.html

They are both interesting and provocative, so I'm sure you will have lots to comment on in terms of the content, but Mike would also like you to pay attention to the style in which they are written.

Here is the schedule for the rest of the semester (not too far away!):


Syllabus Calendar of Assignments Continued (all work due on dates listed)

Tues Nov 1 Group Work Brainstorming, Topics, Possible Readings due;
in-class group meetings

Thurs Nov 3 Readings due for Mike’s Blog Writing Workshop

Tues Nov 8 Readings due for Groups #1 and 2: presentation/discussion

Thurs Nov 10 Readings due for Group #3: presentation/discussion

Tues Nov 15 Readings due for Groups #4 and 5: presentation/discussion

Thurs Nov 17 Readings due for Group #6: presentation/discussion;
final project assignment distributed

No class Tues Nov 22 and Thurs Nov 24: Thanksgiving Recess

Tues Nov 29 1st draft of final projects due

Thurs Dec 1 2nd draft screenings

Tues Dec 6 2nd draft screenings

Thurs Dec 8 2nd draft screenings

Final Exam Period: TBA

Final Drafts of Video and Final Self-Assessment Blog due by Saturday midnight of finals week.