| Related sites for http://blogs.setonhill.edu/MikeArnzen/ |
| Friends_of_Adair_County_Public_Library,_Missouri Membership information, book sale schedule, book discussion group information, newsletter. | | Friends_of_Akron-Summit_County_Public_Library,_Ohio Membership information, links to branch Friends, slide show of items available at Library Shop on Main, used book search service, volunteer application form. | | Friends_of_Albert_Wisner_Public_Library,_Warwick,_New_York History of the organization, current projects, and membership form. | | Friends_of_Anchorage_Municipal_Libraries,_Alaska Brief history and listing of projects. | | Friends_of_Appleton_Library,_Wisconsin Mission, events, and membership information. | | Friends_of_Beaverlodge_Public_Library,_Alberta,_Canada Objectives and mission, membership information, fundraising projects. | | Friends_of_Bedford_Branch_Library,_Temperance,_Michigan Membership, mission, bylaws, and goals. | | Friends_of_Blackfen_Library,_Sidcup,_Kent,_UK Membership information, current and future activities. | | Friends_of_Cardiff-by-the-Sea_Library,_California Mission, board members, history of the organization, membership form, events, and Book Nook information. | | Friends_of_Carmel-Clay_Public_Library,_Carmel,_Indiana Membership information, book sale dates, and Friends gift shop. | | Friends_of_Central_Arkansas_Library_System,_Little_Rock,_Arkansas Membership information and book sale dates, projects funded for the library, current and archived newsletters for download (requires Adobe Acrobat). | | Friends_of_Chapel_Hill_Public_Library,_North_Carolina Membership information, calendar of activities, Meet the Author teas, book sales. Information about the Library Foundation. | | Friends_of_Columbia_County_Public_Library,_Florida Friends of the Library newsletter and membership application | | Friends_of_Covington_Library,_Washington Statement of purpose, membership benefits, book sale dates. | | Friends_of_Crook_County_Library,_Oregon Information on membership and current projects. | | Friends_of_Encinitas_Library,_California Book sale, Friends and library events, membership, Friends board meeting schedule, agendas, minutes, and treasurer reports. | | Friends_of_Franklin_Public_Library,_Wisconsin Membership information, events, and projects. On-line newsletter, current and archives, in Adobe Acrobat format. | | Friends_of_Grace_A__Dow_Memorial_Library,_Michigan Membership, programs, and book sale information. Search-A-Book service. List of special books for sale. | | Friends_of_Helen_M__Plum_Memorial_Library,_Lombard,_Illinois Friends programs, officers, book sale and volunteer information. | | Friends_of_Hoboken_Library,_New_Jersey Purpose, membership information, events, book sales, and merchandise. Details of programs sponsored by the Friends. | | Friends_of_Homer_Library,_Alaska Description of book published by the organization. | | Friends_of_Juneau_Library,_Alaska Membership information and activities. | | Friends_of_Knox_County_Public_Library_System,_Knoxville,_TN Membership information and form, Outreach Program, newsletter highlights, Book and Author program. | | Friends_of_Lafayette_Library,_California Newsletter, membership, book sale information and schedule, special events, and board members. | | Friends_of_Largo_Library,_Largo,_Florida History of the organization, membership information, bookstore | | Friends_of_Laurel_Library,_Maryland Mission, membership and activities, newsletter, annual report. | | Friends_of_Medford_Public_Library,_Massachusetts Membership, museum pass program, upcoming events, fundraising items, and volunteer opportunities. | | Friends_of_Milwaukee_Public_Library,_Wisconsin Membership information and donor benefits. | | Friends_of_Minneapolis_Public_Library,_Minnesota General information about the Friends. Bookstore hours are listed. | | Friends_of_Mishawaka-Penn_Public_Library,_Indiana Membership and meeting information, and book sale announcements. | | Friends_of_Morley_Library,_Painesville,_Ohio Book sales, membership, meetings, and activities. | | Friends_of_Multnomah_County_Library,_Oregon History, purpose, events, book sale, Library Store, current and past newsletters. What's New? page features new works and work in progress by local and visiting authors. | | Friends_of_Oakland_Public_Library,_California Fund-raising and advocacy for the Oakland Public Library. Friends activities and membership information, and news from the Bookmark Bookstore. | | Friends_of_Park_Forest_Public_Library,_Illinois Features articles from the Friends newsletter, scheduled lecture series, upcoming events, news about quarterly book sales, and fund-raising products. | | Friends_of_Pickerington_Public_Library,_Ohio Meeting dates, membership form. Book sale information, Literary Basket raffle, cookbooks, Patches for Progress reading program. | | Friends_of_Pikes_Peak_Library_District,_Colorado_Springs,_Colorado Membership information, bookstores and book sales, donation policy, volunteer opportunities, year in review, Pikes Peak Writers Conference, and Friends newsletter. | | Friends_of_Pittsboro_Memorial_Library,_North_Carolina Calendar of events, Friends Art Gallery schedule and past exhibits, newsletter. | | Friends_of_San_Antonio_Public_Library,_Texas Mission statement, membership information, and used book sales at the Book Cellar. | | Friends_of_Santa_Cruz_Public_Libraries,_California Calendar of Friends and Library activities, weekly highlights, Friends newsletter. Volunteer, sponsor, and membership information, with on-line volunteer application. Friends store, with pictures of g | | Friends_of_Shenendehowa_Public_Library,_Clifton,_NY Calendar and details of recent and upcoming events. Chat room. |
|
PEDABLOGUE FACULTY WANTED in Popular Fiction and/or Composition! Posted by Michael Arnzen on November 13, 2008 8:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) Categories: FYI *** A Public Service Announcement! ***FACULTY WANTED TO TEACH WRITING OF POPULAR FICTIONAssistant Professor of EnglishLocation: Greensburg, PA Category: Faculty - Liberal Arts - English and Literature Posted: 11/10/2008 Application Due: Open Until Filled Type: Full Time Seton Hill University seeks published novelist of popular fiction (preferably mystery/suspense), to teach and to mentor novel-length theses in the graduate low-residency Writing Popular Fiction program (half-load), and to teach undergraduate courses in creative writing and first-year composition. Candidates should hold a Ph.D. in English, MFA considered. Background in journalism, publishing, and/or editing a plus. Teaching experience/potential at undergraduate level desirable. Send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, official transcripts, a statement of philosophy of teaching, a writing sample, a teaching portfolio, and three letters of reference. The review process will begin February 15, 2009 and will continue until the position is filled.Seton Hill University is a Catholic, liberal arts University, educating traditional and non-traditional undergraduate and graduate students. Classes are offered in a variety of formats - day, evening, and weekends. Seton Hill has a student-centered campus culture based on Catholic values, acceptance, community and service. The campus is located 35 miles east of Pittsburgh. Postal Address: Dr. John Spurlock, ChairHumanities DivisionSeton Hill UniversitySeton Hill DrivePO Box 507FGreensburg, PA 15601Email Address: spurlock@setonhill.edu http://fiction.setonhill.eduhttp://www.setonhill.edu***ALSO WANTED: COMPOSITION SPECIALIST!Assistant Professor of CompositionInstitution: Seton Hill University Location: Greensburg, PA Category: Faculty - Liberal Arts - English and Literature Posted: 11/10/2008 Application Due: Open Until Filled Type: Full Time Seton Hill University invites applications for an Assistant Professor position in Composition, beginning fall, 2009. The faculty member will teach first-year composition courses, with a secondary teaching responsibility as a generalist in undergraduate English. Candidates should hold a Ph.D. in Composition/Rhetoric with an M.A. in literature (or related area). Background in writing assessment and/or writing in the disciplines a plus. An outstanding candidate who has completed all but the dissertation may be considered.Send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, official transcripts, and a statement of philosophy of teaching composition, a writing sample, a teaching portfolio, a developmental composition syllabus, a set of teaching evaluations from a composition course and three letters of reference to. The review process will begin February 15, 2009 and will continue until the position is filled.Seton Hill University is a Catholic, liberal arts University, educating traditional and non-traditional undergraduate and graduate students. Classes are offered in a variety of formats - day, evening, and weekends. Seton Hill has a student-centered campus culture based on Catholic values, acceptance, community and service. The campus is located 35 miles east of Pittsburgh. Postal Address: Dr. John Spurlock, ChairHumanities DivisionSeton Hill UniversitySeton Hill DrivePO Box 507FGreensburg, PA 15601Email Address: spurlock@setonhill.edu http://www.setonhill.edu When Part-Time Faculty and Part-Time Students Collide Posted by Michael Arnzen on November 12, 2008 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) Categories: Praxis Peter Schmidt contributes an article to the Chronicle on the problem with the rising reliance on adjunct faculty across academe, called "Use of Part-Time Instructors Tied to Lower Student Success." I found this section interesting:Of particular concern to some education researchers is the tendency of colleges to use part-timers to teach lower-level courses, as well as courses offered at night, when part-time students are most likely to be coming to campus."The reality is that both part-time faculty and part-time students are less engaged with the college," said Kay M. McClenney, director of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin.In night classes, she said, "those realities collide," undermining students' chances of succeeding. She expects the situation to get worse in the current economic downturn, as people who cannot find jobs enroll at public colleges to learn new skills, and the colleges, facing tight budgets, turn to part-time instructors to meet rising demand.Too often adjuncts get a bum rap. The issue, always, is "investment," and I do understand the logic. But too often, I think, we confuse being invested in an institution with being invested in a student's learning, or in a culture at large's education. Moreover, when an instructor has a deep investment in their field, probably through their scholarship, it is contagious -- even jaded students who don't feel a part of the campus life can catch the spark of intellectual curiosity from a teacher truly committed to his or her scholarship -- and that's all it takes to transform a class from a collision of apathy into a wellspring of collaborative inspiration. Those who hire adjuncts often emphasize teaching experience over scholarship; this could be a mistake. New teachers -- like ABDs -- sometimes have the passion for their field that can make all the difference in a student's life. Schmidt's essay concludes with an interesting sidebar on "innovative contracts" for building a greater sense of investment and reward for adjunct faculty. Worth a look-see. The Next President's Challenge for Education Posted by Michael Arnzen on November 6, 2008 8:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) Categories: FYI The National Education Association is celebrating the election of Barack Obama. The American Federation of Teachers is celebrating the election of Barack Obama. My students and many of my colleagues are celebrating the election of Barack Obama.I cheer along with the crowd. But the confetti is thinning out in the air, and realism is settling back in. Already the pundits on tv news are asking Obama to "show me the money" when it comes to the economy. I hope we will remember how and why education matters even when the accounts run low. Education Week has an article surveying Obama's challenges on the education front, once he gets in office."The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term,” said Mr. Obama at a rally in Chicago’s Grant Park.But Mr. Obama said in the past month that he considers education an important ingredient for addressing the country’s long-term economic problems. In the Oct. 8 presidential debate, he rated education as a priority on a par with expanding access to health care, reforming entitlement programs, and developing new forms of energy.Indeed: Education is a health issue, it is an energy issue, it is even a war issue. It is not simply a childhood issue. It seems patently obvious to me that we need to combat ignorance worldwide if we genuinely seek civility, peace, unity and understanding.Obama's education agenda is pretty clear cut and reasonable. The challenges he faces will mostly be financial, but the pay off will be attitudinal. There will simply be less anti-intellectualism in government than there seems to be now (in my view) and more support for both early development and college learning -- fundamental ways of repaving a foundation for the future. And virtually any reform to No Child Left Behind his administration proposes will likely be applauded by teachers everywhere. Education.com gives a clear overview of Obama's plans for reforming education at present, but to get a deeper sense of Obama's thinking about education in America, read his July 5, 2007 speech to the NEA, where he discusses something he terms the 'these kids' syndrome and outlines why we need to reform No Child Left Behind. It not only encapsulates his promises (which he may or may not be able to fulfill) but also his accurate perception of the problem in schools. Nevertheless, as Education Sector points out, Obama wasn't necessarily elected on an public mandate to change the education system and the current economic crisis will still drive his attention. Even so, Education Sector recommends the top 8 Education Ideas for the Next President.As for the thoughts of college professors on the future, Scott McLemee's latest IHE article, "Turning a Page" surveys teachers by asking them what book they would recommend to the future US president and why. (In comparison, here's W's official reading list...and the unofficial, as well). Why We Assign the Personal Essay Posted by Michael Arnzen on October 18, 2008 9:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) Categories: Praxis Good food for thought: Clancy Ratliff posts a wonderful "Collection of Good and Not-So-Good Reasons for Assigning a Personal Narrative as the First Essay in a Composition Course" on the CultureCat weblog. If I understand it correctly, Ratliff is responding to a lecture by Bruce Horner that suggested that the motivations for assigning personal essays often contradict or muddle up the rhetorical task. I haven't heard Horner's argument, but I'd suggest that the multiplicity of rationales is actually a sign that the assignment is a rich one, operating on multiple levels and therefore meeting multiple student needs.I assign personal narratives often at the beginning of a term. I see my motives in virtually all of the reasons Ratliff posts...the only motive not mentioned that I can think of is that it serves a "de-icing" function by humanizing the institution, inviting students to self-express to thaw out the chill of fear early in the term. It just seems like the most honest way to begin. It also can encourage a habit of critical journal writing, if that's a method used in the course. One of the difficulties I have is not assigning or assessing these papers; its weaning some students from writing too informally later in the term, when formal research papers are due. The struggle with academic voice victimizes the style and makes a mess out of things. But it's a good struggle, I think, ultimately. Teaching Well With Blogs Posted by Michael Arnzen on October 17, 2008 7:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) Categories: Praxis In "Avoiding the 5 Most Common Mistakes in Using Blogs with Students" (Campus Technology, Oct 2008), Dr. Ruth Reynard talks about the mistakes she's made using weblogs with her grad students. It's a fantastic, enlightening essay, revealing how to not only avoid errors but how to utilize weblog technology well. In a nutshell, here are the problems Reynard outlines: Ineffective Contextualization Unclear Learning Outcomes Misuse of the environment Illusive grading practices Inadequate time allocationHer section on "unclear learning outcomes" is significant, describing how such levels of Bloom's taxonomy as "synthesis" and "application" can shape blogging assignments.I don't use blogs as a teaching tool nearly as much as my English colleague at SHU, Dennis Jerz, does (see our campus blog portal for a peek at all that he administers). But I do routinely ask my student authors in the Writing Popular Fiction graduate program to keep a blog as a reading journal. Reading Reynard's article, I feel that "illusive grading practices" may be something I still need to work on: often, I just append evaluative comments on a student's blog entries without giving much thought into the>kind< of entries I'm evaluating. Reynard recommends making a rubric that outlines various "statement types" that students can bring to their blogging, such as: "Reflection statements (self positioning within the course concepts); Commentary statements (effective use of the course content in discussion and analysis); New idea statements (synthesis of ideas to a higher level); and Application statements (direct use of the new ideas in a real life setting)." I may borrow from this idea and design a handout for students that asks them to approach their journal entries -- which essentially are reading responses -- as different "types" of statements -- possibly asking them to do one of each. Another good idea, naturally, is to request students to tag entries along these lines, as warranted.I also like Dennis Jerz' structured RRRR sequence -- a method for routinizing student blogging assignments in his Writing for the Internet course. It encourages students to interact with each other and class alike, and functions to support his challenging "Just in Time" teaching method. Writer's Talk NPR Interview/Podcast with Arnzen Posted by Michael Arnzen on October 8, 2008 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) Categories: FYI Halloween is fast approaching, so horror literature is in the air. If you're teaching it, you might want to look for the "Writer's Talk" series on WCBE (Ohio's NPR station), which will be airing interviews with horror writers Michael Arnzen, Gary Braunbeck, Lucy Snyder, and Lawrence Connolly each Wednesday in October. The topic is "The Business & Life of Writing Horror" and all of us had a blast together answering questions about this crazy genre of dread and terror, from how to write it, to what it means for today's culture. The Arnzen session airs tonight on WCBE (10/8/08) at 8pm, and I think it turned out really well. If you miss it, don't worry: you should be able to hear the podcast online, provided by Doug Dangler and the Ohio Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing. In fact, you can stream a copy of it on your computer right now here:Writer's Talk with Michael Arnzen The full interview will all four horror writers will soon be available on OSU's CSTW website -- which you can also subscribe to on iTunes . "Student Outcomes": Kate Hursh Posted by Michael Arnzen on September 19, 2008 7:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) Categories: 'Student Outcomes' "Student Outcomes" is a continuing series of interviews with my former students who are now living life after college. Considering how much of our work is based on the assumption that "learning outcomes" will be met, I thought it would be a good way to catch up with them and to see what sort of impact college has had on their lives in the long term. Past students interested in participating should e-mail me. Comments, as always, are appreciated. -- Michael ArnzenKate Hursh (aka Kate Cielinski), Seton Hill U class of 2005 (& CMU class of '06)Start with a brief bio that tells us first where you are now, then what your status was in college (e.g. "Creative Writing major, Volleyball player, Tetris fan, whatever.) Let your personality show.I've justed started a new job; I'm supporting a group of engineers by utilizing my writing, coordinating, and teaching/training skills in a pioneering company in the nuclear energy field. After studying literature and creative writing in college, I went to grad school to pursue a master's degree in cultural studies. Grad school set me straight and I decided I didn't want the PhD I had once desired, so I returned to SHU to assist in running the writing center. Now I find myself oddly situated somewhere in the nuclear renaissance, and I'm enjoying the opportunity to soak up something new.Tell us where you thought you'd be now, back when you were a college freshman.I thought I'd be an art history professor. I switched my major to lit and writing when I had a taste of my freshman writing class. I learned that I liked writing about all kinds of things -- issues relating to education, gender, The Little Mermaid... In the end, I guess I didn't really love writing as much as I loved the subjects I was analyzing. This is probably why I ended up in cultural studies; I'm just fascinated by all kinds of STUFF, and I like thinking about how we, as producers and consumers of culture, relate to "stuff."Describe your college experience in one word. Then elaborate in no more than five sentences.Bizarre. I was fascinated by taboo topics (and the responses people have to them), so I often wrote about feces and menstruation. This has proven to be an obstacle when attempting to locate suitable writing samples for job interviews. I suppose that some people would find papers about gigantic poop-monsters to be offputting. Describe one very specific lesson from the college classroom that you'll never forget. Give us concrete details. Tell us not only what it taught you, but also how and why it worked. I was scared into becoming a better writer. In the second or third week of classes, my writing professor put a paper of mine on the overhead and tore it apart in front of the class. He said something like, "I'd give this paper an 'A' for its ideas, but an 'F' for its style." I wanted to crawl under the table. Even though my name had been covered on the overhead, I was so embarrassed to have followed a five paragraph essay format. It was such a very high school thing to do.What do you know now that you wish someone would have taught you in school? How might that lesson best be taught?I wish I had learned the importance of doing what I wanted to do. I'm attempting to re-career now that I've spent five years of my life pursuing a subject and career path that is painfully unappealing to me. As excited as I was in certain classes (those where I was granted permission to write about whatever I fancied), I hated the majority of my English classes. I abhored over 90% of the books and literature I read. That should have been a sign. Instead, I trudged on.Very few people (regardless of age) know what they want out of life, but college students are particularly confused. They're bombarded with all these ideas about what and who they should be. Parents tell them what to do. Professors tell them what to do. P Diddy tells them what to do.I could have possibly learned what I wanted to do by taking advantage of the career development office and internships. Career development offices can help students to explore options they did not know existed, and an internship is a much better way of trying a job on for size. When I advised students, I was constantly talking to them about the importance of exploring different majors and going to the campus career development office to tap into its useful resources. What teaching method(s) were you subjected to that never made a dent on your learning?Group learning was consistently awful and useless, especially in classes where professors relied on it as the sole method of teaching. All it really showed me was that most people are lazy and disrespectful, but I can't say that was a lesson I hadn't already learned.What college experience did you find most displeasing at the time, but now recognize as an important contribution to your learning? Presentations. I used to hate them, but I now realize the value they hold and all of the fantastic practice they gave me for leading my own classroom and capturing an audience's attention. What habits -- good and bad -- did you pick up in school, that you still continue to apply?Good habit: awesome research and critical thinking skills.Bad habit: waiting for validation from others. I'm just beginning to act my own without any need for an 'A' paper or a pat on the back.What do you miss about the college classroom, if anything?I miss having the opportunity to be completely selfish. I was lucky that I could soak up the college experience without having to pay for my tuition or other bills (well, I did have to maintain my GPA in order to earn my scholarship). Although I regret that I didn't pursue a major that would ultimately satisfy me, I am so, so thankful that I had a chance to just be a student. I would do anything to once again be a fulltime student without any financial worries.If there was one suggestion you would make to college teachers everywhere, what would it be?Never make your own book a required text. Even if it's the best book ever written on the subject, don't do it. That leads to a classroom situation that is just too awkward. Spare your students. Spare yourself.THANK YOU, Kate, for sharing such honest and useful insights. Thanks, too, for all you did to help others in the writing center. We miss you at SHU! ***Read more "Student Outcomes"! Just Published: "THE UNLEARNING: Horror and Transformative Theory" Posted by Michael Arnzen on September 15, 2008 9:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) Categories: Pedablogy, Praxis, Theory My essay on the teaching of horror fiction -- "The Unlearning: Horror and Transformative Theory" -- just went live in the debut issue of the journal, Transformative Works and Cultures. Here's the abstract: "The Unlearning: Horror and Transformative Theory" by Michael A. ArnzenAbstract:Building on the foundational concepts of transformative learning theory, I argue that horror fiction strongly encourages perspective transformation by challenging student assumptions about both genre writing and educational experience. I informally describe a specific creative writing class period focusing on the motif of the scream in diverse horror texts, and I illustrate how students learn to transform what they already bring to the classroom by employing a variety of particular in-class writing exercises and literary discussions. Among these, transformative writing exercises—such as the revision of an existing text by Stephen King—are highlighted as instructional techniques. As cautionary literature, horror especially dramatizes strategies of fight versus flight. I reveal how students can learn by transforming their knowledge through disorientation that is particular to reading and writing in the horror genre.I started thinking about the ideas in this article after writing a blog entry back in 2005 called "Shifting the Paradigm: Transformative Learning Theory" -- a response to an essay I read by Kelly McGonigal called "Teaching for Transformation." McGonigal's article got me to rethink the role of the reflective essay assignments in my classes, and I soon found myself in the library, catching up on transformative learning theory by reading the works of Jack Mezirow and others who seek to change the worldviews of learners. The key role of the "activating event" in transformation got me thinking about how "cautionary" tales and other works in the horror genre often trigger anticipatory thinking that requires a revision of what one initially assumed to be true. After applying these lessons to a course I taught in horror fiction writing last year, I captured some of these ideas in a conference paper in March 2008 at the International Conference for the Fantastic in the Arts...an early draft of this now-published version. I invite comments here or at the journal, which includes a number of good articles on fan studies and popular culture. Teaching Structure Through Graphic Fiction Posted by Michael Arnzen on September 7, 2008 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) Categories: Praxis I tried something new in my introductory-level fiction writing course this term: using a page of graphic fiction to show students how structure and the other elements of fiction (character, setting, viewpoint, etc.) work in tandem to make a story. I think it worked well, so I'm sharing the exercise here.The idea was actually derived by the work itself (and I wouldn't be surprised if others have used the source material in the same way): 99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style, by artist Matt Madden (who maintains a related weblog, as well). The goal of Madden's 99 Ways, which was inspired by French writer Raymond Queneau's prose experiment, Exercises in Style, was to provide "as many variations as possible on a simple one-page non-story." This is the template he provides on page one, which is followed by 98 graphic variations of the same sequence: Madden calls this a "non-story" but it does have all the elements of a story, and these elements come to light when he draws and presents variations on the template: for example, one page (called "Subjective") has identical frames drawn from the point-of-view of the male character as he makes his way to the fridge; another (called "Upstairs"), depicts the same event in time, but shifts the viewpoint to the character above the spiral staircase who is responsible for calling down about the time. Many of the variations are radical and eye-poppingly ingenious, like the "Underground Comic" and the "Map" versions of the same template.On the first day of class, I used this book in class by showing students a variety of these variations using the document/overhead projector, and simply asking them what exactly made each page different and unique. It allowed me to briefly touch on core elements of the craft, like character (in one variation, everything is the same except for the man, who is drawn like a cartoon skunk), viewpoint (there's a lot of these in the book, including a monologue where the male character sits behind a desk and talks about what we see in the template), setting (a la "upstairs"), and conflict. The point that I think was successfully made in class was that every single choice a writer makes can radically change the story as a whole, and that a virtual infinity of choices are available to the writer, constrained only by a core structure of sequence that readers need to make sense of a series of events.What perhaps was most difficult to show here was the "plot" of the template. While I did ask the class "What's the conflict here? What is the core problem, or struggle that the character goes through?" they were slow to respond. They deduced that the man was hungry and needed something from the fridge, but was frustratingly interrupted on his way. I asked them about that interruption: "We don't see who the source of the voice is... is it a live-in lover? A housewife? Who?" They seemed to agree it was his significant other. But then I asked them if it might very well be God. This question -- while perhaps stretching into absurdity -- allowed me to suggest that this story might be saying something universally human and profound, or epiphanic, even if that "theme" wasn't on the surface at all.But all of this was a precursor to an actual writing assignment, which was really my intention. I asked students to take Madden's template (I photocopied it for educational use) and write a short-short story of significance based on it. I did NOT give them any more specifics than that, and a few students sent me curious e-mails about how far they could change things. I told them their imaginations were the only limit, but that any reader in class ought to be able to tell that this was a variation that might have "fit" in the same book as the one I showed them in class. The following class period I asked a few students to share some of their stories orally with the class as a whole. A lot of fun was had. I noticed that many of them added something new on to the end of the comic strip, as if it were all a precursor to something else, or as if "revision" only meant "adding." But it was a fruitful and productive exercise, I think, and I think most creative writing exercises try to do something similar: to posit a prompt or template idea that students later can share, to reveal the variety of choices (stylistic and beyond) which reveal the variety of choices that are available to a writer, and the repetition-with-a-difference that compels our fascination with storytelling. Writing about this reminds me of other classes I've taught that have used comix in similar ways. It's been a long time since I've done so, but I recall once using a Garfield comic strip in my basic writing course. I photocopied a 3 panel strip of Garfield doing a monologue while looking at -- and then away -- from a sunflower in a pot. I don't even remember what wry commentary Garfield was making -- all that mattered to me was the structure. I blotted out all the words in the thought balloons and then photocopied (and enlarged) the strip before distributing the strip to students. I asked them to "fill in the blanks" of the thought balloons with the main ideas of their paragraphs. I was trying to illustrate the way that paragraphs don't simply chain together a list, but move a thesis through a process of thought that changes as the paper progresses. I'm not sure how successful that was, but I remember that the students enjoyed working with the handout and were excited to share the results in small groups.I hope to look into Raymond Queneau's work for more ideas. But at this point I am convinced that making structure visual is always a good idea. This is why we diagram sentences and outline essays and use organizational charts. The structures of graphic fiction can make this process both entertaining and educational, while appealing to visual learners. I intend to keep looking for more ways to integrate such matters into the classroom. Your own experiences are welcome -- leave a comment. "Swirling": College Classes as Playlists Posted by Michael Arnzen on September 1, 2008 5:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) Categories: Praxis The article is a couple of years old, but it's worth noting: "College, My Way" by Kate Zernike, published in the NY Times in 2006, notes the rising transfer rates among college students is becoming the new normal -- claiming that "about 60 percent of students graduating from college attend more than one institution, a number that has risen steadily over at least the last two decades."Though this number is higher nationally than it is on my own campus, I still don't find this rate of transfer surprising at all, because I've seen the increase in transferring firsthand. The NY Times article suggests that today's "Millennial" generation approach their curriculum just like they do their iPods, selecting courses like singles that they're loading up into their playlists, making increasingly granular choices regardless of "brand affiliation" (eg. a lack of commitment to one's "alma mater.") Admissions offices call the high churn rate of transfer courses "swirling" -- a term I associate with toilet bowl flushes rather than academics, but it's still an apt term. Swirling is what helicopter wings do and it can leave you dizzy and disoriented.I often staff the "transfer orientation" that our campus hosts during the summer, when incoming transfer students sign up for their first courses... and I have to tell you, as much as I enjoy transfer students (because they usually bring fresh perspectives into the classroom), it's often a nightmarish webwork of complexity trying to figure out what courses a student still "needs" to graduate, despite the useful and helpful audits of our registrars. The sum (diploma) always means more to these students than the variables (courses) that add up to it, and -- coupled with financial pressures that are only rising over the years -- for too many students a "survivalist" mindset drives their learning: many students just want to cobble together a schedule so they can finish their long-suffering and have a degree. Perhaps the way colleges sell themselves contributes to the problem. If a degree is something that can be acquired if enough "stamps" are earned, then it doesn't matter where you get those stamps.But it is a bit out of the ordinary to earn a degree from one college -- an institutional endorsement of one's educational status -- while still having a transcript that quilts together several different colleges that made their imprint on the student in some fashion outside of the penumbra of the college giving the degree. Do these students feel attachment to their degree-granting institution as "alums" as much as traditional four year students do? Institutional identity evaporates beneath this to some degree, rending the early colleges that the student transferred out of as functionaries toward the final degree. I can imagine some minor forms of blowback that students wouldn't anticipate (e.g., imagine an employer who is a Yale alum reviewing a student's transcripts during the hiring process: Would they see the transfer out of Yale as troubling? Do they see a high "swirl" rate as a sign that a potential employee lacks commitment?) There are also ways in which "swirling" renders a college's self-assessment problematic. If a school is surveying student attitudes or performance at various grade levels, comparing and contrasting and looking for statistical growth from freshman to senior year, what do the numbers mean if such a high percentage of those seniors have only been in residence for a year or two? Or that the freshman won't be around very long? How do retention committees and officers understand these numbers and marshal policies based on them? Even within any given academic major, swirling problematizes program review and if upper division courses have prerequisites that are built on assumptions about how those prereqs are taught locally, rather than universally, then most assumptions regarding progressive learning are essentially undermined.Indeed, although it is nothing new (and often common among and non-traditional learners) swirling requires a reformulation of not only what we mean by "traditional students" but what we mean by "progressive learning" across any given student's career. I think teachers concerned with such issues may find a review of Transformative Learning theory a worthwhile endeavor in this regard. *** Much More in the Archives! *** About Pedablogue "It is by teaching that we teach ourselves, by relating that we observe, by affirming that we examine, by showing that we look, by writing that we think, by pumping that we draw water into the well." -- Henri-Frédéric Amiel Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content. Categories 'Student Outcomes' (5) FYI (22) Pedablogy (21) Praxis (153) Reviews (3) Theory (91) Search Recent Comments Mike Arnzen : Hello, Mike Kirst! When I did the student antho, I did it all myself. No oversight, ... (on A Class Anthology) Terry Everton : Here's a website with cartoons and other silliness regarding compulsory schooling... ... (on Teaching Structure Through Graphic Fiction) Mike Kirst : Mike, I'm an English instructor at a community college in Charleston, South Car ... (on A Class Anthology) Tiffany N. Deering : I called the phone number listed on the company's website and was on hold for close t ... (on Who's No Longer Who Among American Teachers) James : Great strip.@DennisThanks for the Garfield links. ... (on Teaching Structure Through Graphic Fiction) Rick Gray : As a somewhat new teacher ( ... (on Behind the Scenes of Rate My Professor) Christian Long : Really appreciate this point, Mike:"...it serves a "de-icing" function by humanizin ... (on Why We Assign the Personal Essay) Mike Rubino : Congrats Dr. A! I can't wait to listen to it. ... (on Writer's Talk NPR Interview/Podcast with Arnzen ) Karissa : That's awesome, Dr. A! I'll get it on my iPod and have a listen on my long ride to sc ... (on Writer's Talk NPR Interview/Podcast with Arnzen ) Mike Arnzen : Thanks Gerald -- and do keep me posted about the paper, especially if it gets publish ... (on My Policy on Personal Electronic Devices in the Classroom) Subscribe to this blog's feed[What is this?] Michael A. Arnzen | Seton Hill University | Subscribe to RSS Feed | Movable Type |
|
