Fake Assignments? What?
Yes, it's true. I have an idea. *gasp* What it entails is this = Basically, putting citations together is like a dissecting an alien for students. Maybe some would do better at the dissection, especially if the alien's brains look like the frogs we played with in high school Biology. Anyhow, it's a foreign freakin' concept to everyone but me, or so it seems. I think, and I assume, that students really DO know and COULD know how to maneuver these suckers if they had the pieces in front of them. They are sometimes too lazy *double gasp* to look for the pieces. So, what if the pieces came from their own heads AND they got to be CREATIVE with the pieces? Hmmm... It might work, and it might blow up at me, but I'm going to try *drum roll please* having the students create Fake Sources and, therefore, Fake Works Cited Pages. Yes. All related, of course, to their P2 Topics (in both classes - English 110 & English 120 - maybe?).

The assignment would require students to create 10 Fake Sources*:
1-An article of some kind (journal, magazine, newspaper).
2-A book.
3-A web site.
4- A web page within a web site.
5- Dictionary definition.
6- Personal interview.
7- TV show.
8- Movie.
9- Email message.
10- Map or Chart.

Point Breakdown: 3pts per correct source citation creation (30pts) + 5pts for placing it all alphabetical = 35pts.
*And I'll hand out an MLA/APA guide for this assignment too, but they can always use the "interwebs."

"Love is someone giving a sh*t about you enough to argue. Love is not passive. Love is “Don’t f**king touch me right now.” Love is “Who the F**K were you talking to?” Love is sometimes hating yourself for a second. Love is hate. Period. Indifference is the real killer of love and the true antithesis."

What could a university look like if you/we didn't know what they did look like?

1. Handed in My Words (reminder to me: some put them online!). 2. Looked at some Chuck #8 Flickr/Pixlr images. 3. For next week: Mini-Argument & Citation Quiz (students in class today decided on the deadline for those two items). 3.5. Writing Conference Sign-Up; we'll meet in my office next week - bring a physical copy of your draft to my office at Haverty 223 (if you didn't sign up today, February 3, you'll have to email me or stop by my office & check out the sign-up sheet on the door). 4. Peer Review: Have at least two classmates/students look at your paper. 5. Use www.polishmywriting.com for proofreading after Peer Review.

Sometimes, students choose not to think. I completely believe they are all capable of thinking and learning, so instead of replying to emails with frustration, I'm going to send pictures of Einstein. This one is perfect because it's like he's thinking, "Dude, you know better; you can do better." I think I'd like to use the one of him sticking his tongue out too. Yeah.

On-Campus Students: I'm home sick today. Please read the emails I sent out OR read the Announcement I placed in our eCompanion shells. Stay warm & see you soon.

 
+I'm switched my eCollege content to Tahoma on Friday.
+I got two videos created and placed on eCollege.
+English 120 Online syllabus has been uploaded (and, yes, revised once already).

Today, in between laundry and cleaning (already did dishes!), I should get these things completed;
the Distance Ed people are going to split my online course into two shells tomorrow, so I'd like to update the heck out of the one I have before they copy it:
+Double-check the links in the online class.
+Create new images - I have some Creative Commons ones saved on a USB; now I have to add text with Pixlr or Picnik. (I'm making a bunch of assignment fairies... )
+Put deadlines on all the quizzes.
+Check Gradebook.
+Put in a "Welcome" announcement?
+Add in Paper Checklist PPT wherever that is...
Other things that can be done later this week, etc.:
+Those Clipnabbed videos... make them into another "feedback" video?
+I have a list of things from this blog that I still want to implement; I also printed off my Delicious links that I could use for 110/120 as well as general Web2.0 ones to consider.
+Watch videos about online teaching (I think this item is on my list already).

From a student in my Online English 120, Gabriella:
"This class really exceeded all my expectations. Or let's say, it was totally different from what I expected. English is not one of my strengths (at least that is what I think); it fills me with dread to even think about writing an essay. Thank you for making in enjoyable and "different".

What I liked:
* weird projects, especially the flickr projects. It was fun to learn something new.
* extra credit opportunities. It is good to have some extra cushioning to fall back on.
* the reading material was fun and interesting
* Sybil did not look for work that agrees with her views. She wanted ideas, whether or not we think alike. Very different from my high school days, thanks!
* mini arguments. Writing short essays made it easier to feel comfortable writing longer ones. Thanks for the large number of topics to choose from.

What I did not like:
* my words. I don't think I will use (or even remember) most of the words I found.
* Doc Sharing has too much stuff in it. It would help to remove some old stuff and unnecessary stuff to make it easier for students to sort through. Leave the examples, though.
* Shortfolio. I think it is very hard to find time and ways to work together with classmates in an online class. After all, most of us choose this method because we want to be flexible in our schedule."

Today, I have quite the load of assessment to complete... after our dept lunch, of course. First things first: food & good conversation are good ways to jump-start assessment, kids.
Anyhow, I just wrapped up, from home, the Course Reflections (as seen above) in the Online 120; I think I have Tests and Shortfolios left in that class as well as Tests and P7s in my English 110s.
World Lit will get wrapped up this weekend since they have a Friday deadline. Oh wait, they did have something due last night... I could assess that from home I think.

My conferences like to tag-team; this hurts my brain, but I'm like 85% okay with that.
About two seconds ago, I was on the first floor of the newly remodeled Fargo Public Library wrapping up the "unconference" part of the annual GPACW conference (the Great Plains Alliance in Computers and Writing). Yes, an UNconference. It was happily semi-unorganized, but chuck full of ideas.
So... just like with TYCA last week, I have many things to jot down before they disappear forever. Forever.

Random Bits from the Sheets in my Folder:
9am Session Yesterday: "Students want to get to know their online prof." /// Put in feedback on quizzes; there are spots for it - use 'em! /// Survey students about online classes? /// New thing: Students are embarassed by taking online courses? /// Tips for Students: Tell 'em which browser to use and that they shouldn't be using WiFi for quiz work. ///

10am Session Yesterday: This was the session I presenting during. I got these ideas from the questions that were asked - I should use more "How are you doing?" emails in my online classes, Watch cultural euphemisms international students may not get.

2pm Session Yesterday: Google Scholar? What is that & let's look it up! /// Flickr Archives - NDSU has some & we should do that with our images! /// Library of Congress has a Flickr Archive? /// NDSU Digital Repository (interesting).

3pm Session Yesterday: Helvetica (is a movie and font) - The font "caused the Vietnam War"?

4pm Session Yesterday: Kevin had a great idea for online portfolios using WordPress and Scribd. Yay! Super useful handout! (Slideshare.net)

Today's UNconference: I had a lot of questions in our first unsession... Is my class structure/format "ancient" because it's mainly asynchronous? Should I attempt synchronous chat room times at like 7-8pm Wed and 7-8am Thurs? What is the point or goal of either kind (asynchronous vs. synchronous) in regards to flexibility and helpfulness and accessiblity? Some teachers have students on webcams; do mine have access and should that be required? Do I want them to love ME or love the COURSE? Popularity versus Knowledge, right?

Potential Tools and Ideas: there's a Flickr Set on how to create dry erase walls and boards, use icons in schedule to show what'll be used that week (TECH, TEXT, VIDEO, ART, etc.), more podcast usage in all classes?, text to speech software (Speakonia?), have a Dork Page that I can link 'em to when they ask silly questions (idea from Cindy! Love her!), foxit.com, Vue (similar to Prezi), Lulu (dot com?), Link to Library Database from eCollege, ... Revise the "What makes me controversial" CB in online 120 into a more formal topic sentence + back-up sentences product with color-coding! Oooh...

Second unsession: Peer Review = screenshot + Paint program + color code parts of rubric, etc. + Save As images and put into PPT before handing back to student writer; make it and other activities into games? (who wants to be Mayor of Revisionville?), another peer review idea was to incorporate Speed Dating-like format = have students bring up their papers on their computer screens in the lab + each student goes from computer to computer trying to find a particular item (time this) + at the end, the student returns to their marked-up paper! Cool beans!; the Speed-Dating format could work for many things like post-reading or brainstorming or even with P3 about a song (students could ask about their song and students would give their interpretation + the writer could then use the students as sources); ELI program - useful for Assessment, definitely, texter (uses text clips which are attached to acronyms for easy feedback), EMMA @Georgia?, "Lightening Lectures" = I like that title.

Upcoming IPOD Session on campus (got asked to consider doing one in November on pre-reading activities before I came to conference; it was fresh in my head, so I brainstormed): make flashcards = F/P Image Creation, Pre-Reading Self-Exam and Questions to Consider plus T/F?, Passport, Tweet from your Seat, Text Type Up (students re-type a piece of text) and then mark it up with highlighting and colors, etc., Animoto Video Trailer, Prezi, Visual Definition, Create A Quiz, Speed Dating CompLab or handout (ask a question per handout/computer and they move around to each one and answer it differently than the student before them), Screenshot of something related to the reading (then Insert into a Word doc and bring to class as a Passport), write up a "How To" or "Sybil Priebe on ..." that is related to the reading, Q&Q (quotes and questions: have X amount of each before discussion), ...

WRITE ON!