Thursday, November 29, 2007

A Blog of One's Own #45


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #45

A Blog of One's Own #44


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #44

A Blog of One's Own #43


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #43

A Blog of One's Own #42


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #42

A Blog of One's Own #41


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #41

A Blog of One's Own #40


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #40

A Blog of One's Own #39


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #39

A Blog of One's Own #38


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #38

A Blog of One's Own #37


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #37

A Blog of One's Own #36


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #36

Thursday, 11/29

I have been so proud and impressed of the podcasts students have been completing! If you haven't already heard some, take a listen, either to the ones on this blog or on your podmates' and classmates' blogs.
Today is your final peer review. Bring a copy of your semester-long project to work on.
Handouts for today are the Portfolio Checklist, HW 38-42, and the TW Submission instructions.
Next Tuesday, remember to bring your drafts again for a workshop on proofreading and editing with our illustrious Center for Writing tutors.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

A Blog of One's Own #27


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #27

Paper Help

Hi everyone: I just got an announcement about a service learning project by the English Honor Society, Sigma Tau Delta which supplements the help offered by the Center for Writing.

Members of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honors Society, are at your service!

Where: Student Center Room 308

When: 8:00-11:00 pm every night,

December 5th through December 12th

4:00-11:00 pm on Reading Day, December 10th

Please stop by for our FREE walk-in service during these hours! All of our members are junior-and-senior English majors. We will proofread, edit, and improve any work of writing for a course final or project.


If you work with them, please feel free to leave a comment on this post if you recommend the service for other ITW 101 students.

A Blog of One's Own #26


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #26

A Blog of One's Own #25


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #25

Monday, November 26, 2007

A Blog of One's Own #24


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #24

What's Due Tuesday 11/27

Just a reminder that the second podcast, HW 37, is due Thursday, 11/29. You can get a printed copy of it from outside my office (Parker 003) or download it from my academic website at http://academics.keene.edu/tmendham/KSC.htm.
On Tuesday 11/27 (tomorrow) we're having individual conferences instead of a regular class meeting. Showing up at your appointment counts as two days' attendance. (A missed appointment counts as two days' absence, and last-minute emails asking to change will not prevent my counting it as an absence if you don't show up, although I do appreciate the courtesy of letting me know if that time will not be used.)

Peak Hours at the Center for Writing

Hi everyone: most of you have already scheduled and attended your required visit to the Center for Writing for the course since the deadline for scheduling was earlier this month. If you haven't though, you might find the info in the Center for Writing blog post below helpful.
From pre-Thanksgiving through finals week is a very busy time at the Center for Writing when students from all over campus seek help with final projects or remember that they have a required visit due before semester’s end. And we want to help out everyone we can!

Our tutors are working extra hours right now to meet with each person who makes an appointment well in advance of a due date, but we are unfortunately not likely to be able to take walk-in sessions during these weeks of peak demand.

To ensure that you get an appointment for a tutoring session before the end of this semester, plan ahead. Booking even a week in advance right now is not too early.

The best way is to stop by the Center during open hours.
Second best is to call the front desk, 358-2412, especially during our hours.
Sorry, but we cannot make appointments by email.
Don’t give up! Sometimes we have cancellations or a tutor volunteers to open a new shift, so it’s worth checking back on another day even if there weren’t openings the last time you asked.

From: http://keenestateinfo.com/cw/2007/11/25/peak-season-at-the-center/

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

A Blog of One's Own #23


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #23

A Blog of One's Own #22


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #22

A Blog of One's Own #21 - Kim's First Podcast


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #21 - Kim's First Podcast

HW 37 and 11/20

Today, Tuesday 11/20, we had individual conferences instead of regular class meeting, and Tuesday 11/27 will be the same. (Some of you are scheduled for Wednesday, 11/28 instead.) Showing up for your 15 minute conference counts for 2 days' worth attendance or absence--and last-minute emails about a change of plans are not acceptable substitute.
You can get the instructions for HW 37, which is due Thursday, 11/29 from my academic website: http://academics.keene.edu/tmendham/documents/HW37_ITW101_200701120.doc.
Our next class, Thursday 11/29 is peer review, so bring the latest draft of your semester-long project to work on.
Tuesday 12/4 will be a workshop with Writing Center tutors, so bring in a draft of your project then too.
On Thursday 12/6, our last class, you'll hand in your semester-long projects and portfolios. Attached to the final draft of the semester-long project must be all your previous peer drafts, peer feedback you've received, and any thing that led up to the final draft. Your portfolio should also include printouts of all your blog posts. I recommend getting a three ring binder to organize and contain this massive compendium of your writing. Don't pay for one--get a free one from the reuse-and-recycle room in the basement of Eliot.
You will also be required to submit your semester-long project to Blackboard for the Integrative Studies Program evaluation. For that part you take off your name and other identifying info and name the file with your student id #.
If you haven't already scheduled and attended your required Writing Center visit, be sure to do so soon.
So...lots of work coming up but you are going to be all done very soon, and no final exam for this class.
Note that you can often IM me with simple, quick questions through the "Meebo Me: Instant Office Hours" widget here on the blog. It will say whether I (mendhamt) am online.

Citizenship Symposium

Several student posts about the Keene State College Citizenship Symposium were mentioned on the Citizenship Symposium Weblog. Yay, Brendon, Rachel, Alicia, Kerri, Kate, Corinne, and Renee!
Members of Tracy Mendham’s ITW 101 class, a writing class examining issues of gender in new media, attended many of the lectures during the symposium and commented on them in their own blogs. You can read their responses here on Tracy’s Google reader feed. I’ve also pulled out a couple entries below. Note: The responses are meant to be journal entries, not polished pieces, and the writing is very informal:

“Animation as Political and Social Constructions”
http://brendons-blog.blogspot.com/2007/11/hw-30-animation-as-political-and-social.html
http://rachelreadinresponse.blogspot.com/2007/11/hw30-speech-two-on-animation.html

“Blogging: Are All Citizens Publishers and Reporters?”
http://brendons-blog.blogspot.com/2007/11/hw-30-are-all-citizens-publishers-and.html

“Voting Theory and the Question of Fairness”
http://rachelreadinresponse.blogspot.com/2007/11/hw30-speech-one-on-voting-and-fairness.html
http://amlreadingblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/hw-30-citizen-symposium.html
http://reneesblogspot.blogspot.com/2007/11/hw30-citizenship-and-responsibility.html

“Citizenship, Youth, and Civic Engagement”
http://kerrimblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/hw-30-citzenship-at-keene.html

June Cross, “Secret Daughter”
http://itwblogofmyown.blogspot.com/2007/11/itw-hw-30-citizen-journalist.html
http://hgiza.blogspot.com/2007/11/hw-30-secret-daughter-documentary.html

“What Kind of Democracy Do We Want?”
http://itwkatesblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/hw-30-what-kind-of-democracy-do-we-want.html

“Citizenship and Responsibility”
http://reneesblogspot.blogspot.com/2007/11/hw30-citizenship-and-responsibility.html

Mike Caulfield @ November 19, 2007

A Blog of One's Own #20


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #20

A Blog of One's Own #19


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #19

A Blog of One's Own #18


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #18

A Blog of One's Own #17


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #17

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Podcasts on Baghdad Burning and Ramadan

As you can see, the podcasts for our Homework 36 assignment are starting to roll in, and I think they're pretty cool. The podcasts recorded and published through Gabcast are automatically appearing in individual blog posts here on the ITW 101 blog.
If this isn't enough podcastic listening pleasure you can subscribe in iTunes, too. Here's how.
  • Start iTunes on your computer. (If you don't have iTunes and want it, go to http://www.apple.com/itunes to download the free software.)
  • Click on the Advanced menu, then click on the Subscribe to Podcast item.
  • In the box that pops up asking the the URl, put in http://www.gabcast.com/casts/8538/rss/rss.xml
  • Click OK.
  • And voila--you're done.
There are other "podcast catcher" programs besides iTunes. Juice is the free, open-source program that used to be iPodder. It's less flashy than iTunes, and is simple and seems to run faster on older machines.
I can't wait to see some of the Audacity-produced podcasts from students, too.

A Blog of One's Own #9


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #9

A Blog of One's Own #8


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #8

A Blog of One's Own #7


Gabcast! A Blog of One's Own #7

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Thursday 11/15

Today's agenda:
An information session on evaluating online sources by our esteemed library liaison, Deng Pan.
I collect the first instructor drafts of your semester-long projects. (Important!)
Those who didn't already sign up for an individual conference time do so.
Discuss the reading in Baghdad Burning (Riverbend 98-124).
Prepare for group podcasts. Distribute instructions for HW 36, which is due by midnight on 11/20.
You will need to get the instructions for HW 37 from outside my office, or get print them out for the website or blog. HW 37, the second podcast, is due at our next regular class meeting on 11/29.
Also due on 11/29, bring your semester-long project for our final peer review
...And actually, you have to bring a copy of your semester long project every day. On 12/4 we will have a proofreading and editing workshop by Center for Writing tutors, and on 12/6, the last day of class, you turn in your projects and portfolios for good. The end is near!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Stressing about the Podcast?

It won't be that bad! Check out the instructions for the first one. It's HW 36 on my academic website.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Tuesday 11/13

Agenda for today:
  • Discuss reading in Riverbend
  • Introduction to podcasting.
  • HW 32 and 33 were due today.
  • Handout for HW 34 and 35 distributed.
  • Sign up for individual conferences, which will be held 11/20 and 11/27
  • Announcement that Deng Pan will come to class Thurs. 11/15 to provide an information session on evaluating sources
  • Reminder that your instructor drafts are due Thursday 11/15 and while they are not graded, completion of drafts and peer reviews count for 10% of your grade for the course. Don't forget the draft and don't have a printing problem.

Audacity on ESEC lab computers

Audacity, the software that you can use for creating podcasts, has been installed on the computers in the ESEC computer lab, which is in Rhodes 163.
If you want to download Audacity to your own computer, you can do so at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/. We'll view the "Mixing with Audacity" YouTube tutorial in class. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1IqWoWu8gU. You may also be interested Fabian Brown's "Audacity Tutorial" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5K1ZsoO1sU or another video also titled "audacity tutorial" by MikeyK777 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD8tgM0Xo9M (you have to love a kid with the self-confidence to crackle candy wrappers while he records a video).
Your other option for creating podcasts is Gabcast at, which you only need a phone to use. You can use the account I set up for the class; the class account is Channel 8538 I will give announce the password in class. If you're feeling slightly more adventurous, you can try setting up your own Gabcast account and channel at http://www.gabcast.com/. You can view a YouTube tutorial by Matthew Gordon, "Getting Started with Gabcast," at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWrxGSPEi8U .

Friday, November 9, 2007

Symposium Reminder

Our last class event is at 11:30 today, Friday: "Blogging: Are All Citizens Publishers and Reporters?" in the Main Theatre of the Redfern Arts Center. The speakers include Blue Hampshire's Mike Caulfield and Daily Kos' Laura Clawson.
By the way, Mike Caulfield and the other staff covering the events of the symposium for the Citizenship Symposium Weblog are only able to attend and write about some of the events. Please feel free to post about any of the events that you attend in the symposium, even if they're not during our regular class times. I will consider the posts for a small amount of extra credit, and the Symposium Weblog may link to your post if your account provides needed coverage of the event.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Still the Symposium

Hi everyone; just a reminder that today (Thursday 11/8) we're attending select sessions of the Citizenship Symposium instead of holding regular class.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

HW 32 and 33 for Tuesday, 11/13

The assignments for Tuesday, HW 32 and 33 can be downloaded here.
For those that chose today's session of the citizenship symposium, remember that Professor Steve Clark will be presenting "Iraq Body Count: Real People, Fake Numbers" at 3:30-5 pm today (Wednesday) in room 309 of the Student Center.

Monday, November 5, 2007

Tuesday 11/6 & Instructor Draft

Hi, everyone. Just a reminder that tomorrow, Tuesday 11/6, we will be attending certain sessions the Citizenship Symposium instead of holding regular class. See the HW 28, 29, 30, and 31 handout. Your assigned blog posts should be completed and posted as usual. You can read the full schedule of symposium speakers at http://keeneweb.org/citizen/whos-speaking/.
Also, the instructor draft of the semester-long project, HW 29, is not due until Thursday, 11/15.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Thursday, 11/1

Today's agenda:
  • Handout with instructions for HW 28, 29, 30 and 31 (covers all of next week). Quick discussion of what it means to have a complex and arguable claim/thesis statement in your semester-long project.
  • Symposium session signup sheet--our regular sessions of class next week, 11/6 and 11/8, will be replaced by attendance at the Keene State College Citizenship Symposium . Students will tell me in advance which sessions they're going to, and then write blog posts about each one. Two are required, a third may be used as extra attendance credit. The symposium will tie in nicely with our work with Baghdad Burning, blogging, and the empowerment of marginalized groups.
  • Discussion of first readings in Baghdad Burning. Students share some of their thoughts from HW 25.
  • Watch videos about two central characters in our reading, Paul Bremer and Ahmed Chalabi.
11/2/07: Here's the link to the handout for HW 28, 29, 30, and 31. If you weren't in class you also need to tell me which two of the four offered sessions you're going to attend next week. Look at the sign-up sheet handout and then email me your 2 or 3 choices (12 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 6 o'clock). In addition to the ones listed on the sheet I've also added Professor Steve Clark's "Iraq Body Count: Real People, Fake Numbers" to your choices--it's 3:30 to 5:00 on Wednesday.

On Campus With Women

A recent issue of the professional journal, On Campus with Women focuses on Women on the Web. Some of you may find it useful in your research for your semester-long project. Articles include:

Kortney Ryan Ziegler's "Academic Blogging as Cultural Exchange"
I started my blog, blac(k)ademic, in October 2005 during the first year of my doctoral studies. Feeling constrained by the fundamentally hermetic quality of the academy--where important intellectual conversations have a tendency to remain within ivory walls--I wanted to take advantage of the net’s accessibility to cultivate my research as well as expand intellectual discourse outside of academe. Thus I dedicated a majority of my blogging to forming relationships with other women of color in the academy whose research interests mirrored mine. Most importantly, however, I wanted to create a safe space for dialogue that included the voices of queer black women and other bodies of color.

Deborah Siegel's "A PhD Gets Wired, Or How I Traded the Podium for the Mouse"

Technological innovation can transform a culture, but it can also transform a career. It did mine. When I started out as a PhD student in English and American Literature at the University of Wisconsin--Madison, I could hardly imagine that fourteen years later I’d be calling myself “Girl with Pen” in public, living in New York City, and writing for The Guardian. That pen, really, is a keyboard. But I like mixing it up.

Kathy Fischer, "Facebooking Feminism"

My colleagues and I were amazed at how integral Facebook had become to the lives of our students, and although we found certain uses of the site disturbing, we saw its popularity as presenting a unique opportunity. Using Facebook, we could meet students in their social world, and incorporate a feminist presence and critique into a space that can be prone to sexism, racism, and homophobia.

Meredith Anderson, "Digital Pathways Toward Scientific Careers for Women in Kerala, India"

Such findings evidence the beginnings of social change for women in Kerala. Women’s heightened awareness of international opportunities could easily lead to an increased rate of publication in foreign journals and then to more frequent international travel and research. While Internet technology may not be intrinsically or uniformly beneficial, it holds the possibility of improving professional standing for women scientists in Kerala. With appropriate attention to the basic needs and education of more impoverished populations, similar benefits could likely reach women in all social positions.

Baghdad Burning in Bookstore

Good news for stragglers! There are now 12 copies of Baghdad Burning for sale in the college bookstore. (As noted in the syllabus, having the assigned reading material with you when you come to class is a requirement of the course.)