ENG 230 Introduction to Environmental Literature
Course Blog Guidelines
Grading and schedule of posting:
From syllabus: “Course blog 10%: Throughout the term you will contribute posts to our course blog website (approximately one significant post, about 400-500 words, every two weeks), as well as respond to your classmates’ posts (at least two comments every two weeks). The course blog will be a place for us to test out ideas, engage in discussion with each other outside of class, and share ideas and texts not included on the course syllabus.”
See course schedule for blog posts due dates. Generally, blog posts will be due no later than 8 pm on either the Monday or Wednesday of a given week. Comments on blog posts will usually be due by class time on Thursday of the week that a blog post is due. However, it is your responsibility to keep up with reading the blog regularly.
Note: You are required to post four times on the blog over the course of the term as per the schedule, but I encourage you to post more often than what is required. I also encourage that you read and comment on as many blog posts as you can; doing so will help with preparing for exams and for writing papers.
An “A” level blog post will:
– Offer informed connections between course materials and ideas encountered outside the course.
– Engage thoughtfully and originally with one or more of the course texts or discussion topics.
– Display a mastery of close reading skills in engaging with course texts.
– Display a mastery of literary and environmental terminology.
– Include a clear sense of order and organization.
– Include no spelling and grammar mistakes.
– Fulfill the length requirement.
A “B” level blog post will:
– Offer some connection between course materials and ideas encountered outside the course.
– Engage adequately with at least one of the course texts or discussion topics.
– Display some close reading skills in engaging with course texts.
– Display some knowledge of literary and environmental terminology.
– Include some sense of order and organization.
– Include few spelling and grammar mistakes.
– Fulfill the length requirement.
A “C” level blog post will:
– Engage somewhat with at least one of the course texts or discussion topics.
– Include some spelling and grammar mistakes, but not enough to interfere with meaning.
– Fulfill the length requirement.
Purpose of blog
In this course we will be collaborating on a class blog for the purposes of:
- Responding to and reflecting on the course texts as we read and study them in class.
- Connecting what we read and discuss in class to contemporary issues, current events, and our own experiences with nature and the environment.
- Testing out ideas for papers, exams, and other assignments and receiving positive and constructive feedback from the class.
- Practicing taking varied points of view and questioning our own assumptions.
Rules for using blog
To use the course blog, we must agree to the following:
- We will write about material that is related to our course readings or class discussions.
- We will not use any curse words or inappropriate language.
- We will not use fighting words or provoke anyone; this is a space for collaborative dialogue, sharing, and problem solving.
- We will avoid using chat language.
- We will re-read our posts and comments before submitting them, checking for spelling and grammar mistakes.
- When we do offer criticism it will be constructive.
- We will not use our full names, or the names of other classmates.
- We will not plagiarize.
Please note that all posts and comments are moderated for content before posting to the class blog.
Suggestions for using blog
Posts:
- Write with your audience in mind, that is the other members of this class as well as a larger audience of people who are interested in literature and environmental issues.
- Be clear and concise, include not only facts, but also your own reflections and interpretations – be clear about which is which.
- When appropriate, directly quote from and cite the texts that we are reading in class. This is a great forum for practicing close reading and analyzing particular passages, and this will help you immensely on the exams and papers.
- Ask questions and be open-ended – inspire the discussion.
- Hyperlink outside sources (if it was online) as well as anything else that adds to your post.
- Post on time.
Comments:
- Should be at least 3-5 sentences in length (potentially more, but never less!)
- Write meaningful comments that add to the conversation.
- Show the author that you hear them. “I hear you saying….” / “It seems to me that you are claiming …”
- Respond to others thoughtfully and respectfully.
- Use your comment to show why you think the topic is important/interesting/controversial
- Read the comments posted before and after yours.
- Constructive criticism only, no derogatory or inflammatory remarks, analyze the idea, not the person.
- Model good spelling and grammar.
- Support your comments with evidence from the texts.
- Only comment on posts after you have read the whole post.
- Suggested response prompts: This made me think about… I wonder why… Your writing made me form an opinion about… This post is relevant because… Your writing made me think that we should… I wish I understood why… This is important because… Another thing to consider is… I can relate to this… I don’t understand… I was reminded that… I found myself wondering…