Winter session: Day 2 updates & reminders

Hello nice people!

I am absolutely enjoying reading your responses already. Loved your introductions and insights into the range of literacies. I left comments on your introductions and I’m working my way through the second set of discussions from yesterday. Thank you all so much for the thoughtful work and your comments on each other’s posts. We are already starting to feel like a community of writers.

Updates won’t always be this long, but since we are just getting started I have stuff to tell you:

• Preferences for G+ notifications: If you teach the class, like me, then you like getting an email every time someone posts to our G+. But if not, here is a super short video that shows you how to turn off email notifications: Link Here. (You can also always Google “how do I turn off notifications in G+”)
• Composing offline and pasting in G+:  You might want to write your responses in Word, Google Docs, Pages, or whatever composing software you use and then paste your response in G+ just in case your browser times out or something awful like that. You can always edit your posts by clicking on the three small dots to the right in your post.
• Grade Updates: The only thing I use Blackboard for these days is to post grades. I have the assignments from yesterday graded in Blackboard. As much as possible, I try not to nickel and dime grades, so you most likely will not see a 12/15 from me or something like that. If you give me your best effort (and clearly your posts are so good from yesterday), then I’ll give you the points. I hate playing school and expect that we are a community of educators thinking about the teaching of writing together. I do expect in-depth responses, but you are already doing that. I will share examples along the way as well. Alondra and Miranda kicked off the posts beautifully yesterday; thank you! And in fact, Alondra has finished all of the Make 1 cycle! Her posts are great examples of what I am hoping for if you need inspiration. (There is also a student examples tab on our site with previous semester’s work)
• Respond to a peer each time: As I said, I so appreciate the comments you’ve left already. Thank you! Your connection to each other’s work is what will make these two weeks together a true writing community.
• Today’s tasks in a nutshell:
  • Read Chapter 1 from About the Authors and Units of Study A & B. Respond to prompts in G+
  • Read/watch 3 “mentor texts.” Respond to some prompts to generate ideas for your own writing in G+
  • Always: post one and then respond to one. Thank you!
  • Everything can be found on the Make Cycle 1 page: HERE