So this is the cover entry of the measly things I've done. Not much, but hey, better than nothing I guess.
I'm sure you have better things to do than to see this blog entry, so let's get to the meat the nitty gritty.
The Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock
And looking through my comments, this is going to be a pretty weak portfolio, moreso than my Writing For The Internet ones.
And the following can be ignored since I know I've missed two classes, almost 1/6th of the whole semester, but there's something which I know others have mentioned (names excluded) that bother me.
Although with no offense to you, Good Sir Jerz, this class feels a lot more like a New Media Journalism class, and not at all like a Lit class. I feel like I'm in WFTI all over again, and the fact that class was hindered when the internet was down reflects that. Sure you continued moving along, but not as well as you normally could. But there's another thing that I think reflects poorly on the class: When the reading material consists of things most people read in high school or in basic, Intro-to-Lit classes, easily googled poems/stories, and the professor's own book, that definitely puts a damper on student motivation.
There was a lot of time spent on setting up the blogs and this whole silly trackback thing... sure, it makes it easier for you, but not for the students if every time they update they have to go through the horrendous process in the NMJ tutorial (since some of us update from random school computers which means you have to do it every time you log in practically), when all they need to do is copy and paste the trackback link in the bottom of a new entry.
I understand that you are the head honcho of New Media Journalism, but that shouldn't mean you should force that on other classes. Many people still don't know what the hell to do with these blogs, or they (well at least one other person) consider it pointless as more work is done outside of class than inside. It comes off as convenience for the professor, but not the students. Come on, anonymous comments are always on, so there's no way to track where you've posted, you just have to hope and remember.
Bottom line: The internet is seriously slowing this class down. Everything looks like you are very disorganized, and that also causes confusion in the ranks and a lack of motivation to do the coursework. A teacher that gets students doing the work is one who at least acts like they have things under control. Like when the blogs got hacked. No one knew what the hell to do because we were so dependant on blogs.
And I quote this from Rate My Professor.com
"Energetic and demanding. Very caught up in new technology. Prefers students who think the way he does. Tries hard to do a good job, sometimes too hard."
That sounds about right. Your heart's in the right place, and I understand that New Media is your bag, but you need to step out of the Internet zone and into the Classroom zone, if you know what I mean. I spend most of my days playing World of Warcraft nonstop, but when I need to do serious work, I walk away from the computer or go to the Maura lounge to get focused. The internet distracts a lot of students, or since it's online they don't view it as anything more than busywork, and in a way it is. You try so hard to get people to comment and discuss things via the blogs, but that's something that should be done in class.
That's why we go to class. If all our discussions are online, why waste the Thursday night to sit around and hear what we can read online? A lit class is supposed to be energetic, and to spark discussion, not make a two sentence entry on what you read and expect it to blossom into something big. Once again, students prepare for class and not for the internet.
I know lots of students feel this way too, and I don't expect them to have the cahones to publically admit it like me. All I'm saying is this: I'm paying ten grand a semester for this, so I'm going to make DAMN sure my money is well spent. Students can either stand up and criticize and decide for themselves how their education goes, or you can sit around all day outside of class and we can complain about it for the rest of your years at Seton Hill. And if you're just going to complain, and not do anything, then shut up. I know I don't swear in this because it's the shcool blog, but Shit Or Get Off The Pot. even if you're here on scholarship, someone's paying good money for you to be here, don't muck it up.
Posted by at March 2, 2005 07:09 PM | TrackBackYou know what Tim, I AM going to publicly agree with you. I know others agree with us, too, because we all talk about it. For an internet based class, blogging is fine. I do think it is SO redundant to sit around for 2 and a half hours talking about the stuff we've already been required to blog and comment about. Either have the class totally blog-based, or totally class-based (like I feel a Literature class should be) The best discussions are in person, literature is meant to be discussed in person. I don't see the point in being forced to blog this stuff, write papers, have exams, and be expected to actively discuss things in class. Frankly, I'm burned out. I love Jerz, I love the internet, and I love literature....but I don't think you can mix all three of these elements and get a good product. I simply don't have enough time to blog on every reading assignment AND comment. There's no way in hell. We all have other classes, and jobs, and gee....social lives. Oh yeah, we need SLEEP, too. I've been writing for the 'net for over 5 years, and I'm starting to really dislike it because of this class. Hell, I don't even write in my diary much anymore. I feel like all I should be doing is blog, worry about blogging, and read blogs. BLAH! I'm sorry if this offended anybody, but I'm just getting really annoyed and I don't think blogging should be incorporated into this class. I'm sure theres a stong disagreement with this argument, but I also know for a fact there's a strong agreement as well...no names mentioned. Fankly, I don't know how Dr. Jerz keeps up w/ all the blogs anyway, I think he's superman. I'm not lazy, and I'm not a bad student...but this forced blogging is really annoying me.
Posted by: stormy. at March 3, 2005 05:12 PMAs I said, it's easier for Jerz, but not on the students.
If you say, "Type a minimum one page response and bring it to class," people will do it and be more prepared to contribute in class. In all the lit classes I've had where that has been done, we got a lot accomplished academically and intellectually. Typing several paragraphs per story online is really hassle, especially when no one has the time or the patience to check 25 blogs and respond/discuss in them.
Thsoe several paragraphs turn out to be a lot when double spaced in Word, at least going by what Jerz wants us to update. That's comparable to a major essay a week, and top it off with hunting down and saying the same thing in multiple blogs?
Now if there was a message board system where we could all convene in one place, that would be much better and productive, but the issue remains that things like that are for classes and not the internet.
Posted by: Tim Traini at March 3, 2005 05:27 PMOk. I'm going to try this one more time and keep it short and to the point instead of the long ones I have done before and them not working because my computer keeps freezing (insert frustrated and exhausted sigh here).
I am in total agreement with you, but I have some suggestions for some changes. Instead of us having to blog on everything due for a day then maybe just one. There was a time when we had multiple things due that we only had to blog one. I think it would make better discussions and then everyone wouldn't be so tired of seeing everything in everyone else's blog. Maybe then people would have more to say becuase they wouldn't have said it on their own blogs already.
(As as side note: My mom was reading over my shoulder (At home already because of a family emergency) and she called Dr. Gawalek this morning. My mom the advocate.)
Posted by: Tiffany at March 4, 2005 10:15 AMHey Tim,
I am so glad that you said something, something I would not have had the guts to do, until now. I am in total agreement with you. I am so frustrated by this class. Last year we had this same problem in my intro to lit class, all Dr.Jerz wanted to focus on was journalism and blogs. I want to stand up and say, uh hello! I'm here to talk about books, you know since I'm english lit major. I really could care less about the internet and all that. That's one thing that I love about Wendland's class we talk about books!!!! The other thing I love about Wendland's class is that he is so entergetic, I want to have that kind of passion when I'm a teacher.
I feel so angry about this research paper that we are doing, sorry but telling the class to just go write a research paper isn't very good, how about being alittle more specific. That irriates me.
The other thing, I don't know if anyone else is experienceing this but I don't appreciate the snarky remarks that Dr. Jerz makes in our blogs. I don't appreciate it when people tell me or make me feel like I'm stupid.
Ok, I better stop now, I'm glad I got that off my cheast, sorry my thoughts are so jumbled. It felt good to get that out. Anyways I am really glad that you came out and said what you said :)
I'm glad to see some enthusiastic discussions about the course. Blogs do have a way of bringing out the emotions, don't they?
I think it's important to keep track of what the blogging requirement really asks you to do. All I ask is that you post agenda items for the assigned readings. The agenda items can be as simple as a brief quotation from the assigned reading and a discussion question. I also ask for some limited interaction between students. A short blog entry that shows real insight and contributes to student learning is very worth more to me than an entry that contains three pages of fluff.
Those of you who had me for writing classes probably remember that I encouraged you to do outside research, to write as if you really cared about the subject, not as if you were just posting homework exercises, and to contribute heavily to online discussions. Check the portfolio requirements -- you'll see those requirements aren't part of this course. I don't want to discourage those students who do feel that it is worthwhile to put in extra energy, and I do ask for at least some "Depth" entries and a few other things, but I also want to remind everyone else that the blogging requirements for this course are really very basic. I'm not even asking for a full page on each reading, which is what Tim suggested.
I don't expect that most students are reading everything their peers write, so my assumption is that discussing the topics students bring up in their blogs is still a good way to spend class time.
I also think it's important to put the midterm paper assignment into context. We spent an hour in class last week going over sample thesis statements and how to find peer-reviewed sources in EBSCOhost, and we spent about another half hour yesterday on a workshop yesterday. The purpose of the pre-writing assignment was to prepare you to have something to say for yesterday's workshop, and the paper that is due on Tuesday is a draft that you'll be able to revise. I've built into the course plenty of opportunities to offer feedback on the midterm paper. Some teachers give out lists of suggested thesis topics in advance, but I worry that leads to cookie-cutter work. I prefer having a brief conversation with a student, and suggesting a few topics that are tailored to the student's interests. To do that, of course, I need you to get your ideas to me in some manner, so that I can give you some feedback.
Sue, if you could let me know what comments I have posted on your blog that you feel are inappropriate, I'll make a public apology if that's the right thing to do. I've taught my children that "stupid" is a bad word -- they sit in the time-out chair if they use it. I would *never* tell a student that he or she was stupid, and I do my best to give students the support that they need in order to meet the educational objectives that I set in the course. I have invited everyone to contact me by e-mail with thesis ideas or research questions, and I repeat my offer to help you work on a thesis statement over the break.
I've never had a regular, permanent scheduled break in my night classes before, so when we have a lot to cover on a given night, I don't particularly miss the break. Apparently, the break is very important to some students. I honestly didn't hear anyone ask for a break last night, and the thought didn't occur to me. That's a perfectly reasonable request.
Posted by: Dennis G. Jerz at March 4, 2005 02:28 PMTim, I just typed a darn long post agreeing with Professor Jerz...and oops...it's missing? Sensoring the comments to the ones that agree with you? Very noble, glad the only mistake you found in the one I took off was "cord" not "chord"
And yet, you e-mail me your response instead of posting it? Don't worry I predicted you would delete my comment, so I saved it in a txt file...
Enjoy Blogging (insert lovable wink)
Posted by: Stephan Puff at March 5, 2005 10:27 PMStephan, you spelled censor wrong. Im staying out of this discussion, because quite frankly, i like Dr. jerz, i like his teaching, and heads up kids, this is COLLEGE! Did you really think it was going to be *gasp* easy? Quit bitching and do the work, just plow freaking through it.
Posted by: Lori at March 8, 2005 02:51 PMHeh, I guess I better make an update eventually to respond to all of this.
I never said it was supposed to be easy, and I know not everyone agrees with me.
Now tell me, if you're getting an education, the point is to learn something, right? Now, if you feel you're not learning something, or that something in a class takes more importance than the actual text or subject matter of the course, then you have a right to say something about it. I didn't plunk down $2000 to listen to, "Well what did you think about it," or "What's your feelings on this?" and have the students carry the class. As Atherton says in philosophy, save the personal opinion for later.
I know I've said this a lot, but college is expensive, and I'm sick of having to hear students bitch about classes all day when they could be actively doing something about it. Lori, if you want to just go back to your cog and rotate in the gears the rest of your life, there's a nice office job in store for you in the future. I'd rather go down in a fight than just shrug my shoulders and give up on everything. If that's what your life plan is, then so be it. But mine isn't. I've spent enough time in my life shutting up, and one thing I've found to be true is that if you speak your mind, even if you don't make a major impact or change, someone will always listen, and it will change something along the way, whether it be yourself or someone else.
I, however, choose to say what I feel.
Hmm, and it seems that not only did the blog system delete Stephan's first post, it deleted my response. Odd.
As Long as this does not develope into a first amendment arguement...
Tim, now that you have spoken your mind locally, can you expand your insults to our government? It might be more meaningful on the grander scale as well...Thanks
Sorry for spelling poorly Lori. See mine misspelling was a speed error; wherein, your whole post was an error *insert delicious wink*
Posted by: Stephan at March 9, 2005 09:52 PMYay, sarcasm!
Posted by: Tim Traini at March 10, 2005 11:38 PMWhoa whoa whoa, Tim, obviously you don't know me at all. I speak my mind, and if you knew ANYTHING about me, that would be the first thing you know, because, straight up, i can be a real bitch BECAUSE i speak my mind. And in this case, i am speaking my mind. Im not giving up, im simply stating that I LIKE THE WAY THINGS ARE. I too, am tired of hearing people bitching all day about classes, hence the reason i said, QUIT BITCHING and freakin suck it up. I, for one, don't bitch about classes all day, so there is no need for me to do anything about it. So, by agreeing with Dr. Jerz, i don't think i am giving up on anything. I definitely fight for what i believe in, and i respect you for doing so as well, i was simply expressing my opinion, which, i thought, was the entire point of this post.
Posted by: Lori at March 11, 2005 04:25 PMAnd how is students expressing their opinions about the texts not learning? It brings up discussion about the text, which, i thought was the whole point? We learn things about the texts such as themes, and symbols, for example, i mean really, how else do you learn about lit?
Posted by: Lori at March 11, 2005 04:34 PMLori is a bitch, I'll attest to that idioabusive proclamation.
It's true Lori, disagreements should be expressed, but maybe they should contain more analytical prowess then "QUIT BITCHING and freakin suck it up." I don't know if that is a counter argument, but more of a "shut up" assertion.
Posted by: Stephan Puff at March 13, 2005 04:48 PMAnd have you made a disagreement with Tim that contains any sort of "analytical prowess", to quote you, or have all your comments been filled with sarcasm and personal opinion?
Posted by: Lori at March 14, 2005 09:39 AMI just think it's funny that some people forget the topic at hand and attack each other instead.
Posted by: stormy at March 14, 2005 02:24 PMTis a funny world...and i wasn't trying to attack, but merely defend....
Posted by: Lori at March 14, 2005 02:37 PMSuch is the magic of the internet.
Posted by: Tim Traini at March 14, 2005 08:11 PMI'm just trying to follow the trend, so if it is short messages now I'll have to stop this here<----
Posted by: Stephan Puff at March 15, 2005 11:06 AMRAGE AGAINST THE MACHIIIIIIIINE
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