Homework for this class will consist of the following:
• Weekly blog posts
• Certain reading assignments to be completed at home
• A research paper
Weekly blog posts
On some weeks, you will be asked to write a 300-400 word blog post. Your post should be uploaded to this blog at the beginning of class each week. Do not get behind!
The blog posts are the heart of the course, and count for one-half of your grade. At the end of the term, I will drop the post with the worst grade, and the final post will provide an opportunity to rewrite one of your previous posts, giving you the chance to boost your grade.
The purpose of the weekly post is to have a conversation with me in writing—so staying on top of the posts is crucial for your success in the class. (In previous terms, I have sometimes received batches of posts, all of which invariably contain the same errors and receive correspondingly low grades. Publishing multiple posts at one time wastes both your time and mine.)
I will publish a marker post at the beginning of each class. Any posts for that week that are published after that marker has been put up are late.
In principle, I will not accept late posts. If, in the first two weeks of class, you are having trouble publishing your post, you must e-mail me your post at calderhead123@gmail.com. There are two exceptions I will make for late posts: 1) In the case of a real emergency situation that prevents you from posting, please speak with me in person or contact me by e-mail, and we will work out a way for you to catch up; 2) The sixth blog post—a list of three sources for your research paper—will be accepted late, but you can expect the grade on that post to be lowered significantly.
If, by chance, you have taken this class before, you may not recycle previously published posts. All work should be newly written for this class.
I will suggest a general topic for your post each week.
Your post will be carefully written. Obviously, grammar, spelling, and accuracy are very important.
You may add pictures if you wish. Any image you take from a web source must be credited. It is also helpful to provide a hyperlink to the original site where you found the picture.
I suggest that your write your posts in Microsoft Word. Once you have revised and proofread your post, you should then post in on this site.
You will use Standard American English for your posts. All words will be spelled out; do not use texting-style abbreviations such as UR or LOL. Do not write NYC when referring to New York City. The only exception to this rule about abbreviations is when referring to organizations commonly referred to by their initials such as the CIA, FBI, or UNESCO. Do not use emoticons. The style of your writing should be as formal as it would be in a business letter or typed assignment.
Please do not use fancy formatting. Stick with the default type size and style on the blog.
Always look at your post after you have hit the <publish> button. This will allow you to ensure that you haven indeed, succeeded in uploading your post to the blog. If the formatting is in any way faulty, use the <edit> function to go back and fix it.
Long blog posts
About half the posts will be long posts, that take the form of a short essay.
Your post should have a clear point to make; 300-400 words is just long enough to explore one clear, concise idea.
Every post must include a bit of research. In your posts, you will present your own ideas, but you must also find other relevant information written by people who have expertise in the subject you are discussing.
You may not use Wikipedia as a source.
Keep any quotations short: I want to see how well you write. I am not interested in reading long quotations from your sources.
You will use the MLA style for in-text citations.
You will also add a Works Cited entry at the bottom of each post, indicating what source(s) you have referred to in your post.
Give your post an interesting title.
Short blog posts
On other weeks, you will be given a shorter assignment for your post. Simply follow the instructions for the post that week.
Some advice about posting on the blog
Remember that a blog is a public forum, and that your posts can be read by anyone with an Internet connection.
Never write anything that threatens anyone with violence, even if your intention is humorous. Do not make unfounded accusations against anyone.
It is not wise to make negative remarks about the place where you work, or about your boss or co-workers.
If you discuss your friends or family members, it's best to describe them in general terms (a friend of mine said … my youngest daughter, who is three, likes …). It's usually best not to give their names. And don't give out information such as the school your child attends or your home address.
Research paper
You will write a 1600-word research paper on a topic of your choosing. Your topic must have some connection to the theme of our blog; some tie to New York City or to the concerns of New Yorkers is required.
Note: I must approve your chosen topic.
Papers will be typed, printed out, and handed in on the due date given on the assignments page.
I do not accept e-mailed research papers. They must be handed in in class. (If there is some really pressing emergency, I may make an occasional exception to this rule, but you must negotiate this with me. Do not assume I will accept trite excuses)
Be sure to give your paper an interesting title.
You must use a minimum of seven sources in writing your paper. These sources must be authoritative: be prepared to tell me why you feel the author of your source is a trustworthy expert on your topic. One source must be an actual physical book.
MLA format will be used for in-text citations and for the Works Cited page.
Please note that I have grown bored of reading research papers on marijuana legalization, and will not approve that as a topic.
Exams
There will be a midterm exam and a final exam. Both will follow the same format.
We will read a long article or essay before each exam, and we will discuss that reading in class. At the exam, you will be given another, shorter reading, that relates in some way to the subjects covered in the long reading.
You will be asked to write an essay in response to a question I will pose.
In your essay, you must discuss both readings. (Failure to mention both readings will result in an immediate F).
The midterm exam is a practice exam, and it will only be counted as one part of your -in-class work. The final exam counts much more: it is a quarter of your grade.
• Weekly blog posts
• Certain reading assignments to be completed at home
• A research paper
Weekly blog posts
On some weeks, you will be asked to write a 300-400 word blog post. Your post should be uploaded to this blog at the beginning of class each week. Do not get behind!
The blog posts are the heart of the course, and count for one-half of your grade. At the end of the term, I will drop the post with the worst grade, and the final post will provide an opportunity to rewrite one of your previous posts, giving you the chance to boost your grade.
I will publish a marker post at the beginning of each class. Any posts for that week that are published after that marker has been put up are late.
In principle, I will not accept late posts. If, in the first two weeks of class, you are having trouble publishing your post, you must e-mail me your post at calderhead123@gmail.com. There are two exceptions I will make for late posts: 1) In the case of a real emergency situation that prevents you from posting, please speak with me in person or contact me by e-mail, and we will work out a way for you to catch up; 2) The sixth blog post—a list of three sources for your research paper—will be accepted late, but you can expect the grade on that post to be lowered significantly.
If, by chance, you have taken this class before, you may not recycle previously published posts. All work should be newly written for this class.
I will suggest a general topic for your post each week.
Your post will be carefully written. Obviously, grammar, spelling, and accuracy are very important.
You may add pictures if you wish. Any image you take from a web source must be credited. It is also helpful to provide a hyperlink to the original site where you found the picture.
I suggest that your write your posts in Microsoft Word. Once you have revised and proofread your post, you should then post in on this site.
You will use Standard American English for your posts. All words will be spelled out; do not use texting-style abbreviations such as UR or LOL. Do not write NYC when referring to New York City. The only exception to this rule about abbreviations is when referring to organizations commonly referred to by their initials such as the CIA, FBI, or UNESCO. Do not use emoticons. The style of your writing should be as formal as it would be in a business letter or typed assignment.
Please do not use fancy formatting. Stick with the default type size and style on the blog.
Always look at your post after you have hit the <publish> button. This will allow you to ensure that you haven indeed, succeeded in uploading your post to the blog. If the formatting is in any way faulty, use the <edit> function to go back and fix it.
Long blog posts
About half the posts will be long posts, that take the form of a short essay.
Your post should have a clear point to make; 300-400 words is just long enough to explore one clear, concise idea.
Every post must include a bit of research. In your posts, you will present your own ideas, but you must also find other relevant information written by people who have expertise in the subject you are discussing.
You may not use Wikipedia as a source.
Keep any quotations short: I want to see how well you write. I am not interested in reading long quotations from your sources.
You will use the MLA style for in-text citations.
You will also add a Works Cited entry at the bottom of each post, indicating what source(s) you have referred to in your post.
Give your post an interesting title.
Short blog posts
On other weeks, you will be given a shorter assignment for your post. Simply follow the instructions for the post that week.
Some advice about posting on the blog
Remember that a blog is a public forum, and that your posts can be read by anyone with an Internet connection.
Never write anything that threatens anyone with violence, even if your intention is humorous. Do not make unfounded accusations against anyone.
It is not wise to make negative remarks about the place where you work, or about your boss or co-workers.
If you discuss your friends or family members, it's best to describe them in general terms (a friend of mine said … my youngest daughter, who is three, likes …). It's usually best not to give their names. And don't give out information such as the school your child attends or your home address.
Research paper
You will write a 1600-word research paper on a topic of your choosing. Your topic must have some connection to the theme of our blog; some tie to New York City or to the concerns of New Yorkers is required.
Note: I must approve your chosen topic.
Papers will be typed, printed out, and handed in on the due date given on the assignments page.
I do not accept e-mailed research papers. They must be handed in in class. (If there is some really pressing emergency, I may make an occasional exception to this rule, but you must negotiate this with me. Do not assume I will accept trite excuses)
Be sure to give your paper an interesting title.
You must use a minimum of seven sources in writing your paper. These sources must be authoritative: be prepared to tell me why you feel the author of your source is a trustworthy expert on your topic. One source must be an actual physical book.
MLA format will be used for in-text citations and for the Works Cited page.
Please note that I have grown bored of reading research papers on marijuana legalization, and will not approve that as a topic.
Exams
There will be a midterm exam and a final exam. Both will follow the same format.
We will read a long article or essay before each exam, and we will discuss that reading in class. At the exam, you will be given another, shorter reading, that relates in some way to the subjects covered in the long reading.
You will be asked to write an essay in response to a question I will pose.
In your essay, you must discuss both readings. (Failure to mention both readings will result in an immediate F).
The midterm exam is a practice exam, and it will only be counted as one part of your -in-class work. The final exam counts much more: it is a quarter of your grade.
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