10-24-11

FOR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, the NATIONAL DAY ON WRITING (if you can):
**Tweet #whyiwrite** : Tweet why you write—and have your students tweet. Include the hashtag [|#whyiwrite] so that everyone can see the many reasons people write.

If you have time, link your tweet to a blog post about the subject! Don't forget to include #eng506!

See Why Do You Write? for more about ways to celebrate the National Day on Writing.

I. Participate in discussion of Jenkins, et.al's New Media Literacies (from //Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture//) on Blackboard:
 * **First entries**/summaries due, IDEALLY, by Wednesday, but by Sunday at noon at the very latest
 * **Sign up here for two NML** for which you will facilitate a discussion (there are seven of you and twelve NML, so two of you will be facilitating the discussion of the same NML). //First come, first-served.//
 * Rule: If any NMLs on the list remain unclaimed at the time of your sign-up, you must sign up for one of them before doubling up on the two that will be facilitated by two people.
 * **On BlackBoard**, under the forum on the "Discussion" tab titled "New Media Literacies," **create a separate discussion thread for each NML.**
 * Title your thread with the specific name of your NML (e.g,, "Transmedia Navigation" or "Collective Intelligence").
 * First entries or opening salvos (by facilitators) should be a brief overview of the respective NML and a few illustrative examples, as described in Jenkins.
 * End each post by copying and pasting the following:
 * What does this NML look like in a traditional ELA classroom (without technology)? In other words, how are we already engaging in this way of being, thinking, and/or learning in English classes?
 * What does the NML look like in an ELA classroom where technology is integrated? In other words, how could tech integration help us better foster this NML in the ELA classroom? What apps would you recommend? How does this enhance the teaching and learning of reading/writing/listening/speaking/viewing/composing?
 * **Second entries**: in addition to facilitating the discussion of your NMLs, you must discuss at least two other NML before class on Monday.
 * Rule: you must respond to threads/posts that have not been responded to before replying to a post that has already generated a response (this will guarantee that each thread gets at least one response).

II. Complete the analysis of your advertising medium, detailed here.

III. Write two blog posts either in response to a post of a fellow classmember or in response to something you discover from your Twitter stream. Be sure to link and/or trackback on the blog of origin. Also take a look at this post on how to increase your blog traffic and try one or two of these strategies.

IV. Respond to at least two classmember's blogs.