The Mighty E-Portfolio

Technology has changed many aspects of our lives, including the ways in which we communicate with one another. Written communication has transformed into digital, electronic communication. With these changes, we have also seen the rise of the electronic portfolio. But, what exactly is an electronic portfolio? According to the Conference on College Composition and Communication website, electronic portfolios are a “thoughtfully arranged collection of multimedia-rich, interlinked, hypertextual documents that students compose, own, maintain, and archive on the internet or in other formats (e.g., CD-ROMs, DVDs).”

But, why do students need an e-portfolio? Well, first and foremost, print documents are becoming obsolete. I must say that this makes me sad. I know that digital texts save trees, are more environmentally friendly, and in some cases are cheaper, but I still like print documents. There’s something special about holding your paper or project that looking at it on the screen doesn’t compare to. However, digital texts are the texts of tomorrow, and this transition has already begun. So, the first reasons students should develop an e-portfolio is because our society is becoming more digital in many different ways, especially the ways in which we communicate.

Speaking of communication, the e-portfolio allows students and professionals to showcase their best work and projects for potential employers to see. The e-portfolio is like the new version of a résumé, except that you still need a résumé. Most people include their résumé somewhere in some form in their electronic portfolio. The e-portfolios job is to bring your résumé to life, displaying all of the great projects you completed while working or interning at the places listed on your résumé.

Since potential employers are the primary audience for an electronic portfolio, it is of the utmost importance that the portfolio itself exhibits your best quality work. Students should think long and hard about which of their pieces and projects to include in their portfolio. Employers aren’t interested in seeing every project you’ve ever done. They want to see a few pieces that highlight all the different skills you have.

Something also to take into consideration: E-portfolios not only need quality projects, but the portfolios themselves need to look visually appealing and professional. There are a million websites out there that will let you make a site for free. If you can’t afford it or don’t want to pay for it, make an e-portfolio for free using one of the many free sites out there. These sites will often provide you with a template for creating your e-portfolio. You can also customize these templates to your liking. Those of you who are HTML savvy may want to consider coding your own site. Anything you can add to your skillset is a plus, and HTML code knowledge is definitely in high demand right now.

So, what I’m trying to get at is the e-portfolio is extremely important because the contents of it and the portfolio itself are a direct representation of you and your abilities as a professional. Electronic portfolios show what you are capable of in a variety of ways. For example, The Conference on College Composition and Communication website also says, through e-portfolios, “Students make optimal use of the technological features of electronic writing, collaboration, and records-keeping, and consider the larger implications of making e-portfolios accessible on the Internet.” E-portfolios will help you get the job of your dreams, as long as it represents you in the best way possible.

So, what do you all think? How important are e-portfolios? What free sites have you heard of that are good for creating an e-portfolio? How would you integrate e-portfolios into the online composition course?

Works Cited
Bgblogging. Digital Writing. 10 Apr. 2008. JPG file.

Conference on College Composition and Communication. Principles and Practices in Electronic Portfolios. Conference on College Composition and Communication. n.d. Web. 10 May 2013.

Commenting and Conferencing—Looking at Students’ Work

For this week, our readings discuss the important of communicating with our students through written comments on their writing and conferencing. Before reading, I had several questions about communicating with students about their work: How much should we as instructors comment on our students’ work? How much time should we spend on each assignment? Is there a formula for how much time to spend and how many comments to leave on each students’ paper?

To answer these questions, I will consult Beth Hewett, author of The Online Writing Conference: A Guide for Teachers and Tutors. Overall, it seems as if Hewett feels that commenting on students’ work and writing is situational. Hewett says that answering a student’s question via e-mail may only take between two and ten minutes. However, Hewett also says that some student conferences may require more attention and be more formal, taking 30-40 minutes (134).

After taking this into consideration, I agree with Hewett’s assessment. I don’t really have any teaching experience under my belt, but from a student’s perspective, this sound accurate. As a teacher, I want to give the amount of attention necessary to each student and their individual situation. I know this is easier said than done, but that would be my goal, and I’m sure my students would appreciate that.

As far as grading papers and commenting on them, this seems to also be situational. Some students may need more attention than others for a particular assignment. However, as Hewett points out, all students need a lot of attention –meaning comments—at one point or another (133). As a student, I always appreciate comments, especially when I need them. Constructive criticism is not always east to swallow, but it helps each and every one of us grow and become better writers.

But, in order to provide useful and meaningful comments, Hewett suggests not tiring yourself out while commenting on students’ paper:

Nonetheless, I have found that I must measure my online work by some unit or I become fatigued and write unhelpful comments. And, when those formative responses are the primary means of teaching, as they are in some networked classes and most online courses and online tutorial settings, the quality of the response is critical. (133)

In order for us as instructors to provide good-quality comments, we must know when we need a break. Teachers, instructors, and tutors are not machines. Reading, commenting, and grading for hours on end can be mentally and cognitively taxing on us as time elapses. Therefore, we must know—not only for our students but also for ourselves—when enough is enough! What I gather from this is that we must give each of our students the attention they need and deserve when they need it. However, we must doll out this attention in a manner so that it does not hinder our ability to provide quality feedback and commentary.

Overall, I don’t think there is any fool-proof formula we can adopt for providing feedback and to tell us how much time we should spend on each of our student’s papers. All we can do is help our students to the best of our abilities, so long as it does not impair our cognitive functioning. If we reach that point, it’s time for a Starbucks or Diet Coke break, depending on your beverage of choice.

So, what do you all think? How do you measure the amount of time you put into providing feedback and comments on your students’ work? What signs do you look for that your comments are no longer useful or helpful and that it may be time for a break?

Work cited

Hewett, Beth. The Online Writing Conference: A Guide for Teachers and Tutors. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishing, Inc. 2010. Print.

Syllabus: The Teacher-Student Contract

For this module, we have been talking about infrastructure choices, course design, and the classroom syllabus. In particular, what stuck out to me was the discussion of syllabi in the online writing class. Scott Warnock, author of Teaching Writing Online: How and Why, says, “For many instructors, the syllabus has become more than simply a list of readings and due dates, and instead is a contract between teacher and student” (38).

The syllabus acts as a contract between the teacher and the students. This is a new idea to me. Before doing the readings, I had never thought about a syllabus in this way. But now that I am thinking about it, the syllabus really does acts like a contract between teacher and student. Warnock also says, “Many teachers are turning to elaborate, detailed syllabi that provide not only the readings, course contact information, and a list of class activities, but also the guidelines for expected class behaviors, department policies, and contact information for campus support services” (38). These added details to a class syllabus seem to flesh out the contract-like nature of the syllabus.

Reading about classroom contracts and syllabi got me thinking about my own online writing course and the sample writing course we will be developing for ENG 725. Eberly, Newton, and Wiggins highlight the importance of the syllabus document by stating that it is the “initial communication tool that students receive as well as being the most formal mechanism for sharing information with students” (qtd. in Warnock 38-9). With this in mind, I want to make a good first impression on my students. Warnock advises, “You’ll want to spend time thinking over what you say and how you say it in the syllabus” (39).

I don’t want my students to get the wrong impression, so I definitely want to make sure that my syllabus is well written, understandable, and free of any grammatical, spelling, or mechanical errors. I also want to get across to my students that I will be available for them. Warnock suggests, “You might want to designate times each week when you will check and quickly respond to email, and other times when students should expect a lag” (40). By letting my students know the times when I am (or expect to be) readily available, students will know when they can expect a quick response from me. I think communication is key to classroom morale, too, especially in the online writing class. It can be very frustrating for students who are unable to get a response from their instructor. I haven't really experienced this too much at MSU, but I can only imagine how frustrating it would be.

Another important aspect of the syllabus is the schedule. I would like my students to be aware of the assignments they will be completing throughout the semester. I think this allows students more time to brainstorm, process, and map out possible ideas for each major project. From a student’s perspective, I like knowing what I’m getting myself into from the get-go of any semester. Even if some students choose not to think about an assignment before the due date approaches, at least they will have the option. I also understand that due dates and schedule do, indeed, change for many different reasons. So, I will have an idea of the overall direction of my course, but I will be organizing my course on a weekly basis, similar to the Moodle used for ENG 725. Warnock says, “In both onsite and online teaching, although you certainly need a clear sense of the overall expectations and the map of the course, you shouldn’t feel that you need to frame out every moment of activity before term begins” (45).

So, what do you think? How important is the syllabus for a classroom? Does this document really function as a contract between teacher and student? What important information will you be putting in your syllabus? Anything unique or unexpected?

Work Cited
Acosta Roa, Ángel Antonito. Correo Electrónico Institucional. 24 Nov. 2012. JPEG file.

Warnock, Scott. Teaching Writing Online: How & Why. Urbana: National Council of Teachers of English, 2009. Print.

“New Media Text” and Pedagogy

After reading Selfe’s article, “Students Who Teach Us: A Case Study of a New Media Text Designer,” it really got me thinking about “New Media Text.” How important is “New Media Text?” I wanted to get some feedback on this topic. So, I decided to ask my fellow ENG 725 classmates in a forum thread. Only one person—Erik—responded, but he seemed to agree that teaching our students about “New Media Text” is, indeed, important. In fact, Erik even claimed that we as teachers would be doing our students a “disservice” not to address this contemporary issue in the classroom, whether it’s an online or seated class.

But, what exactly does Selfe mean by “New Media Text.” Here is what Selfe has to say about “New Media Texts:

I mean to refer to texts created primarily in digital environments, composed in multiple media (e.g., film, video, audio, among others), and designed for presentations and exchange in digital venues. These texts generally place a heavy emphasis on visual elements (both still and moving photography, images, graphics, drawings, renderings, animations) and sound, and they often involve some level of interactivity. (43)

After reading this definition, most of us probably realize that we have encountered some form of “New Media Text,” whether it’s online through YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, a blog, or another communication channel. I completely agree with Erik in that teaching our students about “New Media Text” is very important.

As the Information Age surges forward and digital media becomes a more crucial component of communication, we owe it to our students to prepare them for what they will encounter. Selfe says, “Teachers of composition are becoming increasingly interested in such texts, in part, because they see more of them given the growing presence of information technologies in so many areas of our lives” (44). We need to prepare our students to navigate through these digital waters. Writing is not just about the printed page anymore. It’s also about the e-page, whether that page is a website, social media account, blog posting, or an online video or presentation.

This past Friday, I went to an advisory board meeting with the MSU Marketing Department. The purpose of the meeting was to meet with working professionals to discuss how to make college graduates more marketable and employable. Two of the most common things said were writing skills and digital media knowledge. This directly relates back to Selfe’s idea of “New Media Text.” By incorporating this kind of writing, “New Media Text,” we can teach our students about writing and digital media at the same time.

The best thing about “New Media Text” is that we are now more able to teach students this kind of digital writing in the classroom. Selfe states:

Many schools—and even some home libraries—now include software that allows for multimedia authoring; digital photography and photographic manipulation; sound capture and digital sound manipulation; rendering of landscape, objects, and human forms; paintings and drawings, animations, movie production and editing; word processing, graphic design, and so on. (44)

I know that teaching “New Media Text” is easier said than done, but that goes for most things in life. Now that we have more capabilities, the possibilities are endless.

So, what do you all think? Are “New Media Texts” important? How will you integrate them into your classroom curriculum? Also, what legal considerations accompany “New Media Text?”

Work Cited

Selfe, Cynthia. Multimodal Composition: Resources for Teachers (New Directions in Computers and Composition). Hampton Press, 2007. Print.

Life or Convenience?

We’ve all done it. We’re all guilty of it. It’s just really convenient, right? You’re in the car on the way to school or work, and you get a call or a text from your best friend. So, what do you do next? Answer it, of course. Recently, one of my sisters was in a non-life threatening car accident because the other person was using a cell phone while driving. This got me thinking: What could have happened? My sister’s accident made me have an ah-hah moment--cell phones really are distracting.

As a millennial, I grew up with technology, and cell phones have been around for as long as I can remember. But, just because millennials, like myself, grew up with cell phones doesn’t make us invincible to harm or traffic accidents that can result from using them while driving. My sister’s accident caused me to realize this, and now I believe that a national ban on the use of cell phones while driving should be implemented for three reasons.

Using a cell phone while driving is distracting.

Most of us have probably heard the saying that young drivers and teenagers think they’re invincible. Well, I was one of these people, and then my sister’s accident changed my perspective. Us as millennials are not invincible. Cell phones do distract us from looking at the road. Forsyth reports that “Using a cell phone while driving delays reaction time the same amount as having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08, the legal limit” (2012). The use of cell phones while driving distracts us so much that we react as if we were legally intoxicated. That information speaks for itself.

Using a cell phone while driving causes unnecessary losses of life.

Not only does the use of cell phones while driving delays reaction time, but the use of them also causes tragic traffic accidents and death. Ahlers asserts that “At any given daylight moment, some 13.5 million drivers are on hand-held phones” (2011). With so many people using cell phones while on the road, this leads to unfortunate accidents and death. In 2010, “some 3,092 roadway fatalities resulted from distracted drivers (Ahlers 2011). These fatalities are preventable, and the key to prevention is not using a cellphone while driving.

Many states have already passed bans on cell phone use while driving.

Many states have taken initiative to ban cell phone use while driving. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, 10 states have already passed laws forbidding the use of handheld cellphones while driving (2013). Additionally, 39 states currently prohibit text messaging for all drivers. In Missouri, it is currently illegal for an individual under the age of 21 to text message while driving. However, this isn’t enough.
 
Our national government needs to recognize that there is a problem. Cell phones are distracting and cause unnecessary losses of life. The national government needs to follow the noble examples set forth by the states who have already taken the initiative to ban the use of cell phones while driving. 
 
We all can get involved to make a change. Write to our national representatives in Washington. Write letter; send messages on Facebook and Twitter; or, try a good, old-fashioned phone call. Spread the word that cell phones should be banned while driving. Millennials, I ask you, is it worth it? What will it be? Life or a convenient phone call or text? The choice is yours.

Works Cited

Ahlers, Mike M. "NTSB Recommends Full Ban on Use of Cell Phones While Driving." CNN. Cable News Network, 14 Dec. 2011. Web. 11 Apr. 2013.

Brown, Ed. Person Using Cell phone While Driving. 2 Apr. 2007. JPEG file.

Forsyth, Jim. “U.S. Ban Sought on Cell Phone Use While Driving.” Reuters. Thompson Reuters, 26 Apr. 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2013.

Governors Highway Safety Association. “Distracted Driving Laws.” Governors Highway Safety Association: The States’ Voice on Highway Safety. United States Federal Government, Apr. 2013. Web. 11 Apr. 2013.

WhisperToMe. A Sign that States "No Texting While Driving." n.d. JPEG file.

Growing as a Writer Through Peer Conferences

When I started getting more and more writing assignments in high school, I was not a strong or confident writer by any means. Writing just didn't come naturally to me. I didn't really get it. In my circle of friends, there were many strong writers, and I often consulted them for advice through peer review.

As with most students, we procrastinated on a lot of projects. We often read each other’s papers and provided comments and feedback. Many times these peer conferences would occur late at night via e-mail, instant messages, chat sessions, and even MySpace. If I was in high school today, we probably would be using Facebook or other social networking platforms for communication.

Today, my relationship with writing is much different. I am confident, and I enjoy writing. I don’t consider myself a great writer, but it is something I am passionate about. I contribute all the progress I've made over the years to one thing—peer reviewing and conferencing.

From his book, Teaching Writing Online: How & Why, Scott Warnock discusses the importance of peer review in the writing process. Warnock believes that peer review is not just for the seated class but also the online learning environment: “Peer review is a standard FYW practice that can operate in an enhanced way using the technologies of the OWcourse” (109). Peer review is important because it provides so many great benefits for students, and it allows them to grow as writers. Warnock asserts, “One of the obvious benefits is that the author of the project being review gets feedback” (109).

I completely agree with Warnock’s statement because talking about writing helps everyone involved in the process, the author and the reviewer. Going back to the introductory anecdote to this blog post, peer reviewing and conferencing is what helped me find the ability to write and to find the strength to grow as a writer. I wouldn't be a graduate writing student if it weren't for peer conferencing and the help of others. I truly believe that writing is a social activity that involves other individuals, not just the writer. Therefore, to become better writers, we must have our works looked at by others, and we must discuss where improvements are needed.

Thanks to technology, these discussions, or peer review sessions, can take place via a plethora of communication channels: Warnock mentions e-mail, message boards, blogs, wikis, and peer review software (110-112). All of these are great options, but I believe there are more, such as Skype and Google Hangouts. Video chat could serve as an excellence means of peer conferencing. With video chat, you not only get to hear the other person, but you also get to see them, which could make peer conferencing a paper, project, or piece of writing much easier. Sometimes it’s hard to talk about a document via telephone or written communication. In fact, I will do whatever it takes to peer conference my papers in person. If I can’t be physically with someone, the next best thing, I believe, is video chat. I've used Skype and Apple’s Face Time. Both of these options have allowed me to successfully discuss a paper with one of my friends, classmates, or peers and receive good and understandable feedback. 

With all of these tools offered to us in the realm of cyber space, online learning can be a place where successful peer conferences take place. As Warnock pointed out, peer conferencing is very important in the writing process, especially for young and developing writers, such as students. Who knows where I would be today if it weren't for some of the sentimental, fun, and oh-so-memorable peer conferences from my high school days. Now, five years later, I’m still a student, and I still participate in peer conferences. And, I will continue to do so for the rest of my writing career, which means for life.

So, what do you think? How important are peer conferences for students? Are they important to you as a writer?

Works Cited
Farias Jr, Francisco. "Typing Text." <a href="http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=23484&picture=typing-text">Typing Text</a> by Francisco Farias Jr

Warnock, Scott. Teaching Writing Online: How & Why. Urbana: National Council of Teachers of English, 2009. Print.

The Importance of Online Conversations

One of the main differences between seated classes and online classes is face-to-face interaction. In a seated course, students and the instructor have the luxury of being able to discuss writing and related topics as a whole class, in groups, or one-on-one. Personally, I think talking about writing in any format that isn't face-to-face is rather difficult, especially if it’s about a particular paper or draft. When it comes to writing, I've always been very visual. I like to see comments on physical paper and make marks or comments on physical paper with someone else actually there with me. I also like sitting across from someone with the draft or paper between us. There seriously is nothing better than that! 

So one question I think is important is how can we make our online conversations and discussions as effective—if not more—as our face-to face interactions? Just because members of an online class are separated by the digital divide doesn't mean that the quality of conversations and discussions must suffer. Warnock even asserts that online conversations can be better than face-to-face conversations in the classroom (68). How exactly do these conversations occur, and what are the advantages, according to Warnock? Why are these conversations so significant? 

Message Boards

One commonly used platform for online conversations to unfold is through message boards. Message boards allow instructors (or students) to pose questions and prompts to the other members of the class as a jumping off point for a discussion to begin about a particular topic. In my experience, message boards have provided a great outlet for conversations to unravel. I have never been a teacher, but as a student, I think they are extremely effective. Since I am very visual, I like that you can see the progression of the conversation through posts, comments, and replies. This structure of message boards allows me to see exactly what turns the conversation takes and at what points.

In online classes, I feel like I have more control over when I do my school work because I get to choose when to do my work, most of the time. Message boards are very similar. They’re considered asynchronous forms of communication because they don’t require all users to be active at the same time (69). This is definitely a major advantage since students are able to participate at their convenience and with much more preparation time compared to face-to-face classrooms. Warnock sites this as a benefit because when students are able to respond at their leisure with more time to prepare and reflect, the quality of the discussion increases: Warnock states, “I find that the natural delay helps conversations on the boards achieve a level of sophistication beyond many, if not most, onsite class discussions” (70).

The Great Equalizer

Another great aspect of message boards is that they allow all students to participate. This is not always the case in seated classrooms. Warnock declares, “Some students might be shy about speaking their minds in a classroom conversation or even a fast-paced chat setting, where by the time you respond, the rest of the group is on to another topic” (70). Message boards situate students on an equal playing field, allowing each participant to dive in on any given aspect of the discussion at any given time. For example, a student may check the message board and find that he or she really doesn't have much to add at the current time, or the student may need more time to reflect on his or her thoughts about the status of the discussion. The student is then able to go back to the message board at a later time to add his or her input, contributing to the conversation and furthering it.

Write, Write, Write!

Last and certainly not least, message boards encourage students to write more often. We've all heard that to get better at anything, especially writing, you must practice, practice, practice. That’s exactly what message boards do. They provide a platform for students to exhibit their writing in an actual conversation. Warnock says, “By using message boards, I provide students with many low-stakes opportunities to write, helping them practice and refine their thinking through writing. And they use their writing to develop a point, building authority while speaking not just to me but to their peers” (72). Overall, I’ve found the more writing I am able to do in a class, the better. Message boards can help students sort out their thoughts and better understand concepts so that they can later apply them in more formal papers and other academic situations. 

Now, we've only discussed message boards here today. There are definitely other outlets for conversations to develop in an online class, such as Twitter and blogs. It seems to me that these conversations are so very important in the online classroom because they preserve the sanctity of human interaction and communication. When I've taken online classes, my biggest complaint has always been that I don’t always feel like anyone else is in the class with me, almost like I’m alone. Message boards alleviate this feeling, allowing other students to make their individual and unique voices heard through their own writing. For me, writing is nothing if I have no one else to talk about it with, and I don't mean I just want to talk about my own writing. Sure, some people think you should write for yourself. I agree with this statement. I just so happen to thrive off the conversations that develop as a result of the writing, whether it’s mine or that of someone else.

So, what do you think? Why are conversations in writing classes so important? What do we as students (and instructors/professionals) gain from talking about writing?

Does anyone have a preference of a particular medium for online conversations? Why or why not?

Work Cited

Warnock, Scott. Teaching Writing Online: How & Why. Urbana: National Council of Teachers of English, 2009. Print

The Benefits of Blogging

With the continuing development of technology and its effect on online education, blogs and other related modes of communication are more important now than ever before. Why? The answer is simple: interaction. Richardson states, “Blogs engage readers with ideas and questions and links. They ask readers to think and to respond. They demand interaction” (18). Blogs takes online education to a whole new level, one that more closely resembles a physical classroom. The reason for this is the interactivity mentioned previously by Richardson.

Interaction!
Through blogs, numerous opportunities exist for online conversations to begin. The most basic conversation starter would be a blog post in which other users are able to read and leave their reaction to the post as their contribution. Thus, the conversation begins. From there, the author and other bloggers are able to respond and join in, adding their opinions as the conversation continues.

But that’s not the only way conversations can begin through blogs. Authors can post graphics, pictures, videos, and links to other online content as possible conversation starters. As with written posts, others can comment and add their responses and reactions to join the discussion. Bloggers can even connect their blog postings to their social networking accounts like Facebook and Twitter. Social media is just another way conversations can be started or continued in an online setting. This all may sound familiar, but it’s important because of the implications associated with online learning and writing in general.

Better Writing, More Frequently
Let’s go back to the idea that blogs demand interaction. In order for authors and bloggers to see interaction, their content and writing must be worth reading and worth interacting with, at least in the mind of potential readers and other bloggers. Therefore, the very nature of blogs encourages writers to become better writers and more frequently. Richardson states, “Because the content that students and teachers create is on the World Wide Web, it is content that becomes a part of the wider body of knowledge that the Internet represents. It is searchable; people can find it and use it” (26).

As Richardson points out, blogs are not just for the author; they can be read and used by others for many different reasons. If your blog writing is not up to par, then your readers won’t return to your site for future posts. Kramer explains that blogs not only need to have good headlines, but the content that follows needs to be worth reading. If you have an interesting headline with lackluster content to follow, your readers will most likely not return to your blog for future posts. The bottom line: if bloggers want their content to be read, shared, and interacted with by others, the material needs to be worth reading.

“Research, Organization, and the Synthesis of Ideas”
Not only can blogging improve writing, but it can hone other necessary skills as well. Richardson explains, “The act of writing in a Weblog, or ‘blogging,’ can go a long way toward teaching skills such as research, organization, and the synthesis of ideas” (27). Each of these elements contributes to good writing, and blogging can help writers acquire these skills.

 This brings us back to the idea that blogs are crucial components of online education, especially for teaching writing online. As Richardson discusses, blogs can be utilized as “a class portal to communicate information about the class and to archive course materials” (21). With blogs, teachers can encourage their students to write better and more often. Blogging allows people to make better and stronger connections with each other, breaking down the technological barriers separating one online user from another. Overall, blogs are important means of communication because they allow interaction in online learning communities and foster writing skills.

Click here to read Shelly Kramer's full article on what makes for good blog writing. She offers great tips and insight grounded in real-world experience:

So, what do you think, does blogging improve our writing? Have any of you noticed improvements in your own writing since we've been blogging for ENG 725?


Works Cited
Francisco Farias Jr. "Text Editors." Public domain. http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=29156&picture=text-editors

Kosta Kostov. "Blog Letters." Public Domain. http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=2941&picture=blog-letters.

Kramer, Shelly. “The Key to Writing Great Blog Posts.” Business 2 Community. 12 Feb. 2013. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.

Richardson, Will. Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand, Oaks, California: Corwin, 2010. Print.

Online Teaching Persona: Formality vs. Informality

It seems pretty ironic to be “seated” in an online class that teaches how to teach writing online. However, this also situates us as the student so we know what it’s like to be on both sides of the pedagogical divide. I haven’t taken many online classes, but I’m happy to be enrolled in this one for the experience. During my lifetime, I would like to be a professor, and I think the experiences I gain from this class will help me somewhere down the road from here.

As a professor, I want to be perceived as a teacher who is respected and thought of as intelligent. I also want to be seen as someone who sets up a positive, comfortable, and fun learning environment. How exactly does one achieve this? How do you walk the fine line between being too aggressive and strict and too passive and nice? How do you preserve the formality of face-to-face learning in an online setting, especially in a course about writing?

This week Warnock discusses that even when teaching online, teachers have a distinct voice and persona. In turn, how instructors choose to present themselves can affect the behavior and work performance of his or her students. Warnock explains that teachers develop a personality—how students perceive them—when they teach (2). Depending on what that personality type is, it may have either a positive or negative effect on the students and their learning experiences.

Personas to avoid
Warnock outlines a few of the personality types that instructors may want to avoid in an online learning setting:

• Unapproachable sage
• Apathetic drone
• Chum
• Fool
• Harsh Critic (4-6)

Warnock’s personas are exactly what they sound like. The unapproachable sage stifles student contribution because the students feel they have nothing worthy to add, compared to the comments made by the instructor (4). Apathetic drone describes a teacher who comes across uninterested in the course, content or students themselves (5). The fool makes mistakes that may be viewed as unforgivable by students, and the harsh critic strongly criticizes the students (5-6). And then there’s the chum.  This particular persona intrigues me because I feel it relates back to our bigger question: Where should we draw the line between formality and informality in an online writing class?

The Chum

As Warnock explains, the chum is someone who allows excessive informalities into the online discussions (5). When does informality cross the line and hinder the students’ ability to learn and become better writers? With social media, e-mail, texting, and yes, even blogging, new developments in our language and how we communicate have emerged. For each of these technological writing platforms, it’s very natural to use informalities, shortcuts, and creative language. However, should they be deemed appropriate for an online class about writing? From reading about Warnock’s description of the chum, I found myself asking several questions regarding writing style in an online setting:

1. Are informal acronyms such as LOL appropriate?
2. Does punctuation matter?
3. Is it okay to use creative spellings such as u for you and thnx for thanks?
4. Are emoticons appropriate?
5. Is it okay to use some curse words?

The Bottom Line

Now, the answer to these questions may seem obvious in the context of an online class about teaching writing. However, when considering the writing style used by most people in electronic media, the answer may not be so simple. The NCTE advocates that it is important for writing to be correct, but that it is also important for writing to have a purpose and be suited for the intended audience. With this in mind and taking Warnock into consideration, I think it’s important to teach students that there’s a time and place for informal writing styles. Some may disagree with me, but I think for the most part, an online writing class should try to follow typical writing conventions: punctuation, grammar, spelling, and mechanics. There seems to be a time and a place for overlooking punctuation and creative spelling, like when texting, commenting on Facebook, or sending an e-mail to a friend.

Depending on how teachers present themselves in an online class, students may feel it's appropriate to disregard punctuation or even enage in cursing. I don't think emoticons or acronyms are bad. In fact, I myself use informalities on Facebook, in texts, when writing e-mails, and while tweeting on Twitter. 

 I think students should feel a sense of responsibility for what they write and how they write--This is why I agree with Warnock and want to avoid looking like a chum. The bottom line: students need to understand that these types of informalities probably will not be acceptable in academic, formal, and professional writing.

What do you think? Should these informalities be allowed in an online setting? Or, do they hinder students' abilities to write for a professional/formal audience?

Works Cited

National Council of Teachers of English. NTCE Beliefs about the Teaching of Writing. 1998. Web. 30 January 2013.

Warnock, Scott. Teaching Writing Online: How & Why. Urbana: National Council of Teachers of English, 2009. Print.