Monday, December 15, 2014

Final Report, Fall 2014

My contributions to the Fall 2014 term of instruction at Oklahoma State University have ended. At the end of the term, I had four classes: ENGL 2413.005, ENGL 3323.004, ENGL 3323.006, and ENGL 3323.007--Introduction to Literature and three sections of Technical Writing.

ENGL 2413.005
End-of-term enrollment: 21
Average course grade: 659/1000 (D)
Number of students earning an A grade (900+/1000): 0
Number of students earning an F grade (600-/1000): 7

Notably, two students failed as a direct result of excessive absences (10+ over the term). Others failed due to absence penalties short of direct failure (seven to nine absences during the term). Non-submission of assignments also influenced the relatively high failure rate.

ENGL 3323.004
End-of-term enrollment: 18
Average course grade: 743/1000 (C)
Number of students earning an A grade (900+/1000): 3
Number of students earning an F grade (600-/1000): 2

One student failed as a direct result of excessive absences.

ENGL 3323.006
End-of-term enrollment: 18
Average course grade: 801/1000 (B)
Number of students earning an A grade (900+/1000): 3
Number of students earning an F grade (600-/1000): 1

One student failed as a direct result of excessive absences.

ENGL 3323.007
End-of-term enrollment: 19
Average course grade: 752/1000 (C)
Number of students earning an A grade (900+/1000): 2
Number of students earning an F grade (600-/1000): 2

One student failed as a direct result of excessive absences. Another failed as a result of plagiarism.

Comments
Numbers across classes do not track well from the previous term's report, as no classes are common between the two terms. For the technical writing classes, average numbers seem to be down a bit from the previous fall's report, although individuals did do better than their earlier counterparts. One suggestion is that grading practices are stabilizing, perhaps due to greater familiarity with the student body in place.

The literature class remains an outlier, however. Instruction in it was modeled after that used to great effect in a nearly-parallel course taught last term, with an additional step in the process of composing a conference-length paper inserted as acknowledgement of the somewhat lower level of the class as designated. In addition, the amount of commentary required of students on a weekly basis was lowered, and a grade-floor imposed upon it; no student received lower than 5/10 for the homework. Even so, performance was not as good as could have been hoped; a number of students neglected the homework largely or entirely, and several commented during class time that their efforts on the papers began the week they were due (instead of a month or so before, when they were assigned), if not the night before they were to be turned in. The work submitted often supported such assertions. More consideration of the assignments and sequence in the class will have to be undertaken.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004 and 007; 20141212

Section 004
Class began at 10:00am in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen received credit for attendance, verified by the FinEx that occupied class time.

Section 007
Class began at 2:00pm in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen received credit for attendance, verified by the FinEx that occupied class time.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Class Report: ENGL 3323, Section 006; 20141210

Class began at 2:00pm in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified through the FinEx that occupied the class's meeting time.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141208

Class began at 10:00am in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 21 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Eighteen attended, verified by the summative exam with which the class was occupied.

Exams began to come in just before 11am. The last exam from the students in the room was submitted at 11:44am.

Friday, December 5, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141205

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Thirteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after the just-submitted CrEMP before addressing concerns of the FinEx. Student participation was adequate.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Thirteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as the previous section's. Student participation was minimal.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as the previous sections'. Student participation was minimal.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141205

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 21 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified informally.

Discussion reviewed the quiz from last class and concluded Midsummer Night's Dream; some comments on the summative exam were also offered. Student attendance was good, if somewhat prone to distraction.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141203

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified informally.

Class was taken up with final review of the CrEMP. Student participation was good.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fourteen attended, verified informally.

Class followed the same pattern as the earlier section's. Student participation was good.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified informally.

Class was followed the same pattern as the earlier sections', but a paperwork error resulted in loss of the regular classroom; review was truncated, and students were tasked to develop their projects independently.

Students in all sections are reminded that the FinEx page has updated.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141203

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. the class roster listed 21 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Nineteen attended, verified by quiz.

Discussion continues with Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream before adjourning in favor of a quiz. Student participation was good.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141201

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fourteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion treated the just-submitted PEM and the upcoming CrEMP. Student participation was adequate.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as the earlier section's. Student participation was good.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Thirteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as the earlier sections'. Student participation was good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141201

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 21 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion focused on William Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. Student participation was good.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141124

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Thirteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after the just-submitted EAR and reminded students of the upcoming PEM and CrEMP before adjourning in favor of student evaluations.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Twelve attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier section's.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier sections'.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141124

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 21 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Thirteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after the just-submitted conference-length paper before adjourning in favor of student evaluations.

Friday, November 21, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141121

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Thirteen attended, verified informally.

Class was taken up with final review of the EAR, which is due before the beginning of class on 24 November. Student participation was reasonably good.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fourteen attended, verified informally.

Class activity was the same as in the earlier section. Student participation was reasonably good.

Section 007
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified informally.

Class activity was the same as in the earlier sections. Student participation was good.

Students in all sections are reminded to be at work on the PEM and CrEMP, as well.

Class Report: ENG 2413, Section 005; 20141121

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 21 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Fourteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the conference-length paper, which is due before the beginning of class on 24 November. It them moved to finalize treatment of A Raisin in the Sun. Student participation was good.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141119

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the EAR and introduced the PEM and CrEMP. Student participation was reasonably good.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had that of the earlier section. Student participation was adequate.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fourteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had those of the earlier sections. Student participation was good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141119

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 21 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Twenty attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the conference-length paper before returning to A Raisin in the Sun. Student participation was quite good.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141117

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Fourteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the EAR before treating software concerns. Student participation was limited.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Fourteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed the same pattern as had been the case in the earlier section. Student participation was adequate.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed the same pattern as had been the case in the earlier sections. Student participation was good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141117

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 21 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the conference-length paper, which is due in a week, before turning to A Raisin in the Sun. Student participation was good.

Friday, November 14, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141114

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fourteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the EAR before wrapping up treatment of the Thaiss and Porter article. Student participation was reasonably good.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Thirteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had that of the earlier section. Student participation was adequate.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had that of the earlier sections. Student participation was good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141114

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 21 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Nineteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the conference-length paper before wrapping up with Antigone. Student participation was good.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Class Reports: ENG 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141112

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the EAR before treating Thaiss and Porter's CCC 61.3 article, "The State of WAC/WID in 2010." Student participation was adequate.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had that of the earlier section. Student participation was somewhat strained.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had that of the earlier sections. Student participation was good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141112

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 21 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the conference-length paper before continuing with Antigone. Student participation was good.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141110

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class. Sixteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the EAR before turning to a sample report and some formatting concerns for the EAR. Student participation was good.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class. Seventeen attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had that of the earlier section, although it focused more on points of usage. Student participation was good.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class. Seventeen attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had that of the earlier sections. A gust was present. Student participation was good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141110

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 21 students enrolled, unchanged since last class. Sixteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the conference-length paper before turning to Antigone. Student participation was good.

Friday, November 7, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141107

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, one fewer than at the last class meeting. Thirteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the EAR before turning to consideration of the Gere et al. article "Local Assessment: Using Genre Analysis to Validate Directed Self-Placement" (CCC 64.4 [June 2013]: 605-33]), available here. Student participation was marginal.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as the earlier section. Student participation was good.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fourteen are regarded as having been in attendance, verified informally.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as the earlier sections. Student participation was adequate.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005 20141107

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 21 students enrolled, one fewer than at the last class meeting. Eighteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the conference-length paper before turning to Sophocles's Oedipus Rex. Student participation was good.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141105

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fourteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the EAR before covering concerns of research sources. Student participation was adequate.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had that of the earlier section. Student participation was marginal.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had that of the earlier sections. Student participation was good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141105

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 22 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Nineteen attended, verified by a quiz.

Discussion asked after progress on the conference-length paper before covering features of drama and conducting the quiz. Student participation was good.

Monday, November 3, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141103

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after thoughts about the just-submitted TInst and progress on the EAR before reviewing reports and analyzing one. Student participation was adequate.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fourteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had that in the earlier section. Student participation was adequate.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Eighteen attended, verified informally.

The expected guest reported in as being unable to attend and sends his regrets. He will visit on another day.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had that in the earlier sections. Student participation was good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141103

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 22 students enrolled, a decline of one since last class meeting. Twenty attended, verified through a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the conference-length paper before beginning to cover drama. Student participation was adequate.

Friday, October 31, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141031

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Eleven attended, verified informally.

Class focused on final review of the TInst. Student participation was good.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Twelve attended, verified informally.

Class focused on final review of the TInst. Student participation was reasonably good.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Twelve attended, verified informally.

Class focused on final review of the TInst. Student participation was good.

Class Report: ENGL 2415, Section 005; 20141031

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 23 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Eighteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after work on the conference-length paper before treating Blake. Student participation was good.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141029

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Fourteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the TInst and EAR before discussing usage and document formatting. Student participation was somewhat subdued.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had that in Section 004. Student participation was adequate.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had those in earlier sections. Student participation was good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141029

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 23 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Twenty-one attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after thoughts on the submitted expository essay and introduced the conference-length paper before treating Blake. Student participation was reasonably good from some students, although others appeared to be fighting off sleep or illness.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141027

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last report. Sixteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the EAR and the TInst (the latter of which is due in a week). It then treated points of usage such as homophones and genitives. Student participation was somewhat low, not unexpectedly for the subject matter.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since the last report. Sixteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion covered much the same topics as had that of the earlier section. Student participation was better.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last report. Fifteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion covered much the same topics as earlier classes', although the specific points of usage discussed differed. Student participation was good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141027

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 23 students enrolled, a decline of one since the last report. Nineteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the expository essay (which is due 29 October 2014) before treating last week's work and concerns of paratext. Student participation was good.

Friday, October 17, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141017

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class. Seventeen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the TInst and EAR before offering more practice for next week's evaluation exercise. Student participation was adequate.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class. Thirteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion treated much the same materials as had the earlier section's. Student participation was reasonably good.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class. Seventeen attended, verified informally.

Discussion treated treated much the same materials as the earlier sections'. Student participation was good.

All Sections
Students are advised that, while class will meet as usual, there will be no reports next week. There may also be some delays in grade posting.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141017

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 24 students enrolled, a decline of one since last class. Sixteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the expository essay before addressing haiku. Student participation was reasonably good.

Students are advised that, while class will meet as usual, there will be no reports next week. There may also be some delays in grade posting.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141015

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the TInst and EAR before offering more practice for the evaluation exercise. Student participation was relatively good.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had that of the earlier section. Student participation was reasonably good.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had that of the earlier sections. Student participation was reasonably good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141015

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 25 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Twenty attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the expository essay before treating more poetry. Student participation was good.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323. Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141013

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the TInst and EAR before practicing for the upcoming evaluation exercise. Student participation was adequate.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had been the case for Section 004, albeit with a different video example. Student participation was good.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Thirteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had been the case in earlier sections, albeit with a different video example. Student participation was good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141013

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 25 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Twenty-one attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the expository essay before discussing poems and preparing for the upcoming explication exercise. Student participation was good.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141010

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class. Ten attended, verified by a quiz.

Discussion asked after progress on the TInst and EAR before practicing technical document evaluation on a 1916 US Army signal manual. Student participation was less than expected.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class. Fifteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had been the case for Section 004. Student participation was adequate.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class. Fifteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion covered the same materials as earlier sections. Student participation was good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141010

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 25 students enrolled, unchanged since last class. Nineteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion asked after progress on the expository essay before discussing poetry, including Shakespeare's Sonnet 20. Student participation was reasonably good.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141008

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fourteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the TInst and EAR before treating concerns of format and content for the former. Student participation was adequate.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had been covered in Section 004. Student participation was relatively good.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Several students entered late; eighteen were counted as present, following course policy stated on page 3 of the course syllabus.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had earlier sections. Student participation was somewhat less than usual.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141008

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 25 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Twenty-two attended, as verified by a quiz.

Discussion asked after progress on the expository essay before discussing individual poems and touching on concerns of sound within poems. Student participation was relatively good.

Monday, October 6, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Secitons 004, 006, and 007; 20141006

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after final thoughts on the IP before asking after progress on the EAR and TInst. It then referred back to an earlier class activity that has attracted attention. Student participation was good.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had been true of Section 004, although it treated the regular course readings to a greater degree. Student participation was good.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Eighteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed the model of that in Section 006. Student participation was good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141006

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 25 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Twenty-two attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the expository essay before treating assigned readings. Student participation was good.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

A Note about Page Limits

Note that this report comments about the effects of messing with formatting to meet page length. Even Judge Barbier agrees, the "tactic would not be appropriate for a college term paper."

Don't run afoul of Barbier. Follow formatting directions.

Friday, October 3, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141003

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fourteen attended, verified informally.

Class was taken up with a final review/workshop of the IP. Student engagement with the activity was generally good.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified informally.

Class was taken up with a final review/workshop of the IP. Student engagement with the activity was generally good.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified informally.

Class was taken up with a final review/workshop of the IP. Student engagement with the activity was generally good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20141003

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 25 students enrolled, a decline of one since last class meeting. Eighteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after the completed annotated bibliography and introduced the expository essay before discussing poetic analysis and works of John Donne. Student participation was relatively low.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20141001

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Fourteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the IP / EAR before introducing the TInst and treating numeracy through Joanna Wolfe's February 2010 CCC article "Rhetorical Numbers: A Case for Quantitative Writing in the Composition Classroom." Student participation was relatively low.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, a decrease of one since the last class meeting. Seventeen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same material as had been true of Section 004. Student participation was adequate.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Fourteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered the same materials as earlier sections'. Student participation was good.

Class Report: ENGL 2453, Section 005; 20141001

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 26 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Twenty attended, as verified by a quiz.

Discussion covered concerns of poetry, treating individual pieces. Student participation was relatively good.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Fall 2014 Six-Week Grades

Those students who are assigned six-week grades have received them as of this writing (4:10pm, 29 September 2014). Many will note that the grades are lower than could be wished; the chief reason is non-submission of work. Several students also lost points for absences (which are not recorded on D2L at this time).

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20140929

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 26 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Twenty-one attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the annotated bibliography before discussing implications of the study of poetry. Student participation was reasonably good.

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20140929

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Seventeen attended, as verified by a brief writing exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the IP before introducing the EAR and discussing noun/pronoun and subject/verb agreement. Student participation was restrained.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Fifteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had been true in Section 004. Student participation was adequate.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. All attended, as verified by written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same material as earlier sections. Student participation was good.

Friday, September 26, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20140926

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Thirteen attended, as verified by a quiz.

Discussion announced the Writing Center's Write Nights and asked after progress on the IP before turning to assessment of Scott Malthouse's USR (Unbelievably Simple Role-playing). Student participation was perhaps a bit strained.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Thirteen attended, as verified by a quiz.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had been the case for Section 004. Student participation was good.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. All attended, as verified by a quiz.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had been the case in earlier sections. Student participation was good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20140926

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 26 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Eighteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the forthcoming annotated bibliography before moving to consideration of monstrosity. Student participation was not as good as it ought to have been.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20140924

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Fifteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the IP before attending to concerns of ethics at some length and graphics at much less. Mentioned also were six-week grades (for those students who will receive them; not all in ENGL 3323 will). Student participation was relatively good.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Sixteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had been the case in Section 004. Student participation was somewhat less than in previous meetings.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Seventeen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had been the case in earlier sections, if with a bit more off-topic talk. Student participation was good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20140924

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 26 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Twenty-four attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the annotated bibliography before touching on discussion postings and grades and treating the natures of monstrosity and humanity. Student participation was relatively good.

Monday, September 22, 2014

About 22 September 2014

I would appear to be ill, and so I will not be in today, 22 September 2014. I expect to be back for Wednesday.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20140919

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Fourteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered concerns of the IP and components of analytical reports. Student participation was somewhat impeded. Instructor performance suffered due to head congestion and concomitant distraction.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Fifteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same material as had been the case in the earlier section. Student participation was much improved from the previous class. Instructor performance was less negatively affected by earlier-noted concerns.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Seventeen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same material as had earlier sections. Student participation was a bit less than in previous classes. Instructor performance was impeded a bit more by aforementioned circumstances than had been the case for Section 006.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20140919

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 26 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Nineteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered concerns of the annotated bibliography and assigned course readings. Student participation was relatively good.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20140917

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Thirteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered progress on the IP and concerns of activity reports. Student participation was lower than at the previous class meeting.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Fifteen attended, as verified by a quiz.

Discussion covered much the same material as had been the case in Section 004. Student participation was better after the quiz than before it.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Sixteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had been the case in earlier sections. Student participation was relatively good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20140917

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 26 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Twenty-three attended, as verified by a quiz.

Discussion covered concerns of the annotated bibliography and prior classes' vocabulary before briefly treating Paley's "A Conversation with My Father." Student participation was relatively good.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20140915

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 26 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Twenty-four attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered progress on the annotated bibliography before treating frame narratives, blazons, and issues of biographical criticism. Student participation was good.

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20140915

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Seventeen attended, as verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion asked after the recently submitted JobP and progress on the IP before covering concerns of research and verification of sources. Student participation was good.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. SIxteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same material as had that in Section 004. Student participation was acceptable. Problems with classroom technology complicated lecture somewhat.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Fifteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had earlier sections. Student participation was good.

Friday, September 12, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20140912

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall 106. The class roster listed 19 students, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, as verified by in-class email.

Class consisted of review of the JobP in advance of submission before class time Monday.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall 106. The class roster listed 19 students, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, as verified by in-class email.

Class took the same course as had been the case for Section 004.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall 106. The class roster listed 19 students, unchanged since last class meeting. Fourteen attended, as verified by in-class email.

Class took the same course as had been the case for earlier sections.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20140912

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall 301. The class roster listed 26 students, unchanged since last class meeting. Twenty-four attended, as verified by a brief in-class writing exercise.

Discussion covered the submitted abstract, the upcoming annotated bibliography, and concerns of context. Student participation was relatively low.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20140910

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 26 students, unchanged since last class meeting. Twenty-three attended, as verified by a quiz.

Discussion covered concerns of the abstract and earlier classes' vocabulary before briefly treating longer works. Student participation was relatively good.

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20140910

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion discussed the JobP and IP before treating comma use and assorted other punctuation. Student participation was as expected.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students, unchanged since last class meeting. Eighteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same materials as Section 004. Student participation was as expected.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same materials as the earlier sections. Student participation was as expected.

Students in all sections are reminded that class meets in Morrill Hall 106, the Electronic Classroom, on Friday, 12 September 2014. Those who have not submitted their EC policy agreement forms will not be admitted and will be counted absent therefore.

Monday, September 8, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20140908

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Eighteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion touched on the submitted Collaborative Project Planning Document, the JobP, and the IP before going into detail about design principles. Student participation was relatively good, with some excellent questions being voiced.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Eighteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had been the case in Section 004. Student participation was not as good as usual.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same materials as earlier sections. Student participation was good. Notably, one student from the section came in for consultation during office hours, and another attended an appointment after class, which is likely to be of benefit; other students are encouraged to follow the examples.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20140908

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 26 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Twenty-three attended, as verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered concerns of the abstract and online discussion postings before reprising some vocabulary from the last class meeting and treating theme. Much attention was given to "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings: A Tale for Children." Student participation was quite good overall.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20140905

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 26 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Twenty-three attended, as verified through a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered concerns of the abstract and symbolic language. Student participation was good.

Apologies for the lateness of posting.

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20140905

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Fifteen attended, as verified through a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered continuing concerns of the JobP and the Collaborative Project Planning Document, as well as introducing the IP and treating concerns of proposals, generally. Specifically addressed were issues of purposes of communication. Student participation was acceptable, although there are still students who need to improve in that regard.

Section 006
Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Sixteen attended, as verified through a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered the JobP, Collaborative Project Planning Document, the IP, and proposals in general. Prescriptivism and descriptivism were treated in brief. Student participation was somewhat limited.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Fifteen attended, as verified through a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same concerns as had that in Section 006. Student participation was generally good, although some students still need to improve their performance in that regard.

Apologies for the delayed posting.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20140903

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, as verified through a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered the first portion of the JobP as well as concerns of the remaining portion of it and the Collaborative Project Planning Document. Concerns of groups and teams were also discussed, and Robert's Rules of Order was noted as a standard reference for conduct of group meetings. Student participation was overall good, although some few students could still improve their performance in that regard.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. All attended, as verified through a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same material as had that in Section 004. Student participation was overall good, although some few students need significant improvement in that area.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fourteen attended, as verified through a brief written exercise.

Discussion covered much the same material as earlier sections. Student participation was generally good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20140903

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 26 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Twenty-three attended, as verified through a quiz.

Discussion covered concerns of the abstract and of setting. Mention was made of such concepts as Coleridge's willing suspension of disbelief, verisimilitude, Tolkien's assertions about secondary creations in "On Fairy-stories," and Hobb's assertions about the value of depicting the mundane in "5000 Words about Myself." Student participation needs improvement from a number of students.

Students are reminded that the information on the quizzes derives directly and explicitly from assigned readings and lectures.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Sample Abstract: White Hats for White Plumes: The Western as Arthurian Romance Reimagined

Students, please find below an example of an abstract I drafted for submission to the International Congress on Medieval Studies. While it is not formatted as those you are asked to submit should be (for which guidelines look here), its content is of the kind requested. Use it as a model for your own work.

While its appeal has waxed and waned, the myth of the American cowboy is one that endures in the United States, continuing to appear in print and on screens big, small, and digital. Although individual depictions vary, some common features of the paragon of the Western man appear across decades and in the works of various authors and other artists. The cowboy is of European descent, most commonly of English extraction (although he necessarily associates with people of other ethnic backgrounds), frequently coming from a landed background and having military or militaristic experience. He is indelibly associated with life on horseback, and commonly carries weapons for use at long range and in close quarters. More to the point, he lives according to a strict code of honor, demanding self-reliance and grit in fighting and holding those who are less able to protect themselves in high regard; his honor calls for the cowboy to “ride for the brand,” being loyal even to the point of death to the landed owner of a particular mark or to the land and mark itself.

In this, the American cowboy is markedly similar to the knight of Arthurian romance. Not only is he akin to those who sit at the Round Table in his surface features, but in many cases, his narrative patterns follow those employed by Malory, the Gawain-poet, their forebears, or their Victorian medievalist successors, following a single character for a time in additive adventures that end up repeating their own tropes again and again. His appearances in the writings of such authors as William W. Johnstone exemplify the parallels neatly, demonstrating that the Arthurian knight continues to be refigured and reappropriated in the early twenty-first century.

Sunday, August 31, 2014

A Note about Social Media Connections

It happens every so often that students currently enrolled in classes I am teaching ask to connect with me on social media. I am flattered by the requests, but I cannot accept them from students who are currently in my charge. It creates too much of a potential conflict of interest.

I am happy to accept such requests once the semester is done, of course, and I will not remove the connection if a student enrolls with me for subsequent terms, but we need to get through a class together before I can in good conscience make that kind of connection.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20140829

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 26 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Twenty-one attended, as verified through a brief writing exercise.

Discussion covered concerns of the previous class meeting's quiz and of characterization. Stressed were the natures of protagonists and antagonists. The difference between narrator and implied author was discussed in particular.

Student participation could stand in many cases to be improved.

Apologies for the late posting.

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20140829

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fourteen attended, as verified through a brief writing exercise.

Discussion covered concerns of the JobP, particularly formatting for resumes (and education and work entries in them). Student questions ranged to deployment of acronyms. Mention was made of upcoming work for the collaborative project, notably the Planning Document (about which information is forthcoming as of this writing). Student participation was relatively good, although some students do need to work to improve individually.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, as verified through a brief writing exercise.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had been the case in Section 004, although some matters that had been driven by student questions in the earlier section were incorporated into instructor-led talk as a result of the earlier section. Student participation was generally good, although this section also has students who need to improve individual performance.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, as verified through a brief writing exercise.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had been the case in earlier sections. Student participation in the section is overall good.

Apologies for the late posting.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Updates to Course Pages

Students in my sections of ENGL 2413 and ENGL 3323, be advised that an item has been added to your courses' pages: Miscellany. It compiles links to general information that might be helpful for students to use in completing their assignments and other writing tasks, including the occasional example of work done. Use it wisely and in good health.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20140827

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged from the previous class meeting. Sixteen attended, as verified through a brief writing exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the JobP before covering results of the diagnostic exercise and treating concerns of letter, memorandum, and email formatting guidelines. Student participation was generally good.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, one having dropped and another added since the previous class meeting. Eighteen attended, as verified through a brief writing exercise.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had that in Section 004. Student participation was good.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged from the previous class meeting. Fifteen attended, as verified through a brief writing exercise.

Discussion covered much the same materials as had that in Section 004. Student participation was good.

Class Report: ENGL 2543, Section 005; 20140827

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 26 students enrolled, three fewer than at the previous class meeting; four dropped and one added. Twenty-four attended, as verified through the quiz discussed below.

Discussion covered the upcoming abstract and concerns of narration. Class ended with a quiz meant to encourage further reading and provide study opportunities for the summative exam.

Monday, August 25, 2014

About Early Grades

Some students may have noted that there are no grades currently posted to D2L, although there have been grade opportunities for some students. I generally wait until my rosters are more or less stable before beginning to enter grading data. This means that I do not begin to put grade data into my gradebook and onto D2L until the add/drop period has ended and new students generally cease to appear on the roster.

I have not forgotten what grades have been earned as yet. Worry not; they will post as the place to which they will post becomes stable.

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20140825

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, with one having dropped and another added since the previous class meeting. Seventeen attended, as verified through a brief writing exercise.

Discussion covered concerns of the JobP, cross-cultural interactions, and readers and their contexts. Student participation was relatively good, although some students were notably reticent.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, an increase of one from the previous class meeting. All attended, as verified through a brief writing exercise.

Discussion covered much the same material as had been the case for Section 004. There was more emphasis on alternative paths to completion of the JobP. Also, student participation was relatively good, although some students were noticeably reticent, and fatigue appears to be a problem.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged from the previous class meeting. Eighteen attended, as verified through a brief writing exercise.

Discussion covered much the same material as had been the case for Section 004. Student participation was quite good.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20140825

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 29 students enrolled, an increase of one from the previous class meeting. Twenty-six attended, as verified through a brief writing exercise.

Discussion covered concerns of the abstract, upcoming quizzes, and assigned readings. Discussion of the readings focused on Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues," particularly the early passage concerning whistling.

Some students are participating well. Others need to add more to class discussions; the class suffers from the lack of their voices.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20140822

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, with two having dropped and two others added since the last class meeting. Sixteen attended, as verified through a submitted writing exercise.

Discussion noted briefly that materials for the JobP continue to appear online. Most of class was occupied with the completion of a diagnostic writing exercise.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, one having dropped since the last class meeting. All attended, as verified through submission of a form and a writing exercise.

Class proceeded as had Section 004.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Sixteen attended, as verified through submission of a form and a writing exercise.

Class proceeded as had Sections 004 and 006.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20140822

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 28 students enrolled, a net gain of three students from the last class meeting; one dropped and four added. Twenty-five attended, as verified through a brief writing exercise.

Discussion covered concerns of the required online postings and the upcoming abstract before moving to commentaries about the assigned readings. Emphasized were the need to keep cultural context in mind and the importance of perspective in treating literary work. Class concluded with a brief writing exercise; ungraded, it was used to verify attendance.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20140820

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208, although some technology concerns prevented immediate activity. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged from last class meeting. Eighteen attended, as verified through collected forms.

Discussion covered introductory materials. Emphasized were the need to attend to small details in writing and the control function technical writing exerts over the generation of knowledge; some of the latter derived from Bernadette Longo's Spurious Coin. Some information regarding the JobP assignment was released and discussed.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208; technology in the room functioned better than in Section 004. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, with one having dropped and another added since the last class meeting. Eighteen attended, as verified through a collected form.

Discussion covered introductory materials. Emphasized were the need to attend to small details in writing and the control function technical writing exerts over the generation of knowledge; some of the latter derived from Bernadette Longo's Spurious Coin. Some information regarding the JobP assignment was released and discussed.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, with one having dropped and another added since the last class meeting. Seventeen attended, as verified through a collected form.

Discussion covered introductory materials. Emphasized were the need to attend to small details in writing and the control function technical writing exerts over the generation of knowledge; some of the latter derived from Bernadette Longo's Spurious Coin. Some information regarding the JobP assignment was released and discussed.

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20140820

Class began as 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 301. The class roster listed 25 students enrolled, a decline of four from the last class meeting; no students added the class. Twenty-four attended, as verified through a collected form.

Discussion covered introductory readings and indicated early how fraught the question of what literature is is. Some mention was made of the ongoing paper assignment, and students were reminded of the requirements for discussion board postings.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Class Report: ENGL 2413, Section 005; 20140818

Class began at 12:30pm in Morrill Hall Room Room 301. The class roster listed 30 students enrolled; 28 attended, as verified by roll call. Discussion covered the syllabus and course calendar. Mention was made of extra credit opportunities and upcoming assignments.

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 004, 006, and 007; 20140818

Section 004
Class began at 11:30am in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled; 18 attended, as verified by roll call. Discussion covered the syllabus and course calendar. Mention was made of extra credit opportunities and upcoming assignments.

Section 006
Class began at 1:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled; 18 attended, as verified by roll call. Discussion covered the syllabus and course calendar. Mention was made of extra credit opportunities and upcoming assignments.

Section 007
Class began at 2:30pm in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled; all attended, as verified by roll call. Discussion covered the syllabus and course calendar. Mention was made of extra credit opportunities and upcoming assignments.

A Survey

Students in my Fall 2014 classes, if you would be so kind as to visit this site and fill out the survey there, I would be greatly obliged.

Concerning EC Dates for ENGL 3323 Sections 004, 006, and 007

Students in my Fall 2014 sections of ENGL 3323, please be advised that class will meet in the English Department Electronic Classroom (EC), Morrill Hall 106, on the following dates:
  • 12 September 2014
  • 3 October 2014
  • 31 October 2014
  • 21 November 2014
  • 3 December 2014
Please be advised also that final exams for the class are scheduled to take place in the EC. Per my current best knowledge, those dates and times by section are below:
  • Section 004: 12 December 2014, 10:00am
  • Section 006: 10 December 2014, 2:00pm
  • Section 007: 12 December 2014, 2:00pm
Be sure to arrive at the correct classroom at the correct time.

Monday, August 11, 2014

Yet More Preparatory Comments for the Fall 2014 Term at Oklahoma State University

There has been another slight adjustment to my teaching schedule. It is now as follows:

  • ENGL 2413.005 (MWF 1230-1320, Morrill 301)
  • ENGL 3323.004 (MWF 1130-1220, Morrill 208)
  • ENGL 3323.006 (MWF 1330-1420, Morrill 103)
  • ENGL 3323.007 (MWF 1430-1320, Morrill 306)--the room has changed.
I look forward to meeting with my students next week.

Monday, July 7, 2014

More Preparatory Comments for the Fall 2014 Term at Oklahoma State University

I have just received word that my teaching schedule has shifted. Instead of what it was on 4 June 2014, it is now as follows:


I look forward to having less preparatory work.

Monday, June 16, 2014

An Article to Bring to the Attention of ENGL 3323 Students

During my morning reading, I came across Alex Malley's 16 June 2014 LinkedIn piece "Stop Sending out Boring Resumes." In it, Malley offers a few recommendations for reconsideration of how to put together an effective resume. Rethinking the conception of a resume, particularly through a literary metaphor, and having other people review the work before sending it off, are prominent among the suggestions, and they strike the eye as being good ones to follow.

Since one of the prescribed assignments for ENGL 3323 at Oklahoma State University is a job packet, including a resume, I thought the article relevant. For that reason, I tag it here for consideration.

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Some Articles, Briefly

Not all of the work I do is in the service of my academic career; a fair bit of it anymore is in freelance writing, working for clients to produce the texts they need. It has proven illuminating thus far, giving me practice in writing quickly and efficiently in a variety of styles and on a variety of subjects. From time to time, it also offers me things that I think might be useful in my teaching endeavors, such as the two articles linked and briefly discussed below.

Gretchen Rubin's 9 October 2013 article "Resentful? Overworked? Face These Painful Facts about Shared Work," posted to The Happiness Project, lays out a number of problems with group projects in the workplace. My own experience and that reported to me by students in the past tells me that the same problems apply to work on such classroom endeavors as the ENGL 3323 group assignments: Internal Proposal and External Analytical Report. Rubin's article might be a useful bit from which to base discussion leading up to the collaborative project. It also offers some useful material for discussion of document design and writing style.

Emily Shepard's 6 December 2013 article, "Films, Media, and Politics: Their Influence on the Devaluation of Women's Bodies," posted to BCRW Blog, investigates in brief how the three noted agents conduce to the way in which women are forced to be their bodies and how those bodies are then rendered of lesser importance. It also moves toward the kind of undergraduate research that is increasingly well regarded among scholars of college composition, as I found when I attended CCCC earlier this year. And it further works as an entry into the kind of online scholarship advocated by Kathleen Fitzpatrick in the 2011 issue of Profession. It might therefore be useful as an introductory example for research papers in ENGL 1213 and ENGL 2413 (although it is far too brief to be a full model for either) or as an example of a revised sort of Creative/Electronic-Media Project for ENGL 3323. (I am not happy with the offerings I have on the course website as of this writing; I will be revising the project information for the Fall 2014 term.)

I will doubtlessly encounter other pieces that may be of interest. If and when I do, I may well post about them to this blog. How many and how often remain to be seen.