Online activities/writing exercises for Week 5

Step 1: Bring to class...

On Wednesday, bring the following to class:

1. Two underlined passages from Ross in Common Culture. You'll obviously need to bring the book to class.
   • As you know, you were assigned to read Alex Ross' "I Hate Classical Music."
   • Bring to class two passages from the article--one or two sentences each--that you found intriguing in some way. Be prepared to share why you chose the passages with specific examples or observations from your own experience.
2. Bring a copy of some song lyrics to class.
   • Be prepared to share a song that has been important to you in some way during your life. It can be a song from ten years ago or ten days. Expect to share the story from your life that involves the song, so we can understand why the song is significant
   • The lyrics can come from a lyric sheet found in a CD case, or from an online source.
   • If you want to bring an audio copy of the song--whether an mp3 or a CD--feel free to do so. We may have some time in class to hear a few snippets from songs.

Step 2: Post a response to the Writer's Café.

NOTE: Steps 1 and 2 need to be completed by Thursday midnight in order to earn full credit.

As your Calendar notes, you should have chosen one other article in chapter 4 to read, besides the assigned article "I Hate Classical Music" by Alex Ross.

• Start off by picking out one point that the author makes--quote a sentence or two (include the page number in parentheses--see LPH 65+). 
  • The catch? You can't repeat what someone else has posted. Yes, you can quote from the same articles, but don't present the same passages.

• Next, explain what you think about it.

• You can explain why you

• agree with the point,
• disagree with it,
• question whether it is so with yourself or people you know,
• extrapolate what he says to a different set of citizens or culture--

• whatever catches your attention or imagination.

• Notice that my request includes explain.

• In other words, you need to point out something specific from your observations about
  • music,
  • your life,
  • your friends,
  • other articles or books you've read
• to support your response.

• Also, please avoid saying that everything the writer says is stupid, unnecessary, insignificant, incomprehensible or such. Or that the writer must be brain dead, an idiot, a fool, and so on. In other words, avoid personal attacks.

• No, I'm not concerned about the author and whether or not he or she would feel insulted.

• However, insulting an author in a public, academic setting can indirectly insult those in your audience who may agree with the writer. 

• Consequently, such responses are conversation stoppers and really boring.

• If you think such about the author, that's fine. But for this discussion, focus on the ideas.

• If you disagree with the author, pick out the specific point the author makes and show us--with the type of support noted above--that what he says in that point is unsupported, unnecessary, insignificant, incomprehensible or such.
• You will more likely be heard if you treat the authors--and consequently your audience--as reasonable, thoughtful people. They may be mistaken, but they have good reasons for thinking as they do.

Step 2: Reply in the Writer's Café.

Read what other class members have posted in the Writer's Café and reply to them when you feel you can add to the asynchronous conversation.

• You can agree, disagree, question, qualify what your fellow class member says.

• However, you also need to explain why you think so, again with support from your own experiences and observations, or from our authors.

You will need to respond to other class members at least twice to earn points. 

Though you may enjoy responding more frequently.

And you will likely find yourself writing a stronger letter and earning more points with fuller participation.

Step 3: Write Online Activity letter:

Tell me about your experience on the Writer's Café and in class discussing the music articles and your song stories.

And choose one response in the Writer's Café forum from another class member that you think was particularly interesting, thoughtful, or insightful, and explain why you think so.

• It can either be an initial response, or a reply. Make sure to include the writer's name. And do note I'm asking you to note a point that a class member makes, not the quotation that they chose from CC.

I would like you to include quotations from the Writer's Café.  You should be able to copy text from Netscape or Internet Explorer from the Edit pull down menu.

• And make sure to use names, so it is clear whom you are talking about.

Step 4: Send online activities letter

Do not email me your letter.

Instead, use the Letter drop box found at Pages & Workspaces>Week 5>Letter drop box. And avoid sending your letter through the prewriting drop box.

• Attach your letter. And make sure you first save the letter in rich text format (RTF) before sending.

These letters are due by Saturday midnight, 9/29/07.

• It is true that you have a 24 hour grace period for the letter (see the syllabus about our late policy) but this doesn't extend to the online activities. The Writer's Café activities cannot be completed past Saturday midnight.

Also, I will be available during my office hours by phone, in person, through email, and on Instant Messenger (my user name: profdan1032) if you want to talk about the assignments. (If you want to meet at some other time, contact me and we can arrange such.)

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Created by Dan Holt 9/22/1997
Revised 26 Sep 2007 01:57 PM -0400