Selective Web Directories

I recently attended a brown bag on campus at the library, led by Dan Ream (aka "dream"). This one was on Selective Web Directories and I gotta tell you that it was really eye-opening. I didn't even know this stuff was out there, so thanks to Dan.

Click here for his page of great information.

The idea of a Selective Web Directory, as I understand it, is that someone has done the "weeding out" work that is required with a basic search on Google or Bing. This is especially helpful for scholarship, but it's also helpful for other narrow searches. I'm interested in using KidsClick with my son, for example. Cool to learn new stuff.

Busy, Busy, Busy

I haven't updated this blog lately because, well, I'm busy. I'm teaching an overload, so I'm behind on grading. Mnemosyne has some events coming up (a bake sale and a 50/50 raffle). Phi Theta Kappa is doing a toy drive (I'm a new advisor for this, so I'm learning). And we have to have class all the time. And I have bronchitis. And it's basketball season, so I can't very well give up watching basketball games to grade papers (just kidding about this last one ... sort of; sometimes I grade papers while I watch basketball).

Students are barely keeping up with their own blogs, but I guess I can only be so upset.

Horror movie stuff

There's a horror movie film festival/contest at RBC today and, while I can't win prizes, I can still submit some clips. Here are a few I plan to submit, especially if submissions are low:

For scariest/goriest trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoziF8HTcag

For goriest/funniest (but really I just think it's cool) scene:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7m7RC8zCGM

Funniest death:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QTn73mNzAs

An Open Letter to Ann Coulter

This is a link to a well-written letter by a man with Down syndrome. He is responding to a tweet by Ann Coulter, where she referred to Obama as a "retard." I putting it here because I hear students use this over and over again. "That's retarded" or "you're retarded." I tell them not to say "retarded" because it's derogatory, but they don't listen.

I emailed this link to all of my students with a short note that tells them that using the R-word bugs me. But I didn't tell them (and maybe I will) that I really respect the letter for its soft, restrained approach to something the author is obviously passionate about. It's a Rogerian approach to making an argument, by finding common ground and anticipating responses with compassion and tact.

Enjoy: http://specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/an-open-letter-to-ann-coulter/

Power Point, Prezi, Oh My

Edit: I just figured out that these embeded presentations work better if you make them full screen.

Class is mostly discussions, but occasionally, I feel the need to present some information to students. On Tuesday, I went thorough two Power Points and a prezi. I'm liking prezi more and more. This is the second one I've made and I may modify it a little, but it's based off of an old Power Point I had, which is about Exigence, Audience, and Constraints according to Lloyd Bitzer's "The Rhetorical Situation." The other Power Points, which will probably become prezis one day, were about writing concisely and about structuring arguments.

I'm not a great lecturer, but I'm a good discussion facilitator (I think), so I don't use Power Point and things like that very often. I've never been good at making Power Points and I've always found them to be a little boring anyway. So when I do "need" them, I try to make presentations that use humor or pop culture references or something that will keep students interested. I think the strength of prezi is that is automatically has more motion than Power Points, which is more interesting. I also find it easier to create than Power Point. One of the weaknesses of prezi is that it's harder to withold information if you want to because everything has to be on the canvas. Of course, I'm an amateur with prezi, so I may be wrong.

Anyway, I've included the presentations, along with one that we did earlier in the semester. The Power Points are flash, so I think they won't work on Apple computers/devices. I used show.zoho.com to convert them.

Prezi on "The Rhetorical Situation" -- http://prezi.com/0fqrhrzvzxtd/exigence-audience-constraints/

Power Point on writing concisely --

 


Power Point on structuring arguments --




One from earlier in the semester on the rhetorical triangle --

From The Chronicle: Who is Paul Newman?

I really don't plan on linking to my Chronicle of Higher Ed posts much, but this one was inspired by Sporcle games (when I know the pop culture answers and students don't), by the pop culture essay in ENG 101, and by ENG 102 from prior semesters. It's about a lack of "culture" in today's younger generation.

The link: http://chronicle.com/blogs/onhiring/who-is-paul-newman/34116?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

Isaac Sweeney's CV/Resume

Contact me: isaac.c.sweeney@gmail.com

 

(I am also the editor of Kristian Alva's Dragon Stones Saga)

 

WORK EXPERIENCE

 

Assistant Professor, English, August 2011-present

Richard Bland College, Petersburg, Va.

               Courses taught:

                              ENG 100: Developmental English

                              ENG 101: Writing and Research

                              ENG 102: Introduction to Literary Genres

                              ENG 299: Professional Writing

 

Self-Employed Writer/Editor, 2008-present

Written for national publications, along with content ghostwriting. Edited a variety of texts for individuals and companies. Edited materials include short fiction, novels, college entrance essays, ebooks, textbooks, and articles, to name a few.

 

Adjunct Faculty, January 2007-May 2011

Blue Ridge Community College, Weyers Cave, Va.

Taught ENG 111 and 112, BRCC’s composition courses, as part of the English Department.

 

Adjunct Faculty, August 2007-December 2010

James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.

Taught GWRTC 103, JMU’s first-year composition course, as part of the School of Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication.

 

Grant Writer, June 2010-July 2011

Edith J. Carrier Arboretum and Botanical Gardens at JMU, Harrisonburg, Va.

Researched grant opportunities and wrote proposals seeking funds for educational, horticultural, environmental, wellness, and other projects.

 

Managing Editor, July 2005-August 2007

The Journals, Harrisonburg, Va.

Wrote, edited, took pictures, designed pages, and managed the daily operation of three weekly newspapers in the Shenandoah Valley.

 

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

Chronicle of Higher Education Blog

·        Regular blogger for The Chronicle’s 2-Year Track blog.

http://chronicle.com/blogs/onhiring/author/isweeney

 

Self-publishing

·        I have self-published six ebooks, two of which are also available in paperback. Some are fiction and some are nonfiction. Most notable are Same Track, Different Track, a memoir of sorts, and Evolvement, a collection of short stories. I am also the publisher for Alex Kudera’s novella, The Betrayal of Times of Peace and Prosperity.

 

Essays

·        “A Novel Departure: Book Review of Fight for Your Long Day,” Academe, Jan./Feb. 2010 http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/pubsres/academe/2011/JF/br/br3.htm

 

·        “Dear Adjuncts: Don’t Get Sick,” Inside Higher Ed.com, July 2010
http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2010/07/23/sweeney

 

·        “An Adjunct’s Summer Plight,” The Chronicle Review, June 2010
http://chronicle.com/article/An-Adjuncts-Summer-Plight/65676/

 

·        “If Colleges Valued Students, They’d Value Adjuncts,” The Chronicle Review, October 2009
http://chronicle.com/article/Value-Students-Then-Value/48881/

 

Short Story

·        “Twelve Years from Then,” 540, 2008

Poetry

·        “History of Hands,” ByLine Magazine, February 2008

 

·        “Contact Forgiveness,” ByLine Magazine, April 2007

 

Non-Newspaper Articles

 

·        Co-editor, Collegiate Strategy, January and February issues, 2011.

 

·        Regular contributor to the lifestyle magazine Around Harrisonburg, 2011.

 

·        “When’s the Best Time to Get Married,” Engagement 101 Magazine, December 2010

 

·        “Regional Vignette: Lost River Craft Co-op,” The Crafts Report, November 2009

 

·        “Crafters on the Verge,” The Crafts Report, July 2009

 

·        Film Reviewer, FilmMonthly.com, Nov. 2008-Feb. 2009
http://www.filmmonthly.com/writers/isaac_sweeney.html

 

·        “5 Universal Writing Rules,” ProBlogger.com, 13 Feb. 2009
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2009/02/13/5-universal-writing-rules/

 

·        “Regional Vignette: Sunspot Studios,” The Crafts Report, November 2008

 

·        “Profile in Success: Workshops of Charles Neil,” The Crafts Report, 2007

 

·        “Insight Gained: Braithwaite Studios,” The Crafts Report, 2006

 

Newspaper Articles

·        In four years as staff writer and then editor of The Journals, three weekly newspapers in the Shenandoah Valley, I wrote more than one hundred feature or news articles, winning two Virginia Press Association awards for writing (and one for page design).

 

 

EDUCATION

Master of Arts, English (creative writing concentration)

James Madison University, graduated June 2005

 

Bachelor of Arts, English (creative writing minor)

James Madison University, graduated June 2002

 

 

AWARDS

Richard Bland College mini-grant, 2013. For the purchase of a video camera and accessories for use in the classroom.

 

Madison Teaching Fellow, James Madison University, 2007-08

 

“Feature Portfolio,” Virginia Press Association, 2007

 

“Feature Story Writing,” Virginia Press Association, 2006

 

“Combination Picture/Story,” Virginia Press Association, 2006 (joint award)

Sporcle

Since students are mentioning it, I feel like I should explain Sporcle a little. Sporcle is an online game website, with user-created thinking games. I arrive a few minutes early to class and the students who are there and I play some Sporcle. It's fun. I let them choose which game ... most of the time ... and they shout answers and I try to type them in. We rarely can get all the answers right on one game, but it sure is fun to try.

I admit that the game may run into the first few minutes of class, but it's worth it. The game, which I play with all my classes, is more than just a fun thing to do. It wakes students up and it sets the comfortable, lively tone I strive for in class. Pedagogically, it makes sense to do something like this at the beginning of class. Furthermore, the games are sometimes relevant. One of my all-time favorites are Rap Lyrics in More Scholarly Language, which is relevant because it's thinking about the English language creatively and it has to do with the paper topic, which is pop culture. It also has a Literature category; though most of them are about Harry Potter and other popular novels, it does have some classics, like this game.

New Additions (Wasn't That One of the Original Boy Bands?)

Silly title, that was New Edition, not New Additions, which is what we have to the right. Some I added late while others were late to get started.

Here's New Edition:

You Like Me! You Really Like Me!

The title of this post is a little misleading, because I don't care that much if students like me. Ok ... I care a little bit, but only in the context that it will help them learn better (also because I don't have a lot of friends ....... just kidding). So this post is selfish because I'm going to revel in the fact that some things are working in class. It's early, so I know I have plenty of time to screw things up, but it's nice to know that the students and I are getting off on the right foot.

If you browse the list at the right, you'll see some posts that show how we brainstormed for our first paper, which will have to be on Pop Culture. Some students are writing about the readings and I'm so happy that they are reading. I don't care so much if they like to readings, but it's nice to hear when they do. I especially appreciate blogs that show when students pull meaning from readings. There's even a post about a student's paper topic -- media influence on teen pregnancy -- which is a worthy thiing to write about, I believe.

I'm also pretty excited about students commenting on each others' blogs.

Topic Choosing

A couple student bloggers (to the right) have mentioned a topic choosing assignment we do in class, so I thought I would explain a little.

I do this thing in class where students have to choose the three topics for their three argumentative research essays. These are the major essays for the class. I give them a list of possible topics. The possible topics are broad, like Gender, Politics, Crime and Punishment, etc. They will then have to narrow their paper topic further as the writing process continues. Anyway, they have to choose three topics from this list of about a dozen. Then they have to choose which topic we will discuss and write about first, second, and third. The kicker is that they all have to agree on the topics and the order. There is no majority rule. Then I hand them the class and I sit in a corner or in the back and take notes, interjecting now and then.

What I don't tell them until later is that the process of choosing these topics is just as important ... maybe more important ... than the topics themselves. I could easily assign certain topics or have them choose topics from "the world." But it's this process that I want them to go through.

The idea is that, while they are deciding, they will engage in the methods they should be using in argumentative papers (and other papers ... and discussions ... and decisions ... and life ...). I am, in a sense, arranging a rhetorical situation for them.

As many semesters as I've done this, I can say that no two classes are the same. Usually, though, the students start off quiet. Someone usually takes charge of asking questions and/or writing on the board. People eventually talk. Sometimes they get angry. Sometimes they get really angry. Some people give up or "don't care." Often, students yell at each other or talk over one another. But here's what always happens: the students figure it out. They work through this seemingly impossible task and through all the methods that don't work. They almost always vote, but that only works to a point when everyone has to agree. They listen, discuss possible subtopics (and sometimes research if the activity lasts more than a class period), they negotiate, they compromise, they use reason and logic to persuade, and they do other great things that can be applied to writing in the real world.

As I said, I take notes, so here is a transcription of the notes from the topic choosing activity for this class:

• voting ... and more voting
• "that'd be easy" <--- ! !
• what is this accomplishing?? (voting)
• started getting somewhere when started talking about sub-topics
• people are talking at once and not listening
• moments of silence (golden)!!
• doing nothing doesn't work
• why not let people raise their hands if they are for either?

And here are the topics they chose for the semester:

1-pop culture
2-crime and punishment
3-family

When it was all over (it took almost a whole Tuesday session and half of a Thursday session), we had a group quiz/discussion where students had to think and talk about which methods of argumentation worked, which didn't work, how these methods can be applied to real life, and how these methods can be applied to writing papers, especially ones making arguments and including research (like, how do you "listen" in a paper?).



One more thing ... one of the student's blogs says he appreciates my "unethical" way of teaching. I think (and hope) he meant "unorthodox." Otherwise, I may get in some trouble. But it's his blog, so I don't think I should correct him.

Oooh! Here's Something Fun! ... John Cleese on Creativity

Came across this video on Facebook. I like this quote: "It's easier to do trivial things that are urgent than it is to do important things that are not urgent, like thinking. And it's also easier to do the little things we know we can do than to start on big things that we're not so sure about."

It also makes me think about Gavin (my 4-year-old son) and letting him play. And how play leads to creativity. And his stuff about time is pretty great too. Ok, the whole thing's awesome.

By the way, for any younger readers, John Cleese was a member of Monty Python and he's considered one of the funniest people around. More recently, he's been in some Bond films and a couple of Harry Potter films. I think he plays a ghost in Harry Potter.

Bunch of new blogs

I added a bunch of new blogs to the righ in the last 24 hours. Once they are all created and then updated, I will point out some specific ones. In the meantime, feel free to click some student blogs and read away!

Updates and New Additions from Class

Some students have updated/created their blogs. We're still working out some kinks, but they are writing ... and saying some interesting things, too. Check out "English 101" by Morgan, with a post about some readings we did in class. Also, there's Shereka's post introducing herself, including a video of a fashion show she was in. Then, another new addition is D'Naja's blog, with a post introducing herself, including some music videos for songs she likes.

There's a running list of student blogs to the right. It should update itself to keep the most recently updated ones at the top.

Also, if you want to comment on student blogs, that would be great. You will need a profile of some sort (you'll see). It should only take a few minutes to make a profile if you don't have one. There may be an option for students to modify their blogs so readers won't need profiles to leave comments. I'll check on that.

List of Student Blogs (to the right)

This is the first week students have to write blog posts. As I get links, I will add their blogs to the list to the right. As of now, there's only one, but there will be more by Friday.

The first student post is about a couple of essays I assigned from Jane Hirshfield's Nine Gates. The essays are "The Question of Originality" and "Writing and the Threshold Life." Although these essays are specifically about poetry, I think the ideas pertain to all types of writing. Here's what a student had to say:

http://kaylynchandler.blogspot.com/2012/09/1st-blog.html

Coming Soon...

I plan to finally use this space to post links to student blogs for ENG 101: Writing and Research at Richard Bland College in the fall of 2012. This is sort of a test class for utilizing blogs. The idea is to get students thinking about the effect their writing will have on real people, not just their instructor. So, they have to interact with each other and they should also have in the backs of their minds that the blogs will be read by people they don't know.

Here's my syllabus jargon for the blog assignment:

Each student will create a blog. You will create one blog post per week (starting week 2 through week 12) in response to readings, classroom discussions/activities, or other approved topics. You will also need to comment on at least one class member’s post. We will use Blackboard to share our posts with each other. Blog posts are usually 200-300 words, but you are welcome to write more. Comments need to demonstrate that you read the post you are commenting on. These will be graded on completion unless there is a clear lack of effort.

If you want to know more about me, I'm Isaac Sweeney, assistant professor of English at Richard Bland College. I am also a regular blogger at The Chronicle of Higher Education's 2-Year Track blog. I've written some other things and I'm sure Google will tell you what they are and where you can find them. But this blog is really about students and what they have to say.

Links to student posts coming soon.

Isaac Sweeney's CV/Resume

Contact me: isaac.c.sweeney@gmail.com

 

(I am also the editor of Kristian Alva's Dragon Stones Saga)

 

WORK EXPERIENCE

 

Assistant Professor, English, August 2011-present

Richard Bland College, Petersburg, Va.

               Courses taught:

                              ENG 100: Developmental English

                              ENG 101: Writing and Research

                              ENG 102: Introduction to Literary Genres

                              ENG 299: Professional Writing

 

Self-Employed Writer/Editor, 2008-present

Written for national publications, along with content ghostwriting. Edited a variety of texts for individuals and companies. Edited materials include short fiction, novels, college entrance essays, ebooks, textbooks, and articles, to name a few.

 

Adjunct Faculty, January 2007-May 2011

Blue Ridge Community College, Weyers Cave, Va.

Taught ENG 111 and 112, BRCC’s composition courses, as part of the English Department.

 

Adjunct Faculty, August 2007-December 2010

James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.

Taught GWRTC 103, JMU’s first-year composition course, as part of the School of Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication.

 

Grant Writer, June 2010-July 2011

Edith J. Carrier Arboretum and Botanical Gardens at JMU, Harrisonburg, Va.

Researched grant opportunities and wrote proposals seeking funds for educational, horticultural, environmental, wellness, and other projects.

 

Managing Editor, July 2005-August 2007

The Journals, Harrisonburg, Va.

Wrote, edited, took pictures, designed pages, and managed the daily operation of three weekly newspapers in the Shenandoah Valley.

 

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

Chronicle of Higher Education Blog

·        Regular blogger for The Chronicle’s 2-Year Track blog.

http://chronicle.com/blogs/onhiring/author/isweeney

 

Self-publishing

·        I have self-published six ebooks, two of which are also available in paperback. Some are fiction and some are nonfiction. Most notable are Same Track, Different Track, a memoir of sorts, and Evolvement, a collection of short stories. I am also the publisher for Alex Kudera’s novella, The Betrayal of Times of Peace and Prosperity.

 

Essays

·        “A Novel Departure: Book Review of Fight for Your Long Day,” Academe, Jan./Feb. 2010 http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/pubsres/academe/2011/JF/br/br3.htm

 

·        “Dear Adjuncts: Don’t Get Sick,” Inside Higher Ed.com, July 2010
http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2010/07/23/sweeney

 

·        “An Adjunct’s Summer Plight,” The Chronicle Review, June 2010
http://chronicle.com/article/An-Adjuncts-Summer-Plight/65676/

 

·        “If Colleges Valued Students, They’d Value Adjuncts,” The Chronicle Review, October 2009
http://chronicle.com/article/Value-Students-Then-Value/48881/

 

Short Story

·        “Twelve Years from Then,” 540, 2008

Poetry

·        “History of Hands,” ByLine Magazine, February 2008

 

·        “Contact Forgiveness,” ByLine Magazine, April 2007

 

Non-Newspaper Articles

 

·        Co-editor, Collegiate Strategy, January and February issues, 2011.

 

·        Regular contributor to the lifestyle magazine Around Harrisonburg, 2011.

 

·        “When’s the Best Time to Get Married,” Engagement 101 Magazine, December 2010

 

·        “Regional Vignette: Lost River Craft Co-op,” The Crafts Report, November 2009

 

·        “Crafters on the Verge,” The Crafts Report, July 2009

 

·        Film Reviewer, FilmMonthly.com, Nov. 2008-Feb. 2009
http://www.filmmonthly.com/writers/isaac_sweeney.html

 

·        “5 Universal Writing Rules,” ProBlogger.com, 13 Feb. 2009
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2009/02/13/5-universal-writing-rules/

 

·        “Regional Vignette: Sunspot Studios,” The Crafts Report, November 2008

 

·        “Profile in Success: Workshops of Charles Neil,” The Crafts Report, 2007

 

·        “Insight Gained: Braithwaite Studios,” The Crafts Report, 2006

 

Newspaper Articles

·        In four years as staff writer and then editor of The Journals, three weekly newspapers in the Shenandoah Valley, I wrote more than one hundred feature or news articles, winning two Virginia Press Association awards for writing (and one for page design).

 

 

EDUCATION

Master of Arts, English (creative writing concentration)

James Madison University, graduated June 2005

 

Bachelor of Arts, English (creative writing minor)

James Madison University, graduated June 2002

 

 

AWARDS

Richard Bland College mini-grant, 2013. For the purchase of a video camera and accessories for use in the classroom.

 

Madison Teaching Fellow, James Madison University, 2007-08

 

“Feature Portfolio,” Virginia Press Association, 2007

 

“Feature Story Writing,” Virginia Press Association, 2006

 

“Combination Picture/Story,” Virginia Press Association, 2006 (joint award)