ok, this is weird. blogger isn't giving me a title box for this post, and i'm wondering if it will actually go through. let's see.

I'm tired. Seems like a long week. Don't particularly want to write, but that's ok. Wow. That was one of those classes where I felt like I kept losing the subject, losing the class. Not pretty. I wrote about it after class. There's this cool thing called a double-entry journal -- you write on one side, then go back later, read what you wrote, and comment on the left side. So I started writing my lesson plans on the right side of my notebook and leaving the left side blank for comments on how things went. I figured out that I was giving too much information at once and that students freaked out when I said 3-5 page paper. So I think things will go more smoothly when I hand out the portfolio information. Things would really go nicely if I could ever get the 7th edition of this textbook. Books didn't arrive today. It's been a week since I called the publisher. Books could be in the package place...that building on Meridian where lots of packages go to die.

OK, I'm outta here. I'm going to get the links up to others' blogs -- get caught up on that. I've got some writing I need to do. Maybe some green tea will energize me.

Shattuck's Weekly Blog Riff - Wow! Rochanda has posted twice! And she has two jobs! Check out her story at lovejones. Several of you talked in your first posts (discuss experience of setting up your blog) about the benefits of blogging. I like what Michael says -- that a blog might help to "break down barriers that keep us from interacting and sharing with each other." Check out Michael's words at so fly. Oh, and Michael shares the Most Posts awards with Rochanda, since they both posted something besides the first required post. I also like how Beverly phrases the power of the internet: "I can pass my thoughts to millions and never move out of my seat." You can find Beverly at Beverly Pace's Bloggen. Andrea voiced what lots of you probably thought. She says that when she first heard about blogs, she thought, 'What in the world is this?' Visit Andrea at What's Hot. Cynthia tells us that she heard about blogging in high school, where a friend of hers used Livejournal. Livejournal is another service like Blogger. You can read Cynthia at The young and the crazy. I have a question for LaToisha: How were you able to always motivate yourself? Check out TaToisha's writing at My Expression. And last, but not least --- here are my two picks for most inspirational and most honest blog descriptions (you know, that line that goes under the blog title): Dawn says, "Always keep your mind open." She's at Thoughts and ideas. And Disheen? or is it Manny? describes his blog with a phrase probably most of us use a lot when trying to deal with technology: "i have no idea." Disheen is at Manny.

I've corrected Wendell's URL, so that link works. Shemeka's and Jimmy's URLs still aren't working. I'm trying to recreate the error Wendell was talking about, but I can't even find a refresh button. We need some time in the lab! Blogger seems to give me two different interfaces when I access my blog. Do not know why. Makes it hard to give out instructions.

OK, enough complaining. I'm excited about seeing the writers' first drafts. Some folks read their invention work in class Monday, and it already sounds as if there are some great essays in the works. I don't have too much interesting to say. Except...Krystal and Charles -- ya gotta stop yelling in cyberspace! All caps in any online communication translates into yelling. Demetrius and Wendell tie for most creative blog titles this week -- Demetrius is at The Bloggiest Spot and Wendell is at Blogeeweezy.

OK, I haven't touched my computer until right now. And if you knew how many times I access email and the web on a daily basis, you'd know that this flu is kicking my entire body. Don't get this flu. It's a monster-nasty flu.

I don't want y'all to lose precious writing time just because I'm home sick. So here are some assignments. I'm taking more time than I usually do for the pre-writing/invention strategies, mainly because I think these strategies will really help you to write a strong paper. I won't be in class Friday. So please do the following assignments in order, but you're welcome to pace yourself so that everything is done by Monday, 2 Feb.

1) Continue exploring essay topics by responding to "Listing Events Related to Identity and Community" and "Listing Events Related to Work and Career" on p. 52. Use the Guidelines for Writing Practice that we've used in our class freewriting. Follow the instructions on bottom p. 52 and top p.53 to choose one event from all your freewriting.
2) For the event you have chosen, complete the exercises under "Describing the Place" and "Recalling Key People" on p. 53. Bring this writing to class.
3) Complete "Sketching the Story" and "Testing Your Choice" on top p.54. Bring this writing to class.
4) Be prepared to do the collaborative activity outlined on p. 54, "Testing Your Choice: A Collaborative Activity." We will do this exercise on Monday.
5) Please read Jean Brandt's essay, "Calling Home," on pp. 42-45. Please complete the "Analyzing Writing Strategies" on p. 45 and hand this in as homework. Do all three points under "Analyzing Writing Strategies."

Thanks! If you have questions, please email me at sandra.shattuck@email.aamu.edu

Yeah, Robert -- another blog is up and running and Alpha's World gets the prize for the most persistent -- staying up until 3.37 am to get a blog up indicates true techie bulldoggedness...a necessary trait to be patient with technology. And Christina, thanks for using the word "challenging" in your blog...I don't know if you're like me, but I enjoy challenges. They help me to learn.

all right! April and Chris have both emailed me with their blog addresses. I like that April calls hers "aprilshowers" and that Chris calls his the Artistic Diary of Chris Yancy. Chris promises to share his poetry and songwriting. I am way psyched! looking forward to reading postings.

FIRST POST Spring 2004 --- ****YES!!! We have a winner! Rochanda clocked in as the quickest student ever to set up her blog. Check out links to the right to get to everybody's blogs quickly. I'm curious to see if the directions I handed out in class will make it easier for folks to get blogging more quickly. We'll see. OK. I'm outta here.

Julie, thanks for mentioning the Paula Gunn Allen reference...I did know about it and it's a position I always talk about when I discuss the novel. Came up in the discussion Dr. Basaninyenzi and I had...we were the only folks who showed up for the group. I'm not sure if the group will continue. I need to be working on moving these discussions into institutionally sanctioned settings...ahem...the classroom, that is. Need to be putting together course proposal for multicultural lit.

Thanks, too, for your posting on your rhetorical theory class. Those kinds of discussions are never easy, always emotional, usually draining...and inevitably productive. Change happens in talks like that.

Today in class we talked about chapter 8 in The Guide to Writing (St. Martin's), which is the justifying an evaluation paper. Everybody will evaluate a website, mainly because I think I can be most helpful there...I think it's crucial to understand how information is constructed on the web. But I've got to get some questions on blogging for my class...I need to evaluate how the use of blogging this semester has/has not affected students' writing. I'm thinkin' that students can answer these questions on their blogs. Dunno. Gotta go. I'm in office hours. Then gotta go grade portfolio papers. It's rainy and windy here. Some murmurs about tornado weather.