Dr. Gerald's Blog

Process Essay

2007-03-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

Click here and here for information on your process essay.

This Week in ENG 1123

2007-03-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, March 21: No class.

Friday, March 23: Plagiarism test. (Yes, it's a do-over!)

Monday, March 26: Turn in rough drafts of the works cited page and the outline for the research paper.

Works Cited Pages

2007-03-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

There is a sample works cited page in MLA style on page 246 in your research book. Chapter 14 provides sample citations for various types of sources. Use the following links for samples of ways to cite sources from library databases such as EBSCOhost and Newsbank.

http://www.jcjc.edu/faculty/humanities/sgerald/citationsamples.htm

http://www.jcjc.edu/faculty/humanities/sgerald/radiocitation.htm

You might also use http://www.citationmachine.net/ or http://www.easybib.com/ to help put together your works cited page. You should, however, check what you get from those cites against the samples in your book to make sure they are accurate. You could get incorrect citations for the online bibliography makers, particularly if fill in the information incorrectly to start with or if you are using a type of source that the bibliography maker doesn't recognize.

Sample MLA Citations

2007-03-07T08:39:00.000-08:00

Click here and here for some sample in-text or parenthetical citations in MLA style.

Plagiarism Resources

2007-03-02T06:14:00.000-08:00

There will be a test on plagiarism Friday, March 9. Use the following links, along with information in your textbook and in class discussions, to prepare for the test.

http://www.plagiarism.org/research_site/handouts/types_of_plagiarism.doc

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/

http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml

http://www.writing.northwestern.edu/avoiding_plagiarism.html

http://www.esc.edu/htmlpages/writerold/menusp.htm

Research Guidelines

2007-02-20T06:34:00.000-08:00

The goal for this week is to gather sources for the research paper and begin to evaluate and organize them. Use this handout to help you through the process. We will not make it through every step in one week. Phase one should be at least partially done already because you have been thinking about and planning your research topics since the semester began. Set your priorities to complete phase two this week and to begin phases three and four.

To understand the ultimate requirements for the assignment, review the research paper checklist.

To complete phase four of organizing sources, use the fact finding sheet.

You'll also need the outline practice sheet to get started and to complete the phase of organizing sources.

Peer Critiques

2007-02-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

Get your peer critique questions for essay two here.

Oral History Interview Handout

2007-01-24T08:21:00.000-08:00

Click here for the handout on conducting your oral history interview.

Paper 2 Instructions

2007-01-24T08:07:00.001-08:00

Paper 2: Summary-Response Essay, Research Pre-Writing (2-4 pages)
Conduct an interview with an individual who has personal experience with your research topic. Write a summary of the results of the interview. Respond to the summary with your own reactions and opinions.

Paragraph 1: Introduce the person you have interviewed and sum up the most important things you gained from the interview. Make an overall point about the topic of the interview and/or what people can learn about that topic from the information you have to share based on your interview.

Paragraph 2: Identify a sub-topic or sub-point from your interview. Sum up what was said about it. Respond to your summary with your own opinions and/or analysis.

Paragraph 3: Identify a sub-topic or sub-point from your interview. Sum up what was said about it. Respond to your summary with your own opinions and/or analysis.

Paragraph 4: Identify a sub-topic or sub-point from your interview. Sum up what was said about it. Respond to your summary with your own opinions and/or analysis.

Paragraph 5: Conclude by wrapping up any points you've brought up in your essay and by offering your overall impressions of the interview and what you've learned from it. Remember to reinforce the main point or thesis of your paper.

Presentation Instructions, Composition II

2007-01-24T07:35:00.000-08:00

Group Presentations, Composition II

Each group should plan to speak 10-12 minutes.
Each person in the group should have a speaking role.
Handouts and/or visual aids should be provided.
As part of the presentation, provide information about where to learn more about your topic in both the textbook and other source materials.
Address both “how” and “why” issues related to your topic. Give background information on why things work the way they do, but also give practical tips on how to use the skill you are teaching more efficiently in the research process.

Peer Critiques

2007-01-23T07:45:00.000-08:00

Here is the peer critique handout on paper 1 for those who missed the assignment in class this week. There is no need to print out extra copies for future assignments. The questions will probably change for the next essay.

Instructions for Essay 1, ENG 1123

2007-01-10T07:33:00.000-08:00

Paper 1: Narrative Essay, Research Proposal (3-5 pages)

Describe an event in your life that has made you want to know more about a topic of historical significance. Explain why this would be a good topic for a formal research paper and how you could make a good argument out of it. Identify a person you plan to interview about your topic. This person should have had real experience with the topic you have chosen.

Paragraph 1: Introduce your proposed topic for your research paper as well as your own reasons for choosing this topic. Make an overall point about why it will make a good subject for a formal research project.

Paragraph 2: Tell your own personal story of what has sparked your interest in this topic. Tell about personal experiences, people, and or books, movies, songs or other things that may have influenced your interest.

Paragraph 3: Continue telling your story.

Paragraph 4: Continue telling your story.

Paragraph 5: Explain why you believe this topic will be appropriate for your research assignments for this semester. Discuss how you plan to go about finding the necessary information on the topic.

Paragraph 6: Identify a person that you plan to interview for your oral history assignment. Explain how this person is connected to your chosen research topic and what kind of information you hope to gather from your interview.

Paragraph 7: Conclude by recapping your reasons for being interested in the topic and your reasons for believing it will make a good topic for your semester’s research assignments.

Welcome Back!

2007-01-08T11:26:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Spring Semester 2007! This blog is going to be used this semester primarily for my Comp 2 students in day classes. Online students should follow the instructions posted in Blackboard.

Comp 2 students, get your syllabus here.

World literature students, click here to go to your class blog.

Humanities students, click here to go to your class blog.

Let me know if you have any questions about the class or have any trouble getting started. See you soon!

sharon.gerald@jcjc.edu

Final Exam Schedule

2006-11-30T08:37:00.000-08:00

Click here to check your final exam schedule.

Persuasive Essay

2006-11-30T08:31:00.000-08:00

The last essay in English 1113 is due December 7 for Tuesday/Thursday classes and December 8 for Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes. Due with the final draft are a rough draft, a Turnitin report, an outline, and brainstorming.

The assignment is as follows:

Write a persuasive essay on something that has been banned from a school or business. Take a clear position for or against the banning. Provide at least three reasons to support your position. Follow each reason with explanation and examples.

Cause and Effect Essay

2006-11-07T06:31:00.000-08:00

Here are the instructions for the cause and effect essay.

Late Assignments in Composition

2006-11-01T09:26:00.000-08:00

This is just a reminder that composition students have one week after a due date to submit late assignments with a letter. Anything submitted more than one week late will not be graded. Anything submitted late without a letter will not be graded.

To review the original instructions for late letters, click here.

Oral History Essay

2006-10-17T07:14:00.000-07:00

Click here for instructions on organizing the oral history essay in English 1113.

Comma Review

2006-10-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

Click here and here to review some simple comma rules. Also remember to read chapters 12 and 13 in your Harbrace Handbook if you are having trouble with commas.

Optional Assignment

2006-10-09T12:10:00.000-07:00

Click here for instructions regarding the optional assignment in English 1113.

If you choose to do this assignment, the grade can substitute for a lower essay grade.

It may be turned in any time between now and November 1. It will not be accepted after November 1.

If it is submitted for a grade by October 20, you will have a chance to revise it and resubmit it before November 1. Anything turned in after October 20 will not be eligible for this opportunity.

This essay should be written in a pro-con format. Click here for instructions for how to organize it. Remember that because the essay is supposed to be at least three pages, it will require more than five paragraphs. Therefore, the five things listed in the instructions do not represent paragraphs. The should instead be thought of as sections in the essay.

Visual Analysis Essays

2006-10-05T06:16:00.000-07:00

The visual analysis essay is due today for TTh students and tomorrow for MWF students.

These are the things that should be turned in:

The final, polished copy (on top).
A copy of the picture you have written about (or the page number if it is from the textbook).
At least one edited rough draft.
An outline rough draft. This should be complete even if it is still rough.
Brainstorming.
The Turnitin report.

Staple everything together and bring it to my office, 113 Academic Support.

Remember that journals are due on Monday for MWF students and on Tuesday for TTh students. The first two units of the reading journal should be submitted in class (6 readings, 12 pages). The first seven of the ThomsonNow grammar post-tests should be completed as well.

Oral History Interviews

2006-10-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Click here for a handout on the interviews required for essay three in ENG 1113.

World Literature Presentations

2006-10-02T05:06:00.000-07:00

Here are the handouts on the Ancient Greece presenations:

Presentation Instructions

Grading Chart

Presentation Topic List

Visual Analysis Handouts

2006-09-27T08:50:00.001-07:00

Here are the handouts for the visual analysis essay.

Outline form

Instructions

Visual Analysis Handouts

2006-09-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

Here are the handouts for the visuals analysis essay.

Outline form

Instructions

Visual Analysis Handouts

2006-09-26T06:44:00.000-07:00

Here are the instructions for organizing the visual analysis assignment in composition 1 and the outline form for figuring out how to break your own topic down to fit the assignment.

Brainstorming Questions

2006-09-25T08:07:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are the brainstorming questions for the visual analysis essay in comp 1.

Late Assignments in Composition

2006-09-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

Any assignment that is not handed over to the instructor during the class period in which it is due is considered late. Any assignment that is not uploaded to Turnitin.com on the day that it is due is considered late. Any late assignment must be accompanied by a cover letter. It will not be graded without this letter.

The cover letter should be as close as possible to one full page without going over.
The cover letter should be in full block format. Click here to see a sample of the format.
The cover letter should be in 12 point Times New Roman with one inch margins.
The cover letter set up as a letter of request. The request is that the assignment will be graded despite the fact that it is late.
The cover letter will be graded as part of the assignment. It will be graded for grammar, content, organization, formatting, writing style and anything else that might be graded in any writing assignment.

Welcome Back!

2006-08-17T06:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to JCJC for a brand new school year. If you are a new student still learning your way around, click here for campus maps that might just make your first week of college a little bit better.

For my English 1113 (Comp. 1) syllabus, click here.

For English 2413 (World lit.), click here. This is for the day class only. Online students will find course information posted inside Blackboard.

My office is downstairs in the Academic Support Building (Room 113). That's the same building where my classroom is, so if you've made it to class, you can find me easily. The best times to find me in the office are 8:00-10:00 Tuesdays and Thursdays and 9:30-10:30 Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I'll also have some afternoon office hours, but because I'm often in meetings in the afternoons, it's best to call or email to make an appointment.

Please come see me if you have any questions or need any help getting started on your assignments. I'm here to help!

Katrina Funds

2006-05-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

Katrina funds are available for summer school. Contact the financial aid office for more information.

Calculating Grades

2006-04-28T06:27:00.000-07:00

Here is the formula for calculating your averages in English 1123

Grade x Percentage = Percentage Points
Total percentage points out of a possible 100 points = final average

Narrative Essay (10%): _______ x .10 =
Argument Essay (10%): _______ x .10 =
Process Essay (15%): _______ x .15 =
Plagiarism Test (15%): _______ x .15 =
Research Paper (25%): _______ x .25 =
C&E Essay (15%): _______ x .15 =
Final Exam (10%): _______ x .10 =

Total percentage points for final average =

Final Exam

2006-04-28T06:15:00.000-07:00

Check the JCJC website to see when your class period meets for the final exam.

The final exam for English 1123 will be part multiple choice and part discussion. It will cover research methods, documentation, plagiarism, and grammar.

Things to study:

Define/recognize databases and search engines
Identify what kinds of sources can be found in specific databases (see library handbook)
Identify methods of evaluating sources for quality
Define terms learned while doing research (plagiarism, block quotation, et al, ellipses, etc.)
Identify correct/incorrect MLA citations
Identify correct/incorrect paraphrases
Define types of essays (argument, narrative, definition, cause and effect, etc.)
Identify grammatical errors (subject/verb agreement errors, comma splices, fused sentences, sentence fragments, pronoun errors, comma errors)
Identify and discuss various steps in the research process

Plagiarism Test

2006-04-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

The plagiarism test will be part short answer and part multiple choice. You’ll need to be able to define terms, list examples, and identify correct citations as well as correct paraphrases.

Things to define and/or explain:

Plagiarism
Types of intentional plagiarism
Types of unintentional plagiarism
Paraphrasing
Summary
Direct quotations
When and how to cite sources
Reasons to cite sources
Common knowledge
Block quotations

Things to identify:

Correct MLA style citations
Correct paraphrases

Reading assignment:

Chapter six in your research guide.

Online resources:

Avoiding Plagiarism

Types of Plagiarism

Lead-in Verbs

2006-04-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to the lead-in verbs I've been promising.

See last year's comments about introducing sources if you can't remember why you need a list a lead-in verbs. :)

Week Ten

2006-03-21T06:35:00.000-08:00

My day classes will not meet Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, March 22-24. Dr. Townsend will meet with my online students Thursday evening.

Literature students have a quiz on Dante Monday, March 27. Read pages 1017-1046 in the textbook. Be familiar with the Circles 1-5 of the Inferno. You will also need to know the characters and notes that were discussed in class this past Monday.

Composition students should work on research papers. Rough drafts are due Friday, March 31. Final drafts are due Thursday, April 13. Be prepared to ask questions about your rough drafts when we return to class next week. You'll need to have at least a partial rough draft completed to know what questions to ask.

Process Essay, Composition II

2006-02-27T13:05:00.000-08:00

Click here to download the assignment handout for the process essay.

Click here to download a formatting instructions for the process essay.

These handouts are in Microsoft Word format. If you have trouble accessing them from home, you will be able to open them from the computer lab on campus.

Friday, March 3, the rough draft of the process paper is due. This should be uploaded to MyCompLab.

Friday, March 10, the final draft of the process paper is due. This should be uploaded to MyCompLab as well as printed out in hard copy form.

Friday, March 10, rough drafts of the research paper outline and the research paper works cited page are also due. These will not be uploaded. They will be submitted in hard copy form only.

I will be out of town for a conference March 8-11. You will still be able to spend class time working in the computer lab, however.

I will leave a box sitting in front of my office door (113 Academic Support). Assignments due by Friday, March 10 may be left there at any point during the week of March 6-10.

Works Cited Pages

2006-02-21T08:54:00.000-08:00

Most of the samples you will need to follow for you works cited pages are in your research guide. There are also samples in the Harbrace handbook and in MyCompLab. Remember to follow the MLA samples in all cases.

Click the links below for a few more samples that will be useful.

Citing sources from Ebsco and Newsbank

Citing radio broadcasts from Newsbank

Katrina Aid for JC Students

2006-01-23T08:12:00.000-08:00

The Financial Aid Office is currently accepting applications for Federal Hurricane Disaster Relief. The application requires a detailed statement of any losses resulting from the hurricane and documentation to substantiate all claims. Students must have completed a 2005-2006 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply. Contact the Financial Aid Office for the application.

Spring 2006

2006-01-09T09:03:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the spring semester, 2006. Our class schedules are back to normal now, and I hope most of your homes and lives are back to normal (or at least getting close).

I hope to use this blog more this semester than I did in the "Katrina fall," so check here regularly for class notes and tips and general annoucements.

For now, click the links below to get your class syllabus.

Composition 2

World Literature

Welcome!

2005-08-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome to JCJC if you are a new student. Welcome back if you've been around a while. Class announcements and helpful tips will be posted on this page from time to time, so keep checking back.

For now, we just need to make sure everyone has accessed the course syllabus.

Composition 1

World Literature

I look forward to working with each of you. Drop by my office or call or email any time if you have questions or feel like you need a little extra help. I'll be glad to see you.

Poetry Explications

2005-04-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

Poetry explication sample

Poetry explication sample

Poetry explication tips and guidelines

Poetry Links

2005-04-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

The next assignment in comp 2 is a poetry response paper. For this, you need to pick out either a contemporary poem or song lyrics that you like and think you can make a point about.

Here are some links to places that places that provide good, contemporary poetry online:

Poetry Daily

Academy of American Poets

Poetry Magazine

Poetry 180

The Internet Poetry Archive

Browse around until you find something you like, then print it out and bring it to class. Enjoy!

Sample MLA Paper

2005-03-30T09:55:00.000-08:00

The sample research paper we discussed in class is available online here.

Lead-in Verbs

2005-03-29T12:11:00.000-08:00

Remember to vary your lead-ins to your sources. Also remember to always attribute information to your sources both in the wording of your sentences and in the parenthetical citations. Never stick quotes in a paper without telling where they came from. Although the citations are necessary, they are not enough. You must also blend the quotes into the paper by using proper transitions or introductions.

For a list of lead-in verbs, look on page 591 in the Harbrace book. You can also find suggested lead-in verbs here or here. These will help you properly attribute your information to your sources without repeating "says, says, says" over and over or "according to, according to, according to."

Research Checklist

2005-03-28T12:06:00.000-08:00

Research papers are due April 11 for Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes and April 12 for Tuesday/Thursday classes.

Before turning in the paper, go through this checklist to be sure everything is in order.

Conferences

2005-03-28T11:53:00.000-08:00

All comp 2 students need to have an individual conference with me during the week of April 4-8. The conferences will take place in my office, 113 Academic Support.

Bring a copy of your completed research paper rough draft with you along with your sources and your corrected works cited page. Be prepared to ask specific questions about your paper.

Appointment schedules will be posted outside my office door after Wednesday, March 30.

Failure to attend the conference will count as one absence from class.

Typing Outlines

2005-03-08T12:53:00.000-08:00

If you want to avoid that thing Microsoft Word does when it messes up your outlines as you are typing them by trying to format them for you, follow these steps:

1) Go toTools.
2) Click AutoCorrect.
3) Click AutoFormat as you type.
4) Click off the check mark next to automatic numbered lists.
5) Click OK.

That should do it. If it doesn't, go back into AutoCorrect and turn off ten or twelve more things while you yell at the computer. :)

Citing Radio Transcripts

2005-03-02T12:14:00.000-08:00

Here's a sample MLA citation for a transcript of a radio broadcast found in Newsbank.

Paraphrase and Summary Assignment

2005-03-02T09:20:00.000-08:00

Assignment handout.

Paraphrase format handout.

Summary format handout.

Acceptable Paraphrases

2005-02-28T08:25:00.000-08:00

Corning Community College offers tips on correct paraphrasing.

Paraphrasing is one of the most likely places that accidental plagiarsim might occur. Be very careful to learn how to correctly use your sources.

Types of Plagiarism

2005-02-28T08:18:00.000-08:00

Plagiarism.org has a good handout on various types of plagiarism.

Remember that plagiarism can be either intentional or unintentional. While deliberate plagiarism is a greater crime, even accidental plagiarism is a big problem and can cause anything from failure in school to legal trouble.

Citing Sources from Ebsco and Newsbank

2005-02-22T17:14:00.000-08:00

If you've lost your copy of the Ebsco handout, it is posted online here.

All other samples should be in your research book. Make sure you stick to the MLA chapters, however. If you are looking in the APA chapters, you will do the whole thing incorrectly.

If you have a source that you cannot find in your textbook, ask me about it. I'll look it up for you in the MLA Handbook.

Never, ever try to make it up or guess. As many papers as I've done in MLA format myself, I still ALWAYS look up how to cite it before I put it on a works cited page. That's what the book is for. You aren't expected to memorize citation formats. You're just expected to follow the examples in the book.

Tiresias

2005-02-20T14:10:00.000-08:00

World lit students--

Tiresias is the blind prophet of Ancient Greece who shows up in at least two of our reading assignments, The Odyssey and Oedipus the King. He's also one of the most interesting characters in Greek Mythology.

Read about Tiresias here and here.

Opposing Viewpoints

2005-02-20T13:47:00.000-08:00

Comp 2 students--

Our library subscribes to a series of books called Opposing Viewpoints. The books divide general topics, like gun control and civil rights, into a compilation of articles on opposite sides of the issue. Students often use these books for research papers. In fact, they are so popular that it's often difficult to actually find them on the shelf during research paper season.

Now the Opposing Viewpoints company is providing many of the same articles online, and we have access to those articles through MELO.

To get to the Opposing Viewpoints articles, go to this page and type in the same password that gets you into Magnolia and NewsBank. Hit proceed, then at the bottom of the next page, click on Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center.

Because we are doing current events topics, you may not find an Opposing Viewpoints subject that directly corresponds to your research paper. However, you might find some articles you can use anyway as background information. It's worth a look.

Google News

2005-02-15T06:48:00.000-08:00

Comp. 2 students--

Because we are doing current event topics for the research papers, a good idea for keeping up to date with your topic is to go to Google News and sign up for News Alerts.

Plagiarism

2005-02-10T06:32:00.000-08:00

Learn how to avoid it.

Plagiarism is sort of like driving someone else's car without permission. It can land you in a world of trouble. Don't assume you know what's acceptable and what's not when using sources for papers. Look it up, and ask a lot of questions.

Louise Gluck

2005-02-04T05:12:00.000-08:00

Louise Gluck is a contemporary poet who wrote a series of poems based on The Odyssey and on Greek Mythology.

You can read some of her poems here.

Be sure to read the ones that have Circe or Odysseus in the title. How do the poems reflect Gluck's interpretation of the story and of these two characters? How does the Circe in the poems compare to the way you viewed Circe after reading The Odyssey?

Why We Love Epics

2005-02-03T05:52:00.000-08:00

Whether you know it or not, you too love epics. People have always loved epics and always will. They are exciting. They bring us adventure of the sort we’ll never see in real life. They have suspense. They have drama. They have romance. They have violence, seduction, poetry, magic, and everything else the human heart responds to for the good or the bad.

Epics are, at their core, stories of the adventures of heroes. They have to be larger than life in some way. There has to be something massive at stake in the success or failure of the hero. And the adventures all have to tie together toward a common goal. If it’s got all that plus suspense, excitement, and so forth, it’s an epic.

Mostly we think of things like The Odyssey and Beowulf when we hear epic. Those are the stories everyone reads in school. There’s a reason for that. Those ancient epics like Gilgamesh, The Iliad, and The Aeneid, are where it all started, and what they contributed to the world of literature has remained, throughout all the centuries, the biggest crowd-pleaser of any literary form ever.

Think about some of the epics of our own time. The Ancient World contributed written language to the generations to come, and the 15^th Century gave us the printing press, but the 20^th Century made its mark in film, and that is where we find many, many modern day epics. Remember, the epic is high entertainment as much as it is high art. We don’t get too many parties these days with a hired bard sitting in the corner reciting the history of our people in dactylic hexameter, but we sure do love to gather in big groups to watch the movies.

Case in point, the Star Wars movies represent classic epics of our time. Check it out. Go read the characteristics of the epic and the epic hero and see how many of them sound like Star Wars. That is exactly what George Lucas intended to create, and he said so himself.

Another set of beloved movies, which were actually beloved books long before they made it to the big screen, is the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Epic, epic, epic. Aragorn is the closest thing you’ll find to Odysseus since the days of the Roman Empire. He’s brave, cunning, noble, favored by the gods (or Elves as the case may be), and the fate of the world rests with his success, as it does with Frodo’s.

Then there are the Harry Potter books/movies, proving that epics aren’t just for adults (and Harry Potter isn’t just for children). Not only does HP have all of the characteristics of the epic, the stories are also chop full of allusions to Greek Mythology and to ancient epics. The scar on Harry’s forehead is in the shape of a lightening bolt, the symbol of Zeus’s power. Minerva is the name of one of Harry’s teachers. It’s also the Roman name for Athena who is the Greek goddess of wisdom and justice in war. Athena just happens to be Odysseus’ patron. She looks out for him, and it is no coincidence that she appears as a character in Harry Potter. Then there is Hermes, the owl, who shares his name with Hermes, the messenger of the gods. And Fluffy, the three-headed dog, who bears amazing resemblance to Cerberus, the three-headed dog who guards the gates of Hades and who can also be lulled to sleep with music. Hermione, Harry’s friend, is the namesake of Hermione, the daughter of Helen and Menelaus. There are many, many more of these likenesses. Read The Odyssey. Then read Harry Potter. You’ll be astounded by how alike they are.

Indiana Jones is an epic. Spiderman is an epic. The Wizard of Oz is an epic. The Matrix is an epic. The list goes on and on.

Two recent films that were directly based on The Odyssey are Cold Mountain and Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou? The book Cold Mountain, a Civil War novel, won the National Book Award and made the bestseller list too. That just shows that a good epic, even in our own time, wins both respect and popularity. Oh, Brother is an adaptation of The Odyssey into Depression Era Mississippi. If you haven’t seen either of these movies, I highly recommend both. But with Cold Mountain, you should read the book first.

The point is that epics appeal to the human spirit at all levels. They have something to teach. They have thrills to offer. They play on our emotions. Most importantly, they inspire.

Epics exist because real life isn’t nearly that exciting, and when life does get exciting, often things don’t work out very well. Epics are there to remind us to believe in the extraordinary capacity of the human spirit and the human imagination to overcome. They make us believe in heroes. They make us believe that there is something inside ourselves that can rise to greatness as the situation requires. They cheer us up. They comfort us. They give us something to dream about.

Epics perform several important functions. In ancient days when there was no written language, epics were a primary means of preserving the history and the values of a people. They also bonded nations together with a common pride in culture and heritage. They inspired people to do their duty and to work together in all of the various roles necessary to have a thriving civilization. They made people believe in the heroes inside themselves.

Not much has changed in 3000 years. People laugh, cry, love, and hope in the same ways they always have. And that is why we love epics.

Spring Graduates

2005-02-02T07:42:00.000-08:00

This announcement came out on the email list serve. Spread the word.

ATTENTION: SPRING GRADUATES!

Students who will meet requirements for graduation in May should come to the Library Museum Room February 8th or 9th. Applications for graduation will be taken between 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Students must apply for graduation to receive a diploma. There is a $30.00 fee required upon receipt of the application. Students who are eligible to charge the fee to Pell Grants or who wish to use credit cards must bring documentation from the Student Accounts (Business) Office prior to completing applications. STUDENTS MUST APPLY FOR GRADUATION TO RECEIVE A DEGREE.

Students may come by the Records Office prior to February 8th to pick up the necessary paper work.

Thanks,

Student Records

477-4036

Black History Program

2005-02-02T07:32:00.000-08:00

There's a special program, Friday, Feb.11 at 10:30 in the Home Health Auditorium. The guest speaker is Brig. Gen. George B. Price. I've heard him speak before, and it was well worth the time. I encourage anyone who can to attend. Student Services will provice attendance verifications for anyone who needs them for class.

Harry Potter and the Greek Allusions

2005-02-01T18:43:00.000-08:00

Test your knowledge of Greek Mythology with this Harry Potter Quiz.

Ancient Greek Crosswords

2005-02-01T18:28:00.000-08:00

Test your knowledge of The Odyssey with this crossword puzzle.

Career Report, Comp 2

2005-01-31T11:47:00.000-08:00

The career brochures are due on February 10 for Tuesday/Thursday classes and February 11 for Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes. We will be in the computer lab on those days for the library database training session. You may not work on your brochures during the training session. They must be complete and ready to turn in when you arrive for class.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook is here if you've lost the link.

The main objectives are to be informative and to be professional. Neatness and correct grammar definitely count. Make something you'd really be willing to hand out to a crowd. Don't hand it in to me if it would embarrass you to give it to a boss (or to a classroom full of students).

Let me know if you need any help. I'll be happy to look over your brochure for you.

A Note on Form

2005-01-31T11:40:00.000-08:00

After looking over my previous post, I'm itching to tweak a few sentences and polish the puppy up a little. I'm not going to do it, though. Now is the time to establish my game plan for how I will proceed, and it seems to me that part of the nature of the blog requires quick posts and a free-flow of thought. That's the difference in a blog and a web page. I'm not making something that will remain static but something that is supposed to be in a continual state of change. Therefore, I must post and move on without looking back. Mistakes would only make me human, right?

P.S. That excuse is not allowed on essays.

Why am I doing this?

2005-01-29T19:18:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm here, it occurs to me that this is sort of a brave thing to try. As if students don't get enough chances to be annoyed with me in the classroom, this way they get to make fun of me and roll their eyes at me online to. At least the three or four who actually show up here will. :)

First, I'm doing a presentation on blogs at a conference soon, and I'm trying to create an example I can talk about. Next, I'm really interested in finding out how well people will respond to getting class information in this format and how many people will actually use it. Also, I think that teaching is as much about learning new things as anything else. The day I quit trying to teach myself is the day I need to pack it up and go to the house.

This guy named Donald Murray who wrote some pretty cool books about writing and teaching once said "writing is thinking, thinking is writing." It's one of those concepts that is so simple anyone can say it, which is why it is also so profound that it would probably only be said by a very smart and famous guy who writes books about writing. I believe it's very true. I also believe "teaching is learning, learning is teaching." That, my dears, is what it's all about.

That is what brought me here. I'm doing this blog to teach myself about blogging and about how English classes can benefit from blogs. I've already learned a few things. I know how to edit a template now. I added the links section in the sidebar, and I'm very proud of that because I had to type in a bunch of jiggly looking nonsense to the HTML to get it to look like that.

I've also learned that it's easy to forget how hard it is to write and how much fun it is to write. No one should ever be teaching English who isn't subjecting his or her own scribblings to the criticism of others. I'm not one of those people who subscribes to the "I've paid my dues" theory. That's just a recipe for atrophy. No matter what field we are in or how hard we worked to get there, we should always be far more demanding of ourselves than we are of others.

And there you have it. Welcome to my blog. If you see any mistakes, please feel free to let me know.

Hello, World

2005-01-29T10:19:00.000-08:00

This is my first post to my new blog. How am I doing so far?