First, a few numbers, as of Mon. Apr. 15
reading progress
those who have finished their book 7/35;
almost finished 5/35; half-finished 12/35; quarter-finished 11/35
book recommendations
strongly recommend 27/35; recommend 6/35; recommend w/ advice 2/35
Teacher Reflection
I continue to believe that people with clear personal goals for their reading are producing the most engaging blog posts. In addition, these people signal the most creative, most authentic possibilities for demonstrating the understandings gained from their books. I urge all readers to enter the spirit of this experimental unit by looking for personal meaning in these books. The high percentage of strong recommendations suggests that most of you are already doing this.
The personal goals and insights allow you to develop an idea in a given post. Use the opportunity to illustrate your idea with specifics from the reading. This development clarifies your own thinking, while helping your readers more fully appreciate the concept. Some of you are attaching images to your blog posts, which I recommend to all of you. Selecting a suitable image to accompany your post, again, helps you and your audience. In short, use the post to explore-by-developing a specific response to your reading, rather than to write a summary. Summaries exist in other online locations. What we cannot find elsewhere is your individual response. Explain which parts interest you most and why, then illustrate those parts with examples.
Blogging, like some other digital media, tempts people to forget proofreading. I will send email reminders to some of you, in order to encourage more careful proofreading. Quick access to public audiences, especially with facebook and twitter, promotes quick writing. Blog posts, unlike these other two media, typically require re-reading before posting. Don’t be fooled. Draft your post, then take the time to read it to yourself aloud, in order to catch the “little” things that, if you miss them, show readers you are not paying attention. Such “little” signals undercut your credibility, not to mention clarity.
And speaking of audience, remember that while we are the ones who usually read each other’s posts, our sites are open to the public. Many of you have probably seen evidence of this public presence already–with likes and comments from unknown names. Since outside readers do not automatically know what book you have chosen, keep this segment of your audience in mind.
Finally, the percentage of high recommendations, as well as the content of your first blog posts, indicates the value of preliminary conversations and resulting research about which book to read. Taking time to identify interests, to articulate them to someone else and to research titles that might fit those interests has apparently worked. We invested the time in these early stages, and that investment is paying dividends. In short, you did your homework and are enjoying the results.
photo credit: dispatchmag.com
ENG 12H 