It has come to my attention that there are some issues with grading for the Language and Identity Quiz in Module 6.
If you have already taken the quiz I will give you extra credit for it.
If you have not yet taken the quiz, please focus this week on reading and annotating the Tan and Jordan readings, and watching and making notes about the Sedaris video in Module 6.
If you have any questions or concerns please email me at ybrener@bmcc.cuny.edu or text me at 917-650-0515.
Thank you for a great class today. This week, please focus on the items in Module 6 leading up to and including the Language and Identity Quiz. This is a one question response about this week’s readings, “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan, and “Nobody Mean More to Me Than You and the Future Life of Willie Jordan” by June Jordan, and the David Sedaris video, “What’s Funny About America?”
Please read and annotate the readings first. You don’t have to submit your annotations.
The section in Module 6 about MLA format citations is optional but useful.
If you have any questions or concerns, or if you have work to catch up with, please email me at ybrener@bmcc.cuny.edu or text me at 917-650-0515.
There are still two composition workshops available this week. Please attend if you are able to.
The video of this week’s class is on Blackboard. A discussion and demonstration of posting on OpenLab is included at the end.
I’m looking forward to meeting you on Zoom tomorrow, Saturday October 10th at 8 a.m.
Congratulations to those of you who successfully completed the first timed essay exam in Module 3 by its due date which was last Saturday October 3rd at 11:59 p.m. If you have not submitted your essay, please contact me as soon as possible.
Tomorrow we will talk about how to revise your drafts, and we will spend some time looking at the next readings for the second essay.
Please take note of the upcoming grammar workshops organized by the BMCC English Department, schedule attached. I highly recommend that all of you attend these workshops whenever possible. They are very informative and well organized, give you an opportunity to ask specific questions, and–even if you already know some of the content–it’s always helpful to refresh our knowledge, and there is always something new to learn.
Thank you for a great class today. The video is in the Blackboard announcement.
This week we are in Module 4, but please make sure you are up to with all tasks and readings so far. By tonight at 11:59 p.m. you should have submitted your first essay exam, which is in Module 3.
This week please post in Discussion Board 3 which you will find in Module 4. Please also look at the supporting materials which talk about how to write correct MLA format citations, proper sentence structure, commas and semi-colons. The Anzaldua quiz in Module 4 is optional.
This week, please join our BMCC OpenLab group if you have not already done so. Then please attempt to post your VoiceThread Poem, or the video or audio you created for this assignment. We will discuss your experiences next week. This is a work in progress, so don’t worry if you don’t succeed, but please make an attempt.
Please have a look at the final exam readings by Burkeman and Emerson, and please choose one quote from each reading. We will begin to examine the themes of the final exam readings. There are also audio recordings of the final exam readings in our class website. (Burkeman, Emerson)
If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at ybrener@bmcc.cuny.edu, or send a message to our WhatsApp group, or text me at 917-650-0515.
See you in Zoom, next Saturday October 10th at 8 a.m.
I’ve been so inspired by your wonderful Video Poems that I’d like us to practice posting in the Final Anthology section of our class website. In order to post your submission, you will need to join the group for our class.
Thank you for a great class today. Please make sure you are up to date. If you haven’t participated posted your Voice Thread Poem, or if you’re not sure, please email me.
Please join our new Whatsapp Group for communicating about class-related matters. The link is in Blackboard.
This week, please watch the short videos about annotating from Module 2 (if you haven’t already), watch the short video about writing a 5 paragraph essay in Module 3, and read the information about MLA format citations in Module 3.
When you have your annotated copies of the Sedaris and Anzaldua ready, please do the timed essay exam by the end of Saturday October 2nd. Once you open it and click “Begin” you will have 90 minutes to complete the essay. Remember this is a draft of the essay that you will revise later. Try to be as comfortable as possible with the process, and just read the instructions and answer ONE of the questions (500 words, at least one in-text citation from each piece)
Good luck, and see you next week.
Yolande
P.S. If you’re not coming to class, please communicate with me and let me know what I can do to help.
We will not be meeting on zoom tomorrow due to there being no classes at BMCC this weekend.
If you have not already done so, please do the following before our next meeting on Saturday September 26th.
1. Practice using Voice Thread, or use another app or program to record a multimedia version of your poem to share with the class. You can find the Voice Thread link at the top of Module 2.
2. Watch the two videos about Close Reading in Module 2. Then read and annotate the Sedaris piece and the Anzaldua piece. I recommend that you print them out. You can use the audio and video recordings while you read if you find that helps. You don’t have to submit your annotations, but please bring them to our next class.
Have a great weekend and see you in class (on September 26th)!
Thank you for your excellent participation in this week’s class. The video of our zoom meeting is in Blackboard.
I hope that by now you have had a chance to connect with your Accountability Group in Blackboard, either on Collaborate or on a Discussion Board or by email. If so, please have one member report back to me and let me know whether any issues arose
Before our next class please do the following:
1. Practice using Voice Thread, or use another app or program to record a multimedia version of your poem to share with the class. You can find the Voice Thread link at the top of Module 2.
2. Watch the two videos about Close Reading in Module 2. Then read and annotate the Sedaris piece and the Anzaldua piece. I recommend that you print them out. You can use the audio and video recordings while you read if you find that helps.
3. OPTIONAL. You will have to complete at least three discussions and three other low stakes assignments during the course of the semester. If you so choose, you can participate in Discussion Board 2, which can be found in Module 2. I recommend that you choose this option.
4. For extra credit, please arrange a 15 minute meeting with me by zoom or telephone. I am available most of Saturday, Sunday evening, Monday evening, most of Tuesday, and most of Thursday and Friday. You will be excused from one of the discussion boards if you choose this option.
Because of there being no classes at CUNY between September 18-20, our next Zoom meeting will be on September 26th.
There is no class tomorrow, Saturday September 5th, due to the Labor Day weekend.
Please remember to post your response to the Introduce Yourself discussion board and respond to at least one peer by 11:59 p.m. tonight. You have to post both the introduction and the response to get full points for this task.
Before our next class on September 12th, please read the David Sedaris piece and the Gloria Anzaldua piece in the Readings section. There are also audio and video versions there for your convenience.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.
