Bonus Opportunity for WRIT2 Students--March 26th

I feel at loose ends today, and so I thought I could pick up my spirits by getting some free points into your grade. If you'd like a bonus, please write a paragraph about what you usually do when you need to do homework, but find it hard to concentrate. How do you get your mind focused, and get the work done on time? Or, if you prefer, how do you manage to take a break and make yourself feel fresher when you have too much homework to do? Do you have any suggestions for me? I am bogged down by my dissertation and two textbooks, both due on April 16th. Help me, and help yourself!
Please do check your grammar, spelling, and punctuation; however, you do not need to write formally. Be as casual and relaxed in your writing as you wish. Post your responses to this question as a comment to THIS POST--not email or a paper response!--by noon on Monday, March 26th for credit.

Thanks! I'll be talking about your "corporal punishment" essays and working with you on your textbooks. See you soon.

Chris O'Brien

Common errors in your early posts

Hi class.
The most common problems I'm seeing in the blogs of groups 1-3 so far are:
Paragraphs having too few sentences, generally only one! There must be at least 3 sentences in a proper paragraph. That means that you shouldn't hit "return" after typing only one sentence.
Also, there is plenty of sloppy grammar, such as:

• Subject/verb agreement
• Tenses mixed together
• missing articles (OMG!)

PLUS, problems with punctuation and with spelling. Really--for English majors, you have a lot of catching up to do--that means lots of extra reading that you need to take responsibility for. Without enough input, you cannot have good output. So--READ! Especially, please read your own writing before you post it. Many of these errors are, I sincerely hope, careless mistakes that you could really have fixed by yourselves. If not. . . well, let me just say that this is not the level of writing that I should be seeing in pre-professional English users. You have got to improve your ability with DAILY practice. . .and I mean quality practice.

Please don't forget your writing homework, posted at my Yuntech page. Give it to me printed or written on paper at the beginning of class, or you will not be graded. Don't fail through carelessness.
Some people, such as student 001, have written NOTHING yet, as far as I can find. Remember that the assignment is to write at LEAST three times every week. That means EVERY week, folks.
See you all tomorrow. Take care and get a good sleep.
By the way, I finished the full draft of my dissertation on Saturday!
Chris

In case of incorrect Google Group Nicknames. . .

If you have not used the right kind of nickname, please read this:

It turns out that it is NOT NECESSARY for you to re-sign-up for the Groups. Your nickname can be changed very easily from inside the Group. I feel surprised that after searching for quite a while, I still failed to discover this; my NEWS student, Albert, showed me how last night.

To change your nickname, log in to the Google group, and then from the homepage, on the right side of the screen, click on 編輯我的會員資格 (edit my membership).

From there, you can see your current nickname and can change it to the right sort of name. Please do so this week. Thank you!!

Chris

Nickname Troubles Can be Resolved Easily!

Hi, Students!
So far only six (I think, and one did it incorrectly) students have submitted their blogs to me. Please do so by commenting on the original post, at the bottom of the page, before noon on Monday. Thanks!

I'm sorry that it is currently impossible to change the language of the Google Group on your computer; if your system is a Chinese one, it seems, you're stuck with a Chinese Google Group, which is too bad!

Because. . .

You should really avoid using Chinese for your daily routines unless you have to communicate with some uneducated person who cannot use this international language. It's by far the best thing to use English for all your daily needs. . .at least until you are no longer English majors. At least, for this class, don't use Chinese for your blogs and for the Group. So far, all six students have used Chinese-only blog sites. I can't read anything there, and I shouldn't have to need to, 'cause this is English class. Your class, not mine.

If you already have blogs at "yam.com" or whatever, well. . .okay, but can you tell me how to view them in English? I know that "wretch" can be set up to be viewed in English, so please could you do so?
And don't forget that you need to use a label for your English homework journal entries so I can find them. And--please check your spelling and grammar, would you? What else is Bill Gates good for?

Sorry for my grumpiness . . . it's been a trying time recently and I feel irritated anyhow.

Chris

Textbook Chosen! Hints for your Blogs. Greetings!

Happy Tuesday!

A group of WRIT2 students agreed today that the textbook should be At A Glance: Paragraphs 3rd Edition, by Lee Brandon; I believe that Chris (your classmate, not your teacher) is ordering a copy for each of you and it should arrive soon. The book is pretty inexpensive: $275, minus a 15% discount (I think that's the right amount!).

ALSO, please remember--and tell your other LIT1 classmates, please!--that for the Google Group, to use your "nickname", such as "WRIT2_Chris_806," and not just a name or email address. I want to know immediately who you are.

ALSO, please also note that your blogs should be set up so I can comment on your English journal entries without registering or anything. I think you should set it up so anyone can comment.

If you don't want me to grade every entry in your blog, set up a label with the name "Chris" or "WRIT2" or "English" for the class journal entries so I can find the right ones easily. For instance, I will send this post with the labels "Instructions" and "News."

Thanks, and it's good to get to know you. Don't forget to send me your information, with your "nickname" in the last text box. . .and, please send me your photos. . .So far only 1 student has done so. I got it fine.

Take care and let me know if you run into trouble.

Chris O'Brien

Welcome to the Paperhood!

This is the first post on the Paperhood, the neighborhood of Writing students who live online on this Writer's Block (or should that be "Writer's Blog"??).

WRIT2 students, thank you for coming; please come here again every week this semester.
I want every student in our class to set up a weblog (blog) online. (You might want to go here and get a free one; there are other free blog services as well, and I don't have any preferences, as long as your blog is in English!) You will use these blogs as your online journals. I need to be able to leave comments on your writing there. Of course, I don't mind if you put your own Chinese blog messages etc. there, but I will naturally only count the English ones. For your online journals, you must post in English at least three times every week for a total of 12 posts per month. (Small variations, such as two posts one week followed by 4 the following week, are acceptable, but the total must be at least 12 per four weeks.)
This week (beginning Feb. 26th) you should set yours up and give me the address by putting it as a comment on this post here.

Don't forget to give me your "Nickname" also. That is, first the name of this class (WRIT2), then an underscore (_), then your English name, then another underscore, then the last 3 digits of your student number. Like this:

WRIT2_Chris_806

You also should visit your pages here and here every week (sign up at the top of this page, please, and let me know if you have trouble--it's new and I don't understand it very well yet). Thank you for your cooperation.
I think we will use this blog as our main headquarters, with the Yuntech page for schedules and the "google group" page for turning in assignments. We'll see how it goes.

Let me tell you about your homework for this coming week (March 5th):
1. Leave a comment to THIS VERY posting on this very blog, telling me your own blog's address and your "nickname" (see above).
2. On your own blog, leave a post or more than one post, answering the following questions:

• What did you learn in writing class last semester, and what was new to you?
• What do you feel are your strong and weak points in your writing ability in English? Is it grammar, spelling, formatting, or expressing yourself smoothly, or is it something else? Please try to be specific.
• Also, give me your thoughts on how this first week of school is going for you.

I'm sure you can figure it out yourself, but I'll just mention that with a blog, you can't get away with what other students in the past have done with paper journals: wait till the last moment, and then write twelve journal entries in one evening--switching pens sometimes to fool me. Also, it is easy for me to tell and check if you are cheating by copying other people's writing from the 'Net. Don't try! If you have trouble following the instructions, tell me about that in your blog, but do not be a bad person just to get a good grade in school. It's not worth it!!

Also, like other students, you should go here and submit your basic information for me, and furthermore, please join my student group.
Thank you very much. Sincerely,
Chris O'Brien