Assignment #4: First Posts

So at this point in the quarter, we've accomplished a few things that will aid our work for the "social issue publishing" component of this course. You've each identified a social issue you're interested in, and you've found group members with common interests to write with. You identified a peer group of other blogs and websites from which you can draw information and inspiration for future posts. You've also created a few resources (e.g., blogroll, "about us" page, other "gadgets") that will be useful for readers and that give a sense of identity to your blog.

Now to writing about your social issue.

For this fourth assignment, you'll need to write either a 500+ word "full post" or a shorter "curated post." Please take a look at this list of blog groups. If you have a "F" next to your name, you'll write a full post for this week. If you have a "C" next to your name, you'll write a curated post for this week.

A full post is really little more than a 500+ word essay discussing your social issue as you see fit. You might write about an aspect of your social issue that is in the news recently, and lay out your perspective on those developments. You might tell a story about someone that is affected by your social issue. You might interview an expert on your social issue and share some of the key things you learned from that interview. You can write about your social issue in any number of other ways, too -- don't feel constrained by this assignment. In any case, your full posts should:

• have a main point that is clear and succinct
• support that main point with appropriate detail, evidence, and/or logical argument
• demonstrate critical thinking about your topic
• take advantage of embedded linking to point readers to pertinent info
• employ appropriate spelling, grammar, and punctuation
• be logically organized and clearly formatted for the reader
• include a headline that is snappy and informative  

A curated post links to 2-3 pieces of related news, opinion, or information about some aspect of your social issue, and it provides commentary on those works. A curated post is shorter than a full post -- no more than 250 words. However, a curated post is not necessarily less work than a full post. (Here and here are a few good examples that I gathered class' peer groups -- you can easily find curated posts among your peer group too.) Your curated posts should:

• link (with embedded links) to 2-3 pieces of related news, opinion, or information
• briefly synthesize (not simply summarize or re-write) those external works, focusing on a common theme, topic, or point from each work
• generate reader interest in those external works
• briefly offer your own commentary or analysis 
• demonstrate critical thinking about your topic
• employ appropriate spelling, grammar, and punctuation
• be logically organized and clearly formatted for the reader
• include a headline that is snappy and informative

Work on your full or curated post using the Blogger post editor. You can start a new post by either clicking the orange pencil button or the new post button ...

or the new post button ...

Save your work regularly, and by Tuesday morning, have a first draft of your post prepared. Click the "Preview" button, print the preview of your post, and bring two copies of your printed preview to class on Tuesday. You'll receive 10 points for bringing two copies of your printed preview to class on Tuesday. On Tuesday, you'll get feedback from your classmates on your draft to that point.

You'll take account of your classmate's feedback and complete your post by Thursday at midnight. Once you're comfortable with your post, click the "Preview" button again so that you can see what your post will look like for readers. If you like how it looks, click "Publish."

Throughout this quarter, all posts (full or curated) will be worth 20 points.

• A full-credit, 20-point post will meet each of the criteria above for either full or curated posts
• 15-point posts satisfy most, but not all of the criteria above, and do so in a satisfactory manner
• 10-point posts satisfies some, but not all of the criteria above, and do so with some important deficiencies
• 5-point posts satisfy few of the criteria above, and do so with serious deficiencies
• 0-point posts are not submitted or submitted late