102-14. Our Blogging Queen

The time has come, once again, to reveal what's in the virtual gift box!

It meant a lot to me that so many of you chose to blog with me this semester for extra credit. That takes real motivation and commitment in such a busy semester as this one has been.

I have no hesitation in crowning Ayşe as our Blogging Queen. Her blog meets royal standards and is everything a blog should be. I was delighted by each and every post, in which I saw evidence of creativity, analysis and attention to detail, self-exploration and a kind and generous spirit. I particularly loved her "hot vocabulary" list and "quote of the month" section as well as the picture of Benjamin and Elaine from The graduate. Right at the end of this semester she changed her template to mark the 'beginning' rather than the 'end' of blogging. Actually I just find this blog breathtaking and cannot find proper words to praise it - I would encourage you all to read it. Ayşe has been blogging with me since September, so this is a special award to me. I have seen her grow and develop immensely through her blog and this has made me feel closer to her. I know we will be blogging together for a long time to come. Thank you, Blogging Queen. ♥

I would of course not neglect to mention the other wonderful blogs - first Tümay, a newcomer to blogging, who posted 28 times, tying Ayşe in quantity! Tümay was a very enthusiastic blogger and I could look forward to at least one post after our morning class every Monday. So Ayşe and Tümay, you are the joint winners of the blog race! (So nice to duplicate that tied-for-first trend, which we saw last semester with Beri and Hasan).

I will now continue down the rankings, with comments on each blog:

Ezgi O. - 27 posts - Ezgi's blog took off in a major way this semester and pretty much blew everyone out of the water for some weeks.

Simge - 20 posts - Our returning 'Little Blogger', I especially love how she 'talked' to the characters in our stories on her blog. :)

Melek - 16 posts - We're happy to have this newcomer who made many sensitive interpretations of our course readings.

Hasan - 16 posts - Hasan's unique voice is back with us this semester, and I am proud of the changes I've witnessed in his thinking. ;)

Hazal - 15 posts - Hazal is such a wonderfully talented writer and an astute commentator on the human scene.

Nazlı - 15 posts - Another new blogger who showed incredible effort - don't miss her post on 'The rainbow coding in The bluest eye'.

Can - 14 posts - Can is a perfectionist, and it shows. His writing has gone from strength to strength.

Cemre Naz - 13 posts - Another returning blogger who incorporated so much of our class discussions and material into her blog.

Gamze - 11 posts - Gamze made a huge amount of effort on her blog and it is a delight to read - don't miss her wonderful African song/video, I guarantee it will make your soul sing.

Reşide - 11 posts - A new blogger who worked hard to create a permanent reminder of our wonderful novel.

Congratulations to all of you listed above, as you have met (and even exceeded) the criteria for extra credit, and your final grade will thereby be increased by one increment, for example from B+ to A-. As you know, I was looking for steady blogging over the semester as well as comments made on your blog and mine and on other students' blogs. Although I had 12 posts in mind as the cutoff, I must say that the effort and care that Gamze and Reşide put into their blogs convinced me that they had earned this honour as well - quality won out over quantity here!

A warm thank you goes to all of you who did some blogging, even if you could not meet the extra credit threshold:

Didem, Tuğçe K., Atalay, Ezgi Y., Elif, Bahar, Onur O., Zeynep, Mehmet Ali, Billur, Tuğçe Y., Ece, Merve, Deniz K., Sıla, Can Ç.

Finally, I cannot encourage you enough to *keep on/start/resume* writing on your blogs - that goes for all of you reading this, not just the people mentioned here. And I promise this:

I will be your ever-dedicated reader and commentator.

Thank you to ALL students who blogged with me in this academic year. Your blogs will be the outstanding models for my future students. I'm really very proud of you.

THIS IS NOT THE END OF MY BLOG, SO STAY TUNED... ;)

Sonja - out. ♥

'The Crown Jewels at the Tower of London' by Edgley Cesar, licenced under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0

102-6. Virtual blogging awards, round 2! ;)

Those of you who blogged with me last semester will remember this box. :))

This time I'm announcing this 'contest' well in advance; once again, at the end of the semester, I will be posting some virtual blogging awards here. These will include top blogger as well as those deserving honourable mention. The following attributes will be taken into consideration:
-quantity
-quality (reflection, analysis, creativity, writing skills)
-interaction with other blogs (including mine) and responding to comments made on yours

Last time competition was stiff as Beri (blue ribbon/silver cup winner) and Hasan (red ribbon winner) jockeyed for position in their mind-blowing 'blog race' - but I had to invent a runner-up category for Hasan in the end, so sorry man, wahwahwahhh :D ...and where's your blog race this semester, guys? I'm so pleased to note that most of those in the honourable mention category are back blogging again: Simge, Hazal, Onur, Ayşe, Elif and Can. Your blogs just get better and better. And Bahar, your blog has come on a bomb! Keep it up! Ezgi O., you're certainly on an impressive spree!

Check out all our lovely new bloggers on my ENG 102 blogroll - Tümay and Nazlı merit a mention even at this early stage.

Remember that blogging is an extra credit option this time - and it's not too late to get started! ;)

I really want to give this extra credit...I'm just waiting for your posts!

What's in the box this time? :-p

'Gift' by mrjoro, made available under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

102-4. Our first month together

Dear students,

Four weeks of ENG 102 have passed already - time really flies!

I thought I would share some of my observations of our first month together. Of course I am so pleased that 54% of my students are back from previous semesters, but I'm also happy to have met all you newcomers. It seems by now we should all have settled in a bit.

WHAT HAS BEEN GOOD SO FAR

Blogging
I am delighted to report that as of this week, more than half of you have decided to keep a blog this semester. When I started this individual blogging project at the beginning of last semester, I never could have imagined it would come this far. With those of you who are blogging for the second consecutive semester, I really see changes in your approach - your writing is more mature, more thoughtful, and best of all, more personal. You seem to be developing a sense of yourself as writers in English and getting in touch with your audience. That is so wonderful to see. I can really feel that your motivation is not coming from the thought of extra credit, but rather from inside. That's a crucial shift.

Research papers
It seems to me that most of you have been able to find a topic that interests you on a personal level, and I consider that a real achievement from a teaching perspective. Some of you have even expressed genuine excitement to me about our course theme, as well as the conviction that our explorations of identity this semester will help you to make sense of your own identities.

Class discussions
On the whole, these have been impressive. I have heard some sophisticated analyses of our stories, texts and film. I would encourage you to keep striving to find a greater level of precision in your use of language - I'm sure that sometimes it is not the thought or understanding that is lacking, but simply the right words in English to put it into. I appreciate the courage it takes to try to express complex ideas in a foreign language, particularly in front of a group of your peers.

WHAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

Class preparation
This has been variable. Some of you prepare regularly and thoroughly, but it doesn't seem like the majority, I'm afraid. I am concerned that when readings are assigned, the main strategy seems to be 'skimming'. The short stories and articles need to be read carefully. You most likely need to take notes, at least in the margins. And you need to check unfamiliar vocabulary in the dictionary. Having a vague sense of a text's meaning can actually be more confusing than helpful. I try not to overload you with reading, as I know you have lots to do for other classes. I try to make it fair and manageable. I do check SU Course statistics to see who is keeping up, which I must confess sometimes puts me in a very gloomy mood before our lessons if it is apparent that only a few people will be prepared. Thanks to Nazlı for reminding me that some students have purchased the Canon photocopy pack, so SU Course reports can be misleading. ;)

Timekeeping and classroom conduct
I was very, very tolerant of late arrivals in the first three weeks of the semester. This was to allow you to readjust to attending classes after the semester break and also taking into consideration the confusion of the add/drop period. But my previous students will surely attest to my insistence on punctuality. I want to start and finish the classes on time. I have seen students arriving to class 20 minutes late, and sometimes even more. This is surely not acceptable in anyone's eyes. We have very little time to spend together, and we need to be as focussed as possible. I want to tell you that I take punctuality into account when determining the final Class Participation grade.

The next point is about mobile phones. For the first time this semester, I have seen students openly texting in class, not seeming to care if I see them or not. Even after I ask politely for the mobiles to be put away, I see this sort of thing carrying on. My view on mobiles is simple: they have no place in our lessons. You are welcome to use them during the break. And if you are expecting a crucial call, simply inform me, and leave the classroom when the call comes in. Otherwise, your social lives and our lessons really do not complement one another. Thanks to Mehmet for pointing out that some students take notes on their phones; if this is the case, can you please just inform me so that I don't harass you. ;)

Finally, I want to mention social interaction. Many times I ask how people are, or I ask for your feedback or opinions on something, and I get absolutely no reply - everyone looks at the floor, and a terrible silence descends. I cannot tell you how awful this makes me feel. I'm a teacher, but I'm also a person. If I ask you a question, it's a genuine one. I do not want to perform my job mechanically; I actually value the relationships I build through teaching. I personally need to interact with my students. You know we English teachers do not follow a lecture format, and we really do want to see interaction, and that applies to student-student interaction as well. Must we always sit with our friends? Couldn't we try to get to know someone else in the class? Let's try to break this "go straight to the back row and sit as far away from the action as possible" mentality. I am really worried about this.

Thanks for your hard work and contributions so far, and let's keep this up.

Yours truly,
Sonja

32. Virtual blogging awards

The time has come to reveal what's in the virtual gift box!

I am still simply overwhelmed by this whole blogging experience. I feel like some sort of blogging master of the universe.

Although two students reached mind-blowing heights of 32 posts each (and both won the red ribbon Diet Coke race ;-), if I also consider depth of analysis, frequency of posting and quantity of interaction (31 comments), I think we have a clear blue-ribbon winner. So congratulations, Beri. Your blog, in my humble opinion, is a masterpiece. I would encourage you all to read it, and Beri, please please please do not stop writing on it.

Hasan, you have more than earned the distinction of close runner-up with your 32 posts and 24 comments. Even if I find your reasoning frustrating sometimes ;-), I was always entertained by your humour and I really enjoyed your egging me on throughout the semester, always with a smile.

It was quite difficult to limit my choice of blogs for honourable mention since competition was stiff, and every blog is unique and valuable to me. The following blogs were chosen for the frequency and quantity of posting and comments, as well as depth and quality of content:

Elif K. - 28 posts, 43 comments
Simge - 22 posts, 22 comments
Ayşe - 20 posts, 33 comments
Hazal - 18 posts, 44 comments
Onur O. - 18 posts, 16 comments
Meltem - 16 posts, 26 comments
Can M. - 14 posts, 28 comments

You may be happy to know that I have already decided to make blogging an 'extra credit option' in ENG 102; after all this success there is no way I can simply let it go.

A huge thank you to everyone who took this journey with me.

'Success' by kevinthoule, licenced under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic

30. FINAL blogging ideas for lagger bloggers...

We are entering our final week of 'official' blogging, and I have noticed that some of you have quite a way to go to reach the desired goal of 14 posts. So, once again inspired by the posts popping up on my blogroll, allow me to make some suggestions that can help you reach or at least approach the target.

• You can write about our upcoming exam, as Denise has done. And as you re-read the texts and re-watch the films, even if you've already blogged about these, you can post a 'Volume 2' in Hasan style.

• You can write a self-evaluation of your final presentation: have a look at the examples on Begüm's, Elif's and Albert's blogs.

• You can blog about the other presentations you have seen, and you can also write about the presentation films of the other groups, as Can has done.

• You could share your reflections on 2009 or your expectations of 2010; Elif leads the way.

• You could try answering one of the exam questions we brainstormed in class. Just write it as a normal blog post; there is no need to do it as a practice exam. You can even jot down your ideas in note form.
  

• You can write a final evaluation of our ENG 101 class, preferably after our last class on Thursday. A self-evaluation would make a most interesting post. ;-)
  

I hope this gives you at least a few places to start. If anyone wants more ideas, you need only let me know.

p.s. If anyone has other ideas, please add them to the Comments section of this post to help your classmates out! ;-)

Happy blogging!
Sonja

24. Virtual blogging awards

Looking down my blogroll, I see that many of you are doing an impressive amount of work on your blogs, far beyond the 'call of duty'. I enjoy reading your blogs so much. You really are a creative and insightful bunch!

At the end of the semester, I will be giving some virtual blogging awards here. These will include the top blogger as well as those who deserve honourable mention for the number and quality of their posts and comments.

What's in the box, do you think? ;-)

'Gift' by mrjoro, made available under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

17. Thinking ahead to the final essay...

'All your sensual ways' by Thomas Hawk, made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic Licence

We've seen a lot of interesting presentations these past two weeks, and heard a lot of fascinating interpretations and criticisms of the texts and stories. I would like to encourage you to think even further about these texts, bearing in mind that they could form part of the final in-class essay at the end of the semester. It would be great to see your blog posts. Here are some suggestions:

1. To what extent does the concept of women being 'marked' apply to Turkish culture? Are men 'marked' in any way? In what ways have gender roles changed since this text was published in 1993?
2. In what ways does the Turkish language 'mark' women?
   
3. In what ways can we apply the concept of 'markedness' to the woman on a roof? Tough guise? Killing us softly?
   
4. How persuasive is Winn's argument about TV as a 'plug-in drug'? Does she use good evidence? Does she limit her claims, or does she overgeneralise? Can you counter her argument in any way?
5. There are two articles on SU Course which challenge Winn's argument about TV; "Is TV really the plug-in drug?" and "Questioning the plug-in drug". To what extent do you accept these counterarguments?
   
6. What connections can you make between Katz's thesis in Tough guise and Dave in "The man who was almost a man"?
   
7. Did Dave actually become a man at any point in the story? If so, at what point? Justify your interpretation.

Happy blogging!
:-p

13. New bloggers and new blogging ideas welcome

Embryonic Journey by onkel_wart, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Non-commercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License

This week, for the first time, I gave you a blogging task to complete in class. This resulted in two students posting for the first time, so welcome to Erman Ece and Egemen Kaftancıoğlu. We look forward to reading more posts from you.

Two students have also come up with a great idea: Hasan Can Saral and Beri Pardo have devised a blog 'race'. Why not visit their posts to see what that's all about, and consider trying it yourself? This would be particularly useful for those students who find self-motivation to be a problem; when you race, your friends help you stay motivated. I think it's absolutely brilliant; I never would have thought of it in a million years.

This week in class I introduced you to the idea of Creative Commons materials. Hasan Can Saral and Beri Pardo have expressed strong views on the issue of copyright, and I encourage you to debate them in order to make them think a bit more deeply. :) I was absolutely amazed to see that Onur Olgaç immediately applied his new knowledge of Creative Commons images to his blog, flawlessly citing his most recent image. I would strongly encourage you to follow his example and cite all blog images you use in future.

This week you've all left a lot of great comments on my and other students' blogs. Let's keep this momentum going. Interacting with other blogs is part of your overall blogging grade, and of course from a human perspective, we all love to know what people think of our work.

11. Blog feedback

We are about to have a nice little holiday, so I thought it would be a good time to make a few points about the blogs overall.

• Remember that you are expected to post to your blog at least once a week. In most cases, I'm not seeing this; in fact, some of you haven't posted anything at all.
  
• By the end of this week (Week 5), you should have a minimum of 4 posts on your blog related to our course themes and/or texts.
  
• It is your responsibility to develop a system of reminding yourself to post to your blog. 50-200 words once a week is certainly not too much to ask. Do not wait for me to remind you to do this assignment; at Freshman level, you are expected to direct your own learning to some extent.
  
• This is a graded assignment, worth 20% of your final mark, and if you don't do it, you greatly increase the likelihood of failing this class. If you wait and post all the assignments at the end of the semester, you will fail the Coursework component of this class.
  

A big thank you to the few students who are posting regularly, you know who you are. ;-)

I look forward to reading a lot more blog posts.
Have a good Bayram,
Sonja

10. Why not leave a comment?

I've just finished reading and commenting on everyone's latest blog posts. I'm seeing some really good stuff! You are adding images, linking to articles, raising thought-provoking questions and inviting your readers to respond.

I wanted to invite you to visit a couple of other blogs and leave your comments. Remember that interacting with other students' blogs is part of your grade; it also helps to start a potentially very interesting conversation and gives the blogger a bit of moral support. After all, everyone likes feedback on their work, right?

So here are a few recommendations to get you started:

• Alican Timur has prepared a well-researched blog on reality TV. He has linked to some articles which cite survey research on why people watch reality TV. He has also found an academic article on the topic, which some of you may like to make use of in process essay question 1.
  

• Sean Smyth has written a blog packed with interesting observations and analyses of how media operates, which values it focusses on and how it crosses ethical boundaries.

• Burak Yalçıntaş poses a very pertinent question for you about the ethics of news photography, which could lead to an interesting debate and help you sharpen your ideas for process essay question 2.

• Elif Kırçuval has applied the method we used in class for responding to news photographs to some images she has selected. This is a good way of thinking through process essay question 2.

• Onur Olgaç has posted some thoughtful explorations of ethics and the role of photojournalism, which could help you to gather your thoughts for process essay questıon 2.
  

You will notice on my blog roll that I have listed all the students in alphabetical order by their first names. So you can find friends and classmates easily.

How will you know when someone has left a comment on your blog? It's easy; just go to Customise, Settings, then Comments and scroll down the page. Type your Comment notification email into the box and save the settings. The next time someone comments, you will receive an email! This is also described on page 8 of the blogging guide.

As always, I look forward to reading your posts/comments.

4. Students are blogging!

It's nice to see that at least a few students have started blogging about our course texts. Since this activity is new to most, I suppose some of you are wondering exactly what you should blog about. Here I may be able to help:

• Ayşe Şen has shared some very interesting observations on our first short story, "The enormous radio". She has also included some images and even a YouTube video.
  

• Can Mutgan has blogged about reality TV. You may like to respond to his argument.

• Arda Durmaz and Serra Örey have both blogged about this week's topic, ethics in photojournalism. There are some interesting explorations here of the proper role of the photojournalist.

• Simge Güzeliş has already posted 4 times to her blog! She has some thought-provoking posts as well as links and images.
  

Why not check out some of these posts and leave a comment...?

Happy blogging!