English 67

So – this is Wordpress. It works just about like any blogging engine you’ve seen or used before. You will need to create a Wordpress account ASAP to start using this. As noted in class, I strongly recommend using a “screen name” rather than your full name

You can login, write a “post” (usually a short statement, observation, mini-essay, or the like) on whatever theoretical, literary, critical or dystopian stuff you’re thinking about. Or you can “comment” – write a short response to someone else’s post. This medium tends to favor the short and snappy – long essays don’t read that well online – but I do want you to feel free to speak your mind, use as many words as needed.

Why do this? First, I think it’s fun. No – really it is. I truly enjoy seeing what other people are thinking about a set of issues, or interests that we share in common. Agreement is not the goal. Differences are what matter, and create meaning. Also, it seems to mesh well with my beliefs and observations about teaching. . . . That is, I truly believe much of what constitutes learning does not happen in the classroom with some professor nattering away. I have observed that learning happens socially, through interaction. That interaction may be in conversation, exchanges of writing, etc. This blog is one tool for making that happen.