English 83

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 Arthurian 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.