Writing Studio Blog Awards: Best Reviews (2008)

Ladies and gentlemen!

It is a pleasure to announce the winners of Writing Studio Awards for Best Reviews, 1st semester (2008). Nominees in each class (§§ 1a and 1c) who received the greatest numbers of appropriate and timely nominations from peers are the winners. In several of the categories, nominations resulted in two- or even three-way ties.

1. Best Title of the review post,
2. Easiest to Read and understand,
3. Most Informative or Opinionated,
4. Most Interesting or Unusual, and
   
5. Most Visually Appealing - best layout.

(Best Reviews 1.0, 2008.06.04)

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The animated slide show below displays certificates that winners have received. Mousing over the slides themselves will display filenames including the initials of the (co-)winners. You can view them all on the Slide.com site (View All Images, below).

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Portfolio: Writing III, §§ 1a & 1c (template)

beginning of template [copy from here] /////

Student ID: vwxyz
(last five digits of
your student no.)

Portfolio for Writing III,
Section 1a [or] 1c
(See: Note 1, below)

0.0. Overview

Reviews, Posts, Words, and More

[embed your proto-portfolios here]

(See: Note 2, below.)

1.0. Essays

(See: Note 3, below[.])

1.1. Showcase	Short titles [+ links]	Dates (yyyy.mm.dd)	¶	W	C	L	P	M
Self-introduction 08.04.20 (250 words)
Movie review 08.05.04 (300 words)
University life 08.05.18 (350 words)
Another review 08.06.01 (400 words)
Language learning history 08.06.15 (450 words)
Slideshow 2008.07.06 (five to ten slides)
Totals	---	---

Key:

¶: number of paragraphs five (5) or more sentences in length

W: number of words

C: number of comments

L: number of links

P: number of photos or other graphics
M: number of other media embedded

1.2. Best Essay

Selection and Assessment: Which of those essays do you feel is the best that you've written this semester, and why? Please remember that a complete answer is better than a short answer, and give at least two reasons to support your assessment.

• [Remove these square brackets, including these remarks; identify your best essay, and write out reasons for selecting it here.]
  

2.0. Comments

Showcase	Titles of posts with links	Dates of comments (yyyy.mm.dd)	Numbers of words in comments	Qualities of comments**
2.1. Your first comment on your instructor's blog*
2.2. Your best comment on a classmate's blog*
2.3. Best comment by a classmate on your blog*
2.4. Most comments on:	Titles of posts with link	Dates of posts (yyyy.mm.dd)	Total number of words in comments	Qualities of comments*[*]
2.4.1. Any one of your essays*
2.4.1.1. When did you respond to those comments?	---		---	---
2.4.1.2. How did you respond to those comments?	---	---
2.4.2. Any of your other posts*
2.4.2.1. When did you respond to those comments?	---		---	---
2.4.2.2. How did you respond to those comments?	---	---

----------
* Current semester comments on essays and other posts
** Please list the most important qualities of comments on each type of blog post. That is, explain what makes them good comments.

2.5. Recent comments display

Does your blog display recent comments from blog visitors in a prominent location, for example in a sidebar, header, or footer widget? Where or why not?

• ...
  

2.6. Additional reflections on comments

• [Remove these square brackets, including these remarks; write out your reflections on giving and receiving comments here.]
  

3.0. Book Reviews

3.1. Showcase	Short titles with links	Dates (yyyy.mm.dd)	Words	Comments
Example:	Vampire Killer	2007.05.16	39	1
1-01
1-02
1-03
1-04
1-05
1-06
1-07
1-08
1-09
1-10
1-11
1-12
---	---	TOTALS:

Note: Please calculate book review words and comments totals without the example (above).

3.2. Best Book Review

Selection and Assessment: Which of those book reviews do you feel is the best that you've written this semester, and why? Please remember that a complete answer is better than a short answer, and give at least two reasons to support your assessment.

• [Remove these square brackets, including these remarks; identify your best book review, and write out reasons for selecting it here.]

4.0. Blog Layout, Labeling, Linking, & Media

Showcase	Yes	No
4.1. Does your blog have an archive?
4.1.1. Does the archive display the titles of posts?
4.1.2. Is the archive organized by month?
4.1.3. Is the archive at or near the top of the sidebar?
4.2. Does your blog have labels displayed in sidebar?
5.2.1. Do your labels include these required labels (typed accurately):	---	---
"books" (plural) AND "reviews" (plural)
"essays" (plural) AND "portfolios" (plural, without "proto-")
"quickposts" (plural, with no space between quick and posts)
"links" (plural) AND "media" (plural)
"movies" (plural) AND "photos" (plural)
4.2.2. Does your sidebar display other labels?
How many other labels have you attached to three (3) or more posts? ___ other labels attached to three or more posts	---	---
Which labels, and to how many posts each? Please list those labels instead of www, xxx, yyy..., and list numbers of posts instead of n, m, o... (in parentheses), below. www (n) xxx (m) yyy (o) zzz (p) ...	---	---
4.3. Links & media	---	---
4.3.1. Does your blog include pictures or other graphics?
Does your blog profile include a picture or graphic representation?
How many of your blog posts this semester include pictures or other graphics? ___ posts including pictures or other graphics	---	---
4.3.2. Does your blog include posts with multiple links?
How many of your posts this semester include three (3) or more links?* ___ posts including three or more links (including this portfolio!)	---	---
4.3.3. Does your blog include other media?
How many of your blog posts this semester include other media? ___ posts including other media	---	---
What kind(-s) of media have you included in posts this semester? Please list them here: ... ... ...	---	---

4.4. Overall presentation

What have you done to enhance the overall presentation of your blog? List and explain the three most important content, formatting, layout, or other presentation changes or enhancements that you have made on your blog this semester.

1. ...
2. ...
3. ...

5.0. Additional reflections on your blog writing

• ...

6.0. Suggestions for your peers and successors

• ...

____________________
Notes:

1. This portfolio template derives from the templates for Writing IIIc and Writing IVc portfolios (2007-08).
2. Please use the same code in section 0.0 that you used to embed your proto-portfolios in the footer of your blog.
   
3. The essays section (1.0. Essays, above) derives from Proto-Portfolio 2-02 (2008)
   

///// [copy to here] end of template

[no new word count,
more than 99% from previous template]

"The Machine is Us/ing Us" (Wesch, 2007)

Offering an illuminating perspective on writing for the 20th century, this TeacherTube version of Michael Wesch's video introduces "'Web 2.0' in just under five minutes" (2007). Please take a look, then share your feelings about it, or reflect a bit about blogging for your writing courses, in comments on this post.



Reference

Wesch, Michael. (2007.03.08). The Machine is Us/ing Us (Final Version). Retrieved June 19, 2008 from http://youtube.com/watch?v=NLlGopyXT_g

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Prequel to the Harry Potter Series

On the Open Culture blog, Dan Coleman points out where and how you can read the prequel to the Harry Potter series (Harry Potter Prequel Now Online, 2008.06.12).

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Word Counting on Your Blog

In Writing 3: June 13th, Rick mentions a handy tool for counting words, the Cut & Paste Word Count tool from JavaScript Kit. You can add it to a widget at the foot of your blog (that is, if your template has a footer), and count words in quickposts without having to open a word processor. I'm going to try it now!

There it is, right between the proto-portfolio and the WinK Events calendar:

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Mr. T's Book Review Recipe

This post presents a screenshot of an outline composed of questions to guide you in writing your weekly book reviews (an on-going assignment from Writing III-IV). The outline derives from one Mr. T shared via personal correspondence today (book review template text, 2008.06.11). I've added comments and explanations to the list of questions reiterated below.


BR 1-##: [+ title]

To shorten the title of your post, please use the abbreviation BR for book review, followed by a single space, a semester code (1- or 2-), a two-digit book review number (01-99;-), a colon (":"), another space, and the short(-ened) title of the book you're reviewing. No brackets or quotation marks are necessary.

Introduction

It is a good idea to write out your answers to these first two questions before you write a brief summary of the story.

1. Why did you choose this book?
2. What was interesting about it (something on the cover, in the title, or in the first few pages)?

Brief summary of the story

It is a good idea to write your summary from memory. Write about what was meaningful and therefore memorable for you. That way you will avoid copying or plagiarizing passages from the books you read.

1. What do you remember without looking back over the story?
2. What was the most impressive passage that you can recall?

If you cannot remember much without reviewing the text, page through it again quickly to jog your memory, close it, and put it down (front cover face up). Then write about what you do (or don't) remember.

Conclusion

Answers to these last two questions will round out your book reviews, which needn't be much longer than your current typing speed trials. Again, it is a good idea to concentrate on what you can and do remember, and how you feel about your choices of the books you are reviewing.

1. Do you recommend this book? Why (not)?
2. Would you read it again? If so, when and why?
   

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5th Essays: Personal Language Learning History

These concept maps represents the main points that I expect you to cover in your fifth essays, your language learning histories, which are due by June 15 (calendar). They are by no means exhaustive of all possibilities, so please feel free to add other main points of your own, for example, if you studied English during elementary school, or learned more than one language from your parents or relatives at home.

Original version (1st period)

Revised version (2nd period)

More additions to the node about "people involved" (2008.06.11)

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Proto-Portfolios 0.0a: Updates for May 2008

As you are up updating your proto-portfolios to complete the data sets for May, would you please add our three technical blogging categories for the Writing Studio this semester. It is time to start counting the numbers of:

1. Posts with graphics (photos or other illustrations),
2. Posts with hyperlinks (links other than those to graphics in the posts themselves), and
3. Posts with more sophisticated media (audio, slide shows, videos, Voki..., what have you).
   

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Out-Going Comment Counts: An Easy Way

A quick and easy way to count your out-going comments for your proto-portfolios, on a monthly basis, is to use mail search options. In Gmail, if you click on the link displaying "Show search options" to the right of the simple search field, a refined search interface appears (click on this graphic to take a closer look):

Here's how:

1. Copy and paste (or carefully type) your blog handle into the From field;
2. Make certain that the Search will include "All Mail" (drop-down menu on left, above);
3. Repaste (or accurately retype) your blog handle into the Has the words field;
   
4. Add "has left a new comment" to the Has the words field:
   
• with single spaces between the words, and
• without quotation marks; then
5. Set the time range to plus or minus "2 weeks";
   
6. Set the target date for mid-month (May in this case), and
7. Click on the button to "Search Mail."

Your search should reveal all of the comments that you made for a month on Blogger blogs where you already had selected the option to receive automatic mail notification of follow-up comments (see May 14 comment on March 31, 2008, post), because the first comment you will receive will from each blog will be yours.

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Thank you! No further nominations, please!

Thank you for reviewing all of your active classmates' blogs, and for all of your nominations of best reviews written as fourth essays (Best Reviews 1.0 (2008), 2008.06.04). I'm closing nominations now, approximately twenty-four hours after opening them. I will disregard nominations posted after 09:00 today (JST), and notify you of the finalists as soon as I can digest all of the feedback that you have provided. Thanks again.

[70 words]

Best Reviews 1.5 (2008): Most Visually Appealing

To nominate blogs for Most Visually Appealing, post comments this post. In your comments, include:

1. the author's blog handle (typed accurately, or copied and pasted),
2. the title of the essay (copied and pasted from the blog itself), and
   
3. your own reasons (two or more) for nominating it.

Thank you.

[3 words
not used in
previous quickpost]

__________
Note: This note is to deflect criticism concerning copying, modifying, or plagiarizing my own work. In this post I reuse and create a derivative of content from (a) previous post(-s) on the Writing Studio Blog. I do so in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial - ShareAlike 3.0 License at the foot of this blog.

Best Reviews 1.4 (2008): Most Interesting

To nominate blogs for Most Interesting or Unusual, post comments this post. In your comments, include:

1. the author's blog handle (typed accurately, or copied and pasted),
2. the title of the essay (copied and pasted from the blog itself), and
   
3. your own reasons (two or more) for nominating it.

Thank you.

[2 words
not used in
previous quickpost]

__________
Note: This note is to deflect criticism concerning copying, modifying, or plagiarizing my own work. In this post I reuse and create a derivative of content from (a) previous post(-s) on the Writing Studio Blog. I do so in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial - ShareAlike 3.0 License at the foot of this blog.

Best Reviews 1.3 (2008): Most Informative

To nominate blogs for Most Informative or Opinionated, post comments on this post. In your comments, include:

1. the author's blog handle (typed accurately, or copied and pasted)
2. the title of the essay (copied and pasted from the blog itself)
3. your own reasons (two or more) for nominating it

Thank you.

[4 words
not used in
previous quickpost]

__________
Note: This note is to deflect criticism concerning copying, modifying, or plagiarizing my own work. In this post I reuse and create a derivative of content from (a) previous post(-s) on the Writing Studio Blog. I do so in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial - ShareAlike 3.0 License at the foot of this blog.

Best Reviews 1.2 (2008): Easiest to Read

To nominate blogs for Easiest to Read, post comments on this post. In your comments, include:

1. the author's blog handle (typed accurately, or copied and pasted),
2. the title of the essay (copied and pasted from the blog itself), and
   
3. your own reasons (two or more) for nominating it.

Thank you.

[3 words
not used in
previous quickpost]

__________
Note: This note is to deflect criticism concerning copying, modifying, or plagiarizing my own work. In this post I reuse and create a derivative of content from (a) previous post(-s) on the Writing Studio Blog. I do so in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial - ShareAlike 3.0 License at the foot of this blog.

Best Reviews 1.1 (2008): Best [Post] Title

To nominate blogs for Best Title, post comments on this post. In your comments, include:

1. the author's blog handle (typed accurately, or copied and pasted),
2. the title of the essay (copied and pasted from the blog itself), and
   
3. your own reasons (two or more) for nominating it.

Thank you.

[52 words]

__________
Note: This note is to deflect criticism concerning copying, modifying, or plagiarizing my own work. In this post I reuse and create a derivative of content from (a) previous post(-s) on the Writing Studio Blog. I do so in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial - ShareAlike 3.0 License at the foot of this blog.

[+ 55 words]

Best Reviews 1.0 (2008)

Today you will have an opportunity to nominate five reviews written to fulfill fourth essay requirements this semester. You may nominate one review for each of five categories ( below), and you may nominate your own review for no more than one of them. The categories open for nominations are:

1. Best Title [of post, rather than blog],
2. Easiest to Read [and understand],
3. Most Informative or Opinionated,
4. Most Interesting or Unusual, and
   
5. Most Visually Appealing [best layout].

To find blogs to nominate:

a) browse each of the blogs in the list for your class,
b) locate the fourth essay on each blog, and
c) make sure it is a review that meets all of the following ... [requirements]:

• The review has a short, catchy title;
• It is at least 400 words in length;
• It includes no copied or machine translated content;
• It consists of at least five paragraphs five sentences in length; AND
• It has at least two labels, one of which is "essays" (the plural form, spelled accurately [emphases added]).

To nominate blogs for each category, post comments on the corresponding Writing Studio Blog posts [1.1 - 1.5: see links, below]. In your comments, include:

1. The author's blog handle (typed accurately, or copied and pasted),
2. The title of the essay (copied and pasted from the blog itself, for accuracy), and
   
3. Your own reasons (two or more) for nominating it, for:

If you have questions about the nominating process, please post your questions in comments on this post. Nominations themselves must be on the corresponding post for each category.

• Best Reviews 1.1 (2008): Best Title [of post, rather than blog]
  
• Best Reviews 1.2 (2008): Easiest to Read [& Understand]
  
• Best Reviews 1.3 (2008): Most Informative [or Opinionated]
• Best Reviews 1.4 (2008): Most Interesting [or Unusual]
• Best Reviews 1.5 (2008): Most Visually Appealing [best layout]
  

Comments on the essay posts are optional, but nice. [Please feel free to comment directly on classmates posts after class.]

[337 words
{including additions in
square brackets ("[...]"), above}]