Your First Blog!!

Alright folks. A lot of you have already started posting various things on your blogs. That's great!! Here is your first actual blog assignment. You don't have to do it right away. We'll start at one a week just to get your feet wet. I will check your own blogs on the weekend. Below is a little preamble to what you're about to see and read. Enjoy!

If you don't use Facebook, you've undoubtedly heard about it. Mark Zuckerberberg - the guy who invented it - is worth A LOT of money! There is even a movie about his life which is set to be released very soon. Scroll down to my links section below, and click "Zuckerberg Link". Read the really short article, and watch the clip. When you come back to your own blog, I would like you to consider the following...

1. What do you make of Mark Zuckerberg's life? According to the article, he is worth over 6 billion dollars. He rents a 2 bedroom bungalow. Why?

2. In the clip, Zuckerberg says, "Move fast. Take risks. It's ok to try big things. You're better off trying something and having it not work, and learning from that, than having not done anything at all. That philosophy is very deeply ingrained here." Is this a good philosophy for a company? For a person?

3. Zuckerberg claims that his appearance on Oprah was to announce a 100 Million dollar donation to Newark Schools. Do you think this philanthropy is genuine, or did he do this to coincide with the release of the "unauthorized", "fictional" tale of his life? Is this just good marketing?

You don't have to answer these questions directly, they're just a jumping off point to start a conversation. Blog about all of them, one of them, or none of them. Say what you want about the article and the video if you don't like my guiding questions. When you go to another classmate's blog to comment, remember the rules! Be courteous and respectful of the opinions of others! Have fun!

Post your web address!!

Hello All,

We're close to being ready!  I need you all to post the web address of your blog to my blog.  Go to the comments section under this blog, copy and paste your address there into the box, and I will add your blog to the list at the bottom of the page.  You will then be able to access everyone else's blog from my page.  We should be ready to start next week!!

I'm excited!

WELCOME!

Welcome to the East York CI writer's craft blog!  I can't tell you all how excited I am to be leading you through this experience!  In addition to your class journals, these blogs will serve as a creative and intellectual outlet.  Remember, the goal with this response writing is always AUTHENTICITY!  Be honest, genuine, and don't force emotions that aren't real. 

Having said all that, I understand that the internet is a public space.  However, a big part of this course is going to be making yourself vulnerable, and opening up to others.  No one here will judge you, or fault you for being yourself.  You will all be amazed at the reception you receive from others when you take chances, and put your feelings out there.  

So how is this going to work?  Well it's simple.  My blog (the one you're reading now) is going to be your starting point.  Whenever you log in to post a blog, you're going to come here first.  On this page, you'll find the topic of the day or week.  Most of the time, i'll try and get you to look at things online.  Because we're on the internet, I want to make use of all the incredible information that's at our fingertips.  The resources I use to get you thinking will be from sources we can't access in our portable.  Your job will be to follow the link, read the article, watch the video or look at the image that I direct you to.  Consider what you've seen and/or heard, take a moment to process, and then respond on your own blog page.  If you're stuck, look to the response writing hand out I gave you in class, and consider some of the guiding questions.  

What if you really don't like the prompt?  Well that's an easy question to answer: write what you want!  This is your blog, so if you've got something pressing on your mind, and want to flush it out here, that's your prerogative!  

Last but not least: read other people's blogs!  Part of your job with respect to this project will be to reflect on how your classmates feel.  Remember, this has to be a safe medium for everyone, so be respectful!!  If you disagree with someone, acknowledge their opinion, and explain why you feel differently.  We have 25 distinct personalities in this class. This will become a great resource for all of you in your writing if you learn how to respond and provide feedback in a critical, yet respectful way.  For professional writers, collaboration is a huge part of what they do to perfect their craft. You, like they, will learn how to use this process as a valuable tool.  

That's it!  We'll be booking computer lab time at some point this week to get everything set up.  Save this page as a favourite, and check back often!

Enjoy!