Survey: Your Feedback on This Course

Click this link right here!  And remember: I suggest typing up your open-ended responses in a MW Word-type document so that you can repurpose your answers for your metacognitive reflection essay which is due on Monday, September 14th.

Bukowski and Robbins: Considering Short Stories, Poems, and Essays (for Your Project)

Some of you have expressed that you'd be interested in writing a short story or a series of poems for your transformation project, but you aren't sure how to go about doing that.  Well, I thought I'd take part of today's class to share some pieces from my #1 favorite writer of all time, Charles Bukowski.  Note: I'm not a English/Literature professor... but I'll sure as hell wear that for a day.  :)

Universal Themes:

• Before we dig into some pieces, I want us to think about universal themes of the human condition.  What are some aspects that many/all humans can identify with?  What about/within life impacts us?  What draws us together and keeps us a part?

Short Stories:

• What makes a short story a... "short story"?  
• Are there any that you've fallen in life with?  Elaborate.

"The Most Beautiful Woman in Town"

• What universal themes were present in TMBWIT?
• How was this short story constructed?  How did Bukowski "build" this thing?  What are its "parts"?
• How would you characterize his style?  
• Compare his style to your style/attitude towards life/writing.

Poetry:

• In your own words, describe what a poem is/isn't.
• Do any poems you've read throughout your life stick out to you?  Do you have a favorite?  Or one that you just can't stand?  Why?

A Few of Bukowski's Poems: "Sandra," "tonight," "the escape," sitting in a sandwich joint," and "some picnic"

• Think about all the reasons why people use personal journals that we've discussed throughout the quarter.  Do any of them seem to be reasons for how/why Bukowski turns to poetry?
  (What I'm trying to get at is: it seems pretty clear that Bukowski used poetry, in part, as an emotional outlet.  What I want to know is: what kinds of emotions, specifically?)
  
• Try to pinpoint a handful of Bukowski's "moves" that you like/dislike.  What's he doing?  Why do you like/dislike it??

Essays:

• In your own words, describe what an essay is/isn't.
• Do any essays you've read throughout your life stick out to you?  Do you have a favorite?  Or one that you just can't stand?  Why?

Tom Robbins's Essays: "The Doors," "The Genius Waitress," "Write About One of Your Favorite Things" (The Letter "Z")

• OK, what do you think about this stuff?  How would you characterize/describe his style?  
• Try to pinpoint a handful of Robbins's "moves" that you like/dislike.  What's he doing?  Why do you like/dislike it??

Step Up Your Feedback Game

Yo, 339rs: I'm seeing some suuuuuper weak responses.  Step up your feedback game.  2 sentences ain't gonna cut it.

Z

Today's Online Class!

OK, 339rs, here's our agenda for today's online class:

• 1. “figuring out today” -- familiarizing yourself with today’s agenda, materials, structure, and timeframes. (9 - 9:10)
• 2. journal qs  (9:10 - 9:15)
• 3. freewriting to Burn After Writing (9:15 - 9:50)
• 4. break/recalibration (9:50 - 10)
• 5. feedback to classmates' proposals (10 - 11:20)
• 6. metacognitive reflection essay.  (11:20 - 11:30)
• 7. co-created peer/reader review worksheet (11:30 - 11:45)

The only materials you'll need are your journal, a writing utensil(s), a computer/laptop/tablet with reliable internet connection, and your brain.  Please stay focused (really, seriously, please!) and stay on the specific task at hand (in other words, don't jump ahead).

Here's a link to the Google Doc where all the fun action is taking place.  (Remember to participate -- and have an "editing" function -- in the Google Doc, you need to be signed into your AUSB account.

Journal Questions:

• Think about your #1 proposal -- the option you're leaning towards.  What do you dig about it?  What are you still shaky on?  Why?
• (Note: this has two purposes.  It should help you think through any "gaps" in your project and help you consider doing more of what you like about it.  Also, remember: all of your journal responses throughout quarter are fodder for your metacognitive reflection essay.)

Rapid-Fire Freewriting to Burn After Writing:

• Do you remember when I told you that I made it rain a couple weeks ago at Barnes and Noble?  The night I bought us those fancy letters to mail people who have inspired you?  (Have you mailed your letter yet?  If not, do so by tomorrow!)  Well, I also stumbled this book called Burn After Writing (Jones, 2015).  It's tailor-made for some personal journaling and it's pretty light-hearted and fun.  I've selected some of the best prompts in the book (below), and I'd like you to respond to them.
• (Why are we doing this?  Two reasons: (1) I'm hoping that some of your responses will capture YOU, right now -- where you're at psychologically/emotionally, the images/sounds surrounding you, and  your hopes/fears at the moment.  Time-capsule stuff.  (2) I'm also hoping that you can generate more ideas/material to work with for your transformation project.
• Take 2 minutes per question!  Whenever possible -- and with time permitting -- complement each of your answers with a "why?"  Just to make sure you don't jump ahead, I'm going to copy/paste each question into today's Google Doc after 2 minutes is up.  (Pretend you can hear that "duck quack" that I use in class.)  :)
• PS: Don't waste any time by copying down the prompts.  If you absolutely/positively need something there, consider jotting down the word (or 2) that I've put in bold for each one.

• The book that has had the greatest influence on my life... (p. 12) 
• The most dramatic fork in my life... (p. 13)
• The [3] best times I've ever had in my life... (p. 15)
• My life story in 3 sentences... (p. 19)
• Baggage I am carrying... (p. 19)
• The last 3 years of my life described in 3 words... (p. 28)
• The one relationship I would like to fix... (p. 40)
• The thing that I am working on that is BIG... (p. 45)
• My personality in 6 words... (p. 45)
• 5 things I want in my life... (p. 47)
• My last... film, book, concert, time I cried, song I listened to, time I was scared, time I danced, time I was angry, time I laughed, time I was drunk... (p 54).  Note: in addition to pinpointing the moment/title/etc, try to find the approximate date too, i.e., March 2015.
• 1 word: my... job, partner, body, love life, sanctuary, fear, addiction, passion, kryptonite, regret, turn-on, turn-off, hero, future, fantasy, Achille's heel, guilt, greatest virtue, vice... (pp. 58-59)
• The advice that has shaped me the most... (p. 67)
• I am sick to death of hearing about... (p. 74)
• 3 things I need to let go of... (p. 94)
• The ~5 songs [have been] the soundtrack to my life [this summer]... (p. 110)

Transformation Project Feedback:

• OK, now I’d like you to hop on my blog to access your classmates’ blogs.  Take 7 minutes to read and respond to each classmate’s proposal.  (Yes, everybody’s.)  I personally think the most valuable feedback you can provide someone is asking them (tough) questions to get them thinking more deeply about the task at hand.  Also, you have my permission to offer people suggestions and/or alternative ideas if you think you’ve got good ones.  :)
• Remember: to comment on other people’s posts, you need to be signed in to your AUSB email account.  Also, I strongly suggest typing your responses on an MS Word doc because sometimes when you’re done writing a response (to someone’s blog post) and click “Publish” it craps out. So again: type up your responses in MS Word and then when you’re done, copy/paste it over.

Metacognitive Reflection:

• Here's the link.  Cha cha cha check it out!  Any questions?

Co-Created Peer'n'Reader Review Guide/Worksheet for Next Week:

• OK, so I want us to (together!) brainstorm questions that we can ask each other for a Peer/Reader Review-style worksheet for Week 9 -- questions that can guide our feedback to one another.

My Journal Transformation Proposal

Idea #1: "Teaching Principles and Practices"

I use my journal, in part, to document teaching ideas (including lesson plan-y ideas for our 339 course -- see the attached pic, below!).  

To me, as someone who prides himself on being a "real" teacher (compared to, say, someone who has the professional title "instructor" on a default level) it's super-important to be reflective -- to think about what I do, what I value, why I value what I do, how I can make improvements, etc.  

Since my personal identity is wrapped up in my professional identity (ie, all this "teacher stuff") I've used my journal to document and, hopefully, better understand my personal teaching values -- core, to-the-bone, don't-ever-forget-this-about-the-crazy-world-of-education aspects.  To some extent, I've done this sporadically over the past 6+ years as a teacher, but never in a systematic, it's-all-here fashion.  (And it's still not "all here" -- I've just tried to consciously collect any nuggets o'wisdom that have entered my brain over the past 2 months.)  I don't think I'm ready to do this yet, but one idea I have is to create a water-tight "THESE are my teaching principles" document.  I've crafted a formal "Teaching Philosophy Statement " -- it's own unique genre, specific to teacher-applicants -- but it's not quite the same.  So that's one idea.  Principles are h-u-g-e, and taking stock of your principles is essential, I believe, for any aspect of life.

Idea #2: "Theme Time Radio Hour" (TTRH)

One of my all-time favorite things in life is/was "Theme Time Radio Hour" with Bob Dylan.  From 2004 - 2009 (or something like that), Bob Dylan played the role of DJ/pop-culture-curator/historian and narrated an hour-long set revolving around one specific theme.  Some themes he's done in the past are: California, Birds, Fruit, War, Something, Questions... the list goes on and on -- I think he's got upwards of 30 episodes, and they're all A++++++ fantastic.  They accompanied me during 3 solo coast-to-coast roadtrips to/from Philly, so these podcasts/sets don't just appeal to me on a musical-appreciation level, but a personal life-story level too.  It kept my company during a major turning point in my life.

So ever since I first heard his awesome TTRH podcasts, I've thought: goddamn, I want to do some of these by myself sooooo bad -- if it's done well, it'll be a journey into metaphors/associations, transitions, historical tidbits, and rock'n'roll coolness.  I finally tried out a miniaturized version last ~November with my girlfriend, and it was super-cool.  Now, I want to make a full-length one.  

Some of the themes I'm thinking about messing with are: LA Anthems, Booze'n;'Music, "Last Stand" Songs, Desert, Gospel, Heart, and Jesus.  Depending on the specific theme, I've got anywhere from 5 potential songs to 20.  What's helped up to this point is bringing my journal around with me as often as possible -- I'll often extend some "TTRH brainstorming" to my friends (all 4 of them) every time we hang out: yo, if I did a TTRH on ______, what songs/tidbits could I include?

As far as how I'm going to do this, well here are my plans.  One of my best buddies, "Snarky," is into this idea 100%; he and I are going to co-host/curate a TTRH set.  We've thought through different approaches, and we're hoping to experiment with different approaches to find out which one(s) is the best for us.  Our ideas are:

• traditional TTRH: conduct some background research/prep.  Pick out 5 songs a piece.  Work through the transitions between songs/segments ahead of time.
  
• free-wheeling: on-the-spot haggling, free associations, surprise
  
• settling a questions: best Beatles album?
  
• digesting and deconstructing an album: picking Sgt. Pepper's, for example, and then listening to it one song at a time, with some debriefing and commentary in between numbers.

These are my thoughts for the moment.  More to come later!

Happiness and Gratitude

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

Journal questions:

• Happiness:
  
• What makes you happy?  (Name ~10 things.)  
• Why?
• Make a list of 10 "happy to do's" to accomplish by September (or by Labor Day).  Get specific.  Who are you doing this with/for?  When?  How long's it going to last?  Make a plan.

• Gratitude:
  
• Who's an old, good friend you've lost touch with in recent time?  What happened?  How long's is "long"/"a while" to you?
• Reach out to an old friend -- someone you haven't directly communicated with (call, text, IM, etc) -- in a long time.  (In too long.)  I'll see you in 15 minutes.  :)
  
• Name 5 people who've had a major influence and/or who you're supremely grateful for in your life.  What did they do? specifically, that's made you remember them?   Note: I'd like you to choose people who are still living and who aren't family or (super-close) friends.  
• I'd like to go around and find out their role/relationship to you.  Let's take a look at who we picked.

Before we get to thinking through our transformation project, let's take a look at Anne Lamott's "Shitty First Draft" piece.

Next week, your journal transformation project proposal is due.  Here are some questions that I'd like you to think through:

• What are you thinking about creating/doing?  Try to think of 3 possibilities.  I'm looking for ~500 words
• Why have you settled on those ideas?  What's interesting/important about them to you?
• Which option are you learning towards?  (And why that instead of the others?)
• How will you go about creating/doing this?  What steps will you take?

Some questions you might have:

• What's "enough"?  How long does this need to be, and/or, how much time should I expect to spend on it?
• What's the public/private nature of this?  Who will see it?  

For next week:

• Comment on 2-3 proposals via the blog.  Bring in a printed copy to class.  (We'll do a timed round robin-type deal -- i.e., take 5 min, read/comment, ask questions, give feedback, then pass it along...)

Ethnography and Participant-Observation

This week's theme is research, and specifically, ethnography and participant-observation as methodological tools (and, some might argue, ways of being and knowing!).

Here's the list of today's questions to get us thinking about the relationship between journals/journaling, research, and you:

• What is "research"?  What forms of research are you most familiar with?  Which do you find yourself privileging the most/least, and why?
• What is "culture"?  Describe it.  Identify a few cultures and explain what makes them a culture.
• What cultures are you a member of?  What makes that culture that culture?
• Why might someone (like a researcher) choose to use a journal over a laptop when studying a culture(s)?
• Human subjects and research:

• UCSB Human Subjects Info  
• Human Subjects Training Module

Ellen Isaacs at TEDxBroadway

_______________________

Relating back to learning and "the self":

• How can a journal be used as a self-regulated learning tool?  What can you learn?  (Think: what have you learned through yours?)
• After 4-5 weeks of doing this, what do you think of your own personal journal thus far?  What do you think you're doing particularly well?
• Where do you seem room for improvement?  How would you like to step up your "journal game" for the second half of the course?
• Fill in the blank.  "Y'know what?  If I bring my journal everywhere with me, I could get some journaling done while/instead of __________________."
• ie, waiting for a friend at the bar!
• What are some potential ideas you're flirting with for your "journal transformation project"?  

Looking ahead to next week, re: gratitude and happiness:

• Who/what are you grateful for?  Why?  In what way(s) has this person/thing made you happy?  

Some Background and Context: Round 2

Below, you'll find some information about the artist's intent, possible interpretations of the piece, and historical context/background.  Two questions I'd like you to consider are: (1) how/does this influence your perception of the piece's "goodness" and how/does this information impact the amount of "distance" you have in relation to it? 

Isaiah's Zagar's "Phila's Magic Gardens"

"Barney"

Art and "Distance": Context, Symbolism, Interpretation, and Criticism

Buckle up, babies!  I've set up a little in-class art museum for us to check out today.  :)

We're going to take a few minutes to look/listen to each piece.  Jot down any thoughts that come to your mind.  Here are some questions that can guide your free-write: How does the piece make you feel?  What do you like/dislike about it, and why?  What do you think it means?

Before we move on to the next piece, I'd like you to quantify your experience and rank your attitudes/feelings about the piece in the following two Likert items.

How much do you like each piece? 
1: Ugh, not at all.
10: I think it's amazing!

Rate your "distance" to/from the piece.
1: Over-distance -- I don't connect with it/ I can't relate to it
10: Under-distance -- I can't remove myself from my impression of it to give an "objective" evaluation/critque

Here's a link to a survey (Round 1 and then, on the next page, Round 2) that I put together.

During "Round 2," I'm going to provide find some information about the artist's alleged intent, possible interpretations of the piece, and historical context/background.  Why?  This might provide you with added context to evaluate your impressions of each piece. Two questions I'd like you to consider are: (1) how/does this influence your perception of the piece's "goodness" and how/does this information impact the amount of "distance" you have in relation to it? 

"Potato Eaters"

"Saturn Devouring His Son"

"The Birthday"

"White Painting"

"4.33"

Untitled, by Nick Ut

"Blackbird"

"Phila's Magic Gardens"

"PC"

"Frank's Wild Years"

"Rape Me"

"Don't Try"

"Barney"

Questions for Week 3's Themes: Mindfulness and Observation

Journal questions:

• What'd you learn as a result of the "Comparing the Conventions of Journals" assignment?
• What did you find most interesting about the journals you analyzed, and why was it interesting?  How/does that connect with your own journaling?
• Compare and contrast (the content, the style, the "moves," etc.) your journal to the ones that you analyzed.

"Revisiting the readings" questions:

• The three writers whose work we've read so far are Rubin, Botton, Goldberg, and Bunn. What "moves" does each writer make?  Put another way: what observations can we make about each chapter/piece when we "read like a writer" as Bunn suggests?
• Try to describe their styles.  How are they similar?  Different?  Be specific!
• Pick a phrase, sentence, or paragraph that you really liked from each piece.  What, exactly, do you like about it?

"Field journaling" questions/assignment:

• Set up shop in a place/space around downtown Santa Barbara that you find interesting.  Go there in groups of 3-4.  
• Take it all in and record it.  Observe what you see.  Capture dialogue.  Take "sensory stock" of your environment -- the people, the place, the vibe.

Post-field wrap-up questions:

• How did each of your group members capture that moment similarly?  Differently?
• Share your conversation with the class, and make sure to "set the scene" (ie, describe where you were and, generally, what "happened") so we have some context.

Heath Ledger's "Joker Journal" -- An Example What Your "Comparing and Contrasting the Conventions of Journals" Assignment Could Look Like

On Wednesday, your first (of 3) major assignments is due: comparing and contrasting the conventions of three different journals.  In terms of what is/n't a journal, as I stated in class, you can use your flexible discretion.  If you can make a case that X is, in fact, a personal journal then, by all means, include it!

To determine the "conventions", think of the patterns, the surface-level features, or the ingredients of whatever text/document you're inspecting.  Essentially, I want you to specifically describe the writer's decisions/"moves" and the overall significance/relevance towards journaling.

The reason why I'm asking us to complete this assignment is because I want us to see a wide(r) array of possibilities of what journals can be and what they can include.  Oh, wow, cool idea; I hadn't thought of that.  I'd like to incorporate that into my stuff -- that's what I'm looking for.

To model what this assignment could look like, here's my analysis of the conventions in Heath Ledger's "Joker journal" -- the one he used to help himself get into "The Joker" character for the The Dark Knight.  Please excuse the graininess of the images.

The pictures from Ledger's "Joker journal" offer insight into how an actor/actress can use a journal to get into character.  From the get-go, the just somewhat trippy cover -- an elephant and a young boy standing alone in an Alice in Wonderland-tiled floor (when would this happen in real life?) -- immediately creates an undertone for this journal that, to me, seems to be equal parts innocent/sad.  It's innocent because it conjures up associations of a bright-eyed child's fascination with (circus) animals, as well as the boy and the elephant's close, trusting proximity to each another.  The sadness comes from my knowledge of the movie's content -- as a child, the Joker (that is, the character in the Batman series) had his innocence destroyed by an abusive father.  Of course, context can/should play a significant role in any analysis, and Ledger's post-filming overdose echoes the sadness and end of innocence embodied within the cover.  With all of these considerations in mind, Ledger's journal is "pretty heavy" even before the audience takes a glimpse at the first page.

It looks like Ledger taped/glued images into his journal.  There's a cut-out from a Batman/Joker comic juxtaposed with the face of a whimsical-looking clown.  (For the record, I despise clowns.)  On another page, there's another comicbook cut-out and two "Joker" cards from a deck of cards.  On the adjacent page, there's a "Got Milk?" ad featuring the evil, brutal antagonist from A Clockwork Orange.  There's also a photo from what I believe is a pre-filming makeup/dress rehearsal that allowed him to see what he looked like.  Lastly, there's a page titled "The Hospital" -- which I have to believe is a direct reference to the infamous hospital scene in the movie -- along with some scribbled notes that might be about what he wants his Joker character to say or do in that particular scene.  What this all suggests to me is that Ledger was using this journal as a centralized "homebase" to store possible ideas/angles for his Joker character.  In other words, it appears pretty clear that he relied on this journal to think through his character development -- various dimensions of clowns, different pop culture associations, and how he envisioned this all taking shape.   

    ***

Or something like that!  As you can see, I wrote that in a relatively informal, conversation tone; if that approach will make this assignment any easier/cooler/useful for you, then rock it out.  If you prefer to write in a more formal and academic tone, that's OK by me too.  Again: this whole class is about you so use your discretion to make sense of it how you see fit.   

Also, please don't forget to "wrap up" this assignment by finding out what kind of similarities and differences the journals have.  I'm genuinely looking forward to reading your work.  :)

Questions for Week 2's Theme: Work

Use these questions to focus your journaling today.  Feel free -- always -- to repurpose these in any way you'd like.  Remember: this course is fundamentally all about you, so use your judgment to make any necessary adjustments.

The questions:

• Explain what you do for work.
• Why do you do what you do?  Why did you choose your current/most recent gig?
• What are your strengths?  Where is there room for improvement, and how can you accomplish that?
• What do you like about your job/field?  Dislike?  Why?
• Describe the relationship between work and happiness in your life.

And, looking ahead:

• What do you want to (eventually) do?  What's your main goal, work-wise?
• How are you going to accomplish that?

In-Class Notes and Conversation

Here is a link to our in-class responses to the journal questions as well as our conversations, thoughts, ideas, etc.

339 Song Requests for the Quarter

Wanna hear your song during class?  Slap it onto this Google Doc!

Splittin From Finland

Yo!

I äm getting ready to hop a cab to the airport (Helsinki ~~> NY ~~ LA) but I wanted to let everybody know that I appreciate your work so far.  The personal touches that many of you included --  for instance, AJ's signed Bradbury book and Holly's in-the-moment photos -- add a very authentic element.  

I'd like you to know that I've read your posts (I'll squeeze in the rest later if/when they're "live"), but please know that I'm getting in super-late tonight so I may not be able to individually comment on your blogs before class tomorrow.  Please don't take any offense to that!  I suppose it's the price of being an international man o'mystery!

Z

"Welcome!" Video and Info

Halfway through this video, something lagged and the audio/video got out of sync.  I tried to do some editing in iMovie to fix it, and it's eh/so-so, but there's a decent amount of feedback on the latter half of this. 

Upload Your Blog Info Here!

Please click this link to upload your blog address and your AUSB email address.  

Syllabus

Greetings, 339rs!  (My first time writing that -- pretty cool, pretty neat.)

All of our course materials are posted on Sakai, but I decided to toss out an extra link to our syllabus. In the interest of full disclosure, I wanted to tinker around with the aesthetics of this blog too, so this first post will help me do that.

FYI, I'm super-existed to guide/facilitate this course.  This is definitely different than the normal academic/college swing'o'things, and different can be tremendous.  Each week, I'll be journaling right alongside you, so I have high hopes that this course will be beneficial for all of us.