Saturday, January 29, 2011

Uncertainty

My son Elliott and I arrived at his basketball game this morning to an empty parking lot at a church off Tuskaseegee Road. We entered the family life center, where only a few people were standing around in the chilly gym.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" Elliott said.

The same question entered my mind seconds before. After all, we were 5 minutes late for pre-game warm ups.

"Let's wait and see," I said.

Waiting...uncertainty. These are hard to sit with - in life and in our writing.

You, as writers, might be uncertain about what your essay topic will be. This is normal. Waiting, sitting with uncertainty, is one of the most difficult -- and important -- parts of the writing process.

Soon, some of you will come to me and ask what you should write your paper on. I won't tell you. Instead, I will help you think of ideas, ask questions that might prompt ideas, or help you shape the focus of your ideas. But if I tell you what to write about, I would be robbing you of the experience of waiting.

The answers come.

How do I know?

My son's team and the opposing team showed up and the game happened. We lost, 27-16 (we're talking 8-9 year olds).

But that doesn't matter because we sat and waited and the answer came.

Mc
Sent by dang-blasted BlackBerry

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Where I write...where do you write?

Some thoughts...notice the visual persuasion at work in the final image. Does it convey a message? To whom? What evidence is at work for the message?

Where I write in my daybook...when I'm not writing in it elsewhere

Where I write when...I'm not writing in my daybook

Why your papers must be stapled...(I'll lose lose pages).

Monday, January 17, 2011

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Promise and Perils

What an exciting start to our semester. I loved how everyone had great ideas about what Facebook is (and isn't) and how, even though we didn't have much time on the first day of class, we began to discuss and debate this global-impacting phenomenon.

It'll be cool to learn about argument as we have conversations about any aspects of Facebook that interest you.

Know what else is cool? I'm excited to learn how to work Facebook into the way we learn. I'm grateful to have 50-some-odd interesting pioneers making the trip with me.

I think -- with the private group function -- we'll be able to use FB without risking anyone looking like they're actually doing schoolwork.

Peace out,
Malcolm