On our very first day of class, I required my students to respond to this prompt:
The editors of Entertainment Weekly are putting together a special issue focusing on "The Things We Love." The magazine is soliciting articles from readers about their favorite movies, television shows, musicians and songs, and books.
Take a few minutes to think about the things you love to watch, listen to, and read.
Then write an essay about your favorite thing.
Their responses (handwritten in 60 minutes or less with very little guidance) were the seeds of our Pop Write World experience. My intention was to have them take their initial writings and revise them into concise blog postings. These first postings would be our starting point for future blogs about the culture that shapes and guides us.
For their revisions, they had a little more guidance. I asked them to re-read their initial writings and ask questions (What did you do well? What would you change? What makes sense? What doesn't make sense?). I gave them a handout with some process clues (What's the thesis? What are your main points? Where are your "hooks"? Where do you go from here?).
I also reiterated the key point to the blog experience: Because their "audience" will be the great big blog-o-sphere, I want them to approach blogging as if they were selling their wares to skeptics.
This project is all about audience.
While working on their revisions, I had them each set up separate blogs, and then I connected them to this site.
Each blog is different; each blogger has attempted the tasks I've described here.
Take a look and see what you think!
Oh, and there will be more to come…
