Part 1: Blog Post Audit (public, digital)

1. Assemble All of Your Blog Posts

• First, assemble all of your blog posts. You may also want to include any comments that you spent a lot of time on.
• You can access all of your posts from the Dashboard by clicking on the number in the Posts column under Users; or, you can click on an author name under Posts to see all posts by that author (yourself, in this case).
• To save paper, copy and paste these, including titles into one long Word document (this will use less paper than printing them out individually). Don’t forget to include the titles, because they are important indicators of your content and inspiration. Next to the title list which category you filed the post under.

2. Analyze Your Blog Posts

• Read your blog posts from a critical distance, almost as if they were written by somebody else. Try not to evaluate them as good or bad, but focus on assessing their arguments and core ideas.
• Look for recurring themes and questions. Some may be made obvious via tags or titles; others may be more latent and will only surface as your reflect on the collection as a whole.
• Look for recurring stylistic patterns. Do you always start with an anecdote, or end with a question? Do you favor certain words or phrases?
• Notice how perspectives and styles have shifted. Ask yourself why and how. Did the conversations in the comments, in class, or different readings lead to the shifts?

3. Write a Blog Audit Post (750 words max)

• This meta post analyzes what you’ve learned through blogging about your thoughts on the texts and ideas we’ve shared. You may find it helpful to quote your blog posts.
• Reflect on what you have learned through the writing of the blog posts and the resulting conversations, especially those that took place, or began, online.
• What ideas or threads of ideas do you think are worth revisiting or developing in greater depth? What might you want to investigate further in a final paper or exam essay?
• Post your Blog Audit to our website (category: community audit; word limit: 750 words).
• Note: This exercise is primarily one of self-reflection; you will not be asked to comments on each other’s audits (although you may if you feel inspired).

4. Print a copy of your blog audit; all your blogs posts, including conversation and bulletin board posts; and all your comments.

• Staple them in a single document.
• Turn this document in with Part 2: Self & Peer-Evaluation.

Part 2: Self & Peer Evaluation (private, print)

1. Specifications Grading Audit: for this portion, you will review the specifications grading system and determine which grade you are eligible for. Use the Specifications Grading Audit Word doc I sent you by email and follow the instructions there.
2. Comment Audit: Evaluate all the comments you gave and received. In this section you should use the Comments Audit Word doc I sent you by email to comment the quality of each classmates’ comments on your posts, as well as the quality of the comments you gave. If you never received a comment from a student, you should write: “no comment.” (You may also use this form to evaluate student run discussions, if you think any of your classmates did an especially good job.) Please email me an electronic copy of your comments audit so that I can draw upon your comments when writing letters of recommendation.

Post your Blog Post Audit to the website and turn in your print portfolio to my office (CH 3288) by the end of exam period, or if you are a senior, by the deadline for senior exams. If you are a senior, please indicate that in bold on the first page, so that I know to read yours early. Your print portfolio should include:

1. Blog Post Audit
2. Comments Audit
3. Specifications Grading Audit
4. Print copies of all your posts and comments

Gather these materials together with a staple, paper clip, or clearly labeled folder and leave them on my office door.