A Closer Look at Kickstarter/ Daybook Check

“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”  Mark Twain

Thinkwrite: Consider what Twain is saying. Can you think of a time that your choice of a word got you into trouble? Or perhaps you can think of examples of a situation when the word you might choose to write or say could have big consequences.

Open The Everyday Writer  to Section 23. Read and become familiar with what this section offers you. Skim over the exercises; I'll assign some of them later. For today, read and understand the main points.

Then you are going to spend the rest of class today and time over the weekend using Kickstarter and The Everyday Writer to fill out an assignment in Moodle called "Language Use in Kickstarter." Follow the directions in Moodle.

At the end of class, we'll look at daybooks. Is your name on yours?

NOTE: Here are links to two crowdfunded scams. They were identified by neuroscience writers (in my Twitter feed)-- the things these products claim to do are bogus. On Kickstarter, NeuroOn: World's first sleep mask for polyphasic sleep.  On Indiegogo, No More Woof. Can you spot problems with them?

Homework:

1. Complete the "Language Use in Kickstarter" assignment in Moodle, due Tuesday. As you work on it, confirm your choice of two Kickstarter projects you want to write about.

2. No word.

3. No typo.

Legos Due/ Next Genre

Organize your Legos to be ready to hand in.

Context is key to communication. What does that mean? How about assumptions? We watch Derek Sievers on assumptions.

Thinkwrite I: How did the Lego project go for you? Did you make any assumptions you were not aware of? How did you handle the nomenclature problem? Was it hard to give feedback AS you were building?

I show you the set of directions that taught me the key elements in this genre of writing (assembly directions with no pictures). I did not instruct you to do these; I was hoping you would discover them by trial and error. Key elements: ______.

II. Turn the final version of your directions over, and please write out an assessment of the directions you created. Which of the key elements did you come up with on your own? Explain.

When you are done, please hand in your Lego Project. Only leave the parts in the bag if you think I might need to build it.

To keep you thinking about the relationship between the key elements of a genre and effective writing (rhetoric in action), our next two writing projects involve another genre that none of us has written before.

Look at Kickstarter.com. Here's the information sheet (blue). Read it. 

Some projects I've found....#1 and #2 and #3 and #4.

Homework:

1. Go to Kickstarter.com and look for projects that interest you. Use "Search" or "Discover" to see completed projects. You are looking for two that interest you; one that succeeded and one that failed.

2. Daybook Check #1 is tomorrow.

3. TWFTD: crowdsourcing

4. There is a phrase of three words that would be considered a cliché in today's blog. Can you find it? No typo.

Tomorrow you will need The Everyday Writer for class. NOT Bedford.

Lego Build #2

From: http://www.psia-nw.org/newsletter-articles/blooms-taxonomy.

Ways of Thinking: How many ways can you think at once? Draw the above graphic into your daybook with Lego activities added on.

Bloom's Taxonomy is a way of classifying or naming the ways we think.

Again, I pass out a green scoring sheet, and you build, give feedback, and score/comment.

After you have built two, your project and all papers should come back to you.

Homework:

1. Read the input from your builders. If there were still problems, make further revisions, and discuss further revisions on the green "Revision Brainstorming" sheet given out yesterday.

2. Print out a single final version of your directions to hand in tomorrow. Bring ALL former versions to hand in, with ALL green score sheets, and the legos.

3. TWFTD: taxonomy

4. No typo.

Lego Build #1

"Time given to thought is the greatest time saver of all." -

Norman Cousins

I give you a green comment sheet. You put your parts (taken apart) and the answer picture (well-folded) in your bag, to pass around with the directions (both copies) and green comment sheet.

1. As a builder, you put your name on the green comment sheet AND one set of directions. Have a pencil in your hand. You SHOULD write on the directions with comments and questions that you have as you are building. Be specific about what confuses you; watch for inconsistent orientations or unclear spatial directions. Make positive comments when it is going well.

2. Then when the build is complete, you must score it and write about it on the green scoring sheet. Remember, thorough comments earn you points.

3. Everyone builds two.

When all are done, all the papers come back to you. You can see how others did with your directions. You will have some ideas for ways to improve your own.

I will pass out a green Revision sheet at the end. Even if people easily built your directions, I want you to look for ways to improve what you have; write ideas down on the green sheet, and make actual changes to you directions.

Note: Everyone MUST now include a "General Description" at the beginning.

Homework:

1. Brainstorm ideas for changes to your directions on the green brainstorming sheet. Come up with as many ideas for change -- even "silly" ones -- as possible.

2. Make typed changes to your directions and print the new version before class (2 copies). You do NOT have to make all the changes that you brainstormed, but you MUST now have a "general description" at the beginning.  Show that you are thinking. Have 2 copies of the revised directions tomorrow.

3. TWFTD: superfluous

4. No typo today.

Typing your Directions

Get out the green sheets you were to have read over the weekend. Compare the front and back of the page with the builder pictured on it. The information content is very similar between the two.
Thinkwrite: Describe the different style of the two sides and explain which one you prefer to read and follow for class directions. Which is more effective?

How will this work?

Audience, purpose, genre, content and style for the Lego project?

We look at MLA style page layout: pages A-2 and A-3 in Bedford.

You make the heading, insert page number top right with your last name, and the rest is up to you.


To get in the mood:
  Legoswelove .  Indeed. And professional builder #1. Professional builder #2. Lego artist #3.

Homework:

1. Tomorrow bring:

A. TWO copies of your directions printed

B. An answer key picture (either drawing or photo)

C. Your legos.

2. Go to our class in Moodle. In the highlighted section, click on the Lego nomenclature reading. There are questions at the end that should be answered in your daybook.

3. TWFTD: nomenclature. Use the reading in Moodle for your quote, please.

4. No typo that I know of.