John Lovas's blog

Restaurants in San Francisco

I've posted information on a wide range of restaurants near Moscone Center, the location of the CCCC conference in San Francisco beginning March 16. Those interested can find the link on my blog at http://faculty.deanza.fhda.edu/jocalo/2005/03/01

I know we're all going to get food for thought, but some of you may want the other kind too.

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The New Accountability

In light of recent discussions here regarding the consumerist impulse among students, a very different development suggests another kind of accountability we now face regarding writing assessment.

Steve Geluso, a high school student, has blogged his objections to being failed on an exit exam and posts a facsimile of his paper and of the scorer's ratings of the paper. Since he's developed an argument that online piracy of music is of a different order than stealing an actual CD, his paper contributes to other controversies often discussed here.

His blog is found at http://steve.mathcaddy.com/

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Community College English

Several community college comp bloggers have launched a new site, Community College English at http://twoyearcomp.blogspot.com/

We're inviting all interested to check it out, bookmark the site, and contribute your expertise and perspective. See you there.

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Reading the 9/11 Commission Report

I've been reading the 9/11 Commission Report because I will use it in two sections of FYC this fall. It's worth a careful read by every member of Kairosnews. I've explored some first responses to the first three chapters in my own blog at http://faculty.deanza.fhda.edu/jocalo/2004/08/18

I quote some brief passages, including one on the FBI's failure to use analysis to good effect and the critical importance of creating a culture of information sharing. Teaching to this report could be an effective way of making our work and values more visible.

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Heuristic for Teaching

I've drafted a "Heuristic for Teaching" at A Writing Teacher's Blog, hoping for comment, critique, and suggestions from comp colleagues. The heuristic can be found at http://faculty.deanza.fhda.edu/jocalo/stories/storyReader$836

I want to refine the heuristic in ways that comp teachers would find helpful and credible and then use it to reorganize my last year's blog entries. All responses valued.

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Guided Tour to Blogging

Since I couldn't make my presentation at the Young Rhetoricians' Conference in Monterey, CA, in person, I posted it to my blog. I thought a lot of Kairosnews readers might like to see it--and I welcome comment.

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The Term Paper Declension

A few months back, we had a flurry of discussions related to the five-paragraph essay. The profession seems even more committed to the "term paper," a genre that seems to drive many writing programs and drive out alternative kinds of writing. I develop my argument at
http://faculty.deanza.fhda.edu/jocalo/2004/02/09