Blogging in the Commonplace

“…Take seriously—read closely—books that have stood the test of time. Study a masterpiece, take it apart, study its architecture, its vocabulary, its intent. Underline, make notes in the margins, and after a few years, go back and read it again…” David McCullough, historian

“Anyone who has a book collection wants for nothing.” Cicero, Roman orator

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” Socrates, Greek philosopher

THE GREAT CONVERSATION: A COMMONPLACE BLOG

THE REASONING

Over the course of this year in Classical Civilization, you will be required to select key quotations from each text you read and post them to The Great Conversation commonplace blogspot. Identifying key quotations—quotations that strike you, confuse you, inspire you—will help you read more closely and remember the text more effectively. Keeping a record of your reflections and reactions to texts on the commonplace blog will also allow you to keep your own record of the “great conversation” between writers and thinkers over the past three thousand years of human literature. You will also be able to participate in the conversation by commenting and reflecting on each other's ideas and posts,

THE ASSIGNMENT

When you are reading a text (for the course or otherwise) and you come across a great quotation, post it to the blog. Every two months you should have posted seven entries, (at least) three with commentary and you should have commented on (at least) three quotes/comments from another student. As a community, we will see similar and different reactions to texts and ideas.

HOW TO POST TO THE BLOG

Please see “How to Set up a Google Account” and “Invitation to Blog” posted on the Classical Civilization forum (First Class conference).

THE ASSESSMENT

I will be looking for the following components over the span of entries in each evaluation period:

Choice of Quotations—carefully selected, variety, depth and breadth, demonstrates an attentive reader who notices something puzzling, or patterns, or when there is a moment of real power in a text.

Commentaries—reflections on the meanings of texts, not simply paraphrasing; thorough explanation of the reasons for agreement or disagreement; connecting the text and its ideas to our time.

Writing—serious tone, but not necessarily formal; communicate ideas clearly and persuasively; accurate use of language conventions (spelling, punctuation and grammar).

Continuous interaction— evidence of an ongoing interaction with the course texts over the course of the year, reflecting intellectual growth and deepening understanding of the great ideas and values underpinning Western civilization and culture.

HOW SHOULD I CHOOSE QUOTES FOR THE COMMONPLACE BOOK?*
  • Find a line or passage that offers a powerful statement. You are allowed to define powerful in any way you wish. Sometimes a quotation is particularly persuasive, emotional, descriptive, or meaningful-but there are all kinds of other things that set one line apart from the rest. Decide for yourself what is powerful, and then think about what makes it powerful. Or
  • Find a line or passage that helps you understand this text. Or
  • Find a line or passage that confuses you. You find yourself wondering if you might understand the whole text better if you could make sense of this part Or
  • Find a line or passage that reminds you of another text (or "voice") in the literary conversation. (How is this similar to or different from the other, and how can that comparison or contrast contribute to our understanding of the conversation.) Or
  • Find a line or passage that demonstrates a noteworthy way of connecting with and persuading the audience. Or
  • Find a line or passage which made a strong impression on YOU. It could be something you seriously disagree with; if so, go ahead and counter the argument. On the other hand, if it's something you like, is this something you want to remember and/or live up to in your own life? Would your life be any different if you do?
REMEMBER: This is a list of suggestions to help you identify the quotations for your commonplace posts. You don't have to follow all of these suggestions in each entry.

*From http://www1.assumption.edu/users/lknoles/commonplaceassign.html