What Happened to Me?

I remember this.
(Photo credit Wikipedia)

I have a good memory; I remember birthdays, phone numbers, addresses, passwords, even the Bill of Rights.  But now it seems like I can't remember to blog.  I have no excuse.  I just forgot and kept forgetting. 
I've had a bad cold the last couple of days (no excuse--the last time I posted was in September!), and I finished all of my homework except for the final revision of my film analysis, which is almost done.  I checked the course schedule to make sure I had the right due date, and I did, but there it was in the "Writing Due" column:  blog.  In fact, every week's entry ends with "blog."  It's as if my eyes just refused to read it.  What this means is that now, when I should have at least 20 posts, I have only 7.
I don't know why I'm feeling so compelled to post this, probably nobody cares.  I just don't want people thinking I decided not to post.
I'll be back in a few minutes.
I mean it.

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"Dr. Toffee's" Introduction to Her Own Research Project

NOT my school!  Students at a table in Muscatine Community College courtyard (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I teach first-year composition at a community college in Illinois.  My students in English 102 (the research paper course) have to keep a research journal all term, and I've given them the option of doing this as a blog for a few points extra credit.  Few of them blog, so I got some requests for examples.  Unfortunately, when I searched, most of the research blogs I could find were by experienced researchers, not first-year college students.  I'm kind of surprised by this, since I know instructors all over the world are giving this kind of assignment.  My guess is that most of the students who are blogging on assignment are just doing as much as is required, and they are not going in for frills like pinging Google.  As a result, searches tend to ignore them.

The way this is going to work is that I will be writing as a fictitious student developing an English 102 research project.  Yes, I'll actually be doing the work, which I am sure will be good for me, sort of like eating your vegetables.  At the very least, it'll keep me humble.  I may occasionally add comments as an equally fictitious teacher (hence the "Dr. Toffee" pseudonym) from time to time.  Keep in mind that all opinions expressed are Rhonda's, and she is NOT based on a real person.  Rather, she is a composite of hundreds of students I have taught over the years.

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