Some of our students will be blogging about their experiences during our upcoming Israel travel course. Students are encouraged to blog before they leave to begin responding to course readings so that they can respond more effectively (and quickly!) while we are traveling and “complete” their blog for particular days.
As a quick reference, here are the guidelines for blogging:
BLOGS: Choice of all text blogs or combination of text and video blogs. There are 14 days of traveling to sites when you can blog and we require you to blog for half of them (7).
- Grading: Each blog is worth 7% where 7 x 7% + 1% bonus =50% of your final grade. Up to 3 of the blogs may be video blogs. Half of each blog grade is based on readings, half is based on critically engaging the site and placing that discussion in the context of the learning you are doing through traveling.
- Extra Blogs for Participation: Anyone, including students completing Research paper may blog for extra participation (video or text). Please email us at the end of the course summarizing any extra work you have done that should receive extra credit.
- Deadlines: Blogs are due 48 hours after the day of travel you are blogging about. If you are blogging about May 10, the blog is due online by 9pm on May 12. Every extra day adds a 5% late penalty. Blogs will not be accepted if they are more than one week late.
- Length: Video blogs should be 3 minutes of talk time plus picture/video time. Try not to exceed 3 minutes. Text blogs should be 3 pages long.
- Content: Half of the content should be based on the readings and the sites for that day. Half of your material will be based on actually visiting the site and seeing it for yourself. This will allow you to discuss details you hadn’t known, and integrate your discussion within what you are learning throughout the course. We are looking for comprehension, clear, well organized writing, critical reading and writing skills, original analysis, integrating your discussion within the context of course materials, lectures, travel, course questions/themes.
- Tone: Blogs are naturally less formal, but you still must demonstrate real critical thinking, seriously addressing the material, illustrating your ability to integrate readings, lectures, what you are seeing. Don’t say “here is the Temple Mount” show us how you are thinking about it in terms of the course.
Work before you fly: We strongly advise that you prep your blogs (video or text) before you leave. Choose the sites you are most interested in (or the day of travel). Read the required readings and as much of the suggested readings as you can. Write the first 1.5 pages of the blog or script for your video so that all you need to do while traveling is respond to what you are seeing that day.
Professor Butler