Yesterday in class, on the worksheet you completed, you were required to select a phrase or sentence from your interview and introduce it with a signal phrase. You were also required to compose a complete annotated bibliographic entry. (See the assignment handout or the copy posted in Blackboard for annotated bibliographic entry requirements.)
Although you are not required to transcribe your complete interview, I encourage you to do so. If you decide that you want to include in your annotated bibliography and/or final essay a phrase or sentence other than the one you included on your worksheet, having a file of your complete interview will enable you to easily copy and paste lines from your interview into your essay and/or your bibliography.
Transcripts of my own interviews with students are included below as models for your own.
Interview with Jesse Brewer
Q: Jesse, what experience did you have with playing Scrabble before you encountered the game in English 1103?
A: So, whenever I would go up to my grandmother and grandfather’s house in Pennsylvania, we would play Scrabble pretty consistently there. We had a lot of fun playing Scrabble at my grandmother’s house whenever I was a young child.
Q: Has Scrabble changed your perspective on reading and/or writing? If so, how?
A: While I wouldn’t necessarily say it has changed my perspective on reading or writing, it has most certainly introduced me to new words which allows me to read or write more capably in everyday situations.
Q: Will you continue to play Scrabble after the conclusion of the semester?
A: Yes, my grandmother is still going to want to play it every summer.
Interview with Ava Salvant
Q: Ava, what experience did you have with playing Scrabble before you played it in English 1103?
A: I didn’t have any experience with Scrabble beforehand. I didn’t know how to play it at all.
Q: Has Scrabble changed your perspective on reading and/or writing? If so, how?
A: Probably it has influenced my ability to write. Not always when you sit down to write do you know the exact words you want to say. You kind of have to go with the flow. You have to put as many words as you can down on the board in Scrabble or on the paper when writing.
Q: Will you continue to play Scrabble after the end of the semester?
A: I might come back to it a few times to refresh or just use as a pastime.
Additional Sources
At the beginning of yesterday’s class, I distributed copies of four articles, each of which focuses on one of the aspects of the course. If you choose one of those aspects as the subject of your final essay and annotated bibliography, the corresponding article will be the one that serves as the starting point for your research. (See item two under the Assignment Directions on page two of the assignment handout.) If you were absent yesterday, download copies from Blackboard and print them. The titles, authors, and subjects are listed below.
- “Blogs vs. Term Papers” by Matt Richel (blogging in the classroom)
- “The Case for Writing Longhand” by Sarah Bahr (writing longhand)
- “Scrabble is a Lousy Game” by Jonathan Kay (playing Scrabble)
- “Skim Reading is the New Normal. The Effect on Society is Profound” by Maryanne Wolf (limiting screen time)
Next Up
Wordplay Day! To prepare for class, revisit the Dictionary and World Builder pages on the Scrabble website. Also review the blog posts devoted to Scrabble tips.
Jane Lucas 