Here it is July, past the midpoint, and I have been spending a lot of (my husband asserts, “too much”of) time thinking about next semester.  I am heartened as I preview and plan with the new texts that have been selected for ENGLISH 151.  I arrive at a quote on page 31 of Current Issues and Enduring Questions… that is incredibly heartening.  “As you are drafting your essays for one or more of the assignments, consider typing your notes in a Google document and writing your essay in a blog so that you can easily share your thoughts on your topic.”  My heart lifts, and before I can edit my actions, I highlight, asterisk, and write, “WAHOO,” with double underscores in the margin.  This is what I will ask of my students, asked of them last semester with varying degrees of success.  Although I know in my heart that this is good practice, it is comforting to see it supported by the likes of Bedford/St. Martins.

In addition, I have reviewed the online offerings for The Little Seagull, second edition, written by Bullock, Brody, and Weinberg and am a FAN.  Sometimes less is truly more, and that seems to be the case here.  I am particularly interested in using some of the exercises as possible blog post ideas.  For those of you who are curious, visit the link and check out the navigation.  What a friendly writer’s guide the committee has chosen.

THE LITTLE SEAGULL ONLINE

This promises to be an adventure in learning for us all.