3.5 Work on the autoethnography

I checked each of your portfolios to see how you are doing on the autoethnography project - and some of you have definitely got it - and for the rest we spent some detailed time on step by step directions.  I understand that this is different from other assignments - and that it is asking you to do something that you probably don't have a "model" for. So OK - we will work on it until you get it.  If you have question or just want to conference one-on-one to see where you are - send me an email and we can set up a time.

Step by step process for gathering data:
1.  Decide what writing assignment you want to gather data on.  You should post a copy of your assignment sheet if you can.
2.  Turn on your voice recorder, and talk through the description for your assignment - what you need to do, where you are (where you are writing - that may be relevant) and anything else that might provide important information about how you set yourself up to write.  Keep your sound files 4 minutes or under.
3.  Talk through your brainstorming process, and what every else you need to think through until you are ready to write.
4.  When you are ready to write, open a MSword doc & turn on track changes.  Use the sound recorder to talk through things you are thinking - and begin writing.  You don't have to say what you are writing - rahter talk about what comes into your head as you write.  If you need to turn of the sound recorder to type - go ahead - but check in if you have important observations to add.
5.  After you have written for several minutes, save your draft as date_Draft_time.  Example: 3_5Draft2:15.  Save the sound files with similar numbered names.
6   Then save all changes, keep track changes on - and continue typing.  This will show your next set of changes.  Save sound files as needed.
7.  Continue steps 4-6 until you complete your paper.
8.  Transcribe your sound files (see the blog post on transcription).
9.  Code your transcript (see coding questions = posted to the right) to name what you see happening in your writing process. Also code your drafts - to name what kinds of changes you make.  I suggest printing your transcript and writing on it - or marking it up with the comment function on your word processor.
10.  Use your codes to describe your writing process.  Put them in groups (the way Perl had groups of related codes) so that you can see more clearly when you do the same thing (only for different reasons, or in different circumstances).
11.  Write an essay where you describe your writing process in terms of what works and what doesn't.  Use what you discovered from analyzing your transcript & your drafts as evidence to support your statements about how you write, what you do well, and what you need to work on.

Coding a sample transcript.
We spent the rest of class looking at Christine's transcript (thank you Christine) and talking about what you were finding in your transcripts.

For next class:
Post your transcript, sound files, drafts (and assignment sheet if you have one) to your portfolio= this is your data.
.
Code your  data.

Start to write some discussions about what you see as relationships within your data.

In class you will have one-on-one conferences with me to talk about what you see in your data.  There will not be enough time for everyone - and if you want to set up time outside class=> send me an email.

Good work today.