Writing Goals for Today
1). Decide on the instructor you want to email for your ethnography. Obtain this person's email address from the UNCC Website
2). Compose an initial email in which you introduce yourself, explain this project, and inquire if this instructor would be interested in answering three questions about the items on his/her door.
3). Compose three questions you will ask the instructor. Before you send the questions, you will need to anticipate what information will be contained in the answers and how this will help your project.
2). Compose an initial email in which you introduce yourself, explain this project, and inquire if this instructor would be interested in answering three questions about the items on his/her door.
3). Compose three questions you will ask the instructor. Before you send the questions, you will need to anticipate what information will be contained in the answers and how this will help your project.
Sample Introduction Email
This email is very important. You should think about the situated aspects of this composition; as in the audience for this writing and the goals of you, the author. Here is a sample of what it might sound like:
To: [email protected]
Subject: UWRT Class Ethnography Project
Dear Professor Cary,
Greetings! My name is Justin Cary and I am currently enrolled in UWRT 1101 in the University Writing Program. This semester, we are studying ethnography as a genre of composition in order to better understand why stories and storytelling matter to people. For this project, we are exploring the ethnographic artifacts that instructors at UNCC sometimes put on their office doors. The goal of this project is to use ethnography and augmented reality to tell 'office door stories'; the tale of the connection between an instructor and his/her office door decorations and the story behind those decorations.
I noticed that you have some really interesting items on your office door. I am curious about the photo of the man, the picture of the gated factory and the comic strips that I saw on the door. If you are interested, I would love to email you three questions in the next few days for you to respond to. It won't take long and it would really help me flesh out my project. Your written answers will become part of my ethnography composition as I try to connect your story to the items on your door.
If you would like to help, please let me know and I will email you the questions shortly.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Justin Cary
To: [email protected]
Subject: UWRT Class Ethnography Project
Dear Professor Cary,
Greetings! My name is Justin Cary and I am currently enrolled in UWRT 1101 in the University Writing Program. This semester, we are studying ethnography as a genre of composition in order to better understand why stories and storytelling matter to people. For this project, we are exploring the ethnographic artifacts that instructors at UNCC sometimes put on their office doors. The goal of this project is to use ethnography and augmented reality to tell 'office door stories'; the tale of the connection between an instructor and his/her office door decorations and the story behind those decorations.
I noticed that you have some really interesting items on your office door. I am curious about the photo of the man, the picture of the gated factory and the comic strips that I saw on the door. If you are interested, I would love to email you three questions in the next few days for you to respond to. It won't take long and it would really help me flesh out my project. Your written answers will become part of my ethnography composition as I try to connect your story to the items on your door.
If you would like to help, please let me know and I will email you the questions shortly.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Justin Cary
The Questions
Instructors are busy so we don't want to take too much of their time. Therefore, we will ask them three questions only. Each question should attempt to get at information you will need to write your ethnography. I would suggest you compose your questions under the following three categories.
Question 1: Background
Your first question should focus on some background information about the instructor. Nothing too personal, but enough to give you some context for who this person is. Just asking "can you give me some background about yourself' is too general. You have to think of a question that will get you the information you need. On the wall below, compose this question as the 'title' of your post and in the text area, write down what information you hope this question will get you.
Question 2: Specific Question about the Office Door Items
This question needs to focus on specific items on the office door that you want to learn about. Mention the item in your question, and then ask about that item. Try to focus your connection on the connection between the instructor and the item; remember: once you learn what that item is, you can research it on your own. You don't need the instructor to tell you too much about the item itself. You are more interested in why that person put that item on his/her door. Draft your question below. Write the question and then what information you are hoping to get from the question.
Question 3: Author's Choice
For this question, you can ask whatever you want or whatever you think is still needed. You could ask another question about another object or try to dig deeper into the background of the instructor. The choice is yours. Draft below.
Beginning Your EthnographyNew Blog Post
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1). Try it in first person
The first time I passed by her office, I wasn't sure exactly what I was looking at. Her door was the same as all the others in the hallway; brown wood, green trim, and silver handle but it had something strange hanging on it. It took me moment to realize what it was, just a fleeting second was my brain tried to process the image, but then it clicked. I decided to find out more. 2). Describe the Object The dragonflies were etched in metal and hanging, dead center, on Dr. Smith's office door. Two of them danced there, enshrined in metal cages, motionless and cold. Through the gaps in the artwork I could see the brown office door on which it hung. It wasn't a big thing; maybe the size of an old vinyl record sleeve, but it hung there with some strange, ethereal mix of flight and stillness. 3). Start General (second person, 'you') The arts department at UNC Charlotte is an interesting place. This department was established in 1975 and since then has produced some really amazing faculty and students. If you were to leasiurly stroll through the art department, you would notice several things. First, the artwork. Hanging on walls and adorning tables, this department has a clear appreciation for artistic endeavor. Second, you would notice the office doors. Very few are bare; mostly all of them are equipped with unique and interesting decorations, each one yelling out at all those who pass by, eager for its story to be told. 4). Genre-fy your writing (pick a genre and run with it) (newspaper article) Office Door Decoration Inspires Student by Justin R. Cary Office doors are interesting things, especially at UNC Charlotte. The University, established in 1905, has seen many doors come and go. There have been archways and stadium entrances, automatic doors and locked doors. Double doors and garage doors. Bathroom doors. Closed doors. You name it, this University has it. There is, however, one category of door that presents a unique view. |