Almost Daily Bulletin from the Professor
I will post (almost) daily bulletins on this page.
You are responsible for all material posted here, so be sure to read the bulletin every day!
Questions about the course should be posted on the “Questions and Answers about the Class” page.
The “Folklore Notes from All Over” page is really cooking these days! Many thanks to the folks who are putting up all these great posts! Lydia Fish · Sunday · 12–02–2007 · 12:41PM
I have sent the study questions for the final exam to you by ANGEL mail. In a separate mailing I have also sent the notes for the films we will be viewing between now and the end of the semester. I suggest that you print these and bring them to class. They include the names of the musicians in the films and will assist you in taking notes. Lydia Fish · Friday · 11–23–2007 · 09:38AM
I have sent you two papers about celebration by ANGEL mail. Lydia Fish · Wednesday · 11–07–2007 · 04:55PM
I have posted your midterm grades in ANGEL, in the PERCENTAGE field. Lydia Fish · Wednesday · 10–31–2007 · 06:28PM
Make a fellow student happy this holiday season — post your Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas customs on the appropriate link on the “Fieldwork Project” page! Or how about a good ghost story on the “Urban Legend” link? Lydia Fish · Monday · 10–29–2007 · 08:40AM
Ten per cent of your final grade will be based on your participation in the wiki. This includes:
- Posting the topic of your fieldwork project on the appropriate link on the “Fieldwork Projects” page.
- Contributing information to other students’ projects — if you know any good ghost stories about Buffalo State College, post them on the “Urban Legends and Ghost Stories” link!
- Contributing to the “Folklore Notes from All Over” page.
You need to make a minimum of ten posts, THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER. Putting up ten posts the last week of the semester will not count. Lydia Fish · Wednesday · 10–24–2007 · 05:59PM
Your test grade is in the “percentage” field of your report page. If you have are having trouble locating this ask folks at the HELP desk in Butler Library for assistance. I’ll check with the ANGEL support staff when I return to campus next Monday and find out if there are any software problems. Lydia Fish · Wednesday · 10–17–2007 · 07:44AM
I sent you the review questions for the midterm exam four days ago and so far very few of you have read them. (I can check on who reads mail on ANGEL.) It is important to check your ANGEL mail regularly! Lydia Fish · Sunday · 10–14–2007 · 03:07PM
Some of you are having trouble citing articles in encyclopedias and anthologies. Here are some hints. Lydia Fish · Sunday · 10–07–2007 · 12:58PM
You should not cite Wikipedia in your preliminary bibliography. It is a wonderful source for quick information, but not appropriate for scholarly research. Lydia Fish · Wednesday · 10–03–2007 · 02:38PM
Those of you who did not attend the bibliography class on 25 or 26 September will be at a serious disadvantage when preparing your preliminary bibliography. You may, if you like, attend the bibliography class with my Urban Folklore class on Thursday, 4 October at 6:00 PM. The class meets in B 108, right across the hall from our classroom. Lydia Fish · Saturday · 09–29–2007 · 04:21PM
By now you should have had your fieldwork project topic approved, posted your topic on the appropriate link on the “Fieldwork Projects” page, finished reading the assigned chapters in Fieldwork, by Bruce Jackson (they will be covered on the midterm) and started your fieldwork.
Your preliminary bibliography is due on 10/11 October. Before starting to work on your bibliography you should read carefully the documents “Directions for your Fieldwork Project” and “Hints for Improving your Preliminary Bibliography,” with special attention to the section on your topic. You will find links to these on your class page of my website.
I have posted suggestions for bibliography on many of the links on the “Fieldwork Projects” page. Lydia Fish · Friday · 09–28–2007 · 05:05PM
Once your topic has been approved you need to post it on the appropriate link on the “Fieldwork Projects” page. If there is no appropriate link, just create one.
In order to complete the “participation in the wiki” requirement you will need to make a minimum of ten posts on the “Folklore Notes from All Over” and “Fieldwork Projects” pages. (Questions posted on the “Questions and Answers about the Course” don’t count!) You also need to sign your posts by placing your name in the author box and inserting four tildes (this is a tilde ~) at the end of your post. This will sign and time-stamp your post. If you just enter your name I will not pick it up in a search of the wiki. Lydia Fish · Sunday · 09–23–2007 · 05:54PM
My original date for handing in the paragraphs on the songs on the CD and the test on the songs was 26/27 September. However, the Monday/Wednesday class is scheduled for bibliography training on 26 September and I don’t think we can manage both. So, if no one objects, I am moving the due date for the paragraphs and the test to 1/2 October. I will also move the due date for your preliminary bibliographies to 10 and 11 October.
If you need to have special arrangements made for taking the test I will need a notice from the Disability Services Office by 25 September. Lydia Fish · Friday · 09–21–2007 · 05:16PM
John Logal has put a link on the “Folklore Notes from All Over” page to Discussion of songs on the CD Occupational Folksongs of the United States Air Force — a page devoted to an exchange of information about the songs on the CD. John, this is a great idea — next time sign your post so you’ll get credit for it! Lydia Fish · Friday · 09–21–2007 · 04:51PM
This is a link to a blog page with a fascinating essay written on the occasion of the death of the great fighter pilot Robin Olds a few weeks ago. It is not an assigned reading, but it might help you understand the men who sing Air Force songs a little better. It also includes discussions of some of the songs on your CD.
It is now 18 September and all of you should have sent me the proposed topics for your fieldwork projects. If you have not done so, please send me your proposed topic by ANGEL mail immediately.
Once your topic has been approved post it on the “Fieldwork Projects” page. This is the place for discussions about your fieldwork projects and for sharing information with other students working on the same or a similar topic. Please put your comments, questions and contributions on the appropriate page. If there is no page that deals with your topic, please create one by making a link to it.
Please do NOT post your topic until it has been approved.
If there is already a link to a page dealing with your topic, please do not create a new page. Post information about your topic on the existing page.
You should check this page at regular intervals since your fellow students and I will be posting helpful information frequently. Lydia Fish · Tuesday · 09–18–2007 · 08:59AM
Your assignment for 19/20 September is to read “Children’s Folklore” (chapter five)in Oring’s Folk Groups and Folklore Genres. I have just posted the syllabus for the course, which contains all assignments, test dates and due dates for the rest of the semester, on your class page of my website. Lydia Fish · Monday · 09–17–2007 · 05:09PM
If you missed class on 11 September you will need to attend one of the other scheduled wiki training classes — use of the wiki in this course is required of all students.
The classes are at 3:00 on Monday, 17 September, and 6:00 on Thursday, 27 September. Both classes will be held in CyberQuad, Butler Library 318. Lydia Fish · Wednesday · 09–12–2007 · 09:58AM
Assignments for Monday, 17 September, and Tuesday, 18 September.
- John Guilmartin, “‘Tchepone’: A Fighter Jock Song”
- Mike Laurence, “The Thud”
Both of these documents can be found on the “Articles and Papers” page of my website.
“Tchepone” is a parody of an old cowboy song, “The Strawberry Roan.” What does Guilmartin have to say about the relationship between the two songs?
According to Laurence how do pilots’ songs reflect the relationship between men and machines in Air Force tradition?
Read the documents “Suggestions for Selecting a Topic for Your Fieldwork Project” and “Directions for Your Fieldwork Project.” Links to these are on your class page of the website. Send me the proposed topic of your fieldwork project by ANGEL mail by September 17/18.
Before you begin your fieldwork you should have read Fieldwork by Bruce Jackson, chapters one through eight, chapter sixteen and the appendix. These will be covered on the midterm exam. Lydia Fish · Tuesday · 09–11–2007 · 01:48PM
The new address for site where you can find the lyrics for some of the songs on your CD is www.folklore.ms. Click on “informants” and then on “fighter pilots” and/or “military.” Lydia Fish · Thursday · 09–06–2007 · 05:24PM
Please remember that this is a writing intensive course and that you will be graded on all your writing, including e-mail and posts to the wiki. Be sure to use correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization and grammar at all times! Lydia Fish · Thursday · 09–06–2007 · 12:37AM
On Tuesday, 11 September,(for the Tuesday/Thursday class) and Monday, 17 September, (for the Monday/Wednesday class) the class will meet in CyberQuad (Room 318) on the third floor of Butler Library for wiki training. Lydia Fish · Tuesday · 09–04–2007 · 01:39PM
