{"id":175,"date":"2020-08-07T19:34:36","date_gmt":"2020-08-07T19:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.kpu.ca\/arley\/?p=175"},"modified":"2020-08-07T19:37:33","modified_gmt":"2020-08-07T19:37:33","slug":"and-thank-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.kpu.ca\/arley\/2020\/08\/07\/and-thank-you\/","title":{"rendered":"And thank you!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s the end of the semester, and my plans of blogging each week got lost in a flurry of parenting and grading and lesson planning and committees and conferences and webinars and extra projects and why did I say yes to that and how did I think I had time for that and too much iced coffee. So it goes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But this is pandemic pedagogy, and it&#8217;s important to at least try to extend grace to myself. The semester is never perfect, and it&#8217;s certainly not perfect in a pandemic. (And, as Michelle Nahanee recently said in a webinar about decolonization, &#8220;perfectionism is a tool of colonialism.&#8221;)  At the end on the semester, there will be loose ends, unanswered emails, threads I forgot to pick back up. I don&#8217;t expect perfection from my students so I shouldn&#8217;t expect it from myself. I try to teach writing by focusing on the process. I want students to take risks, and fail, and try something new. I try to model failure myself: process-based teaching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the beginning of the semester, our class made a charter where we laid out 5 things I would agree to do and 5 things the students would agree to do. As one of my 5 things, I agreed to throw a class party. I gave students input and they decided a) that we should have a talent show and b) that I should sing and rap at said talent show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Am I a good singer? No. Can I keep a beat? Also no. Can I at least stay in key? Again, no. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, when I try to sing my toddler says, &#8220;No. Mommy doesn&#8217;t sing that. Google sings that.&#8221; Then, she tries to get the Google Home to sing the song. (Another sign I need to get rid of that Google Home).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But, here is a good opportunity to model failure and vulnerability and risk-taking. Also, as a child I dreamed of becoming the next Weird Al, so I was glad for the chance to write a song parody. I decided to pick something that was both relatively easy to sing and also had both singing and rapping: &#8220;You&#8217;re Welcome&#8221; from Moana. (Can you tell I have a toddler?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My composition process took several weeks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>I wrote the lyrics. That was relatively easy, and I awarded myself bonus points for rhyming &#8216;authentic&#8217; with &#8216;pandemic.&#8217;<\/li><li>I tried to record myself singing over a karaoke track I found, but my voice was quiet and the song was loud. Fail.<\/li><li>I reached out to Dr. Gordon Cobb, who&#8217;s a genius in all things audio. Like any good educator, he expressed enthusiasm for my project and gave me a small, feasible task to do, which was to record the project in GarageBand. Lesson: don&#8217;t be afraid to ask for help.<\/li><li>I refreshed myself on GarageBand and tried to sing to the karaoke track, but I couldn&#8217;t keep the timing without the lyrics appearing on the screen in the karaoke track. Lesson: sometimes you need a model to work from.<\/li><li>After several failed attempts, I decided that I would just have to sing it live. That meant more practice. Lesson: when your plan goes awry, make a new plan.<\/li><li>My husband helped me edit the audio files and even added a much-needed dash of autotune.  Lesson: revision is important, as is asking for help.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, at the end of the day, I have a recording of myself singing my business communication parody of &#8220;You&#8217;re Welcome.&#8221; Does it sound great and polished? No. Do I cringe to listen to it? Yeah, kind of. But I&#8217;ve never done something like this before, and it was fun to step outside of my comfort zone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So here, for all to see, is my business communication parody of &#8220;You&#8217;re Welcome.&#8221; The lyrics are below, in case you want to sing along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-soundcloud wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-soundcloud wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"You&#039;re Writing Business Communication Parody by yelra\" width=\"629\" height=\"400\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?visual=true&#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F872024734&#038;show_artwork=true&#038;maxheight=944&#038;maxwidth=629\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>You\u2019re Writing<\/strong><br>(To the tune of You\u2019re Welcome from Moana)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ok, ok, I see what&#8217;s happening here<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You&#8217;re doing workplace writing and it&#8217;s strange<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You don&#8217;t even know where to start<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s uncomfortable<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Well a lot can happen with a little change<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open your laptop. Let&#8217;s begin<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">to think of writing situations we&#8217;ve been in<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We don&#8217;t have to learn it all at once<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s start by thinking of our audience<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What can I say except you\u2019re writing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Emails, memos, reports<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hey it\u2019s okay, it\u2019s okay<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019re writing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just use plain language to keep it short<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hey!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What has 4 steps and helps us assess<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If we can trust a source? &#8211; yes<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The SIFT test<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you learn someone<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How can you give the credit right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just make sure you cite!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Oh, there are so many great ways<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When writing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To quote your source or paraphrase<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No one learns it all alone<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When writing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our influences help us grow!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So what can I say except you\u2019re writing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Choosing words to fit your tone<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A little bit every day,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">you\u2019re writing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We don\u2019t have to do it alone<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019re writing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019re writing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Well, come to think of it<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Class, honestly do not go on and on<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keep it concise or your reader will start to yawn<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your charts, your graphs, your visuals<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use some alt text just to make them accessible<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I started a blog<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Did a few tries<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tried it again<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cause it\u2019s good to revise<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What\u2019s the lesson?<br>What is the takeaway?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don\u2019t start to fret if your writing\u2019s in disarray<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cause these headings I put in my draft<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Are just one way to work through my craft<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Look at you\u2019re progress<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019re making it happen<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take a step back and you might start a\u2019clapping<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hey, hey, hey, hey<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Well, anyway let me say you\u2019re writing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even though the semester\u2019s done<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019re meeting your goals, your plans<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019re writing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cause you\u2019ve worked hard and hopefully had fun<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hey everyday just say you\u2019re writing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a way that feels authentic<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019re doing amazing work, you\u2019re writing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even though we\u2019re in a global pandemic<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019re writing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019re writing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And thank you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s the end of the semester, and my plans of blogging each week got lost in a flurry of parenting and grading and lesson planning and committees and conferences and webinars and extra projects and why did I say yes to that and how did I think I had time for that and too much [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.kpu.ca\/arley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.kpu.ca\/arley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.kpu.ca\/arley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.kpu.ca\/arley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/128"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.kpu.ca\/arley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=175"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.kpu.ca\/arley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":178,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.kpu.ca\/arley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175\/revisions\/178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.kpu.ca\/arley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.kpu.ca\/arley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.kpu.ca\/arley\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}