Information
Enter
Cite
Submit
Possible Topics
Problems

How do I participate in the forum?

1. Information:
You will first need to begin at one of the suggested sites and find your way through the web to sites on your autonomy.  You can find a list of sites on the links page (see main links on the bottom of each page).  Check this site at different times during the term; I will add more as I find them.  As you might guess, you are more likely to invest more time in this exercise the first time you do it.  As you gain experience looking for information, you will most likely move more quickly to where you want to go or perhaps stumble on interesting and pertinent information more easily. You may at times find information through a site based in the States and/or in English.  That is valuable in that youâll add to the number of sites you can turn to if you ever need information on Spain.  However, you should accompany this site with a Spanish site, obviously both to improve your language skills and to gain a different cultural perspective. Should you have persistent problems in finding relevant sites, please email me. 

2. Enter:   Back to Top
When you find an event or a news story that you find interesting or important, go to the forum page and enter: 

1. Your autonomy
2. The topic relevant to your entry
3. A main headline for your entry

Some background that might help others better understand your update and your own comments about why you find this interesting or why it might be of interest to others.  It might connect to something we have talked about in class or it may not.  You might also include links in this space.  Your comments should be at least a few lines and can fill up the space that you are given in that field on the form.  What it should not be is a headline that no one will be able to use or understand.  Flesh it out somewhat so that it can be useful. 

For example:  If you decide to let us know about an upcoming concert, you might tell us what kind of music the band plays, how you might characterize them and their fans, where theyâre from, or anything that might help others better understand or contextualize your news, and therefore, learn more from it.  If itâs a restaurant or club that youâve read about, then tell us what kind of place it is, if thereâs a cover or what kind of music they play (i.e. club), or how pricey it is or if what kind of food it serves (i.e. restaurant).  Where is it located?  What crowd do you think itâs oriented towards and why?  If you were trying to convince someone to go there, what might you write?  Is it a place you would go to with friends, family?  If itâs an update on ETAâs activities, you might write a few lines about who they are and the reactions to what has happened, or your comments on the article you read about them. 

You certainly donât have to answer all of the questions Iâve just listed, but they should give you an idea of the kinds of things you might add under this section. 

**Again, you should think of this as a way to find things that interest you, so choose things that strike you, that you would theoretically like to do, look into, or learn about later. 

4. Submit:   Back to Top
When youâve completed your entry, submit it.  It will show up on the page dedicated to your autonomy and will now be available to all of us.
 

What are possible topics?   Back to Top
The main topics listed on the form are the following: ãMúsica/Danza, Comida, Cine, Literatura, Arquitectura, Exposiciones y Museos, Política, y Economíaä.  However, if you find your update doesnât necessarily fit into that list, feel free to use ãEtc.ä.  Here are some ideas to get you started (all should be understood as within your autonomy, though it may also involve others): 

Music/Dance:  concerts (anywhere from rap to classical to flamenco), compact discs, awards, television. shows, magazines that cover these topics, news on a particular celebrity (youâll have to give background on who it is, what they do specifically), information on musical groups

Food:  restaurants, regional dishes (in your autonomy), recipes (from your autonomy) 

Film:  awards in your autonomy (i.e. Goya Awards, San Sebastian, etc), film series or film festivals in your autonomy, new movies (playing in your autonomy), information on actors or directors, etc., magazines dedicated to this 

Literature:  awards in your autonomy, new books, information on writers, magazines that cover this topic, public readings in your autonomy, bookstores in your region, etc. 

Architecture:  magazines that cover this, structures of architectural interest in your region, celebrations of an architectural style or monument, structures in your region that you have seen on the web and find pertinent or interesting (and obviously, why), etc. 

Expositions:  any and all exhibits going on in the arts and literatures in your region, if they have catalogues, etc. 

Museums:  museums in your region and what they show, what current exhibits they are sponsoring 

Politics:  any current happening that strikes you as particularly interesting or important.  You will need to give some background for what you headline here to help people see the importance of the event/politician/political party, etc. 

Economy:  See politics.  Any current happenings regarding companies that strike you as important, privatizations, the break-up of a monopoly hold on a market, any kind of communications changes (i.e. companies involved in internet, telecommunications, television, the media in general, etc), updates regarding Spain and the European Community as it relates to your region, strikes (though they also may be considered political), etc.
 

What if I have problems finding information on my autonomy?
After having worked at it, if you should still have problems finding information, please email me and weâll find a solution.  Back to Top