I have just submitted grades for both classes. You'll be able to see them on Wednesday. I'm still finishing comments on papers and pulling together the packets to send back to you. I'm going to finish those slowly over break, as I am also working on course materials for next term.
I would appreciate it is you would do the following:
1. Have some patience with the packets. I'll email you personally once your packet is in the mail. Some of them may not get out until toward the end of break--again, I appreciate your patience.
2. If you have questions or concerns about your grades, I'd ask that you wait until you receive your packet, you read over the contents carefully, and then that you make an appointment to see me after spring classes begin. I'm very happy to debrief with any of you who would like to do so, but I would just ask that we wait to do it until after break.
Thank you all again for a great term. Have a great spring break!
Monday, March 25, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Last Minute Advice--Conclusions
Sorry that this is getting to you so late. I had a hard time locating the notes I like to give 102 students for writing conclusions. I hope this will get to a few of you and will help.
First of all, a conclusion has specific purposes and goals:
*Answers the "so what"? question. In other words, it helps to solidify the significance of the topic and the reason that the reader should care about it.
*Satisfies the reader. Makes the reader feel as if he/she had a complete experience.
*Bridges the reader back to his or her daily life. Give reasons about why your information and analysis can follow the reader back into daily life.
*Provides a last chance to make an impression on the reader, have a final say on an issue, summarize thoughts.
*Gives and opportunity to go beyond the confines of the assignment, talk about broader issues, make new connections, or ask questions.
There are certain things that you WANT TO DO in a conclusion:
*Return to themes in the introduction. Ensure that there is unity between the ideas and perspective in the introduction and conclusion.
*Synthesize rather than summarize. Really piece together the argument for your reader. Show the reader how the different parts of your essay work together.
*Propose a course of action, solutions, questions.
*Point to broader implications. Give rationale for the project. Why is this an important thing to study or discuss?
*End with a warning/discussion of consequences. OR suggest possible consequences or results. Look to the future.
*Call the reader to action. Call for further discussion or research. Rehearse unanswered questions.
*Reinforce your credibility.
*Remember that it is ok to end with complexity or unanswered questions. Life is messy sometimes!
There are certain things that you DON'T WANT TO DO in a conclusion:
*Don't use the phrases "in conclusion," "in summary," "therefore," or "thus." Your reader should be able to tell from your discussion that you are getting ready to conclude--even without one of these terms.
*State your thesis for the first time.
*Introduce a completely new subtopic or idea.
*End with a restated or rephrased thesis from the introduction.
*Use sentimental or emotional appeals.
* Include evidence that belongs in the body of the paper.
*Apologize for your views. (Don't say anything like, "I'm not sure but" or "At least this is my opinion" or "People need to decide for themselves")
*DON'T JUST TRAIL OFF! You do need to give your reader some sense of an ending.
First of all, a conclusion has specific purposes and goals:
*Answers the "so what"? question. In other words, it helps to solidify the significance of the topic and the reason that the reader should care about it.
*Satisfies the reader. Makes the reader feel as if he/she had a complete experience.
*Bridges the reader back to his or her daily life. Give reasons about why your information and analysis can follow the reader back into daily life.
*Provides a last chance to make an impression on the reader, have a final say on an issue, summarize thoughts.
*Gives and opportunity to go beyond the confines of the assignment, talk about broader issues, make new connections, or ask questions.
There are certain things that you WANT TO DO in a conclusion:
*Return to themes in the introduction. Ensure that there is unity between the ideas and perspective in the introduction and conclusion.
*Synthesize rather than summarize. Really piece together the argument for your reader. Show the reader how the different parts of your essay work together.
*Propose a course of action, solutions, questions.
*Point to broader implications. Give rationale for the project. Why is this an important thing to study or discuss?
*End with a warning/discussion of consequences. OR suggest possible consequences or results. Look to the future.
*Call the reader to action. Call for further discussion or research. Rehearse unanswered questions.
*Reinforce your credibility.
*Remember that it is ok to end with complexity or unanswered questions. Life is messy sometimes!
There are certain things that you DON'T WANT TO DO in a conclusion:
*Don't use the phrases "in conclusion," "in summary," "therefore," or "thus." Your reader should be able to tell from your discussion that you are getting ready to conclude--even without one of these terms.
*State your thesis for the first time.
*Introduce a completely new subtopic or idea.
*End with a restated or rephrased thesis from the introduction.
*Use sentimental or emotional appeals.
* Include evidence that belongs in the body of the paper.
*Apologize for your views. (Don't say anything like, "I'm not sure but" or "At least this is my opinion" or "People need to decide for themselves")
*DON'T JUST TRAIL OFF! You do need to give your reader some sense of an ending.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Office Hours this Week
Tuesday--CTC office from 10:30 to 12:30 (possibly later?)
Thursday--CTC office from 10:30-12:15 (definitely NOT later)
Friday--CTC office from noon-4:45
Saturday--CTC office from 10-4:45
Finished drafts, in paper form, are due on Monday, March 18 at 5pm. I will be in the office from after the 9:15 class (that is from 10:30) to 5pm.
Please also bring a self-addressed stamped envelope with you. I will finish grades and mail your final draft with grade back to you.
Thursday--CTC office from 10:30-12:15 (definitely NOT later)
Friday--CTC office from noon-4:45
Saturday--CTC office from 10-4:45
Finished drafts, in paper form, are due on Monday, March 18 at 5pm. I will be in the office from after the 9:15 class (that is from 10:30) to 5pm.
Please also bring a self-addressed stamped envelope with you. I will finish grades and mail your final draft with grade back to you.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
I am Still Working
For those of you in the 9:15 class, I have not forgotten about you. I'm still working on cover forms and scanning essays. I have a stack ready to send out now, and there will be more tonight and probably some tomorrow early.
I really hope that, after you see the amount of commenting, you will understand why this is such a time consuming process. I also want to assure you that all of my time (after work commitments) over the past week has been devoted to working on this.
In the meantime, you should NOT be waiting for comments. You can be working on revision plans. In terms of revision, I would suggest working in the following areas:
1. Documentation: Many of you have problems in your works cited. Many more of you have in text citations that are not corresponding with your works cited.
2. Completion: If you gave me a draft that is unfinished, for heaven's sake, FINISH IT.
3. Research: If you have paragraphs that are missing information or research, work on finding what you need to complete and fully develop those paragraphs.
4. Making corrections based on the comments you were given on half drafts--most of you had NOT made those corrections by the time you turned in rough drafts. There are things in those comments that you can use to begin revision on the fully finished draft.
5. Proofreading: Many of you could REALLY benefit from reading your draft aloud, or having someone else read it to you. Almost all of you have severe comma use issues. If this is the case for you, please be advised that I don't correct them all in your draft. You need to review comma use rules (use Rules for Writers) and find the errors in your own work.
If you have specific questions, it would be smart to begin a list to ask me about. You can, and should, be doing this as you revise.
Please do not make the mistake of thinking that I am going to be "fixing" your drafts for you. You are going to get a ton of feedback from me, but a lot of that feedback will be reminding you about what it is that you need to do on your own.
The point is, there is a lot that you can take responsibility for. Please do that. Don't sit on your hands and wait.
I really hope that, after you see the amount of commenting, you will understand why this is such a time consuming process. I also want to assure you that all of my time (after work commitments) over the past week has been devoted to working on this.
In the meantime, you should NOT be waiting for comments. You can be working on revision plans. In terms of revision, I would suggest working in the following areas:
1. Documentation: Many of you have problems in your works cited. Many more of you have in text citations that are not corresponding with your works cited.
2. Completion: If you gave me a draft that is unfinished, for heaven's sake, FINISH IT.
3. Research: If you have paragraphs that are missing information or research, work on finding what you need to complete and fully develop those paragraphs.
4. Making corrections based on the comments you were given on half drafts--most of you had NOT made those corrections by the time you turned in rough drafts. There are things in those comments that you can use to begin revision on the fully finished draft.
5. Proofreading: Many of you could REALLY benefit from reading your draft aloud, or having someone else read it to you. Almost all of you have severe comma use issues. If this is the case for you, please be advised that I don't correct them all in your draft. You need to review comma use rules (use Rules for Writers) and find the errors in your own work.
If you have specific questions, it would be smart to begin a list to ask me about. You can, and should, be doing this as you revise.
Please do not make the mistake of thinking that I am going to be "fixing" your drafts for you. You are going to get a ton of feedback from me, but a lot of that feedback will be reminding you about what it is that you need to do on your own.
The point is, there is a lot that you can take responsibility for. Please do that. Don't sit on your hands and wait.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Helpful Info for Revision Plan Assignment
FOR ETUTORING SUBMISSION:
The final paper will be a 10-12 page document that: 1) uses a variety of sources ( between 10-15, including 8 professional and/or academic) to explore a well-defined topic; 2) articulates an informed position on an issue, making a clear and reasonable argument based on your analysis of the research; 3) documents correctly the use of sources; 4) directs diction, voice, tone, evidence, and English language conventions (grammar, spelling, syntax) to a reasonable, interested, diverse, academic audience. The paper’s topic must focus on a particular historical event or moment. The term “historical event” might be understood very broadly here—you may write about anything political, cultural, scientific, natural, or anthropological, sociological, psychological, or economic—as long as your argument is centered on a particular moment or era in time. Remember that history, and specific events in history, can be interpreted in a variety of ways. These interpretations ARE arguments. We will discuss forms that your argument may take over the next several weeks.
This is a significantly revised version of your final research paper. Since the focus of the course is researching, writing and revising this paper, you will be expected to produce a much higher quality of writing than might be expected for research papers in other courses.
Please remember the following:
1. This project should reflect a topic that interests you and that is informed by a variety of sources, including professional and academic treatments of the subject. This is an academic research paper, and so you will need to rely on more than personal experience or knowledge, or on general resources like popular periodicals, encyclopedias or websites. You should use sources from a variety of different publications, organizations and perspectives. Your final works cited should contain between 10 and 15 sources.
2. Articulate an informed position on the issue, and address your argument to a general academic audience. You must make an argument in the paper that reflects the information you have gathered in research, as well as your assessments of the arguments and research presented by others. Keep in mind that you want to discuss viewpoints that may challenge your own; making concessions to good arguments by those with opposing points of view is good for your ethos. Use an academic tone and present reasoning and evidence. You should assume that your audience is general, diverse and educated. You should not assume that your audience is made up of experts on your topic or people who necessarily agree with your position.
3. Structure the paper according to your own reasoning. Use your sources to help you formulate and complement your own ideas, but follow your own sense of logic and organization. You should have a clearly defined thesis. Use topic sentences and transitions to make the organizational principles of the paper clear to your readers. The paper should not read like a source by source summary of articles on your topic. You have chosen the research—it is up to you to show your readers how this information goes together. In addition, remember that you can have entire pages without citing sources IF the ideas you are presenting are your own and are necessary to ensuring structural unity, integrity and rhetorical effectiveness.
4. Use spelling, grammar and punctuation that reflect American English standards.
5. Use MLA conventions for signal phrases, in-text citations and works cited. PRECISELY.
REVERSE OUTLINE INSTRUCTIONS: Reverse Outline Directions
What is a reverse outline? A regular outline is one that you write before you write your paper, usually to give you a sense of direction and to keep you focused. A reverse outline is an outline you write to describe a paper after you have written it.
Why would I write a reverse outline? A reverse outline can give you “the big picture” of your paper. It will tell you if you: 1) need to reorder paragraphs within the document; 2) have a number of paragraphs that contain too much information and don’t fit together; 3) write multiple paragraphs that contain repeated ideas.
Preparation: Number each paragraph in your paper. You may do this on a separate piece of paper or in the margins of the paper itself. Read each paragraph carefully and write down the main idea of that paragraph next to its number (If you can’t find a main idea, write that instead. If there are multiple ideas, mark that as well). When you have taken these steps, you will have an overview of the whole paper.
Ask yourself these questions: 1) Are the paragraphs properly focused? Or are multiple main ideas competing in one paragraph? 2) Now that you have identified the main point of each paragraph, does each topic sentence support the main idea of each paragraph? 3) Are there some ideas that are extraneous (unneeded) to the paragraph? Can they be removed? 4) Are there some ideas that can be moved to a different part of the paper? 5) When you look at the outline as a whole, does the organization of the paper reflect what you promised in your introduction and thesis to the paper?
ETUTORING LINK: Clark link for etutoring
The final paper will be a 10-12 page document that: 1) uses a variety of sources ( between 10-15, including 8 professional and/or academic) to explore a well-defined topic; 2) articulates an informed position on an issue, making a clear and reasonable argument based on your analysis of the research; 3) documents correctly the use of sources; 4) directs diction, voice, tone, evidence, and English language conventions (grammar, spelling, syntax) to a reasonable, interested, diverse, academic audience. The paper’s topic must focus on a particular historical event or moment. The term “historical event” might be understood very broadly here—you may write about anything political, cultural, scientific, natural, or anthropological, sociological, psychological, or economic—as long as your argument is centered on a particular moment or era in time. Remember that history, and specific events in history, can be interpreted in a variety of ways. These interpretations ARE arguments. We will discuss forms that your argument may take over the next several weeks.
This is a significantly revised version of your final research paper. Since the focus of the course is researching, writing and revising this paper, you will be expected to produce a much higher quality of writing than might be expected for research papers in other courses.
Please remember the following:
1. This project should reflect a topic that interests you and that is informed by a variety of sources, including professional and academic treatments of the subject. This is an academic research paper, and so you will need to rely on more than personal experience or knowledge, or on general resources like popular periodicals, encyclopedias or websites. You should use sources from a variety of different publications, organizations and perspectives. Your final works cited should contain between 10 and 15 sources.
2. Articulate an informed position on the issue, and address your argument to a general academic audience. You must make an argument in the paper that reflects the information you have gathered in research, as well as your assessments of the arguments and research presented by others. Keep in mind that you want to discuss viewpoints that may challenge your own; making concessions to good arguments by those with opposing points of view is good for your ethos. Use an academic tone and present reasoning and evidence. You should assume that your audience is general, diverse and educated. You should not assume that your audience is made up of experts on your topic or people who necessarily agree with your position.
3. Structure the paper according to your own reasoning. Use your sources to help you formulate and complement your own ideas, but follow your own sense of logic and organization. You should have a clearly defined thesis. Use topic sentences and transitions to make the organizational principles of the paper clear to your readers. The paper should not read like a source by source summary of articles on your topic. You have chosen the research—it is up to you to show your readers how this information goes together. In addition, remember that you can have entire pages without citing sources IF the ideas you are presenting are your own and are necessary to ensuring structural unity, integrity and rhetorical effectiveness.
4. Use spelling, grammar and punctuation that reflect American English standards.
5. Use MLA conventions for signal phrases, in-text citations and works cited. PRECISELY.
REVERSE OUTLINE INSTRUCTIONS: Reverse Outline Directions
What is a reverse outline? A regular outline is one that you write before you write your paper, usually to give you a sense of direction and to keep you focused. A reverse outline is an outline you write to describe a paper after you have written it.
Why would I write a reverse outline? A reverse outline can give you “the big picture” of your paper. It will tell you if you: 1) need to reorder paragraphs within the document; 2) have a number of paragraphs that contain too much information and don’t fit together; 3) write multiple paragraphs that contain repeated ideas.
Preparation: Number each paragraph in your paper. You may do this on a separate piece of paper or in the margins of the paper itself. Read each paragraph carefully and write down the main idea of that paragraph next to its number (If you can’t find a main idea, write that instead. If there are multiple ideas, mark that as well). When you have taken these steps, you will have an overview of the whole paper.
Ask yourself these questions: 1) Are the paragraphs properly focused? Or are multiple main ideas competing in one paragraph? 2) Now that you have identified the main point of each paragraph, does each topic sentence support the main idea of each paragraph? 3) Are there some ideas that are extraneous (unneeded) to the paragraph? Can they be removed? 4) Are there some ideas that can be moved to a different part of the paper? 5) When you look at the outline as a whole, does the organization of the paper reflect what you promised in your introduction and thesis to the paper?
ETUTORING LINK: Clark link for etutoring
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Revision Plan
You will be expected to complete a revision plan for your second draft, due Thursday, March 14 in class. Please choose TWO of the following activities and complete them as part of the revision plan. Chose the activities that you believe will benefit the final project the most:
1. Editing Checklist and Error Log: Looking through your draft, create a list of at least 10 items that you would check for as part of final revision. These items can be mechanical (grammar, sentence structure, punctuation) or they could be content-based (topic sentences, transitions, strong thesis carried througout the paper) or they could be documentation-related (proper in-text citations, good variety of signal phrases/lead-ins, correct works cited documentation). THEN, choose at least 10 errors from your paper and complete an error log for these 10 errors. (You can use the form that I provided you in class, or you can create your own.)
2. New Introduction and Conclusion: Isolate and revise just your introductory paragraph(s) and concluding paragraph(s), checking for strong thesis, unity, a hook, something to leave the reader with. These revised introductions/conclusions should be PERFECTLY edited as well.
3. Feedback Talkback: Provide me with a copy of your commented-upon draft with your own feedback and comments. Think of this as an opportunity to have a dialogue with me about your work, as well as an opportunity to begin to think about how you might integrate suggestions into your work.
4. Submission to Etutoring: Submit your essay to etutoring for comments. Provide me with a copy of the comments you received from etutoring, as well as a solid paragraph evaluating the usefulness of this activity. (Will you take the suggestions, which ones? What feedback did you find valuable? What feedback was confusing? Would you use etutoring again? Why or why not? Be sure, when you submit the paper, that you have answered all the questions they have asked in full (including uploading your ENTIRE assignment prompt and telling them what you'd like them to look at).
5. Narrative Revision Plan: Write a two page narrative explaining how you plan to revise the essay, what revisions you think are most vital, and how you are going to accomplish that revision. This should be detailed and thoughtful.
6. Attack the Draft: Pull your draft apart--use sticky notes, flags, highlighters, pens, scissors and tape (if needed!) to physically show how you plan to revise the draft both in terms of content and organization.
7. Perform a Reverse Outline: Go through the process on the handout from Tuesday's class. Provide me with a version of that work.
Informal Presentations
We will have presentations next week, beginning on Tuesday, March 12 for the 9:15 class and on Wednesday, March 13 for the 8 am class. Here is the outline of this part of the course.
I want to restate that this is a somewhat informal kind of presentation. It is a way for you to share with the rest of the class what you have been doing this term. I will have you sign up for slots Thursday, March 7 in class.
Each of you will do an oral presentation of about 7 minutes in which you
*state your thesis
*present the information in your paper that supported the thesis (your lines of argument)
*answer questions from your peers about your topic (this may be above and beyond the 7 minutes)
This is a low-pressure kind of public speaking. Consider yourself a discussion leader for the time that you are presenting. You are the expert, but you want to try to encourage discussion between yourself and your peers. The idea here is to share your research, have some closure for the class, and practice your speaking/leading skills. You may use a visual aid (such as a transparency, a diagram on poster board, a handout, or some media to share with the class), if you so desire.
Given these objectives, I will give informal assignment credit to any student who does a presentation.
Some minimal preparation is necessary to make sure you say something significant without running over the time limit:
*Prepare some notes or an outline to help you present the info in an organized manner without looking at the paper during the presentation. This is a presentation, not a reading of the paper. (A 10 page paper takes 15-20 minutes to read.)
*Do at least one timed run at home to make sure you can cover what you want to say in 7 minutes.
*Consider bringing a visual aid to add interest. (Please note: I cannot allow power point or single handouts that need to circulate around the room. These visual aid types require more time than we have available. Your visual aid must be instantly viewable by the whole class. You can, however, show media or use the document camera. I will ask you when you sign up for your time slot to indicate what media you will be using.)
Please attend presentations--we are a small class to begin with, so we need everyone there to ensure an audience.
**TO KEEP US ON TIME: No matter where you are in your presentation, I will cut you off at 7 minutes--we need to be able to get everyone in and have some time for questions/discussion. PLEASE PRACTICE AT HOME TO GET THE TIMING RIGHT!
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Class Monday
Despite best intentions and many hours put in, I'm still a few papers short of being done. This is my NUMBER ONE priority. As such, I'm going to cancel class tomorrow morning so that I can keep working, We WILL have class on Tuesday.
I will also be having extended office hours. While I know that some of you won't know if you want time with me until after you've seen rough draft comments, I also know that several of you already know you do. I am available on Tuesday from 10:30 to 3:30. I am also available on Thursday from 10:30 to about 1. Please EMAIL me for a meeting time.
In the meantime, please read this for class on Tuesday. It is a short piece by Donald Murray who was a well-known composition instructor and expert on revision. He discusses his own revision process. This will be a great introduction to revision, which will be the subject of the rest of this week's classes.
I will also be having extended office hours. While I know that some of you won't know if you want time with me until after you've seen rough draft comments, I also know that several of you already know you do. I am available on Tuesday from 10:30 to 3:30. I am also available on Thursday from 10:30 to about 1. Please EMAIL me for a meeting time.
In the meantime, please read this for class on Tuesday. It is a short piece by Donald Murray who was a well-known composition instructor and expert on revision. He discusses his own revision process. This will be a great introduction to revision, which will be the subject of the rest of this week's classes.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Directions for Draft Turn In
I'm very much looking forward to rough drafts this weekend! Please keep the following in mind as you prepare to turn in your draft:
1. Drafts are due by regular class time (that is 8 am for the early class and 9:15 for the later one) on Thursday morning.
2. I will acknowledge successful receipt of your drafts, but please give me until late Thursday afternoon to do so.
3. In the body of your email, please answer the following questions: 1) Is this draft complete? If it is not, what is it missing? 2) What problems, difficulties or questions do you have at this point? 3) Are you missing any research? If so, what do you think you are missing? Please be as specific as you possibly can be.
4. Do not submit a draft that does not have a completed works cited attached to it. Please also do not send me a draft without page numbers--this makes my commenting much more difficult. I may choose to send your paper BACK to you if it comes without page numbers.
5. In an attempt to be fair, I won't send comments out to anyone over email. Everyone will receive comments back at the same time, during class, on Monday, March 4th.
6. If you are done or mostly done with your draft, take the weekend off. I will probably be back in the office on Friday, but I'm going to request the weekend off from meeting with any of you so that I can concentrate on commenting on drafts.
7. I recognize that our current schedule runs out on Thursday--I'll be providing you with a schedule for the last two weeks of class on Monday.
Be nice on Monday--it is going to be a little bit of a rough weekend!
1. Drafts are due by regular class time (that is 8 am for the early class and 9:15 for the later one) on Thursday morning.
2. I will acknowledge successful receipt of your drafts, but please give me until late Thursday afternoon to do so.
3. In the body of your email, please answer the following questions: 1) Is this draft complete? If it is not, what is it missing? 2) What problems, difficulties or questions do you have at this point? 3) Are you missing any research? If so, what do you think you are missing? Please be as specific as you possibly can be.
4. Do not submit a draft that does not have a completed works cited attached to it. Please also do not send me a draft without page numbers--this makes my commenting much more difficult. I may choose to send your paper BACK to you if it comes without page numbers.
5. In an attempt to be fair, I won't send comments out to anyone over email. Everyone will receive comments back at the same time, during class, on Monday, March 4th.
6. If you are done or mostly done with your draft, take the weekend off. I will probably be back in the office on Friday, but I'm going to request the weekend off from meeting with any of you so that I can concentrate on commenting on drafts.
7. I recognize that our current schedule runs out on Thursday--I'll be providing you with a schedule for the last two weeks of class on Monday.
Be nice on Monday--it is going to be a little bit of a rough weekend!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Apologies to 8 AM Class
I hit a bad accident coming in on 205 this morning, which added about 30 minutes to my commute. I didn't want you to wait, because I didn't know how long it was going to take to get up here.
Go ahead and complete the "three introductions" assignment for tomorrow. If you have a conclusion written for the paper, bring that as well. (I know that many of you won't--but if you do, it is helpful.)
We will get in as much tomorrow--including some discussion of "half drafts" tomorrow in class.
Thank you.
Go ahead and complete the "three introductions" assignment for tomorrow. If you have a conclusion written for the paper, bring that as well. (I know that many of you won't--but if you do, it is helpful.)
We will get in as much tomorrow--including some discussion of "half drafts" tomorrow in class.
Thank you.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Weekend Notes
1. To get ready for Monday's class, please have a look at this. Read through the whole thing and then take a look at the link under: "Can I get some practice with this?" We will also be doing an activity in class on Monday related to fallacies. Be prepared!
2. My availability over the weekend will be very limited. I'll be in the office on Friday from 10-noon. If you need an appointment with me, make it ASAP because I'm not going to be in for more than 2 hours. I WILL NOT be answering email this weekend from 5pm Friday until Sunday at about noon. I also will not be available Sunday night. Plan accordingly.
3. I will be reading over draft pages and your peer review comments this weekend. I'm not sure on a timeline for this. If I can complete all comments, I'll have them to you by Friday evening. If not, Monday morning. I'm not sure how long they will take.
4. One last thing--we will be doing an introduction workshop on Tuesday. I will be asking each of you to bring THREE DIFFERENT (yes, that's right, 3 different!) introductions for your paper with you to class on Tuesday. You can approach this in a variety of ways. You may decide to write three different hooks with all the same thesis statement. You may have all the same hook with different versions of your thesis statement. You may have a one-paragraph intro and two two-paragraph intros. How you make them different is up to you. Do not spend hours on this assignment. Part of the point here is to draft quickly. You all each have one version now, draft two more in minimal time. You'll see why on Tuesday. Don't question the methods yet!
Other than all that, draft, draft, draft your little hearts out. Remember that all rough drafts are due by classtime on Thursday via email. We won't have class on Wednesday (you will all need it either for sleep or for writing) and we won't have class on Thursday because I will be starting to read and give feedback for drafts. The goal is to have them back to you on March 3 (Monday). We'll see how that works out!
2. My availability over the weekend will be very limited. I'll be in the office on Friday from 10-noon. If you need an appointment with me, make it ASAP because I'm not going to be in for more than 2 hours. I WILL NOT be answering email this weekend from 5pm Friday until Sunday at about noon. I also will not be available Sunday night. Plan accordingly.
3. I will be reading over draft pages and your peer review comments this weekend. I'm not sure on a timeline for this. If I can complete all comments, I'll have them to you by Friday evening. If not, Monday morning. I'm not sure how long they will take.
4. One last thing--we will be doing an introduction workshop on Tuesday. I will be asking each of you to bring THREE DIFFERENT (yes, that's right, 3 different!) introductions for your paper with you to class on Tuesday. You can approach this in a variety of ways. You may decide to write three different hooks with all the same thesis statement. You may have all the same hook with different versions of your thesis statement. You may have a one-paragraph intro and two two-paragraph intros. How you make them different is up to you. Do not spend hours on this assignment. Part of the point here is to draft quickly. You all each have one version now, draft two more in minimal time. You'll see why on Tuesday. Don't question the methods yet!
Other than all that, draft, draft, draft your little hearts out. Remember that all rough drafts are due by classtime on Thursday via email. We won't have class on Wednesday (you will all need it either for sleep or for writing) and we won't have class on Thursday because I will be starting to read and give feedback for drafts. The goal is to have them back to you on March 3 (Monday). We'll see how that works out!
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Papers for Grade Norming
I am getting these to you a little later than planned, although that is probably fine. My guess is that we won't get to them until Tuesday, which means that we are unlikely to get to half drafts until Wednesday. (This is ok, since a few of you could use an extra day.)
As I mentioned before, the idea with these drafts for norming is that you read each carefully and make some notes. Don't fill out the rubric yet, but you can consult it if you would like to. We'll work on the grade norming together.
In addition, be sure that you are finding time to draft.
Rubric
Essay One--Atomic Powers
Essay Two--School Massacres
**Note, I did not write either of these papers--they are from students from several years ago from a different institution. Their names have been removed.
As I mentioned before, the idea with these drafts for norming is that you read each carefully and make some notes. Don't fill out the rubric yet, but you can consult it if you would like to. We'll work on the grade norming together.
In addition, be sure that you are finding time to draft.
Rubric
Essay One--Atomic Powers
Essay Two--School Massacres
**Note, I did not write either of these papers--they are from students from several years ago from a different institution. Their names have been removed.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Homework for Wednesday's Class:Early Drafting Questions
Please handwrite or print the answers to the following questions. Please remember that this counts as an informal assignment.:
1. Where are you in the drafting process at this time? (How much have you drafted? Are you still working on revising your outline? Are you doing additional research?)
2. If you have not been cleared to draft, when do you plan or when have you scheduled to meet with me? (If you have NOT scheduled this, and I am requiring it, tell me when you would like to schedule a meeting.)
3. At this point, do you have any questions or problems with drafting? Please explain what those are. (If there are repeated questions, I will discuss in class. If there are questions specific to you, I will track you down to answer them!)
4. At this point, are you still feeling like you are missing research? If so, what do you still need? And is ther anything that I can do to help with that? (Be specific!)
5. Do you have any other concerns about the project?
Thank you, I look forward to reading your answers!
1. Where are you in the drafting process at this time? (How much have you drafted? Are you still working on revising your outline? Are you doing additional research?)
2. If you have not been cleared to draft, when do you plan or when have you scheduled to meet with me? (If you have NOT scheduled this, and I am requiring it, tell me when you would like to schedule a meeting.)
3. At this point, do you have any questions or problems with drafting? Please explain what those are. (If there are repeated questions, I will discuss in class. If there are questions specific to you, I will track you down to answer them!)
4. At this point, are you still feeling like you are missing research? If so, what do you still need? And is ther anything that I can do to help with that? (Be specific!)
5. Do you have any other concerns about the project?
Thank you, I look forward to reading your answers!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Announcements and Reminders
**Remember that you are responsible for having read pages 448-456 and 464-479 in RFW for this week.
**If you have been cleared to begin writing, you are now on your own schedule. You should write as you have time. It is smart, at this point, to be writing a couple of pages every couple of days. As we have discussed in class, if you get stuck for any reason for more than 24 hours, get ahold of me--we'll find a way to help you get you unstuck.
**If you got a grade lower than a B- on your paper proposal, you can (and should) rework your proposal and resubmit it for regrading. I would like them by the end of the week at the latest. This goes for proposals that I asked to be rewritten as well.
**8 am class--PLEASE bring your proposals to class on Monday so that I can record grades.
**I will be in the office this week on Tuesday and Thursday from 10:30 to 12:30. I will also be in the office on Saturday (that is the 16th) from 9-1. If you need to see me, please make an appointment so that I can hold a time for you.
**I will be giving you a schedule for the next few weeks on Monday. In the meantime, please keep these significant due dates in mind. I will be collecting a "half draft" (that is, 5-6 pages of draft WITH works cited) on Tuesday, February 19. Your rough drafts are due on Thursday, February 28. (This is a few days later than what is on your syllabus.)
**If you have been cleared to begin writing, you are now on your own schedule. You should write as you have time. It is smart, at this point, to be writing a couple of pages every couple of days. As we have discussed in class, if you get stuck for any reason for more than 24 hours, get ahold of me--we'll find a way to help you get you unstuck.
**If you got a grade lower than a B- on your paper proposal, you can (and should) rework your proposal and resubmit it for regrading. I would like them by the end of the week at the latest. This goes for proposals that I asked to be rewritten as well.
**8 am class--PLEASE bring your proposals to class on Monday so that I can record grades.
**I will be in the office this week on Tuesday and Thursday from 10:30 to 12:30. I will also be in the office on Saturday (that is the 16th) from 9-1. If you need to see me, please make an appointment so that I can hold a time for you.
**I will be giving you a schedule for the next few weeks on Monday. In the meantime, please keep these significant due dates in mind. I will be collecting a "half draft" (that is, 5-6 pages of draft WITH works cited) on Tuesday, February 19. Your rough drafts are due on Thursday, February 28. (This is a few days later than what is on your syllabus.)
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
I am Missing
several proposals. What is more alarming is that I have not heard from anyone who has not yet turned in a proposal. This is a vital and REQUIRED part of the paper writing process. All proposals must be submitted and signed off on before you can begin to draft your final paper.
If you have not yet submitted a proposal, I expect to hear from you in the next day with an ETA for the submission of your proposal. If I do not hear from you before Wednesday, I will be suggesting that you drop the course immediately.
If you have not yet submitted a proposal, I expect to hear from you in the next day with an ETA for the submission of your proposal. If I do not hear from you before Wednesday, I will be suggesting that you drop the course immediately.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Check Your Email
I will see you all in class in just a bit, but I have sent all of you an email that has some information and a reading attached. PLEASE let me know if you didn't get it, and I will resend it to you. See you soon--I'm looking forward to seeing your proposals.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Last Change Conference Options
If anyone is DYING for a conference about proposals and outlines, I do have time tomorrow open between noon and three. I also could do facebook or skype sessions on Sunday--just not during the Super Bowl! Please email me to set up one of these options. So far the conferences I've had with you guys have been SUPER SUPER FANTASTIC! I'm starting to get really excited about some of these topics.
On my way to PSU now. See some of you there!
On my way to PSU now. See some of you there!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Office Hours/PSU
A few reminders about this weekend:
I'll be in the office tomorrow from about 11 to 3. A little bit after 3 I'll be heading to PSU and will be there from 4-6. On Saturday I will be available from noon to 3. If you would like to see me at any of these times, please write to ask for an appointment--I already have several scheduled, and, if you just show up, I may not be able to work you in.
The information about Portland State is the same as before--see the post from 2 weeks ago for details.
I'll be in the office tomorrow from about 11 to 3. A little bit after 3 I'll be heading to PSU and will be there from 4-6. On Saturday I will be available from noon to 3. If you would like to see me at any of these times, please write to ask for an appointment--I already have several scheduled, and, if you just show up, I may not be able to work you in.
The information about Portland State is the same as before--see the post from 2 weeks ago for details.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Paper Proposal
Now that you have a significant portion of your research done, you will write a proposal that will suggest a plan for the paper that you will be drafting. The purpose of this assignment is to ensure that you have a direction and that your final paper will have a clear focus, a strong argument, and an effective and discernible organizational structure. This proposal will consist of three parts:
1. A one to two paragraph introduction to your topic that includes a hook and a thesis.
2. An outline that includes three things: your thesis; a tentative structure for the paper, expressed through a formal outline; and parenthetical citations indicating where you will be using sources you have found.
3. A working bibliography containing at least 10 sources you plan to use in your research paper. You may end up adding or dropping sources as you begin to draft. Further, these sources may not be cited in your introduction or outline. (That's why this is considered a working bibliography, rather than a Works Cited list.) The bibliography should follow MLA format. You may use annotations as well, but this is optional. Four of these citations should be scholarly/professional.
Helpful hints from Rules for Writers can be found:
Introduction/Thesis 21-25, 361-362
Outline 17-20, 361-362
Works Cited 435-462
All three parts should be submitted together in one document. Please format according to the guidelines in the syllabus and according to the model. You are being supplied with a model proposal for this assignment. PLEASE FOLLOW THE MODEL EXACTLY.
The proposal will be due on Monday, February 4. Please note that this due date has been changed from the one in your syllabus. This is due to the extension given on the annotated bibliography. As always, I am happy to look at your work as it progresses, up to the day before the proposal is due.
1. A one to two paragraph introduction to your topic that includes a hook and a thesis.
2. An outline that includes three things: your thesis; a tentative structure for the paper, expressed through a formal outline; and parenthetical citations indicating where you will be using sources you have found.
3. A working bibliography containing at least 10 sources you plan to use in your research paper. You may end up adding or dropping sources as you begin to draft. Further, these sources may not be cited in your introduction or outline. (That's why this is considered a working bibliography, rather than a Works Cited list.) The bibliography should follow MLA format. You may use annotations as well, but this is optional. Four of these citations should be scholarly/professional.
Helpful hints from Rules for Writers can be found:
Introduction/Thesis 21-25, 361-362
Outline 17-20, 361-362
Works Cited 435-462
All three parts should be submitted together in one document. Please format according to the guidelines in the syllabus and according to the model. You are being supplied with a model proposal for this assignment. PLEASE FOLLOW THE MODEL EXACTLY.
The proposal will be due on Monday, February 4. Please note that this due date has been changed from the one in your syllabus. This is due to the extension given on the annotated bibliography. As always, I am happy to look at your work as it progresses, up to the day before the proposal is due.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Thursday's Class
1. Bring completed source evaluation homework on ONE internet source.
2. Bring a DRAFT copy of your completed annotated bibliography (or as much of a completed draft as possible). I will look over all bibliographies tomorrow in class, but will likely require revision from most of you. We'll discuss a timeline for submission of the graded draft tomorrow.
3. Email with questions or problems.
2. Bring a DRAFT copy of your completed annotated bibliography (or as much of a completed draft as possible). I will look over all bibliographies tomorrow in class, but will likely require revision from most of you. We'll discuss a timeline for submission of the graded draft tomorrow.
3. Email with questions or problems.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Warning About Annotated Bibliographies
I'm answering emails right now, including a lot of annotation examples. I want to warn everyone about one thing: in EACH annotation, you need to make sure that you answer ALL of the questions listed on the assignment. Everything listed is REQUIRED, guys!
Source Evaluation
Read pages 437-447 in Rules for Writers. THEN,
Tonight, take a tiny break from trying to find super smart, super credible, and super useful sources and do a little googling! Using Google, or the search engine of your choice, find a website or webpage related to your topic. (And yes, if it is closely enough related, you certainly can use it as one of your annotations!) Look through the website/page carefully and then answer the following questions. These can be typed or handwritten, as long as I can read them. Keep in mind that these are short answer questions, which means that you should have a couple of sentence answers for each. (Not just a word or two.)
1. Write an MLA works cited citation for the webpage/website you have chosen.
2. Who is responsible for the website or page? What do you know about them?
3. What is the website/page's general attitude toward the subject?
4. What is the level of originality of the material represented?
5. How authoritative or trustworthy does the material seem? Why?
6. How completely does the source deal with the subject at hand?
7. What sorts of links does the site contain? How do these links add to the authority of the site? How complete and recent are they? If you are dealing with a print source, what ads or other materials does the publication contain? Do these add to the authority of the source?
8. How is the source biased?
9. How recent is the source? How recently was it updated?
Bring to class tomorrow to discuss.
Tonight, take a tiny break from trying to find super smart, super credible, and super useful sources and do a little googling! Using Google, or the search engine of your choice, find a website or webpage related to your topic. (And yes, if it is closely enough related, you certainly can use it as one of your annotations!) Look through the website/page carefully and then answer the following questions. These can be typed or handwritten, as long as I can read them. Keep in mind that these are short answer questions, which means that you should have a couple of sentence answers for each. (Not just a word or two.)
1. Write an MLA works cited citation for the webpage/website you have chosen.
2. Who is responsible for the website or page? What do you know about them?
3. What is the website/page's general attitude toward the subject?
4. What is the level of originality of the material represented?
5. How authoritative or trustworthy does the material seem? Why?
6. How completely does the source deal with the subject at hand?
7. What sorts of links does the site contain? How do these links add to the authority of the site? How complete and recent are they? If you are dealing with a print source, what ads or other materials does the publication contain? Do these add to the authority of the source?
8. How is the source biased?
9. How recent is the source? How recently was it updated?
Bring to class tomorrow to discuss.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Portland State Trips
After looking at your preferences, it looks like I can get the largest number of you in at these times: Friday 10-1 and Sunday noon to 3.
Benefits of taking a research trip:
A. Get to know a bigger library/get some practice navigating Library of Congress call numbers.
B. With Clark ID, you can check things out!! (through the SUMMIT program) (Or with ID and your Clark student number--that works too.)
C. There is a lot more stuff. You can be very productive gathering research in a short amount of time.
D. PSU allows access to databases that you can't get through Clark. See "there is a lot more stuff" above.
E. YUMM Bowls! (Well, this is a benefit to me, at least.)
If you are interested in doing some preliminary searching, go here.
If you are interested in YUMM bowls (and how could you not be?), go here.
Campus maps and driving directions can be found here. We will be meeting at the Millar Library. There is good information about parking here. There is on-street parking too, but be prepared to circle for awhile on Friday, as there are classes going on. The PSU lots are FREE on Sunday though. You can also easily get to PSU by MAX or by bus, and there might be some interest in carpooling, which we can discuss.
I will get there early both days and secure us table space on the SECOND floor. This is where you will be able to access databases. There are catalog computer terminals on all floors. I'll also have maps available for you and will be able to explain how to navigate the building.
If you are planning on coming, bring:
Either Clark ID or picture ID for checking out materials.
Cash for parking, photocopies, delicious YUMM! bowls. Or coffee.
Paper and pen for jotting notes.
A jump drive. You will be able to download articles directly from databases onto the jump drive! This is very exciting and cheaper than having to print/photocopy them at the library.
Comfortable shoes. You are likely to have to do a lot of running around.
It is not necessary to come at the very beginning of the time either day or to plan on staying the whole three hours (although you are welcome to if you want to). I will try to stick close to the table on the second floor and work from there. Drop in and out as fits your needs.
Finally, if you can't make one of the these times and REALLY, REALLY want to go, I may be persuaded to do one more trip (maybe a Saturday afternoon one) the weekend following. We'll discuss this later.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
And One More
I'll be in the office at about 11:30 today (Tuesday). I'll be working on things that can be stopped and started easily, so if you need to see me, please stop by. I'll probably try to leave by about 4.
Also, it is looking likely that there will be Portland State trips on FRIDAY and SUNDAY. We'll discuss details in class, and I'll take a final headcount.
Lastly, we will be discussing academic/non academic sources in class tomorrow. But since many of you are starting to work on your entries for the annotated bibliography, I wanted to mention this: the sources in Gale are NOT considered academic or professional. This is probably a little confusing. Hopefully it will become less so tomorrow. You need 3 academic sources. So you CAN use information from Gale, but only up to 2 of your sources.
It's fine to email me with questions or problems. And I've already received one entry to read! That's excellent.
Also, it is looking likely that there will be Portland State trips on FRIDAY and SUNDAY. We'll discuss details in class, and I'll take a final headcount.
Lastly, we will be discussing academic/non academic sources in class tomorrow. But since many of you are starting to work on your entries for the annotated bibliography, I wanted to mention this: the sources in Gale are NOT considered academic or professional. This is probably a little confusing. Hopefully it will become less so tomorrow. You need 3 academic sources. So you CAN use information from Gale, but only up to 2 of your sources.
It's fine to email me with questions or problems. And I've already received one entry to read! That's excellent.
Class Today
At this point (just after 6:30), I am going to cancel the 8 am class.
I am hopeful that I'll be able to make the 9:15 class, but I'll make a decision on that closer to class time, so if you are a student in that class, monitor the blog and your email. Once I can get in, I will hold office hours and will be in the office for most of the afternoon. If you would like some conference time, email me.
Also, if you sent me an email sometime in the late afternoon or evening yesterday, I probably have not gotten back to you. Email service was interrupted yesterday. I will be answering those emails throughout the morning today.
Keep working on research!
I am hopeful that I'll be able to make the 9:15 class, but I'll make a decision on that closer to class time, so if you are a student in that class, monitor the blog and your email. Once I can get in, I will hold office hours and will be in the office for most of the afternoon. If you would like some conference time, email me.
Also, if you sent me an email sometime in the late afternoon or evening yesterday, I probably have not gotten back to you. Email service was interrupted yesterday. I will be answering those emails throughout the morning today.
Keep working on research!
Monday, January 14, 2013
Annotated Bibliography Assignment
You will be producing citations and annotations for a total of five sources that you gather as research for your final 102 paper. These annotations serve a number of purposes. First, they will help to ensure that you have understood and appropriately evaluated your sources. Second, they will act as a way to track your sources and your research process. Finally, they will (we hope!) provide you with some work that you can integrate directly into your final research project. Hopefully, this process will result in you feeling that you are part of a conversation about your topic. This is your first formal graded assignment for the term and is worth a total of 15% of your final course grade.
Part One: A short (2-3 thoughtful paragraphs) introduction to the annotated bibliography. This introduction should indicate the current state of your research (How far along are you? How is it going? What do you feel you have left to do? Do you have any questions or are you encountering any problems?) and suggest a list of questions that require further consideration, investigation, and/or argumentation. Please take this introduction seriously—I am looking for substance, specificity, and thoughtfulness. I would suggest doing this last--it will likely be much more clear what you need to say in the intro AFTER you have annotated your research.
Part Two: For each of your five sources you should have a properly formatted MLA citation, accompanied by a brief description and evaluative annotation of 150-250 words (either one or two paragraphs). Imagine that you are preparing this list of annotations for another student/researcher looking for information about your topic. Provide them with a summary of the source along with the following information:
1. How and where the source was located.
2. The format of the source.
3. The authority/credentials of the author.
4. The currency of the source.
5. The reliability of the information (and a justification for your evaluation of how reliable it is.)
6. Potential biases of the writer or source of publication.
7. An explanation of how the source affects your understanding of the topic.
8. At least one direct quotation from the source, appropriately integrated into your annotation with documentation.
Please keep in mind that your bibliography must: Follow MLA format and citation style (as indicated in your syllabus and in the Hacker book). Include at least 3 articles from scholarly periodicals or publishers. (The other 2 sources can come from credible websites or popular periodicals.) Be organized alphabetically by citation. Be complete, with both parts one and two of the assignment.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
I'm Confused
about your confusion!
I've had several questions about homework, so clearly there is a misunderstanding. I will use the blog to post longer assignment directions, but on a day-to-day basis, your homework is on your schedule. Right now (for the rest of this week), that can be found in your syllabus. I will give you a full term's schedule on Monday.
Tonight, you only have some reading and some IRIS modules. Do not worry about the Little Seagull handout--I'll be giving that out tomorrow.
Sorry for the confusion. Please refer to the schedule. And check back here in the morning if you see or hear of any white stuff on the ground.
I've had several questions about homework, so clearly there is a misunderstanding. I will use the blog to post longer assignment directions, but on a day-to-day basis, your homework is on your schedule. Right now (for the rest of this week), that can be found in your syllabus. I will give you a full term's schedule on Monday.
Tonight, you only have some reading and some IRIS modules. Do not worry about the Little Seagull handout--I'll be giving that out tomorrow.
Sorry for the confusion. Please refer to the schedule. And check back here in the morning if you see or hear of any white stuff on the ground.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Homework for Wednesday, January 9
I had a little trouble clearing the blog--but the problems seem to have resolved!
Congratulations on finding the blog. Please follow the instructions below and complete these assignments for Wednesday's class.
1. Go to the Clark Library website. Find the links to the IRIS online tutorials. Complete the tutorial entitled "Explore Topics."
2. Make a list of 5 world or national events that happened the year you were born. Keep track of how/where you found this information. (There is no specific manner in which I am expecting you to do this--I'll be curious about your strategies.)
3. Go to the Clark Library website or directly to the NYT and find the NYT Historical Archives. Do a search for one of the events you found that happened in the year you were born. Print a story related to that event and bring it with you to class.
4. Also at the Clark Library website, find a volume of American Decades (in the 1900s--edited by Vincent Tompkins). Choose a decade that is NOT the decade in which you were born. Find two people who were "in the news" in that decade--one in the Arts and one in government. What did they do, and why were they in the news? Write down your answers, and bring them to class with you.
Questions? Email Kristin, after making a sincere effort to figure it out yourself.
You may handwrite (if I can read it) or type this assignment. Either way!
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