Found Text Assignment

Write a one page reflection on a textual artifact from your life-- a text message, a letter, a newsclipping or story-- using the standard submission format discussed in class/on the Power Point Presentation.

Reflections may wish to discuss the why the artifact is meaningful or interesting to you and how you came by the artifact.

You may use Found Magazine's website for ideas or to locate an artifact that you find interesting. Due Tuesday.

Assignment & Class Schedule- January/Feb

Class 1

Review of Syllabus

Introductions

Writing Sample

Homework: Purchase Textbook

Class 2

Discussion: Reading, Writing & Literacy-- Thinking about texts & communication

Journaling & Freewriting

Handout- Freewriting by Peter Elbow

Journal: 10 Minutes of freewriting

Lab: Introduction/User registration of Blog & Work Submissions

Homework:

• Bring in a textual artifact from your life OR one printed from the website Foundmagazine.com 
• Submit a one-page reflection paper about the artifact that follows the submission format rules outlined for you in the Power Point Presentation. Due Tuesday.

Class 3

Journal: 10 Minutes of freewriting

Introduction to exit texts & exit test criteria

Homework: Chapter 1 (pages 1-18) in textbook to be discussed next class.
Print Article 1 for discussion

Class 4
Journal: 10 Minutes of freewriting

Close reading: Article 1 NYT: "She Works, They're Happy"

Lab: Online discussion

Homework: Read Ch 3 in textbook to be discussed next class
Print and read On Paragraphing and The Paragraph


Class 5
Journal: 10 Minutes of freewriting or Focused Freewriting: Discuss the best/worst decision you've made so far.
Review: Close reading using NYT Article "Student Expectations Seen as Causing Grade Disputes"
The paragraph
Brainstorming
Homework: Be prepared to discuss paragraphing for next class


Class 6 
Cancelled: Snow


Class 7
Journal: Freewriting or Focused freewrite: Write a brief autobiography.
Paragraph Basics: What is it? What's in it? How do I write it? Class discussion/presentation based on the following links: UNC Writing Center
Homework: Writing effective paragraphs-- Pick a topic of your choice and write a paragraph about it keeping in mind our class discussion. The paragraph should include a topic sentence, supporting details and a conclusion sentence as well as 3 transitional words.
Read Ch 2


Class 8

Journal: Freewriting or Focused freewrite: Record a favorite memory.

The TSR Journal: Responding to Text

Lab: Blog session

Article NYT Article 3:  "When Parents are too Toxic to Tolerate"

Homework: TSR Journal on 2 selections of text

Read Ch 2

Class 9

Journal: Freewriting or Focused freewrite: Vent about somethings that really bothers you. 

Essay Structure

Good Writing vs. School Writing: Building Awareness

Essay 1: The narrative- Draft 1
Homework: Essay 1, Draft 2
Read Ch 5

Class 10 

Journal: Freewriting or Focused freewrite: Write a letter to yourself or someone else giving advice about a particular matter.
In Class: Discussion of NYT Article: "Ugly Kids Get Parental Short Shrift"
Lab: Blog
Homework: Essay 1, Draft 3 due class 12
Read Ch 4
Finish blogging

March 2:  Class 11

Journal: Did your family expect that you would attend college? Was this goal encouraged within your schools?  What would people who knew you in your earlier life say if they knew you were in college?

Novel Prep: Discussion of the Holocaust and the novel Night by Elie Weisel

Essay Workshop: Peer critique  & Modes of Description

Homework: Read Novel to page 40 + TSR Journal Entries and 2 Discussion Questions

Revise your essay-- 3rd draft due March 4

Welcome

Welcome

Dear students:

Welcome to Spring 2010. We will be using our blog as a forum for written communication and as resource for course-related information. You will find information such as a general outline of what is taking place in class/what will be due in the upcoming weeks, PDFs and links of select handouts and extra materials of interest to you, as well as the course syllabus should you lose it. Please check this site frequently, as it is updated regularly. 

I recommend the following:

• A Gmail account to make it easier for you to interact with and sign on to our blog, which is powered by Google.
• That you save your log in and password somewhere accessible so you are not delayed when assignments are given if you forget your information.
• That you "follow" the blog. It will make it easier for you to find the link.That you write the web address accurately in your notebook for use at home. (Note: http:// without the "www")
• That you copy, cut and paste information from Word into the comment field of our blog just in case there is a problem. (Students have sometimes run into glitches and lost their carefully thought out responses. Don't let this happen to you!)
• That you read your comments for coherence, spelling and logic, making sure it applies to the questions asked.

In addition, you may wish to sign up for a Twitter account and add me to your followers. You will be able to get Tweets from me that may give you more frequent updates and send me tweets to stay in contact with me to ask for help or give feedback. My Twitter SN is AferranteHCCC. You can see Twitter updates on the left hand side of the blog and the link will bring you directly to my page.

Wishing all you a successful semester,

Angela Ferrante

Read These Directions First! Online Discourse & Blogging

So here is how this will work: I will get the online discussion started by positing a consideration, offering an opinion, or posing a set of questions based on an article.

Each of you will not only respond to me first, but to at least three students after your first comment. We'll keep the language professional and academic, as is the case for your homework and in-class assignments. As for a minimum response, let's begin with an "oversized" paragraph of 5-7 sentences per response per individual.
Be sure you are answering the question fully and completely.

Remember to:
Proofread your work before you hit that "Publish" button.Create at the appropriate number comments (each between 5-7 sentences)—to me and to your peers.Keep the language professional, academic, and on-point.Sign your full name at the bottom of each response you make.Comment within the appropriate post.

*Tip- you may find it helpful to work in Word so that you can spell check your response and as a precautionary measure against losing your response should something "happen" during the publishing process.

Reminders:

• Do not use IM language (e.g., ";-)," "u r kewl," "lol," "brb," etc.)--this is a college-level discussion, not a private conversation.
• Do not use slang--again, this is a college environment where people use professional and academic language.
• Do not state an opinion without stating why you think/feel the way you do.
• Do not re-phrase someone's comment or just agree with him in order to have something to say--"Think before you type" means exactly that.

This is what a typical student comment should look like:

Response to Alba: So in other words you're saying that people who are not beautiful have no opportunity in life to succeed because of the way we judge them. I think that is wrong. Children are very sensitive and they can sense when adults make fun of them or treat them differently because of their look. Those children are the same people, that when the grow up, they also become ugly from inside, as a result of the way they were treated when they were child. That is still one of the biggest taboo that we have, judge someone for their look, before we even give them a chance to talk.-- Yuleina Mac Donald

Lastly, the ideas presented in your responses should be your own, or you should be adding something new to the discussion. Hopefully, this weblog will grow as your skills grow and this will also serve to put a new spin on an old "tried and true" method of collegiate discussion.

Participation on this blog counts as an assignment. Inappropriate, rude, or offensive language is unacceptable and will be removed from our blog. Three such offenses during the semester will result in questionable comments being submitted on paper to me, a NC for each offense, and could also result in failure for the course.

Comments that do not meet the minimum requirements will be deleted.