WRITING & INQUIRY:
English Composition through
the *5 Senses

QUICK LINKS

• ABOUT/COURSE POLICIES
• GRADING POLICY
• READING LIST
• SCHEDULE
• SYLLABUS
• BLOGROLL (password: wordpress)
• APPOINTMENTS

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Instructor: Marlen Elliot Harrison, MA, PhD
About the Instructor: Marlen’s CV
Courses: English 101 H2, P1
FALL 2012 Schedule:

101-H2

TR 02:00-03:50PM

08/27/2012 – 12/13/2012

MAIN Campus, COB – John H. Sykes, 161

101–P1

TR 04:00-05:50PM

08/27/2012 – 12/13/2012

MAIN Campus, Computer Center, Jaeb, 106

Office: NW 126
Office Hours: T/Th 10am-12pm; 6-7pm; or by appointment (please email me)
Phone: 954-913-2261
Email: meharrison@ut.edu

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Instructor’s Description and Rationale: “Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul” (from The Picture of Dorian Gray). We experience and interpret our worlds in unique ways by employing each of our five senses, sometimes individually, often collaboratively. In this course, students will keep classroom blogs and develop essays inspired by an examination of the five senses (is there a sixth?), inquiries that will serve as introductions to the various genres, conventions and structures of English composition. Such writing will also aid us in a deeper understanding of the ways we experience the world and what we bring to our writing. We’ll begin with a Japanese folktale, as told by Dr. Hayao Kawai, that asks the question “What is I?” and use Diane Ackerman’s A Natural History of the Senses as our main text. From there, we’ll examine a diverse array of texts from Plato’s Allegory of the Cave to Lamott’s “Shitty First Drafts”. Through self-directed writing projects; sensory workshops (such as taste and smell testing); small group and instructor-student discussion; and writing, reading, and revising activities, students will be introduced to qualitative inquiry and achieve a greater understanding of how they come to know themselves and the worlds in which they inhabit. The course will culminate in a final autoethnographic work that uses the sensory essays as data for analysis to answer the question “What IS I?”, offering an introduction to phenomenological research.

Catalog Description: “Writing and Inquiry” invites students to explore questions and think of themselves as writers, constructing answers rhetorically in academic and community contexts. During the writing process, students will consider their own and others’ perspectives on a variety of vital personal, historical, philosophical, and social issues. Taking their own experiences and their peers’ perspectives as credible sources of knowledge, students will expand their inquiries beyond the personal into complex discussions in academic, literary, and public textual forms. Students will also practice appropriate use and critique of technology, using digital sources as support for their arguments and grounds for further inquiry. Students must complete FYW 101 with a grade of “C” or better to register for FYW 102. May not count for the English or writing major or minor. (*fall and spring semesters)

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Goals and Objectives:

• Via the course assignments you will experience, discuss, and practice composing a variety of writing styles, genres, and structures including an introduction to qualitative, phenomenological inquiry.
• You will learn about and consult online and print resources for revising, editing and documenting your writing. Through regular in-class revision workshops and through blog participation, you will develop your ability to respond to the writings of peers and your own writings in helpful ways.
• You will consider, read, and write about the abilities and limitations of human experience, perception, and interpretation through the senses.
• You will practice integrating your reading by way of referencing words, phrases, and sentences that are meaningful to you as you write your own blogs, essays, and final papers.
• You will develop an on-line presence (blog) and create an online portfolio that includes a variety of written work.
• You will achieve success as writer-investigators; better understand your own composing processes as well as strengths and weaknesses as writers; and most importantly, you will gain a deeper understanding of your selves.

Required Texts:

• Ackerman, D. (1990). A natural history of the senses. USA: Vintage Books.

In addition to the above text, your instructor will provide you with additional reading materials throughout the course. You are responsible for having your texts and reading materials with you at all class meetings. Check Amazon.com, Ebay.com, and Half.com for inexpensive alternatives to purchasing your texts at a bookstore.

Required Materials: Access to a computer and the internet; an active email account; a notebook; a pen; a highlighter; and a folder in which to keep handouts and other printed matter. It would be wise to also have a dictionary/thesaurus. If you have your own laptop, please bring it to each class meeting. Even if we are in a computer lab, you may prefer using your own computer.

Class Format: In this class, you will do a lot of individual reading and writing, and you will also work together in small groups for feedback and discussion. At the beginning of each class, we will review the homework posted to our blogs by our group members and offer comments and questions. We will then spend time reading literature reflective of the week’s theme and then discuss the reading first within our groups and then together as a class. We may also spend some time exploring our senses by watching film and television excerpts and enjoying related activities when applicable. The remainder of the class will be scheduled for writing activities.

Assignments: All assignments will be posted to your blogs, including your 5 main assignments, drafts, final paper and reflective letters. All assignments are designed to develop your ideas and writing skills as you move from short reflections, to longer essays, and finally, to a research paper.

• Blog/Homework: Weekly assignments will be posted to the blogs. You will often be given time in class to start/complete these assignments. Consider the blog a place where you can explore and develop your ideas and get feedback from classmates. The process of reading and commenting on our classmates’ blogs is just as important as writing the blogs. These assignments are designed to support your main essay writing and final paper. Feel free to use your blogging homework as the start of your essays.

• Writing Assignments: There will be 5 main writing assignments that will later be useful to you when you write your final paper. Assignments will be approximately 1200 words and written in a variety of genres. These writing assignments will be both posted to your blogs and used for peer review assignments with classmates. You may use your blog assignments as starting points for these essays. All writing assignments are graded pass/fail; students should expect to revise each essay a minimum of two or three times.

• Peer Editing Projects: You will be responsible for responding to and evaluating three essays (2 written by your classmates, 1 written by you). You will explain your edits and responses in a 3-5 paragraph blog entry and discuss them with the writers.

• Final Paper: The final paper will be an auto-ethnography and will be approximately 10 pages (double-spaced) in length. We will discuss our ideas for this paper before beginning. You will analyze your blog assignments and essays in order to complete this assignment.

• Portfolio and Cover Statement: You will keep all of your work, including ALL pre-writing such as mind maps, outlines, etc, and all drafts of your essays on your blogs. By the end of the semester, you will have fulfilled the requirements for a final portfolio; you will complete this process by writing an additional “cover statement”. Review the guidelines for the Final Portfolio (adapted from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Dept of English).

• Reflective Letters: Your reflective letters will be written to your instructor and should be written with an appreciation for and an understanding of the letter genre. Your voice may be informal and you may use “you”. You will think about your progress throughout the semester and discuss your conclusions both at the mid-term and at the end of the semester. You may make suggestions for future courses, comment on specific assignments or components in the course, reflect on your progress, etc. 2-3 pages each, double-spaced. I will provide more information in the syllabus below.

The Writing Center: Please remember that UT has an incredible Writing Center located in Plant Hall. http://www.ut.edu/academic-support/saunders/. They have walk-in and appointment times, and can assist you in a number of ways. Please consider visiting the Writing Center if you’re feeling anxious or stressed about your writing for this class. They will not help you with grammar, punctuation, etc, but they will help you to organize your thoughts, plan your essays, and develop your ideas! And best of all, it’s FREE! ****ALL STUDENTS WILL NEED TO VISIT THE WRITING CENTER AT LEAST ONCE DURING THE COURSE OR RISK A 100 POINT DEDUCTION FROM THEIR FINAL GRADES. THE WRITING CENTER WILL GIVE ME INFORMATION PROVING YOU VISITED AND REVIEWING WHAT YOU WORKED ON.

Plagiarism Statement: “Unacknowledged borrowing of ideas, facts, phrases, wordings, or whole words in a paper, as well as the copying of another Students’ work all constitute plagiarism and are unacceptable in the university community. Students turning in plagiarized work may receive a failing grade for the essay or for the entire course. For more information, see the university policy on plagiarism in your student handbook, or ask me. We will also be discussing this topic more in class” (Schragel, 2006, Plagiarism statement).

Schragel, J. (2006). English 101 syllabus. Retrieved August 20th, 2007, from http://www.people.iup.edu/gxzl/ENGL101.htm

(N)etiquette and Respect: All learners should consider and abide by the following (click the links to read more):

• Rule 1: Remember the Human
• Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life
• Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace
• Rule 4: Respect other people’s time and bandwidth
• Rule 5: Make yourself look good online
• Rule 6: Share expert knowledge
• Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control
• Rule 8: Respect other people’s privacy
• Rule 9: Don’t abuse your power
• Rule 10: Be forgiving of other people’s mistakes

ADA Compliance: The University of Tampa fully supports the efforts and welfare of all its students. The University faculty and staff are mindful of the diversity of the student body and act in ways to promote the academic success of each individual. One such avenue of support lies in the provision of reasonable accommodations to eligible students who may have disabilities as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). UT is fully committed to act in compliance with all ADA mandated requirements. The Academic Center for Excellence, under which Student Disability Services fall, is committed to the principles and practices of universal design, and provides students with disabilities their needed accommodations that equalize students’ access to the educational experience. If there is any student who has special needs because of a disability, please go to Jennifer Del Valle at the Office of Student Disability Services in North Walker Hall Room 102 to report your needs and provide documentation of your disability for certification. Please feel free to discuss this issue with me, in private, if you need more information.

Attendance and Participation: You will receive points for every class you attend, based on your communication and participation. These points will be part of your final grade and cannot be made up if lost.

Absences:

• Let’s face it, everyone thinks that class is boring and quiet when you’re not there, so please try to plan on 100% attendance. More than four absences FOR ANY REASON (excluding week 1) may result in a lowering of your final grade.
• Welcome to college…a place where it is your responsibility to complete all assignments by their due date, whether you are present in class or not. LATE WORK FOR ANY REASON WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Period. Done Deal. No questions asked. No excuses. No discussion.
• I worry about my students. So, when you are absent, you will email/text me and inform me of your absence and the reason for this absence. In addition, you will state the name and email address of the student you will contact to ask about what you missed due to your absence. You will then email that student (and cc your instructor) to inquire about missed work. I will not contact you about missed work or conferences.

Participation is defined (but is not limited to) as follows:

• Being prepared for class (supplies, texts, etc)
• Actively participating during class activities
• Completing all assignments (including readings) by their due dates
• Asking and answering questions during discussions and volunteering your thoughts
• Showing up to class on time and being ready to work when your instructor begins class

Revision and Extra Credit: Generally, everything may be re-written for a higher grade!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Extra credit assignments will be considered on a case by case basis. Please see your instructor for more information. This course is designed so that all students, if they complete the required assignments to the best of their abilities, can successfully receive maximum points.

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EVALUATION: You may earn the following points…(all assignments will be pass/fail)

• Blog Assignments: 120 pts (12 pts each x 10)
• Reflective Comments on Blogs: 75 pts (3 pts each x 25)
• Writing assignments (5): 250 pts (50 pts each x 5)
• Peer Editing Projects: 105 pts (35 pts x 3)
• Final Paper Draft 1 (5 pgs): 25 pts
• Final Paper Draft 2 (10 pgs): 25 pts
• Final Paper Final Draft: 100 pts
• Portfolio Cover Letter: 50 pts
• Final Exam: 50 pts
• Reflective Letter: Mid-term, 35 pts; Final, 75 pts
• Participation: 90 pts (3 pts x 30 days)

A 900-1000 pts; B 800-899 pts; C 700-799 pts; D 600-699 pts; F 599 pts and below

NOTE: 90% of all past 101 students have received an “A” in this course because THEY TOOK THE COURSE SERIOUSLY AND WORKED FOR IT!

NOTE ABOUT REVISIONS:
When revising an essay, please follow these instructions:

• Please post the revision on the same blog page as your original essay and clearly designate which is the original and which is the revision.
• Rather than creating a new set of goals, I would like you to thoroughly explain the changes you made from the previous draft. BE SPECIFIC. I will not accept revisions without a strong explanation statement! Same goes for your peer-editing projects.

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COURSE ASSISTANTS

In this course you can receive additional support for your writing and revision activities from experienced student writers. These people are not teachers and will never formally assess or evaluate your work. Likewise, they will not edit or correct mistakes in your work. They are people who have successfully completed this course and can help you brainstorm & develop ideas, plan and revise, or better understand the assignments. They have completed the same writing activities and have been instructed to reflect on their own perspectives and experiences as well as resources for successful writing. Below, and on the Blogroll page, are links to their blogs. You are responsible for contacting your specific assistant(s) at least twice this semester via email, phone, etc and they will keep a record of who contacts them, when, and the subject of the consultation. Again, they are neither teachers nor editors but experienced student writers. You’ll find your specific assistant(s) on the Blogroll page; feel free to also browse or contact other assistants in addition to your own should you feel it beneficial. Students who successfully complete this course may have the opportunity to volunteer as course assistants in future sections/semesters, an opportunity to receive valuable mentorship experience.

• Kirsten
• Nicole
• Jena
• Brock
• Dan
• Keith
• Shannon

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READING LIST

• Hayao Kawai: What is I?
• Beverly Faryna: Who AmI? Finding Identity & Voice in Composition
• William Zinsser: The Lead and the Ending
• Lara Vapnyar: Pot Luck
• Anne LaMott: Shitty First Drafts
• Plato: Allegory of the Cave
• Linda Flower: Writing for an Audience
• Charles Baudelaire: The Flask
• Millie Chen: A Winter’s Day
• Donald Murray: The Maker’s Eye
• Marie Foley: Unteaching the Five-Paragraph Essay
• Nancy Sommers: Responding to Student Writing
• Richard Straub: Responding – Really Responding – to Other Student’s Writing
• Ellis, Adams, & Bochner: Autoethnography, An Overview
• Geneva Smitherman: “Students’ Right to Their Own Language”: A Retrospective 
• Deborah Knott’s Critical Reading for Critical Writing

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SCHEDULE (UT ACADEMIC CALENDAR)
Click each week to view those days’ schedules.

• Week 1: T 8/28 – Online Meetings via Skype
• Week 1: Th 8/30 – Online Meetings via Skype
  a
• Week 2: T 9/4 – Classroom Meeting, TASTE
• Week 2: Th 9/6 – Classroom Meeting, TASTE
  a
• Week 3: T 9/11 – Classroom Meeting, EVALUATING WRITING, Pt 1
• Week 3: Th 9/13 – Classroom Meeting, EVALUATING WRITING, Pt 2
  a
• Week 4: T 9/18 – No class meeting, Small group meetings in North Walker 126
• Week 4: Th 9/20 – No class meeting, Small group meetings in North Walker 126
  a
• Week 5: T 9/25 – Classroom Meeting, VISION
• Week 5: Th 9/27 – Classroom Meeting, VISION
  a
• Week 6: T 10/2 – Classroom meeting, Formatting and Citations Review
• Week 6: Th 10/4 – No class meeting, small group meetings in North Walker 126
  a
• Week 7: T 10/9 – Classroom Meeting, SMELL
• Week 7: Th 10/11 – Classroom Meeting, SMELL
  a
• Week 8: T 10/16 – Classroom Meeting, PEER REVIEW 1
• Week 8: Th 10/18 – Classroom Meeting, Movie Day!
  a
• Week 9: T 10/23 – No classroom meeting; small group meetings in North Walker 126.
• Week 9: Th 10/25 – No classroom meeting; small group meetings in North Walker 126.
  a
• Week 10: T 10/30 – Classroom Meeting, TOUCH
• Week 10: Th 11/1 – Classroom Meeting, TOUCH
  a
• Week 11: T 11/6 – Classroom Meeting, Formatting and Citations Review
• Week 11: Th 11/8 – No class meeting, small group meetings in North Walker
  a
• Week 12: T 11/13 – Classroom Meeting, HEARING
  
• Week 12: Th 11/15 – Classroom Meeting, HEARING
  a
• Week 13: T 11/20 – Classroom meeting, INTRO TO AUTOETHNOGRAPHY
• Week 13: Th 11/22 – No classes, Thanksgiving (USA)
  a
  
• Week 14: T 11/27 – Classroom meeting, AUTOETHNOGRAPHY
  
• Week 14: Th 11/29 – 1st draft of autoethnography due.
  a
  
• Week 15: T 12/4 – No class meeting, small group meetings in North Walker
  
• Week 15: Th 12/6 – Classroom meeting, review of final documents, 2nd draft of autoethnography due.
  a
  
• Week 16: FINAL EXAM MEETING TBA; Final Skype Meetings; Final Draft of Autoethnography Due; Final Portfolios and Reflective Letters Due
  

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SYLLABUS (subject to change)

Remember the Spartan Code! As a member of The University of Tampa Spartan community, I agree and pledge that I will…

• promote and practice academic and personal honesty.
• commit to actions that benefit the community, as well as engage in activities that better others.
• discourage intolerance and acknowledge that diversity in our community shapes our learning and development.
• conduct myself in a manner that makes me worthy of the trust of others.
• recognize the ideas and contributions of all persons, allowing for an environment of sharing and learning.
• accept full responsibility and be held accountable for all of my decisions and actions.

T 8/28 & Th 8/30 – SKYPE INTRODUCTIONS (no classroom meetings this week)

This week students will a) set up their blogs, b) start reading and writing and c) meet with instructor and classmates via Skype.

Homework (due 9/4):

• Prepare for our Skype chat: Make sure you have the latest version of Skype on your computer and add me as a contact: marlenelliotharrison. You will also need a webcam for video and microphone for audio. Most laptops have these built in. At your scheduled time, I will Skype videocall you. Should you not be able to use a computer or Skype at that time, please email me and we can make other arrangements.
  
• Set up and design your blog at http://Wordpress.com. You’ll find information about setting up your blog in WordPress Support.
  1) Go to WordPress.com and click the blue “sign up free” icon at the bottom left.
  2) Add your blog address and username (both should be your last name followed by first name; no dots, dashes or spaces; no special characters like ä or ö; e.g. angelina jolie = jolieangelina). This site has no relation to the UT university website and email. Pick a password. Write down your username and password so that you don’t forget it.
  3) Add your email address and then submit your info.
  4) Check your email and click the activation link.
  5) Login to your blog if not already logged in. Eveything you need to know is there in your “DASHBOARD” page.
  6) Quick note about the blogs: POSTS show up in chronological order on the front page of your blog (like your Facebook wall) and are what you’ll create for in-class and homework assignments (e.g. Blog Entries); PAGES are not immediately visible on the front page of your blog (like your Facebook notes) but are what you’ll use for larger assignments and letters.
• Add your blog info at the bottom of this course page at marlenharrison.com as a comment. Please include: your name, class (H2 or P1) and blog address, e.g. Angelina Jolie, H2, http://jolieangelina.wordpress.com. I will use this info to make a master list of blog links for the class.
• Go to APPEARANCE and choose a theme for your site and customize it as you wish (you may do this anytime & as often you like).
• Edit the ABOUT page on your blog and include a short bio and upload a clear photo of your face. Use the Upload/Insert icon above your text editor. After finding and uploading the file, don’t click “save”, click “insert”. This will insert your image into the page.
• Create PAGES on your blog for info that you will enter later: PAPERS, FINAL, PR, LTRS, PORTFOLIO
• Go to SETTINGS and PRIVACY and choose the middle option – you don’t want search engines to index your site in Yahoo or Google.
• READING: Hayao Kawai: What is I?; Ackerman’s Natural History of the Senses, Introduction.
• BLOG ENTRY #1: Answer Kawai’s question, “What is I?” 3-5 paragraphs. Please title this post “Blog Entry #1, What is I?” Please reference Kawai’s essay or other writing to help you develop your explanation. You may be as concrete or as philosophical as you wish, but make sure that your personal opinion is expressed in this blog entry.
  1) **Before you begin, identify what your writing goals are: What do you want to accomplish (personal goals for the writing), what kind of writing is this (genre), & who are you writing to (intended audience)? Be thorough and specific and explain how you will achieve these goals. Think of it as a checklist for yourself! 1-2 paragraphs
  2) **After you finish writing, discuss how you did or did not achieve all of the above goals. 1-2 paragraphs
• COMMENT: Go to your Course Assistant’s blog; read about her/him; and say hello via a comment somewhere on his/her blog.
• Review the guidelines for the Final Portfolio so that you know what will be expected of you at the end of the semester.

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T 9/4 – First Classroom Meeting; A Matter of Taste?

Today when you arrive in class, please immediately begin reading your BLOGROLL group members’ writing (About page and/or Blog Entry #1). We’ll use the first 5 minutes of every class as time to read and comment. You’ll need to continue reading and commenting outside of class in order to fulfill the course requirement of at least 25 blog comments throughout thes semester. Today we will also review reading strategies, blog use, review the basic requirements of the course and begin our unit on taste.

• In-class writing: 3 Goals
• In-class reading: Deborah Knott’s Critical Reading for Critical Writing
• In-class reading: Examination of Willy Wonka. Click Me first (and then choose p. 47) ….now Click Me next (and choose p. 94)

Homework for 9/6:

• READING: READ & ANNOTATE (and bring to class with you on Thursday) Ackerman’s chapter on Taste and both Lara Vapnyar: Pot Luck & Beverly Faryna: Who Am I? Finding Identity & Voice in Composition
• BLOG ENTRY #2: First, do some research to learn what makes a good narrative. Next, tell a story about a flavor or food that you feel strongly about. You may reminisce about a specific experience, create a fictional history about a specific food, etc, but your writing should definitely conform to the narrative genre. Don’t explain the significance or describe your topic, narrate it! You can use this blog entry as a starting point for your first essay. You might want to listen to NPR’s FOOD STORIES to help you get some ideas or consider the formats of the two Willy Wonka examples when composing. 3-5 paragraphs
• BRING TO CLASS: Please bring one or more foods/drinks that you feel strongly about. You will share this with classmates during Thursday’s taste workshop. You should bring napkins/cups/utensils/plates if necessary and enough for 2-3 people to taste. No alcoholic beverages, please. AND Shhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone what you’re bringing!!!! If necessary, please check with your parents to confirm that you have no known food allergies.
• COMMENT: Don’t forget to comment on your group members’ blogs!

Th 9/6 – Taste Workshop

Today in class we will begin by reading and commenting on group member’s blogs, discuss our writing and reading assignments from Tuesday along with some writing basics, and end with a fun taste workshop. In order to get a little inspiration for a consideration of the human sense of taste, we’ll enjoy participating in a variety of taste tests. The sensations, memories, emotions, and flavors evoked in the workshop (along with the corresponding writing activities) should assist you in the creation of Essay #1.

• Review: Types of Essays (OWL); Writing References
• Discuss: Homework Readings
• WORDPRESS: Pages and Menus
• In-class activity: Discussion of APA, CMS and MLA formatting standards. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWING THIS INFO & FORMATTING YOUR WORK ACCORDINGLY FROM HERE ON OUT!

Homework for 9/11:

• READING: Please read these first before you begin writing Essay #1: William Zinsser: The Lead and the Ending & Anne LaMott: Shitty First Drafts.
• WRITING – ESSAY #1: Craft a narrative story that somehow reflects the human sense of taste. You may use your blog entry from Tuesday as a starting point if you wish! 4-5 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12pt font. Or if you wish to get creative, please provide the equivalent. Post your pre- and post-writing on the same page as your essay, please. Post this to a new page titled TASTE.
  - Don’t forget APA, MLA or CMS formatting if necessary! Use OWL or the internet to find examples to assist you.
  - Pre-writing: 1) **Before you begin, identify what your writing goals are: What do you want to accomplish (personal goals for the writing), what kind of writing is this (genre), & who are you writing to (intended audience)? Be thorough and specific and explain how you will achieve these goals. Think of it as a checklist for yourself! 1-2 paragraphs
  - TurnItIn: After you’ve completed your essay, go to our course in Blackboard, and use TurnItIn to check your paper. When you get to the report, there are two things you want to pay attention to: a) originality and b) grademark. Please review the comments in these two areas and make any necessary revisions before posting your draft. Please click the printer icon in the bottom left of the TurnItIn window and download a pdf of your report for both a) originality and b) grademark. You will post these two documents along with your draft to prove to me that your draft has been edited before submission. This is a practice you should get in the habit of for the rest of your writing career! Never submit an unedited draft!!
  - Post-writing: 2) **After you finish writing, discuss how you did or did not achieve all of the above goals. You may also reflect on the revisions you made after using TurnItIn. 1-2 paragraphs
  - HAVE YOUR ESSAY READ ALOUD TO YOU AS YOU FOLLOW ALONG MAKING COMMENTS ON YOUR OWN COPY. AFTER YOU FIX ANY ERRORS YOU FIND, GIVE THE ESSAY TO SOMEONE TO PROOFREAD. IF YOU FAIL TO COMPLETE ONE OF THESE STEPS I CAN PRETTY MUCH GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE A PASSING GRADE!
• Make sure to check your blog this week and respond to comments left for you by your readers.
• READING: After you write your essay…Read, annotate and bring to class Ackerman, VISION, pp. 227-285 for 9/18 and Linda Flower: Writing for an Audience for next class 9/11. You can do this after you complete your taste essay.

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T 9/11 – Evaluating and Responding to Writing, Pt 1

Today in class we will discuss our processes as writers and the homework readings.

• In-class readings: Marie Foley: Unteaching the Five-Paragraph Essay; Writers on Writing (About.com)
• Discuss: Homework Readings.
• WORDPRESS: Comments; Widgets; Settings, Polls, Profiles.

Homework for 9/13:

• READING: Confronting Writing Anxiety; Writing Rituals; Nancy Sommers: Responding to Student Writing
• BLOG ENTRY #3: Writers on Writing – Choose a writer from the list at http://www.nytimes.com/books/specials/writers.html and read his/her short essay. In a 3-5 paragraph blog post, discuss your own ideas about/attitudes towards writing. Are you similar to the writer you chose? Different? Explain! You may also reflect on what you hate/love about writing; what kinds of writing you feel strongest or weakest at; your own rituals as a writer; or how you confront writing anxiety. You may revisit your goals for this course and expand or adjust them accordingly.
• REVISION (BY 9/25): Go back to your narrative and based on the feedback I provided on your blog, revise your story and post it to the same page where you posted the original story. DO NOT DELETE your original writing. It is important for us to have multiple drafts of your writing to examine your progress and processes as writers. You DO NOT need to write goal statements for revisions. Instead, I’d like you to write 1-2 paragraphs explaining what kinds of revisions you made, why you made them and how they change the overall piece of writing. You may also reflect on how you view the writing differently the 2nd time around, new ideas you have about the story, etc. You may post this along with your revision.

 

Th 9/13 – Evaluating and Responding to Writing, Pt 2

Today in class we will focus on the revision and response processes and discuss the homework readings.

• In-class readings: Donald Murray: The Maker’s Eye; Responding to Other Student’s Writing

Homework for 9/25:

• READING: Quoting, Paraphrasing and Summarizing (all 3 sections); Paragraph Transitions; Topic Sentences & Signposting; Rhetorical Modes
• Print out excerpt from Plato’s Republic (Plato: Allegory of the Cave) and bring to class on Tuesday.

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T 9/18 and Th 9/20 – No classroom meetings; small group conferences instead

• INSTRUCTIONS FOR MEETINGS: Find another classmate to attend the meeting with you. Make sure you’ve reviewed your partner’s blog and read his/her taste essay so that you may provide feedback during our meeting. When you’re ready to schedule time, start by scrolling over CONTACT in the top menu of marlenharrison.com and a drop down menu will appear. Click on SCHEDULER. Then click on the blue FACE TO FACE MTG, and choose that option again on the next page. Pick the date you wish to meet with me (you and your classmate will meet with me at the same time), click on it, and then choose the half hour (30 minute) time slot you both prefer. Confirm this is correct and then click the white CONTINUE button at the bottom left under the calendar. Fill in the contact info and under first name write your full name and under last name write your conference partner’s full name. In notes, please include your cell phone numbers. A meeting request will be sent to me and I will approve of the meeting. After I approve it, you’ll get a confirmation email.
• HOW TO PREPARE: Make sure all of your homework is complete; consider questions about the course or your writing that you want to ask Marlen; make sure your taste revision is posted with your revision reflection. Make sure you’ve read and have something to say about your partner’s writing/taste essay.
• AFTER THE MEETING: Create a new blog post and title it “Meeting #1 Reflection”. In 3-5 paragraphs, reflect on your meeting with Marlen and your classmate. What did you learn? How did you feel? What did you like/dislike about it? etc…
• Please print and bring to class Plato: Allegory of the Cave. We’ll read it together in class.

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T 9/25 – Is seeing believing?

Today in class we will begin exploring vision.

• In-class reading: Printed excerpt from Plato’s Republic (Plato: Allegory of the Cave) (please print it prior to class).
• In-class discussion: Plato; Ackerman on Vision

Homework for 9/27:

• BLOG ENTRY #4: In Plato’s allegory of the cave, he discusses the idea that seeing is believing, even if what we see is not actually reality. Write about a time in your life when like Plato’s cave-dwellers, what you saw was different from reality. This blog entry may serve as the starting point or foundation for your essay writing project. 3-5 paragraphs
• 1) **Before you begin, identify what your writing goals are: What do you want to accomplish (personal goals for the writing), what kind of writing is this (genre), & who are you writing to (intended audience)? Be thorough and specific and explain how you will achieve these goals. Think of it as a checklist for yourself! 1-2 paragraphs
• 2) **After you finish writing, discuss how you did or did not achieve all of the above goals. 1-2 paragraphs
• Make sure to check your blog this week, leave comments for those in your group, and respond to comments left for you by your readers.
• Please bring some images you feel strongly about for Thursday’s workshop!

Th 9/27 – Vision Workshop – in order to get a little inspiration for a consideration of the human sense of vision and all of its corresponding metaphors, we’ll enjoy reflecting on visual images. The sensations, memories, and emotions evoked in the workshop (along with the corresponding writing activities designed to help you explore the concepts of audience & genre) should assist you in the creation of PROJECT #2.

Today in class we will:

• Make appointments for next week; brainstorm our next writing projects; practice free writing to help us explore our ideas.
• VISION WORKSHOP!

Homework for 10/2:

• WRITING PROJECT #2: Using the image that you brought to class today, develop a text in a genre of your choice (you may not choose a genre you’ve already tried, hence no narratives) that reflects the image, focusing on the sense of sight or the concept of vision, literally or in any of its metaphors. You might consider Plato’s allegory of the cave as a possible style, or you might re-visit the themes from his writing that you discussed on your blog. Your text may be based upon a true event, or may be fictional, but has to reflect both a) vision, b) your image, and c) must conform to the needs of the genre you’ve chosen. 4-5 pages or the equivalent amount of text in some other format than an essay.
  *You must incorporate at least two outside sources in your project to help you make your point. Consider using the Purdue OWL website to help you with your APA/MLA/CMS formatting. Make sure your in-text citations are properly formatted (without citations, you are plagiarizing!!!) and that you have a works cited/reference list at the end of your paper/project.
  *POST THE PROJECT TO ITS OWN PAGE TITLED “VISION” or some related title… Then go to APPEARANCE in your blog dashboard and then MENU and add this page to your custom menu, then place it just under your TASTE project page. Remember to save the menu!
• GOAL-SETTING: 1) **Before you begin, identify what your writing goals are: What do you want to accomplish (personal goals for the writing), what kind of writing is this (genre), & who are you writing to (intended audience)? Be thorough and specific and explain how you will achieve these goals. Think of it as a checklist for yourself! 1-2 paragraphs
• 2) **After you finish writing, discuss how you did or did not achieve all of the above goals. 1-2 paragraphs
• HAVE YOUR ESSAY READ ALOUD TO YOU AS YOU FOLLOW ALONG MAKING COMMENTS ON YOUR OWN COPY. AFTER YOU FIX ANY ERRORS YOU FIND, GIVE THE ESSAY TO SOMEONE TO PROOFREAD. IF YOU FAIL TO COMPLETE ONE OF THESE STEPS I CAN PRETTY MUCH GUARANTEE THAT I WILL KNOW!
• Make sure to check your blog this week and respond to comments left for you by your readers.
• Read, annotate, and bring to class Ackerman, SMELL, pp.3-63 for 10/9
• Print out and bring to class Charles Baudelaire: The Flask for 10/9
• Next Tuesday we will review English grammar, structure, formatting, etc, so please come with at least 2 or 3 questions or identify 2 0r 3 areas in writing that you’d like to check on or review.

 

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T 10/2 – English Gramar/Mechanics/Structure/Formatting Review

Today in class we will spend some time reviewing English language. Based on your writing experience so far, you should have identified some questions or areas in writing that you’d like to review.

Homework for 10/4

• READING: Can Texting Develop Other Writing Skills? ; Mapping the Writing Lives of First-Year College Students
• Make sure you have a revision of your taste essay posted to your blog’s taste page for review at our meetings this week.
• HOW TO PREPARE FOR MEETINGS: Make sure you have reviewed your partner’s taste and vision projects and that you can offer feedback on both. You may want to review the Straub “Responding” article to help you identify areas of the projects to pay attention to or consider the questions I asked at our last conference.

Th 10/4 – No classroom meeting; small group meetings in North Walker 126.

Homework for 10/9:

• AFTER THE MEETING: Create a new blog post and title it “Meeting #2 Reflection”. In 3-5 paragraphs, reflect on your meeting with Marlen and your classmate. What did you learn? How did you feel? What did you like/dislike about it? etc…
• Make sure to check your blog this week and respond to comments left for you by your readers.
• Read, annotate, and bring to class Ackerman, SMELL, pp.3-63 for 10/9
• Print out and bring to class Charles Baudelaire: The Flask (the whole page) for 10/9

 

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T 10/9 – “The nose knows”

In-class reading: Charles Baudelaire: The Flask

Homework:

• Make sure to check your blog this week and respond to comments left for you by your readers.
• Print out and bring to class Millie Chen: Winter Day
• BLOG ENTRY #5: What importance does your sense of smell hold for you? 3-5 paragraphs.
• 1) **Before you begin, identify what your writing goals are: What do you want to accomplish (personal goals for the writing), what kind of writing is this (genre), & who are you writing to (intended audience)? Be thorough and specific and explain how you will achieve these goals. Think of it as a checklist for yourself! 1-2 paragraphs
• 2) **After you finish writing, discuss how you did or did not achieve all of the above goals. 1-2 paragraphs
• Make sure to check your blog this week and respond to comments left for you by your readers.
• Bring a favorite scented item for our Thursday workshop!

Th 10/11 – Smell Workshop – in order to get a little inspiration for a consideration of the human sense of smell and all of its corresponding metaphors, we’ll enjoy experiencing a wide range of aromas. The sensations, memories, and emotions evoked in the workshop (along with the corresponding writing activities designed to help you explore the concepts of audience & genre) should assist you in the creation of Project #3.

• In-class reading: Millie Chen: Winter Day
• Homework:
  • REFLECTIVE LETTER #1 (35 points): In 2-3 pages, explain or discuss any aspect of your learning so far in this course. Remember that this is a letter to Marlen, so treat it as such, e.g. “Dear Marlen…”. For example, you might reflect upon the development of your writing style, something new you’ve learned about yourself as a result of the readings or class discussions, or you might identify an area or issue for further development or learning. This will be posted to your blog on its own unique page (title the page REFLECTIVE LETTER #1 and then place it under LETTERS in your custom menu in the APPEARANCE section of your dashboard).
  • PROJECT #3: Consider the scented product you brought to class, or any aspect of the human sense of smell and choose a genre (you may not choose a genre you’ve already tried) in which to compose project #3, a reflection on the human sense of smell. You might want to incorporate this week’s blog entry into this text. Also consider how you can include outside sources in your essay. 4-5 pages posted to its own page and then add that page to your custom menu just under your Taste and Vision projects.
    *You must incorporate at least two outside sources in your project to help you make your point. Make sure your in-text citations are properly formatted (without citations, you are plagiarizing!!!) and that you have a works cited/reference list at the end of your text.
    * HAVE YOUR WORK READ ALOUD TO YOU AS YOU FOLLOW ALONG MAKING COMMENTS ON YOUR OWN COPY. AFTER YOU FIX ANY ERRORS YOU FIND, GIVE THE WRITING TO SOMEONE TO PROOFREAD. IF YOU FAIL TO COMPLETE ONE OF THESE STEPS I CAN PRETTY MUCH GUARANTEE THAT I WILL KNOW!
  • 1) **Before you begin, identify what your writing goals are: What do you want to accomplish (personal goals for the writing), what kind of writing is this (genre), & who are you writing to (intended audience)? Be thorough and specific and explain how you will achieve these goals. Think of it as a checklist for yourself! 1-2 paragraphs
  • 2) **After you finish writing, discuss how you did or did not achieve all of the above goals. 1-2 paragraphs

 

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T 10/16 – Peer Review, Pt 1

We’ll spend this week discussing & practicing pre-writing, revision, editing, proofreading, evaluation, and feedback. Make sure you have a printed copy of essay #3. We’ll also begin discussion of the final papers. Today in class we will:

• Review Straub’s Responding to Other Student’s Writing
• Practice giving written feedback: Work with a partner to create a rubric that can be used to evaluate School Clubs. You may want to use the rubric I created in class as is or an edited version. CLICK ME TO DOWNLOAD OUR CLASS RUBRIC. You may want to use the rubric I created in class as is or an edited version. CLICK ME TO DOWNLOAD OUR CLASS RUBRIC.

Homework:

• PEER EDITING PROJECT #1: You’ll edit/respond to/ evaluate a classmate’s essay and at least one revision for homework. Use the Straub article as your guide and use our class rubric. You will also need to write a 3-5 paragraph discussion/explanation of your personal approach to editing this essay, strengths and weaknesses of the author, your feedback and suggestions, what you’ve learned about your own writing or writing in general, etc. Please post this to its own uniqe page on your blog (title it PR #1). Consider this writing as practice in a specific genre (e.g., feedback, response, advice, evaluative) and do your best! NOTE: After the writer completes a 2nd draft, you will need to re-evaluate his/her progress using your rubric.. You may post this on the PR#1 page along with your first set of repsonses. Failure to complete ANY of these steps exactly as described will result in a 0/35 pts for this project – check, doublecheck, and then triple check that everything is done exactly as I have described.
• STEPS INCLUDE
• - Essay evaluation using rubric
• - 3-5 paragraph written response posted to your blog
• - Rubric and response posted on own page, titled PR #1 and then placed under your PR page on your custom menu.
• - 2nd Draft editing process (follow all the above steps when the author posts a revision)
• I will read all of your peer edited essays and if I am not satisfied with your performance as an editor, you will receive an automatic 0/35 points. Likewise, if I am not satisfied with the original essay itself, the author may receive a 0/50 points. Should the original author fail the assignment, the peer editor will fail as well. Letting another student suffer due to your own laziness will be treated with a harsh penalty to your final grade.
• I suggest you take this VERY seriously and work together closely. Quite a few students have lost their “A” in this class thanks to slacking off on these editing projects. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!!

Th 10/18 – MOVIE DAY!!!!!

Homework:

• Schedule a 60 minute meeting for next week with Marlen and your peer review partner. HOW TO PREPARE FOR MEETINGS: Make sure you have reviewed your partner’s smell project as well as your own. Please make sure you have uploaded your completed rubric and that you can explain your responses and evaluation.
• For 10/30: Find a short story, article or document related to the human sense of touch. You may use Google, the library, Online databases, etc. Link to the full document in a blog post titled “My touch reading”. We’ll use this in class when we start our unit on touch.

 

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T 10/23 and Th 10/25 – No classroom meeting; small group meetings in North Walker 126.

• AFTER THE MEETING: Create a new blog post and title it “Meeting #3 Reflection”. In 3-5 paragraphs, reflect on your meeting with Marlen and your classmate. What did you learn? How did you feel? What did you like/dislike about it? etc…
• Make sure to check your blog this week and respond to comments left for you by your readers. Likewise, make sure you’re leaving quality commentary on your classmates’ blogs.
• Read, annotate, and bring to class Ackerman’s chapter on Touch for 10/30. Remember to post your notes on the reading to your blog’s “NOTES” page.

 

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T 10/30 – Touch

Today in class we will:

• Finish our movie.
• Review the chapter on touch in Ackerman.
• Practice paraphrasing, quoting and summarizing using the readings we found about the sense of touch.

Homework:

• BLOG ENTRY #6: Continue today’s activity and complete a brief response to your article that first summarizes and then responds to the author’s ideas. In your response, you are strongly encouraged to develop a specific analysis of the article’s major points. In other words, identify particular aspects of the article that you can expand upon, or perhaps counter in a way that allows you to express your own point of view. You should make sure to quote the article at least once using proper formatting; paraphrase at least once using proper formatting, and summarize at least once using proper formatting. Consider your audience to be a group of English professors who are interested in your writing skills and the genre to be primarily expository with possible descriptive, persuasive, narrative, comparative, informative aspects, etc. 3-5 paragraphs
• Make sure to check your blog this week and respond to comments left for you by your readers.
• Bring a uniquely shaped item for our Thursday workshop!

Th 11/1 – Touch Workshop – in order to get a little inspiration for a consideration of the human sense of touch and all of its corresponding metaphors, we’ll enjoy experiencing a wide range of objects and textures. The sensations, memories, and emotions evoked in the workshop (along with the corresponding writing activities designed to help you explore the concepts of audience & genre) should assist you in the creation of Project #4.

Homework:

• PREPARE: Questions and issues you have regarding English Grammar/Mechanics/Structure/Formatting Review for next week’s workshop.
  
• PROJECT #4: Consider any aspect of the human sense of touch and choose a genre (you may not choose a genre you’ve already tried) in which to compose project #4, a reflection on the human sense of touch. You might want to incorporate this week’s blog entry into this text or use it as your starting point. Also consider how you can include at least 2 different, properly formatted, outside sources in your essay. Consider your audience to be academic in nature.4-5 pages posted to its own page and then add that page to your custom menu just under your Taste, Vision and Smell projects.
  • *You must incorporate at least two outside sources in your project to help you make your point. Make sure your entire paper, including the in-text citations, is properly formatted (without citations, you are plagiarizing!!!) and that you have a works cited/reference/notes list at the end of your text.
  • *HAVE YOUR WORK READ ALOUD TO YOU AS YOU FOLLOW ALONG MAKING COMMENTS ON YOUR OWN COPY. AFTER YOU FIX ANY ERRORS YOU FIND, GIVE THE WRITING TO SOMEONE TO PROOFREAD. IF YOU FAIL TO COMPLETE ONE OF THESE STEPS I CAN PRETTY MUCH GUARANTEE THAT I WILL KNOW!
  • 1) **Before you begin, identify what your writing goals are: What do you want to accomplish (personal goals for the writing), what kind of writing is this (genre), & who are you writing to (intended audience)? Be thorough and specific and explain how you will achieve these goals. Think of it as a checklist for yourself! 1-2 paragraphs
  • 2) **After you finish writing, discuss how you did or did not achieve all of the above goals. 1-2 paragraphs

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T 11/6 – English Grammar/Mechanics/Structure/Formatting Review

Today in class we will:

• Respond to your questions/concerns about English writing
• Discuss Peer Review Project #2

Homework:

• BLOG ENTRY #7: Write a short reflection about what you have learned so far this semester, and as a result of our meetings and workshops, about English grammar/mechanics/structure/formatting, etc. For example, what are you more aware of now that you hadn’t been before? What do you still need to work on? How does this learning reflect the goals you set for yourself at the beginning of this semester?
• For 11/13: Find a short story, article or document related to the human sense of hearing. You may use Google, the library, Online databases, etc. Link to the full document in a blog post titled “My hearing reading”. We’ll use this in class when we start our unit on hearing.
• PEER EDITING PROJECT #2:You’ll edit/respond to/ evaluate a classmate’s essay and at least one revision for homework using a rubric OR holistic response method. Use the Straub article as your guide and use our class rubric. You will also need to write a 3-5 paragraph discussion/explanation of your personal approach to editing this essay, strengths and weaknesses of the author, your feedback and suggestions, what you’ve learned about your own writing or writing in general, etc. Please post this to its own uniqe page on your blog (title it PR #2). Consider this writing as practice in a specific genre (e.g., feedback, response, advice, evaluative) and do your best! NOTE: After the writer completes a 2nd draft, you will need to re-evaluate his/her progress using your rubric or holsitic response method. You may post these on the PR#2 page along with your first set of repsonses. Failure to complete ANY of these steps exactly as described will result in a 0/35 pts for this project – check, doublecheck, and then triple check that everything is done exactly as I have described.
  • STEPS INCLUDE
  • - Essay evaluation using rubric OR holistic response method
  • - 3-5 paragraph written response posted to your blog
  • - Rubric and response posted on their own page, titled PR #1 and then placed under your PR page on your custom menu.
  • - 2nd Draft editing process (follow all the above steps when the author posts a revision)
  • I will read all of your peer edited essays and if I am not satisfied with your performance as an editor, you will receive an automatic 0/35 points. Likewise, if I am not satisfied with the original essay itself, the author may receive a 0/50 points. Should the original author fail the assignment, the peer editor will fail as well. Letting another student suffer due to your own laziness will be treated with a harsh penalty to your final grade.
  • I suggest you take this VERY seriously and work together closely. Quite a few students have lost their “A” in this class thanks to slacking off on these editing projects. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!!

Th 11/8 – No classroom meeting; small group meetings in North Walker 126.

AFTER THE MEETING: Create a new blog post and title it “Meeting #4 Reflection”. In 3-5 paragraphs, reflect on your meeting with Marlen and your classmate. What did you learn? How did you feel? What did you like/dislike about it? etc…

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T 11/13 – Hearing

Today in class we will:

• Review Ackerman on hearing
• Review mindmapping as a pre-writing technique
• Practice paraphrasing, quoting and summarizing using the readings we found about the sense of hearing.

Homework:

• BLOG ENTRY #8: Continue today’s activity and complete a brief response to your article that first summarizes and then responds to the author’s ideas. In your response, you are strongly encouraged to develop a specific analysis of the article’s major points. In other words, identify particular aspects of the article that you can expand upon, or perhaps counter in a way that allows you to express your own point of view. You should make sure to quote the article at least once using proper formatting; paraphrase at least once using proper formatting, and summarize at least once using proper formatting. Consider your audience to be a group of English professors who are interested in your writing skills and the genre to be primarily expository with possible descriptive, persuasive, narrative, comparative, informative aspects, etc. 3-5 paragraphs
• Make sure to check your blog this week and respond to comments left for you by your readers.
• Identify three pieces of music you’d like to share during our Thursday workshop! Please bring headphones/earphones. Your music may be on your phone or mp3 player, or may be linked in your blog to youtube or other website.

 

Th 11/15 – Hearing Workshop: – in order to get a little inspiration for a consideration of the human sense of hearing and all of its corresponding metaphors, we’ll enjoy experiencing a wide range of music. The sensations, memories, and emotions evoked in the workshop (along with the corresponding writing activities designed to help you explore the concepts of audience & genre) should assist you in the creation of Project #5.

Homework:

• PROJECT #5:Consider any aspect of the human sense of hearing and choose a genre (you may not choose a genre you’ve already tried) in which to compose project #5, a reflection on the human sense of hearing. You might want to incorporate this week’s blog entry into this text or use it as your starting point. Also consider how you can include at least 2 different, properly formatted, outside sources in your essay. Consider your audience to be academic in nature.4-5 pages posted to its own page and then add that page to your custom menu just under your Taste, Vision, Smell & Touch projects.
  • *You must incorporate at least two outside sources in your project to help you make your point. Make sure your entire paper, including the in-text citations, is properly formatted (without citations, you are plagiarizing!!!) and that you have a works cited/reference/notes list at the end of your text.
  • *HAVE YOUR WORK READ ALOUD TO YOU AS YOU FOLLOW ALONG MAKING COMMENTS ON YOUR OWN COPY. AFTER YOU FIX ANY ERRORS YOU FIND, GIVE THE WRITING TO SOMEONE TO PROOFREAD. IF YOU FAIL TO COMPLETE ONE OF THESE STEPS I CAN PRETTY MUCH GUARANTEE THAT I WILL KNOW!
  • 1) **Before you begin, identify what your writing goals are: What do you want to accomplish (personal goals for the writing), what kind of writing is this (genre), & who are you writing to (intended audience)? Be thorough and specific and explain how you will achieve these goals. Think of it as a checklist for yourself! 1-2 paragraphs
  • 2) **After you finish writing, discuss how you did or did not achieve all of the above goals. 1-2 paragraphs

   

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T 11/20 – What is Autoethnography?

Today in class we will:

• Discussion of autoethnography, audience, and publication

Homework:

• BLOG ENTRY #9: Identify at least three different publications where you might publish one of your essays. Please type a brief description of these publications and why you chose them. Please summarize instructions to writers who wish to publish their work and post a link to the original information in the blog entry. You’ll need to do some internet and library research to identify sources for publishing student writing or pre-professional writing.
• READING: Read and annotate Autoethnography: An overview
• PEER EDITING PROJECT #3: You’ll edit/respond to/ evaluate your own hearing project and at least one revision for homework using a rubric for draft one and holistic response for draft 2. Use the Straub article as your guide and use our class rubric. You will also need to write a 3-5 paragraph discussion/explanation of your personal approach to editing this essay, strengths and weaknesses of the author, your feedback and suggestions, etc. Please post this to its own uniqe page on your blog (title it PR #3). Consider this writing as practice in a specific genre (e.g., feedback, response, advice, evaluative) and do your best! Failure to complete ANY of these steps exactly as described will result in a 0/35 pts for this project – check, doublecheck, and then triple check that everything is done exactly as I have described.
• STEPS INCLUDE
• - Essay evaluation using rubric for draft one and holistic response for draft 2
• - 3-5 paragraph written response posted to your blog

Th 11/22 – No class; Thanksgiving holidays

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T 11/27 – Autoethnography

Today in class we will:

• Work on 1st 5 pages of our autoethnographies

Homework:

• WRITING: 1st draft of autoethnography, 5 pages
  • 1) **Before you begin, identify what your writing goals are: What do you want to accomplish (personal goals for the writing), what kind of writing is this (genre), & who are you writing to (intended audience)? Be thorough and specific and explain how you will achieve these goals. Think of it as a checklist for yourself! 1-2 paragraphs
  • 2) **After you finish writing, discuss how you did or did not achieve all of the above goals. 1-2 paragraphs

   

Th 11/29 – Autoethnography

Today in class we will:

• Review our first draft of the autoethnography and make a plan for expansion
• BLOG ENTRY #10: Plan for expansion of autoethnography

Homework:

• WRITING: 2nd draft of autoethnography, 10 pages

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T 12/4 – No class meeting, small group meetings in North Walker

Homework:

• READING: Geneva Smitherman: “Students’ Right to Their Own Language”: A Retrospective 
• AFTER THE MEETING AND ABOVE READING: Create a new blog post and title it “Meeting #5 Reflection”. In 3-5 paragraphs, reflect on your meeting with Marlen and your classmate. What did you learn? How did you feel? What did you like/dislike about it? etc…

Th 12/6 – Review of Final Documents; holiday party!

This week we will share, proofread, edit, and evaluate the 2nd drafts of our autoethnographies in order to develop a final draft. We will make suggestions for further development and recognize aspects of our papers that we think are effective or particularly work well. We’ll review portfolio requirements and the cover letter. We’ll also have our End of Class Party so bring your Secret Santa gifts and food/drinks/utensils.

Homework:

• Complete all assignments, see checklist below.
• FINAL REFLECTIVE LETTER: Write a reflective letter to your instructor discussing your experience in the course, post it to its own page titled LETTER #2, and then place it under Letters in your custom menu. This should not be an essay, but rather an actual “letter” that addresses any or all of the following:
  * What grade (0-100) do you think you deserve and why? Look at the GRADING POLICY to help you explain.
  * What were your expectations of a) your own performance and b) the course overall and a) how did you meet or not meet your own expectations and b) how did the course meet or not meet your expectations?
  * What was the most useful activity or assignment in terms of advancing your knowledge of Academic Writing? Why?
  * What would you have done differently if taking the course a second time? What recommendations can you make to your instructor to improve this course for future students?
  * What was your greatest challenge in this course and how did you successfully or unsuccessfully meet this challenge?
  * How will this course be useful to you in the future?
  Note: You are not limited to the above questions; feel free to write about anything you want your instructor to know.

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T 12/11 – Final Exam P section: 3:45-5:45 Tuesday December 11th; H section: 1:30-3:30 Thursday December 13th

Please make sure that all of the following are complete and posted to your blogs:

• All 10 blog entries
• All revisions of all 5 sensory writing projects
• Mid-term and final reflective letters
• Portfolio cover letter
• At least 25 comments on other people’s blogs: Go to your dashboard, place your mouse over the house icon at top left and click on COMMENTS I’VE MADE. Either take a screenshot of all pages of your comments or simply copy them. Create a new blog PAGE (make sure to add it in your menu) titled COMMENTS and paste your comments or upload your screenshots.
• Peer review projects #1, #2 and #3
• Final project and all associated drafts

If you’d like to have an exit meeting with Dr. Harrison, please contact him personally via email to schedule a mutually agreeable time for a Skype conference.

 

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GENERAL RESOURCES

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AUTOETHNOGRAPHY SOURCES

PREVIOUS STUDENTS’ AUTOETHNOGRAPHIES (anyone in the 101 classes)

Autoethnography: An overview

Carolyn Ellis: The Ethnographic I

A Critique of Current Practice: Ten Foundational Guidelines for Autoethnographers

Some links from Marlen’s blog:

http://discoveringvoices.com/2008/07/02/re-thinking-research-autoethnographies/

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ACADEMIC RESEARCH PAPER OUTLINE