Practice - Final

Directions: Read your diagnostic. Beyond the notable difference in your writing ability, look at the goal you set for yourself. For this blog, write about 100-200 words to start off what will (during the next class session) become your Final. Discuss the goal you set for yourself at the beginning of class, and then detail (briefly) how/why you did or did not achieve that goal. This could become your thesis statement/introduction. IF you did not achieve your initial class goal, did you adopt a new goal as the class progressed? Did you accomplish the new goal? Why or why not?

Due before 10pm on December 8th. (We will begin--and hopefully finish--writing this blog in class.)

No reply.

Reflection - Synthesis

Directions: You have now officially become awesome. Congratulations! Remember when you couldn't write a research paper? Think about how far you have come! But...think about that for your in-class Final.....

For now, summarize what you learned during Unit 4: from developing a topic to researching that topic to synthesizing your research for that topic into the paper you just wrote, explain what was most helpful and what you wish you knew more about. 100-200 words.

Due before midnight on December 5th (so, by 11:59 p.m. on December 5th).

Claims and Evidence

Directions: First, state your working thesis or your thesis question. Next, list one source (in MLA format) that you think will help to support your main claim. Then, state why you think that source will help you to prove your claim.

Due before class on November 19th.

Reply to Classmate: ask a classmate a question about the source and/or the claim that might help provoke further research. OR, if you have a source you think would be useful to your classmate (either one you are using or one you might have come across in your Wonderland travels), please share that information with your classmate.

Reply due before 5pm on Friday, November 21st.

Discovering Topics

Directions: In order to determine your topic for your research synthesis, you must first begin to test what you want to say, what you want to say and who you want to say it to. First, read LBH 14-16 and answer 1.5--LBH p.17--to create an academic question. Perform exercise 2.5 on p. 35 to create your topic.

Initial reply due before class on Wednesday, November 12th. 

Reply to classmate: ask a question that will provoke your classmate to think more deeply about his or her topic. For instance, if the topic is too broad, ask a question that will encourage your classmate to think about one specific area of the topic. If the topic is too narrow, ask a question that will encourage your classmate to think more deeply about the issue, which will widen his/her scope.

Due before 5pm on Friday, November 14th.

Unit III Reflection

Directions: you have just finished your second college paper, and your first (and, likely, last) rhetorical analysis. Please answer the following questions in the form of a paragraph (no more than 200 words). What do you feel you gained from understanding how others use rhetoric in their arguments? What aspect of the unit did you find most useful? How will you use the knowledge from this unit to both create and interpret arguments in the future? Is there anything more you would like to know about rhetoric before we move on?

Due before 10pm on November 5th.

5 points for posting on time
5 points for following directions and answering all the questions.

Thesis and Reasons: RA

Directions: after you have presented your theses to the class, type up the workshopped/edited thesis and your four reasons/topic sentences. For this week, you will not be required to comment on your classmates' blogs, but I would encourage you to review your classmates' blogs, in case you are still struggling.

Due by 10pm the day you present your thesis. So, if you present on Monday, the blog will be due at 10pm that night. If you present on Wednesday, the blog will be due by 10pm that night.

5 points for being on time
5 points for following directions (you must have at least four reasons to support your thesis)

S.O.A.P.S. and Logical Fallacies

Directions: Watch the video and identify the rhetorical elements.

Part One:

Identify the S.O.A.P.S. for each side of the battle. Label each as Shakespeare and Dr, Seuss.

Part Two:

Identify at least two logical fallacies that each author's side makes. State each logical fallacy and then state why it is a logical fallacy.

Response due before class on Wednesday.

Classmate response: instead of a response to a classmate, respond to yourself. Our discussion on Wednesday will have clarified some of the fallacies and the S.O.A.P.S. If you feel that you correctly labeled everything, then congratulate yourself on a job well-done. However, if you want to add to parts One or Two in order to create a more complete analysis, then this is your chance. Your initial response and response to yourself will be graded as follows:

Initial response: 2 points
Following directions in initial response: 2 points
Response to self on time: 2 points
Response to self accurately identifies mistakes in original post (if any): 4 points

Response to self due by Friday, October 24th at 5pm.

Ethos and Pathos

Directions: watch the following video and point out the S.O.A.P.S. and the ethos and pathos. What makes the ethos and pathos effective? What makes the ethos and/or pathos ineffective? Would the clip be as effective if the speaker used only ethos or pathos?

Initial response due before class on Wednesday.

Reply to classmate: Find a classmate that you disagree with his/her labeling of one of the elements (or who left out one of the elements) and ask a question that will lead him/her to the discovery of a deeper understanding of that element. For instance, did your classmate truly understand the purpose of the video or the way the speaker used ethos and pathos? Or did your classmate misinterpret how the two were used together in order to achieve the speech? If you cannot find a classmate you disagree with, find a post you agree with and detail why and how your classmate's response was effective.

Reply to classmate due before 5pm on Friday, October 17th.

Unit II Reflection

Directions: You have now written your first English 121 argument. Now, please answer the following questions: Have you ever written a college paper before? How does this assignment compare? How do you think you will use the skills you learned in Unit II in your future essays (in this class and your future college classes)? Do you have any questions about writing a short argument before we move on? (On this last question, if I get a lot of the same answer, we will review in class, rather than me providing you with an individual answer.)

You can respond in paragraph or list form. 200 word maximum.

Due before 10pm on October 7th.

Thesis and Reasons

Directions: after you have presented your theses to the class, type up the workshopped/edited thesis and your two (or more) reasons/topic sentences. For this week, you will not be required to comment on your classmates' blogs, but I would encourage you to see the work that your classmates are doing in case you are still struggling.

Due by 10pm the day you present your thesis. So, if you present on Monday, the blog will be due at 10pm that night. If you present on Wednesday, the blog will be due by 10pm that night.

5 points for being on time
5 points for following directions (you must have at least two reasons to support your thesis)

Introduction, Thesis, Body and Conclusion

Directions: Watch the video below and answer the proceeding questions. The direct link to the video is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QleRgTBMX88.

1. Who does the speaker identify as her audience?
2. What is the speaker's hook? How does that hook work with her argument?
3. What is the context for her argument? How does she center the audience in the argument?
4. What do you imagine was her academic/thesis question? What is the argument/thesis?
5. What are some of the parts of the body of the argument? What are some examples she gives to support her argument? How does she make those examples relevant to the audience?
6. What is her conclusion?

Due before class on Wednesday, September 24th. Be sure to perform all of your homework readings before performing this blog, through the readings from September 22nd.

Reply to a classmate: in the spirit of embracing wrongness, find a post that says something different than what you said (in any large or small way), and consider how your classmate labeled the various parts of the argument. Pick one part of your classmate's responses that you agree or disagree with and detail for your classmate why you agree or disagree. When I say detail, I mean be specific. If you and your classmates all said precisely the same thing, then consider what you all might have missed in the video and then describe that for your classmate in your reply.

Reply due before 5pm on Friday, September 26th.

Determining Arguments

Directions: Watch the video (if you have trouble accessing the video from Blogger, go directly to YouTube address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSO_d1svtfU).

What is the main argument of the video? How does the introduction of the video support this argument? What about the main support (what types of main support are there?)? What would make the middle part more convincing, if you feel it does not effectively support the main argument? How does the conclusion of the video work to wrap up the whole argument?

Note: If you wish to comment on the video, please perform the assignment first, and then comment.

(You might think that listening to parts of this video is torturous, but push through).

Due before class on Wednesday, September 17th.

Reply to a classmate: Find a classmate you can politely disagree with, and comment on his/her blog.

Note: Disagree with what you think your classmate misdiagnosed or mislabeled as part of the argument, especially the evidence. If you wish to disagree with his/her opinion, do so, but please perform the assigned reply first.

Stay helpful and professional!

Unit One Reflection

Directions: You have now performed a college-level English assignment. Please answer the following questions: Have you ever written a summary or a paraphrase before? How does this assignment compare? How do you think you will use these skills in your future papers (in this class and your future college classes)? Do you have any questions about summary and paraphrase before we move on? (On this last question, if I get a lot of the same answer, we will review in class, rather than me providing you with an individual answer.)

You can respond in paragraph or list form. 200 word maximum.

Due before 10pm on September 10th.

Reading Like an Academic

Directions: Summarize your experience with the three-read process of the Anne Lamott text (not what you learned, but how the process helped you read this text, and might help you read other texts in the future). If the process did not help your comprehension of the Lamott text, please state so, but summarize why you did not benefit from this method of reading and what you might do instead to help with text comprehension. The post should not state emotion or opinion about either the text or the three-read process, but should, instead, concentrate on explaining the experience objectively. Your reply should be no longer than 200 words. (Due before class on September 3rd.)

Reply: Comment on a classmate's ability to relate his/her experience in the fashion of a summary. If you believe s/he wrote more of a narrative/analysis than a summary, make one suggestion for what s/he might do for his/her summary for the Davidson text. Your response needs to be at least three sentences long, and must contain constructive criticism. (Due before 5pm on September 5th)

Stay professional with your posts. Also, remember that this is a community forum. Take what your classmates say with a grain of salt, but also take advantage of the crowdsourcing.

There will be links I will provide in-post in order to clarify the meaning of words and ideas. Sometimes Blogger will sneak in its own links. These will be underlined twice and are ads. I would encourage you to look up unknown words and ideas on your own. If not for your own mental stimulation, collecting words will help you build your extra credit project.

Welcome and Diagnostic

Each week, you will be responsible for posting to the blog. The blog is where you will show your homework and reflect on your papers. You will be required to interact with your peers and to remain courteous at all times.

Blogs are graded as follows:

1. Participation: blogs are posted on time - 2 points
2. Following directions: while you may contribute additional comments or links, your primary goal in posting should be to satisfy the assignment requirements. - 2 points
3. You must reply to your classmates on time - 2 points, and follow directions in your reply - 2 points
4. Remaining respectful of your classmates - 2 points

Each blog will be different. You will receive feedback from the instructor, but the primary purpose of the blogs is to receive feedback from your community of students. Ask questions of each other, and be thoughtful in your responses.

Please click on the Follow link to the right, or bookmark this page in your computer.

For this week's blog….

Directions: write a 300 word explanation of your main goal for the semester, and then explain the objectives you will follow in order to reach that goal. Refer to the assignment sheet. (Due August 28 by 5pm).