Class Announcements English 0301 .....................

Our Final Portfolio is described here: http://www.alamo.edu/sac/english/lirvin/0301bb/finalportfolio.html

In short, Prepare for the final by
--picking two essays to REVISE (one of the two has to be E3 or E4)
--working hard to revise these essays
--include original copies of ALL four essays with my comments

During the Final we will
--write an in-class essay
--write a self-evaluation/reflective piece

Details on the in-class essay during the final exam:
Don't panic about having to write an essay in-class. The topic will be an argument/persuasion topic that presents you with an issue, and you will need to develop an essay that takes a side and presents support for your side. Essays #3 and #4 have pretty much been this type of essay. Make a point and support it. Divide up the proof. Include adequate support to be convincing/persuasive. Use essay form.

You can look at the chapter on Argument/persuasion essays in our book, but also the resource links in E3 and E4 should be helpful. Also, I know that it is harder to write something as polished when you write it on the spot, so I take that into account as I consider this in-class essay.

Resource for Revising your Essays for the Portfolio
You will be revising TWO of your five essays for the final portfolio. These should be completed before you come in for the final exam. This guide for revision may be helpful for you in approaching improving these essays: http://www.alamo.edu/sac/english/lirvin/wguides/revision.htm

It will be VERY important as you revise an essay to do two things:
1) return to the Essay Cycle assignment sheet and review all the learning materials and task requirements associated with that essay. Try to make that essay reach its particular learning objectives better.
2) consider that this revision exercise is comprehensive and a culmination of the class. That means I expect you to apply ALL the learning you have done in this class to your revision, so for example if you did not use MLA Documentation in essay #3 but we studied it in essay #4, I expect your revised essay #3 to contain proper MLA Documentation.

"Do you ever write badly? Good. All writers write badly--at first. ...Then they rewrite. Revision is not the end of the writing process but the beginning."
Murray, Donald. The Craft of Revision. 3rd Ed. New York: Hardcourt Brace, 1997. 1.

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Information on Final Exams--see description of Final Porfolio
10:00 Final Exam is Mon. 12/6 from 10:30-1:00
11:00 Final Exam is Wed. 12/8 from 11:30-2:00

Final Portfolios are due at the time of the final exam.

Today we will turn in our Essay #4s.

BUT FIRST we will do some final editing and polishing up. To do this, follow these directions (you can start right away):

1. PRINT a copy of your paper
2. EDIT your own paper, looking especially for punctuation issues or any other grammar issues. Also, fix up your MLA Document Format or Documentation Style as well. (See links below)
3. FIND a partner to work with. Even though you edit on your own, sit with someone that you can easily consult with.
4. Put your paper, if it isn't already, into correct MLA Format and in MLA Documentation Style
   MLA Format -- MLA Doc Style -- MLA Doc Style handbook
5. AFTER you mark up your paper, make the final changes onto your own essay.
6. KEEP an eye on the clock so that you have your paper all finished to turn in by the end of the period.

Homework:
We have no new work in this class. We only are working on our Final Portfolio. Please look at this handout describing this portfolio.I hope to have feedback for this E4 to you by Monday, but it may be Wednesday.

Our Essay #4 is due next time. Even if you are absent, this draft is due electronically via email (by the end of the day on Wed.)

Review our E4 Toolkit of Learning Resources and the EC4 assignment sheet so that your essay meets these learning objectives:

See the previous announcement for Final Exam information.

Today we will focus on doing peer response.

1) Post your draft in the E4-1 Forum
2) Review the E4 ToolKit of Learning Resources
3) Then begin doing Peer Response following the E4-1 Activity Sheet

Homework:
1) Complete any peer response you have not completed by the end of today.
2) Complete your E4-1 Writing Review by class time on Friday
3) Continue to work on your essay (which will have its final draft due 11/24)
4) We have a new Discussion Board Journal for this week--due 11/22. It is on freewriting.

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Information on Final Exams--see description of Final Porfolio
10:00 Final Exam is Mon. 12/6 from 10:30-1:00
11:00 Final Exam is Wed. 12/8 from 11:30-2:00

Final Portfolios are due at the time of the final exam.

Today we will review the Editing Exercise from last time and then work in groups to look at your Body paragraphs and outlines.

Homework:
1) A full draft of your essay is due next time (in electronic format for posting in the computer classroom)
2) We are done with our freewriting journal--you may continue for one more week for extra-credit.
3) We have a new Discussion Board Journal for this week--due 11/22. It is on freewriting.

Today we will do two in-class exercises working on
--Essay Form, Organization, Development, and Coherence
--and reviewing punctuation

Homework:
1) Freewriting journals due Monday
2) An outline of your essay (see assignment item #4 in the E4 Assignment Sheet--bring print copy to class)
3) ONE Body paragraph, fully developed (bring print copy to class)
--see the "Diagram for Developing each Body Paragraph" explanation in the E4 assignment sheet
The first full draft of the essay will be due next Wednesday

I recommend reviewing the reading materials as well as the assignment sheet for E4

Your secret to success in college: Always come to class; always do your homework and be prepared for EVERY class.

Essay #4 Example (Milk Essay unscrambled)
Fully unscrambled Milk Essay

Editing Exercise

Today we will analyze an ad together, then you will send your ad around for feedback on the analysis that you have done. We will work with partners to do this. You'll need to get out your reading to do this analysis.

If you are looking for an ad, perhaps you can find something here:
Google images of manipulative ads
Google images of greenwashing ads

Homework for next class:
1) Review the feedback you've gotten on your analysis and continue to refine your analysis of your ad.
2) By Friday you should have done the readings for Task #1 and #2.

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from the assignment sheet

1) Read Chpt. 18 in Real Essays on writing Argument/Persuasion essays.

Next, read through the Writing Argumentative Essays guide and the Effective Writing and Inferences guide. You may or may not want to take notes or even print these pages.

2) Learn about Essay Development and Coherence

Read the Writing Guide on Development (follow the links as needed) as well as the Writing Guide on Coherence. You will learn a number of key terms: primary support, secondary support, detail, topic/transition/linking sentence.

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3) Start a new week of freewriting--three per week, ten minutes continuous writing--due Mon.

Reading is the beginning point for this essay, so I urge you to continue to read and familiarize yourself with the propaganda techniques discussed by McClintock.

If you have not already looked over the EC4 assignment sheet, please read over the whole thing.

Homework for next class:
1) Pick the ad you will analyze (this should be a single ad from a magazine). Try to pick one in which you sense is manipulative and that you can see some propaganda techniques within.
2) Start your analysis of this ad.
3) By Friday you should have done the readings for Task #1 and #2

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from the assignment sheet

1) Read Chpt. 18 in Real Essays on writing Argument/Persuasion essays.

Next, read through the Writing Argumentative Essays guide and the Effective Writing and Inferences guide. You may or may not want to take notes or even print these pages.

2) Learn about Essay Development and Coherence

Read the Writing Guide on Development (follow the links as needed) as well as the Writing Guide on Coherence. You will learn a number of key terms: primary support, secondary support, detail, topic/transition/linking sentence.

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4) Start a new week of freewriting--three per week, ten minutes continuous writing

Today we polished off and turned in our E3s.

Homework: Do this reading to get us started for the next essay. Read for next class!

Today we will do an activity to reinforce the position you will take in the first part of the essay of representing the views of others.

This will include reviewing how to use quotations. We will also look at an example essay as well as another example of integrating and documenting quotations.

Homework:
1) NO journals this week. Let's take a break.
2) Essay #3s are due next time. We will have class time in the computer classroom to complete the essays. You will have time to edit them and fix up issues of using quotes, documenting, and format. Bring your essay on your usb drive so you can open and work on it in class. I handed out the E3 evaluation sheet in class, so you can see what you are shooting for doing in this essay.

In-class today we will write our third "quick draft" of our essay #3, using our outline as a guide. If you miss class, please be sure to do this on your own following the directions in the assignment sheet.

Homework:
1) Start "building" a full and formal essay. This essay should have essay form, a good Introduction paragraph (following the principles we learned about in the last essay), and well-developed body paragraphs that incorporates multiple points discussed by your author and multiple examples from your experience. You will have to use quotations as you summarize what your author says, so review the guide on using quotes.

Review the EC3 Assignment Sheet to see all the resources related to this essay (as well as our E2 Assignment sheet to refresh you about previous topics of essay form and introductions).

This essay is due Wednesday 11/3, so start working on it this weekend.

Next week of freewriting journals due Monday.

Today we will focus on doing peer response on your E3-2 drafts (I will return them to you).

The goal is to do THREE peer responses (a fourth counts as extra-credit). Any peer responses not completed in class are due for homework by the end of the day.

Homework:
1) Review your reading by Beck or Staples (read it again, darn it). Review your notes as well as your draft E3-2 and create an OUTLINE. Follow the outline template provided with our E3-2 Activity Sheet. Bring this outline to class with you next time.
2) Read chapters 25 and 27 in our Anker textbook reviewing "agreement" (subject-verb, pronoun). Heck, while you are there, take a look again at the chapter on commas, chpt. 37.

Today we will do our second "Quick Draft" in class.

If you miss, I will expect you to follow the procedures for doing Quick Drafts (detailed in the EC3 Assignment sheet and in the handout I provided you) and have this draft when you come to class.

Homework:
1) Re-read the article you are writing your essay on again. Read it as a college student. Work on the two sided note sheet I asked your to prepare. Bring your textbook and the notesheet to class next time.
2) Finish reading the Elbow pp 12-47.
3) New week of freewriting journals begins.

Today we will be in the computer classroom.

We will be doing a class discussion in the "Getting Started With E3" Forum.

If you have not read the essays yet, READ THEM NOW! Go to EC3 Assignment Sheet or look in your book.
(If you miss class, I will expect you to participate in this forum before next class.)

Note: If you haven't turned in your E2s, these late drafts are due by next Monday. If you have a required or focused rewrite, these are due by Friday. I need the original copy of your essay that I commented on too.

Homework:
1) Review and study the E3 Assignment sheet. Read it carefully. Read it twice. Read it three times.
2) Pick which essay you want to write about--the Staples or the Beck essay.Read it again. Read it twice.
3) On a sheet of paper list the key points that your author states in his or her essay (heck, create a kind of outline of points). On the back side (or a second paper) write a list of experiences and beliefs that relate to the different key points of your author. Be SPECIFIC where you can. Bring this sheet to class. We will do our first "quick draft" in class next time (so bring paper.)
4) Try to finish the Elbow reading as soon as you can: "The Process of Writing--Growing" --Elbow Writing Without Teachers pp. 12-47.
5) WK 5 Freewriting journals due Mon.

Today our Essay #2s are due. These are due in class. Late essays lose -10 points in your On-Time Drafts portion of your grade. For every additional week the draft is late it will be another -10 points.

In-class we will have time to do final editing and the writing of a "Draft Letter" to accompany your draft. If your draft is late, you will need to write this Draft Letter on your own:

Homework:
1) Read Chpt. 1 in Writing Without Teachers by next Friday.
2) Read essays by Beck and by Staples in our Anker text (pp. 829-838).
READ THESE CRITICALLY (as we discussed in our discussion about reading in college). This next essay will be based upon your reading, so you need to put a lot of time and effort into this task. You will end up picking one of these essays to write about, so do some thinking about which one you would like to deal with.
3) Take a look at the new EC#3 Assignment sheet.

Today we will be doing peer response on the first draft of our second essay (E2-1). Please post your draft into the Essay #2-draft 1 Forum and begin doing peer response right away.

BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE PEER RESPONSE QUESTIONS CLOSELY AND NUMBER YOUR RESPONSES.

If you are absent, you can do the peer response following the instructions for Task #4 in the EC#2 Assignment Sheet

Homework:
1) Complete any peer response not finished in class by the end of the day today.
2) Complete the Discussion board journal for 10/13.
3) Complete the E2-1 Writing Review BEFORE class next Friday 10/15
4) WK 4 Freewriting journals due Mon.
5) Don't wait to begin revising your paper. The essay is due on Mon. 10/18!
6) Review grammar goal material to avoid run-ons and fragments Task #7 in EC#2 Assignment Sheet. Chpts. 23 and 24 in Real Essays.

Complete the your first draft for the Once I was Essay. Bring in electronic format.

1)10/13 Discussion Board Journal due 10/13
2) 1st Draft of Essay #2 is due Wed. 10/13
3) Wk 4 Freewriting journals begins

Today we will discuss Essay Form, look at an example "Once I Was; Now I Am" essay, and let you share and discuss your revised inventions.

The example essays we viewed in class can be found in Task 5 of our EC#2 Assignment Sheet

Homework:
1) Read pp. 48-60 in the Anker text.
2) Also, read the 0301 Essay Zone sections on "Essay Form and Organization" and "Introductions."
3) Also, finish your reading of Task #1 assignments from the EC#2 assignment sheet.
4) WK 3 Freewriting Journals due; 10/6-10/13 Discussion Board Journal due 10/13
5) 1st Draft of Essay #2 is due Wed. 10/13

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SPECIAL REMINDER:
You MUST check the class announcement regularly, for each class. I post our homework here, and I expect that you will access it from here.
Also, I the internet is a textbook for you, so I expect that you will access online resources and read them for class.
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Today we begin our next essay, Essay Cycle #2. Please read the complete essay cycle assignment sheet. Also, if you miss, print this topic sheet with information on our first three activities for this essay.

In-class today we will do our first draft of the E2 Invention. A revised version of this invention will be due next class.

Homework:
1) Begin the reading for Task #1 (due 10/11). Be sure to have read the material on Essay Form by this Friday.
2) Revised E2 Invention sheet due (bring a print copy/or handwritten to class). It should be in the form specificed in the print information sheet given out in class (or available above).
3) Wk 3 of freewriting journals (due Mon.)
4) Discussion Board journal 10/6-10/13 started.

Today we turn in and celebrate our Cuentos!

From here we are on to Essay Cycle #2. If you wish to review the assignment sheet before next class, you will get a preview of what we will be doing. Next class we will do our invention exercise together to get a topic an begin the essay.

Homework:
1) WK3 of freewriting journals
2) Read about planning and generating ideas (sometimes called brainstorming or invention or pre-writing).
pp. 62-73. Bring book to class next time.

Revised Calendar: What we will be doing for the next week
See the Essay Cycle #1 Assignment sheet (EC#1) for details about these assignments

Homework for next time (other than what is above):
1) Review the Essay Cycle #1 assignment sheet. (Note: we haven't done all of the activities here and it has some online class remnants, but particularly focus on tasks 6-9 that we will be focusing on in the next week. Links are there to be followed and read.
2) Complete your Writer's Review before class time on Monday
3) WK 1 of Freewriting Journals are due Monday (three freewriting journals). Start next week of journals.
4) WK 2 of Discussion Board Journal due 9/29

Today we do peer response on our first drafts of the Cuento (Story)!

Guidance for Peer Response: (Get started right away!)
1) Post a message in your team's forum for peer response that either contains your story (if you have it electronically) or that states you have a paper copy of your story
2) Start doing peer response with the goal of doing three peer responses (a fourth counts as extra-credit)
3) Follow the peer response questions listed below

If you don't finish these peer responses in-class or are absent, they need to be completed by next class.

Homework:
1) Complete peer response if you need to
2) Think about and work on your Cuento if you can (not due until Oct. 1st)
3) Three Freewriting Journals due on Monday
4) Weekly discussion board journal for 9/22 due by end of day today; new 9/29 journal begins today.
5) For Friday: Re-read pages 36-41 and implement the reading in college strategies discussed by Anker. Bring to class EVIDENCE that you have engaged in this reading process--do it "by the book."

We will start today by discussing "How to Read in College" from our Anker textbook.

"Learning involves strategies for processing and re-processing information."
How are the strategies for reading in college discussed by Anker examples of processing and re-processing information?

We will then START our freewriting journal. See this guide on doing freewriting.
Our first journal will be to think of some scene or place within our Cuento and try to describe this place in as much detail as we can.

Freewriting Journal Guidelines:
--three freewriting journals per week
--turned in each Monday
--10 minutes continuous writing
--topic of your choice (within decent bounds, please)

Homework:
1) 1st draft of "Cuento" due next class. This can be a handwritten copy, but if you have an electronic copy, please bring it on your travel drive for posting electronically.
REMEMBER our late draft policy! Late drafts count -10 points off in the "On Time Drafts" portion of your grade. Don't have a late draft!
2) For Friday: Re-read pages 36-41 and implement the reading in college strategies discussed by Anker. Bring to class EVIDENCE that you have engaged in this reading process--do it "by the book."
3) Reread our syllabus section about "The Work of the Course" and the course policies to reiterate the importance of on time drafts.

We will be discussing the opening of the Anker textbook and the Cuentos Project.

Cuentos Family Story Assignment sheet

Homework:
1) Start working on your Cuentos story. Seek out a family member (or acquaintance) to "interview." FIND your Cuento. Our first draft is due next Wednesday, so ideally find your cuento before Monday.
2) Read in our Anker text Chapters 2-4 pp.24-53 (you might be able to skim through parts of this text)

Book Projects are due today!!! Celebrate!

Once we admire these wonderful creations, we will log in to The Write Place and do our first Discussion Board Journal.

What is a Discussion Board Journal:
It is a weekly discussion topic posted in the Discussion Board Journal forum inside the Write Place. I ask you to write a 150-250 word response to my prompt. Then, you are asked to read the posts of your peers and reply to FOUR people's original responses (these are short 25-50 word replies). Your replies can be in response to anything you find interesting in your peers' posts. They are meant to be a dialogue or conversation.

Total: Five posts per week. 1 Response to Prompt; 4 short replies to your peers.

When are the Discussion Board Journals Due?:
We go on a weekly cycle. So if it is assigned on Wednesday, the journal is due by the end of the day of the next Wednesday For example, we start our first DBJ today (9/15), so the response and replies are ALL due by the end of the day on Wed. 9/22.

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Homework:
We will be starting our FIRST "essay." This essay will be a "Cuento" or Family Story. I will have an "assignment sheet" next time, but here is all you really need to know:

Find the oldest member in your family (or if family is hard workable for you, find one of the oldest people you know), and talk to them. Just chat for them for a while about their lives. As you talk, try to ferret out any particularly meaningful stories of their own lives or perhaps of the lives of their parents or ancestors. THAT'S your "Cuento."

Your job will be in this assignment to tell that story. Definitely consider accumulating "artifacts" that could accompany this story. The best kind of artifact will be a digital picture of the artifact that we can place within the text of your story.

We will have our first draft of the Cuentos due Wed. 9/22, so you have some time to interview your family member, take notes, and write this draft.

Also-- Crack our textbook Real Essays with Readings and read pgs. 3-9. Bring the text to class next time because we will talk about this reading.

The Book Project is due next class!

Come to class with YOUR BOOK FINISHED! Bring it as a print copy all ready to go.

Read the Book Project-Part C assignment carefully to see what you need to do. Also, see the previous class announcement for an example Book Project.

Homework:
1) Complete your Book Project (due 9/15) and have ready to turn in at the beginning of class on Wednesday. We meet in the computer classroom.
2) Be sure you have your books

Today we will tour the SAC Writing Center in GH 203. If miss today, part of your homework is to go visit the Writing Center yourself and discover what sorts of services this place has to offer.

After our WC tour, we will return to the computer classroom to post our Writing Pieces #4, 5, and 6 into The Write Place. Then we will begin doing peer response on these pieces. See Book Project Part-B reviewing about doing peer response. You will need to do FIVE total peer responses among the writing pieces 4-6 of your group. (The actual peer response questions are found at the end of the Book Project assignment sheet.)

Homework:
1) Complete peer response by Friday.
2) The final book project--BP-Part C--is due 9/14
3) Starting next week, you must have your books.

You may be interested to see an example Book Project in its final form. Please consider this to be one example--you can certainly add your own flair to your own book.

Today we will have our first day in the computer classroom where you will log in to our online learning environment--The Write Place--for the first time.

I have set up accounts in The Write Place using your ACES username.

Temporary Password: write

The program will prompt you to reset your password--WRITE IT DOWN (on our syllabus)

Once you get logged in, here are your tasks:

1. Post all three of your writing pieces into the forum for Writing pieces 1, 2, and 3. (Post them as separate messages with a clear subject labeling which writing piece they are--NO attachments)
2. Once you get your writing pieces posted, work on writing your Writing Piece #4. You will first need to read the Writing Piece #1s of your peers, take notes, and then write. (Write this WP#4 as a Word document and then save it to your memory stick.)

ONLY writing pieces posted into the correct forum (by the end of today) will be counted as "on time." You also do not need to turn in a print copy.

Homework:

1) Work on your writing pieces #4, #5, and #6. These will all be due in electronic format for posting by next Wednesday. REMEMBER--to write this second set of writing pieces you need to first read the writing piece of your fellow team mates. You will find these writing pieces in The Write Place.
2) Get your textbooks. We will need them by the end of next week.

Today in our teams we will look at our Writing Piece #3s.

Homework:
1) Bring electronic copies (files saved either on a memory stick or via email) of all three of your first writing pieces: Writing Piece #1, #2, and #3. ONLY copies posted electronically will be counted late. If you miss class, you are expected to have your copies posted by the end of the day on Wednesday.

We will access our online learning environment where you will post these writing pieces for the first time on Wednesday.

Note: IF you do not have Microsoft Word, (you may have MSWorks, or WordPerfect, or Mac iWorks), you will need to save your writing in an RTF format (rich text format). See this guide.

Today we will be forming our teams for the Book Project and sharing our Writing Piece #2s.

That should about fill the period. With time, we may practice some description.

Homework for next class:
1) Write a draft of your Writing Piece #3. Bring a PRINT copy to class on Monday.

Note: We will access our Online Learning Environment (The Write Place) for the first time next Wednesday. At that time, I will want you to post your first three writing pieces electronically, so you'll need to have them as computer files by then. If you are already typing them up, be sure and save them. That Wed. 9/1 is also when these first three writing pieces are also officially "due" for the first time. To be "on time" they will need to be posted electronically on that Wednesday.

Class Announcement 8/25/10

Welcome back to English 0301!

Today we will be sharing our Writing Piece #1s!

Homework for next class:
1) Take some time to study the Power of Description guide.
2) Then write Writing Piece #2. (Like WP#1, this draft can be handwritten or typed at this point, but you must bring a paper copy of the draft to class next time. If you type it up, be sure and save it for posting into our online learning environment (The Write Place)
3) If you haven't had a chance to review our course website, please do so.

Today we will be doing a diagnostic essay. Please see BP-Part A for the topic, and if you missed today, please come to class with this diagnostic essay written.

Homework:
1) Visit our Course Home Page

2) Read the entire syllabus

3) Sign in to ACES. (Create an account if you don't have one already--just follow the directions listed on screen).
ACES is the Alamo Colleges online portal.

4) Write down you ACES username and bring it to class.

5) Look at our Book Project assignment page and write Writing Piece #1. This piece can be handwritten or typed into a computer, but bring a paper copy to class next time.

Welcome to English 0301 via the Internet. You probably have a lot of questions about starting the class, so below are ALL the things you need to get started with the class:

Be sure you get our textbooks and read through this course site:

Anker, Susan. Real Essays: With Readings 3rd Ed . Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009.
Elbow, Peter. Writing Without Teachers.

I look forward to this semester's class, and to working with all of you. Contact me in the meantime if you have any questions--llirvin AT gmail.com or 486-0672 (email is the preferred way for questions).