This checklist can serve as the table of contents. Put a check next to the items to show inclusion in the portfolio. Use as the second page to the portfolio, after the cover sheet. Where there are questions for the section, students can post the answers to the narrative there.
Number the pages with a header.
The portfolio is due by Friday, Dec. 16, 2011, 12 noon. Make certain you paste and attach the document. Include the assignment in the subject line: COA Sabir Fall 2011 Portfolio for English 1B w/Course Code (or a variation) and send to: coasabirenglish1B@gmail.com
Name ______________________________
Date ______________________________
Class including class code and semester ____________________
Address _______________________________________
Phone number __________________________________
Email address__________________________________
Portfolio Narratives (250 words each, minimally).
1. The fist narrative will look at the 18 week semester, the themes we discussed: immigration, family, assimilation, alienation, genocide, disenfranchisement, colonization, war, violence against women. . . . Talk about what you've learned and discovered about writing, college and life, which have transformed or changed you.
What have you learned about yourself this semester? What have you learned about the discipline you are studying in this class: composition and reading that you plan to carry forth into your lifelong pursuit of learning?
Please also comment on the texts and whether or not they were helpful in this process. You can also talk about the instruction, culture of the class and the teacher.
2. Use two essays as evidence to discuss your revision process. Don’t forget to include it in the works cited page. Use a scholarly source as well to talk about the revision process. I gave you two handouts at the start of class. Also use your grammar style book (Hacker, etc.) There will be at least two sources, perhaps three used for this essay.
Checklist
The checklist will list all the assignments, but you know what they are. Post the entire portfolio for each section. On the checklist include all the assignment grades. I will get the other grades to you before Friday, so you can update that part of the portfolios. If for some reason there is an outstanding assignment, just include it in the portfolio and note that it needs a grade.
All the essays included in the portfolio should be graded essays: Short Fiction, the Novel (2), The Play, Poetry, Final Essay and Presentation (student choice re: genre).
We will toss the lowest graded essay. Include it.
Presentations:
Group presentations: Poetry and individual on favorite poem and final essay. Please include the abstract for the final essay and for the others your poem and the responses received re: presentation. For group essays: Post the essay and any responses to it.
3. Other Cyber-Assignments. Divide them into freewrites and cyber-essays. Most of the cyber-essays were collaborative.
4. Literary event essay
5. Extra credit. If you have written any essays this semester for extra credit they would go in this section. If you'd like to include a graded essay from another discipline you can. Include the assignment as well.
6. For all the Cyber-Assignments already included with essay portfolios, do not post them twice. This list of assignments is just a list of all that you have completed (or missed). Just a brief description of the assignment is enough.
7. After the Cyber-Assignments, type any in-class writings, such as freewrites or group work and include it here under: Freewrites and Class Assignments
8. Evaluation and Extra Credit
PORTFOLIO
DANCE BOOTS Essay Unit
Planning________
Outline_______
Peer Review_______
Graded Drafts (How many? What were the grades? _________________
Correction essays or narratives (How many?) _______________
Cyber-Assignments (How many?) _________
Group work___________
Peer Comments__________
GIRL IN TRANSLATION Essay Unit
Planning________
Outline_______
Peer Review_______
Graded Drafts (How many? What were the grades? ______________
Correction essays or narratives (How many?) _______________
Cyber-Assignments (How many?) _________
Group work___________
Peer Comments__________
RUINED Essay Unit
Planning________
Outline_______
Peer Review_______
Graded Drafts (How many? What were the grades? ____________
Correction essays or narratives (How many?) _______________
Cyber-Assignments (How many?) _________
Group work___________
Peer Comments__________
Persepolis Essay Unit
Planning________
Outline_______
Peer Review_______
Graded Drafts (How many? What were the grades? ____________
Correction essays or narratives (How many?) _______________
Cyber-Assignments (How many?) _________
Group work___________
Peer Comments__________
Poetry Essay Unit
Planning________
Outline_______
Peer Review_______
Graded Drafts (How many? What were the grades? ____________
Correction essays or narratives (How many?) _______________
Cyber-Assignments (How many?) _________
Group work___________
Peer Comments__________
POETRY Essay Unit:
Group Project
Lesson Plan________
Activity_______
Comments from peers_______
Self-reflection on the process_________
Poetry Related Cyber Assignments________
Peer Comments_________
Visit with Maria Acuna________
Independent Project
Planning________
Outline_______
Abstract________
Grade on Essay_______
Grade on Presentation _________
Correction essays or narratives (How many?) __________
Peer Comments__________
(There were no self-reflections or comments).
Freewrites
(Any in-class freewrites not posted on the blog, type and put in this section. How many? _________
Semester Cyber-assignments. These are any cyber-assignments not already posted with the other units. Don't post an assignment twice. How many? __________
Extra Credit Essay: Students can turn in a graded essay from another course if the other teacher doesn’t mind. It has to use research and MLA style documentation, so certain courses are not applicable.
Anything else?__________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Teacher research
Can I use your work in presentations and publications? Would you like to be anonymous? If I plan on using your essays or work in a book, I will let you know and share any proceeds.
Yes, I agree.
No, do not use my work.
Final Grade
Portfolio checklist _____________
Portfolio Essay 1_______________
Portfolio Essay 2_______________
Portfolio Grade_________
Course Grade_________
The following is a list of all the cyber-assignments. Locate yours and put in the appropriate section(s) above. Again, do not post an assignment twice. Put headings on each section and start each section with a new page. Essays should look like essays, each page starting at the top of a page. This includes the last page or Works Cited and Bibliography.
Cyber-Assignments, etc.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Response to Syllabus for Fall 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
The Dance Boots Cyber Assignment
We spent the first meeting introducing ourselves to one another, answering questions about the syllabus. I gave students my cell number, so if you left early make sure you ask me for it. Students also exchanged phone numbers with peers.
I gave students copies of the title story in the collection, The Dance Boots. We spoke for a bit about literature and how it's defined. We all agreed that it was an art form with various genres.
In the Portable Guide in the section on fiction, it speaks to ways to analyze or think about fiction. For homework, students were to write a 250 words analytical response summary looking at themes raised in the story along with characters, plot, scene, themes, etc.
If the story references a period in American history you are not familiar with, do some background research. If you have the book, read the author's preface. I forgot to give you a copy. Students can also skim the section on Writing about Fiction.
I am interested in how well students capture the author's intent in their writing. After you post your response, please respond to at least two student responses. Mention the students by name. These comments can be short (smile).
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Recap
Today we reviewed the short story: The Dance Boots. In groups students developed a character analysis of the protagonist Artense. Post a reflection on the discussion process at the link for the assignment. Also post the group narrative there along with everyone in the group's name.
Other homework is to read: Three Seasons and the first section of The Portable Guide (1-42). Don't forget to annotate the selections. I let you go early by mistake--don't worry, it won't happen again (smile).
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Freewrite Reflection on The Role of Good Reading
Today we met for the first time in A-232. We will meet here on Thursdays for the entire semester.
1. The cyber-assignment has to do with the premise that good reading is necessary to good writing (smile).
Write a 250 word response (3 paragraphs) to Writing about Literature:Introduction The Role of Good Reading (1-15). Please include a citation per paragraph (3).
One citation should be a paraphrase, another a short quote, the third or last a block quote (4 or more lines). See Hacker 424-425).
Don't forget to include a works cited page, that your MLA is perfect for the page set up, that is heading and header, margins, and in-text references (page numbers).
2. Students will email themselves a copy of the post. Make sure you paste and attach it and copy me: coasabirenglish1B@gmail.com
3. Analyzing fiction (Chapter 4 pages 57-60; 77-81). Literary Criticism and Literay Theory (143-)
4. "3 Seasons" --Discussion.
5 Homework: Write a response to the story (250). Use three citations, one per paragraph.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Assignments and Cyber-Assignment on "Maggie and Louis"
Post the short essay taking its topic from "Maggie and Louis." We will complete the book this week and write an essay next week.
In class today, in small groups students looked at the story "Maggie and Louis" and discussed the elements one looks at when discussing literature from Writing about Literature. We also read a published student essay.
Some students were able to complete the essay from Dance Boots, others were not. For the collaborative essay on "Maggie and Louis," put all the names in the heading.
The essay was to look at one of the elements and write a compelling essay (Gardner 57-60). Each paragraph needs to use a citation: short quote, block quote and free paraphrase (not necessarily in that order.)
Post the essay here. Do not forget the works cited.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Free Write: September 11, Ten Years later
We'll listen to Michael Jackson's song, "Heal the World."
For a while when September 11, rolled around people asked, where were you? I don't think any of us have ever forgotten. Seated among us are many young men and women who have been overseas fighting a war begun by President George W. Bush after 9/11.
President Saddam Hussein is gone--a literal off with his head. President Obama got Osama bin Laden, but without a body who's to say that was really him. The man eluded us for years. One hung the other shot and buried at sea.
With the "bad guys" gone, why is peace seemingly farther away that before? Is the sun rising in the west? Have I been praying in the wrong direction, is that how I missed the rising sun and its brilliant decline all these turbulent days since?
So what are your thoughts? How can we as Jackson sings, "Heal the world? Make is a better place for you and me and the entire human race?"
Post your responses here.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Homework Recap and Cyber-Assignment (smile)
Today students discussed "Refugees Living and Dying" and "Shonnud's Girl" (59 and 77). In class students are to post a three paragraph response to a story (1).
Today's homework is to write a response to "Ojibwe Boys." Tuesday students will have an opportunity to discuss the entire work and talk about essay ideas.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Cyber-Assignment
Post your reflection on the poem: "A Moment of Silence" here.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Peer Reviews, Girl in Translation
Essays are due Thursday, Sept. 22. Bring them in electronically already set up to email. Students will email them to me from class.
Homework is to read chapters 4-5. The discussion was really sparse, really sparse. Only a few students shared passages from the book. Makes me think students didn't read the book (hum).
Come to class prepared Thursday.
Cyber-Assignments
1. Post a reflection on the peer review process from the point of view of the recipient and the advisor. What did you enjoy about the process? What did you gain? What did you learn about yourself? What will you do differently next time you have such an opportunity?
2. Secondly, students are to find a published review for Girl in Translation and review the author's website. Read the review and post a response. How doe Kwok's life experience inform her material?
Try out the COA Library Database (smile). There is more to research than google.com
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Information Literacy for Changing Audiences
Cyber-Freewrite
Recap, review and reflect on research. Why is research important in this information saturated age? How does research or weighing one's options help scholars develop cogent theories? is research just limited to the academy? What specifically did the librarian share with you today that you didn't know? what was different from other orientations you've attended in the past here or elsewhere? What if anything did he leave out?
Visit the librarian, Steve Gerstle's webpage at the College of Alameda (peralta.cc.ca.edu).
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Homework
Finish the book.
Bring in 6-7 essay questions, one or two per concept, related to literary concepts: Plot, Theme, Characters, Point of View or who's telling the story, Setting, Symbolism.
Bring the questions in electronically and print a set when you arrive and post them (smile).
We'll write a short essay in class, one individually as a freewrite and one as a group.
Lecture: Kimberly as super hero. Writing from a feminist perspective.
Notes: Immigration as a theme. Matt as antithesis or antihero or is he? How does choice effect Kim's life and its overall outcome? Is happiness or even a realistic goal? Is Kim's mother selfish?
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Epilogue. . . Ten Years after That Reflection
Post your reflections on ten years after Kimberly "took a breath, got off the bed and opened the door" (Kwok 303).
Respond to a classmate's post too.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Cyber-Assignment on Ruined
Homework is to think about the characters in Ruined, Mama Nadi and the women in the brothel: Salima, Josephine and Sophie; Fortune, Salima's husband, his friend, Laurent, the military, Christian and Mr. Harari and lesser unnamed characters.
Write a brief recap and analysis of where we are in the story now and the symbolism Nottage captures in her characters and the setting, of the horrors of war. Later we even notice subtle irony in Nottage's choice of names for the characters as well, esp. Fortune, Salima's (which means "peace), husband. Is the brothel a kind of "Eden"?
If so, then who or what is the snake?
Post reflections here. Reference "Elements of Drama" (92) and "Literary Criticism" (143) specifically interpretive analysis looking at Formalism and New Criticism and Feminism and Gender Criticism, Post-colonial Criticism (a little), and Psychological Theories like archetypes (148-149). Marxism works as well, but I think LC and FNC provide a better framework for this analysis.
We will write this essay at the end of the month and start the Poetry unit towards the end of the month as well. We will have a special guest, Maria Acuna who will talk about her work and give us a writing assignment. Students will also team up to make presentations on Elements of Poetry per Writing about Literature.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Today in class there was a complaint that though the film, Pray the Devil Back to Hell was a great film, what was the connection between watching a film and writing an essay about literature or art?
Good question.
Some students are struggling with MLA and citations because they don't have materials in their possession and others are just rusty. In any event, no assignment is a throw away assignment. To make a film one has to be able to write and in a critique we look at themes, thesis or plot, character, etc., many of the same elements we have been looking at for fiction and plays, not to mention the social/political psychological aspect of the tale.
The theme is: Women and War. What makes one's writing compelling and interesting is what one brings, as in experiences, to the topic. The film I showed you is a award winning film that expands the story in Ruined. It is also topical, as in Liberia there is an election now.
If anyone finds the information about Layman Gbowee's book tour, please post it.
We spent a moment developing a potential opening sentence in a short response to Ritcker's film. We stated that it is about a peace movement started by a woman, Gbowee which is remarkable in that it united women cross culturally and cross other ethnic, religious and economic lines.
We started to draw parallels between Laymah and Mama Nadi looking at how sex is used as a tool to stop war and establish peace, even if their motivations are viewed similarly by all.
Safety for the women and their families, safety for the patrons in the brothel--safety for the nation are places where the two stories also overlap.
Not many students saw altruism as a characteristic of Mama Nadi, except Nick who mentioned Mama Nadi's agreement to let Sophie stay. Other student countered this with Mama Nadi's dependence on Christian for girls and goods and how she needed to continue to cultivate his favor.
Ruined
Ruined is also topical as next week is Congo Week.
We read up to Scene 5 and a part of Scene 6. We will finish the play on Tuesday and talk a bit about poetry. Students should also bring in their books they are reading, the point of reading a play aloud was to give students an opportunity to read their book.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Completing "Ruined"
Today we looked at Topical Invention, a questioning strategy to develop: analogies, definition, consequence, testimony.
When using this strategy, students are to reference the topic in each sentence.
The questions are:
Definition: What is it/What was it?
Consequence: What caused it/Did it cause?
Analogy: What is it like or unlike?
Testimony: What does an authority say about it?
We incorporated these questions into a three paragraph essay: Thesis or Pro-Argument, Antithesis or Con-argument, Synthesis or the mediation point between the two polarities.
We didn't complete the essay; however, we did complete it via discussion. Please post your reflections on this process, both topical invention and the 3-part essay.
Homework is to bring in the book or work you plan to use for your final essay. Also, bring in the collection of poetry: Indivisible. Bring in earplugs too.
Lastly, bring in a question you'd like to explore re: Ruined. We spoke about several angles and read the student essay in The Portable Guide.
We will have a freewrite connected to Ruined.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Freewrite
Ruined Thoughts (smile)
Ruined Topics
POETRY
Why one needs poetry in war times
Poetry as a symbol in Ruined
DEFINITION
What does it mean to be ruined?
RAPE as a metaphor for capitalism and neocolonialism, Western Cultures over consumption.
SOBRIETY
Why does Christian value his sobriety? What does the FANTA REPRESENT?
CHARACTER(S)
Character names: Christian, Fortune, Salima or Peace, Mama Nadi, Sophie (symbol of wisdom. Wisdom comes from suffering. Are Sophie and Mama Nadi two aspects of the same character or persona?
What about Salima and Josephine, are they aspects of the same composite character, a woman who is both victim and survivor in warfare? How does she survive? How does she transform the situation into a life which is while not opportune, somewhat bearable? )
SCENE
Scene: Eden turned in on itself. Congo is rich and deadly like the apple (Colton) can change one’s fortune forever
SYMBOLS
Colton—snake or is the snake or temptation greed
Love—how even in the worse situations there is love, there is a place for love and thus a place for hope
Fortune's iron pot.
BLOOD AS sacrifice, blood as cleansing, blood as renewal, blood as hope.
SOLDIER'S BOOT on Salima's chest, on her baby's skull and her comparison of it to something sweet (Nottage 46).
LANGUAGE
We looked at the language of the play and the dialogue. One can look more closely at how what is said doesn't always mirror what is done.
In Class Writing
Students spent a significant time exploring a topic, theirs or one of mine in an extended freewrite. No one wanted to do any collaborative writing (smile). Post your musings here for feedback. This is optional.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Poetry Group Presentation
Students will make presentations on poetry per: Writing about Literature (82). The sections are: Elements of Poetry: The Speaker & The Listener; Elements of Poetry: Imagery; Elements of Poetry: Sound and Sense; Elements of Poetry: Form, Elements of Poetry: Meter.
Jay, Jacqueline, June and Tia: Imagery
Joseph, Ade, Al: Sound and Sense
Melvin, Angela, Nick: Form
Ajmand, Igor: Meter
We will go over: Elements of Poetry: The Speaker & The Listener together in freewrites.
We had a guest last week, Thursday, October 27, 2011, Maria Acuña. She performs with the Quijeremá, which has a performance at "Strings," November, 2, 8 PM in Berkeley on San Pablo near Alcatraz.
Students were very quiet and didn't engage Maria much. In fact, she didn't even share any of her own work. Today, as a freewrite, write a response to Maria in the form of a letter. Tell her what you took from her presentation and ask her a few questions in retrospect you wish you had asked.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Cyber-Assignment
In three paragraphs respond to a poem(s). Look at the Listener and Speaker, rather implied or stated and what this relationship reveals about how one reads the poem (82-83). Use literary language in the analysis.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Poetry Presentations Thursday, Nov. 3 & Cyber-Self-Reflection on the process
Thursday, Nov. 3 we will make our presentations. There are 3 groups presentations and one individual, Ade. His partners didn't show up today. For absent students we'll have to figure out a make up assignment. I am open to ideas.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Something to think about?
Last Thursday, Nov. 10, we watched most of Persepolis. Tuesday, Nov. 8, we watched a panel discussion with the author, producers, actors and artists re: Persepolis the film. Students were to write their poetry essays in class Tuesday, but elected to email them to me before class Nov. 8, 2011.
Food for thought
When thinking about the graphic novel Persepolis, how does the story of the Iranian revolution parallel that of the protagonist? How is the process of growing up, that is the maturation process; childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, a revolution of sorts? Think about Kimberly in Girl in Translation. How are the two protagonists similar?
Talk about the various allies Marji uses to test her theories on. How are they her conscious? I am thinking of God and her grandmother? However, there are others.
How specifically does the visual language of the work add to the narrative? Does the visual device ever become more or bigger than the thing, in this case, novel, itself?
How does art push the story and perhaps even the genre into another realm? What would you call this realm?
Is is poetry? How so? Why not?
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Cyber-Freewrite
Today we watched a film, A Brush with the Tenderloin. Reflect on how muralist Mona Caron uses her art to paint into view a hidden part of San Francisco's landscape. How what she does similar to Marjane Sarapi's art in The Complete Persepolis?
How is one's imagination sometimes inadequate in depicting certain realities? How does the art help one conceptualize unspeakable or unimaginable realities like poverty and war, homelessness and alienation?
In three paragraphs, minimally, reflect on the art and the artist and the way artists tell stories. Is this a different kind of narrative? What do the two genres share?
http://abrushwiththetenderloin.com/
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Post your abstract for the Independent Study Essay here. We will present our essays on Thursday. The essay is due by then as well. Presentations will be 3-5 minutes long. Post your self-reflections here as well and comments to classmates on their presentations.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Portfolio Submission Guidelines
Don't forget to include in the subject line in the email: your name and the assignment: COA Sabir English 1B Portfolio Fall 2011
Email by or on Friday, Dec. 16, 2011, 12 noon to: coasabirenglish1B@gmail.com Paste and attach the one word document.
I have added the rest of the assignments to the portfolio draft to make it easier to check their inclusion.
Don't forget to include in the subject line in the email: your name and the assignment: COA Sabir English 1B Portfolio Fall 2011
Email by or on Friday, Dec. 16, 2011, 12 noon to: coasabirenglish1B@gmail.com Paste and attach the one word document.
I have added the rest of the assignments to the portfolio draft to make it easier to check their inclusion.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Today in class we reviewed the portfolio process. Students were given two handouts on the Revision Process, "Chapter 7 1/2 Office Hours: Revision: Help from the Audience" (Skwire 217-218)and Chapter 8 1/2 Office Hours: Revision: The Psychology of It All" (251-252).
Feel free to use this information to write Portfolio Narrative Essay 2.
Skwire, Sarah E. and David Skwire. Writing with a Thesis: A Rhetoric & Reader. 9th Ed. Boston: Thomson Wadsworth. 2005. Print.
Each essay is a real essay, in that it needs to be scholarly and you have to cite your essays and include the references in a bibliography.
Feel free to use this information to write Portfolio Narrative Essay 2.
Skwire, Sarah E. and David Skwire. Writing with a Thesis: A Rhetoric & Reader. 9th Ed. Boston: Thomson Wadsworth. 2005. Print.
Each essay is a real essay, in that it needs to be scholarly and you have to cite your essays and include the references in a bibliography.
Portfolio Checklist (draft)
This checklist can serve as the table of contents. Put a check next to the items to show inclusion in the portfolio. Use as the second page to the portfolio, after the cover sheet. Where there are questions for the section, students can post the answers to the narrative there.
Number the pages with a header.
Name ______________________________
Date ______________________________
Class including class code and semester ____________________
Address _______________________________________
Phone number __________________________________
Email address__________________________________
Portfolio Narratives (250 words each, minimally).
1. The fist narrative will look at the 18 week semester, the themes we discussed: immigration, family, assimilation, alienation, genocide, disenfranchisement, colonization, war, violence against women. . . . Talk about what you've learned and discovered about writing, college and life, which have transformed or changed you.
What have you learned about yourself this semester? What have you learned about the discipline you are studying in this class: composition and reading that you plan to carry forth into your lifelong pursuit of learning?
Please also comment on the texts and whether or not they were helpful in this process. You can also talk about the instruction, culture of the class and the teacher.
2. Use two essays as evidence to discuss your revision process. Don’t forget to include it in the works cited page. Use a scholarly source as well to talk about the revision process. I gave you two handouts at the start of class. Also use your grammar style book (Hacker, etc.) There will be at least two sources, perhaps three used for this essay.
Checklist
The checklist will list all the assignments, but you know what they are. Post the entire portfolio for each section. On the checklist include all the assignment grades. I will get the other grades to you before Friday, so you can update that part of the portfolios.
All the essays included in the portfolio are graded essays: Short Fiction, the Novel (2), The Play, Poetry, Final Essay and Presentation (student choice re: genre).
We will toss the lowest graded essay. Include it.
Presentations:
Group presentations: Poetry and individual on favorite poem and final essay. Please include the abstract for the final essay and for the others your poem and the responses received re: presentation. For group essays: Post the essay and any responses to it.
3. Other Cyber-Assignments. Divide them into freewrites and cyber-essays. Most of the cyber-essays were collaborative.
4. Literary event essay
5. Extra credit. If you have written any essays this semester for extra credit they would go in this section.
6. Evaluation: There is a course evaluation for the class which is optional. I also ask if I can use any of your work for academic research.
This is a preliminary checklist.
This checklist can serve as the table of contents. Put a check next to the items to show inclusion in the portfolio. Use as the second page to the portfolio, after the cover sheet. Where there are questions for the section, students can post the answers to the narrative there.
Number the pages with a header.
Name ______________________________
Date ______________________________
Class including class code and semester ____________________
Address _______________________________________
Phone number __________________________________
Email address__________________________________
Portfolio Narratives (250 words each, minimally).
1. The fist narrative will look at the 18 week semester, the themes we discussed: immigration, family, assimilation, alienation, genocide, disenfranchisement, colonization, war, violence against women. . . . Talk about what you've learned and discovered about writing, college and life, which have transformed or changed you.
What have you learned about yourself this semester? What have you learned about the discipline you are studying in this class: composition and reading that you plan to carry forth into your lifelong pursuit of learning?
Please also comment on the texts and whether or not they were helpful in this process. You can also talk about the instruction, culture of the class and the teacher.
2. Use two essays as evidence to discuss your revision process. Don’t forget to include it in the works cited page. Use a scholarly source as well to talk about the revision process. I gave you two handouts at the start of class. Also use your grammar style book (Hacker, etc.) There will be at least two sources, perhaps three used for this essay.
Checklist
The checklist will list all the assignments, but you know what they are. Post the entire portfolio for each section. On the checklist include all the assignment grades. I will get the other grades to you before Friday, so you can update that part of the portfolios.
All the essays included in the portfolio are graded essays: Short Fiction, the Novel (2), The Play, Poetry, Final Essay and Presentation (student choice re: genre).
We will toss the lowest graded essay. Include it.
Presentations:
Group presentations: Poetry and individual on favorite poem and final essay. Please include the abstract for the final essay and for the others your poem and the responses received re: presentation. For group essays: Post the essay and any responses to it.
3. Other Cyber-Assignments. Divide them into freewrites and cyber-essays. Most of the cyber-essays were collaborative.
4. Literary event essay
5. Extra credit. If you have written any essays this semester for extra credit they would go in this section.
6. Evaluation: There is a course evaluation for the class which is optional. I also ask if I can use any of your work for academic research.
This is a preliminary checklist.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Cyber-Freewrite
Today we watched a film, A Brush with the Tenderloin. Reflect on how muralist Mona Caron uses her art to paint into view a hidden part of San Francisco's landscape. How what she does similar to Marjane Sarapi's art in The Complete Persepolis?
How is one's imagination sometimes inadequate in depicting certain realities? How does the art help one conceptualize unspeakable or unimaginable realities like poverty and war, homelessness and alienation?
In three paragraphs, minimally, reflect on the art and the artist and the way artists tell stories. Is this a different kind of narrative? What do the two genres share?
http://abrushwiththetenderloin.com/
How is one's imagination sometimes inadequate in depicting certain realities? How does the art help one conceptualize unspeakable or unimaginable realities like poverty and war, homelessness and alienation?
In three paragraphs, minimally, reflect on the art and the artist and the way artists tell stories. Is this a different kind of narrative? What do the two genres share?
http://abrushwiththetenderloin.com/
Monday, November 14, 2011
Something to think about?
Last Thursday, Nov. 10, we watched most of Persepolis. Tuesday, Nov. 8, we watched a panel discussion with the author, producers, actors and artists re: Persepolis the film. Students were to write their poetry essays in class Tuesday, but elected to email them to me before class Nov. 8, 2011.
Food for thought
When thinking about the graphic novel Persepolis, how does the story of the Iranian revolution parallel that of the protagonist? How is the process of growing up, that is the maturation process; childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, a revolution of sorts? Think about Kimberly in Girl in Translation. How are the two protagonists similar?
Talk about the various allies Marji uses to test her theories on. How are they her conscious? I am thinking of God and her grandmother? However, there are others.
How specifically does the visual language of the work add to the narrative? Does the visual device ever become more or bigger than the thing, in this case, novel, itself?
How does art push the story and perhaps even the genre into another realm? What would you call this realm?
Is is poetry? How so? Why not?
Food for thought
When thinking about the graphic novel Persepolis, how does the story of the Iranian revolution parallel that of the protagonist? How is the process of growing up, that is the maturation process; childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, a revolution of sorts? Think about Kimberly in Girl in Translation. How are the two protagonists similar?
Talk about the various allies Marji uses to test her theories on. How are they her conscious? I am thinking of God and her grandmother? However, there are others.
How specifically does the visual language of the work add to the narrative? Does the visual device ever become more or bigger than the thing, in this case, novel, itself?
How does art push the story and perhaps even the genre into another realm? What would you call this realm?
Is is poetry? How so? Why not?
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Poetry Presentations Thursday, Nov. 3 & Cyber-Self-Reflection on the process
Thursday, Nov. 3 we will make our presentations. There are 3 groups presentations and one individual, Ade. His partners didn't show up today. For absent students we'll have to figure out a make up assignment. I am open to ideas.
Teachers
Prepare a lesson plan to hand out to me and an assignment as well. The class doesn't have to have anything printed unless the exercise or evaluative tool is printed. If there are copies you can get them made here if you arrive early.
Self-Reflection
The assignment after the presentation will be to reflect on the process of preparing a lesson, teaching it and then seeing through an evaluative tool, how well the class does.
How well did your students do? What would you change, if anything? What did you learn?
Student Audience Reflection
Students, respond to the other presentations specifically, that is, what was the lesson presented and what did you like about how it was structured. Were there any surprises from the teacher or from the class, yourself included?
Do you have any unresolved questions? If so, ask them here. You can be anonymous on the peer-teacher(s) feedback.
Teachers
Prepare a lesson plan to hand out to me and an assignment as well. The class doesn't have to have anything printed unless the exercise or evaluative tool is printed. If there are copies you can get them made here if you arrive early.
Self-Reflection
The assignment after the presentation will be to reflect on the process of preparing a lesson, teaching it and then seeing through an evaluative tool, how well the class does.
How well did your students do? What would you change, if anything? What did you learn?
Student Audience Reflection
Students, respond to the other presentations specifically, that is, what was the lesson presented and what did you like about how it was structured. Were there any surprises from the teacher or from the class, yourself included?
Do you have any unresolved questions? If so, ask them here. You can be anonymous on the peer-teacher(s) feedback.
Cyber-Assignment
In three paragraphs respond to a poem(s). Look at the Listener and Speaker, rather implied or stated and what this relationship reveals about how one reads the poem (82-83). Use literary language in the analysis.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Poetry Group Presentation
Students will make presentations on poetry per: Writing about Literature (82). The sections are: Elements of Poetry: The Speaker & The Listener; Elements of Poetry: Imagery; Elements of Poetry: Sound and Sense; Elements of Poetry: Form, Elements of Poetry: Meter.
Jay, Jacqueline, June and Tia: Imagery
Joseph, Ade, Al: Sound and Sense
Melvin, Angela, Nick: Form
Ajmand, Igor: Meter
We will go over: Elements of Poetry: The Speaker & The Listener together in freewrites.
We had a guest last week, Thursday, October 27, 2011, Maria Acuña. She performs with the Quijeremá, which has a performance at "Strings," November, 2, 8 PM in Berkeley on San Pablo near Alcatraz.
Students were very quiet and didn't engage Maria much. In fact, she didn't even share any of her own work. Today, as a freewrite, write a response to Maria in the form of a letter. Tell her what you took from her presentation and ask her a few questions in retrospect you wish you had asked.
Visit her website first and read more about the ensemble, if you have not already done so: http://www.quijerema.com/home.cfm
Born and raised in Venezuela, Maria Fernanda Acuña specializes in a variety of drums and Latin American percussion instruments such as the Peruvian Cajon, Afro-Venezuelan hand drums and Maracas. For her work with Quijeremá she has developed a unique drum-set incorporating folk instruments from around the world combined with traditional cymbals, snare and kick drum. She also is an accomplished Cuatro player. Her unique approach and wide range of instrumentation plays a major role in defining the sound of Quijeremá.
Acuña began her musical training on piano as a child, and as a teenager, trained on trapset with noted Venezuelan percussionist Jose Matos. She studied composition and arranging in Caracas with Maria Eugenia Vera, and percussion with Itabora Ferreira (Brazil), Alexander Livinali (Venezuela), and Alex Acuña (Peru), as well as studying at the Jazz School in Berkeley, California.
Acuña has worked with a variety of artists including Alex de Grassi, Rafael Manriquez, Jackeline Rago, The Venezuelan Music Project, and Eduardo Mendelievich with Creative Voices.
Acuña has a degree in Latin American literature at Mills College, with an emphasis on the historic and cultural development of Venezuelan music as it relates to the African diaspora, and is presently in a Master’s program in English Literature at Mills College. She also teaches Spanish through music to children at “Viva el Español” and in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Recap Continued
Besides deciding which students would present which poetry lesson, we also read a few poems, from Indivisible. Again, not much response from the audience (you). Verbal participation is a part of the class.
Students are worrying about grades. One student mentioned she needs an A in the class. It's too bad that knowledge is not an end in itself; it is the grade which is as I mention in the syllabus, not a true measure of one's skill, conceptual success, progress, or understanding, let alone one's ability to demonstrate this mastery once the incubation or class has ended.
Getting the A is the easy part. Identification and application of these skills in the real world is where the difficulty lies.
Take your vitamins before you show up tomorrow.
Students will make presentations on poetry per: Writing about Literature (82). The sections are: Elements of Poetry: The Speaker & The Listener; Elements of Poetry: Imagery; Elements of Poetry: Sound and Sense; Elements of Poetry: Form, Elements of Poetry: Meter.
Jay, Jacqueline, June and Tia: Imagery
Joseph, Ade, Al: Sound and Sense
Melvin, Angela, Nick: Form
Ajmand, Igor: Meter
We will go over: Elements of Poetry: The Speaker & The Listener together in freewrites.
We had a guest last week, Thursday, October 27, 2011, Maria Acuña. She performs with the Quijeremá, which has a performance at "Strings," November, 2, 8 PM in Berkeley on San Pablo near Alcatraz.
Students were very quiet and didn't engage Maria much. In fact, she didn't even share any of her own work. Today, as a freewrite, write a response to Maria in the form of a letter. Tell her what you took from her presentation and ask her a few questions in retrospect you wish you had asked.
Visit her website first and read more about the ensemble, if you have not already done so: http://www.quijerema.com/home.cfm
Born and raised in Venezuela, Maria Fernanda Acuña specializes in a variety of drums and Latin American percussion instruments such as the Peruvian Cajon, Afro-Venezuelan hand drums and Maracas. For her work with Quijeremá she has developed a unique drum-set incorporating folk instruments from around the world combined with traditional cymbals, snare and kick drum. She also is an accomplished Cuatro player. Her unique approach and wide range of instrumentation plays a major role in defining the sound of Quijeremá.
Acuña began her musical training on piano as a child, and as a teenager, trained on trapset with noted Venezuelan percussionist Jose Matos. She studied composition and arranging in Caracas with Maria Eugenia Vera, and percussion with Itabora Ferreira (Brazil), Alexander Livinali (Venezuela), and Alex Acuña (Peru), as well as studying at the Jazz School in Berkeley, California.
Acuña has worked with a variety of artists including Alex de Grassi, Rafael Manriquez, Jackeline Rago, The Venezuelan Music Project, and Eduardo Mendelievich with Creative Voices.
Acuña has a degree in Latin American literature at Mills College, with an emphasis on the historic and cultural development of Venezuelan music as it relates to the African diaspora, and is presently in a Master’s program in English Literature at Mills College. She also teaches Spanish through music to children at “Viva el Español” and in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Recap Continued
Besides deciding which students would present which poetry lesson, we also read a few poems, from Indivisible. Again, not much response from the audience (you). Verbal participation is a part of the class.
Students are worrying about grades. One student mentioned she needs an A in the class. It's too bad that knowledge is not an end in itself; it is the grade which is as I mention in the syllabus, not a true measure of one's skill, conceptual success, progress, or understanding, let alone one's ability to demonstrate this mastery once the incubation or class has ended.
Getting the A is the easy part. Identification and application of these skills in the real world is where the difficulty lies.
Take your vitamins before you show up tomorrow.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Assignments, Homework and Cyber-Assignments
Today in class we discussed the essay on Ruined which is due, Thursday, October 27, 2011 before 12 midnight (smile). Melvin shared his essay this morning on Girl in Translation. He got an A on the essay. Each meeting we will hear from a student writer. I think this will help students measure where they are regarding what a passing sounds like.
Have an essay in mind so when you are invited to share, it is handy (smile).
Homework
Watch this video on Indivisible and respond here. It is an hour long, so give yourself time. It needs to be watched before class: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8faRwFvqLHU&noredirect=1
Bring your book to class, we will take one of the poems as a freewrite and talk about the language of poetry.
We will have a guest for the remainder of the class, unless she is chosen to serve on the jury.
Poetry Group Presentation
Students will make presentations on poetry per: Writing about Literature (82). The sections are: Elements of Poetry: The Speaker & The Listener; Elements of Poetry: Imagery; Elements of Poetry: Sound and Sense; Elements of Poetry: Form, Elements of Poetry: Meter.
Jay, Jacqueline, June and Tia: Imagery
Joseph, Ade, Al: Sound and Sense
Melvin, angela, Nick: Form
Ajmand, Igor: Meter
We will look at The Speaker & The Listener together
I will give out the assignments Thursday, October 27, 2011. Students will have an opportunity to get together and plan the presentation on Tuesday, November 1 and Thursday, Nov. 3. Students will develop a lesson plan with goals and objectives and teach a lesson as well.
It should be fun. All participants will share the grade. Students will give me copies of the lesson plan and have copies of the exercise(s) for students where applicable.
Poetry In-class Essay
We will write the poetry essay in class on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011, the entire essay. You will have an hour. Figure out what poem(s) from Indivisible you would like to analyze in an essay beforehand. Bring in an essay plan, with an outline and a thesis.
Persepolis In-class Essay
Consider it a midterm. We will write the essay on Persepolis in class as well. Consider it a final essay (smile).
Bring Persepolis to class Tuesday, Nov. 8-10, 2011. We will do a little background research on the film. I will show students some of the film, especially the interview with the writer. Students will have an opportunity to discuss the novel in class. It is not an essay read. We will write this essay in class on Nov. 17.
Final Essay
Your final, final essay is on your book and will be due Nov. 22, for a peer review. Bring it to class electronically. The presentations begin, Nov. 29 and continue Dec. 1. We will work on portfolios on Dec. 6. Students should bring all their assignments to class electronically that day so we can assemble them.
More later re: specifics, that is, the portfolio checklist.
This is the semester. Put these dates in your calendar. We have no sitting final. Thursday, Dec. 8 is an optional class. The portfolio isn't due until December 16, 2011. Grades aren't due until January 2012. I can let you know your grade if you need it to transfer or meet a requirement.
Have an essay in mind so when you are invited to share, it is handy (smile).
Homework
Watch this video on Indivisible and respond here. It is an hour long, so give yourself time. It needs to be watched before class: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8faRwFvqLHU&noredirect=1
Bring your book to class, we will take one of the poems as a freewrite and talk about the language of poetry.
We will have a guest for the remainder of the class, unless she is chosen to serve on the jury.
Poetry Group Presentation
Students will make presentations on poetry per: Writing about Literature (82). The sections are: Elements of Poetry: The Speaker & The Listener; Elements of Poetry: Imagery; Elements of Poetry: Sound and Sense; Elements of Poetry: Form, Elements of Poetry: Meter.
Jay, Jacqueline, June and Tia: Imagery
Joseph, Ade, Al: Sound and Sense
Melvin, angela, Nick: Form
Ajmand, Igor: Meter
We will look at The Speaker & The Listener together
I will give out the assignments Thursday, October 27, 2011. Students will have an opportunity to get together and plan the presentation on Tuesday, November 1 and Thursday, Nov. 3. Students will develop a lesson plan with goals and objectives and teach a lesson as well.
It should be fun. All participants will share the grade. Students will give me copies of the lesson plan and have copies of the exercise(s) for students where applicable.
Poetry In-class Essay
We will write the poetry essay in class on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011, the entire essay. You will have an hour. Figure out what poem(s) from Indivisible you would like to analyze in an essay beforehand. Bring in an essay plan, with an outline and a thesis.
Persepolis In-class Essay
Consider it a midterm. We will write the essay on Persepolis in class as well. Consider it a final essay (smile).
Bring Persepolis to class Tuesday, Nov. 8-10, 2011. We will do a little background research on the film. I will show students some of the film, especially the interview with the writer. Students will have an opportunity to discuss the novel in class. It is not an essay read. We will write this essay in class on Nov. 17.
Final Essay
Your final, final essay is on your book and will be due Nov. 22, for a peer review. Bring it to class electronically. The presentations begin, Nov. 29 and continue Dec. 1. We will work on portfolios on Dec. 6. Students should bring all their assignments to class electronically that day so we can assemble them.
More later re: specifics, that is, the portfolio checklist.
This is the semester. Put these dates in your calendar. We have no sitting final. Thursday, Dec. 8 is an optional class. The portfolio isn't due until December 16, 2011. Grades aren't due until January 2012. I can let you know your grade if you need it to transfer or meet a requirement.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Literary Events
Quijerema performs at: Cafe Leila, Thursday, October 20 7 p.m., 1724 San Pablo Ave Berkeley CA Visit http://www.quijerema.com/
Maria, one of the members of this ensemble, is going to visit the class at some point this semester (smile). If you attend this evening, say hi to her and mention our class.
Desdemona (Wed.-Sat., Oct. 26-29)
Also think about attending one of the workshops for Desdemona next week: October 27, 5 PM and Friday, October 28, 12-2 PM. Visit http://www.calperformances.org/performances/2011-12/theater/desdemona.php
Cal Performances brings you the U.S. premiere of an extraordinary theatrical collaboration!
In response to Peter Sellars's 2009 Othello, Nobel Prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison, singer/songwriter Rokia Traoré, and Peter Sellars join forces to create an intimate and profound conversation from beyond the grave between Shakespeare's Desdemona and Barbary, the woman Shakespeare identifies as the African nurse who raised her. After centuries of colonialism and racism, the two women share stories, songs, determination, and hope for a different future. Morrison has written an unforgettable, incisive, and compelling script, and writing the music and singing the role of Barbary is Rokia Traoré, one of Africa's greatest vocalists. Traoré plays off the griot tradition, transforming and extending classic Malian music into a "truly mesmerizing" (USA Today) sound. Peter Sellars, the creative, penetrating, and influential voice in the world of opera and theater, directs.
Maria, one of the members of this ensemble, is going to visit the class at some point this semester (smile). If you attend this evening, say hi to her and mention our class.
Desdemona (Wed.-Sat., Oct. 26-29)
Also think about attending one of the workshops for Desdemona next week: October 27, 5 PM and Friday, October 28, 12-2 PM. Visit http://www.calperformances.org/performances/2011-12/theater/desdemona.php
Cal Performances brings you the U.S. premiere of an extraordinary theatrical collaboration!
In response to Peter Sellars's 2009 Othello, Nobel Prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison, singer/songwriter Rokia Traoré, and Peter Sellars join forces to create an intimate and profound conversation from beyond the grave between Shakespeare's Desdemona and Barbary, the woman Shakespeare identifies as the African nurse who raised her. After centuries of colonialism and racism, the two women share stories, songs, determination, and hope for a different future. Morrison has written an unforgettable, incisive, and compelling script, and writing the music and singing the role of Barbary is Rokia Traoré, one of Africa's greatest vocalists. Traoré plays off the griot tradition, transforming and extending classic Malian music into a "truly mesmerizing" (USA Today) sound. Peter Sellars, the creative, penetrating, and influential voice in the world of opera and theater, directs.
Freewrite
Ruined Thoughts (smile)
Ruined Topics
POETRY
Why one needs poetry in war times
Poetry as a symbol in Ruined
DEFINITION
What does it mean to be ruined?
RAPE as a metaphor for capitalism and neocolonialism, Western Cultures over consumption.
SOBRIETY
Why does Christian value his sobriety? What does the FANTA REPRESENT?
CHARACTER(S)
Character names: Christian, Fortune, Salima or Peace, Mama Nadi, Sophie (symbol of wisdom. Wisdom comes from suffering. Are Sophie and Mama Nadi two aspects of the same character or persona?
What about Salima and Josephine, are they aspects of the same composite character, a woman who is both victim and survivor in warfare? How does she survive? How does she transform the situation into a life which is while not opportune, somewhat bearable? )
SCENE
Scene: Eden turned in on itself. Congo is rich and deadly like the apple (Colton) can change one’s fortune forever
SYMBOLS
Colton—snake or is the snake or temptation greed
Love—how even in the worse situations there is love, there is a place for love and thus a place for hope
Fortune's iron pot.
BLOOD AS sacrifice, blood as cleansing, blood as renewal, blood as hope.
SOLDIER'S BOOT on Salima's chest, on her baby's skull and her comparison of it to something sweet (Nottage 46).
LANGUAGE
We looked at the language of the play and the dialogue. One can look more closely at how what is said doesn't always mirror what is done.
In Class Writing
Students spent a significant time exploring a topic, theirs or one of mine in an extended freewrite. No one wanted to do any collaborative writing (smile). Post your musings here for feedback. This is optional.
OUTLINE from the board
& Cyber-Assignment
1. Find a scholarly article connected to a theme you'd like to explore in your essay or connected to thematically to the play. Use the COA library database. Post a summary of the article here.
Read it and summarize it. When you have finished the summary, compare to the abstract. Where if at all do the two interpretations differ? How so?
Other HOMEWORK Outline continued
I gave a brief overview of the chapter on poetry. Students are to read it and bring in the text Tuesday.
2. Indivisible
3. Revisions (Look for mail from me re: essay revisions).
4. A Reading (Students are to look through their body of work for this semester and be prepared to share an essay next week: Short Fiction, the Novel, Grace Paley.) I shared a student essay, which got an A+.
5. Read Writing about Poems (82)
6. For Tuesday, bring in a thesis sentence you'd like to explore in an essay on Ruined and clear examples and ideas on how you plan to accomplish this task. Be prepared to write for half an hour in class, to finish the essay for Thursday.
We will also explore revision strategies (video).
7. I passed out a handout on Topical Invention. I want students to use one of each type of sentence in this essay on Ruined.
Ruined Topics
POETRY
Why one needs poetry in war times
Poetry as a symbol in Ruined
DEFINITION
What does it mean to be ruined?
RAPE as a metaphor for capitalism and neocolonialism, Western Cultures over consumption.
SOBRIETY
Why does Christian value his sobriety? What does the FANTA REPRESENT?
CHARACTER(S)
Character names: Christian, Fortune, Salima or Peace, Mama Nadi, Sophie (symbol of wisdom. Wisdom comes from suffering. Are Sophie and Mama Nadi two aspects of the same character or persona?
What about Salima and Josephine, are they aspects of the same composite character, a woman who is both victim and survivor in warfare? How does she survive? How does she transform the situation into a life which is while not opportune, somewhat bearable? )
SCENE
Scene: Eden turned in on itself. Congo is rich and deadly like the apple (Colton) can change one’s fortune forever
SYMBOLS
Colton—snake or is the snake or temptation greed
Love—how even in the worse situations there is love, there is a place for love and thus a place for hope
Fortune's iron pot.
BLOOD AS sacrifice, blood as cleansing, blood as renewal, blood as hope.
SOLDIER'S BOOT on Salima's chest, on her baby's skull and her comparison of it to something sweet (Nottage 46).
LANGUAGE
We looked at the language of the play and the dialogue. One can look more closely at how what is said doesn't always mirror what is done.
In Class Writing
Students spent a significant time exploring a topic, theirs or one of mine in an extended freewrite. No one wanted to do any collaborative writing (smile). Post your musings here for feedback. This is optional.
OUTLINE from the board
& Cyber-Assignment
1. Find a scholarly article connected to a theme you'd like to explore in your essay or connected to thematically to the play. Use the COA library database. Post a summary of the article here.
Read it and summarize it. When you have finished the summary, compare to the abstract. Where if at all do the two interpretations differ? How so?
Other HOMEWORK Outline continued
I gave a brief overview of the chapter on poetry. Students are to read it and bring in the text Tuesday.
2. Indivisible
3. Revisions (Look for mail from me re: essay revisions).
4. A Reading (Students are to look through their body of work for this semester and be prepared to share an essay next week: Short Fiction, the Novel, Grace Paley.) I shared a student essay, which got an A+.
5. Read Writing about Poems (82)
6. For Tuesday, bring in a thesis sentence you'd like to explore in an essay on Ruined and clear examples and ideas on how you plan to accomplish this task. Be prepared to write for half an hour in class, to finish the essay for Thursday.
We will also explore revision strategies (video).
7. I passed out a handout on Topical Invention. I want students to use one of each type of sentence in this essay on Ruined.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Completing "Ruined"
Today we looked at Topical Invention, a questioning strategy to develop: analogies, definition, consequence, testimony.
When using this strategy, students are to reference the topic in each sentence.
The questions are:
Definition: What is it/What was it?
Consequence: What caused it/Did it cause?
Analogy: What is it like or unlike?
Testimony: What does an authority say about it?
We incorporated these questions into a three paragraph essay: Thesis or Pro-Argument, Antithesis or Con-argument, Synthesis or the mediation point between the two polarities.
We didn't complete the essay; however, we did complete it via discussion. Please post your reflections on this process, both topical invention and the 3-part essay.
Homework is to bring in the book or work you plan to use for your final essay. Also, bring in the collection of poetry: Indivisible. Bring in earplugs too.
Lastly, bring in a question you'd like to explore re: Ruined. We spoke about several angles and read the student essay in The Portable Guide.
We will have a freewrite connected to Ruined.
When using this strategy, students are to reference the topic in each sentence.
The questions are:
Definition: What is it/What was it?
Consequence: What caused it/Did it cause?
Analogy: What is it like or unlike?
Testimony: What does an authority say about it?
We incorporated these questions into a three paragraph essay: Thesis or Pro-Argument, Antithesis or Con-argument, Synthesis or the mediation point between the two polarities.
We didn't complete the essay; however, we did complete it via discussion. Please post your reflections on this process, both topical invention and the 3-part essay.
Homework is to bring in the book or work you plan to use for your final essay. Also, bring in the collection of poetry: Indivisible. Bring in earplugs too.
Lastly, bring in a question you'd like to explore re: Ruined. We spoke about several angles and read the student essay in The Portable Guide.
We will have a freewrite connected to Ruined.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Today in class there was a complaint that though the film, Pray the Devil Back to Hell was a great film, what was the connection between watching a film and writing an essay about literature or art?
Good question.
Some students are struggling with MLA and citations because they don't have materials in their possession and others are just rusty. In any event, no assignment is a throw away assignment. To make a film one has to be able to write and in a critique we look at themes, thesis or plot, character, etc., many of the same elements we have been looking at for fiction and plays, not to mention the social/political psychological aspect of the tale.
The theme is: Women and War. What makes one's writing compelling and interesting is what one brings, as in experiences, to the topic. The film I showed you is a awardwinning film that expands the story in Ruined. It is also topical, as in Liberia there is an election now.
If anyone finds the information about Layman Gbowee's book tour, please post it.
We spent a moment developing a potential opening sentence in a short response to Ritcker's film. We stated that it is about a peace movement started by a woman, Gbowee which is remarkable in that it united women cross culturally and cross other ethnic, religious and economic lines.
We started to draw parallels between Laymah and Mama Nadi looking at how sex is used as a tool to stop war and establish peace, even if their motivations are viewed similarly by all.
Safety for the women and their families, safety for the patrons in the brothel--safety for the nation are places where the two stories also overlap.
Not many students saw altruism as a characteristic of Mama Nadi, except Nick who mentioned Mama Nadi's agreement to let Sophie stay. Other student countered this with Mama Nadi's dependence on Christian for girls and goods and how she needed to continue to cultivate his favor.
Ruined
Ruined is also topical as next week is Congo Week.
We read up to Scene 5 and a part of Scene 6. We will finish the play on Tuesday and talk a bit about poetry. Students should also bring in their books they are reading, the point of reading a play aloud was to give students an opportunity to read their book.
Good question.
Some students are struggling with MLA and citations because they don't have materials in their possession and others are just rusty. In any event, no assignment is a throw away assignment. To make a film one has to be able to write and in a critique we look at themes, thesis or plot, character, etc., many of the same elements we have been looking at for fiction and plays, not to mention the social/political psychological aspect of the tale.
The theme is: Women and War. What makes one's writing compelling and interesting is what one brings, as in experiences, to the topic. The film I showed you is a awardwinning film that expands the story in Ruined. It is also topical, as in Liberia there is an election now.
If anyone finds the information about Layman Gbowee's book tour, please post it.
We spent a moment developing a potential opening sentence in a short response to Ritcker's film. We stated that it is about a peace movement started by a woman, Gbowee which is remarkable in that it united women cross culturally and cross other ethnic, religious and economic lines.
We started to draw parallels between Laymah and Mama Nadi looking at how sex is used as a tool to stop war and establish peace, even if their motivations are viewed similarly by all.
Safety for the women and their families, safety for the patrons in the brothel--safety for the nation are places where the two stories also overlap.
Not many students saw altruism as a characteristic of Mama Nadi, except Nick who mentioned Mama Nadi's agreement to let Sophie stay. Other student countered this with Mama Nadi's dependence on Christian for girls and goods and how she needed to continue to cultivate his favor.
Ruined
Ruined is also topical as next week is Congo Week.
We read up to Scene 5 and a part of Scene 6. We will finish the play on Tuesday and talk a bit about poetry. Students should also bring in their books they are reading, the point of reading a play aloud was to give students an opportunity to read their book.
"Women and War" Freewrite and Essay
We watched video a couple of weeks ago on a PBS series: Women, War and Peace, which kicked off Tuesday, October 11, 2011. See http://www.pbs.org/wnet/women-war-and-peace/
The film Pray the Devil Back to Hell is a part of the series. Reflect on an essay on the topic of Women and War. Connect to Ruined.
Use 3 citations in the essay (250 words). Post here.
Pray the Devil Back to Hell chronicles the remarkable story of the courageous Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war and bring peace to their shattered country.
Film Synopsis
"Thousands of women — ordinary mothers, grandmothers, aunts and daughters, both Christian and Muslim — came together to pray for peace and then staged a silent protest outside of the Presidential Palace. Armed only with white T-shirts and the courage of their convictions, they demanded a resolution to the country’s civil war. Their actions were a critical element in bringing about a agreement during the stalled peace talks.
"A story of sacrifice, unity and transcendence, Pray the Devil Back to Hell honors the strength and perseverance of the women of Liberia. Inspiring, uplifting, and most of all motivating, it is a compelling testimony of how grassroots activism can alter the history of nations" (http://praythedevilbacktohell.com/synopsis.php)
Announcements
Next week is International Congo Week. There will be activities happening throughout the world to bring attention to what is happening there, esp. to the women. If you go to an event, and write about it, you can have extra credit. Visit http://congoweek.org/why-congo-week.html and http://www.friendsofthecongo.org/
This weekend is also Litquake Weekend, October 7-15. Visit http://www.litquake.org/
The film Pray the Devil Back to Hell is a part of the series. Reflect on an essay on the topic of Women and War. Connect to Ruined.
Use 3 citations in the essay (250 words). Post here.
Pray the Devil Back to Hell chronicles the remarkable story of the courageous Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war and bring peace to their shattered country.
Film Synopsis
"Thousands of women — ordinary mothers, grandmothers, aunts and daughters, both Christian and Muslim — came together to pray for peace and then staged a silent protest outside of the Presidential Palace. Armed only with white T-shirts and the courage of their convictions, they demanded a resolution to the country’s civil war. Their actions were a critical element in bringing about a agreement during the stalled peace talks.
"A story of sacrifice, unity and transcendence, Pray the Devil Back to Hell honors the strength and perseverance of the women of Liberia. Inspiring, uplifting, and most of all motivating, it is a compelling testimony of how grassroots activism can alter the history of nations" (http://praythedevilbacktohell.com/synopsis.php)
Announcements
Next week is International Congo Week. There will be activities happening throughout the world to bring attention to what is happening there, esp. to the women. If you go to an event, and write about it, you can have extra credit. Visit http://congoweek.org/why-congo-week.html and http://www.friendsofthecongo.org/
This weekend is also Litquake Weekend, October 7-15. Visit http://www.litquake.org/
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Cyber-Assignment on Ruined
Homework is to think about the characters in Ruined, Mama Nadi and the women in the brothel: Salima, Josephine and Sophie; Fortune, Salima's husband, his friend, Laurent, the military, Christian and Mr. Harari and lesser unnamed characters.
Write a brief recap and analysis of where we are in the story now and the symbolism Nottage captures in her characters and the setting, of the horrors of war. Later we even notice subtle irony in Nottage's choice of names for the characters as well, esp. Fortune, Salima's (which means "peace), husband. Is the brothel a kind of "Eden"?
If so, then who or what is the snake?
Post reflections here. Reference "Elements of Drama" (92) and "Literary Criticism" (143) specifically interpretive analysis looking at Formalism and New Criticism and Feminism and Gender Criticism, Post-colonial Criticism (a little), and Psychological Theories like archetypes (148-149). Marxism works as well, but I think LC and FNC provide a better framework for this analysis.
We will write this essay at the end of the month and start the Poetry unit towards the end of the month as well. We will have a special guest, Maria Acuna who will talk about her work and give us a writing assignment. Students will also team up to make presentations on Elements of Poetry per Writing about Literature.
Write a brief recap and analysis of where we are in the story now and the symbolism Nottage captures in her characters and the setting, of the horrors of war. Later we even notice subtle irony in Nottage's choice of names for the characters as well, esp. Fortune, Salima's (which means "peace), husband. Is the brothel a kind of "Eden"?
If so, then who or what is the snake?
Post reflections here. Reference "Elements of Drama" (92) and "Literary Criticism" (143) specifically interpretive analysis looking at Formalism and New Criticism and Feminism and Gender Criticism, Post-colonial Criticism (a little), and Psychological Theories like archetypes (148-149). Marxism works as well, but I think LC and FNC provide a better framework for this analysis.
We will write this essay at the end of the month and start the Poetry unit towards the end of the month as well. We will have a special guest, Maria Acuna who will talk about her work and give us a writing assignment. Students will also team up to make presentations on Elements of Poetry per Writing about Literature.
Girl in Translation Essay Assignment
Today students wrote their essays on Girl in Translation. This was an extended freewrite. Make sure you use 1-2 sources outside the book for your essay. If you only site from one source the other can be a bibliography.
Develop a question or statement to guide the writing. If students want to expand on the freewrite already posted, this is certainly okay.
The essays can be submitted via Internet today or by tomorrow if students needed more time to finish. Send to: coasabirenglish1B@gmail.com
Develop a question or statement to guide the writing. If students want to expand on the freewrite already posted, this is certainly okay.
The essays can be submitted via Internet today or by tomorrow if students needed more time to finish. Send to: coasabirenglish1B@gmail.com
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Cyber-Field Trip Sign-up for next Thursday, October 13, 2011
Let me know if you are interested and bring your $5 to class Monday-Tuesday, October 10-11, 2011. I want to buy the tickets in advance. The venue will not hold tickets for us, but I doubt that they sell out. However, one never knows, Marc is famous here and well-loved.
We can meet at West Oakland BART at 6:30 PM and travel together. YBCA is on Third and Mission Street, 701 Mission Street in San Francisco.
YBCA is pleased to present the world premiere of Joseph’s newest project, Red, Black & GREEN: Marc Bamuthi Joseph/ The Living Word Project October 13 - 22 7:30 p.m. Admission $5 You can buy as many tickets as you like. Invite friends and family.
Overview
It is a hard and obvious truth that people of color are under-represented in the environmental movement. It is also a hard and obvious truth that violent crime and poor education pose more of an imminent danger to most poor neighborhoods than environmental crisis. I personally am of the belief that the movement for social change and environmental accountability are one and the same, that focusing on steps to sustain the planet ultimately forces us to envision a pathway to sustaining humanity. — Marc Bamuthi Joseph
YBCA has had a long and fertile association with Bay Area artist and director Marc Bamuthi Joseph whose artistic work reflects an evolving aesthetic that integrates spoken word with contemporary movement to produce performance works that are populist, experimental and that challenge formal models from both a cultural and environmental.
We can meet at West Oakland BART at 6:30 PM and travel together. YBCA is on Third and Mission Street, 701 Mission Street in San Francisco.
YBCA is pleased to present the world premiere of Joseph’s newest project, Red, Black & GREEN: Marc Bamuthi Joseph/ The Living Word Project October 13 - 22 7:30 p.m. Admission $5 You can buy as many tickets as you like. Invite friends and family.
Overview
It is a hard and obvious truth that people of color are under-represented in the environmental movement. It is also a hard and obvious truth that violent crime and poor education pose more of an imminent danger to most poor neighborhoods than environmental crisis. I personally am of the belief that the movement for social change and environmental accountability are one and the same, that focusing on steps to sustain the planet ultimately forces us to envision a pathway to sustaining humanity. — Marc Bamuthi Joseph
YBCA has had a long and fertile association with Bay Area artist and director Marc Bamuthi Joseph whose artistic work reflects an evolving aesthetic that integrates spoken word with contemporary movement to produce performance works that are populist, experimental and that challenge formal models from both a cultural and environmental.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Today students shared reflections on Grace Paley's body of work. All of the poetry and stories were outstanding. Many students had similar selections like Alex and Nick, Angela and Jacqueline. The two women spoke of loving the eroticism in a poem about an older woman (smile).
Tia's poem elucidated a lot of conversation as we tried to figure out who was speaking--we looked at motives and regret in light of a tragic character's suicide. It was interesting how often one's ability to empathize with a character might be constrained by one's inability to see their dilemma. The conversation was wonderful as well. I found Nick's comments quite moving and insightful. I liked his personal reasons for choosing the work he did and connecting the poem he shared with the themes from the prose poem.
We then read Act 1, Scene 1. With nontraditional casting, the reading was fun.
Students then shifted back to Paley and read and commented on each other's essays and gave them a grade. Some students had to take the essay home and revise it, others turned them into me.
Homework is to read the chapter on writing about plays in Writing about Literature.
Tia's poem elucidated a lot of conversation as we tried to figure out who was speaking--we looked at motives and regret in light of a tragic character's suicide. It was interesting how often one's ability to empathize with a character might be constrained by one's inability to see their dilemma. The conversation was wonderful as well. I found Nick's comments quite moving and insightful. I liked his personal reasons for choosing the work he did and connecting the poem he shared with the themes from the prose poem.
We then read Act 1, Scene 1. With nontraditional casting, the reading was fun.
Students then shifted back to Paley and read and commented on each other's essays and gave them a grade. Some students had to take the essay home and revise it, others turned them into me.
Homework is to read the chapter on writing about plays in Writing about Literature.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Grace Paley: Collected Shorts (a film)
Today we watched a film about Grace Paley www.gracepaleythefilm.com
At the library orientation students were told about various literary databases. Use at least one of them to get more information about Paley.
Homework is also to visit the film website. Read about the film and the director. Respond to the following questions in 500 words (2 typed pages). Bring a copy of the essay to class. Also bring in a Paley short story or a poem or two, maybe three to share Tuesday.
Essay assignment:
Who is/was Grace Paley? How did she integrate writing and activism: the writer as social change agent? Use examples from the film and from one scholarly article about the writer. Use the COA library database. Sot there are three sources: Grace Paley: Collected Shorts, directed by Lilly Rivlin; one scholarly article, and your Paley poem or story.
Epilogue. . . Ten Years after That Reflection
Post your reflections on ten years after Kimberly "took a breath, got off the bed and opened the door" (Kwok 303).
Respond to a classmate's post too.
Respond to a classmate's post too.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Homework
Finish the book.
Bring in 6-7 essay questions, one or two per concept, related to literary concepts: Plot, Theme, Characters, Point of View or who's telling the story, Setting, Symbolism.
Bring the questions in electronically and print a set when you arrive and post them (smile).
We'll write a short essay in class, one individually as a freewrite and one as a group.
Lecture: Kimberly as super hero. Writing from a feminist perspective.
Notes: Immigration as a theme. Matt as antithesis or antihero or is he? How does choice effect Kim's life and its overall outcome? Is happiness or even a realistic goal? Is Kim's mother selfish?
Bring in 6-7 essay questions, one or two per concept, related to literary concepts: Plot, Theme, Characters, Point of View or who's telling the story, Setting, Symbolism.
Bring the questions in electronically and print a set when you arrive and post them (smile).
We'll write a short essay in class, one individually as a freewrite and one as a group.
Lecture: Kimberly as super hero. Writing from a feminist perspective.
Notes: Immigration as a theme. Matt as antithesis or antihero or is he? How does choice effect Kim's life and its overall outcome? Is happiness or even a realistic goal? Is Kim's mother selfish?
Information Literacy for Changing Audiences
Cyber-Freewrite
Recap, review and reflect on research. Why is research important in this information saturated age? How does research or weighing one's options help scholars develop cogent theories? is research just limited to the academy? What specifically did the librarian share with you today that you didn't know? what was different from other orientations you've attended in the past here or elsewhere? What if anything did he leave out?
Visit the librarian, Steve Gerstle's webpage at the College of Alameda (peralta.cc.ca.edu).
Recap, review and reflect on research. Why is research important in this information saturated age? How does research or weighing one's options help scholars develop cogent theories? is research just limited to the academy? What specifically did the librarian share with you today that you didn't know? what was different from other orientations you've attended in the past here or elsewhere? What if anything did he leave out?
Visit the librarian, Steve Gerstle's webpage at the College of Alameda (peralta.cc.ca.edu).
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Cyber-Assignments, In-class and for homework
Today in class I reviewed each essay before students sent the assignment to me to make sure it was correct. Some students came in later and missed this long process (smile). If you got to class afterward, ask a classmate to show you theirs before you send your assignment into me.
We then got into "Lit Circles" to discuss Girl in Translation.
The in-class Cyber-Assignment is to look at themes in GIT and write a three paragraph-essay about it. use 3-citations, one per paragraph. Post here and respond to a classmate's post (group post).
Homework
1. Read chapters 6, 7, 8 (up to page 182).
2. Cyber-Assignment: The book lends itself to a hero's journey. Imagine Kimberly with her cape and sword.
What is her kryptonite(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kryptonite)? Are there villains and other heroes in the story? Who is the love interest? What challenges does Kimberly face of her own creation and that of others like her aunt and her teacher(s), her mother, American of western cultural values vs. Chinese or eastern culture?
Reflect on Kimberly as the flawed heroine in three paragraphs. Respond to a classmate's analysis.
As an aside think about how character development in a novel differ from that in a short story? Don't forget to respond to Tuesday's cyber-assignment re: review and reading the author's website for background information. I had an interview with Jean Kwok. I will post a link here later. It was on my radio show when she was on a book tour: wandaspicks.asmnetwork.org or blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks
We then got into "Lit Circles" to discuss Girl in Translation.
The in-class Cyber-Assignment is to look at themes in GIT and write a three paragraph-essay about it. use 3-citations, one per paragraph. Post here and respond to a classmate's post (group post).
Homework
1. Read chapters 6, 7, 8 (up to page 182).
2. Cyber-Assignment: The book lends itself to a hero's journey. Imagine Kimberly with her cape and sword.
What is her kryptonite(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kryptonite)? Are there villains and other heroes in the story? Who is the love interest? What challenges does Kimberly face of her own creation and that of others like her aunt and her teacher(s), her mother, American of western cultural values vs. Chinese or eastern culture?
Reflect on Kimberly as the flawed heroine in three paragraphs. Respond to a classmate's analysis.
As an aside think about how character development in a novel differ from that in a short story? Don't forget to respond to Tuesday's cyber-assignment re: review and reading the author's website for background information. I had an interview with Jean Kwok. I will post a link here later. It was on my radio show when she was on a book tour: wandaspicks.asmnetwork.org or blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Peer Reviews, Girl in Translation
Essays are due Thursday, Sept. 22. Bring them in electronically already set up to email. Students will email them to me from class.
Homework is to read chapters 4-5. The discussion was really sparse, really sparse. Only a few students shared passages from the book. Makes me think students didn't read the book (hum).
Come to class prepared Thursday.
Cyber-Assignments
1. Post a reflection on the peer review process from the point of view of the recipient and the advisor. What did you enjoy about the process? What did you gain? What did you learn about yourself? What will you do differently next time you have such an opportunity?
2. Secondly, students are to find a published review for Girl in Translation and review the author's website. Read the review and post a response. How doe Kwok's life experience inform her material?
Try out the COA Library Database (smile). There is more to research than google.com
Homework is to read chapters 4-5. The discussion was really sparse, really sparse. Only a few students shared passages from the book. Makes me think students didn't read the book (hum).
Come to class prepared Thursday.
Cyber-Assignments
1. Post a reflection on the peer review process from the point of view of the recipient and the advisor. What did you enjoy about the process? What did you gain? What did you learn about yourself? What will you do differently next time you have such an opportunity?
2. Secondly, students are to find a published review for Girl in Translation and review the author's website. Read the review and post a response. How doe Kwok's life experience inform her material?
Try out the COA Library Database (smile). There is more to research than google.com
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Essay Assignment
1. Discussion: Essay 1, Short Fiction
What is the question your essay will answer?
2. Composition
3. Homework: Bring in the completed essay to class Tuesday electronically. Bring in Girl in Translation. Read up to page 63. Students can always read ahead. Write a reading log with character descriptions, a short summary per chapter, any questions.
We meet here.
Future calendar items: On Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011, 9 AM we will meet in the library, behind the reference desk for an orientation with Professor Steve Gerstle.
What is the question your essay will answer?
2. Composition
3. Homework: Bring in the completed essay to class Tuesday electronically. Bring in Girl in Translation. Read up to page 63. Students can always read ahead. Write a reading log with character descriptions, a short summary per chapter, any questions.
We meet here.
Future calendar items: On Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011, 9 AM we will meet in the library, behind the reference desk for an orientation with Professor Steve Gerstle.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Cyber-Assignment
Post your reflection on the poem: "A Moment of Silence" here. Today we started in C-212 and ended up in A-232. There were quite a few trees felled (smile). Handouts galore: 3-Part Thesis, various invention worksheets, and Questions for Discussing Essays.
Homework is to bring in a completed Initial Planning Sheet and an outline, which should include a thesis.
Students are to chose one story or look at a device across the landscape of multiple stories for the essay we will start on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2011. The essay will use one citation per page: 1 free paraphrase, 1 block quote and 1 shorter citation. The fourth or last page is the works cited. If the essay is longer than 3 pages then the writer can use more citations.
Students should review literary devices associated with fiction like plot, character, point of view or narrator, diction, imagery, setting, theme (smile). The stories chosen should be ones we haven't written about already, although if one is looking at a character across multiple landscapes then of course one can reference earlier stories.
Students are to bring in a completed or polished essay Tuesday for a peer review in class. After the peer review, students will email the entire portfolio to me. It will include: The polished draft, the peer review, the initial planning sheet, and the outline, oh and all the cyber-assignments associated with The Dance Boots. Students can compile these assignments. All of these documents will be submitted in a word document.
There is a Pow Wow at Evergreen College this weekend, Sept.17, 2011. I'll post more later.
Homework is to bring in a completed Initial Planning Sheet and an outline, which should include a thesis.
Students are to chose one story or look at a device across the landscape of multiple stories for the essay we will start on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2011. The essay will use one citation per page: 1 free paraphrase, 1 block quote and 1 shorter citation. The fourth or last page is the works cited. If the essay is longer than 3 pages then the writer can use more citations.
Students should review literary devices associated with fiction like plot, character, point of view or narrator, diction, imagery, setting, theme (smile). The stories chosen should be ones we haven't written about already, although if one is looking at a character across multiple landscapes then of course one can reference earlier stories.
Students are to bring in a completed or polished essay Tuesday for a peer review in class. After the peer review, students will email the entire portfolio to me. It will include: The polished draft, the peer review, the initial planning sheet, and the outline, oh and all the cyber-assignments associated with The Dance Boots. Students can compile these assignments. All of these documents will be submitted in a word document.
There is a Pow Wow at Evergreen College this weekend, Sept.17, 2011. I'll post more later.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Homework Recap and Cyber-Assignment (smile)
Today students discussed "Refugees Living and Dying" and "Shonnud's Girl" (59 and 77). In class students are to post a three paragraph response to a story (1).
Today's homework is to write a response to "Ojibwe Boys." Tuesday students will have an opportunity to discuss the entire work and talk about essay ideas.
Handouts: Intial Planning Sheet, OWL guide to Thesis Sentences, Literature Circles.
One of your classmates, Tia is reading poetry this weekend at Webster Street Jam Festival at 10 AM. It is the festival's 10th anniversary. She was invited by Alameda's Poet Laureate Mary Rudge.
Today's homework is to write a response to "Ojibwe Boys." Tuesday students will have an opportunity to discuss the entire work and talk about essay ideas.
Handouts: Intial Planning Sheet, OWL guide to Thesis Sentences, Literature Circles.
One of your classmates, Tia is reading poetry this weekend at Webster Street Jam Festival at 10 AM. It is the festival's 10th anniversary. She was invited by Alameda's Poet Laureate Mary Rudge.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Free Write: September 11, Ten Years later
We'll listen to Michael Jackson's song, "Heal the World."
For a while when September 11, rolled around people asked, where were you? I don't think any of us have ever forgotten. Seated among us are many young men and women who have been overseas fighting a war begun by President George W. Bush after 9/11.
President Saddam Hussein is gone--a literal off with his head. President Obama got Osama bin Laden, but without a body who's to say that was really him. The man eluded us for years. One hung the other shot and buried at sea.
With the "bad guys" gone, why is peace seemingly farther away that before? Is the sun rising in the west? Have I been praying in the wrong direction, is that how I missed the rising sun and its brilliant decline all these turbulent days since?
So what are your thoughts? How can we as Jackson sings, "Heal the world? Make is a better place for you and me and the entire human race?"
Post your responses here.
The plan for today is:
1. Freewrite
2. Review thesis sentence development
3. Group discussions on two stories by stories
4. Write essay 3-4 paragraph essays. Post and email them to me.
5. Homework is already stated below.
6. Extra credit: If anyone attends an art event this weekend around the commemoration of Sept. 11 and writes about it (250 words min), you can have extra credit.
Email me the extra credit assignment and post your short essays here as well. If you take photos, send them to me too.
I am still working on the annotated assignment list. I haven't forgotten. So far, most of the writing looks good. The MLA is sloppy and as advanced students, one has to do a better proofreading job.
For a while when September 11, rolled around people asked, where were you? I don't think any of us have ever forgotten. Seated among us are many young men and women who have been overseas fighting a war begun by President George W. Bush after 9/11.
President Saddam Hussein is gone--a literal off with his head. President Obama got Osama bin Laden, but without a body who's to say that was really him. The man eluded us for years. One hung the other shot and buried at sea.
With the "bad guys" gone, why is peace seemingly farther away that before? Is the sun rising in the west? Have I been praying in the wrong direction, is that how I missed the rising sun and its brilliant decline all these turbulent days since?
So what are your thoughts? How can we as Jackson sings, "Heal the world? Make is a better place for you and me and the entire human race?"
Post your responses here.
The plan for today is:
1. Freewrite
2. Review thesis sentence development
3. Group discussions on two stories by stories
4. Write essay 3-4 paragraph essays. Post and email them to me.
5. Homework is already stated below.
6. Extra credit: If anyone attends an art event this weekend around the commemoration of Sept. 11 and writes about it (250 words min), you can have extra credit.
Email me the extra credit assignment and post your short essays here as well. If you take photos, send them to me too.
I am still working on the annotated assignment list. I haven't forgotten. So far, most of the writing looks good. The MLA is sloppy and as advanced students, one has to do a better proofreading job.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Assignments and Cyber-Assignment on "Maggie and Louis"
Post the short essay taking its topic from "Maggie and Louis." We will complete the book this week and write an essay next week.
In class today, in small groups students looked at the story "Maggie and Louis" and discussed the elements one looks at when discussing literature from Writing about Literature. We also read a published student essay.
Some students were able to complete the essay from Dance Boots, others were not. For the collaborative essay on "Maggie and Louis," put all the names in the heading.
The essay was to look at one of the elements and write a compelling essay (Gardner 57-60). Each paragraph needs to use a citation: short quote, block quote and free paraphrase (not necessarily in that order.)
Post the essay here. Do not forget the works cited.
For Thursday, students are to read the next two stories and as a freewrite, students have a choice whether to respond to "Refugees Living and Dying" or "Shonnud's Girl" (59 or 77).
We reviewed chapters 3 and 4 in Writing about Literature (43 and 57). Purchase the book on-line by next week. Next week we will start Girl Interrupted and I will give you a more detailed assignment schedule as well by then, if not sooner.
Students can read ahead in Dance Boots. Thursday's homework will be to write a response to "Ojibwe Boys." Tuesday students will have an opportunity to discuss the entire work and talk about essay ideas.
Essay 1 on short fiction is due next Thursday for a peer review. The final draft is due either Friday or the following Monday by 12 noon. We can talk about this.
In class today, in small groups students looked at the story "Maggie and Louis" and discussed the elements one looks at when discussing literature from Writing about Literature. We also read a published student essay.
Some students were able to complete the essay from Dance Boots, others were not. For the collaborative essay on "Maggie and Louis," put all the names in the heading.
The essay was to look at one of the elements and write a compelling essay (Gardner 57-60). Each paragraph needs to use a citation: short quote, block quote and free paraphrase (not necessarily in that order.)
Post the essay here. Do not forget the works cited.
For Thursday, students are to read the next two stories and as a freewrite, students have a choice whether to respond to "Refugees Living and Dying" or "Shonnud's Girl" (59 or 77).
We reviewed chapters 3 and 4 in Writing about Literature (43 and 57). Purchase the book on-line by next week. Next week we will start Girl Interrupted and I will give you a more detailed assignment schedule as well by then, if not sooner.
Students can read ahead in Dance Boots. Thursday's homework will be to write a response to "Ojibwe Boys." Tuesday students will have an opportunity to discuss the entire work and talk about essay ideas.
Essay 1 on short fiction is due next Thursday for a peer review. The final draft is due either Friday or the following Monday by 12 noon. We can talk about this.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Freewrite Reflection on The Role of Good Reading
Today we met for the first time in A-232. We will meet here on Thursdays for the entire semester.
1. The cyber-assignment has to do with the premise that good reading is necessary to good writing (smile).
Write a 250 word response (3 paragraphs) to Writing about Literature:Introduction The Role of Good Reading (1-15). Please include a citation per paragraph (3).
One citation should be a paraphrase, another a short quote, the third or last a block quote (4 or more lines). See Hacker 424-425).
Don't forget to include a works cited page, that your MLA is perfect for the page set up, that is heading and header, margins, and in-text references (page numbers).
2. Students will email themselves a copy of the post. Make sure you paste and attach it and copy me: coasabirenglish1B@gmail.com
3. Analyzing fiction (Chapter 4 pages 57-60; 77-81). Literary Criticism and Literay Theory (143-)
4. "3 Seasons" --Discussion.
5 Homework: Write a response to the story (250). Use three citations, one per paragraph.
1. The cyber-assignment has to do with the premise that good reading is necessary to good writing (smile).
Write a 250 word response (3 paragraphs) to Writing about Literature:Introduction The Role of Good Reading (1-15). Please include a citation per paragraph (3).
One citation should be a paraphrase, another a short quote, the third or last a block quote (4 or more lines). See Hacker 424-425).
Don't forget to include a works cited page, that your MLA is perfect for the page set up, that is heading and header, margins, and in-text references (page numbers).
2. Students will email themselves a copy of the post. Make sure you paste and attach it and copy me: coasabirenglish1B@gmail.com
3. Analyzing fiction (Chapter 4 pages 57-60; 77-81). Literary Criticism and Literay Theory (143-)
4. "3 Seasons" --Discussion.
5 Homework: Write a response to the story (250). Use three citations, one per paragraph.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Film and Theatre in the SF Bay Area
Beginning Sept. 1 and for consecutive Thursdays in Sept. at 7:30 PM there will be a hip hop film festival presented by Fist Up! Productions. Visit http://www.lapena.org/. There is a $5 donation, but it is optional.
On Sept. 29, also at La Peña Cultural Center, in Berkeley near Ashby BART, Dennis Kim performs excerpts from "Tree City Legends," I saw this really wonderful work in the Hybrid program at Intersection for the Arts about two years ago.
The San Francisco FRINGE Festival starts next week too. Visit http://www.sffringe.org/
On Sept. 29, also at La Peña Cultural Center, in Berkeley near Ashby BART, Dennis Kim performs excerpts from "Tree City Legends," I saw this really wonderful work in the Hybrid program at Intersection for the Arts about two years ago.
The San Francisco FRINGE Festival starts next week too. Visit http://www.sffringe.org/
I noticed that students are not using proper MLA for their posts. Writers need to have a heading and a works cited where appropriate.
To post:
Click on "comment." Post response in box, then click anonymous, make sure you have included a heading: student name, course and time, date, my name.
Student Name (first and last)
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 201 A (or B) 8-8:50 AM or 1:30-3:20 PM
24 August 2011
Title
Content
To post:
Click on "comment." Post response in box, then click anonymous, make sure you have included a heading: student name, course and time, date, my name.
Student Name (first and last)
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 201 A (or B) 8-8:50 AM or 1:30-3:20 PM
24 August 2011
Title
Content
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Recap
Today we reviewed the short story: The Dance Boots. In groups students developed a character analysis of the protagonist Artense. Post a reflection on the discussion process at the link for the assignment. Also post the group narrative there along with everyone in the group's name.
Other homework is to read: Three Seasons and the first section of The Portable Guide (1-42). Don't forget to annotate the selections. I let you go early by mistake--don't worry, it won't happen again (smile).
If there are any questions, call me (smile).
Other homework is to read: Three Seasons and the first section of The Portable Guide (1-42). Don't forget to annotate the selections. I let you go early by mistake--don't worry, it won't happen again (smile).
If there are any questions, call me (smile).
Sunday, August 28, 2011
The Dance Boots Cyber Assignment
We spent the first meeting introducing ourselves to one another, answering questions about the syllabus. I gave students my cell number, so if you left early make sure you ask me for it. Students also exchanged phone numbers with peers.
I gave students copies of the title story in the collection, The Dance Boots. We spoke for a bit about literature and how it's defined. We all agreed that it was an art form with various genres.
In the Portable Guide in the section on fiction, it speaks to ways to analyze or think about fiction. For homework, students were to write a 250 words analytical response summary looking at themes raised in the story along with characters, plot, scene, themes, etc.
If the story references a period in American history you are not familiar with, do some background research. If you have the book, read the author's preface. I forgot to give you a copy. Students can also skim the section on Writing about Fiction.
I am interested in how well students capture the author's intent in their writing. After you post your response, please respond to at least two student responses. Mention the students by name. These comments can be short (smile).
I gave students copies of the title story in the collection, The Dance Boots. We spoke for a bit about literature and how it's defined. We all agreed that it was an art form with various genres.
In the Portable Guide in the section on fiction, it speaks to ways to analyze or think about fiction. For homework, students were to write a 250 words analytical response summary looking at themes raised in the story along with characters, plot, scene, themes, etc.
If the story references a period in American history you are not familiar with, do some background research. If you have the book, read the author's preface. I forgot to give you a copy. Students can also skim the section on Writing about Fiction.
I am interested in how well students capture the author's intent in their writing. After you post your response, please respond to at least two student responses. Mention the students by name. These comments can be short (smile).
Monday, August 22, 2011
Syllabus for Fall 2011
English 1B Fall 2011 College of Alameda
Professor Wanda Sabir
Class Meetings: Tuesday/Thursday, August 23-Dec. 8, 9:00 AM to 10:50 AM.
Course code 40009.
No classes: 9/5; 11/11; 11/24-27. Final Exam: Tuesday, Dec. 13 8-10 AM (Portfolios due via e-mail. There is no sitting exam.)
Drop dates: Sept. 2 (w/refund), Sept. 17 (w/out a W), Nov. 23 (w/W).
Syllabus for English 1B: College Composition and Reading Course code 40009
http://poeticsrapandtothersocialdiscourses.blogspot.com/
English 1B is a transferable college writing course. It builds on the competencies gained in English 1A with a more careful and studied analysis of expository writing based on readings of selected plays, poems, novels, and short fiction.
Writing is a social activity, especially the type of writing you’ll be doing here. We always consider our audience, have purpose or reason to write, and use research to substantiate our claims, even those we are considered experts in.
We’re supposed to write about 8000 words or so at this level course. The 8000 words over the semester (not per essay) include drafts. What this amounts to is time at home writing, time in the library on campus and public libraries too. Students will be researching, and reading documents to increase his or her facility with the ideas or themes he or she is contemplating, before he or she once again sits at his or her desk writing, revising, and writing some more.
Writing is a lonely process. No one can write for you. The social aspect comes into play once you are finished and you have an opportunity to share.
We are practicing skills which you developed in English 1A. The difference is we are looking at literature and analyzing other genres, in our case: poetry, fiction, music, theatre, visual arts, and dance. In order to do justice to the topics you chose to explore, the writer cannot ignore the history of the genre nor its current discourses or new roots.
I will be looking at the writing, but more than this I will be paying attention to the scholarship, which is why each essay has to include a citation from a scholarly article—4-10+ pages.
Your essays can use multiple styles . . . be creative. However, I need to know that you know how to write an essay, so save the creative work for last (smile). And if you plan to deviate from the norm, don’t surprise me, share the idea with me first.
We are going to read a book or play every few weeks. We start with short fiction and then move into a novel, dramatic literature, another novel and conclude with poetry. I am going to show you a film. We finish with students selecting writing outside of the assigned readings and writing a research analysis based on the work. The selection can be two short poems or a longer one, a novel, another play or a short story.
On Thursdays we will have critiques when an essay is due. More on this later. We will practice writing research analyses mid-semester. Students will grade each other based on a rubric.
Office Hours
I am a phone person, so when I give you my telephone number, use it. My office is D-219.
If you are a poor writer, get a tutor. We will have minimal revisions, like none unless the essay is horrible—students only get 1-2 BAD ESSAY DAYs (and the penalty is writing a correction essay, plus revising the essay). We will do peer reviews. I want to see polished work.
Methodology
We will use Writing about Literature: A Portable Guide, Second Edition by Janet E. Gardner in the class. There is a chapter for each genre of literature we will examine. We will review a chapter every week or two. The first section of the book reviews the writing process.
Keep a reading log/journal/notes containing key ideas outlined for each discussion section, along with vocabulary and key arguments listed, along with primary writing strategies employed: description, process analysis, narration, argument, cause and effect, compare and contrast, definition, problem solving. I will collect these typed notes electronically with the completed essays. The essays will be submitted electronically. Type all your notes and in-class writing assignments.
I repeat: each book or play will have a corresponding essay. There will also be a series of short 250 word essay responses posted on the class blog pertaining to each piece of literature. Students have a choice of writing a new paper or expanding the cyber-assignment into a longer work. Each research paper will be between 3-4 pages long. This includes a works cited page.
Again, the final is an oral presentation of one’s paper or a defense of one’s thesis. The student portfolio is the FINAL for the class. We will talk about this more. If any students are creative writers and wants to lead a workshop, let me know (smile).
Each student will have to attend a literary event of his or her choosing: lecture or author event, play or film. We can attend an event together or separately. The writing assignment will be an analysis/critique, like a review . . . but a bit deeper. I suggest students read published reviews beforehand to prepare for the task. This essay will be minimally two (2) pages or 500 words, not including a works cited page with minimally two (2) sources. All essays have to have 1 citation per page, so in the case of a two page essay, that is two citations (period).
Essay research requirements
Each essay needs to use at least 2-3 outside sources which should include at least one (1) scholarly article along with other material (taken from the COA on-line Library Database (if possible). Each essay should also include One (1) direct quote, one (1) free-paraphrase and one (1) block quote—one citation per page—no more, no less. Each essay also needs to include a works cited page and a bibliography. It needs to be perfect. We will practice this in class. We will write many of the shorter essays in class or for homework. The task should be simple once students decide which four (4) elements they’d like to respond to in depth.
I am making an assumption that students know how to correctly document their sources using MLA. Diana Hacker’s Rules for Writers or text. At this level, I expect students to know how to write passing essays at the first submission. Submit your best work the first time. Don’t submit drafts, masquerading as polished work. I am serious.
Midterm
One of the essays will be the midterm, possibly fiction maybe dramatic literature (smile).
Jot down briefly what your goals are this semester and action steps to get there. Separate into what you can do alone or have control over and what you might not have control over and why.
List them in order of importance.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Homework Assignment 1: E-mail introduction to me tomorrow, Tuesday, August 23, 2011. Send to coasabirenglish1B@gmail.com.
Assignment:
Besides the usual: where are you from? What languages do you speak besides English? What child are you in the family? What are your hobbies and why are you taking this class?
Include: your contact information: Name, Address, phone number, best e-mail address, best time to call and answers to these questions as well: What strengths do you bring to the class? What do you hope to obtain from the course – any particular exit skills? What do I need to know about you to help you meet your goals?
Homework Assignment 2:
Respond on the blog to the syllabus, so I have a record of your reading it. Make sure you include examples from the syllabus to support your points. The response is due by August 24, 2011, 9 AM.
Write a comment to me regarding the syllabus: your impressions, whether you think it is reasonable, questions, suggestions. This is our contract, I need to know you read it and understand the agreement.
Grading
Essays: 55 percent of grade
Short Story
1. The Dance Boots by Linda Legarde Grover is the text for the short story unit. Each unit includes the definitive essay, plus in-class writing, group writing and blog assignments.
The Novel
2-3. Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok and The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is the text for the fiction unit (2 essays), plus a film.
Dramatic Literature:
4. Ruined or some other selection (handout).
Poetry Unit
5. Indivisible: An Anthology of Contemporary South Asian Poetry edited by Neelanjana Bannerjee, Summi Kaipa, and Pireeni Sundaralingam
6. Final essay –student choice
Portfolio: 25 percent
Participation: 20 percent
What do I mean by participation? This includes preparation and active participation in group assignments, blog responses and posted comments; discussion group preparedness, attitude and leadership. To post comments select “ANONYMOUS” and then type your name in the post. Students do not need to get Gmail accounts.
To encourage participation, and for this, students have to be prepared, I weighed the preparedness and participation strongly which means I will be taking notes when students do not do their homework. If you are in a group where students are pretending to be prepared when they are not, drop me an anonymous note. If a student is absent, he or she cannot make up in-class assignments such as group work, freewrites, presentations, etc.
Portfolio Suggestion
Students can start a personal blog for the class and send me the link for your portfolio at the end of the course. This is not the only type of portfolio. The other is to submit a word document with the semester's writing.
Quizzes
I am not above pop quizzes on readings. Remember, this plan can change in a twinkling of the eye, if we find it isn’t working.
Writing Center
The Writing Center is a great place to get one-on-on assistance on your essays, from brainstorming and planning the essays, to critique in areas like clarity, organization, clearly stated thesis, evidence or support, logical conclusions, and grammatical problems. In the Writing Center there are ancillary materials for student use. These writing programs build strong writing muscles. The Bedford Handbook on-line, Diana Hacker’s Rules for Writers on-line, Townsend Press, and other such computer and cyber-based resources are a few of the many databases available. There is also an Open Lab for checking e-mail, a Math Lab. All academic labs are located in the Learning Resource Center (LRC) or library. The Cyber Café is located in the F-bldg.
Again, students need a student ID to use the labs and to check out books. The IDs are free. Ask in Student Services (A-bldg.) where photos are taken.
Have a tutor of teacher sign off on your essays before you turn them in; if you have a “R,” which means revision necessary for a grade or “NC” which means “no credit,” you have to go to the lab and revise the essay with a tutor or teacher before you return both the graded original and the revision (with signature) to me. Revise does not mean “rewrite,” it means to “see again.”
When getting assistance on an essay, the teacher or tutor is not an editor, so have questions prepared for them to make best use of the 15-20 minute session in the Lab. I will give you a handout which looks at 5 areas of the essay you can use as a guide when shaping your questions for your peer review sessions. Please use these guidelines when planning your discussions with me also.
For more specific assistance, sign up for one-on-one tutoring, another free service. For those of you on other campuses, you can get assistance at the Merritt College’s Writing Center, as well as Laney College’s Writing Labs.
Correction Essays & Essay Narratives
All essay assignments you receive comments on have to be revised prior to resubmission; included with the revision is a student narrative to me regarding your understanding of what needed to be done, that is, a detailed list of the error(s) and its correction; a student can prepare this as a part of the Lab visit, especially if said student is unclear over what steps to take. Cite from a scholarly source the rule and recommendations for its correction.
Students can also visit me in office hours for assistance; again, prepare your questions in advance to best make use of the time. Do not leave class without understanding the comments on a paper. I don’t mind reviewing them with you.
Student Learning Outcomes
Student Learning Outcomes include a better facility with written communication which includes critical thinking, analysis and of course comprehension. Such tools help us make better choices and decisions about our lives and the lives of those persons we are responsible for. Hopefully students will gain an appreciation for the literary arts beyond what is due for the course. Education is not limited to the classroom; rather an implicit goal is always to trigger a desire in students to continue the cultural pursuit after transfer, after graduation, after career goals are met. Reading and writing are skills one does have to practice to prevent dullness, so another goal and SLO for this course is for students to know how to keep their tools ready for use which might translate into keeping a journal once the semester ends, reading more for pleasure, going to literary events, and/or hanging onto some of the course reference books like Diana Hacker's Rules for Writer.
English language fluency in writing and reading; a certain comfort and ease with the language; confidence and skillful application of literary skills associated with academic writing. Familiarity if not mastery of the rhetorical styles used in argumentation, exposition and narration will be addressed in this class and is a key student learning outcome (SLO).
We will be evaluating what we know and how we came to know what we know, a field called epistemology or the study of knowledge. Granted, the perspective is western culture which eliminates the values of the majority populations, so-called underdeveloped or undeveloped countries or cultures. Let us not fall into typical superiority traps. Try to maintain a mental elasticity and a willingness to let go of concepts which not only limit your growth as an intelligent being, but put you at a distinct disadvantage as a species.
This is a highly charged and potentially revolutionary process - critical thinking. The process of evaluating all that you swallowed without chewing up to now is possibly even dangerous. This is one of the problems with bigotry; it’s easier to go with tradition than toss it, and create a new, more just, alternative protocol.
Last words on Grades
We will be honest with one another. Grades are not necessarily an honest response to work; grades do not take into consideration the effort or time spent, only whether or not students can demonstrate mastery of a skill - in this case: essay writing. Grades are an approximation, arbitrary at best, no matter how many safeguards one tries to put in place to avoid such ambiguity. Suffice it to say, your portfolio will illustrate your competence. It will represent your progress, your success or failure this semester in meeting your goal.
Office Hours
I’d like to wish everyone much success. I am available for consultation on Wednesdays, 9:30-11:00 AM and on MW by appointment. I am also available after 3:30 PM Tuesdays and Thursdays by appointment. My office is located in the D-216 suite. My campus number is (510) 748-2131, however, I don’t have an office phone number yet. I will share that with students later this month or next.
My email again is: coasabirenglish1B@gmail.com. Let me know the day before, if possible, when you’d like to meet with me. I am more of a phone person. Texts are fine. Ask me for my cell phone number. I do not mind sharing it with you.
I am a phone person, especially on weekends, so take time to exchange email and phone numbers with classmates (2), so if you have a concern, it can be addressed more expeditiously. Again study groups are recommended, especially for those students finding the readings difficult; don’t forget, you can also discuss the readings as a group in the Lab with a teacher or tutor acting as facilitator.
I really am more a phone person than an email person, so you can call me if I don’t respond to an email. I do read your blog posts.
I’d encourage students to exchange phone numbers with classmates (2), so if you have a concern, it can be addressed more expediently between classes. The semester will fly, if you don’t buckle up (smile). Study groups are recommended, especially for those students finding the readings difficult.
Keep a vocabulary log for the semester and an error chart (taken from comments on essay assignments). List the words you need to look up in the dictionary, also list where you first encountered them: page, book and definition, also use the word in a sentence. You will turn this in with your portfolio electronically.
I do not expect students to confuse literal with free paraphrase (a literal paraphrase is plagiarism). Students should also not make confused word errors, sentence fragment errors, comma splice errors, subject verb agreement errors, errors in parallel structure, subject verb agreement errors, MLA citations errors, errors with ellipses, formatting an essays—margins, headings, etc. If you are not clear on what I mean, again I suggest drop the class and take it over the 18 week semester at a more leisurely pace.
Students are expected to complete work on time. If you need more time on an assignment, discuss this with me in advance to keep full credit. Again certain assignments, such as in-class essays cannot be made up. All assignments are to be typed, 12-pt. font, double-spaced lines, indentations on paragraphs, 1-inch margins around the written work (see Hacker: The Writing Process; Document Design.)
In class writing is to be written in ink—blue or black, then typed for inclusion in portfolio or posting on blog: http://poeticsrapandtothersocialdiscourses.blogspot.com/.
Cheating
Plagiarism is ethically abhorrent, and if any student tries to take credit for work authored by another person the result will be a failed grade on the assignment and possibly a failed grade in the course if this is attempted again. This is a graded course.
Homework
If you do not identify the assignment, I cannot grade it. If you do not return the original assignment you revised, I cannot compare what changed. If you accidentally toss out or lose the original assignment, you get a zero on the assignment to be revised. I will not look at revisions without the original attached – no exceptions. Some student essays will be posted on-line at the website. Students will also have the option of submitting assignments via email: coasabirenglish1B@gmail.com
Textbooks Recap:
Gardner, Janet E. Writing about Literature: A Portable Guide. Second Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009. Print.
Grover, Linda Legarde. The Dance Boots. Athens, Georgia and London: The University of Georgia Press, 2010. Print.
Kwok, Jean. Girl in Translation. New York: Riverhead Books, 2010. Print.
Satrapi, Marjane. The Complete Persepolis. Pantheon Books, 2007. Print. ISBN 0375714839
Bannerjee, Neelanjana and Summi Kaipa, Pireeni Sundaralingam. Ed. Indivisible: An Anthology of Contemporary South Asian Poetry. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 2010. Print.
Recommended
Hacker, Diana. Rules for Writers. Fourth or Fifth edition. Bedford/St. Martins. (If you don’t already have such a book.)
A college dictionary. I recommend American Heritage.
Addtional materials
Along with a college dictionary, the prepared student needs pens with blue or black ink, along with a pencil for annotating texts, paper, a stapler or paper clips, floppy disks, a notebook, three hole punch, a folder for work-in-progress, and a divided binder to keep materials together.
Stay abreast of the news. Buy a daily paper. Listen to alternative radio:
KPFA 94.1 FM (Hardknock), KQED 88.5, KALW 91.7. Visit news websites: AllAfrica.com, Al Jazeera, CNN.com, AlterNet.org, Democracy Now.org, FlashPoints.org, CBS 60 Minutes.
Professor Wanda Sabir
Class Meetings: Tuesday/Thursday, August 23-Dec. 8, 9:00 AM to 10:50 AM.
Course code 40009.
No classes: 9/5; 11/11; 11/24-27. Final Exam: Tuesday, Dec. 13 8-10 AM (Portfolios due via e-mail. There is no sitting exam.)
Drop dates: Sept. 2 (w/refund), Sept. 17 (w/out a W), Nov. 23 (w/W).
Syllabus for English 1B: College Composition and Reading Course code 40009
http://poeticsrapandtothersocialdiscourses.blogspot.com/
English 1B is a transferable college writing course. It builds on the competencies gained in English 1A with a more careful and studied analysis of expository writing based on readings of selected plays, poems, novels, and short fiction.
Writing is a social activity, especially the type of writing you’ll be doing here. We always consider our audience, have purpose or reason to write, and use research to substantiate our claims, even those we are considered experts in.
We’re supposed to write about 8000 words or so at this level course. The 8000 words over the semester (not per essay) include drafts. What this amounts to is time at home writing, time in the library on campus and public libraries too. Students will be researching, and reading documents to increase his or her facility with the ideas or themes he or she is contemplating, before he or she once again sits at his or her desk writing, revising, and writing some more.
Writing is a lonely process. No one can write for you. The social aspect comes into play once you are finished and you have an opportunity to share.
We are practicing skills which you developed in English 1A. The difference is we are looking at literature and analyzing other genres, in our case: poetry, fiction, music, theatre, visual arts, and dance. In order to do justice to the topics you chose to explore, the writer cannot ignore the history of the genre nor its current discourses or new roots.
I will be looking at the writing, but more than this I will be paying attention to the scholarship, which is why each essay has to include a citation from a scholarly article—4-10+ pages.
Your essays can use multiple styles . . . be creative. However, I need to know that you know how to write an essay, so save the creative work for last (smile). And if you plan to deviate from the norm, don’t surprise me, share the idea with me first.
We are going to read a book or play every few weeks. We start with short fiction and then move into a novel, dramatic literature, another novel and conclude with poetry. I am going to show you a film. We finish with students selecting writing outside of the assigned readings and writing a research analysis based on the work. The selection can be two short poems or a longer one, a novel, another play or a short story.
On Thursdays we will have critiques when an essay is due. More on this later. We will practice writing research analyses mid-semester. Students will grade each other based on a rubric.
Office Hours
I am a phone person, so when I give you my telephone number, use it. My office is D-219.
If you are a poor writer, get a tutor. We will have minimal revisions, like none unless the essay is horrible—students only get 1-2 BAD ESSAY DAYs (and the penalty is writing a correction essay, plus revising the essay). We will do peer reviews. I want to see polished work.
Methodology
We will use Writing about Literature: A Portable Guide, Second Edition by Janet E. Gardner in the class. There is a chapter for each genre of literature we will examine. We will review a chapter every week or two. The first section of the book reviews the writing process.
Keep a reading log/journal/notes containing key ideas outlined for each discussion section, along with vocabulary and key arguments listed, along with primary writing strategies employed: description, process analysis, narration, argument, cause and effect, compare and contrast, definition, problem solving. I will collect these typed notes electronically with the completed essays. The essays will be submitted electronically. Type all your notes and in-class writing assignments.
I repeat: each book or play will have a corresponding essay. There will also be a series of short 250 word essay responses posted on the class blog pertaining to each piece of literature. Students have a choice of writing a new paper or expanding the cyber-assignment into a longer work. Each research paper will be between 3-4 pages long. This includes a works cited page.
Again, the final is an oral presentation of one’s paper or a defense of one’s thesis. The student portfolio is the FINAL for the class. We will talk about this more. If any students are creative writers and wants to lead a workshop, let me know (smile).
Each student will have to attend a literary event of his or her choosing: lecture or author event, play or film. We can attend an event together or separately. The writing assignment will be an analysis/critique, like a review . . . but a bit deeper. I suggest students read published reviews beforehand to prepare for the task. This essay will be minimally two (2) pages or 500 words, not including a works cited page with minimally two (2) sources. All essays have to have 1 citation per page, so in the case of a two page essay, that is two citations (period).
Essay research requirements
Each essay needs to use at least 2-3 outside sources which should include at least one (1) scholarly article along with other material (taken from the COA on-line Library Database (if possible). Each essay should also include One (1) direct quote, one (1) free-paraphrase and one (1) block quote—one citation per page—no more, no less. Each essay also needs to include a works cited page and a bibliography. It needs to be perfect. We will practice this in class. We will write many of the shorter essays in class or for homework. The task should be simple once students decide which four (4) elements they’d like to respond to in depth.
I am making an assumption that students know how to correctly document their sources using MLA. Diana Hacker’s Rules for Writers or text. At this level, I expect students to know how to write passing essays at the first submission. Submit your best work the first time. Don’t submit drafts, masquerading as polished work. I am serious.
Midterm
One of the essays will be the midterm, possibly fiction maybe dramatic literature (smile).
Jot down briefly what your goals are this semester and action steps to get there. Separate into what you can do alone or have control over and what you might not have control over and why.
List them in order of importance.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Homework Assignment 1: E-mail introduction to me tomorrow, Tuesday, August 23, 2011. Send to coasabirenglish1B@gmail.com.
Assignment:
Besides the usual: where are you from? What languages do you speak besides English? What child are you in the family? What are your hobbies and why are you taking this class?
Include: your contact information: Name, Address, phone number, best e-mail address, best time to call and answers to these questions as well: What strengths do you bring to the class? What do you hope to obtain from the course – any particular exit skills? What do I need to know about you to help you meet your goals?
Homework Assignment 2:
Respond on the blog to the syllabus, so I have a record of your reading it. Make sure you include examples from the syllabus to support your points. The response is due by August 24, 2011, 9 AM.
Write a comment to me regarding the syllabus: your impressions, whether you think it is reasonable, questions, suggestions. This is our contract, I need to know you read it and understand the agreement.
Grading
Essays: 55 percent of grade
Short Story
1. The Dance Boots by Linda Legarde Grover is the text for the short story unit. Each unit includes the definitive essay, plus in-class writing, group writing and blog assignments.
The Novel
2-3. Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok and The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is the text for the fiction unit (2 essays), plus a film.
Dramatic Literature:
4. Ruined or some other selection (handout).
Poetry Unit
5. Indivisible: An Anthology of Contemporary South Asian Poetry edited by Neelanjana Bannerjee, Summi Kaipa, and Pireeni Sundaralingam
6. Final essay –student choice
Portfolio: 25 percent
Participation: 20 percent
What do I mean by participation? This includes preparation and active participation in group assignments, blog responses and posted comments; discussion group preparedness, attitude and leadership. To post comments select “ANONYMOUS” and then type your name in the post. Students do not need to get Gmail accounts.
To encourage participation, and for this, students have to be prepared, I weighed the preparedness and participation strongly which means I will be taking notes when students do not do their homework. If you are in a group where students are pretending to be prepared when they are not, drop me an anonymous note. If a student is absent, he or she cannot make up in-class assignments such as group work, freewrites, presentations, etc.
Portfolio Suggestion
Students can start a personal blog for the class and send me the link for your portfolio at the end of the course. This is not the only type of portfolio. The other is to submit a word document with the semester's writing.
Quizzes
I am not above pop quizzes on readings. Remember, this plan can change in a twinkling of the eye, if we find it isn’t working.
Writing Center
The Writing Center is a great place to get one-on-on assistance on your essays, from brainstorming and planning the essays, to critique in areas like clarity, organization, clearly stated thesis, evidence or support, logical conclusions, and grammatical problems. In the Writing Center there are ancillary materials for student use. These writing programs build strong writing muscles. The Bedford Handbook on-line, Diana Hacker’s Rules for Writers on-line, Townsend Press, and other such computer and cyber-based resources are a few of the many databases available. There is also an Open Lab for checking e-mail, a Math Lab. All academic labs are located in the Learning Resource Center (LRC) or library. The Cyber Café is located in the F-bldg.
Again, students need a student ID to use the labs and to check out books. The IDs are free. Ask in Student Services (A-bldg.) where photos are taken.
Have a tutor of teacher sign off on your essays before you turn them in; if you have a “R,” which means revision necessary for a grade or “NC” which means “no credit,” you have to go to the lab and revise the essay with a tutor or teacher before you return both the graded original and the revision (with signature) to me. Revise does not mean “rewrite,” it means to “see again.”
When getting assistance on an essay, the teacher or tutor is not an editor, so have questions prepared for them to make best use of the 15-20 minute session in the Lab. I will give you a handout which looks at 5 areas of the essay you can use as a guide when shaping your questions for your peer review sessions. Please use these guidelines when planning your discussions with me also.
For more specific assistance, sign up for one-on-one tutoring, another free service. For those of you on other campuses, you can get assistance at the Merritt College’s Writing Center, as well as Laney College’s Writing Labs.
Correction Essays & Essay Narratives
All essay assignments you receive comments on have to be revised prior to resubmission; included with the revision is a student narrative to me regarding your understanding of what needed to be done, that is, a detailed list of the error(s) and its correction; a student can prepare this as a part of the Lab visit, especially if said student is unclear over what steps to take. Cite from a scholarly source the rule and recommendations for its correction.
Students can also visit me in office hours for assistance; again, prepare your questions in advance to best make use of the time. Do not leave class without understanding the comments on a paper. I don’t mind reviewing them with you.
Student Learning Outcomes
Student Learning Outcomes include a better facility with written communication which includes critical thinking, analysis and of course comprehension. Such tools help us make better choices and decisions about our lives and the lives of those persons we are responsible for. Hopefully students will gain an appreciation for the literary arts beyond what is due for the course. Education is not limited to the classroom; rather an implicit goal is always to trigger a desire in students to continue the cultural pursuit after transfer, after graduation, after career goals are met. Reading and writing are skills one does have to practice to prevent dullness, so another goal and SLO for this course is for students to know how to keep their tools ready for use which might translate into keeping a journal once the semester ends, reading more for pleasure, going to literary events, and/or hanging onto some of the course reference books like Diana Hacker's Rules for Writer.
English language fluency in writing and reading; a certain comfort and ease with the language; confidence and skillful application of literary skills associated with academic writing. Familiarity if not mastery of the rhetorical styles used in argumentation, exposition and narration will be addressed in this class and is a key student learning outcome (SLO).
We will be evaluating what we know and how we came to know what we know, a field called epistemology or the study of knowledge. Granted, the perspective is western culture which eliminates the values of the majority populations, so-called underdeveloped or undeveloped countries or cultures. Let us not fall into typical superiority traps. Try to maintain a mental elasticity and a willingness to let go of concepts which not only limit your growth as an intelligent being, but put you at a distinct disadvantage as a species.
This is a highly charged and potentially revolutionary process - critical thinking. The process of evaluating all that you swallowed without chewing up to now is possibly even dangerous. This is one of the problems with bigotry; it’s easier to go with tradition than toss it, and create a new, more just, alternative protocol.
Last words on Grades
We will be honest with one another. Grades are not necessarily an honest response to work; grades do not take into consideration the effort or time spent, only whether or not students can demonstrate mastery of a skill - in this case: essay writing. Grades are an approximation, arbitrary at best, no matter how many safeguards one tries to put in place to avoid such ambiguity. Suffice it to say, your portfolio will illustrate your competence. It will represent your progress, your success or failure this semester in meeting your goal.
Office Hours
I’d like to wish everyone much success. I am available for consultation on Wednesdays, 9:30-11:00 AM and on MW by appointment. I am also available after 3:30 PM Tuesdays and Thursdays by appointment. My office is located in the D-216 suite. My campus number is (510) 748-2131, however, I don’t have an office phone number yet. I will share that with students later this month or next.
My email again is: coasabirenglish1B@gmail.com. Let me know the day before, if possible, when you’d like to meet with me. I am more of a phone person. Texts are fine. Ask me for my cell phone number. I do not mind sharing it with you.
I am a phone person, especially on weekends, so take time to exchange email and phone numbers with classmates (2), so if you have a concern, it can be addressed more expeditiously. Again study groups are recommended, especially for those students finding the readings difficult; don’t forget, you can also discuss the readings as a group in the Lab with a teacher or tutor acting as facilitator.
I really am more a phone person than an email person, so you can call me if I don’t respond to an email. I do read your blog posts.
I’d encourage students to exchange phone numbers with classmates (2), so if you have a concern, it can be addressed more expediently between classes. The semester will fly, if you don’t buckle up (smile). Study groups are recommended, especially for those students finding the readings difficult.
Keep a vocabulary log for the semester and an error chart (taken from comments on essay assignments). List the words you need to look up in the dictionary, also list where you first encountered them: page, book and definition, also use the word in a sentence. You will turn this in with your portfolio electronically.
I do not expect students to confuse literal with free paraphrase (a literal paraphrase is plagiarism). Students should also not make confused word errors, sentence fragment errors, comma splice errors, subject verb agreement errors, errors in parallel structure, subject verb agreement errors, MLA citations errors, errors with ellipses, formatting an essays—margins, headings, etc. If you are not clear on what I mean, again I suggest drop the class and take it over the 18 week semester at a more leisurely pace.
Students are expected to complete work on time. If you need more time on an assignment, discuss this with me in advance to keep full credit. Again certain assignments, such as in-class essays cannot be made up. All assignments are to be typed, 12-pt. font, double-spaced lines, indentations on paragraphs, 1-inch margins around the written work (see Hacker: The Writing Process; Document Design.)
In class writing is to be written in ink—blue or black, then typed for inclusion in portfolio or posting on blog: http://poeticsrapandtothersocialdiscourses.blogspot.com/.
Cheating
Plagiarism is ethically abhorrent, and if any student tries to take credit for work authored by another person the result will be a failed grade on the assignment and possibly a failed grade in the course if this is attempted again. This is a graded course.
Homework
If you do not identify the assignment, I cannot grade it. If you do not return the original assignment you revised, I cannot compare what changed. If you accidentally toss out or lose the original assignment, you get a zero on the assignment to be revised. I will not look at revisions without the original attached – no exceptions. Some student essays will be posted on-line at the website. Students will also have the option of submitting assignments via email: coasabirenglish1B@gmail.com
Textbooks Recap:
Gardner, Janet E. Writing about Literature: A Portable Guide. Second Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009. Print.
Grover, Linda Legarde. The Dance Boots. Athens, Georgia and London: The University of Georgia Press, 2010. Print.
Kwok, Jean. Girl in Translation. New York: Riverhead Books, 2010. Print.
Satrapi, Marjane. The Complete Persepolis. Pantheon Books, 2007. Print. ISBN 0375714839
Bannerjee, Neelanjana and Summi Kaipa, Pireeni Sundaralingam. Ed. Indivisible: An Anthology of Contemporary South Asian Poetry. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 2010. Print.
Recommended
Hacker, Diana. Rules for Writers. Fourth or Fifth edition. Bedford/St. Martins. (If you don’t already have such a book.)
A college dictionary. I recommend American Heritage.
Addtional materials
Along with a college dictionary, the prepared student needs pens with blue or black ink, along with a pencil for annotating texts, paper, a stapler or paper clips, floppy disks, a notebook, three hole punch, a folder for work-in-progress, and a divided binder to keep materials together.
Stay abreast of the news. Buy a daily paper. Listen to alternative radio:
KPFA 94.1 FM (Hardknock), KQED 88.5, KALW 91.7. Visit news websites: AllAfrica.com, Al Jazeera, CNN.com, AlterNet.org, Democracy Now.org, FlashPoints.org, CBS 60 Minutes.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Today's presentations were impressive whether that was an analysis of a poem(s), imagery as symbol in a story or critical inquiry about a lost art--the book, all the presentations were thought-provoking and informative.
We will complete the presentations tomorrow. I am available to answer questions about the portfolio up to Monday. If you have a question text me. Texting is easier now with the SMART phone key pad.
Congratulations!
Post your self-reflections if you presented and comments on other presentations in the prior post. Don't forget to post your abstracts.
We will complete the presentations tomorrow. I am available to answer questions about the portfolio up to Monday. If you have a question text me. Texting is easier now with the SMART phone key pad.
Congratulations!
Post your self-reflections if you presented and comments on other presentations in the prior post. Don't forget to post your abstracts.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Presentations Wednesday-Thursday, July 27-28 and Cyber-Assignments
Wednesday-Thursday students will present the papers they wrote in class today. Presentations need not be overly long. I think 5-10 minutes is sufficient.
It is the quality of the presentation that counts, not the length. Students are to bring a copy of the abstract to class, with enough copies for everyone, 21 should cover it. You cannot read the paper--no exceptions. You cannot read your paper from a PowerPoint presentation either. I will stop you. Make sure you rehearse what you plan to say at least once before tomorrow morning. It will make the actual presentation a lot smoother. We are going to ask you questions. This will be in addition to the 5-10 minutes. We will also take time to give you written comments on the abstract.
This is what students do when defending their doctoral thesis. We are serious.
You are defending your thesis or argument. State your thesis and then begin to provide evidence which supports or proves it. It should be fun. You can't fail, well maybe one could --fail, that is, but it would be mighty hard.
If you have a poem, you might want to give us a copy or use a projector so we can follow along. We will meet in A-232 at 8 AM both days. We will use a classroom located inside the larger lab for the presentations. I don't have a podium, just thought about it (smile). Maybe we can borrow one.
We will sign up first come first choice. If we finish with all the presentations in one day, then the final class will be spent working on portfolios and revisions.
Though students can toss one paper, excluding the one written today, all papers have to have a passing grade. C- is not a passing grade. As my grades are not due until next week, if students want to take the weekend to better prepare their portfolios, they are due at the latest Monday, August 1, 2011, at 8 AM.
Post self-reflections here and reflections and comments on classmate's presentation. Everyone should post his or her abstract here as well. If there isn't enough space for a comment and the abstract to share the same post, post multiple times.
It is the quality of the presentation that counts, not the length. Students are to bring a copy of the abstract to class, with enough copies for everyone, 21 should cover it. You cannot read the paper--no exceptions. You cannot read your paper from a PowerPoint presentation either. I will stop you. Make sure you rehearse what you plan to say at least once before tomorrow morning. It will make the actual presentation a lot smoother. We are going to ask you questions. This will be in addition to the 5-10 minutes. We will also take time to give you written comments on the abstract.
This is what students do when defending their doctoral thesis. We are serious.
You are defending your thesis or argument. State your thesis and then begin to provide evidence which supports or proves it. It should be fun. You can't fail, well maybe one could --fail, that is, but it would be mighty hard.
If you have a poem, you might want to give us a copy or use a projector so we can follow along. We will meet in A-232 at 8 AM both days. We will use a classroom located inside the larger lab for the presentations. I don't have a podium, just thought about it (smile). Maybe we can borrow one.
We will sign up first come first choice. If we finish with all the presentations in one day, then the final class will be spent working on portfolios and revisions.
Though students can toss one paper, excluding the one written today, all papers have to have a passing grade. C- is not a passing grade. As my grades are not due until next week, if students want to take the weekend to better prepare their portfolios, they are due at the latest Monday, August 1, 2011, at 8 AM.
Post self-reflections here and reflections and comments on classmate's presentation. Everyone should post his or her abstract here as well. If there isn't enough space for a comment and the abstract to share the same post, post multiple times.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Portfolio Checklist (draft)
This checklist can serve as the table of contents. Put a check next to the items to show inclusion in the portfolio. Use as the second page to the portfolio, after the cover sheet. Where there are questions for the section, students can post the answers to the narrative there.
Number the pages with a header.
Name ______________________________
Date ______________________________
Class including class code and semester ____________________
Address _______________________________________
Phone number __________________________________
Email address__________________________________
Portfolio Narratives (250 words each, minimally).
1. The fist narrative will look at the six week summer course, the themes we discussed: immigration, family, assimilation, alienation, genocide, disenfranchisement, colonization, war, violence against women. . . . Talk about what you've learned and discovered this semester about writing, college and life, which have transformed or changed you.
What have you learned about yourself this semester? What have you learned about the discipline you are studying in this class: composition and reading that you plan to carry forth into your lifelong pursuit of learning?
Please also comment on the texts and whether or not they were helpful in this process. You can also talk about the instruction, culture of the class and the teacher.
2. Use two essays as evidence to discuss your revision process. Don’t forget to include it in the works cited page. Use a scholarly source as well to talk about the revision process. I gave you two handouts at the start of class. Also use your grammar style book (Hacker, etc.) There will be at least two sources, perhaps three used for this essay.
Checklist
The checklist will list all the assignments, but you know what they are. Post the entire portfolio for each section. On the checklist include all the assignment grades. I will get the other grades to you before Friday, so you can update that part of the portfolios.
All the essays included in the portfolio are graded essays: Short Fiction, the Novel (2), The Play, Poetry, Final Essay and Presentation (student choice re: genre).
We will toss the lowest graded essay. Include it.
Presentations:
Group presentations: Poetry and individual on favorite poem and final essay. Please include the abstract for the final essay and for the others your poem and the responses received re: presentation. For group essays: Post the essay and any responses to it.
3. Other Cyber-Assignments. Divide them into freewrites and cyber-essays. Most of the cyber-essays were collaborative.
4. Literary event essay
5. Extra credit. If you have written any essays this semester for extra credit they would go in this section.
6. Evaluation: There is a course evaluation for the class which is optional. I also ask if I can use any of your work for academic research.
This is a preliminary checklist.
Number the pages with a header.
Name ______________________________
Date ______________________________
Class including class code and semester ____________________
Address _______________________________________
Phone number __________________________________
Email address__________________________________
Portfolio Narratives (250 words each, minimally).
1. The fist narrative will look at the six week summer course, the themes we discussed: immigration, family, assimilation, alienation, genocide, disenfranchisement, colonization, war, violence against women. . . . Talk about what you've learned and discovered this semester about writing, college and life, which have transformed or changed you.
What have you learned about yourself this semester? What have you learned about the discipline you are studying in this class: composition and reading that you plan to carry forth into your lifelong pursuit of learning?
Please also comment on the texts and whether or not they were helpful in this process. You can also talk about the instruction, culture of the class and the teacher.
2. Use two essays as evidence to discuss your revision process. Don’t forget to include it in the works cited page. Use a scholarly source as well to talk about the revision process. I gave you two handouts at the start of class. Also use your grammar style book (Hacker, etc.) There will be at least two sources, perhaps three used for this essay.
Checklist
The checklist will list all the assignments, but you know what they are. Post the entire portfolio for each section. On the checklist include all the assignment grades. I will get the other grades to you before Friday, so you can update that part of the portfolios.
All the essays included in the portfolio are graded essays: Short Fiction, the Novel (2), The Play, Poetry, Final Essay and Presentation (student choice re: genre).
We will toss the lowest graded essay. Include it.
Presentations:
Group presentations: Poetry and individual on favorite poem and final essay. Please include the abstract for the final essay and for the others your poem and the responses received re: presentation. For group essays: Post the essay and any responses to it.
3. Other Cyber-Assignments. Divide them into freewrites and cyber-essays. Most of the cyber-essays were collaborative.
4. Literary event essay
5. Extra credit. If you have written any essays this semester for extra credit they would go in this section.
6. Evaluation: There is a course evaluation for the class which is optional. I also ask if I can use any of your work for academic research.
This is a preliminary checklist.
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