English 1B: December 2011

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.

English 1B

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Portfolio Checklist with Cyber-Assignments (listed)

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

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