1. Portfolios

2. The Write Course: "Revision Strategies"--video

3. Homework --read two handouts of revision from Writing with a Thesis (Skwire and Skwire)

4. Tomorrow: evaluating a website--SE check-in and review (w/me)

5. Thursday, portfolio narratives. Questions --final book report presentations (if we have time, otherwise, students can present Wednesday, May 23, 2012, 8-10 AM in A-202.

Portfolio Checklist 2012 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__________________________________

Course codes: 21757
Class Meetings: Jan. 25—May 17, 9-10, MTWTh

Final Exam & and Portfolio Due Date: Wednesday, May 23, 2012, 8-10 AM (Portfolios due via e-mail by Friday, May 25, 2012, 12 noon. Students can submit the portfolios earlier.)

May 21 9 - 12 noon; 1-3 p.m.
Drop-in Portfolio assembly workshop in A-205 _______________

Portfolio Due Date
Portfolios due via e-mail by Friday, May 25, 2012, 12 noon. Students can submit the portfolios earlier electronically. Make sure you receive a receipt for your submission. No paper copies, no exceptions.

Grade Justification
What grade do you think you've earned this semester? What evidence supports this conclusion?

1. Portfolio Essay 1 Reflection on COA Spring 2012, Professor Sabir’s English Class_______

The narrative will look at the 18 weeks, the themes we looked at this semester such as women’s empowerment.
What have you learned about yourself this semester? What have you learned about the discipline you are studying here: reading and writing 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. You can also offer suggestions.

2. Portfolio Essay 2 Reflection on revision process__________________

Look at the writing process and what you have been learning about yourself as a writer. Take two essays and talk about the planning, research and revision strategies you used. It helps to choose an early paper and compare to a later paper. Often you can more easily see the differences in your writing and a better example of mastery of certain concepts. Also discuss skills you need to improve and how you plan to address that. Include the Write Course Video: Revision Strategies, the two chapters from Writing with a Thesis, and Diana Hacker in your bibliography and also site at least one in your analysis of your revision process. Also cite your essay(s) used as examples in this second essay.

Additional narrative considerations for the portfolio essay:

The second essay has students look at the writing process and discuss their own writing process: the topics chosen, the information used, revision strategies, writing as a process. This should include a definition of the difference between editing and revising and a value statement on the place for both in composition.

I am really interested in discourse about audience and how that shapes or determines how the writer approaches her topic.

I am also interested in discussion of the revision process, and whether or not seeing writing as a work in progress or a draft, liberates or stagnates the creative process. (Students are to use examples from their writing to illustrate these points.)

I'd also like students to think about and give at three specific ways how they have grown as writers and thinkers this semester. Each essay (1 & 2) should be minimally 1-2 pages (250-500 words).

Social Entrepreneur Portfolio

Planning _____________

Library Research sheet _______________(if you did it)
List of sources (5) minimum in MLA format (post here)

Essay: Planning Sheet, Outline, Thesis__________
First Draft (peer review)__________
Final Draft Grade ______________
Revisions (How many?)_____________
Pidd type essay ________________ or narrative ____________

SE Presentation date ___________
Self-reflection __________
Classmate responses __________

Cyber-Assignments:
Frontline World ___________
Muhammad Yunus ___________

There is more (smile). I just ran out of time. Check back for the other essays and assignments.

Today's presentations with students: Stephen, Mike, James, Hoan, Jovita and Sulekha were awesome! Absolutely amazing! Okay, it's spring and I think I've got the spirit (smile). I wanted to let students know that you get bonus points for the presentation that help with the essay grade. If you do well on the presentation, then I will take this into account in the essay itself. I will not let you slide re: MLA, but I will let the presentation boost grades. If you have a B-, you will get a B, a C- will translate as a C, an A- into an A.

Get all the outstanding essays into me by Wednesday. I will not read any essays for the first time in the final portfolio which will contain all your work. Monday, we will finish the presentations: Jamie, Kenneth, Kennedy, DeJanae, Courtney and one other person (smile).

Make sure your abstracts are posted along with the answers to the questions. Post responses to the presenters in the same place you posted last week. Presenters, do not forget your self reflections.

Mention the presenter and their book in each comment. You can group comments by book authors or themes, if you like.

Today students shared their plans and 5 resources for their social entrepreneur essays: John, Colleen, Daniel, De'Janae.

Afterward students were given Exercise 55-3 MLA documentation: identifying elements of sources. Complete the handout for homework. Bring to class so we can review it. We will do a couple other exercises on MLA citation tomorrow from Hacker on-line if we have time.

Our first task will be to complete the book report presentations. If the abstract posted does not reflect your current essay or intent, re post it today.

Homework: Keep working on SE essay. Next week we will wrap up the semester, work on revisions. If there are any essays outstanding, they need to be in by Wednesday. I will not read any essays for the first time in the final portfolio, except the SE essay.

Next week, if any student has a draft of the SE essay ready by Tuesday-Wednesday, I will read it and give you feedback.

The following week, Finals Week, I will set up a portfolio workshop, so students can drop by and assemble the portfolio with me.

Today we are using one of the Ode articles to respond to chapter 12, Reading for the Conversation (Graff and Birkenstein 145). Post your short essay response here. Respond to one student response by extending the conversation.

Homework

Bring in all your social entrepreneur data and research and writing.

Homework

Two posts

Your Essay
Turn in your book report essay with comments from peer today if you have not already done so. Include the peer review with the final draft.

If you are still waiting for comments or do not have comments from a peer, let me know. In another post, send me the peer review and the student essay.


Peer Review Comments and the Student Essay

Send me a copy of the comments sent to the student whose Book Report essay you peer reviewed based on the questions generated from They Say, I Say two weeks ago.

They Say Assignments

Read in They Say, I Say, chapters "I Take Your Point" (141) and "What's Motivating this Writer?" (145). Review chapters 9 & 10 pages 121 and 129.

We will go over the exercises in class tomorrow 132, 135-136, 137-138, 142, 143, 144.

Today I spoke to students about how they were doing in the class. Today is the last day I can drop students with a W. If you have questions, call me this afternoon or text me.

Cyber-Assignment

Write a response to the presenters. Presenters, write a self-reflection on the book report presentation. What worked. What you learned about yourself as a reader and a writer. What you plan to do differently next time.

Respond to each student presentation separately by name. Include a heading on each post as well. Note the student's abstract/planning sheet, etc.

Today we started our presentation on the Book Report Essays. The presenters today were Kathleen, Ana, Flora and Dan. They all did a wonderful job.

Make sure you bring in your book. Dan brought in an audio tape and we listened to a bit (nice touch). Keep the presentations short (1-3 min.)

We will start our presentations on Wednesday. Email your peer review to your classmate today. Tomorrow we will assemble the Essay Portfolio.

Post your abstracts here for the Book Report Essay. Keep the presentations 2-4 minutes in length. Rehearse. Bring the book. If the book has been made into a film, bring the video and show us a short clip (smile).

Monday, April 30, 2012

Peer Reviews for English 1A Book Report Essay

Name & who’s essay are you reading? If you do not complete the peer review now, send it to the person. Tomorrow add the peer review to your Essay portfolio.

The order is:

Final draft

Planning Sheet

Outline

Peer Review

Essay Reviewed

Any relevant Cyber-Assignments (1)

Peer review guideline take from They Say, I Say
All of the questions are taken from pages 1-120.

Starting with what others are saying: Does the writer find an idea or topic they support, that others might not only disagree with but find hilarious? See page 29.

How well does the writer summarize key points in the story to support their argument? What signal phrases does the author use? Are they vivid and precise (39)?

Are the verbs concrete?

Does the writer frame every quotation (44)? How so? Are all the citations relevant? Are any citations overanalyzed?

From “Three Ways to Respond (55) Does the writer disagree and explain why (58); Agree –but with a difference (61); Agree and disagree simultaneously (64). Is the writer undecided (66)?

How well does the writer keep what he or she says unambiguous, that is, separate from what “they say?” (68). What writing tools does he or she employ to guide the reader? Are you ever confused?

What would you suggest if you are confused? Use the book (Chapter 5). See page 77.

Does the writer plant a naysayer in the text? If so, where? If not, where would you suggest the writer do so? (78).

How does the writer ellicit empathy from his or her audience? See “So What? Who Cares?” (92).

How effective is the writer in connecting all the parts into a coherent whole? Does the essay make sense? Are there any ideas left hanging out on the side of the road, like victims of a hit and run accident? See “As a Result” (105).

What pointing words does the writer use? Are any words overused? See page 120.