Cyber-Freewrite; post here

Today in class we read students essays using Microsoft comment. Continue revising your essay. don't forget to develop Revision Goals (Hacker 45).

For the most part the second more polished drafts were an improvement over last week. I could see a definite improvement. Utilize the Writing Center on campus here in the LRC and on other campuses if you are at Laney, Merritt or Berkeley City. I expect a high level of inquiry into the topic happiness. I also expect the essays to make sense logically.

In class essay
Next week we will watch a film and write an in-class essay on happiness using the film as evidence and
Rubin, plus other research like the forum in another post and/or the essay here by Anne Quindlen. Students will have 50 minutes to write a 500 word essay.

The film is called Happy. Visit http://www.thehappymovie.com/
Download the press kit: http://www.thehappymovie.com/files/HAPPY-Press-Kit.pdf

Reread a few of the definition essays we reviewed in 50 Essays (xxvi). Here is a video on writing the definition essay some of you might find instructive.

More on the Definition Essay

Example 2: 
Here is an outline and a student example of a definition essay. You are in the world of Rubin's Happiness Project. Make sure you articulate her definition before you begin to agree/disagree/agree & disagree (They Say). 

http://www.northland.cc.mn.us/owl/doing%20the%20definition%20essay.htm

Example 3

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/definition.htm

Adapt these lessons based on your assignment and chosen prompt. Your essay is based on a book where the author, Gretchen Rubin explores the topic, happiness.  Do not forget to use They Say prompts (3) in this essay. Also do not forget to your analogies, consequences, testimony (Rubin), along with a definition(s) of happiness (Topical Invention). 

Freewrite
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2014/03/11/a-short-guide-to-a-happy-life-anna-quindlen/

The freewrite is from Anne Quindlen's Short Guide to a Happy Life. It is so beautiful. I also enjoyed the commentary that highlighted certain aspects of the text--it was like peeping into someone's journal (smile). Active reading at its best, note what the editor commented on. 

Respond here in a 250 word essay.

Cyber-Assignment 2

2013 Roundtable at Stanford

Are you happy now?

The new science of happiness and wellbeing

Katie Couric moderated the 2013 Roundtable at Stanford University on the topic of happiness.

Friday, October 18, 2013
Maples Pavilion

http://www.stanford.edu/roundtable/webcast/

Media Partner: KQED

Katie Couric

The science of happiness is a growing and intriguing field. Research about what truly makes people happy is not only surprising, but applicable no matter how much money we make or where we live.

Join moderator Katie Couric and a panel of experts in psychology, business, neuroscience and design for a Roundtable discussion about the happiness and sense of well-being that elude so many, but are sought by all.

Prompt:

Reflect on this panel and its discussion now that you have completed Rubin's book and read a few articles. Where do you agree? Disagree? Agree and Disagree?

How did you respond to the panelists' definitions of happiness and other arguments?

Additional Peer Review Guidelines

Here is a list of questions from http://www.mhhe.com/mayfieldpub/maner/resources/peer3.htm

REVISION QUESTIONS FOR PEER COLLABORATORS 

The thesis sentence

1. a. Is the overall purpose of the paper clear to you from the thesis sentence?
1. b. Does the thesis adequately predict the paper's plan of development?

Support for the thesis

2. a. Does every paragraph and sentence in the paper clearly support the thesis?
2. b. Are there portions of the paper unrelated to the thesis? (For example, are there unnecessary summaries or sections of apparent padding?)

3. Are there sufficient examples and pieces of evidence to support the thesis persuasively?

Organization

4. a. Is the overall organization of the paper clear and effective?
4. b. Did you feel lost at any point?

Insight

5. Does the paper convey interesting insights into its subject?

Overall quality

6. What are the paper's main strengths?

7. What are the paper's main weaknesses?

Suggestions for revision

8. What specific recommendations can you make concerning the revision of this paper?

The key factor in peer reviews is "attitude." Here are some suggestions to get you into the proper mood. 

Some "Do's" and "Don't's" of Peer Evaluationshttp://www.mhhe.com/mayfieldpub/maner/resources/peer5.htm

Peer Evaluations: Some "Do's"

1. Do treat the writer with courtesy and respect.
2. Do comment on the performance, not the person.
3. Do focus on how the argument is supported (or not), rather than whether you agree or disagree with it.
4. Do aim for balance and completeness in pointing out strengths and problem areas.
5. Do comment on specific examples of strengths and problem areas.
6. Do aim to help the writer see how to improve future work as well as the current draft.

Peer Evaluations: Some "Don't's"  

1. Don't use snippy marginal comments such as "So what?" or "What's your point?"
2. Don't get into debates over unresolvable questions of individual value and belief (for example, questions relating to religion, gun control, or abortion).
3. Don't argue with the writer. Raise objections or ask for explanations only to clarify and suggest ways of strengthening the argument.
4. Don't confine your comments to mechanical details.
5. Don't make vague, global comments.
6. Don't rewrite for the writer.

Peer Review of Fast Draft is the major component of today's class.

Note these resources before commenting on what is working:

1. The Assignment. Note the prompt

2. Note what is asked for in the assignment on the Grading Rubric

3. Rules for Writers pp. 41-49 (model of student essay with peer comments)

Rules for Writers p. 71 (list of questions to query essay)

Rules for Writers pp. 36-37 Areas of focus for the query, plus questions to ask

Comment on five areas that are working well:

1. Introduction & Conclusion

2. Coherence; focus

3. Evidence

4. Organization and Paragraphing

5.  Response to Prompt and overall assignment

6. Purpose and Audience

7. Thesis

8. Use of Topical Invention: analogies, definition, testimony, and consequence

9. Use of templates from chapters 1-4 in They Say

Homework

Read and note pertinent comments, esp. those related to clarity, that is where does the essay make the most sense or is most logical?

Write the polished draft. Bring to class next week. If you have not written your proposal for the book you'd like to read, get it in so you can start reading your book. 

Homework 2
Look at a few of your favorite essays from 50 Essays. Specifically those which are definition essays (Cohen xxvi).

What makes them work so well? Do a critique of 3 (three) and discuss what the author is doing and how this strategy might help you in this essay.

See (Cohen 8). Note the introductions, transitions, thesis, organization, use of evidence.

The Week Ahead

Today in class we reviewed Topical Invention and read the essay, "What Happiness Is." Students shared the articles they found on the library databases. Others shared books they were thinking about for their book report essay (Essay 2).

We spent some time outlining the Eduardo Porter essay and then summarizing it. Students then were given time to work on the essay due next week.

Bring in your "Happiness" essay with outline and Initial Planning Sheet electronically so you can share with your group in Google Drive.

Don't forget Splendid Truth 3 for your on-line discussions. Make sure you have responded to everyone. If there has been no communication, send a recap as an introduction and background.

Watch the videos from last week, if you have not and cite two articles and write a summary for one of them. Also bring your notes on Rubin's book electronically as well.

I forgot to give students who were absent last week the other handouts from Models for Writers. Ask me for them.

I also forgot to review the Writing with a Thesis package. We will complete that as well next week. 

What Happiness Is by Eduardo Porter Cyber Assignment

Please post your summaries of the essay. Please include the names of all the participants. Also, include a works cited.

Recap and Homework due March 15

Today in class we practiced Topical Invention, a strategy to develop sentences that answer the questions: What is it or was it? (definition); What caused it, will it cause, did it cause? (consequence); What is it like or unlike? (analogy or comparison); What does an authority say about it? (testimony).

We looked at the essay by Isaac Asimov in Models for Writers (Rosa & Eschholz 49-51) on intelligence. This is a definition essay. Your essay due in a couple of weeks is a definition essay.

In this essay your will define happiness. These four sentences will be used in the essay as topic sentences in your paragraphs and as the thesis.

We did a little mapping exercise on the topic "happiness," after spending an hour on the exercises in Writing with a Thesis. We got up to the "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" exercises. Read the two essays and the two students essays that follow on The Lottery. Students do not have to read the story to read the essays.

In both exercises the goal is to identify the writing which has a thesis.

We moved from the Topical Invention and review to reading the Asimov essay where we talked about annotation and thesis development. I forgot to mention and have us talk about the structure of this essay. The writer's introduction is four paragraphs long. He uses his life and that of his mechanic as a point counterpoint as he queries his notion of intelligence. We could tell that he and his mechanic were friends by the way his mechanic speaks to him and kids Asimov about being so smart he can't even solve a riddle.

Students, in groups, were charged with developing four (4) thesis sentences using Topical Invention strategies. The first step was to chose a question from THP assignment. One group of students used Google Docs to develop the sentences together. Next week, we will all practice this in our groups. It is an excellent strategy.


More on Topical Invention:
http://books.google.com/booksid=Qavqk92uRGYC&pg=PA39&lpg=PA39&dq=define+topical+invention&source=bl&ots=KEg33QeWqw&sig=gI7kmiigdct8BatiJ0NUPCRhVgs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=r5AbU_bvOsL1oASOrIG4Bg&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=define%20topical%20invention&f=false


More on Topical Invention (Professor Sabir)

http://poeticsrapandtothersocialdiscourses.blogspot.com/2007/09/topical-invention.html

Here is an exercise using Topical Invention. (If you need it do it). Note that there are a couple other categories.

http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/bobtam/website/topical_invention.htm

Homework

Lastly, we watched the library tutorial on the basic search. Homework is to watch the others (there are 5 total) and bring in minimally three articles with MLA citations next week. Summarize one of the scholarly articles. This is last week's assignment. Some students might have already completed this. If a link is not active, just copy and insert into the subject or address line.

http://professorwandasposse.blogspot.com/2014/03/research-using-gayle.html

Watch:

Here is a link to what is meant by scholarly articles: 

http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~janzb/courses/scholarly1.htm

I found that all the links except two work, but I had more success in Firefox than in Chrome.


Deciphering an Assignment Video: 

Watch this one too. It is on clarity in assignments:

https://www.wou.edu/provost/library/clip/tutorials/deciphering_assignment.htm


Other Homework:

1. Students received three essays and a chapter from Models for Writers. If you have time, I would suggest you complete the From Reading to Writing package (Rosa & Eschholz 43-68).

2. I also suggest before you write your essay read Eduardo Porter's "What Happiness Is" (Rosa & Eschholz 456-460).

3. Your first mastery essay isn't due until March 22. Know which prompt you want to respond to. Develop four sentences using Topical Invention. Bring to class.

4. Complete Rubin's book.

5. Happiness Weekly Discussion: Topic 5: The Third Splendid Truth.

6. They Say, I Say. We have completed chapters 1-5.  In your essay you will have to use at least three templates. Today we spoke about "Quotation Sandwiches" 47-49. 

March 3-8: The Happiness Project Weekly Cyber-Group Discussion Topic

Did anyone record his or her Personal Commandments online in Rubin's Happiness Toolbox at www.happinessprojecttoolbox.com? Has anyone thought about starting a blog?

How are your reading log shaping up? In the reading log note vocabulary and references you do not know. Look the words up in a dictionary, use the word in a sentence. Paraphrase the sentence with the word. Note the page where it is used. Include a brief summary of key ideas or concepts with corresponding page numbers.

List characters as they come into the story. Develop a profile on the person. Rubin is a character as well. What do we know about her so far?

First half of discussion:

Resolutions report--how is everyone doing?

Second half of the meeting:

Discuss the Second Splendid Truth:

One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy. One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself. 

Do you agree that this is a helpful framework to think about happiness? What aspects of life are covered in the four elements? Do your resolutions focus on a particular element--such as eliminating bad feeling?

Most people emphasize the first half; do you believe the second half is also true? Does the Second Splendid Truth mean that we have a "duty to be happy?"

Last part of the discussion

What do you think about the book so far? What did you find most compelling about the reading for this week? Everyone should be between August and October (smile).

If you have not been getting responses from your group, send to me and make sure we talk about this in class Saturday. 

March 3-8 Reading and Writing: 50 Essays & They Say

50 Essays

Read the following the two essays by Stanton and Truth and answer questions pertaining to one of them: 

First Essay from 50 Essays

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, "Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions" (379) Read the discussion D-74, at this link. For some reason the authors of 50 Essays didn't include this part of the presentation. 
https://umdrive.memphis.edu/jhawes/public/Doc%2014%20Declaration%20of%20Sentiments.pdf

1. What is the analogy Stanton sets up between Revolution-ers Americans and women of her time?

2. Read Stanton's argument through her title. Why does she declare sentiments and resolutions? (Start by defining both terms.) How does she get from the former to the latter?

Read Argumentative Analysis: 

http://samiachughtai.blogspot.com/2013/07/declarations-of-sentiments-and.html

http://declarationsentimentsresolutions.wikispaces.com/3.+Speaker+and+Audience

3. Connections essay: Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence (p. 187).

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html

Compare Stanton's declaration to Thomas Jefferson's declaration (p. 187). How does she use both the form and the historical significance of the original text to make her point? 

4. What group today could write a declaration akin to Jefferson's and Stanton's? In 250 words min.:  Write its declaration, playing off on these earlier declarations. 


Second Essay from 50 Essays

Sojourner Truth, "Ain't I a Woman?" (410). Look at the two versions of the speech in the linked text. What is lost in the translated version? 
http://voicesofdemocracy.umd.edu/truth-address-at-the-womans-rights-convention-speech-text/

1. To whom and to what is Truth responding?

2. Truth's argument take the form of examples. What are they examples of, and what point do they help her make?

3. Connections essay: Elizabeth Cady Stanton's essay (p. 379).

4. Imagine you were in the audience when Truth delivered this speech in 1851. What perceptions of her might you have had, and how might what she said have countered them? (Respond in 100-250 words min.)

Remember, you only have to respond to the questions for one essay. 

March 3-8 Assignments from They Say

They Say

"Skeptics May Object: Planting a Naysayer in Your Text" (78-91).  Read the chapter and complete exercises 1 and 2. For exercise 2 (91) use one of the essays we read this week in 50 Essays.

Post here.

March 3-8: Research using Gayle

1. Include a brief summary of article(s) or material read or watched (2 minimally).

2. Cite using MLA format.

3. Discuss the research process and any questions you might have encountered. 
Don't forget the Virtual Librarian and his or her help. Students can also go into the library and talk to the reference librarian or try calling on the phone. 

Research Links

Link to COA Library:  http://alameda.peralta.edu/library/article-databases/

Tutorials to Watch

Expanded Academic (general interest academic).

(Watch 2)
Topic: Happiness; Gretchen Rubin

basic search

http://assets.cengage.com/training/PowerSearch/basic.htm 

subject guide search

http://assets.cengage.com/training/PowerSearch/subject.htm

advanced search

http://assets.cengage.com/training/PowerSearch/advanced.htm

Literature Resource Center (Watch both)
Topic: Gretchen Rubin; The Happiness Project

person search

http://assets.cengage.com/training/LRC/person.htm

works search

http://assets.cengage.com/training/LRC/work.htm

Discussion 

Students will post the results of their research using MLA format.  Please include a brief synopsis of the articles (2) you read and their usefulness in your research on happiness.

At the end of the articles or media is the resource in MLA form. Check this against Hacker's Rules.In this forum, discuss what you found and any questions or problems using the library database.  

There is a virtual librarianhttp://alameda.peralta.edu/library/distance-education-resources/

Please also ask the Virtual Librarian and share the results in the Research Forum. 

Week March 3-8 Freewrite Assignment

In 250 words reflect on the women (1-3) in your life and how they have shaped you into the person you are today. Be as concrete in your examples as possible. You can be creative and the woman does not have to be a relative or even human. Think of the uses the use of gender in metaphor or personification. 

March 3-8 Overview with links to assignments

This week we continue in Rubin's The Happiness Project and start looking at research methodology using library resources. I am going to list 4-6 resources this week and a few more next week for students to practice navigating the library databases to find articles for use in essays.

In THP cyber-discussions students will look at the Second Splendid Truth. Here is a link to the assignment: http://professorwandasposse.blogspot.com/2014/03/march-3-8-happiness-project-weekly.html

In They Say we will look at Planting the Naysayer, that is, developing counterarguments (78-91)

In preparation for the first mastery essay:
I suggest students look at the essay for THP and chose 1-3 topics of interest and tailor your research to answer the question you might like to consider in the essay you will be writing.  Each essay will use 3 sources, minimally. Students do not have to cite in-text from the articles, but they do have to include the other sources in their biography. I would like students to vary the sources used: scholarly articles, books, broadcast interviews, film or videos. Look at the Assignments Link posted a few weeks ago. 

1 source for each of the three mastery essays has to be a scholarly article (generally between 5-20 pages long).

Freewrite

The freewrite topic this week is:  In 250 words reflect on the women (1-3) in your life and how they have shaped you into the person you are today. Be as concrete in your examples as possible. You can be creative and the woman does not have to be a relative or even human. http://professorwandasposse.blogspot.com/2014/03/week-march-3-8-freewrite-assignment.html

Research Links

Link to COA Library:  http://alameda.peralta.edu/library/article-databases/

Tutorials

Expanded Academic (general interest academic).

(Watch 2)Topic: Happiness; Gretchen Rubin

basic search

http://assets.cengage.com/training/PowerSearch/basic.htm

subject guide search

http://assets.cengage.com/training/PowerSearch/subject.htm

advanced search

http://assets.cengage.com/training/PowerSearch/advanced.htm

Literature Resource Center (Watch both)
Topic: Gretchen Rubin; The Happiness Project

person search

http://assets.cengage.com/training/LRC/person.htm

works search

http://assets.cengage.com/training/LRC/work.htm

Research Discussion Forum
Link to Post  http://professorwandasposse.blogspot.com/2014/03/research-using-gayle.html

Students will post the results of their research using MLA format.  Please include a brief synopsis of the articles (2) you read and their usefulness in your research on happiness.

At the end of the articles or media is the resource in MLA form. Check this against Hacker's Rules.In this forum, discuss what you found and any questions or problems using the library database.  

There is a virtual librarianhttp://alameda.peralta.edu/library/distance-education-resources/  Please also ask the Virtual Librarian and share the results in the Research Forum. 

Reading/Writing Assignments

They Say

"Skeptics May Object: Planting a Naysayer in Your Text" (78-91).  Read the chapter and complete exercises 1 and 2. For exercise 2 (91) use one of the essays we read this week in 50 Essays. Post at link. 

Link to post http://professorwandasposse.blogspot.com/2014/03/march-3-8-assignments-from-they-say.html

50 Essays

Read the following the two essays by Stanton and Truth and answer questions pertaining to one of them: 

First Essay from 50 Essays

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, "Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions" (379) Read the discussion D-74, at this link. For some reason the authors of 50 Essays didn't include this part of the presentation. 
https://umdrive.memphis.edu/jhawes/public/Doc%2014%20Declaration%20of%20Sentiments.pdf

1. What is the analogy Stanton sets up between Revolution-era Americans and women of her time?

2. Read Stanton's argument through her title. Why does she declare sentiments and resolutions? (Start by defining both terms.) How does she get from the former to the latter?

Read Argumentative Analysis: 

http://samiachughtai.blogspot.com/2013/07/declarations-of-sentiments-and.html

http://declarationsentimentsresolutions.wikispaces.com/3.+Speaker+and+Audience

3. Connections essay: Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence (p. 187). 

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html

Compare Stanton's declaration to Thomas Jefferson's declaration (p. 187). How does she use both the form and the historical significance of the original text to make her point?

4. What group today could write a declaration akin to Jefferson's and Stanton's? In 250 words min.:  Write its declaration, playing off on these earlier declarations. 

Second Essay from 50 Essays

Sojourner Truth, "Ain't I a Woman?" (410). Look at the two versions of the speech in the linked text. What is lost in the translated version? 
http://voicesofdemocracy.umd.edu/truth-address-at-the-womans-rights-convention-speech-text/

1. To whom and to what is Truth responding?

2. Truth's argument take the form of examples. What are they examples of, and what point do they help her make?

3. Connections essay: Elizabeth Cady Stanton's essay (p. 379).

4. Imagine you were in the audience when Truth delivered this speech in 1851. What perceptions of her might you have had, and how might what she said have countered them? (Respond in 100-250 words min.)

 Link to assignment post: http://professorwandasposse.blogspot.com/2014/03/march-3-8-reading-and-writing-50-essays.html