33% of your sentences and/or paragraphs in your final draft must be "new" or revised (revised sentences mean more than a few words changed: the subject of the sentence should change, or the verb, in addition to the sentence itself.
Italicized sentences look like this. Be sure new sentences and revised sentences appear like this in your final draft. Also be sure to include a previous draft.
If more than 50% of your final research draft is new, don't worry about italicizing.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Blogging the lab
Quantitative Reasoning
Quantitative reasoning is the use of numerical measurements and data to advance, support, defend, or contest claims. This blog is really just trying to see how you interpret data, and how you can use it to make points of your own. In that way, be sure to use the data to support the points you're making in your blog.
Your Blog Comments
The comments you left from the other class were terrific. I thought your peer critique voices have matured greatly; those comments were effective, respectful, and concise. I'm very proud of the writers you've become over the course of this semester.
If You're Interested
LINK
LINK
LINK
Quantitative reasoning is the use of numerical measurements and data to advance, support, defend, or contest claims. This blog is really just trying to see how you interpret data, and how you can use it to make points of your own. In that way, be sure to use the data to support the points you're making in your blog.
Your Blog Comments
The comments you left from the other class were terrific. I thought your peer critique voices have matured greatly; those comments were effective, respectful, and concise. I'm very proud of the writers you've become over the course of this semester.
If You're Interested
LINK
LINK
LINK
Twitter Time: Out of class assignment
First, sign into your Twitter ID using your normal web browser (Firefox, etc).
Next, follow these simple instructions:
1. Google "African American infant mortality." Find the latest statistics. Tweet them. Then, in a following Tweet, Tweet what you think that information *means.*
2. Using a search engine and search terms, figure out how much money the Federal government spent on education for the most recent year data is available. Be sure to find accurate information. Tweet the results, and then Tweet what it means.
This assignment should take about 10-15 minutes.
Next, follow these simple instructions:
1. Google "African American infant mortality." Find the latest statistics. Tweet them. Then, in a following Tweet, Tweet what you think that information *means.*
2. Using a search engine and search terms, figure out how much money the Federal government spent on education for the most recent year data is available. Be sure to find accurate information. Tweet the results, and then Tweet what it means.
This assignment should take about 10-15 minutes.
Submitting Blog Contents for Anonymous Review
We will try and complete this task together in lab next Tuesday the 29th. If you have not written your blog at that point, you can do this yourself.
First, copy your blog into Microsoft Word and save it to your desktop. Read it over once again for surface errors and for whether or not it makes sense.
Then follow the instructions here.
First, copy your blog into Microsoft Word and save it to your desktop. Read it over once again for surface errors and for whether or not it makes sense.
Then follow the instructions here.
Final Blog Post
Assignment Goal: This blog asks students to accomplish two things: 1) to use date to assert a point and interpret information, and 2) to draft a possible conclusion or paragraph for their ENG 103 research essay.
Assignment Description: In Martin Luther King's Chaos or Community (1967), King offers some data to make several points about civil rights. When the Constitution was written, he repeats, "the Negro was only 60 percent of a person" (6). King goes on to state that the rate of infant mortality among African-Americans is double that of whites, that twice as many African-Americans fought in Vietnam (and that twice as many died), that black elementary schools lagged three years behind white schools, and that 1/20 as many African-Americans attended college as white Americans. King reports that 50% of white Americans would not want a "Negro as a neighbor."
Remember: you will need to "frame" all this information for your reader, in addition to using templates that help them understand what you already know.
Your blog will do relate two things to your readers:
First, summarize the information presented here and interpret it. What does this data suggest?
Second, return to the NYTimes article we read in class and which you received as a hand-out: "Whites Account for Under Half of Births in U.S." Cite what you believe is the most important data from this article, and compare and contrast it with the information King cites in Chaos and Community.
As you write, consider and reflect on these questions:
What's changed since 1967, and how do we know?
What hasn't changed since 1967, and how do we know?
Students should feel free to find more data to support their claims.
Also, consider using this piece of writing to help close your essay(s).
Assignment Description: In Martin Luther King's Chaos or Community (1967), King offers some data to make several points about civil rights. When the Constitution was written, he repeats, "the Negro was only 60 percent of a person" (6). King goes on to state that the rate of infant mortality among African-Americans is double that of whites, that twice as many African-Americans fought in Vietnam (and that twice as many died), that black elementary schools lagged three years behind white schools, and that 1/20 as many African-Americans attended college as white Americans. King reports that 50% of white Americans would not want a "Negro as a neighbor."
Remember: you will need to "frame" all this information for your reader, in addition to using templates that help them understand what you already know.
Your blog will do relate two things to your readers:
First, summarize the information presented here and interpret it. What does this data suggest?
Second, return to the NYTimes article we read in class and which you received as a hand-out: "Whites Account for Under Half of Births in U.S." Cite what you believe is the most important data from this article, and compare and contrast it with the information King cites in Chaos and Community.
As you write, consider and reflect on these questions:
What's changed since 1967, and how do we know?
What hasn't changed since 1967, and how do we know?
Students should feel free to find more data to support their claims.
Also, consider using this piece of writing to help close your essay(s).
Monday, May 21, 2012
Grading Grid Final Research Essay
ENG 101 Assignment One
Evaluate the essays in your peer review groups by responding thoughtfully to each of the following criteria. Focus on the criteria you feel students should most address in their drafts.
Responses must be specific in order to count.
Attach written suggestions from your peers to your final drafts for full peer review credit.
1. Thesis: Contains a central assertion that places a central idea at the forefront of the essay that can tie together the ideas of black power, civil rights, and violence/non-violence (20%)
2. Structure: Essay organized around topic sentences; each paragraph provides 'they say' context; essay explains direct quotations (20%)
3. Evidence: Essay successfully places direct quotes into each body paragraph; essay cites those quotes correctly according to MLA guidelines; essay contains a bibliography; essay incorporates requirements for the research essay: framing in particular (30%)
4. Critical Thinking: Essay interprets quotes in original ways that go beyond class discussion; essay connects main ideas to other texts or moments in text; essay utilizes keywords and defines them (20%)
5. Polish (10%): Essay integrates material well; essay shows signs of revision; essay demonstrates skillful writing voice; essay mixes professional and casual voice effectively; essay doesn't feel cut and pasted; grammatical errors don't detract from overall meaning
Evaluate the essays in your peer review groups by responding thoughtfully to each of the following criteria. Focus on the criteria you feel students should most address in their drafts.
Responses must be specific in order to count.
Attach written suggestions from your peers to your final drafts for full peer review credit.
1. Thesis: Contains a central assertion that places a central idea at the forefront of the essay that can tie together the ideas of black power, civil rights, and violence/non-violence (20%)
2. Structure: Essay organized around topic sentences; each paragraph provides 'they say' context; essay explains direct quotations (20%)
3. Evidence: Essay successfully places direct quotes into each body paragraph; essay cites those quotes correctly according to MLA guidelines; essay contains a bibliography; essay incorporates requirements for the research essay: framing in particular (30%)
4. Critical Thinking: Essay interprets quotes in original ways that go beyond class discussion; essay connects main ideas to other texts or moments in text; essay utilizes keywords and defines them (20%)
5. Polish (10%): Essay integrates material well; essay shows signs of revision; essay demonstrates skillful writing voice; essay mixes professional and casual voice effectively; essay doesn't feel cut and pasted; grammatical errors don't detract from overall meaning
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Thursday Blog Comment
This assignment again asks you to offer a peer some advice on their
writing. Here you fill find a link to an assignment. You will also find
your name linked to the blog of another student. You will also find
some instructions for leaving written feedback that echoes what we went
over in class.
Directions (from the text Tutoring Writing)
1. Open a general statement of assessment about the blog's relationship to the assignment. Be clear about which parts fulfill the assignment and which parts need improvement.
2. Present comments so the writer knows which problems with text are most important and which are of lesser importance.
3. Use comments primarily to call attention to strengths and weaknesses in the piece, and be clear about the precise points where they occur.
4. Don't feel obligated to do all the 'fixing.' Refrain from focusing on grammar unless it impedes your ability to understand the piece.
5. Write comments that are text-specific, and uniquely aimed at the blog and the writer.
Strategies
1. Pose at least two questions that ask for clarification or that seek other possible views or more information on the subject.
2. Let the writer know what specific lines, ideas, and stylistic touches you find pleasing.
3. When you make a specific, concrete suggestion for improvement, try couching it in a qualifier: "You might try..." or "Why don't you add..." or "Another way of writing the lead might be..."
4. If you notice a pattern of errors (incorrect use of commas, etc) comment on it in a global way at the end of the piece.
Danny
Emmanuel
Jordan
Robbie
Casey
Adam
Andres
Mamadou
Steven
Elvia
Elizabeth
Shabana
Carla
Email me if you want to read and respond to another blog for extra credit.
Directions (from the text Tutoring Writing)
1. Open a general statement of assessment about the blog's relationship to the assignment. Be clear about which parts fulfill the assignment and which parts need improvement.
2. Present comments so the writer knows which problems with text are most important and which are of lesser importance.
3. Use comments primarily to call attention to strengths and weaknesses in the piece, and be clear about the precise points where they occur.
4. Don't feel obligated to do all the 'fixing.' Refrain from focusing on grammar unless it impedes your ability to understand the piece.
5. Write comments that are text-specific, and uniquely aimed at the blog and the writer.
Strategies
1. Pose at least two questions that ask for clarification or that seek other possible views or more information on the subject.
2. Let the writer know what specific lines, ideas, and stylistic touches you find pleasing.
3. When you make a specific, concrete suggestion for improvement, try couching it in a qualifier: "You might try..." or "Why don't you add..." or "Another way of writing the lead might be..."
4. If you notice a pattern of errors (incorrect use of commas, etc) comment on it in a global way at the end of the piece.
Danny
Emmanuel
Jordan
Robbie
Casey
Adam
Andres
Mamadou
Steven
Elvia
Elizabeth
Shabana
Carla
Email me if you want to read and respond to another blog for extra credit.
Research and Revision Lab
As you revise your writing for the eight-page ENG 103 assignment, please consider the following steps:
1. Reflect on the thesis you plan to use for your final essay. What material from your current writing can support that thesis? You may want to highlight it somehow. You may also want to outline the "claims" that support your thesis in your current drafts. Of all the paragraphs you've written, you'll want to select the strongest and be sure that each topic sentences supports the overall thesis. The same is true for the evidence you plan to quote and cite.
2. Your essay will also have to demonstrate three new pages of research material. At this point, you should have already found *most*, if not *all*, of the articles and information you plan to incorporate into your essay. As with any text, it will be your responsibility to finish reading these sources, extract the information useful to you, frame that information, quote it, cite it correctly, paraphrase it, and evaluate it.
3. This essay will be an occasion for you to present:
* a paragraph with counter-arguments or critical thinking with counter-arguments
* a mixed voice introduction, conclusion, and/or critical thinking
* an analysis of visual material.
For today's lab and for your future revisions, you should take these steps one at a time. Since writing about research involves you composing new paragraphs, you may decide to start there. Likewise, you may want to begin cutting and pasting from your writing during the semester and figuring out where you plan to place information to support your thesis.
1. Reflect on the thesis you plan to use for your final essay. What material from your current writing can support that thesis? You may want to highlight it somehow. You may also want to outline the "claims" that support your thesis in your current drafts. Of all the paragraphs you've written, you'll want to select the strongest and be sure that each topic sentences supports the overall thesis. The same is true for the evidence you plan to quote and cite.
2. Your essay will also have to demonstrate three new pages of research material. At this point, you should have already found *most*, if not *all*, of the articles and information you plan to incorporate into your essay. As with any text, it will be your responsibility to finish reading these sources, extract the information useful to you, frame that information, quote it, cite it correctly, paraphrase it, and evaluate it.
3. This essay will be an occasion for you to present:
* a paragraph with counter-arguments or critical thinking with counter-arguments
* a mixed voice introduction, conclusion, and/or critical thinking
* an analysis of visual material.
For today's lab and for your future revisions, you should take these steps one at a time. Since writing about research involves you composing new paragraphs, you may decide to start there. Likewise, you may want to begin cutting and pasting from your writing during the semester and figuring out where you plan to place information to support your thesis.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Research Essay: Research phase
The Research Essay
Assignment Goal: The goal of this assignment is to create an eight-page research essay that contains an argument and several kinds of sources for evidence.
Assignment Description:
The research essay will revise one of your two essays. You will incorporate research to support your points and your revised thesis. Students must find:
* one academic sources (journals, peer-reviewed)
* two visual sources (photograph, video)
* two non-academic sources
* one primary source
These sources will make up the bulk of the additional pages, and demonstrate to the professor that the student can do research, integrate research, frame research, and cite that research.
Future Classes
We will discuss:
- incorporate visual evidence
- learn how to find the ways to cite non-book sources in the essay
- discuss the challenges of evaluating and framing outside information
Assignment Goal: The goal of this assignment is to create an eight-page research essay that contains an argument and several kinds of sources for evidence.
Assignment Description:
The research essay will revise one of your two essays. You will incorporate research to support your points and your revised thesis. Students must find:
* one academic sources (journals, peer-reviewed)
* two visual sources (photograph, video)
* two non-academic sources
* one primary source
These sources will make up the bulk of the additional pages, and demonstrate to the professor that the student can do research, integrate research, frame research, and cite that research.
Future Classes
We will discuss:
- incorporate visual evidence
- learn how to find the ways to cite non-book sources in the essay
- discuss the challenges of evaluating and framing outside information
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Pop Super-quiz
1. Take out the reading and a piece of paper. Write down one sentence from the reading that interested you. Put the text away.
2. Frame the quote, correctly quote it, and correctly cite it.
3. Paraphrase the quote.
4. Using critical analysis, explain the significance of the quote in one sentence.
2. Frame the quote, correctly quote it, and correctly cite it.
3. Paraphrase the quote.
4. Using critical analysis, explain the significance of the quote in one sentence.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Lab Exercise: Twitter Activity
1. Make sure you're following your classmates on Twitter. You can probably find them by searching for the #bpmt hashtag.
2. Find a Tweet from last week that another student wrote that interests you. "Retweet" the Tweet yourself and then message the student's Twitter account. Respond to their idea in your message in a way that 'extends' the Tweet into some critical thinking.
3. On your Twitter account, offer a declarative statement about the most interesting thing you've learned from watching the BPMT. Make sure to stay within the boundaries of the Tweet.
4. Finally, get ready to continue Tweeting about the documentary. As you Tweet, try and consider you might create Tweets that can 'note' certain ideas for your essay.
2. Find a Tweet from last week that another student wrote that interests you. "Retweet" the Tweet yourself and then message the student's Twitter account. Respond to their idea in your message in a way that 'extends' the Tweet into some critical thinking.
3. On your Twitter account, offer a declarative statement about the most interesting thing you've learned from watching the BPMT. Make sure to stay within the boundaries of the Tweet.
4. Finally, get ready to continue Tweeting about the documentary. As you Tweet, try and consider you might create Tweets that can 'note' certain ideas for your essay.
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