Dropbox is open for your final reflection essay

The d2l dropbox is now open for your final reflection essay. It will close tomorrow (Friday Dec 11) at 5:30PM.  
If you are also submitting a rewrite of one of your first two essays for a better grade, upload the rewrite to the appropriate dropbox folder for that assignment. I have the settings arranged so that your rewrite will appear in addition to your original paper, so that I can compare them and regrade the assignment. 

I should have your final grade for the course posted by late Tuesday Dec. 15. 

Extra Credit Holiday Activity (10 points)

Join two phrases together to form a complex sentence, using proper punctuation, conjunctions, or subordination. Make 5 sentences. (10 points extra credit if they are all correct!)

It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Up on the Housetop

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Deck the Halls

I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas

Silent Night

I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

Baby It’s Cold Outside

It’s a Marshmallow World

Jolly Old St. Nicholas

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

I heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Example:

I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus:Jolly Old St. Nicholas!!

Conference slots Tuesday and Wednesday

Here is the link to sign up for a conference slot on Tuesday or Wednesday (these are optional). 

Checklist for your reflective essay

Things to pay attention to in your essay:

1. Do not just list what you did this semester, or even what you learned. (Why not?) Write about HOW and WHY your activities contributed to your learning. 
2. Please take some time to study how to join clauses together!! Review the semi-colon versus the comma, especially. 

Online course evaluation link

Here is the link to the online course evaluations. Please take 15 minutes to complete this evaluation.
https://tce.oirps.arizona.edu/TCEOnline

BLOG POST 40: write a letter of encouragement to yourself

Educational research shows that your mindset is key to growth as a learner. If you believe that learning/school success is mainly outside of your control, you will be tempted to give up. Having a growth mindset can help you persevere to achieve your goals. 

Fixed Mindset versus Growth Mindset:

FIXED MINDSET GROWTH MINDSET

No amount of effort will produce success: “I’m just not smart” or “I can’t write” or “I’m not college material.”	Hard work will produce improvement:  "I believe I can develop my abilities.”
Learning should be easy: “If I have to try hard, I’m not smart.” “I don’t understand.”  “I can’t do this.”	Achievement results from effort:  “I may not understand yet, but I can  get better at this.”
Needing help is a sign of weakness:  "I should be able to do this without asking for help."	Needing--and asking for-- help is an  opportunity to grow: "I will welcome multiple opportunities to learn and improve."
Only emphasize outcomes:  "If I'm getting Cs I'm a failure."   "If I'm getting As I must be pretty smart."   "I have to pass this class or my life will be over."	Emphasize process:  "Even though I may not be getting the grades I wanted, I am learning from this experience."   "I'm growing as a writer and I want to keep growing."

BLOG POST 40: write a letter of encouragement to yourself to read when things get tough next semester. 

Online course evaluations; BLOG POST 39

BLOG POST 39: If you could write a letter to your former writing self at the beginning of the semester, what would you say? What do you wish you had known?  What advice would you give yourself about writing?

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Also, on Monday, we will take the first 15 minutes to complete the online course evaluation. I value your feedback so that I can improve my course design and teaching practice, so please make thoughtful responses. 

Final exam (reflective essay and optional rewrite)

Our "official" final exam slot is Friday Dec. 11 from 3:30-5:30PM. The dropbox will be open all day Friday until 5:30PM for you to upload your final reflective essay, and your optional rewrite of paper 1 or 2. I need to close the dropbox at 5:30PM.

Note

I forgot to collect the printouts today for attendance. Please keep them and pass them in on Friday.

For Friday (and Blog Post 38): Reflective essay organizing idea and thesis

The Student's Guide chapter 12 suggested five organizing ideas/themes for your reflective essay (p. 247-48):

1. Focus on a specific assignment, experience, or concept 
2. Compare your experience writing in this course to past experiences
3. Reflect on strengths and weaknesses 
4. Focus on course objectives
5. Focus on your writing process/self-perception as a writer

Blog Post 38: Write a sample thesis statement for each theme.  If you would like to use a different organizing idea from one of the above, describe it and write a thesis for it in addition to the ones above.

Then pick the one you are most interested in using for your reflective essay, and explain why you think it would be the most effective, interesting way to organize your essay (think about SOAPSTone).

Give detailed suggestions and feedback on two other classmate's blog posts. Link to their posts in your post.

==> FOR FRIDAY: Bring your chosen organizing idea and thesis, with the SOAPSTone, printed out, to class!!

Office hours today

I will be holding office hours today in the Main Library in the lobby area to the left of the main entrance between 9:30 and 11:00.

Blog Post 37: Audience and invention for reflective essay

Answer at length the questions posed in the chart in the Student's Guide p. 249:

1. What topic do I want to discuss with my readers? What do I want them to understand about the topic?
2. Who is my primary audience? Who is my secondary audience?
3. What do my audiences already know or believe about my topic?
4. How will I organize and develop my ideas to make them convincing to these readers?
5. How will I establish my ethos (relationship and tone) with my readers?

Change for blog grading policy

You may have noticed that the blogs are not graded on d2l. I have been reconsidering the way I assess the blogs, and I have decided that each blog will be graded on a pass/fail/bonus basis. 

• Each blog post (there will be 40 in all) will be worth 2.5 points (100 total, or 10% of your grade). 
• If you did the blog post, you earn 2.5 points for it. 
• If you did not write the blog post, you get 0 points for that post. 
• You can earn bonus points for exceptional blog posts: for each exceptional post, you can earn extra bonus point (1) for that post, up to 25 bonus points. 

You may, if you have time and inclination, go back and write your missing blog posts, up until the last day of class (Wed. Dec. 9). Any posts revised or added after the last day of class do not count toward your grade.  Blog Post prompts. 

Blog Post 36: Discovering your writing process (Revisited)

Review Chapter Three of the Student's Guide, especially section 3.2. Think about how your own writing process may have changed over the course of the semester. 

First essay reflections word cloud

Then for this blog, answer the questions posed in the craft box on page 246. 

Writing support during finals!!

For Wednesday: SG chapter 12

For Wednesday, read Student's Guide chapter 12: Reflective Writing. This chapter provides in-depth instructions and suggestions for writing your reflective essay. 

==>>Come to class Wednesday having filled in the blanks on this worksheet from the reading. Bring a printed copy. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING: ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!

BUT DON'T FORGET, THE NEW DEADLINE FOR YOUR PROJECT 

IS SUNDAY NIGHT 11:59 PM. 

THE DROPBOX IS NOW OPEN

http://aim4beauty.deviantart.com/art/TIME-FOR-THANKSGIVING-269920378

EXTRA CREDIT: REFUGEE INFORMATION SHEET

Wednesday Nov 25:  Thanks to Mikaela Bell (former intern for the International Rescue Committee) for coming to speak to our class today about refugees! 



GROUP ACTIVITY:

1. What is the official definition of a refugee? Who decides which migrants receive refugee status, and how?
2. International statistics: How many refugees are there in the world currently? Where are they located?
3. How many refugees are there currently in the U.S. and what countries are they from?
4. What organizations work with refugees in Arizona? What did Governor Ducey recently announce about refugees and Arizona?
5. How many refugees are there in Tucson and where are they from? Are there any Syrian refugees in Tucson?
6. How can I best help refugees?

EXTRA CREDIT (10 PTS) - COMPILE ALL THIS INFORMATION INTO THE FACT SHEET BELOW. If you were not in class Wednesday, you may still earn 10 points extra credit if you contribute some facts to this online fact sheet. I have made comments and/or suggestions in the document for edits and additional information. 

https://docs.google.com/a/email.arizona.edu/document/d/1SAVS4_6e4RxNt1q-7j7YnzNgDW796jiOoGAsCOI7RHM/edit?usp=sharing

New deadline for Project Three

At least half of you have requested an extension for your project, so the deadline is now the end of Thanksgiving weekend, Sunday NOV. 29 at 11:59PM. I will open the dropbox now, and it will close Sunday night at midnight. After that, your project will incur a late penalty as per the course policies. 

Blog Post 35: Refugee Rhetoric

 Blog Post 35

Explain the rhetoric of this cartoon. What is the context? Who is the audience? What is the message? What is the purpose? What information do you need to have to understand this cartoon?

Blog Post 34: Thesis statement for rhetorical analysis

Blog Post 34: thesis statement for rhetorical analysis

Post your thesis statement for your rhetorical analysis of your third project. Argue that “I have used the best available means of persuasion for this rhetorical situation.” Examples we came up with in class:

• “I argue that the most effective way for me to reach  the UA student body was through the student paper the Daily Wildcat;  I used primarily an emotional appeal with personal quotation and experiences to refute those who are ignorant towards the severe life-threatening mental illness, depression.” 

• “Because my paper would be published in a science magazine, I used formal diction, concise sources, pictures, statistics and graphs, to maximize my efficiency in conveying my message about forest management to ecologists and politicians.”  

Grades posted on d2l for essay #2

I have posted your grade for paper #2, with comments in the grademark area, and also the attached rubric.  

Please remember that you have the opportunity to rewrite one of the first 2 papers for a better grade, to turn in with your final portfolio. I will also be offering another extra credit opportunity shortly. 

Grade distribution paper #2:

5 As
7 Bs
5 Cs

Your rhetorical analysis of project #3

Please recall that, in addition to your public argument, you are also writing a rhetorical analysis of your argument.

You will write a 5-6 page essay in MLA format [150 pts] about your public speech act. You are persuading me that you have employed the “best available means of persuasion in your chosen rhetorical situation.” Shoot for 5-6 pages including a works cited page.  You will probably be writing in the first person:  Explain in detail your rhetorical choices and how you decided on them:

1. the background context of the project (including the background information you researched for the project proposal)
2. your ethos/authority as the speaker
3. who your specific audience is, and why you chose them (include the research you did about your audience)
4. the type of argument you are making, and why this is the most effective type for your audience and purpose
5. the main appeals you are using, and why these are most effective for your audience
6. specific purpose: what do you want your audience to believe and/or do as a result of your argument?
7. use specific examples from your public argument as illustrations for your points (yes, you are quoting yourself!). Your public argument will be one of the entries on your works cited page, and you will need to cite and quote your project just like you would any other source.

For Friday: Project Presentations Continued; workshop

PRESENTATIONS: We can take time from Friday's class to do the last three presentations, or you can sign up for a conference slot, or both.

On Friday, we are scheduled also to workshop your rhetorical analysis of your public argument (recall the project has two parts!!)  If you don't have a complete draft, you can take the time to work on the draft.

Next week:

• Monday: Workshop the rhetorical analysis - you must bring a complete draft to class!
• Wednesday: in-class activity
• DEADLINE: Wednesday at 11:59PM in the dropbox. 
• Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Venn Diagram for Public Argument

It may help you to narrow your argument by making a Venn Diagram. For example, I made a simple one below using Gabi Dodson's example. Let's say that she wants to write an article in Freestyle Magazine addressed to snowboarders, arguing that a particular ski area should be reserved for skiers. The area where the three circles intersect is her argument.

SIGN-UPs for next week

==>>Here is the link to the sign-up sheet for next week's in-class presentations (M,W) and group conferences (T,TH). These are opportunities for you to get feedback about your public argument. 

You must sign up for a presentation or a conference; preference for in-class presentations will be given to student projects that are visual in nature. 

(Visual) in-class presentations take the form of a "lightning talk." Depending on how many students sign up, you will have three-five minutes to describe your project and show a few slides/clips/visuals (or show the whole thing if it fits into that time frame). Your classmates will fill out a feedback form to give you, or if there is enough time you can answer questions. This is especially appropriate if your public argument is mainly visual: a powerpoint, a video, a website, a blog, a poster. 

One-hour group conferences will meet at my office in a conference room, with me and 2-3 other students. You will each have approximately 15 minutes to talk about your project and get feedback. This is especially appropriate if your public argument is a written one (speech, article, letter to a public official) and you want feedback on your writing. If you want feedback on your writing, bring 3-4 printed copies of your public argument to the conference. 

For Friday

We will be having workshop time in class on Friday. Bring the latest version of your project to class. 

Emotion word chart; action verbs chart

Dear Students: This came across my Facebook feed and I thought you might find it helpful. Below it is a chart of action verbs that you might also find useful. 

http://lifehacker.com/find-the-perfect-word-for-your-feelings-with-this-vocab-1653013241

Here is another chart of action verbs that you may also find useful when writing your rhetorical analysis of your public speech project. 

For Wednesday: background research BLOG POST 33

BLOG POST 33:

1. Create a Google Document called Background Research. 
2. Research how your message is being communicated by other persons or groups. Pick three different groups or individuals and analyze how they are addressing the issue (essentially write a SOAPSTone on each one). 
3. Post a link to your document on your blog. 
4. Comment on two other documents. 

Updated project timeline, and Project Proposal

The timeline has been updated: view here


Your project proposal is due next Monday at 8AM in the d2l Dropbox. It should be approx. 1000-1200 words.  In it, you should describe:

1. The rhetorical context for your project. This should 
1. describe the issue, including some facts and references to outside sources
2. describe the stakeholders in the issue, identifying who has the power to actually do something about the issue
3. discuss how three other persons/groups are already addressing the issue (Basically, a SOAPSTone for each one (genre, type of argument, purpose, audience, etc. ) 
2. How what you want to do fits into the ongoing conversation:
1. the message you want to communicate, including the type of argument
2. the specific audience you want to influence
3. the purpose of your message (what effect do you want to have on your audience/ call to action)
4. the genre/occasion you have chosen (letter, speech, website, etc)
5. the rhetorical appeals you think will be most effective
3. How/why you decided on these choices (assessing their possible rhetorical effectiveness in your given circumstances, including your own role as speaker) 

==>Here is a link to an example project proposal.  Feel free to comment, ask questions, make suggestions,

Five types of public argument

5 types of arguments: (from Writing Public Lives p. 414)

1. Position (pro/con) argument
2. Causal argument
3. Evaluative argument
4. Proposal argument
5. Refutation argument

• What kind of argument are you thinking of making?
• Write a few sentences on each type of argument, explaining how you would frame your message in each type.
• Pick one type of argument and explore in more detail how it would change your project: the genre, the audience, the appeals.

Project three timeline (UPDATED)

Here is the timeline for project 3. There are three weeks left before the project is due.

M  11/2   -- types of public arguments

W  11/4   -- occasion/genre

F   11/6  --- NO CLASS -  research day

M  11/9  --- NO CLASS -Project proposal due in d2l dropbox 8AM

W 11/11 --- NO CLASS (Veteran's Day)

F  11/13 --  first draft project workshop

M  11/16 -- project presentations/feedback
T 11/17 -- Group conferences

W 11/18 --  project presentations/feedback
TH 11/19-- group conferences

F  11/20  -- rhetorical analysis workshop
M 11/23 --

Wed 11/25  Public Argument Due 11:59 PM
THURS-SUN HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Word choice practice!!! Visual Thesaurus

Today we discussed word choice: how to master the nuances of meaning in English. Reading widely is one way (and the best, I think); but here is a unique way to explore the differences in meaning between similar words: Visual Thesaurus. This is the most developed product; you can use it for a two-week trial for free, and then subscribe. The UA Library is not subscribed, apparently. The website has some useful features that you can use without subscribing.

• http://www.visualthesaurus.com/

Here are some other similar sites, not as well developed, but apparently free.

• http://visuwords.com/
• http://graphwords.com/
• http://www.lexipedia.com/

Week Ten Overview (Blogs 30-32)

Welcome to Week Ten!

On Monday, we finalized the grading rubric for Paper #2: Rhetorical Analysis, and spent some time writing a reflection about your learning to this point in the class, which you should have then posted as Blog 29: Reflection. I also asked you to write a one-minute paper on the "muddiest point" in your understanding of rhetorical analysis. 

On Wednesday,  we discussed the results of the muddiest point papers, and talked more at length about the O in SOAPSTone: Occasion. We also discussed the reading for Friday, and spent some time in groups discussing the rhetorical situation for your public argument, especially defining the Audience.

Reading for Friday: Student's Guide Chapter 11 - Public Argument. 
Not only does this chapter present a good overview of the aspects of the rhetorical situation you need to consider, but it also provides many useful charts and resource lists, as well as examples of public arguments. The chapter includes three sample public arguments: you will choose one to analyze and write a blog post on (see blog prompts below):

1. A letter to the governor of Arizona by a UA student (pp. 220-222)
2. A video made by a UA student and posted on YouTube (pp. 222-223)
3. The University of Arizona website: www.arizona.edu  (pp. 223-225)

Blogs:

BLOG 30:Analysis of a Sample Public Argument
Choose one of the three examples in the Student's Guide chapter 11 to analyze. Read or view it carefully and answer the questions in the Student's Guide regarding it.

BLOG 31: My Proposed Public Argument
Write a blog post describing the ideas you have about a public argument you might like to make. Describe the basic rhetorical situation: the message, the audience, the purpose.

BLOG 32: Initial thoughts about the Audience for my Argument
Explain why there is no such thing as a "general public." Then explore the following questions about the potential audience for your Public Argument:

1. WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN OR IMPACTED BY THIS ISSUE?
1. DEMOGRAPHICS: AGE, RACE, GENDER, LOCATION, EDUCATIONAL LEVEL
2. STAKEHOLDERS - WHO HAS THE POWER TO INFLUENCE THIS ISSUE?
3. SPECIFIC VALUES OR BELIEFS
2. HOW FAMILIAR WILL YOUR AUDIENCE BE WITH YOUR ISSUE/TOPIC?
3. ASIDE FROM YOUR IDEAL AUDIENCE, WHO ELSE MIGHT ENCOUNTER YOUR ARGUMENT?
4. WHO MIGHT BE HOSTILE TO YOUR ARGUMENT AND WHY?
5. WHAT BASIC INFORMATION WILL YOUR AUDIENCE NEED TO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND YOUR ARGUMENT?

Blog Post 29: Rhetorical Analysis Reflection

Spend some time reflecting on what you learned in the process of writing your second paper. Write a few paragraphs summarizing your reflection. Here are a few ideas for prompts, but you are not bound to these: 

1. What did I learn from this assignment about my own writing process?
2. Is this a more successful paper than the last? Why?
3. What is one thing I wish I could have done differently?
4. What did I Iearn about the importance of rhetoric and rhetorical analysis?
5. How can I apply these lessons to my work in other classes?

Post this blog and comment on three other classmates' posts.