Blogs for 10/29

You have two assignments this week, but only one will be posted to the blog.

Post 1: You have now read three short stories independently since the 8 stories we read as a group.  Which three stories did you read?  What have you noticed in your stories that could potentially become part of a strong thesis?  Why do you think it matters?  If you think you are ready to make a formal claim, go ahead.  (This post should be two full paragraphs, so you may want to present multiple observations or discuss one in detail).

Also, include your reading details for the week (you may include time reading stories).

Assignment 2: Go to turnitin.com and view the comments on your literacy narrative.  Make sure that you see the summary comment (the long one that is a note to you), the rubric scores, and all of the internal comments on the essay itself (these will be blue or purple and will expand if you click on them or run you mouse over them).  Write me a response to these comments/scores in the form of a letter that is a minimum of two full paragraphs long and shows me that you read and considered these comments thoroughly.  You may want to identify goals or plans for improving future papers.  It's ok to disagree (respectfully) with me in some area, but such disagreement should reflect an understanding of the genre and traits of good writing.  At the end of your letter, include an updated common errors list that identifies at least five specific common errors in your papers related to word choice, sentence structure, or conventions (for example, don't say "grammar," which is too general, or "developing ideas," which is not connected to editing).  If you had less than five kinds of errors in your final, you may also include things you have to think about or check on when you are writing, or errors that were corrected in your drafts.
Instead of posting this on your blog, submit it to turnitin.com.

Blogs for 10/15

It's the end of the quarter!  For your final posts of quarter one, please:

1. Evaluate your participation in class this quarter.  Consider:

• General procedures: consistently coming to class prepared (pens/pencils, notebook, class materials, free reading, class reading), waiting to be dismissed, using time between classes for bathroom/water/locker trips, checking email and website at least daily, appropriate email communication, taking out day's reading and notebook without being asked and not packing up early, cooperative and helpful attitude
• Lecture, announcements, whole class discussion: listening to Dr. D, taking notes, contributing relevant and meaningful comments, asking relevant and appropriate questions at appropriate times, listening to peers’ questions and comments, not engaging in side conversations (spoken, written, or body language), keeping attention on class discussion--no outside work or inappropriate computer use
• Individual and Group Work: focusing on task, actually doing the work, not distracting others, not engaging in conversations not relevant to task, helping the group stay focused and complete task, following instructions, aiming beyond minimum
• Growth: Offer a plan for improving any weak areas during the second quarter.

2. Write a post in which you point out something you've noticed about how a literary element is working in one of the stories we've read as a class.  Use evidence from the text to support your claim, and consider why your observation matters.

Remember to post your reading details for the week, including any time spent reading short stories.

Blogs for 10/8

This week you will only need to post your reading details on your blog.  You may include time spent reading short stories as well as independent reading.  I encourage you to read ahead in short stories for this week (see assignments for the week ahead) in addition to reading other short stories in our anthology.

Instead of writing your blogs this week, please prepare for our in-class writing assignment on Monday focusing on characterization.  Choose someone you know who has strong personality traits.  Think about that person's most important traits and how you could portray them through indirect characterization.  Remember to focus on personality traits (like being caring, observant, tough, or noble) rather than facts of the person's life (like being a student, a dancer, a middle child), though facts may help show personality.  Your essay should use as many types of indirect characterization as possible.  Consider the examples of characterization we have seen in "To Build a Fire," "To Da-Duh in Memoriam," and "A&P."  Remember what we learned about showing vs. telling, vivid details, and active verbs/specific nouns while working on the literacy narrative.

For Monday, choose a person to write about and prepare materials that will help you write a strong portrait in class.  You may bring:

- a laptop if you can and choose to
- a picture of the person you are writing about
- one page of planning or pre-writing notes (not a draft, though).  I recommend the target-style inference notes as one useful way of organizing your thoughts, using one ring for the traits you plan to portray and the other for the types of characterization you'll use to do it.

You will have the full class period Monday to write and edit your essay.

Some Excellent "I am a Writer Who" Poems

Mary Beth
Aaron
Gabrielle
Ellis
Emory
Christine