Week 16 Agenda [Tentative]

Tuesday, April 29th

• LAST DAY OF CLASS
• Stage 6 Peer Review
• Homework
• continue revising ALL writing assignments on Google Drive

Wednesday, April 30th

• FINAL PORTFOLIO DUE BY 5PM ON GOOGLE DRIVE

Questions to Help You Write Your Stage 6 Reflective Essay

Your primary audience for your Stage 6 reflection essay will be me since I will be using it as a guide to your portfolio. Your essay will offer me a way of reading the work of your portfolio, and by extension the work of the class, and should help me understand what you have learned from reflecting on your work in the class and from the portfolio together.

To help you compose your reflective essay, here are ten questions to ask yourself about the overall 1301 experience and your development as a college writer:

1. What is your “English 1301” story? Where did you begin? Where have you ended up? What happened along the way?
2. Check out the course syllabus again. What are the goals for this class? Which goals do you feel you’ve accomplished this semester?
3. What were the challenges you faced this semester? How did you deal with those challenges?
4. What do you see in all the work you’ve completed for this class (Stage 2, Stage 3, etc.)? Discuss each assignment individually, if you wish? What was difficult/easy? How has all the work in this class helped you develop as a writer? 
5. What do you know about yourself as a writer now that you didn’t know before the start of this class?
6. What strategies have you learned to use to make your writing more effective?  What were the things that helped you learn in this class?
7. What were some of the important questions for you this semester? What important questions about reading/writing/learning do you plan on investigating after this class is over?
8. In terms of your development as a writer, what do you still need to work out in your mind to reach your educational goals? 
9. What do you still want to know more about? After all of our readings/discussions in class, what do you plan on investigating further?
10. Overall, what have you learned in this class? What have you learned about composing, about rhetoric, about revision, about yourself? Do you consider yourself a more confident writer now?

Final Portfolio Guidelines

A writing portfolio is a collection of REVISED writing assignments that are representative of a student's work throughout an entire semester. 

Your Google Drive shared folder will count as your final portfolio for this course. As discussed at the beginning of the semester, your final portfolio is worth 60% of your final course grade. Bear in mind that I will grade your final portfolio as a whole--not as the average of different project grades. Also, incomplete portfolios may not receive a passing grade. 

YOUR FINAL PORTFOLIO IS DUE ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30TH BY 5PM. No late work will be accepted.

Below is an up-to-date list of all the files that you should have in your shared Google Drive folder by the assignment deadline. I have also included the correct file names. Finally, I would encourage all of you to visit the UTPA Writing Center (ACSB 2.130) prior to the deadline for assistance with any grammar or MLA-related issues in any of your assignments..

ASSIGNMENT                                             FILE NAME IN GOOGLE DRIVE

Stage 2 Essay                                             Stage2Essay_YourFullName
Stage 3 Plan                                              Stage3Plan_YourFullName
Stage 4 Essay                                             Stage4Essay_YourFullName
Stage 5 Essay                                             Stage5Essay_YourFullName
Stage 6 Essay                                             Stage6Essay_YourFullName

Week 15 Agenda [Tentative]

Tuesday, April 22nd

• Discuss Final Portfolio Guidelines
• Discuss Stage 6: Reflecting On Reading, Writing, and Learning in Your Final Portfolio
• Stage 5 Presentations
• Homework
• continue revising ALL writing assignments on Google Drive
• begin drafting Stage 6 reflective essay in Google Drive
• in Google Drive, title file like this: Stage6Essay_YourFullName

Thursday, April 24th

• Stage 5 Presentations [Cont'd]
• Homework
• continue revising ALL writing assignments on Google Drive
• For Tuesday, print/bring three (3) copies of your Stage 6 essay draft
• For Tuesday, print/bring two (2) copies of Peer Review Sheet - Stage 6

Final Presentation Schedule & Guidelines

The next two class meetings (4/22 and 4/24) will consist of presentations of your Stage 5 Public Texts. Each of you will be required to showcase your Stage 5 Public texts to the class, as well as discuss its overall rhetorical dimensions. Don’t worry if you’re not done constructing your public text. Your presentation is meant to give the class a good idea of what you are creating, why you have chosen this particular form for your Stage 4 theory, and how effectively you are communicating with your public audience.

Presentation times are non-negotiable, so make sure to come prepared on your assigned date. For those of you working with digital picture files, videos, or web sites, you will have the computer in the classroom at your disposal.

Presentation times are non-negotiable, so make sure to come prepared on your assigned date. Here is the presentation schedule for next week:

Tuesday, 4/22
Bazan	Samuel
Cavazos	Angelica
Contreras	Erasmo
De Leon	Paloma
Elizondo	Sael
Garcia	Daniel
Gonzalez	Alejandro
Guerra	Angel
Hanks	Christian
Hernandez	Lisa
Mata	Carolina
Thursday, 4/24
Moreno	Jeniffer
Nieto	Alexander
Ochoa	Vanessa
Palacios	Talina
Palomo	Fabian
Perez	Anisa
Pompa	Stacy
Sandoval	Sanjuanita
Sapla	Shaquille
Tolosa	Hugo
Trevino	Ernestina
Vazquez	Oziel

For those of you working with digital picture files, videos, or websites, you will have the computer in the classroom at your disposal.

Here are the requirements for your presentation:

1. Keep your presentation between 5-6 minutes at the most
2. Start by stating your Stage 4 Essay theory
3. Showcase/describe your Stage 5 Public Text
• How does your public text connect to your Stage 4 Essay theory?
• What is the purpose of your public text? Who is the primary audience for this public text?
• How easy/difficult was it to construct your public text? What other forms did your public text take before you settled on this final form?
4. Provide one (1) open-ended question for class discussion.
• Don’t ask closed questions like this: Did you like my public text?
• Ask open questions like this: Why/how is my public text rhetorically effective?

In addition to this, on the days you are not presenting, you will also be required to complete a 1-page, typed summary AND response to your favorite Stage 5 Public Text presentation. This document should 1) state the name of the author of the public text, 2) detail what the presentation covered, and 3) discuss how/why this public text is rhetorically effective/ineffective. Summary/responses will be due at the start of class, no exceptions.

I look forward to all of your Stage 5 Public Text presentations next week.

Prof. Moreira

Week 14 Agenda [Tentative]

Tuesday, April 15th

• NO CLASS [WRITING/CONSTRUCTION/REVISION DAY]
• Homework
• continue revising ALL writing assignments on Google Drive
• continue constructing/drafting your Stage 5 Public Text AND your Stage 5 Reflective Essay
• print/bring three (3) copies of your Stage 5 Essay draft for peer review on Wednesday
• print/bring two (2) copies of Peer Review Sheet - Stage 5 on Wednesday

Thursday, April 17th

• Peer Review Stage 5 Reflective Essay
• Sign-up for Final Presentations
• Homework
• continue revising ALL writing assignments on Google Drive
• revise Stage 5 Reflective Essay
• DUE ON GOOGLE DRIVE FOR INSTRUCTOR FEEDBACK ON FRIDAY, APRIL 18 BY 10PM
• continue constructing Stage 5 Public Text
• DUE VIA EMAIL TO INSTRUCTOR ON FRIDAY, APRIL 18 BY 10PM--*FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS HERE*
• print/bring Stage 6: Reflecting on Reading, Writing and Learning in Your Portfolio to class on Tuesday for discussion

Questions to Help You Write Your Stage 5 Reflective Paper

Your Stage 5 reflective essay is the place where you will show me the need for your document--the need for the message and for "packaging" your public text the way you have chosen to. It is in this essay that you will need to discuss the research you did and how that played into the making of your argument.

 

To help you compose your reflective essay, here are ten questions to ask yourself about the overall experience of the creation of your public text:

1. What is my Stage 4 theory? Would the public agree with me? If not, am I aware of all opposing opinions? How has what the audience already knows and what they value affected the choices I made about how to make my argument, what pictures to use, etc.?
2. How would I describe my public text? How is it helping me raise awareness to my Stage 4 theory?
3. How did my public text grow out of my previous work in class?
4. How am I ensuring that my public text is rhetorically effective? Who is my audience, and what have I done with my public text to make my argument for my particular audience?
5. Is my public text the best way to reach the public, including those who do not agree with me?
6. What resources (articles, interviews, websites, construction paper, etc.) have I used in the construction of my public text? How easy/difficult has it been to use these resources?
7. What specific difficulties/successes have I experienced in the construction of my public text?
8. Besides the current form I have chosen for my public text, could a different form have worked just as well/better? Specifically, how have other existing public texts helped me construct my own public text?
9. Are any of my classmates working with similar theories/public texts? How are they constructing their public texts, and how would we benefit from collaboration/sharing information?
10. What have I learned in the construction of my public text? What specific connections can I make between the construction of my public text and the readings/discussions from class?

Public Text Samples & Resources

Here's a list of public texts created by former students:

• Websites
• On High School-to-College Transition
• On Writing and Occupational Therapy
• On Writing and College Athletes
• On Simple Writing
• On Pre-Med Majors and Writing
• On Writing Biology Lab Reports
• On Writing and Kinesiology
• On Writing and Marketing
• On Nursing and Writing
• Other Public Texts
• "Rhetorical Gaming" Video
• "Writing For Teachers" Prezi
• Law Enforcement Badge
• Bumper Sticker
• Book Cover
• "Writing is Important" Video
• "Communication and Writing" Video
• "Flags of Our Writers" Movie Poster
• Nursing and Bilingualism" Video
• Viral Flyer
• "The Silence of Writing" Movie Poster
• Magazine Cover

And here are some resources to help you gather ideas and create your own Stage 5 public text. Enjoy!

• For Video Editing
• Best FREE video editing software
• Microsoft Movie Maker (on computers)
• For Photography & Image Editing
• Pixlr
• Adobe Photoshop (on computers)
• For Board Games
• Game Board Template
• For Comic Books, Cartoons, and Animation
• Marvel Comics
• Disney
• Miniclip
• Powtoon
• For Presentations
• Prezi
• PowerPoint (on computers)
• For Movie Poster
• Big Huge Labs
• for Personal Blog
• Blogger
• For Websites
• Wix
• Microsoft Word (on computers)
• Campaign Poster
• Scholastic
• Make Your Own Campaign Poster Activity
• "No-to-Drugs" Campaign Poster
• For Parodies
• Edmodo (like Facebook)
• Meme Generator
• Face-in-Hole
• Sound Recordings
• Audiopal
• VoiceThread
• Voxopop
• Audacity

Week 13 Agenda [Tentative]

Tuesday, April 8th

• In Computer Lab, ACSB 2.148 & 2.158
• Stage 5 Drawing/Writing Activity 
• Research/Work on Stage 5 Public Text
• Homework
• continue constructing/composing on Stage 5 Public Text

Thursday, April 10th

• In Computer Lab, ACSB 2.148 & 2.158
• Work on Stage 5 Public Text
• Discuss Stage 5 Reflective Essay
• Homework
• continue working on Stage 5 Public Text
•  begin drafting Stage 5 Reflective Essay
• in Google Drive, title file like this: Stage5Essay_YourFullName
• NO CLASS ON TUESDAY, 4/15 (Writing/Research Day)
• FOR THURSDAY, 4/17
• back in our regular classroom, ARHU 350
• print/bring three (3) copies of your Stage 5 essay draft for peer review
• print/bring two (2) copies of Peer Review Sheet - Stage 5

Week 12 Agenda [Tentative]

Tuesday, April 1st

• Peer Review Stage 4 Essay draft
• Homework
• revise Stage 4 essay draft
• due on Google Drive for instructor feedback on Saturday, April 5th by 10pm
• print/bring Stage 5: Adapting Your Theory to a Public Audience to class for discussion on Thursday

Thursday, April 3rd

• Discuss Stage 5 handout
• Public Text Activity
• Homework
• continue revising your Stage 4 essay; due on Google Drive for instructor feedback on Saturday, April 5th by 10pm
• Stage 5 Drawing/Description
• type a one-page, single-spaced description of your public text that also discusses who your public text will be for AND the overall purpose of your public text
• hand-draw a picture of your public text (color is ok, but not required)
• staple your picture ON TOP of your writing assignment
• bring drawing/description to class on Tuesday for discussion
• *IMPORTANT*: we will meet in ACSB 2.148 and 2.158 (Computer Labs) on Tuesday, 4/8 and Thursday, 4/10

Structuring Your Stage 4 Essay

As discussed in class, there is no one way to present a theory. Your Stage 4 essay will give you the opportunity to share your unique theory about writing, reading and/or learning with your target audience. Overall, Stage 4 asks you to state your Stage 3 research question and interest in it; to discuss your primary/secondary research and findings; and ultimately to explain your own original theory about writing, reading, and/or learning.

In order to help you structure your essay in the best way possible, here is a schematic that explains each section of your Stage 4 essay, what you should consider in each section, and some questions to help you compose the best essay possible. In addition to the guidelines below, you should also study both of the Stage 4 Essay Samples available on our course blog in order to see how previous students have completed this assignment.

• Your Introductory Paragraphs
• Your title is part of your introduction, so don't forget to include a PERSUASIVE title
• In this section, your job is to compel your target audience to listen to what you have to say. There are various way to do this, such as by discussing your research question and interest in it. Another good tactic is to also include interesting facts or quotes that you have found as you have researched your topic. In my own experience, I have found that the inclusion of personal stories (that is, your own real-life stories) really help draw in readers. If your research revolves around procrastination, for example, you could include a personal anecdote of a time when you procrastinated and the repercussions for that behavior. Overall, your introduction should 1) draw in your reader and 2) state your thesis: the overall idea of your paper and your stance around that topic.  
• Your Middle Paragraphs
• The middle of your essay should provide your target audience with discussions surrounding the primary/secondary research you compiled for Stage 3. As the researcher and author, it will be your job to include the best primary/secondary research for your target audience, which means that you will have to decide what interviews, survey results, and secondary sources to include in order to best convince your audience that your original thesis is correct. This does not mean that you should not include those sources that do not agree with your original claims, but rather that you should confront these counterarguments, and discuss in your essay what the significance of these counterarguments means to your overall project.
• Don't think of this section as one long paragraph, but as multiple paragraphs. Reserve one paragraph for discussions surrounding primary research, another for secondary research, and also a paragraph where you compare/contrast all sources to each other.
• Remember to cite your sources both in-text and in your Works Cited page (see sample essays and blog post entitled "Common MLA Citations")
• Here are some questions you should also consider for this section: 
• Where did you get the information from and why?
• What did your sources have to offer to your overall topic?
• If some of your sources did not agree with you or with each other, what do these disagreements mean?
•  Overall, how/why are these sources important to proving your thesis statement right?
• Final paragraphs
• Your Conclusion
• Start by restating your question and/or thesis and your overall interest in your topic. 
• If you included an anecdote in your introduction, remind the reader of the impact of that experience and how it revolves around your overall topic
• Summarize the main observations you have made throughout your essay
• Finally, now that you have discussed your topic and research in your essay, what is your theory about writing, reading, and/or learning? What is the answer to your research question?

Common MLA Citations

Here is a list and examples of the most common citations you’ll be using moving forward. For further reference, feel free to use the links under the 'MLA Info & Links' section on the right side of our blog:

INTERVIEWS

Format:

Name of Person Interviewed. Kind of Interview (e.g., Personal interview or Telephone interview). Date.

Example:

Ury, Connie. Telephone interview. 2 Nov. 2002.

In-text:

(Ury)

SURVEYS

Format:

Person(s) who conducted the survey. Accurate Description of Group Surveyed and Topic of Survey. City: Location, Date of survey. Medium of publication.

Example:

Wilcox, Kenton. Survey of 100 Undergraduates Concerning Use of E-Books in Reading for Pleasure. Maryville, MO: J. W. Jones Student Union, Northwest Missouri State University, 15-20 Mar. 2009. Unpublished Survey.

In text:

(Wilcox)

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Format:

Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Article.” Journal Title. Volume.Issue (Year): Page #s.

Example:

Dolby, Nadine. “Research in Youth Culture and Policy: Current Conditions and Future Directions.” Social Work and Society: The International Online-Only Journal 6.2 (2008): 78-99.

In-text:

(Dolby 78)

BOOKS

Format:

Last Name, First Name. Title of the Book. City: Publisher, Year. Medium.

Example:

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1925. Print.

In-text:

(Fitzgerald 78)

Week 11 Agenda [Tentative]

Tuesday, March 25th

• Discuss Kantz article
• Preview Stage 4: Pursuing Your Question, Developing Your Theory
• Homework
• continue compiling primary and secondary sources
• continue revising your Stage 3 Plan

Thursday, March 27th

• On Writing Your Stage 4 Essay
• Homework
• begin drafting your Stage 4 essay
• in Google Drive, title file like this: Stage4Essay_YourFullName
• print/bring three (3) copies of essay draft on Tuesday for peer review activity
• print/bring two (2) copies of Peer Review Sheet - Stage 4 for peer review activity