Final Exam Reminder

Well, it's the end of the semester. So don't forget: Our final exam is this coming Monday, 5/4, from 11:30am to 1:20pm, at our usual classroom. Since it's final exam week, there shouldn't be any conflicts with your other classes. So please make sure you're there and ready.

If you know you definitely can't make it, let me know ASAP, and I'll have you make up the exam on your own time. Just be aware: By the time Tuesday rolls around, I will not allow any more make-up exams, and if you miss our final, I'll simply calculate your final grade without it.

Also, remember that the deadline for any Essay 4 revisions is the beginning of our final exam period, 11:30pm. I plan to grade your revisions while you take your exam. If you don't have your Essay 4 revision handed to me by the start of the period, I will likely reject it.

Course Evaluations

Folks,

The end of the semester is fast approaching, so don't forget your last reading assignment (listed in the blog post right below this one), as well as those last few deadlines. Your revised Essays 1, 2, and 3 are due by the end of class on Wednesday, 4/29 (meaning, before 12:15pm -- no later than that). And your revised Essay 4 (if you submitted your essay on time) is due by the start of our final exam period on May 4th, 11:30am.

Now, since this course is close to ending, that means it's time for course evaluations. So let me give you instructions for evaluating your experience in this course.

-- First, go to this web address: http://nveval.com.

-- After you go to the above address, log in with your 7-digit numeric NOVA Student ID. Then you'll be prompted to select your name from a randomized list, just to verify.

-- Once you're logged in, answer out the survey as fully as you can. It should take about 5-10 minutes to complete the whole evaluation survey.

-- If you experience any problems along the way, send an email to info@iotasolutions.com, and they should be able to help you.

-- Lastly, please make sure to complete this evaluation soon. You won't be able to do a course evaluation after May 4th.

Thank you all. Both the department and I appreciate any feedback from you.

-- ib

Week 15 Homework

This is just to remind you: Your revisions for Essays 1, 2, and 3 are due by the end of class on Wednesday, 4/29. That means these revisions are due, stapled to the front of your previously completed packets, by 12:15pm on that day. Any revisions submitted later than that will be flatly rejected, no matter what the situation might be. Please realize: You're welcome to submit revisions earlier, so if you're worried you won't submit your work on time, try to submit it early.

As for Essay 4, since I won't be getting it back to you until the week of 4/27, I'll give you until the start of our final exam time on Monday, May 4th, to submit your revision, but just for this one essay assignment, and only if you submitted your essay on time.

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And here's your reading homework for next week:

Please read the following article, "The Case for Reparations," by Ta-Nehisi Coates, published in The Atlantic in June 2014:
http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/05/the-case-for-reparations/361631/.

-- Coates's article is another one of those "long-reads." Take your time with it.

And please also read the following more recent article, "Where the White People Live," by Alana Semuels, also published in The Atlantic, on April 10, 2015:
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/04/where-the-white-people-live/390153/.

-- Semuels's article is similar to Coates's article in several ways. But it's also different. Can you observe some of the critical differences on your own?

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If you have any questions, please email me.

Week 14 Homework

With Essay 4 basically done with, it's time to assess our progress. We've still got a few weeks left in the semester, and hopefully you're using your time outside of the classroom to revise your essays for possible better grades, so I'd like to give you time to do that. That's why I'm not giving your written homework to do for next week. But I am giving you reading homework, and a bit more than the usual amount. I'll get to that in a moment.

Right now, I'd like to start by reminding you, again, that your revised essays are due by the end of class, 12:15pm, on Wednesday, 4/29. If you need help getting the most points out of your revision, please don't hesitate to ask me. But also, realize that the Writing Center on campus is there to help you figure out how to get the most out of your revisions.

One thing in particular that you should consider in your revisions is that lesson of unintended plagiarism. Specifically, you must ask yourself: Are you presenting and discussing your sources fairly? In places where you're supposed to discuss your sources (your articles), you should do only that: Discuss your sources, what these sources' authors are doing, and what all that means. Keep that "Source Sandwich" handout nearby; it should help you with researched materials.

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Now, let me give you your reading homework for next week. Keep in mind that I might throw a quiz without any special warning, especially if I feel that a discussion in class isn't really getting anywhere.

First of all, I'd like you to read the following article, "What ISIS Really Wants," by Graeme Wood, published in The Atlantic in March 2015:
http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2015/02/what-isis-really-wants/384980/.

-- Be aware: Wood's article is part of a series of what many people call "long-reads." It's a fairly long article. So take your time with it. You don't have to read it all in one sitting. But see if you can make it through with some focused attention to specific discussions.

Next, I'd like you to read the following article, "How Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s immigrant path explains his guilty verdict," by Asra Q. Nomani, published in The Washington Post on April 8, 2015:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-dzhokhar-tsarnaevs-immigrant-path-explains-his-guilty-verdict/2015/04/08/8a182054-da37-11e4-8103-fa84725dbf9d_story.html.

-- As for Nomani's article, notice that it's a discussion of a recently published book. In a way, this article is in the form of a book review. Partly, it's intended to invite readers to a discussion of the topic of the Boston Marathon bombing. But partly, it's also intended to convince readers to maybe pick up the book in question and to give it a considerate read.

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And that's it for this week. Be sure to do your reading. And if you've got questions or concerns, email me right away.

Quick Reminders: Meeting in AA-444 Again on Monday, and More

This is just to remind you:

First of all, don't forget that you have some reading homework to do, which is all in the blog post below this one.

Second of all, please be aware that we'll be meeting in AA-444 again this coming Monday, 4/13, to do independent work on Essay 4. As with all our independent work periods before, I'm asking those of you who have laptops you like to use to bring these laptops to class. Also, be aware that I do take roll and watch attendance closely, even on independent work periods.

And lastly, keep in mind that we're nearing the end of the semester. The second draft packet for Essay 4 is due this Wednesday, 4/15, by the start of class. And this is our last essay. So I must also remind you, again, that all revised essays are due anytime between now and the end of class (12:15pm) on Wednesday, 4/29. Any revisions submitted after 12:15pm (even if it's 12:16pm), will be rejected. The only possible exception for this deadline might be Essay 4, but this exception has not been decided on yet. I still have to see how long it takes me to get those essays back to you.

As always, if you have questions or concerns, please email me right away.

Week 13 Homework

To remind you: Your Essay 4 second draft packet is due next week, on Wednesday, 4/15, by the start of class. This is a relatively early due date for your last essay. But ideally, I'd like to return your essays to you soon, and then you can hopefully make at least some major revisions before the end-of-semester revision cut-off, Wednesday, 4/29 (by the end of class on this date).

Going into next week, the only written work I'd like for you to do is your Essay 4 second draft. If you have extra time, I suggest that you look over essays that you might have not revised yet and, at least, come up with questions or concerns that I can answer.

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But even if there's no extra written homework, I still want you to read. Let me give you two opposing articles to read for next week:

-- Please read this article, "Indiana’s religious freedom law can have real discriminatory effects," by the Washington Post editorial board:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/indianas-religious-freedom-law-can-have-real-discriminatory-effects/2015/03/30/f7470520-d71f-11e4-b3f2-607bd612aeac_story.html.

-- Please also read this article, "Religious-liberty protections promote tolerance," by Edwin Meese III and Ryan T. Anderson:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/religious-liberty-protections-promote-tolerance/2015/04/01/4fb66cca-d88b-11e4-ba28-f2a685dc7f89_story.html?hpid=z6.

-- And here's one more, in case you might find it interesting, "Schwarzenegger: Indiana's religious freedom law is bad for Republicans," by none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/04/03/schwarzenegger-indianas-religious-freedom-law-is-bad-for-america-and-bad-for-republicans/?hpid=z11.

Don't take my choice of articles the wrong way; I simply want you to take a look at the way two opposing positions on this topic are often expressed.

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And that's it. Let me know if you have questions or concerns.

I'll see you again soon.

Reminder: Essay 4 Critiques Due Wednesday, 4/8

To remind you: Your critique for another classmate's Essay 4 first draft is due by the start of class on Wednesday, 4/8. If you still have an Essay 4 first draft to submit, please make sure to get that done first. And if you're behind on your critique, see if you can catch up during our independent work period today. In either case, let me know and we'll see what we can do.

Quick Reminder: You've Got Homework, and We're Back in AA-444 on 4/6

To remind you: You've got homework for next week. Yeah, you've got written homework, too. To see this homework, scroll down to the blog post right below this one. Everything is explained there.

Also, please note that I've gone ahead and reserved room AA-444 again for us to do independent work on Monday, 4/6. Those of you who prefer to use your own laptops, please bring these laptops with you. Unfortunately, this computer lab does not have as many computers as there are students in our class. Nevertheless, we'll have to make do with what we've got. I'll definitely be there, and I'll definitely take roll.

And I'll collect that homework assignment that's due, too!

Week 12 Homework

It's that time of the week again -- for me to give you homework!

First, let me just remind you that your Essay 4 first draft was due today, which means that your critique in response to someone else's Essay 4 first draft is due next week, on Wednesday, 4/8. If you find that you can't quite keep up with your assignments at this point in the semester, that's fine. Please let me know, and we can try to figure out how to help you catch up.

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Second, let me give you some reading homework to do:

-- Please read this article, "Martese Johnson's education happened on that sidewalk," by Washington Post writer Courtland Milloy:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/martese-johnsons-education-happened-on-that-sidewalk/2015/03/24/bf8d7196-d25b-11e4-a62f-ee745911a4ff_story.html.

-- And please also read this article, "College junior at 17 was once dubbed 'sweet, but not very smart,'" by Washington Post writer Petula Dvorak:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/college-junior-at-17-was-once-dubbed-sweet-but-not-very-smart/2015/03/26/b8ae7698-d307-11e4-a62f-ee745911a4ff_story.html?tid=pm_local_pop.

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And lastly, let me give you some writing homework to do (due Monday, 4/6):

-- Copy out one paragraph from your own Essay 4 first draft -- specifically, a paragraph in which you present or otherwise discuss an idea or statement or set of statements from one (or more) of your article -- and paste this paragraph in a separate Word document. In this new document, take this one paragraph and change it in such a way that you credit and/or cite your article and its author way too much. Then print out this over-credited/over-cited paragraph and bring it to class on Monday, 4/6. I'll collect it then. And, as usual, I will not accept late submissions.

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Let me know if you have questions or concerns.

I'll see you again soon.

Reminder: Essay 4 First Draft Due Wednesday

To remind you: Your Essay 4 first draft is due by the start of our next class period, this Wednesday, 4/1. Today, Monday, 3/30, is all about doing independent work in class, all with the goal of getting a first draft done. That's why we're working in the computer lab in room AA-444 all class period.

Here's my question to you: As you consider the work you were able to get done today, do you think it'll be useful to have more of these independent work periods? In other words, would it be helpful to you to get time in class to work on your remaining assignments (such as writing Essay 4 critiques, finishing Essay 4 second drafts, and revising Essays 1, 2, and 3) with me there to answer questions and address concerns? Please let me know, either in a comment on this post or in person.

Week 11 Homework

Here's your homework for next week.

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First, since you're getting into your last and most involved major essay, Essay 4, I'll give you another week with no additional written home work.

So, between now and next week, all you need to work on is your Essay 4 first draft (due Wednesday, 4/1). The best idea would be to start by collecting articles. Shoot for at least four (the required minimum), and no more than six or seven (eight or more is way too much, and usually indicates that you're kind of fudging your research simply by listing more sources at the end). Work on each of these articles one by one, on its own. Build a kind of mini-argument, or at least a basic discussion and explanation set-up for each, then see if you can weave a bigger argument once you've got of all your mini-arguments/discussions written out.

Here's my request, though: Even if drafts are due Wednesday, I urge you to try to get some writing done before Monday, or even just planning if that's all you have time for. My suggestion: Have something ready to work with before you come to class, either saved online or on a flash drive that you can bring with you. On Monday, we'll be meeting in the computer lab in room AA-444. There, you can open up your draft, wherever you are in working on it, and I can come around and give you comments, or you can just work on your own. Whatever you prefer.

One more thing: Apparently all computer labs on campus have slightly limited seating. So if you have a laptop that you like to use when working on your essays, I encourage you to bring it with you. If you're comfortable typing and saving files on another device, such as an iPad, consider bringing that. Otherwise, we might end up with a pretty strict first-come-first-served situation at AA-444. (Only one person can work on an essay on a given computer at a time, right?)

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As for reading homework, I'll just give you one article to read. But it's a decently sized one.

To think about both how a writer constructs a research paper by using "They Say / I Say" moves and staying in a single Stasis (the Stasis of Definition) and how he moves through his research sources one at a time and credits them fully wherever he can, read Atul Gawande's article, "Hellhole," all about how a doctor considers the practice of solitary confinement in US prisons:
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/03/30/hellhole.

And that's it. Make sure you're prepared for class next week. Again, next class, Monday, 3/30, we'll meet in the computer lab in room AA-444, and we'll mostly work independently on Essay 4 first drafts. Attendance is still required. In other words, I will still assign points for being there and doing work. But on Wednesday, I'd like to focus on more course material and maybe have a discussion or two. And if I feel inclined, I might throw a pop quiz -- about anything! It could be either stuff we discussed in class previously or this article that I've provided above, or both.

As always, if you have questions or concerns, email me as soon as you can.

See you again soon.

Essay 4 (with Extra Handouts)

Here's the link for your last major essay assignment in this class, your argumentative research paper assignment, Essay 4:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STNkN6RWVQUE1reGM/view?usp=sharing.

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Now, since Essay 4 is a formal research paper assignment, let me give you a few links to help you with this kind of assignment.

First, here's the link to the school library website, where you can find all those databases that can help you search for articles to use in a research paper:
http://www.nvcc.edu/library/.
(Remember: Click on "Articles," then "Recommended Databases for Most Topics," and under this heading, you'll find a list of fairly general databases. The best and broadest of these are probably Academic Search Complete and Proquest.)

Okay, got a few articles to work with? Now, are you wondering how to start putting your materials together and work toward an essay? Here's a sample preliminary plan that a former NOVA student made for a research paper that she wrote:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STR2g0d1NadnJQU2c/view?usp=sharing.

-- Feel free to use this student's example directly. But even if you don't follow this kind of organized plan for your essay, at least notice how this student builds her argument from all the essential pieces that a good research paper has.

Next, here's a link to a handout that shows you how a research paper is often organized in a college class:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STN1NnNUJTRV9Wdms/view?usp=sharing.

-- Notice: This hand out is kind of jokey, kind of corny. But it shows you where everything goes, as well as how it looks, in a formal research paper.

The next handout that I want to show you is a sample research essay with marginal notes, to help you see what the writer is doing at every turn:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STSjUtYkFaNWFld0E/view?usp=sharing.

-- Now, I'm not in love with everything this student does in this sample annotated essay, but I have to admit that the essential moves in this essay make for a decent overall piece of work.

The last link that I want to give you is for our very own library's MLA Citation Guide:
http://libguides.nvcc.edu/MLACitationStyle.

-- When use this guide, remember that you should start with specific articles that you're already looking at in your essay. This guide is intended mostly for getting your Works Cited citations and your in-text citations right.

Reminder: Essay 3 Second Draft Due Wednesday

This is just to remind you: Your Essay 3 second draft is due this Wednesday, 3/25. That means you've got to staple the whole packet together -- rubric on top, second draft next, then your partner's critique for you, then your first draft on the bottom -- and hand it in to me by the start of class. Any essays submitted later than 11:00am can be officially considered late. So try your best to have your essay ready, and please be on time.

Week 10 Homework

To start, let me just say that your most important piece of homework due next week is your Essay 3 second draft. Remember? That's the draft that you must submit to me for grading. If you can't manage to work on anything else, make sure you work on this. If you can get a finished second draft submitted on Wednesday next week, then that draft is considered on-time, which means that you can revise it for a better grade later. I assume you already know this, but I'm just refreshing your memory. Spring Break can take it out of you, that's all.

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Now let me give you some reading homework to do.

First of all, regarding that extra rhetorical stuff we talked about, the stuff called Stasis Theory, here's a handout that I'd like you to skim:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STajhhOFVYTk14VHM/view?usp=sharing.

-- As you skim this handout, think about which of the four Stases you think makes the most sense to you. Which Stasis do you tend to use when trying to discuss issues you care about? Maybe you use different Stases for different issues?

Next, I'd like you to reread that article we discussed in class this week, all about Narcissistic children, and here's a link to that:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/03/09/how-parents-create-narcissistic-children/?tid=hybrid_experimentrandom_1_na.

-- As you reread this article, see if you can imagine who the intended audience of this article is. Then, think about those "They Say / I Say" moves that we spotted in this article, as well as any others you can spot on your own. How do these moves appeal to the intended audience?

Lastly, I'd like you to read this next article, an article we haven't discussed in class before:
http://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/allstate/what-we-dont-mention-about-unemployment/267/.

-- And as you read this article, consider closely which of the details presented here you can present as support for a point that you might argue. Which details would you quote? Which details would you paraphrase? What makes an idea or detail especially right for a paraphrase, or especially right for a quote?

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And for your written homework, I'd like you to take that last article, and choose at least two ideas or details that you considered closely. On your own paper, write complete pieces of paragraphs to present each of these, as if you were writing parts of a research paper.

As you write each of these pieces, be sure to...

1) State your own idea that would lead into the idea or detail you're presenting.

2) Introduce the idea or detail as the work of the author, even if the author isn't mentioned. And say clearly how the author uses this idea or detail. Does she simply state it? Does she explain something? Does she summarize the research of others? Does she quote someone specific? And so on.

3) Present the idea or detail as a part of your own sentence. (Hint: Use that introduction as a lead-in to start your sentence, then present the idea or detail as the rest of the sentence.)

4) Explain what you take the idea or detail to mean. In other words, say exactly what you think this idea or detail means, what it says. If that means you're basically repeating what the idea or detail says, that's perfectly fine; that's what you're supposed to do.

5) Conclude in some way that shows how this idea or detail supports your own idea.

Make sure you do all five steps, one-by-one, for each of the pieces you take from the article.

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And that's it. Except for your Essay 3 second draft, this homework is due Monday.

As always, if you have questions or concerns, email me.

Reminder: Essay 3 Critiques due Wednesday

Quick reminder: Your critique for another classmate's Essay 3 first draft is due by the start of class on Wednesday, 3/18. As far as I know, you should all have drafts to work with. But please let me know if you don't have a draft for some reason, or if anything is holding you up.

Week 8 Homework (meaning, for Spring Break)

If you look at our course schedule, you'll notice that the week following our midterm week is Spring Break. Basically, you have the whole week off classes. The next time we meet is Monday, 3/16.

(By the way: Monday 3/16 marks the beginning of the second half of the semester. That's right; half of the semester has passed. So if you're behind on anything, now's the time to catch up.)

Your reading homework includes the next two chapters of They Say / I Say. The first of these chapters discusses how it's possible to switch to casual language in a formal essay, how it makes sense. The second of these chapters discusses the idea of metacommentary -- or, to put it in other words, coming in at certain points in your essay and telling your reader, "Let's make sure you get me right. This is what I'm trying to do here:..."

I also want you to read the following article, about a recent topic that came up in the twittersphere:
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/02/thedress-and-the-rise-of-attention-policing/386357/. This article is titled "#TheDress and the Rise of Attention Policing," and it's written by Megan Garber for The Atlantic.

And your written homework is: Critiques for Essay 3 first drafts. That's all. Other than that, you just have to read and, of course, think about how you're going to revise your Essays 1 and 2.

And be aware: We haven't had a quiz in a while, so I may be inclined to throw one. If I do throw a quiz, it will include materials from readings and lectures so far -- everything except the Stases and Stasis Theory (we haven't had enough time to get acquainted with this particular topic).

As always, if you have questions or concerns, email me as soon as possible.

Have a great Spring Break! I'll see you on Monday, 3/16!

Reminder: Essay 3 First Draft Due Wednesday

To remind you, your Essay 3 first draft is due this Wednesday. But keep in mind that first drafts are important for the chance to write and receive critiques. With that in mind, I'm going to stick to the first-come-first-served policy for critique partners. In other words, those of you who make it to class on time will get critique partners who are also on time. Trust me, you want a critique partner who knows how to stick to deadlines.

On our last essay, some of you got into quite a mix-up by not having your first draft printed and ready on the first draft due date, or by not being there to receive someone else's first draft to write a critique for. Let's try and avoid unnecessary mix-ups that might hurt your grade. Be there tomorrow, and have your draft ready.

Also, I'm going to make another request: Please make sure to have your first draft as close to done as possible. On our last essay, some of you wrote very incomplete first drafts, and I'm worried that your critique partners lost points because they couldn't say enough. Don't get me wrong; there's always room to say more in a critique. But you should also not push someone else to his or her limits by not doing your job. Please, don't short-change your critique partner. Give him or her enough to describe, ask questions about, and make suggestions for.

Like I always say: A bad essay is always better than an unfinished essay, and often better than an essay that isn't ready to hand in on time.

(Of course, if you find that there are special circumstances keeping you from doing your work, let me know as soon as possible, and we'll try to figure out what we can do so that you can earn the best grade possible for you.)

Our Midterm Is Still On for Today

Folks, you'll notice that the college will open at 11:00am today. But that means our full class period is going to happen. So the midterm will still take place today, as planned. I'd like to see everyone in class. But if, for some urgent reason, you suddenly can't make it, no matter what, let me know immediately, and we'll schedule a make-up for you, either for later today or for tomorrow.

Week 7 Homework (and other reminders)

To remind you, you've got three important things coming up in this course.

First and most importantly, your midterm is happening next week, on Monday, 3/2. If you know you can't make it, for a very urgent and important reason, let me know as soon as humanly possible. I'd like to make sure that everyone has taken the midterm, even people who have to make it up and take an alternate exam, before Spring Break.

Now, if you want to know how to prepare for your midterm, I'll give you a simple answer. What you have to do is to review the communication and rhetoric ideas we discussed in class, then see if you can read different articles online or in newspapers or magazines and identify these ideas. That's pretty much it. But as you read the articles you find, think especially of spotting specific phrases, maybe even complete sentences, that use these ideas directly. Imagine how you might copy these pieces down and include them in your own sentences, as part of your own discussion. The more you practice spotting these cues and using them in your own writing, the more prepared you'll be.

Second, we're already into our third essay, Essay 3. Your first draft for this essay is due on Wednesday, 3/4. I have to say: There's been quite a mess with some members of the class being unable to submit their first drafts or to get them to their classmates to write critiques for. Let's all try to avoid this mess. Try your best to be there, even if you're not feeling well and you just show up to exchange drafts with someone in the class and then go home to rest.

Third, by this time, most of you should have one major essay graded and commented upon and another handed in and hopefully ready to be returned to you next week. The thing you should think about now with regards to these essays is your next draft, your revised draft. Remember that revising your second draft for each of these essays is all about getting back points you've lost. So focus on the comments that I give you in each section, and weigh these comments against the number of points you got on that section. Don't find yourself making the mistake of, for example, simply correcting grammar if most of the points you've lost are in other sections. Sure, correcting grammar will get you points back, but not Content or Organization points.

So, with all that in mind, you've got a reasonable amount of things to work on. As a result, I've decided that your only homework due next week would be these three things: Prepare for your midterm, work on your Essay 3 first draft, and revise your Essay 1 (and consider how you might start revising your Essay 2, too).

As always, if you've got questions, email me right away.

Essay 3

Here's your link to your Essay 3 assignment and rubric:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STZ2Q2YXNsR1hWVXc/view?usp=sharing.

Reminder: Essay 2 Second Draft (and other pieces) Due Wednesday, 2/25

This is just to remind you: Your whole packet for Essay 2, with your first draft on the bottom, then your partner's critique on top of that, then your second draft on top of the critique, and the rubric for the assignment at the very top -- all of that is due by the start of class Wednesday, 2/25.

Remember, though: This time, it might be important that you come to class on time, because once people come in and hand in their essays, well... Remember what we agreed that we'll do on Wednesday, 2/25? Get the hint? So make sure you're there at the start of class; that's all I'm saying.

Week 6 Homework

Your homework for this week is to read the next chapter in They Say / I Say, a chapter dedicated to one basic question: Graff and Birkenstein give us a lot of moves to pull off, but how do we tie them all together in an essay, or even in a paragraph or just a couple of sentences? Well, hopefully this chapter will give you a few simple answers to your question.

Other than this chapter in They Say / I Say, I also want you to read the following articles:

1) "The Return of the Protest Song," by Salamishah Tillet, published recently in the magazine, The Atlantic:
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/01/the-return-of-the-protest-song/384631/.

2) "America's 'Prince' problem: How Black people -- and art -- became 'devalued,'" by Brittney Cooper:
http://www.salon.com/2015/02/11/americas_prince_problem_how_black_people_and_art_became_devalued/.

As you read these two articles, notice how one is a response to the other. Notice especially how these articles are tailored for online publication. What do the writers have to say in an online article? And what do they not have to say at all, because they can simply provide a clickable link? Is there anything else that distinguishes online articles from articles that you would imagine reading in a physical magazine or a hardcopy newspaper?

=-=-=-=-=

Next, in your writing homework, I want you to take on one specific idea that gets mentioned in the articles above: The recent #BlackLivesMatter movement. In your writing assignment, I want you to think about this movement, to use what you see about it, and to respond with your own ideas.

Here's what I want you to do:

-- Write a casual summary-and-response write-up about #BlackLivesMatter, meaning a casual essay of at least 350 words, in which you summarize what this movement seems to be saying, then respond to the movement with your own ideas.

-- To summarize #BlackLivesMatter, I'd like you to use social media as much as you can. Try to avoid finding an "official" explanation of #BlackLivesMatter. Instead, try to gather for yourself what average people, especially people who simply seem to feel strongly about this movement, seem to be saying through it. And as you summarize these ideas, think closely about how you should credit the ideas you find. Do you even need to credit these average people at all?

-- In your response to #BlackLivesMatter, think in simple terms, but stay smart. As I always say, it's easy to simply agree. So don't simply agree; be sure to explain what your unique perspective adds to the original idea. And if you're not sure you agree at all, but you don't want to disagree with such a popular movement, keep in mind that you don't have to disagree with the whole movement, just the one or two things you find questionable. And if you're undecided, remember: That's a response, too! Just be sure to say what makes you unable to decide, or what the movement does that prevents someone like you from responding.

=-=-=-=-=

And that's it for regular homework. Don't forget that your Essay 2 second draft is due next Wednesday, 2/25, by the start of class -- and that means the whole packet: First draft, critique, second draft, and rubric.

Be sure to email me if you have questions. See you again soon.

Reminder: Essay 2 Critiques Due Wednesday, 2/18

Don't forget that your critique of another classmate's Essay 2 first draft is due this Wednesday, 2/18. To remind you, the way I graded critiques for Essay 1 first drafts was simple: I gave you full credit for a reasonably complete critique, and that was that. This time, however, I will be more strict. So please make sure to write a thorough critique.

Now, to write a good critique, you don't necessarily have to rip your partner's draft to shreds in your comments, but you can definitely be thorough and incisive. For example, if you can't describe something specific that's going wrong, think instead of questions to ask your critique partner, to get him or her to consider some of their ideas more closely. Or point out an idea that can be interesting and, very simply, suggest that there's more that can be said, or that something specific is missing. Of course, you might want to go a bit further and make a few suggestions, too. 

And there's always one incredibly helpful thing: Tell your partner what they seem to you to be saying at the most important places in the essay. Reflecting a writer's argument back to him or her lets the writer know if his or her ideas got through, and just how they got through. And it gives you a great place to say, "But..." and then criticize a bit.

At any rate, though, the more you say and ask, the more I'll be likely to give you full credit for your critique.

Oh, and I have one more request: In your critique, don't bother with grammar. I'm finding that a lot of people simply tend to tell their critique partners, "Your essay isn't as good as it can be because it has grammar errors." But nobody so far has bothered to describe the grammar issues they see. And that's not helpful at all. So please, don't mention grammar in your critiques. Leave that to me.

Correction for Monday, 2/16

Folks,

My urgent event on Monday got cancelled, and I'll be coming to campus after all. Don't get me wrong; I've made my announcement, so I'm still canceling Monday's class, and I'm not requiring you to suddenly come in again. Instead, I'll be offering my time to you in the form of one-on-one conferences. 

Here's the deal: I'll be at the usual classroom, at the usual time, from 11:00am to 12:15pm. But instead of a lecture and group assignment, I'll be available to meet with you, one-on-one, to take a look at any writing assignment you're concerned about. For instance, if you need help with your Essay 1 revisions, I'll be there to offer that help to you. If you'd like me to have a quick second glance over your Essay 2 first draft or critique, I can do that, too. Just please email me ahead of time and let me know you'd like to come in. That way, in case a lot of students come in, you will reserve your place, and you won't have to stand in line.

Finally, be aware: I am definitely not canceling the homework that's due Monday. All of your homework is still on. So be sure to scroll down and take a look at "Week 5 Homework" below and make sure that you do your homework. (Remember: Your homework for Monday is due by email, sent to me. Not sure what I'm talking about? Scroll down and read.)

See you again soon.

-- ib

Week 5 Homework (and a reminder)

You guys know how this works by now, right? You've got homework to do.

First, you've got some reading assignments in They Say / I Say, starting with two chapters about one of the most basic moves in academic writing, the "Who cares? So what?" move, and another move, the move that Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein and many others like them believe is the strongest move in any kind of persuasive writing, the naysayer move.

But you've also got other readings to do. One of these readings is another one of the essays that appear in the back of They Say / I Say, and that's the essay titled, "Hidden Intellectualism," written by Gerald Graff (one of the authors of the book). I want you to read this essay closely and think about not only the specific statements, but also the moves Graff is making.

Now, I also want you to skim one more piece of writing...

Here's a link to an excerpt from Aristotle's writing about argument and rhetoric that I want you to skim as part of your reading assignment for next week:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STSzJZNU9nQWZKbXM/view?usp=sharing.

Remember: I'm just asking you to skim Aristotle's writing -- unless you totally love it, in which case, go for it and read as much of it as you want.

That's it for reading assignments due next week.

=-=-=-=-=

For your written homework, I want you to do the following:

-- Write a short paragraph discussing who you think is likely to disagree with your ideas in your Essay 2. If it's not obvious who would disagree with you, try to think in terms of qualities or background or beliefs: What would your most disagreeable readers probably be like? And on what basis would they disagree with you, or at least not believe you and refuse to accept your points?

-- Do the following exercises in They Say / I Say: Exercise 1 at the end of Chapter 4, and exercise 1 at the end of Chapter 5. All I want you to do is to list the templates that you come up with, one by one. A bullet-point list would be just fine for either of these exercises.

And since we're not meeting next Monday, 2/16, don't write these out on notebook paper or print them out. Instead, please type them up in a Word document, and email that document to me by the time we'd normally start class on Monday, 2/16. (Be aware: I will not accept assignments submitted later than 11:05am.)

=-=-=-=-=

So don't forget (this is your reminder): We're not meeting on Monday, 2/16. Your other classes are not cancelled, just my class. All you have to do is submit your homework to me via email, then you're done.

=-=-=-=-=

And that's it for minor homework assignments. Just don't forget that you've got a critique due on Wednesday, 2/18. We'll definitely meet on that day. As usual, though, if you're behind for whatever reason, let me know, and we can negotiate an alternative.

See you all next Wednesday!

Reminder for Wednesday, 2/11

Just to remind you: Your Essay 2 first drafts are due by the start of class on Wednesday, 2/11. I'll be sure to go around and give you credit for doing your work. But be aware: I'll be assigning critique partners on a first-come-first-serve basis. So those of you who get to class on time, with your drafts printed out, stapled, and ready, will likely get someone diligent and punctual to write your critique.

Also, let me make one other request: As you work on your Essay 2 first draft, please try to write as complete an essay as you can. Remember that, to my mind, a finished bad draft is better than an unfinished good draft. (Well, to my mind a finished draft is already a good draft, but we could go on forever debating what "good" really means.) Also, a finished draft gives more for your critique partners to say in their critique for your essay, then they can write a full and finished critique, too.

Week 4 Homework

Your homework for next week is to go on with Graff and Birkenstein's They Say / I Say, to move into the "I Say" section of the book. The main question for the "I Say" part of an argument is: How do you, the writer, come into the conversation of your essay? To remind you of Graff and Birkenstein's point: Just jumping in and stating your opinion right away doesn't work so well; you've got to start with a strong "They Say" move and keep track of the voices you'd like to argue with. But then, if you start with others' ideas, how does your actual argument begin?

So make sure that you follow with the assigned readings for next week. I'm not saying anything definite, but maybe I'll be in the mood to quiz you on what's been going on in They Say / I Say. I won't be too hard on you, but I'll try to test your knowledge and reading on your own.

Notice again that, in addition to the chapters out of They Say / I Say, you've got another online essay to read, "On Plagiarism," by Richard A. Posner. (Just saying: I might quiz you on this one, too.) Well, here's a link to Posner's essay, published on The Atlantic:
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2002/04/on-plagiarism/302469/.

=-=-=-=-=

Next, I'd like to give you some written homework, too. What I'd like you to do is rather simple and brief, but I also want you to approach this homework assignment with an open mind, and to be as objective as you can when you write:

-- Take an article that you think you might use for your Essay 2 first draft, and write two paragraphs about it.

• In your first paragraph, describe the ways the author of this article seems to argue his or her point. Notice: Even if the author tries to be informative a lot of the time, that could be part of a tactic to try to convince his or her readers of something. So, really, this assignment can be restated in this way: Write a paragraph in which you describe both the overall strategy the author uses and the specific tactics that he or she takes in his or her article to persuade his or her readers of his or her ideas.
  
• In your second paragraph, describe the intended audience for this article. In other words, who is the author really writing to? You can think of a very specific group of people, if you want. But it might be best to discuss the qualities this audience has that makes them ideal for this writer to try to convince. For example, if you think they're old, what is it about an old audience that makes them likely to listen to this writer's ideas? Try to think of several other possible qualities on your own: How educated the audience is, what they generally care about in life, how much time and focus they have to read this article, and so on.

Makes sense? If not, be sure to email me with questions. I'll collect this paragraph next Monday, 2/9.

=-=-=-=-=

Finally, remember that your Essay 2 first draft is due on Wednesday, 2/11. Please try to write a complete draft, as complete as you can make it. And be sure to go longer than 500 words. As an English teacher, my tendency is to say "More is more." So if you write more, and parts of it are bad, that's better to my mind than writing an essay that's too short. Also, keep in mind that with Essay 1, a lot of people wanted to write deep critiques, but they couldn't because their partners didn't write finished essays. Help your critique partners out. Write more.

And, as usual, if you're having trouble getting your work done on time, let me know ASAP, and we'll try to negotiate an alternative for you.

Two Quick Reminders for Wednesday, 2/4

Don't forget these two things for our next class meeting, Wednesday, 2/4:

1) We'll be meeting in the lobby of the library (by the main entrance to the library, on the second floor, inside the library). I won't be in our usual classroom, so don't look for me there. Just come to the lobby of the library first. We'll start class right there.

2) Your Essay 1 second draft. with complete packet, is due at the start of class. In your packet, be sure to put your first draft on the bottom, then your critique partner's critique for you on top of that, then your second draft on top of the critique, and a fresh, clean rubric (with your name on it) on the very top, then staple it all together. That's your packet right there. That's what I want you to hand in.

Got questions or concerns? Email me ASAP.

Another Article on National Adjunct Walkout Day (more of a multi-faceted debate this time)

Here's another article for you to read if you want (meaning, on your own, based on your own time, patience, and curiosity) that brings up more complicated positions on the idea of a National Adjunct Walkout Day:
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/01/27/national-adjunct-walkout-day-approaches-attracting-both-enthusiasm-and-questions.

For instance, this article brings up the question that our classmate, Nuria, asked: If this is a protest that's intended to be visible, who is really going to see it?

Here's how the article's author, Colleen Flaherty, describes this specific position, using someone else's voice (a "They Say" move):

Keith Hoeller, an adjunct instructor of philosophy at Green River Community College in Washington and founder of the Washington Part-Time Faculty Association, which is not a union, said he supported walkout day in theory, but said it suffered from a lack of leadership from an activist group with a strong agenda -- including plans for what happens after walkout day. 

“We want symbols, but we don’t want air symbols,” he said. “If people walk out, is it going to be a blip? Is it going to be an empty gesture? I’m hoping that lots of people walk out, but even if we do, what do we do after that?” 

Hoeller -- who has in the past criticized general faculty unions for not doing more to push adjunct faculty interests -- said part of the problem lies with unions. He asked why they aren’t doing more to help adjuncts participate in walkout day, such as setting up funds for fines. He also noted that K-12 teachers seem to strike with some frequency, sometimes with union support, and don’t appear to suffer fines.

Week 3 Homework

You know the drill. This is your homework reminder announcement, as usual. For next week, you've got a few readings to do in They Say / I Say. All of these readings are listed between "Week 3" and "Week 4" on our course schedule. But if you look at the course schedule, you'll notice I've added another essay that I want you to read, which doesn't appear in They Say / I Say.

Well, here it is, the link to that additional essay, "Feeling Failure," by Jaime O'Connor, published online on the web publication Inside Higher Ed (which you might have seen in the materials for National Adjunct Walkout Day):

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/university-venus/feeling-failure.

=-=-=-=-=

Now, there's another assignment that I want you to do, and it has to do with our library visit next week. So don't forget: On Wednesday, 2/4, we'll be meeting in the lobby of the Alexandria campus library, in order to have our library resource presentation. Well, the librarian we'll meet, Anne Anderson, and I both want you to start thinking about your research plans ahead of time.

Notice also that this assignment has to do with our Essay 2, which I've provided to you (earlier than I said I would on the syllabus, just so that we can be prepared for the library presentation) both in hard copy in class and here, on this course site, right below this blog post. Make sure to take a couple of minutes on your own to take another look at the assignment and the rubric attached to it.

Here's a link to the library-related and Essay-2-based homework assignment (I'll also provide a handout in class to help you record your work):

http://libguides.nvcc.edu/eng112pre-barnoy.

All of the assignments above are due by the start of class on Monday, 2/2. These are not huge assignment, so they're not worth a whole lot, but try not to miss this deadline if you can.

=-=-=-=-=

Finally, of course, don't forget that what's due on Wednesday, 2/4, is your second draft for Essay 1. This second draft is due directly to me. This draft is what I'll be reading and grading closely. However, I'd like to have the entire packet of drafts/critique related to this assignment, not just the second draft. The way I'd like you to submit this essay is like this: Your first draft on the bottom, then your partner's critique to you on top of the first draft, then the second draft on top of the critique, and finally a copy of the rubric for this assignment on top. Make sure to staple all of these together and have the packet ready to submit to me before we start our library discussion on Wednesday.

As always, if you have questions, or if you feel stuck, email me and I'll try my best to help.

Essay 2 (Early Preview)

Here's the link to your Essay 2 assignment sheet and rubric:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STdGpQZjhjUF9ib3M/view?usp=sharing.

Be sure to take at least a quick look at this assignment sheet and the rubric attached. Essay 2 is the assignment we'll be thinking about next week, when we discuss communication, audience, and research, and when we have our library resource presentation on Wednesday, 2/4.

Reminder: Critiques for Essay 1 First Drafts Due Wednesday, 1/28 -- and Some Materials on National Adjunct Walkout Day

This is just to remind you: Your critique for a classmate's Essay 1 first draft is due this Wednesday, 1/28. As with the first drafts, I'll take a quick look at your critique, but essentially, your critique is due to your partner. It's essentially due to him or her. And that'y mainly why I encourage you to try your best and be on time. But if you can't make it, for whatever reason, talk to me as soon as possible, and we can decide what to do.

=-=-=-=-=

And just to follow up on our discussion today, here are some materials about National Adjunct Walkout Day, which is scheduled for Wednesday, 2/25 (which is a class day for us, and also the day when our Essay 2, second draft, will be due):

First, here's the very first blog post to officially announce National Adjunct Walkout Day, posted on Inside Higher Ed, a web publication intended for college insiders (meaning mostly professors, graduate students, and undergraduate students, but also curious administrators):
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2014/10/06/national-adjunct-walkout-day-planned.

Next, here's a video that was put together by Ohio State adjunct professors, and it's their attempt at explaining the whole adjunct situation as thoroughly and simply as they can:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhhi6hDy3mA.

Finally, here's an article by a controversial writer, Sarah Kendzior, whose work I've assigned my students to read in the past, and in fact this is not the first time she's written about adjuncts, but in this article, she sums up the situation pretty quickly, and starts from an interesting personal note:
https://chroniclevitae.com/news/762-the-adjunct-crisis-is-everyone-s-problem.

Let me know if you find interesting links, too! I can easily post these links here once you give them to me.

Week 2 Homework

Did you get last week's reading assignment done? Well, if you didn't, then make sure you do it as soon as possible -- because your written homework, due Monday, 1/26, is straight out of the introduction of They Say / I Say. And here is that assignment:

-- Do exercises 1 and 2 on pages 14 and 15 of They Say / I Say. (Notice: These page numbers might not be the same for other editions. But these exercises are easy to find. They're the last two exercises at the end of the introduction of any edition of this book.)

I'm still not sure how I'll give credit to this homework assignment. Maybe I'll collect the sheet of paper that you did your homework on, or maybe I'll just go around the class and check off that you did your homework. Either way, you'll need to have your homework written out or typed up and printed out, ready for me to see in class.

The rest of your homework that's due next week is basically right there, in the course schedule (remember? -- that thing at the end of our syllabus?).

The next part of your homework, of course, is more reading:

-- Do the new reading assignment, which is basically to continue reading in They Say / I Say, but also to read one of the essays that appears in the back of any edition of this book, the essay titled, "Don't Blame the Eater," by David Zinczenko. (And if you still don't have a copy of They Say / I Say, then I'm trusting you to use your creativity and judgment to find a way to do the assigned reading anyway. It's not all that hard to figure it out.)

And the other last of your homework is to continue work related to Essay 1:

-- Write a critique in response to another classmate's first draft of Essay 1. The basic idea is that you're giving your own constructive feedback on another student's writing in the form of an intelligent, but casual, short essay. Now, these critiques are due on Wednesday, 1/28, so just in case you've run into some trouble getting your Essay 1 first draft done, or whatever the issue might be, then you should definitely talk to me about possibly getting until Monday, 1/26, to figure out a way to fix the trouble.

And if you're not sure about how to organize your critique, either because you couldn't make it to class today or maybe because you lost the handout that I gave out in class today, here's a link to an electronic copy of this handout:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STalkwWEdSQUhVeGs/view?usp=sharing.

Week 1 Homework (and Reminders)

If you look at the course schedule in the back of our syllabus, you'll notice that you have a reading assignment to complete for next week. Some of the material for this reading assignment is in our textbook, They Say / I Say, by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Remember: I'm perfectly fine with you getting any edition of this book. In fact, I want to make this reading assignment a challenge to you. The challenge is this: Find the reading material on your own, and find it soon. If it's not obvious how to do that, try to be inventive. Find and read these short pieces before our class meeting next week. By the time we meet, I'll assume that you will have read these pieces next week, and I'll assign homework based on that assumption.

Of course, there's one piece that I promised to provide online, the article by W. Andrew Ewell, "We Must Stop Praying to Our iPhones: Dissent and Critical Thinking in the Internet Era," and here it is:
http://www.salon.com/2014/10/11/we_must_stop_praying_to_our_iphones_dissent_and_critical_thinking_in_the_internet_era/.

Also, remember that your first draft of Essay 1 is due on Wednesday next week. All you need to do is write one draft of this essay, print it out, staple it, and have it ready to show me. I'll simply check you off for doing your first draft. Then, in class, you'll hand it to someone else to write a critique for. Of course, if you can't finish your first draft, I encourage you to print out and bring whatever you have. But I'd prefer something finished -- even if it's bad. A bad first draft is worth just as much as a good one. As for critiques, we'll be sure to talk more about those next week.

And don't forget your very first homework assignment, which was assigned a few days ago: Send me an email!

Finally, let me remind you that next Monday, 1/19/2015, is Martin Luther King Day. We won't be meeting on this day.

See you again on Wednesday, 1/21/2015. I look forward to seeing your Essay 1 first drafts.

First Homework Assignment Reminder

Don't forget that your first homework assignment is ... to email me! Please be sure to do so ASAP. I'd like to have your email easily accessible, and you need to have mine easily accessible too.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Essay 1

This blog post contains the link to your first major essay assignment for this semester. Be sure to also pay attention to announcements made in class about what is due when. For instance, you'll need to know when the first draft of this assignment is due. And always, always look back to the course schedule in our syllabus, because that schedule will also mention what is due when, and it will always be available for you to check online.

Here's the link to your first major essay assignment:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STNXpwUFAtTmNKS2M/view?usp=sharing.

(Now, notice the label at the bottom of this blog post -- "essay 1." This label also appears at the list of labels at the top of this site, and it's one way for you to always be able to look back at the essay 1 assignment, even at later points in the semester.)

Course Syllabus (with Course Schedule Inside)

This blog post contains a link to our course syllabus. In case you've missed our first class on Monday, 1/12/2015, or you lost your physical copy of our syllabus, or whatever other situation occurred and you need to access our course syllabus online, here's your link to an electronic version of this document (just click this link, right below, and you'll be there):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STSWlvcVNneXBTSkk/view?usp=sharing.

(Now, notice two important things: First, this syllabus also contains another important document inside of it -- our course schedule. So be sure to look through it all the way to the end. Second, take a look at the label for this blog post, then notice that "syllabus" is added to the list of labels on this site. Clicking this label is one way to get back to this blog post and access the syllabus at any time this semester.)

Important First Details

Dear Students of Ishai Barnoy,

If you made it here, that's great. Welcome to the blog for our class. This will be our central website for course information -- announcements and assignments most of all -- from the beginning until our last day.  

This here -- what's called a "post" -- will be our very first announcement.

So take a moment to notice the organization of this website, this web-log, or just blog. Notice that the newest post, which will contain the newest announcement or assignment information, always appears at the top (see the dates?), while the older posts proceed downward. Notice how this older post will always stay at the bottom, while all the newer posts will accumulate on top.

Now notice the other elements of this blog. On the right (going from bottom to top) there's my short and ridiculous introduction, with the picture of a smurf that kinda looks like me. Right above it is the blog archive. The blog archive will be your way of getting to older posts quickly. Just click on the appropriate month (if necessary), then the appropriate date, then you're basically there. Next, right above the blog archive is a clickable list of labels, for quick access to different blog topics. Right now, there are only two labels, which lead you directly to this post here.

Makes sense? That's pretty much all there is to such a simple blog as this!

Oh, I almost forgot!  How do you get in touch with me? That's important, but also very simple -- just send me an email. But please note: I'm going to spell out my email address. The reason I'm spelling the address out is to avoid spammers. Spammers are mostly just these automated pieces of software, or "bots," which are programmed to scour websites for people's contact information. You, however, are much smarter than automated bots, so you'll be able to translate what I give you into a proper email address, right?

So here it is: 

barnoy (no space) english ["at" symbol] gmail [dot] com

Got all that?

Be aware: The next post will contain our course syllabus. That's important, too! For now, though, all the stuff here is a great start.

See you soon!

-- ib (which stands for Ishai Barnoy -- but I'll be using "ib" because it's, uh ... cool)