en191s11

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Jan 25 The sequence of presentations

Source document: No longer shared

Thematic Group 1 - Topics: How to organize a paper

Hashmi, Moizuddin - I have difficulty in organizing my writing
Hu, Yao - I'd like some tips for developing my ideas
Wei, Beibei - All of my sentences sound the same. It would be helpful if I knew more about how phrases function so that I could vary my sentence structure.
Walcheski, Lukus - My writing is wordy
Xu, Mengfei-I would like some help with my introduction
Zhang, Hui - I’d like some help with my conclusions

Thematic Group 2 - Topics: How to improve my grammar

Holker, Alexandra M - I'm confused by semicolons and colons
Klaphake, Christopher L - I don't know where commas go
Louks, Kyle - Certain words are confusing: a lot, few and less, who and whom
Nan, YingYing- I want to improve my vocabulary

Thematic Group 3 - Topics: How to write different types of papers

Severson, Natalie M - I need help writing a thesis statement
Vo, Thao - Descriptive Essays
He, Huiyu - I need to more information about writing narrative essay

Lu, Shan - I want to know how to write an abstract.
Siemsen, Kim-Mareike - I need more information about writing to get a job - cover letters

Thematic Group 4 - Topics: Documentation and Quotes

Wickramasinghe, Vidura - I need to know what plagiarism is and how I can avoid it.
Hussain, Asif 1 I need help with citations and documentation

Zhao, Xiaoping - I want some help on online sources
Mingo, Sam - I need more information about writing an annotated bibliography.

Thematic Group 5 - Topics: Researching Papers

Schwagel, Margaret - I need more information about writing to get a job - researching companies
Hayes, Amanda M - Researching my own interests and talents
Hua, YunFei - My native language is not English

.other topics-
Van Houtan, Stephanie- How to catch errors in my paper.
Iqbal, Ahmed - My native language is not English(ESL)
Jordan Meyer- Issue managing my time when it comes to writing a paper..

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Jan 25 Grammar topics presented by students

List of student presentations

1. Study your topic and create a flow chart about what you want to show and say
2. Create a post with bullets and/or text for the 3-5 minute class presentation
3. Come prepared to address the class

In-class preparatory work:
Organizing the topics, making groupings
Work in your group. The group could decide to make only one shared document, or individual ones for each student in the group.
Shared class document. Go there and copy and paste its content into your own spreadsheet in Google docs. Work only in your own document in your own google docs environment. When you are finished organizing the topics, and making groupings, go back into the shared class document. Slowly and patently enter your topics and groupings into the shared document, if the field is empty or if your topic or grouping is different from what you see (having been entered by a class mate). Many of us will be trying this at the same time. Be patent and type very, very slowly. I want to achieve a document that shows how different students may have categorized and grouped the same topics differently. Or not.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

LEO topics for Jan 25

Peruse the LEO web-site and pick a topic that interests you. Write that topic into the LEO topic list.

Please come forward and enter your topic behind your name. Have the originating url ready to hot-link your choice to the LEO site.
Samples from the LEO page:
(begin quote)

I'm having problems getting started.

I'm not sure how to write the kind of paper my teacher assigned.
I'd like to see some guidelines on time management and steps for writing a paper.
I'm overwhelmed and don't know where to begin working on my paper.
I need some new strategies for generating ideas.
I would like strategies for starting particular types of papers.
How do I get started writing a book or film review?

I have difficulty organizing my writing.

I'd like some tips about organizing my thoughts before I start writing.
My teacher wants a five-paragraph essay.

I'd like some tips for developing my ideas.

I'd like to work on sensory details.

I have problems with particular parts of a paper -- introductions, thesis statements, conclusions.

I'd like some help with introductions.
I'd like some help with thesis statements.
I'd like some help with conclusions. (end quote)

There are many other topics to choose from. Take a few minutes to review them. Once you have determined your topic, talk to your class mates and see who else has that topic. Only one topic per person, please. So you must find an agreement and possibly choose a different or sub-topic.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Criteria used to evaluate stories

1. How to best evaluate a piece of writing? Work in groups of six and find five parameters you propose to use when evaluating the Story-in-a-box. The most important parameter gets five points, the next, somewhat less parameter gets four points, and so on.
2. Student list and shared document for class use
3. After we have settled and posted the five criteria to use, read all stories and rate them on a sheet of paper. Then determine your three top stories and create a new post on your blog. Paste the names and urls of your top stories:

1. (best) name, url
2. (2nd best) name, url
3. (third best) name, url
Then go to the shared winner's document and enter a one (1) behind the name of your best, a (2) behind the second and a (3) behind *your* third winner.
Roland's list
--------------------------
Criterion 1
Criterion 2
Criterion 3
Criterion 4
Criterion 5

The class determined the following criteria and point values. You can assign up to 15 points to any story now. While reading, be sure to keep a written personal list of all student names and the points you gave them.
Five Final Criteria
1. 5 points- 12 Objects are found creatively in the story
2. 4 points - Story holds interest
3. 3 points - Story flows well
4. 2 points - To the point, not too wordy
5. 1 point - Grammar/Spelling

Examples:
1. The story makes sense. The story progresses logically. The ending fits the introduction and title.
2. Strange new ideas, words, phrases, cultural phenomena
3. To the point, not wordy, great diction (choice of words for the job) etc.
Student group parameters:
(five parameters from each group)
Group 1

1 Grammar/spelling        5 points

2 Story plot            4 points

3 Sentence fluency        3 points

4 Creativity             2 points

5 Fulfills requirements        1 points

Group 2
1 All 12 objects are in the story    5 Points

2 Story holds interest        4 Points

3Sentences flow well together    3 Points

4 To the point, not too wordy    2 Points

5 Grammar/Spelling            1 Point

Group 3

1 Story has to flow.

2 Has to include the twelve items.

3 Grammar errors

4. Keeps readers interest

5.The content of the story needs to be related to the topic.

Group 4

1. 12 items included

2. Flows nicely, (good length of sentences)

3. Proper grammar

4. No plot holes, (no contradictions, story stays on subject)

5. Good introduction and conclusion

Group 5

1. The story is easy to read and doesn’t confuse the reader.

2. Ideas are well organized.

3. The writer uniquely uses all twelve objects.

4. The writer uses a variety of words and is not repetitive.

5. The story has an interesting introduction and ending.

Group 6

1. You find the story interesting and easy to read.

2. The story has a good plot and all 12 items connect well.

3. All 12 items connect well

4. Few grammar errors

5. Good word choices

Five Final Criteria
1. 12 Objects are found creatively in the story
2. Story holds interest
3. Story flows well
4. To the point, not too wordy
5. Grammar/Spelling

Homework for Jan 18, due at 12 noon

Review the entire web-site LEO.
Finish your first draft of Story-in-a-box and post it on your blog; revise and improve on your first version and post the second version in a post by noon Tuesday, Jan 18, 1011.
Next week in class:
Develop parameters to evaluate stories with. Create 5 parameters that all will use when reading all those Stories-in-a-Box from classmates.
Rateat three stories from your class mates. Post your results. Click their name and access their blog through the central web-page 191s11.
Be prepared to propose a topic for grammar review from LEO. Pick something that you find needed or interesting for you.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Course objectives for en191section18 spring 2011

The course objectives

Reading, writing, and critical reasoning based on different text types and situations related to Global Cultures & Communications. We will explore the creative as well as analytical side of writing, discourse, and structure together. You will write short and longer papers and learn to edit your writing, improve your arguments, and become more effective communicators using blogs. All the while you will learn about other countries and cultures and explore the otherness of non-US speech, text, discourse and argument.

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Resources

English 191 section 18
Spring 2011
Tuesdays MC 207

17:00-20:20

Dr. Roland Specht-Jarvis, LH 116
Tue+Wed 10:30-12 and by appointment M-F
rhspechtjarvis@gmail.com

All your blogs and entries are due at noon of the day we meet: Tuesday (unless otherwise indicated).

Recommended book:

The Bedford Handbook, 7th ed, Diana Hacker, Bedford/St. Martin, Boston, New York 2009

General considerations: Please be sure to

...always write a thematic statement before you start on a writing project. (This paper is about...)

...always cross-reference information or web-data. Have at least three different sources for whatever you want to use.

...always cite your sources. You find it on the web, you cite it. Citations from the web are easy: url plus date visited

If you use text verbatim, put it in quotes and cite the source. Paraphrasing does not allow using source text unchanged. It means you report on what you read. You need to cite what/whom you are paraphrasing, of course.

Hacker on-line exercises

if the page does not load, go to http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/bedhandbook7enew/and click Free and Open Web Site "go to site", then Grammar exercises and results, then hit the cancel button and you are there.

The Write Place at SCSU

U of Ottawa Writing Centre

-----------------Actual case: plagiarism -----------------
German Defense secretary...

___________Interviews__________________

Challenges and benefits1 2 .

Preparations and considerations

Outlines- example food
Outline interview 1 2 (doc)

Sample interview 1

Sample interview 2

Final paper on Malaysia

Sample prep report

Phases of an interview

Elements of each interview that must show up on your blog:

1. Describe the preparations.

How did you approach people?

When, where, and how did you conduct and record the interview?

Whom did you interview?

2. Describe the interview. What did surprise you?

3. Report on country/region and culture.

4. Transcribe the interview.

At least two interviews need to be transcribed. That allows for one report without the transcription. Still, we need to know the preparations, approach, interview process, etc. of that interview (1-3 above). Please be sure to choose interviewees from one country or region.

Class edited version of interview questions

5

6

Syllabus

Welcome to your English Composition class!

We will be meeting in the Miller Center

and enjoy access to the world-wide web during class time in Room 207. When using

internet resources, please remain critical about what you find. We will conduct the class

with a handbook that I recommend to buy: The Bedford Handbook, 7th edition,

Bedford/St. Martin's, Boston and New York, 2006-2009. You can buy the softcover

0-312-59504-2 version or the hard cover 0-312-59505-0. The book is not mandatory.

Just highly recommended. You will have to invest in paper for printing, and other

resources you may need, including a dedicated USB memory stick for your work.

You are expected to maintain all files for this course on your home computer or

husky space and also on that memory stick. You will create your own blog on

blogger by google. It is free. All members of class will be asked to read and review

writing samples. Everything you do for class goes into the blog. We are saving trees.

The course objectives

The semester will be structured as follows:

Part I: Four meetings we will cover LEO and writing topics from the University of Ottawa Writing Center.

Part II Preparing for interviews with international students, conducting interviews, and writing interview and country reports. This will cover October until mid November.

Part III You personal Final Project. This could be an additional interview, a comparison of several interviews, a research paper, or anything else we agreed on. The day of finals

is December 16. Your final project is due that day in your blog.

-- Several drafts are needed until a paper or presentation reads well .

-- Writing and researching improves as you allow others to critique your

work, and make suggestions for your benefit.

-- If in doubt about a sentence, paragraph, or page of your text and its role for

the entire paper, just cut it out.

-- Less is usually more, if less was edited and revised intelligently.

-- Any text element in your paper that is not your own writing and expression,

needs to be referenced as the work or idea of others.

-- Use of technology cannot make up for lack of reflection and poor writing design.

-- You can only write about what you know; resist writing about things

you do not understand.

Blog

You are expected to keep a blog. Whenever you freewrite, list,

research, or keep records of books and urls used, use your journal. The blog is supposed to show evidence of how you went about tasks, which books and homepages you used, etc. Every time you search for a topic (e.g. www.google.com)

I require you to record the urls used and the date you visited that page.

Use a word-processing program or an editor simultaneously with the browser to keep records. Print the pages after you saved it to your personal disk, USB storage card, or Husky account and paste it into your blog. If you forget or loose your journal you cannot work effectively in class that day. Immediately buy a new journal and reconstruct what was lost in the first one. A person without a correctly kept journal/blog cannot achieve better than a B – even if everything else is A+.

Grades will be based on:

Completeness and appearance of blog 30%

Post assignments, interviews 50%

Class participation, presentations 20%

Best paper (or post or interview) in class gives you a 10% bonus for the final grade. Missing a meeting without talking with me ahead of time costs you 5% on the final grade. Missing more than 20% of total class time, by department policy, forces me to fail you in this class.