Friday, December 13, 2013

 

Final Portfolios are due today by 12 noon

Today, student semester portfolios are due. This document includes all your work for the semester. It is arranged according to the guidelines stipulated in the check-list.

Make sure the document is easy to read, that is, all essays are to start on their own page(s). Cover sheets between sections help, but are not necessary. Make sure the final drafts are posted first followed by the previous graded drafts.

Include grades on the checklist and notes for me, for instance, "final draft included, but not read."

If you submit a graded assignment from another course, include the prompt for the assignment and the grade and anything I need to know to understand the context.

For those students who missed the Portfolio Workshop, look for a response from me. I am asking students who attended the Workshop to mentor or model the correct way to submit the final portfolio for me. If you know someone who attended, seek them out.  

I have been around all week. My grades are due Friday, Dec. 20. I will be grading the portfolios next week. I will send you your final grades which will not be available until Jan. 3, 2014 I believe at the District.

Have a great Holiday Season and a Happy New Year. It was great meeting all of you. Good luck and much success in all your pursuits which bring joy to your hearts and make the world brighter because you are in it.

Next semester I am teaching an on-line English 1A, a short term English 1B, a Hybrid-English 1A and a Saturday, English 1A. In the English 1A classes, the topic or theme is Happiness. I will be using 50 Essays, Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project, Hacker's Rules for Writers and They Say, I Say.

In the English 1A on-line class, I might do a few things differently. I am not certain yet. Maybe not (smile).

In the English 1B we will read the historic novel Sugaree Rising by local novelist, J. Douglas Allen-Taylor and/or Virgin Soul by Laney College Professor Judy Juanita; Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, along with other poetry, the play, I and You by San Francisco resident Lauren Gunderson, I am looking at 40 Short Stories by Beverly Lawn and perhaps The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare (I am looking for a play where there is a film version). Any favorites? We will use the No Fear Shakespeare publication.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-merchant-of-venice-no-fear-shakespeare-series-william-shakespeare/1104989360?cm_mmc=googlepla-_-book_5to14-_-q000000633-_-9781586638504&cm_mmca2=pla&ean=9781586638504&isbn=9781586638504&r=1


The Merchant
was recently performed by men at San Quentin State Prison. They did a marvelous job, then wrote a play using this one as a frame to talk about their lives.

Students will have to attend a play and one other literary event for credit in this class. I will propose field-trips but if no one can attend with me or cares for my recommendations, the assignment still holds (smile).

Out textbook for English 1B is Writing about Literature Second Edition by Janet Gardner with the 2009 Updated MLA
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/writing-about-literature-with-2009-mla-update-janet-e-gardner/1100925024?cm_mmc=googlepla-_-textbook_instock_under26_pt109-_-q000000633-_-9780312607579&cm_mmca2=pla&ean=9780312607579&isbn=9780312607579&r=1


Monday, December 09, 2013

 

Optional Portfolio Assembly Workshop Tuesday, Dec. 10

We meet in A-205, 9-12; 1-3, for an all day Portfolio Assembly Workshop for Fall 2013. There you can complete your final assignments and even turn it in if done. Bring all of your assignments for this semester electronically, so you do not have to spend time typing.



Wednesday, November 27, 2013

 

Revision Strategies Cyber-Assignment

Reflect on the video from the Write Course series: Revision Strategies. What new information did you learn? What information was reinforced? What do you plan to do differently from now on? How did the introduction of published authors who shared their writing process help you feel better about "the revision process"?

In a minimally three (3) paragraph essay, reflect on the video and articles. Include a citation from all three sources, one per paragraph. 

Use the 3-part thesis here.

Here is a link to the MLA for the articles and video: http://professorsabirsposse.blogspot.com/2012/10/revisions-strategies-literary-moves.html

 

Portfolio Essays

Portfolio Essay 1 Reflection on COA Fall 2013
250 words minimum


1. The narrative will look at the 18 weeks, the themes we looked at this semester: Revolutionaries and Social Change Agents.

What have you learned about yourself this semester? What have you learned about the discipline you are studying here: reading and writing that you plan to carry forth into your lifelong pursuit of learning.

Please also comment on the texts and whether or not they were helpful in this process. You can also talk about the instruction, culture of the class and the teacher. You can also offer suggestions.


Portfolio Essay 2 Reflection on the Writing Process
250-500 words


2. Look at the writing process and what you have been learning about yourself as a writer. Take two essays and talk about the planning, research and revision strategies you used. It helps to choose an early paper and compare to a later paper. Often you can more easily see the differences in your writing and a better example of mastery of certain concepts. Look at the role grammar plays in the writing process. Include here a discussion of your two MCE scores and the Stewart Pidd Experience (smile).

Also discuss skills you need to improve and how you plan to address that.

Include the Write Course Video: "Revision Strategies," the two chapters from Writing with a Thesis, in your bibliography and also cite at least one in your analysis of your revision process. Also cite your essay(s) used as examples in this second essay. This is a scholarly essay and it does count.

There is a cyber-assignments connected to the Write Course video and the Writing with a Thesis chapters, not to mention your responses to me re: the MCE. Use this writing where appropriate to write this second essay.

Additional narrative considerations for the portfolio essay:

The second essay has students look at the writing process and discuss their own writing process: the topics chosen, the information used, revision strategies, writing as a process. This should include a definition of the difference between editing and revising and a value statement on the place for both in composition.

I am really interested in discourse about audience and how that shapes or determines how the writer approaches her topic.

I am also interested in discussion of the revision process, and whether or not seeing writing as a work in progress or a draft, liberates or stagnates the creative process. (Students are to use examples from their writing to illustrate these points.)

I'd also like students to think about and give at three specific ways how they have grown as writers and thinkers this semester. Essay 1 is about 250 words. Essay 2 will probably be a bit longer (250-500 words) since you are citing your essays and scholarly sources. should be minimally

Give your essays a title.

 

Delancey Street Foundation Cyber-Assignment

Post your three-paragraph essays here. Make sure you reread it first before posting.

 

English 201 Portfolio Checklist Fall 2013

Name _______________________________________________
Address______________________________________________
Phone number_________________________________________
Course, term and code__________________________________

English 201A Preparation for Composition and Reading (concurrent enrollment for both sections)
ENGL 201A - (40013) MoWe 1:30PM-3:20PM A 202

ENGL 201B - (40017) MoWe 1:30PM-3:20PM A 202
Class Meetings: August 19-Dec. 13; Holidays: 9/2; 11/11; 11/28-Dec.1

Finals Schedule:
Final Exam Week of Dec. 9-13. English 201 Final: Wednesday, Dec. 11, 12 noon to 2 p.m. Cancelled!
(Portfolios due Friday, Dec. 13, 12 noon) via email: coasabirenglish201@gmail.com

Portfolio Assembly Workshop
Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013, 9-12; 1-3 in A-205 (I can possibly stay later if needed. Let me know.)

This page can serve as you table of contents. If an assignment doesn’t look familiar just put N/A on the line. If you are missing work you know you turned in, make sure you let me.

If there is work you have done which is not listed, please add it at the end. Thanks!

Portfolio Narratives
See assignment in previous post

1. Self-reflection on 18 weeks of study (250 words minimum).
2. Self-reflection on revision strategies with citations (250 words minimum).

Stewart Pidd Hates English Assignments
Do not include the essay in the portfolio, just indicate Passed/No Pass

Grammar Exam 1, August/Sept. 2013_____/50
Gramar Exam 2 November 2013 _______/50

Midterm Synthetica March 2010 (Pronoun Case) _______

Essay Exam 2 Possessives_______
Essay Exam 3 Parallel Structure________

Sentence Structure ________, Pronoun Agr._______, POV _______, Be-verbs______, SV Agr._______

Major Essays

Virgin Soul


Planning Sheet, Outline, Thesis _________
First Draft _________
Final Draft Grade __________
Revisions (how many? Grades?) __________

Revision Goals or Narratives between drafts__________
Reading Logs____________


Book Report Essay


Planning Sheet, Outline, Thesis___________
Final draft grade__________
Revisions__________________
Pidd-type essay grade ____________or Narrative________________

Book Report presentation___________
Peer reviews (how many?)_________________

Book Report Presentations:
Grade is an “A”for all presentations or “-0-“ for opting out. The presentation is a quarter of the grade for this assignment

Abstract___________
Self-reflection__________
Feedback_____________

Social Entrepreneur In-class Essay__________


Other Essays from Reading and Writing


Family Literacy________

Eight Blessings of Writing __________
Cyber assignments, in-class assignments___________ (how many?)

Presentations

Judy Juanita at Oakland Public Library:__________
Writing Assignment __________

Manual Flores on Student Success
Reflection on Presentation ___________

Mr. Jamar Mears, counselor in the EOPS Department on Student SuccessReflection on Presentation __________
Library Orientation
Reflection ___________

Grade Justification

Anything else? _____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

What grade do you think you've earned this semester? What evidence supports this conclusion?

Teacher research

Can I use your work in presentations and publications? Would you like to be anonymous? If I plan on using your essays or work in a book, I will let you know and share any proceeds.

Yes, I agree. __________
No, do not use my work. __________

Final Grade
Portfolio checklist _____________
Portfolio Essay 1_______________
Portfolio Essay 2_______________
Portfolio Grade_________

Course Grade_________

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

 

Three More Meetings

Yesterday in class we looked at the 3-part thesis (handout). We developed a sentence together with the topic "rehabilitation," and then watched a program about social entrepreneur Mimi Silbert, who co-founded The Delancey Street Foundation (handout).

Watch the video here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW-pzSnYYBQ

Homework was to write a three (3) paragraph essay response to the video. The thesis is to use the 3-paragraph form. Each paragraph should include a citation: 1 short citation, 1 free paraphrase and 1 block quote.

There are many students who have missed over a month of classes, which means you are behind and your writing reflects this absence. Such students are advised to visit the Writing Center from now to the end of the semester for help.

If an English 201B student cannot format an academic essay he or she will not pass the course. Yes, it is that serious. At this point, the writing should not look like Pidd's (smile). 

Other Homework

Students took the Multiple Choice Exam 2 and homework was to compare the two scores, MCE 1 to MCE 2 and write a short (100-250 word) analysis of the errors and propose a course of study.

The final essay will be written in class next week on Monday, students are to do a literature search tomorrow on their Social Entrepreneur and come prepared to write on Monday for an hour.

Students have had a month to think about their revolutionary (smile). If you haven't had time to do so, stop and think about what issue you are passionate about and who has taken this issue or problem on as a challenge to address. It can be children, the homeless, education, housing, immigration, parenting, obesity, recreation, environmental pollution, medical access and insurance. . . .

We will also discuss the final portfolio.

November 27, 2013 Class Plan

We will watch another video on Wednesday about a banker who founded a bank that gives micro-loans to people without collateral: Muhammad Yunus. Yunus received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.  Here is a link to the article we will read in class. This essay is a model of what I am looking for in Monday's essay: http://odewire.com/53697/turning-poverty-into-peace.html

Here is a link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NGU5gkI6-Y

We will also spend time reviewing the Pidd Essays and the Virgin Soul revisions and the Book Report essays turned in Monday, Nov. 25, if there are questions. 

Check back here for the Portfolio Checklist.











Monday, November 18, 2013

 
Today in class we worked on revisions for Essay 1, based on Virgin Soul. Some students are still on their first drafts. Get these essays in right away via email: coasabirenglish201@gmail.com

We reviewed them last week. Everyone present has a grade.

Secondly, students developed thesis sentences and did the planning for Essay 2, the Book Report Essay. We will write it in class on Wednesday. There will be no make up assignments and no revisions.

Students brought in copies of published book reviews and author bios. You might want to site such in your essay. In any case, include it in your bibliography Wednesday. Complete the MLA format before class.

Bring all your notes and the book.  You will have 1-1 1/2 to complete the essay.

We will then talk about Essay 3, the final.

Monday, Nov. 25, 2013, students will take the second and final Multiple Choice Exam 2.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

 
Wednesday in class we reviewed all the students essays together. Students were to revise their essays for Monday. Email me your revised drafts with a narrative stating what changed between the drafts, similar to a Pidd template.

Also on Monday prepare to write the Book Report Essay. We will develop the planning in class and decide it we want to write the essay in class Monday or Wednesday.

We will also talk about the final essay.

I want to show the class a film about a woman who is a member of the Black Panther Party. It is a narrative. Most of the essays were great; a few just needed editing or expanding of certain concepts.

Bring your book reviews and articles about the author to class Monday as well.

Sunday, November 03, 2013

 

Book Report Essay Assignment and Homework

Students are to also start reading their books for the Essay 2, the book report essay. Next Monday, Nov. 11 is a school holiday, Veteran's Day. Come to class Wednesday, Nov. 13 with a published book review and an author bio to share.

The books were approved last week. If you were absent, do not start reading without approval. We are looking at characters who are like Geniece Hightower, revolutionaries, perhaps a bit naive, yet brave and smart.

Print the articles out and bring to class. Use the Library Database to locate the articles. If you cannot find anything, go into the library and ask for help.  Do not bring the work in electronically; print it out --we will meet in the classroom, A-202.

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