Intermediate English Writing (2)
2013.12.03
On 12.03, we looked at a few sample from students who worked on improving their writing by improving specific description, before moving on to Chapter 6 which looked at activities based on reading. We looked closely at a reading dealing with the generation gap in Korea, and went over some of the basic techniques used in summarizing something we have read.
For our next class 12.10, please complete Task 6.2 on pages 187 and 188 through item 4. Our class topic is "The Family in Society" (page 170). Bring a copy of the summary you wrote to class with you so you can discuss it with a partner or small group. We will go on from there next week, looking at summarizing and paraphrasing. I will also try to give you some feedback on your oral history writing.
Week 16 (12.17), we will write a timed essay for our final exam session, similar to the way we handled mid-term week. If you want to improve your Oral History paper, you may turn in a finished draft when you come for your final exam.
Thanks!
JBH
2013.11.12 & 11. 19
On 11.12, we continued building our Oral History projects, as well as having one-on-one conferences about earlier writing from the semester.
On 11.19, we looked at using specific language, with help from "How to say nothing in 500 words" by Paul Roberts (available on google) and "Be Specific (Natalie Goldberg).
11-26 is the English College Academic Conference.
For 12-3, please create 5-10 improved (more specific) pieces of language from your writing, either earlier writing or (preferably) improvements for your Oral History. Post your improved language samples on the class blog by Nov. 26th and bring hard copies of your final Oral History essay for me to grade when you come to class Dec. 3rd.
We move on now to Chapter 6. Please pre-read the first four readings in Chapter 6 and be ready to talk about them when we meet again, as well as looking over the Techniques section on pages 186-192.
Thanks,
JBH
2013.11.05
Continuing to build our understanding about how to create Oral Histories, we looked together at more of the Tasks in Chapter 5. First we spent some time discussing the work we had already done on the first two tasks, as well as looking at some of the freewriting we shared on the blog after completing Task 5.2.
We then moved on to more tasks to help show us how to write our essays, including formulating a thesis statement and organizing ideas as we turn interviews into essays. -> Task 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6 -> examine Internet search instructions on page151 and 152, decide on type of interview and move on with partner or group. Continue in class working out details of assignment and interview candidate/topic ideas with each other. Be sure to carefully review instructions on pages 154-156.
For next week, please complete an interview and write the first draft of your essay by class time. Please post your first draft to the class blog AND bring a hard copy with you to class next week.
We will be having brief one-on-one conferences during class time next week to look over all work we have done so far, including the oral history draft. Bring your first draft and idea about how to help you and your classmates write something great.
Thanks!
JBH
2013.10.29
Back in class after midterms, students handed in the final drafts of their first three essays. Then, we spent some time discussing interviewing and looking at some of the features in oral histories in the text (Chapter 5) and online.
For next week, please continue to look readings 2, 3, and 4 in Chapter 5 and be ready to discuss them with classmates. Also, go thoroughly through tasks 5.1 and 5.2, including the freewriting exercise in Item number 5 of Task 5.2. Please complete Item number 6 of Task 5.2 on the class blog.
In other words, please discuss the results of your practice interview with your classmates in writing on the blog. Be sure to post your results before class time 2013.11.05.
Thanks!
JBH
2012.10.15
In class, we discussed selected readings about places from Chapter 4. We also looked at some exercise related to writing about places. Important techniques that you may want to try using in your writing are using similes and appealing to all the senses with lots of sensory details.
A resource that may help you come up with sensory words is here. Check it out!
Week 8 will be our mid-term exam week. I will give you a prompt to write on and ask you to write 250 words on the topic. You cannot study, apart from practicing your writing skills like we are doing every week in this class, so just do your best. Writing under time pressure in the classroom is a skill that will help you in future classes, and it’s good exercise to force yourself to write on deadline..
Outside the classroom, you should be working on your Chapter 4 essay. The assignment is on pages 111 and 112. Do your best, and try to use techniques from the chapter, such as similes (Reading 1), appealing to all the senses (Task 4.1 and 4/.2) and using memories from the past (Task 4.3 and 4.4). Because we will not have regular class Week 8, you do not need to worry about the early first draft deadline. However, please have your first draft done by our class time week 8 and give helpful feedback to your classmates on the blog. Feedback should follow the peer response guidelines on pages 120 and 121.
Please hand in hard copies of the final drafts of your writings from chapters 2, 3, and 4 Week 9. Be sure to double space and indent your paragraphs. Use 12 point font that is readable. Your papers should have a title, but for short papers, please don’t use a title page.
In addition to the three final drafts of papers we’ve written so far, please bring your typed responses to the Mid-Term Survey on pages 122 and 123. This is required, but it will not be graded for quality. I want to know how things are going at the midpoint of the class.
Thanks!
JBH
2012.10.08
1. Review people-watching (on blog) and first drafts if time.
2. Discuss Rosita (reading 3) and Teacher (reading 6)
3. Metaphors? P. 75-76 DONE LAST WEEK
Homework:
4. Internet Search p. 77
Write brief answers to the questions and share on blog (subject=Bio Info) by class time next week.
5. Second draft of Character Sketch posted on blog by class time next week
6. Pre-read the first three readings in Chapter 4 and be ready to discuss them and do Chapter 4 exercises in class.
2012.10.01
In class, we looked over and discussed the first few readings in Unit 3, which were stories about relationships with the writer's grandmother and mother.
We then spent the last few minutes of the first hour freewriting on conflicts with parental authority or values learned from our families.
After the break, class resumed with exercises from Chapter 3: (3.1) People Watching and (3.3) Making Metaphors.
For next week, please e-mail post two (2!) entries to the blog:
First, after CAREFULLY following directions for Task 3.2 on page 74, post the results to our class blog under the subject heading Task 3.2. (NOTE: Please do not use the school cafeteria like every other HUFS student in recorded history). Be sure to include your name on the blog entry to receive credit. No comments are necessary, but feel free to look at each others' people-watching exercises.
Then, following the directions on pages 77, 78 and the top of page 79, write the first draft of a character sketch.
Please post your character sketch to the class blog by our early deadline, and comment on two classmates' character sketches guided by the peer response form on page 90 and 91. Before you make comments, be sure to read through the peer response material on pages 79 through 82.
See you next week!
JBH
2012.09.24
In class, we looked over and discussed the remaining readings in unit 2, looking at how writers communicated emotions, organized things chronologically, inspired suspense in the reader, and dealt with symbolism.
When we meet again, you should have written your final draft of your essay from page 50. First, make one more comments to a classmate (a different person than the ones you already commented on please) by addressing the oral peer response items on page 53, item 3, a through e. This feedback should be completed in the next two days (please!) so the writer can have time to put together a great final draft by class time next week.
Then, before we meet again next week, be sure to post your final draft as the final comment to your first draft post. Use the comments from classmates, and your own ideas about how to improve your writing. Be sure and go through the editing tasks and checklist on page 54-58 to make sure your writing is solid enough to submit. Spend enough time fine tuning your draft to make it really good. It should be your best effort.
Also, pre-read the first three readings in Unit 3 before our next meeting and be prepared to do some tasks from Unit 3 in class.
Thanks!
JBH
2013.09.17
Class activities:
1. Talk about blog posts – comments – note additional instructions near blogs for those having trouble.
2. Any last thoughts/questions/concerns about Unit 1? Lots of tools to use as we get started writing. Hope you’ll remember to use this book, not as a collection of assignments to get through and be finished with, but as kind of an instruction book you can continue to use. It’s got lots of good ideas that will serve you well later too. Ideas from Unit 1 will be useful to help you get started when you are working on writing projects in later units too.
3. Okay, Unit 2 – in groups of three (or four). Go over the first reading and talk about the discussion questions. Connections, memories?
4. Memory Chain pg. 44 and 45, task 2.1 and 2.2 through item 3.
5. Reading 2 – discuss in groups.
6. Time Chunks, page 46 and 47
For next week, continue reading the other readings in Unit 2 and go through tasks to make sure you understand. These are not just activities to be used for credit in class, they are all very useful ways to develop ideas for papers. We will do some of them in class together, but please feel free to look in the book for other helpful ideas because there are a lot of good ones here to help your writing improve.
Also, complete the first draft assignment on page 50 and 51. Your class first draft and feedback deadlines apply. We will be looking at some of the writing together in class next time, so be sure to get your writing posted and comments in before the deadlines. Please answer all questions on the feedback format sheet for two classmates. Everyone should get feedback from at least two classmates.
Thanks!
JBH
Feedback Format
We will be using the guide below for making comments on writing assignments. Please write blog comments on your classmates' writing that fully answer as many of the questions as possible.
Class activities:
1. Talk about blog posts – comments – note additional instructions near blogs for those having trouble.
2. Any last thoughts/questions/concerns about Unit 1? Lots of tools to use as we get started writing. Hope you’ll remember to use this book, not as a collection of assignments to get through and be finished with, but as kind of an instruction book you can continue to use. It’s got lots of good ideas that will serve you well later too. Ideas from Unit 1 will be useful to help you get started when you are working on writing projects in later units too.
3. Okay, Unit 2 – in groups of three (or four). Go over the first reading and talk about the discussion questions. Connections, memories?
4. Memory Chain pg. 44 and 45, task 2.1 and 2.2 through item 3.
5. Reading 2 – discuss in groups.
6. Time Chunks, page 46 and 47
For next week, continue reading the other readings in Unit 2 and go through tasks to make sure you understand. These are not just activities to be used for credit in class, they are all very useful ways to develop ideas for papers. We will do some of them in class together, but please feel free to look in the book for other helpful ideas because there are a lot of good ones here to help your writing improve.
Also, complete the first draft assignment on page 50 and 51. Your class first draft and feedback deadlines apply. We will be looking at some of the writing together in class next time, so be sure to get your writing posted and comments in before the deadlines. Please answer all questions on the feedback format sheet for two classmates. Everyone should get feedback from at least two classmates.
Thanks!
JBH
Feedback Format
We will be using the guide below for making comments on writing assignments. Please write blog comments on your classmates' writing that fully answer as many of the questions as possible.
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2013.09.10
1. To start off this week, let’s take a look at what we can learn from a survey. Pages 4, 5 and 6 -- Getting Acquainted and Looking at Similarities and Differences. Share in groups of three (10-15 mins.).
2. Now, take a look at Thinking About Writing on pages 8 and 9. You’ve already read the student writings about writing, right? (Read aloud to refresh your memory)
3. Go through freewriting exercise (explain freewriting) and discussion (#2, 3 and 4 on page 9).
4. Continue (after break?) with blog entry instructions.
5. Move on to Past Experiences with Writing on pages 9 and 10. Complete Exercise 2 (pg. 11) and email thorough response to blog. Like all assigned writings, save a draft as a Microsoft Word for your records. I will be asking for hard copies of some assignments in the future.
Please post your writing to the blog two full days before class time (1p.m. Sunday for Tuesday class). Comments need to be posted to the blog before class time.
For this week, a simple response to the content of the blog entry is sufficient. What did you think about what your classmate wrote? Respond to two blog entries so everyone hears from two classmates. In future, I will give more detailed instructions about how to give feedback on writing.
6. Homework for next week: blog entry, feedback for two classmates by class deadlines, pre-read and be ready to discuss Readings 1, 2 and 3 in chapter 2. You may also want to look ahead at some of the Tasks in the chapter, which we will be doing in class.
See you in class,
JBH
1. To start off this week, let’s take a look at what we can learn from a survey. Pages 4, 5 and 6 -- Getting Acquainted and Looking at Similarities and Differences. Share in groups of three (10-15 mins.).
2. Now, take a look at Thinking About Writing on pages 8 and 9. You’ve already read the student writings about writing, right? (Read aloud to refresh your memory)
3. Go through freewriting exercise (explain freewriting) and discussion (#2, 3 and 4 on page 9).
4. Continue (after break?) with blog entry instructions.
5. Move on to Past Experiences with Writing on pages 9 and 10. Complete Exercise 2 (pg. 11) and email thorough response to blog. Like all assigned writings, save a draft as a Microsoft Word for your records. I will be asking for hard copies of some assignments in the future.
Please post your writing to the blog two full days before class time (1p.m. Sunday for Tuesday class). Comments need to be posted to the blog before class time.
For this week, a simple response to the content of the blog entry is sufficient. What did you think about what your classmate wrote? Respond to two blog entries so everyone hears from two classmates. In future, I will give more detailed instructions about how to give feedback on writing.
6. Homework for next week: blog entry, feedback for two classmates by class deadlines, pre-read and be ready to discuss Readings 1, 2 and 3 in chapter 2. You may also want to look ahead at some of the Tasks in the chapter, which we will be doing in class.
See you in class,
JBH
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Making Comments on the Blog ...
You need to select an identity under "comment as." You can choose "anonymous," but don't forget to include your name in the comment itself, if you want credit for posting. I can't give you credit if I don't know who you are.
After you have written your comment in the comment box, there are two buttons, one to "publish," and one to "preview." If you want to preview it, go ahead. Either way, please make sure your comment is okay before publishing.
When you are ready to publish, select the "publish" button and enter the numbers and letters it asks you for to prove you are a person and not a computer trying to spam someone. It usually gives you 7 or 8 letters and a couple numbers. Separate the letters from the numbers with a space.
You may want to try to comment on my first post before you comment on a classmate's paper while you are figuring out the steps.
Have fun, and let me know if there are problems.
JBH
2013.09.03
The first week's session consisted of introductions and a brief class outline.
The textbook for this course will be In Our Own Words: Student Writers at Work, 3rd Ed., by Rebecca Mlynarczyk and Steven Haber, Cambridge University Press. It is available in the HUFS bookstore.
Please pre-read and answer all questions in the book in Part I, Starting Out, as soon as possible. Please bring your typed answers to the interview questions we dealt with in class (pages 4 and 5) and to survey on pages 24 and 25 typed when we meet again next week. We will be talking more about Unit 1 and how to write and share our work with classmates online when we meet again next week.
Thanks, and see you in class!
JBH
