Prose & Paragraphs Spring 2018 Room 2201
Weeks 12 & 13 (2018.05.23 & 05.30)
We continued following our Week 11 schedule, below, moving through Chapter 4 and hitting the highlights of Chapter 6 in class. Please go through Chapter 6 more thoroughly on your own. There is lots of useful material there to help you do better on your final major assignments.
While I will not write or extensively edit your papers for you, I can be available to meet during the next few weeks, time permitting. Please arrange an appointment with me in my office, Main Building Room 404, during the following possible times:
Monday, June 4th 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Tuesday, June 5th 1-3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 6th 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Friday, June 8th 12:30-4 p.m.
Monday, June 11th 10 a.m.-12 noon
Tuesday, June 12th 1-3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 13th 9:30 a.m.-12 noon
Thursday, June 14th 1-4 p.m.
Friday, June 15th 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Please email me to make an appointment during the above times. DO NOT assume you have an appointment until I respond to let you know. It's a good idea to arrange your appointment a couple days in advance.
Because of school holidays Week 14 and 15, we will not meet as a class. However, I will be available by appointment in my office those days and the writing continues. Once again, the schedule for the rest of the semester is as follows:
Week 14 Continue Chapter 6, first draft/feedback (Holiday-- no class session)
Week 15 One-on-Ones with JBH about essays (Holiday-- no class session)
Week 16 Sit down essay test and hand in final drafts of two papers from the second half of the semester.
Tearful farewells will ensue.
See you at exam time!
JBH
Week 11 (2018.05.16)
Tentative plans for rest of the semester.
Week 11 Chap. 4 discussion, journaling, shared writing on Canvas and feedback
Week 12 Chap. 4 Further Reading, Focus on Writing Skills, Essay 1st draft Canvas & feedback
Week 13 Final drafts of Chapter 4 essays due, start Chapter 6, shared writing/feedback
Week 14 Continue Chapter 6, first draft/feedback (Holiday-- no class session)
Week 15 One-on-Ones with JBH about essays (Holiday-- no class session)
Week 16 Sit down essay test and hand in final drafts. Tearful farewells.
See you in class!
JBH
Week 10 (2018.05.09)
In class this week, we continued in Chapter 3 by going over the exercises on Objective Writing and Grammar (pages 72-79). We also looked at a few students' first drafts on the big screen and provided some helpful feedback as a group.
For next week, please submit your revised and improved final draft of the Chapter 3 essay to the Canvas discussion area as the final comment under your first draft submission. Be ready May 16th to get started going through Chapter 4 in class.
Have a great week!
JBH
Weeks 7, 8 & 9 (2018.04.18~2018.05.02)
Week 9, we talked about the mid-term class standings based on our writing so far, looked at some common problems, and moved ahead in the textbook. We started by looking at Reading 2 on page 64, before moving on to practice paraphrasing and meeting reader expectations on pages pages 68-70. and will continue exercises in the text next week starting from where we left off.
Also for next week, please follow instructions on page 80-82 and write the first draft of an essay according to the using one of the suggested Essay Topics. Please post your draft to the class discussion site by midnight Sunday May 6th, and give helpful feedback to two classmates following the assessment checklist suggestions on page 84 before we meet May 9th.
Week 8 we took a mid-term exam, a timed writing test on a topic of general knowledge to add to the quality points scores from our homework essays for the first half of the semester. Quality (writing proficiency) points combine to make up 50 percent of the overall grade in this class, with 40 percent coming from how well students keep up on homework, which includes posting and commenting in the Canvas online discussion area.
Week 7 was spent going over EQuIP- Pinning It Down, a presentation about the importance of using examples, quotations, illustrations, and particulars (specific details) to make our writing more powerful, interesting, and memorable. The PowerPoint presentation can be reviewed in this site's Writing Resources here.
See you in class!
JBH
Recapping Problems on papers this semester:
Johnny B. Halburg
Pronoun problems -- putting pronouns before the nouns:
“As you can see, the best method for taking care of themselves can be different for each person depending on how they have been solving problems.”
Also unclear noun referents:
“I think how deeply love depends on a personal trait and the environment you are raised on, not a gender. If I have to choose one, I think most of women tend to love deeper.”
“Lover”
Similar
“Till then, I had an intimate relationship wtih my parents since their attention was undivided.”
Former/latter
Overly formal/casual language -- register and tone.
Go over Problems on website in Writing Resources.
Weeks 7, 8 & 9 (2018.04.18~2018.05.02)
Week 9, we talked about the mid-term class standings based on our writing so far, looked at some common problems, and moved ahead in the textbook. We started by looking at Reading 2 on page 64, before moving on to practice paraphrasing and meeting reader expectations on pages pages 68-70. and will continue exercises in the text next week starting from where we left off.
Also for next week, please follow instructions on page 80-82 and write the first draft of an essay according to the using one of the suggested Essay Topics. Please post your draft to the class discussion site by midnight Sunday May 6th, and give helpful feedback to two classmates following the assessment checklist suggestions on page 84 before we meet May 9th.
Week 8 we took a mid-term exam, a timed writing test on a topic of general knowledge to add to the quality points scores from our homework essays for the first half of the semester. Quality (writing proficiency) points combine to make up 50 percent of the overall grade in this class, with 40 percent coming from how well students keep up on homework, which includes posting and commenting in the Canvas online discussion area.
Week 7 was spent going over EQuIP- Pinning It Down, a presentation about the importance of using examples, quotations, illustrations, and particulars (specific details) to make our writing more powerful, interesting, and memorable. The PowerPoint presentation can be reviewed in this site's Writing Resources here.
See you in class!
JBH
Recapping Problems on papers this semester:
Johnny B. Halburg
Pronoun problems -- putting pronouns before the nouns:
“As you can see, the best method for taking care of themselves can be different for each person depending on how they have been solving problems.”
Also unclear noun referents:
“I think how deeply love depends on a personal trait and the environment you are raised on, not a gender. If I have to choose one, I think most of women tend to love deeper.”
“Lover”
Similar
“Till then, I had an intimate relationship wtih my parents since their attention was undivided.”
Former/latter
Overly formal/casual language -- register and tone.
Go over Problems on website in Writing Resources.
Week 6 (2018.04.11)
The session began this week with a request from the instructor that students remember to use standard format for their writing in the Canvas discussion area: For the discussion subject or title use "Your Name/Assignment Label." So, for example, a possible subject for the post of last week's assignment might be "Your Name/Chapter 2 Paragraph" or "Your Name/Chapter 2 Writing Assignment." It is a good idea to give your composition a title that is specific to fit only that piece of writing, but please use it at the top of your writing, or in addition to the Name/Assignment label so I can keep track of where certain assignments are online.
Next, we talked about titles, and went over a guide from the Writing Resources on this site that shows a process for selecting a title.Try it!. It takes a few minutes, but your writing can be improved a lot by just adding a few simple parts such as a clear title.
We spent some time the first part of the session looking over student writing on the class blog and giving group feedback to a few writers. After the break, we went over the remaining exercises in Chapter 2, and moved on to the beginning of Chapter 3, just going over the first few pages (55-59).
For next week, please revise your Chapter 2 writing and post it to the Canvas discussion area as the last entry under your first draft. Also, please pre-read and pre-answer questions in Chapter 3 so that you stay ahead of the class next week as we go over the chapter. We will be working on the formal writing assignment on page 80 next week, so feel free to look ahead and get started planning your work on that future assignment.
However, for now, in addition to your revised Chapter 2 writing and any feedback you may have left to do there, please thoroughly complete the steps on page 63 of Chapter 3, spending a full 20 minutes writing a private journal entry, and another 20 on your shared writing (Item B). Post your shared writing to the Canvas Discussion area before the class early deadline (midnight Sunday night, April 15th). Label this entry "Your Name/Chapter 3 Shared Writing." Use Item C on page 63 to guide you and comment on the posts of at least two classmates before we meet again next week.
Thanks!
JBH
Week 5 (2018.04.04)
Week 5 we started out by discussing our writing on the first reading from Unit 2, looked at the second reading, and discussed the dangers of love and jealousy. We then moved on to look at writing skills, starting with paraphrasing and summarizing.
For this week, please review the different patterns of organization, look at the examples of all the organizational patterns and then go on to complete the writing assignment on pages 52 and 53. Choose one of the five writing topics from Item A. on page 52 and build a first draft following the instructions in B., C., and D.
Please email a complete (and revised) first draft to the class discussion area by the class early deadline and be sure to comment on paragraphs by two classmates using the Paragraph Assessment checklist on page 54 before we meet next week. We will be looking at some writing from the class blog next week and complete the language exercises from page 47 through 50, along with a review of everything else in Unit 2.
Thanks!
JBH
Week 4 (2018.03.30)
Week 4, we took some time looking at student writing together on the big screen.
After a quick wrap-up of Chapter 1, we moved on to just barely get started on Chapter 2.
For next week, please pre-read and answer questions in Chapter 2, with a special focus on page 36. On that page, time yourself and do a thorough job with item A, which is for your eyes only. Do it anyway using a timer for 20 minutes. Remember, you promised.
Also do a thorough job with item B on page 36, and post your response in the Canvas discussion area before 12 midnight Sunday night. Give feedback to two classmates before we meet on Wednesday. Also, please bring a hard copy of your shared writing to class for more discussion in the classroom.
Be ready to talk about written responses and as much of Chapter 2 as we can handle at the next class session. Expect an essay assignment next week and feel free to look ahead and get started.
See you in class!
JBH
Week 4, we took some time looking at student writing together on the big screen.
After a quick wrap-up of Chapter 1, we moved on to just barely get started on Chapter 2.
For next week, please pre-read and answer questions in Chapter 2, with a special focus on page 36. On that page, time yourself and do a thorough job with item A, which is for your eyes only. Do it anyway using a timer for 20 minutes. Remember, you promised.
Also do a thorough job with item B on page 36, and post your response in the Canvas discussion area before 12 midnight Sunday night. Give feedback to two classmates before we meet on Wednesday. Also, please bring a hard copy of your shared writing to class for more discussion in the classroom.
Be ready to talk about written responses and as much of Chapter 2 as we can handle at the next class session. Expect an essay assignment next week and feel free to look ahead and get started.
See you in class!
JBH
Week 3 (2018.03.21)
In our Week 3 class session we discussed the exercises through the first part of Chapter 1. While we still have a few activities to do in that chapter, please look ahead for ideas about ways to improve your Chapter 1 essay draft. Using the comments from classmates and your own ideas, go ahead and post a revised draft of your essay as the final comment under your discussion post in Canvas.
Next week, we will try to find time to look at a few students' writing on the screen, continue in Chapter 1, and possibly move on to Chapter 2. Please stay ahead of the class in your reading and pre-answering questions and topics in the text.
See you in class!\\
JBH.
Week 2 (2018.03.14)
In class this week, we started working our way through Chapter 1's readings on birth order. For next week's class, please pre-read and answer all questions in the text through the rest of the chapter for our next class session. It's up to you how much you write to prepare for discussion questions, but you should be following the instructions. For example, on page 16, Item C asks you to mark any places in the text that are still unclear to you. If you don't have marks in your text or on a piece of paper, you did not follow instructions and will lose homework credit. Item D instructs you to write for about 20 minutes on one or more of the questions that follow. You can't read what you wrote and get feedback if you didn't write anything. Please follow instructions like these that ask you to write in your book or write your thoughts about a reading for comment. You are responsible for staying ahead of the class and responding to all questions/topics in your book or on a piece of paper.
Also, please choose one of the four options for essay topics and follow instructions in Chapter 1 for completing the first draft of your essay assignment. The deadline for posting your essay first draft is 12 midnight Sunday night, March 18th. Guided by the evaluation criteria at the end of the chapter, and the Sandwich method* we talked about in class, please give helpful, thoughtful feedback to two classmates on their writing in Canvas before our next class session.
*Sandwich method:
1.) An overall positive paraphrase/summary of what the writer is saying.
2. Specific suggestions about changes that you think would improve the writing.
3.) Positive comments about specific points/the writing as a whole.
See you in class!
JBH
Week 1 (2018.03.07)
Intros, Syllabus,
Please buy the book ASAP. ---------------------------------------------------->
It is available at the HUFS bookstore.
Then, please pre-read and pre-answer questions in Chapter 1 through page 23 before our March 14th class and be ready to discuss all the topics in class.
We will move on to the writing assignment in chapter 1 after our second class session, posting it online in a class blog and giving each other feedback on our writing. We will go over instructions for posting our writing and feedback to the blog when we meet next time.
For now, please post the answers to the following questions in the Canvas discussion area and respond to at least two classmates in a sort of online conversation:
1. Who are you?
2. Why are you here?
3. What do you want (from this class)?
4. What can you add (to this class)?
For the discussion subject or title use "Your Name/Questions Answered."
See you next week!
JBH
Intros, Syllabus,
Please buy the book ASAP. ---------------------------------------------------->
It is available at the HUFS bookstore.
Then, please pre-read and pre-answer questions in Chapter 1 through page 23 before our March 14th class and be ready to discuss all the topics in class.
We will move on to the writing assignment in chapter 1 after our second class session, posting it online in a class blog and giving each other feedback on our writing. We will go over instructions for posting our writing and feedback to the blog when we meet next time.
For now, please post the answers to the following questions in the Canvas discussion area and respond to at least two classmates in a sort of online conversation:
1. Who are you?
2. Why are you here?
3. What do you want (from this class)?
4. What can you add (to this class)?
For the discussion subject or title use "Your Name/Questions Answered."
See you next week!
JBH
