Last Week to Save Documents from Blogs

Folks,

I'd like to clear my sites before the summer semester starts. So this coming weekend (May 17-18), I'm planning to remove all the handouts and posts from our course site and your group blogs. After I do that, I will also revoke your author privileges on your group blogs.

If you want to save anything posted on one of these blogs, you have a little less than a week to do so.

-- ib

Final Exam Part 2 Scores & Final Course Grades

Here's a spreadsheet that contains your score on Final Exam Part 2 and your final grade for the course:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ap9oU02C12STdDNSTUpyZm1IcGIyMkZ6bjdhVkh5ZUE#gid=0.

If you notice any discrepancies from your own calculations, please email me at barnoyenglish at gmail dot com.

I wish the best of luck to all of you.

-- ib

Final Reminders

As we approach the end of the semester, let me remind you of everything you need to know:

1) The deadline for any late or revised essays (except revised Essay 3's -- see #2 below) is this coming Thursday, May 1st, by the end of class, 7:45 PM. I will not accept essays submitted after this deadline.

2) The deadline for Essay 3 revisions (the only extended deadline, and only for revised Essay 3's, not late ones) is Tuesday next week, May 6th, at the start of our Final Exam: Part 2 session, 5:30 PM.

3) Our Final Exam: Part 2 will take place on Tuesday, May 6th, from 5:30 to 7:45 PM, but not at our usual classroom. Instead, we will meet at room AA-428. (Please contact me ASAP if you must miss the exam period for some reason and would like to take a make-up exam.)

4) Don't forget to complete your course evaluation. The last chance to submit your course evaluation is May 12th. See the previous blog post for more information.

Course Evaluations

I finally got the information about course evaluations. As I was told, we will indeed be doing them online. Here are the instructions:

1) The website to go to is http://nveval.com.

2) Once you open this site, you can log in with your 7-digit student ID.

3) Once log in, the site will prompt you to verify who you are.

4) Finally, after you confirm who you are, you'll be able to fill out the evaluation for this course.

5) If you experience any problems, contact info@iotasolutions.com for help.

Supposedly, these evaluations are simple and brief. They should take roughly 5-10 minutes or so to fill out. Also, please don't be worried about filling these evaluations out. In fact, I encourage you to be as honest as you can be in your feedback. I will never be informed of who said what about me or about the course.

Some Reminders

Before we plunge into the last few weeks of the semester, let me remind you of a few important things that these coming weeks will bring with them.

I. Essay Submission Deadlines

First, your Essay 3 deadline is this Thursday. That means all hard copies of your Essay 3 final drafts are due by the start of class, 5:30 PM, on Thursday, 4/24/2014, and all emailed copies (attached in .doc and .docx and emailed to barnoyenglish at gmail dot com only) are due by 11:59 PM the night before, Wednesday, 4/23/2014. Please note: All Essay 3's submitted by this deadline will be graded more quickly than usual essays, with the hopeful goal of getting these essays back to you the following week, so that you can revise them.

For your benefit, I'd like for us to dedicate much of our class period on this coming Tuesday, 4/22/2014, to working in class on Essay 3, any revisions, and any late essays. But I'd also like for all of you to attend, so that I can speak with each of you briefly about your work and about your plans for the end of the semester.

And since we're on the topic of plans for the end of the semester, let me remind you again: The absolutely final deadline for any late or revised essays (with the unique exception of Essay 3's submitted on-time -- these will get until our final exam date) is May 1st, the end of class, 7:45 PM. Any essays whatsoever that are submitted even a minute after this deadline will be rejected outright. Also: From this point on, late papers will receive no comments, not even minimal comments as I've done so far this semester -- only a grade.

II. The Usual: Readings and Other Assignments

Don't forget that we also have a few casual writing assignments to do on your group blogs. These are all free and easy to see on our syllabus, close to the end of the Course Schedule section. Let's not lose track of these assignments, since they're worth a part of your grade.

Lastly, I'd also like for us to continue reading in Atul Gawande's book, Better. As well as you can, between now and April 24th, try to finish as much as you can of the book. The very last chapter, in particular, presents some of Gawande's most curious ideas -- about connecting writing, learning, and doing better in work and in life overall, and I'd like very much for us to discuss Gawande's final thoughts about doing better. I mean, haven't you wondered why a successful surgeon such as Gawande has made writing such an essential part of his work?

Of course, I understand that you've got several things to work on, and not only for my class. So if we don't manage to get ahead in reading the end of Better for this Thursday, April 24th, then let's plan to finish it for next week.

That's it for now. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please email me.

Independent Work Report, 4/10/2014

Remember: Today we're doing the same thing as last class -- working independently on our research papers and your critiques for your classmates' research paper drafts. I'll be in class again, too, during the usual class time, and I'll be ready to help you, if you need help.

A quick heads-up, though: Next week, all week, we'll be working on our Final Exam: Part I. On Tuesday, you will get one type of essay to read and respond to, and on Thursday, you'll get another type of essay. These are both types of essays that you've both read and written yourself. Your assignment, though, will be to write a critique in response to each of them. So be sure to work on effective critiques, with effective structure, and critical advice.

Lastly, just like last time, I'll need a short email report from you by 7:45 PM tonight (roughly 100-200 words):

Independent Work Report

1) What did you plan to work on either in-class or independently today?

2) What did you succeed in accomplishing in your in-class or independent work?

3) How has your task schedule been working for you? What can you do in the near future to improve your work habits in order not only to get your work done in a timely manner, but also to feel good about it?

Independent Work Report, 4/8/2014

Don't forget: Today is dedicated toward independent work on your research paper. If you like, you are welcome to work from home today, or wherever you might be comfortable working. Likewise, you are welcome to come to class and work there. I'll be in class during our usual class times, and I'll be ready to answer whatever questions or concerns you might have.

And, if you're in class, I'll be happy to talk to you one-on-one about your Essay 3. Just be aware: I will look only at one paragraph at a time; I will not read your whole essay and tell you what's good or bad. The reason: What you need to do this week (and all this semester, for that matter) is not only to develop a stronger essay, but also to develop effective research and writing practices for yourself. What I'll do is I'll try to give you an idea about one spot in your paper, then I'll let you figure out the deep solutions on your own.

Whatever you choose to do this week, I expect you to do some work on your Essay 3, during class time. And whether or not you come to class, I'll be expecting you to fill out and either hand or email me a short report (roughly 100-200 words total), by 7:45 PM tonight, that answers all the following questions:

Independent Work Report

1) What did you plan to work on either in-class or independently today?

2) What did you succeed in accomplishing in your in-class or independent work?

3) Based on your results today, what do you hope to accomplish on Thursday?

Essay 3 Draft 1 Points Report

Here's your score report for your Essay 3 Draft 1:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ap9oU02C12STdEMyZ0dqRjNnNlUtSW1hTEE4aHZfX1E#gid=0.

Remember that I'm giving credit to stating and supporting your thesis (2 points), introducing and integrating paraphrase and quotes from your research (2 points), and putting together a complete and effective Works Cited page (1 point).

If you have any questions or if you're concerned about how your Essay 3 is coming along -- especially if you received a score lower than 5/5 -- I suggest you come to class this week and talk to me about your essay.

For more about working on your Essay 3, as well as upcoming deadlines and assignments, check out the previous blog post here.

Taking Your Research Paper (Essay 3) to the Next Level

Over the next few weeks, we will have our Final Exam: Part I, and we'll do course evaluations, too. But the most important assignment, by far, is your Essay 3: Argumentative Research Paper. Be sure to look at the course schedule on the syllabus to keep up with drafts and critiques and our two-part final exam. Meanwhile, let me give you some reminders and structured advice.

First, be sure to take another look at the Essay 3 assignment and rubric:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STVjRuR1h3NTE4alU/edit.

Are you following all the directions in the assignment? Are you answering all the different grading points in the rubric? Go through your essay, verify, and revise accordingly.

Second, take a systematic look at your Essay 3 draft and develop it. The key to revising a longer, more carefully structured essay is to break down your approach. Here's a handout I've put together to help you revise your essay task-by-task:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nl4wsqSJBQzu-2hDG1WcXCRjSEQUkIIOYo4ItujBzJ0/edit.

We'll take a look at this detailed revision handout in class, but you should take a look at it yourself, too. Especially since this week is geared toward independent work on Essay 3, the weight of the work is on you. So be sure to develop responsible practices for your independent work. 

Lastly, remember that what's due this week: Critiques! You have been assigned two critique partners, and your critiques are due by 11:59 PM Thursday night.

And if you have questions about any of the above, as always, email me.

In-Text Citations (or those notes that you leave in your writing itself to give credit to other writers' ideas)

Here is a carefully broken-down list of the rules for using in-text citations in your essay:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STUjVGNzhfN3p5QjA/edit.

Now let's try a simple exercise that compares correct and incorrect ways of citing sources in your essay:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STaE05OTVJcTI0YlU/edit.

Works Cited Page (or the page at the end of your essay, which lists the formal citations for your articles and other sources)

Here's the rules breakdown for putting together a Works Cited page at the end of your essay:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STRTJJd3NPQnNHU28/edit.

Notice: These are the old MLA format rules for putting together a Works Cited page, but the basics in these rules still apply.

Let's try an exercise that compares correct and incorrect ways of putting together a Works Cited page:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STLWZsZTBsZ2ZFUUU/edit.

About Research Essay Layout

Still thinking about how to put together your research essay? Here's another sample essay for you to look at:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STaTFsWUhVZHlXc3c/edit.

But now let's take a step back and think about how a research essay like this is organized. Here's a very basic breakdown of essay structure, in essay form:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STV0Z1U1pFNWJnWnc/edit.

Essay 3 First Drafts Due This Week (Next Week: Critiques)

Quick reminders about this week (and heads up for next week):

-- Your first draft of Essay 3 (argumentative research essay) is due this week, before Thursday night, 11:59 PM. Remember: You must post your draft on your group blog.

-- Your critiques for two classmates' Essay 3 first drafts will be due next week, before next Thursday night, 11:59 PM. Remember: You must post your critiques in the comments section of each assigned critique partner's Essay 3 draft post (we'll assign partners this week, in class).

-- Now, about your Essay 3 draft: I know that you likely don't have six articles ready to work with. In this draft, I expect you to have four articles used and their authors credited. We will work on integrating two more articles after you've submitted these drafts.

Scores Report: Write-Ups 3 & 4 (and your reading assignment)

Here's a link to your scores on Write-Ups 3 and 4 (organized by the last four digits of your student ID):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ap9oU02C12STdGFFUTU4VGt5SWVwZmFBNjRvMU53Q2c#gid=0.

Remember: The way I give points to write-ups is simple. I have four parameters that I give points to, and for each parameter, you either get a point or you don't. These parameters are ...

1) The summary section (basically, whether it's clear, organized, and finished), 

2) The response section (similarly, whether it's clear and organized, but also whether it matches the depth and organization of the summary somehow; in other words, are you responding to the ideas you're summarizing, as well as thoroughly developing your own point?), 

3) The citation (whether you did it or not, and whether you included most of the basic citation details for the article), and 

4) The overall write-up (whether or not you have a clear, complete, and organized overall write-up).

So take a look at your score, especially if you have anything other than a 4/4, and see if you can figure out which of these parameters you need to work on. I'll give you an initial hint: Many of you aren't doing so well on #2. (And, just as an added note to those who submitted your write-up late: I do take off a point for late submissions.)

=-=-=-=-=

Finally, please read the next chapter in Atul Gawade's book, Better. This chapter is titled, "The Score," and it's goes from page 169 to 200. So it's not a short chapter. Whether or not we get to discuss all of it doesn't matter. In fact, whether or not we get to discuss it at all doesn't matter, either. What matters is this: It seems to me that your writing is improving as a result of reading Gawande's book. I'm seeing both Gawande's well-structured writing and his analytical approach to health topics come out in your writing, too -- in your own unique styles, of course. So let's keep going through this book, and let's keep working on emulating strong writing practices and making them our own.

This Week's Online Activity (Due Saturday, 3/29/2014)

Naysayer for "On Fighting"

Look back over the chapter in Atul Gawande's Better titled, "On Fighting" (p. 154-165). As you look through this chapter, pay special attention to moments where Gawande seems to be considering arguments against his point. Some writers like to call arguments against their own points "The Opposing Side." Other writers like to call such disagreeing arguments "Naysayers." Can you notice a few "Opposing Side" arguments, or "Naysayer" arguments?

Here's what I want you to do in your online activity for this week: Choose one of the following options and respond to it in a short, effectively structured but casual essay of at least 300 words.

Option A:

Present one moment in which Atul Gawande entertains an "Opposing Side" or "Naysayer." Do not quote the point Atul Gawande is trying to make; just carefully introduce -- making sure to say why it struck you, what you see in it, and so on -- then paraphrase his point, in your own words. Once you've done that, introduce and quote the "Opposing Side" or "Naysayer" in this section of the chapter. Then explain what this argument says, and why it goes against Gawande's point. Finally, discuss why it's important to notice these two opposing points -- Gawande's own point on the one hand, and the "Opposing Side" or "Naysayer" point on the other hand.

Option B:

Choose one moment in this chapter, and think of a possible "Opposing Side" or "Naysayer" argument to present against Gawande's point. This doesn't have to be your own opinion; you're welcome to invent a perspective that you don't personally agree with. Now, in your short essay, first, introduce Gawande's point. Like in Option A, do not quote the Gawande's point; just carefully introduce -- making sure to say why it struck you, what you see in it, and so on -- then paraphrase his point, in your own words. Once you've done that, present what a possible "Opposing Side" or "Naysayer" might say in reponse to Gawande's point. Then explain what this argument says, and why it goes against Gawande's point. Finally, discuss why it's important to notice these two opposing points -- Gawande's own point on the one hand, and the "Opposing Side" or "Naysayer" point (that you've thought of on your own) on the other hand.

Submission guidelines: Post your resulting casual essay on your group blog, before 11:59 PM Saturday night, 3/29/2014.

Classwork: Starting to Develop Your Own Research Paper, Your Own Plan

Here's a link to a handout that starts to break down your research plan:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STTkVmRkZ1YjQySUE/edit.

Please download this handout or print it out. Then fill out this handout. Try to be as thorough and detailed as you can. Yes, you've done stuff like this before -- if you've been keeping up with our coursework, that is. When you've got a satisfactory set of parameters here, please hand your filled-in handout to me, then start to develop a more detailed plan on your own.

Sample Essay Plan

Here's a link to a student's preliminary plan for a research paper:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STUE1JTG4wUjMydDg/edit.

Looking at this plan, can you see how to put together a plan of your own? Yes, even if you don't have all the pieces you think you need for your essay, you can still put together a plan. Indeed, having a plan is a helpful step in discovering where you could go next.

Sample Annotated Research Essay

Here's a link to a sample research essay, annotated in such a way as to show how it's structured, what each piece in the essay is doing, and how all the pieces come together to support the overall argument:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STNFYwU0ZEOUtHWjg/edit.

(Notice: With this post, I'm starting to use a new label, "sample research paper." This label will collect blog posts on the topic of your final research paper for this class. Use this label to refer back to handouts and samples that you can use in putting together your own research paper.)

In-Class Writing, 3/25/2014

Here's a link to today's in-class writing:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pQ6TywlIzyFy3glViPlJVyUv9Qk3gQk9pLDKSXC-4NQ/edit.

Homework Reminders (Week 11)

This is just to remind you:

-- You have another pair of article write-ups due this week. These write-ups are exactly the same as the previous two, except you have to do them on two different articles from the ones you used before. So you'll have to do a bit more research and find two new articles to work with, if you haven't already done so. Be sure to check out the "article write-ups" label here, or scroll down and check out the posts about article write-ups. You might even want to check out the "research links" label for some help in research. All the instructions are there.

-- Also: Please go on reading in Atul Gawande's book, Better. For this week, please read the chapter, "On Fighting," p. 154-165. This is the last chapter in the second part of the book, "Doing Right." It's all about the distances we expect our doctors to go in their work.

-- One more thing: There's a casual blog post, due the same time that Write-Ups 3 and 4 are due. It's just a casual little post about how your research is going.

This Week's Online Activity (Due Saturday, 3/22/2014, 11:59 PM)

Atul Gawande and Me: A Debate on "The Doctors of the Death Chamber"

For your online activity this week, I want you both to take a closer look and to reflect on your own thoughts and values when it comes to the issue of doctors and court-ordered executions.

To start, reread Atul Gawande's chapter, "The Doctors of the Death Chamber," in his book Better. As you do, make notes about how Gawande develops his discussion. In particular, notice how he breaks down the idea of tasking doctors with the job of overseeing execution into just a few main issues -- only about four specific issues, maybe five, definitely no more than that. In fact, Gawande's structure in discussing each issue is very simple, too: For each issue, he presents a specific doctor's work and ideas, then he responds to these details and ideas directly. That's it.

Now, your job is this:

1) Go ahead and choose just one of these main issues that Atul Gawande takes on. Then, in a paragraph that is no longer than 250 words, present both the point Gawande tries to respond to and his own point in response. You may treat this paragraph as a formal summary, if you like, making sure to put everything in your words only. But if quoting is your thing, go ahead and use no more than one or two quotes; just be sure to introduce each quote, then explain what it says afterward. The key, for this paragraph, is to start to integrate Gawande's ideas effectively into your own writing.

2) In another two or three (2-3) paragraphs, of at least 100-200 words each, respond to this one specific point of Gawande that you chose. But you may only a. agree, b. disagree, c. agree and disagree, or d. remain (clearly) undecided. Start by saying, directly, what your overall response is. Then go on and present anything you can use as an example, counterexample, or hypothetical case to support your own overall argument. Remember: You've got a strong argument to make and support here. Why should your readers agree? Why should they disagree? Why should they agree with some things but disagree with others? Or why should they remain undecided? Present and support this argument well.

Submission guidelines: Post your resulting summary-and-response piece on your group blog, before 11:59 PM Saturday night, 3/22/2014.

Classwork: Using a Secondary Source

Here's a link to our classwork for today:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STZmJnN3hMdVBhd2s/edit.

Research Terminology and Structure

So far, we've taken a look at research as a process, starting with individual articles. We summarized and responded to each article one-by-one. In Essay 2, some of us even started to put two or more articles together. The important thing to notice here is just how effective summarizing and responding can be. Many writers nowadays get a lot done by just sticking to this basic structure.

But now, let's see if we can add another kind of structure to our tool belt. Let's try to integrate paraphrase (the same thing you do in summaries, putting someone else's ideas in your words) and quotes (taking ideas word-for-word from another writer) into our own discussions. The difficulty with this kind of structure is this: Your writing is different from other writers' writing, so you can't just mix them together. Still, there's a simple solution to this difficulty: Carefully introduce beforehand, and thoroughly explain afterward.

In other words, to use paraphrase and quotes effectively in your own paragraphs, you just need to give paraphrases and quotes a little bit of padding. Seriously, it's that simple. Keep this idea of "padding" in mind.

Let's start by taking a step back. Here's a general view of some important research terms:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STaDJGckUyNTF6Z1U/edit.

And here's a document that one of our campus librarians put together to explain the "padding" structure for integrating quotes and paraphrases into a paragraph:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STRjBUMUdlWGd2dW8/edit.

Finally, here are a few examples of quotes and paraphrases integrated into a paragraph (notice: There are only four examples here -- that's basically how simple it is):
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STc294U1dlSnlEWVU/edit.

More Snow

It happened: We got more snow, and classes were cancelled for today. In situations like this, there's a small chance that classes get cancelled tomorrow, so we might not meet for our usual class. But please note: I will still expect you to keep up with readings, assignments, and deadlines. In fact, there's a very important deadline this week, the deadline for your Essay 2 final copy. I don't intend to cancel this deadline for any reason.

Here's the plan: If we're forced to cancel class tomorrow, I would ask you to please email your essay to me. But if class indeed gets cancelled, and only in that event, I will extend the submission deadline by a day, until Wednesday night, 11:59 PM.

Be aware: For now, the deadlines are the same as on the syllabus -- hard copies due by the start of class, and emailed copies (in .doc or .docx attachments only) due before 11:59 PM that night. If we don't cancel class, these deadlines will stay exactly as they are. Either way, I will make no special exceptions whatsoever. Either I get your essay on time or I don't; that's that.

For now, keep watching the developments on www.nvcc.edu and the weather channels, and I'll keep you posted as well as I can.

Essay 3: Argumentative Research Paper

I know you're still working on your Essay 2. In fact, you should be sure to check out my reminders about Essay 2 in the blog post right below this one. But remember also that all your research assignments this semester are directed at putting together a detailed research paper at the end of the semester. Which makes this week the perfect time to preview Essay 3: Argumentative Research Paper.

Here's the assignment for Essay 3, with a detailed rubric:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STVjRuR1h3NTE4alU/edit.

And here, for you to consider closely, is a sample research paper:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STV2hLZzV3VjMxalE/edit.

Take a look at both of these, and see if you're getting an idea of what the "big picture" of your Essay 3 is starting to look like. I'll definitely make sure to look at these documents with you next time we meet. And if you have questions, either email them to me or bring them with you to class next week.

Reminder: Essay 2 Draft 2 and Final Draft

Just to remind you: Your final draft of Essay 2 is due next week, on Tuesday, 3/18/2014. I'll accept hard copies only by the start of class, and only with the rubric attached to the front. And I'll accept email submissions only until 11:59 PM Tuesday night, and only in a .doc or .docx Word file attached to an email message sent to my gmail email.

Also: Don't forget that you have a rare chance to collect extra credit points by posting your Essay 2 Draft 2 on your group blog (please use the label "Essay 2 Draft 2"). And you have yet another chance to collect extra credit points by leaving grammar comments on your classmates' Essay 2 Draft 2's. Please be aware: I'll give extra credit only to drafts posted before 11:59 PM on this Sunday, 3/16/2014 and only to grammar comments posted before 11:59 PM on this Monday, 3/17/2014.

For more details, consult your syllabus and course schedule.

Reading Assignment (& a reminder)

Heads-up: We won't be meeting Thursday next week, only Tuesday. Nevertheless, I'd like for us to keep reading in Atul Gawande's Better. For next week, please read the next chapter, titled, "The Doctors of Death Chamber." This chapter presents a thought-provoking look at the medical side of capital punishment in the United States. If we don't get a chance to discuss this chapter in class, I might still use it in your online assignment due later in the week.

Score Report: Critiques (Essay 2 Draft 1)

Here's your score report for your critiques of Essay 2 first drafts:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ap9oU02C12STdGNuSXRZOEl3M3BLemp2X2duQ0RzQXc#gid=0.

Please note: If there isn't a score listed for one or both of your critiques, please make sure that you've shared and posted your critique in the right place (the comments section of your assigned critique partner's Essay 2 Draft 1 post). If everything seems to be fine, but you still don't see a score, email me right away.

Your Sample Search & Other Reminders

I hope you're having a good spring break. For a quick update on your Essay 2 Draft 1 scores, scroll down and check out the post right before this one. But don't forget that you have homework due this week, too. Let me give you some quick notes about that.

-- First, for those of you still thinking deeply about your sample search, maybe you're worried about doing your search and submitting it properly. Here is a short breakdown of the assignment: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CCfZ54v1EDQRUpcIfwXUAkn1G2RZh2dTNlCxmaWXpyk/edit.

(Be aware: Those of you who have already submitted your search, you're fine. You do not need to submit another search.)

-- Second, for those of you thinking deeply about your critiques (And remember: You have two [2] critiques due this Thursday night, for two [2] different classmates!), you might be worried about how to fill a 500 word critique. That's understandable. But I'll answer this concern very simply: Your critiques are your responsibility, not anybody else's. If you write an insufficient critique, only you lose points. Now, let's just look at the matter a little bit more closely: If there isn't enough to write about in your partners' critiques, then you could easily write about what's not there! Make suggestions; ask questions; invite your critique partners to say more or to organize their drafts better. Use critical thinking and write effectively -- that's what I'm always asking for.

I'm looking forward to seeing your good work. Your research advice was inspiring, and now I only want to read more of your ideas.

Essay 2 Draft 1 Score Report

Here's your score report for your Essay 2 Draft 1:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ap9oU02C12STdEpwWUNVYzlMUWd5OW5jUmRWdTdHcFE&usp=drive_web#gid=0.

=-=-=-=-=

As you look at your score, please note that in looking over your drafts, I gave points to the following:

     1) Summary structure (one solid paragraph that starts with the thesis and basic details, then moves on to major points,

     2) Summary completeness (a summary made of strong, effective paraphrase that credits the authors for each major point),

     3) Response completeness (a direct thesis, followed by a point-by-point breakdown of your support for this thesis),

     4) Response structure (using each paragraph of your response to clearly do something different from the other paragraphs), and

     5) Citations (here I looked for substance, not format; I was essentially looking for all the important basic details that identify an article to be there, or at least most of them).

=-=-=-=-=

Special note: If you think your essay is lacking on any of the above, don't just jump to your draft. Instead, start by taking down some notes. Then be sure to save a new draft of your essay, and start making your changes there -- never in your first draft! Also: You might consider using the above parameters as ideas to consider in writing your critiques.

Online Activity: "My Research Advice" (Thursday, 3/6/2014)

Here's your online assignment to come in place of this Thursday's class:

My Research Advice

Directions: In a casual blog post of at least 500 words, describe what you do to make research and research assignments manageable, maybe even easy to do. Again, remember that this is an informal writing assignment, so requirements are not so strict. But try to put your ideas in some kind of clear, easy-to-follow structure. Also, be sure to present examples from your own research, either from this class or from other classes.

Remember, too, that the research process involves several different stages: The stage of deciding on a topic, the stage of conducting a search, the stage of choosing good articles to use, even the stage of sitting down to read an article to determine what it's trying to say -- and, of course, the stage of writing about what you find. As a matter of fact, there is no rule that says research goes in one specific order. Many writers start by writing, then searching, then reading. Many others reread articles they already know, then they choose a topic, then they write. Jumping back and forth in stages is very common. Repeating stages is common, too. It might even be that you have a stage in your process that I haven't included here. In that case, go ahead and mention this additional stage. What I want you to do is to discuss the approaches that you bring with you when you do research.

Me, I'm especially curious about how you approach the task of reading a new article. Reading has always been difficult for me, and I've noticed that the large majority of my students struggle with it, too, regardless of their background. So even if your advice is not about reading, I'd appreciate it if you took a moment to discuss how your advice can help someone who struggles with reading and picking out a writer's message and support details. I won't take points off if you don't talk about reading strategies. I'm just always on the lookout for effective reading advice.

Finally, be attentive: If you notice that another classmate has already described a method of approaching research that is similar to yours, try to respond to this classmate's ideas in your own blog post.

The deadline for this assignment is: Saturday night, 3/8/2014, 11:59 PM.

Reminders for This Week and Next

Please remember...

-- Since we won't be meeting this Thursday, I'll be posting an online assignment for you to do. This assignment should be up tomorrow, Wednesday, 3/5/2014. This assignment will be due by Saturday night, 11:59 PM.

-- The first draft of your Essay 2 is due on your group blog this Thursday night, 3/6/2014, by 11:59 PM. Please post your draft as a link to a Google Drive document. Just don't forget to "Share" your document with "Anyone with the link." Also: Once you post your link, highlight it and click "LINK" to make that link clickable.

-- Your two critiques (each a complete, casual essay of 500 words) in response to your two (2) critique partners' essays are due in the comments section of each of their drafts next Thursday night, 3/13/2014, by 11:59 PM. You may, if you like, either copy-and-paste your critique into the comments section or provide a link to a Google Drive document (your choice). But please, post your critiques only in the comments section below each of their drafts.

-- Also, by 11:59 PM next Thursday, 3/13/2014, please submit what I'm calling "a search" -- basically, a document (emailed to me) which contains your developing Works Cited page (or, in other words, a list of the citations for all the articles you've used in your research so far). On this Works Cited page, please follow up each citation with a few comments about the content and effectiveness of the article that this citation refers to. These should just be casual comments to help me see what you think you'll use each of your sources for.

-- Lastly, please make sure to keep up with any announcements I might need to make in the meantime.

Have a great Spring Break!

=-=-=-=-=

P. S. -- Those of you who submitted your Essay 1 to me via email: I should have your essay back to you within the next few days. And if you submitted your essay by hard copy and you didn't receive it, or you weren't able to make it to class today, please email me. I can scan the essay with my comments and email you a copy.

Essay Revisions Sheet

By now, you should be expecting your graded Essay 1 to come back to you. You might not like your grade. That's fine. What you've got to do now, simply enough, is to revise your essay.

Here's a link to the worksheet I'd like you to use when revising your essay:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STcmtKRDBBeEk1cUE/edit.

(Note: This worksheet is all about spotting and correcting minor errors, editing errors. Your larger, more dramatic revisions should be obvious from your essay's next draft.)

Classwork: Respond in the Voice of a Disagreeing Audience

Here's a link to today's classwork:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nbhQrOEJX2HYfOvPqQZnQymtEKk4yp9ryKNs66OXdSM/edit.

In Case of Snow...

In case you haven't heard, there's snow in the forecast, and with snow comes the danger of class cancellation. But remember that whenever class is cancelled, you should look here for the alternate plan. Let me give you the preliminary plan, the "just in case" plan.

First of all, don't forget that we're not meeting this Thursday, 3/6/2014. I've already got an online activity for you to do. I plan to post this activity sometime on Wednesday.

Now, second of all, if class ends up getting cancelled on Tuesday, 3/4/2014, because of snow (and please always double-check on www.nvcc.edu for up-to-date cancellation messages), I'll prepare another activity for you to do. I will also assign each of you a new critique partner (in other words, someone whose first draft of Essay 2 you'll have to read and respond to with a 500-word critique). So please be sure to go on here for the work you need to do.

Third of all -- and very importantly -- if class is cancelled on Tuesday, I will get your graded Essay 1 to you over email. Yes, even if you submitted by hard copy, I'll get that essay to you; I'll scan it and email you a PDF of the picture.

Whatever happens, let's do our best to make sure that we don't get frozen in our tracks (sorry for the pun).

=-=-=-=-=

Finally, here are the things that won't change this week, regardless of whether class is cancelled or not:

-- Your Essay 2 first draft will still be due this week. To remind you, I will accept only drafts that are posted on your group blog. I will not accept drafts that are emailed to me. And please do your best to make sure your draft is formatted clearly for reading.

-- Spring Break is not going to be cancelled. All of next week is Spring Break.

-- During Spring Break, even though there's no class, you will still have to post a critique in the comments section of your critique partner's Essay 2 first draft. (And remember: If your critique partner doesn't post a draft, write a critique for someone else, whomever you want. In such an event, it's your critique partner who loses points for not submitting a draft; so don't let yourself lose points, too.)

-- Also, during Spring Break, I will still expect to get a search submitted from each one of you, in the form of a document from you (posted on your group blog) containing your developing Works Cited page (or, in other words, a list of the citations for all the articles you've used in your research so far). On this Works Cited page, please follow up each citation with a few comments about the content and effectiveness of the article that this citation refers to.

-- Lastly, please continue to keep up with any announcements that I make here during Spring Break.

Write-Up 1 & 2 Scores

Here is a spreadsheet of your scores on Write-Ups 1 and 2, as they stand now:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ap9oU02C12STdEtmYWxLODllclJiNmN4Y1h3MEFEaEE#gid=0.

(Please note: If you don't see a score for any of your write-ups in this spreadsheet, and you did submit write-ups, please contact me as soon as possible.)

=-=-=-=-=

(Update, 3/1/2014: I have just finished correcting a mistake in this spreadsheet. The current scores should be correct and up-to-date.)

Reminders for Next Week

For next week ...

-- Go on reading in Better. Please read the next chapter, "Piecework," p. 112-129.

-- Remember that your Essay 2 first draft (label: "Essay 2 Draft 1") is due on your group blog by 11:59 PM Thursday night, 3/6/2014.

-- And don't forget that I'll be absent on Thursday, 3/6/2014. We won't meet in class that day. But please check the course site. I'll be posting a graded online assignment for you to do.

Sample Summary-and-Response Essays

We talked about the difference between informal and formal writing. This difference is important in taking an article write-up and developing it into a summary-and-response essay. So let's take a look at some examples, to illustrate what you might need to do in your own work.

Here's a former student's article write up:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STVGNyZWExMGZXaXM/edit.

Now here's this student's summary-and-response essay, based on the same article:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STaS0yZ1hJel8xamc/edit.

Take a moment to read through these two sample assignments. What do you notice with regards to the differences between them? What has this student done to her informal article write-up to make it into a formal summary-and-response essay? What has this student done well here? And what has she done not-so-well? What lessons can we learn from this student's efforts?

Now, here's another student's summary-and-response essay, based on a different article:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STNjhqamZaWWZ2M2M/edit.

Take a moment to look at this summary-and-response essay, too. What do you think makes this essay work? Does it seem to be successful in appealing to a possible audience? What does this essay do well in appealing to an audience? What does this essay do not-so-well? What can you learn from this student's work about making your own summary-and-response essay convincing?

Reading Quiz: "What Doctors Owe"

On your own, please take out a sheet of paper, put your name and "Reading Quiz" on top, then open the link below and follow the directions inside (Notice: It might be smart to have a copy of Atul Gawande's book, Better, next to you as you work on this quiz):
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iOM8Qr4VTj2s7yStiCq4qkJBuZxhA7uaw1Q9lgYTRVM/edit.

Classwork: Analysis of an Argumentative Essay

Together with on or two other classmates, make your own analysis of the following article from The Seattle Times:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STeHJ5c0NLYVItYjQ/edit.

Here's a link to the worksheet that I would like you to use in analyzing the above article:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STM2FLeTQ2QVg1Ylk/edit.

Argument Basics: Writing for an Audience & the Three Rhetorical Appeals

What's the difference between writing for yourself and writing for an audience? Why is writing for yourself often called "informal" and writing for others often called "formal"? What's are some basic differences between formal and informal writing? These are the basic differences between our article write-ups (which are supposed to be informal) and a summary-and-response essay (which is supposed to be formal).

The question of appealing to an audience, arguing in ways that interest people, move people, convince people, has troubled speakers and writers since the beginning of civilization. Eventually, philosophers started to develop theories regarding how to answer this question effectively. One such philosopher, Aristotle, broke down appealing to an audience into three categories, The Three Rhetorical Appeals:

-- Logos -- appealing to an audience based on the audience's logic and basic reasoning

-- Pathos -- appealing to an audience based on the audience's emotions

-- Ethos --  appealing to an audience based on their values and beliefs, their ethics

Notice: The key in appealing to an audience is looking at an argument form their perspective, not yours. Consider this comparison: Every audience wants you, the writers and speakers, to think like them, or at least to try to relate to them; but not every audience wants you to "be yourself." So remember, when writing for an audience, focus on the audience's perspective. Trust me; this is a simple but challenging idea.

=-=-=-=-=

Here's an exercise to try to think through the basic ideas of appealing to an audience:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Zlkm9inXBdtxNvL-exVOwuZRRNCFFiIJeIUZzXH4z8Y/edit.
(And here's the same document in a Word file, just in case the link above doesn't work for you:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STWlhzQ2ZvdnB1dlk/edit.)

Essay 2: Summary-and-Response Essay

Here's the link to your Essay 2: Summary-and-Response Essay assignment (p. 1) and rubric (p. 2):
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STMFR6QVdEN3RhMHc/edit.

Quick Reminders for Next Week

Just to remind you of the readings and homework for next week:

-- Readings: Next week, I'd like for us to return to Atul Gawande's chapter, "What Doctors Owe," on pages 84-111 of Better, so if you hadn't read this chapter for last week, please read it for this week. And if you have read it, feel free either to reread the chapter, read ahead to the next chapter (which will be due next week), or take a break from reading Gawande's book.

-- Homework: Don't forget that your first two article write-ups are due by 11:59 PM next Thursday night. To remind you, the process of doing a write-up is simple. First, you find an article related to your topic, then you read it, then you put together an informal 500-word summary-and-response essay that summarizes the main idea and important support points of the article, then goes on to present and explain your own responses to this article's points. Next, do the same for another article. For more about article write-ups, refer to the label, "article write-ups," on this site.

=-=-=-=-=

(And here's a special note about gathering articles: Since you'll be pooling six articles together in a longer research paper at the end of the semester, it might be wise to gather articles that help you build up a complete discussion. Consider, for example, what might happen if all you find are several short news reports. In this case, your final research paper might appear very thin, with many important connections missing. And consider what might happen if you just use informative articles. In this case, your essay will have no argument, just facts; it will be hard to see why your points matter. But then, consider what might happen if you use only scientific journal articles. In that case, your final research paper might be difficult to manage, with basic explanations and relatable examples missing. So try to go for a balance of different types of articles and different depths of content. Of course, for your write-ups, you can use any articles you want. But it's always smart to plan ahead.)

Sample Article Write-Ups

Remember that article write-up exercise from class? Well, here is one former student's attempt to put together an article write-up in response to the article we read:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STSkpidDFjcXB4c0E/edit.
Take a moment and look through this write-up. What is this student doing well? What is this student doing not-so-well? What can you learn from this student?

Now here's a write-up for an article that I haven't provided for you:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STTDlQSTBXa0VYRnM/edit.
Likewise here, can you see what this student is doing well or not-so-well? Can you see what you might learn from the way this student has put together this write-up?

Finally, please don't forget: Article write-ups are casual writing assignments. Like critiques, they are not meant to be perfect. In fact, they're not even meant to be well-argued or thoroughly consistent, the way critiques should be. Write-ups are simply one step in the research process. The idea is merely to start to organize your thoughts about articles you've found in your research, one-by-one. Believe me: Once you've done this, it's much easier to put together more complicated, more formal research essays.

Practice Article Write-Up

Here's a link to an article from The New York Times about a health- and healthcare-related related topic:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STaTFmNjU5VmpaRVE/edit.
Take the time to read this article on your own and to make notes to help you follow the writer's discussion and her supporting details.

Now here's a link to a handout that breaks down how to plan and put together a basic research write-up for any article:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STS25zRGo2cV9HRFU/edit.
(Please note: You may want to refer back to this handout when you work on your own individual research write-ups. Notice the label on the right, "article write-ups." This label will get you back to this blog post and to other blog posts that contain useful information about research write-ups.)

Okay, now get together with one other classmate or two and start to put together a joint research write-up, in basic summary-and-response format. Once you're done, or once the period is over, please turn in what you have.

Reminder: Essay 1 Final Copy is Due...

This is just to remind you: Your Essay 1 final copy is due either before 11:59 PM tonight (if submitted by email) or before 5:30 PM tomorrow (if submitted by hard copy). Please do not submit your Essay 1 final copy through your group blogs. Group blogs are only for blog posts, drafts, critiques, and comments. After this deadline, even if it's just one minute, your Essay is officially late.

Please consult the course syllabus for other required submission guidelines.

Our First Research Assignments: Write-Ups

Every teacher wishes for a class that goes on forever; that way, the students have time to learn everything the teacher knows. Unfortunately, that's not the case for us. We're moving on from our first pieces of writing, and we're getting started with research. Of course, there are important questions to consider: What is research? How do I make research both easy to do and effective in proving my point? We'll try to get to these questions as we go. For now, let's go step-by-step.

Notice: Your first steps in doing research have already started. You might not have chosen a topic, but you've written about topics you're considering, and you've looked at what other people wrote in the same vein. You might not have found articles you trust and want to work with, but you've found some good ones that could at least be good enough.

Also, be aware: Your first two research assignments, your first two research write-ups, are due next week, by 11:59 PM Thursday, 2/27/2014.

=-=-=-=-=

Let's get started thinking about research by looking at how research assignments are organized in this course. First, here's a handout that explains the motivation and grading behind our research write-ups:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STWWpBR084ZTdWckk/edit.

Now let's take a look at how research assignments fit together in this whole semester, especially how write-ups lead to your more important major research essays:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STSnh0ampzc0NiQ2M/edit.

Do you have a good basic idea of how we'll do organize our research this semester?

Special Announcement Regarding Three Upcoming Thursdays: March 6, 20, and 27

Please note: I've updated some information on our course schedule. (To get to our course schedule, follow the "syllabus" label on the right side-bar of this page, open the syllabus, and scroll down to the week-by-week breakdown.) You'll notice these updates in red. Hopefully, they should be pretty clear.

Now, to explain: What happened was I ended up with several obligations on my hands that I couldn't pass off to someone else, and as a result, I won't be able to make it to Alexandria on those days. I apologize for the sudden change in plan.

The bottom line is this: We won't meet on three different Thursdays in March: The 6th, the 20th, and the 27th. Instead, I'll provide some material here, on our course site, for us to work on.

Again, I apologize. As always, if you've got questions -- or, in this case, if you've got suggestions for a better solution -- please email me.

Quick Notes for Next Week

Please remember:

-- On Tuesday, 2/18/2014, we're meeting in the library -- yes, again! (If school is cancelled, though, this meeting will not take place.)

--  More importantly, your final copy of Essay 1 is due by the start of class on Thursday, 2/20/2014. (And yes, if school is cancelled, your essay will still be due. Right now, I am not changing anything about the submission procedure. However, if there will be more snow in the forecast, I might extend email submission deadlines until 11:59 PM Thursday night.)

One more thing:

-- Please continue reading in Atul Gawande's book, Better. For next week, read the next chapter, "What Doctors Owe," p. 84-111.

Can't find someone's editing draft? No problem!

Please note: A few of you haven't posted your editing drafts. If you still plan to do so, go ahead, but you won't get credit for doing so. Remember that your classmates have been assigned to leave some grammar comments on your editing drafts. So you can still get grammar comments, even if you post your editing draft late.

Now, those of you whose critique parters haven't posted an editing draft, or at least not on-time, be aware: You are welcome to make grammar comments on anyone else's editing draft! All you need to do to get credit for the grammar comments due tonight is to leave grammar comments on two students' editing drafts, one grammar comment for each.

My advice: Be only as generous as you can be. You can't wait forever. At the end of the day, you've got your own work to do, and I will give you credit for doing it.

Classwork: Better, p. 73-83, 2/13/2014

Here are the classwork questions about the chapter, "Naked," in Atul Gawande's book, Better, that I intended for us to work on today:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SJtjsFbjJ8UnJDtwQ9UiTmVAVXt-t5bUZjJhXvcPyvY/edit.

Please note: You are not required to post your answers to these questions on the group blog. Simply look over them and consider to yourself how you might answer them. For some actual work-from-home class work, please look at the blog post right below this one.

Getting Started with Research

We're going to be spending much of this semester working on different research-based writing assignments. The first research-based assignments coming up will be two casual write-ups in response to two health-related articles that you find online.

But before you think about research-related writing, it might be useful if we talk about choosing your research topics. Just as a note: If you decide on one research topic to work on this whole semester, or even several research topics that are closely-related, you'll make your work for the rest of the semester easier and more efficient, especially as you gather material toward your final research paper.

Here's a link to a handout about choosing research topics:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STZUVjLUhNaXR3UzQ/edit.
This handout contains a mix of advice both from me and from professors I've learned from. Let's read through it and talk about what we can make of it.

Next, here's a link to a handout that accompanied a library resource presentation from a few years ago:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STcWZkUUViUXZhSGs/edit.
This handout contains links for well-known health-related institutions and the resources they make available to doctors, scientists, and any other interested readers. On your own computer, try to open some of these links and see where they can lead you in starting to research the topic(s) you're considering for this semester.

***And here's a casual blog post assignment: In a new blog post on your group blog, please write a paragraph about your attempts to find information on the sources in the above handout. Compare your results to what you found on Tuesday using the library databases (or any previous experience you've had using a school library and its online databases). Even if these sources seem useless to you, please write about that and explain why you think they were useless.

Finally, here's a link to a former student essay -- a personal narrative, not a research essay:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STZ0dGM20xV2h6SU0/edit.
If we'll have time, we'll read through this essay; if not, please take a look at this essay on your own. Can you see what topics the student who wrote this essay might be interested in writing about? Can you start to think about how this student might start to search for related articles on these topics?

Classes Cancelled Thursday, 2/13/2014

This is just to repeat the official message from www.nvcc.edu: Classes are cancelled for Thursday, 2/13/2014.

But don't forget that you still have assignments due on your group blog. To see the deadlines of these assignments, scroll down to the post right below this one.

Also, be aware: I intend to post some other assignments to make up for our missed class time. I'll post more about that tomorrow.

Reminder: This Week's Deadlines

This is just to remind you:

1) The second draft of your Essay 1, what I'm calling your "editing draft," is due on your group blog, posted as a link to a Google Drive document, by 11:59 PM Thursday night. (To repeat: I will score this draft based on the differences I notice from your first draft, so be 100% sure you're working on a new file with this draft.

2) Your comments in response to another student's research topics blog post is also due by 11:59 PM Thursday night. (You may respond to whomever you like, but if you're feeling generous, look for someone who hasn't received a response yet.)

And lastly...

3) Your grammar comments, in response to your critique partners' second drafts, their editing drafts, are due by 11:59 PM Friday night -- a day after the second drafts are due. (You're only required to make one grammar comment for each critique partner. And please restrict yourself to just one or two editing suggestions or grammar errors. If you notice that an issue repeats in different places, point out just one of those places, then say that this issue repeats in the essay.)

=-=-=-=-=

(Just a note: These deadlines will stand even if school is cancelled on Thursday. If you're worried you might miss the deadline because of the snow, I suggest you try to submit your draft early. Maybe you should even submit it by this evening, before the snow starts, just to be sure.)

Reminder: Editing Drafts and Grammar Comments

To remind you, your next draft of Essay 1 is due this coming Thursday, by 11:59 PM, on your group blog. This draft will be posted in the same way as your previous draft. Just save it on Google Drive, then share it, then post a link on your group blog, with the label, "Essay 1 Draft 2" or "Essay 1 Editing Draft." (Let's decide in class about what label we'll use.)

To start, please make absolutely sure that you save this next draft of your essay in a different file from your first draft. I've said this a number of times in class. Again, please save your new draft in a separate file and work on it there. This is important because I'll be scoring this new draft, your "editing draft," based on the revisions you've made from your first essay. So I need to be able to see both versions of your essay to give your work a fair assessment.

Once you've made sure to separate your new draft from your old one, work on just the new draft. My advice is this: Try to make deep revisions. Don't be afraid to make bad changes; that's just how the writing process works. Also, be aware: If you've saved your first draft separately, you can always go back to that draft and recover something you've changed in your later draft. In other words, if you've planned effectively and saved your different drafts separately, your work is never lost.

Lastly, don't forget to go back to your critique partners' essays (their first drafts), and collect some sentences that you think have grammar issues in them. Copy down one sentence from each critique partner's draft, and be sure you copy it down exactly. Then bring the two sentences you end up with to class on Thursday. We've talked about making revisions, now we'll move toward editing, which is all about spotting and correcting minor errors like grammar, spelling, and so on. We'll talk a little bit about grammar and grammar comments in class on Thursday.

Essay 1 Draft 1 & Critiques Report

As many of you requested, here's a spreadsheet detailing your (very simple) scores on your Essay 1 draft and your two critiques:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ap9oU02C12STdHVwMlUxNHc1VjQtN3U5enpDMUdhT0E#gid=0.

Be aware: In grading your critiques I was mostly very forgiving -- but only in some cases. I gave many of your critiques a score of 3/3 simply because they gave a reasonable amount of feedback. Those critiques I gave a score of 2/3 were insufficient, but they still made some helpful comments. And those critiques to which I gave no score (meaning, a blank), these have either not been posted or were not in acceptable form to receive a grade.

Next time we do critiques (for draft 1 of Essay 2), I'll be more harsh in my grading.

If you have any questions or are confused about the spreadsheet, please email me.

Week 4 Homework (For Thursday): More Reading & also Gathering Grammar Sentences

For next week, please read the next chapter in Better: "Naked," p. 73-83.

Also, for next week, please look back at your two critique partners' first drafts. For each partner's draft, copy down one sentence (and make sure you copy it exactly) that you believe contains a grammar error. You don't necessarily have to know what this grammar error is, and you don't necessarily need to know how to correct the error. I just need one sentence from each partner's essay. So, next class, each of you will come in with two sentences that contain grammar errors. We'll work on these in class this coming Tuesday.

And again: Don't forget that we're meeting in the lobby of the library (which, conveniently enough, is right under our computer lab!) on Tuesday, 2/11/2014, at 5:30 PM. Please try to be on-time. I will be taking roll.

Quick Reminder: Meeting in the Library on Tuesday

Don't forget: On Tuesday, 2/11/2014, we're meeting in the lobby of the library. We'll have a library resource presentation from one of our helpful, skilled librarians.

Classwork: Better, p. 51-69

Here's the link to your Better groupwork for this week:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/19HWDgo0v9bZ2RwJcJTFK8sPnIt_Q7ndP8PJ_LPM-ccI/edit.

Sample Critiques

Remember that critique-writing classwork we did last time? Well, here's a sample critique that another former student wrote in response to the essay you critiqued last time:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STMDBQUmhjLWloMkk/edit.

And here's another sample critique, for an essay we've never read in class:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STRVlKT0laLW53Tzg/edit.

Take a look at each of these critiques. Then decide: What are these critiques doing effectively? And what are they doing not-so-effectively? What lessons can you learn from these critiques that you can use in structuring your own critique better?

More Detail about Critiques, and a Group Activity

Still thinking about how to organize your critiques for your assigned classmates? First of all, don't get stressed. Remember that critiques are supposed to be open, honest, and casual. Well, they're less casual than blog posts, because you're trying to help your classmates put together a more effective essay. So, for instance, good basic structure helps a lot. But you're not required to have such a thorough plan, or such a deep thesis, or such careful arguments for your critiques.

Here is a handout, and a group activity, that gives a more detailed picture of how you might structure a critique: 

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STT1lLSmZQNGwtRGc/edit.

Here's a personal narrative, written by a former student, that does a lot of things right but also has a number of issues that need attention:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STS3RVQnJFdlVlTjQ/edit.

And here are your basic directions for today:

To start, get together with your group, look over the handout above, and assign who will do what (your call). Then, on your own, read the attached essay carefully and make your own notes. Then get back together with your group and start to put together a direct, personal, and honest critique of this student's essay. Address your critique to this student. If necessary, convince him or her what's really going on in the essay, what parts of the essay might need attention, what kind of attention each part needs, and why the issues that you see need to be addressed in the way you suggest.

(Note: Be aware that I've given all of my blog posts that help you to write your own critiques the label, "critiques." Please make use of this label as the semester progresses to get back to this old -- but important -- critique-writing advice.)

Don't post your critiques yet!

Just as a reminder: We'll talk more about critiques next week, and that's also when I'll explain where and how to post your critiques. Meanwhile, save your critiques with you, in separate Google Drive documents or something. To be sure, bring your critiques with you to class, if you've started working on them. But please hold on posting them for now.

How to Post a Link in Blogger

For those of you who either need to be reminded or are still a bit confused, here's a link that explains how to insert links in a Blogger blog post: https://support.google.com/blogger/answer/41379?hl=en.

Critiques Preview (Board Shot)

Here is, very basically, how a critique is structured (from our discussion in class today, 1/30/2014):

Exercise: Getting Deeper with Conversations and Details

Below are some more exercises about dialogue and detail. Let's work on them one-by-one. Start by working on these on your own, then we'll get together and discuss the answers:

"Showing versus Telling" --
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STaTZsc092Y2syaGs/edit

"Analyzing Conversation" --
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STYXc5ODBvcEJjSU0/edit

Exercises: Dialogue and Sensory Detail

Not sure if you've got the handle of dialogue and sensory detail in writing? Let's try some simple exercises. Please open the following handouts and try to answer them on your own, and we'll get together as a class and discuss the answers:

"Reading a Dialogue" --
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STb2FqWkVONXBZX2M/edit

"Sensory Detail" --
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STVW5URHMtNkcyUTQ/edit

Homework for Next Week (and a Heads-Up)

For next week (meaning, before class on Tuesday), please read the next chapter in Better, p. 51-69. Also, please be sure to bring your book to class. Either an e-book version or a hard-copy (paperback or hardback) are fine -- and, in fact, if you can work with the audiobook, and you've got that, then you can hook up with headphones and work with the audiobook, too.

Now, let me give you a heads up about the assignments due after class next Thursday, by 11:59 PM.

First and most important: You have to write critiques for two of your classmates' first drafts of Essay 1. Today, Thursday, 1/30/2014, I'll assign each of you two classmates' to work with; and that's all I'll do today. We'll go over what goes into a critique in class next week. Just be aware that a critique is both casual and structured. So a critique doesn't have to be polished (in fact, a conversational and personal critique is the most appropriate), but it does need to present ideas clearly (and by "ideas" here, I mean criticisms or observations or questions or encouragements for a classmate, regarding his/her draft) and it needs to organize its points into paragraphs effectively.

Second, you will have another blog post to write. If you look at the course schedule, which is found in our syllabus, you'll see what this blog post is about. I won't say more here -- except this: This blog post is directed toward the work that you'll be doing for essays that come after Essay 1.

Advice from Google on Sharing in Google Drive

Here's a link to some official advice from Google about sharing in Google Drive:
https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2494822?hl=en.

Classwork: Better, p. 29-50

Here's the link to today's classwork:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STYk5DeVNaQ2JGWmc/edit.

ACRW Information

Here's a handout from the Academic Center for Reading and Writing detailing their services on campus, the hours they operate during the week, and the different ways to get in touch with them:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STRXh3YnRURzBteGM/edit.

Examples of Personal Narratives

For those of you who like to work from examples when you write your essays, here are some personal narratives by students from previous semesters:

"An Emergency in Croatia" --
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STcjl4UEN2UUlaOTg/edit

"Another Trip to the ER" --
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STUkl4eUtMM1hjRkk/edit

(Note: These essays are intended to get you started, to get you thinking about writing a personal narrative of your own. Writing like these students does not guarantee you an A. Of course, if you want to try to grade these essays on your own, based on the parameters in the Essay 1 rubric, you might start to figure out what these students do effectively and what they don't.)

A Couple of Quick Reminders

Don't forget: Your reading assignment (for this coming Tuesday's class) is the next section in Better, pages 29-50.

Also: Your first draft of Essay 1 is due this coming Thursday, before midnight (11:59 PM, actually). You'll have some time in class to work on your draft, but it might be a good idea to write a few things out and have some materials ready to work with.

Narrative Structure (Board Shot)

Classwork: Analysis of a Narrative Essay

Here's the link for today's classwork, "Analysis of a Narrative Essay":
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STQU1uT2oyM1NpcjQ/edit.

Handout on Narrative Structure

For those of you working on Essay 1 who need a bit more guidance in narrative structure and in kinds of description, here is an excerpt from a short textbook that I sometimes like to use in my writing classes:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STY1lKMmpUSlB3c0k/edit.

Next Reading Assignment: Better, p. 29-50

Just to add to my previous posts about Week 2 Homework: Please keep on reading in Better. Before next Tuesday, 1/28/2014, please read the next section, pages 29-50.

Classwork: Better, Pages 1-28

Here's the link for the classwork I intended for us to work on today:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STV1hNSGZhQko0RDA/edit.
It's a handout that contains a little bit of directions and a short list of questions to answer in groups. For your information: This is what classwork about sections from Better will generally look like.

=-=-=-=-=

And here's the plan for today:

-- You are not required to do this assignment. I will not take points off if you don't do it. (Be aware: On future school cancellations, I might make classwork required and graded.)

-- If you want to try this class work, you should work on your own. (You are not required to work in groups this time.)

-- If you want to do this assignment, choose just one question from the classwork to work on. (It might be wise to see if other classmates already answered certain questions, then choose a different question than they did. But this is not required, either.)

-- Post your response as a new blog post on your group blog.

-- Write a short comment, if you want, in response to one of your classmates' answers. (You're welcome to look on other group blogs to do so.)

=-=-=-=-=

Meanwhile, don't forget that there is homework (graded homework) due this coming Thursday night. There is even homework due today, before 5:30 PM (remember those two blog posts?). For more information, scroll down and look through the previous blog posts below.

College Closed Today, 1/21/2014

Just an update, if you haven't checked www.nvcc.edu yet: The college is closed today.

Please keep checking this site at least once or twice a day. I may post some some handouts or other information to make up for the missed class period.

In Case of a Snow Cancellation on Tuesday, 1/21/2014

I just wanted to let you all know: In case class is canceled on Tuesday, 1/21/2014, I will still expect your blog posts to be done before class starts. I will not give credit to blog posts published later than 5:30 PM. So if you run into problems, please email me sooner rather than later.

Also, be aware that this week's homework will be due by midnight on Thursday, 1/23/2014 -- which means before 11:59 PM. If you're not sure what the homework assignment is, please check our course syllabus. And again, if you're stuck or if you have questions, please email me.

Blog Hints / Group Blogs

I just wanted to give you a few hints about using the blogs for our class. Part of this post is intended just to remind you of what I said in class, and part of it might not be perfectly obvious.

Here's the easy way to start posting on your group blog:

1) Log into your Gmail account, at gmail.com, and keep the account open.

2) In a different browser tab or browser window, open blogger.com.

3) To start a new blog post, click on the pencil or "New Post" button.

Here's the reasonably easy way to return to a blog post you worked on earlier: 

1) If you haven't done so, log into your Gmail account.

2) If you haven't done so, open up Blogger in another tab or window.

3) Click the pages or "Posts" button.

4) Move your mouse pointer over the post you want to go back to.

5) Click on "Edit" when it appears.

Here's a link from Google about how to post to a blog: https://support.google.com/blogger/answer/41378?hl=en.

And, for future reference, here's how you look at your classmates' posts:

-- The link for Group 1: eng111group1.blogspot.com

-- The link for Group 2: eng111group2.blogspot.com

-- The link for Group 3: eng111group3.blogspot.com

-- The link for Group 4: eng111group4.blogspot.com

Now, can you figure out how to write comments on your classmates' blog posts?

Essay 1

Here's a link to our first major essay assignment, which contains both an overall description of the assignment and a rubric that details the grading breakdown:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STM0lBdnplM2dXZ2c/edit.

(Again, remember: This blog post has a label, "essay 1," which you can always click to come back to this post here, where the assignment sheet and rubric will be available throughout the semester.)

First Reading Assignment

Here's your first reading assignment, from the book, Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance, by Atul Gawande:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B59oU02C12STS2xyeXRFQW5mOTQ/edit.

(Notice that the title of the book, right above the link, is clickable and will lead you directly to where this book can be bought on amazon.com. The book is reasonably priced on Amazon, whether used or new. But of course, if you do a bit more searching, you might find places online where you can find this book for even less.)

Course Syllabus

Here's a link to our course syllabus:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1adg60DrLouYUjToHt2S__xcY6I8G6wpfTKyr1jizdUs/edit.

Please be sure to read through this syllabus carefully. You might also find it useful to refer back to this syllabus on at least a weekly basis, since our week-by-week schedule of course topics and assignments is inside.

(A reminder: Notice the new label, "syllabus," on the list of labels for this blog. By clicking this label, you can easily get back to this post and the link to the syllabus.)

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 very 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 there.  And right above the blog archive is a clickable list of labels, for quick access to different blog topics.

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 (I recommend using a Gmail account of your own to do it, so that you can chat with me if you make an appointment).  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)