Author Archives: Dean Blumberg

ENG 155: Routine Message Assignment

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Dear Student,

Your company, Teaching Made Easy, produces and distributes packets of business writing lectures and assignments to instructors.  As an instructor, I had ordered a lecture series on writing routine messages.  I’m a bit upset because it’s been three weeks and I still haven’t received what I ordered.  I contacted the post office and they said they never received the package.  This has left me severely inconvenienced, as I have not been able to teach appropriately, and my students are quickly becoming frustrated with me.  I’d really appreciate if somebody somewhere would do something about this.  I’m afraid I’ll get fired if something doesn’t change quickly!

Dean Blumberg

PS: I expect you to follow the basic requirements of email responses.  Pages 179-182 in your textbook have excellent examples and advice regarding email.  And, by the way, this is a complaint letter and you’re at fault (see chapter 8).

Email will be graded out of 10 possible points with the approximate breakdown:

60% Content

20% Format

20% Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation

Due Date: No later than the start of class on Mon. 3/5

(To be submitted via email to dean.blumberg@hgtc.edu)

ENG 155: Persuasive Message Assignment

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To: ENG 155 Students
From: Dean Blumberg
Subject: Persuasive Message assignment and instruction
Due Date: No later than the start of class on Wed. 3/21

The purpose of this assignment is to gain experience constructing a persuasive message.  You have several choices regarding the type of document you will complete.  You may choose from the following writing prompts, which are located at the end of Chapter 10:

  • an email to Starbucks regarding Wi-Fi internet, exercise #2, pg. 306
  • an email making the case for social media, exercise #3, pg. 306
  • a message promoting the state of Kentucky for business, exercise #12, pg. 308-309.

Read over your options and choose carefully.  All the options are relatively equal regarding difficulty and time requirements; don’t let the varying length of the assignments fool you.

Additionally, don’t forget that if you have a “real life” alternative to any of the above choices, feel free to use it instead.  However, don’t forget to clear it with me well before the due date.

Format Requirements: The format required for this assignment will vary depending upon the option you choose.  Be careful to follow the instructions in the textbook for the option you choose.  Remember to follow the AIDA model and use the persuasive message checklist (pg. 288).  Document must be typed and submitted to dean.blumberg@hgtc.edu.

What follows is a rubric for the assignment.

Rubric:

_____  60%                    Content.  Information is clearly expressed in paragraphs and is relevant. Follows conventions of a persuasive message.

_____   10%                   Document is in proper format.

_____   30%                   Document is free of major errors in GSP.

 

 

 

 

 

Week 1 (1/10-1/12)

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Tue 1/10: In-Class: Introduction, syllabus, course expectations, what is literature and why should we read it?

Thur 1/12: Due: Read Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing (LRRW from now on) 8-11 and17-21. Then read LRRW “Defining Poetry” 801-802; “Word Choice” 876-900. Pay particularly close attention to the poems by Whitman, Espaillat, Rich, cummings, Coleman. Take notes and annotate the poems.

In-Class: Poetry discussion. Interpretative diagram (rhetorical model, found above), basic approaches to literature.

Word Choice on Prezi

“Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins (pg 1138 in LRRW)

I ask them to take a poem

and hold it up to the light

like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem

and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem’s room

and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski

across the surface of a poem

waving at the author’s name on the shore.

But all they want to do

is tie the poem to a chair with rope

and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose

to find out what it really means.

Also, a short-and-to-the-pointer, Gwendolyn Brooks’ most famous poem, “We Real Cool” (pg 896 in LRRW).

Week 2 (1/17-1/19)

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***NOTE: AAST students (only sections P04 and P05) will not have class on 1/17; however, you are responsible for the material covered that day. Please be prepared to discuss all readings on Thursday.***

Tue 1/17 Due:  Read “Voice” 838-839; “Figures of Speech” 923-926.  Read slowly and aloud the following poems: “Roominghouses are old women” 926-927; “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” 931-932; and “Daddy” 938. Write a 1-2 response looking closely at the type of language present in either “Roominghouses,” “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner,” or “Daddy” What kind of language does the poet use? What feeling, mood, or effect does the type of language create? Use terminology from the textbook when explaining your interpretation.

In-Class: Discussion. Key terms: speaker, persona, figurative vs. literal language, simile, metaphor. Explicating a poem: how do the poetic devices (the elements of poetry, like word order, sound, figurative language, etc) establish or reinforce a particular theme or mood in the poem. Hand out Poetry Essay prompt.

Thur 119: Due: Read slowly and aloud the following poems all by Langston Hughes: “I, Too” 1080-1081; “Song for a Dark Girl” 1081; “Theme for English B” 1082-1083; “Harlem” 924; “Dream Boogie” 1083-1084. Pick a question from the Reading and Reacting section on 1091 and type a response (1 full page) drawing specifically from the poems and your interpretations and experiences.

In-Class: Discuss Hughes; as a class we will read “Writing an Explication” 61 and the sample student paper 62-66. Also look at the section “Imagery” 905-906.

   

Refrigerator, 1957

by Thomas Lux

More like a vault — you pull the handle out
and on the shelves: not a lot,
and what there is (a boiled potato
in a bag, a chicken carcass
under foil) looking dispirited,
drained, mugged. This is not
a place to go in hope or hunger.
But, just to the right of the middle
of the middle door shelf, on fire, a lit-from-within red,
heart red, sexual red, wet neon red,
shining red in their liquid, exotic,
aloof, slumming
in such company: a jar
of maraschino cherries. Three-quarters
full, fiery globes, like strippers
at a church social. Maraschino cherries, maraschino,
the only foreign word I knew. Not once
did I see these cherries employed: not
in a drink, nor on top
of a glob of ice cream,
or just pop one in your mouth. Not once.
The same jar there through an entire
childhood of dull dinners — bald meat,
pocked peas and, see above,
boiled potatoes. Maybe
they came over from the old country,
family heirlooms, or were status symbols
bought with a piece of the first paycheck
from a sweatshop,
which beat the pig farm in Bohemia,
handed down from my grandparents
to my parents
to be someday mine,
then my child’s?
They were beautiful
and, if I never ate one,
it was because I knew it might be missed
or because I knew it would not be replaced
and because you do not eat
that which rips your heart with joy.

Week 4 (1/31-2/2)

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Tue 1/31: Due: Read slowly and aloud the following poems: “Barbie Doll,” “Red Wheelbarrow” 906; “In a station of the Metro” 907; “Constantly Risking Absurdity” 925; and “Dulce Decorum Est” 915-916.

In-Class: Discussion.

Thur 2/2: Read “Understanding Fiction” 162-171 and “Character” 254-256. Read the following stories: “Hills Like White Elephants” 171-175; “A&P” 259-264

In-Class: Introduction to fiction; group discussion; quiz

Supplemental Stuff: Here’s a challenging scholarly article by literary theorist and linguist James Paul Gee examining the language of W. C. Williams’ poetry. Although it’s a rather challenging read for introductory students (it’s written for literary critics well-versed in the terminology and theory of the discipline), there are passages that are consumable for a more general audience. Take a peek and see what you can make of it.

The Poetry Foundation website has a brief but detailed biography on Williams:

William Carlos Williams has always been known as an experimenter, an innovator, a revolutionary figure in American poetry. Yet in comparison to artists of his own time who sought a new environment for creativity as expatriates in Europe, Williams lived a remarkably conventional life. A doctor for more than forty years serving the New Jersey town of Rutherford, he relied on his patients, the America around him, and his own ebullient imagination to create a distinctively American verse. Often domestic in focus and “remarkable for its empathy, sympathy, its muscular and emotional identification with its subjects,” Williams’s poetry is also characteristically honest: “There is no optimistic blindness in Williams,” wrote Randall Jarrell, “though there is a fresh gaiety, a stubborn or invincible joyousness.”

You can read the full bio here.


A brief dogma from Ezra Pound to define the Imagist movement:

  1. Direct treatment of the “thing”, whether subjective or objective.
  2. To use absolutely no word that does not contribute to the presentation.
  3. As regarding rhythm: to compose in sequence of the musical phrase, not in sequence of the metronome.

Week 5 (2/7-2/9)

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Tue 2/7: Due: Poetry essay. Read “Theme” 551-554, “Dead Man’s Path” 660-662 and this interview with Chinua Achebe.

In-Class: Reading Quiz. Discussion.

Thur 2/9: Due: Read “Setting” 305-308, “Point of View” 354-362, Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” 526-537 and Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” 617.

In-Class: Reading Quiz. Discuss stories and introduce character analysis essay.

Week 6 (2/14-2/16)

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Tue 2/14: Due: Read Lahiri’s “The Third and Final Continent” 290-302, Wolff’s “Bullet in the Brain” 608-611, “Postcolonial Studies” and “American Multiculturalism” 2067-2071. Also read the textbook section on “Symbol, Allegory and Myth” 487-492.

In-Class: Discussion. Reading Quiz.

Thur 2/16:

In-Class: Tumblr/Character Analysis Workday

Week 8 (2/28-3/1)

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Tue 2/28: Due: read and print out (or bring digital version) of the following film reviews:

In-Class: Discuss the review as a genre. Introduce Film Review.

Thur 3/1 Due: Completed draft of character analysis/Tumblr project (this should meet the assignments min. requirements for draft credit). Please bring in 2 hard copies of the essay component of the project for a workshop and a one-on-one conference with the instructor.

 

Week 9 (3/6-3/8)

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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Poster 50/50 Poster

Tue 3/6: Due: Character analysis project; Start Oscar Wao. 

In-Class: ENG 102 C10 (8:00) is watching Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; ENG 102 P04 and P05 (11:55; 1:20) are watching 50/50.

Thur 3/8 Due: Continue reading Oscar Wao (I’d shoot to have completed at least the first 100 pages by today).

In-Class: Finish film; replay key scenes. ENG 102 C10 is watching Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; ENG 102 P04 and P05 are watching 50/50.

NOTE: If you’d like to re-watch at home, Eternal Sunshine is available on Netflix Instant and can be rented through iTunes and Amazon Video On Demand for 3-4 dollars. 50/50 is fairly new and can be rented similarly.

ENG 102 Final Research Essay

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DUE:  Final Exam period

LENGTH: 6-8 pages (six full pages excluding name, date, title is minimum), 12 point Times New Roman, 1″ margins, stapled or clipped.

RESEARCH: 4-6 critical sources (quoted or paraphrased) are required. These sources may be in the form of literary criticism and/or articles and materials on topical issues from the databases.

PROMPT: For this essay, you will write an essay looking at what you consider to be a significant theme in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. You will formulate an original thesis and support that thesis by using primary source material (passages and paraphrased information from the story, works of history, or interviews for example) and secondary material in the form of literary criticism. The materials used as research must come from library resources (online databases, catalog, etc). Any outside web sources should be approved (acceptable ones are governmental websites, major health organizations, etc)

This is the largest of the essay assignments in terms of relative weight of the grade (20% of the total).

GUIDELINES:

  • 1. Please include a title for your essay. Within the introduction paragraph the name of the story and its author should appear.
  • 2. The thesis statement for this paper is, as in any essay, the central focus of the entire paper. Please make certain that the thesis is specific, clearly worded, and factually accurate. It is typically stated near the end of the introduction.
  • 3. All quoted material from the stories should include a parenthetical notation per MLA standards following the direct quotation. A works cited in MLA format should be placed at the end of the essay.
  • 4. Secondary materials should be introduced with an attributive tag (According to Dr. Chip Arnold, a literature scholar and McCarthy critic) within the text. For the sake of your own credibility as a writer, an attributive tag allows your reader to understand precisely why you have selected the material and why they should take it seriously. As is the case in all academic work, the quality of a secondary reference may positively or negatively impact your message. Choose critical work most carefully.
  • 5. Please feel free to see me personally for draft review and/or assistance.

EXAMPLE: Here is a brief example of an introductory paragraph which responds to this assignment.

This example focuses upon the theme issue of inequalities within the public education system and the negative effects children (and ultimately adults) suffer as a result of such a system, a theme present in the short story “Everyday Use.”

   

The featured story is Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use.” Here is the opening paragraph which includes the thesis:

A decade ago Jonathon Kozol’s landmark book Savage Inequality shed a light on inequities faced by poor children in American public schools. Since then, numerous writers, journalists, and researchers have reiterated Kozol’s idea that inequality in education can rupture the National fabric, ripping communities, neighborhoods, and families apart. One such family thus affected by inequities in education faced by the poor are the Johnsons of Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use.” One fortunate member of the Johnson family is anointed as worthy of an education–the others, however, are denied. The immense difference in these characters leads to a less than harmonious family. The interaction among the Johnson women in “Everyday Use” does indeed illustrate savage inequality in education.

Some help: Secondary Sources (articles about Oscar Wao) and Primary Sources (interviews and articles about Dominican culture). Note: in most cases, you’ll need to write the full MLA citation.

Peterson, Latoya. “Reflections on Lola [The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao] (Part 1 of 2).” Racialicious.com.

Braziel, Jana Evans. “Diasporic disciplining of Caliban? Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Intra-Caribbean politics.” Small Axe 26 (2008): 149+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 24 Mar. 2012. Braziel PDF here

Torres-Saillant, Silvio. “Blackness and meaning in studying Hispaniola: a review essay.” Small Axe 19 (2006): 180+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 24 Mar. 2012. Torres-Salliant PDF here

Saldivar, Jose David. “Conjectures on ‘Americanity’ and Junot Diaz’s ‘Fuku Americanus’ in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Article from The Global South. Saldivar PDF here

Hanna, Monica. “Reassembling the Fragments: Battling Historiographies, Caribbean Discourse, and Nerd Genres in Junot Díaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.” Article from Callaloo. Hanna PDF here

Bautista, Daniel. “Comic Book Realism: Form and Genre in Junot Diaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.” Article from The Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts. Bautista PDF here

“Conversation with Junot Diaz (to the woman in the mountain cabin).” Interview with Junot Diaz in Callaloo. Callaloo Interview PDF here

Deresiewicz, William. “Fuku Americanus.” Critical Review from The Nation. Deresiewicz PDF here

Saldivar, Ramon. “Historical Fantasy, Speculative Realism, and Postrace Aesthetics in Contemporary American Fiction.” (includes Oscar Wao). Article in American Literary History. Saldivar, Ramon PDF here

“In Darkness We Meet: A Conversation with Junot Diaz.” Interview in World Literature Today. World Literature Today Interview PDF here

Railton, Ben. “Novelist-Narrators of the American Dream: The (Meta-)Realistic Chronicles of Cather,Fitzgerald, Roth, and Díaz.” Article in American Literary Realism. Railton PDF here

Miller, T.S. “Preternatural Narration and the Lens of Genre Fiction in Junot Díaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.” Miller PDF here

Díaz, Junot, and Terry Gross. “Junot Díaz.” Fresh Air (18 Oct. 2007). Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 258. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Literature Resource Center. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. JunotDiazFreshAir

Riofrio, John. “Situating Latin American masculinity: immigration, empathy and emasculation in Junot Diaz’s Drown.” Atenea 28.1 (2008): 23+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. Riofrio PDF

Scott, A.O. “Dreaming in Spanglish.” The New York Times Book Review 30 Sept. 2007: 9(L). Literature Resource Center. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. AOScottReview

Dalleo, Raphael, and Elena Machado Sáez. “Movin’ on up and out: Lowercase Latino/a Realism in the Works of Junot Díaz and Angie Cruz.” The Latino/a Canon and the Emergence of Post-Sixties Literature. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. 76-89. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Jelena O. Krstovic. Vol. 144. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Literature Resource Center. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. DalleoSaezPDF

Miller, Matthew L. “Trauma in Junot Diaz’s Drown.” Notes on Contemporary Literature 41.1 (2011). Literature Resource Center. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. MillerMatthewPDF

Wood, James. “Call It Sleep.” New Republic 215.25 (16 Dec. 1996): 18-19. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 258. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Literature Resource Center. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. WoodPDF

 

 

 

 

Week 15 & Final Exam (4/17-4/19; 5/1)

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Tue 4/17: We will watch Authors@Google: Junot Diaz.

Thur 4/19 (LAST DAY OF CLASS): Peer workshop. Please bring two hard copies of your paper (must be a full draft for full credit).

FINAL EXAM: Your final paper will be due NO LATER than the end of our final exam period.  Late papers (ex: 10:30AM) will not be accepted. Below are the exam periods for each class:

ENG 102 C10 (Tue. 5/1, 8-10AM).

ENG 102 P04 (Tue. 5/1, 11:55-1:15)

ENG 102 P05 (Tue. 5/1, 1:20-2:40)

ENG 101 Final Portfolio

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Portfolio & Portfolio Letter

Due: Final Exam (Late portfolios are not accepted)

Purpose: This course has been focused upon the writing process: brainstorming and invention, drafting, revision and subsequent drafting, and editing.  In order to examine your writing process, you need to be able to look at the tangible products of your process as a whole (i.e. all of your collected work).

While you will be responsible for evaluating your writing process throughout the semester, I will also need to see all of your process work in order to evaluate how successful you were in developing your writing process this semester.  It is important that you present every manifestation of your writing process in a single three-ring binder or organized files/folders in a zipped archive (.zip), clearly organized and labeled.

What You Need To Collect:

  • Portfolio Cover Letter (more on this below)
  • One three-ring binder OR .zip file
  • All assigned short writings
  • All reading response/freewrite/journal/homework writings
  • Final copy of your research paper (I will read and grade this separately as well)
  • All drafts of major papers* (Narrative, Analysis, Proposal, Research)
  • Any other process work (freewriting, class notes, maps, random reminders for your drafting, etc)
  • Any other materials relevant to your writing process

*A Note About Drafts: For your portfolio you will need to include one copy of each draft you have written for this class.  Please place the most recent or final draft on top with previous drafts underneath (descending in order from most recent or final draft on top, to brainstorm and invention materials on the bottom).  Drafts with comments are preferred.

Portfolio Letter: This brief letter (2 pages) will detail your development as a writer and thinker in this class.  Think of this literally as a letter to your instructor, which means that the language must be formal and should be demonstrative of your command of the English language—grammar will count.  Here are some areas I’d like you to address:

  • Introduce your collection of writing.
  • What have you learned about yourself as a writer? Analyze your writing as an outsider critic would-what can you tell me about your strengths and weaknesses (When answering, please refer to specific materials in your portfolio that demonstrate it)
  • What changes did you make between drafts and why? (Again, please give specific examples from the material in your portfolio).
  • Any other relevant observations/thoughts

This letter will be the first piece of writing that I will read in your portfolio; what is written will impact how the rest of the writing will be received.

Week 1 (ENG 101 C03) 1/9-1/12

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Mon. 1/9/12

  • What you need for class:
  • What we will be doing: intro diagnostic assignment
  • For next time: Read The Norton Field Guide (NFG from now on) pages 1-17; Pick one short piece of typed writing (newspaper article, short story, advertisement, blog, song, etc.) and analyze it rhetorically (read your textbook!) in a one-page typed response. Bring this to class and be prepared to share it!

Wed. 1/11/12

  • What you need for class: piece of writing and journal entry.
  • What we will be doing: syllabus (bookmark this); discussing rhetoric and sharing first writing assignment.
  • For next time: Read NFG 21-37 on literacy narratives; Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” 564; Rick Bragg’s “All Over But the Shoutin’” 153. Write a 200 word reaction to either of the pieces considering some of the concepts presented in 21-37.

Visual Rhetoric on Prezi

Week 3 (ENG 101 C03) 1/23-1/25

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Mon. 1/23/12

  • What you need for class: Due: First two typed writing assignments; Malcolm X’s “Literacy Behind Bars” 577; Alison Bechdel’s “The Canary Colored Caravan” 583; Begin brainstorming/drafting your literacy narrative.
  • What we will be doing: Discussion; NFG 343-351 on Narrating; Description activity; prepare for workshop next week
  • For next time: Complete first draft of literacy narrative

Wed. 1/25/12

  • What you need for class: 2 copies of Literacy Narrative
  • What we will be doing: Workshop
  • For next time: Read NFG 278-282 on Cause/Effect and 283-293 on Argument. Considering what the book says about visual rhetoric, bring in a visual text (advertisement, magazine cover, dvd case) that you feel conveys a strong argument. Write a 1.5 – 2 page response considering the rhetorical components: author, audience, purpose, language, context, design, stance, etc.

 

Week 4 (ENG 101 C03) 1/31-2/2

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Mon. 1/31

LOGICAL FALLACIES!!!!
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
Immigrant Disease
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

Wed. 2/2

  • What you need for class: Smart observations on Carr’s essay.
  • What we will be doing: Discussion; Assign Textual Analysis (formerly titled Position Paper)
  • For next time: Read this over the next assignment and choose a text to analyze. Begin working on precis.

 

Week 5 (ENG 101 C03) 2/6-2/8

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Mon. 2/6

  • What you need for class: Selected essay for Textual Analysis.
  • What we will be doing: Student Sample: Textual Analysis; Discuss Quoting vs. Paraphrasing (MLA style)
  • For next time: Finish summary/precis; Read They Say, I Say 3-27; 55-67

Quoting & Paraphrasing on Prezi

Wed. 2/8

  • What you need for class: Summary/Precis of article
  • What we will be doing: Work day on Precis/Textual Analysis
  • For next time: Final draft of Literacy Narrative; Progress on draft of Textual Analysis

Week 6 (ENG 101 C03) 2/13-2/15

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Mon. 2/13

  • What you need for class: Due: Final draft of Literacy Narrative; Progress on Textual Analysis
  • What we will be doing: Review MLA in-text citation; Introduce MLA Works Cited (Resources: Norton Field Guide MLA section and Purdue OWL website); Review Textual Analysis Rubric and Worksheet; Work on draft of analysis for Wed. workshop.
  • For next time: Textual Analysis Draft Workshop

Wed. 2/15

  • What you need for class: Draft of Textual Analysis (must have 2 hard copies)
  • What we will be doing: Workshop using Textual Analysis Rubric and Worksheet
  • For next time: Read NFG “Just Be Nice” 671-675; “Anti-Intellectualism…” 691-695

Week 7 (ENG 101 C03) 2/20-2/22

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Mon. 2/20

  • What you need for class: Read NFG “Just Be Nice” 671-675; “Anti-Intellectualism…” 691-695
  • What we will be doing: Discussion and MLA style
  • For next time: Revise textual analysis. No class meeting (see below).

Wed. 2/22

I will be presenting at the Two-Year College English Association’s conference in Virginia, so today’s class is cancelled. Please continue to work on your textual analysis papers You are most likely done with higher order concerns (HOCs) and can now focus on lower order concerns (LOCs) such as grammar, punctuation, word choice, and MLA formatting.

For next time: Your final draft of the textual analysis essay will be due on Wed. 2/29. Also, read “Finding and Evaluating Sources” 384-403 in NFG. Reading quiz???

Getting Started: Exploratory Question Drafts

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Prompt: To get you thinking about your research paper, I’d like you to generate a list of questions related to topics that interest you. To get the project off to a strong start I’ve asked you to compose an exploratory draft, or a “question draft.”

You aren’t yet making arguments, thesis statements or even reading sources.  You are just thinking of interesting topics based off what you know and perhaps some preliminary research (i.e. quick web searches, wikis, or just browsing article titles or book chapters).

Some things to keep in mind regarding your exploratory draft:

  1. The exploratory/question draft should focus upon questions related to your issue that you are interested in researching.Try to generate about a dozen questions which go in many different directions with your potential areas of study at the center.
  2. The purpose of this writing exercise is to find more specific avenues of study.  For example, if a topic that interests you is Motown music you could ask: How has Motown music influenced contemporary genres? How did the Motown record label affect the record industry of the time? Did Motown music influence/challenge/change white culture? What was the political climate of Motown? How is the women’s movement represented in Motown music?  The point is to generate potential arguments/positions to explore.  Preliminary research may be helpful for some of you.
  3. Reminder: A research paper is not a book report.  You will be making claims, drawing conclusions and demonstrating critical and analytical thought. But you won’t have a position or arguments just yet, so don’t worry.  However, asking questions likes the ones above ask you to go further than just presenting what others have said, they ask you to prove something or convince the reader of something.

Please bring a copy of a one-page exploratory draft to class.

Week 8 (ENG 101 C03) 2/27-2/29

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Mon. 2/27

Wed. 2/29

Week 9 (ENG 101 C03) 3/5-3/7

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Mon. 3/5

  • What you need for class: Have read NFG Maggie Cutler’s “Whodunit?–the Media?” (684); Materials related to your proposal
  • What we will be doing: Discussion; Creating Keywords, search terms, exploring databases
  • For next time: Draft of proposal; evidence you’ve begun a reading list
Wed. 3/7

 

Week 11 (ENG 101 C03) 3/19-3/21

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Mon. 3/19

Wed. 3/21

  • What you need for class: Final draft of proposal with reading list
  • What we will be doing: In class we will read Alina Tugend’s “Multitasking…” 653-657. Then you will write one of the following: a brief summary of the piece; an effective paraphrase of a passage; a quote from the text with an attributive lead-in and follow-up sentence. This is practice for your research paper.
  • For next time: Bring in two sources from your reading list.

 

Week 12 (ENG 101 C03) 3/26-3/28

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Mon. 3/26
  • What you need for class: Two “long read” sources from your reading list (this will be checked off for a participation grade)
  • What we will be doing: Reading, annotating, evaluating
  • For next time:

Wed. 3/28

  • What you need for class: Research project sources
  • What we will be doing: Library or in-class workday
  • For next time:

 

Week 14 (ENG 101 P09) 4/9-4/11

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Mon. 4/9/12

  • What you need for class:
  • What we will be doing: Review final portfolio
  • For next time: Full draft of research paper for peer workshop (bring 2 hard copies)

Wed. 4/11/12

  • What you need for class: Two copies of research paper for peer workshop
  • What we will be doing: Workshop
  • For next time: Conferences all next week

Week 15 & 16 & Final Exam (ENG 101 P09) 4/16-4/23

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Mon. 4/16: No class. Please attend your conference time. Due to the number of students and time, I cannot reschedule. Please make it a priority to be on time. Missing a conference is equal to two absences!

Wed. 4/18: No class. Please attend your conference time. Due to the number of students and time, I cannot reschedule. Please make it a priority to be on time. Missing a conference is equal to two absences!

Mon. 4/23: Assembling portfolios! Bring materials to class to put your portfolio together.

Final Exam: Portfolios are due no later than the end of our final exam period, Mon. 4/30, 8-10AM. Late portfolios (ex: 10:30AM) will not be accepted.

Week 1 (ENG 155 C03) 1/9-1/11

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Mon. 1/9/2012

Wed. 1/11/2012

  • What you need for class: finish chapter 1; completed diagnostic sent to instructor via email.
  • What we will be doing: discuss chapter 1; communication and rhetoric; technology: the good and bad
  • For next time: read chapter 2; add to the wiki (drop-down menu under course link on website): first create an account and request access (see second video), then head to the Web 2.0 examples page on the wiki and add content.

Week 3 (ENG 155 C03) 1/23-/1/25

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Mon. 1/23/12
    • What you need for class: draft of business culture memo
    • What we will be doing: discuss chapter 3; business culture memo review;
    • For next time: work on business culture memo submitted via email (Due no later than Friday, Jan. 27 by 5PM); study for test on Wednesday, Jan. 25 (Study Guide)

Wed. 1/25/12

  • What you need for class: Reminder: business culture memo due on Friday by 5pm
  • What we will be doing: Review Ch 1-3; Test prep
  • For next time: Test Ch 1-3

Week 6 (ENG 155 C03) 2/13-2/15

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Mon. 2/13

Want to see a post from a group in last semester’s class that met both my expectations and those of TheDigitel? Why do you think I gave it an A? Hint: Read TheDigitel writing style guide as well as what your textbook has to say about effective writing!

  • What you need for class: Have begun to plan group project
  • What we will be doing: group project work day
  • For next time:

Wed. 2/15

Week 7 (ENG 155 C03) 2/20-2/22

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Mon. 2/20

  • What you need for class: Be prepared for Test #2!
  • What we will be doing: test #2 on chapters 4, 5, 6
  • For next time: Continue: Group Project; Read chapters 7 and 8

Wed. 2/22

I will be presented at the Two-Year College English Association conference in Virginia, so today’s class will be CANCELLED. You will be responsible for reading chapters 7 and 8 and beginning your next short writing assignment: routine and positive message assignment.

You should have completed a draft of your group project and should be working to revise your message using concepts learned in chapters 5 and 6.

We will pick up on Monday with a discussion of chapter 8. Group projects will be due on Wednesday 2/29.

Week 8 (ENG 155 C03) 2/27-2/29

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Mon. 2/27
Wed. 2/29

Negative Messages on Prezi

Week 9 (ENG 155 C03) 3/5-3/7

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Mon. 3/5

    • What you need for class: have emailed routine assignment; read ch 10
    • What we will be doing: Discuss chapter 10; introduce persuasive message assignment
    • For next time: Read chapters 11-12
Wed. 3/7

Career Report & Presentation

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tyro to the new world

To: ENG 155 Students
From: Professor Blumberg
Subject: Career Report Assignment
Due: See schedule (turn in hard copy w/ presentation OR electronic version before presentation)

The purpose of this assignment is to gain experience constructing a formal informational report on a career that interests you as well as a 5-7 minute presentation of your report.  Your audience consists of class members that are interested in learning more about a career/vocation. You may choose any career in which you are interested. This project draws specifically from chapters 11-14.

The report body must cover AT LEAST the following about the career (but not necessarily organized in this order):

1. general description of career (what you do)
2. name of positions within the career
3. type of employment (self-employed, major corporations, small businesses)
4. educational background and work experience needed
5. career locations (where are these jobs located)
6. earnings potential
7. outlook for growth

Additionally, you will need to document the sources that are used to gather any information about your report subject.  Do not undocumented websites or Wikipedia.  Instead, use the websites provided in your textbook and the resources suggested at the library. (Hint: the Bureau of Labor Statistics website can answer nearly every category listed above).  Document these sources in the body of your text by simply naming the source in the sentence in which a quote, paraphrase or summary appears.

You need not follow a particular institution’s citation guidelines, but I will check the document for plagiarism.  I would recommend using APA or MLA style for your bibliography/works cited.

There will be some class time provided for work and assistance from the instructor, but keep in mind that this is the most intensive assignment we’ve had so far.  You should expect to spend a considerable amount of time on it in order to receive a good grade.

Format Requirements: This assignment will follow some aspects of formal report formatting.  You must include a cover page that includes your name, report title, and course.  You must have a report body section that includes navigational cues such as headings and subheading.  You must also include a references/works cited page that shows each source you used in the report.  Attention should be given to visual design and you may use visual aids as you see fit.  Document must be typed.

Rubric for Report:

_____  50%                 Content.  Information is clearly expressed in paragraphs and is relevant.  Each aspect of the career outlined above is included.

_____   20%                Report format.  Cover page, body, bibliography included.

_____   20%                Report is free of major errors in GSP.

_____   10%                Visual design.  Report is aesthetically pleasing, easy to read.  Visuals, if used, are purposeful.

Rubric for Presentation: Presentations will be adapted from your report with the instructor and class as your audience. The presentation should be 5-7 minutes in length, so considerable adaptation of the report is necessary. Please consult chapter 14. Speech Rubric

Here are some resources I created for this project:

Week 11 (ENG 155 C03) 3/19-3/21

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Mon. 3/19

  • What you need for class: Finished chapters 11-13
  • What we will be doing: Finish discussion on reports; if time allows, introduce report project
  • For next time: Read chapter 14; Review Career Report Project; Check out a sample student report (Grade: A)

Wed. 3/21

  • What you need for class: Submitted persuasive message; Read chapter 14
  • What we will be doing: Discuss chapter 14; Review Career Report Project
  • For next time: Library Workday

 

Week 12 (ENG 155 C03) 3/26-3/28

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Mon. 3/26

  • What you need for class: Report Materials
  • What we will be doing: Meet in the Library.
  • For next time: Final library workday for career reports

Wed. 3/28

  • What you need for class: Report Materials
  • What we will be doing: Meet in the Library.
  • For next time:  Read Ch 15: Building Careers and Writing Résumés

 

 

Week 13 (ENG 155 C03) 4/2-4/4

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Mon. 4/2

  • What you need for class: Draft of report/presentation for workshop
  • What we will be doing: Collaborative workshop
  • For next time: Read chapter 15

Wed. 4/4

  • What you need for class: Read Ch 15
  • What we will be doing: Discuss Ch 15; Introduce final project (due for final exam)
  • For next time: Career Report & Presentations all next week. See next week’s schedule to see which day you’ll be presenting.