Wednesday, December 5
In class:
Monday, December 3
In class:
Friday, November 30
In class:
For next time:
Reread all of the work you’ve completed this semester—including rough drafts, writer’s letters, final drafts, and maybe comments from your peers and me. After reading and analyzing your texts, choose three moments that stand out in your learning. Why do these stand out? You may want to think about the various rhetorical strategies you employed, the ways in which you conceived of audience, the creative and strategic ways in which you hooked your readers, and so forth. After briefly describing each of moment, explain how your learning of rhetoric, composition, and/or writing was extended, challenged, or strengthened. Try to write at least 300 words.
Wednesday, November 28
In class:
2. Megan
3. Trevor
4. Javon
5. Alyssa MAy
6. Ethan Elshoff
7. Riley
8. Forest
9. Chris Garcia
10. bud radis
11. Eric
12.Jamie Mincy
Monday, November 26
In class:
Friday, November 16
In class:
Note schedule change: Inquiry 4 is now due Monday, November 26
Wednesday, November 14
In class:
Monday, November 12
In class:
Friday, November 9
In class:
For next time:
Wednesday, November 7
In class:
For next time:
Monday, November 5
In class:
For next time:
Blog 12 Prompt
Proposal
In about 200 words or so, write a brief proposal for your Inquiry 4. Start by trying to articulate the specific audience you're wanting to target. You can think of audience in terms of demographics--i.e. age, class, sex, etc. But you might also think of audience in terms of values (i.e. "I'm wanting to appeal to people who are concerned they're not living a healthy lifestyle. I'll appeal to this audience by..."). Following a discussion of audience, try to walk me through your initial ideas. What sort of modes will you use and why? What sort of tone will you seek to establish and why? How will you structure your video and why? This proposal should extend the in-class writing we did both on Wednesday and Friday.
Friday, November 2
Class Cancelled
Wednesday, October 31
In class:
Blog 11—in class
How will you approach this assignment? Take about 5 minutes or so doing YouTube searches—using a variety of key words—on your topic. Pay attention to the affordances being used: sound effects, music, text titles, interviews, cuts, transitions, etc. From here, start thinking about how you might approach this assignment. What will the “mood” be like? What will the tone be like? How might you use sound? How might you use visuals? Will you record your own video/sound? Will you work within the constraints of an already established genre (like a PSA, an interview, or maybe even a meme)? Take about 10 minutes to write some of your initial ideas.
For next time:
Monday, October 29
In class:
For next time:
Monday, October 22
In class:
For next time:
Blog 10 Prompt:
Choose one paragraph in your draft — the one that you think needs the most work. Based on some of the style issues we’ve talked about in class (conciseness, use of transitions, variation in sentence structure, etc.), try to radically revise the paragraph. Post both paragraphs to the forum. Then, note which one you like better and why. Hopefully you can incorporate the revision in your final draft.
Friday, October 19
In class:
For next time:
Wednesday, October 17
In class:
For next time:
Monday, October 15
In class:
For next time:
Prompt:
In whatever way is useful to you, begin to think about how you want to organize your argument. For this blog, then, you should provide some sort of outline for your argument. You can use a traditional outline format. Or you can use alternative approaches (such as a cluster map). Try to make this as useful as possible.
Some examples:
Outline example (PDF)
Outline maker (web)
Wednesday, October 10
In class:
For next time:
Monday, October 8
In class:
For next time:
Friday, October 5
In class:
For next time:
Wednesday, October 3
In class:
For next time:
Blog 7 Prompt
Write, in about 300 words, about your research process so far. Some questions you may want to consider: What are you finding? What types of sources are useful? What challenges are you facing? What's working well?
Monday, October 1
In class:
Friday, September 28
In class:
For next time:
Wednesday, September 26
In class:
For next time:
The Public Issue Argument essay requires that you make an argument on a topic using library-based research. Choosing a topic to investigate, therefore, becomes increasingly important. For this assignment, in a one-page memorandum addressed to me, you will propose at least two topics that you wish to investigate and research for the Public Issue Argument. When thinking about topic choice, you should keep in mind the length of the final paper (about 2,000 words), and you should also remember that the thesis of your argument must be arguable. In other words, you must carefully present your viewpoint based on good reasons and evidence, and also provide your readers with the opposing viewpoint(s).
Make sure to include the following in each proposed topic:
Monday, September 24
In-class:
Friday, September 21
In class:
For next time:
Wednesday, September 19
In class:
For next time:
Monday, September 17
In class:
For next time:
Friday, September 13
In-class
For next time:
Blog 5 prompt:
For this blog, you can do one of two things. You can either 1) forward to my email ([email protected]) the certificate of the quiz you take on the eScholar website, or 2) write a blog detailing your experience with research and using sources. If you choose to write the blog, feel free to ask questions about research and/or using sources.
Wednesday, September 12
In class:
For next time:
Monday, September 10
In class:
For next time:
Friday, September 7
In class:
For next time:
Blog 4 Prompt:
For Blog 4, I’d like for you to propose at least two (you can propose more) texts you may want to analyze for Inquiry II. Be sure to do the following for each text:
Wednesday, September 5
Major Paper Due:
In class:
For next time:
Write an informal blog post about ethos, logos, and pathos. Use this space as something you can refer back to when you write your rhetorical analyses. You may want to take some informal notes on definitions and examples.
Below are more questions that may be productive to write about:
How do the Aristotelian appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos allow rhetorical analysts to “dig deep” into communication? In other words, what can each appeal tell you about a particular piece of rhetoric (a text)? Does each appeal need to be analyzed on its own or should they be viewed together? Do you think that ethos, logos, and pathos tell us enough about rhetoric? In other words, what’s left out? What don’t we know if we were to analyze texts only through the lens of ethos, pathos, and logos?
Friday, August 31
In class:
For next time:
Wednesday, August 29
In class:
For next time:
Monday, August 27
In class:
For next time:
Blog 2 Prompt:
For this blog post, begin writing your reflection letter for Inquiry I. Consider this blog as a space to describe the process you went through while writing your reflective narrative. In her essay, Giles provides some specific questions (p. 194) that may help you start your reflection. I think the below questions she provides will be a good starting point.
Describe your process of working on the essay. How did you narrow the assigned topic? What kind of planning did you do? What steps did you go through, what changes did you make along the way, what decisions did you face, and how did you make the decisions? How did comments from your peers, in peer workshop, help you?
I’m hoping that this can be something you use when you turn in your final writer’s letter (due next Wed). So, at risk of sounding too into process, consider this blog entry your writer’s letter first draft.
Friday, August 24
In class:
For next time:
In class:
- Freewrite (blog 14)
- Discuss grading expectations for Inquiry 5
- Workshop time for Inquiry 5
Monday, December 3
In class:
- Wrap up remix inquiry
- Weebly walkthrough
Friday, November 30
In class:
- Finish up presentations (Bud, Eric, Jamie, and Forest)
- Introduce Inquiry V
For next time:
- Blog 13
Reread all of the work you’ve completed this semester—including rough drafts, writer’s letters, final drafts, and maybe comments from your peers and me. After reading and analyzing your texts, choose three moments that stand out in your learning. Why do these stand out? You may want to think about the various rhetorical strategies you employed, the ways in which you conceived of audience, the creative and strategic ways in which you hooked your readers, and so forth. After briefly describing each of moment, explain how your learning of rhetoric, composition, and/or writing was extended, challenged, or strengthened. Try to write at least 300 words.
Wednesday, November 28
In class:
- Presentations (we'll try to get through as many as possible and will carry the remainder into Friday)
2. Megan
3. Trevor
4. Javon
5. Alyssa MAy
6. Ethan Elshoff
7. Riley
8. Forest
9. Chris Garcia
10. bud radis
11. Eric
12.Jamie Mincy
Monday, November 26
In class:
- Presentations
- 1. Alexis Pihoker
2.Jake LaFrance
3. Michael Henry
4. Amy
5. Alec
6. Jennifer Kilyk
7. Billy and Greg
8. Christina
9. Megan
- More presentations
Friday, November 16
In class:
- Presentation expectations
- Sign up for Presentations (wiki)
- Peer response
Note schedule change: Inquiry 4 is now due Monday, November 26
Wednesday, November 14
In class:
- In-class work time
Monday, November 12
In class:
- Discuss Written Reflection Expectations
- Open in-class work day
- Poll: What would be most useful on Wednesday?
- Archive of videos: http://archive.org/details/prelinger
Friday, November 9
In class:
- wevideo demonstration
For next time:
- Try to have some raw media to work with on Monday (video, images, sound, text)
Wednesday, November 7
In class:
- Reminder submit to Composition Awards
- Set up wevideo accounts
- Review and comment on peers' proposals
- Begin outlining/storyboarding
For next time:
- Bring headphones
Monday, November 5
In class:
- Discuss initial ideas (whole group discussion)
- Rethink audience (Who are you composing for?)
- Alter schedule
- Fair Use, Copyright, and the Ethics of Online Video Hosting (Best Practices, Creative Commons, A Fair(y) Use Tale)
For next time:
- Read Best Practices
- Blog 12 due
Blog 12 Prompt
Proposal
In about 200 words or so, write a brief proposal for your Inquiry 4. Start by trying to articulate the specific audience you're wanting to target. You can think of audience in terms of demographics--i.e. age, class, sex, etc. But you might also think of audience in terms of values (i.e. "I'm wanting to appeal to people who are concerned they're not living a healthy lifestyle. I'll appeal to this audience by..."). Following a discussion of audience, try to walk me through your initial ideas. What sort of modes will you use and why? What sort of tone will you seek to establish and why? How will you structure your video and why? This proposal should extend the in-class writing we did both on Wednesday and Friday.
Friday, November 2
Class Cancelled
Wednesday, October 31
In class:
- Discuss affordances of video
- Watch more examples (video 1, video 2, video 3)
- In-class brainstorm: How will you approach this assignment?
Blog 11—in class
How will you approach this assignment? Take about 5 minutes or so doing YouTube searches—using a variety of key words—on your topic. Pay attention to the affordances being used: sound effects, music, text titles, interviews, cuts, transitions, etc. From here, start thinking about how you might approach this assignment. What will the “mood” be like? What will the tone be like? How might you use sound? How might you use visuals? Will you record your own video/sound? Will you work within the constraints of an already established genre (like a PSA, an interview, or maybe even a meme)? Take about 10 minutes to write some of your initial ideas.
For next time:
- Read Online CCM, "Facebooks for Disney Princesses" and "Depression PSA"
Monday, October 29
In class:
- Introduce Inquiry 4
- Discuss example of remix/remediation (article to video 1 and video 2)
- Small group discussion: What makes a video "good"?
For next time:
- Read Wikipedia entries (Remix Culture and Participatory Culture)
- If you have them, bring headphones to class!
- Blog 11 will be done in-class Wednesday
Monday, October 22
In class:
- Build a collaborative rubric (Inquiry III Rubric)
- Discuss style (style and grammar)
For next time:
- No class on Wednesday and Friday -- be sure to sign up for conferences via the course wiki
- Blog 10 due Wednesday (10/24)
- Inquiry 3 Final (with writer's letter) due Monday (10/29)
- Watch "Everything Is a Remix" (web) due Monday (10/29)
Blog 10 Prompt:
Choose one paragraph in your draft — the one that you think needs the most work. Based on some of the style issues we’ve talked about in class (conciseness, use of transitions, variation in sentence structure, etc.), try to radically revise the paragraph. Post both paragraphs to the forum. Then, note which one you like better and why. Hopefully you can incorporate the revision in your final draft.
Friday, October 19
In class:
- Peer response
For next time:
- Reading due: Stedman (pdf)
- Blog postponed until Wednesday
Wednesday, October 17
In class:
- Mapping your argument (Prezi)
- Discuss student essays in CCM (online CCM)
For next time:
- Peer response (at least 4 pages with plenty of questions in the margins!)
Monday, October 15
In class:
- Discuss Inquiry 3 Part B in greater depth
- Freewriting
- Developing a working thesis
For next time:
- Read CCM essays "Sustainable Energy" (pages 115-121) and "Internet Filters Hinder Student Research" (pages 75-81)
- Blog 9 due
Prompt:
In whatever way is useful to you, begin to think about how you want to organize your argument. For this blog, then, you should provide some sort of outline for your argument. You can use a traditional outline format. Or you can use alternative approaches (such as a cluster map). Try to make this as useful as possible.
Some examples:
Outline example (PDF)
Outline maker (web)
Wednesday, October 10
In class:
- Follow up to plagiarism discussion (key themes doc)
- In-class writing: synthesis paper
For next time:
- Read Hacker (pdf)
Monday, October 8
In class:
- Discuss highlights from Inquiry 2
- Define plagiarism
- Critically examine originality, authorship, and plagiarism (Girl Talk, RiP Trailer, and 'Mixing')
- Redefine plagiarism
- Tips on avoiding plagiarism
For next time:
- Read EA Chapter 19
- Bring sources, annotated bib with you to class (Blog 8 will be done in-class on Wednesday)
Friday, October 5
In class:
- Topics discussion
- Using sources rhetorically (read "New Literacy")
- APA workshop
For next time:
- Annotated Bib due
- Read EA chapter 18
Wednesday, October 3
In class:
- Finding sources discussion and activity
For next time:
- Browse Purdue OWL APA
- Blog 7 Due
Blog 7 Prompt
Write, in about 300 words, about your research process so far. Some questions you may want to consider: What are you finding? What types of sources are useful? What challenges are you facing? What's working well?
Monday, October 1
In class:
- Meet at King Library for library instruction
- Read Howard (pdf) -- sent file to your email
Friday, September 28
In class:
- Read "If I Were A Poor Black Kid"
- Debate
For next time:
- Possible Library Day--check your email for confirmation by Sunday
Wednesday, September 26
In class:
- Lecture: Possible Arrangements for Arguments
- Audience discussion
- Initial brainstorm
For next time:
- Read: Judging Rhetoric (focus especially on 43-50) and Rogerian Rhetoric
- HW due: Blog 6
The Public Issue Argument essay requires that you make an argument on a topic using library-based research. Choosing a topic to investigate, therefore, becomes increasingly important. For this assignment, in a one-page memorandum addressed to me, you will propose at least two topics that you wish to investigate and research for the Public Issue Argument. When thinking about topic choice, you should keep in mind the length of the final paper (about 2,000 words), and you should also remember that the thesis of your argument must be arguable. In other words, you must carefully present your viewpoint based on good reasons and evidence, and also provide your readers with the opposing viewpoint(s).
Make sure to include the following in each proposed topic:
- Topic overview (what’s the topic about?)
- The possible argument (how can you craft an argument out of the topic?)
- Opposing view(s) (does your proposed argument have at least two viewpoints?)
- Your interest (how are you connected to the argument?)
- Call to action (how can you move your readers to act or consider your viewpoint?)
Monday, September 24
In-class:
- Lecture: The relationship between writing and knowledge
- Mousetrap exercise
- Introduction to Inquiry 3: The Public Issue Argument
- Reading due: EA Chapter 7
- Major Assignment due: Inquiry 2 (final draft and writer's letter)
Friday, September 21
In class:
- Lecture/discussion: Rhetorical Analysis Checklist
- Citing YouTube in MLA
- In-class work time
For next time:
- Reading due: "Academic Arguments" (web); a timely editorial of your choice (for example, NY Times, Cincy Enquirer,Bitch Media, The Atlantic, etc.)
Wednesday, September 19
In class:
- Peer response (Inquiry II)
For next time:
- Reading due: reread your draft and your peers' comments
- Bring to class: your Inquiry 2 draft and the CCM
Monday, September 17
In class:
- Wrap up presentations
- "Good Hair"/Analysis discussion
- In-class writing: Practicing Analysis
For next time:
- Rough Draft due: Inquiry II
Friday, September 13
In-class
- Mini Rhetorical Analyses: Group Presentations
- Discussion of "Good Hair" in CCM
For next time:
- Read Miami eScholar
- Read Steps to Writing a Rhetorical Analysis
- HW due: Blog 5
- Bring CCM to class
Blog 5 prompt:
For this blog, you can do one of two things. You can either 1) forward to my email ([email protected]) the certificate of the quiz you take on the eScholar website, or 2) write a blog detailing your experience with research and using sources. If you choose to write the blog, feel free to ask questions about research and/or using sources.
Wednesday, September 12
In class:
- In-class writing: Thinking about digital rhetoric
- Multimodal rhetorical analysis (in groups)
For next time:
- Read "Good Hair" in CCM (pages 99-104)
- Bring CCM with you to class
Monday, September 10
In class:
- Finish group presentations on Silko's "Border Patrol State"
- Twitter Discussion: Watch Michelle Obama's DNC Speech
For next time:
- Watch "A Season of Silence" (example of digital rhetoric)
- Browse your favorite website
Friday, September 7
In class:
- Rhetorical canon overview
- Silko discussion (personal reactions)
- Silko rhetorical analysis (in groups)
For next time:
- Read EA Chapter 5
- HW: Blog 4
Blog 4 Prompt:
For Blog 4, I’d like for you to propose at least two (you can propose more) texts you may want to analyze for Inquiry II. Be sure to do the following for each text:
- Offer a brief description of the text (What is it? Where can it be accessed? Is it strictly alphabetic text or is it multimodal (images, sound, etc.)?)
- Describe why you find the text intriguing (Why do you want to analyze the text? What interests you about it? Do you have an emotional reaction to it? Etc.)
- Discuss whether or not you think you can adequately analyze the text. (Is it substantial? Do you find it rhetorically interesting? Are rhetorical appeals (im)balanced? Do you find the text (in)effective?)
Wednesday, September 5
Major Paper Due:
- Inquiry I (final and writer's letter)
In class:
- (Re)defining rhetoric
- Rhetorical analysis discussion
- Introduction to Inquiry II
- Tying Inquiries I and II together
For next time:
- Read EA chapters 2, 3, and 4
- Review Silko (we will apply Aristotelian appeals to Silko in-class on Friday)
- HW due: Blog 3
Write an informal blog post about ethos, logos, and pathos. Use this space as something you can refer back to when you write your rhetorical analyses. You may want to take some informal notes on definitions and examples.
Below are more questions that may be productive to write about:
How do the Aristotelian appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos allow rhetorical analysts to “dig deep” into communication? In other words, what can each appeal tell you about a particular piece of rhetoric (a text)? Does each appeal need to be analyzed on its own or should they be viewed together? Do you think that ethos, logos, and pathos tell us enough about rhetoric? In other words, what’s left out? What don’t we know if we were to analyze texts only through the lens of ethos, pathos, and logos?
Friday, August 31
In class:
- Read model essay
- Copia activity
- Style activity
For next time:
- Read Silko
- Submit Inquiry I Final Draft and Writer's Letter to drop box (via Niihka) by 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept 5
Wednesday, August 29
In class:
- Discuss reading
- Discuss writer's letters
- Reading reflections
For next time:
- Bring a copy of your favorite book to class (think stylistically!)
Monday, August 27
In class:
- Briefly discuss "Shitty First Drafts" and peer response expectations
- Peer response
For next time:
- Read Giles (pdf)
- Bring CCM to class
- HW due: Blog 2
Blog 2 Prompt:
For this blog post, begin writing your reflection letter for Inquiry I. Consider this blog as a space to describe the process you went through while writing your reflective narrative. In her essay, Giles provides some specific questions (p. 194) that may help you start your reflection. I think the below questions she provides will be a good starting point.
Describe your process of working on the essay. How did you narrow the assigned topic? What kind of planning did you do? What steps did you go through, what changes did you make along the way, what decisions did you face, and how did you make the decisions? How did comments from your peers, in peer workshop, help you?
I’m hoping that this can be something you use when you turn in your final writer’s letter (due next Wed). So, at risk of sounding too into process, consider this blog entry your writer’s letter first draft.
Friday, August 24
In class:
- Introduction to rhetoric, the rhetorical situation, and kairos (prezi here)
- Group activity: What was Amy Tan's rhetorical situation?
- Discuss peer response expectations
- In-class writing: start or work on reflective narrative (if time permits)
For next time:
- Read "Shitty First Drafts"
- Complete Inquiry I first draft (a shitty one is ok) :)
Wednesday, August 22
In class:
For next time: Read Everything's An Argument (EA) Chapter 1; Review Tan (we'll talk about it in class on Friday)
Monday, August 20
In class:
Blog 1 prompt: Before you do the reading, provide a working definition of what inquiry means to you. You may borrow from a dictionary and/or web source, but try to state it in a way that makes sense to you. Below your definition, try to answer some of these questions:
In class:
- How to use Niihka forums
- In-class writing: thinking about writing successes/difficulties
- Introduce Inquiry 1
- In-class writing: brainstorming ideas for first inquiry
For next time: Read Everything's An Argument (EA) Chapter 1; Review Tan (we'll talk about it in class on Friday)
Monday, August 20
In class:
- Introductions
- Discuss syllabus
- Discuss reading expectations
Blog 1 prompt: Before you do the reading, provide a working definition of what inquiry means to you. You may borrow from a dictionary and/or web source, but try to state it in a way that makes sense to you. Below your definition, try to answer some of these questions:
- What do you think Tan is trying to do with this piece of writing? What does “Mother Tongue” accomplish?
- What questions do you think she asked herself before she began writing?
- Do you think Tan is trying to augment knowledge? Why or why not?
- Does Tan make you think differently about reflection? Why or why not?