Week 4/Day 9—Monday, September 11
Homework due Today
- Begin making global revisions on your A1; bring a draft for SCS (Style/Convention Seminar) next class.
- (Optional for Instructor to Assign): Respond to Discussion#3 on Canvas: “Workshop Reflection.” Reflect on this week’s workshops. Consider the following: Did you get what you needed from the workshop? Why or why not? What’s something about the workshop you’d like to remain the same next time we workshop? Why? What’s something you would want to be different next time? Why? Your response should be at least 250 words and is due ______by ______.
Lesson Objectives
- Conduct a style/convention seminar
- Develop editing strategies to better understand writing as a process
- Learning important elements of academic discourse
Prep
First, familiarize yourself with the style issues you will be teaching today. Fill in the chart for author tags in the PowerPoint for yourself, and consider Googling for lists of author tags. Students typically generate a good list, but it’s helpful to have your own, too. Even though these style/convention matters may come easily or naturally to you, you will still need to be able to teach it to someone else who may significantly struggle with it.
Materials
- Netbook/laptop with SCS#1 PowerPoint (available in Assignment 1: Materials)
- Transitions and author tags notes and examples
- Students should have a draft of their A1 to apply these concepts to their own writing
Lead-in
Last time students were engaged in a global revision workshop; today they will engage in a directed, local editing process. First you will introduce a few techniques and strategies with the purpose of writing with connections and attributions; then, students will apply these techniques to their own drafts—at least one summary.
ACTIVITIES
Attendance
Go through the “Transitions and Author Tags” PowerPoint (20 minutes)
These notes and activities are available on the PowerPoint. Be sure to go through slowly enough so students can copy down examples, ask questions, etc.
Apply Transitions and Author Tags to A1 draft (10 minutes)
Ask students to switch portfolios with a partner who will carefully revise at least one summary using the strategies and techniques just discussed, showing where the author can add author tags or make their author tags more appropriate and/or varied. You will likely have time for students to read all three summaries from a peer, or you may decide to have students switch two or three times, each time with a different summary. Alternatively, you could have one person read for author tag comments and another for transitions.
Address “Burning Questions” (15 minutes)
Students often have questions once they have completed a draft or two of the assignment. Some may not feel very comfortable asking these in front of the class, so one way to obtain questions from everyone is to ask them to write their “burning questions” on an anonymous piece of paper and put it in a bag. Go through the questions with the class, eliciting the class to answer questions whenever possible and showing where to find answers on the assignment sheet.
A1 Wrap Up (5 minutes)
Remind students how to submit an assignment to Canvas, the deadline, and your late policy (if you have one). You may also want to review MLA formatting.
Assign Homework
- Use your workshop notes (the global peer revision and the SCS notes) to revise and polish your draft of A1, and bring a hard-copy of the analysis ready to submit at the beginning of class for a grade (if you’re doing electronic submissions, adapt these submission requirements) —the analysis should be double-spaced using 12-point Times New Roman font and stapled with your name and section number at the top.
- Insert your own “turn-in” policy here. You may want to collect all drafts, revision plans, workshop worksheets, etc. with the final draft. This can all be collected in a pocket folder. Whatever your preference, be specific as to what the students need to bring.
Conclude Class
Students may be a bit nervous about submitting their first graded assignment next time. Be sure to offer your support and remind them of office hours.
Connection to Next Class
Students will submit their polished A1s next class after reflecting on their first project. Then you will review the conversation model and introduce stakeholders.