What’s Next? Thinking About

Life After High School

Developed by Rick Hansen

MODULE: STUDENT VERSION

Reading Selections for this Module

Graff, Gerald. “Hidden Intellectualism.”They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in AcademicWriting.Eds. Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. 2nd ed. New York: W. W. Norton,2010. 198-205. Print.

Hansen, Rick. “FAQ Guide for College or Work.” 2012.

Hansen, Rick. “Web Site Resources.” 2012.

Pérez, Angel B. “Want to Get Into College? Learn to Fail.” Education Week 31.19 (2012): 23. Print.

Rodriguez, Joe. “10 Rules for Going to College When Nobody Really Expected You To.”Student Sites.SunShine Web Enterprise, 4 June 2012. Web.1 Aug. 2012.<

Schlack, Lawrence B. “Not Going to College is a Viable Option.” Education.com, n.d. Web. Mar.2013. <

“The 10 Most Common Excuses for Not Going to College and Why They’re All Wrong.”

everyCircle.com, n.d. Web. Mar. 2013. <

University of North Texas. “Why Go to College?” How 2 Choose. University of North Texas, 23Mar. 2010. Web. 18 Aug. 2012. <

Activity1:GettingReadytoRead—AnOverviewof
“What’sNext? Thinking aboutLifeAfterHigh School”

Forthelastfewyearsofyourlife,highschoolhasmadeseveral demandsonyourtimeandenergy.Manypeople—teachers, family, schoolfigures,andothers—have workedhardpreparingyouforlife afterhighschool;andwhileyoumayormaynothavedevotedas muchtimeandattentionas youwouldliketolifeafterhighschool, thefactisthatthisstageofyourlifeisdrawingtoa closeandyou areconfrontedwiththeageoldquestion: What’snextforme?

Lifeafterhighschoolcantakemanyforms—someofyoumaybe preparingforcollege,andothersmaybepreparingforworkof anotherkind.Regardlessofyourreadinessas a studentandan individual,thinkingabouthowreadyyouaretoenterthenextstage ofyourlifeandmakinga fewdecisionsabouthowtogetstartedon thatpathareimportanttasksthatsupport yourpotentialsuccesses. Thismodule invitesyoutodojustthat—figureoutwhatitisyou wanttodonext,considerhowwellpreparedyouareforthenext stageofyourlife,andthenbegintodevelopplansformakingthe transitionintolifeafterhighschool.

Duringthenextfewweeks,youwillbelooking intoyourpast experiences,figuringoutwhereyouexcelandwhereyouneedmore preparation,andthenputtingtogether a portfoliothatwillrepresent theworkyouhavedonetoidentify,assess, andthenexpressyourgoals,plans,andreadinessforwhatever avenueoflifeyou intendtopursue.Thefinalexpression ofyourresearchwillbethe developmentofoneortwopiecesofwriting.

  1. If you believe you are more inclinedtopursuea careerorenter theworkforce,writea “letter of introduction”tothework communityorjobthatyouwishtopursue.

OR

  1. Ifyouplan on entering college, write a personal essay for a college application.

Attheendofthismodule youwillhavereadaboutdifferentaspects ofcareerandcollegelife,donesomereflectionandwritingabout yourowngoalsandplans,andparticipatedinresearchaboutyour personalvisionforthefuture.Theseactivities willbedocumentedinyourportfolio,andtheinformationyougenerateduring these activities willhelpyouas youcomposethefinaltextforthe module—a letterofintroductionforworkora personalapplication essayforcollege.

The culminating projects of the module will include the following items:

  1. Acollectionofshorterwritingsyoudeveloptohelpyougenerate ideas,thinkaboutyourideas,andfinally makedecisionsabout— orevaluate—the ideasyouhave – GRADED PACKET
  1. FrequentlyAskedQuestions(FAQs)inwhichyouprovide answerstoimportantquestions regardingyourapplicationfora schoolorcareeropportunity

(We may replace this with a copy of your Senior Culminating Project that essentially represents the answers to the FAQ) – PORTFOLIO ITEM

  1. Yourletterofintroductionforworkora personalapplication essayforcollege – PORTFIOLIO ITEM

Workinthismodule providesguidanceandsupport as you investigatenotjustyourownhopesforthenextfewyearsbutalso therequirementsschoolsandworkplaces willputonyouas you enterthenextstageofyourlife.

Activity2:Quickwrite:ActivatingPriorKnowledge(Packet Item)

In this activity, you are using writing to collect ideas. In a way, you are taking inventory of your general thoughts about your future. If you need them, here are a few questions to get you started.

  1. Ifyouaregoingtocollege,whydidyoumakethisdecision,and wherewillyougo?
  1. Whatdoyouwanttogetfromyourcollegeexperience?
  1. Ifyouaregoingintotheworkworld orthemilitary,whyareyou choosing thatoption?
  1. Whatdoyouwantfromworkingorentering themilitaryorany othercareeryoumight beconsidering?

Onceyouhavefinished writing,rereadwhatyouhavewritten,and begintolistreasonswhy youarereadyforthenextstageofyourlife,or listquestionsregardingwhatyouneedtoknowaboutyourplans.

Activity3:ExploringKeyConcepts

Words are more than lists to memorize for a test; they are concepts, the ideas that allow us to distinguish ourselves from one another. Some of us feel “courageous,” others feel “cautious,” and yet others may feel “indifferent” or “unconcerned.” The task here is (1) tofind the words that best match ideas about who you think you are at this stage of your life; and (2) to begin to unpack these words for the information they provide about your attitudes and assumptions, skills and abilities, plans and goals. The more language youhaveto describe yourself and what you are bringing to the next stageof your life, the more opportunities you have to represent yourself accurately.

What follows is a rather brief list of words, certainly not a comprehensive list, that will help you find words that name the values and abilities you are bringing to the next stage of your life:

Activity 3–continued(Packet Item)

Lookthroughthelist,andchoose10 wordsthatbestfityoursenseof self.Writethemdownona separatesheetofpaper.

absent-minded
active
adventurous
analytical
angry
appreciative
artistic
booksmart
complicated
cool
curious
dependable
determined
developed
devoted
disciplined
respectful
responsible
scientific / self-aware
self-promoter
self-reliant
self-starter
selfish
serious
shineatwork
shyperson
smallsteps
enterprising
enthusiastic
family person
fearful
goal-setter
habitual
happy
helpful
hungry
impatient / Inarticulate
indispensable
influential
inquisitive
intellectual
kind
socialperson
streetsmart
stressed
talkative
trustworthy
truthful
underachiever
valiant
warrior
wishful
worrier
leader
lifeofthemind / light-hearted
lowselfesteem
mindful
motivated
optimistic
organized
outgoing
passionate
patient
persuasive
pessimistic
positive self esteem
procrastinator
realistic

Nowrankyour20 wordsfrommostimportanttoleastimportantin describingwhoyouarerightnow.

1. / 11.
2. / 12.
3. / 13.
4. / 14.
5. / 15.
6. / 16.
7. / 17.
8. / 18.
9. / 19.
10. / 20.

Activity4:Making Predictions and Asking Questions(Packet Item)

Aftergatheringvocabulary,takesometimetowriteaboutyourword choices.Thisactivity shouldhelpyouconsiderthesignificanceofthe wordsyouchosebyaskingquestions aboutthemas keyconcepts and thenmakingpredictionsaboutwhatyouwillneedtodotobest representyourself inyourletterofintroductionoryourapplication essay:

•Whydidyourankthemas youdid?

•Whatdoyourwordstellyouaboutyouropinionofyourself in termsofreadinessforworkorcollege?

•Whatwould someonewhoknowsyouwellthinkofthewords youchose?

•Basedonyouranalysisofyourkeyconcepts,predictwhatyou willneedtolearnmoreabouttoachieveyourgoals.

•Predicthowwellyourkeyconceptswillworkforyouas you moveintothenextstageofyourlife.Forexample,ifoneofyour wordsis“stubborn,”writeabouthowthatconceptmayworkfor youoragainstyouas youconsideryourfuture.Themoreyou reflectonthesignificanceofthewordsyouchoosetoidentify yourself, themoreinformationyouwillhaveas youbuildyour finalportfolio.

Activity5:Understanding KeyVocabulary

After school, discuss your words with someone you trust, and ask them about the words you have chosen. As they talk about your words, take note of their comments by letting them talk for a while and then writing down the gist of what they say. So if someone says that your selection of “trustworthy” as a key word is good, but that there are times that you may not be so trustworthy, don’t argue—just listen. Then write down the gist of their point—what they are saying, not what you are thinking.

Yourjobistotrytocapturetheirthinkingandextendyour understandingofthewordyouhaveselectedas representingyour values,beliefs,orgoals.Thisinformationmaybecomea useful chunkofwritingforyourfinalletteroressay.

Remember:Itisdifficulttorepresentyourself wellifyoudon’thavea fairlysolidsenseofwhoyouareorwhatyoubelieveaboutyourself.

Captureatleastthreereactionsfromwhatsomeoneelsesaidabout yourwords,andbringthemtoclasstomorrow.

Text—“WanttoSucceedin College?LearntoFail”

Prereading

Activity6:Surveying theText

BeforewereadAngelPérez’s article,takea littletimetopreview itby respondingtothefollowingquestions:

  1. Lookatthetitle,andmakepredictionsaboutwhatyouthinkwill bePérez’s message.
  1. Take a lookatthelengthofthearticle,anddecideifyour predictionscanbefulfilledinthislengthofthearticle—752 words.
  1. Skimthroughthefirsttwoparagraphs, andreadthefinal paragraph. Onceyouhavedonethat,canyouaddanythingto yourpredictionsaboutPérez’s message?

Reading

Activity7: ReadingwiththeGrain

Wearealwaysreadingtogatherinformationforourwriting.But sometimeswereadtoextendourthinking.Justas youdidwhen yousharedyourkeywordswithanotherpersontogetmoreinformationforyourwriting,youareusingreadingas a stimulusfor morethought.Goodreadingshouldcauseyoutoconsiderideasor perspectives thatyoumaynothaveconsidered onyourown.

That is the case in this reading when we are “playing the believing game” to understand the specific advice Pérez offers about how to represent ourselves to an audience.

Asyouread,underline(orputa checknextto)thebestadvicePérez givesabouthowtorepresentyourself, believingthattheadvicehe givesisgoodadvice.Duringthefirstread,simplymarktheideasor sentenceswhereyouthinkPérezisgiving adviceyoucanuseas you considerthebestwaytorepresentyourself tothecommunityyou wanttoenter.

Activity 7 – continued(Packet Item)

Afterreadingtheessaythefirsttime,gobackthroughitagainand choosea fewofthesentencesyoumarked.Copythemdownonthe leftsideofthedialectical journal providedbelow.Onceyoucopythe sentenceintheleft-handbox,writefora fewminutes ontheright aboutwhatthequotemadeyouthinkaboutorwhyyouchosethe quote.

AdvicePérezgivesabouthow
werepresentourselvestoothers / Whathiscommentsmakeme think

Postreading

Activity8:Responding to Pérez(Packet Item)

Afteryouhavefilledoutthedialecticaljournal,writea one-page descriptionofaneventormomentwhenyouwerelessthanperfect andexplaintoa readerwhatyourresponsetothatmomentsays aboutyourcharacter,values,orpotentialforworkorstudy.

Text—“HiddenIntellectualism”

Prereading

Activity9:GettingReadytoReadand ExploringKeyConceptsPacket Item

  1. Take outa sheetofpaper,andwritedownthreepeopleyoufeel areintellectuals.
  1. Ingroupsofthreeorfour,shareyourlistandchoosethreefrom thecombinedlistthatallofyoucanagreeareintellectuals.
  1. Aftera classdiscussion, writedownyourdefinitionofan intellectual.
  1. Look at thethreequotationsabout intellectuals on the overhead.
    Selectthequotethatbestmatchesyourdefinitionof anintellectual.
  1. Whydidyouselectthisquote?Shareyouranswerinyourgroup oras partofa classdiscussion.

Activity10:Understanding KeyVocabularyPacket Item

Understanding—beforereading—selectedkeyvocabularycrucialto theconceptsofthetextandthenapplyingthatunderstandingas you readisanimportantstrategyforallsuccessfulreaders.Knowledgeofwordmeanings cansignificantlyshapehowwellyoureada text andcomprehendthewriter’smessageas wellas theargumentsthe writer makesinsupport ofthatmessage.

Thelistofwordsandphrasesbelowshouldsupport reading comprehensionbyallowingyoutoaddressunfamiliarordifficult conceptspriortoreadingthetext.Thislistfeaturesseveralkeyideas,difficultphrases,orchallengingwordsthatmaypresentsome obstaclestoyouas youread.

Workingingroups,predictwhatyouallthinkeachwordyouareassignedmaymeanbeforeyougototheparagraphwhereyouwill findthewordorphrase.Asa group,

  1. Predictthemeaning ofthewordorphrasebydiscussing what youallbelieveitmaymean.
  1. Onceyouhavepredicteda possiblemeaningforthewordor phrase,gototheparagraphlistedandfindthewordorphrase.
  1. Onceyoufindthewordorphrase,readthesentencesorsection thatsurroundsthewordandsee ifyoucanfigureoutthe meaningofthewordorphraseas itisusedincontext.
  1. Thenlookatthefunctionofthewordorphrase(whatitisdoing inthesectionwhereitisused).See ifyoucanaddtoyour understandingofthewordorphrase.
  1. Finally,ifneeded,usea dictionaryorotherresourcetofinalize yourunderstandingofthewordorphrase.Thedictionary definitionyouselectforthewordshouldmatchthecontextfor theuseofthewordorphraseinthepassagewhereitislocated.
  1. Afteryouhavefilledoutyourpartofthevocabularyworksheet, preparetoinformtherestoftheclassaboutthemeaningofthe wordsorphrasesyouhavebeenassigned.

Yourjobistocomeawayfromthisworkwitha senseofwhatothers needtoknowaboutthewordsorphrasesyourgroupislooking into andhowthesewordsrelatetowhatyouthinkGraffmightbesaying about“intellectualism.”

CSU Expository Reading and Writing CourseWhat’s Next? – Student Version │ 1

The wordor phrase / Our prediction / Its meaning in theessay
Group 1
educationaldepthand weight (¶3)
retrospect (¶8)
interminable(¶9)
toexploit itsgame-like elementandturnitinto arrestingpublicspectacle (¶12)
domain(¶16)
Group 2
cogitations(¶3)
it’smorecomplicated(¶8)
philistine(¶9)
intellectualthirst(¶11)
schoolculture(¶11)
Group 3
lifeofthemind(¶2)
anti-intellectualism(¶5)
negotiatingthisclass boundary(¶6)
publicargumentculture thattranscended the personal(¶12)
a sociologicallyacute analysisonanissue(¶18)
Group 4
booksmart(¶6)
egghead world (¶9)
proposea generalization (¶10)
analysis(¶11)
literacytraining(¶16)
Group 5 inarticulate (¶7)
ambivalent(¶8)
AdlaioverIke (¶8)
rudimentsofthe intellectuallife(¶10)
schoolculture(¶11)
Group 6
thetrouble withthis assumption(¶3)
gristfor theirmill(¶3)
theintellectualbit(¶8)
invidious(¶14)
see thoseinterests throughacademiceyes (¶16)

Reading

Activity11:Readingfor Understanding—Stopand RespondPacket Item

Gerald Graff’s essay “Hidden Intellectualism” poses questions about the way we see “intellect” in and outside of school. In this essay, Graff argues that a student’s intelligence may be “hidden” when viewed only from the perspective of school learning. He prompts all of us to look again at the intellectual abilities we possess, even if a person is not so proficient at school learning.

Aswereadthisessayaloud, together, yourteacherwillstopatvarious pointsandask youtorespond,notbytalkingbutbywritingona separatesheetofpaper.Youwillbegivena fewminutestowritedownwhatever thoughtsyouhave—questions,observations,ideas, comments,stories,thingsthetextreminds youof,whatever comes tomindas youread

Onceyou havehadafewminutes towritearesponsetothereading,youwill discusswhatyouhavewrittenwiththeclass.Thisdiscussionwillgive youtheopportunitytosaywhatyouarethinkingaboutthereading.

Don’twaitforyourteachertoanswerorrespondtowhatyouhaveto say.He orsheissimplyreadingtheessayandprovidingyouwith placestostop,write,andthendiscussthereading.Themoreyousay aboutthereading,thedeeperyourunderstandingofwhatGraffhas to sayandhowthisworkrelatestoyourownwritingprojectwillbe.

Youwillrepeatthisprocessseveraltimesduring thereading.Atthe endofyourreading,youwilldiscusswiththeclasswhatyouhave discoveredandhowthetextrelatestoyourthinkingaboutthenext stageofyourlife.

Ifyoudothiswithanopenmindaboutmakingsenseofthetext, yourwritingshouldprovide plentyofinformationforyoutouse inthedevelopmentofyourletterofintroductionoryourcollege applicationessayattheendofthismodule.

Postreading

Activity12:Thinking CriticallyPacket Item

InresponsetoPérez’s andGraff’sessays—aswellas yourlistofkey conceptsandkeyvocabulary—writethreeseparate“idea chunks” thatrespondtothesethoughts.Ideachunksareshortpiecesof writing,maybeonetothreeparagraphs long,thatattempt tocapture anideayouhave,findsomesupport forthatidea,andexplainthe importanceoftheidea.Thesearenotessays;youarestillwritingto figureoutwhatyouarethinking.Inthisactivity, youareprimarily makingconnectionsbetweenwhatPérezandGraffhavewrittenand aspectsofyourownlifeandexperience.

Ideachunksarejustthat—chunks ofideasthatyouaretryingoutfor thepurposeofusinginyourwriting.Themoreyouwriteaboutthe ideayouhavechosen,theeasieritwillbetounderstandandexplain itssignificance.Pushyourselftobeas specificas youcanbe.

Here are some ideas that may help you get started:

• Review your key vocabulary list. Do the words you chose still best represent key aspects of your identity, values, goals, or abilities?

• Has the meaning or significance of your key words changed in any way?

• Have new key words surfaced or do different words seem more important after reading Pérez and Graff?

• Have Pérez or Graff added any insight to your thoughts about career or school?

• Have Pérez or Graff made you think of any moments in your life that best represent who you are just now?

• Have Pérez or Graff caused you to change your thinking about anything?

Activity13:Summarizingand RespondingPacket Item

Withoutreallyworryingabouthowwellyouspellorwhether youare makingcomplete sense,writea lettertoa trustedpersonabouthow wellyouare—orarenot—preparedforthenextstageofyourlife.

Texts—

“10RulesforGoingtoCollegeWhenNobodyReallyExpectedYouTo”

“NotGoingtoCollegeisaViableOption”

“WhyGotoCollege?”

“The10MostCommonExcusesforNotGoingtoCollege andWhyThey’reAllWrong”

Prereading

Activity14:Surveying the Text

Theclasswillbereadingfouressaysthataddressdecisionsabout whether tostartworkingorgotocollege.Youwillbeassignedonetexttoread,analyze,andthensummarize foritsrelevant information.Inpreparationforreading,surveythetextandthen makepredictionsaboutitsvalueintermsoftheusefulnessofthe informationitprovides.

•Whatkindofinformationdoyouthinkthearticlewillprovide?

•Whatvaluedoyouthinkthearticlewillhaveinrelation toyour ownresearchneeds?

•Whatdoyouthinkisthepurposeofthearticle?

•Whodoyouthinkistheintended audienceforthearticle?

•Whatdoyouthinkthewriter wantsyoutodoorbelieve?

Reading

Texts—

“10RulesforGoingtoCollegeWhenNobodyReallyExpectedYouTo”

“NotGoingtoCollegeisaViableOption”

“WhyGotoCollege?”

“The10MostCommonExcusesforNotGoingtoCollege andWhyThey’reAllWrong”

Activity15:Readingfor UnderstandingPacket Item

Read the four texts and complete the following writing assignment (One page per article; total of four pages):

  1. Abriefsummaryofthedocument’sargument (One paragraph)
  1. Importantquotesorinformationthewriterprovides (2-3 quotes)
  1. Anexplanationofwhatyouthinkisimportantaboutthe document. (1-2 sentences)

Onceyouhavecompletedyourreadingandnotes onthetext,be preparedtoshareyourinformationaboutthearticlewith the class.

Postreading

Activity16:Summarizing and Responding (Orally)

Afterallgroupsreporttheirfindings,spendsometimewritingabout whether itisbesttogotocollegerightawayormoveintowork.This shouldgeneratesomecommentsaboutwhatyouarecarrying away fromthediscussion andhowitrelatestoyoursenseofwhatyou wanttodonext.

Texts—

“WebSiteResources”

“FAQ Guide for Collegeor Work”

Prereading

Activity17:Making Predictions and Asking QuestionsPacket Item

Read “Web SiteResources,”andgeneratequestions youbelievecan beansweredbya Website (this will be the rough draft for a FAQ for your next step after high school).

Nowconsiderwhichsitesseemliketheymayprovide information aboutsomeofthequestions youhaveraisedandlisttheminyour notes,ormarkthemonthe“Web SiteResources” article.

Sample Questions:

What are the deadlines for applying to my college(s)?

Do all colleges require a personal application essay?

How do I know what is offered at a particular college?

Where can I find out about financial aid?

How should I choose a major?

Career Questions:

How much money will I make as a ______?

What do I need to know if I want to be a ______?

What skills are best if I want to be a _____

Do I need college if I want to be a _____’

What kinds of jobs fit my interests?

Carrer

Reading

Activity18:Considering the Structure of a Web Site

Explore the following web sites for relevant information to begin your research for your Senior Culminating Project:

California Colleges.edu:

California Careers Zone:

Let’s say you are interested in figuring out where CSU campuses are located in California:

• Go to

• Scroll down and select the CSU logo.

• If you click “Map of CSU Campus Locations,” students may be interested to see where many colleges are and what they may offer in terms of life around the school.

• Choose a college you want to know more about—San Marcos.

• Go to the top of the page, and select “Explore Colleges.”

• From the Explore Colleges page, select “Campus Facts.”

• Select “C” at the top of the page.

• When a list of colleges appears, scroll down and select CSU San Marcos.

• This should lead you to a site devoted to San Marcos. At this point, look up topics you are interested in; selecting “Undergraduate Studies home page” leads to an abundance of information about attending San Marcos. Another demonstration may focus on the application process:

• Go to

• Select “How to Apply,” which links to several resources listed in the lefthand column.

• Select “Freshman Admission Requirements.”

• Then select “High School Course Requirements,” where students will find a list of required courses for entrance into the CSU. This will probably not be new information for many students, but it will send a message that there are requirements and that getting admitted is not automatic.

• Return to the “Freshman Admissions Requirements” page, and select “Apply for Admission” in the left-hand box.

• Then select “Apply for Admission to California State University (CSU) School.”

• Now select the online application available on the CSUMentor Web site (one of the sites on the Web resources handout).

Activity19:Readingfor Understanding and CollectingInformation

Reviewthe“FAQGuideforCollegeorWork,”andselectfourtopics forresearch.

Nowselectsitesthatseemtoofferthebestchanceofprovidingthe informationyouneed.Asyouresearchquestions orissuesthatare importanttoyou,thepersonalFAQyoudevelopwillhelpyouknow as muchas youcanaboutgetting thejobyouwantorgettinginto thecollegeyouwant.

Postreading

Activity20:Summarizing Research FindingsPacket Item

Inthisactivity, youwillbewritinga personalFAQforyourportfolio. TheFAQswillbefairlysimple.Youwilllistatleast10 questions aboutyourcollegeorcareerchoiceandprovide simpleanswersto thequestions. Wearealsogoingtoreadoneanother’s FAQs.Soyouwillneedtomakeyouranswerstoyourquestions accurate, helpful, clear,andconcise.Remember,FAQsareresourcesthathelp peopleunderstandproblemsandgatherinformationthathelpssolve problems.

ExampleFAQ

WhenisthedeadlineforapplyingfortheCSU?

•AllCSUs havethesameapplicationdeadlineforfreshman. For thefallterm,theapplicationdeadlineis. Go tocsumentor.eduforup-to-date information.

HowmuchmoneywillI makeifI wanttobeanautomechanic?

•In2011, theaveragesalaryforanautomechanicwas$43,050.00, butthatwasnotwhatnewmechanicsmade.Thestarting salarywasaround$23,000 for full-timework.Andas faras gettinga job isconcerned,itlookslikethenextyearwillbringabout530 job openings duetogrowthandabout1,440 replacementjobs.

OnceyouhavefinishedwritingyourFAQ,youwillneedtobring twocopiestoclass.Inournextclass,wearegoingtodoa “read- around,”inwhichwereadoneanother’s FAQs.Youwillneedto bringa hardcopytoclass.Makesurewhatever youbringislegible andreadyforsomeoneelsetoread.

Activity 21:Reflecting on Your Research Findings—Reading One Another’s

Findings

WewillcirculatetheFAQsthroughclass,soyouwillhavethe opportunitytoreadwhatothershavediscovered aboutenteringtheworkworld orcollege.Duringthereadaround,keepa separate sheetofpaperhandytowritedownanyhelpful informationyoufind onsomeoneelse’sFAQ.Also,writedownthenameofthewritersoyoucanmeetwithhimorherlatertosee ifheorshehasmore informationyoumight finduseful.

ConnectingReadingtoWriting

DiscoveringWhat YouThink

Activity22:Considering the Writing Task

Duringthepastfewweeks,youhavereadaboutdifferentaspectsof careerandcollegelife,donesomereflectionandwritingaboutyour owngoalsandplans,andparticipatedinresearchaboutyour personalvisionforthefuture.Thefinalexpression ofallthisreading, research,andwritingwillbethedevelopmentofa letteroressayyouwillusetoapplyforacceptanceintothecommunityyouwishto enter.

  1. Ifyoubelieveyouaremoreinclined topursuea careerorenter theworkforce,writea “letterofintroduction”tothework communityorjobthatyouwishtopursue.

OR

  1. Ifyouplanonentering college,writea personalessayforyour collegeapplication.

Rememberthefinalletteroressayneedstobearound1,000words,typed,proofread,andreadytosendouttoeithera schoolor employer.

Considerthefollowingquestionsas youbegintoplanyourwriting.

  1. Whatdoyouthinkisyourjobinthisassignment?
  1. Whatdoyouthinkmaybemostdifficultaboutwritingthispiece?
  1. Whoistheaudienceforthiswriting?

Activity23:Taking a Stance—Elementsof theRhetoricalFramework

  1. PURPOSE:Identifyingthepurposeofyourwritingmeansthat youareabletosaywhatyouaretryingtodotoanaudience throughyourwriting.Whateffectdoyouwantyourwritingto haveonthereader?

Herearesomequestions youcanusetofigureoutyourpurpose:

•Whatareyoutryingtoaccomplishinthisessay?

•Whatdoyouwantyourreaderstoexperiencewhentheyread youressay?

•Whatdoyouwantthisaudiencetounderstandas a resultof readingyourwriting?

Hereissomeimportantinformationtorememberaboutpurpose:

•Sometimespurposeisn’tclearuntilafteryouhavedonesome writing.

•Purposeisalwaysrelatedtoyoursenseofaudience.

•Sometimesanalyzingaudienceindetailhelpsyoufigureout purpose.

•Sometimeswritingaboutpurposebeforeyoudraftyour responsecanhelpyoufinda thesis,ora structure, ora plan.

•Yoursenseofpurposecanchangeas youmovetoward your finaldraftandunderstandmoreaboutwhatyouarewriting.

  1. AUDIENCE: Identifyingandanalyzingaudiencehelpyoudevelop a clearerunderstandingofyourpurpose.Yourknowledgeabout youraudiencefunctionsas animportantguideforyouwhenyou aretrying todecidewhattoputinyouressayandhowyouare goingtosequenceyourinformation.

Herearesomequestions toask aboutaudience:

•Whatdotheyknowaboutyourtopic?

•Whatdoyouwantthemtoknowaboutyourtopicandyour message?

•Whatinterestsdotheyhaveinyourtopic?

•Whydotheyneedtoreadyourwriting?

•Whatdoesyouraudiencebelieveaboutthetopic?

•Whatmakesyouraudiencea groupora community?

Hereissomeimportantinformationtorememberaboutaudience analysis:

•Be specificas youtakeinventoryoftheirinterests,their knowledge,theirsources,theiragenda,andtheirworldview.

•Trytosummarize theirargumentortheideastheycontribute totheconversationaboutyourtopic

•Be awareofthelanguageandknowledgetheaudiencefavors: whatkindoffactstheylike,whatsortofvaluestheyinsist upon,whattheirexpectationsare?

•Rememberthatyourwritingmovesfroma kindofinternal focus(whereyouarewritingmoretoyourself) outtoa specific focusonaudience(whereyouarefocusedonhowyourwriting affectsthereader).Howisyourwritingsupportinga shared understandingofwhatyouwanttocommunicate?

  1. SITUATION:Understandingthesituationinwhichyouare producingwritinghelpsyouunderstandthekindofrules youneedtofolloworthegenreconventionsthataremostimportanttoyourwriting.Wealwayswriteina specificcontext; understandinghowthewritingtakesplaceina particularcontext helpsyouunderstandwhatyouneedtoshowthroughyour writing.Forexample,youmaywritetosimply summarize a readingforyourself, oryoumaywritetoprovetotheteacherthat youhavereadsomethingwell;thesetwoscenariosconstitutetwodifferentwritingsituationsandcallfordifferentprocesses anddifferentproducts. Thus,thecontext,orsituation,ofthe writingwillinfluence thewayyouperformthewriting.

Herearesomequestions thatwillhelpyouanalyzethewriting situation:

•Whatdoesthiswritinghavetodowithyourcurrentsituation as a writer/student?

•Howdoesyourwritingrelatetowhatothershavewritten?

•Howdoesyourwritingrelatetothecurriculuminyourclass?

•Howdoesyourwritingrelatetootherworkintheclass?

•Forwhom areyouwriting?

•Areyousupposedtodemonstrateanythingthroughthis writing?

•Whatinthissituationhaspromptedyoutochooseyourtopic?

Hereissomeimportantinformationtorememberaboutthevalueofanalyzingsituation:

•Understandingsituationhelpsyoudevelopa clearersenseof purpose.

•Knowingthecontextforyourwritinghelpsyoudevelopbetter ideasforthewriting,allowingyoutowriteinrelation tosome otherideas;ithelpswithtopicselection,research,composing, andrevision. Youneedinformationaboutthewritingsituation tobeabletomakekeydecisionsaboutboththecontentand thesequenceofinformationyouchoose.

•Analyzing audiencehelpsyouunderstandtheinfluence situationhasonyourwritingchoices.

  1. PERSONA/ETHOS:Thissimply referstothewayyouare representingyourself inthewriting.Aspeoplewhowrite,we havelotsofwaysofpresentingourselves:as expertsonfamily, as expertsonlaw,as someonesearchingfortruth.Thereisan infinitenumber ofwayswepresentouridentitythroughwriting.

Ethosreferstothewayyoubuildcredibilitythroughyourwriting. Itisthewayyourepresentyourself inthewritingtogaintrust fromthereader.

Herearesomequestions toask aboutethos:

•Whatimpressiondoyouwanttomakeonthereader?

•Whattoneofvoicedoyouwanttouse?

•Whoareyouspeakingforwhenyouwrite?

•Areyoupartofa largercommunitywhenyouwrite?

•Howcanyouletthereaderexperienceyourcompetence?

Hereissomeinformationtorememberaboutethos:

•Readerswillpayattentiontothelanguageyouuseinmakinga judgmentaboutyourcredibility.

•Readerswillnoticethekindofexamplesyouuseas those examplessaysomethingaboutyourlevelofengagement withthetopic,aboutyourexpertise,orabouttheamount of researchyouhavedone.

•Readerswillnoticehowwellyouexplainthings.Yourideas findtheirclearestexpression inyourexplanations.Themore developed yourexplanationsaboutthetruth-valueofyour claims,themorecredibilityyouhavewiththereader.

•Readerswilldetectinaccuracyorlackofengagement witha topic

  1. MESSAGE:Initsmostelemental form,messageconsistsofwhat youwanttosayabouta particulartopic,event,oridea.Itisthe controllingideaoftheessay.Messageistheproduct ofyour thinkingaboutpurposeandaudience;itiswhatyouwanttosaytothereaderorthepointyouwanttogetacross.Itisyourmost dominantclaim.

Herearesomequestions toask aboutmessage:

•Can yousummarize themainpointofyouressayina short paragraph?

•Doesyourmessagesupport thepurposeofyourwriting?

•Doalltheevidenceandexplanationsyouuseinyourwriting relatetoyourmessage?

•Doestheaudienceneedtohearyourmessage?

•Is yourmessagemeaningful?

•Is yourmessageself-evident?

•Whathappenswhenyouapplythe“Sowhat?”question to yourwriting?

Hereissomeimportantinformationtorememberabout message:

•Remembertoask theage-oldquestion aboutyourwriting:So what?

•Messageisoftennotdiscovered untilafteryouhavedone quitea bitofwriting

•Another waytothinkofmessageisas thelargestclaimofthe writing.

•Rememberthatwepassalongalotofmessagesinourwriting, butinacademicwriting,onemessageseemstoprevailas the mostimportant.

Nowthatyouhaveconsidered the“rhetoricalframework”foryour writing,developa setofinstructionsforyourself abouthowyouwill usethisinformationinyourfirstdraft.

WritingRhetorically

EnteringtheConversation

Activity24:Composinga Draft

Todayyouaregoingtowritea firstdraft.Youhavetwochoicesfor howtoproceed,butyouhaveoneresponsibility—youmustbringa firstdraftofyourwritingtoclasstomorrow.

Option1:Juststartwriting.Inthisoption, yourplanistojustwrite andthenfigureout,onceyouhavewritten,whatyourstructure andorganizationisgoingtobe.Writerswhotakethisrouteshouldfeel liketheyarereadytowrite,whichmeansyouhavedoneplentyof thinkingandhavea goodsenseofhowyouwantyourletter/essayto develop.Writerswhotakethisrouteshouldbeabletodescribetheir papertoanotherperson,telling themwhatthepaperisgoingtosay andwhatitisgoingtodotothereader.Afteryouhavecompleted yourdraft,youshouldbeabletofillouttheorganizationalplanning chartweareusingtoidentifywhatyouwanttowriteaboutineach sectionofyourpaperandwhateffectyouwantthatsectiontohave onthereader

Option2:Inthisoption, youtakea littletime,maybe20 minutes, to sketchoutyourpaperusingtheplanningchartprovidedbelow.This optionisgoodforwriters whohavea senseofwhattheywanttosay butmayneeda littlerehearsalfortheirpaperbygetting someideas downbeforetheybegincomposing.Usingthechartbelow,think aboutthedifferentsectionsofyourpaperandwritetoyourself about whateachsectionisgoingtosayandwhateffectyouwanteach sectiontohaveonyourreader.Fillingoutthischartshouldhelpyou reacha pointwhereyoucandescribewhatyouthinkyourpaperis goingtosayafteryouhavecompletedyourfirstdraft.

PlanningChart

WhatI willwriteaboutinthis section… / Theeffectthissectionwillhave onthereader…
WhatI willwriteaboutinthis section… / Theeffectthissectionwillhave onthereader…
WhatI willwriteaboutinthis section… / Theeffectthissectionwillhave onthereader…
WhatI willwriteaboutinthis section… / Theeffectthissectionwillhave onthereader…

Activity25:ConsideringStructure—Read Around Activity

Intoday’sclass,wearegoingtodoa Read Around. ARead Around isanactivity during whichweread,veryquickly,eachessayinthe class.Ifwedon’treadalltheessays,thatisokay,butwewillrunat leastfourcyclesofreadstogeta goodsenseofwhatourwriting lookslike.Afterwehavefinished ourreading,wewilldevelopa list ofthebestqualities wesawinthewriting,identifyingwhatweare doingwell.Thenwewillmakea listofthingsweneedtoworkon, andperhapsprovide someadviceaboutwhattodotoimproveour writing.

Asyoureadpapers,givesomeattentiontotheeffectiveness of beginnings,middles, andendsofthepaper.Makingobservations abouthowthesesectionsofyourwritingareworkingmayleadto morespecificadviceaboutimprovingyourwriting.

Followthesesteps:

  1. Organizeintogroupsoffourorfiveandfaceyourdeskstogether.
  1. Getoutyourpaper.
  1. Crossoutyourname,andwritea four-digitnumber aboveit(for example:5577).
  1. Electa tableleader.
  1. Thetableleadercollectsthepapers.
  1. Thetableleaderpassespaperstothegroupontheteacher’sleft.
  1. Thetableleaderhandsoutthepaperstohisorherowngroup.
  1. Onthesignal,readthepaperquicklywithnomarking.
  1. Oncetheteacherstopsthereading,passthepapertotheleft.
  1. Startreadingwhentheteachertellsyouto.
  1. Repeatlasttwostepsuntilyourgrouphasreadallthepapers.
  1. Discusswhichpaperisbest;thetableleadertakesnotesonyour reasonsthatpaperisbestinthegroup.
  1. Thetableleaderwritesdownthenumber ofthebestpaper.
  1. Tableleadercollectspapersandpassesthemtothenextgroup.
  1. Repeatsteps7-14.

Thekeyhereistoreadfast,readforcontent,andthenmakesureyouhavegoodreasonsforchoosing thebestpaperineach grouping.Duringthediscussion ofthewriting,takenotesonthe informationyouneedtoimproveyourownwriting,payingparticular attentiontobeginnings,middles, andendsofthewriting.