Blog Prompt: RA Reflection

Hello class,

Just a reminder:  Rhetorical Analysis due on TUESDAY, hard copy, stapled, with rubric from Supplemental Guide attached.  Also, feel free to go to the writing center anytime between now and when it is due for some extra help on your paper AND 10 points of extra credit (redeemable once only for the RA, of course).

Also:  Blog post due tomorrow at NOON.  This should be a reflection on the RA process.  How did it go? Good/bad?  What worked well, what didn't?  More or less difficult than the OpEd?  What could you have done better?  What could I have done better, or the department, or whatever?  What would you change about it?  And so forth.

Word.  Keep it real this weekend and I'll see you all on Tuesday!

-cbh

Peer Review for RA

Hello class,

As you know, we'll be conducting a peer review class on Thursday.  Your presence is REQUIRED--it is absolutely essential that you attend class on peer review day.  You should all have received an email from me outlining the instructions, but just to reiterate, here they are again:

1)  Read the rubric for the RA before you start to read your classmates' essays.  This will be helpful in looking for the more GLOBAL issues, which are all illuminated in the rubric. (However, please do NOT give your classmates a "grade" of any sort.)

2)  You will be giving a marked-up version of each of your classmates' RAs back to them--you can either print this out, write on it, and give it back to them by hand, or use the "track changes" and "comments" features of Microsoft Word and email it back to them.  Either way, all of you should receive a marked-up copy of your manuscript back from each one of your classmates in your group.  Ergo, be sure to take notes of what you think of you classmates' RAs as you read them.

2)  When looking at your classmates' RAs, first look for things they do WELL.  Come up with a list of them.  Be sure to write them down so you can remember to mention them during the workshop.

3)  Answer the question of "If this were your paper, what changes would you make?"  Be as specific as possible.

4)  Point out any other global issues that you think the author might want to be aware of (again, if you are wondering what issues to look for, refer to the RA rubric).

5)  You want to be helpful to your classmates, but you want to be kind as well.  Hopefully they will do the same for you.

6)  If you have any questions about the review process, or if any of the attachments don't work, please email me.  I'll be glad to clarify anything!  I know this will probably take a lot of you out of your comfort zone, but that's okay, guys--it can definitely be worth it!  (And, like punctuation, it builds character!)

Happy Peer Reviewing, and I'll see you all on Thursday.

-cbh

Blog Prompt: Diction, Tone, and Figurative Language

Hello class,

Your blog prompt for this week, due this Saturday (tomorrow) at noon, is to look through the article you are analyzing for your rhetorical analysis and find ways the author uses diction, tone, and figurative language (and, of course, how those decisions affect the reader).  You may list a number of examples or focus on one or two.

Also, we will be peer-reviewing this coming Thursday.  We will be doing this in groups, probably of 4-5.  I will send out an email this weekend letting each of you know whose papers you will be reviewing, and with specific instructions as to how the peer review will be run.

Have a great three-day weekend!

-cbh

RA Conference Times

Hello class,

As you know, you should have turned in a first draft of your RA (Rhetorical Analysis) to me by midnight on Friday, and I'll be conferencing with you about said drafts over the next two days (and, consequently, there will be no class tomorrow).  Here are the conference times I have scheduled so far:

Tuesday 15 Feb:

10:00  Madi
10:10  Molly
10:20  Abby
10:30  Andrew
10:40  Meghan S.
10:50  Nick

12:00  Kendall
12:10
12:20
12:30
12:40
12:50
1:00  Connor
1:10  Natalie
1:20  Candace

Wednesday 16 Feb:


9:30
9:40  Taylor
9:50  Michelle
10:00
10:10
10:20
10:30
10:40
10:50  Sara
11:00  Ashlyn
11:10  Sidney
11:20  Megan B.
11:30  Kimberly
11:40  Liz
11:50

So, there you have it.  Same drill as before:  if you haven't signed up for a time, yet, or if none of the scheduled or remaining times work for you, send me an email or reply to this post and we'll work something out.  I also should have your OpEds for you to pick up at your conference (and I should be getting your scores up on Blackboard either later tonight or sometime tomorrow).

Enjoy your (partial) day off!  I'll see you at conferences...

-cbh

P.S.  HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Schedule Changes

Hey alls,

As requested, here are the schedule changes for the following week or so:

F 11 Feb - RA Grading (Bring SG)

T 15 Feb - Conferences with me (no regular class)

Th 17 Feb - Rhetorical Fallacies (review WR ch. 4)

F 18 Feb - The Power of the Word (read WR 85-103; RA Polished Draft due)

Also, there is no official blog post for this week.  As always, you can post one about anything whenever you want, but there is no prompt on which you will be graded for this week.  Good luck with your RA first drafts!

-cbh