Presentations 4.25
Nahimot, Arlette, Corinne, Alison, Liana
Presentations 5.2
Daniel, Jessica, Sara, Brigit, Allison
Presentations 5.9
Yasmin, Allyson, Erin, marietta
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
4.18 Personal Statement + Introductory letters
In class today you worked on your personal statements and introductory letters. While we referred to guidelines at the links - today's real lesson was that your personal statement + introductory letter needed to address the particular demands of your profession and of the group/institution you were writing to.
For example, we did a sample rhetorical analysis for Yasmin's personal statement. We thought about the purpose of her statement (what she wanted her statement to do); the audience, and the form.
For her purpose - she wanted to identify herself has having the right "politics" with respect to dogs, to demonstrate her writing abilities, and to distinguish herself as creative and a self-starter
Audience: staff at Bark magazine - and she had to do some thinking about who they were and what they expected (for example - what is THEIR idea of good writing?) in order to get down the details for her purpose.
The form of her personal statement would be determined partly by general reading patterns for this kind of document (first and last sentences are what really counts because that is what the reader sees on a quick read = but the WHOLE document needs to stand up to careful reading if you make it to later stages for consideration), and partly by Yasmin's sense of which information about herself she wanted to highlight.
Finishing the portfolio:
After the break we went through the portfolio site (sample portfolio to the left) and spoke page by page about how to present your work. See the sample portfolio + the portfolio assignment sheet for complete directions.
Presentation schedule. You also signed up for presentations on your portfolios. So far, the schedule is as follows:
April 25: Liana, Corinne, Marietta, Nahimot, Alison
May 2: Daniel, Jessica, Allison, Sara
May 9: Yasmin, Allyson
Sarah, Bridget, Arlette, and Erin can fill in the blanks next week.
The last part of class was devoted to identifying your writing samples, and analyzing what you wanted to put in your introductory letter. Again, these choices will depend on your future profession. See sample portfolio/assignment sheet for information about reflective writing/introductions associated with each piece.
For next week:
We will begin class with presentations - and the remainder of the class will be devoted to workshopping.
For example, we did a sample rhetorical analysis for Yasmin's personal statement. We thought about the purpose of her statement (what she wanted her statement to do); the audience, and the form.
For her purpose - she wanted to identify herself has having the right "politics" with respect to dogs, to demonstrate her writing abilities, and to distinguish herself as creative and a self-starter
Audience: staff at Bark magazine - and she had to do some thinking about who they were and what they expected (for example - what is THEIR idea of good writing?) in order to get down the details for her purpose.
The form of her personal statement would be determined partly by general reading patterns for this kind of document (first and last sentences are what really counts because that is what the reader sees on a quick read = but the WHOLE document needs to stand up to careful reading if you make it to later stages for consideration), and partly by Yasmin's sense of which information about herself she wanted to highlight.
Finishing the portfolio:
After the break we went through the portfolio site (sample portfolio to the left) and spoke page by page about how to present your work. See the sample portfolio + the portfolio assignment sheet for complete directions.
Presentation schedule. You also signed up for presentations on your portfolios. So far, the schedule is as follows:
April 25: Liana, Corinne, Marietta, Nahimot, Alison
May 2: Daniel, Jessica, Allison, Sara
May 9: Yasmin, Allyson
Sarah, Bridget, Arlette, and Erin can fill in the blanks next week.
The last part of class was devoted to identifying your writing samples, and analyzing what you wanted to put in your introductory letter. Again, these choices will depend on your future profession. See sample portfolio/assignment sheet for information about reflective writing/introductions associated with each piece.
For next week:
We will begin class with presentations - and the remainder of the class will be devoted to workshopping.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
4.11=> next class will be Introductory letters + personal statements
In class today we talked about resumes. Links to the OWL sites discussing resumes are posted earlier. Our use of Wysoki + Lynch's criteria for a rhetorical analysis of a sample resume made pretty clear how important audience considerations are for writing a resume. As Yasmin pointed out - there ISN'T going to be one rule for the "right" way to create your resume = it is going to depend on your audience.
Next week we will continue working on your portfolio. Write drafts for an introductory letter and for a personal statement. They may or may not be for the same application. For example, if you want to write an introductory letter for an internship at a law firm, but would also like some help with your personal statement for law school => go for it! Useful links (as discussed in class) are listed below.
Introductory letters
Cover letter = jobs
sample job letter
Cover letter = academic
Personal statements
Good class today = and see you next week. I will get your process essays back to you ASAP.
Next week we will continue working on your portfolio. Write drafts for an introductory letter and for a personal statement. They may or may not be for the same application. For example, if you want to write an introductory letter for an internship at a law firm, but would also like some help with your personal statement for law school => go for it! Useful links (as discussed in class) are listed below.
Introductory letters
Cover letter = jobs
sample job letter
Cover letter = academic
Personal statements
Good class today = and see you next week. I will get your process essays back to you ASAP.
schedule for rest of the term
W April 11
discuss reading= workshop portfolio= resumes
discuss reading= workshop portfolio= resumes
presentation on letters and personal statements
W Apr 18
workshop letters and personal statements
Sign-up sheet for final presentations
get started on writing samples
W Apr 25 Sign up for conferences on portfolios
Presentations
workshop
W May 2presentations
workshop
W May 2presentations
workshop
W May 9
final presentations
portfolio due at end of class
Resumes!
Use the framework from Wysoki & Lynch to evaluate your resume
1. What is your purpose? What are you communicating? What do you want to achieve?
2. What will your audience be expecting? How can you turn those expectations to your advantage?
3. How will the place & time of the communication affect its outcome?
4. What are the strategies that will help you achieve your ends?
5. What do audiences tend to expect about this genre/medium? Can you choose a different medium?
6. How will your audience respond to the organization? Is there a better organization?
7. Test!
Try the 20 second test
The quadrant test
Look at your use of headings + fonts
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
4.4 History of Writing & Final Project
We started out with a discussion of what we considered the important accomplishments of representational technologies. Our list included the facilitation of:
As we reflected on these accomplishments of writing technologies, we started to think about what drove the kinds of inventions that brought about changes in writing processes and practices. We noted that what we want out of our writing "hardware" and "software" includes:
The second half of class was spent reading through the portfolio assignment. The timeline for the assignment is as follows:
April 4 : Your focus/career for your portfolio + identify preliminary list of writing genres to submit with your portfolio
April 18: Workshop resumes
April 25: Workshop introductory letter and personal statements
May 2: Workshop longer writing samples + reflective writing
May 9: Complete portfolio due
In addition to completing the writing, each one of you will be required to make a presentation on your portoflio and writing in your profession. This is part of the workshopping prcess and will begin April 18. I will pass around a sign-up sheet next week.
For next week:
Write: resumes for your chosen profession: general resume + a "dream" resume; after workshopping your resumes - you will work on the reflective writing to bridge the two.
Read: "A Rhetorical Process for Designing Compositions," Anne Wysoki & Dennis Lynch
- global trade (for the individual as well as for companies)
- tracking economic exchanges
- record keeping
- personal communications
- access to writing & self-representation for EVERYBODY (not just the rich)
- the professionalism/quality of those self representations
- direct access to audiences
As we reflected on these accomplishments of writing technologies, we started to think about what drove the kinds of inventions that brought about changes in writing processes and practices. We noted that what we want out of our writing "hardware" and "software" includes:
- ease of use
- speed (immediacy )
- autonomy for the user
- multti-channel experiences (as if it is "real") = immersion in the feel of 'being there"
- interaction
We then made a quick timeline of the history of revisions to communication technologies - and in light of that timeline = you chose 3 inventions that you saw as the most important in bringing about the cultural changes or accomplishments that we identified at the beginning of class. (You sent me an email with your perspective on this discussion).
The second half of class was spent reading through the portfolio assignment. The timeline for the assignment is as follows:
April 4 : Your focus/career for your portfolio + identify preliminary list of writing genres to submit with your portfolio
April 18: Workshop resumes
April 25: Workshop introductory letter and personal statements
May 2: Workshop longer writing samples + reflective writing
May 9: Complete portfolio due
In addition to completing the writing, each one of you will be required to make a presentation on your portoflio and writing in your profession. This is part of the workshopping prcess and will begin April 18. I will pass around a sign-up sheet next week.
For next week:
Write: resumes for your chosen profession: general resume + a "dream" resume; after workshopping your resumes - you will work on the reflective writing to bridge the two.
Read: "A Rhetorical Process for Designing Compositions," Anne Wysoki & Dennis Lynch
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
3.28 Revision!
Revision memo: You started class by writing a revision memo in response to the comments I wrote to your text. This memo was for you, and in it you noted what you agreed with, what you disagreed with, what you didn't understand - and anything else that seemed important for you to think about.
Patterns (from the class as a whole) in process drafts: I then gave you some general feedback about what kinds of revisions drafts by the class as a whole would benefit from. This list includes work on the introduction and conclusion; making clear distinctions between style (what is on the page) and process (how you write what ends up on the page) and discarding material focused on style (this essay is focused on process); use of specific examples (MORE!), organization (we discussed different organizational strategies- 1) going through each different process from beginning to end; 2) talking about invention across processes, then drafting across processes, revision across processes, and then reflecting on exceptions across processes), and making a series of clear observations/points with respect to your writing process. These observations/points should go beyond the obvious (=> I need to revise more) and get into planning how to change (what is the source of resistance to revision? how can it be overcome? what kinds of revision practices feel like you might WANT to do them - it is OK to refer to the handouts. . .).
Bishop.
We talked in depth about the tensions Bishop points out in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic goals and demands imposed on your writing. Extrinsic demands are from the outside - put on you by others in ways that make you feel like the writing does not really belong to you. Intrinsic goals are about what you want out of writing for yourself.
We came up with the following lists.
Extrinsic demands:
due dates
assignment criteria: constraints on content and organization, language style, content requirements, length, focus,
outline/templates;
citation-formatting;
stylistic demands,
grammar-correctness, ideas,
outside references,
standards for evidence + authority
* taking risks
*engaging in meaningful learning
Intrinsic goals
being able to distinguis genres
have authority w/i different genres
identify personal style
get "better"
better editing skills
take risks
grow as a writer
vocabulary
meet external + internal expectations (at the same time)
achieve credibility
clarity/precision of language
Bishop's essay makes the point that despite the conflicts between these two sets of goals/expectations- everything you write is YOUR writing. It belongs to you and you will grow through its practice in terms of what you put into it. The rest of her essay is a discussion of creating fat, generous, full-breath drafts that offer lots of room for experimenting and growing = revising. Revision is growing. And thinking.
You then broke into groups and placed your self into one of Bishop's 4 stages - and picked two practices from her stages. = and gave them a shot.
Ostram
I gave a very bried presentation on Ostram's essay. His essay talks about the different ways writers see themselves (p. 29) and points out that most of us see ourselves in many different ways as we write=> that we have many, conflicting writing selves who direct our relationships to and feelings about our writing.
He then goes on to suggest that our relationship to revising can be intentionally shaped by stepping into different selves/personae. These selves define specific relationships to writing and allow us to see our work in new ways. I suggested that you read through these selves (masks = from theater, where the performer sybollically becomes a different character) and step into masks that you feel would allow you to re-vision your work constructively.
For next week: turn in the final draft of your process narrative. Due as an attachment to the Writing account.
We will talk about Gee (which we didn't get to this week); and about "History of Writing Technologies," Brian Gabrial, "Through the Door: Digital Production," Scott McCloud.
I will also introduce the portfolio project.
Great class and see you next week.
Patterns (from the class as a whole) in process drafts: I then gave you some general feedback about what kinds of revisions drafts by the class as a whole would benefit from. This list includes work on the introduction and conclusion; making clear distinctions between style (what is on the page) and process (how you write what ends up on the page) and discarding material focused on style (this essay is focused on process); use of specific examples (MORE!), organization (we discussed different organizational strategies- 1) going through each different process from beginning to end; 2) talking about invention across processes, then drafting across processes, revision across processes, and then reflecting on exceptions across processes), and making a series of clear observations/points with respect to your writing process. These observations/points should go beyond the obvious (=> I need to revise more) and get into planning how to change (what is the source of resistance to revision? how can it be overcome? what kinds of revision practices feel like you might WANT to do them - it is OK to refer to the handouts. . .).
Bishop.
We talked in depth about the tensions Bishop points out in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic goals and demands imposed on your writing. Extrinsic demands are from the outside - put on you by others in ways that make you feel like the writing does not really belong to you. Intrinsic goals are about what you want out of writing for yourself.
We came up with the following lists.
Extrinsic demands:
due dates
assignment criteria: constraints on content and organization, language style, content requirements, length, focus,
outline/templates;
citation-formatting;
stylistic demands,
grammar-correctness, ideas,
outside references,
standards for evidence + authority
* taking risks
*engaging in meaningful learning
Intrinsic goals
being able to distinguis genres
have authority w/i different genres
identify personal style
get "better"
better editing skills
take risks
grow as a writer
vocabulary
meet external + internal expectations (at the same time)
achieve credibility
clarity/precision of language
Bishop's essay makes the point that despite the conflicts between these two sets of goals/expectations- everything you write is YOUR writing. It belongs to you and you will grow through its practice in terms of what you put into it. The rest of her essay is a discussion of creating fat, generous, full-breath drafts that offer lots of room for experimenting and growing = revising. Revision is growing. And thinking.
You then broke into groups and placed your self into one of Bishop's 4 stages - and picked two practices from her stages. = and gave them a shot.
Ostram
I gave a very bried presentation on Ostram's essay. His essay talks about the different ways writers see themselves (p. 29) and points out that most of us see ourselves in many different ways as we write=> that we have many, conflicting writing selves who direct our relationships to and feelings about our writing.
He then goes on to suggest that our relationship to revising can be intentionally shaped by stepping into different selves/personae. These selves define specific relationships to writing and allow us to see our work in new ways. I suggested that you read through these selves (masks = from theater, where the performer sybollically becomes a different character) and step into masks that you feel would allow you to re-vision your work constructively.
For next week: turn in the final draft of your process narrative. Due as an attachment to the Writing account.
We will talk about Gee (which we didn't get to this week); and about "History of Writing Technologies," Brian Gabrial, "Through the Door: Digital Production," Scott McCloud.
I will also introduce the portfolio project.
Great class and see you next week.
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