Basic Composition (LA100)

FSA Revision

2010-12-07T15:05:00Z

Class does not meet, and there is no final exam. Be sure to include specific reference to the results of the final diagnostic test (taken on Dec 2). Upload your final revision to Turnitin.com.

Post Test

2010-12-03T04:29:07Z

Final, comprehensive MyCompLab post-test, officially closing out the grammar/skill portion of the course.

FSA Peer Review

2010-12-02T15:05:00Z

This is an online assignment, completed through Turnitin.com.

P12: Advice

2010-12-02T15:05:00Z

If you could send a message back in time, what would you tell yourself about LA100, that you wish you had known at the beginning of this course?

What do you think a future LA100 student should know about this course? (I'm not thinking of a specific rule of punctuation or that the blue chair in my office is surprisingly soft; rather, I'm thinking of a big-picture issue.)

Remember to keep in mind the lesson about normative language. Rather than simply giving orders ("You should get all your papers in on time,") demonstrate your ability to persuade. ("The consequences for missing a paper deadline are much more serious in LA100 than they were in your high school English class. In high school, papers were worth a smaller percentage of your grade, you had more time to work on them during class time, and it was usually possible to erase a late penalty by asking a teacher for an extra credit assignment. But in college... ")

Remember also to SHOW with vivid details. Rather than listing assorted helpful tips as they pop into your head, instead try bringing your reader along on a particular day when you learned something specific that you wish you had known. As always, SHOW only those details that serve the point you want to make. (If your reader doesn't need to know what you had for breakfast or the color of your sister's hair, leave it out.)

Wrap-up

2010-12-02T15:00:00Z

Writing Workshop

2010-11-30T15:00:00Z

FSA Draft

2010-11-23T15:06:00Z

P11

2010-11-23T15:05:00Z

In a 200-word paragraph, make a specific point about something you learned about the writing process. Note that I am not asking for you to summarize rules for when to use a comma, or why to write "should have" instead of "should of". I'm actually looking for your ability to write about one of the big-picture issues -- argumentation, organization, opposing viewpoints, etc. Quote from one or several of your early submissions, and one or several of your later submissions, in order to SHOW evidence of progress.

Writing Workshop

2010-11-23T15:00:00Z

Essay 3 Reflection

2010-11-18T15:05:00Z

We will write and submit this during class.

Essay 3 Revision

2010-11-18T15:05:00Z

FSA Workshop

2010-11-18T15:00:00Z

This is 3-4 page essay -- a little longer than your Papers 1 through 3. I don't mind if you include some of the same points that you included in your latest ILP revision, but this is a different assignment, with different goals.

It's time to start looking back and assessing your accomplishments.

Like any essay, you should come up with a thesis statement that makes a specific, debatable claim, and you should back up your claim with evidence (in the form of very brief, direct quotations from your work, reading assignments, the comments I leave on your papers, etc.).

Specific tips to keep in mind. I'm not expecting you to write a separate paragraph on each of these numbers; exactly how you meet each of these points is up to you.

1) Write a coherent, well-organized essay following a pattern that emphasizes your main points, demonstrating your ability to apply what you learned about showing with specific examples, reducing wordiness, and proper grammar and punctuation. (I am not looking for stand-alone paragraphs that respond to my prompts, in the order I give them.)

2) Present a clear thesis paragraph that includes a topic, precise opinion on the topic, and the "blueprint" (which presents your main points in the order in which you will explore them in the rest of your paper). The title, the thesis statement, and the conclusion should match, but the conclusion should not merely repeat the thesis statement.

3) Defend a non-obvious point by making specific reference to what you learned from your MyCompLab pre-test, quoting brief passages from your own work and also referring to your MyCompLab post-test.

4) Defend a non-obvious point by making specific reference to other ways in which the course helped you to learn, again by quoting brief passages from your own work.

5) Every paragraph should refer to at least one specific assignment. Some paragraphs might refer to multiple assignments. Some quotes might help you make more than one point. Quote (very briefly) from your work frequently, in order to support your claims -- but quotes that are too long, or that appear at random, will look like filler.

6) Include at least two pairs of quotes -- a "before" quote from an early assignment, and an "after" quote from a late assignment -- to support your claims. (You are welcome to include a "middle" quote if you like.)

7) Be specific. For this paper, that means zoom in on how a particular assignment shows your progress in a specific area. Avoid vague general statements.

P10: Honest Objection

2010-11-16T15:05:00Z

For this paragraph, I'm leaving the topic fairly open, but I want to encourage you to explore a specific argument by opposing it. You may write yet another counter-argument to a claim you made in P8 or P9. You may use this paragraph to oppose an argument you made in Paper 3. You may oppose an argument you made in your most recent ILP draft. You may oppose an argument you read in a peer's paper. Just be sure not to fall into the "some people say" problem (too vague) or "It really bugs me when..." (too much like a random rant, which is not the same thing as objecting to a specific action or statement). Tie your observations to a specific incident. You may refer, for example, to something somebody said in class (about the liberal arts, the difference between high school and college, etc.), or something you read while reviewing a peer's paper. Use your paragraph to demonstrate your ability to explore a complex subject and illuminate the reader, rather than complain about what "some people may say" or belittle opinions that you don't happen to share.

Final Self-Assessment (FSA) Workshop

2010-11-16T15:00:00Z

Here is the handout that we went over in class today. LA100 FSA.docx

MyCompLab Checkpoint

2010-11-11T15:30:41Z

We will do an in-class activity designed to help you reflect on the MyCompLab portion of your accomplishments so far.