Grade Check-in (10 min)
If you do all required assignments, you get a B. In terms of points that is 850 points, or, 85%. If you do one grade boost, that is a B+ (880 points, or 88%). If you do two grade boosts, that is an A- (910 points, or 91%). If you do three grade boosts, that is an A (940 points, or 94%). If you have a lot of late work, missed work, or other things that affect your grade (e.g., unexcused absences where you didn’t communicate with me and get permission to make up the absence), your grade would be lower (see grading contract).
To make things work on Brightspace, I turn them into points. But, ultimately, everything is just this simple:
Do everything you are asked to do, you get a B. If you want a higher grade, do grade boosts.
Please feel free to check Brightspace and ask me questions now or later by email.
While you do that, take out your journal entry so I can give you credit for it.
What is writing for? (20-30 min)
Let’s pick back up from what we were talking about last class. But, this class is the LAST class. So why are we doing this? Shouldn’t we already know what writing is for? Well, in college, you have a bunch of annoying people like me who want to linger longer at answers to seemingly simple questions. You must, in this last class, entertain my annoyingness! (it will be over soon, though, so you can do it! one more class!)
I want to start with Bhavjit’s point last class about what we might often hear about the purpose of writing. To inform, to entertain, to persuade, and so on. I was asking about what writing doesn’t inform. But I might ask the same question about persuasion. Help me through this. I feel more confident about some writing only done for entertainment…there’s a lot of boring writing out there that can’t be possibly written to entertain (and, in fact, I think some writing is done to purposefully be uninteresting, to make sure no one reads it too carefully–like terms of service agreements, for instance).
At the same time, there is writing that is informative. Like people set out with the goal to inform. The same can be said for persuasion. Some writing really is only trying to persuade (though, maybe, I feel less confident about this one, as there has to be some level of “informing” to persuade).
Can we complicate these categories? What else might we say? We got started a little bit last class. But sometimes classifying can simplify things in limiting ways, which is why I’m trying to resist these categories.
So, what writing did we do?:
- Literacy narrative: storytelling, personal (no other sources), descriptively,
- Reading responses: writing centered in response to the reading
- Journal entries: personal experiences, reflective,
- Rhetorical analysis: argumentative, analysis of a piece of writing/image/rhetoric
- Peer review feedback: evaluating writing, more personal than rhet analysis, trying to be helpful
- Research paper: using other sources to help make argument,
- Annotations: impressions or questions as you read, more in the moment
- In-class essay on paper: about tech that influenced you, was timed
- Google doc group activities
- Private writing in class before sharing in discussion
- Postcards, letters, greetings
- Texting
What purposes are such writing used for?
- Reading comprehension: rhetorical analysis, reading responses, annotations, peer review
- To make arguments: rhetorical analysis, research paper
- Learning: research paper, literacy narrative, journals,
- Organization, planning: being able to see everything helps me prioritize what is most important and what I can push to later, memory
- Expression, get your feelings out. Convenience instead of going up to another person. Easier to write out feelings than talking on the fly. Pressure, judgment fears,.
- Writing and etiquette. Helps with reputation, keeping strong ties to people. (genuine ties but also practical in jobs, etc.)
- Persuasion: politics, any argument (in relationships, online/social media, pitches at jobs, interviews for jobs)
- Messaging and being concise for technological contexts
Another survey!?!? (10 min)
The survey I shared with you from Monday was very generalized. I have a more specific version tailored for our own class. If you are willing, please fill it out. The link to the survey is here.
We have one more thing to do! But I’d like you to consider these questions before we get to that (I think it will be good prep before working through our final activity together).
What could be cool to do for teaching writing AND/OR what will you use and where? (20-30 min)
You just did this survey, thinking about what was and wasn’t helpful about our class. What are your ideas for teaching writing for ENG 2100? You’re smart people, good writers, and creative. Take 10 minutes with a partner or group and come up with one germ of an idea that could be developed further. Afterward, we can share some ideas.
ADDITIONALLY, we talked about purposes for writing and how there are many. We talked about what we learned specifically in this class in relation to those purposes
What will you use what you have learned from ENG 2100 in respect to reading and writing? Where will you use it? How so? There are future classes, your personal life, future careers, current classes and careers.
In the past, I’ve invited students to come to future classes to help me teach or run an activity of some kind. It’s good practice even if you have no interest in becoming a formal teacher. Almost any job involves teaching others something (e.g., co-workers, customers).
Finally, we chose to write about technology almost exclusively this semester. How are your feelings the same or different about technology in your lives? What do you think? For your research projects, you examined the influence of technology on: relationships, child development, art and creativity, economics, education. We spent time thinking about the rhetorical practices of tech companies in relation to AI. And we thought about your own personal relationship with technology–with 12 of you publishing in REFRACT!
So, what’d you think?
Next Time (5 min)
-Get your research revision done by Dec 18
-Get your final reflection done by Dec 18
-Get any grade boosts done by Dec 18
-Later on in December or in early January, you will receive a brief note from me about something I valued and will remember about you. I won’t have comments or feedback on your final projects. My door is wide open for you if you want to come to my office hours to talk about your final projects next semester. But you are ending the class. What do you think of your work? Own your learning. That is part of being an adult.
-If anyone wants to talk about their projects, I will stay after (or during, since we are likely ending early).