Welcome back! This is it! It’s Week 5 of 5 in the course. We’re rounding the corner with the end in sight, and have made it through most of the steps of the course. It’s time to wrap it all up and deliver.
The focus of this week is on revision, an absolutely essential part of the writing process. Revision begins in drafting mode and ends in finalizing mode. That final look-over before you turn something in is a type of revision called proofreading or proofing, but proofreading doesn’t tell the whole story: revision happens throughout the writing process, between each draft, in a chain of drafting, thinking, planning, revising, and revisiting.
To “re-vise” is to “re-see” after you’ve
- given a piece some time to simply exist (time helps you gain perspective);
- written a previous draft that achieved a goal, and now must achieve new goals (higher standards help you build a better product); and
- received feedback from others who have some stake or role in what you are writing (feedback helps you improve, and see your work from another’s perspective—whether they (or in the case of this feedback, I) understood, were able to follow, or felt persuaded by your ideas based on what you wrote).
Upcoming Deadlines
- Core assignment 3 due by noon Monday (post with Assignment 3 category).
- Module 5 due by 5pm Tuesday.
- Blog 5, Assignment 3 Comments, and Revision Contract due by 2pm Wednesday.
- Blog 5 comments (replies on your own Assignment 3 post) due by noon Thursday.
- FINAL Live Zoom check-in 4:30 this Thursday.
- FINAL PORTFOLIO due the next Monday, August 17 by 5pm (no extensions).
Here’s what you need to do this week:
1. Complete the week five course module by 5pm Tuesday. The module begins at the bottom of this page. It should take about an hour, possibly less, to complete it.
Click the button at the bottom of this page to access this weeks’ course content. You may want to take notes while you go through the content. And be sure to track your progress: take some record (note, bookmark, browser history, copy the URL, etc.) of your place when you pause to take a break or come back later.
2. Complete the Revision Contract by 2pm Wednesday.
You can access it here or wait until the module pages. More information in the module.
3. Post your Blog 5 entry and your set of Assignment 3 comments by 2pm Wednesday.
You’ll find the prompt at the end of the Module, and here’s a direct link to it. You can access the Core Assignment 3 entires on the front page, or click here to go directly to the Assignment 3 entries.
4. Leave replies to entries on your own Assignment 3 by noon Thursday.
Leave replies to those who posted on your Assignment.
5. Schedule any remaining one-on-one conferences with me during week 5 using my Calendly appointment system—availability first come, first served.
Note: It is highly unlikely that I will be able to accommodate two new appointments with you in this final week—and as my materials suggested, the class wasn’t designed that way. If you haven’t booked a first, that’s a missed one now.
6. Join the FINAL live class check-in on Zoom on Thursday, August 13 from 4:30-5:30 pm.
Note: If you are unable to attend class discussions, please contact me ASAP and let me know. However, it’s okay—as in, you can complete the course without attending them, but you will need to (1) watch a recording of our discussion later and (2) complete Missed Meeting check-in within 48 hours of the discussion. Also note that by participating in class check-ins, you need to consent to being recorded (only for the use of other students) during the Zoom meeting. If you do not consent to being recorded (only for the use of other students), let me know ASAP.
7. Turn in your Final Portfolio by noon next Monday, August 17. It should take several hours to complete the assignment.
You’ll find a prompt and discussion of the Final Portfolio in the module, and here’s a direct link to it.
The Blog 5 prompt will help you work towards gathering ideas and resources for this assignment.
And then that’s it! Then the class is over. I’ll be happy you were in it. You’ll be happy it’s done. Maybe we can meet in the middle and say we had a uniquely human interaction, despite everything going on around us, and the fact that we’re behind these screens.
And that, I truly hope, you were able to get some ideas flowing about how you write, what composing—from beats to meals to texts to whatever—means to you!
I am overwhelmed by your awesomeness.
Final round. Let’s do this.
Seth