Category Archives: Announcements

Announcements, Peer Review

Workshop Grade & Review Form [Complete one for each paper in your group by Wednesday, November 25]

WORKSHOP-REVIEW-FORM

Reviewer’s Name:                                        

Writer’s Name:______________________

 

INTRODUCTION: [Total Numbers of Checks__ ]

__Is there a hook?

__Is there a transition?

__Is there a clear thesis statement?

__Do the hook and transition support the thesis? 

 

THESIS:  [Total Numbers of Checks__ ]

__Does this thesis put a literary text and a theory text in conversation with each other?

__Is this a FOCUSED and TEXTED-BASED thesis? (Hint is the “it” the paper focuses on a specific part of one of the text?  Is the “so what” of the claim about how we read some aspect of the text rather than a more general claim about education at large).

__What is the “so what” for this thesis?  Meaning why does the claim matter in terms of how we understand one or both of the texts?

__Is there a roadmap?

 

BODY OF THE PAPER: [Total Numbers of Checks__ ]

__Does the fundamental logic the writer uses to make their point hold water (meaning are they making claims they can actually prove with the literature or are they basing their argument on assumptions, opinions, and broad declarations; do they walk you through each step or their thinking or do they  beg the question and make argumentative leaps with no explanation)?

__Do the first sentences of each paragraph help introduce what’s coming, connect it to what came before, and help us understand where we are in the whole argument?  ( Hint: pretend that you didn’t have the introduction or the thesis statement.   Based just on the body paragraphs, what is this paper arguing.)

__Are the quotes accurately and clearly introduced, formatted, and cited?  (Do you know which text the quote comes from? Do you know where in the text the quote comes from?  Does the quote have quotation marks if it is short? Is it block formatted if it is longer than two lines?  Are their accurate inline citations)?

__Does the writer follow the quote by highlighting what they want us to look at in the quote and telling us why that is important?  (Meaning if you took away the quote would you still understand the point)?

 

LANGUAGE: [Total Numbers of Checks __  ]

__Are the names of texts and authors spelled correctly and formatted correctly?

__Are the sentences complete and a reasonable length (i.e. not more than 2.5 or 3 lines)?

__Are there a lot of vague or unspecific parts (Possibly from: broad statements, passive voice or improper use of pronouns i.e. “it”, “they”, or “one” without specific referents)?

__Are there several parts you can’t understand?

 

COMMENTS: [Provide a short answer for each of the following questions].  

  • Name at least 2 things that are working in this draft:
  • Name the top 2 aspects that in your opinion still need more work in this paper:
  • Offer at least 1 concrete suggestion in response to what’s not working above.
  • Answer the author’s Questions for Reviewer.

 

GRADE:  [0 checks = F; 1 check =D;  2 checks = C; 3 checks =B; 4 checks =A]

Introduction: ______

Thesis:  ______

Body of the Paper:  ______

Language: _____

Total (average the above): _____

[NOTE for figuring out the total:  A= 95; B= 85; C=75; D=65.   An F is either a 50 or a 0.  If there is something there that tries but does not succeed, you give them a 50.  If there isn’t anything there, then a 0].

 

 

Helpful Things to Consider When Reviewing Drafts

Answering these questions is not required, but they may help you generate substantive feedback.

First Order Concerns:

>Does this piece have a clear thesis/argument statement?

>Does the scope of the argument work within the parameters of the paper?

>Is that argument logically sound or does it suffer from logical fallacies?

>What aspects of the paper seem superfluous?  (Or at least right now you do not understand how that element is helping what the piece seems like it is trying to do.)

>What aspects seem to run counter to what the piece is trying to do?

>What aspects are confusing?

>Are there redundant or repetitive (J) aspects that do not add to the strength of the piece?

>Are there aspects that seem too general or broad, as if they might be helpful but you find that you have to use a lot of your imagination to see how it supports what the piece is doing?

>Does the organization help achieve what the piece is trying to do?  (i.e. would a particular line or paragraph or point be better in a different place in the essay)?

>Is there anything missing from the essay, which if added would really improve the essay’s ability to do what it is trying to do. 

Second Order Concerns:

>Does all the text not in quotation marks sound as if it is in the author’s own voice?

>Are all the quotations cited correctly?  (Do I know who said the quote, in what particular text that quote was recorded, and any necessary information needed to find that quote?)

>Are each of the sentences complete sentences?  (meaning do they have a subject and a verb?)

>Does the essay use capital letters appropriately?

>Does the essay use punctuation appropriately?

>Are some sentences so long that it is hard to get through them clearly?

>Are words spelled correctly?

Announcements

Annotated X: Due in Class on Wednesday, NOV 4.

Your reading for Wednesday is very short, but I expect you to annotate your text. You will annotate the text either by printing it out and using a pencil, pen, and/or highlighter OR you will use an electronic version with a program that allows you to annotate pdfs.  If your program/app doesn’t let you annotate the pdf (aka. make comments and notes on the side) then you must print out the reading and annotate by hand.

Your annotation should include the following three things: 

  1. In 4-5 sentences or in a clear bullet point format,  you should historically contextualize the reading.  You can make these notes on the back of your print outs or in a note at the beginning of your document if you are reading online.   You should spend 5-15 minutes looking up information online that will help you contextualize this reading.   You are welcomed to get carried away and spend more time getting background, but a little bit of time still goes a long way.  Wikipedia will be enormously helpful in this process.  Some good search terms that will help you contextualize this reading include but are not limited to:
    1. Malcolm X
    2. The Autobiography of Malcolm X
    3. The Panthers
    4. The Prison Industrial Complex and Black Men
    5. The 60s and race
    6. Black Nationalism
  2. Annotate the reading. You should underline or highlight at least two passages of the reading.  Then in the margins you should comment on that passage.  For one passage: you should comment on how that part of the text relates to a specific part of one of our previous readings.   It’s not enough to say “this part is like x”; you must also say why it is like or why it reminds you of x.   For the other passage: you underline, you should comment on how it speaks to something else in the world, in your studies, your imagination, or history.  Again it’s not enough to say “This part is like Y.” You must also tell me why it is like Y or Y it challenges Y or what about this part and Y makes you think they should be put in conversation together.
  3. Circle and define any word or term or reference for which you don’t know the meaning.
Announcements

Difference between a Textual Analysis Thesis and a Position Thesis

It’s important for you to understand the difference between the kind of thesis you should work on in your paper and the kind of argument you will put forth in your project.

The main difference between the paper thesis and the project manifesto thesis is a matter of scope!

Your paper is essentially a close reading paper or a textual analysis paper.  Yes, it will reflect some of your thoughts and ideas about education and the materials we read especially since you will be putting a theory text in conversation with a literary one.  However ultimately you r “it” for this paper will be some part of one of the texts we have read.  Your claim will be about how we might understand that “it” once you put it into comparison with another texts, and the stakes of your paper will be about how this new way of reading/thinking about the “it” helps us understand what this text is doing as a whole  (i.e. what is it saying about x, y, or z relevant theme).

Your paper is all about how you see the text working!

Your Education manifesto on the other hand is a larger claim.  Your “it” here is your idea about schooling or education.  You will use examples from the theory and the literary texts to help your point, but you will also use examples from other places in history and contemporary life.   Your goal in this paper is to make a theory or a philosophy.  So you are really trying to make logical sense.  You’re not trying to prove that one text is right or that all people do X thing, but you are trying to make a claim about your ideas on education and schooling and back them up with strong reasoning, which your project will then try to put into action.

Your manifesto is all about your well reasoned philosophy!

Announcements, Introduction Exercise #1

INTRO. EXERCISE#1 Due Monday, October 19th @ Noon

INTRO. EXERCISE #1 Each group should complete the following 

  1. READ the ALL of the below directions for finishing your thesis and writing your introduction.
  2. FINISH crafting your thesis statement.
  3. WRITE an introduction for your thesis
  4. POST the introduction and CHECK “Introduction exercise #1” category.

YOUR INTRODUCTION SHOULD:

  1. Begin with a hook.  Look at the UNC do’s and don’ts. [1-3 sentences]
  2. Write a transition sentence that brings us from the provocative opening to your thesis. [1-2] sentences]
  3. State your thesis clearly. [1-3 sentences]
  4. Give me a roadmap or a general overview of how your essay will illustrate that thesis.  (i.e.  In order to illustrate this claim, this essay will look first at x, then at y, and then discuss how x and y create z. [2-4 sentences]

NOTE: There is no formula for how many sentences you should use.  My suggestions have this paragraph ranging from 5-12 sentences, but you need to use your own judgement.

FINISHING YOUR THESIS:

  1. Make sure you have an “it”:  Do you have a specific textual moment  (a line or a word or a paragraph) that you are looking at?
  2. Pick a Theme:  What about the “it” interests you?  (i.e. Are you interested in what it says about freedom or what it makes me think about gender or personhood?)   NOTE:  A theme is not just a topic.  A topic = slavery.  A theme = The prevalence of familial separation in a slave society.  AGAIN A topic = happiness.  A theme = the problem of happiness in The South Park generation.  (The latter is not a thesis, but it narrows into a discussion and you can imagine questions and specific areas and issues a thesis in this theme might get at.)
  3. Look for Relevant Textual Evidence:  Are there other moments that fit with your theme other than your it?  AND/OR Are there other parts around your “it” that help you to interrogate that theme?
  4. Make a claim:    Make a claim about how your”it” speaks to (or helps us understand) your theme.   (i.e. How does your theme manifests in your “it”? And how does the way it manifests [challenge, confirm, or complicate some part of] your theme?)
  5. Articulate a “SO WHAT.”  A “so what” is essentially a claim about how this small part matters to the whole.   This paper is very focused, so your “so what” should be specifically about how this small thing you’re talking about might help us to see the whole text (essay) in a clearer, different, or more particular light. Ask yourself how does this claim about this particular “it” and this particular theme relate to the whole text?  Does it change t he way I read the main point of the text?  If so, how?  The answer to these questions is your “so what.” Your claim matters because it helps us to see X about the whole work or it changes our view about Y in the text.

 

Announcements

Due Monday October 12 at 9am

For this exercise, you will turn in a well formulated thesis  based on your brainstorming exercise.

Evaluate your thesis to make sure it:

  1. Your thesis should make an arguable claim. [Meaning: Make sure your thesis statement is not just an announcement of a subject or theme or a general evaluative statement (i.e. This text is a good example of Rousseau.)]

2. It should give me a sense of a roadmap of the argument.

3.  It should be specific in its scope (i.e.  you’re not writing about all of education).

4.  It should answer the question/follow the assignment.  The paper for this assignment is to put one of the theory texts and literary texts in conversation with each other.  This means you should essentially be able to answer two questions with your thesis:  How does some aspect of X person’s theory help us read or think through some part of Y person’s literature? AND  vise versa How does some part of Y person’s literature speak back to some aspect of X person’s theory?Go back to your brainstorming activity.

5. Your thesis statement should be grammatically correct.

6. It should identify specific parts of the theory text and the literary texts you’re focusing on.