Transfer

In this blog post, you are exploring what it means to "transfer" knowledge from one situation to another. Begin by discussing what transfer means and how a student can achieve successful transfer according to the researchers of How People Learn (this means pull out evidence). What are contributing factors to successful transfer? Next extend your discussion to yourself: what prior knowledge did you come into the WRIT 1122 class with that has helped you with assignments--both homework and major/mini assignments? What do you believe you will transfer from WRIT 1122 and why (be very specific)? Where will you transfer this knowledge to? And conclude by wrapping your discussion up: why is transfer of knowledge important? Do you believe transfer happens whether you think about it or not? 

DUE by class time on Monday, July 7, 2014. **Don't forget to respond to at least two of your peers' posts. 

Let's have a Moment: Conference Day Guidelines

Ok, guys here are the instructions for the on-line class day. Please make sure you respond properly by Wednesday, July 2, 2014 BY midnight or you will be considered absent and your work late.

“Sometimes, you know, you have a moment."

The leading scholar in composition studies, Kathleen Blake Yancey, believes there are moments happening right now in the field of composition studies (i.e. writing studies). Each of these moments bleed into one another as they envision innovative ways to progress forward. I want you to "have a moment" (or actually three). Up to this point you have read about rhetorical situation(s), rhetorical appeals, audience, and genre, and the history of rhetoric among other things. I want you to develop your own three moments in which you describe, explain, explore, and create your ideas about what you learning as part of this course that relates to you as a writer, a thinker, and a learner. Draw connections inside of the classroom and outside of the classroom.

Another way to look at this would be as a way to “catch your breath” so to speak by bringing together the flurry of activity from the last two weeks together to figure out what you have learned.  This blog post functions as a reflection, and reflection as defined by Yancey, means that you become an active agent in your learning. You are an active participant by not simply being someone who is fed information, but someone who questions, explores, muses, theorizes, and reflects upon your own learning to draw out meaning and understanding.

Guidelines:

1. Use at least two images and/or links and/or videos that connect to what you are saying.

2. Be creative or be analytical. Or be both. Either one works for this post.

3. It should be cohesive.

4. You need to create a "new post" do NOT comment back to these instructions.

5. Preview your post BEFORE you post it to make sure that the images fix within the post and that everything flows together--you do this by hitting "preview" while you are editing, but you can also go back into your post once you have hit publish post and edit it by going to "edit posts" and clicking on yours.

6. It should be over 500 words.
7. You do NOT need to comment back to any one's posts. 

8. Good luck ;-)

Due by: Wednesday, July 2, 2014 BY midnight in order to fulfill the expectations for class. 

The Anatomy of a Knowledge Community

Jenkins defines knowledge community as the community that comes out of a shared knowledge-base. After reading Jenkins, watching the Johnson video (see below), I want you to discuss the "anatomy of a knowledge community"using Jenkins and Johnson to help you do so. Be specific and draw on specific examples from both compositions. However you define the anatomy of the knowledge community, you must evidence it with both Jenkins and Johnson. Please feel free to use knowledge communities that you are a part of to help you define this. 

DUE by class time on Wednesday, July 2, 2014. **Don't forget to respond to at least two peers' posts. 

Scavenger hunt!

Definition of key terms:

Rhetorical situation:

Rhetorical situation are some situations that present in everyday life. We use them to persuade and convince others with arguments or make audience aware of whats going on.

Genre;

Genre means that the different kinds of arts or styles utilized in the world, like classical architecture, poems, books, newspapers, essay, technology, etc.

Reflection;

Reflection means analyzing the composition by utilizing the comments or criticism your peers give to you after the reading it. Which would show the different opinions from different readers and the after thought of the relationship between readers and your composition.

We think the scavenger hunt is useful because this outdoor activity can help students to understand the conceptions in a more practical matter. It is important because students need to take a moment to understand the new ideas which are hard to comprehend by only picturing it. Going outside to find the examples in our lives is the best way to visualize the new concepts.

Before this scavenger hunt activity, we used to define writing as an activity we do at home or at class which was used to express our thoughts. After this activity, we came to realize that writing can be much more than just an individual activity. Rather, after we finish writing, we can show them to others and get their feedback which will enhance our understanding of a topic or change our fixed thoughts about something we couldn't come up by ourselves. Also, we can communicate with the readers and ask them which parts they didn't understand so that next time we can further develop our writing to a more coherent and comprehensive level. To sum it up, writing is not only an individual activity, but can also become an interactive activity which makes both the author and the audience get a deeper understanding of our topic. 

Group 4 Activity

Video :

Reflection :

We define as a classification of rhetorical situation , and audience as the target of that specific rhetorical situation.  The scavenger hunt gave us the possibility to have a real life experience in how to define and identify genres, and how they play a role in reality.

Group 2 scavenger hunt

Link to video

Deliver Us from Evil

Based on the reading, your understanding of the rhetorical appeals, and class discussions, create an argument for which rhetorical appeal (ethos, logos, or pathos) you believe is best represented in the article. In your argument explain why you believe one appeal is more  represented than another and why. Use information from the article to evidence what you are saying. 

Due: Friday, June 27, 2014 BY class time. 

Scavenger Hunt: The Details

Purpose of Exercise – To expand your understanding of the key terms that inform your writing.

Description – In groups, you need to complete the following hunt and post the responses to blogger (you will be creating a new post for this – like we looked at together in class. It should be one per group). 

Suggested Time – 30-35 minutes, plus about 20-25 min reflection to bring it all together and post. So, this should be about 60 min, give or take a few minutes.

DUE by the end of normal class time.

The Hunt:

**Note: you must take pictures with one member of your groups cell phone to capture what you find.  

Please “find” the following items—

1. 3 different examples of rhetorical situations found in at least two different locations on campus; document these by taking pictures with your group members. Make sure you are working from an accurate definition of rhetorical situation. At least one image needs to have all group members in the picture.

**Note: remember to think outside the box. Try not to get all the same type of rhetorical situation just in different locations. 

2. Find one person on campus to accurately define genre and audience; document this by video recording them (please make sure they are ok to be video recorded, first!).

3. Find an example of an “old” genre and  “new” genre. Document by taking a picture with your group members.

4. Find two examples of genres in action in other words find two examples of people working in/with/around genres. Document by taking pictures (these must be different than #3). 

5. Predict a new genre based on your understanding of genres and either draw a representation of it, act out a representation of it, or capture a representation of it with your camera.  

The Reflection (bringing it all together)—

To post all of this to blogger, feel free to make a collage or two of the pictures to help with spacing. Feel free to be as creative and critical as you need to be to complete the hunt and to then compile it all together.

Questions for the reflection:

How do you define each key term?  

Why might the scavenger hunt be a useful activity in learning about key terms? In learning about yourself as a writer?

How, if at all, does your definition of writing keep expanding?

DUE by the end of normal class time.

**I should not see overlap between groups (i.e. I should not see the exact same thing from groups.). 

Reflecting on Reflection

As you read, Yancey believes that “reflection” allows students to become agents of their own learning. Other theorists view reflection as a means of looking back so that we can understand how to move forward. After reading Yancey's theory of reflection, I want you to reflect on reflection. Using specific evidence from the reading think through the following questions:

*What is Yancey's theory of reflection? How does she connect it to composition? 

***Note: she defines reflection in several different ways, so I'm not looking for everyone to use the exact same definition. Use the one that stuck out to you or that you were drawn to. 

*Make your own connections between reflection and writing--where does reflection fit into the writing process? To your writing process?

*Why is reflection "important" to you as a writer, a thinker, and a knowledge-maker?

DUE: Wednesday, June 25, 2014 by class time. 

Rhetoric: Now and Then

For this blog post, I want you to explore what rhetoric is--how it is defined and used; why it is important to know and understand; how it connects to writing; what it means to you in the class and perhaps in your major. Use the reading by Crowley and Hawhee to ground your post but also begin to synthesize (this means taking your thinking past a summary) to make connections to the class, to each other, and to yourself as a writer. You can also use this post to explore what rhetoric means today in our society--the ways in which people practice it (often without evening realizing it) and how it might be useful for you as you continue on in your education. 

Homework DUE by class time on Monday, June 23, 2014. **Don't forget to respond to at least two peers. 

Genre and Audience Activity

In-Class Activity for Friday, June 20, 2014

A message is communicated successfully if it is received by its intended audience. The message conveyed by two different genres might be the same, although the conventions used to communicate this message may be drastically different. In this exercise we’ll analyze the ways conventions are used to communicate messages, the underlying assumptions associated with different genres, and the choices we must make when writing based on the audience for which we are writing.

For all scenarios, keep the details the same as you tailor your writing to the audience appropriately. Write each piece to the specific audience, analyzing before and as you write, how considering your audience and your genre varies.

Scenario #1

Earlier today you were in a car accident while driving your grandmother’s car. Luckily you were not hurt, nor was anyone else, but your vehicle and another have significant damage and are headed to the repair shop. Since you were texting your friend while driving instead of paying attention, the accident was your fault. You now have to write a letter to your grandmother telling her about the accident. Write this in the genre of an email or letter, whichever of those you would use to communicate with Grandma.

Some things to keep in mind:

• What content should be included for this genre? (What information and details are relevant in this letter to your grandmother?)
• What is the style of the language used?
• What format is it written in? How could I tell by looking at it that it is a letter?

Scenario #2

Because of the car accident, you are missing your Biology class. This is not good, because today is the mid-term and you’re missing it. Your professor is old and ornery, and you are pretty sure he said “if you miss a test, your grade is zero - no make-ups” at the beginning of the semester. You are stressed out! By the time the police clear the accident scene, the mid-term is over and you are headed home. You decide to write an email to your Biology professor and plead for another chance to take the mid-term or to make it up somehow. Write the email, considering the audience and the situation.

• What content should be included? What details are relevant? Or too much?

• What style of language should you use for this email?

• What else is appropriate?

Scenario #3

Same car accident. You are now writing a text message to your best friend. Write this in the genre of a txt msg.

Some things to keep in mind:

• What content should be included for this genre? (What info/details are relevant in a text message?)
• What is the style of the language used in a text message to a friend?
• What format is it written in? How could I tell by looking at it that it is a text message?

Summary Reflection:

Write a quick reflection while considering some of these prompts:

·      What are the purposes associated with each of these genres, or types of writing? In other words, what is the intention of each? (How does each reach its audience?)

·      How does the intention or purpose of writing something affect the conventions in which it is written (i.e. content, form, and style)?

·      Why do you think considering audience matters in writing?

·      What are some connections between the composing and genre? More specifically, what do they mean to each other?

Genre and Audience

After reading the piece by Dirk, summarize what she means by genre. How does genre and audience connect together? Why are they important key terms to any one's writing process(es)? 

Once you summarize the piece a bit, connect it back to what we've been doing in class. How does the reading respond to what we have been discussing in terms of writing? In terms of rhetorical situation?

How does the reading apply to your own thinking?  Your own writing?

Homework: Due by class time on Friday, June 20, 2014. Please don't forget to also respond to two of your group members' posts. 

Theory of Writing: First Iteration

For this in-class activity, you'll need to use your blog post that you did in-class on Monday. 

There are a couple steps to this activity. 

Step 1: Generate a list of Key Terms from your Blog Post

On Monday, you were suppose to create a list of key terms for your first blog post. Some of you did not do this, so please go back to your blog and pull out key terms that you think about before you write. Add them to that blog post by simply "responding" to your own post. If you've already done this, then you are good to go on to Step 2. 

Step 2: Create a Wordle

Go to your blog post and copy your post so that you can then paste it into a  wordle. 

How to create a Wordle:  Go to wordle.net. Hit “create.” Paste any document you want into the blank space. You can play and manipulate the colors and fonts as you wish once you paste your document inside the wordle. Save the wordle to the wordle gallery. Then once it is saved you can post the url to the new blog post. 

Step 3: Beginning to Theorize

In about 150-250 words, respond to the following questions: 

What connections do you see (if any) between your wordle image and your key terms. If you don’t see a connection why do you think that is? Why might it be important to see connections?

Next, create a theory of good writing based on your own key terms and wordle image. When creating this theory think back to science classes---meaning a theory is a group of statements put together to explain a phenomena (specifically here good writing) and assists in the understanding of these statements. Consider your audience, which is for now other first-year students who might be taking first-year composition. So, you want to use language that other first-year students would understand. 

Step 4: Making Connections

In groups of 2-3, share what you found in this activity and share your theory. 

Step 5: Reflection

Reflect on this activity (in about 100-150 words). What can you say about yourself as a writer? What might your identity as a writer look like right now? 

Step 6: Responding to Peers

The last step is to comment back to at least 2 of your peers' post. Remember you want to engage in a conversation, so it's more than "I really liked this" or "I agree with you." 

**By the time this activity is concluded, you'll have a blog post that includes the following: (1) url for your wordle; (2) your first iteration of your theory of writing; and (3) quick reflection over the activity. 

The Rhetorical Situation

I want you to explore the following questions. Be specific in your responses. You can use direct quotes from Bitzer’s piece (and in fact this might be the most helpful in your explanation of a rhetorical situation). Remember: blog posts are free and open and their language is casual. I should be able to begin to see who you are as a writer—through your voice, style and language choices.

Also, it's ok if you are a little (or a lot) unsure what this is saying. It's a difficult reading, but you should do your best to respond to the questions. Please don't spend any time on saying things like "this was a hard reading" or "I don't understand it." Do you best to think through the reading--it doesn't matter if you are completely wrong, so long as you try. 

According to Bitzer, what is rhetoric? What is a rhetorical situation? Why are both important in the understanding of how to write? What do you believe comes first—the writing or the rhetorical situation? Do you believe all writing needs a rhetorical situation in order to write? Why or Why not?

What did you learn from reading this piece? Why might we start a course on argument with this reading?

Don't forget to engage with at least two peers as part of the assignment.

DUE: class time on Wednesday, June 18, 2014. 

Good Writing

(a) what is writing--the definitions, ideas, thoughts, expressions, etc--you associate w/ writing. What makes writing good to you? When you think of arguments and writing--what comes to mind? How do you believe you create an argument? What type of writer do you see yourself as? (b) create a list of 5-8 key terms you believe define good writing and/or good argumentation.  By the end of this first blog post, I want you to come up with a definition of writing and argumentation that includes a list of key terms.

(b) Once people begin to finish up their posts, you'll need to respond back to at least two of your peers. 

(c) this is one of your in-class activities for Monday, June 16, 2014, which means it's due during class.