Dear Donna Letter #3 and Sample Reflective Essays

Heyyyyyyy you guys!

Dear Donna Letter #3:

Please include:

What you've learned in writing essay 3 that you haven't learned previously.
How you feel you've grown as a writer over the course of the class.
The biggest improvements you feel that you've made over the course of the class.
What you wish you would have gotten better at before our class ended, but... alas.
Anything else you feel is appropriate for this, our last letter.

Thanks!

Also, here are some reflective essay samples I ask you to read before our final on Wednesday.

Reflective Essay Samples

You rule. It's been a great semester with you guys (at least on my end). <3

Final Dates and Stuff

Ok, everybody: I got the email that we're officially NOT in the lab tomorrow. :( We were made to suffer.

So,

Friday: Peer Review. Please come to class even if your paper is not ready. Do not be chicken. You know who you are.

Saturday: Annotated Bib due to me by 11:59pm.

Monday: Classical Argument essay due to me by 11:59pm.

Tuesday: Prepare your essays, your letter of intro, review the learning objectives for our course.

Wednesday: Our final. Bring your essays. Bring paper! Bring a pen that works! Be ready. :)

I have a migraine today, but am going to try and nap and get back to those of you who I owe comments to.

WORK A LITTLE EVERY DAY.

Learning Objectives! \o/

LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR ENGLISH 125! HOORAY!!!

1. Read and listen critically and analytically, including identifying an argument’s major assumptions and assertions and evaluating its supporting evidence.
2. Write clearly and coherently in varied, academic formats (such as formal essays, research papers, and reports) using standard English and appropriate technology to critique and improve one’s own and others’ texts.
3. Demonstrate research skills using appropriate technology, including gathering, evaluating, and synthesizing primary and secondary sources.
4. Support a thesis with well-reasoned arguments, and communicate persuasively across a variety of contexts, purposes, audiences, and media.
5. Formulate original ideas and relate them to the ideas of others by employing the conventions of ethical attribution and citation.

• 
  

EVERYTHING.

(I think.)

The Classical Argument:

• Intro (Stylized!)
• Argument, Counterargument, Rebuttal
•      1-2 quotes from your scholarly sources per paragraph.
• Conclusion (Stylized!) 

Annotated Bibliography:

• Your 3 fancy scholarly sources in Works Cited Page format.
• A short paragraph summarizing these sources
• A short paragraph discussing how/why these sources are useful to your argument.

Example of an Annotated Bib

So many documents...

Classical Argument Evaluation

Norming Session. Read them. For realz. I'm srs. (All of them.)

Essay 1

Essay 2

Essay 3

For Friday 12/4

Hip-Hop Is No Longer Cooler Than Me

In Computer Labs Tomorrow!

Hi, Guys!

Sorry this timing is awkward, but it's the time they gave me.

We're in the labs the first hour of class tomorrow for both classes, so at 12:00 for 12:00, and at 2:00 for 2:00

The labs are on the 2nd floor of the Classroom Building (The classroom building's address is on 159th St.) --I'm not sure which lab we're in, but they're all close to CL-204a. 

Our 3rd Essay is a classical argument, and you need to PROVE something. Choose a topic based on the things we've read and discussed in class. Some of you are on the verge of an argument in your Compare and Contrast essays already. 

I'll be showing you how to find scholarly resources to use for this essay in the lab tomorrow.

Yeehaw. 

Dear Donna Letter 2

There are many similarities between this "Dear Donna" letter and the second, but, I do want you to do some compare/contrasting between Essay 1 and Essay 2.

1. What you learned while writing this essay--things about writing, especially. Things about yourself, also. 
2. How did this essay compare with writing the first essay? Was this essay easier, harder? Why?
3. What was the hardest part about writing the essay.
4. What was the easiest.
5. What you feel are the weakest parts about your essay, and why.
6. What you are most proud of, in your essay, and why. 
7. Do you think you have grown as a writer since essay 1? Why or why not?

Thanks! Remember, you can send these letters with Essay 2 or send them on Monday by 11:59pm. 

Happy Thanksgiving! See you in DECEMBER! zomg. 

Norming Session Essays

Please remember to print, read, mark up, evaluate, and be ready to discuss these essays by 11/18 (Wednesday)

Essay 1

Essay 2

Essay 3

Essay 2 Assignment, Dates, and Evaluation

Essay 2: Compare and Contrast

Norming Session: Wed, 11/18
Peer Review: Friday, 11/20
Final Drafts: Sunday 11/22

ASSIGNMENT: 

You will analyze the writing of two essays we have read for our course, based on our questions from the analysis think sheet. You will analyze their ideas using the skills you’ve gleaned in discussion. Whose essay is better written to express their ideas?  With whom do you agree more? Why?

General outline:

·       Compare Rhetoric

·       Compare Ideas

·       Which is written more effectively

Compare and Contrast Organization options:

For example: Jane Austen’s Heroine Qualities, Sassy & Traditional

Elizabeth (P&P)
Emma (Emma)

·       Paragraph 1
Elizabeth and Emma, Sassy

·       Paragraph 2
Elizabeth and Emma, Traditional

OR

·       Paragraph A
Elizabeth is sassy and traditional

·       Paragraph B
Emma is sassy and traditional

For YOUR essays:

Option 1:

·       Paragraph 1: Essay 1 Ideas and Rhetorical Critique (or Rhetorical and Ideas Critique)
Paragraph 2: Essay 2 Ideas and Rhetorical Critique (or Rhetorical and Ideas Critique)
Paragraph 3: Discussion of the essay you feel is most successful and why

OR

Option 2:

·       Paragraph 1: Discuss Essay 1 and Essay 2 rhetorically (or ideas)
Paragraph 2: Discuss Essay 1 and Essay 2 ideas (or rhetorically)
Paragraph 3: Discussion of the essay you feel is most successful and why

EVALUATION 

Essay 2: Compare and Contrast Evaluation

Title:
Reviewers:		Date:

 

Exceptional: This element goes beyond what is expected.
	Proficient:  This element completes the assignment satisfactorily.
		Needs work:  The response to this element is missing or is seriously flawed.
▢	▢	▢	1.1               First Page Header:  MLA format, upper left, no shortcuts.
			Comments:
▢	▢	▢	1.2               Page number header, upper right.  Includes writer’s last name and page number.
			Comments:
▢	▢	▢	Preliminary MLA formatting:  Times New Roman font, double-spaced, left aligned.
			Comments:
▢	▢	▢	1.3               Title:  Interesting and unique. Does the title forecast the issue or problem the essay examines and make readers want to read on?
			Comments:
▢	▢	▢	1.4                Thesis. Is the thesis complete and foreshadowing?
			Comments:
▢	▢	▢	1.5               Literary Elements Critique: Clear, objective, analytic discussions of the rhetorical elements of both essays.
			Comments:
▢	▢	▢	1.6               Ideas Critique: Detailed analysis of the writing of the ideas/purpose of both essays.
			Comments:
▢	▢	▢	1.7               Evaluation: Careful consideration of which essay is more successful and why.
			Comments:
▢	▢	▢	1.8               Mechanics and Style: Does the writer provide enough transitions to help the reader see how points are connected?
			Comments:
▢	▢	▢	1.9                Detail and Syntax Are there enough Level #1 examples to illustrate and support the writer’s ideas (facts, quotations, statistics, anecdotes from his/her own experiences, etc)?
			Comments:
▢	▢	▢	1.10             Style: Is there a sense of voice in this writing? Is there a personality behind the writer, or, does this read like textbook writing?
			Comments:
▢	▢	▢	1.11             Citations:  The writer introduces borrowed words or ideas by using attributive tags. All borrowed words and facts are noted with in-text citations with the page number.
			Comments: