Sample Curriculum Vitae -- Other Publications -- American Academy of Family Physicians

Sample Curriculum Vitae -- Other Publications -- American Academy of Family Physicians

: )

A moment of zen for those who are research-frantic!

PLEASE READ!!! IMPORTANT COURSE NOTICE FOR 3:30PM College Writing!!

I need to provide the college with portfolios for our course...but...I forgot! So, in keeping with the "I mess up, you benefit" theme of class, here's what I propose. I need to have a clean copy of each of your formal essays including in your final portfolio (as well as the journals). But since I failed to express this info initially, here's my offer. Each student who successfully submits a full portfolio, reflecting all the work you did this semester (seven formal essays, ten journals), will receive 5 full points on their final grade...this could make a difference in your final letter grade.

Changes for End of Course...Monday, December 12, 2011...

Unfortunately an unavoidable schedule conflict will keep me from attending my 3:30pm course on Monday, December 12th. In exchange, I will give my College Writing course the following two possibilities for turning in their papers/portfolios: You may hand in your final paper and/or portfolio at 6pm on Monday in G 207.Or, you may hand it in at 3pm to my office in J105. Remember that for the final paper (only...portfolios must be hard copies for credit)...you may email it to me anytime before 8pm on that Monday.

Assignments -- Thanksgiving Weekend

Sorry this is late to post.

For Monday's class, please come with the following completed:

Evaluation of quality for two articles given.

For Wednesday class:

Have Civil Disobendience read. Some of you have a text that does not include this essay. If you don't have it. It's here. Don't forget the double journal that asks you to combine your knowledge of the piece with your opinion about the UC Davis pepper spray incident. I added the links to that below.

Into the Wild -- Formal Essay #6

Watch the auxillary resources below about James Krakeur (author of the book that inspired the movie), Sean Penn (movie's director), Chris McCandless and Into the Wild. Then, think about the following:

After Krakeur wrote the article that would become his book (that would become the Penn movie) question: Do you feel, as one letter writer did, that there is “nothing positive at all about Chris McCandless’ lifestyle or wilderness doctrine …surviving a near death experience does not make you a better human it makes you damn lucky” (116).

Is this true? Or, do you see something admirable or noble in his struggles and adventures? Was he justified in the pain he brought to family and friends in choosing his own solitary course in life? No matter which side you choose, your essay MUST do the following: Use research to back your opinions about McCandless. You could find justification for or against in a myriad of areas: from media experts, psychologists, sociologists, survival experts, or even other research that cites him personally. Also, draw connections between McCandless and Thoreau. Essay #6 must be a minimum of three pages.

Additional resources:

Krakeur talks about inspiration for book.

Monday, November 14, 2011 Test

"Where I Lived and What I Lived for Test"

Each answer should be approximately one page. Please embellish each answer. Provide your own insights. Provide evidence directly from the text. Do not be afraid to reference other chapters of book or other class elements. Each answer should be one page (at least).

330 Class assignments:
Sharp Shooters: 3 & 7
Hydra: 2 & 5
Fantastic Four: 4 & 9
3 Writeteers: 1 & 8
Something about Pandas: 6 & 10

6pm Class assignments:
No Names: 1 & 10
The Lasers: 2 & 9
Kittens: 3 & 8
Fantastic Four: 4 & 7
The Zebra Stripes: 5 & 6
Most Creative: 9 & 10

NO CLASS WEDNESDAY, November 9, 2011

Check blog for take home test...coming Wednesday!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

1. Is the essay of sufficient length? Not just based on the assignment, but does it make the point it sets out to make? If not, how can the writer add length without adding fluff? If the writer exceeded the page length, how can the writer cut parts without losing detail or impact?


2. Has the writer formatted his or her essay correctly: Times New Roman, 12-point font; double-spacing, one-inch margins, APA or MLA-style?

3. Has the writer chosen an interesting, original, and relevant title? If not, offer one.

4. Does the writer write an effective, divisive attention-grabbing introduction that provides necessary background information and establishes the controversy surrounding the issue? Does he/she accomplish this through the use of personal anecdote? Is the introduction adequate in length (based on proportion of the entire piece)?

5. Does the writer have a specific and explicit/implicit thesis statement that evinces the main issue and the writer’s position?

6. Does the writer unify his or her essay through the use of transitional words and by beginning everybody paragraph with a topic? If not, state which paragraphs disconnected or incoherent. Why?

HW: rewrite latest essay (and Skube if you want).

Be ready to discuss "Where I Lived and What I Lived For"

Interesting in context of last week's video and Thoreau

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

CLASS CANCELED MONDAY, OCTOBER 31st...HAPPY HALLOWEEN...all assignments due Wednesday, November 2nd

http://vimeo.com/28066212

Formal Essay #5: Critical Analysis Essay:

Choose any form of multi-media and analyze it for bias (from a gender, cultural, ethnic or soci-economic perspective). Find 3rd party, credible (maybe academic?) sources to back your analysis. Incorporate the 3rd party data into your own opinion (minimum of three pages).

Consider a strucutre in which you provide an anecdotal or experiential introduction. Followed by a paragraph that centers your thesis and main point. Then, synopsize and provide background to the multi-media piece you have chosen. Next, provide the ways in which the piece evinces your thesis. Notch up your opinion by incorporating your research. Cite. Attribute. Write an engaging, anecdotal intro. Write an argumentative, implicit thesis. And incorporate all of the tenets of good writing discussed thus far.

Monday, October 24, 2011

First, read the first two articles attached here and here.

Then, read the two articles attached to the blog below this post. Print and annotate all. Be ready to discuss in class.

Keep reading.

Serena Williams and Marat Safin gave gut-check - 02.07.05 - SI Vault

Serena Williams and Marat Safin gave gut-check - 02.07.05 - SI Vault

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1108512/index.htm

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1108512/index.htm

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Keep reading, my friends...for inspiration...don't forget all of the transcendentalist artists around us...spreading the word.



This weekend...use some of the research techniques or tips (or whatever you got out of it...if anything) to sure up the research you did for the Skube paper.

Also, Journal #7 will be a reaction and response to the article available here.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Just rewrite Skube!

Monday, October 10, 2011 Assignments

READ:

Read the Clarity section of Hacker...this will address many of the types of issues I have been seeing in your writing.


WRITE:

Rewrite of Essay #3

Watch the video embedded below. Journal #6 will be a reaction to it. Respond, criticize, agree or otherwise analyze. Please feel free to compare, contrast with Economy section of Walden.

M,W, September 26/28 Assignments

Formal Essay #3: Descriptive Narrative: At its simpliest form, Thoreau's writing represents the triumph of a  personal, radical and terribly unpopular view. Even if you disagree with his philosophies, it is easy to admire his audacity.

For your descriptive narrative, write a story about a time when you did something that took a lot of nerve, a time when you didn't follow the crowd or a time when you stood up for your beliefs. Perhaps your friends were urging you to do something that you were uncomfortable with and you chose not to cave into peer pressure. Maybe you took a stance on a political issue that was important in your community, or you might have protected someone who was weaker than his detractors. Maybe you stood against bullying or oppression.

Whatever you choose, think about the details of the event and write a story that tells about what happened. Your narrative should show your readers why you decided to make a stand or try something that took nerve, give specifics on the events, and share how you felt after the event. Please be careful to utilize the rhetorical modes and devices discussed in class.

Paper is due Monday, October 3, 2011.

IMPORTANT NOTE!!!

Costal's 6pm Rhet & Comp class is canceled TODAY (Monday, September 26, 2011).

My 3:30 College Writing class will meet as scheduled!

Allusions...Oh No! Oh No! Oh No! Oh Yeeeeeeaaaaaa!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

No one is this class is the green man, but several of you are capable of being the other man. We will get stronger and stronger at writing/editing until you are the most popular student in your hall!

In Class Activity:

1. Get in families.

Special Note for Class on WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

Please do your best to get a copy of Hacker from the bookstore (or another, probably cheaper source) for class! Thank you.

September 19, 2011 Assignments

For Wednesday, rewrite essay #2, read "What's Wrong with Writing" article.

Join the Stockton Debate Team

Hello Professors,

My name is Joseph Gonzalez and I represent the Stockton Debate Team.

I've contacted you because the courses you teach has relevance to our club.

CW/Rhet Comp, September 14, 2011

READ: Walden Economy (p 1- 30) for CW / 1st 2 sections for R&C

WRITE: Formal Essay #2: Literary Analysis Paper (approx 2 pages): Listen to the philosopher’s presentation to his student, how does his philosophy embody the tenets of transcendentalism as presented by Thoreau in Economy? Please do your best to cite SPECIFICALLY from the reading the ways in which Thoreau's philosophy melds with the presentation. Cite directly from the text. Show me how you (think) the parenthetical and end documentation should look.

Don't forget to finish Journal #2 (from class)

Walden Economy Chapter Part 1 pgs. 1 - 30 (1/2 of online)

Rhetoric and the media

In light of last year's near-fatal shooting of a Democratic Arizona Congresswoman by a fanatical Republican, The Daily Show's Jon Stewart (America's most important commentators?) weighs in on whether or not rhetoric in the national media fosters an environment of violence and dischord.

THE END...for better or worse

Wednesday's Class Plan: 
1. Costal's IDEA
2. Discuss Research Paper (30 minutes of rush prep)
3. Discuss Shoeless Joe
4. Elves, Giants, Wizards
5. Shoeless Joe test
6. 30 minutes of RUSH!

I have not received midterms from about six of you. Check your emails, make sure the attachments were there and the emails sent, because if I do not get one by today...it's over!

THE LAST WEEK of EOF - Monday, July 25

1st half of class: Final "evaluating quality" discussion / short research lecture / "types of support" if time

2nd half of class: Family meetings will take place in our classroom. The schedule is as follows (EOF times, of course):

10:00:  Extra Time if needed

9:50:    Cool as BEEP
9:40:    O3
9:30:    Chabbe in NJ
9:20:     BREAK (to library with family)

12:20: OREO
12:10: Writers of Intimatcy
12:00: Writers of Success
11:50: Teletubby Mafia
11:40: Explicit 4some
11:30: BREAK (to library or labs with family)


Because so many of my directives are NOT finding their way to the final draft, the grade change contingent on the revision will also be based on your family's ability to hand me a Hacker companion. Explained during lecture.

Tuesday class: Eight Men Out
Tuesday module: IDEA & Questions

Wednesday: Shoeless Joe Test & Costal stories

Major Assignment Reminders (due on a rolling basis):
1. Research paper
2. Journals
3. Shoeless Joe test Wednesday
3. rewrites of essay 4

EOF Class #12, July 20, 2011

MODULE: You are going to evaluate for quality again...in families...just like yesterday, this time with a new article. If done, with time, begin assignment.

ASSIGNMENT:

Mini Research, Formal Essay #4: To celebrate Shoeless Joe, tell me which famous ghost you would make sacrafices to conjure up to your home. Any dead celebrity qualifies. Must be a famous (or infamous) person. Must be dead. Do some research on the person, first. Use Hacker to help you. Use only CREDIBLE sources. Write a great citation. Integrate at least one or two strong direct quotations. Show me what you learned about thesis and academic researching. Employ thinking similar to Ray Kinsella's. Due at the end of module on Thursday. Minimum = 2 pages.

For help, be sure to use Hacker Research section starting on page 311.

EOF Class #11, July 19, 2011

Module: 1. Get in your families.

2. Each member will take turns reading their "This I Believe" essay aloud to the family. DO NOT LET OTHER FAMILIES HEAR!

3. The family will vote on the member whose essay is the best.

Evening Module Assignment:

1. Read & Annotate the article the tutors give you.
2. Get into families, analyze the article based on the "evaluating quality" notes (on this blog) we discussed.
3. Write notes on how the article holds up against the established parameters. Be prepared to discuss tomorrow.

Ongoing: READ: Peruse the The Basics in Hacker pgs. 529 - 563 / Shoeless Joe Chapter 4

Class #10, July 18, 2011 Assignments

Module: Test

Assignments: Redo essay #2 & give a good editing to essay #3

Class #9, July 14, 2011, SJ Chapter 3 Quiz

All answers should be in complete sentences. 1 through 5 should be answered in just a few sentences each. You will be graded for how well your answers illustrate a thorough reading of the chapter. Answer 6 should be in one, well-developed paragraph, longer than the rest.

1. What happens when Ray wakes up in the middle of the night and walks from the motel into town? (p 136 – 138)


2. How did Graham get the nickname “Moonlight”? (p 141 – 143)

3. How does Ray react when Doc Graham questions him as to why he’s so interested in him? (p 149)

4. How does Doc Graham finally respond to Ray’s question about his “one wish”? (p 151)

5. Who is the hitchhiker Ray and Jerry pick up on their way out of town? Where’s he going? (p 157)

6. Write a paragraph predicting what will happen the rest of the way, use specific reference from the story to justify your answer.

EOF Class #9, July 14, 2011

Start of class in family time: Get in your families, take out your journals from last night. Discuss the following:

1. Which was your favorite essay and why.

2. Share the essays you chose with your family members. Tell them why you chose it.

3. As a family, chose an essay to share with the class.

Also today in class: Discuss "Dentaphilia" & Chapter 3, "evaluating quality," and if time, Costal's Challenge #2

I am not giving a specific assignment for module today, so that you may take time to begin essay before leaving for the weekend.

Formal Essay #3:
Your essay should meet the guidelines as stated by NPR here. Choose your words very carefully -- each speaks volume about what you believe.

EOF Class #8, July 13, 2011

Today's module and assignment:

Formal Writing #3 Prep: This I Believe Essay: This essay should reflect the culmination of your thoughts about passion and belief as prompted by Shoeless Bro. It is based on the NPR series “ This I Believe,” in which the general public is invited to write (and sometimes read) a short essay about their belief statements. 

In preparation, you are asked to read at least 5 “This I Believe” columns online to see the range of people and ideas represented. Three I'm picking for you, and three you can select on your own. Have some fun with this as some are very, very powerful. The three I've selected for you are:

To Sum It Up...

“The point is not to become something. The point is to become yourself, and to use yourself completely – all your gifts, skills and energies – to make your vision manifest. You must withhold nothing. You must, in sum, become the person you started out to be, and to enjoy the process of becoming.” 

 (Warren Bennis, On Becoming a Leader).

EOF Class #7, July 12, 2011

Module: Go to the computer lab. Read the this article. Then either write (or create notes for) Journal #5 to answer the following questions.

1. Do you agree or disagree with the author? Why or why not?
2. How does the "passion" described here contrast with the "passion" we see in SJ  by Ray and Jerry? Use MUST use specific reference from the book to make your point.

You will HALF the module to complete this task. The other half we will spend as a class discussing the novel (namely Chapter 2 and this assignment).

EOF Class #6, July 11, 2011

Module: Finish the backwards edit.

 

Assignments: Essay 1 & 2 revisions due tomorrow

In Class Quiz: EOF Class #5, July 7, 2011

1. "If you build it, he will come." What is it and who is he?

2. Describe Shoeless Joe's playing in the way Ray's dad would.

3. Describe Annie the way Ray would.

4. Is Ray's farming a commercial success, why or why not?

5. What evidence exists that speaks to Shoeless Joe's innocence?

6. Famously, Shoeless Joe asks Ray, "Is this heaven?" Ray answers, "No. It's Iowa." Then Ray says something else. Why might this question be significant based on Ray's feelings?

A Little English Dork Humor for Ya...

EOF Class #4, July 6, 2011

Study Guide Questionless for Shoeless Joe

Chapter 2, “They Tore Down the Polo Grounds in 1964”:

1. How does Ray feel about Annie’s family? (p 26)

2. What does Joe say to Ray when he keeps asking about the catcher? (p 28)

3. What does the ballpark announcer next say to Ray (p 31)

4. How does Ray know that the announcer is referring to the writer JD Salinger? (p 32)

5. Why does Ray think that Salinger “knows” him? (p 37)

EOF Class #3, July 5, 2011

Module: Complete the Hacker Usage Quiz in families (proctored by Destiny and Eddie). Additional time shoudl be sepnt working on your essay revision

Evening Module: Destiny and Eddie will review the answers to your quiz on narrative, please be attentive and accomodating to the discussion

Assignments:

READ: You should begin reading Chapter 2 of SJ

For tomorrow, please read the article "Writing off Reading" from the Atlantic City Press.

WRITE: Revision of Essay #2...originals MUST be included for you to receive a grade.

Finish Journal #2: Discuss the poem now that you know the truth.

Oh, and WAKE UP! EOF Week 2, it's on!

EOF Class #2, June 30, 2011

Afternoon Module: Get a jump on your homework.

HAPPY 4th of JULY


.

Family Research Schedule & RM collection

Family Research Schedule


3:30 - 3:45pm: Robert's Roberts Robertson

3:50 - 4:05pm: Rewrites

4:10 - 4:25pm: Coasters

4:30 - 4:45pm: Barbi and the Dolls

4:50 - 5:05pm: Brief, Yet Wondrous

5:10 - 5:25pm: CCC

The Oscar paper

BEWARE FUKU! Consider this assignment a mini-research paper.

Dissect, discuss, research and write (minimum of 3 pages) an essay that focuses on a central theme of the novel. Focus on providing meaningful insights. Be engaging and interesting. I want some level of research conducted for this. Make sure the facts or credible opinions you find can be judged based on the criteria established in the course. Cite each source you use. Follow Hacker for a guide to MLA format. Each paper should contain a "Works Cited" page. Consider using multi-media clips or articles. There are many interesting clips and audio with Diaz (he's kind of a big deal right now). The topics are just a starting point, a focus for your analysis of the novel. Overall, use the smaller questions within the topic to guide you, just be sure you are focusing around one theme.   

1. Discuss the main narrator (Yunior). Why is the narrator's voice so fresh and unique? How does Díaz accomplish this? How does the narrator alter perception of the story? Next discuss footnotes. Why does he employ footnotes to explain the history or context of a certain passage or sentence in the main text? Why do this? How would the novel have read differently if the content of the footnotes had been integrated into the main text? What if the footnotes (and the information in them) had been eliminated altogether? (NOTE: Diaz himself is often asked about this and his answers are pretty succinct.)

2. The narrator says “Dominicans are Caribbean and therefore have an extraordinary tolerance for extreme phenomena. How else could we have survived what we survived?” (p. 149). What does he mean by that? Could Oscar’s obsession with science fiction and the “speculative genres” be seen as a kind of extension of his ancestors’ belief in “extreme phenomena?" Was that his method of coping? For Oscar, his obsession with fantasy and science fiction becomes isolating, separating him from his peers so much so that he almost cannot communicate with them—as if he speaks a different language (and at one point he actually speaks in Elvish). Consider how the other characters in the book—for instance, Belicia growing up in the Dominican Republic, similarly isolated? And how are their forms of isolation different?

3. The author, the primary narrator, and the protagonist of the book are all male, but some of the strongest characters and voices in the book (La Inca, Belicia, Lola) are female. Who do you think makes the strongest, boldest decisions in Part One? Given the machismo and swagger of the narrative voice, how does the author express the strength of the female characters? Do you think there is an intentional comment in the contrast between that masculine voice and the strong female characters? Why or why not? How do these characters exist especially in contrast to the great objectification of women we see through Yunior's narration and the other references in the novel?

4. We know from the start that Oscar is destined to die in the course of the book—the title suggests as much, and there are references to his death throughout the book [“Mister. Later [Lola would] want to put that on his gravestone but no one would let her, not even me.” (p. 36)]. Why do you think Díaz chose to reveal this from the start? How does Díaz manage to create suspense and hold the reader’s attention even though we already know the final outcome for Oscar? Did it actually make the book more suspenseful, knowing that Oscar was going to die?

5. Is Oscar a hero? Why or why not? How is his death a fitting end to the story of his life? Pick out specific ironies about how his death coordinates to the intricate details of the story itself. Other characters in the book are more traditionally heroic, making bold decisions on behalf of others to protect them—for instance, La Inca rescuing young Belicia, or Abelard trying to protect his daughters. In the end, do you think Oscar is heroic or foolish? And are those other characters—La Inca, Abelard—more or less heroic than Oscar?



6. Popular culture references really drive this novel. So much so, that we can easily see the Diaz himself is as guilty of indulging in "geek chic" as his protagonist. Choose any one or several of the popular culture allusions (such as Tolkien or Doctor Who or The Twilight Zone) and compare/contrast the importance of each on the novel itself. Explain how Oscar himself evinces the themes or importance of the works themselves (in other words, how is Oscar a Tolkien hero)? 

7. Throughout the novel, Spanish words and phrases appear unaccompanied by their English translations. What is the effect of this seamless blending of Spanish and English? How would the novel have been different if Díaz had stopped to provide English translations at every turn? Why does Díaz not italicize the Spanish words (the way foreign words are usually italicized in English-language text)?

8. In many ways, Yunior and Oscar are polar opposites. While Yunior can get as many women as he wants, he seems to have little capacity for fidelity or true love. Oscar, by contrast, holds love above all else—and yet cannot find a girlfriend no matter how hard he tries. Is it fair to say that Yunior is Oscar’s foil—underscoring everything Oscar is not—and vice versa? Or are they actually more alike than they seem on the surface?

9. For Oscar, his obsession with fantasy and science fiction becomes isolating, separating him from his peers so much so that he almost cannot communicate with them—as if he speaks a different language (and at one point he actually speaks in Elvish). How are other characters in the book—for instance, Belicia growing up in the Dominican Republic, or Abelard under the dictatorship of Trujillo, similarly isolated? And how are their forms of isolation different?

10. The image of a mongoose with golden eyes and the a man without a face appear at critical moments and to various characters throughout the book. What do these images represent? Why do you think Díaz chose these images in particular? When they do appear, do you think you are supposed to take them literally? For instance, did you believe that a mongoose appeared to Belicia and spoke to her? Did she believe it?



FAMILIES WILL CHOOSE THESE TOPICS, so please do not begin to work on this until we discuss in class.

Wednesday, April 13, Mascot Paper peer edit

1. Read the paper through once, start to finish.

2. During a second read-through focus on mechanical, structural or clarity errors or ambiguities. Mark up paper accordingly.

3. Next, identify and circle the thesis. Star it if you like it.

4. Underline each type of support the writer uses. Is there a variety? An effort to present both fact and opinion? Is the opinion authoratative? Is it credible?

5. Did the writer include different types of appeals? If so mark each with either an "l," "e" or "p."

6. Does the author address a variety of audiences? Does he/she consider the different variables for each? Discuss how the writer could accomplish this.

7. Sign the top of the paper and return to the writer. Discuss strategies for revision on the writer's part. The editor will receive a small grade for the help provided and completion of these elements.

REWRITE (yes...again...) and re-re-submit for Monday. Oscar papers will be due a week from tonight. Wednesday, April 20, 2011. 

A Great Review of Oscar

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/books/review/Scott-t.html

Rhet Comp, Preceptor Day, April 6, 2011

For Monday's class:

WRITE: 1. Edit your Stockton Mascot paper, did you use a good array of different types of evidence?

2. Do argument activity

READ: Oscar to the end of part 1

Check out my article for Constitution Daily

It would be awesome if you would comment on it as well. Thanks. Click the post to see the article.

Monty Python Can Teach You About Rhet & Comp

Monday, March 28, 2011

This week, read Chapter Four of Oscar. Journal #7 should be about Chapter 3. Your answer should do the following: 1. Briefly describe Beli's life. 2. The chapter is called the three heartbreaks of Beli Cabral. What are her heartbreaks? 3. What does the end of Chapter 3 makes you think about the rest of the book?

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Most stayed away. Those who came in were treated to one on one writing help. Since the class on which the upcoming assignment was based got scrapped, your only work for the weekend is Chapter 3 of Oscar. Stay tuned for a journal on Chapter 3 which will be forthcoming.

Monday, March 21, 2011 -- Brief and Wondrous Monday after Spring Break

Answer each question as completely as possible. Points will be awarded for how specifically your answer references the novel and displays comprehension of the events within. For at least, consider using at least one, or up to three direct reference to plot points that evince the answers.

1. What is fuku, and what is its effect on the other characters?
2. Contrast the narrators between the first two chapters.
3. Contrast pre-pubescent Oscar with adolescent/teenage Oscar.
4. Describe the "Dominican ideal of manhood" that Oscar must contend with. Why is it particularly difficult for him?
5. Describe the important familial confrontation that takes places in our own, beloved Cape/Atlantic portion of South Jersey. Why is it an important moment? Briefly describe what you predict will become of Lola.

Choose one of these questions and blow out your answer to a full page.

Please have Chapter 3 read by next week...it's loooooong, so don't underestimate it.

Rhetoric and Composition, Monday, February 28th & Wednesday. March 2nd

For Wednesday's class, be sure to read all given materials. Also, be sure you have spent time with the issues outlined on previous posts of the blog (Pakistan and Egypt). 

WRITE: Formal Essay #3:

Synthesis of the Reluctant Fundamentalist

This paper will be at least three pages long. Please do not just stop cold when you hit three pages, I have witnessed with this class a tendency to rush to an ending after you hit the required length.

Each family will work on the same topic (five possible topics in all). I am assigning it this way so that you may use your families for guidance and help. Topics will be assigned during class today. You will be given the last few minutes of class to brainstorm and discuss your topic with your family before heading off to write. Also, each family should be able to provide some interesting oral insights for each topic when we discuss them.

Use outside resources (consider looking at those that have been posted to the blog) to assist you in crafting your answer. Check out websites. Do a Google search. Read the interviews. Listen to the audio and podcasts. Attribute and cite these resources. Integration, relevance and attribution of sources will be graded. Use Hacker to guide your creation of an APA or MLA works cited page (Don't worry about perfection in this area, yet, we will go over this next month).

The Latest on Lahore

Rhetoric and Composition, Wednesday, February 24, 2011

Before tackling your assignments for this weekend, please spend some time on the PBS companion site for this issue. Click the post for the link. Look at the timeline, watch some of the supporting media. Read the words of journalists, activists and politicians. Now I know I have no way of policing this, but I would like you to spend some significant time educating yourself on this resonating, history-making moment. Read and watch what interests you. Challenge yourself to become well-versed in this complicated, but important issue. Impress your friends with your knowledge of current events and world issues. Maybe...now I know I'm getting altruistic here....maybe even get involved. Information from the video and website will and should be incorporated into subsequent work with Reluctant Fundamentalist.

Rhetoric and Composition, Monday, February 20, 2011

Stockton says, "To heck with Presidents...we don't care how many vampires you killed, Abe,  we got schoolin' to do!"

Today we start class with some fam time. Get in your families and review your last two journals to refresh your memories on them. Then one or two people from each fam should volunteer to read to the fam. Discuss the core questions of the topics at hand to warm-up for class-wide discussions.

As our discussions move to Changez, I am hoping you noticed the creepy comparisons of art imitating life or vice versea in Pakistan over the past few weeks. If the name Raymond Davis means nothing to you now, please rectify that. Is he the real life version of the nameless American within the novel?

Rhetoric & Composition, Weekend of February 17, 2011

READ: Clarity section of Hacker / RF should be completed by Wednesday, February 23.

WRITE: edit of formal essay #1

Don't Be Confused...

Costal's Rhetoric and Composition will meet this afternoon, Monday, February 14, 2011, as planned.

Rhetoric and Composition, Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day! Thank you for your patience. The Costal twins are getting better each day.

God willing...I will be in class on Wednesday...a big, public thank you to my friend, mentor and family advocate, the great Pam Cross on the assist, don't get too used to the love or the "Pam Cross Experience."





CLASS:

View video on Swat Valley in Pakistan.

Now...

I have graded formal essay one and will have it returned to you by Wednesday. The GOOD NEWS is that many of them contained great, concrete supporting details. Nice work! There were some very vivid submissions that SHOWED and never TOLD.

BAD NEWS: One consistent issue I have noticed concerns sentence structure. Many of you are writing multi-clausal sentences that are either run-ons or fragments. Many of them are also improperly punctuated and contained definite errors in parallelism. On Wednesday, as we catch up on...well, EVERYTHING...we'll dive into Hacker and take a look at some common problems. In the meantime, I would like you to use class time to do a little editing activity on your Skube papers that may help you address some of your more awkwardly constructed sentences.

So...

1. Get into families and pair up with the family member you did NOT work with last time. 

2. Sit beside your partner, not face-to-face.

3. One partner is the writer first and one is the proofreader first.

4. The writer has a pen for correcting. The proofreader does not.

5. The writer places the paper where both partners can clearly see it and reads aloud, beginning with the last sentence in the paper, continuing with the next to the last, and so on through the paper. The proofreader watches the paper intently and listens carefully to exactly what the writer reads, noting differences between the spoken and written words. Back to front reading prevents the writer and proofreader from getting caught up in the voice or narrative of the text, making it easier to concentrate on recognizing sentence errors. This method of reading also makes it easier to find sentence fragments, which are frequently phrases or clauses that should be attached to the previous sentence.

6. While reading, the writer makes any noticeable corrections. If the proofreader notes a discrepancy between what is being read and what appears on the paper, one that the writer fails to note, the proofreader MUST interrupt the writer in order to point out the discrepancy.
7. The writer must make the final decision on all proposed changes.

8. This process continues until the paper is completely proofread. Then, the partners reverse roles and repeat the process.

Professor Cross will begin this process with you in class. Feel free to utilize the classroom space after she dismisses you at 4:30pm. There is a class in our classroom at 6pm.

READ:

1. RF should be read through Chapter 7.

WRITE:

1. React as Journal # 3 for homework. First discuss your general feelings about the piece, then discuss the ways in which it relates to the reading.

2. Three, count 'em, three revisions of Skube should be in class Wednesday, ready for submission.

Class Canceled Monday, February 7, 2011

Stay Tuned to the blog for assignment announcements.

You see? Not Just Me...

Rhetoric and Composition: February 2, 2011

CLASS: Answer each question in approximately 3 - 6 sentences.  

1. How fast should one drive in a third world country? What side of the road do people drive in a third world country?

2. When should you honk the horn while driving in a third world country? What should you do about animals blocking the road?

3. What is the tone of the piece? In other words, how does the author make his point? What device(s) does he use?

4. Assuming the title is sarcastic, what is the author's real point of writing the piece?

READ: Peruse hacker's "Glossary of Usage" which begins on page 565

READ & WRITE

Read Michael Skube article...grab it here!

Formal Writing #2: Michael Skube provides his e-mail on the bottom of his scathing rebuke of today's college student. Write a letter to him either agreeing or disagreeing with his thesis. Either way, make sure you back up your claim with specific examples from either your own life, observations you have made or statistics you have researched. Do not spend too much time worrying about how you "cite" your source(s) (this will come later), but please "attribute" it/them. The best response will be e-mailed to Skube himself! Zoinks!

Happy Groundhog's Day

Rhet Comp, Monday, January 31, 2011

READ: 1. (For Wednesday) Read Pj O'Rourke's "Third World Driving Tips"

2. RF Chapts 3 - 5

WRITE: (for Wednesday) rewrite of Formal Essay #1

Was thinking about the Super Bowl...so reprinted a blog post from last year...enjoy!

Shame on CBS...Super Bowl Ads Stink of Agenda

This year, the Super Bowl WAS better than the commercials (recapped here). Much better.

The advertising winner was easily the 2nd one to broadc

ast after kickoff: The Betty White Snickers commercial.

Then there were a bunch of nearly literate commercials in which down-trodden thirty-somethings disclose the ugly truth of ealry adulthood. Like guy has baby and realizes he will never have a cool car. Guy has wife and realizes he will never again chase a hot girl. Guy has house and car and wife and baby...and cut to guy hanging from nearby oak tree. You get the point, right?


Isn't enough that Madison Avenue ad agency executives are sipping martinis and quipping about "skirts" during the working hours? Do they have to rub Joe Middle Class' misery into our own, weary faces? All of these commercials, designed to seel soap or cars or candy, are just lovely reminders that most of us (and by us I mean me and, most likely, if you are still reading a blog post from a state college writing professor, you) will spend our lives working too hard for too little. But why?

CLASS CANCELED WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2011

Rhet Comp, Wednesday, January 26, 2011

I Want My...I Want My...I Want My... Child Pornography??!!

As if being known as the creators of The Jersey Shore weren't bad enough, now MTV executives are being called child pornographers.

Journal #2 will be a response to this New York Times article about the new (by new, of course I mean an old BBC bite-off) MTV show Skins which is currently being accused of not only "crossing the lines of good taste/morality," but also illegality. Holy Snooki...that's a tough allegation!

Read the article, conduct additional research and present in your journal an argument that either agrees or disagrees with the assessment. Don't stop at the legality, though, also consider whether or not the show should be broadcast.

Guided Reading Questions for RF Chapters 1 - 3

Chapter 1

1. Why might the American be frightened by a man with a beard? (1)

2. How does the narrator know that the man is American? (2)

3. Where does the American prefer to sit in the café? What might this suggest? (2)

4. Why do you think the American doesn’t take off his jacket, even though it’s hot in the café? (3)

5. How does the narrator answer the question about what he thought of Princeton? (3)

Rhet Comp, Monday, Jan 24

All assignments due Monday. You will receive your family on Wednesday, so get excited!

READ: RF Chapters 1 & 2

Narration Chapter in text (read by Wednesday's class in case you have any questions)

WRITE: Formal Essay #1: Narrative: Write about an experience in which you became aware of "who you are." In other words, relay a story that reveals something important about you. Describe a moment that was important in shaping your identity.

Potential Ideas: A time you...

There's More!

And then there's this.

A Note from Costal to Start the Course...

This semester's reading is a beautiful novel, The Reluctant Fundementalist, by Mohsin Hamid. It is about a Pakistani man and his complicated relationship with the US. We will use it as a catalyst for becoming strong readers and writers.

The second piece, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is the Pulitzer Prize winning novel about a Dominican nerd stuck in his own world of anti-machismo.

As college freshmen, the importance of this work comes in what it teachers us about ourselves in terms of IDENTITY. You guys are embarking on the an undoubtedly tumultous time in terms of defining, exploring and testing your identity. The reading examines the maturation process, and our constant re-evaluation of purpose and priorities. Good luck this year!

NYT's Best Books of 2010

So...get reading.