Thomas Nelson Community College

Course Description (The Whole Enchilada!)

Welcome. Here is a description of the focus, rules and procedures of this course. Read it over carefully and consult it regularly, on paper or on Blackboard (best if you download it, print it out, and keep it handy): doing so will save us a lot of time by eliminating your need to ask repeated questions, and my need to answer them, about basic matters.

[NOTE: Students with disabilities who will be taking this (or any) course and may need disability-related accommodations are encouraged to make an appointment with the office of Disabled Student Services to register for support services if you have not already done so (Room#323 Hastings Hall; 825-2833 (V) 825-2853 {TDD}).]

LINKS TO SECTIONS OF COURSE DESCRIPTION

I. FOCUS AND PURPOSE OF THE WORKSHOP

II. TEXTS AND MATERIALS

III. DISTANCE-LEARNING AND BLACKBOARD ISSUES

IV. PREPARATION AND PARTICIPATION

V. GRADING POLICY

VI. READING RESPONSES AND REPLIES

VII. PROJECT ASSIGNMENT

    SERVICE LEARNING OPTION

     Part One: Topic Selection and Narrowing (The Proposal)

     Part Two: Planning the Search (The Plan)

     Part Three: The Profile

    Part Four: The Annotated Bibliography

     Part Five: The Research Paper

     Part Six: Experimenting with Formats: Playing Solitaire  

     Part Seven: The Feature Article

VIII._WORKSHOP_PROCEDURE_

IX._COURSE_SCHEDULE_

I. FOCUS AND PURPOSE OF THE WORKSHOP [BACK TO TOP]

We will spend our entire session planning, researching and writing what will ultimately become a single essay; though, as the Project Assignment will make clear, we'll be doing this in stages and installments, two of which will take the form of shorter essays: a Profile, based on observation/interview, and a Research Paper, based on print and/or online resources. The finished product will take the form of a Feature Article, like those that appear in magazines. (My hope, in fact, is that all of you will end up with a publishable piece of writing.)                                                           

Because writing is revising (from the Latin word for re-seeing, as it applies to both what you write and how you write it), you will be going back to add to, delete from and change each of your essays after composing the next one. For instance, you will probably learn things in doing the Research Paper (VII, Part Five) that will improve your Profile (VII, Part Three); you will also probably want to reorganize and stylistically revise both of these shorter essays once you've completed the Feature Article (VII, Part Six).

You will use the knowledge and skills you develop in English 111 in any other writing you'll do during college and thereafter. With this in mind, we will concentrate on five aspects of writing: choosing and focusing a topic; gathering and sorting appropriate information; identifying and addressing an educated but non-specialist audience; creating a form and employing specific stylistic devices geared toward presenting your information to this audience in a clear and interesting manner; and developing the grammatical and mechanical skills necessary to polish your own writing.

Our "model" for this course will be the writings of John McPhee, a journalist whom many consider to be a master of creative non-fiction, of writing in an informative, understandable, vivid and entertaining manner about a broad range of topics. We're not out to imitate McPhee so much as to learn from him what we can about consciously-crafted and effective writing.

NOTE: This is a cooperative learning course, in which you will work closely with your peers in Writing and Reading Groups, members of which will share their reading responses and give each other feedback on the writing. You will find your Writing and Reading Group in Communication>Group Pages, where you will also find Group Email, as well as a Cyber Café where you can chat live with your group members; use both to offer each other support and encouragement. 20% of the course grade will be based on your replies to others’ posts on the readings and your feedback on the writing. These groups are responsible for making sure that all members

1) Understand and can post USEFUL responses to the readings (See Reading Responses in the Course Description),

2) Understand and follow directions for all parts of the Project Assignment,

3) Post all work on time.

II. TEXTS AND MATERIALS  [BACK TO TOP]  

Harris, Muriel. The Writer’s FAQs. 4^th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice           

              Hall, 2006. 

McPhee, John. The John McPhee Reader. Ed. William Howarth. New York:

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1976.

2 or more pocket folders; a small notebook; lots of loose-leaf paper, if you choose to write (rather than type and save electronically) your Reading Journal (see VI below); a pack of (preferably multicolored) 5"-by-8" index cards; 2 or more floppy disks, a flash drive or 2 writeable cds. I also recommend a microphone and headset and/or webcam, in order to take advantage of live conferencing.

I also strongly recommend that you purchase, if you do not yet own one, a good dictionary, such as The American Heritage College Dictionary, or even a Webster's Universal, either in hard copy or, if you own a computer with CD drive, on CD. As a student at TNCC, you also have access to the online version of The Oxford English Dictionary (the most comprehensive), through VIVA.  Simply go to the TNCC homepage (http://www.tncc.edu). On the main drop-down menu, select Student Resources. From there, select “Library & LRC.” On that page, you’ll find the link to The Oxford English Dictionary. When you click on it from home, you’ll be prompted for your username and password, which will be the same as your MyTNCC username and password.

III. DISTANCE-LEARNING AND BLACKBOARD ISSUES  [BACK TO TOP]

E-MAIL

Only e-mail classmates about course work if you’re checking on a member of your Base Group. Contact me by e-mail only to let me know about:

Ø      your inability to post work due to technical problems

Ø      family or other emergencies that will prevent you from posting work on time

Ø      dropping the class [NOTE: The date to drop for a refund is May 25 (NOON); the last date to withdraw with a “W” is June 21 (NOON)].

Be sure to include your name and course name/section number in any e-mails you send me.

Any questions you have about assignments should go into Discussion Board under QUESTIONS ABOUT COURSE (ASSIGNMENTS, ETC.); chances are that if you have a particular question, others will have the same question.

Keeping all of this in mind, CHECK YOUR TNCC EMAIL DAILY! Use ONLY this email account in communicating with instructors or any other officers of TNCC.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Be SURE to check Announcements DAILY—I’ll be using it to post (or post directions to) supplemental instructions and materials.

DISCUSSION BOARD

We’ll be using Discussion Board to

Ø      Discuss assignments—as I said above, any questions about assignments should be posted to the "Questions About" forum for that assignment.

Ø      Post and give/get Feedback to papers

Ø      Post Responses to readings, and Replies to other people’s responses

Ø        Post to the appropriate forum any other work I assign

Initial posts (Reading Responses and Project parts) must be done by creating new threads (clicking on “ADD NEW THREAD”—“+Thread”). You MUST title new threads carefully, to reflect the subject of your message (e.g., “Fred’s Yard—Listing Details” in the case of a Reading Response, or “Mary’s Proposal” when posting a piece of the Project). When REPLYING to others’ posts, click on the message subject (NOT the person’s name).

When attaching files (for Workshop on papers) to a message in Discussion Board, BE SURE TO SAVE IT FIRST AS AN .RTF FILE (select Rich Text Format (*.rtf) in Save as type)—otherwise, some will be able to open it.

ASSIGNMENTS

You’ll submit Revised and Edited papers to me in Assignments.  Go to Assignments in the menu on the left of the main page.  Click on "Browse" to find and select your file; then click on "Open" in the file window. Type your message--a good opportunity to request SPECIFIC feedback from me--and then click on "Submit."As with Discussion Board, you MUST save your work as an  .rtf file if I’m to be able to open it.

ADOBE CONNECT FOR OFFICE HOURS

We’ll be using ADOBE CONNECT for online office hours, which we’ll set up early on. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND AT LEAST TWO OFFICE HOURS THIS SEMESTER.  To get there, go to http://live.tncc.edu/weiserm. If you have a microphone, we can talk live.  If you have a webcam (optional), we can SEE each other, but we’ll all (including me) freeze these during meetings, as they REALLY slow things down (gobble up bandwidth). If you have neither, you and I will have to use a chat board, and I’m a lousy typist!

IV. PREPARATION AND PARTICIPATION  [BACK TO TOP]

As this is a distance-learning course, we'll be meeting (mainly asynchronously) online, using Blackboard, to see what we can learn from the assigned readings, and to share and discuss each other's research and writing.  We'll spend most of our time online sharing our responses to the readings (seeing in them things we can apply to our own writing), and giving and getting feedback on each other's writing.

Because of the collaborative nature of this course (I'll act mainly as mediator and consultant), you must be prepared: that is, you must have done and posted, before it’s due, the assigned reading and writing (see Course Schedule, IX and Project Assignment, VII). Three failures to post your work on time are grounds for a warning; 5 are grounds for failure,

Each installment of your project is DUE (that means (posted on Blackboard) when the Course Schedule (VIII) indicates. We'll be sharing and discussing this work in groups, so you must have your work ready AND posted to share with your group. We can't provide each other with effective (useful) feedback unless we can read each other's work: that's why failures to post are so heavily penalized. The same goes for Revised and Edited work for my feedback, which must be posted to Assignments by the indicated dates. You will have the opportunity to use the feedback you've gotten on the Profile, Research Paper and Feature Article to revise them before turning them in to me for final grades. (See Feedback Questions For Plan, Profile, Research Paper and Feature Article in VII, and as these indicate, USE these questions yourself in composing and revising your own pieces. Also see Workshop Procedure, in VIII)
 

V. GRADING POLICY  [BACK TO TOP]

Though I'll give you feedback on all the preliminary installments of the Project, the only papers I'll grade will be the Profile and Research Paper (VI. Parts Three and Five) and your final Feature Article (VI, Part Seven), and only after you've had an opportunity to revise them using my and group input. The Profile, Research Paper and Feature Article will each count for 20% of your final grade. Responses to readings and Replies to other’s responses will also count 20%. 1 point=.5%: You get 1 point for each Response and 1 point for each Reply, so you’ll need to post 20 of each, to earn 20 points, or an A, for this (as long as your Responses and Replies are DETAILED and USEFUL). Participation (especially the feedback you provide your groupmates on papers, but also the support you provide to your Base Group) will constitute the remaining 20%. Remember also that, if your entire Group gets a B or better, I’ll add half a grade bonus.

VI. READING RESPONSES AND REPLIES  [BACK TO TOP]  

Your reading Responses and Replies to others’ responses will be indispensable to your work in this course.

You’ll be using these Responses, along with discussion of them, to learn from McPhee's techniques. Most writers, throughout history, have kept reading journals or notebooks, in which they've collected examples of techniques from other writers. Doing so will help you, as it has helped other writers, to find and refine your own style and techniques as a writer.

You should therefore keep a reading journal, in which you record and respond to what you've learned from McPhee. You should do this on paper or computer in double-entry format: that is, using facing pages or columns:
 

On the left-hand pages or columns, copy out passages from McPhee's writing that strike you as particularly effective—that  help you to see, feel, hear, taste or smell what he’s describing; that make you feel you know the people in his stories; that force you to read on; that make unfamiliar things and ideas clear to you.

Pay close attention to such things as his ways of describing persons, objects, places and processes (examples of process description: the way he describes Carol butchering the turtle in "Travels in Georgia," or his description of Bradley's moves in "A Sense of Where You Are"); explaining unfamiliar concepts; incorporating and presenting information from other sources (examples of this include Bartram's book in "Travels" and Miss Flyte's study in The Pine Barrens); and telling a story (here, consider such things as how he begins--his "leads"--and how he manages shifts in time &/or focus). You should also take notes from Howarth's introductions--to the book and to individual selections--on these left-hand pages, but remember that these are ABOUT rather than BY McPhee.

On the right-hand pages, you'll respond to these quoted passages, focusing on the techniques you've learned from them and on how you might use these techniques in your own writing. The best way to do this is to answer the following three questions in each response:

1) What does this passage or piece as a whole do to or for me? 

2) How does it do this? and

3) How might I use similar techniques and/or strategies in my own writing?

Record these passages and do these responses while you're reading, or just after you've read, McPhee. Later on, try out the techniques McPhee uses on material from your own project.

POST your responses to specific readings in Discussion Board. You do not need to post the passage to which you’re responding, but at least indicate page

number(s), and maybe include the first and last few words of the passage.

NOTE: You can do these responses in table format—2 columns, one row—in your word processor and copy them into Discussion Board. If you do them on paper—and there are BENEFITS to doing this, you can create tables in Discussion Board messages and type the responses into those.

Here’s a brief example of a double-entry response:

                                                                                SAMPLE STUDENT RESPONSES

                                                                                    GOOD (USEFUL) RESPONSE

The above response is good (USEFUL) because the writer is focusing more on HOW the passage is written than on what it says. She actually

went on to use a similar technique in her own project.

                                                                                       BAD (NOT USEFUL) RESPONSE

The above response is BAD (NOT USEFUL) because the writer is focusing more on WHAT the passage says than on how it says it. He is reading as a READER, rather than as a WRITER. Note that in the last part, he does not answer the question--he tells us how he might apply the "lesson" in the passage in his own life, when he SHOULD be thinking/writing about how he might apply one of the techniques in the passage in his WRITING. This student dropped after two weeks.

You can also include some overall responses to the pieces, putting the title of each on the left-hand page. In these overall responses, you can focus on the overall STRUCTURE of a piece (but keep in mind that only "Travels" and "The Search for Marvin Gardens" are complete; the rest are excerpts from longer--book length--works), or, based upon what we know of McPhee's composing process, from Howarth's introduction to the Reader, speculate about the ORDER in which McPhee researched and wrote a piece.

At the beginning of this course (first two weeks), record and respond to at least one passage from the readings per day.  Though we're not due to discuss any readings for the first few days of class, you should start reading and responding to the McPhee material from day one.  Later on, you'll be focusing on your own project, but you should continue to record and respond to the reading throughout the semester. Remember—you must post 20 DETAILED and USEFUL responses and 20 DETAILED and USEFUL replies for an A.

VII. PROJECT ASSIGNMENT   [BACK TO TOP]

Part One: Topic Selection and Narrowing (The Proposal)  [BACK TO TOP]

Consider things that people do and/or make.  Which people make you most often (or most strongly) wonder about them, "What are their lives like? How (and why) do they do what they do?" About what thing--e.g.., product or art form--do you most (or most often) wonder, "How do they make that?"

Alternatively, if you have a profession, hobby or personal interest about which you think others would be interested in reading, this is also an option, but, as with the other topics, your project must involve an interview with and observation of someone else.

OR consider some of the issues that affect your life.  Do you or one of your family members* have an illness or disability about which you'd like to learn more? (This option is for those who would be comfortable sharing their experiences, but it also affords the best opportunity for combining the personal and academic in your writing.) How about an issue that affects your community (neighborhood or town)? 

*While the course specifies a profile of someone other than the writer, I am willing to consider a personal narrative in place of the profile, IF the story is 1) focused and compelling enough, 2) the writer is certain s/he's willing to share, and 3) if the experience is one that lends itself to research.

ANOTHER OPTION involves a place, and maybe its people. Examples in our book are McPhee's articles on Georgia, the Pine Barrens and Atlantic City. Local possibilities include The Great Dismal Swamp, the Eastern Shore, and Gloucester (the "Guinea" community). 

For the next few days, think about this just before you get out of bed in the morning, while you go through your daily activities, and just after you lie down for the night. Allow your mind to receive possible topics: keep a notebook with you at all times, and jot these topic ideas down when they come to you.

Having come up with several possible topics (REMEMBER: The topic MUST involve an OBSERVATION as well as interview), it's time to select one. Your criteria for selection should be as follows:

1) Interest to you: In what way(s) does your topic relate to your own life, experience, interests, career goals, etc.? What might you get out of researching this topic? In other words, how important is it to you to know more about this?

2) Interest to your readers: In what way(s) does your topic relate to others' lives, experience, etc.? What might they get out of reading about this topic? How interested might your readers be in getting to know more about this? NOTE: Before answering this, think carefully about your potential target audience—interests, ages, genders, educational levels, socioeconomic status, moral concerns, etc

3) Availability of live (observation/interview) sources: Who are the people who make or do this thing? Where do they live and work? Are they willing to be interviewed? While letters are the most polite way to find this out, we're limited by time: so call them up, or ask them in person.

4) Availability of print sources: Find other persons who are interested in this topic. (Now is a good time to make first contact with the person or group you’ll be interviewing and observing.) Ask them where to find the most useful books, magazines, news articles, websites, films, tapes, etc., on this topic. (Note: most professions have professional publications--e.g.., there's a magazine for people in the fast-food industry. And find out about the availability of in-house publications and films: the material which companies and organizations provide for their employees, stock-holders, members, or outside interested parties.) Can you get this material fairly quickly? You should spend some time at the library, online, and on the telephone, finding out if print sources are readily available for each topic.

5) Manageability: Can you cover this topic, somewhat thoroughly, in 10-12 pages (really only 5-6 pages in a book or magazine)? I don't mean can you write enough to fill the required number of pages; I do mean, can you focus and narrow your topic down to fit into a relatively short space? Do NOT answer this by telling us you can find enough material to fill 10-12 pages!

Answer each of these questions for each of your possible topics, thoughtfully and thoroughly. Use your answers to choose your topic, selecting for interest and "do-ability." Then turn your answers into a 2-3 page (typed, double-spaced) Proposal, following the order of the above questions, but not including them in the Proposal. A Sample Proposal is available in Course Documents. NOTE: The PURPOSE of this Proposal is to SELL us your idea, just as a magazine writer must sell her idea to an editor.

 First Draft of Proposal DUE (posted on Blackboard) 8 A.M on May 26 (Feedback posted by 8 A.M. on May 29, Revised and Edited Proposal by 8 A.M. on May 31).
 

FEEDBACK QUESTIONS FOR PROPOSAL

Use these questions in composing and revising your Proposal, as well as in responding to your class- and group-mates' Proposals.

1) Does the Proposal convince you of the writer's personal interest in this topic? If so, how? If not, what would it take to convince you? Suggest other reasons why the writer might be interested or other aspects of the topic in which he or she might be interested.

2) Thinking of yourself as one of the final Feature Article's potential readers, does the writing convince you that this topic is interesting to the types of readers the writer is planning to address? How and in what ways? If not, suggest ways to make the topic seem interesting.  If you think the Feature Article would appeal more to a different audience than the writer has identified, tell her/him which audience.

3) Does the Proposal suggest a clear idea of the kinds of "print" sources (books, magazines, articles, WebPages, videotapes, etc.) one might consult on this topic? Suggest any other sources than those the writer mentions, or people who might be able to point him/her to other sources.

4) Does the writer present a clear idea of whom s/he will interview? Does s/he name a particular person or persons? If not, make suggestions. If so, does this person seem to be the best choice (most knowledgeable about the topic and most available)? If so, tell the writer why. If not, tell why not, and make suggestions.

5) Does the topic seem focused enough to handle in 10-12 pages (really only 5-6 pages in a book or magazine)? If so, tell the writer what you understand to be his/her focus. If not, suggest ways in which s/he might limit the topic.
 

Part Two: Planning the Search--the Plan  [BACK TO TOP]

Having chosen your topic, you'll want to ask yourself and answer the following questions:

1) What do I already know about this topic? What more do I need to know?

2) What do my readers already know about this topic? (Again, before answering this, think about WHO your readers might be—what are their interests, ages, genders, educational levels, socioeconomic status. moral concerns, etc.?) What more might they want or need to know about it?

3) Having located live sources, and gotten permission and arranged to interview them, what kinds of information would you like to get from them? Think about (and jot down) the kinds of questions that are most likely to get for you the information you're seeking.

4) How much of this do I want and need to cover, and how much can I expect to cover in 10-12 pages? E.g., one cannot do a 10-12 page paper on the entire manufacture of a Porsche; however, one might focus on the Porsche's ergonomics: the interior of the car, and how it's designed to afford maximum pleasure to a certain kind of driver. Same goes for the homeless: one cannot do this entire topic justice in 10-12 pages; however, one can focus on a specific aspect of homelessness, a homeless individual or family, or one person in an agency or organization that's trying to solve this problem.

5) Having located your print sources, what kinds of information do you want or need to get out of these sources? What search strategies will you use? E.g., will you scan for key words, terms or data in these sources? Which words, terms, facts or data will you be looking for? Will you be looking for the history of your subject, or the methods used to produce the thing you're researching? (All just examples: think hard about the types of information you're seeking.)

6) How much time do you think you’ll need to do all of this (setting up and conducting the interview/observation; writing the Profile; doing the research; writing the Research Paper; organizing and finalizing the Feature Article)? List all these activities, and indicate the time you expect to spend on each.

Answer these questions THOUGHTFULLY and IN DETAIL; then write a 2-3 page (typed, double-spaced) Plan, incorporating into it answers to the 6 questions above.  A Sample Plan is available in Course Documents. The Plan is a WORKING DOCUMENT, meaning that it’s almost certain to change as you proceed.  First Draft of Plan DUE (posted) 8 A.M. on June 1 (Feedback (including mine) posted by 8 A.M. on June 3).

FEEDBACK QUESTIONS FOR PLAN

Use these questions in composing and revising your Plan, as well as in responding to your groupmates' Plans.

1) Do you know everything the Plan assumes that you know? If not, which of these things will the writer have to explain in his/her Profile, Research Paper and Feature Article?

2) Does the Plan mention everything you don't know about the topic? Aside from those you mention above (in response to question 1), what other things would you like to know?

3) Does the Plan assume that you don't know certain things about the topic that you do know, and that you would find it dull to read about in the Profile, Research Paper and Feature Article? If so, which things?

4) Do you think the writer has narrowed his/her focus sufficiently to cover his/her topic in depth in 10-12 pages (remember: this is roughly equivalent to 5 or 6 pages in a book)? If not, suggest ways in which s/he might do so: tell the writer those aspects of the topic on which s/he might focus.

5) Given what the Plan suggests about the focus of the Research Paper and Feature Article, does the writer seem to have a clear and full idea of the kinds of information s/he wants to get out of print sources, or of how to find this information? If not, suggest what s/he might look for and how s/he might find it.

6) Given the focus of the Profile and Feature Article, does the writer seem to have a clear and full idea of what s/he might learn from his/her live source(s)? If not, what other things might s/he learn?

7) Do the questions the writer plans to ask his/her live source(s) seem likely to solicit the information s/he seeks? If not, what other questions and kinds of questions do you suggest s/he ask?

Part Three: The Profile   [BACK TO TOP]

For your interview(s) (YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR INTERVIEW/OBSERVATION ARRANGED BY SATURDAY, JUNE 6 AND DONE BY MONDAY, JUNE 8,  AT THE LATEST), have a list of questions prepared beforehand. Having established what you need to find out, make most of your questions specific enough that your expert(s) will give you solid answers, but also include some questions designed to get them to talk freely (e.g., "What do you like most (or least) about your job?"). It’s probably best to start out with an open-ended question like these; most people LOVE to talk about what they do, and if you can get them started, you can base any further questions on what they tell you, making the interview more like a conversation and getting them to expand upon things that you and your readers want or need to know more about.

Take notes during the interview: notes from which you can later reconstruct with some accuracy what your expert(s) said, in his/her (or their) own words. (You can, if you wish, and if your informant(s) agree, use a tape recorder; this will also free you up to take notes on what you observe.)

You should also observe closely the appearance, actions, gestures, expressions and tones of voice of your informant(s), so that you can bring him/her/them to life for your readers.

Tag along with your expert(s) while they work, taking notes during or immediately after the interview) on everything you see, hear, feel, taste, smell. If you're researching a manufactured product, for instance, you'll want to see how it's made, so that you can later describe this process.

Whatever your topic, you'll want to describe the places, things and people, to create a vivid impression of the place(s) in which your expert(s) do or make the things they do or make.

At some point in the interview (perhaps at the end), ask your informant(s) if s/he (they) know(s) of any print, internet or video sources on your topic, other than those you've already found.  You can use these in composing your Research Paper.

Having gathered notes from your interview/observation, you will now write a Profile—essentially an informative story about the persons, places and things you encountered, including the things your expert(s) said along the way. Be certain to allow us to see the persons, places and things you saw, and to hear your informant(s). In other words, describe and quote. Unless you have my prior approval to do otherwise, do NOT mention yourself in the Profile. In either case, do NOT mention the interview. Use McPhee as the model for this; sample Profiles from students who have already taken this course are available at:

http://community.tncc.edu/faculty/weiser/sampleprofiles.html

First Draft of Profile (at least 6 pages, typed and double-spaced) DUE (posted) 8 A.M. on JUNE 9 (Feedback posted by 8 A.M. on JUNE 12, Revised and Edited Profile by 8 A.M. on June 15). 

FEEDBACK QUESTIONS FOR PROFILE

Use these questions in composing and revising your Profile, as well as in responding to your group-mates' Profiles.

1) Note any places where the writer includes references to self or the interview. Suggest ways the writer can avoid doing this—UNLESS s/he has permission from me to do otherwise.

2) Is the topic intriguing and well-focused? Indicate whether the Profile contains enough details to present a clear and interesting picture of the person(s), place(s), activities. Point out any places where vague or general statements fail to hold your interest in the subject, and suggest more vivid and engaging language.

3) Profiles must have a “controlling theme,” an angle or point that may be explicit (stated in the essay) or implicit (suggested by the details). Try to state (in a sentence) what you see as the controlling theme of the essay. If you can't do so, suggest one, and suggest how the writer might incorporate this in the essay. If you can state the controlling theme, point out any places in the essay where information or description might distract readers from it. Suggest ways to strengthen the thematic focus, perhaps through additional dialogue and/or sensory details.

4) Is the presentation vivid? Profiles must present their subjects in specific details rather than general statements. Look at the descriptions of objects, scenes and people. Point out vivid and specific descriptions as well as places where readers need more details in order to imagine what the writer is presenting. Also point out any details which don't add to the total impression the writer seems to be trying to create.

Consider the use of "specific narrative action"--moving, gesturing, talking. Suggest ways to strengthen specific narrative action that's already there, and point out other places where it might improve the Profile.

5) Is the information presented in an entertaining and easy-to-follow way? Point out any places where you felt overwhelmed or bogged down by information, and any places where information was lacking or unclearly presented. If necessary, suggest ways to delete or add information, or to break up long blocks of it with descriptions of scenes or people, or with narration of events.

6) As the assignment states, the Profile should be in narrative form: written as a story. Point out any places where it seems to drag. Also point out any places where it seems particularly dramatic and intense.

Is the organization effective? Do a brief outline of the Profile, and describe its organization to the writer.

Look especially at how it moves from scene to scene and time to time. As we've learned from McPhee, a narrative need not be in straight chronological order. If the Profile you're reading is not arranged in normal chronology (beginning; middle; end), make sure that its shifts in time and place make sense, can be followed, and ultimately hang together (e.g., if the piece starts in the middle, it should backtrack to the beginning, eventually coming back to and through the middle, moving ultimately to the end).

Look again at the "lead" (the introduction). Did it capture your attention? Is there a quote or scene elsewhere in the Profile that might make a more effective lead?

Reread the ending. If it leaves you hanging, or seems too abrupt, or oversimplifies the material, point this out, and suggest another conclusion--maybe a passage from elsewhere in the Profile.    

Part Four: The Annotated Bibiliography (To Prepare for Research Paper)[BACK TO TOP]

WHAT IS AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY?

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations (for us, in APA format) to books, articles, web sites and other documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.

THE PROCESS

First, locate and record citations to sources that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. Briefly examine and review the actual items. Then choose those works that provide the best (most informative, relevant and interesting) material on your topic.

Cite the book, article, or document using APA style.

Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article. Include one or more sentences that (a) evaluate the authority or background of the author, (b) comment on the intended audience, and (c) explain how this work illuminates your topic--how you can use it in your Research Paper..

HELP WITH CRITICAL ANALYSIS

If you need help with how to critically analyze a source, go to the following page:

http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill26.htm.

SAMPLE ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ENTRY IN APA FORMAT

Sewell, W. (1989). Weaving a program: literate programming in WEB. New

York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

Sewell explains the code language within these pages including certain lines of code as examples. One useful idea that Sewell uses is to explain characters and how they work in the programming of a Web Page. He also goes through and describes how to make lists and a title section. This will be very useful because all Web Pages have a title section. This author also introduces Pascal which I am not sure if I will include in my manual but after I read more about it I can decide whether this will be helpful to future users. This book will not be the basis of my manual but will add some key points, which are described above.

This example is on a book; the website citation form for APA is as follows:

[Last, First Initial]. [(Copyright)]. [Article Title].     [Web Site Title].          [Date Retrieved],

Sturdevant, T. (2003). Sleep and death. Thanatopsis. Retrieved June 25, 2004,

[from url].

from http://www.thantopsis.org.

If there’s no copyright (but look carefully for it, either on the home page or the last—might be “Last Update”), put "N.D." Leave out any info that’s not provided. If you need to break the url at the end of a line, do so after a slash or period.

The Annotated Bibliography, which should be about 2-3 pages, typed and double spaced, must be posted by 8 A.M. on June 17. (Feedback—including mine—posted by 8 A.M. on June 19).

FEEDBACK DIRECTIONS FOR ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

On this, we need to be sure that everyone’s

1) Annotations (summaries and evaluations) of sources follow the guidelines above,

2) Sources are reliable and relevant to the topic, and

3) APA citations are correct.

Part Five: The Research Paper [BACK TO TOP]

Using the search strategy you've developed in response to question 5 in the Plan (VII, 2 above) and the sources you located for the Annotated Bibliography,  take notes on appropriate material from your print, video and/or online sources. (You can, if you wish, photocopy or print out some of this material, but read and select carefully!)

Keep in mind that this material will be combined with your Profile in the Feature Article. You will have the opportunity to revise this later on, but it will make things easier for you if you keep in mind your ultimate goal (the Feature Article). The Research Paper should focus on the same topic (and aspects of that topic) covered in the Profile. For example, if you've profiled a chef, your Research Paper should focus on chefs--ideally chefs who work in the same settings or with the same cuisine as the chef you profiled, or the history of your chef's cuisine (techniques and types of food)..  

For now, you will use this material to produce a conventional, print-source research paper on your topic, but also see the handout on RESEARCH PAPER ADVICE in COURSE DOCUMENTS—especially Tip #2. While you can arrange this material in several ways, it's best (easiest) to decide first, given the kind of material you have, whether you want to use a primarily chronological/historical form, a topic-by-topic approach, or a step-by-step process description. We'll take some time to discuss organization in Discussion Board, but you should also see the sections on Research Writing, as well as the sample research papers, in The Writer’s FAQs (Chapters 36- 39 and 41).  Sample Research Papers from students who have already taken this course are available at:

http://community.tncc.edu/faculty/weiser/sampleresearchpapers.html

Your sources must be documented according to APA format (see Chapter 12 in Writing Essentials, but I've also provided EXTERNAL LINKS on APA documentation.

This Research Paper, the First Draft of which will be DUE (posted)  by 8 A.M. on JUNE 22 (Feedback posted by 8 A.M. on JUNE 24, Revised and Edited Research Paper by 8 A.M. on JUNE 27), should be at least 6 pages long, typed and double-spaced.

FEEDBACK QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH PAPER

Use these questions in composing and revising your Research Paper, as well as in responding to those of your group-mates.

1) Is the topic appropriately focused? On what aspect of the topic does the essay focus? Does the focus seem too broad or narrow? Can you think of another focus that would make the essay more effective?

2) Is the content appropriate for its intended audience (an educated but non-specialized, general reader)? Does it tell them all they are likely to want to know about the topic? What questions might they (or do you) have that are not answered?

On the other hand, is there information that seems unnecessary? Point out any information that the audience is likely to know already, and therefore to find boring.

3) Are definitions clear? Are any likely to be unclear to readers? Point out any terms that need to be defined, or defined more clearly.

4) Is the organization effective? Look at the way the essay is organized, outlining it briefly. Is the information logically arranged? If not, suggest a better way to arrange it. Consider the order here, maybe by outlining the piece--can you suggest a better way of sequencing the information?

Reread the introduction: does it grab your attention and make you want to read on? If not, suggest an alternative--a fact, anecdote (brief story) or quote from elsewhere in the paper.

Look again at the ending. If it leaves you hanging, seems too abrupt, or oversimplifies the material (for instance, by simply restating the opening), suggest an alternative--again, perhaps something from elsewhere in the paper.

5) As stressed in the assignment, the Research Paper should focus on the same topic (and aspects of that topic) the writer covered in his or her Profile. Does it? If so, briefly state the shared focus of these two pieces; if not, suggest how the writer might change either or both to achieve a better "fit."

6) Are sources carefully and effectively used? First, going back to questions 2 and 3, point out any places where further use of sources might be effective. Then look over source quotations in the essay, and point out where, if at all, summary or paraphrase would be more effective. Note any places where quoted material is awkwardly inserted into the text, and suggest ways to smooth this out. (Note here also where names and professional titles might be used to introduce source material, to lend the essay greater authority.)

Finally, using the chapter in The Writer’s FAQs on APA documentation, check documentation both in the text and the References, pointing out where the writer needs to document, or to do so correctly.  Also, make sure that the writer has used acknowledgments (attributive tags: as ____ explains, points out, asserts, argues, etc.) throughout, making clear who the cited authorities are.

 Part Six: Experimenting with Formats: Playing Solitaire [BACK TO TOP]

This is entirely a notecard assignment. Part of it involves what you've learned, since the beginning of the semester, from your Reading Journal entries on and our class discussions of McPhee. Even though you won't be required to turn this in, you'll need this to write a solid final paper, a potentially publishable Feature Article. And the more thoughtfully, thoroughly and PLAYFULLY you do this, the better the final product will be.

(As far as techniques are concerned, you should have already been trying out, in your Reading Journal and in your Profile and Research Paper, some of the techniques McPhee employs.)

To experiment with formats: First, print out and cut up your Research Paper and Profile, dividing it into at least two categories: Profile and Research. (You might also separate out descriptive passages, interesting facts and background information on your live sources.) Paste or staple these slips of material to 5"-by-8" index cards, labeled according to the type of material they contain; you might even try using different colored index cards for each type of material. Then play around with different arrangements, trying to come up with the best possible structure for your piece. The simplest method will be to incorporate your Research Paper material into your Profile at relevant points--but leave yourself open to discovering other possible structures. You'll want to try for a balanced mix of Profile and Research material. Do this BEFORE attempting to put the Feature Article together,    

Part Seven: The Feature Article  [BACK TO TOP]

While, as the above suggests, I'd like you to experiment with different structures for your finished piece, a good, basic way to organize it is simply to use the Profile as the frame for your Research Paper material and for other background on your topic.

Basically, again, use the Profile as the narrative frame of your Article, taking time out to fill in background information--facts from your written sources, relevant background on your expert(s)--wherever it best fits. If you're writing about eggs, for instance, and you learned in your library research how they decide what constitutes a Grade A egg, you should include this information at that point in your story which covers your tour of the egg farm.

Once you’ve got the material combined, read through and add in any transitional material needed to make it hang together and flow.

Again, use McPhee as the model for this; sample Feature Articles from students who have already taken this course are available at:

http://community.tncc.edu/faculty/weiser/samplefeaturearticles.html

SOURCES, DOCUMENTATION, AND LENGTH

You'll want to (and at this point, SHOULD) have at least three print sources, and at least one expert (live source).

For documentation in this, we’re using journalistic style. This means that you’ll have to remove the parenthetical citations from the researched portion; HOWEVER, you must make certain that ALL source material is clearly attributed, with phrases like, “as ___ tells, informs, argues, explains,” “according to ___,” etc. These phrases can come at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of source material.

The Feature Article must be 10 or more pages (typed, double-spaced: 2,500 or more words) long. First Draft DUE (posted) 8 A.M. on JULY 7 (Feedback—including mine—posted by 12 A.M. on JULY 10. Revised and Edited (FINAL) Feature Article, Research Paper and Profile posted by 8 A.M. on July 15 ).

FEEDBACK QUESTIONS FOR FEATURE ARTICLE

Use these questions in composing and revising your Feature Article, as well as in responding to those of your group-mates.

1) Lead: Does the beginning of the article "grab" you? Does it do something more than tell you what the piece is about (for instance, does it put you right into the middle of things)? If so, tell the writer how it grabs you. If not, tell the writer how you think it may be revised to do so--perhaps by using a quotation, fact or anecdote from elsewhere in the article

2) Clarity: Is the writer's language clear throughout? Where so, give the writer a particularly striking example of his/her clear use of language--e.g., a place where s/he explains a difficult concept in exceptionally understandable language. Where not, mark all places where you have difficulty understanding. Then choose one and, using it as an example, show the writer how s/he could use clearer language.

3) Organization/Format: Does the writing fall into a clearly intended and "followable" pattern? REMEMBER: like the Profile, the Feature Article need not follow a simple chronological order, but make sure that its shifts in time and place make sense, can be followed, and ultimately hang together. Also point out any places where transitions are needed between Profile and Research material. Outline and describe the article's structure: tell the writer how the piece moves from beginning to end, point to point, frame to background & back, etc. Point out those places where the writer needs to reorganize, and suggest how s/he might do this.

4) Technique: Has the writer used the best possible techniques—e.g., description; analogies; lists; expert testimony (quotes and dialogue); specialized terms (explained); statistics, facts, historical background; present & past tense, and tense shifts; etc.—to make the piece lively, informative and convincing? Where so, give the writer back particularly striking examples of his/her use of several techniques. Where not, show the writer how s/he might include specific techniques in the final draft.

5) Conclusion: Does the article end in a way that leaves you thinking, amuses you, or seems to bring the piece full circle? If so, tell the writer how it does this. If not—that is, if it either just seems to stop, or if it only tells us again what the piece has already told us—suggest how the writer might revise the conclusion to make it more thought-provoking, amusing, etc., perhaps by using something from elsewhere in the article.

6) Documentation: Is the article fully and correctly documented, according to journalistic format? If not, where not? Point out places where the writer needs to provide attribution (as ___ tells us, etc.)

VIII. WORKSHOP PROCEDURE [BACK TO TOP]  

If we follow the below procedure, our group sessions will be productive of ideas and strategies that will help everyone to improve his or her writing.

1) The writer COMMENTS on his/her draft.

It is the writer's responsibility to come to an online WORKSHOP prepared to solicit feedback (by incorporating questions for your readers into your first drafts) to his/her piece, setting the agenda for and tone (one of willingness to receive and give constructive criticism) of the session by telling the readers what s/he thinks both works and needs work in the piece. (While composing your first drafts, you should note down both things that go well and things that give you trouble, and you should, again, put these notes at the end of your first drafts—also use the Feedback Questions for each assignment to check your work).

The writer will post her or his paper to Blackboard’s Discussion Board, in response to MY FIRST message regarding the particular assignment. In the message box, simply state, “Here is my (Profile, Research Paper, or Feature Article).” If you think of something else you want help with, put that in the message as well. Once you’re done, be sure to attach your paper to the message.

NOTE: To be compatible with Blackboard, papers MUST be saved as either .doc or .rtf (Rich text Format) files under File Type. To ensure that EVERYONE can open them, you should save and post all documents as .rtf files.

2) The group members READ the draft, using Microsoft Word’s “Insert Comment” feature under "Insert" to record responses as they read. Those who don't have access to this feature can make comments and suggest changes inside the draft, using a different font or color.

It is the readers' responsibility to make notes in response to the draft focusing primarily (though not exclusively (also consult the Feedback Questions for each assignment) on the areas and elements the writer has expressed a wish to discuss.

It is the readers' responsibility to give candid but specific responses: ones which the writer can use, if s/he so chooses. DON'T just say, e.g., "This sentence is unclear;" explain how (in what way) it's unclear, and suggest how the sentence could be made clearer.

Readers will save the writer's draft to disk or to the desktop, adding their initials to the file name to indicate that this version differs from the original. Once the readers are through commenting, they will respond to the writer’s original message in Blackboard’s Discussion Board, and attach the draft with their comments.

3) The writer CONSIDERS the readers' comments.

It is the writer's responsibility to take note of his/her readers' responses, and to consider these responses carefully before accepting or rejecting them. (NOTE: If a reader says, e.g., that s/he doesn't understand something, the writer shouldn't explain it to the reader, and then neglect to make it more clear in the writing.

IX. COURSE SCHEDULE [BACK TO TOP]

Read this Schedule CAREFULLY, and keep a copy nearby for easy access. 

RESPONSES to readings and REPLIES to these should be posted as close to the beginning of the week as possible: by Wednesdays, 8 A.M. AT THE LATEST.

OTHER IMPORTANT DATES