WP1 Checklist

WP1 Checklist

Here’s a list of features for a solid research-based "academic argument" that I’ll be looking for in your WP1:

·      Introduction captures the reader’s interest, sets the stage for the paper, addresses the “so what?” question, and includes a specific thesis statement of what you intend to argue in the paper.   

·      Thesis statement is clear, “arguable,” and drives the analysis of your evidence

·      The topic, itself, is addressed but it is not the major focus of the paper!

o   Remember: this is paper about examining writing, writers’ various choices, and, the impact that this has on readers.  We're studying how writers construct texts and how readers interpret writers' texts.  This paper is not about beauty products, sports, video games, the election, or racism.  It’s about what writers choose to include in their writing when they explore these issues—what conventions they adhere to, what rhetorical strategies they use, what evidence they include, etc — and why.

·      Multiple forms of evidence are included:

o   Extensive use of textual data (of the different genre examples) that support your claims

o   At least 2 different course readings are integrated in your paper

·      Both direct citations (word-for-word, verbatim) and indirect citations (paraphrased) are included

o   Brackets used to modify at least one direct citation

·      The paper unfolds in a logical/reader-friendly manner

·      Attention is paid to who wrote each piece, their ethos, their purpose for writing, etc.

·      Attention is paid to some of the different reading strategies/approaches that we’ve been studying.

·      Standard MLA citation practices

o   Works Cited page

o   Your name, course, and date are listed at the top of the first page

o   Paper is double-spaced and page numbers are listed at the bottom of the page

o   12-point Times New Roman font

·      “Little things” (re: our weekly “writing tips”)

o   Use of more descriptive action verbs instead of “says” (ie, the author says that, “…”)

o   Dashes (at least 1x)

o   Hyphens (at least 1x)

o   Oxford commas (used in all series of 3 or more, please!  Ie, x, y, and z…)

o   Italics: used for emphasis—but sparingly!) and for technical Writing/Composition terms

·      At least 4 (full) pages and no more than 5.

·      Paper must be submitted to me via the “Sharing” option on Google Docs.

Different Ways of Reading

Different Ways of Reading:

Throughout the whole semester, I want us to be thinking about this question: what are the different ways of reading that readers can bring to a text? “Ways of reading” is just one way of phrasing our reading process -- how we engage with texts.  I don’t want to limit how we think about ways of reading, so here are some other terms/phrases that you might prefer:

• Reading approaches
• Reading behaviors
• Reading lenses

Click this Google Doc link to access what we've brainstormed together as a class. Feel free to contribute to this on your own!

Close Reading Resources

ENG 101-108rs,

In addition to that awesome handout from Scott Kneece (my former colleague at the University of CA), here are some links that might help you understand this idea of "close reading" a little better.  I don't expect you to read any/all of this, but I wanted to make it available just in case you're interested.  Also if it seems like we're breezing over this particular reading approach a bit, we are -- "close reading" is typically used for poetry, and we're studying non-fiction texts in this course.

• "How to Do a Close Reading" by the Harvard College Writing Center
• "A Close Look at Close Reading" by Beth Burke
• The Wikipedia entry for "Close Reading"
• And a video by some folks at the Eberly Writing Center on what "close reading" looks like (see below)

PB1B and WP1

PB1B: Ways of Reading (at least 500 words)

• Pick a new genre (it can’t be your PB1A or any of the ones that we’ve discussed in class).  Once you’ve made your selection, describe how someone could read this piece from the different perspectives/approaches that we’ve been studying.  Would someone “skim” or “scan” this piece, and if so, why?  How (and why) would someone read this piece “like a writer”?  What would it mean if someone read this “rhetorically”?  How could “visual literacy” enhance your understanding?
  
• You are not limited to the ones I’ve mentioned, above—you can choose other reading approaches we’ve discussed or even come up with your own—but I’d like you to explore at least 4 different ways of reading.  How do different ways of reading impact your reading/interpretation of the text?  Why would someone choose one method over another?  And what questions come to mind while you’re reading the text with each different approach?
  
• How you choose to write this PB1B is up to you, but please know that it doesn’t have to be in essay form.  Some alternative options of creating this PB1B include: making a list of bullet points, blending relevant pictures that you found on the internet with captions that explain the connections, or using the Insert Comments feature on MS Word or Google Docs.  To maximize the strength of your PB1B, think back to our assigned course readings, our in-class activities, and our discussions.
  
• Don’t forget that you need to comment on at least 2 classmates’ PB1Bs.

  

WP1: Analyzing Ways of Reading One Topic Across Multiple Genres and Perspectives (4-5 pages, double spaced)

• Part 1: Choose at least two different genres (from different mainstream media or pop culture sources) that focus on the same topic.  For instance, you could look at nutrition in (1) a magazine advertisement, (2) a Philadelphia Inquirer article, and (3) a Facebook post.  If you’re interested in race and politics, your topic could be “race in the upcoming election,” and you could examine the following three genres: (1) a nonprofit organization’s homepage, (2) a political candidate’s Twitter feed, and (3) the “Rants and Raves” section of Craigslist.  Another possibility could be something like sexuality, and you could check out (1) an online dating profile, (2) a Buzzfeed piece, and (3) a Women’s Health magazine article.
  
• Part 2: After you’ve made your selections, describe the genres using the language of our course.  What surface-level characteristics do these pieces have in common that provide clues to its genre?  Analyze the rhetorical features (audience, purpose, context, style, tone) and conventions of each piece.  What similar techniques do these writers use to write these pieces?  And what’s dissimilar?  Can you speculate on the reasons for their similarities or differences?
  
• Part 3: Consider the major types of reading that we’ve discussed so far in class this semester.  Are any reading approaches more appropriate for engaging with one genre versus another genre?  If so, how and why?  Could someone think about the content/topic of these pieces in different ways depending on how they read?  Elaborate.  (It might help you to think of this as “comparing and contrasting” reading approaches.)
  
• Ultimately, I want you to formulate an argument about the concepts of (1) genre and (2) ways of reading.  Consider the value of what we’ve been studying.  Why should (or shouldn’t) people learn genre?  What’s the importance of genre and for whom?  How can different reading approaches improve your comprehension of what you’re reading?  How can using certain reading approaches help you uncover newer, deeper aspects of texts?  When might someone choose one reading approach over another
  
• This paper should be 4-5 pages long, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins.  Tailor your thesis statement-driven argument to an academic audience—an individual associated with the university who is interested in learning about the field of composition and its foundational concepts.  Use direct evidence from the textual genres themselves to support your claims.  Draw on ideas from our readings using direct quotes and paraphrased passages to supplement your argument.  Please format your paper in MLA or APA.  To submit it, share it with me on Google Docs.  (We'll talk about how to do that in class.)

"Moves" (and How to Read Like a Writer)

I.  Love.  This.  Lesson.
#omfg
#truestory

Whether you realized it or not -- and whether I, the writer, realized it or not -- I made some "moves" right there.  I tapped into my pop culture resources and used some informal conventions of the modern "millenial" generation to (1) reach you, my target audience, by writing a somewhat unusual teacher-to-student "hook" in the beginning (2) let you know that I'm honestly juiced up to teach this lesson... perhaps my enthusiasm for this will be contagious, and (3) let my hair down for a change.

Some other moves I made right there?

• put the key buzzword in boldface for added emphasis
• #'d that list so you realized that there were only a few things you had to get through
• #'d that list so that my punctuation (commas) would come across more clearly -- the #s allowed me to separate each "thing" without using commas.  By using #s, I can save my commas within each item/thing so you (probably) wouldn't confuse them as an additional unit/thing
• used the "rule of 3" (a cheap trick that most readers seem to enjoy)
• finished the list with a joke.  If I started that list with my "long hair joke," would it have been as effective?  Probably not -- punchlines usually work best at the end.

OK, so Writing Project #2 is coming up, which requires you to analyze and evaluate what's gained/lost between scholarly and non-academic texts.  To most effectively do this, I'd like you to consider each writer's moves -- what they're doing, how they're doing it, and whether you believe that it was effective.

By studying this, my hope is that you'll be able to detect writers' moves more clearly and, in doing so, consider adapting what you find to be effective.  Think of this as a way to open up your tool kit.

Ever hear of two musicians "jamming out"?  Well, this is essentially what you're doing as a (good) reader.  You're listening to what the writer/musician is trying to communicate, and if you like what they've done, feel free to "borrow that lick."  (But remember: if you're borrowing their ideas/research, you need to attribute that work to them in a citation!)

Blah blah blah.  Here are some videos that can help us start thinking about "moves."

#thisissocool

Click here for the MJ video on Vimeo.

Digging Further Into the Idea of Genre

Miller (1984) has defined genres as typified responses to recurring social/rhetorical situations.  In other words, we communicate with others -- through speech and through writing -- to accomplish specific goals.  When situations are similar, patterns begin to arise.  If we can spot how and why these patterns unfold in the ways that they do, we can begin to engage in more conscious communication -- that is, we can adapt our language to meet our audience's needs and expectations, which can increase our chances of achieving our goals.

Check out this quick 5-minute video, below, for a little bit more about that.  Also, check out this Google Doc that I put together for a list of some of the many textual genres that are out there in the world.

Genre and PB1A

ENG 101-108rs,

I wanted to post a message here that can, hopefully, help you think through your upcoming PB1A assignment.  

The best place to start is by asking, "Well, what exactly is a genre?"  This is a great question, and we'll be thinking about it all quarter long.  (Really.)  On the most basic level, a textual genre is any piece of writing that's bound by similar patterns in its form (the "look" of it) and content (what it's about).  Another way to distinguish between genres is to consider their social action -- what they do in the world and what they're intended to accomplish.

Let's take a quick look at two genres: "Get Well" cards and car advertisements.  One is intended to express sympathy and love; the other is trying to swindle you out of your hard-earned $$$.  One is very personalized and generally short/sweet; the other is also probably relatively short but it's usually not tailored to a specific person -- I can't remember the last time I opened up a newspaper or a magazine and a car ad said, "Yo, Zack!  How's that commute from Calabasas to Santa Barbara going?  We've heard that you'd like to swap your "folkswagen" for a truck!  Well, check this puppy out!"  Car ads are generally depersonalized.

These are lots of other ways to analyze these two genres.  You can consider what media they typically appear in (car ads occasionally appear on TV commercials -- have you ever seen a "Get Well" commercial?), what kind of specific (or broad) audience they're targeting, and what appeals or types of evidence they use, if any, to do so.  Genres can be broad, loose, and somewhat vague or they can be nuanced, tight, and very specific.  At its best, the concept of "genre" is an analytical tool that we can use to better understand texts and how/why the function in the ways that they do.

All in all, at this current point in the course/quarter (less than one week in!), I just want you to gain added practice with exploring genre.  If you're still a little hesitant about "genre" and what it is/isn't, go back to Dirk's Navigating Genres piece and give it another read.  (That's a million dollar study tip!  It never hurts to slow down and revisit the material multiple times.)

There are a bunch of textual genres out there in the world.  Wherever you can "see language," there's a 99% chance that it falls into some kind of genre.  Sometimes, even when you're "hearing language," it's coming from a textual/written source and it comes right back to a textual genre.  News broadcasters, for instance, are typically reading a report that's been written, which has then been posted onto a teleprompter.  (Genre is an incredibly "Matrix-y" idea.  Once you begin to really see/understand the world through genre, it's almost impossible to un-see it.)

Before I bring this babble fest back down to Earth and get to your PB1A assignment, let me add a couple more dimensions to genre and genre theory that can help you dig down even further.  By considering a genre's affordances (what it enables, such as bottom-up participation by its users/readers -- think of the co-creation that's enabled by a wikipedia entry or possibly how some commenting forums on online message boards can shape the ensuing analytical "conversation") and its limitations (what is restricted, disabled, or unavailable), you'll be able to evaluate a given genre for its strengths and weaknesses.  One other way to explore genre to its fullest extent is to think about how its historical evolution and how it's been shaped over time.  (PS: I'm not expecting all this for PB1A!)

Now, for PB1A, I want you to pick one specific genre -- and analyze an actual example(s) -- you're already fairly familiar and then gain practice with studying, deconstructing, and analyzing it.  I'm basically asking you to take a long, hard look at one specific genre and then: 

1. break down its conventions (just like we've been doing in class with the country tunes, the horror movie clips, and the letter of recommendation requests) and then take a shot at explaining why some of those conventions exist.  One convention of (most of) the letter of recommendation requests was a formal tone.  Why?  To signal respect for the reader -- the person who would be writing the recommendation.
   
2. analyze its rhetorical features which include its intended audience, the author's/writer's purpose for producing it, the greater context in which, and any stylistic patterns.  The reading that I've assigned for Monday (Carroll's "Backpacks and Briefcases") will help you better understand what "rhetorical features" means, so make sure you read this before you begin writing your PB1A.  (Rule of thumb: always read the assigned readings first!) 

In our course reader -- and on Gauchospace -- I've included a badass document that can help guide your genre analysis for PB1A and beyond.  It's called... "Genre Analysis" and it's got a bunch of super-useful questions you can consider to help you "get at" genre.  It's located somewhere towards the end, close to the letter of recommendation request (which, again, represent a distinct genre for all those reasons we discussed in class).

I hope this message helps you.  Try to have fun with this (and all) our assignments and feel free to "go for it" and pick a weird/unusual textual genre.  If you can, include a screen shots, scans/pictures, or links that represent a small sample of whatever genre you've chosen so we can actually see what these genres look like.  Also, making specific references -- think: direct citations or quotes -- from them could really make your PB1A an outta-da-park homerun.  

G'luck!

"In Defense of Rhetoric" Video

As we continue to build our genre awareness, it's important that we get a firm hold on the term "rhetoric."  Rhetoric goes hand-in-hand with genres, their conventions, and how writers choose to communicate their messages.

An Animated Video of a Blogger's Writing (and Thinking and Researching) Process

My beloved ENG 101-108rs, this is "must-see TV."  (See what I did there by hyphenating "must-see"?  It's certainly not that important in the grand scheme of things, but it's just one of those little meaning-making writing tips that I'd like you to keep your eye on so you can, hopefully, put it into your tool kit.)

Here's an animated at a(n incredibly thorough) blogger's writing process.  I honestly think this could help you (re)think about how you approach your writing (and thinking) in our course and in your others as well!

ENG 101-108 Vocab List

Here's a Google Doc where you can check out (and add to!) the homegrown vocab list for our course.  The more that we understand what each one of these terms/concepts means, the stronger (and easier) our papers will be!

PB1A: Dissecting a Genre’s Rhetorical Features and Conventions

PB1A: Dissecting a Genre’s Rhetorical Features and Conventions (at least 500 words)

• Pick a textual genre that you’re familiar with—a tweet, a college admissions essay, a romance novel—that we haven’t discussed together in class.
   
• Find 3 examples of it and analyze their rhetorical features (audience, purpose, context, style, tone) and conventions.  Then consider: what makes this thing this thing?  (What makes a tweet a tweet?)  Once you’ve done that, make a claim about which one you think is the best and why.
  
• Support your claims by including direct references to the samples that you found.  If, for instance, you’re analyzing fast food billboards, and you want to claim that Chick-fil-A uses humor more effectively than McDonald’s, then prove it: quote the words on the billboard and/or describe the images that you see.
  
• I’d like to be able to actually see what you’re basing your PB1A on, so please try to post visual evidence of your samples to your blogs—pictures, links, etc.  You could even snap a picture of something on a phone, email it to yourself, download it to a computer, and then upload it to your blog.

Horror Movies! More Practice with Genre and Conventions

Scenario: all of a sudden, you're sitting in the middle of a movie theater, watching a horror movie.  How do you know you're watching a horror movie?  What features/things about this movie make it a horror movie?

 After you jot down your predictions, let's put our hypotheses to the test!

The Shining

Psycho

It

Paranormal Activity

Links to Our Course Readings

Below, you'll find links to most of our course readings and resources.  Please keep in mind what I said in class: these readings are designed to help guide your individual projects/assignments, so they're super-important.  Just because you aren't getting "tested" on them doesn't mean they're not important.  ;)

• TeachingTwo Kinds of Thinking (Elbow)
• Navigating Genres (Dirk)
• Backpacks to Briefcases: Steps Towards Rhetorical Analysis (Carroll)
• Murder! Rhetorically Speaking (Boyd) 
• How to Read Like a Writer (Bunn)
• As a Result – Connecting the Parts (Birkenstein & Graff)
• SoWhat?  Who Cares? – Saying Why It Matters (Birkenstein & Graff)
• Indexof Templates (Birkenstein & Graff)

Post Your Blog Links Here! (Below!)

ENG 101-108ers,

Once you've set up your Gmail account and your blog, click this link to share that information with me.  I need to so that I can put your blog info up on my blog.  Why is that necessary?  This will give us access to each other's work -- that's important because it'll help us revisit the course content, and also because e'll be giving each other lots of feedback this semester.

Thanks,

Z

Thinking About Genre (and Conventions) Through Country Music

I wanted to post these videos to help you (re)consider the following questions which can, hopefully, help you to think about the relationship between genres and their conventions:

• what's the "glue" that binds these songs together? 
• what about them makes them fall into the “country music” category?
• at what points do they bend/blend into other genres (such as folk, blues, and bluegrass)?

"Your Cheating Heart"

Lyrics

"Coal Miner’s Daughter"

Lyrics

"Whiskey River"

Lyrics

"I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow"

Lyrics

Lesson Plans!

ENG 101-108ers,

Click this link to gain access to our lesson plans!  (What's a lesson plan?  It's basically our plan for each class.  Almost everything that we'll do and discuss in class will be posted on it.  It's essentially a map to help remind you/me/us where we're going.)


Z