agenda for monday 27 april 2009

Agenda:

• Submit portfolios, eat brownies
• Complete course evaluations
• Discuss group final project
• Define group roles and begin planning project

Homework due 4/29:

• Any brainstorming or drafting as assigned by group
  

agenda for wednesday 22 april 2009

Agenda:

• Meet in groups to discuss qualities for grading chart (group A: letter to the editor; group B: op-ed; group C: humorous argument; groups D, E, F: general portfolio/unit)
• As a class, create and approve the grading chart
• Break into half-class groups to workshop the humorous arguments. Feedback will be given as a blog comment to the person's author's note for the humorous argument. Groups A, B, C will be together, and Groups D, E, F will be together.

Homework due 4/27:

• Finish revising the three pieces for the portfolio.
• Prepare portfolio for submission on Monday.
• Blog your author's note for the portfolio. This one will be more detailed because it will cover the connections among your three pieces and the rhetorical choices you made.
• Read chapter 14 (pp. 411-437)
  

agenda for monday 20 april 2009

Agenda:

• Meet with workshop group (in person) sometime to share drafts (must be completed by Tuesday, April 21)
• Instructions for workshop are available on eCollege
  

Homework due 4/23:

• Make revisions on humorous argument and be prepared to share with half-class group on Wednesday
• Blog an author's note for your humorous argument
  
• Begin thinking about categories for grading sheet (we'll make that in class on Wednesday)
  
  

agenda for wednesday 15 april 2009

Agenda:

• Discuss Chapter 13 on Humor in Arguments
  
• Share sample arguments in workshop groups and in class
• Begin brainstorming and planning for making humorous argument for your topic: Genre/Location, Focused Topic, Target Audience, Plans for Humorous Piece, Plans for Performance
• Class time to work on humorous argument
  

Homework due 4/20:

• Prepare a first draft of your humor argument
• Blog about your humor argument and how it uses humor to make effective point

agenda for monday 13 april 2009

Agenda (remember, we're not meeting in class):

• Submit Op-Ed on group's section of DocSharing by 2pm
• Post Author's Note for draft as blog
• Use the Op-Ed Workshop instructions on eCollege to review drafts of group members and provide feedback

Homework due 4/15:

• Read chapter 13 (pp. 393-409)
• Find an example (ideas below) of a humorous argument that addresses your topic or something similar (you can think about connections between the humor and your topic broadly)
• Blog about how the sample you found uses humor to address its topic

Potential Sources for Humorous Selections (as you go to some of these sites, know that there is some humor and language that is R-rated, so only browse sites that you feel comfortable searching):

• Saturday Night Live
• The Onion
• Dan Cagle's Editorial Cartoons
• New Yorker Cartoons and Covers
• Find TCU Daily Skiff cartoons in physical copy of issue
  
• Colbert Report
• South Park
• Late Show with David Letterman (top ten or monologues)
  
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (monologues)

These are just some suggestions. Feel free to look to other sources for examples of humor.

agenda for wednesday 8 april 2009

Agenda

• Drafting Day: Make sure you have all of your materials (prewriting and any necessary research) accessible. You'll have the entire class session to write.

Homework due 4/13:

• Finish the Op-Eda
• Post Author's Note on blog by 2pm
  
• Upload the Op-Ed to your group's section on eCollege by 2pm
  

pre-writing for op-ed

• Read several op-eds from your chosen venue. What are the general tone and assumed audience in this venue? What is interesting or unique about these pieces?
• Decide one specific, identifiable issue or question for your focus. It needs to be related to your overall topic for this unit, but try to target a specific aspect of that topic. Describe your choice of specific topic.
• Choose a specific course of action or approach to be taken to addressing that issue or question. Don’t just say that a policy or situation is bad. Tell your readers what should be done about it.
• Determine what rhetorical appeals will be most effective for your audience (ethos, pathos, logos, style). Discuss what appeals you will use.
  
• Write about what will best support your points for the rhetorical situation (facts, hard evidence, personal experience, anecdotes, referring to other authorities, etc.).
• Is there any research that you need to do?

agenda for monday 6 april 2009

*Note: I will not be in my office during office hours today. Please email me if you would like to schedule another time to meet.*

Agenda:

• Discuss revision policy for the course
• Discuss how an Op-Ed differs from a Letter to the Editor and the qualities of an Op-Ed
• Find sample Op-Ed related to your topic and consider how it appeals to its audience
• Choose a Venue and Audience for your own Op-Ed
• Pre-Writing for Op-Ed

Homework due 4/8:

• Post completed pre-writing for Op-Ed on blog
  
• Bring completed research, if needed

agenda for wednesday 1 april 2009

Reminder (as if you would forget): We will NOT be meeting during our usual class time on Wednesday. Instead, your draft of the Letter to the Editor must be uploaded to your group's section on eCollege DocSharing by our usual class time (2pm on Wed).

The guide for the Letter to the Editor Workshop is available on eCollege, but I'm also including the instructions here:

[1] Read author’s note. Highlight or underline the key items you need to address during the workshop.

[2] Read over letter to the editor. Pay attention to and/or mark the following items as you are reading:

• Mark places that are well-written, powerful, or effective
• Mark places that are confusing
• Mark places where the author used Ethos, Pathos, and Logos
• Mark places where the author’s style is especially effective

[3] Write a response to the Author about your overall reactions. What did you enjoy? What was effective? What suggestions do you have? Be sure to specifically discuss the following aspects of the Letter:

• What does the author do to develop ethos in the early parts of the Letter? How can this be stronger?
• Discuss the organization of the Letter. Is there a reasonable/logical method to this? How else does the author use logos?
• How does the Author develop pathos in the Letter?
• How does the Author use style to make his/her points more effectively?
• Does it have basic qualities of a Letter to the Editor (formatted as a letter, addressed to an editor, signed by the author, initial reference to the original article)?
• What was especially effective or interesting about the Letter?
• What suggestions do you have for making the Letter more effective?
• Don’t forget to respond to the questions or requests included in the Author’s Note.

It's entirely up to your group to coordinate the workshop. You are welcome to complete the entire workshop online without meeting in person, but your workshop feedback must be given (probably through email) to the other members of your group no later than 5pm on Friday. I'll also be sending you feedback on your letter to the editor based on the draft that you post on Wednesday.

Though we aren't having an official class meeting, I will still be on campus and available to meet with you to discuss any questions or concerns you have. Just send me an email. I'll also post the agenda for next Monday sometime later this week, but the main thing for next Monday will be discussing the qualities of the genre and beginning work on your Op-Eds.

Have a great week!

pre-writing for letter to the editor

Summarize the article you brought to class in 2-3 sentences without your opinion included

Complete a rhetorical analysis chart for the article, and under Audience, make sure to answer the question about what appeals will be most effective for the audience of the article

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the argument?

Write a brief narrative of your own experience with or stake in the topic.

Write a brief statement of your position in comparison to the author’s

• I am supporting his position with additional information…
• I disagree with him on these points…
• I believe his argument is weak because it doesn’t consider…

agenda for monday 30 march 2009

Agenda:

• Discuss guides on how to write a letter to the editor
• Pre-writing for Letter to the Editor
• Begin writing Letter to the Editor in class

Homework due 4/1:

• Complete draft of Letter to the Editor
• Upload draft to eCollege DocSharing with an Author's Note by 2pm on Wednesday
  
• Post your letter to the editor on your blog
  

links to letters to the editor

Pit Bull Prejudice

• Original Piece
  
• Responding Letter

Taxpayer Money & Employee Laziness

• Original Piece
• Responding Letters
  

agenda for wednesday 25 march 2009

I'll be in the classroom early tomorrow if you need to come in to print for your portfolio.

Agenda:

• Submit portfolios
• Assign Unit 3 and discuss calendar for upcoming weeks
• Brainstorm on topics and then work in groups to choose topics
• Discuss example letters to the editor

Homework due 3/30:

• Read the 'how write a letter to the editor' guides on eCollege
• Bring an editorial or article related to one of your local communities and your chosen topic to which you could respond (remember that it needs to have been published between 3/25 and 3/30)
  
• Blog about the article you have chosen
  
  

agenda for monday 23 march 2009

What's due Monday (3/23):

• Revised draft of Rhetorical Case Study for workshop (don't forget the Author's Note)
  
• Blog about how your rhetorical case study has developed from the previous drafts

Agenda for Monday:

• Develop grading rubric for Rhetorical Case Study
• Workshop revised draft of Rhetorical Case Study

Homework due 3/25:

• Read chapter 12 (pp. 369-390)
• Bring (or email) Rhetorical Case Study portfolio. Use the rubric as a checklist for what to submit.
• Blog the author's note for your portfolio. Remember that this author's note needs to cover both the essay and the portfolio as a whole.
  

confirmation of conference times

The information here simply confirms your scheduled times (from Doodle) for conferences this week. Please note that I'm changing the location for some of the conferences. Also, remember that you are expected to plan the agenda for your conference with me and that not attending a required conference results in TWO absences.

Tuesday, March 10:

9:00-9:15 - Mark (in Starbucks at bookstore)
9:15-9:30 - Kristen (in Starbucks at bookstore)
9:45-10:00 - Jay (in Starbucks at bookstore)
10:00-10:15 - Roberto (in Starbucks at bookstore)
10:15-10:30 - Ellie (in Starbucks at bookstore)
10:30-10:45 - Lacy (in Starbucks at bookstore)

Wednesday, March 11:

10:00-10:15 - Mason (in my office, Reed 312)
10:15-10:30 - Marian (in my office, Reed 312)

11:00-11:15 - Kyle (in my office, Reed 312)
11:15-11:30 - Ross (in my office, Reed 312)
11:30-11:45 - Natalie (in my office, Reed 312)

1:00-1:15 - Kanika (in Starbucks at bookstore)
1:15-1:30 - Holly (in Starbucks at bookstore)
1:30-1:45 - Tara (in Starbucks at bookstore)
1:45-2:00 - Megan (in Starbucks at bookstore)
2:00-2:15 - Rachel (in Starbucks at bookstore)
2:15-2:30 - Garrett (in Starbucks at bookstore)
2:30-2:45 - Matt (in Starbucks at bookstore)
2:45-3:00 - Cameron (in Starbucks at bookstore)

agenda for monday 9 march 2009

Agenda:

• Meet in groups to workshop Rhetorical Case Study
• Focus on depth and clarity of rhetorical analysis, transitions, MLA citations

HW:

• Begin making revisions based on workshop feedback
• Come to conference on Tuesday/Wednesday prepared to discuss the revisions suggested by your group and specific questions about your paper
  

sign-ups for individual conferences

Please use the following link to sign up for individual conferences on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week: http://www.doodle.com/es4vykb8zfm8qwpy. You must sign up for a conference time by this Friday, March 6 at 2pm.

In order to sign up for a time:

1. Go to the link provided above.
2. Type your name in the box on the left side of the schedule.
3. Select the ONE time that you want for your conference. You will need to select a time that no one else has signed up for.
4. Make a note of your scheduled time and the location of the conferences in the Starbucks at the TCU bookstore. And remember that a missed conference counts as TWO absences.
   
5. If for some reason you need to change your time, you'll need to make arrangements to switch times with one of your classmates. Then, you should both email me to confirm the change in times. This needs to be done at least 12 hours before your scheduled conference.
   

agenda for wednesday 4 march 2009

Agenda:

• MLA Formatting and Citations - discuss as a class and work on citations in groups
• Workshop table for drafts of two body sections
• How to sign up for conferences next week (Tues-Wed)

Homework:

• Complete a draft of your Rhetorical Case Study (needs to be a minimum of 6 full pp.)
• Upload a draft to your group's DocSharing section
• Sign up for a conference (see blog for how) by Friday at 2pm
  

pre-writing prompts 3/2

What connects your sources? As you write, you’ll likely come to a start of a controlling idea.

Determine the order of your sources.

Why do you think this order or organization will work for your topic?

How do you plan to transition between your sources? i.e., ‘from source 1 to source 2…’ and ‘from source 2 to source 3…’

agenda for wednesday 2 march 2009

Agenda:

• Group discussion of organizational strategies in sample essays, write outline on board
  
• Class discussion of methods for organizing Rhetorical Case Study
• Prewriting for Rhetorical Case Study
• Share prewriting in workshop groups for feedback

Homework due 3/4:

• Read chapter 20 (pp. 549-68)
  
• Bring paper copies of 2 body sections of Rhetorical Case Study (paragraph form of analysis for two of your sources)
• Bring (or have electronically available) all of your sources
  
• Blog about your preparation of these two body sections. What have you discovered about your topic and the rhetorical strategies used in discussing it?
  

agenda for wednesday 25 february 2009

Agenda:

• Discussion of Chapter 6 on Structuring Arguments, specifically Toulmin, using example
• Meet in groups to workshop sources and rhetorical analysis charts (follow instructions on eCollege)
• If group finishes early, begin working on Toulmin charts for chosen sources

Homework due 3/2:

• Bring all materials related to this assignment to class (sources, rhetorical analysis charts, Toulmin charts, and any other notes or materials)
• Blog about how your perspective on this issue/topic has developed as you've been researching and analyzing your sources

upcoming events at TCU

2/23: 'Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters': A Talk by Courtney Martin

TCU Women's Studies program hosts this talk at 5pm on Monday, February 23 in the BLUU ballroom. Award-winning author Courtney E. Martin will explore how young women today have come to dangerously define success as 'effortless perfection.' Drawing on her critically-acclaimed book--Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters--she will discuss how disordered eating, food and fitness obsession, and anxiety disorders have become normalized among today's college women.

3/2: T. Boone Pickens Town Hall Meeting

TCU’s Energy Club is hosting a town hall meeting with T. Boone Pickens, famous oil tycoon, entrepreneur, philanthropist and author on Monday, March 2 at 4:30 p.m. in TCU’s Brown-Lupton University Union Ballroom. T. Boone Pickens will discuss "The Pickens Plan – Ending our Dependence on Foreign Oil," followed by a Q&A session and book signing opportunity. The first 200 students to arrive with TCU ID will receive a signed copy of T. Boone Pickens' book, The First Billion is the Hardest. This event is free and open to the public. RSVP required, limited seating: OfficialEventsrsvp@tcu.edu or call 817-257-5976.

agenda for wednesday 18 february 2009

Agenda:

• Meet in new group to discuss assignment and topics: raise questions about assignment, try to answer for each other, share each topic, consider ways to narrow focus, suggest ideas for primary sources
• Introduction to TCU Library resources, focusing specifically on primary sources related to Rhetorical Case Study assignment
• Research time and time to ask questions related to topic and research
  

Homework due 2/25:

• Read chapter 6
• Locate sources and narrow down to 3-5 for your project
• Complete Questions for Rhetorical Analysis for each source chosen for project
• Blog about your research experiences: what did you discover during your research? how do the sources cover your topic? what connections do you see among the sources and the way they approach the topic?
  

office hours on monday 16 february

This is just a quick update to let you know that I'll be in the library cafe area for my office hours tomorrow (Monday). If you have questions about your portfolios, I'll be available there instead of my office. Also, as I mentioned last Wednesday, I'll try to open the classroom by about 1:15 tomorrow in case you need to do any final printing or preparation on your portfolio.

agenda for monday 16 february 2009

Agenda:

• Submit portfolios, eat cookies
• Complete group work preference forms
• Introduce Rhetorical Case Study assignment: primary vs. secondary sources, general suggestions on assignment
  
• Group topic brainstorming, class discussion of topic ideas
• Individual preliminary research about potential topic

Homework due 2/18:

• Read chapter 19 (pp. 528-547)
• Choose topic and blog about that topic (be prepared for refining the topic over the course of the unit)
  

agenda for wednesday 11 february 2009

Agenda:

• Prepare grading chart for essay; Discuss grading of portfolio
• Discuss concerns noted in most drafts read
• Submitting the portfolio (digitally or on paper)
  
• Workshop Table

Homework due 2/16:

• Re-read chapter 5 (only pp. 129-134)
• Bring completed Public Space Analysis essay (can be digital or paper)
• Blog your author's note for the new draft of your essay and for your portfolio as a whole

Please remember the changes to blogging requirements that we discussed in class on Monday: no weekly blog comments are required, but blog postings should be more developed (around 2 paragraphs)

agenda for monday 9 february 2009

Agenda:

• Sample workshop of essay on eCollege
• Email draft to workshop group and me
  
• Complete workshop in small groups using workshop questions provided

Homework due 2/11:

• Read workshop feedback and blog about the feedback you received and changes you plan to make
  
• Work on revisions for Public Space Analysis essay
• Bring 1-2 copies of your revised draft
• Think about qualities of an effective Public Space Analysis

prompts for prewriting

List as many of the arguments you saw in your space as you can think of. What is your space trying to prove about itself?

What are the 2-3 central/most interesting/most powerful arguments from that list? Why do those stand out?

Who are the target audiences for those arguments? How do the arguments change based on different target audiences?

From your 2-3 arguments and the audiences, begin to refine the ideas into a single controlling idea for your paper. What is your purpose? Or what do you plan to focus on?

Based on your general controlling idea (which may change over time), choose a moment where that argument(s) was especially clear. Paint a word picture of that moment using sensory details and lots of description.

Organization:

• And Then: chronological or spatial
• Argument -->Inference/Analysis: discuss for each of 2-3 arguments you’re focusing on
• Differences by Audiences: choose major 1-2 arguments and address how that argument and its methods change based varying audiences

V-Day Events at TCU

V-Day is a global movement to end violence against women and girls and raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of Playwright/Founder Eve Ensler’s award winning play The Vagina Monologues. 2008 marked V-Day’s 10 year anniversary. To recognize the occasion, V-Day included two additions to the original play: A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer: Writings on Violence Against Women and Girls, and the V-Day documentary Until The Violence Stops.

To date, the V-Day movement has raised over $50 million and educated millions about the issue of violence against women. In an effort to end violence, the V-Day movement has crafted internationally-focused educational, media, and PSA campaigns, launched the Karama program in the Middle East, reopened shelters, and funded over 5,000 community-based anti-violence programs and safe houses in Kenya, South Dakota, Egypt and Iraq. The 'V' in V-Day stands for Victory, Valentine and Vagina.

This year's events will be happening on February 9-14. Details about V-Day at TCU are available here. No, I'm not giving extra credit for attending these events, but I do strongly encourage you to consider attending some of the very interesting events!

some sample public space analyses

As I'm hunting down an example of this essay from a previous semester, below are some links to several Public Space Analysis posts written by students at another university. These aren't necessarily good examples, but they show how people have approached such an activity:

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

Example 4

And I'll let you know when I've posted a full sample essay on eCollege.

agenda for wednesday 4 february 2009

Agenda:

• Discuss chapter 9 on Evaluations with examples from your spaces
  
• Pre-Writing for Public Space Analysis, including word pictures, controlling ideas, and organization
• Begin actually writing Public Space Analysis based on prewriting
• Discuss what an Author's Note is
  

Homework due 2/9:

• Read sample essays on eCollege
  
• Bring a digital copy of draft of Public Space Analysis
• Blog your author's note for this draft
  

agenda for monday 2 february 2009

Agenda:

• Discuss chapters 7 & 8
• Briefly review observation and note-taking strategies; discuss observation experiences
• Workshop annotated observation notes in groups of four
• Begin answering Questions for Rhetorical Analysis for your space based on observation notes

Homework due 2/4:

• Read chapter 9 on Evaluations (no sample argument)
• Bring in completed rhetorical analysis questions (digital version is fine)
• Blog about the meaning of your chosen space for the community (its audience)
  
  

ice day update

So, it appears that we'll have another week of just one class meeting, and I doubt many of you are complaining about that. Rather than pushing our schedule back and requiring a faster turnaround on your essay, we're going to continue with the schedule as it is. That means you'll still be observing your spaces this weekend. To help you do so, I'm including below some slides that cover what we would have discussed in class (they're also on eCollege). As you get to each of the slides with lots of content, there's about 25 seconds to read it. If you need more time to read, you can press the pause button while each slide is up. Then, when you're finished reading, just hit play to keep going.

Had we met for class, we would have done some practice observing around campus, applying and then discussing the strategies in the presentation. You're likely relieved that the ice day closure saved you from having to face the cold weather to go do practice observations in other buildings around campus.

Regarding the homework due for today's class, I ask that you still post your topic and observation proposals on your blogs. I'll respond to them later today.

The main homework for Monday is to complete the observations of your public space. Remember that you need to complete more than one observation. Also, you'll need to bring the annotated version of your observation notes. As the slides above explain, the annotations should be a slightly summarized (but still complete) version of your observation notes converted to sentence/paragraph form. Thus, your notes will need to be brief (so you can capture everything) and can be handwritten or typed. The annotated versions need to be typed but not necessarily printed out. Just make sure that you can access them on the computer during class.

Let me know if you have questions about the material in the slides, my comments on your proposal, or as you're completing your observation. Stay safe in the icy weather, and enjoy your weekend.

agenda for wednesday 28 january 2009

Agenda:

• Discuss Chapter 7 and examples of Arguments of Fact
• Discuss Wolfinger's "On Writing Field Notes"
• Observation and Field Notes activity (with partner)
• Discuss results of activity and thoughts on observation and field notes for this project

Homework due 2/2:

• Read Chapter 8 (no sample argument)
• Bring your observation notes (minimum of 2 observation times); make sure to have annotated the notes once you finish each observation
• Blog about your experiences observing your chosen space
  

agenda for monday 26 january 2009

Agenda:

• Discuss of Chapter 5
  
• Develop of questions for rhetorical analysis in small groups
  
• Discuss Unit 1 Assignment
• Brainstorm topics for Unit 1 essay
  

Homework due 1/28:

• Read chapter 7
• Bring an example of an argument of fact you have seen/found locally
• Blog a proposal for your space to analyze in the Unit 1 essay which answers the following questions:

• What public space do you plan to analyze? Why did you choose that space?
• When do you plan to observe your space? (specfic dates/times)
• What ideas do you already have about the space? Or what do you expect to discover?

agenda for wednesday 21 january 2009

Agenda:

• Announcements
  
• Discuss Chapters 2, 3, 4 on Rhetorical Appeals
  

  Pathos - Connecting, Sustaining an Argument, Humor, Questions
  Ethos - Authority, Trustworthy or Credible, Motives, Questions
  Logos - Hard Evidence, Reason & Common Sense, Logical Structures
  Rhetorical Triangle

• Examples of Rhetorical Appeals

Homework due 1/26:

• Read Chapter 5
• Bring example of argument that relates to one of your local communities
• Blog about some of your favorite local spaces within the communities of which you're a member
  

agenda for wednesday 14 january 2009

Agenda:

• Re-Introductions
• Discuss Blog Labels
• In-Class Writing about Chapter 1
• Discussion of Chapter 1 (rhetoric, argument vs. persuasion, propaganda, Rogerian arguments, stasis theory, audiences)
  
• Group discussion/presentation about other sections from Chapter 1
• Rhetorical Appeals & Situation

HW due 1/21:

• Read Chapters 2, 3, and 4 (not the exercises)
• Bring an example of an argument that clearly uses pathos, ethos, and/or logos
• Blog about your sample argument and how it uses the rhetorical appeals
  

agenda for monday 12 january 2009

Agenda:

• Discuss syllabus and calendar
• Student introductions
• Begin setting up individual blogs
  

HW:

• [read] ea, ch 1 (pp. 3-42)
• [bring] example of argument in any medium, be prepared to discuss
• [blog] set up blog, write introductory post
  

first blog assignment, due 14 january 2009

Your first assignment for this class is to actually create your own blog using Blogger and to write your first post. Here are the instructions:

[1] Set up your blog: To do so, go to www.blogger.com, and follow the on-screen directions for setting up a free blog. As I mentioned in the syllabus, I know that some/many of you already have a blog where you write posts; however, for the purposes of this class, you will need a separate blog that is focused on reflecting about your reading. Feel free to provide a link to your other blog if you would like to share that with your classmates as well. Keep in mind that I will post your blog address on the course website, so other class members will have access to your blog. You can restrict general public access to your blog, however, under “Settings” by marking “no” for the question “Add your blog to our listings?” Here are a few requirements for your blog:

• Please take some time to personalize your blog. This is a way for both me and your classmates to get to know you, so feel free to include a photo, links to other sites you enjoy, etc.
• Please make sure that your name (first/preferred name and last initial) is clear on your blog. For web safety, there is no need to include your full name.

[2] Write your first entry: Write a letter of introduction about yourself. Start with the basics—where you are from, what year you are at TCU, what major you are considering, etc. Then, I want to know a few things related to your participation in this course. Here is a series of questions to think about as you write:

• First, think about your interest in this course. Why did you choose to take this writing course? If your answer is simply that it’s required, then what would you like to get out of it?
• Next, consider your experience with writing both in and out of the classroom. What types of writing do you primarily do now (think beyond traditional school papers to other kinds of writing and technologies, like email, texting, etc.)? How do you feel about your writing? Why?
• Then, describe the local communities of which you are a member (university, current residence, home town/state, etc.). How do these communities impact your identity? You might think about what you think it means to say "I am from __" or "I live in __" or "I go to TCU."
  
• Finally, as you're reading chapter one of everything's an argument for class on Wednesday, you'll notice that the authors discuss how everything we say/do/create truly is an argument. This means that in your first assignment of creating a blog for this course, you are making an argument (whether you realized it or not). Take a few minutes to talk about what kind of argument you think your blog is making. Consider choices you made about colors, images, the way you introduce yourself, etc. What do these choices say about you as the blog author? about your participation in the course?
  

At the end of your letter to your blog audience, please write a final statement letting me know that you have read, understand, and agree to the terms of the course syllabus, which I see as a contract for our course. Remember that all of your blog entries should be in paragraph form. Also, don’t forget to label this first post in a way that indicates it falls into the category of blogs assigned in the course schedule and in unit one.

[3] Follow up: Add a comment to this post that includes your name and blog address (http://____.blogspot.com), so that I can add it to the list on our course page. Also let me know if you have any questions regarding the syllabus or anything discussed in our first meeting of the course.

welcome to english 20803

Hi everyone. And welcome to the blog for section 076 of English 20803. We'll be using Blogger as a journaling tool throughout the semester to reflect on and analyze the rhetoric and arguments related to our local communities. Your course calendar has the blog topics for each day, and it is your responsibility to keep up with the required blog postings. Of course, if you would like to post on your blog more frequently than the required two posts per week, you are more than welcome to do so. Just keep in mind that your classmates and I will be reading your blog on a regular basis.

This page will have the daily agenda along with any course announcements and updates, so it's a good idea to check it regularly or to subscribe to the blog feed. Also, as you set up your individual blogs, I'll include links to everyone's blogs on the right side of the page, so that you can easily access the blogs of your classmates.

Happy blogging!