Thursday, October 10, 2013

Writing 3 Class Notes -- Week 7 (October 10)

Greetings!

We had a full class again this week.  This group of students does a wonderful job at interacting and responding to thoughtful questions.  We were down 2 this week (Ben & Christy), but that didn't lessen our conversation.  

We worked through some more strategies for the college entrance exams.  We underlined key points, suggested points to include in an introductions, and came up with specific examples.  Below is the test prompt:
The discovery that someone we admire has done something wrong is always disappointing and disillusioning. Yet even when people we consider heroes have been tarnished by their faults, they are no less valuable than people who appear perfect. When we learn that an admired person, even one who is seemingly perfect, has behaved in less than admirable ways, we discover a complex truth: great ideas and great deeds come from imperfect people like ourselves. Assignment: Do we benefit from learning about the flaws of people we admire and respect? Source: www.collegeboard.com, 2009

I gave the students a handout pertaining to MLA Guidelines.  We looked at some basic paper formatting, but also talked at length about what kind of materials need to be cited.  The general rule of thumb when considering citing the works from which a writer has gotten information is 1) to give credibility and authenticity to your writing; 2) to give readers a place to go for more information; and 3) to give credit where credit is due.  Most students accidentally and unintentionally improperly cite material.  Another difficulty students encounter is over-citing material.  Sometimes, it's hard to figure out what is common knowledge and to discern original ideas borrowed ideas.

They handed in the drafts of their Introductions.  Next week, the first rough draft is due.  

Assignments for Next Week:
-- Rough Draft #1  -- Bring a copy for me and a copy for a student to do the peer edit.

This week's blogs:
Class Notes
MLA Guide

Have a great week!  The weather should be stunning!
Mrs. Prichard

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