Below, find a series of reading and writing tasks for the upcoming week. As always, write with any questions.
1. Yesterday, 17 September was the Constitution Day or, our Republic's birthday. The author of the bill which created the day had this to say of it, ""On this occasion we celebrate the courage of the Constitution's drafters and recommit ourselves to making the United States a more perfect union." In a writing course, it is good to remember and celebrate that the most sublime of documents goes through draft after draft, as the authors, like you, struggle to craft a document which meets their purpose, the needs and expectations of their audience, and can be put together within the limitations of their knowledge of the craft. The first link below will take you to the speech by Ben Franklin, my second or third favorite author. In this speech, Franking gets his fellow authors to finally vote to send the Constitution we know to the states for ratification, that is, he gets the authors to agree to let their audience read and judge the value of the text. There is much one can learn from Franklin, the least of which is how to use humor to accomplish what logos can't. The second link will take you to a short, PBS article on Ben Franklin, the citizen, pay particular attention to the story Franklin told Jefferson about editing. In the story, Franklin is trying to help Jefferson feel better about the fact that his draft of the Declaration of Independence is being picked apart.
http://www.usconstitution.net/franklin.html
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_citizen_founding.html
You should complete this reading by this Sunday, Midnight.
2. First, using the suggestions made by your peers for improvement, revise the draft of your King rhetorical analysis. Second, start a page or file in your notes for the class called an "Error List." In these notes, list the suggestions made by your peers on what you need to revise. Over the course of the semester, you will use your error list notes to look for specific aspects of your writing on which you need to work and for which you need to revise and proofread. Bring your error list and *two* copies of your newly revised draft to the next class.
3. Google these terms: "Semester at Sea," "UVA," and "plagiarism." To get an idea of the facts of the case, read a few of the articles your search turns up. Among the many links you will pull up will be a couple of articles from the Chronicle of Higher Education. Read these articles and the comments which follow them. These are comments made by professors and college administrators on the case. Write a comment to the class discussion list in which you capture your reaction to this particular case of plagiarism and/or the professor's comments. Post your response to the class discussion list. Later, take a few moments to read some of the comments made by your classmates, and respond to their comments. Your comments and responses should be written in the form of full sentences and paragraphs. When thinking about the case, ask questions like: "Was the treatment of the students fair and/or just?" "Why did those who expelled the students from the program believe their actions warrented being expelled?" "What does it mean to plagarize, and why does the academic discourse community take plagarism so seriously?" You might also comment on the Reynolds Academic Honesty Policy, a policy you've agreed to read and follow in all your work at Reynolds. How is the Reynold's policy similar to that of UVA, and how does it differ. Your comments are due by next Wednesday, Midnight, and your response to the comments are due by next Friday, Midnight.
4. Starting now and for the rest of the semester, each week you will be required to write and post to the class list two rhetorical analysis. In these analysis, you will look at the magic questions in your choice of texts, everyday communication, and from the reading for this or other classes. For instance, this week you might do a rhetorical analysis of Franklin's speech. You might also consider using some of your responses to comment on the rhetoric used in the elections. This last is a good way to qualify for the extra credit offered for your participation in the election. In these rhetorical analysis, you can answer each magic question or you can explore one of the magic questions in depth. These rhetorical analysis should be 250-500 words in length, and they should be written in full sentences and paragraphs, not question and answer, format. Your rhetorical analysis are due each Sunday by Midnight.
5. Each week, you must also read one rhetorical analysis for each of your group members. Your job is to write back and note: a) what the author is doing well; and, b) make two suggestions on how the author might improve their analysis. For right now, you are not allowed to comment on grammar. Your comments are due each Wednesday by midnight. Post your comments to the class list and use a good subject line so the authors on whose work you are commenting can find your comments easily.
--
Stephen Brandon, PhD
Associate Professor, Composition and Rhetoric
J. Sargent Reynolds Community College
Richmond, VA 23221
steve.brandon@cherokeenation.zzn.com
Often the accurate answer to a usage question begins, "It depends." And what
it depends on most often is where you are, who you are, who your listeners
or readers are, and what your purpose in speaking or writing is.
-Kenneth G. Wilson, usage writer (b. 1923)
1. Yesterday, 17 September was the Constitution Day or, our Republic's birthday. The author of the bill which created the day had this to say of it, ""On this occasion we celebrate the courage of the Constitution's drafters and recommit ourselves to making the United States a more perfect union." In a writing course, it is good to remember and celebrate that the most sublime of documents goes through draft after draft, as the authors, like you, struggle to craft a document which meets their purpose, the needs and expectations of their audience, and can be put together within the limitations of their knowledge of the craft. The first link below will take you to the speech by Ben Franklin, my second or third favorite author. In this speech, Franking gets his fellow authors to finally vote to send the Constitution we know to the states for ratification, that is, he gets the authors to agree to let their audience read and judge the value of the text. There is much one can learn from Franklin, the least of which is how to use humor to accomplish what logos can't. The second link will take you to a short, PBS article on Ben Franklin, the citizen, pay particular attention to the story Franklin told Jefferson about editing. In the story, Franklin is trying to help Jefferson feel better about the fact that his draft of the Declaration of Independence is being picked apart.
http://www.usconstitution.net/franklin.html
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_citizen_founding.html
You should complete this reading by this Sunday, Midnight.
2. First, using the suggestions made by your peers for improvement, revise the draft of your King rhetorical analysis. Second, start a page or file in your notes for the class called an "Error List." In these notes, list the suggestions made by your peers on what you need to revise. Over the course of the semester, you will use your error list notes to look for specific aspects of your writing on which you need to work and for which you need to revise and proofread. Bring your error list and *two* copies of your newly revised draft to the next class.
3. Google these terms: "Semester at Sea," "UVA," and "plagiarism." To get an idea of the facts of the case, read a few of the articles your search turns up. Among the many links you will pull up will be a couple of articles from the Chronicle of Higher Education. Read these articles and the comments which follow them. These are comments made by professors and college administrators on the case. Write a comment to the class discussion list in which you capture your reaction to this particular case of plagiarism and/or the professor's comments. Post your response to the class discussion list. Later, take a few moments to read some of the comments made by your classmates, and respond to their comments. Your comments and responses should be written in the form of full sentences and paragraphs. When thinking about the case, ask questions like: "Was the treatment of the students fair and/or just?" "Why did those who expelled the students from the program believe their actions warrented being expelled?" "What does it mean to plagarize, and why does the academic discourse community take plagarism so seriously?" You might also comment on the Reynolds Academic Honesty Policy, a policy you've agreed to read and follow in all your work at Reynolds. How is the Reynold's policy similar to that of UVA, and how does it differ. Your comments are due by next Wednesday, Midnight, and your response to the comments are due by next Friday, Midnight.
4. Starting now and for the rest of the semester, each week you will be required to write and post to the class list two rhetorical analysis. In these analysis, you will look at the magic questions in your choice of texts, everyday communication, and from the reading for this or other classes. For instance, this week you might do a rhetorical analysis of Franklin's speech. You might also consider using some of your responses to comment on the rhetoric used in the elections. This last is a good way to qualify for the extra credit offered for your participation in the election. In these rhetorical analysis, you can answer each magic question or you can explore one of the magic questions in depth. These rhetorical analysis should be 250-500 words in length, and they should be written in full sentences and paragraphs, not question and answer, format. Your rhetorical analysis are due each Sunday by Midnight.
5. Each week, you must also read one rhetorical analysis for each of your group members. Your job is to write back and note: a) what the author is doing well; and, b) make two suggestions on how the author might improve their analysis. For right now, you are not allowed to comment on grammar. Your comments are due each Wednesday by midnight. Post your comments to the class list and use a good subject line so the authors on whose work you are commenting can find your comments easily.
--
Stephen Brandon, PhD
Associate Professor, Composition and Rhetoric
J. Sargent Reynolds Community College
Richmond, VA 23221
steve.brandon@cherokeenation.zzn.com
Often the accurate answer to a usage question begins, "It depends." And what
it depends on most often is where you are, who you are, who your listeners
or readers are, and what your purpose in speaking or writing is.
-Kenneth G. Wilson, usage writer (b. 1923)
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