Writing Democracy across East Texas

Proposal: Anthology, Texas A&M University-Commerce Press:

WRITING DEMOCRACY IN EAST TEXAS: A History of Civic Engagement at Texas A&M University-Commerce (1889-1975)

The proposed anthology commemorates two major milestones in the history of Texas A&M-Commerce, both of which will occur in 2014.

  • 125 years ago, William L. Mayo established a teacher’s college to provide the region’s largely poor farmers and their families with access to higher education, “regardless of previous academic preparation or ability to pay” (Mayo College Catalog, 1896);
  • 50 years ago, this same campus became one of the last two public colleges in Texas to remove “White” as a primary criterion for admission.

The proposed collection will feature creative and scholarly work, alongside archival materials, that illustrate our university’s historical relationship with the surrounding community. Established in 1889 in direct response to community need, A&M-C’s 125-year history of providing local citizens with rhetorical training for civic engagement (Gold 2005, 2009; Carter 2012; Carter and Conrad 2012; Carter and Dent 2013) make it an ideal site for larger questions about a university’s responsibility to the community and a community’s potential influence on the university. To this end, the proposed anthology addresses a range of questions Continue reading

English 333: Tuesday, January 14, 2014

I. Introduction

English 333 blog [home]

Syllabus [blog]

Introductory Video [vid]

II. Writers and Their Tools

Presentation [ppt]

II. Homework for Thursday, 1/16 (see syllabus, page 7)

Be ready to discuss the following in class 

Everything is a Remix [Part I]

Melissa Niven’s “Literacy Narrative” (student example)

Review the syllabus and (if you wish) introductory video and lecture above

TA Orientation, January 10, 2014

“Writers and Their Tools” [handout: docx] [powerpoint] (Use any way you wish!)

additional: (English 333, video / blog)

WRITING WITH CLAY [images, vid]

Description: From cave paintings to clay tablets and typewriters to new media, technological advances are constantly changing the way writers write. The purpose of this workshop is to help our writing students think more strategically about the “affordances” (Cynthia Selfe) of various technologies in order to choose the most appropriate one for the job.

In this hands-on workshop, participants will explore various roles played by a writer’s tools by experimenting with materials rarely associated with writers and readers in academic contexts: clay. We’ll begin with a brief discussion of the important ways new technologies have affected the way writers write throughout time. How did writers approach a writing task when the only tools available were clay tablets? How about later as paper became more cheaply and widely available? How did the invention of the typewriter change things–not to mention the pencil, ballpoint pins, correction tape, White Out? Together we will experiment with a variety rhetorical situations and a range of likely unfamiliar tools (clay!), then discuss their impact on the resulting composition and the composing process itself. In addition to experiencing this classroom activity, participants with come away from the workshop with teaching notes for this activity, including a sample handout for students.

Goals: The workshop brings into relief several other aspects of the writing process that writers normally take for granted. As they go about their assignment, students should consider these issues:

  • How writing—whether on clay or on computers—forces them to deal with technology at the same time they are trying to get the writing done;
  • How technology affects the content of writing as well as the writing process;
  • How the type of writing they are doing influences the technology they are using
  • And finally, how the technology affects the way that they read a document or text.

1301: The Home Stretch!

Tuesday, 11/19 (meet in classroom)

  • Peer Review of WA3 [pdf]
  • Review Calendar for Final Weeks [pdf]

Thursday, 11/21 (meet in classroom)

Tuesday, 11/26 (no class meeting, Unless . . . )
  • If did not submit your revision of WA3 to me during class 11/21, this is your absolute last chance. Before 3:15 today, submit revision of WA3 to me IN MY OFFICE at HL 209 [see end of Peer Review guide for order]
Thursday 11/28: University Closed. Happy Thanksgiving! 
Tuesday, 12/3 (meet online in eCollege)
  • Post draft of Final Reflections to “Reflections for Peer Review” discussion area before 2:00 on Tuesday, 11/26.

Thursday,  12/5 (meet online in eCollege)

  • Peer Review of Final Reflections due before 3:15 today. See discussion area in eCollege for details.

NOTE: I will be in Washington, DC,12/3-12/6 for at meeting at the National Endowment for the Humanities headquarters. I can be reached via email. 

English 1301: Agenda, 11/7-11:14

1. Submit RR12

2. Discuss WA3 assignment and RR9-14 as fodder for same. [see assignment sheet]

3. Ready plans for next week. Remember, we will NOT be meeting face-to-face. Instead, you will meet online (to post RR13 and RR14) and will meet with me in my office during your scheduled time.

Tuesday, 11/12

All: post RR13 to eCollege (“RR13” under “Discussion Area” tab) before 2:00 Tuesday, 11/12

Readings can be found in eCollege and here.

12:00-12:10–Joette Jackson

1-1:10–Kyle Taylor

1:10-1:20–Swathi Sudanagunta

1:20-1:30–EV Allison

1:30-1:40–Flo Bates

1:40-1:50–Tanya DelRio

1:50-2:00–Monique Burkley

2:00-2:10–Cynthia Cook

2:10-2:20–Kallison Rogers

2:30-2:40–

2:45-2:55–

3:00-3:10–Asia Scott

 

Thursday, 11/14

All: post RR14 to eCollege (“RR14” under “Discussion Area” tab) before 2:00 Thursday 11/14

1:30-1:40–Alexandria Bliss

1:40-1:50–Keandra Borders

1:50-2:00–Miranda Evans

2:00-2:10–Jessica King

2:10-2:20–LaDarrian Meredith

2:30-2:40–MaKenzie Blakey

2:45-2:55–Marshall Younts

3:00-3:10–

English 1301: Agenda, 11/5

1. Submit RR11 (Mellix and Guerra)

2. Talk about conferences next week (you’ll sign up for these Thursday, and the conferences will take place on either 11/12 or 11/14).

Subject of conferences: your grades thus far and WA3. You’ll also receive WA2.

RR11 due today

RR12 due Thursday (11/7)

RR13 (submit to eCollege before 2:00 Tuesday 11/12)

RR14 (submit to eCollege before 2:00 Thursday 11/14)

That’s the last of your Reader Responses!

3. Talk about grade sheet and complete before next time. We’ll use this and the one I have completed as a discussion generator during our conferences before firming up your grade for this course going into WA3 and the Final Reflections.

English 101: Agenda (10/31)

 

1. Quiz

2. Submit RR9 (hooks) and RR10 (Resolution/NCTE 1974)

3. Return to Discourse Community activity from last class meeting (freewriting exercise).

4. discuss grades thus far via GRADE REPORT . I am not quite ready with these but will have them for you Tuesday at the very latest.

5. Discuss hooks (“Keeping Close to Home“).

 

5. Discuss Resolution (1974)

HOMEWORK FOR TUESDAY:

RR11 on  Mellix (PP), Guerra (PP)

 

English 1301: Agenda 10/29

1. RR8 (eCollege)

Thanks to everyone who remembered to participate in last week’s online discussion. Well done! Grades are in for that. If you posted a solid RR8 to the eCollege discussion area before the 10/22 deadline AND posted at least one response before the 10/24 deadline, you are golden (no one who submitted both on time received less than an A)! If you did one but not the other, you received partial credit (no one who submitted made less than a C on this).

If you forgot to participate in last week’s discussion, I’m afraid that window has closed. You’ll receive a zero for RR8. However, other opportunities for RRs still remain.

2. Discuss Communities of Practice/Discourse Communities [prompt]

3. Submit RR9 (on bell hooks “Keeping Close to Home”)

BEFORE YOU LEAVE:

  • submit WA2 if you haven’t already, See October 17 agenda for details on what to submit.

HOMEWORK FOR NEXT TIME: 

RR10 on “Resolution on Language Rights” (PP, page 162-163)

 

English 1301: Agenda (10/17)

1. Feedback (see evaluation_WA1)on WA1 and WA1 Peer Review provided (at last!). I will add these to the gradebook in eCollege, along with the rest of your scores for this class thus far. I will upload the completed feedback form to the WA1 gradebook item as well.

NOTE: Hold onto these papers and completed rubrics. You will resubmit them with your WA2 (and again with WA3 in a few weeks).

2. Submit WA2 for Instructor Review.

Include the following:

      • Final version of WA2 for instructor review (see WA2 assignment sheet)
      • Draft of WA2 for peer review (from today’s peer review session)
      • Responses from peer reviewer (answers to questions above; I need the complete version with reviewer’s name so I can give the peer reviewer full credit for the extensive and thoughtful feedback he/she provided)
      • Your own response to this feedback (see “Response” above), including a detailed plan for revising WA1 based on feedback provided during peer review
      • AND
      • Everything submitted with WA1, including the feedback forms for both WA1 and the Peer Review.

3. If you taking me up on the extension for WA2, be ready to submit this complete assignment no later than the start of class on October 29.

DEADLINES for INSTRUCTOR REVIEW:

  • Option 1: Submit above on Thursday, October 17, 2013 (in class)
  • Option 2: Submit final version of WA2 to eCollege dropbox for this assignment at any point before Thursday, October 24, then bring rest of items listed above to class Tuesday, October 22, so I can wrap up grading on these items as well.
  • Option 3: Submit all of the above on Tuesday, October 29 (in class)

________________________________________________________

REMEMBER: We will hold class in eCollege next week! No face-to-face meeting, as I will be in San Diego. However, do not miss participating in this online discussion. It counts too, just as much as all the other stuff you have been doing in this class thus far. Everything counts! 🙂

I will not be available on campus for my office hours, but you can still email or text me if you have questions. I will also be participating in the online discussion in eCollege. See the “Discussion Area” tab for 10/22-10/24.

  • Due Tuesday, 10/22, in eCollege: RR8 over “What is a Community of Practice?” (follow link) and the page on “Discourse Communities” in Problem Posing textbook. Post to Discussion Area in eCollege before 2:00 Tuesday, 10/22 (normal start of class time)
  • Due Thursday, 10/24, in cCollege: Respond to at least one classmate’s RR8 in same Discussion Area in eCollege before 3:15, 10/24 (normal end of class time)

 

English 1301: Agenda for October 15 (Tuesday)

I. Peer Review on WA2! [guide and MLA example]

II. Discuss Revised Calendar through end of term [pdf]

Due Next Time

1. WA2 (complete, revised, and ready for Instructor Review)–see details below

2. That’s it! Just be in class and ready to discuss WA3 and work with eCollege so you know how to participate in online discussions to take place next week.

  • Due Tuesday, 10/22, in eCollege: RR8 over “What is a Community of Practice?” (follow link) and the page on “Discourse Communities” in Problem Posing textbook. Post to Discussion Area in eCollege before 2:00 Tuesday, 10/22 (normal start of class time)
  • Due Thursday, 10/24, in cCollege: Respond to at least one classmate’s RR8 in same Discussion Area in eCollege before 3:15, 10/24 (normal end of class time)

Submitting WA2: When you submit WA2 for instructor review, you will need to include the following:

 

  • Final version of WA2 for instructor review (see WA2 assignment sheet)
  • Draft of WA2 for peer review (from today’s peer review session)
  • Responses from peer reviewer (answers to questions above; I need the complete version with reviewer’s name so I can give the peer reviewer full credit for the extensive and thoughtful feedback he/she provided)
  • Your own response to this feedback (see “Response” above), including a detailed plan for revising WA1 based on feedback provided during peer review 

DEADLINES for INSTRUCTOR REVIEW:

  • Option 1: Submit above on Thursday, October 17, 2013 (in class)
  • Option 2: Submit final version of WA2 to eCollege dropbox for this assignment at any point before Thursday, October 24, then bring rest of items listed above to class Tuesday, October 22, so I can wrap up grading on these items as well.
  • Option 3: Submit all of the above on Tuesday, October 29 (in class)