Today’s main topics: WLLN Draft 2; Grading Contract review; Cover letter; Peer-review Take Home Sheet; Writing & Knowledge
Agenda
- WLLN Draft 2 due today
- Housekeeping: Assignments & Grading Contract review
- Cover letter
- Peer-review Take Home Sheet (due Thursday) – assigning groups
WLLN Draft 2 due today
< 5 minutes: Please email me your WLLN Draft 2 now if you have not done so. I will need them so that I can share them with the appropriate groups.
Housekeeping: Assignments & Grading Contract review
- >2 minutes Assignments review:
I have done a careful and thorough review to track everyone’s progress through this phase. I have logged everyone’s assignments into the grade book and assigned the relevant points according to our Grading Contract. For those of you who still have outstanding work, please reach out to me to address those assignments. - 15 minutes Grading Contract:
I have made some adjustments to the Grading Contract. You should all be familiar with it by now as it is available on our site and we have referred to it a couple of times. I also hope that I have made it clear that I am making an effort to be flexible when difficulties arise and you find yourself unable to complete an assignment. As I have reflected on the Grading Contract, I have found opportunities to make it a bit more equitable (as I see it anyway). I want to share those details with you now, as we look at a sample “Grading Contract? Grading Sheet. - EMAIL TASK: Please send me (via email) your target grade.
Cover Letter – What is the Cover Letter?
15-20 minutes
From the assignment prompt “3 Cover Letters“
“The cover letter is a short (1.5-2-page) informal reflection that you will write three times: one each for Phase 1, 2, and 3. In this cover letter you will detail what you learned during each respective phase. Each cover letter should be pasted at the top of the corresponding essay. I will read your cover letter prior to reading your essay, so use the cover letter as an opportunity to communicate what you want me to know.”
The assignment prompt also includes the following sections, so please take the time to read the whole prompt:
- Why reflect?
- What’s the format and style?
- What to include?
- Course learning outcomes – (From the Syllabus)
Here is the first “Course learning outcome.” There are 8 more (numbers 2-9).
“1. Recognize the role of language attitudes and standards in empowering, oppressing, and hierarchizing languages and their users, and be open to communicating across different languages and cultures.”
What I want to suggest is that you reflect on this learning outcome as you consider your peers work, and then on your own for your next revision (I know this sounds like a lot of revision!!!!)
Keep this question in your mind: How effectively has the writer addressed this outcome? NOTE: Not all writers will have chosen to write on this topic/outcome explicitly – or at all. IF this is the case, look for how effectively the writer has connected their “moment” to possessing knowledge. This is not always easy to discern, but just keep the question in mind as you read.
This will come in handy when you get to question 3 on the Phase 1 Take-Home Peer Review Worksheet.
Peer-review Take Home Sheet (due Friday) – assigning groups
Each line in a group of three writers. Each person in the group will read the others two persons work and provide peer feedback using the Phase 1 Take-Home Peer Review Worksheet found here.
EXAMPLE: Tiffani will read Mohammed and Li Ting; Mohammed will read Tiffani and Li Ting; Li Ting will read Tiffani and Mohammed.
| Arjoon, Tiffani | Rahman, Mohammed | Chen, Li Ting |
| Dongerkery, Bhakti | Fajardo, Jahziel | Anguisaca, Katya |
| Faizullah, Syed | Arnold, Ella | Li, Tiantian |
| Hilario, Kevin | Chen, Justin | Liang, Lily |
| Nasim, Umaima | Lee, Lih Khang | Colridge-Acosta, Jessica |
| Nelson, Aja | Grimaldi, Hadassah | Zielinski, Konrad |
| Quiros, Sara | Sookram, Cindy | Chang, Wilmer |
| Sayidova, Jasmina | Lewis, Kelvin | Imran, Noor |
| Singh, Manraj | Jahan, Ishrat | Tejada, Celine |
REMINDER FOR PEER EVALUATION:
Things we are NOT evaluating – unless the writer welcomes specific feedback on these things:
- Grammar
- Topic
- Use of language – meaning, if someone makes non-standard choices, they may be deliberate. You are invited to ask why the writer made their choices, and how they think it serves the text.
Homework
- FOR THURSDAY, September 24th: In your own narrative, underline places in the text where you think you are highlighting, mentioning, stating, or even just suggesting a connection to an awareness of “possessing knowledge” – a place in the text where you make a connection between things. I know this can feel a bit vague, but just go with it. Be prepared to share that part of your text in class on Thursday.
- FOR FRIDAY, September 25th: Please finish the peer review worksheets and submit them to your peers and me by 11:59 Friday, September 25th.
Looking ahead….
Moving a bit past thinking about writing as sentences, and form, and grammar, and word choice….
Think about our class theme, “The Politics of Language”, and “writing” – what is the connection? Is this just merely a topic for us to write about? What is the connection to the topic and how we raised our awareness around this while writing our literacy narratives? How does writing draw out our experiences and make them visible on the page? Does writing allow us to both stand inside and outside of ourselves at the same time and “make visible” what we know – even if we did not know we knew it?
It’s possible that you know more than you think you do in terms of tying your narrative to a larger theme or issue.
What IS this “knowledge” thing??? How does it relate to our narratives – and especially our writing? All of you have – together and individually – created a set of data, specifically about language, accent and the discrimination and difference that can attend the two. So, if you consider yourselves creators of knowledge that can be consulted, how might this affect your next revision? Does this framing help you see what you are DOING in your narratives and will it help you draw that out – even underline where in your narrative you see this connection?
