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During Phase 1, you will be introduced to a variety of texts, ideas, and skills (e.g., rhetorical reading, narrative writing, self-reflection, the social processes of writing, the politics of language and literacy). Among other smaller assignments, you will compose two Language and Literacy Narratives, one spoken and one written.
Note: you should have access to all readings & all assignments every class (in print or on your laptop/phone). This is because we’ll likely refer back to previous assignments/readings.
CALENDAR
✺ WEEK 1
Thursday, August 27 ( Week 1 | Day 1 )
1. Familiarize yourself with our course site. We will register in class for CUNY ACADEMIC COMMONS, where our site is housed.
2. OPTIONAL: Download Slack App to your mobile device. Join our workplace and say “hi.” I will recommend that we use Slack, but I may not require it. We can discuss in class.
3. Complete & submit the “Questionnaire” Worksheet: ( Web | Word ). This may be homework over the weekend instead. Adjusted due date: Thursday, September 3, 2020.
✺ WEEK 2
Tuesday, September 1 (Week 2 | Day 2)
This is what is due for today. Please have these tasks completed before class.
1. Complete & submit via email the “Language & Literacy Narrative Brainstorms” worksheet ( Word ). Adjusted due date: Sunday, September 6, 2020.
2. View “A Guide to Annotating Texts” ( Video )
3. Read “Rhetoric and Rhetorical Situations” handout. ( Web | Word | PDF )
4. Read Langston Hughes’ “Theme for English B.” ( Web | Word | PDF )
5. Read “Donald Trump and Freshman Essays” here. This goes to an outside link.
Thursday, September 3 – ( Week 2 | Day 3 )
This is what is due for today. Please have these tasks completed before class.
1. Read & annotate Tan’s “Mother Tongue.” ( Web | Word | PDF )
2. Complete & submit a “Rhetorical Situation Worksheet” ( Word ) for Tan (it’s ok if you’re unsure about answers).
3. Write & submit a 1-page response to Tan. What parts of Tan’s essay resonate with you most? Why?
❖ IN CLASS GOALS
- Tan’s Rhetorical Situation
- “Charting” texts for what they do (handout) ( Web | Word | PDF )
- Introduce Phase 1 Assignment: ( Web | Word | PDF )
- Using Google Docs.
NEW PAGES ADDED
- Amy Tan Discussion Page regarding the “purpose” of “Mother Tongue.”
- Student Submissions on Amy Tan
✺ WEEK 3
Tuesday, September 8 – ( Week 3 | Day 4 )
This is what is due for today. Please have these tasks completed before class.
1. Read & annotate June Jordan’s “Nobody Mean More to Me Than You…” ( Web | Word | PDF )
2. Complete & submit via email a “Rhetorical Situation Worksheet” ( Word ) for Jordan.
❖ IN CLASS GOALS
NEW: Class Session Page
Thursday, September 10 – ( Week 3 | Day 5 )
This is what is due for today. Please have these tasks completed before class.
1. View Saleem’s “Why I Keep Speaking Up…” ( Video ) – with transcript available here ( Web | Word | PDF )
2. Complete & submit via email a “Rhetorical Situation Worksheet” ( Word ) for Saleem.
3. Write a 1-page snapshot of 1 meaningful moment in your language &/or literacy experiences. Submit via email. Please use titling format: “WLLN Snapshot – Your Name.”
✺ WEEK 4
Tuesday, September 15 – ( Week 4 | Day 6 )
This is what is due for today. Please have these tasks completed before class.
1. Read Norton’s “Writing a Literacy Narrative” (pages 28-34) ( Web | Word | PDF )
2. Write and submit via email a full draft of your Written L&L Narrative (at least 2.5 pages long). We may be submitting these to a CUNY Academic Commons FORUMS page as well for peer review. I will send out a notice.
❖ IN CLASS GOALS
- Writing a L&L narrative and making larger connections
- Analyze Model Narrative
- Workshop drafts
Thursday, September 17 – ( Week 4 | Day 7 )
This is what is due for today. Please have these tasks completed before class.
UPDATE added September 15: I am putting a hold on the Spoken L&L Narrative (#1 below) for now. I don’t think we are quite ready for this, to be honest. I want to make sure everyone is comfortable presenting in class. I take responsibility for not quite allowing us the space to get to know each other well enough yet – so I think it is maybe a bit unfair to ask that people do a spoken presentation. HOWEVER, we will find a way to get something like this into our schedule – perhaps soon. I will give this more thought over the next couple days and let you know what I come up with.
1. THIS ASSIGNMENT IS ON HOLD: Write a full draft of your Spoken L&L Narrative. Practice it a few times (ideally with a friend/classmate/family member) and revise/enhance it at least once. Be ready to practice it with peers.
2. DUE Thursday, September 17th: In our Peer-Review: WLLN Draft Forum (Tuesday, September 15, 2020), respond to ONE other person of your choice that was not in your original group. NOTE: You will then have (AT LEAST) two responses: the person to whom you were first giving feedback, and then the new response. Also, as a gesture of community, if there is a posting that does not have a response, please choose that one. Forums can be a bit messy (I understand this!!) but let’s make an effort to make sure everyone has had a reader and gotten feedback.
✺ WEEK 5
Tuesday, September 22 – ( Week 5 | Day 8 )
This is what is due for today. Please have these tasks completed before class.
1. Revise & Submit your WLLN based on peer feedback.
2. Email me your WLLN Draft 2 before class. IMPORTANT: PLEASE USE the following naming convention for your file: LAST NAME_FIRST NAME_WLLN_draft2″.
❖ IN CLASS GOALS
SLLN Presentation Group 1Discuss connections
Thursday, September 24
Please have this completed before class.
CORRECTION ADDED, SEPTEMBER 23
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.
CORRECTION (from the email I sent out)
I clearly asked that you all “underline” and/or “highlight” parts of your WLLN where you are making connections to a larger theme or a “connection to an awareness of “possessing knowledge”.
BUT, what I meant, and I really need to ask you to do, is that you take those parts of your WLLN and put them into a separate document and have them ready for group work tomorrow.
This is for whatever you choose. Some of you may choose one sentence, or sentences from across your WLLN, or just one central paragraph. Whatever it is, put that in your homework assignment.
FRIDAY, September 25th by 11:59PM
PEER REVIEW WORKSHEETS: Please finish the peer review worksheets and submit them via email to your assigned peers and me by 11:59 Friday, September 25th.
MONDAY, September 28th by 11:59PM
WLLN Draft 3 & COVER LETTER
Revise & polish your Written L&L Narrative. Please use MLA formatting for this revision. You may format it on your own, or use the template that I attached to an earlier email, or find it here.
- NOTE 1: You will notice that the MLA template has a place for “Works Cited.” This is typically part of an MLA paper IF you have cited an outside work. In most cases, we have not done so here. You may delete this from your submission, unless you have cited something and want to put in in the “Works Cited” section. Most of us will just delete this section.
- NOTE 2: You will be adding a postscript to your revision. We will discuss this in class.
Write your cover letter.
Copy and & paste it at the beginning of your document.
Submit to me via email.
NOTE: No Class Held Tuesday 9/29. CUNY follows a Monday schedule.
LOOKING AHEAD TO PHASE 2
Thursday, October 1, 2020
Choose any one of our previous texts (written or video: for example Tan, Jordan, Saleem, Lysicott) , ideally your fav, and complete a “Charting” worksheet using the “Charting” handout (Web | Word | PDF).
Submit via email before class on October 1, 2020.
