To-Do Before Class:
READ: âHow to Read Like a Writerâ by Mike Bunn
WRITE:Â On the website, write a post of at least 300 words discussing the following questions. You can also post the picture of your notes from the reading in this same post:Â
- In his article, Mike Bunn writes âYou are already an author.â Heâs talking to you.  What do you think he means by this? What are some of the things you write already? (Hint: âNothingâ is not an acceptable answer.) Think of all of the ways you already use words in your everyday life. Thatâs authorship! How will that existing expertise help you in your college reading and writing career?
- Was there anything you noticed in Bunnâs article that you would like to try to do in your own writing? What, in particular? Please be specific!
Class Topic:
Introduction to paragraphs
Introduction to the genre of the education narrative
In-Class Activities:
Watch Donovan Livingstonâs Graduation Speech  (Transcript)
Start discussing paragraphs. Watch slideshow on paragraphs HERE.
To Do After Class:
READ AND ANNOTATE : âMaybe I Could Save Myself by WritingâÂ
(note: click here if the above link doesnât work)Â
READ AND ANNOTATE: âThe Fourth of Julyâ by Audre LordeÂ
WRITE: (250 Words) So far in this unit, we have read (and heard) three examples from the genre of the âeducation narrative.â Your first essay assignment in this class will be to write in this genre yourself. So in this discussion forum, Iâd like us to have a conversation about what the features of this genre are. Please discuss some of the following:
- What, from what youâve seen so far, are the âingredientsâ (also known as âconventionsâ) of the education narrative genre?
- What do you think might be a place to get started with your own education narrative?
- What are your questions or concerns about writing an education narrative of your own?
- If you like, you can also feel free to share an educational experience you had and ask for feedback from your colleagues (and me) to see if we think that might be a solid place to begin writing.
Mike Bunn tells the reader that âthey are already author’sâ, as everyone already deals with writing in everyday life. And this can range from a simple grocery list all the way to company itineraries. Even if you think that these may not have any value in terms of literature, youâd be wrong because of the way theyâre structured. They have orders in the way some items on a grocery list may have more importance than other items. And an itinerary is organized with time inputs and assignment outputs. Even if these 2 things are part of everyday life, the writer carefully put them together so that they may be organized and efficient with time. Likewise, an author carefully crafts a narrative that is clear so that a reader may have enjoyment and learn something new.
Switching gears, there was a lot of valuable information that I personally benefited from this essay. The most beneficial is being able to question oneâs argument via their sources. As weak evidence may make the reader question your writing. While more ârootedâ evidence can help you lay out your opinion or argument, and you may get the reader to be on your side.
Another valuable piece is quite overlooked, this being your target audience. As there have been many personal experiences of writing essays and later forgetting who I was writing to mid essay. So you want to think about who youâre writing to and will it resonate with the audience. The essay gave a great example, one which an essay opens up with a quote from Barack Obama. That in itself is fine, but what if the essay is about a beach day? Does the quote build to an essay about the beach? No. So going forward, I will be careful to make my essay stick to one subject. And not wander off midway.