Monday, Sept 27 & Weds, Sept 29

Reread the Unit 1 Assignment and options.

Day 7 Monday, September 27

READING:

• Anne Lamott, “Shitty First Drafts”

WRITING: Drafting

• Respond to the Discussion Question “Lamott and ‘Shitty First Drafts’”:
  • Lamott discusses the writing process. After reading this piece, think about how you approach writing assignments and write a few sentences describing this approach; for example, do you write several drafts? wait until the last minute? proofread carefully? Give honest details! Then, add what you would like to change or improve about your writing process.

• Write your own “shitty first draft”! Use the process outlined below.

At this point, you have written about your own reading and writing and started to think about topics you might use for your first assignment (Unit 1: Education Narrative).

• • • Spend 10 minutes (set a timer) and write down (either by hand, on your computer, or on your phone) what you’ve decided your education narrative will focus on and explain. These notes are just for you– the writer. But this first step is really important to get your ideas flowing (i.e. brainstorming and writing-muscle reps to strengthen the connection between the brain and words on the page).
    • Then begin constructing your narrative:
    • Set a timer (again) and spend 10 uninterrupted minutes freewriting your narrative. Include all the details you remember: people, places, dialogue, feelings, thoughts, etc.
    • Then, read through what you wrote and decide what seems useful and worth using in your essay.
    • Think about the order in which you will tell your story. Will you tell it chronologically? Will you use flashbacks? Will you work backwards? Also, think about to whom you are telling the story (who is your audience? who do you want to be your audience?)
    • Then set your timer again for 10 minutes.
    • On a new piece of paper (or a new screen) begin to shape what you have written into a draft of your education narrative.
    • Now, after taking a short break, come back and finish a first draft of your education narrative.

Day 8 Wednesday, Sept 29

• Today, I’ll assign you peer review partners. You’ll read your peer review partner’s draft and with it in mind do the activities below.

 WRITING: Peer Review

• Find your partner’s educational narrative draft and provide feedback. Note things you really liked, and places where you want to ask questions either about what they’re saying or what else you would like to know. Write three to four specific comments about your partner’s work on the shared document. Here are some sample phrases to help you get started:
  • When you said… this really caught my attention because …
  • Your piece got me thinking about…
  • I got confused here when you said… because…
  • I wanted to know more about…..
• At the very end of the document, leave an overall comment for your partner. Quote at least one key phrase or moment that stands out to you, and use a “quotation sandwich”: introduce, summarize, and respond to the quote explaining why you chose it. For more on quotation sandwiches see here. If you need help with citing sources, refer to the City Tech Library’s “Citation and Formatting Guide,” Purdue OWL’s “MLA Style Introduction,” or the City Tech Writing Center at https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/writingcenter/.

RESOURCES:

• • • City Tech Library’s “Citation and Formatting Guide”
    • Purdue OWL “MLA Style Introduction”