Introduction: Course Overview & Tips for Being an Online Student

Week 1: January 25, 2023

Day 1 January 25

READING:

Sign up for OpenLab site/Go to Blackboard class site: if you encounter problems, please email me at ___________________.

Review the class site: be sure to read the introduction to the course, look over the syllabus, and open and review all course tabs/sections.

 WRITING: Introductions

  • Respond to the Discussion Question “Introductions”: Write a paragraph (approx. 100 words) discussing your academic interests, why you chose your major, what you enjoy reading, listening to, watching, and doing in your spare time, or anything else you want to share (include your pronouns if you wish).
  • Respond to the Discussion Question “Online Learning”: Write a paragraph (approx. 100 words). Discuss any questions or concerns you have about taking an online writing class. Mention anything that confuses or worries you. You may also discuss positive aspects (either that you’ve experienced or that you foresee) about online learning. At the end of your response, share one or two tips from your own online experience (either in school, at work, or in other day-to-day use of technology) that you think other students might find useful.
  • Respond to the Discussion Question “Our Syllabus”: Discuss three pieces of information that caught your attention on the syllabus. These could be questions you have about grading or deadlines, comments on the online component, or observations about the chosen readings… really anything that catches your eye is fine. 
  • Take the online technology survey.
  • Go here and sign up for your free subscription to The New York Times. 
  • Check out the City Tech Writing Center on OpenLab: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/writingcenter/

Unit 1: Investigating a Discourse Community 

Week 2: January 30 & February 1 2023

Day 2 January 30 

READING & WATCHING:

WRITING: Thinking About Community

Respond to the Discussion Question “Amy Tan’s ‘Mother Tongue’”: Amy Tan writes, “Recently, I was made keenly aware of the different Englishes I do use.” What are these different Englishes; when, where and how does she use them? What does this piece illustrate about Tan’s responsibility to and feelings about her different communities and the way she moves between these groups?

Respond to the Discussion Question “Audience in Tan’s ‘Mother Tongue’”: Who do you think would benefit or be interested in reading this piece? Why?

Respond to the Discussion Question “Language and Community”: Think about language and the different ways you communicate or speak. Choose a word or phrase that you use with one group of people (family, friends, co-workers, etc.) that would not be understood by a different group of people in your life. What is the meaning of this word or phrase and how would you explain it to someone who is an outsider to the group who uses it?

 Day 3 FEBRUARY 

 READING:

RESOURCES:

WRITING: Introduction to Discourse Communities 

  • Write a Post in which you do the following (approximately 200-250 words):
    • Create a “double-entry journal” exploring two observations that Swales makes about discourse communities. To do this, find two quotes you find compelling. Write down each quotation and then explain what you found interesting (or even confusing).

Template for the double-entry journal (use the template below or set up your double-entry journal using two columns if you prefer).

Quote 1: 

Explain why you feel connected to this quote:

Quote 2: 

Explain why you feel connected to this quote:

  • Think about the basic definition Swales gives (page two/paragraph three), and make a list of three discourse communities you participate in. Use a couple of sentences to describe each discourse community you listed, and discuss the basic “values, assumptions, and ways of communicating” found in each one.

Week 3: February 6 and February 8 

Day 4 FEBRUARY 6

Respond to the Discussion Question “Problems and Issues”: Go back to your list of Discourse Communities and name two or three problems or issues that are central to each one.

Day 5 FEBRUARY 8

READING:

  • Mary Wollstonecraft “Dedicatory Letter” to A Vindication of the Rights of Woman

WRITING: Responding to Wollstonecraft

  • Write a Post in which you do the following (approximately 200-250 words):
    • Why is she writing this letter? What is the issue she identifies?
    • Explain why Wollenstonecraft sees the issue as a problem.
    • After reading this letter, how would you identify Wollstonecraft’s discourse community? Does the recipient seem to be a part of this group or outside of it? 
  • Respond to the Discussion Question “Wollstonecraft’s Writing Strategies”: Describe one of Wollstonecraft’s writing strategies that gets your attention. Explain what she is doing and why it caught your attention. (Remember: for the Unit 1 Assignment, you will be writing your own speech or letter.)

Week 4: February 15

Day 6 FEBRUARY 15

 RESOURCES: 

 WRITING: Brainstorming Discourse Communities and Research

  • Write a Post in which you do the following (approximately 200-250 words):
    • By now you’ve identified discourse communities to which you belong as well as certain issues and/or problems specific to those groups. Pick one problem that you have identified as specific to a certain discourse community and spend 30 minutes doing research about this problem. Set a timer to keep you on task! As you do research, here are some things to look for and note:
      • Who is already involved in attempting to make the problem visible to outsiders? What are their positions, views, and strategies as they bring this problem to light?
      • Who needs to know about this problem? Why would you want to tell this audience about the problem? List ideas and information that would be persuasive in helping your audience understand that this particular issue is a problem. (Use the “Effective Persuasion” presentation as you make this list.)
      • Aside from doing internet or library research, you may interview (over the phone or via email is fine) anyone involved with or affected by this problem. Find three or four relevant and reliable sources: keep track of your sources and take detailed notes on what you find.

Week 5: February 21 & February 22

Day 7 FEBRUARY 21

READING & LISTENING:

 RESOURCE:

WRITING: Responding to Douglass

  • Write a Post in which you do the following (approximately 200-250 words):
    • Having read and listened to Douglass’s speech, what do you believe he is arguing? Write a short summary of what he is saying.
    • Now, pick two quotations from the text where Douglass helps his listeners understand the problem he is making visible. Use the “The Quote Sandwich” technique.
      • Quote the passage/lines using proper MLA citation formatting (be sure to quote accurately).
      • Paraphrase the quote (put it in your own words).
      • Explain how this quote helps Douglass to illustrate his argument.

In your response, use the following format:

Quote 1:

Paraphrase:

Response:

Quote 2:

Paraphrase:

Response:

  • Respond to the Discussion Question “Douglass’s Writing Strategies”: Describe one of Douglass’s writing strategies that gets your attention. Explain what he is doing and why it caught your attention. (Remember: for the Unit 1 Assignment, you will be writing your own speech or letter.)

Day 8 FEBRUARY 22

READING & WATCHING: 

WRITING: Pick a Model & Organize Your Ideas

  • Decide on whether you are going to write a letter or a speech for your chosen audience.
  • Now, review the relevant models. If you are writing a speech, review A.O.C and Douglass. If you are writing a letter look at the texts by Wollstonecraft and Henderson.
  • Imagine you have met someone who is outside your discourse community. You want to convince them of the importance of the issue you’ve identified.
    • Set a timer and spend 20 uninterrupted minutes writing what you would say about your issue or problem. (This is a freewrite, so you don’t have to worry about perfect grammar or complete sentences– just get your ideas down!)
    • Include all the details you can think of related to this issue or problem:
      • Who is affected and how?
      • What are some of the effects of this problem? Give examples.
      • Also include other important and relevant information to help someone on the outside of your discourse community see and understand the problem.
      • Who are the people with power who could help to create change?
    • After twenty minutes, read through and decide what information seems useful and worth using in the letter or speech you will be writing. Also, think about how you will lay out your argument; for example, in what order will you deliver the information?
  • The above activities are for you to keep and reflect on as you work towards the Unit Assignment (in other words, do not submit the above). For today’s submission, write a Post (approx. 300 words)with the following:
    • Write a few sentences explaining which model you are choosing (the letter or speech) and why. How do you think this specific genre will help you to make your argument? 
    • Create either an outline or a summary organizing your thoughts. This outline or summary should state your main point and how you will make your

Week 6: February 27 and March 1 

Day 9 FEBRUARY 27, 2023

RESOURCE: 

WRITING: Drafting

  • Look at the research you did on the problem in your discourse community, and find a quote you might use to support the argument you are making in your letter or speech. Be sure to use the “quote sandwich” technique and cite using MLA style. If you need help with either quoting or citing, refer to Purdue OWL’s “MLA Style Introduction.” You may also make an appointment with the City Tech Writing Center for help at any stage of the drafting process: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/writingcenter/.
  • Work on your draft.
  • You are not posting your draft, but you may use virtual office hours to check in and ask questions.

Day 10 March 1, 2023

WRITING: Drafting

  • Work on your draft.
  • You are not posting your draft, but you may use virtual office hours to check in and ask questions.

 Unit 2 — Annotated Bibliography Project

Week 7: March 6 and March 8

Day 11 March 6

  • SUBMIT Unit 1 (Discourse Community Assignment) 

READING:

  • Assignment guidelines for Unit 2: Annotated Bibliography Project
  • Annotated Bibliography Project Student Samples

 RESOURCES: 

WRITING: Introducing the Annotated Bibliography Project:

  • Respond to the Discussion Question “Annotated Bibliography Project”: Think about the words used to identify this assignment (“annotated” and “bibliography”), and freewrite what those words mean to you. If you did an annotated bibliography in a previous class (such as English 1101), briefly mention your experience with the assignment. As you look through the guidelines, write down questions you have about this project.

 Day 12 March 8 

READING:

  • Read Sophocles, Antigone (lines 1-625, pp.1-21)

(Note: if your class meets synchronously, consider devoting class time to reading sections of the script out loud.)

WRITING: Antigone Day 1

  • Write a Post that includes the following:
    • Re-read the first 100 lines (pages 1-5) of the play, and write down some adjectives describing the two sisters (Antigone and Ismene). With these characteristics in mind, what actors would you cast in the role of Antigone and Ismene if this were a movie? Why?
    • Re-read Creon’s monologue (pp. 6-8), Creon’s interactions with the guard (pp. 8-13), and the section between Antigone and Creon after she is brought before him (pp.13-21) in order to gain a sense of Creon’s character. If Creon lived in today’s world, on which social media platform would his monologue appear? Why would he use this platform? What traits does he have that would make him choose this platform? Using the conventions of the platform, rewrite a section of the monologue in modern language.
  • Respond to the Discussion Question “Central Conflict”: From what you have read so far, what do you think the main conflict of the play is?

Week 8: March 13 and March 15

Day 13 March 13

READING:

  • Sophocles, Antigone (lines 626, pp. 22-45)

WRITING: Antigone Day 2

  • Write an entry  that includes the following (approx 100 words):
    • A definition for the term “civil disobedience,” and explain whether or not you think Antigone is engaged in an act of civil disobedience.

Day 14 March 15

RESOURCE:

 WRITING: Developing Research Questions

    • Write a short paragraph summarizing what you learned in your preliminary research.
    • From there, develop two or three new questions you have about your social justice issue.
      • These should not be “yes or no” questions, but deeper and more comprehensive questions. Keep in mind words like“why” and “how” when developing these questions.
      • For example, if my social justice issue is “accessibility in the remote learning environment,” I would think about questions like “how does an instructor create an effective online class that is equitable and accessible to all participants” or “why are some students falling behind when learning online?” One of these might then become my research question for the Annotated Bibliography Project.

Week 9: March 20 & March 22

Day 15 March 20

WATCHING:

WRITING: Antigone Day 3

  • Write a Post that responds to one of the following questions:
    • Based on her statements and actions, do you consider Antigone to be a criminal or a hero? Using the text, write two paragraphs: one that creates a case for her being a criminal and one supporting her actions as heroic. Use at least two examples from the play to support your ideas.

                      OR

    • How does the character of Creon help you to think about justice, power, and authority? Has the play helped you to think about the world we live in today?
  • Respond to the Discussion Question “Antigone in Ferguson”: What kind of research do you think the theater artists had to do to connect this ancient Greek tragedy to a real-life, modern-day one.

Day 16 March 22

WRITING: Research Prep Day (Writing Workshop)

  • Return to the questions you still have about the social justice issue you will research, and review them along with any comments I have provided.
  • Decide on your overall research question. My comments should help you do this.
  • Set a timer. Spend 15 minutes writing a substantial paragraph answering the following: How did you get interested in your research question? Why are you interested? What answers and information do you expect to find in response to your research question? (These notes are for you and will not be posted.)

Optional Library Day: If you wish, contact the library to schedule a Library Session here or wherever it works for you during the semester.

 

Week 10: March 27 & 29

Day 17 March  27

RESOURCES:

WRITING: Drafting the Annotations

  • Use the City Tech library’s online databases or the internet to locate one reputable source that helps you respond to your research question. Some useful databases are LexisNexis, Academic Search Complete, and Opposing Viewpoints. Please note: The first source you come across will not necessarily be the best one! You will have to look at multiple sources to find one that is truly useful for your specific question. 
  • Read your source carefully a couple of times and take notes. (Either take notes directly on the article or write down ideas and quotes from the text that you find compelling.)
  • Write a Post with the first entry for the Annotated Bibliography Project. This includes the following:
    • The MLA bibliographic citation
    • A summary of the source (include at least one direct quote and cite it properly)
    • A rhetorical analysis of the source
      • include at least one direct quote and cite it properly
      • your opinion of the source
      • your views on the credibility of the author/s
      • further questions for the author/s
      • your ideas on the genre choice as it relates to the content being delivered
    • Continue researching and looking for sources. Find two additional sources for your annotated bibliography. Try to explore a variety of genres for this assignment: consider journal articles, TED Talks, podcasts, Op-Eds, letters, or news reports.

Day 18 March 29

WRITING: Drafting 

  • Write a Post with the next two entries for the Annotated Bibliography Project. Each source entry includes the following:
    • The MLA bibliographic citation
    • A summary of the source (include at least one direct quote and cite it properly)
    • A rhetorical analysis of the source
      • include at least one direct quote and cite it properly
      • your opinion of the source
      • your views on the credibility of the author/s
      • further questions for the author/s
      • your ideas on the genre choice as it relates to the content being delivered
    • Work on the other parts of this project.
    • You are not posting your draft, but you may use virtual office hours to check in and ask questions.

Week 11: April 3

Day 19 April 3

  • Unit 2 Due. SUBMIT Unit 2: Annotated Bibliography and Opinion Piece 

Week 12: April 17 & April 19

Unit 3: Multimodal Project Begins 

Day 20 April 17 

  • Write an entry that includes the following:
    • A short reflection (approx. 150-200 words) on the research process and what you learned. In your reflection, consider the following questions: What did you find difficult about doing this type of research? In doing this type of research, what did you learn that you can take to future classes?

 READING:

  • Read the assignment guidelines for Unit 3: Multimodal Project.
  • Read and review student samples of the Multimodal Project

 RESOURCES:

 WRITING: Introducing the Multimodal Project

  • Respond to the Discussion Question “Multimodal Project”: Write down any questions you have about these guidelines.
  • Respond to the Discussion Question “Student Samples– Multimodal Project”: What do you notice and what appeals to you about these projects? There are no right answers! Just write a few sentences expressing what caught your eye about these pieces.
  • Write an entry that includes the following:
    • Write a paragraph further reflecting and expanding on what you said in the conclusion of your Annotated Bibliography Project. Name the discourse community with which you will share your research. For what purpose? Are you trying to inform, persuade, or motivate them to act in some way? Or is there another purpose you have in mind? What would be the best multimodal genre for reaching your community and why?
  • Look for two examples of the multimodal genre that you are going to compose in for Unit 3. Include links to your examples in your post. Remember your examples do not have to match your topic in terms of content. You are looking at the genre.

Day 21 April 19

 READING:

 WRITING: Looking at Multimodal Texts and Analyzing Samples

  • Respond to the Discussion Question “College Students and Social Media”: What do you find compelling about this multimodal piece? Why?
  • Respond to the Discussion Question “Love in Black Lives”: How does Correal’s use of photographs help her to tell the story and what effect do the images have on you? Explain any reactions you have to the “multi-modal” aspect of this piece.
  • Look at the sample multimodal genres that you have found, and take notes on the following (these notes are for you, not for posting):
    • What are the elements and features of the multimodal genre in which you will be composing? Some things to consider are the typical length, tone, and format. Also, think about how this genre is organized and how an audience typically responds.

Week 13:  April 24 & April 26

Day 22 April 24

WRITING: Drafting

Day 23 April 26

 WRITING: Drafting

  • Work on composing your multimodal piece.
  • You are not posting your draft, but you may use virtual office hours to check in and ask questions.

Final Reflection and Portfolio

Week 14: May 1 and May 3

Day 24 May 1

  • SUBMIT UNIT 3: Multimodal Project  

 READING:

  • Read through all your work so far this semester and the comments you received. 
  • Read through the assignment guidelines for the “Final Reflection and Portfolio.”
  • Look over your work from this semester (all small and large assignments).
  •  

WRITING: Thinking about Revisions

  • Respond to the Discussion Question “Revisions”: What unit assignment do you plan to revise? In four or five sentences explain what you will adjust and improve about your work.

Day 25 May 3

WRITING: Reflecting and Building the Portfolio 

  • Begin drafting your answers to the reflection questions:
    • Look at the reflection questions in the portfolio assignment and freewrite for 20 minutes. As we have been doing all semester, set a timer to keep you on track! Use this to start writing your reflection (do not post yet).

Week 15: May 8 & May 10

Day 26 May 8

WRITING: Drafting

  • Continue working on your reflection and portfolio, which includes revising an assignment of your choice.
  • You are not posting your drafts, but you may use virtual office hours to check in and ask questions.

Day 27 May 10

 WRITING: Drafting

  • Continue working on your reflection and portfolio, which includes revising an assignment of your choice.
  • SUBMIT Final Reflection and Portfolio Assignment

Week 16

Day 28 May 15

    •  

Day 29 May 17

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