Schedule

Drafts Due: first draft, Wednesday, September 20, 2023; next draft, Wednesday, September 27. For both, post online and bring to class
Final Draft Due: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 (as a post on our site)
Final Revised Version Due: Tuesday, December 18, 2023 in your Final Reflection and Portfolio

Education Narrative

In discussing the education narrative genre this semester, we have read several examples in which the writers discuss meaningful experiences, texts, and spaces that have shaped their understanding of themselves or the world around them. In these pieces, the writers discuss educational journeys — the way experiences can shape our understanding of the world around us and affect our education and career choices. The pieces also explore what it means to be “educated” — in fact, Plato likens leaving the cave to the painful experience of true education, while being trapped in the cave and being force-fed the shadows on the wall is something of a false education.

You have read these texts as a reader, to understand them and learn from them, and also as a writer, as Mike Bunn describes in “How to read like a Writer,” looking at not only what they have to say but also how they do so, for what purpose, and for what audience, and in what style or with what tone.

For this project, you will write an education narrative of your own that tells a story about a meaningful learning experience, whether in school or in your life. For example, your experience might be about a class, a text you read, a space where you like to learn, or even a mentor who had an impact on you. Describe the meaningful experience. Then tell about when, why, and how the experience was significant for you. In telling about your experience, you should refer to one or two of the authors we have read this semester. Quote from the author to help you support your narrative or to provide a useful counterpoint. In writing your education narrative, you will need to choose

• what the purpose of your narrative is–other than completing Project 1, what else can it do? If you shared your finished narrative with people, what would you want them to take away from reading it?
• who is your intended audience? Are you writing for people who had similar experiences? People who can’t imagine what your experiences were? Family members who know you but not your specific ideas? Students who are not as far along as you? Classmates with whom you want to connect and collaborate? Potential employers?
• what style or tone do you want for your essay? This will be connected to its purpose and intended audience. Do you want it to be funny? intense? emotional? controlled?
• What format do you want it to take? Are you writing it as plain text, or do you want to integrate images or other media? If you do, they should work with your chosen purpose, audience, and style/tone, rather than being unrelated.
• who do you want to refer to? Think about everything we’ve read so far this semester. In your narrative, you will need to quote from one or two of our readings and respond to those authors’ ideas either in support of what you’re saying or as a counterpoint.

As a class, we will brainstorm questions we want to consider to help us each develop our own education narrative. The answers to these questions might not end up in what you submit for Project 1, but they can be part of your drafting process, or as Anne Lamott calls it, your shitty first draft. Please reply to this post with any questions you think will help everyone start thinking about their own education, and what narrative can emerge.

Aim to grow your narrative to 1000 words, without padding or unnecessary repetition. Give it a title. You will post your draft and a finished version, using the category ENG 1101 Project1 posts. If you’re not comfortable sharing your work publicly, please reach out to me and we can come up with a solution!

We’re working in a Portfolio system this semester, which means that each of you will gather your writing together, reflect on it, and revise it as needed for the end of the semester. For each project, you will post your project, and then also bundle your work and reflection in anticipation of the final portfolio and reflection. To submit Project 1 for my review, add a new post with your project and choose the category Project 1 Work. You can make your post private (see #7 in these instructions to make your post visible only to you and me) if you feel that’s important. Your post can also include rough drafts, brainstorming notes, etc.

In class on the day the Project 1 is due, you will write a letter to me as a reflection on your education narrative that answers the following questions in whatever order makes sense for you:

• What did you learn about yourself as a student? as a learner? as a writer? as a reviser, as a collaborator (eg, peer reviewer, suggesting questions for Project 1, responding to classmates in the discussions)?
• What might you want to do with your narrative, either part or all of it (eg, use it on your ePortfolio, as a personal statement for an application, as something you circulate on social media to get attention for issues you raise in your narrative, something you share with your family or community as a way to connect, share history, etc)?
• What resources (eg. brainstorming, peer-review, student support hours, writing center/tutoring, generative AI) did you use to write this narrative? How did you use each and what did you find helpful or unhelpful about each?
• What grade do you think your project has earned, based on the grading criteria?
• What do you want help with as you revise it for your final portfolio?
• What can I do to help you achieve your goals and mine for Project 1?
• Is there anything else I should know about?

Drafts are due on Wednesday, 9/20 and Wednesday, 9/27 so classmates can review each others’ work and I can give you feedback, too. Your completed project, including reflection and accompanying materials is due on Monday, 10/2 by the start of class. Let me know if you need additional time or support.

Grading Criteria

You will be graded on your

• ability to develop an overall point/significance for your narrative.
• use of concrete, significant details rather than generalizations
• focus on one event or connected, series of events
• integration of one or two ideas from another writer into your narrative
• construction of a narrative that serves a purpose for a particular audience
• organization’s effectiveness
• use of tone, language, grammar, and sentence structure as appropriate for your genre, audience, and purpose
• scope: aim for 1000 words!
• finishing touches, in terms of proofreading, formatting, submitting, etc.

You will not be penalized for having negative things to say about education, if that’s appropriate for your chosen purpose! If you have any concerns about this project, its subject, your ability to complete it or to submit it, please communicate with me–we can start with email or schedule a meeting or meet in student support hours.