Vocabulary:

1. High-stakes: really important to perform excellently on all categories.
2. Low-stakes: important, however with less pressure on performing excellently on all categories.
3. Revise: to go over something with the aim of making it better, changing it, and re-thinking it.
4. Superficial: on the surface.
5. Recursive: a revision process in writing.
6. Scaffolding: building in steps.
7. Indignation: righteous anger.

Reminders:

• Latenesses and absences. ( no more then 10% of absences, meaning only 3 are allowed, and 2 latenesses counts as 1 absence)
• If not done already, read al other classmate posts.

Formal Writing: 

In formal essays, you have to think about all the issues, not only the content and your ideas, but also the structure of your writing. So, you really have to work on having an argument, having a really good introduction, having really well-formed paragraphs, with topic sentences, using evidence, and quotes, and siting correctly, having work sited page at the sentence level, and having no errors, no spelling mistakes, using words correctly, and having your sentences vary. It is important because they are going to be held to a higher standard, in terms of the sort of quality of the writing itself.

In class, we did free-writing about 3 things:

1. What is our writing process.
2. What are the emotions we have when writing or having to write about something. (Reflection)
3. What is the ideal way of writing.

Prof. Belli said that when writing, the 3R should be applied which are Revision, Recursive, and Reflection.

• Revision process is really important because a large part of your grade for the course and essays are going to be built on the quality and thoughtfulness of you revision.
• Reflection is really important because in each essay done for this class, a page long, single-spaced reflection letter to Prof. Belli will be attached to it. It will consist of the revisions made, the reasons why they were made, what’s good about them, and the struggles encountered.

Writing Process: (What we students do or think)

What is our writing process?

• Brainstorm.
• Go straight to it, meaning just start writing.
• Analyze the topic.
• Research.
• Ignore the assignment.
• Procrastinate.
• Make an outline.
• Free-writing.
•  Tell someone.

What are the emotions we feel?

• Anxiety
• Stress
• Over thinking
• Anger
• Overwhelmed
• Empty
• Stuck
• Boredom
• Rebellion
• Indignation
• Fear

Ideal Process of Writing:

1. Analyze the topic and assignment.
2. Make a really rich outline that include an introduction, (hook, explanation of topic, and thesis statement), at least 3 paragraphs, (main ideas, proof/evidence, concluding sentence), argument against your idea if it applies, and a conclusion, restating your ideas.
3. Write freely as much as possible about your topic and what you want to include in your essay.
4. Go through all paragraphs and edit it to make it better.
5. Peer edit your own work.
6. Have a person or more give you feedback on your paper. (Prof. or classmates)
7. Reflect about it.

Homework: read the article “What Suffering Does” by David Brooks given in class, make an reversed outline, look up vocabulary, and prepare for tomorrow’s class.

I tried and I hope I covered everything that was done.