Discussion boards
The prompts I post to my online courses' discussion boards, week by week. Each has a few sample posts by made-up students.
Process: Directed drafting1 round of revision
On the course site, students post before they can see replies. Here the samples stop after a few lines, for the same reason.
PinnedHow the board worksPDF
From the syllabus
The discussion board's part of my syllabus (15 weeks, online), set as a sheet, with anything particular to one school, term, or class taken out. Each thread below says what its week asked.
Reflections: Weekly Discussion Board Posts
From the syllabus
This being an online course, you’ll soon find that the majority of our communication and assignment work will be done via writing. That means that, technically, there is more writing in this course than in the in-person version. I don’t want that to scare you away, but I do want to set that expectation up front. You will be writing quite a bit this semester, whether it be for an assignment, to engage with reading material, or to communicate with me and your classmates.
Reflections
[Reflections: 20 points each week = 300 points total]
Each week, there will be one or more “readings” you are expected to complete. In the past, I have neglected to understand what I teach in my courses about reading: that it is a “transaction” of meaning-making, not a “transmission” of information. We will discuss this in the course. For now, just know that I expect you to do 3 things with the readings each week:
- Read the material and “engage” with it in some way (either take notes in a note-taking app or document or hand-write them, or highlight important bits with annotation software like OneNote, Adobe Acrobat, Goodnotes, or Apple Notes, or simply freewrite [discussed in week 1] your thoughts after reading.) I may occasionally ask you to share your notes or annotations with me via a Journal assignment on Blackboard before composing your peer-facing reflection. Simply uploading pictures or screenshots of a few of your annotations/highlights or copying and pasting a few notes into the text area of the assignment will be fine for these. You can also share some of your notes from ChatGPT if you are using AI to help you with the material.
- Compose a reflection on the material in our discussion board every week by Thursday, 7pm EST. For these, I would like an effort to present your thoughts/ideas more clearly: attention to spelling, limiting typos, etc. I will give prompts for ideas, but this semester, I’d like to extend you some freedom in what you take from the reading as well. Reflections will need to be at least 150 words.
ericshayhoward.com/teaching · CC BY-NC-SA 4.01 of 3
- Respond to at least 2 students’ posts each week. These replies should be at least 50 words. You’re encouraged to respond to even more and to carry on interesting conversations throughout the course. That’s why the word count requirements here are kept so low.
While this may seem like a lot, once you get used to it, it will not take much longer than reading the material itself and thinking about it. While I expect effort, I do not expect the world of you for these. These reflections will constitute the 30% participation portion of your course grade. During weeks of major project draft due dates, there will not be new material readings; reflections on your own writing or the work of your peers will take their place. These readings and reflections are meant to help give you ideas for your 3 major papers and practice the “recursive writing process.”
Rules of Our Online Course
For some of you, this course may be your first online course at the college level. While we don’t have to worry about traveling to be in any particular place by certain times on certain days for this course, there are still some other basic expectations that may resemble an in-person class, such as:
- Be punctual. Assignments and discussion board posts will have due dates, and for our course to function well, your input will be needed by specified time so that we can have meaningful and productive discussions and write meaningful work.
- Practice accountability. Taking an online course means that we won’t have an in-person scheduled day in a physical space together to hold us accountable week-to-week. The course schedule, including major assignments, is available at the end of the syllabus. I recommend making use of your calendar app of choice and inputting the due dates, at least for the three major papers and their drafts.
- Be respectful of one another’s ideas. We will share many ideas and potentially details about our writing selves through our discussion board posts and drafts. We’ll read a lot of academic writing within the “discourse” of Composition Studies. Ideas and studies about student writers, experienced writers, writers of marginal communities, and others will end up on your screens for weekly readings. Some of us may disagree on certain topics, especially topics that hit close to home for us about our literacy histories. While disagreeing is not a form of disrespect, practice should be taken to do so in a respectful way when the time comes.
ericshayhoward.com/teaching · CC BY-NC-SA 4.02 of 3
- You will need to familiarize yourself with your technology/devices (laptop, iPad, phone, etc.) and be prepared to use it for this course. While traditional papers can work for all three major papers, we will discuss multimodal writing throughout this course. This means that for some assignments, you will be able to make use of digital tools to create things like videos, podcasts, websites, slideshows, and other things. I recommend making sure you have a reasonably functional device–a tablet or a laptop–and that it’s no more than two or three years old. While you can and should feel free to use Blackboard on your phone for simple assignments like our discussion board posts, relying on a phone entirely may prove difficult. I also cannot guarantee that I can accept some assignments or discussions late purely due to technical issues, especially if frequent technology issues arise from you.
Late Work
Accountability and punctuality should be a top priority for you at the college level. However, I understand sometimes things happen. If you need an extension, please send me an email directly to my university email account (not a Blackboard message) at least 24 hours in advance of a discussion board post or major paper draft/revision due date. Unless I hear from you by then, I cannot guarantee that I will take the assignment late.
ericshayhoward.com/teaching · CC BY-NC-SA 4.03 of 3
The composition studies synthesis posts run on a discussion board too. They have a page of their own with the assignments.
PinnedComposition Chat2 replies
Use this space to introduce yourselves, carry on additional course-wide conversation with one-another, and to get to know one another throughout the semester. I may occasionally direct you to post things here throughout the semester as well, if something doesn’t fit into another topic of discussion.
The “Genre” of Discussion Boards
One advantage to our “rhetorical situation” (term will be discussed later in the course) is that this course is an online writing course; nearly all of our communication has to be done with “writing” in some form. In the past, I have neglected to understand this. It actually gives us a chance to introduce the concept of “genres.” Elizabeth Wardle and Doug Downs say the following about genres:
“Types of texts have recognizable names because they are kinds of writing that recur, happening over and over because they facilitate regularly occurring functions in life” (34).
This semester, I’m “arguing” that these discussion boards are a genre that arose out of some kind of writing and/or communication needs, and I intend for us to use the discussion boards in a more useful way throughout the course than I have in the past. This starts with simply accepting the fact that our course has a discussion board feature and we can use it to exchange information, communicate, and be social.
Post and communicate with your classmates as often as you can this semester, even if it’s just friendly, off-topic communication about what you’re up to or sharing interesting stories about your day/lives. I will count this toward participation grades. I may also direct some assignments to happen here throughout the semester.
Week 1
By Thursday, 7pm EST, complete an introductory discussion board post in “Composition Chat” board on Blackboard. No minimum or maximum word count. Tell us:
- your name/what you prefer to be called,
- where you’re from (city, state),
- what your major is if you know or what your academic interests are,
- a hobby or other interest you have, or something interesting about yourself,
- anything else you’d like for us to know about you.
Personal
Students study themselves. Low stakes for being right, high stakes for self-awareness.
“Freewriting,” by Peter Elbow2 replies
Reading: “Freewriting,” by Peter Elbow (PDF available on Blackboard)
In a single discussion board response below, post your responses to Parts 1 and 2 by 11:59pm Wednesday. By Sunday, 11:59pm, complete Part 3.
Part 1: After reading “Freewriting” by Peter Elbow, spend 10 minutes doing some freewriting of your own. I recommend timing yourself with your phone or with a timer on your computer. While I hope you are comfortable writing about whatever comes to your mind, freewriting after completing the Elbow reading may help keep your thoughts a little more focused on what you read. Deviating to another topic is fine, as Elbow demonstrates. There is no specific length requirement for this; just write for 10 minutes about whatever comes to mind. You also shouldn’t worry about grammar and punctuation if it makes you stop writing.
Part 2: Write a brief paragraph of at least 150 words reflecting on your experience with the freewriting exercise. Did you find it helpful for your writing process? If so, why? If no, why not? Were there any statements from Elbow’s “Freewriting” article that you agreed or disagreed with?
Part 3: By Sunday, 11:59pm, reply to two other students’ discussion board posts, prioritizing their part 2 response. Each reply should be at least 150 words.
The same reading in another course: Week 2 · 15 weeks, online · Spring 2026
“The Elite College Students Who Can't Read Books,” by Rose Horowitch2 replies
Reading: The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books, by Rose Horowitch
Complete Part 1 by Wednesday, 11:59pm and Part 2 by Sunday, 11:59pm.
Part 1: After completing the reading, what questions do you have after completing the reading? Write a response of at least 500 words. You may utilize the freewriting technique from the previous assignment to generate your response. This means that you don’t need to worry so much about grammar or punctuation if it stops you from focusing on getting your thoughts out. This time, deviations into other topics that happen organically are welcomed. Post your response by Wednesday, 11:59pm.
Part 2: By Sunday, 11:59pm, respond to 2 other students’ posts. Each reply should be at least 150 words.
The same reading in another course: Week 3 · 15 weeks, online · Spring 2026
“Sponsors of Literacy,” by Deborah Brandt2 replies
This week I will unlock the assignment details for the Literacy Narrative assignment, draft due week 5 and revision due week 6.
Reading: “Sponsors of Literacy,” by Deborah Brandt
Complete Part 1 by Wednesday, 11:59pm and Part 2 by Sunday, 11:59pm.
Part 1: Share a list of at least 20 things that you have ever written. Feel free to use the formatting features of Blackboard (bullet points, font selection, etc.). Use some critical thinking and your new understanding of your own literacy history from the Brandt reading to generate this list. Post your list by Wednesday, 11:59pm.
Part 2: By Sunday, 11:59pm, reply to two other students’ lists. Each reply should be at least 150 words. What questions do you have about their list? What interests you the most about their list? Did their list help you think about your own literacy history any differently? How so?
“Rewarding Language: Language Ideology and Prescriptive Grammar,” by Rusty Barrett2 replies
Reading: “Rewarding Language: Language Ideology and Prescriptive Grammar,” by Rusty Barrett
Complete Part 1 by Wednesday, 11:59pm, and Part 2 by Sunday, 11:59pm.
Part 1: We have spent a few weeks freewriting and responding to reading material with our own questions and literacy histories in mind. This week, you will start a rough draft of your first major writing assignment: a literacy narrative. The guidelines are posted, and your rough drafts will be due in full in two weeks. This week, you will need to post at least a 500-word draft or section of your 1st draft. In short, you will be writing about your own history of reading and writing. Feel free to utilize the freewriting process to generate your first 500-words for this week. Post your first 500 words by Wednesday, 11:59pm to the discussion board.
Part 2: You will also read an article, “Rewarding Language: Language Ideology and Prescriptive Grammar,” by Rusty Barrett. After reading the article, respond to two other students’ 500-word drafts of their literacy narratives. With both your own knowledge of your own literacy experiences and the Barrett reading in mind, what are your thoughts on your peers’ work? You can discuss the overall structure, the language variety/grammar, the clarity, or other aspects of writing that you are familiar with based on your own literacy history. In general, it’s best practice to say what is working well in addition to what may be confusing you or causing you to have to go back and re-read. Responses to each student should be at least 150 words, and due by Sunday, 11:59pm.
An open board for drafts2 replies
By Sunday, 11:59pm, your rough draft of 4-5 double-spaced pages, or at least 1000 words (or the digital equivalent) is due, posted to the “Rough Draft Literacy Narrative” assignment link on Blackboard.
No reading this week. Use this time to get your work drafted and adhered to the length requirements.
Please feel free to use the discussion board area for this week to continue giving feedback, posting your second half of your narratives if you would like some thoughts from me and/or others, or discussing ideas and process as needed. I also recommend using your connections you’ve made in this course via the messaging feature to exchange contact info and plan and have meetings and discussions of your own outside of Blackboard.
You are also welcome to seek additional assistance with the Writing Center, available via an online appointment on their website (links provided in the syllabus and on Blackboard). I will not check in (or be nosy) with the writing center at all, so you’re free to discuss whatever you need to with them.
“Between the Drafts,” by Nancy Sommers1 reply
Revision of Literacy Narrative due Sunday, 11:59pm, via the “Literacy Narrative Revision” assignment link on Blackboard.
Reading: “Between the Drafts,” by Nancy Sommers
Complete Part 1 by Wednesday, 11:59pm, and submit your literacy narrative revisions by Sunday, 11:59pm
Part 1: After reading Sommers, what are your thoughts on your own revision process for your literacy narrative? You may also consider anything you’ve learned from the experience of exchanging feedback with your peers throughout the semester so far, or anything you’ve done to aid in your revision process you’ve done outside of this course or Blackboard. Write at least 150 words.
Part 2: No responses to peers needed this week, unless you find it helpful for your own process. Just remember to submit your revisions for your literacy narratives by Sunday, 11:59pm.
“How to Improve Your Writing through Freewriting Exercises,” by Peter Elbow2 replies
Read Peter Elbow’s “How to Improve Your Writing through Freewriting Exercises.” [1 page PDF, available on Blackboard]
Watch my video on Freewriting
By Thursday, 7pm EST, complete this week’s reflection activity and prompt:
- In the “Journal” assignment space on Blackboard, upload a photo/file of some of your reading annotations/notes, or “freewrite” in the text space provided. Only I will see these files/notes/freewrites. Your goal is to simply show yourself that you’ve engaged with the text in some way. You are encouraged to freewrite on your own, as Elbow demonstrates, and you may share with me if you wish.
- In the “Reflections” discussion board, write 150 words about your experience with freewriting. This can be a fairly open discussion. Some ideas/questions to answer for your post may be:
- have you done freewriting before and do you enjoy it or not?
- Was this your first time trying freewriting, and do you see it being helpful for your writing process?
- What do you think of Elbow’s ideas about speaking vs. writing?
By Saturday, 7pm EST, reply to 2 of your classmates’ initial reflection posts. Each post should be at least 50 words. You are encouraged to carry on these conversations longer if you find them interesting.
The same reading in another course: Week 1 · 15 weeks, online · Fall 2025
“The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books,” by Rose Horowitch2 replies
Read “The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books,” by Rose Horowitch [3 pages, PDF, available on Blackboard]
Watch my video on “reading as a transaction, not a transmission.”
By Thursday, 7pm EST, complete this week’s reflection activity and prompt:
- In the “Journal” assignment space under this week on Blackboard, upload a photo/file of some of your reading annotations/notes, or you can summarize/write-your-way-through the text in the text space provided. Only I will see these files/notes/summaries. Your goal is to simply show yourself that you’ve engaged with the text in some way. See my video from this week for some more examples for what will work for these.
- In the “Reflections” discussion board, write a response about your thoughts on the Horowitch reading. What do you think about her findings? You can talk about your own reading habits, likes/dislikes, or fears related to reading as well. Your response should be at least 150 words.
By Saturday, 7pm EST, reply to 2 of your classmates’ initial reflection posts. Each post should be at least 50 words. You are encouraged to carry on these conversations longer if you find them interesting.
The same reading in another course: Week 2 · 15 weeks, online · Fall 2025
“Understanding Composing,” by Sondra Perl2 replies
Read “Understanding Composing,” by Sondra Perl [7 pages, PDF, available on Blackboard]
Watch my video on the “recursive writing process.”
Look over the assignment details for the first major paper, “Online Writing Course Autoethnography: A Study of Your Own Meaning-Making Practices.” Details in the syllabus and on Blackboard. Rough draft due week 5, revision due week 6.
By Thursday, 7pm EST, complete this week’s reflection activity and prompt:
- In the “Journal” assignment space under this week on Blackboard, upload a photo/file of some of your reading annotations/notes, or you can summarize/write-your-way-through the text in the text space provided. Only I will see these files/notes/summaries. Your goal is to simply show yourself that you’ve engaged with the text in some way. See my video from this week for some more examples for what will work for these.
- In the “Reflections” discussion board, write a response about your thoughts on the Perl reading. What did you think of her explanation of her findings? Do you think this is a replicable method? Your response should be at least 150 words.
By Saturday, 7pm EST, reply to 2 of your classmates’ initial reflection posts. Each post should be at least 50 words. You are encouraged to carry on these conversations longer if you find them interesting.
Rough draft: Online Writing Course Autoethnography3 replies
Read “The Composing Processes of Unskilled College Writers,” by Sondra Perl.
By Thursday, 7pm EST, post a rough draft of your Autoethnography papers of at least 500 words, though the more words you can get in the habit of drafting, the easier revision will become for you. Please post this draft as text into the “Major Project Drafts” discussion board post itself, and not as a file (not just yet). You’re welcome to use the formatting tools provided by Blackboard. Remember to:
- Give your paper a title, something other than just “Paper 1” or more than just “Ethnography Paper.”
- Include “evidence” of your reading habits, such as your highlights from readings, your reflections, or any double-entry journals you’ve created this semester for any of the readings.
- You might try recording yourself reading something for an online course, perhaps on video, and coming up with some sort of “code” to signify certain events in the session(s).
- Work in content from class readings; cite at least one reading from class in MLA format.
By Saturday, 7pm EST, respond to your assigned workshop group’s ethnography drafts. Specific questions to address with your peers will be provided on Blackboard.
Week 6
Read your peers’ comments on your work and reply to your critiques. This is practice in receiving feedback gracefully. Have these replies finished by Saturday, 7pm EST. No minimum or maximum word count for these, because I want you focused on completing your revision work as well.
Multimodal
Students work across the five modes and see that form follows function.
Citizenfour, directed by Laura Poitras2 replies
Viewing: Citizenfour, directed by Laura Poitras
Complete Part 1 by Wednesday, 11:59pm, and Part 2 by Sunday, 11:59pm
Part 1: After viewing the film, what about the camera angles, camera movements, set colors, character positions, sounds, or other choices did you feel helped enhance the purpose of the film? If you took any notes during the film, what moments did you deem significant enough to take notes about, and what about these moments or components made you feel that they were significant or important to discuss in an academic setting such as this?
Please record yourself speaking your response (you may choose to do audio only or record a video of yourself if preferred) and post a link sharing your audio or video response to Blackboard. Please keep your response between 1-3 minutes. You may choose to transcribe your response into your post, but please provide an audio or video response. Post by Wednesday, 11:59pm.
Part 2: Respond to 2 of your peers’ posts by Sunday, 11:59pm. You may type this response or respond again with audio/video if you prefer. Responses should each be at least 150 words or 1:30 (1 minute and 30 seconds).
The same reading in another course: Week 7 · 15 weeks, online · Spring 2026
“3 Ways to Speak English,” by Jamila Lyiscott2 replies
This week, I will unlock the multimodal deliverable assignment, draft due week 10 and revision due week 11.
Viewing: “3 Ways to Speak English,” a speech by Jamila Lyiscott
Part 1: After viewing the video, write at least 300 words or create an audio or video response between 2-5 minutes discussing what you all thought of Lyiscott’s delivery of her speech. You’re also welcome to discuss the content itself, but focus largely on her delivery, timing, and structure of her verbal presentation.
You may do this in a podcast style format, recording via Teams, or you may use another audio/video method of your choice. Post by Wednesday, 11:59pm.
Part 2: Respond to 2 other students’ posts in written or multimodal format.
“An Introduction to and Strategies for Multimodal Composing,” by Melanie Gagich2 replies
Reading: “An Introduction to and Strategies for Multimodal Composing,” by Melanie Gagich
Viewing: Find a presentation, website, infographic, or multimodal “text” of your choice (via YouTube, product website, gaming platform, or other delivery method). Many other deliverables may work, so feel free to email me with any questions or alternatives.
Part 1: Create a PowerPoint, Canva slides, Google Slides, or other presentation platform slideshow going over the significant moments and points of your literacy narratives (project 1). Post a link to your presentation files by Wednesday, 11:59pm, and give us a brief 1-paragraph description of your intentions with how you used the modes of communication (from the Gagich reading week 9).
Part 2: Respond to at least 2 other students in written, video, or audio format, addressing how you feel the modes of communication are being used, what they aid in the purpose of the presentation, or how they may be used more effectively. Keep comments constructive and assume everything done was intentional. Each response should be about 2-4 minutes in length.
The same reading in another course: Week 8 · 15 weeks, online · Spring 2026
“Trolley—New Orleans,” a photograph by Robert Frank1 reply
Reading: “Trolley—New Orleans,” (1955) a photograph by Robert Frank.
Part 1: Look at the photograph by Robert Frank posted on Blackboard. Consider the modes of visual, spatial, language, gestural, and perhaps even aural (if we use our imaginations). How is meaning made in this photograph? Post your response by Wednesday, 11:59pm of at least 150 words if text, or a 1-2 minute audio/video response.
No responses to your peers required this week, though you are welcome to respond to students if you wish.
Submit a presentation of your multimodal digital story and a revision of the digital story via Blackboard by Sunday, 11:59pm.
Citizenfour, directed by Laura Poitras2 replies
Watch my very short video introduction to the multimodal writing unit.
Watch. CitizenFour (2014), directed by Laura Poitras, link available on Blackboard to film via YouTube (free account may be required to watch). Please note that this is a full-length feature film (a documentary), and you will need to take enough time this week to watch it to respond appropriately.
By Thursday, 7pm EST, post an initial discussion board post addressing this week’s prompt in at least 150 words:
Give your thoughts to the class about at least one (1) of the following questions:
- Why do you think Poitras decided to omit Snowden’s interview from the film and instead jump to the aftermath? There are no right or wrong answers here. It may help to think about her “writing situation.” Did anyone look it up on YouTube?
- What are your thoughts about Poitras’s actions and/or perspective as the filmmaker/writer? Or, put more in relation to this unit, what are your thoughts about her “writing situation/rhetorical situation”? Again, no right or wrong answers here, but have you thought about the logistics of what she had to do day-to-day for this film? Where does your mind go?
- What tools do you imagine Poitras had to use throughout the process of the making of this movie? Or, put in better terms for this unit, what do you imagine her “recursive writing process” was like? It may help to ask yourself: what if you were the filmmaker and you were contacted by someone like Snowden? (Keeping in mind, Snowden stayed anonymous until they met at the hotel.)
By Saturday, 7pm EST, reply to 2 of your classmates’ initial posts. Each post should be at least 50 words. You are encouraged to carry on these conversations longer if you find them interesting.
The same reading in another course: Week 7 · 15 weeks, online · Fall 2025
“An Introduction to and Strategies for Multimodal Composing,” by Melanie Gagich2 replies
Read “An Introduction to and Strategies for Multimodal Composing,” by Melanie Gagich.
By Thursday, 7pm EST, complete this week’s reflection activity and prompt:
In the “Reflections” discussion board, write at least 150 words brainstorming two or three potential “genres” you encounter in your digital life that you might want to analyze for your major project (e.g., Instagram stories, cooking blogs, subreddit threads, email newsletters). Use Gagich’s definition of “multimodal” to explain why they fit.
By Saturday, 7pm EST, reply to 2 of your classmates’ initial reflection posts (at least 50 words each).
Let them know which of their genre ideas sounds the most interesting to you as an outside audience member.
The same reading in another course: Week 9 · 15 weeks, online · Fall 2025
Project plan: Digital Genre Analysis2 replies
Read/View the “Digital Genre Analysis” Assignment Sheet and samples on Blackboard.
Start gathering “artifacts” (examples) of your chosen genre to analyze.
By Thursday, 7pm EST, post a “Project Plan” in the Discussion Board.
- Tell us officially which genre you have chosen and what digital format you plan to use for your analysis (PowerPoint, Video, Podcast, etc.).
- Include a link or screenshot of one specific example of your genre you plan to analyze.
Note: This week is lighter on writing intensity to give you time to prepare for the draft due after Spring Break.
By Saturday, 7pm EST, reply to 2 of your classmates’ posts.
If you are familiar with their chosen genre, offer a tip on a “convention” you notice about it (e.g., “I notice all TikToks about this use the same background music”).
Rough draft: Digital Genre Analysis2 replies
Review the “Digital Genre Analysis” Assignment Sheet one last time.
Begin finalizing your “Rough Draft” (or “Rough Prototype”) of your project.
By Thursday, 7pm EST, post a Rough Draft/Prototype of your Digital Genre Analysis to the “Major Project Drafts” discussion board.
- Since this is a multimodal project, you may need to post a “share” link (e.g., to a Canva presentation, unlisted YouTube video, or Google Drive file) rather than pasting text.
- Ensure your prototype meets the equivalent of at least 750 words (about half the final length).
- Include a specific question you want your peers to answer about your design or content.
By Saturday, 7pm EST, respond to your assigned workshop group’s drafts.
Note: Since we are reviewing digital/multimodal projects, pay special attention to how the information is presented (colors, layout, sound quality) as well as the content. (Or, to put it more academically, pay attention to the “rhetorical decisions” made by the writers.)
Research
Outside voices and academic discourse come in.
Your past research assignments2 replies
Please complete the Library Research Module this week in lieu of a reading assignment. Please complete it by Sunday, 11:59pm.
I will also unlock the research project assignment information this week, rough draft due week 14, revision due week 15/16.
Part 1: By Wednesday, 11:59pm, write a post of at least 300 words describing some of your past experiences with “research assignments.” How did you tackle these assignments, or what did you focus most of your time on while completing them? No right or wrong answers here.
Part 2: Respond to 2 of your peers by Sunday, 11:59pm. Each reply should be at least 150 words.
“Learning to Serve: The Language and Literacy of Food Service Workers,” by Toni Mirabelli2 replies
Reading: “Learning to Serve: The Language and Literacy of Food Service Workers,” by Toni Mirabelli
Part 1: What is a community that you might be interested in writing a similar paper about for your final project in this course or in the future, and what component of the community are you interested in, or what questions do you have? Why are you interested in researching this community or this question? Write a project proposal identifying the community and the questions you have. Post your response of at least 300 words by Wednesday, 11:59pm.
Part 2: Respond to 2 of your peers by Sunday, 11:59pm. Each reply should be at least 150 words.
“Sought-After Sophistications: Crafting a Curatorial Stance in the Creative Writing and Composition Classrooms,” by Rochelle L. Harris and Christine Stewart-Nuñez2 replies
Reading: “Sought-After Sophistications: Crafting a Curatorial Stance in the Creative Writing and Composition Classrooms,” by Rochelle L. Harris and Christine Stewart-Nuñez
Part 1: Please post at least the first 500 words of your research assignment by Wednesday, 11:59pm. This can be rough and very unpolished if needed. You can also include any pre-planning for interviews, observations, or other primary data.
Part 2: Respond to at least 2 students’ drafts by Sunday, 11:59pm. Remember to include what’s working well AND what may be confusing you or not working as well. You can also compare/contrast with the readings from last week and this week, whether that be structure, method, or other components.
“Double Binds and Consequential Transitions,” by Elizabeth Wardle and Nicolette Mercer Clement2 replies
Read the “Standing Challenges in Academic Writing Analysis” Assignment Sheet on Blackboard.
Read “Double Binds and Consequential Transitions: Considering Matters of Identity During Moments of Rhetorical Challenge,” by Elizabeth Wardle and Nicolette Mercer Clement.
Watch my video on “Identifying Real Writing Problems” (moving beyond just ‘procrastination’ to deeper issues like ‘imposter syndrome’ or ‘mimicking academic speak’).
In the “Reflections” discussion board, write at least 150 words proposing the “Standing Challenge” you want to analyze.
- What is a difficulty you face in writing for college? (e.g., finding good sources, starting the introduction, handling criticism).
- Why do you think this challenge exists for you?
Note: This post will serve as the “brainstorming” for your final paper.
By Saturday, 7pm EST, reply to 2 of your classmates’ posts.
Let them know if you share their challenge or if you have found a strategy that helps you deal with it.
Rough draft: Standing Challenges in Academic Writing Analysis2 replies
Watch my video on “Synthesizing Solutions: Moving from Complaint to Analysis.”
Review the “Major Project Drafts” discussion board instructions.
Begin looking for other articles from the university’s online library that may aid you in your search for solutions or “back up” your problem as an unanswered issue. (In the research phase, if you find an answer to an issue or an idea, your outcome changes, so try to keep an open mind during this phase and avoid staying glued to a specific, pre-determined conclusion.)
By Thursday, 7pm EST, post a Rough Draft of your Standing Challenges Analysis Paper to the “Major Project Drafts” discussion board.
- This draft should be at least 750 words.
- Attempt to include at least two (2) outside sources or references to class readings or your own findings that discuss writing processes.
- Paste the text directly into the board.
By Saturday, 7pm EST, respond to your assigned workshop group’s drafts.
Do your best to think about the content of the writing, and don’t just focus on grammar/structure, though those things will also be helpful. Is their “standing challenge” clear? Are there perhaps solutions the author didn’t find, or is it a standing challenge that goes largely unsolved today? Engage in the discourse with the author at this point while also offering your suggestions on clarity, tone, organization, or other elements.
Capstone
Some courses close by looking back over the term.
Portfolio plan1 reply
Watch my video on “The Final Portfolio: Curating Your Semester.”
Special focus: How to include your Unit 2 Multimodal project in a “static” portfolio (e.g., taking screenshots, providing a working link, and writing a caption).
By Saturday, 7pm EST, post a “Portfolio Plan” in the Discussion Board (at least 150 words).
- Which version of Project 1 (Autoethnography) are you choosing to showcase? (e.g., the one you submitted for a grade, or are you tweaking one of them further?)
- How will you display your Project 2 (Digital Genre Analysis)? (e.g., a synopsis of your project in written form with links to the digital files, or a version of your work using more of the “mode of language?” These are not the only options, just ideas.)
- Additional ideas: perhaps your work would be better reflected in a portfolio using Canva or some other digital tool that links them all together.
- Draft 3-4 sentences of your “Final Reflection” cover letter.