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Each journal entry should be the equivalent of 1-2 pages long, about 4-6 good-sized paragraphs. Each entry should show active engagement with texts and ideas, critical thinking and analysis, and a strong command of the conventions of Standard Written English (this means grammar, punctuation, and spelling).
Week 1
Set up your weblog and send the URL to Marcia in an email.
Week 2
Allyn & Bacon, p 22, Brief Writing Project, Option 1. WARNING: This assignment concerns only experiences and questions. It is not an opportunity to rant, preach or make assertions of any kind.
Week 3
What keeps you awake at night? Write about a problem that concerns you. What questions do you have about this problem/issue? What possible solutions, if any, have you encountered? Are others concerned about this problem as well? If not, should they be? WARNING: This assignment concerns only questions. It is not an opportunity to rant, preach or make assertions of any kind.
Week 4
Write about your major. Into what general area of study does it fall (i.e., social science, humanities, science, etc.)? What kinds of questions do scholars in your field typically ask? What specific questions in the field do you hope to tackle in your own study?
Week 5
Read a scholarly article from a journal in your field. Write about what questions the writer asks and/or answers. How are the research and/or questions of other writers incorporated? What questions did you have after reading the article?
Week 6
Your choice. Should be related to your work in this course in some way. You might write a response to something you’ve read, your thoughts on a question that interests you, an interesting question or idea you’ve discovered in your research, or anything you like, so long as you can explain how it’s related to your work.
Week 7
Practice summary/strong response. Choose a piece from the Readings section (pp 144-161) of Allyn & Bacon, Ch. 6. Write a brief (4-6 paragraphs) summary/response.
Week 8
Find a newspaper or magazine article (editorial or reporting) on a topic similar or related to the topic of the scholarly article you read for week 5. Discuss how the newspaper/magazine writer’s approach the topic differs from the scholar’s approach. What is the newspaper/magazine writer’s purpose? What questions does the writer ask? Is the article meant to provoke thought/questions or to provide answers or both? How did the article affect you? Do you think your response was the desired one?
Week 9
Your choice. Should be related to your work in this course in some way. You might write a response to something you’ve read, your thoughts on a question that interests you, an interesting question or idea you’ve discovered in your research, or anything you like, so long as you can explain how it’s related to your work.
Week 10
Research update. Write about any interesting ideas you’ve encountered during your research so far and what kinds of questions they have sparked.
Week 11
Your choice. Should be related to your work in this course in some way. You might write a response to something you’ve read, your thoughts on a question that interests you, an interesting question or idea you’ve discovered in your research, or anything you like, so long as you can explain how it’s related to your work.
Week 12
Your choice. Should be related to your work in this course in some way. You might write a response to something you’ve read, your thoughts on a question that interests you, an interesting question or idea you’ve discovered in your research, or anything you like, so long as you can explain how it’s related to your work.
Week 13
Research update. Write about any interesting ideas you’ve encountered during your research so far and what kinds of questions they have sparked.
Week 14
Your choice. Should be related to your work in this course in some way. You might write a response to something you’ve read, your thoughts on a question that interests you, an interesting question or idea you’ve discovered in your research, or anything you like, so long as you can explain how it’s related to your work.
Week 15
Write about the peer review experience. What input from your classmates has been helpful? What has not been helpful? Do you think input from your classmates has helped you become a better writer? Do you think your input has helped your classmates become better writers?
Week 16
Class review. Write about what you have learned this semester. What things would you like to have spent more time on? What things could we have spent less time on? Do you feel that you’ve become a better writer? How so (or not)? Have things we’ve done in class helped your work in other classes?
