Short Write No. 4:
Planning, Drafting, and Revising the Essay: Your Educational History
Purpose:
There are four
primary purposes of this short write:
to provide instruction in or
review of (and practice with) the process of writing a university-level
paper, from the planning through revising stages; to provide an
opportunity for the student to begin to
practice the expository writing
style using the process mode of
writing (combination of narrative and descriptive); to begin to explore your own education from a
critical perspective; and to
continue to work on the mechanics of writing and effective stylistic techniques.
Resources:
Study
and Follow: How
to Write a University-Level Paper, at http://www.marthabianco.com/Courses/Cities/How-to-Write-a-University-Level-Paper.pdf
(this is a good one to print and keep on hand)
Follow
the
Suggested Writing Schedule at http://www.marthabianco.com/Courses/Cities/Simple%20Layout1.htm#schedule.
(Note that this schedule is for SECRETs, not Short
Writes; however, it provides a useful outline for any writing project. Adjust
it to fit the requirements of this short write.)
Read
the Bible: Writing
Checklist at http://www.marthabianco.com/Courses/Cities/checklist.htm.
Use: Miriam-Webster
On-Line Dictionary and Thesaurus, at http://www.m-w.com/
(Note: I recommend you purchase the Miriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, 11th
edition, when you are able; it is a much more sophisticated resource than the
online version. However, this online
dictionary is the best I have found and the one that has my mark of approval. Its thesaurus is good, too.)
View:
Purdue University’s Online
Writing Lab (OWL) (Note: the last slide tells you to go to Purdue for
more help; obviously, that would be a little inconvenient. For more help, write biancom@q7.com.)
·
Writing
Process Slide Show (PowerPoint), at http://www.marthabianco.com/Courses/Cities/Assign/writproc.ppt.
·
Rhetorical
Situation Slide Show (PowerPoint), at http://www.marthabianco.com/Courses/Cities/Assign/rhetsit.ppt.
Read:
Hodges’ Harbrace
Handbook, Ch. 19a-f and 32e-f.
Go to:
Online
Companion Site to Hodges’ Harbrace, at http://wadsworth.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20bI&discipline_number=300&product_isbn_issn=083840345X
·
Do: Ch. 19, “Good
Usage”: Composition Live, Animated Examples 1-7, and Interactive Plus
Activity
·
Do: Ch. 32, “Planning
and Drafting Essays”: Composition Live, Animated Examples 1-9, and Interactive
Plus Activities 1-4.
Watch:
·
VOD
“Revision.” English Composition:
Writing for an Audience. Berkow & Berkow. 2001. <http://www.scctv.net/annenberg/English_Composition_08.asx>.
·
VOD
“Organizing Devices.” English
Composition: Writing for an Audience. Berkow
& Berkow. 2001. <http://www.scctv.net/annenberg/English_Composition_12.asx>.
Instructions:
Write a university-level essay employing the expository writing style and the process mode (which is a combination
of descriptive and narrative) on the following topic: My Educational History. You should not write this paper in the expressive style. Attempt to be objective and provide the reader (me) with a narration and
description of your educational background.
Draw from literature you
have read so far about education to characterize,
classify, and define your educational experiences. Keep in mind that if you do a good job of
objective narration and description, buttressed with citations to
substantiate your points, then I, as the reader, will be able to draw my own
conclusions about the nature and/or
quality of your education. I
will send an essay about my own educational background for you to use as a
sample. Also, please keep in mind the
purposes of this assignment, as I
listed above: writing process, writing
mechanics, etc. This exercise is our
second-to-last exercise before we move into the more advanced form of
university writing. Good luck!
I need help with this
assignment!
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