assignments ENGL301 Writing & The Teaching of Writing:
Reading journals
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OVERVIEW: For most of the reading we do in this class, you need to produce a reading journal. These journals are informal in that I will not be looking at them for punctuation, style, or grammar. I am looking for an articulation of ideas—of yours and the authors.
Reading Journals are an important part of the day-to-day of our class. They are active documents. This means that, besides sharing them with me, you will share your reading journals with your classmates. You will add to them/write on them in class. Others will add to them/write on them in class. As such, it is important that you bring a hard copy to class. I will collect and comment on them. I know it's old-fashioned, but it still works.
A little more meta stuff about Reading Journals. . .
Reading journals are actually great ways to accomplish a lot in any class:
1) it's a way to value reading in a way that students respect--I've seen too many classes where teachers bitch about students not doing the reading, but students don't do the reading because unless there is an immediate and extrinsic reason to, they don't do it. They just don't.
2) it's a great way to see if students really understand what is going on in the reading and gives you, the teacher, a chance to fill in what is not going over and, also, course correct.
3) It's a good way to bulk up a student's grade if you treat them as low-stakes writing--if you value the labor rather than the product of producing the journals (as I do for this class).
4) Finally, and most importantly, students learn by writing about what they are reading. That's sort of one of the major points of this semester. So you doing reading journals is one way to prove that to you.
Reading journals should be 500 words--no less. They can be up to 750 words, but they shouldn't be much longer. You should cover three kinds of information in them.
How you will be evaluated for Reading Journal posts
Reading Journals are worth 15% of your final grade.
In order to earn a "B" grade for that 15% you must:
An Acceptable Reading Journal will
If you produce a reading journal that does not meet the requirements for an "Acceptable" grade, I will let you know in my comments on your journal. I will tell you why it does not meet the "Acceptable" requirements, and you always have the opportunity to revise any "Unacceptable" grade into an "Acceptable" grade at any point in the semester as long as you've turned in your original reading journal on the original due date in class. There are 18 reading journals due over the course of the semester (16 journals and two times I will collect notes as evidence you've completed the reading). There will be a few occasions where you can earn free reading journal passes throughout the semester.
In order to earn an "A" grade for that 15% you must:
Complete all but one Reading Journal at an Acceptable level.
In order to earn a "C" grade for that 15% you must:
Complete all but four reading journals at an acceptable level.
If you do not meet the requirements for a "C" grade, you will fail the 15% of your final grade that is earned in the Reading Journal assignment.
Reading Journals are an important part of the day-to-day of our class. They are active documents. This means that, besides sharing them with me, you will share your reading journals with your classmates. You will add to them/write on them in class. Others will add to them/write on them in class. As such, it is important that you bring a hard copy to class. I will collect and comment on them. I know it's old-fashioned, but it still works.
A little more meta stuff about Reading Journals. . .
Reading journals are actually great ways to accomplish a lot in any class:
1) it's a way to value reading in a way that students respect--I've seen too many classes where teachers bitch about students not doing the reading, but students don't do the reading because unless there is an immediate and extrinsic reason to, they don't do it. They just don't.
2) it's a great way to see if students really understand what is going on in the reading and gives you, the teacher, a chance to fill in what is not going over and, also, course correct.
3) It's a good way to bulk up a student's grade if you treat them as low-stakes writing--if you value the labor rather than the product of producing the journals (as I do for this class).
4) Finally, and most importantly, students learn by writing about what they are reading. That's sort of one of the major points of this semester. So you doing reading journals is one way to prove that to you.
Reading journals should be 500 words--no less. They can be up to 750 words, but they shouldn't be much longer. You should cover three kinds of information in them.
- Write a brief but comprehensive summary of the key points discussed in each reading. Think of this work as archival: for the rest of your career you’ll be able to look back at this summary and quickly determine if it offers you something you need at that moment. I did this kind of work in graduate school and to this day I find myself going back to these notes—for this class in fact.
- Write a brief reaction to the piece. Be careful here. I'm asking you not to say you hate it or love it. I'm asking you to think about the merits of the argument the author is making. Are the ideas here compelling to you as a reader/writer/teacher/student? Why or why not?
- Finally, write briefly on what implications for teaching practice you take . Take a personal position on this last one: think about what the reading is saying and what your classmates have to say to you as a future teacher. What practices or activities, assignments or philosophies does this essay suggest you might try in your classroom—or might not try?
How you will be evaluated for Reading Journal posts
Reading Journals are worth 15% of your final grade.
In order to earn a "B" grade for that 15% you must:
- Complete all but two Reading journals at an "Acceptable" level.
An Acceptable Reading Journal will
- Be 500-750 words.
- Include a brief but comprehensive summary.
- Include a brief reaction to the validity of the argument (not if you like it or not)
- Include a thoughtful reflection on the implications for teaching.
- Typed in 10 or 12 point font
- Double-spaced
- Printed out and ready in class on the day it is due.
- Ideally stapled (but I have a mini-stapler that I usually have in class)
If you produce a reading journal that does not meet the requirements for an "Acceptable" grade, I will let you know in my comments on your journal. I will tell you why it does not meet the "Acceptable" requirements, and you always have the opportunity to revise any "Unacceptable" grade into an "Acceptable" grade at any point in the semester as long as you've turned in your original reading journal on the original due date in class. There are 18 reading journals due over the course of the semester (16 journals and two times I will collect notes as evidence you've completed the reading). There will be a few occasions where you can earn free reading journal passes throughout the semester.
In order to earn an "A" grade for that 15% you must:
Complete all but one Reading Journal at an Acceptable level.
In order to earn a "C" grade for that 15% you must:
Complete all but four reading journals at an acceptable level.
If you do not meet the requirements for a "C" grade, you will fail the 15% of your final grade that is earned in the Reading Journal assignment.