As an example of the titling and categorizing, this is my briefest of drafts.
Link
The Title of the Article
Link to the first and arguably still the best jazz fusion album of the 1970s.
Mysterious Traveler.
Your first writing assignment is a Letter to the Editor (LTE) that responds to any article you find of interest in a recent edition of our textbook, the New York Times.
You’ll complete the assignment in two installments: a brief first draft that includes a citation for the article you’ve selected, and a more formal and complete second draft that will be graded. Here’s the schedule:
The prompt for your Letter to the Editor will be any recent New York Times article (news, OpEd, review, or editorial) you care about enough to write about, but remember the first rule of a Letter to the Editor is to get yourself into print. To do so, you’ll need to disagree with the author, not merely echo or applaud. Your objection can be total or partial.
In class, we saw examples of letters that amplified the original argument, made it more general or more narrow, counter-argued on the basis of insufficiency or irrelevancy, or attacked the original author’s logic or credentials. But we didn’t see an example of a letter that simply reiterated the original argument.
To complete the assignment, you’ll publish a New Post, and save it to two categries (A01: LTE, and your username).
Essential Components
Most essays include the same components found in a letter to the editor although they’re not often so obvious. The brevity of letters makes their parts easier to find. Here are a few:
ASSIGNMENT SPECIFICS
DETAILS
Anything here you’d like to comment on? Impress me early by leaving a Reply below. I promise you, even if you reply to criticize me, I’ll be impressed. The earlier you start to use the blog as a conversation, the more you’ll get from the class and the more likely I will be to grade you favorably.
“They just weren’t ready to think about cyberattacks in 2010” Ivo H. Daalder stated. It has been 5 short years since Obama’s first term and “It’s a measure of how far we’ve come on this issue that theres now a consensus that a cyberattack could be as devastating as any other kind of attack, maybe even more so.” This is explained in the article “NATO Set to Ratify Pledge on Joint Defense in Case of Major Cyberattack.” Author David E. Sanger explains that since cyberattacks are rapidly growing as a strong option or form of war; NATO is pledging that any cyberattack on one of them could be declared an attack on all of them. It is also noted in this article that NATO’s own ability to defend against computer attacks is “still pretty basic.” But the point is not to be the expert on cyberattacks; The point is for the 28 members of NATO to be united, so if the time comes, no one nation or country is completely defenseless.
Now in Blunden’s letter to the editor – “Tracing Cyberattacks” he makes a valid point when explaining that it is extremely easy to fake threats; meaning we could waste time and money trying to stop a fake attack. However Blunden gives no alternate option, because of that his letter proves to be ineffective. Blunden also points out imperfections in the original article that had already admitted their plan is not complete; The original article explains it is just a start in their defense against cyberattacks. Therefore it does not adequately identify a real problem, rather just the possibility of a problem with Sanger’s original position on cyber warfare.
Publish your draft in the Homework category.
Title it: “Klan Recruits—Your Username” without the quotation marks
Due 11:59PM TUE SEP 09
Publish your draft in the Homework category.
Title it: “Cyber Warfare—Your Username” without the quotation marks
Due 11:59PM MON SEP 08
I will never forget there was cake. We have no final, I remember this because you made us all raise our hands in the air. All writing is an argument, even a stop sign. Not only is our writing an argument, but it is also crap. I also remember taking no notes, which could explain why my first post is so short.
Comment Feedback, if you did not get any and would like some.
Know the 10 essential components, practice with the sample letter
Pick a category from the New York Times – anyone that you want, to write your first draft letter to the editor.
To create hyperlink you copy the url from the site of your choice and than you select the words you want the link to be attached too. Than you click the insert/edit link button. Click, open in new window as curiosity to the readers.
Always have two categories, one under your name and the other is the title of the assignment; in this case it will be mica than lte.
Make sure your sentence says something.
Went over grades for our writings
Even an A grade will look like crap
For an A grade we should have a constant flow of information and multiple claims within each sentence
You hope when we look back on our writings they still look like crap(because there is always ways and room for improvement)
you do need to post something/revision before each deadline; than the final rewrite goes into your portfolio.
Make it clear to your audience what you want them to believe.
Point out the flaws early in your writing so the rest that follows goes with your argument.
If your argument can be stated in fewer words than shorter is always better; because you exhaust the readers less.
The first version is A01 and has extremely disappointing grades; D is the best one right now, and is just temporary.
Grammar and punctuation is important because we have no credibility right now; therefore that is the only way we can connivence our readers we know what we are talking about.
Cannot pass this class if we dont follow the 13 rules of grammar and punctuation. One example is the period ALWAYS goes inside the quotation marks.
Must kill the sentences you cannot live without.
Midterm grade will be a C, because he is required to give one
Set up a Professor conference, for any time that works, could be even 10 minutes long
The deadline policy is: 24 hours late = 10% off, 24-48 hours late = 20% off, 48+ = 0
Went over the 13 rules of grammar, can find these rules on the side bar under resources titled “Bottom-line Grammar”
Went over the core values9 (1- 5) of this class – it is what we should have accomplished by the end of the course.
Course outline TR tells us what we will do each week up to the final week, find it under course documents.
Syllabus, also under course documents. Under Required texts there is a link(next to recommended) that has more definite information and tricks of writing that could be extremely helpful, costs about $25.
Good idea to reach out to writing tutor early, so when it comes to finals they will help you and give you priority over others.
Editorial is due next week, pretend like you are the editor of the New York Times.
Names that end in “s” – if you say it, write it.
Example: Jones’s backpack.
Went over block quoting.
In the letter to the editor it is important to know that you do not need to summarize the entire post you are arguing. Also present your objection as soon as you can.
Went over the Editorial Assignment. Use hyperlinks to let your readers go to certain page; this is better than quoting people.
First draft is due monday at 11:59.
Can change your draft as many times as you want/need too, up until he comments grade recorded on your post.
Short sentences have a lot of power.
Make sure to always comment “feedback please” on all assignments you want feedback.
Eliminate tags – they are useless and just create a second copy of the post.
Can comment back on the feedback.
A04: Editorial Rewrite assignment is due midnight on monday the 13th.
If you want a second round of feedback before the final is due just comment “feedback please” on your post again. If he is slow to responding you can always text him.
Give your Editorial a title, write it on the top of the essay, not in the subject bar where “A04: Editorial – mica” should be.
“Writing is not a spectator sport; it’s participatory”
Went over fair and unfair summary; know the difference of and when to summarize or quote.
Remember you do not have to agree with the original, but you have to accurately portray the original.
For class on thursday, read the article carefully and fully understand it to be prepared for the assignment – will not have a lot of time so the better you understand the article you better off you will be.
Rhyme Scheme, the formula of how a rhyme rhymes like – a a b a
Went over some essay’s, where you could get live critic, blinde or even when no critic at all.
Went over citation examples and techniques.
Learned the difference between work cited and a Bibliography. Work cited is when you list the sources that you directly cited in your writing. Bibliography is something you list the sources of any website or book that you consulted during your research for your paper.
Easybib is a website that helps you create citations in MLA, you can access this website through newspaperlessness, under the sidebar, Resources, along with three other valuable websites.
If you need to find sources to cite, try to not be too exact or narrow; be broad in your search so you can find as many sources as possible.
Went over the pledge of allegiance for our class.
Arguments from the New York Times article – The Secrets of New Jersey
The introduction paragraph is extremely strong, it is clear where they stand and how they feel about Chris Christie.
IN his very first promise as governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie pledged on Inauguration Day in 2010 to shine daylight on the workings of his government. “Today a new era of accountability and transparency is here,” Mr. Christie said. “Today, I will sign executive orders that will make our finances, our budgeting and our processes more transparent for all citizens to see. Today, change has arrived.”
What is even stronger and bolder is the first sentence of the second paragraph – “But that change never did arrive.”
Now it goes on with many examples, these are repetitive but that does not take away from the strength of the argument.
I find the final two paragraphs to be the strongest!
“The open records law was explicitly designed to create incentives for elected leaders to act transparently, and to punish them for violations. But Mr. Christie is using the state attorney general’s office to fight the lawsuits, causing delays and running up costs that are ultimately borne by the taxpayer, not by the governor. From January 2012 through Aug. 7 of this year, the administration paid more than $440,000 to reimburse lawyers in open records cases.”
The right to know is a pillar of democracy, and Mr. Christie may well be asking us to elect him president in two years. It’s time he stopped fighting the public’s requests for information and fulfilled his own promise to usher in “a new era of accountability and transparency.”
A good point was made in class – a student explained that it is not like Christie’s administration works for WYNC, Christie’s administration is busy, and fulfilling a reporters request is not on the top of their agenda. With that being said the article is still strong; the writer completes its job and now has its readers questioning Christie’s integrity and him as a governor.
“If Mr. Christie has politicized his office, he’s hardly the first elected official to do so. And no party has a lock on government secrecy. As WNYC’s Andrea Bernstein has reported, the administration of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York has persuaded the Federal Highway Administration not to release New York’s financing plan for a new Tappan Zee Bridge. Years after the plan was drawn up, it remains a secret.”
“This paragraph is genius, do this whenever you can” – Professor Hodges. It is genius because it establishes the writers open mindedness and fairness; it gives the writer strong credibility. This paragrpah solidifies that the writer is not just picking on a governor he/she does not like; but instead it is identifying an on going pattern and problem that is going on in politics.
Riddle about Fate – homework
Went over students writings who did well explaining their argument.
Comment on model essay before next class, explain something the writer did well – homework. Class code (if needed) comp01111-36.
Grade please – first make it the best you can do(because once you ask that grade will be locked in) but ask for the grade on the first draft copy not the rewrite because the rewrite you can edit up to the end of the year. Also ask for feedback before.
Went over the Critical Engagement Assignment – not doing the written “dialogic.”
Use easybib.com to do the first part of your introduction and to cite your source.
Write the summary of the article like you are the author talking, and you are summarizing your original writing – mostly be paraphrasing and summarizing.
The Silence of the Lambs and Pigs is an example of just park 1 of the Critical Engagement Assignment.
We are skipping section 2! And going right to section 3.
You can most likely find your other readings in your first article.
You were suppose to find your three citations, and write brief notes on the authors for today – now that is due thursday on top of the summaries and purposes for it.
Can check course outline update – and there are no 7, 8 or 9 assignments.
Remember – not doing the written “dialogic.”
Need to have a second conference with professor before finals.
Check Model Throwdown, in progress for help.
To get your second and third source you can click on links that are in your original article – if you hit a pay way than use Rowans sources to get past that.
Dont forget that your summaries need to be in the voice of the author.
My Take, the preliminary – is when you can add your voice and opinion .
You forgot to upload your last post – A09, with your my take writing, so upload that asap.
Clarified in class: You just need one my take writing at the end, after your three summaries.
Went over difference in grades.
Did peer review.
Tuesday, November 25th
Basis does not have to be negative or considered prejudice. It is actually just the preference of the writer, or it is what the writer think is best.
The basis in out throwdown projects can be looked into in the authors history. Example – Carol is more likely to fight for animal rights over rights of the farmers.
Went over the new assignment – A10: Self Reflective.
Need to chose carefully how you apply the core values to the goals you need to meet.
post draft by midnight tomorrow, to stay in line with the deadline. The entire overall portfolio is due next thursday.
There are samples of this assignment from previous classes provided on A10: Self-Reflective Statement under the agenda for today.
New Feedback policy – we can only ask for feedback for only one post at a time. Once you receive your reply, you may post another request, for a different post. (and this late in the semester do not ask for feedback more than once on the same post)
If you want to know if you passed for grammar or not than comment – feedback please ffg. With this you can still only ask for one at a time
Riddle – they follow the one in front
Portfolio assignment is now posted. It only needs 5 items/writings. We need an annotated bibliography (which is worked into our critical engagement assignment.) Therefore if we use our Throwdown assignment, we accomplish two requirements.
These are the contexts of the portfolio:
A02: Letter to the Editor Rewrite
A04: Editorial Rewrite
A06: Op-Ed Rewrite
Critical Engagement Assignment
Complete with Annotated Bibliography
A10: Self-Reflective Statement
Deadline of this project is wednesday, Deceember 3rd, 11:59 pm
Can continue to revise until your assignment is grades, however, you will not know when he is grading yours.
Check Agenda for Tuesday, Dec 02 for exercises that can help you when rewriting your assignments for the better.
DO NOT FAIL FOR GRAMMAR. CHECK THE 13 GRAMMAR ERRORS THAT HE WILL FAIL YOU FOR.
Ask Professor:
That we do not need to do a complete annotated bibliography for the store portfolio; and that we just need our throw down assignment.
Can continue to revise portfolio until you receive a final grade on it.
Oral Presentation is you talking your op ed. You have no visual aid, unless you ask ahead of time. You stand up and explain your thesis; you than ask for annoying questions and answer them the best you can. This would happen on Tuesday December 9th.
We are doing all of the final grade conferences on December 11th, so we are not meeting at all on December 16th.
Tuesday, December 9th
Last class.
Completed course evaluations.
Went through student presentations, and was able to ask questions.
Before the course work begins, please reply to the short survey that will help me understand your needs and expectations of the course, yourself, and me.
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Newspaperlessness 