Participation in a writing community (20%): It’s important to show up to class, yes, of course. It’s also important to participate in class discussion, duh. I’m also convinced in a writing composition course, it’s important to look at your participation as a feature of being in a writing community. This means I will also expect you to meet with me for individual conferences towards the end of the semester (and during office hours). Additionally, you should look at what your colleagues are writing/researching and comment on it either in person or on their post. Another important feature of a writing community is mentorship. Mentorship does not mean having answers to all of the writing dilemmas out there. Instead, valuable mentorship involves listening and sharing our own experiences with writing.

Blog (30%): Every class period will involve a discussion on a particular writing concept. The only way to really understand a concept, writing or otherwise, is to apply it. In this course, you will apply writing concepts by responding to prompts on our course blog page. It is so important that you show up to class on time and prepared to write. It is also important that you check back on your posts to see if I or another colleague have left a comment. While revisions of posts aren’t always required, it is strongly encouraged. Blog posts can not be made up. I review and grade them on the day they are assigned. For more information on the blogging assignment, click here: https://english121.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2018/08/12/blogging/

Literacy Narrative (10%): Reflect on your own literacy history and habits. Compose a 750 to 1000 word narrative that answers several or all of the following questions: How did you learn to write? read? What value did you place on reading and writing? How has that value shifted over the years? Who are some literacy sponsors that made the most impact on your literacy habits today? Remember, the purpose of a literacy narrative is not to generalize your love or dislike for writing. Instead, the purpose is to reflect on the meaning of literacy in your life and how it might have shifted, evolved, remained through the years. For grading information, click here: https://english121.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2018/08/12/literacy-narrative-2/

Literacy Movement Report (10%): With a partner, you will submit a 750 word report on a specific literacy movement in history. This report must: 1. Identify key features of your literacy movement 2. Propose a thesis that suggests why this literacy movement is important for readers to learn about 3. Summarize three pieces of evidence that illustrate the movement’s importance. For more information, click here: https://english121.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2018/08/12/literacy-campaigns-and-movements/

Here are some examples of student literacy movement reports from this semester: https://english121.commons.gc.cuny.edu/literacy-movements-and-campaigns/

Disciplinary Writing Conventions (15%): Pick a discipline other than English. Locate three to four pieces of writing that are either published by scholars in the discipline or are submitted by students in a classroom. Observe the similarities and differences in these pieces of writing. Next, using what we’ve learned about rhetorical strategies, compose a 750-word instructional report that teaches future writers in this discipline the writing conventions of the field. Use your pieces of writing as evidence. It’s important to be as specific as possible (You must be clear vs. Do not use words like everything and sometimes). For more information, click here: https://english121.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2018/08/12/disciplinary-writing-conventions/

Autoethnography (15%): Autoethnographies ‘are highly personalized accounts that draw upon the experience of the author/researcher for the purposes of extending sociological understanding’ (Sparkes, 2000, p.21). An autoethnography ‘lets you use yourself to get to culture’ (Pelias, 2003, p. 372). It is also a “text in which people undertake to describe themselves in ways that engage with representations others have made of them. Thus if ethnographic texts are those in which European metropolitan subjects represent to themselves their others (usually their conquered others), autoethnographic texts are representations that the so- defined others construct in response to or in dialogue with those texts (Bartholomae 585). In other words, an autoethnography is an investigation of an aspect of yourself. A crucial tool that will help you uncover and share something evocative and insightful is the use of outside sources. These outside sources are dependent on what aspect of yourself you choose to investigate. For instance: Are you interested in investigating what it means to be a bilingual student? If so, you might read more on bilingualism. There is no rubric for this assignment; however I will be working with you individually to ensure you’re comfortable with this kind of writing project.