Tuesday, October 30th, 2012--9:30 am

Hello,

a couple of things...
below is the link to the Becky Blanton article I mentioned in class on Monday. Please read before class tomorrow.

http://www.salon.com/2011/01/27/living_in_van/print/


Also, just a reminder that if you did not revise out of class essay #1, and you wish to revise out of class essay #2, the first revision is due on Monday, November 5th. Please be sure to follow the instructions on how to submit a revised essay. You can find instructions on the syllabus.

And, one more reminder...please remember to have the handout, "How to Critically Read an Essay" with you until we complete the discussion.

See you Wednesday.

Sunday, October 28th, 2012--8 pm

Hello!

Just a few reminders...

1. The Unwanted is due to be read by this Friday, November 2nd. You do not have any other homework/reading assignments due in this class for this week, so use your time wisely.

2. Re-visit the blog entry from Monday, September 10th, 5:15 pm. If you have not already printed it out, I suggest you do. We will briefly discuss how to evaluate a narrative film this Friday in class. It is preparation for the narrative film we will view in class next week (and the film you will be responding to for in class essay #2.)

3. Remember that I do not keep track of your absences. If you miss class, be assured you will miss something. You are responsible for finding out any and all material and information given in class, through handouts or lectures.

4. There has been a bit of an issue about whether a score that you earned will affect your overall grade in the class. Yes! Of course it will. :) I realize some of you might not have been thrilled with the score on your 3rd Q and C homework; however, you were duly warned that each Q and C would be scored harder as the semester progressed. Additionally, I handed out sample student commentaries a few weeks ago and we discussed as a class what entails a quality response. Everything I discuss in class is for a REASON. It is up to you to pay attention or not. :)

See you tomorrow.

6:30 am--Wednesday, October 24th, 2012

Good morning,

I sincerely apologize for this inconvenience because I am fairly certain most of you will not see this posting until much later today.

I am canceling my classes today. I awoke with a very bad migraine.

Please hold on to your homework assignment until Friday.

And again, I apologize for such a late notice; it could not be helped.

Be safe and I will see you on Friday.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012--2:20 pm

Greetings,

I am in the middle of scoring Q & C homework #3.

And...I feel very compelled to remind you that...

1. After the second Q & C assignment was returned to you, we discussed again my expectations as far as quality, evidence of proofreading and editing, etc.--and how I was going to be stricter on the last two Q & C assignments. I handed out a sample commentary and we discussed as a class why it was not a quality response. It is not apparent so far that many of you chose to pay attention to that discussion. It IS the ninth week of the semester. My expectations, as you know, naturally increase. Common sense.

2. You WILL have points taken off if you cannot even set up the assignment correctly.

3. Before submitting the last Q & C assignment tomorrow, you may want to spend more than five minutes on the assignment. Just an idea...

See you tomorrow.

Monday, October 22, 2012--5:15 pm

http://registertovote.org/index.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=how%2Bto%2Bregister%2Bonline%2Bto%2Bvote&utm_content=Register&utm_campaign=California%2B-%2BIP


Hello,
just in case you have not registered to vote yet, you can do so online. Above is the link to the website where you can register. You have until 11:59 pm today, Monday, to register online. 

Sunday, October 21st, 2012--2:30 pm

http://caitlinshetterly.com/audio.php

Hello,
above is the link to the audio diaries from NPR that Caitlin Shetterly produced during her journey to and from California.

Greetings...

below is information about when and where author Chitra Divakaruni will be on campus this week, Thursday, the 25th. Sections 88 and 89, please note that the first event listed is just for students in learning communities such as yourself. 

I really hope all my students in all three sections will be able to attend one of the readings on Thursday!

AUTHOR DAY: Thursday, October 25, 2012

Q&A and Discussion for Learning Communities

Author Chitra Divakaruni will be joined by Professor Lisa Hammersley (Geology), Professor Mridula Udayagiri (Sociology), and Tony Lucas and Ken Barnett from the Public Safety staff. Each will present short commmentaries and then engage with the audience in a Q&A. This morning event is open to members of the various Sacramento State campus learning communities. Books are available for purchase in advance through the Hornet Bookstore for at a 20% discount.
Date: Thursday, October 25, 2012
Time: 10.30 am to 11.30am
Location: University Union Ballroom
Cost: Free and open to campus learning communities

 

"Where the Wild Stories Are"
Reading and Campus Lecture, followed by Book Signing

Provost Charles Gossett will welcome author Chitra Divakaruni, who will read from One Amazing Thing and speak about storytelling. Divakaruni will describe how she developed the ideas for her stories, especially how she came to the idea for One Amazing Thing while evacuating from a hurricane threat. Her talk will explore the idea that each of us has an amazing story in our lives and how to look for their value and importance.

This midday event is free and open to all members of the Sacramento State campus and to members of the community. Books are available for purchase in advance through the Hornet Bookstore for at a 20% discount.
Date: Thursday, October 25, 2012
Time: 1pm to 2pm, followed by a book signing
Location: University Union Ballroom
Cost: Free and open to the campus and public

 

"The Stories that Save Us"
An Evening with the Author: Chitra Divakaruni

Author Chitra Divakaruni will share the genesis for One Amazing Thing. She will touch upon how in volunteering with Hurricane Katrina refugees that she learned the healing power of storytelling. Divakaruni will be introduced by Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies Sheree Meyer, the Founder of the One Book Program.

This evening event is free and open to all members of the Sacramento community. There will be a sign language interpreter for the event. Books are available for purchase in advance through the Hornet Bookstore for at a 20% discount.
Date: Thursday, October 25, 2012
Time: 7 pm to 8pm, followed by a book signing
Location: University Union Ballroom
Cost: Free and open to the public
Parking: Free parking from 6pm to midnight in Parking Structure III, 6th floor only

 

Friday, October 19th, 2012--8 pm

Greetings...

Here is the assignment for Packet 6, due to be completed by Wednesday. The first item is a video on line (on TED Talks) and the other is an article.

As your syllabus indicates, there is a Q & C due for this Packet. It is the last Q & C for the semester.

PACKET #6: (two items)

"Becky Blanton: The Year I was Homeless"
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/becky_blanton_the_year_i_was_homeless.html
(this is a video which is a little over seven minutes)

"Homelessness and Hungry with No Excuses" by Rich Linberg
http://www.cdobs.com/archive/syndicated/homelessness-and-hungry-with-no-excuses/

Thursday, October 18th, 2012--8 pm

Greetings...

As you know, I welcome questions from all of you. And I am more than happy to offer feedback and assistance throughout the semester.

However, and I know I have already reminded you of this several times, it is ultimately YOUR responsibility to keep current with the class. This means reading the blog. Every entry in the blog. Frequently. Checking every day. Most of the time, the blog entries are reminders of things already ON  the syllabus...or it is a reading assignment for a packet. This is not rocket science. :)

When I get emails with questions that have very clearly been discussed a lot in class, AND the information is on the syllabus, AND the information has been reiterated on the blog...it causes me to worry about your lack of focus.

See you tomorrow!

3rd post for Sunday, Oct. 14th, 2012--7 pm

One more thing...
(and it is not all that amazing...ha)

If you are planning to submit a rough draft of out of class essay #2 tomorrow, you will NOT be submitting bibliography cards, note cards, etc.

The directions I gave you about how to submit your essay is strictly for submitting the final draft.

I discussed this in class but there has been a few questions this weekend, so I wanted to clear up any confusion there might be regarding this issue.

All that is required when submitting the rough draft tomorrow is the ROUGH DRAFT, stapled.
You need not have in text citations or a Works Cited page at this point.

See you tomorrow.

2nd posting for today, Sunday, October 14th, 2012--3 pm

Greetings,
Below you will find a handout on HOW TO CRITICALLY READ AN ESSAY. You will need this for Wednesday's class. Please print a copy and bring it to class on Wednesday. Thanks!

How to Critically Read an Essay

Educated adults exist in a delusional state, thinking we can read.

In a most basic sense, we can.

However, odds are, some of us cannot read, at least not as well as we would like.

Too many college students are capable of only some types of reading and that becomes painfully clear when they read a difficult text and must respond critically about it.

Intelligence and a keen memory are excellent traits and most students have learned to read in a certain way that is only useful for extracting information. Thus, students are often fairly well skilled in providing summary. 

However, the act of reading to extract information and to read critically are vastly different!

The current educational system in American primary schools (and many colleges) heavily emphasizes the first type of reading and de-emphasizes the latter. 

In many ways, THIS MAKES SENSE. 

Reading to extract information allows a student to absorb the raw materials of factual information as quickly as possible. It is a type of reading we all must engage in frequently. However, each type of reading calls for different mental habits. If we do not learn to adjust from one type of reading to another when necessary, we cripple our intellectual abilities to read critically.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN READING TO EXTRACT INFORMATION AND READING CRITICALLY.

1. They have different goals. When students read to extract information, usually they seek facts and presume the source is accurate. No argument is required. On the other hand, when students read critically, they try to determine the quality of the argument. The reader must be open-minded and skeptical all at once, constantly adjusting the degree of personal belief in relation to the quality of the essay’s argument.
2. They require different types of discipline. If students read to learn raw data, the most efficient way to learn is repetition. If students read critically, the most effective technique may be to break the essay up into logical subdivisions and analyze each section’s argument, to restate the argument in other words, and then to expand upon or question the findings.
3. They require different mental activity. If a student reads to gain information, a certain degree of absorption, memorization and passivity is necessary. If a student is engaged in reading critically, that student must be active!!! He or she must be prepared to pre-read the essay, then read it closely for content, and re-read it if it isn’t clear how the author is reaching the conclusion in the argument. 
4. They create different results. Passive reading to absorb information can create a student who (if not precisely well read) has read a great many books. It creates what many call “book-smarts.” However, critical reading involves original, innovative thinking. 
5. They differ in the degree of understanding they require. Reading for information is more basic, and reading critically is the more advanced of the two because only critical reading equates with full understanding. 

ULTIMATELY, WHAT WE WANT IS THE CONSCIOUS CONTROL OF OUR READING SKILLS, SO WE CAN MOVE BACK AND FORTH AMIDST THE VARIOUS TYPES OF READING.

FIVE GENERAL STAGES OF READING

1. Pre-Reading—examining the text and preparing to read it effectively (5 minutes)




2. Interpretive Reading—understanding what the author argues, what the author concludes, and exactly how he or she reached that conclusion.




3. Critical Reading—questioning, examining and expanding upon what the author says with your own arguments. Skeptical reading does not mean doubting everything your read.



4. Synoptic Reading—putting the author’s argument in a larger context by considering a synopsis of that reading or argument in conjunction with synopses of other readings or arguments.



5. Post-Reading—ensuring that you won’t forget your new insights.

Sunday, October 14th, 2012--10 am

Good morning!

Below you will find the assignment due this Friday.
(A Q & C is due for this assignment.)

Packet #5 Assignment:

"The Magic of the Family Meal"
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1200760,00.html

"The Good Marriage" (this is an introduction to a full length book)
http://www.ofspirit.com/tw-thegoodmarriage.htm

Thursday, October 11th at 7 pm

Hello,

Just a reminder...and it is on the syllabus as well.
Be sure to have read through page 152 in Made for You and Me by Monday, October 15th.
And of course, bring the book to class as well.
(I realize that I mentioned to section 88 on Wednesday that up to page 152 was due tomorrow. I apologize for that error.)

See you tomorrow.

Tuesday,October 9th, 2012--8 pm

Hello,
Just a quick announcement.
I am extending the optional rough draft due date for out of class essay #2 to Monday, October 15th. You can certainly submit it earlier, but no later than Monday, the 15th.
See you tomorrow.

Monday, October 8th, 2012--7 pm

Greetings...

For Wednesday, please come prepared to do the following:

1. discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the sample student essay I distributed last week, titled, "The Destruction from Drug Abuse."

2. share the topic you have chosen for out of class essay #2. If you have a working thesis statement, that is even better. As a class, we will look at some of these thesis statements to see if they can be improved in any way.

3. discuss any questions you may have so far while working on out of class essay #2. (questions concerning MLA documentation, notecards, bibliography cards, Works Cited page, etc.)

4.  discuss pages 1-65 in Made for You and Me.

REMINDER....!
IF AND WHEN YOU REVISE ANY OF THE THREE OUT OF CLASS ESSAYS, PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO SUBMIT A REVISION, WHICH CAN BE FOUND ON YOUR SYLLABUS. THE INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDE THE REQUIREMENT THAT YOU MUST HIGHLIGHT THE CHANGES YOU MAKE ON YOUR REVISION.

See you Wednesday!

Saturday, October 6th, 2012--10:30 am

Greetings,

Hope you are enjoying the weekend so far.

A couple of things:

1. A slight adjustment to the syllabus. We obviously did not get to Group Work #2 yesterday.
I have moved it to Friday, October 12th, which means Group Work #3 is bumped to Wednesday, October 31st. Please record these changes on your hard copy of the syllabus. I will make the changes to the syllabus posted on the blog during the first week of the semester.

2. As you already know, the 3rd and final quiz on Rules of Thumb is Monday (pages 136-151).

This quiz will ask you to record correctly ten sources in MLA format as they would appear on the Works Cited page. As usual, it is an open book quiz. However, please become familiar with what is contained in these pages; otherwise, you may not have time to complete the quiz. In other words, you may want to make tabs to help you find the information in a timely manner.

Here is an example of how the quiz will work:

A short story found in the anthology, Best American Short Stories, 2012. The anthology is  edited by Alice Sebold. The short story is titled, "Over the Hill" and it is written by Jane Sims and can be found on pages 54-73.  It was published in Boston by McGraw Hill in 2012.

(you can find how to document this on a Works Cited page on page 147 in Rules of Thumb, at the very top of the page. Below is the way you would document the source in MLA format.)

Sims, Jane. "Over the Hill." Best American Short Stories, 2012. Ed. Alice Sebold. Boston: McGraw    Hill, 2012. 54-73. Print.

OF COURSE, FOR THE QUIZ, YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO INDICATE ITALICS, SO WHEN AN ITEM SHOULD BE IN ITALICS, YOU WILL INSTEAD UNDERLINE IT TO INDICATE THAT WHEN TYPING, YOU WOULD TYPE IT IN ITALICS.

Please be sure that you understand this example completely. If you have any questions, please email me over the weekend. Again, the quiz will contain 10 items similar to my example. They could include an article in a newspaper, an article in a magazine, a television show, etc. 

Wednesday, October 3, 2012--4:15 pm

Hello,

I heard it through a reliable source that there MAY be some confusion about what is happening on Friday.

If you recall, during the first week of classes, I made a few minor changes to the course outline. At that time, all of you made the changes on your hard copy. I also made the changes on the syllabus posted on the blog, just in case you misplaced your hard copy. One of those minor corrections involved the assignment to read the first 65 pages of Made for You and Me.  Originally, I had that assignment listed TWICE, by mistake...this week AND next week. It was changed to next week, Wednesday.

And another reminder: please bring the novel, One Amazing Thing, to class on Friday. We will be discussing the novel and will most likely have a quiz. Be sure to bring the stories due today along with you as well.

Monday, October 1, 2012--third posting of the day

Hello once again...yikes, the third posting today.

I am working on grading the last batch of out of class essays #1.

I am getting a little weary of writing the same reminders on essays. From what I can see, very few of you paid heed to a handy check list I posted on the blog on the 24th of September. It was for use while you were conducting the final editing and proofreading of out of class essay #1.

It continues to puzzle me that so many of you do not take advantage of the help you are given. As you can see, many of the bulleted points are things many of you did not adhere to at all.  I cannot possibly cover everything I want to during class, so the blog serves as an excellent place to remind you of things I have talked about in class as well as offer extra tips. At any rate, for those who wish to improve their writing and increase their success in English 1A, here is the list...again:

• Check for unacceptable errors as well as for other sentence level errors mentioned on the bottom half of your handout on unacceptable errors.
• Underline your thesis statement.
• Eliminate wordiness and repetitiveness.
• Write clear transitions between paragraphs.
• Give your essay a title. Center it and do not type it in all caps, do not underline it, do not type it in a different font. and do not put quotations around it.
• Be sure each paragraph has a concise, specific and focused topic sentence and discusses one main topic only.
• Run a spell check program.
• Type your last name and the page number in the upper right hand corner of each page.
• Since it is a narrative AND an analysis essay, it is perfectly acceptable to use the pronoun "I" but do not add unnecessary words to your sentences such as "I think" or "I believe." For example, do not write: I think my grandmother's house was the truest home I experienced in my childhood. Instead you would write: My grandmother's house was the truest home I experienced in my childhood.

Monday, October 1, 2012-- second posting of the day

Hello again,

I noticed today that there are a few students that either forgot to bring Rules of Thumb to class today for the quiz (even though it is noted on the syllabus and I reminded you on the blog...ahem...) OR have not purchased the book yet.

This is the sixth week of the semester, and if you do not have the textbook yet, and have not spoken to me about this issue, this is not a good thing! The textbook is obviously very important to your success in this class.

See you Wednesday.

Monday, October 1, 2012--5:15 pm

Greetings:

A few things:

1. Remember, if you happen to miss a class session, be SURE to find out what you missed by asking a fellow student. Do not assume that everything that is covered is written in the syllabus. For example, if you missed class last Friday, you missed being present when Out of Class Essay #2 was assigned and explained. Yes, I posted the prompt on the blog, but I also gave the class a lot of OTHER information that is not on the prompt but that is very important.

2. If you have not completed the reading of One Amazing Thing, be sure you have finished by this Wednesday, October 3. Please bring the novel to class this Wednesday and Friday, October 3 and 5.

3. If you are planning to revise Out of Class Essay #1, the first revision is due no later than next Monday, October 8th (this applies to sections 88 and 16). For section 89, your first revision is due no later than next Wednesday, October 10th.

4. If you have unacceptable errors to correct on In Class Essay #1, please get those to me as soon as possible so you do not forget.

5. Here is a copy of the handout regarding in-text citations that we discussed today in class.

MLA In-text citations

Sample paragraph from an English 1A MLA documented essay:

            The history of the debutante ball and a young girl’s coming out to society dates back as far as the early 1800s (McCormick 18).  Daughters of very wealthy parents who were between the ages of sixteen and eighteen were introduced into the world of dating when their parents planned a party focused just on their daughter.  It was a way to inform everyone in their circle of socially ‘acceptable’ people that their daughters were eligible to be courted (Samson 21-22).  Daughters had no choice; they were obligated to go along with their parents’ wishes for a coming out party, even if they had no interest or desire (McCormick 42).  According to a journal entry published in the book, The Journals of Emily St. Clare, 1875 – 1899, and edited by Rosemary Sparks, many girls begged their  parents not to put them through such a social ordeal:  “For weeks, I pleaded with father not to spend the time or money on such a frivolous event.  I would much rather he spent more money on books for my personal library” (64). Certainly the ritual of coming out has a long tradition, yet in the past as well as currently, some young women gravitate towards the celebration and some despise it.