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Course Description

This course is a writing workshop focused on writing as a kind of inquiry and the critical thinking that occurs while we write — not before we write. We’ll engage in processes of invention, critical reading, drafting, revision, and editing as we complete a range of writing tasks — from personal essays to argument essays — that include primary and secondary research.  As we write, we will discuss everything from getting a first sentence on the page to revising a last draft. If we all do our part, together as a class we will learn about ourselves as writers, readers, and thinkers as well as learn how to write effectively in college and beyond.

 

Credits: 3

Semesters: Fall 2014, Fall 2017

Audio Essays

To emphasize the connection between orality and literacy, my students wrote and recorded audio essays using the personal essay form Bruce Ballenger recommends, one similar to The This I Believe genre. Two essays I'm particularly proud of came from Bailey M. Snyder (below left) and Emily Haag (below right), and can be experienced by clicking on the YouTube video embedded below. Because this was a pre-writing activity, no rubric was used.

Profile Videos

The piece below was created by two students for a “Profile of a Place” essay that was remixed into a video featuring a bar located near campus, The Science Lab, which was struggling until a Food Network show renovated the space and redesigned the bar’s marketing plan to win over locals. Click here to read the assignment or click here if you’d like to download the rubric used to assess the PSA.

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