Homework for Tuesday, 9/9/08

This is the second email you should be receiving from me this afternoon. This email contains detailed information on the homework for Tuesday, 9/9/08. On your syllabus, it says that the reading for Tuesday is:

“Rhetorical Reading Strategies and the Construction of Meaning” (Haas/Flower)

We're going to push that off for Thursday, 9/11/08. For this Tuesday, please complete the following:

1. Create a blog using www.blogger.com (use ONLY this blog service, please).

• Go to www.blogger.com and create a blog (it’s fast and easy). Name it whatever you want (keep it clean).
• Once you’ve created your blog, you’ll receive a confirmation email from blogger. Open the email and follow the instructions.
• Once you have created and confirmed your blog, please email me your blog’s address or URL (it should look something like this: http://progressivelyprofressing.blogspot.com/). Please email it to me at mmichaud@ric.edu.

2. Once you’ve created your blog, write your first posting. VERY IMPORTANT: Title this first blog posting (look for the “Title” text box above the main text box where you type your blog entries) Blog Posting #1 (by simply numbering the postings in this way, it’ll make it easier for me to read/evaluate them). In your first blog posting, I’d like you to answer the following questions about the Downs/Wardle article I asked you to read for last Thursday’s class. We’re going to return to the article to discuss your responses in class this Tuesday, so bring a print-out copy with you to class.

Your answers should be thorough and include direct quotes from the Downs/Wardle article. Your response should run roughly 400-600 words (you can copy and paste it into MS Word and then use the “Word Count” tool, under the pull-down menu “TOOLS,” to find out how long it is). If you do not already have the article, you can get a copy by going to:

http://groups.google.com/group/writingrhetoric?hl=en

and then click “FILES.” By clicking on the Downs/Wardle.pdf link, the article will download to your computer.

Here are the question you need to answer in that first blog posting:

First Section (unnamed):

Paragraph 1:

• According to Downs/Wardle, why does the First-Year Composition (FYC) course (at RIC, it’s called Writing and Rhetoric) exist in the first place?
• What does the research say about whether or not such a course can accomplish its goal?
• According to Downs/Wardle, what is the field of Writing Studies, itself, guilty of?

Paragraph 2:

• What are Downs/Wardle proposing we change about FYC?
• What will Downs/Wardle do in the pages ahead?
• In writing this article, what are two of Downs/Wardle’s main goals?
• What are the three “important misconceptions” the authors of this piece will examine and attempt to dispel before moving on to describe their vision for FYC?

Section 2 (Systemic Misconceptions and Misdirection of Mainstream FYC)

• What seems to be the main point of this section?

Section 3 (Academic Discourse as a Category Mistake)

• What is the “category mistake” that has been made in regard to FYC?
• What kind of academic discourse is most often taught in FYC courses? Why? What is the problem with this?

Section 4 (The Open Question of Transfer)

• What do Downs/Wardle mean by the use of the word “transfer”—and what do they have to say about whether or not skills learned in FYC courses actually transfer to other writing contexts?

Section 5 (Resisting Misconceptions)

• What are the “two master narratives” that Downs/Wardle describe in this section?
• What, exactly, do Downs/Wardle believe FYC should be/do?

I think that's it. If you have any problems or questions or concerns, don't hesitate to get in touch. See you Tuesday.