PLP Post-Test

Soon, you will see a new PLP assignment in Connect. This is your post-test. I would like you to finish this assignment by this coming Monday, May 5. Our scheduled final exam time is 10:20-12:20 on that day, and I would prefer that you start and finish the post-test during that time. If you want to do the test earlier, you are free to do so, but please do it in ONE sitting. On May 5, we won't have a room to go to, but you can use a lab computer or your own computer on campus.

Remember also, you might need to work on your final essay more on May 5, in case it is not passing. So here is what I want everyone to do on May 5:

1. Come to my office at 10:20 for check-in.
2. I will let you know if there is a problem with your grade.
3. Go to a computer lab and do the post-test in Connect.
4. Come back to my office for check-out.

Planning and Outlining Workshop

Please make sure the essay type is at the top of your outline.

While I am looking over them, take some time to work on your paragraph assignments. Check your evaluated folder and your revisions for my new comments and purple marks; look over the comments I left and then make a copy of P3.Evaluated so that you can revise it. Put the new file in the writing folder you made for this class. When you revise your paragraphs, make sure that you make numerous and substantial changes by next class period. Please work on your paragraphs in class until I am ready to work on the outlines with you.

Once I have checked your outlines, I will select a few to use as examples for the class so that each of you can think about the quality of your thesis statements and the quality of your two stages.

Paragraph Revision Workshop

Today, you can "share" your paragraph with another classmate, and he or she will share a paragraph with you. This sharing will happen through your Google Drive, so you will need to follow my directions to set up sharing.

First, click here to see sharing addresses.

You should see your name on the list. You should share your document with one other person on the list. To do so, open your paragraph document and click the blue "share" button in the upper right corner. When the window opens, you will be able to paste a Gmail address into the "Invite People" box. Copy and paste the email address of the classmate sitting across from you into that box. Then, out to the side, click on the box that says "Can edit" and choose "Can comment." Then "save" and "done."

You can see the paragraph shared with you by clicking on the "shared with me" link in the left column. Open the paragraph shared with you and read it from beginning to end. Talk to each other and make sure that the paragraphs were shared successfully.

Today, we are concerned about the parts of a paragraph. So before you look at the specifics, you need to comment on the overall structure your classmate's paragraph. To comment, highlight some text by clicking and dragging and then right-click on the highlighted part and select "Comment"--you can type your suggestion in the box that appears. Follow my lead--I will ask you to comment on whether all the parts of the paragraph are present or missing:

1. Topic sentence
2. Supporting details and examples
3. Closing statement

Next, I want you to look at each part individually. First, the topic sentence of your classmate's paragraph should have three qualities:

• Specific: It should be about ONE idea
• Focused: It should mention a single task
• Logical: It should mention HOW that single task can help ease the burden of your stressful situation

On your classmate's paragraph, comment on which qualities his or her topic sentence HAS from the list above.

Next, scan the supporting details and examples for OFF-TOPIC statements and comment on them, one at a time. If you are not sure whether a particular detail is off-topic, you can raise your hand. In your comments, you should also suggest some details that are missing that might help your classmate improve his or her paragraph.

Last, make sure the closing statement does not repeat the topic sentence. If it does, comment with a warning on your classmate's closing statement.

If there is time at the end, look at your own paragraph again and begin revising it.

Paragraph Evaluation

For this workshop, I want you to work in pairs or in groups of 3. Gather around one computer and let a good note taker type your group's ideas. That student will go to this document in our English 0099 Course Documents. Once you are in the document, go to "File" and make a copy. Then, as a group, follow the steps in the new copy.

First Day

Welcome to your English 0099 course! I hope this semester will be both fun and challenging for you! Your professor's name is Dr. Matthew Horton (that's me!), but you can call him Dr. H. I have high hopes that this semester will help you improve the skills you need to handle college-level writing courses!

Click on these icons and see what you can do! This course is about writing, sure, but it is also about using technology to help you discover new possibilities with writing. Writing's not all just about typing papers and turning them in. In fact, this course strives to be as PAPERLESS as possible! This might be a little scary for some of you, but I assure you, the skills you'll learn will be just as important as effective writing!



Also, go ahead and look through some of the most important resources on this course website:

Read the syllabus
Check the agenda
Using Google Drive

Additional resources are available by clicking the tabs across the top and various links in the right-hand margin. As much as you can, familiarize yourself with this course website. My contact info is in the right-hand margin at well, towards the top.

Syllabus

Your Goals for the Course

• identify obstacles and gateways to success in college academics
• cultivate motivation to participate in higher education
• recognize ethical and financial value of skillful, authentic communication
• demonstrate personal responsibility in content, presentation, and quality of work
• develop writing process to meet demands of college writing
• practice fundamentals of sentence, paragraph, and essay writing
• orchestrate parts of an essay to construct a unified discussion
• compose, revise, and format standard college essay using Google Drive
• communicate feedback on peer writing performance using Google Drive
• follow personalized learning plan to practice grammar conventions
• navigate UNG website for essential student resources

Calendar

Please note that some assignments are due on days that we do not actually meet in person. Assignments that are due on class days must be finished and turned in at the beginning of class, unless noted otherwise in the agenda description. There is no particular time for assignments on the other days, just sometime that day (or night).