Writing 340 // Summer 2021
I’m gonna be honest with you all, our schedule for this semester is going to evolve, mutate, and remain an alive document. I have plans and expectations, but I need your help (class) to make sure each assignment, each workshop, and each due date is going to ensure you create the most VALUABLE and MEANINGFUL projects possible.
WE ARE A TEAM!
We have about 11.5 weeks together. I’ll start to fill this in with a few admin things you need to get done in weeks 1 and 2. After that, I’m gonna look to you all for content to read, listen to, and watch. It can be the work you create for this class. It can be podcasts, videos, blogs, etc… This summer, you’ll all be creating ENGAGING CONTENT for an audience. So, CREATE FEARLESSLY!
We’ll talk about this on day one:
5/20/2020:
Let’s talk about the course and all the bits and pieces involved. Ask your questions. Voice your concerns. Add to the curriculum.
Reading:
Over the weekend, I want you to read the article “Should Writers Use They Own English?” by Vershawn Ashanti Young. This should give you a lot to think about and write about.
I also want you to listen to these 2 episodes of a podcast I cohost called Writing Remix Podcast:
We’ll talk about these things in the next class: 5/25/2021
Posting:
Get those ideas MOVING! Think about what you’ve ENGAGED in these two pieces of content. What interested you? What angered you? What confused you? Are there quotes that need SPACE to marinate online? Build a post that ENGAGES IDEAS, that specific set of HOWs and WHYs. The format is up to you. Style is up to you. Your Medium publication is YOUR space, now’s the time to begin CULTIVATING that VOICE. (We’ll talk more about this Day 1)
5/25/2021:
Let’s get the conversation going! I think some small groups will work where you can start to break these ideas down, get questions together, and maybe engage any responses that were published and leave some feedback.
Also, it’s time to discuss WP1 and what that’s gonna be.
WP1 Work:
Start to get your ideas going for the first project. You can begin to post your “drafts” in the folder for our first workshop session. Remember, this “draft” doesn’t have to follow a specific format. You need to trust your writing process, how you develop and cultivate ideas, and go with that.
Engage:
For 5/27, I want you all to TBD
Posting:
Start drafting your next post for Medium. You can post about anything, and you can definitely use the readings to help develop your next post. Remember, this Medium space is YOUR space to CULTIVATE a creative and AUTHENTIC intellectual VOICE. Also, don’t discount videos, images, etc. to make those posts layered. So, get to it.
WP1:
Post your draft of WP1 in the Google Folder. On Thursday we’ll be working in either a full-class group or smaller groups to work through your initial ideas/drafts.
5/27/2020:
Do you want to move into small groups or do this workshop together? Let’s talk about that first, okay?
In-class ENGAGEMENT, WRITING, and DISCUSSION.
WP1:
Keep it going on the next draft. We’ll have a more detailed session next week. If you need to talk to me make an appointment and we’ll do that. Remember, you want to DIG BENEATH the IDEAS. It’s not about presenting a BUNCH OF STUFF. You want to make something specific SHINE!
Engage:
For the weekend, you’ll be reading the first chapter of Stuart Hall’s book The Fateful Triangle: Race, Ethnicity, Nation called “Race — The Sliding Signifier.”
You can find the book through the USC library. It’s online. In fact, this link should be good: https://hup.degruyter.com/view/title/540826?tab_body=toc#.Xv5F37dMopg.link
As a complement to this reading, you’ll listen to M.I.A.’s album Kala.
Posting:
Look, I want you to WANT to post on Medium, but by the end of this week make sure to write something for either one of these readings OR find a way that these two relate to each other. Focus on something SMALL, something SPECIFIC.
Think about having about 3 posts by the start of next week on Medium. Next week you’ll choose one of those pieces to post to the class publication. Don’t worry, we’ll go over this in class.
6/1/2020:
WP1 Workshop day! Rubric Day!
Engage:
Make sure you’re prepared to talk about the Stuart hall reading and Kala by MIA.
WP1:
Keep working on your project and sign up for a meeting.
6/3/2020:
Let’s dig deeply into Stuart Hall and Kala.
Engage:
In the Google Folder, there’s a book called Pedagogy of the Oppressed. I want you to start reading this book. Read everything before Chapter 1.
WP1:
Keep working on the next draft to be workshopped on Tuesday.
Posting:
I mean, make sure you have at least 3 posts on your Medium space AND one piece submitted to the class publication.
You can keep writing though, this is the LEAST you need. But you get better by writing more and more, believe me.
6/8/2020:
Today we have our workshop! Today we should finalize the Rubric!
I also want to start the talk about Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
There’s one more class before WP1 is due on 6/13/2020. Let’s plan that class. Tell me what I can do to help.
Workshop:
TBD
Engage:
Make sure you’re caught up on all the readings, especially Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
Writing:
WP1, that’s all.
Posting:
You’ll all be posting one more piece to your Medium space before the end of this cycle that’ll be the reflection on WP1.
6/10/2020:
Well, today is the last class before the first writing project is due. I want this to be a useful and MEANINGFUL session so it’s up to you if you want to do a workshop.
One thing that might be helpful is to have a workshop where we look at your piece in a drafted version on Medium to see how it looks and works.
The other thing is just doing some specific paragraph workshops with the full class.
We can do a normal workshop.
OR
We can skip the workshop and talk about a reading, a student piece, and do some in-class writing and work
Writing:
WP1 is due on June 13th, 2020 by 11:59 pm. I want you to submit it to the class publication and use the tag Wp1summer2021. This will make sure all the projects are archived in the WP1 space on the class site.
You’ll also be submitting a version to Blackboard’s Turn It In. This is so I can grade the work.
Engage:
Read Chapter 1 of Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
6/15/2021:
Today we continue on to WP2, talk about chapter 1 of Pedagogy of the Oppressed, and let’s do some in-class writing. Why not, it’s a writing class, right?
6/17/2021:
In-Class writing exercises! Today we start to track our way to a cohesive and clear WP2 and WP3 writing project.
Engage:
Over the weekend you’ll read the second chapter of Pedagogy of the Oppressed There will also be a Google Doc assignment attached to the reading that I will email to you all.
WP2 & WP3:
Begin working on these projects, especially WP2. You want to make sure you set some goals for this project and accomplish them.
6/22/2021:
Today we will talk about Chapter 2 of Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Let’s think about how it can be incorporated into the writing projects that you’re doing, and maybe we’ll take some time to develop a post for this one.
WP2 check-in! Draft up a proposal for WP2: WHAT HOW WHY BECAUSE of the project/investigation you’re doing.
Plan for Thursday. What do you need:
WORKSHOP
IN-CLASS WRITING
IN-CLASS RESEARCH
ETC…
Engage:
I want you to try to read the first 70 pages of the book Shock of Arrival by Meena Alexander (it’s in the Google Folder). By next week I want to be finished with the rest of this half, so keep that in mind.
I want you to unpack/analyze something that RESONATES and/or STANDS OUT to you in this Meena Alexander reading. It can be her use of the creative space, poetry, meta-narrative, hybrid writing, race, ethnicity, identity, gender, etc… or a cross-section of ideas. You will then use an outside source of your choice, one that you ‘ll find on your own, to further unpack these ideas.
I’ll share a Google Doc that you’ll post your work on. This will all be due next week on 6/29/2021.
WP2/WP3:
Come into class with something to either share, workshop, etc… for Thursday
6/24/2021:
Today we’ll do some planning for the weekend. We’ll also work on some prompts for our WP3 work because you should all be working on the WP3 with the WP2.
In-class discussion and writing.
Engage:
Finish the work on Meena Alexander’s piece:
I want you to try to read the first 70 pages of the book Shock of Arrival by Meena Alexander (it’s in the Google Folder). By next week I want to be finished with the rest of this half, so keep that in mind.
I want you to unpack/analyze something that RESONATES and/or STANDS OUT to you in this Meena Alexander reading. It can be her use of the creative space, poetry, meta-narrative, hybrid writing, race, ethnicity, identity, gender, etc… or a cross-section of ideas. You will then use an outside source of your choice, one that you ‘ll find on your own, to further unpack these ideas.
I’ll share a Google Doc that you’ll post your work on. This will all be due next week on 6/29/2021.
WP2 & WP3:
Start the RUBRIC construction for these projects on the Google Doc. I’ll share it.
Let’s do a WP3 “workshop” next week on July 1st. This is going to be a very preliminary piece, prompted by a free write we’ll do in class. Allow yourself space to explore the ideas in whatever way you need, but post your work in the folder I’ll share for a small group workshop.
Heads Up:
I want you to have read the first 34 blocks of text from Guy Debord’s The Society of the Spectacle by July 1st!
6/29/2021:
We’re talking about Meena Alexander’s piece today, your writing, and getting deeper into the WP2 WP3 journey.
RUBRIC work in class.
In-class writing for July 1st’s workshop w/ prompt.
Engage:
I want you to have read the first 34 blocks of text from Guy Debord’s The Society of the Spectacle by July 1st!
WP2 & WP3:
Keep the RUBRIC construction for these projects on the Google Doc going. Use the readings we’ve read to round out your ideas for the assessment. I’ll share it.
Let’s do a WP3 “workshop” next week on July 1st. This is going to be a very preliminary piece, prompted by a free write we’ll do in class. Allow yourself space to explore the ideas in whatever way you need, but post your work in the folder I’ll share for a small group workshop.
Heads Up:
On July 6th, we’re gonna talk about the article “Consider the Lobster” by David Foster Wallace. The article is in the Google Folder.
We’re going to do some in-class work with this piece, so make sure you read it.
July 1st:
We have a preliminary WP3 in-class writing/workshop today. Also, do your WP2 goal check-in with your group.
When you workshop the WP3 writing, remember this is preliminary writing, so you’re not looking for anything other than CONTENT & IDEAS. This is a discussion period to help the writer see or find something they might not notice that you as the audience notice.
We're talking about the first 34 blocks of The Society of the Spectacle. It’s an odd reading, so please come with questions and quotes and thoughts on it. We are going to do an in-class exercise with it as well.
Plan for the weekend work/goals for your writing and WPs.
Engage:
Make sure you read “Consider the Lobster” by David Foster Wallace. Upload a piece that is your own “Consider___________” that is connected to your WP2/WP3 project a shared Google Folder (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1P9vvZIyQJqXp-_QIQgs5oATrRRg01BHy?usp=sharing). This is a great time to dig deeper into those initial thoughts, ideas, and research. Working with those sources/research you’re gathering in WP2 will only strengthen your WP3 ANALYSIS. This is all due on July 6th. Get these in on Monday so we can talk about what you all write in context to the David Foster Wallace.
WP2 & WP3:
Work on accomplishing those WP2 goals for your check-in on Tuesday. Keep shaping the rubric as well.
Heads Up:
By Thursday, July 8th, I want to see another preliminary draft of the WP3 project. Let’s set that goal here, today, and work towards it for next Thursday.
7/6/2021:
WP2 Goals Check-in!!! We’re getting right into it: Did you accomplish your goals for WP2? If not, what happened? How can you change your approach to work in order to accomplish your next set of project goals for WP2 and WP3?
Let’s talk LOBSTERS & the writing you uploaded.
Let’s do a WP3 check-in as well, and set those writing goals in motion for Thursday’s workshop.
WP2 & WP3:
For Thursday, July 8th, make sure you’ve uploaded some writing for WP3 to the folder (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZDEZbBkvI4PD9xGOn2zij7qWD8vh9CzP?usp=sharing). We are going to do a deep dive/search for the ideas you will focus on in the next iteration of the WP3 project. My best advice for this writing is to think about it as freewriting, but use those sources still, allow them to help you find the CONTRIBUTION you are making to the discourse space your project is entering.
For WP2, let’s talk about the status of your WP2 and finalize the Rubric.
7/8/2021:
WP3 workshop day! Let’s get into groups and do that workshopping.
After, I want you to take the feedback you got and put it into action for a 30-minute writing session.
Plan your WP2 work for the weekend so you can get that project in by the 13th!
WP2:
WP2 is due on JULY, 13th!!! We’ll talk about submission instructions.
WP3:
Over the weekend, I want you to just focus on WP3 as well. That’s it. No reading, just project development.
From 7/22/2021–8/?/2021:
WP3 is DUE: 7/25/2021 by 11:59pm. You’ll submit it to the class site w/ the stage Wp3summer2021. You’ll also submit a live link and a 2-paragraph reflecting on the process of finishing the WP3 to Turn It In.
4–6 Posts + 2 Features: Make sure you finish the 4–6 posts and send 2 to the class site w/ the tag Summer2021knowledge by 7/25/2021/
PORTFOLIO (Revised WP1 & WP3) DUE 8/3/2021: Revise WP1 & WP3 (on the same submitted piece on Medium). You’ll also have to copy and paste both WP1 and WP3 onto a single document and upload it to Turn It In with a LIVE LINK to each project.
WP4 is DUE: 8/7/2021!!!
