WP3: The Intellectual Autobiography
Well, you’re here. WP3. You’ve written WP1, created your WP2 Archive, and you’ve published a deep collection of Medium posts. You’ve done a ton of work. You should be proud. Let’s get that straight.
Time to end the semester on a high note. WP3 is asking you to look at everything you’ve done, all the writing, the archive, and the projects. Think about our discussions, the in-class exercises. Take all of this into account and let’s write that DEEPER EXAMINATION:
For the final major writing project, consider using all the work you’ve done this semester (WP1, WP2, the Medium posts, etc…). Each of you has written about something specific this semester that had to do with your intellectual identity, knowledge-seeking, what it means to learn, and how it all has impacted your identity.
For WP3, you’ll write a piece for a more “academic” audience, though not abandoning your VOICE. Think about academic meaning DEEPER DIGGING into the IDEAS. Think about YOU KICKING DOWN THE ACADEMIC door with your ideas as they are and saying, “HEY! Here’s what I’m contributing, how I’m contributing it, and why I’m contributing it, DEAL WITH IT!”
Too much? I don’t think so.
You want to think about WHAT YOUR CONTRIBUTION WILL BE TO THE DISCOURSE SPACE. Think about HOW you want to expand on the ideas out there. LEAD with your PERSPECTIVE.
This can mean in your major, your field of interest, or simply to a discourse space you are addressing. Basically, what are your ideas contributing to your audience’s curiosity?
That’s WP3: But don’t lose your voice. Use your experiences. Use your personal accounts. Think about how this topic is REAL, so REAL that you’ve experienced it/ENGAGED these things out in public and felt them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But remember, you are providing IDEAS at all times. LEAD with them. Use those more personal accounts as SOURCES.
More specifically…
WP3 PROMPT:
Looking back over all that you’ve written this semester: WP1, WP2, WP3, and your Medium posts, plus ANYTHING ELSE you find relevant, you’ll develop an INTELLECTUAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY. Bringing in anything from any assignment will be helpful for this final project. This means your project might be multi-modal, and/or have multimedia components. We’ll talk about the best way to provide links and access to other spaces.
Your AUTOBIOGRAPHY is a REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS into WHAT has shaped you into the INTELLECTUAL you are right now, HOW did you get to this moment, & WHY. This is an IDENTITY project, but you get to NAME and DEVELOP that IDENTITY the way you want.
Write for your audience as well as yourself.
THERE IS NO WRONG ANSWER.
Don’t Forget To:
· Be Specific:
No general summaries or sweeping clichés. This is an exercise in critical thinking, so the DETAILS are imperative.
· Define Your Terms:
Don’t assume your audience knows what you are talking about. Just because it is commonplace to you, does not mean that your readers have seen, heard of, gone to, etc… exactly what you are talking about. Use your writing as teachable moments. Your readers are looking to you for information, so don’t hold out.
· Go For The Jugular:
This was the best advice I ever received about writing. This does not mean to be hurtful or to smear someone’s character. Rather, you should always be writing towards the MAIN VEIN of your argument. There is no time for vagueness. Attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, and your readers want to know NOW. Cut straight to your points and spend time explaining.
· Be Patient & Embrace The Process:
This essay, and each one afterwards, will be deconstructing what you’ve done in the past when it came to writing. Essentially, you will be “unlearning” what you’ve been taught to do, so don’t resist the process. Embrace each step, and stay present in each step along the way. Also, I want you to be redefining these processes to fit your specific and unique style, VOICE, and writing practice. Breathe often and deeply. Permit yourself to be imperfect.
· Time Management Is Key:
Because you will be writing in a process, you must develop your time management skills. Have some sort of planner system in place. Write all dates down immediately. Check your calendar daily. We will be talking about time management, organization, and accountability all semester. Prepare to nerd out.
· What’s The SO WHAT?:
This is the key to your essays. Why? Well, because your readers/audience need a reason to stay engaged in your language. Readers want to walk away from your work having learned something. They should be taking a bit of you with them when they finish. Their initial reaction to your writing should not be, “Yeah, and so what?” This means you did not do your job. You need to know the SO WHAT or know your ENDGAME going into the piece. What will be the main takeaway or the multiple takeaways? Know them and make sure they are clear.
· WHYs create BECAUSEs:
Whenever you feel stuck and don’t know where to head in your discussion, just ask your last idea: WHY? Once you ask that question, you will be forced to answer with: BECAUSE. This “BECAUSE” leads you straight into explanation and reasoning. This is critical thinking. Keep doing this until you’ve beaten your writer’s block.
WP3/PORTFOLIO DETAILS:
*SOURCES: Anywhere between 5–7 sources.
*WORD COUNT: 2500–3000 words
*CONFERENCES: TBD
*DEADLINE: Sunday, April 4th, 2021.
PORTFOLIO SUPPLEMENTAL ASSIGNMENT:
Revise WP1 for a NEW grade.
DUE DATE for SUPPLEMENTAL: TBD
