ONLINE BASIC WRITING CURRICULUM Empowering Students Lisa Thrush ~ English 571 ~ Final Presentation

Welcome to Basic Writing. Tell us about yourself. Im stupid. I cant write. Im going to fail. Im an idiot. Im in the retard class. I cant do this. (Quotes from basic writing students)

Empower Students Empowering is bringing into a state of belief one's ability to act effectively...nurturing belief in capability and competence, suggesting potency and the positive impetus to action (Ashcroft, qtd. in Duhon-Haynes 2). More than anything, students need to understand that their voice has value. That is how writing works. When people find their voice and recognize that they have the right to speak...writing happens (Nivens).

Basic Writing Curriculum Assignments Discussion threads Informal writing Formal essays Feedback Positive Constructive Model writing "...it wasn't until my reading and writing were put to use in substantial and meaningful ways that they became more powerful, weighty, and developed critical depth" (Rose 35).

Basic Writing Curriculum Empowering Resources Writing Tutorials Technology (variety) Positive Reinforcement I remember that my favorite classes, and the classes that I got the most out of, were classes where the teacher put forth much more effort to make sure that her students actually learned life lessons and how to write and comprehend information (Parker).

Discussion Engage Students Participate Model Writing Make Connections How can the instructor create positive discussion environments that empower students?

Academic Discussion – Week 1 As you learned this week, the writing process typically involves four stages: exploring, organizing, drafting, and revising. Writers may move back and forth between the stages, but good writers usually work through each of the stages. By the time you submit your first draft this week, you will have completed all four stages of the writing process. For some of you, this may have been the first time you've approached a writing assignment this way. Please reflect on your experience with the writing process. In your post, share what you think about the writing process and what you've learned about it so far. Your post might address one or two of the following topics/questions: Describe something new that you've learned about writing. How does writing using the four stages of the writing process differ from the way you've written papers in the past? What benefits do you see to the writing process? What drawbacks do you see to using the writing process? What questions do you have about the writing process? What's unclear or confusing to you? What tools/techniques didn't work so well for you this time? Why? What will you do differently for your next essay assignment?

Faith Integration Discussion – Week 1 In ABGW chapter 1, you learned that good writing starts by asking good questions. A good question is problematic to the audience, significant, and interesting to the writer. In this Faith Integration discussion, you will practice posing questions by posing a question about your faith. What questions do you have about theology or about your faith? What are some of the key questions a person of faith must answer?

Motivation is Empowering Students cant always see where writing relates to their futures, and if I can find that business or corporate or technical tie-in that motivates them to write I know Ive made an important step (Danforth). We sometimes lose sight of the fact that our kids are pouring their hearts and souls into writing. They're taking risks, and if we can concentrate on what they CAN do and use that as a springboard, they'll be the better for it (Kiser).

Informal Writing Allow students an opportunity to write in a safe zone and take risks in their writing. Reflective Journals Prewriting Drafts

Informal Writing Require prewriting activities Completion grade for drafts Students will take more risks if their grade is not threatened. Provide feedback for a strong final draft. Assign reflection journals Students learn about writing by reflecting on what they have written and how they have written it. I had enough trouble passing. I didnt want to take risks that would make me fail (Former basic writing student).

Informal Writing Prewriting Activity Analyzing your audience What person or group do you most want to reach? Is this audience already sympathetic to your views? How much do you know about your audience? What assumptions can you make about your audience? What might they valuebrevity, originality, conformity, honesty, wit, seriousness, thrift, generosity? What is your relationship to the audience? What is your attitude toward the audience?

Formal Writing Provide clear expectations Share tips for writing Provide students will the tools to succeed in writing.

Essay 1 – Autobiographical Narrative This essay allows you the opportunity to share a personal experience with your readers. You will write about an experience or event that taught you something about leadership. Your audience for this essay is the rest of the class. For this assignment, you will create an autobiographical narrative in which you (a) tell the story of the event, and (b) explore the significance of that moment or event, focusing on what the experience taught you about leadership.

Essay 1 - Choosing a Topic Below are some factors to consider when choosing the event about which you will write: Choose an event that will be interesting to your readers. The story should have some conflict or tension that gets resolved during the story. An effective narrative essay starts with a good story. Choose an even that changed your understanding of leadership in some way. Narrative essays include a reflection about the significance of an event. Since you're beginning a degree in leadership, focus on an experience that taught you something about leadership. Doing so will afford you the opportunity to begin thinking critically about leadership. Choose an even that you will be comfortable sharing with your classmates. If an event is too personal to share with your classmates, choose a different event. Do not write about a period or era of importance. Your essay must be about a specific event. Think in terms of moments or hours, not days or weeks. Do not write about your salvation experience. Although this event was transforming, much of the action is internal, so it does not usually result in a good plot for this essay. Do not write about an event that marked a change rather than caused that change. High school graduation, for example, may mark the change from adolescent to adult which helped you become a leader, but the ceremony itself does not cause the change. Such events do not generally have the tension needed to drive the plot forward.

Essay 1 - Helpful Tips Planning Your Essay Like all effective pieces of writing, this essay should feature a beginning, middle and end. In your introduction, set the stage for your narrative. Alert your reader that a story about leadership is coming, and transition into the narrative itself. In the body of the narrative, build up to a tense climax, then resolve the tension. Lastly, in your conclusion, thoughtfully reflect on the lasting impact of that pivotal moment, explaining what the event taught you about leadership. Unlike much of your college writing, this essay will not have a one-sentence thesis. It will, however, have a theme based on the significance you interpret in the event. This theme will help you decide what aspects of the narrative to focus on. It will be stated most clearly final paragraph of your essay. Your essay will use the literary strategies of plot, character, and setting. Develop your story through the use of contraries, creating tension that moves the story forward and gives it its significance. Use specific details and develop contraries that create tension. Below are some additional helpful hints: Narrow the scope to a specific moment in time. Do not let the build-up (or denouement) overshadow the moment of real significance. Write with your readers (your classmates) in mind. How do you come across as narrator? What is the picture you wish to paint in the mind of your readers? Draw the readers into your experience through realistic characters, dynamic language, and careful sequencing of events.

Feedback Timely feedback Timely feedback allows the student to incorporate the feedback in future writing. Positive feedback Acknowledging the positive points in students writing empowers them. Constructive feedback Students need to understand the hows and whys in the feedback; respond to empower them to succeed. Model good writing Provide examples of good writing Often, the instructors feedback is the most valuable lesson that a student learns.

I was empowered by the positive feedback on my writing. When I saw the good things that I did on my first essay, I cried. No teacher ever told me anything good before (Former basic writing student).

Feedback Sample Student, I enjoyed reading your essay about your experiences at the bank. Wow! I cant imagine what went through your mind when the robbers came in. I could feel the tension of that experience from the dialogue that you used in the essay; great job! I also enjoyed the details that you provided; it really showed me the scene at the bank. Some areas that I would like to see you develop further include paragraph development, sentence structure, and punctuation. You included only one long paragraph, and many of your sentences are fragments. I provided some more detailed comments in the margin of your draft. Please take time to review these comments carefully and consider how you can revise your draft. Dont hesitate to contact me to discuss your draft and my feedback. I look forward to reading your revised essay.

Feedback Impacts Learning We all know the red marks are like little pins stabbing into the students confidence in their writing ability. Its already come up several times in this class, and I think its important to look at the mistakes and connect the students mistakes to their beliefs about their own writing and their past experiences with writing (Stanford). If students have too many red ink experiences, we are just hindering their self esteem, which may hinder their ability to be confident in their writing (Huggins).

Take time to provide constructive feedback. Break up the times to avoid frustration.

Empowering Resources Provide as many opportunities as possible for the student to succeed. Writing tutorials Require student to work with writing center tutor Technology Encourage a variety of technology to engage students deliver lectures in Adobe presenter (audio and video) to make connections ClassLive can be used for one-on-one writing conferences, peer reviews, demonstrations, etc. Incorporate videos of current topics to motivate students

I want my students to realize the struggles that these particular students face on a daily basis that greatly impacts their willingness, ability, and desire to begin and complete a college degree (Edgell). Writing is dynamic; that is part of why it's so interesting. That need for change is also part of what makes writing so complex to teach. Add to the that the different cultural values that the students bring to class, and it becomes clear that there is no one standard of writing (McGowen). Empowerment is Important…

I wish you success as you move forward in your educational journey. I dont write really good but I am a really good dancer. I cant be good at it all but I can learn to write in school. I didnt think I would learn to write but I did. It isnt my favorite class but I think I might just get this writing thing. Im not really stupid. Im not a great writer. But I know I can write and get better. One thing that I remember when writing is hard is your story about sucking at math and youre a professor. I love math and suck at writing. Maybe I;l be a porfessor too. lol. (Quotes from current basic writing students)

Works Cited Danforth, Meridith. Message posted to Week 2 Discussion. (Sept. 6, 2011). Duhon-Haynes, Gwendolyn M. "Student Empowerment: Definition, Implications, and Strategies for Implementation." Third World Symposium, Grambling University, March 12, ERIC Document: ED Huggins, Sherry. Message posted to Week 2 Discussion. (Sept. 7, 2011). Kiser, Gay. Message posted to Week 3 Discussion. (Sept. 14, 2011). Nivens, Melissa. Message posted to Week 2 Discussion. (Sept. 7, 2011). Parker, Ashley. Message posted to Week 2 Discussion. (Sept. 8, 2011). Rose, Mike. Why School. New York: The New Press, Print. Stanford, Caitlin. Message posted to Week 3 Discussion. (Sept. 17, 2011).