This is week 3 of the spring semester. You should submit your weekly update by the end of the day today.
Complete the following reading this week:
1. DIH 1.5: Writing a First Draft. Read this as you start work on your first draft, after you have completed your trial thesis statement.
3. Skim K&M 34a. This chapter gives the format for parenthetical citations and lists of works cited in MLA format, which we will use for this class. Look it over and see how it's organized. Then use the examples to correct your own citations when you begin to cite evidence in your essay. Please pay attention to this. You should be attempting to cite your sources correctly in the first essay. In order to do so you will have to use your handbook and try to follow the formats described there. Do not make up your own format. Do not use the one you learned in your last class. Use your handbook.
Complete the following writing this week:
1. Three trial thesis statements on the first essay. The subject area for the first essay is "Learning." Send your trial thesis statements to me and the members of your editorial group by the end of the day today.
2. Responses to each of the members of your editorial group. Respond by the end of the day Tuesday. Tell the writer what you think is the best thesis statement and why, point out weaknesses of that thesis, and suggest revisions. Use the Checklist for Revising Thesis Statements as a guide to evaluating them. Send your response to me and to the writer of the thesis statement.
3. Your working draft (WD) of essay 1 is due this Saturday, February 7 (or sooner--you can always submit your work early if that works better for you). This is your first major, firm deadline. Make it a major priority. You should be engaged in your research and writing now. This is a working draft, so you will have another week to revise it, and will receive peer review on it after Saturday. But do take the working draft seriously. Remember that it should be at least 1,000 words in length, and try to make it as near a complete essay as you can. Review the format and requirements for working drafts. Upload it directly to the Pluto server at Palomar by ftp. See the FTP Instructions for how to do this. If you have any problems with ftp, let me know about them and get them resolved before this working draft is due.
By the way, one reason that the working draft is due on Saturday is that some online students find it easier to get a block of time on the weekend. If you do encounter technical problems, we will do the best we can to resolve them, but notify me right away if something doesn't work. I will never penalize you for being late because of a technical problem, but when that occurs, you need to contact me immediately so that we can identify the problem and get it resolved.
4. Your peer review of WD 1 for two other members of your editorial group. Submit this no later than the end of the day next Monday. Do it sooner if you can. Follow the format for Basic Peer Review. Send a copy of your peer review to me and a copy to the writer of the essay. To see whose essays to review go to the group list in Blackboard. Read and review the essays of the two people whose names appear below yours in the list. When you get to the bottom, just go back to the top of the list. So if this were the list
Helen Black
Joe Jones
Mary Smith
Terry Trip
Mary would read Terry's and Helen's essays.
You should have completed the following reading since last week:
1. Light 7, 8, 9, and Appendix.
3. The Power of Mindful Reflection.
4. DIH 1.4: The Thesis Statement.
5. Research Tools.
6. Two periodical articles that might be relevant to your essay topic, from on-line periodical databases.
7. Internet sites on Learning.
You should have completed the following writing since last week:
1. Discussion of Light 7, 8, and 9.
2. Discussion on The Power of Mindful Reflection. The discussion question will be posted on Thursday.
3. Post a summary of each of the periodical articles you have read in your Group Discussion Board in Blackboard.
4. Respond briefly to the article summaries from your group.
Looking Ahead
In about a week and a half we will start reading Robert McHenry's How to Know. If you don't have this book yet, please order it from the on-line publisher or Amazon.com right away, so that you will have it in time for the initial assignments. The information on how to order this book is on the Books page.
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This page was last edited:
01/13/09