LIT 145 - reading for 9/25

Here's the information on Magical Realism.
Here's the offical Isabel Allende Website.

LIT 145 - link for reading for 9/18

Here's the info on the lives of Ancient Greek women.

ENG 122 - links to YouTube videos from 9/4 class

• Evolution (shows the model being made up, airbrushed, etc.)
• The Machine is Us/ing Us (about how Web 2.0 is changing everything)
• Shift Happens (about how size really does matter)

scholarship for bloggers

Look! There's a scholarship for bloggers!

ENG 121 – reading for 9/5 from The Sun

Find the August 2007 issue of The Sun. The RRCC Library has it with its recent periodicals (if you have trouble finding it, ask a librarian for help).

Skim through the entire issue, noticing how it is organized and the different types of writing published (essays, letters, poems, etc.).

Read “Correspondence” and note what the letters reveal about readers of The Sun and about The Sun itself.

Then, photocopy and read any of the pieces under “Essays, Memoirs, and True Stories.” Bring the photocopy to class.

LIT 145 - links for readings due 9/4

• “No Name Woman” by Maxine Hong Kingston
• “Scent of a Woman’s Ink” by Francine Prose

ENG 122 - link to article about Wikipedia

Here's “All the News That’s Fit to Print Out” by Jonathan Dee

LIT 145 - links for readings due on 9/11

• Perkins Gilman’s “Yellow Wallpaper”
• excerpt from Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own”

What is the difference between a summary and a response?

A summary expresses the main points of something without personal opinion or critique. It is a very “just the facts, ma’am” type of document. For example, I might summarize my summer by saying, “I was very busy this summer. I traveled to Illinois and Texas, worked on several writing projects, and did some work around my house.” Notice that the summary doesn’t indicate whether I enjoyed my summer or what my favorite part of the summer was.

You can find more information about summaries here.

A response expresses personal opinion, such as agreement or disagreement, or critiques something. For example, I might respond to my summer by saying, “I was hoping my summer would be very relaxing, but an unexpected trip to Texas threw me off. After I got back from Texas, I was stressed out and didn’t get as much done around the house as I wanted to. I’m really disappointed that I didn’t finish painting the basement.” Notice that the response indicates several emotions: surprise (about the trip to Texas), feeling stressed out, and disappointment.

You can find more information about responses here.

Writing a College Admission Essay

If you are planning to transfer to a 4-year college, the advice in this article should be very helpful as you plan and write your application essay. Also, remember that the tutors in the Writing Center can help you as well.

To Find Out What Your Final Grade in the Class Is

To find out what your final grade in the class is, go to the RRCC Website and click on MyCommunity Education in the upper right hand corner of the page. You will be prompted for your S number and password. Once you enter that information, you will be able to view your final grades in your classes.

If you are confused about why your final grade is what it is, review all your returned work from me to refresh your memory of your assignment grades. Then reflect honestly on your class participation and blogging. If you are still not sure why your final grade is what it is, email me.

Three Habits of Highly Successful Students

Make a commitment: This means being organized, setting aside time dedicated to studying for this class, identifying College resources that may be helpful to you, taking responsibility for your choices, and developing a work ethic. If you are having trouble in this class (you don’t understand what it seems you should), don’t just sit there, do something; you can come see me during my office hours, go to the Writing Center, ask a librarian for help, etc. You can’t expect your boss or friends or loved ones to accommodate your school work; you may need to make sacrifices, such as cutting back on TV or drinking or even work. You may find yourself having to make difficult choices, such as choosing between doing homework for this class and spending an important day with a loved one; you may decide to prioritize your loved one and not do your homework for this class. Fine, but be an adult and take responsibility for your choice.

Another important aspect of making a commitment is viewing this course not as preparation for the rest of your education/career/life, but rather, as an experience on its own. This course isn’t simply preparation for the rest of your life, it is your life. For the next fifteen weeks for ten hours a week, this is your life. Commit to that. Engage.

Accept the challenge: Accepting the challenge means being an active, rather than passive, learner. Passive learners wait receptively for information and knowledge to find its way into their brains, dutifully following directions and meekly accepting everything the textbook and I say. Active learners come to class prepared, having thought critically about what they read or what they did, and ask questions and consider possibilities other than what have been presented to them. Active learners are engaged and critical, focusing on making connections between ideas, whereas passive learners focus more on memorization of concepts.

Accept that you will be asked to do things in this class that you don’t already know how to do. (Duh—if you already knew how to do everything this class covers, you wouldn’t need to take this class.) If you refuse to accept the possibility that you will not succeed, you will not ever grow. Not in this class, not in a job, not in a relationship. I often have students drop a class after receiving their first graded assignment back and receiving a grade less than A. When they come to tell me they are dropping, they often say, “I have very high standards for myself and I cannot accept a grade lower than A.” Think about this: is dropping a course because you receive less than an A on a paper evidence of high standards or low standards?

Quit whining: Being in school is hard work. You’ll need to do lots of reading, lots of writing, and lots of thinking. You’ve made the choice to be in school. Take responsibility for your choice and don’t whine about the reading, writing, and thinking. Put your energy into the work rather than the whining.

For more tips, check out this and this.