3-31 class

Today we'll discuss the proposal assignment for the research paper. We'll do an exercise analyzing the "rhetoric of CCCC proposals" to develop a list of criteria for the proposal assignment (See materials added to Webcampus). This should answer most of your questions about how to write the proposal. It will also be an exercise in "joining" the discourse community of composition scholars.

I read through everyone's annotated bibliographies. I liked the ones that opened with a brief summary of the research project. There was one that concluded with a summary of insights gained from the preliminary research. Now that's using the annotated bib in a generative way, as was the intent of the assignment. Contrary to one person's comment that annotating was taking time away from writing the paper. I suppose research writing is one type of more formal writing process (given the fact that many research projects need to be articulated clearly up front for either grant or acceptance purposes).

I also read the responses to week 3/24. You should see grades for both in WebCampus. Yes, I still need to get the grades for Dissonance papers and week 3/10 done.

I'll be heading out to New Orleans on Wednesday for the field's big conference: The Annual Conference on College Composition and Communication. Susan is going too. She better blog about it, from New Orleans preferably!

Website Project Info

As stated in the syllabus, one of the course requirements is to write or design a professional website (counts as 5% of final grade).

In keeping with one of the course's major themes of technology, the aim of this project is to give you some experience writing in a new media environment.

The project requirments are as follows:

• You must create a a basic professional website that includes information about you, your research, and your teaching
• You can use either complabs server or request a web services account: Complabs server, which is easier, or request a Web services account--this will involve "FTP-ing" files to the campus server, so you'll need to install SHH Secure FTP application
• You must include the following elements: Home page; resume or vita page (in HTML format, downloadable version optional); teaching page (link to syllabi and/or teaching philosophy, in HTML format)
• Add a reflection on your experience creating this website, minimum 500-750 words, posted to blog
• Anything else you want to add (e.g., "about me/bio" page, photographs, writing samples, teaching philosophy, etc.)
• Web site should conform to basic standards of good Web design. See Robin Williams' "Web Design Features" (read both "good" and "bad" lists) http://www.ratz.com/features.html

A draft of your website is due 4/28. The final version is due 5/5.

I'll discuss a draft with you at any point up to the deadline. You can share your working draft with the class at any point, too.

Research topics

After reading through everyone's dissonance blogs, below is a list of topics I think people have chosen for their research projects.

Some people were a bit non-committal; the idea with the dissonance blog was to explore but then commit. Regardless, make sure you narrow and choose your topic ASAP. We can revise this list as necessary.

We are technically in the next phase of the project, which is to research and compile and annotated bibliography of a minimum ~6 sources (due in a couple weeks). I suppose the blog would be an appropriate place for your annotations, i.e., using your blog as an informal research journal (though you should also record formal citation of source).

Keep us all updated as your topic evolves.

My sense of your sense of your research topics:

• Jessica McCall - Reflection/metacognition in writing development
• Patricia Waters - History/influence of women in science/nursing writing
• Stephanie Taylor - Text-messaging/instant messaging as dialect and writing practice
• Monica Zarazua - teaching writing from the student perspective, or the role of reading in the writing classroom, or the ends of writing instruction
• Gina Sully - Liberatory/critical pedagogy and subjectivity in the writing classroom [revised]
• Ashley Nebe - Teaching writing to Standard English Learners (with technology?)
• Jason Coley - The rhetoric of video games (& possible implications for writing instruction)
• Susan Garcia - The role of technology in (workplace?) collaboration

3-3 class

Today we'll discuss the your paper ideas and responses to this week's readings (not necessarily in that order). Some notes to guide discussion have been added to Webcampus.

The next phase of the research project will be an annotated bibliography, due 3/24. According to our syllabus:

Annotated Bibliography – You must compile a minimum of 6 sources
not from assigned course readings relevant to your topic of inquiry.
An adequate annotation of a source includes (1) the full bibliographic
citation in MLA format, (2) a concise summary of the main and supporting
points of the source, and (3) a reflection on the significance of the source
to your inquiry, i.e., how the source addresses your guiding research
question.