Week 1 - Monday, August 30, 2010

Class Activities:
- Welcome/Introduction to 1301 - Textbooks
- "Why Write?" Group Activity; "So what is ENGL 1301 about, anyway, and how does it differ from ENGL 1302?" "How does high school writing differ from college writing?" "Why do we need to know how to write in college?"
-  Go over syllabus/schedule/course policies/cultural extra credit
     - Save everything (USB drive or Dropbox)
     - You'll receive an email to your TTU address with instructions for resetting password and logging in; these activities must be done within 48 hours of the first class meeting.

- First Day Writing assignment
- Go over technologies (RaiderWriter, Bedford)

Bedford Student Center
- My contact - erin.trauth@ttu.edu
-  Discuss Critical thinking rubric
Homework:
- Get textbook
- Enroll in sites (RaiderWriter, Bedford)
- Brief Assignment # 1
(A) Take Pre-Semester Diagnostic on Bedford site

(B) Reading 1: Course Policies (in textbook) and E-handbook Top Twenty (in Bedford site)

(C) Complete Brief Assignment One: (note: Please make sure to answer all of these questions!)

Objective: To identify potential weaknesses in grammar and mechanics for further study this semester

Purpose: Often, students realize that they have trouble with grammar and mechanics, but find it hard to learn to avoid those errors because they aren’t even sure what they are. This assignment requires you to take the pre-semester diagnostic (available to you once you have purchased your e-handbook from Bedford St. Martins at their website) and then to write a brief reflection about your score. You will also answer some additional questions about your writing experience prior to enrolling in ENGL 1301.

Description:


1. Please begin by telling readers what your score was on the diagnostic.

2. Then, write a few sentences in which you tell us what problems you've had with grammar in the past and what questions about grammar you'd like answered. Also, please write a few sentences in which you tell readers whether or not the score was higher or lower than you expected. After reviewing your results, and based on your previous writing experiences, which particular grammar elements would you like to focus on this semester?

3. Conclude this first assignment by telling readers a little about the writing you did in high school. Roughly how many papers did you write? What kinds of papers were they? Research-based, argumentative, analytical? What do you think your strengths are as a writer? Your weaknesses?

4. Upload this to RaiderWriter under "Brief Assignment 1"

For next week:
- How to access week two and three readings:
Week 2 and 3 Readings on Bedford