Thursday, August 28, 2014

Day 3: Positive Writing Experiences

Today, we are going to discover a little bit about different types of writers.  Well, that's not really true.  Today, we are going to learn about the different types of problems that writers have.  That's better.  None of us are perfect writer's, but our goal for this semester is to improve our academic English writing.

Short List: 

  1. Attendance
  2. 5 Kinds of Writers Activity
  3. Writer's Help Check
  4. Community Circle Get-To-Know-You Game
Homework: 
  • Review your diagnostic
  • Identify strengths 
  • Identify 2-3 specific goals for improvement


The Details
Schedule of events:

1. Attendance Check

2. [20 minutes] 5 Kinds of Writers Activity
Designed by Jin Kim, but adapted by Jon Bair

Each of us could become better writers.  As we do this activity, reading the "scripts" of the five different writer's, try to think about yourself--which of the five do you most relate to?

Directions:
3.  [15 - 20 minutes] Writer's Help Check
Content for the "Some features" portion was planned by Cassandra Rosado.  
In this activity, we are going to learn a little bit about Writer's Help.  Writer's Help is the required ebook for this class.  It is not like a normal textbook.  You can think of it as more of a reference book.   For the next 15 - 20 minutes, we will troubleshoot problems and learn about the main features of the textbook, as well as explaining how we will grade exercises in it.  
  1. Some features
    • Contents vs. Index
    • Exercise Help
    • Scorecard
  2. Troubleshooting
  3. Grading

4. [Remaining class time] Community Circle Get-To-Know-You Game

Homework:
Here at the beginning of the semester, we are trying to get to know ourselves and our writing better.  We will look at how we are writing, and we will set realistic goals for improvement over the semester.  However, not everyone is at the same exact level, nor does everyone have the same strengths and weaknesses.  For homework, take your diagnostic home, look at my notes on it, and write me an email suggesting what your strengths are and 3 specific goals are for improvement based on your diagnostic or another piece of real evidence that you have of your academic writing.




Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Day 2: Diagnostic Essay

Welcome to the diagnostic essay! :)

Today, we will do very little as a whole group, but you will do a great deal of work individually.  You are going to read an article (that will eventually be posted here on the course website once it is no longer confidential), and respond to a prompt by writing the best essay you possibly can.

Schedule of Events: 
1. Attendance

2. Take the diagnostic essay: 
  1. Please log in
  2. Open Microsoft Word
  3. Save the file, naming it: "Diagnostic_YourNetID_YourPreferredName"
  4. Read the article
  5. Respond to the prompt by writing an essay
  6. Work for the entire class time
The purpose of the diagnostic essay is so that I can get to know you and your writing better.  With this in mind, I can better plan our class to meet your needs, helping each of us become better writers! 


Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Day 1: Welcome Message and Course Expectations

Welcome Message
Welcome to ESL 111A! 

In this course, we will learn more about how to write quality academic papers in English that will help us succeed in our course of studies here at the University of Illinois.  This includes how to:
  • Avoid accidental plagiarism by learning how to successfully cite our sources
  • Write strong paragraphs
  • See writing as a process
  • Analyze written text and much more!
In this class, you can expect to learn skills that will be useful in all of your classes in the University, improve your English, join a community of learners and friends, and have some fun.  In order for these things to happen, I and the other students in the class have expectations for you.  We expect you to be on time for the beginning of class, to listen attentively, to not use cell phones or your own, personal computers, and to participate.  We are creating a safe environment where we can share and learn from one another.  This means we respect what everyone contributes and we all participate. Each one of us has something to learn. When we all meet these expectations, we will have one remarkable class! 

For more details on this, please use the links on the left and the right, reading especially the First Day Handout.  Also, if you have not yet purchased the required textbook for this course, Writers Help, please do so now.

Schedule of events for the day:

[5 minutes] Welcome and Attendance Check

[15 minutes] Introductions

  • First, I will introduce myself.  How can you learn something from someone you do not know? 
  • Second, you will introduce yourself with a little game. :) 
[15 minutes] Overview of course materials
  1. First day handout
    • Pay close attention to the important class policies.  You will be held responsible for all of the information provided here.  
  2. Technology
    • Google Drive
    • What to do with this course website
    • Turning in major assignments
  3. Writer's Help
    • Have you purchased this yet? 
[7 minutes] Explanation of the upcoming diagnostic essay
Description:
The diagnostic essay is a short essay that you will write in-class that will help me learn about your writing, identifying your particular strengths as a writer and areas that we can target for improvement and growth.  It is comprised of reading an article that will be provided and responding to a prompt.  You will respond to the prompt by writing the best argumentative essay you can that takes a stance on the issue at hand and argues it thoroughly.  

Instructions:
  1. Be on time or early (early is preferred)
  2. Promptly log in to the computer
  3. Open Microsoft Word
  4. Wait further instructions

[5 minutes] Assigning homework

Homework: 
  1. Please make sure you have logged in, created a Google Drive folder, and shared it with me.
    • Please share it with this email address: jonathon.bair@gmail.com 
    • Instructions
  2. Please fill in this form with a little bit about yourself 
    • (Adapted by: Jon Bair; created by: Eunice Nam)
  3. Buy the Writer's Help ebook, register it to my class, and complete any exercise that interests you on the site. 
    • Please put my UIUC email in for your instructor's email address: 
      • jpbair2@illinois.edu