Saturday, January 23, 2010
Third Quarter -- 2009-10
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Course Guidelines -- Tentative
The Reflective Imagination
Tentative Schedule -- To Be Finalized Soon
This class will be taught by Amanda Rhyner, Edgewood Pre-Service Instructor, and will use a writing workshop model to explore the art of personal reflection and autobiography. Students will study various excerpts from traditional autobiographies, memoirs, personal letters, and journals to understand how individuals can give their lives meaning and permanence through writing. We will develop our own reflection pieces through a variety of writing exercises and creative activities. Emphasis will be placed upon the development of personal voice and content in student writing, yet basic writing instruction will be conducted as needed. All participants in this class must be willing to present and share their life reflections occasionally in writing and aloud with the rest of the class. These personal writings may be in either strict autobiographical or fictionalized forms.
A full writing process approach will be used, including brainstorming, drafting, peer-editing/sharing, revising, and final, typed proofreading. Students must be willing to revise and improve upon their writing.
Course Guidelines
1) Students will use in-class time to write journal responses to prompts, read autobiographical writing assignments, and construct creative projects for the Reflective Imagination course. Students who use their in-class time productively will receive credit for being in class on that day.
2) Each student is responsible for maintaining his/her own writing journal. One journal notebook will be provided to each student. If you lose yours, you are responsible for replacing it by the following class day. (A few extras are on hand to be purchased for $1.) Students who wish to use personal journal books or sketch books are welcome to do so; however, you will need to turn it in occasionally and be without it for a few days. Students must have their journal notebooks in class each day to receive attendance credit. If you think you may forget your journal occasionally, leave it in the classroom. A portfolio box will be provided for this class. If homework is assigned, students are responsible for having it in class on the due date requested.
3) Students must submit their journal books to Denise each Friday for review or upon request. Journal entries will be checked in as completed or missing. Not all entries will be read, yet students should write as if all are to be reviewed. To avoid confusion in the evaluation process, students should date and title each entry. If there is one entry that you want me to be sure to read, flag it with a post-it.
4) All writing in your journal books must be legible, using blue or black ink or regular pencil.
A Note on Privacy. Your privacy will be respected. If for personal reasons, there is an entry you do not wish me to review, staple a "RESPECT" note over the top of the entry. I recognize the need for a comfortable forum for your thoughts. I will NOT read written entries covered by the "respect" notes.
5) Each student must read a book-length, published autobiographical work outside of class time. Specific assignments to complement this reading will be discussed during the second and third weeks of class. Published works chosen by students outside of the class collection for this assignment must be approved prior to reading. Please note, your chosen book must be an autobiography (the author's own life story), not a biography (written by someone other than the subject of the book). Most collaborative efforts are considered autobiographies, but for this class, they will not be options for the book choice.
6) I was absent yesterday, what did I miss? It is each student's responsibility to ask for any assignments missed due to absences. Please do this at the start of class. Extra handouts are available in the portfolio box or in the assignment handout basket.
Workshop Format, Sharing Sessions, and Writing for an Audience
Writing Workshop and the Writing Process. As the course description clearly states, we will use a writing workshop format and the full writing process in this class. That means you will use in-class time to complete brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and final publication for your writing pieces. Students will receive feedback on random writing pieces from Denise or Jagoras throughout the quarter (use "flagging" technique), as well as feedback from peers. All students must be willing to revise their work.
Sharing Sessions. Students will be expected to share their writing pieces with the class. These sharing sessions will range from partnered revision sessions to large group readings. Students may take one "pass" on these sessions during the quarter. An absence on a sharing day equals one pass with the option of making it up on the following day with a reading of your work to the whole class. Students present on sharing days who take a "pass" do not have the option to make up the pass. All students are expected to be respectful audience members and constructive critics.
Audience and Publishing Goal. Although we are using a very personal form of writing in this class through the journal, we will be working toward a publishing goal of some of our writing. Keep this in mind as you begin to complete your reflective entries. If EVERY one of your entries is so highly personal that you are uncomfortable allowing the instructor, class, or your other Shabazz peers access to ANY of your writings, you will need to shift your perspective. Think about what your writings can say about you, your community, or life in general that others may find useful, enlightening, or even entertaining.
Content of Writings. As a matter of respect for your instructor, students may not write explicit details about sex, drug use, or other illegal activities in their lives. If there is a specific event connected to these areas which you wish to explore in your writing, please consult Denise prior to writing the entry. THANKS!
You will develop at least one piece of writing for submission to the Shabazz yearbook during the quarter. Choices and final edits of these pieces will be due on or before ??.
Missing and Late Work:
Students may miss one journal entry during the quarter and still be eligible to receive credit. Students must complete all creative projects as assigned (including the final poem and letter in Week 8)
Late Work policies will be discussed during the first few days of the quarter.
STUDENTS MAY NEED TO COMPLETE HOMEWORK TO STAY ON TRACK IN THIS CLASS. PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY!
Attendance Requirements:
The Shabazz attendance policy will be strictly enforced in this class. Students will no longer be eligible for credit after their 6th absence. Remember that all tardies are accounted for (3 tardies = 1 absence). Students who arrive more than 15 minutes late will be marked absent. (If an emergency arises, inform Denise and the office immediately.)
Book Return:
Students must return all books checked out for class to be eligible for credit. If a book is lost, talk with Denise about where you can find a replacement copy, or you may arrange for payment of the text with Donna in the office. Books have become extremely expensive in the last few years, so in order to maintain our excellent resource libraries here at Shabazz, we must keep close tabs on all our texts.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Basic Course Description
This class will use a writing workshop model to explore the art of personal reflection and autobiography. Students will study various excerpts from traditional autobiographies, memoirs, personal letters, and journals to understand how individuals can give their lives meaning and permanence through writing. We will develop our own reflection pieces through a variety of writing exercises and creative activities. Emphasis will be placed upon the development of personal voice and content in student writing, yet basic writing instruction will be conducted as needed. All participants in this class must be willing to present and share their life reflections occasionally in writing and aloud with the rest of the class. These personal writings may be in either strict autobiographical or fictionalized forms.
