One challenge some students have with WP One is making a strong argument. Because of their own expertise, they tend to write informative papers. An informative paper tells readers about something—it provides information without asking anything from its audience but understanding. However, an argumentative paper tries to persuade readers. It offers a stance, and asks […]
The first thing you need to realize is that this course will move really quickly. It’s only four weeks long. The initial draft of your first Writing Project is due this Thursday and the final version is due by the end of the day on Monday. And that cycle will continue for the next four
Introduction to Your Online Course Read More »
Your first paper’s first draft is due soon. However, there’s no cause for alarm. I know that students will stress over the quality of their initial drafts, but there’s no need to. In composition studies, there’s a concept (taken from Anne Lamott) called the “shitty first draft.” Some teachers will repeat this a lot. It’s
WP One, As Best You Can Read More »
I want to share a couple of thoughts with you as you’re working on your problems this week. 1. Thoughts about Topic Choice. One way to choose a topic if you’re having trouble is to think of a large-scale problem and then narrow it to your community. For example, if you were concerned with something
A recommendation (or evaluation) argument is the perfect introductory argument assignment. You’ve spent the semester analyzing arguments, and now, you’ll need to write an argument of your own. What makes this assignment a great “Introduction to Arguing” assignment? 1. It’s easy to make an argumentative claim (or thesis). A recommendation is an argument, so your
Why a Recommendation? Read More »
We’re starting (and finishing) Writing Project Three this week. Ignore everything in bold–this was written for a class during a different semester :Before I discuss the assignment and the points where students stumble, I want to give you a rough schedule of the final weeks of the course and a general description of the work
More Proposal Tips Read More »
We’re starting Writing Project Three this week. Before I discuss the assignment and the points where students stumble, I want to give you a rough schedule of the final weeks of the course and a general description of the work you’ll be completing each week. Review this, cut and paste it into your own schedule,
WP Three Schedule, Tips, and Extra-Credit Read More »
We’re nearing the semester’s midpoint now; this paragraph is my standard “midterm pep talk.” First, congratulations to all of you who are still here. Online courses are challenging, even if students have chosen that method, and many of you are taking online courses because that’s the only option. So give yourself a pat on the
Stuck in the Middle with You Read More »
As you begin drafting Writing Project One, remember the assignment requires you to make an argument. In other words, you’ll make a claim and support that claim with reasons. A claim is a stance on an issue that’s not a question of fact. We argue with topics about which reasonable people can disagree. Of course,
Drafting Tips for WP One–102 Read More »
You may be thinking, “WTF, we have a paper due already?!?!” That’s understandable. However, you can do this. I used to have the first Writing Project due later in the semester, but I then found the final two projects, which are more difficult, didn’t have enough time. Plus, this is a good test: I can
Drafting Tips for WP One–101 Read More »
