Course Projects

• What are you most confused by or nervous about in regards to the four major projects?

Controversy Post Mortem:

- Figuring out how to strike a balance with how much evidence/background info I provide for my audience (not too little, not too much).

-Covering all sides of the argument equally

The Rhetorical Investigation:

- Finding interviewees, planning the interview and coming up with questions

-Secondary Research for the case file. 

Public Argument:

-Coming up with my own project purpose; discovering what hasn't been said yet in my projects

-What genre would work best

Reflective Self-Assessment:

-Critiquing my work honestly and reflecting deeply 

-Making sure I don't overlook any work in my portfolio, like drafts and notes

 Also, I wouldn't be shocked to find new info from tons of different perspectives even by the third project. Incorporation might be a challenge.

• What are you most interested in or excited by in regards to the four major projects?

The controversy post mortem and public argument sound the most enjoyable. I'm studying gender and women's studies, and there's plenty of interesting controversy related to that field. I'm pretty eager to start researching and toying with the genres, too. I think the projects will significantly help me get a master grasp on my major, and prepare me for writing/tasks in my future career(s).

• Based on your understanding of the major projects, what are the elements of this course  that you have to plan ahead for? How will the coursework described in the four project assignment sheets challenge your time management skills this semester?

The project details for the Rhetorical Investigation, Public Argument, and Reflective Self-Assignment all seem to need some scheduling and planning on my part. I can guarantee this course will give me one thing (at least):

1. A wakeup call.

I can be a procrastinator, and there's really no time for that in this course. 

Time management will be crucial, I'll need to delegate myself and prioritize. I think I'll need to be on my toes when it comes to researching, and planning interviews for the rhetorical investigation will require good time management skills.

• How has your past English coursework in high school or college prepared you for the challenges of this course? What skills will you bring into the course with you?

My English coursework in high school was pretty different from what is expected in this course. However, my teachers made a conscious effort to bring current events into the classroom for discussion. Also, there was a big emphasis on rhetorical analysis my junior year.

I think my junior and senior year English classes gave me strong understanding of rhetoric and made me really appreciate English. I'm coming into English 109H with a passion for pop culture/understanding our society and a background of rhetorical analysis.

• Do you have any questions about the four major projects that haven't been answered by the assignment sheets? What do you still want to know?

If there are any good examples of a rhetorical investigation so I can get a better idea of what to expect. Otherwise, I don't have any questions at the moment.

Reflection

It seems like everyone is a little anxious about the research element in these projects and making time for the "harder" stuff. I'm gonna say we all need to just dive in and gradually become comfortable with what's to come. Alex, too, noticed we are coming out of our comfort zones with these projects. I think it was a good point she made about familiarizing ourselves with the genres; we can't decide which genre we will pair with each project if we barely know what's required for them.

Alec seemed to be on the same page as me when it came to multimedia usage in the projects. He was worried about the editing and filming-the video essay and QRF are far from the standard essay we are all used to in our AP/IB high school english courses... but I really think this course will be refreshing and it's moving in the same direction as the rest of our world with technology.

Alex's blog
Alec's blog