Exam Location

We will meet in room 403 at the Language Center. I will put signs on the doors and write the room number on the board. Be sure to bring all of your portfolio documents and be ready to write your short essay/ long paragraph.

Extra Office Hours

I will likely hold extra office hours tomorrow (Tuesday, Dec 12) from 6:00-9:00pm. During class, I did not have much time to talk with everyone, especially in my bigger classes. If you would like to show me your revisions or discuss your writing, you can come to my office between those times. Hope all is well.

Final Day Procedures

First of all, thank you for a good semester. I have enjoyed teaching you all and hope that you have learned a lot. Writing can be difficult but also very rewarding.

Based on the meeting yesterday, I will have to deviate from my original plans. The writing teachers agreed that students should do a timed writing on the last day. That being decided, I planned our writing activity on that day. However, in light of the discussion yesterday, we will change a bit. See the details below.

Portfolio
- This has not changed.
- Turn in all of your DRAFTS and FINAL COPIES.
- Turn in one essay and two paragraphs (or three DIFFERENT writing samples)
- Turn in your Writing Contract

Timed Writing
- You will have one hour to write
- Write as much as you think is necessary to answer the topic
- I will give you the topic on the last day. You may only write about that topic
- The timed writing will be part of your portfolio

I'm sorry for these sudden changes. However, I have a lot of confidence that you can do this exercise without much difficulty.


Also, I will be available to help you throughout the week. My office is 323. Please let me know if you would like to come, so that I can organize myself. You may come any time in the morning when I am not teaching. After I finish my classes, I try to leave very quickly. Usually, I fail, but I try.

My Schedule
Monday
11:00-6:00- Teaching

Tuesday
11:00-4:00- Teaching

Wednesday
2:00-4:00- Teaching
4:00-6:00- Meeting

Thursday
2:00-6:00- Teaching

Friday
8:00-12:00- Available

Week XIII- Homework

This is your final blog entry of the semester. Every semester, you take a lot of classes that expose you to a variety of material. You learn some interesting things whether your classes are part of your major or just electives. Share with each other what you are happiest to have learned from one of your classes this semester. Be specific about what you learned and why it was so special to you.

NOTE I: I will return your essays next week and we will spend time revising them in class.

NOTE II: I have uploaded the "Portfolio Rubric" under the class documents. That is the grading system I will use for your portfolios.

Week XII- Homework

As the semester comes to a close, you will likely have a lot of stress. You have many projects to finish or exams to study for. Don't stress! Take some time now to reflect on a funny story in your life. Certainly, you all have many funny things that have happened in your lives. Write down a humorous narrative on your blog.

Practice Good Story Structure
- Beginning
- Middle
- End

ALSO: Turn in your revised papers next week. Remember, next week is the last time I will review your papers before you turn in your portfolio. Make a lot of revisions and try hard to apply what we have learned in class. You really don't need me to offer suggestions because you all are paragraph experts.

Week XI- Homework

This week you can write about any topic you wish to write about. Last time we had a free topic, you all came up with many interesting things to write about, so I look forward to reading whatever you come up with. Remember to post by the appropriate time and comment on three other blogs.

Portfolio Papers: You have two weeks to revise these. Please do more than the minimum amount of revision. As you know, I give your essays a very focused look and only comment on one or two things. Use the skills and knowledge you have cultivated this semester to improve your writings beyond what I have indicated. Remember, I now consider you experts of paragraph writing, so I trust you to revise your own writing pretty well.

Writing Contract: The point of this document is to highlight how you have changed your writing. You do not have to write every change you have made. I would like you to find very good examples of changes you have made and write those changes on the contract. HINT: YOU WILL WANT TO DO A GOOD JOB ON THIS FOR AN UNDISCLOSED REASON.

See the "Writing Contract Example" in the "Class Documents" section on the right for an idea about how to fill out the contract.

Week X- Homework

As we read from our book, people have a preference about where they live. Some people, like our author, prefers to live in the country because he can save time and money. However, living in a big city certainly offers some benefits, such as diversity and places of interest. In your future, you will have to make decisions about where you would like to live in order to have the happiest life. Write a blog entry about where you would prefer to live- in the city or in the country?