Although you want to read this page online in order to explore links, consider printing these instructions and then check each step when completed.

Online Activities for Week 3

(Tip: the page links in the table of contents below is to help jump to a specific task in this assignment.  I suggest you read through the page first and use the table when you need to review a specific section.)

As your Syllabus states, ten percent of your grade is based on the online activities  and practice writing that we'll call Online Activities/Writing Exercises.

For week 3, we're going to include

  • Writer's Café

  • Online Activity letter
Done___

 

Step 1: Post a response to the Writer's Café.

And I suggest you complete this step by Thursday midnight in order to earn full credit.

Share a story about a toy experience from your past.

  • In other words, tell us about a time when something involving toys was particularly significant, odd, compelling, bizarre, monumental or such in your life.

  • The story can be from your childhood or from last night.  But it should be very narrow, and should potentially interest others.

    • Here's an example from my childhood:

When I was in third grade, I got for Christmas Creepy Crawlers, a toy that made toys. In other words it was a kit of molds and plastic goo with which one could make rubber bugs--spiders, worms, dragonflies, centipedes.

One day, I made a big black spider--it was wider than my palm, black and glistening. So I gazed around to decide what mischief I could create. I found some thread and hung the spider above my younger brother's side of the closet while he was outside, and chuckled--he was very afraid of spiders.

So that evening, before dinner, I waited in my room, lying on my bed. He ran into the room, and I asked him to get me something out of the closet. Usually he wouldn't agree, but he shrugged and opened the door. The rubber spider swayed toward his face--he fell back screaming, then scrambled out of the room as I laughed. Until my mother stood at the door with her arms crossed.

I don't think I got any dinner that night!
Done___

 

Step 2: Reply in the Writer's Café.

Read what other class members have posted in the Writer's Café forum and reply to them when you feel you can add to the asynchronous conversation. You can

  • point out similarities,

  • identify differences,

  • ask questions, or

  • note insightful points.

You also need to explain why you think so with support from your own experiences and observations, or from Bauman, the author of Ideas & Details.

Note: you can reply
  • to other class members' initial postings,
  • to replies to your initial posting or
  • to replies to other class members' initial postings.
  • to replies of replies to your initial posting  or other
    class member's initial postings.

To anything any one of us posts.

You will need to respond at least twice to earn a satisfactory number of points.  Though you may enjoy responding more frequently.

And you will likely find yourself writing a stronger letter and earning more points with fuller participation.
Done___

 

Step 3: Write Online Activity letter

Tell me about your experience with this week's in-class activities and in swapping toy stories with the whole class in Writer's Café. What did you learn about your audience, class members? What did you learn about yourself as a writer?
Done___

 

Step 4: Send letter

Do not email me your letter.

Instead, use the letter drop box found at Pages & Workspaces>Week 3>Letter drop box.

  • Attach your letter. And make sure you first save the letter in rich text format (RTF) before sending.

  • And do not send this letter through the Prewriting drop box. Why is self evident.

These letters are due by Saturday midnight, 9/15/07.

  • It is true that you have a 24 hour grace period for the letter (see the syllabus about our late policy) but this does not extend to the online activities. The Writer's Café and chat cannot be completed past Saturday midnight. Otherwise, you will not earn credit for the assignment.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call me or e-mail me. My phone number and office hours are right above the Table of Contents on the Syllabus. I do have voice mail for my phone if I'm not in.

Also, I will be available during my office hours by phone, in person, through email and on AIM (my user name is profdan1032), if you want to talk about the assignments.

Grading letters/discussions

Again, as your syllabus states,

  • Each letter and online activity is worth up to 10 points.
  • In your letter,
    • a hundred words expressing your thoughts about your writing or reading for this class will earn you 7 points.
    • You'll need to write two-hundred words or more with insight and thoughtfulness and you will need to participate well beyond the minimum requirements in the online activities to earn the 10 points.
  • For discussion forum
    • 7 points if you fulfill the minimum requirements.
    • 8-10 points when your responses are fully developed, make effective use of our texts,  present insightful observations, and reply to others well beyond the minimum required.

[Calendar] [Syllabus] [Angel] [What's New]

Writer's Café
initial response		 Writer's Café
read & reply		 Activity
letter		 Send
 letter		 Grading

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Created by Dan Holt 9/8/1997
Revised 12 Sep 2007 03:10 PM -0400