Lego Build #1

"Time given to thought is the greatest time saver of all." -

Norman Cousins

I give you a green comment sheet. You put your parts (taken apart) and the answer picture (well-folded) in your bag, to pass around with the directions (both copies) and green comment sheet.

1. As a builder, you put your name on the green comment sheet AND one set of directions. Have a pencil in your hand. You SHOULD write on the directions with comments and questions that you have as you are building. Be specific about what confuses you; watch for inconsistent orientations or unclear spatial directions. Make positive comments when it is going well.

2. Then when the build is complete, you must score it and write about it on the green scoring sheet. Remember, thorough comments earn you points.

3. Everyone builds two.

When all are done, all the papers come back to you. You can see how others did with your directions. You will have some ideas for ways to improve your own.

I will pass out a green Revision sheet at the end. Even if people easily built your directions, I want you to look for ways to improve what you have; write ideas down on the green sheet, and make actual changes to you directions.

Note: Everyone MUST now include a "General Description" at the beginning.

Homework:

1. Brainstorm ideas for changes to your directions on the green brainstorming sheet. Come up with as many ideas for change -- even "silly" ones -- as possible.

2. Make typed changes to your directions and print the new version before class Monday (2 copies). You do NOT have to make all the changes that you brainstormed, but you MUST now have a "general description" at the beginning.  Show that you are thinking. Have 2 copies of the revised directions Monday.

3. TWFTD: superfluous

4. No typo today.

Typing Your Directions

Get out the green sheets you were to have read for homework. Compare the front and back of the page with the builder pictured on it. The information content is very similar between the two.

Thinkwrite: Describe the different style and content of the two sides and explain which one you prefer to use for class directions. Which is more effective?

How will this work?

Audience, purpose, genre, content and style for the Lego project?

We look at MLA style page layout: pages A-2 and A-3 in Bedford.

You make the heading, insert page number top right with your last name, and the rest is up to you.


To get in the mood:
  Legos  we   love .  Indeed. And professional builder #1. Professional builder #2. Lego artist #3.

Homework:

1. Tomorrow bring:

A. TWO copies of your directions printed

B. An answer key picture (either drawing or photo)

C. Your legos.

2. Go to our class in Moodle. In the highlighted section, click on the Lego nomenclature reading. There are questions at the end that should be answered in your daybook.

3. TWFTD: nomenclature. Use the reading in Moodle for your quote, please.

4. No typo that I know of.

Aristotle's Rhetoric Equation

About yesterday:

      "Smart practice always includes a feedback loop that lets you recognize errors and correct them -- which is why dancers use mirrors. Ideally that feedback comes from someone with an expert eye and so every world-class sports champion has a coach. If you practice without such feedback, you don't get to the top ranks.
      The feedback matters and the concentration does, too -- not just the hours. ..."

The Hidden Driver of Excellence

Author: Daniel Goleman

[Did you have a coach who would let you do this?]
 

 Today we start here.

Audience + Purpose + Genre = Style (how it looks) and Content (what it says)

We look at p. 15 in Bedford and consider the equation for each. Witch is more effective?

Now we look at your examples.

In your daybook, create a chart for each of the terms in the "equation" and your direction examples that you brought to class, like this:

MP3 Player:
Audience-
Purpose-
Genre-
Style-
Content-

After filling in your chart, think about the effectiveness of each of your examples. What specific choices in style and content work or do not work?

Your first writing project is writing directions for a small Lego creation. I give you the handouts now, and you pick out pieces to take home and write a set of directions for building.

Tomorrow there will be time during class to type up your directions, and on Friday you will build each others' projects (NO PICTURES ALLOWED -- just written directions).

On Monday you will build each other's REVISED directions, and on Tuesday you will hand in the final version of your directions and all Legos.


Homework:

1. Fill at least one page (one side) in your daybook describing a situation where you experienced written communication (any genre) that completely missed its audience. As you describe what happened, try to analyze what the specific problems were, based on today's discussions.

2. Read the green sheets thoroughly. Write up directions for building your project. Be ready to type them tomorrow.

3. TWFTD: rhetoric

4. There is one spelling error (that I know of) in today's blog.

The Writing Process

"Quantity produces quality. If you only write a few things, you're doomed."

Ray Bradbury (SF writer)

Copy and thinkwrite. Discuss.
                Here's a link to an article about 10,000 hours of practice.
                And here's another link on the same topic.
                 Would you like a video on it?
          
Groups share lists. Discuss.


All look at pages 7-11. See anything there you did not discuss?

Establish a vocabulary section in your daybook. Flag.

1. Enter TWFTD: drudgery.

2. Find a quote (by SOMEONE ELSE) that uses the word. For this word, today, you should use the sentence from the Bedford Guide. BUT for all other words, you must choose and copy down a quote using the word, AND GIVE THE SOURCE --an author and a site or publication.

3. Definition? Google? Always give teh source of your definition. Make sure your definition matches how the word is used in the text.

Homework:

1. Read pages 6-15 in Bedford. In your daybook, write out two paragraphs based on the "Learning by Doing" on page 14.

2. Find TWO EXAMPLES of written directions to bring to class. These could be the directions for any product OR a school assignment OR a "how to" from online OR in a manual. They must be hard copies.

3. There IS a typo on the blog today. If you found it, write it down, with a correction, in your daybook under the "Learning by Doing" assignment.

Welcome

This is the place for the daily happenings in class and HOMEWORK.

Today I'm showing you how to bookmark the blog on your Hub page.

I will hand out the course information sheet and calendar. Copies are also available in the Moodle version of this course.

A. On paper, write the answers to these questions about the yellow handout:

1. Copy down my name.

2. From the "Course Objectives" section at the top, list the four goals of this class.

3. Circle the course objective in #2 that you think is the most important for you to practice this quarter.

4. How many points is the daybook worth?

5. How many papers (projects) with feedback will you write?

6. How many "solo" projects (papers) will you write?

7. How many "polished" pages do you have to write to skip the final?

8. What do you think an English teacher might mean by "polished" pages?

9. How can you get a zero on a paper?
 

10. On this blog, what is the first link under the "Useful Links" section?
 

11. Go back to the HUB, open our class in Moodle, and click on the "Grades" link under "Settings" (on the left). Which papers are worth the most points? How many points is that?

We discuss.

B. Now, on the back of your sheet of paper, please do some creative thinking/writing. Please imagine a scenario in the future where you will need to communicate clearly and effectively in writing (this includes typing on computers or phone). Try to describe it in as much detail as possible. Is it work-related? Or is it a personal situation? Is something important hanging in the balance?

Pkease remind me to collect these sheets at the end of class!

Homework:
1. Get your books if you have not, including something to use for a daybook and a folder to hold all your graded papers.

2. On the first page in the daybook, write today's date and "Steps for Writing a Paper." Underneath that title, please use your past experience to put together a list of steps for writing a long paper.

3. Did you notice the typo on today's  blog page? Then skip a couple lines below your "Steps for Writing a Paper" and write the typo from this blog page with its correction.