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.

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

On Wednesday you will build each other's REVISED directions, and on Thursday 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 Monday.

3. TWFTD: rhetoric

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