Journal -- Strengths and Weaknesses
Everyone has something that they do well. Some people have obvious talents and some people have skills that may not be so easily noticed. In fact, sometimes people are good at things and need someone else to tell them so. Think about what things you do well. What are your strengths? Are they things you think you do well, or that others say you are good at?
Of course the reverse to this is our weaknesses. Everyone has them. Things we know we don't do well, or things that we know hinder our ability to do so. Whether your weakness is something mental/emotional (like stage fright) or physical, try to identify what your own weaknesses might be.
31 January 2010
28 January 2010
Friday the 29th
Happy Friday!
Today you are Free-Writing in your journal. Your entry can be about anything you want. I will put some random topics at the bottom of this post if you are stuck and cannot think of anything.
When you are done with your entry, you may read, work on something for another class, or write!
Remember to give me your journal before you leave class!
Suggestions:
1. What is your favorite time of year?
2. Describe a place from your past.
3. Describe a family member.
4. NOthing can be worse than...(finish the thought)
Today you are Free-Writing in your journal. Your entry can be about anything you want. I will put some random topics at the bottom of this post if you are stuck and cannot think of anything.
When you are done with your entry, you may read, work on something for another class, or write!
Remember to give me your journal before you leave class!
Suggestions:
1. What is your favorite time of year?
2. Describe a place from your past.
3. Describe a family member.
4. NOthing can be worse than...(finish the thought)
27 January 2010
Thursday the 28th
Journal Entry -- Where Will We Be?
What do you hope to be doing or where do you see yourself in:
Five years?
Ten years?
In what ways can writing help you accomplish those goals?
After you have finished your entry, wait for me to move on. You may work on other classwork, write an extra entry, or read.
In class materials:
http://www.umass.edu/admissions/documents/ugadmissionapp.pdf
What do you hope to be doing or where do you see yourself in:
Five years?
Ten years?
In what ways can writing help you accomplish those goals?
After you have finished your entry, wait for me to move on. You may work on other classwork, write an extra entry, or read.
In class materials:
http://www.umass.edu/admissions/documents/ugadmissionapp.pdf
26 January 2010
Wednesday the 27th
JOURNAL ENTRIES ONE AND TWO
There is something exciting about writing in a new, blank journal. You are making your mark, leaving a record of your thoughts and feelings.
There are many reasons to write a journal and many things you can put in your journal. Your journal grade will be based on writing a certain number of entries per grading period, not based on content/spelling/grammar. The number of entries that are due by the 5 weeks marking period are thirty (30). This may seem like quite a few now, but you are writing at least five a week in class. So that means only five will be written outside of class and are totally up to you for their topic!
Remember-- all entries need the DATE and a TITLE.
ex.
27 January 2010
Tips for Journal Writing
You are going to make two entries today in your journal. (Only 28 to go!)
FIRST ENTRY -- Tips for Journal Writing
http://www.scribetime.com/Journal-Writing-Tips-How-to-Keep-a-Journal_ep_44-1.html
Go to the web address listed above. There is a list of journal writing tips. Pick five tips that you like best and want to remember. Write these tips in your journal in your own words.
SECOND ENTRY -- When We Write...
Respond to the below questions...
When do you find you do the most writing? (at home, in class, etc.)
What do you usually write? (essays, journal/diary, poems, notes to friends, texts, etc.)
What aspects of writing do you enjoy? What aspects do you find difficult or that you dislike?
There is something exciting about writing in a new, blank journal. You are making your mark, leaving a record of your thoughts and feelings.
There are many reasons to write a journal and many things you can put in your journal. Your journal grade will be based on writing a certain number of entries per grading period, not based on content/spelling/grammar. The number of entries that are due by the 5 weeks marking period are thirty (30). This may seem like quite a few now, but you are writing at least five a week in class. So that means only five will be written outside of class and are totally up to you for their topic!
Remember-- all entries need the DATE and a TITLE.
ex.
27 January 2010
Tips for Journal Writing
You are going to make two entries today in your journal. (Only 28 to go!)
FIRST ENTRY -- Tips for Journal Writing
http://www.scribetime.com/Journal-Writing-Tips-How-to-Keep-a-Journal_ep_44-1.html
Go to the web address listed above. There is a list of journal writing tips. Pick five tips that you like best and want to remember. Write these tips in your journal in your own words.
SECOND ENTRY -- When We Write...
Respond to the below questions...
When do you find you do the most writing? (at home, in class, etc.)
What do you usually write? (essays, journal/diary, poems, notes to friends, texts, etc.)
What aspects of writing do you enjoy? What aspects do you find difficult or that you dislike?
25 January 2010
Welcome to Writing for the Next Level!
There are as many reasons to write as there are types of writing. From personal letters to research papers, resumes to poetry, each different form has a format to follow. Yet each writer is different and individual writing style acts as a fingerprint that distinguishes and identifies an author.
The aim of this course is to help you become a more distinguished writer. We will be looking at and practicing many different types of writing and will work on improving our skills with language use and word choices. We will accomplish this by reading, journaling, discussing, editing, revising, and, of course, writing.
The course will cover the following types of writing:
Application Writing
We will look at how and what to write when applying to college, for a job, or for a scholarship. We will cover applications, personal statements, resumes, cover letters, and essays for college admission and scholarships.
Scholarly Writing
We will work on strengthening our skills in organization and style for writing formal research papers, as well as analytical essays. We will also work on proper format and documentation according to MLA.
Memoir Writing
We will look at the recording of personal experiences through writing, discussing why people write about this topic and what makes others want to read it. We will read memoirs as well as write our own.
Creative Writing
We will have the opportunity to learn about various styles of creative writing such as: short story, poetry, song writing, mystery writing, and graphic novel/cartoon writing.
BLOGGING
There is a blog that accompanies this class that you will access for your daily prompt. This blog will also be useful as a means of easy access to websites and other information that I want us to use in class. This also makes it easy if you have missed a day to stay up to date and is an easy way to communicate with me.
The blog address is: http://writingforthenextlevel.blogspot.com/
My Email: msfitzell@gmail.com
Required Class Materials –Have these with you every day.
Ø You will need a notebook to be used as a journal.
Ø A notebook and folder OR binder for class notes and assignments.
Ø Pen or pencil—All assignments are to be legible and written in a dark ink. If I cannot read it, I cannot grade it.
Ø Journals – You will have a daily journal topic assigned that will be posted on the Writing for the Next Level blog. All journal entries need to have the date and a title. For teacher assigned prompts, you will also have a title given.
Grading
| Percent of grade | Assignment Type | Assignment Description |
| 25 % | Journal | Journals will be turned in at the end of class each Friday to be graded and returned Monday. You will have teacher assigned journal prompts, but you will also be responsible for writing on your own topics in your journal on Friday. |
| 20 % | Class Work | Assignments given in class ranging from group work to questions on texts. |
| 20 % | Quizzes | You will be assessed on understanding of different topics discussed in class and notes taken. |
| 35 % | Writing Assignment | You will be practicing the different types of writing we will be looking at, so writing assignments will vary in terms of length and format. Be sure to pay attention to specific directions for each assignment to ensure full credit can be obtained. |
Check Grades: Class work and journal entries will receive check mark grades.
|
|
|
| X |
| 100 complete no mistakes | 80 complete few mistakes | 60 complete several mistakes | 0 incomplete late incorrect |
On Fridays you will be given time to Free-Write in your Journal. We will have the first twenty minutes set aside to journal. While you are required to spend time writing, what you write will be up to you. When you are done free-writing, you have time to do the following activities:
Ø Free-read – you may read any book of your choosing.
Ø Work Shop writing – you may bring in writing you are doing for this class, or for another, to workshop.
Ø Free-Write – you may work on writing for a project for this, or another, class.
REMEMBER -- Friday is when you turn your journal in to me. If you are absent, simply turn the journal in the following Friday.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)