Lessons for Three Weeks

English 1301

You and Mr. Hall

Angryverbs.blogspot.com

Mhall46184@aol.com

BlahBoard

13 November 2014

 

Week of 17 – 20 November 2014

Week of 24 – 27 November 2014

Week of 1 – 4 December 2014

 

For ten bonus points your research papers are due no later than 11:04 A.M. on Thursday, 20 November, for everyone.

 

I will be pleased to continue giving one-on-one assistance with research papers through 18 December.  After that I will be pleased to continue giving on-on-one assistance with other projects, as always

 

Jasper High School is off for the Thanksgiving hols all week 24-28 November, and so are you, including adult students.  However, Angelina College is in session on the 24^th of November and I will have office hours from 0945 – 11:04 that day.  I will accept your paper for the ten bonus points as late at 11:04.  If you come in later I will not be here, and leaving your paper with the office staff doesn’t count.

 

Your official due-date is the week of 3-6 December.  I will accept your papers at the beginning of class NLT 6 December.

 

Late papers will be accepted with a ten-point penalty NLT the beginning of class on 11 December.  This is the mercy; three months is enough time to write a short research paper, find a computer, buy and ink cartridge for the computer, and retrieve your paper from your friend’s pickup truck in Louisiana.

 

When we return from Thanksgiving hols we will begin business letters and scholarship application techniques, so there will be no more in-class time for working on research papers.

 

11 November: Information for Week of 10-13 November and Week of 17-20 November

English 1301

You and Mr. Hall

Angryverbs.blogspot.com

Mhall46184@aol.com

BlahBoard

11 November 2014

 

Week of 10-13 November and

Week of 17-20 November

 

1. Expository essay – those of you in the government class have a paper due for that instructor on Monday.  This is an excellent assignment requiring the use of Bloom’s Taxonomy, research in authoritative sources, exposition, parenthetical references, a works cited, and a conclusion  (not an opinion).  Because of the excellence of this assignment it will serve as a replacement assignment for the how-to essay I am assigning you.  My assignment is somewhat easier and is due later, but if you choose to submit a photocopy or printout of your government paper you will be saved a little effort. You must make a choice; I’m not going to grade two different assignments.  Those of you not in the government class will write my how-to assignment.
    
   The appropriate response is “Thank you, Mr. Hall,” not “Huh?”, “What?”, I don’t understand,” Geeez,” or “Would you explain that again?”
    
   Be aware that your grade for this paper in this class might be different from the grade in the other class because the classes are different and the instructors will be looking for different emphases.  If this possibility is going to cause you distress, then work the how-to assignment.
    
2. Your test and your essay will be due by 11:04 A.M. on Thursday, 20 November.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
   A Bloom’s Taxonomy pyramid for you from:
    
   http://www.teachthought.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/BloomsTaxonomySized.jpg

Lessons, Week of 10-13 November 2014

English 1301

You and Mr. Hall

Angryverbs.blogspot.com

Mhall46184@aol.com

BlahBoard

8 November 2014

 

Week of 10-13 November – Various topics

 

Evaluating Sources

 

College writing is professional writing.  Step away from emotions, passion, moods, feelings, and opinions, and evaluate sources for reliability.  The bullet list on p. 544 and the tables on pp. 545, 548, and 549 of your text will be useful.  Do not source Schmoop (and, really, the very name is its own caution), Wikipedia, SparkNotes, Cliff’s Notes, encyclopediae / encyclopedias, YahooAnswers, TMZ, Wookiepedia, FaceBook, YouTube, BuzzFeed, and other popular culture sites.  They can be both entertaining and useful, but one does not go to Wookiepedia for, say, engineering knowledge.

 

However, sites with professional-sounding names are also not necessarily reliable; anyone can create a nice-looking site and call it “The National Association of Professional (whatevers).”

 

All this is why I wish for you to filter your sources through the AC portal – the site swamis have ensured that the sources are academic / professional.  If you are still having trouble with the AC portal, talk to the smart kid next to you who has managed to access it.  If even he or she can’t help you, you’ll have to take extra time to determine whether the sites you’ve accessed otherwise are truly worthy of you or if some of them were generated by a sixteen-year-old who can sling big words around.  Do have me verify a site if you have any doubt at all about it.

 

Lessons for the Week of 10-13 November

 

How-To (expository, for our purposes) Essay.  The assignment includes a handout.  Because of Veterans’ Day scheduling this is not due until next week.

 

Test

 

We’ll take another test on MLA research papers.

 

Research Paper

 

Continue writing your research paper.  Most of you seem to be making good progress (some few exceptions), but don’t grow complacent.  Remember that this one paper is 15% of your final grade.

 

Bibliography format – something called Easybib is available for free on the ‘net.  This will help you set up your bibliography according to the MLA format.  Be sure you are following the MLA style and not one of the many others.  Paying for a site to help you with your bibliography is needless; the good ones are free.

 

Veterans’ Day

 

Note the use of the plural possessive: Veterans’ Day, not Veteran’s Day.  We have more than one veteran.

 

As advised last week, Tuesday morning’s class is optional / no attendance taken / free space / king’s X.  I will be available on the AC campus for you, though I do not anticipate being on site early or staying late.

 

Thursday Morning Class

 

Disassembling the footings of keyboards in the computer lab might be therapeutic (the concept eludes me), but they should have been reassembled once the therapy was accomplished.  Leaving tasks for others to accomplish is not The Bulldog Way.  I have saved the parts for you for reassembly this week.

 

SEUSSODYSSEY

 

Delightful!  Thank you! That was a fine bit of dancing, singing, and merriment, and I am very proud of you who put this together. 

 

Note that SEUSSODYSSEY  is italicized because it is the title of a full-length play. Here it is in all caps because it is that way on the program.

 

 

21 October 2014 - Research Paper Notes

English 1301

You and Mr. Hall

Angryverbs.blogspot.com

Mhall46184@aol.com

BlackBoard

21 October 2014

 

Good work so far this week! 

 

Most of you have chosen and narrowed a topic; now consider your thesis and write to it using valid sources through Angelina’s portal. 

 

The deficiencies are often due to a global / emotional choice of topics.  Remember that the purpose of this short paper is to help you develop your critical thinking skills and your control of the MLA format through stating a thesis and defending it with facts and reason.  We are not going to solve the world’s problems in the next two weeks, so choose a somewhat interesting topic, not a fascinating one, that you can research with authoritative resources.

 

Remember that your paper is to be devoid of all personality, so write in a detached, objective, third-person voice.

 

Work on your paper a little bit each day during the week, and more on weekends. 

Lessons, Week of 20-23 October 2014

English 1301

You and Mr. Hall

Angryverbs.blogspot.com

Mhall46184@aol.com

BlackBoard

 

Week of 20 – 23 October 2014

 

For the remainder of the term there will be fewer updates; however, you might look in on angryverbs.blogspot.com and BlackBoard once a week or so.

 

Your semester exams will be returned to you this week.

 

Research papers –

 

1. Read the two sets of assignment specifics given to you as a six-page handout during the week of 1-3 October.  “Read” in this context means, well, read.  Given the very large size of this class, one-on-one time is very limited.  Asking a question about a point covered in the handout takes away from another student’s needs.
2. Read the textbook pages assigned to you in August.  If you are one of the few who read a few pages every day since then, you have accomplished this and are well-prepared.  Given the very large size of this class, one-on-one time is very limited.  Asking a question about a point covered in the assigned textbook pages takes away from another student’s needs.
3. This week’s priority: every student will have chosen a topic and written a thesis statement (the thesis statement will be the first sentence in your completed paper) by the end of class on Wednesday / Thursday.  Once you have narrowed your topic and written your thesis statement, have me sign off on it on the time tine I gave you as part of your assignment packet.  Do not surprise me in December and expect that Santa Claus will give you a good grade.  “I don’t know what to write about” is a whine, not a useful statement. 
    
   Those of you who wish me to read your rough drafts – good for you!  But please wait until everyone in your class section has had me sign off on his (the pronoun is gender-neutral) topic and his thesis statement.
    
4. The expensive textbook your parents bought you is not a fashion accessory.  Learn to use – and then use them - the tables of contents within the covers and the index at the back of the book.  If you encounter a problem or question, your sequence of clarification should be thus:
    

1. Re-read the six-page assignment handout. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, then -
2. Look up the question or problem in the textbook’s tables of contents.  If that doesn’t resolve the issue, then -
3. Look up the question or problem in the textbook’s index.  If that doesn’t resolve the issue, then –
4. Ask a pal if he understands the issue or knows where the resolution can be found in the assignment or in the book.  If that doesn’t resolve the issue, then –
5. Ask me! 
    

1. On Monday / Tuesday I will use the first half of the class for direct instruction predicated on the research writing section of your textbook.  The second half of the class will be for you, the student, to finalize your topic, write a thesis statement, and have me sign off on both of them, and to continue working on your research paper. 
2. On Wednesday / Thursday the entire class period will be given over for research writing and for finalizing topics and thesis statements, and (one hopes) for me to read and mark rough drafts.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Semester Exam

Semester Exam - Let’s anticipate your semester exam on Monday and Tuesday, 13 and 14 October. Bring all your impedimenta to class.

Test Results for 1 - 2 October

 

Test Results for 1 – 2 October 2014

 

100              3 students

90-99           13

80-89           8

70-79            9

60-59           70                
0                  1 (student was absent and will take the test later)