12.14.2011 Final Exam + Grades

Process for sending grades:  You wrote your final exam today and sent it to me as an attachment.  Many of you checked in on your participation + midterm grades before you left (exactly half the credit for  the course) so you should have a good idea where you are.

I will be grading your exams and the rest of your research papers as quickly as I can.  I hope to have your complete grade calculated and sent to your email by the end of Friday.  So keep an eye out.  If you find that I have made a mistake (which is entirely possible) or if you have issues with work was evaluated - please be in touch before Sunday.  If there are errors in the way your grade was calculated we can correct them  If I don't hear from you - I will assume you are OK.

I will post grades to Keanwise on Monday.  

What to expect on your grade sheet:  The grade sheet has all the numbers.  Hopefully the grades for participation + midterm are already clear (since I have mailed you comments on that work, and your participation is largely a product of your attendance).  

As we discussed the research essay + final exam will be worth 200 or 300 points = with the higher weight going to the stronger work.  I will send back your essay + your exam with comments.  These comments will not be as extensive as comments to drafts - because I do not expect that you will be revising.  At the same time - the comments should help you understand both why you earned the grade - and what to work on as you continue to write papers and exams for other courses.  .

About this course. . .

You grappled with big ideas in language and literacy in this course.  You read  "real research" - essays where professionals in composition, literacy studies and linguistics proposed theories for how to understand the way literacies work.   I am hoping you continue to think about those ideas as you go forward in your education and your professional lives = judging by your research papers and class discussions => you have new perspectives to contribute to this field!

I want to thank you for your good will and good work.  This was the first time I taught this course - and I prepared it on short notice - so the course design clearly had some "bugs" in it.  Your suggestions last week were EXTREMELY helpful. 

At the same time - and despite all its faults - I loved teaching this course.  I looked forward to every class.  You are a wonderful group to work with.  I enjoyed reading your writing and listening to your comments in class..Even the fiascos associated with the study guides were an education for me.  Thanks!

   

12.14 Final Exam

Selfe (1999):  technology and the classroom = how teachers teach it, literacy and access, educator's role, technology is not neutral= potential for technology to exclude users by race, class, gender, and discourse

Selfe & Selfe (1994): politics of the interface; MS office made for business; metaphors of the interface; 
exclusion by language group => coding ASCII ; structure of interface reflects white, middle class male literacies; 

McGee & Ericsson (2002): politics of the grammar checker => designed for business not for education; the essay proposed a different set of designers; problems posed by grammar checkers for teaching writing: false senes of security=

Eldred (1991):  4 approaches to teaching writing;  technology asintegral to effective literacy pedagogy; choice of technology, ease of use, participation, audience

Williams (2001): hypertext pedagogy; design model for teaching writing; how hypertext changes composing + composing process

Hayles (2008): hyper attention=> multitasking, aware of multiple inputs, need for stimulation + interaction, active;  deep attention = focused, sustained attention = like reading a Dickens novel

Herring (1994) : men v women behavior + value systems related to the internet; politeness (+ and - P, + and - N) = different values for politeness AND for freedom

boyd (2007):  social networking and teenagers; identity creation, social status, [impression management]; social networking connects identity to writing and the features of persistence, searchability, replicability, & invisble audience further complicate identity issues => publics play critical role in development of identity; tensions between public and private

12.7 Plan for revising Research Essays, Weighting chart for grades, and discussion of final

We began class with a discussion of what the class (in general) needed to work on to revise the research essay.  We reviewed the assignment sheet and emphasized that the purpose of the assignment (in addition to what was listed on the sheet) was to  demonstrate mastery of theorists, show that you can apply them to your research question, and to demonstrate your ability to critique (question, evaluate) - the theorists you discuss.

Essay organization:  We then discussed the points you neeeded to make and an organization (approximate) that would provide a clear, logical narration for your essay (where background information is provided BEFORE the discussion where you refer back to that information).


Introduction
Set up a clear research question

Maybe = refer to/summarize other research that poses your question

Make points about why your question is relevant or important

Set up /introduce the  theorists you will discuss

Give a broad overview of why their theory is relevant + how you will apply it (write this or at least review it after you have written your essay)

Body

Discuss or make connection to your focus in terms of  4 theorists.  Ask yourself the following questions about each discussion.  

·       What point I make with respect to my focus (for this theorist)?

·       Is my summary of what the theorist says accurate?  Is it central to that theorist’s  work – (or should I choose a differdnt theorist to make this point)?

·       Have I extended or applied this theory in a new way?

·       Do I critique or question the theorist’s ideas when appropriate?

Conclusion:  Provide the :"answer" to your research question, reiterate (briefly) your points, and (if appropriate) point out any remaining questions. 


Process:  We also discussed a process for revising your draft.  The bullets below list "moves" - though you will probably need to "cycle through" these moves - rather than doing them once or checking them off.

• Make sure you are writing to a focus suitable for the assignment
• Develop as much material as you need
• Are my points in the best order? => reverse outline
• Make appropriate moves/revisions
• Revise content for appropriate set up + transition
• Revise intro + conclusion

When you are finished revising for content - revise for grammar, word choice, clarity etc.


Good luck.




Grades:  The following table lists the plan for weighting the different assignments as I calculate your grades.

1.  Study guides, in-class reflective writing, class participation: 250 points 

                                                                    

2.  Midterm + Class presentations:  250 points

3. Literacies project:    300 (200) points           


4. Final exam:  200 (300) points

Total points for course                                   1000 points

For points 3 & 4, project scores will be weighted in accordance with your best performance.


Final exam:
Your final exam will be posted on the blog at the beginning of class next week.  You will have both class periods (and some time after if you need it) to write the exam.  You will be presented with 4 questions and instructed to choose two.  Each question will request that you discuss 3-4 theorists (depending how many are relevant).  Your discussions will need to include in-depth references to a minimum of 6 of the 8  theorists.


Exams will be in essay form and they will be graded on:
Original thinking in response to the question
Appropriate choice of theorists 
Accuracy of statements about the main points/central concerns of the theorists you discuss
Original or re-cast application of theory suitable to issues raised by the question 
In-depth, critical analysis of theory as it applies to the question
Clarity and organization of the answer


Good luck!  And thanks for the great feedback on how to re-design the course. I have lots to think about!

Some sample questions you came up with for the different topics

What we will do in our next class:

More practice taking apart questions = figuring out what to answer; bring questions about theorists

the internet and " learning to read social cues and react accordingly":Hayles, Herring, boyd

How has the internet changed the way we communicate with others

digital technologies, composing process, and teaching writing:  McGee & Ericsson, Eldred, Williams, Selfe

 how have digital technologies changed best practices for teaching writing?

digital spaces and social justice issues: Selfe; Selfe &Selfe, Herring, boyd

literacies and interfaces: Selfe& Selfe, McGee & Ericsson, Williams, [Hayles], boyd

discuss disadvantages of currently available interfaces for (define particular users)

literate practices and digital technologies: McGee & Ericsson, Hayles, Herring, boyd, Eldred

how does Eldred’s principles about choice of technology, ease of use, participation and audience influence changing literate practices associated with digital technologies

Explain how digital technologies have changed the way we use writing for social interactions

Social networking

Email

Blog

Interactions in classrooms

New language

11.30 boyd, Herring and exam questions

List of theorists for second half of the term:

Selfe:  technology and the classroom = how teachers teach it, literacy and access, educator's role, technology is not neutral= potential for technology to exclue users by race, class + gender


Selfe & Selfe: politics of the interface; MS office made for business; metaphors of the interface;
exclusion by language group => coding ASCII ; structure of interface reflects white, middle class male literacies;


McGee & Ericsson: politics of the grammar checker => designed for business not for education; the essay proposed a different set of designers; problems posed by grammar checkers for teaching writing: false senes of security=


Eldred:  4 approaches to teaching writing;  technology asintegral to effective literacy pedagogy; choice of technology, ease of use, participation, audience

Williams: hypertext pedagogy; design model for teaching writing; how hypertext changes composing + composing process

Hayles: hyper attention=> multitasking, aware of multiple inputs, need for stimulation + interaction, active;  deep attention = focused, sustained attention = like reading a Dickens novel

Herring : men v women behavior + value systems related to the internet; politeness (+ and - P, + and - N) = different values for politeness AND for freedom

boyd:  social networking and teenagers; identity creation, social status, [impression management]; social networking connects identity to writing and the features of persistence, searchability, replicability, & invisble audience further complicate identity issues => publics play critical role in development of identity; tensions between public and private



List of topics for exam questions:

the internet and " learning to read social cues and react accordingly":Hayles, Herring, boyd

digital technologies, composing process, and teaching writing:  McGee & Ericsson, Eldred, Williams

digital spaces and social justice issues: Selfe; Selfe &Selfe, Herring, boyd

literacies and interfaces: Selfe& Selfe, McGee & Ericsson, Williams, [Hayles], boyd

literate practices and digital technologies: McGee & Ericsson, Hayles, Herring, boyd

For next class:

I will return your draft research essays with comments.  We will use the class as a workshop for your research essays, and as a review for the final exam.

11.16 Hypertext pedagogy, hyper-attention and deep attention

We started class with a discussion of the mid-term, and how to set up the due dates/assignments for the rest of the term (see the previous post).  I have invited all of you (at your kean email) as editors for a google.doc sign up sheet for a conference on your research essay or anything you might need to talk about.  If the times listed don't work for you, or if you cannot access the document - send me an email.

The study guides for Williams, and for Hayles are posted.

No class Wednesday, November 23:
For class Wednesday, November30:
Read: Politeness in computer culture,    Why youth © social networking sites
Study guide links should be sent to me by Sunday, November 27.

Have a great Thanksgiving and see you in two weeks.

Due dates + planning for the rest of the term

Research paper

Optional submit research question + theorists & some discussion about how they fit:  by Friday Nov 18 for feedback by Nov 23

Draft due: November 30 

include questions/requests for help

Returned by December 5

Final project due: December 14

Final exam:

Focus for exam announced November 30

Review December 7

In-Class final examp december 14