Sunday Morning and Afternoon Completions

Hi Everyone,

Unlike what I thought, I wasn't able to focus on this type of work after my conference. I was on information overload and wasn't fresh enough to attack your posts.

I have to say that I'm checking some of the ones I've already previewed and can see that many of you have taken my suggestions to heart and really improved upon those reflections. Thanks for listening. DON'T forget to check your spelling! I know you want to be done with all this...I do get that but it is so easy to fix; don't get lazy on me now my friends :)

I'm up early getting into things and will post throughout the day as I get them done. I must say I still can't believe you are all moving onto a new course. I hardly know anyone in my new College Comp class and I will miss each of you. Thanks for a great semester and please come and visit me if you are near my classroom.

Done:

• Grant
• Taylor S.
• Tyler V.
• Andrew
• Cassie
• Dan A.
• Tyler G.
• Samantha
• Tim S.
• Marina
• Alex S.
• Garrett

Just to be clear...make sure you have the following completed for your final portfolio:

1. Letter to the Reader: Introducing the entire collection of entries and discussing what you learned about writing in College Composition this semester. Be sure to explain using the pieces and reflections as evidence.

2. Last Revision: This is the revised copy of the paper you wanted feedback on. I would also briefly reflect on it and what you think of the finished draft and explain the choices you made in updating this draft.

3. Final Revision Request for Feedback: This is the entry where you reflect on a piece you want feedback on from me and list questions for me to address. Your draft should be attached here.

4. Conclusions: There should be an entry where you drafted several conclusions for your 7 Deadly Sins paper. Be sure to introduce what the entry is about and to reflect on each of the revised conclusions. What do you think of each one? Which one is best? What about the feedback from your peers? What did you learn about writing conclusions?

5. Introductions: There should be an entry where you drafted several introductions for your Food Paper. Be sure to introduce what the entry is about and to reflect on each of the revised introductions. What do you think of each one? Which one is best? What about the feedback from your peers? What did you learn about writing introductions?

6. How-To Paper Reflection: You need to analyze and reflect specifically on your how-to paper but you don't need to revise it.

7. 7 Deadly Sins Paper Original: You need to reflect on your original draft and attach it.

8. Revised 7 Deadly Sins Draft: You need to revise your 7 Deadly Sins paper and reflect on it.

9-10. Food Paper: There may be 1 or 2 entries on this paper depending on the status of the original draft.

I hope this helps clear up any confusion.

Ms. Basko

And the rest WILL get done today...and tomorrow!

Here they are as I go on.

• Fred
• Eric
• Taylor D
• Dan H
• TR
• Matt R

Okay...I'm getting there.

I've got a conference to go to downtown tonight and tomorrow until about 2pm.  If I'm not too tired when I get back tonight, I'll do a few more but I've got to be up early to go back to the Hyatt in the morning.

Either way, I'll work on them again tomorrow when I get back from the conference in the afternoon. So for the people getting these back tomorrow:

Dan A, Andrew, Tyler G., Grant, Taylor S., Cassie, Marina, Samantha, Alex, Tim S., Tyler V., and Garrett...

feel free to take until Monday by 5pm if you need it.

Ms. Basko

More Revisions...

So far...

• Morgan
• Tim L.

I'll keep adding as the day goes on.

Ms. B

More Feedback

Hi Everyone,

Congratulations on the last day of your last first semester of high school!

I'm so happy for you all and I'm so happy with all of your hard work this semester. I've really enjoyed meeting and working with every single one of you!

Below are the people that now have revisions from me:

Kate
Jenna
Allie
Clara
Caroline
Megan

More on the way and I'll be working on these ALL day tomorrow!

Ms. Basko

Online Portfolio Letter to the Reader

Hi Seniors,

Only two more days of classes. I'm so happy with all of the work you've done and it was great to read so much outstanding work and reflection this last two days. Here are some guidelines for your letter to the reader of your portfolio. The letter should be at the top of your blog and the goal of the Letter to the Reader is to introduce the entire collection of work to the reader.

Begin by reflection on what you have learned this semester. You might discuss what you thought of yourself as a writer when you first signed up for class and what your self-perceptions of yourself as a writer were early in the course. How have you grown as a writer? What do you think are the greatest strides you've made? How do you know this? What pieces in your portfolio show this growth and learning?

Then take time to introduce each of the blog posts you did. What is significant about each? What do you want the reader of your portfolio to notice about each entry and what you learned?

The format for the letter to the reader is friendly in tone and should actually be in the form of a letter. You can create a unique title for the entry but then the text can actually begin with "Dear Reader," and it can end with a closing of some final thoughts and your signature as you would find it in a letter.

Let me know if you have any questions. I have a sample that I will share later but I only have a hard copy of it and will need to type it in for you. If you have done portfolios before, the format for the introductory letter to the reader is often the same.

Good Luck,

Ms. Basko

I'm Eating a Frog!

Okay, I'm slacking.

I read this book on procrastinating and it says in the introduction that if you begin each day by eating a frog, it will probably be the worst thing that happens to you all day long. Then it goes onto explain that if you want to stop procrastinating, you have to do the things you don't want to do first and get them out of the way. Don't get me wrong, its not like I don't want to read all your blogs...its just that the thought of it overwhelms me.

So, today, I'm eating not just one frog but about twenty-seven of them!

As I finish giving you feedback, I'll add your name to the list below until I'm all done. Remember to read all of my comments as I'm trying to give you as many last minute pointers as I can before the final drafts are submitted.

Wish me luck. The crunchy legs aren't too bad its just the warty slimy parts that I'm not finding very appetizing! Ugh...

Feedback Done:

Jenna
Kate
Allie H.
Tim L.
Clara

Happy Friday--Work Day and Rubric

Hi Everyone,

Today I want you to continue working. In looking through some blogs today I know that many of you have not yet finished proofing your work and leaving comments for your peers.

I am grading you on your peer comments. This will be one of the last grades you earn for this semester so don't ignore this assignment.

I am going to be handing out a rubric for the portfolio in class today. Please read through it and let me know if you have any questions. I will discuss the "Letter to the Reader" with you on Monday.

I will continue working through your blogs and leaving you feedback today in class and over the weekend. I am looking at each of your entries and will leave you feedback on any of them that I think you will want to work on prior to submitting your final portfolio to me for a grade.

As we discussed this week, your portfolios will be due on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Please email me when you have finished it so that I know when you are done working on it and I will access it then.

Good luck and keep up the great work!

Ms. Basko

Work Day and Self-Edit/Revision--Thursday

Hi Everyone,

Happy Thursday! I don't know about you guys but I can't wait for Friday. The plan for today is this for you to make sure you are all caught up. You need to have the following completed:

1. Blog #1: The Food Paper Reflection #1
2. Blog #2--maybe: If you answered no to any of the questions listed, you may have a second draft of the Food Paper listed
3. Blog #3: 3 New Introductions
4. Blog #4: Seven Deadly Sins Post #1
5. Blog #5: Seven Deadly Sins Post #2
6. Blog #6: 2 New Conclusions
8. Blog #7: How-To Paper Reflections
9. Blog #8: Reflection and Request to Basko about one last draft for revision

10. Visit other blogs and comment on food paper drafts

When you finish with this:

1. Check all of your blog entries for typos, mistakes and to be sure that they read the way you want them to.
2. Revise your Blog Entry Titles--be creative!
3. Be happy that we are almost done! I am so proud of each of you :)

Basko

The Last Revision and Peer Feedback

1. For your last revision, please select one of your remaining drafts for instructor feedback:

• Celebrity Paper
• Picture Paper
• Exemplification Paper (music or language)
• Character Sketch

Post a brief reflection and introduction to the paper. What are your thoughts on it? What does the paper do well? What would you like feedback on? Give me 3 or 4 specific things to focus on as I review it so that you get the meaningful feedback you want.

Copy and paste the most recent draft of this paper below your reflection in italics, run a spell check, and publish the post.

2. Food Paper Peer Comments: Please see the revised copies of papers of others that worked in the same group that you did for the food paper. Read their revisions and leave comments.

Read through each author's revised introductions and also leave a comment to explain which one is your favorite and why.

Chips:

Tim L http://talportfolio.blogspot.com/
Jenna http://jmc121692.blogspot.com/
Megan http://mbuisman.blogspot.com/
Dan http://youcantseeme123.blogspot.com/
Garrett http://garrettwsportfolio.blogspot.com/
Tyler V http://tvl11portfolio.blogspot.com/
Marina R http://marinarportfolio.blogspot.com/
Samantha http://butireallyamhappy.blogspot.com/
Cassie http://cmpeek.blogspot.com/

Chocolate:

Caroline http://sugarlandd.blogspot.com/
Allie http://haltof.blogspot.com/
Dan H http://dancollegecomp.blogspot.com/
Andrew http://collegecompandrewbrown.blogspot.com/
Morgan http://morgansporfolio.blogspot.com/
Tim S http://collegcomp.blogspot.com/
Alex S http://alexanderschillaci.blogspot.com/
Taylor S http://taylorscolllegecomp.blogspot.com/
Tori-- http://tr-collegecomp.blogspot.com/


Cookies:
Grant http://grantcollegecomp.blogspot.com/
Tyler G http://tyler-bloggarific.blogspot.com/ (Tyler wins the award for the most creative URL)
Kate D http://kdcollegecomp.blogspot.com/
Eric http://edehondport.blogspot.com/
Fred http://fcrilly.blogspot.com/
Clara http://clarabblog.blogspot.com/
Kelsey http://kwynne3.blogspot.com/
Matt http://mattr-blogtastic.blogspot.com/ (okay...Matt and Tyler are now tied for best URL)
Taylor D http://taylordreste.blogspot.com/

How-To/Process Analysis Draft--Reflection Only Post

Happy Tuesday Everyone,

Today your goal is to:

1. Read through the "How-To" paper you drafted earlier this semester with a partner.
2. Read and discuss the feedback you received with your partner.
3. Discuss with your partner the changes you would each like to see made to this paper.
4. Create an individual online blog reflection for this draft. Be sure to include:

• Your initial thoughts on the assignment.
• How you and your partner came up with your topic.
• Any obstacles you had in drafting the paper and how you overcame them.
• What was easy for you and your partner in this assignment.
• What revisions you would make to the paper now.
• Cite your own paper using quotes from the draft to explain your reflection on this draft.
• Specific suggestions and ideas on how you would improve this paper if you were asked to do so.

5. Copy and paste your rough draft of this paper to the bottom of your blog in italics.
6. Spell check your posting and publish it.

If you finish this today, you are done for today. If you don't finish today, be sure to finish tonight as we will be moving on to something new tomorrow. You will not be revising this paper but please do give it your time and attention for your portfolio.

Ms. Basko

CONCLUSION WORK

Once you are finished with the steps below and have already posted your revised and 2nd "7 Deadly Sins Draft"....

This is a new blog entry for you that focuses on conclusions.

1. Read/skim the packet I handed out in class about conclusions.
2. Select two new conclusion types for your "7 Deadly Sins paper"
3. Explain the two new types of conclusions you are trying for this paper. Then below each explanation type the conclusion paragraph below it in italics just as you did your introductions last week.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Basko

7 Deadly Sins Paper and Conclusions

Hi Everyone,

Today I'd like for you to work on the following four things:

1. Peer URL Exchange: Make sure that your partner from last week has the URL for your blog so that they can go in and give you some feedback on the different introductions you created for your "Food Paper."

2. Peer Feedback--"Food Paper": Give your partner feedback on the different introductions that they created for their "Food Paper." Think about the following:

• What do you think about each introduction?
• What are the strengths of each one?
• Which one is your favorite way to begin the paper? Explain why.

3. Reflect--"7 Deadly Sins Paper" POST #1: Next, you can focus on creating a blog entry reflecting on your "7 Deadly Sins Paper." Use the questions below to help guide your reflection:

• What were you thinking when you first drafted this paper and read the "All Seven Deadly Sins Committed at Church Bake Sale" a few months ago?
• What did you think of the draft as you worked on it?
• What did you struggle with?
• What came easy for you in this draft?
• What did you learn about exemplification while working on this draft?
• What did you think of this draft when you read it again yesterday?
• What are the greatest strengths of the paper as you look at it now?
• What are the weaknesses as you look at it now?
• Based on the self-revision green sheet you completed yesterday, what do you need to work on?

Be specific as you discuss changes you will make and be sure to cite your own work. By cite, I mean, quote your own drafts and peer-revision sheet to help prove why you feel the way that you do in the reflection.

Once you finish this reflection, copy and paste the first draft in italics just below it, spell-check, and publish your post.

4. Revise--POST #2: Once you have finished your reflection and posted it, revise your "7 Deadly Sins Paper" using the information that you created on the green self-revision sheet. Once you have revised this draft (Draft #2), write a brief 1-paragraph reflection explaining what you think about the revised paper. Copy and paste your revised draft below it in italics, spell check it, and then publish the post.

5. Conclusions--POST #3: The next assignment and revision of this paper will focus on conclusions. I think you have plenty to work on for today but if you should finish the work described above, see me for a handout on conclusions.

Enjoy the writing time today and don't waste time. I will expect all of this done by the end of class tomorrow and Friday we will move onto something new.

Let me know if you have any questions,

Ms. Basko

Food Paper--Revision

Happy Friday Everyone,

I started reading your blogs today and I'm going to be getting through the rest of them by mid-day on Saturday. Look for some of my specific suggestions then. Until that time, I would like you to check your draft carefully for the following:

1. What did you promise your reader in the introduction? Identify the thesis of your paper in your introduction. What did you promise to deliver? The purpose of this paper should have been to compare, evaluate, and analyze the assigned food. You need to state this somehow early on in the paper.

2. Did you deliver what you promised?  Some of you didn't fulfill the purpose of the assignment. You were asked to compare, analyze and contrast the foods you tasted and to describe the experience. Some of your drafts were instead a process analysis paper explaining how chocolate is made while others revealed an in-depth history of each of five chocolate chip companies. And neither of them mentioned the taste testing that was done in preparation for this paper.

3. Did you use description, comparison, and definition? These were the three techniques that you were asked do use in this paper. Is each of them evident at some point? Did you use point-by-point or subject-by-subject?

4. If the answer is NO to any of these three questions, you must address these issues first.

5. If the answer is YES to all three of these questions, move onto the following:

• Draft 3 Different Introductions: Draft 3 new introductions for this paper using the samples and lists we saw in the yellow packet earlier this week.
• NEW POST: Explain that you are trying new introduction techniques, and explain what techniques your original draft uses, if any. Then explain what three techniques you want to try and why. After the explanation of each technique, draft the new introduction below it in italics. 
• Spell Check and Publish Post: When you finish, give your peer from the other day the URL address for your site and ask them to read your introductions and to comment about each and to make a recommendation about which one you might use in your next revision.

Have a great weekend,

Ms. Basko

Food Paper Revisions

Welcome Back to the Computer Lab!

Today you will be revising your "food paper." Below is a list of tasks for you to accomplish with this draft:

1. READ SILENTLY: Read your own "food paper." Draft 5 possible new titles for this paper and write them on the blue sheet to share with your partner.

2. PAIR-UP: Meet with your assigned partner--Exchange papers and read each other's drafts.

3. PEER FEEDBACK: Discuss each paper using the questions on the blue sheet. But YOU write down what they say in response to each of the questions. So, use the blue sheet like a sort of an interview where you ask them the question about your paper and then record the response you get. Use this time to clarify and ask any questions. Peer reviewers, please pay particular attention to the title and to the introduction for this paper. Try to use some of the suggestions and ideas from our classnotes yesterday to help guide the feedback that you provide to the writer.

4. BLOG: On your blog, create a new post. You can title this post, "Food Paper" and then I'd like you to reflect on the draft you wrote and the feedback you recieved. Use the questions below to help guide your reflective thinking. THIS reflection is part of your final portfolio and final grade. As such, be sure to put in quality reflection, time, and effort.

• Think back to when you first drafted this paper. What did you need to learn in order to draft this paper? What did you think about it? Did you struggle with the first draft? What was easiest? Hardest? What did you enjoy best about this draft as you worked on it? What parts were frustrating to you? What techniques did you use to develop this draft? This is the time to use some of the vocabulary that we learned in this course to help you explain what you did and what you learned this semester.
• When you first re-read this draft today, what did you enjoy about your draft? What changes did you think needed to be made? Again, use the vocabulary of our course to help you explain.
• What feedback did you recieve from your partner? What suggestions were most helpful?
• What do you plan to revise on this paper? Be specific. Mention specific paragraphs and lines in your reflection.

5. COPY AND PASTE: Below the reflection, paste in a copy of your draft in its current form. Put the draft in italics so that it stands out as the draft.

6. SPELL CHECK AND PUBLISH POST: Please use the spell check feature to check your post for errors. Any questionable spellings will appear highlighted in yellow. If you click on each yellow highlighted word, a pull-down menu of options will appear for you. Re-read your entire posting to be sure that it sounds the way that you want it to.

7. SEE MS. BASKO: When you are finished, see Ms. Basko. When you come see me, bring me a copy of the URL to your blog site. For example, my College Composition URL address is: http://laprofessora-sonia.blogspot.com/

Anything you don't finish in class today, MUST BE FINISHED FOR HOMEWORK. If you don't finish in class today and bring me your blog URL, you will need to email it to me tonight. Be sure to tell me who you are.

See you all tomorrow!

Basko