1 CM 220 College Composition II Professor Julie O’Connor-Colvin General Education, Composition Kaplan University

UNIT 1 SEMINAR Changing the World, One Idea at a Time Course outcomes Syllabus information Tips for success Academic writing Writing about Big Ideas 2

Seminar tips Hit F11 if the box to type text disappears; this will enlarge your screen and should bring the box back Make sure speakers are on If you cannot hear me, try logging out and back in Once class starts, keep comments on-topic and respect your classmates 3

Since this is our first seminar together, let me introduce myself. My name is Julie O’Connor-Colvin. I have a Master of English degree, am almost done with my PhD degree in American Studies, have been teaching composition, literature, and cultural studies college courses for eight years.

Since this is our first seminar together, let me introduce myself. You are welcome to call me Julie, Professor, or Prof. To the right is a picture of my sons (Liam & Brendan)! …my husband, two cats & one dog compose the rest of my family.

Contact Information s: use CM 220-xx: Concern in subject line (for example: CM Unit 3 project question) Office hours: by appointment (on AIM) AIM ID: JulieWendyOC 6.

Course Description CM220 is designed to develop the writer’s skills in: Research, both primary and secondary Evaluation of research Application of critical thinking skills Development of effective arguments Supporting arguments with credible sources APA citation Collaboration Prewriting, editing, and revision process 7

Course Outcomes CM220-1: Construct logical arguments CM220-2: Develop strategies for effective problem solving CM220-3: Conduct research to support assertions made in personal, academic, and professional situations CM220-4: Articulate what constitutes effective communication in personal, professional and diverse contexts CM220-5: Demonstrate effective listening strategies 7

BIG IDEAS CM220 takes the theme of invention and the exploration of BIG IDEAS that impact the world, our communities, and our lives, while situating these themes within a persuasive writing framework. Students explore and practice several persuasive forms of writing throughout the course and examine writing as invention in various settings and situations. They will create an “appeal for change” as a final project that presents an idea and a plan for implementation. One component of the final will be a multi-modal component such as a blog, podcast, or web site that can disseminate their idea to a wide audience. 9

Changing the world, one idea at a time... What is a “Big Idea” and how do I come up with one? 10

Inspiration Gallery Issue/problemBig idea Traveling with disabilitiesTravel show geared towards “differently abled” and travel challenges (Zach Anner) Autism/communicationHALO communication method (Soma Mukhopadhyay) Need for educators in rural and urban communities Teach for America (Wendy Kopp) 11

Narrowing Down Ideas Issue/problemLimiting topicAudienceSolution/ Argument Obesity Obesity among the young A specific school district Mandatory physical education courses OR banning soda machines in the schools OR creating an on-site garden for improving school lunches Hunger Hunger in a particular community A community or business Create a food-bank OR create a community garden or co-op HomelessnessFamilies Teenagers Community, church Community “Foster Homes for Families” Shelter for teens 12

Important Course Policies and Information Project, discussion and seminar due dates Technology requirements Posting option 2 seminar in drop box Late policies Plagiarism ***Please read these carefully on syllabus and contact me with any questions*** 13

Getting that A...Best Practices Don’t wait to make posts on Tuesday and turn in projects on time Write substantive responses to classmates Edit and spell check before posting Read instructions and rubrics carefully Read all posts in discussions, especially the instructor’s Review the unit “to do” lists and seminar info before the live seminar Read unit announcements carefully for additional instructions and clarifications Check frequently Ask questions and communicate with your instructor! 14

Tour of Course 15

Doc Sharing 16

Invention Labs 17

Tech Labs (Units 2-7) 18

Scribus Poster Example 19

3 Course Projects: Units 2, 4, 6 Unit 2: Create working thesis statement, research plan, and “pitch” for big idea Unit 4: Primary and secondary research. Complete pre- interview worksheet, summarize 3 outside sources (which ones helpful and why, one must be an opposing viewpoint), References page Unit 6: 3-5 page draft, in addition to the title and references page). Must include 3 sources (one must be academic) 20

Final Project: Portfolio Revision of draft (unit 6 project) Revision of letter to the editor (unit 5 invention lab) Revision of technology presentation (unit 7 invention lab) Responses to reflection questions 21

Reflection for final For the final, you will also write a reflection piece that answers the following questions in paragraph form: What did you learn about yourself as a writer? As a thinker? What did you learn about the process of writing? What skills did you develop that might help you in the future? What did you take from the larger conversation with others? How did your feedback from peers and your instructor affect the revision of your blueprint, letter to the editor, and presentation? 22

The Writing Center 23

Unit 1 Assignments Introduce yourself to the class Reading: Unit 1 overview; The Kaplan Guide to Successful Writing, chapters 1, 2, 3, 8, 15 Invention Lab: Identify a “big idea” to explore or review an existing idea from the Innovation Gallery Seminar: Introduction to course, methods of discovery, and field trip to register with the New York Times or Washington Post 24

Introduce Yourself Why is it our responsibility to create change in the world? What positive influence would you most like to have, and how might you go about doing that? Also, tell the class anything that will help us to understand you, your thoughts on writing, and your goals for the future. 25

Invention Lab What is a problem in the nation or in your community that needs changing and why? Do you have any “big ideas” for addressing this problem? This problem could be tied to your field of study or it could be something with more personal implications. If you do not yet have a “big idea,” find one from the Inspiration Gallery to discuss for this week’s lab. Hopefully, this unit will help inspire you to find a problem that needs solving or help you brainstorm potential ideas. Your initial post should be about words, and your responses to two classmates should be a minimum of 100 words each. Offer suggestions regarding your classmate’s “big idea,” noting whether you think it is a solvable problem and why. 26

What is constructive collaboration in Invention Labs/Discussions? Provides writer with useful feedback Gives specific suggestions regarding grammar, mechanics, APA Offers ideas about how to strengthen argument Notes what works, what doesn’t, and why Avoids personal attacks

Your Research Toolbox MS Word Dictionary Thesaurus Bartleby.com Kaplan library Kaplan Writing Center (live chats, Q & A, paper review, library) Google Scholar Google Books Free academic databases and electronic journals available on-line academic_databases.html 28 USE BE CAREFUL Returns from internet searches Blogs AVOID Wikipedia

Writing Styles Levels of formality Informal Formal What are the differences in these styles and when would you use each one? 29

Academic, formal, and informal writing Academic/formal Informal Uses standard American English (no slang, contractions) Carefully edited and revised Academic writing references and cites credible sources using conventions of a field (APA, MLA, etc.) May use slang, abbreviations, contractions Often not edited for grammar, mechanics, spelling Examples: text messages, s, Facebook entries, Tweets, diary entries

DISCOVERING BIG IDEAS to write about for your final project Where do ideas for writing come from? Newspapers, magazines and journals Online discussion communities Current events Inspiration Gallery What are YOUR ideas for generating ideas? 31

What are your BIG IDEAS? Share some of the possible Big Ideas you have. What are some local, national and global problems that you are interested in and that might be valuable to write about? How about a new product or software, improving an existing product or concept, or possibly starting a movement or business? Are there topics that might be problematic in any way, that might pose a challenge to the writer/audience ? 32

Thank you for your attention! Questions??? Good night!