1. What Community College Students Need to Know About Writing at the University Professor Irene L. Clark California State University, Northridge

2. Navigating the “Writing Highway” Involves Understanding the Interconnection Between Reading and Writing. READING-WRITING-READING- WRITING-READING-ETC.

3. READING AND WRITING AT CSUN Reading and Writing are interconnected Students should be prepared to do a lot of reading. Students need to develop strategies for reading complex texts—and to do so before they come to class. Strategic and critical reading needs to be taught.

4. Reading Students often say that they feel overwhelmed by the reading assigned in college classes Faculty feel frustrated because students don’t do the reading—are unable to grapple with complex texts.

5. What is Academic Reading? Reading is not simply decoding. Reading a complex text should be modeled. Reading should be prepared for in class—not simply assigned. Writing can be used to enable students to read more effectively.

6. Reading is not done simply for content. Reading is done in the context of functionality-- how components of a text function to promote a writer’s agenda or reach an audience. Viewing reading in this way integrates reading and writing.

7. MINING TEXTS When students read academic texts—or actually any kind of text—they can discover strategies they can use in their own writing. Mine the texts for useful nuggets.

8. WRITING HELPING STUDENTS UNDERSTAND SPECIALIZED LANGUAGE: Discuss? Address? Analyze? Compare and Contrast? Summarize? Argue?

9. THE ROLE OF RHETORIC What is Academic Writing? Who is the audience? Who is the writer? Interaction of form and function Role of conventions

10. Academic Genres Varied according to discipline Argument is usually important—Graff refers to the language of the university as “arguespeak.” The role of the thesis

11. What is Research? Not the stereotypical “research” paper Develops from a research question or problem Involves entering a conversation about a meaningful subject.

12. Research Involves working with published material. Deciding why a source is needed. Deciding if a source is suitable Knowing how to incorporate and refer to outside sources of various types.

13. To Begin the Research Process Students should begin with what they already know about the topic. Respond to Exploration Questions: – Why is this topic worth writing about? – Who cares about it? Why? – What key terms are associated with it? – What conflicting ideas or opinions are associated with it?

14. Effective Writing Assignments Define the writing task Make the process explicit Define the audience or context Indicate the thought process Are discussed in class Are segmented, each component building on another Are written, distributed and discussed.

15. Problems Students Have with Assignments Unaware of the necessity of having a thesis or main point Don’t understand the role of definition Don’t know how to narrow a prompt—tend to think in terms of broad topics

16. Ideas to Consider When Developing a Writing Prompt What is the purpose of this assignment? How can I segment this assignment so that students cannot begin to work on it at the last minute? Are students aware of implicit and perhaps unstated requirements?

17. An Assignment Sheet Should-- Clearly define the writing task Contain clearly defined goals Use white space effectively Indicate the type of thought processes students are supposed to engage in when they develop their ideas Explain what students should do to prepare Contain an explanation of possible pitfalls Suggest an intended audience, if appropriate Indicate criteria for evaluation.

18. A Segmented Writing Assignment One Model Before Students Write a Final Draft: Announcement of the topic: Exploration Questions: Initial Reading, Summary, and Response Short Annotated Bibliography The Writing Assignment: Background: Writing Task: Requirements: Schedule of activities and due dates:

19. HELPING STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THEIR WRITING ASSIGNMENTS 1. Read the assignment aloud in class as students follow along. 2. Point to key terms in the assignment that tell what it is that students must do in order to write the paper. 3. Define the nature of the writing task that the assignment requires. 4. Clarify terms such as “discuss,” “explicate,” “trace,” “examine,” “analyze” that students may not understand in the context of a writing assignment 5. Discuss potential sources of information for the paper. 6. Clarify any implicit requirements that may not be directly stated, but which are necessary in order for the assignment to be completed satisfactorily. 7. If possible, identify a possible audience or audiences for this paper aside from the teacher who gave the assignment

20. Students Preparing to Enter the University Should-- Have developed effective reading strategies that enable them to understand and engage with complex texts Have developed an effective writing process that includes a metacognitive understanding of what is involved in composing. Should incorporate reading into writing and use writing to engage with reading.

21. Students Preparing to Enter the University Should-- Understand that writing genres differ in different disciplines Have developed a process for understanding the requirements of a writing assignment Understand that writing mechanically, as in simply replicating a 5-paragraph essay, will not be effective.

22. Important to foster AWARENESS!! Of Context Culture Exigence Genre