1. Consulting Reflection Journal
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As part of this class, you will be expected to visit the HWI for two hours every week to observe other consultations, participate in consultations (as a student writer), and eventually, consult yourself. You will keep a journal (posted to your Google Drive folder) reflecting on your time in the HWI, detailing your experiences as you take on these multiple roles--that is, you should document your experiences 1) as a writer, 2) as an observer of other consultants, and 3) as a consultant yourself. Length: About 300-500 words per entry. You should make two entries per week.
Assessment: I’ll read and assess your journals twice—once at the beginning of the fourth week, and once at the end. The purpose of these journals is to pause and reflect upon the experiences you've observed at the HWI. What have you learned throughout the process? What do you still have questions about? In what ways might you apply what you’ve learned to future writing consultations? Although these journals are informal reflections, they should be example-driven. Exemplary entries will connect observations to the readings/discussions we've had in class. |
30%
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2. Leading Discussion (in pairs)
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At one point in the semester you will co-lead a discussion on a chosen (and approved) business genre with a partner. You will be the teachers and are responsible for sustaining discussion--i.e., talking points and questions (not a lecture)--for at least 15 minutes. Come prepared with some type of handout. Length: 15-20 minutes + short handout with key points/terms/etc. You will have time to develop most of your presentation in class.
Assessment: Grade will be based on quality of presentation and handout. Think of these discussions as opportunities to explain writing concepts to student writers--you don't have to be experts per se, but you need to exhibit a solid understanding of your given genre and be prepared to raise valuable questions that will help your classmates think about how best to explain business writing concepts to other writers. |
10%
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3. Weekly Reading Responses
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By midnight on Sunday (before each Monday class), you will upload a weekly response to your Google Doc folder. In these responses, I want to know your real and complex thoughts about writing center concepts, readings, and any other questions you may have about writing center work. Length of each response: approximately 400 words (post to your Google Doc folder). I intend to use these responses as a springboard to guide our discussions in class. You will complete 8 responses in total, one for each week we attend class, plus a final cumulative reflection.
Assessment: Be sure to critically address readings and track questions that arise. Imagine all members of our class are your audience here—so don’t just write to me. Successful responses will move beyond summary and raise questions and ideas you want to explore in class. Try to really think deeply (in theoretical and practical ways) about readings and ways to tie them to your practice as a writing consultant. Ideally, these responses will help us build and sustain more reflective and critical dialogue in class. |
40%
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4. Participation /Professionalism
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In class, we will do a number of activities that will require your participation, including mock consultations, discussions, and in-class writing. As such, you must be in class every week (unless there are extreme circumstances) and contribute frequently to class discussion/in-class work. You should also visit the HWI for observing/consulting hours regularly.
Assessment: Although participation is a somewhat subjective category, there are a few concrete behaviors that can result in a lower grade in this category:
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20%
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total 100% |