Writing & Rhetoric II

English 308J

Instructor: David Sharpe
Ohio University, Athens OH

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LAB SIX-B

Announcements

DUE for START of LAB SEVEN-A
- feedback, using Track Changes, on two student papers (persuasion_writerlastname_yourlastname)
  - for these papers, please don't save them in the shared folder or email them to the writer until after we've had our discussion in class
  - IMPORTANT: one copy of each paper should be printed out with your Track Changes showing. The printouts do not need to be in color.
  - if your paper is one being discussed, print out a copy of the original to have in front of you during the class (you don't need to do feedback for yourself)
- text reading
  - Lunsford
    - Critical Thinking and Argument: Ch11-12: Critical Reading, Analyzing Arguments

Labwork

Introduction

Today you’ll begin an interactive, collaborative exercise that will take at least two labs to finish. In it, you will practice using internet discussion to develop a topic, and get a better sense of how to organize fragments into a synthesized whole. In addition, you may have time to start preparing for class discussion about two selected persuasion papers.

Routine Startup

Open a second browser

the first browser shows these instructions. Press Control-N to open a second browser and use it to follow links and carry out the instructions.

Start your email in a third browser

If you haven't done so already, save in the shared folder the finished Ghastly Resort Hotel exercise (hotel_yourlastname)

Looking at Athens, Part One
One essential skill in writing is being able to synthesize a number of fragments into a cohesive whole. This exercise gives you practice in doing so, with an additional benefit – practice in using the new methods of communication made possible by computers. In the new electronic workplace, you’ll be participating in discussions that are no longer confined to groups of people in the same physical space, and you will be expected to collaborate with and synthesize a wide variety of sources.

The situation: Your employer (whatever one you wish) is thinking of opening a location in Athens, but he or she knows little about Athens and is concerned about the quality of life here, both for its impact on business and its impact on the employees who will be moving here. You are to prepare an overview of reactions to living in Athens to help make the decision. The reactions will come from three sources: 1. your own comments 2. comments collected from previous students and 3. comments made in an online discussion with current students.

This exercise will extend over two labs. Today you will select the comments you find most relevant, and later in the week, you will arrange them into logical groups, and integrate them into a smooth, easily-readable paper. Don't worry if you can't complete everything that follows -- you will resume in the next lab where you left off.

In Word, write down five short things you have observed while living in Athens, saved on your flashdrive or on the desktop as looking-raw_yourname. Each item should be no more than a sentence or two. Separate each with a blank line (and nothing else). Don’t number each item, and especially, don’t use automatic numbering.

these can be about specific places and incidents with details (best) or they can be summary statements

try to make each of the observations about some completely different subject area (e.g., scenery, crime, entertainment, pros, cons, buildings, attractions, kinds of people, kinds of activities, shopping, local controversies), and include in the items a range of slants (positive, negative, and neutral)

think of the power of showing instead of telling (use specifics!)

Copy your document into the shared folder

go to the shared folder

Browse through comments by previous students

Open Looking at Athens

Copy the best twenty comments into your own document (looking-raw_yourname), each separated by a blank line. You don’t have to read them all! Choose any twenty that catch your attention – without having a subject area in mind. You will discover your interests by not having a pre-conceived notion of what you are looking for.

You can easily count the number by double-clicking the "Words" total at the bottom of the document. Because each comment is separated by a blank line, each is considered a ‘paragraph’. Look for the paragraph count.

At this point, don’t worry about organizing the comments into groups

You can also open comments made by the current class in the shared folder, and copy any that you like.

Add five more of your own short observations in or about Athens, saved in looking-raw_yourname in both the shared folder and your flashdrive or desktop

As a result, you’ll have a total of thirty observations – twenty by others and ten by yourself

Participate in the online forum called "Looking at Athens"

Add at least one original comment (maybe pick your best of the observations you made?). Lengthen the comment to make it effective and interesting. Use examples to illustrate what you are saying. For the Subject line, use a keyword or key phrase that identifies what you are saying.

Reply to at least two messages (return to the forum later if you can’t find enough messages to read). Remember that you may need to click Refresh to see new messages listed. But don’t stop at two if you’re enjoying this … talk on!

Don’t just agree or disagree – add an example or a twist on what is being said

go to the forum

Add on-line discussion comments to your own document

After you have added at least one original messages and two replies, and when the discussion has at least forty messages total, look over them all

if the conference is not filling fast enough, go on to the following activity and check back later

Choose ten passages that you think are the most effective in pointing out the pros and/or cons of living in Athens, and copy them into the looking-raw_yourname that is saved on your flashdrive or desktop. Again, add them with a blank line between each passage. This will create a total of forty comments you have gathered together.

If you have trouble finding ten here, open comments made by the current class in the shared folder, and copy any that you like (or add more from the previous classes).

If you have your document saved on the desktop instead of a flashdrive, send it to yourself by email before you leave the lab. You will lose the document if you don't!

You will work on turning your raw document into a short paper when this exercise continues

Feedback for Class Discussion

The names of the first two papers for class discussion will be announced during the class. Begin adding your suggestions, using Track Changes, now, and continue after class in preparation for discussion during the next class.

add your last name at the end (persuasion_writerlastname_yourlastname)

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