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Hugh Gallager.

Click here to read his admissions essay.

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Essay #4: Roles on Campus

Assignment #4: Roles on Campus
Rough draft due: April 29, 2009
Length: 3 pages (~1,000 words)

Background:

We've discussed the essays of Mark Edmundson and bell hooks in class. One theme that can be taken from these readings is the role of professor and student in today's classroom. Edmundson feels that today's students are consumers and "shop" for a college just like we might shop for a camera at Best Buy. He says this is a frightening trend because of the expectations the consumerist ethos creates for teachers, colleges, and academic standards. Teachers, he says, should not be entertainers.

bell hooks, however, talks about "engaged pedagogy," classroom as community, holistic instruction, and the responsibility of teachers to "engage" students.

These are just two examples of writers that discuss roles of teachers and students.

Assignment Task:

For this assignment you have two options. You may:

1. Describe and define the ideal role of the professor in today's collegiate classrooms while analyzing the effects of this role on individual students and the classroom dynamic. Should the professor be more like a sales associate or dictator? Should teachers exist to serve or to challenge? How do classrooms differ today from forty years ago? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Why? What specific features of pedagogy should a teacher be aware of? You should also take into consideration the purpose and theory behind college educations, as well as the function of a degree and what it's supposed to certify. Your paper will have implications about these issues.

If you choose this option, you will essentially be talking about the responsibilities of the collegiate professor, and you will have to imagine the issues as if you were looking at them from a professor's standpoint. Therefore, you will not write something along the lines of, "I am a student who doesn't like long papers, and therefore the teacher shouldn't assign them." Although, this doesn't mean you are only considering the issue from the teacher's point of view; your paper should take into consideration the viewpoints of both student and teacher.

You might want to discuss Edmundson's ideas of consumerism, or hooks' ideas of holistic pedagogy. Or, you might find other writers who offer more attractive arguments. In any case, you should draw not only on the experiences of you or your peers, but also on those of researchers, writers, and ideally, professors.

OR

2. Describe and define the ideal role of the student in today's collegiate classrooms while analyzing the effects of this role on the individual and the classroom. Should the student be more like a consumer or a slave? Should students be served or challenged? How do expectations of students differ today from forty years ago? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Why? What kinds of attitudes should students have in the classroom? Should they be free to do as they please while the teacher is lecturing? You should also take into consideration the purpose and theory behind college educations, as well as the function of a degree and what it's supposed to certify. Your paper will have implications about these issues.

If you choose this option, you will essentially be talking about the responsibilities of college students in the classroom, and you will be examining the issue from a student's standpoint. Although, this doesn't mean you are only considering the issue from the student's point of view. Your paper should take into consideration the viewpoints of both student and teacher.

You might want to discuss Edmundson's ideas of consumerism, or hooks' ideas of holistic pedagogy. Or, you might find other writers who offer more attractive solutions. In any case, you should draw not only on the experiences of you or your peers, but also on those of researchers, writers, and professors.

Assignment Expectations:

-Stay on task. Do not discuss the effects of these changes on society. The assignment is to discuss the effects of these changes on the individual. Also, do not discuss changes in things other than social norms.

-Be specific. Give examples.

-Have a strong, clear thesis, and be sure that all of your paragraphs are unified and relate to your thesis.

-Have a logical, well-organized structure with a strong introduction and conclusion.

Audience:

If you are choosing option #1, you are writing to other teachers. If you are choosing option #2, you are writing to other students. Be sure to make clear your audience.

Research:

For this assignment, you need to draw on at least three external sources and cite them formally or informally; it's up to you. Only one source from our text can count toward these three sources (on pages 275-376 in your text there are a series of essays related to this topic).

For the other sources, I recommend using Academic Search Premier. Note: You cannot use any source you've already used for this class. You also need to draw on your own experience or those of your peers' at least once in the paper.

Monday, April 13, 2009.

Switch papers with one of your peers. Answer these questions:

1) Thesis--good? why? not? why?
2) Find two parts that need transitions and rewrite them with transitions.
3) Make a brief outline of the paper. Which ideas need more development? Which are irrelevant?
4) Is the conclusion effective? Why or why not? Rewrite it with your changes.
5) Is the introduction effective? Why or why not? Rewrite it with your changes.

Kilbourne links.

Cindy C. and Pepsi
Worker and Diet Coke

Another article.

Here is another link to an article that might help you with the signature assignment.

Signature Assignment (Assignment #3).

Click here.

Source 1.

Source 2.

TZ.

Characters in Search of an Exit.

CAP Center Assignment.

This assignment is due at the end of the semester. To give you time to do it, I am likely canceling class on March 23rd. But do check this Web site to see if there will be class that day.

Rowan University
Department of Writing Arts
and
Career & Academic Planning Center

Self Assessment and Career Development:

Your First-Year Action Plan

It’s never too soon to start thinking about what you want to do after you graduate and to begin
taking action to reach your goals! This College Composition I assignment is designed to help
you take this step and begin making yourself more marketable to an employer, more desirable to a graduate program, or otherwise better prepared for future opportunities.

The assignment has two parts:

First, attend a presentation on Self-Assessment and Major/Career Exploration by the
Career and Academic Planning (CAP) Center. A schedule of these presentations is on
the back of this page. If you are unable to attend one because of schedule conflicts, you
may choose from the list of alternative activities, also on the back.

Second, write a short paper that 1) summarizes where you are now in terms of career
goals and development; 2) describes the presentation or activity you participated in; and
3) reflects on how the presentation or activity contributed to your development and
explains what you plan to do over the next year to further your development.

The written part of the assignment should be about one typed, single-spaced page in length. It
is due during the last week of classes, April 27 – May 1, unless you are told otherwise by your
instructor. Please make sure your name, your instructor’s name, and your course and
section number are on it and turn it in to your instructor.

You will need to provide verification of what you attended or participated in. If a sign-in sheet
is provided at the event, please be sure to sign it legibly. You will not need any further
verification. If a sign-in sheet is not circulated, you will need to ask someone associated with the
event to sign this sheet in the space at the bottom.
Event attended: ________________________________________________________________________

Name of Student: __________________________________ Banner ID#____________

Name of sponsor, presenter, etc. (please print) _______________________________________________
Student Signature: _____________________________________________________________________

Self Assessment and Career Development:

Your First-Year Action Plan
Dates for CAP Center Presentations

Wednesday, April 15th Presentation Room, Savitz 5 – 6 p.m.
Thursday, April 16th Presentation Room, Savitz 10 – 11 a.m.
Thursday, April 16th Presentation Room, Savitz 2 – 3 p.m.

Alternative Activities

Volunteer for a Service-Learning Project
Volunteer for a project through the Center for Service Learning and Volunteerism. Check the CSLV website at www.rowan.edu/open/studentaffairs2/cslv/index.cfm and click on Upcoming Projects for information. Dates, places, and times vary.

Ask an Alum…Career Exploration Night

The Career and Academic Planning Center and the Alumni Office are co-sponsoring Ask an Alum...on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Chamberlain Student Center's Eynon Ballroom. Come out and network with alumni who are actively working in your field of interest. Engage in casual conversation with individuals who have been where you are and have made it in their career. The event is free and open to all Rowan University students!

Attend a Workshop at the Career & Academic Planning Center

Resumania CAP Center, Savitz Hall March 11th at 2:00 p.m. and March 25th at 5:00 p.m.
A great resume requires time and effort. Knowing the information that should be included and then adding your own style is most effective in portraying your individuality and potential for success to a prospective employer. This workshop will show you how.

The Powers & Dangers of Technology

CAP Center, Savitz HALL March 25th at 2:00 p.m.
Have you ever Googled your name? Maybe not, but employers are now using the web to screen
candidates during the hiring process. Learn how to use the Internet to your advantage in a variety of ways to establish a polished reputation both in person and online.

Career Testing By Appointment

Are you unsure of a major? Wish there was something that could help you identify your interests? Call the CAP Center to schedule a Career Interest Inventory today! CAP Center (856) 256-4456 ASAP

Fallacies and Analysis.

Click here for fallacious arguments.

Click here for sample analysis.

Ethos, pathos, logos in film.

Click HERE.

Click HERE.

Click HERE.

Liberty Mutual

Amtrak

Allstate

"Helps control dandruff symptoms."

"Most dentists surveyed recommend sugarless gum for their patients who chew gum."

"Sticker price $1,000 lower than most comparable cars."

Essay #2

Assignment #2:
Technology and Social Norms.

Rough draft due: March 11, 2009
Length: 3 pages (~1,000 words)

Assignment Task:

For this assignment you are writing an essay that examines technology's effects on social norms and the implications these effects have on individuals. To accomplish this assignment you will need to think about how technology has changed our social norms and expectations from what they were twenty years ago. That is, only include technology that has become part of our lives in the past 20 years (that means you will not discuss airplanes and radios). Essentially, explain how our cultural norms are different because of recent technology. Be sure to discuss the norms in different spheres of your life (personal, school, work, etc.)

Also, be sure to explain what these changes mean for us as individuals. What are the personal ramifications of these changes? What kind of people are being created by our technology? How might your values be different if we were not so technologically advanced?

Notice that there are two aspects of this assignment. You do not only have to recognize how technology has defined social norms, but you also have to explain the significance of these changes.

Social norms, by the way, are the accepted customs and practices (or rules) of a society. For example, in the US, one social norm is to return phone calls rather than ignoring messages. We return phone calls not only because it may help us get something we want, but simply because it's the courteous thing to do--the expected thing to do (the rule). If you were to examine this norm in your paper, you might write about the various alternatives technology has given us: returning the call with a text message, or perhaps a note on the caller's Facebook Wall. You would also discuss the effects these alternatives have on each person. (Do not use this example in your paper.)


Assignment Expectations:

-Stay on task. Do not discuss the effects of these changes on society. The assignment is to discuss the effects of these changes on the individual. Also, do not discuss changes in things other than social norms.

-Be specific. Give examples.

-Have a strong, clear thesis, and be sure that all of your paragraphs are unified and relate to your thesis.

-Have a logical, well-organized structure with a strong introduction and conclusion.

Audience:

You are writing to a general audience, not your teacher. Therefore, do not assume the reader knows anything about the subject or what you were assigned.


Research:

For this assignment, you need to draw on at least three external sources and cite them formally. One source can be from pages 677-816 in your text (there are a series of essays related to this topic). For another, you can use this book review from the NT Times. For the other source(s), I recommend using Academic Search Premier.

You should also draw on your own experience at least once in the paper. Tell a story or give an example from your own life.

Ideas to get you started:

-When trying to get ideas, do not just think in terms of technology. Think in terms of experiences or events in your life. For example, how are you invited to parties? Does the host send invitations, or call each person individually, or are these things of the past?

-Do a Google search to find a list of social norms that will help you. Or, go to the library and ask the librarian for a book that discusses social norms.

-Think about norms within specific areas of life. (e.g. What are the norms around the holiday season? What are the norms in the classroom and on campus?)

-Talk to your peers. Ask them what they think about technology and its effects on our norms.

Assignment #1.

Assignment #1:
Experiences that Shaped You as a Writer

Rough draft due: Feb. 16, 2009

Length: ~1,000 words

Assignment Goal and Purpose:
For this assignment you are to write an essay that explores an experience or series of experiences that shaped you as a reader and/or a writer. The purpose of this assignment is for you to have a better understanding of how you have been shaped into a literate person and to share that understanding with your audience (you will need to determine that audience as part of the composition process), so we can understand how literacy figures into your life. This knowledge should help all of us this semester as we work to improve our writing.

To accomplish this assignment you will need to both recall various reading and writing experiences in your life and then critically analyze these experiences. You will then select and interpret the ones that will help your reader best understand the shaping of your identity as a literate person. You may focus on a single experience or several experiences, but you must tie the experiences into a cohesive narrative. You will also need to explain the connection between these experiences and the reader/writer you are today.

Assignment Expectations:
Your essay need not only recount positive experiences and effects. Often people’s most significant reading and/or writing experiences are negative.
A successful paper will:
· Relate stories important to your literacy development and explain why they were important
· Have richly realized characters (and include dialogue, description, and/or action)
· Use clear and vivid description (especially of people, places. And events)
· Use an engaging and appropriate style for the audience you have designated for your essay
· Form a coherent, unified narrative

Essay Structure and Organization:
There are a variety of organizational strategies for a narrative. The most simple is a chronological beginning-to-end approach. More complex organization strategies involve switching from present-to past-to present one or more times. This assignment is flexible enough to accommodate a range of approaches to this assignment. You have the freedom to explore a form and structure that seems most suitable to you.

Ideas to get you started:
The following questions should help to get you started thinking about this assignment. They might also alert you to an idea of what might be important reading/writing experiences or what you might want to write more about. Don’t try to answer each question and don’t use them to organize your paper (neither will work very effectively).
· How did you learn to read/write, in a mechanical sense, and when?
· What do you remember about learning to read/write in school?
· Do you consider yourself a reader/writer? Why or why not?
· How has what you have read influenced your writing?
· Who were some of your most influential reading/writing teachers? Why were they so? Who was your worst English teacher and why?
· Do you read/write without being made to? Why or why not?
· Do you write letters? How often?
· Has email influenced how and how much you write?
· What do you find most difficult about expressing yourself?
· What is you favorite style (genre) of writing?
· Do you fear writing? Why? Why not?
· For whom did you write in school? What was its purpose?
· What negative experiences with reading/writing have you had?
· Recall a time when you wrote something that you thought was good but a reader did not. What was your reaction?

First-Week Writing Sample.

Rowan University
Department of Writing Arts
First-Week Writing Sample
Spring 2009

According to an article published recently in The New York Times, a genetic test will soon be marketed in the United States that claims to predict athletic ability in children. Specifically, the test analyzes the ACTN3 gene, which studies have shown is linked to an individual’s aptitude for speed and power sports versus endurance sports. Individuals inherit one copy of the gene, which comes in two forms called variants, from each of their parents. Individuals with two copies of the R variant tend to perform better at speed and power sports, while individuals with two copies of the X variant tend to perform better at endurance sports.

The article goes on to give the opinions of various people regarding this genetic test. The parents who were interviewed were excited about this opportunity to gain information that could help them make the best possible decisions for their children. Athletic ability is considered to be a valuable asset in our society and is rewarded by benefits such as college scholarships. Scientists, however, have raised a number of concerns. For example, at least 200 genes have been found to contribute to athletic ability. Further, individuals do not always exhibit the aptitude that their genetic makeup predicts. Besides the question of whether the genetic test is valid, there are questions about whether it is a good idea to use genetic information in this fashion. Parents might be disappointed in a child who doesn’t measure up to their hopes or might pressure a child to focus on a particular sport too early in life, before the child could participate in the decision. On the positive side, though, having this knowledge might help parents form more realistic expectations about their children’s lives.

Do you think genetic testing to determine athletic ability is a good idea? Do the benefits outweigh the potential problems? What would you recommend in terms of guidelines and/or restrictions for use of this test and the information it provides? In an essay, summarize the issue, explain your position and your reasoning, and present your recommendation. Use examples from your experience, observations, or reading to back up your argument, identifying your sources as appropriate.

The information above is from “Born to Run? Little Ones Get Test for Sports Gene,” by Juliet Macur, The New York Times, November 30, 2008, p. A1.