There are no exams or quizzes in this class but there are SIX reading responses. These responses offer you an invitation to take your own words and writing seriously. Push yourself to think what style, genre, and language mean in 21st century contexts. Your content and explorations are most important.
You should NOT be creating and following 5-paragraph formulas for these responses. Reading responses are the place to work out what you are trying to say. As you read, figure out what is important to you and why. Figure out what disturbs or confuses you and why. Use words to create a movie of what is happening in your mind when you meet the words on the page. Connect the ideas in the text to your own experience: make the text your own and see it as a part of the knowledge that your own personal experiences already embody. Reflect. Ruminate. Question. Listen carefully to yourself and try to describe the effect the text is having on you. Write honestly, respond deeply, admit confusion, expand on the author’s points, and discover your own ideas.
Here is your point-spread:
| 4 Points | Your writing feels and sounds like a piece that could engage public audiences in digital spaces. You seem to be really thinking about craft and persuasion. This is more than just a school assignment to be read by a teacher or classmate.
You pushed yourself, asked a lot of questions, and were conscious about what you were writing and HOW you were writing it. It was clear that you read the assigned text closely and critically, rather than try to fake it and just use big words/ideas that sound good. You also used the assignment to have some fun in the sense that you experimented with style, voice, and persuasion.
To receive the full four points, your response must be submitted on time! |
| 3 Points | This is a strong piece of writing that feels almost ready to engage public audiences in digital spaces. You certainly did and said some impressive stuff but there is something still missing: you turned the work in late; you seem to be listing your ideas rather than exploring an issue; OR, you didn't complete all aspects of the assignment. These are not necessarily MAJOR issues that impede comprehension, but these issues do need to be addressed before the piece would be ready for your portfolio. |
| 2 Points | This means that you did just enough— no jumpin’ up and down here, but you did get the job done. You didn’t seem to push yourself, your ideas, and/or your style. You were really just trying to turn something in, but you did get some point(s) across.
A score of 2 also means that you repeated the prompt and didn’t really write this as a free-standing essay that someone outside of the class could understand. While that is not a bad thing and you certainly understand your material, the sound of your text is not mature when you write in a way that is directed only for the teacher and assignment. |
| 1 Point | This means that you just put some words on the page but didn’t seem to make a whole lotta effort in making them words say or mean sumthin. Maybe you were so focused on grammar that you wrote and said very little. Maybe you didn’t really do the reading and want to pretend like you did (warning: IT SHOWS!) Or maybe, you merely summarized the assigned text rather than ask questions, describe your own experiences in relation to the text, or offer your own unique ideas.
To receive a 1 means that you did not adhere to the 600-word requirement. Your writing is just not substantial enough yet. |