Lessons for Developmental Writing/Reading Hybrid Courses

Week Three:

Close Reading and Literary Analysis

This week we begin discussing the eponymous story in Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth. I assigned this story during week one so that students would have plenty of time to practice close reading.  Before delving into a discussion and analysis of the story, there are two foundational lessons I review by asking students to participate in a jigsaw activity (please see Moodle page entry : "Close Reading Jigsaw Activity" under Reading).

After completing this activity, students break out into jigsaw groups again to begin planning an outline for a collaborative writing assignment on the wiki platform.

Lessons for Developmental Writing/Reading Hybrid Courses

Week Two:

This assignment is for collaborative writing platforms such as wiki on Moodle where students can work together to draft and edit an assignment.

Collaborative Group Activity Online:

1. Read the three short student essays available on this website:

http://legacy.lclark.edu/~krauss/culturecapsulesf2006/marghalaniweb/marghalani.html

2. As a group choose and discuss one difference or similarity between two cultures. Draft a topic sentence for a paragraph and write an outline.

3. Write a paragraph collaboratively describing in rich detail the difference or similarity between those two cultures.

4. Prepare to share your group's result with the rest of the class.

Assignment Timeline:

Wednesday: Read essays independently on the website for homework and be prepared to discuss the content with your group during the next class session.

Friday: The instructor will give you time during class to get into your assigned groups and complete step #2.

Monday: Complete the paragraph collaboratively on Moodle.

Wednesday: Complete step # 4.

Week One

Lessons for Developmental Writing/Reading Hybrid Courses

Week One:

I like to start the first day of a new term with a lively discussion on descriptive words and expressions before asking students to introduce themselves to the class. To stimulate conversation, I plan to use a painting available online such as this one by a contemporary artist named Valerie Hardy:

http://www.valeriehardy.com/large-view/Interiors/50916---3061/Painting.html

The painting depicts a woman deeply engaged in writing something, a letter, a poem or perhaps the first draft of an essay. After we discuss the painting, I will ask students to jot down environments that they find most conducive to writing and reading. When we exchange thoughts about such special places, the conversation may take a turn toward the personal, with students willing to share a bit about who they are and the subjects they are interested in writing about during the term.

Students can also use the painting to complete a descriptive writing sample. Rather than asking students to write about a topic disconnected from the day's discussion, I will ask them to continue thinking about places that inspire them to be more expressive and to describe those places for me using vivid language.

(Being in a computer classroom helps tremendously, but I could also bring a color print of the image.)

After this icebreaker, I hope the comments for the following online discussion board prompts will be more genuine:

Please write two sentences describing something that is important to you.You may choose to write about a topic such as your favorite author, a hobby, a family member or your hometown.

You are required to complete two things on this forum:

1. Write at least two sentences introducing yourself to the class.
2. Respond to one other person's entry in one or two sentences. This response can be a question or a comment.