Daily Writings

1. Today we will focus on understanding and brainstorming about

the Semester Long Multi Modal Inquiry Project. You must work
with other students and you must pick a topic involving the
Charlotte Metropolitan area that shows change in some way,
shape or form. I am sure you must have some ideas in mind
about topics, or at least have some ideas about concepts for a
project that would work. Write down some of those ideas and
concepts and be ready to share some ideas with us.
2. We developed some ideas about topics during our last class
and we experimented with some process related exercises,
today think about your experiences with topic and process
work. Do you feel you can connect with the topic you were
working with, or are you still searching for a more comfortable
or interesting topic? We will be forming our research teams
today, so make sure you have some ideas in mind. Comment
on what process activity that you were involved with. We
experimented with: listing, fastwrite/freewrite, cluster (web),
questioning and conversing.

3. Do you think that it is important that you select a topic that is of interest to you
for the semester long multi-modal research project. So often we are tasked to
research/write about topics that we are not interested in and dont care much
about. Does it affect the quality of your work? Write about a time when you
were not interested in the topic you were assigned or you selected and some
details about the project. What was the research like? What was the overall

outcome of the project? So.now that we have established study teams, what
is something that you can look forward to this semester?

Class Work: With your study team review pages 49-63 in The Everyday Writer.
Together write a paragraph that introduces your topic to your perspective
audience in a way that is a pitch. This pitch should generate interest in your
topic from the audience. We will use these introductions next class in an activity.
Save the introduction for use in next class.
4. Someone is not coming to class; someone does not answer their texts;
someone is bossy; someone wants to control the project; someone is late for
every group meeting; someone has good ideas, but does not share them; and
the list goes on about group work. Write about an experience you have had in
the past that is like any of the above suggestions, better than the above
suggestions, or worse than the above suggestions and then we will talk about
them.
In Class Work for Semester Long Project:
You have worked with your partners and prepared a preview of what the
topic of your semester long project will be about in a paragraph. You have
considered the project assignment sheet and the requirements of the task.
Each group will present their topic to the class. Then put the paragraph you
have generated on the top of your desk.
Next, every person in this room must visit every topic paper and add a
question you want answered, a suggestion of something that group should
research, a suggestion of a resource, or anything that will be helpful to this
group. When finished go around the room until you have added something
to each topic paper.

5. Sources, Sources, Sources! Sources support what it is we have to say about a

topic. That support can come in the form of adding a quote, adding some
shocking statistics, adding specific facts, or adding language that explains
perfectly what we say. Write about a time when you found the perfect support
for a project you were working on.
When was it,
What was the support you found?
What was the project you were working on, and
Why was it so significant and perfect for your project?
What, you say you never found any support, well write about a time when you
were looking for that support and never found it; where did you look?

In Class Work with our sources

Share your sources with your group members. Look at what you found and how it
may be helpful.
Next let other group members find something different in your source.
Last work with another group, show them your sources and let them find something
else perhaps you did not see or consider. Have a conversation, take notes, try to get
some new insight about your topic.

6. Today we will be focusing on the Student Learning Outcomes.

There are five (5) outcomes that we will concentrate on over
the semester. You read over these and they are also on
Moodle, in Topic 4. These outcomes affect your writing. Think
about your past writing experiences, have you ever been in a
situation where there were identified outcomes to any project
you were working on? This could have come from last
semester or any time before that. You could even write about
a non-academic situation. So write about a time when you
had some specific outcomes directed to a particular project
that you were working on. This could be an example from your
family life, religious life, business life, social life, or academic
life. Write about how these outcomes affected your response.

In class work: With the five Student Learning Outcomes, in our groups, we will
discuss their meaning. You will put a brief explanation on the board. Then you will
present the meaning in a discussion to the class. You will also provide an example
of how you see any of the components of the Student Learning Outcomes that you
are discussing works in your particular semester long project.
7. Today we will talk about interviewing or surveying as a means of getting
different perspectives about your semester long inquiry project. Think back
about a time when you have been interviewed, for a job most likely, or
scholarship opportunity. What was the best part about the interview? What
made you feel most uncomfortable? What made you feel relaxed and at ease?
What was the worst part about the interview? Pick one of these questions and
write about your experience with some detail.
IN CLASS WORK: After the interview/survey power point brain storm with
your study team and create a list of possible interview questions or survey
questions that you could potentially ask about your semester long inquiry topic.

8. Computer aided instruction did not begin until early 1980s and power point
was not introduced until the early 1990s. Computers were not in every home
like they are today. When was the first time you used a computer? Was it at
school or at home? What was your first experience with Power Point or Prezi
or a Google Doc (either viewing it or presenting with it)? Think about how
technology affected your presentations. Do you have some positive/negative
feelings about any of these presentation tools? Journal about one of these
items.
9. PROCRASTINATIONWe all do it, some more than others. Sometimes it
affects our job, our social life, and the commitments we make to others. Here
at UNC Charlotte it affects our academic life and in turn our academic progress
and ultimately our grade. Pick one of the four comments about procrastination
and write about how Procrastination affects your academic life. Be even more
specific; write about how Procrastination affects this class.

10. The following well known authors have these things to say about research:
1. If you steal from one author it's plagiarism; if you steal from many it's
research. Wilson Mizner
2. Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.
Zora Neale Hurston
3. In much of society, research means to investigate something you do not know
or understand. Neil Armstrong
Which quote speaks to you? Why? Write a healthy paragraph of your thoughts.

11. Today we will be talking about and working with different perspectives to
consider when writing to audiences of all sorts of variety. What things do we
need to consider when writing to different audiences? Pick a genre (Prezi,
Letter, Lab Report, Extended Inquiry Project, etc. and write down some things
you need to consider about writing for a particular audience. How does what
you write change?

In class work:

You will select the genre of either a memo or a letter and write to your selected
audience. The subject matter is basically our semester long multi modal project.
Use the proper format for the memo or letter.
See Memo pages 598-600
See Letters pages 601-603
Each group work together to construct one document.
12. So you worked with letters and/or memos to write to selected audiences
regarding your semester long multi modal project last class. We also wrote
about what things to consider when writing to different audiences. We
discussed some different audiences: children, room full of doctors, college
students, etc. and the importance of writing to those particular audiences. We
know who our audience is for our semester long multi modal project (our
class/me/other instructors). Make a list of five points that you/your group
wants to make in your semester long project. Beside each point, show how
you will write/present that point.
In class work today is to take out the two different letters or memos that you wrote
to your different audiences. What are some of the differences in those letters or
memos? In your groups discuss the differences and make a list of the ways the
writing is different. Consider any techniques you used to make the writing
different. Have at least five ways. Next think about if you can apply any of these
writing techniques to your semester long project.

In todays daily writing think about how in our academic life, our
work life, our social life, and in virtually all aspects of our life we
are called upon to create error free work.
What level of importance do you place on creating error free work?
What ramifications or results may occur if you do not produce
error free work?

In a healthy paragraph, journal about a time when you did not

create error free work and/or discuss your thoughts about error
free work. Is it ever acceptable to make errors? Is there any
benefit to making errors?

Homework: Each person take one of the sources (book, on-line, magazine,
interview, etc.) and show how it will be cited using three ways: APA, MLA, and
Chicago Style. We will look at the differences in these citation formats in class. Be
able to bring them up via e-mail to yourself, flash drive, printed document we can
then put on the doc cam.

Here we are days before the week-long spring break. You seem tired, not talking,
and not engaged when we break off for group work.what is wrong? Do you think
spring break is going to help you? Do you feel differently than you did in August
when you began your academic journey? Write about what is keeping you from
talking, making you look tired or keeping you from interacting with others and me
in class.

Today is peer review for the Annotated Bibliography. Work with someone who is
not in your group. Look for the following:
1. Proper citation for source (consult handbook) Put style you are using by your
name.
2. Rich summary of source
3. Evaluation of source, the yes or no Im not going to use this source and why
4. Evaluation and discussion about source author or cite
5. Any/all grammar issues
6. Peer editor should write your name at the top of the draft next to the authors
name

We worked with introductions for our semester long project and it should have
propelled you in the direction of thinking about and making some decisions about
the presentation. Today take one of the points that you will be making about your
topic and write down as much information as you can about that one point only.
You will have five minutes. Write or type and dont stop. Think of everything
about that one point that you have selected and write/type about that only.

In class workget together with your group and share what you wrote about the
one topic that you selected for today. See what you have that is similar, do you
have any new information, form at least two slides from that information.

Images are so much a part of our daily lives that sometimes we forget to enjoy the
pictures, images, visions that are all around us. Think about your semester long
project; get one image in your mind that you know you have to include. Answer
these questions:
Where will you find the image?
What is the best way to display the image in your project?
What do you want people to see or feel when they look at the image?
What emotion do you want to evoke in the audience: anger, sadness, happiness,
trust, etc.

Today we are going to use Rhetorical Knowledge (one of our student learning
outcomes) in our writing. Think of a person, place, thing, event, or job. Next you
will write a detailed description of what you selected, never mentioning what your
choice was. Use details, dialogue, or description to shape what your listeners will
know about your choice. Re-read the definition of Rhetorical Knowledge to help
you shape what you write. We will later see if our audience knows what your
person, place, thing, even or job is because of how you described it, and not by the
title you could have placed on it. You may research anything you need to for your
description. You will have 15 minutes for this writing assignment.

Rhetorical Knowledge: ability to identify and apply strategies across a range of

texts and writing situations. Using your own writing processes and approaches, you
compose with intention, understanding, genre, audience, purpose and context
impacts writing choices. Your background knowledge and what you learn can
overlap certain situations.

Daily writing about newspaper picture of police office from Cabarrus County
School system and what differences we see in 1970s photograph and what exists in
2016 school systems.
Daily Writing: Pick one moment in your life since coming to UNC
Charlotte, where you had to make a tough decision quitting a
job, going on a diet, dissolving a friendship, calling for help, lying
to a parent, etc..Journal about what made you make the decision
that you did. Was it a hard decision? What things did you take
into consideration? Looking back (reflection) are you happy with
your final decision?

We wrote introductions to our Semester Long Project several weeks ago with our
topics and our audience (this class) in mind. Today we will write an introduction
and make one point about our Semester Long Projects to a new audience.
The audience is Ms. Raymonds Kindergarten class of 28 five year-old boys and
girls at Raymond Elementary School. You will be presenting your Semester Long
Project to this class of eager students. Write an introduction to your Semester Long
Project with these students in mind.

Next, make the first point that you will make about your Semester Long Project
topic. Prepare your first screen on your laptop/device. Add a visual and what
language will be on the first screen. If you dont have a laptop/device, prepare the
text portion and be prepared to tell what the image would be.

Next, we will present the introduction and first slide to the class of hypothetical 28
five year-old boys and girls.

Finally, pull out the introduction that you produced in one of our earlier Daily
Writings. Look at the language you used in both versions. Lets discuss the
differences you see, the plan you used for both versions, and what shaped the
language you used.

Today I want to you to focus on your E-Portfolio. We all know that it represents the
majority of your final grade, 50% and contains 8 elements plus participation. Think
about where you are in terms of what you have done so far and how close you are to
completing the E-Portfolio. Are you:
Just getting started?
Have the product and some tabs but nothing uploaded?
Almost finished, just waiting for final stuff?
Finished for the most part?
All but done, just have to do the reflection letter?
Something other than the above?
Journal about your situation and then we will do some E-Portfolio work

For your last Daily Writing, think about your group work this semester. Journal
about some positive things that you have experienced this semester with these folks
and with this topic. Only positive thoughts this morning as we head into peer
review and then our presentations about your chosen topics.

Today we are going to talk about exigence

An exigence is an imperfection marked by urgency; it is a defect, an obstacle,
something waiting to be done, a thing which is other than it should be

Tiger Woods' speech is an example of a rhetorical situation. There are many exigences and constraints that can be
discussed when examining the speech, and we'll talk at some of them. The main exigence in the speech is the
discussion of the affairs. Tiger Woods had to address his indiscretions with the public because of his status in the
media and public image. There is this need of an apology to the public after what happened because so many
people idolized Tiger Woods. Although he never specifically addresses the affairs and what exactly happened, this is
the whole purpose of the speech. Another exigence that he brings up is clearing up the rumors that his wife
assaulted him on Thanksgiving. He wanted to bring this up to falsify the rumors and uphold her public image. He
believed that this was an important point to address in his speech. The importance of not discrediting his foundation
because of his now corrupted reputation is another exigence. He doesn't want the public as well as corporations to
stop funding it because it isn't fair to the children that it is helping. https://youtu.be/Xs8nseNP4s0
https://youtu.be/Xs8nseNP4s0

This is a less serious look at addressing exigencies that doesn't come in the form of public speeches or writing.
Taylor Swift wrote this song trying to convey a message to society. There are many things that she brings up in her
song that she wants to make apparent such as certain stereotypes that people associate with her. The main
exigence is to inform the public that regardless of what people say about her, she isn't going to let it bother her. She
addresses stereotypes that she is known for such as being a serial dater and not being smart saying, "at least that's
what people say". She is making it known that while all of these are being said about her, they aren't necessarily
true. Another exigence is informing the media that there are things that they don't see such as her not dancing to be
"good" but to have fun. Taylor is also addressing that she knows these things won't change because people are
going to speculate about her and what is going on in her life, but she will continue to "shake it off". All the lyrics and
overall message of the song are addressing something that she thinks should be shared with the world. Although it
is an indirect form of confronting the problem, she is getting her message out to millions upon millions of people.
The things mentioned in the song are things that she felt the need to get out into the public calling attention to it.
Informally, she is addressing a problem that she feels needs to be brought up. She is responding the media in the
same way that Tiger Woods is without the apology. https://youtu.be/nfWlot6h_JM

We will practice recognizing exigence in our own and others discourse. We will
evaluate local exigences that are meaningful to us. More specifically what is an
exigence about your semester long project? Share and compare exigence in teams.
Test the exigence (Is it of abiding interest to the group? Does it demand a rhetorical

response? Can this group realistically imagine effecting a change?) Consider who
the group would have to address to effect change, what access do you have to this
audience?

For the daily writing today, think about all of the information related to your
semester long topic that you learned, re-learned, heard, discovered, were shocked
by, made you smile, or stirred some emotion. What is something that you want to
pursue more in terms of writing your literacy narrative, or what is something that
left you with some unanswered questions?
We have all be involved in research projects, whether large or
small, whether a group project or a project you do alone.
Share one of your best techniques. What gives you the best
information? How do you get the most information about your
topic: How do you verify the validity of that information?

What is something you never do when researching a topic?

Think about past experiences with research and share your
experiences.

PEER REVIEW These are two words that are an important part of your
writing process, but so often this step is misused and/or under-used. Think
about your experiences with the Peer Review process.
Did you receive appropriate criticism?
Did you receive any helpful suggestions?
Did you get your essay back with Good job Dude! on it?
Did you give thoughtful, helpful feedback?
Did you really pay attention and think about the essay in terms of what was
required?
Did you actually check for the required elements?
Pick any of these questions and elaborate on your experiences. Be honest, it
is helpful to hear what other students say about the process.

In Class Discussion:
Oral Presentations, in our case presenting the
semester-long multimodal project, are an effective way
to empower your audience. Think back on a time
during an oral presentation that the speaker was able
to really speak to you, get you passionate about
something, and move you to do something through the
power of speech. Think about your experiences for a
few moments and then lets talk about what worked

and didnt work in terms of what you saw/heard.

What elements of the oral presentation did it for
you??? This power is what you want to have present in
your oral presentation.

Daily Writing Here we are in class 5 class days before the first
presentation begins for our semester long projects. Think about
all the things that you have done so far and what still needs to be
done. Look at the following scenarios, which most accurately
describes your situation?
I need to ask for help with
I am doing fine I just need to give my presentation a final look
over.
I have created a power point/prezi/other but havent found all
of the visuals I need
I want to make three note cards, but havent put any work
into formalizing what I need/want to say
I have a few sources, but they are still in my book bag
I havent even looked at the project assignment sheet
Take a few moments and think about which sentence best
describes your current situation. Dont Lie. Journal your
thoughts.

Read the scenario below and formulate

a response

14 Daily Writing:

So you practiced giving one minute presentations with an image

that was not of your choosing. Think back on that experience. Was
it hard for you? What made it hard? Do you think your
presentation about your own topic will be that hard? What are
some things you learned from our practice session that you will
definitely put into place on the day of your presentation? Think
about these questions and journal about the answers.
19. Looking ahead to our oral presentations, what is something
you did in the past, regarding your presentation, that you will not
repeat. It did not go well; as a matter of fact you bombed!!! What
happened??