Rhetorical Situation

Guidelines: 

Blog posts are free and open; their language is casual. I expect to see four things in your posts: (1) that you read the piece; (2) that you can make connections to yourself as a writer and the class; (3) that you understand the genre conventions of a blog; and (4) that I can begin to see who you are as a writer—through your voice, style and language choices. 

**Comment back to this post--do NOT create a new post!

**Make sure you comment back to at least one other person either in your own post or comment to their post. 

After reading the Vatz article and watching the youtube video, please respond to the following prompt in about 250-400 words:

According to Vatz, what is rhetoric? What is a rhetorical situation? Why are both important in the understanding of how to write? Why are both important for research? Do you believe all writing needs a rhetorical situation in order to write? What is Vatz's issue with how Bitzer defines rhetorical situation?

How rhetorical situation connect to your own writing process(es)?

Due: Monday, April 1, 2013 by class time. 

Investigating Key Terms

As we briefly discussed in class the first day, key terms give you a vocabulary by which you can begin to understand writing, create a writing identity, and learn new knowledge about writing. In this in-class assignment, you are going to begin to investigate key terms. Begin by defining the key terms audience, genre, rhetorical situation and reflection in your own words (if you are unsure of how to define something, say that you are unsure but go ahead and attempt to define the term).Next explore their relationships within the context of writing, specifically good writing. Think back to what you did in WRIT 1122 in terms of how you might define good writing. Draw from those initial impressions. Then create your own set of key terms for writing and research. What key terms do you think about before beginning to write? Before beginning to research? Conclude by issuing a decree: what do you believe is important about writing and where do you believe this belief came from? 

Next think about yourself as a writer and as a researcher. After today's show and tell, define who you are as a writer. Define who you are as a researcher. How do these two identities overlap? 

And finally bring it all together: begin to theorize about writing. Generate a one sentence theory about writing. 

Your response should be as long as it needs to be, but I'm guessing it's going to take more than 500 words to complete this. Don't rush through. Think. Muse. Reflect.