From the Lit Review to the Essay

The move from your lit review to your first draft may seem challenging because there is not much cross-over between the two, and you want to make sure you aren't merely lifting chunks of your lit review into your draft. 

I want you to begin to explore the differences using your own research as guidance. What are some central claims you believe you will make in your essay (in other words, what do you believe you'll be adding to the existing conversation)? How do these claims differ from your lit review? What are things you need to anticipate for your audience? What are things you'll need to include so that it's obvious who your intended audience will be? Last, what are some things you, as the researcher and the writer, need to keep in mind as you begin to start drafting your essay? 

Shoot for 150-250 words. 

 

Beginning to Draft the Essay

For this blog post you are doing an SRR: summary, respond, reflect. First quickly summarize what happened in Ballenger's #4. Next respond to it, in other words, what did you learn; what applies to your own research; what was your reaction to learning these things. And last, you are going to reflect on the chapter. What connections can you make between other readings, class discussions, and drafting of your own essay? 

***He discusses two ways to respond to inquiry-based research. Remember for your essay, you are NOT creating an argument. 

Shoot for 250-350 words and engage with your peers. 

Due: Monday, May 6, 2013 by class time. 

Conference Day Blog

As part of your conference day, you need to complete this blog by 10:00 pm or you will be considered absent. 

Essentially, you have thought about your theory of writing at least once in the blog post "investigating key terms." Other blogs have hinted at your theory without being so direct. You are going to continue your thinking, musing, and defining of your theory of writing for this post. This is meant to be reflective in nature, so it's good to revisit some of your old blogs and see what you said.

Questions to springboard your thinking: 

(1) Key Terms for Writing

What are your key terms for writing? How does it expand your writing practices to understand these key terms? How do these key terms connect to your research? Why is it important that you write in different genres of writing (so far, you've experienced the following genres: blog, proposal, report, lit review, outline/brainstorming, reflection)? 

(2) Writerly Identity

Who are you as a writer? A researcher? How does considering key terms contribute to the development of your writerly identity? How do you think research, especially inquiry-based research that you're doing right now, contributes to your writerly identity?

(3) Prior Knowledge and Experiences

How is writing this quarter similar or different to what you've done in the past? What are you learning that you might carry forward to future assignments, in this class or in others? Will understanding the key terms help you in future?

(4) Theory of Writing

Dr. Seuss known for his witty and oddly inspiring quotes sets the tone for your conclusion of this post. In one-two sentences, write your theory of writing in Dr. Seuss style. 

350-500 words. Engage with others (there's at least one or two of you not doing this--you can't receive a check plus without engaging with others...). 

What is a Lit Review?!?

After reading through the 2 sample lit reviews and essays, please take a look at these 2 websites again: 

(1) http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/literature-reviews/

(2) http://www.duluth.umn.edu/~hrallis/guides/researching/litreview.html

Taken together--the sample lit reviews, the sample essays, and the two websites, please respond to the following questions pulling on at least one of the samples to evidence what you are saying: 

What is the purpose of a lit review? (be specific!)

What is the purpose of an inquiry-based research essay? 

How do the two differ? 

Why might it be *extremely important to do a lit review before writing your essay? 

Why do we learn how to write a lit review? 

Next move to your research, and respond to the following questions:

What is the purpose of your lit review?

What is the purpose of your inquiry-based essay? 

How will you make the two differ? 

Be as specific and detailed as possible. Remember to engage with one another. 

**You will NOT be able to respond to this blog without having read through the examples and the two websites. And this is NOT the time to *breeze your way through the blog hoping to get some amount of credit. 

Due: Monday, April 29, 2013 by class time. 

Lit Review: In-Class Work Day

In about 200-300 words, explain your visual representation: what's your purpose of your lit review? What are some of your themes? What sources will you use within each theme? Finally, then discuss what's next: where do you need to do to start drafting your lit review.

Why Write and Why Research?

Auster answers his question "why write" through different experiences. For this blog post, you need to respond to this question on two levels: (1) why write in relationship to yourself (use examples from your own life as Auster did) and (2) why research, in other words, why do you need to know how to research? Pull on your own experiences again. 

As you respond to these two questions, you also need to draw on past readings and use key words to begin to make connections between readings and key words and to your own writing identity. 

250-400 words. Respond to one another. 

Due: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 by class time. 

Emily & Dre

Our key terms revolved mainly around rhetorical situation and its role within activity theory-- basically how our rhetor, Chuck Norris, is “learning through doing” (giving) his speech (Russell & Yanez).

The rhetorical situation is spurred on by an exigence, as seen in the explosion bubble near Chuck’s head. Chuck then makes choices as to how he well present his response to this exigence since, after all, “No situation can have a nature independent of the perception of its interpreter or independent of the rhetoric with which he chooses to characterize it.” -Vatz (p. 154).

Next, we placed our audience in the path of the “salience” rays being emitted by Chuck. After this the waves are interpreted, which is a key step in any rhetorical situation. Finally, “logos,” “pathos,” and “ethos” are on top of the audience because they modes through which Chuck’s argument is conveyed upon his crowd.

Our visualization is strong because it is simple AND comprehensive. It’s also highly imagistic, so it’s easier to understand and commit to memory. Plus, it’s Chuck Norris. He’ll kick your ass if you don’t.