I'll be updating and adding details regularly, and I reserve the right to make changes to a given day's homework up to the class before, so be sure to check back regularly.
Overview: Intro to the course, each other, the genre project, and discussion of
the blank page and rhetorical theory's take on genre.
Homework due*: Read the syllabus, take a look around this website,
and come to class with any questions you have. I plan not to put us all to
sleep reading the syllabus aloud, but I may wake you up by calling on you
to ask a question or answer a classmate's question.
Homework due: Post your introduction to the course discussion board by noon. The only specific I'll be looking for is the proposal of one or two genres you'd be interested in working with for your term project. In order to keep things organized, be sure to reply to my posting to continue the thread that I have started (rather than "post new message").
Overview:
Discuss Bawarshi's take on genre,
organize genre project groups,
think about successful collaboration, and
prep for our analysis of genre guides.
Homework due*:
Read Anis Bawarshi's "The Ecology of Genre" and
write a 200-300 word explanation of the concept of genre that he presents. Be
precise and concise. Bring a paper copy to turn in to me and an electronic
copy to work with in class.
Overview:
Scrutinize the basic guidelines for genre analysis, finalize collaboration contracts,
analyze sample genre guides.
Homework due*: Read these Guidelines for Genre Analysis and
find 2-3 online guides to writing a specific genre that you think are helpful
and well put together. Be ready to share what you think is and is not
effective about the guides you have chosen.
Overview: Draft variation genre guide templates and discuss
genre analysis at word-level.
Homework due*: Proposals for a standard online
genre guide template and a variation genre guide template appropriate to
the purposes of this class (e.g., the expanded understanding of genre with
which we are working, etc). Be ready to discuss (defend?) your design choices.
Overview: Discuss Fairclough and genre analysis methodology,
revise genre definitions, and prep/plan for next week's dive into your group's
genre analysis.
Homework due*: Read Norman Fairclough's
"Genres and Generic Structure" and
either expand/revise this Genre
Analysis Heuristic or distill your own from Fairclough's chapter. Be
ready to discuss how Fairclough affects the explanation of genre we put in
place with Barwarshi. Be sure to have an electronic copy of your genre
definition to work with.
Overview: Begin group genre analysis, etc.
Homework due*: Coordinate with your group
to select and collect the corpus of texts you'll be analysing. Individually,
write a 200-300 word reflective statement explaining the rationale behind
your text gathering choices. Be thoughtful about both your ideas and your
writing, and be sure to draw on language and ideas from the readings to
establish an academic tone.
Overview: . . . phase 1 in progress . . .
Homework due*: Turn in prep work for phase 1 of the genre project:
• Definition of Rhetorical Genre
• Revised Guidelines for Genre Analysis (specific to each group's genre)
• Rationale for Corpus Selection (compiled from individual rationales)
Overview: . . . phase 1 in progress . . .
Homework due*: deadlines to be determined by groups
Overview: . . . phase 1 in progress . . .
Homework due*: By 9:00am, Turn in analysis for phase 1 of the genre project:
• Step-by-step Write up of Findings
Overview: Submit conclusion of phase 1, discuss Smith, get to work writing standard texts.
Homework due*:
• Read Frank Smith's
"Putting Meaning into Words" and
"The Writer-Reader Contract".
• Write the final component of phase 1 of the genre project:
Discussion of Conclusions and Points of Particular Interest.
For this final piece of your phase 1 report you will individually
finalize what you have discussed and/or drafted in your groups so that
it is targeted to your specific interests. Within 1-2 single-spaced
pages, you will: (1)
concisely explain consistent features and common options within your
genre, and (2) discuss points of particular interest in regard to the
social functions of the genre.
Overview: Standard text review process, variation text workshop.
Homework due*: Standard text(s) in your genre,
5 ideas for interesting and purposeful variations.
Overview: Variation text review process, discuss reflective writing
and the final portfolio.
Homework due*: Variation text(s) in your genre.
Overview: Submit phase 2, revisit online genre guide templates, prep for phase 3
Homework due*: Turn in phase 2 of the genre project:
• Discussion of standard text design choices (1 single-spaced page)
• Standard text(s) in your genre
• Discussion of variation text design choices (1 single-spaced page)
• Variation text(s) in your genre
• Notes from peer review workshops
Overview: Genre guide work day
Homework due*: deadlines to be determined by groups
Overview: Genre guide peer review
Homework due*: genre guide
Overview: Cover letter workshop and prep for final portfolio
Homework due*: cover letter draft and by 7:00pm
a web-ready genre guide
Overview: Genre guide presentations and course evaluations
Homework due*: Final Portfolio
