Full Schedule Update!

Be sure to check the Schedule of Readings and Written assignments page immediately after reading this posting, as I have updated the class meetings for the remainder of the semester. If you have any questions or notice any inconsistencies, please leave a comment below or feel free to email me.

Bedford Reading for 9/28

For the next class meeting, this Tuesday, please have read the following excerpt from the Hacker text: pages 118-129. This section, Section 6, deals with how one must evaluate another's argument for, as the text states, "logic and fairness" (Hacker 118).

Be sure to read this section closely, looking for key terms and headings as you make your way through the text. Much like there are many Rhetorical Devices which help us formulate and structure our writing, there are numerous aspects of writing (especially expository and argumentative writing) that demand to be evaluated for rationality, accuracy, and so on. We will be doing Exercise 6-1 in class Tuesday, so you may wish to look over this closely before we meet as well.

I am providing today's in-class handout of pages 86-103 a second time because I cannot stress enough the importance of this section of The Bedford Reader. Here you will find detailed descriptions of the following important skills needed to succeed in your writing for this class and many (if not most or all) of your academic courses:

1. Guidelines for active reading (cf. p.87)
2. Annotating the text as you read it (cf. p. 86, 88)
3. Outlining the examined text's thesis and main points in your own words (cf. p.90f)
4. Summarizing the text (cf. p.93)
5. Analyzing the text (cf. p.95)

Furthermore, I highly encourage you to read over the sample student essay by Emilia Sanchez. This appears on pages ninety-eight through one-hundred. This example will undoubtedly prove helpful as you begin to draft your first paper which is due next Thursday.

Happy reading.

Ellison Reading

I have scanned the Ellison text in full and am providing it here. Please download this short story and print it so that you can annotate the text as you read it. It is mandatory that you bring this to class on Thursday.

Remember to try to think and read actively as we discussed in class. Hacker offers her readers some excellent advice regarding active reading skills on page eighty-seven of The Bedford Handbook.

Should you wish to perform a timing at home to see how many words per minute you average when you read, here's how:

1. Count the number of words per line of text. Do this for the first three or four lines so that you can establish a rough average (e.g., twelve words per line).
2. Mark your beginning point, set a timer for one minute, and start reading!
3. When the timer signals a minute has expired, mark your ending point. Even if you have read only one or two words on a new line, you should count this as your last line read. 
4. Count the number of lines you read and multiply the result by the average you obtained earlier (e.g., sixteen lines read, times twelve words per line, equals one-hundred ninety-two; 16 x 12 = 192).
5. Your goal is to achieve a higher score each time you perform this activity. Three-hundred to three-hundred and fifty words per minute is the speed at which the average adult reads; therefore, you should strive to reach this benchmark. This may indeed take time, but remember that active reading is a skill like any other: it must be learned, honed, and perfected through continual practice. Recall that you may use your hand or pencil to perform the "underlining technique" as you read. This helps you remain focused and will therefore aid in your ability to both read quickly and to absorb and retain the information you encounter. 

Enjoy the strange and grotesque, yet meaningful, short story you will be reading. Have a good weekend. See you in class Thursday.

Essay #1 Rubric, Updates, et al.

I will always post the paper rubrics here on the blog. So look for them throughout the semester. The rubric for Essay #1 can be found here.

Do not forget to bring two copies of your essay to class on the thirtyth, as we will be performing an in-class activity called a peer-edit. If you come to class without these extra copies you will be asked to leave and therefore marked absent!

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Some important updates and announcements also need be made concerning the blog and the course:

• Be sure to read the Formal Paper and Essay Descriptions before handing in your paper. These should guide your writing and interpretation of what makes a "good" versus a "poor" paper.
• Notice that I have heavily updated the Schedule of Readings and Written Assignments to reflect the many changes to our weekly classroom encounters. I will be continuing to update this schedule as each segment of the class commences, therefore be sure to check the blog and schedule frequently so that you stay aware and current with the course's requirements.
• I have also included everyone's email listings on the Email Roster page. Please visit this page to double check that your address is indeed listed correctly. If changes/corrections need be made, please leave a comment at the bottom of the roster page or email me with a notice; this is for everyone's benefit.
• As there have been many hiccups with the availability of our course texts at the College Bookstore, I have provided handouts in class and also scanned portions of the texts on this blog. Please be sure to locate these online readings, print them, and bring them to class when we are reviewing the material.

Rehtorical Strategy (HW #4 for 9/23)

Since the Bedford Handbook seems to be as rare as the dodo at the College Bookstore, I've included the reading as links below. Please visit them so that you may complete your reading (Section 3c) for this Tuesday, 9/21. I ask that you print these pages and bring them to class, if at all possible. You will need to save them to your computer and then open them with Adobe Acrobat. Here is the link.

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After doing the reading in the Bedford Handbook (p.67-75), answer the following prompt by commenting to this posting below to complete the homework for 9/23.

Argue for or against the use of cellphones in two paragraphs, using a different paragraph strategy/rhetorical device in each. Be sure of head each paragraph with a label that identifies which strategy/device you are employing to argue your point.

How to Access Library Databases When Off-Campus

• To access York's licensed databases off-campus, you must be a currently enrolled student or a faculty/staff member with an active ID in the York library system. Check at the York Library circulation desk to make sure your ID is active. See CUNY's FAQ for more information about remote access to licensed resources.
• You then need to enter the 14-digit Library I.D. (barcode) number from the back of your York I.D. card.
• Users can also access all of the licensed resources after logging into York's VPN (Virtual Private Network): use these links to connect to the Faculty/Staff VPN or the Student VPN. Contact Academic Computing's helpdesk (ext. 5300) for more information about VPN.
• AOL users may need to launch Internet Explorer in order to access online databases.
• Several New York State Library databases now offer remote access using your New York State DMV Driver License or Non-Driver Photo ID Number.
• You can also access CUNY-wide E-journals and Reference Databases off campus by logging into the CUNY Portal. Logon to the Portal and click on: E-Journals and Reference Databases.
• See information on using Find It!

Still have problems/questions connecting to the library databases remotely? Send e-mail to: helplibrary@york.cuny.edu

Include your name, barcode number (i.e., Library I.D. #), name of the database you were trying to access, and the time of day you attempted access. Also include the error message, if any.  You can also try calling the CUNY Computing Center Help Desk elp Desk at 212.541.0981 or 212.541.0982.

Have problems/questions concerning the York College Library website? Send e-mail to: helplibrary@york.cuny.edu

Guernsey's Article, First Reading in Hacker's Text, and Our "Spy" Games (HW#3 for 9/16)

Over the weekend I would like all of you to read the following pages in Hacker's text The Bedford Reader: p.67-75.

I would also like you to review both the Rowe and Guernsey articles. Print the former if you haven't already so that you can bring it to class on Thursday 9/16, our next class meeting. Annotate these texts as you are reading them. Attempt to locate his and her thesis statements and the supporting points and evidence they utilize to make their arguments. Also, highlight or mark any passages that you deem to be important, significant, outlandish, etc.

Consider how Guernsey's article compares and contrasts to Rowe's text. Remember that a contrast seeks only differences, while a comparison seeks both similarities and differences. We will be performing this activity in our next class.

For your journal writing I would like you to do the following... and remember do not do anything overzealous! I want you to be detectives, yes, but responsible, courteous ones at that!

Thus, the prompt:

Observe people in a public space such as a shopping center, a subway station or platform, a park, or a busy street. Spend one-half to one-full hour taking notes on those individuals that use cellphones. Describe the users' appearance, gestures, tones of voice, volume of speaking, and anything else that seems interesting and important about their use of their phone.

I would like you to observe two (2) people during this activity, providing a paragraph-length description of each. Post your observations below and have fun with this activity.