Writing in Class

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Writing in Class

• A workshop to help Student Support Services (SSS)
  Participants manage
• in-class composition writing.

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Rationale for Workshop

• In both your academic and professional careers,
  you will often be faced with situations in which
  you must write a coherent, effective piece in a
  limited amount of time, without the benefit of
  revision.
• Although in many cases, these occasions are
  entirely extemporaneous, more often than not, you
  will have the opportunity to prepare yourself to
  execute the task effectively.
• Therefore, we will concentrate on this facet of
  on-the-spot writing.
• Quoted verbatim at May 07 2007 at
  http//www.english.uwosh.edu/henson/writing/inclas
  sguid.html

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Workshop Objectives

• Provide tips for writing in-class compositions.
• Discuss the writing process and how to quickly
  complete it.
• Provide practice opportunity.
• Note Source information is provided on
  individual slides.

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First , which of these initial responses do you
have when assigned in-class compositions or
essay exam responses to write?
Graphics yahoo images and Microsoft images
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Ideally . . . your response is . . .
Calm . . . Reflective . . . and Ready for the
challenge.
Is This You?
Graphics yahoo images and Microsoft images
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Relax and Think . . . You Already Know

• . . . The Writing Process . . .
• Invention
• Collection (Main resource -- Memory?)
• Organization
• (Vital for in-class and out-of-class writing)
• Drafting
• Revising
• Proofreading

Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
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Stage 1 Invent

• 2 to devise by thinking
• 3 to produce (as something useful) for the first
  time through the use of the imagination or of
  ingenious thinking and experiment

Slide inspiration Purdue Online Writing Lab
Graphics yahoo images and Microsoft images
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Invent what?

• A Subject or Topic usually, for in-class
  writing assignments, the instructor will give you
  a topic on which to write or a question to
  answer.
• A Thesis Statement (your opinion)
• Tip Rewrite the question in statement form,
  using key terms in the thesis statement.
• Key Terms Pay attention to key terms used in
  the question or topic the instructor gives. This
  will help you rewrite question as a thesis
  statement. (See handout.)

Slide inspiration Purdue Online Writing Lab
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Invention is . . .
coming up with a topic, thesis and writing
ideas How? Try Brainstorming. Getting your
ideas on paper as soon as they come to mind Two
Common Brainstorming Techniques (1) Listing
Putting writing topics on paper as you think of
them. (2) Clustering Visually mapping out
ideas to support thesis or topic.
Slide inspiration Purdue Online Writing Lab
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One Brainstorming Technique . . .
Listing
Topics

• Political apathy
• Animal abuse
• NFL instant replay
• Air pollution
• Cats vs. Dogs
• Telemarketing scams
• Internet censorship
• NBA salary caps

Brainstorming
Slide inspiration Purdue Online Writing Lab
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Another Brainstorm Approach . . . Clustering
mapping out ideas
Contracts
sportsmanship
First Amendment
NFL
salary caps
media censorship
Athlete
Gender
Marketing strategies
NBA
Multi-million dollar Endorsements
negotiations
Slide idea Purdue Online Writing Lab
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Stage 2 Organize

• To remove the randomness or chaos
• To add structure or efficiency
• To arrange
• To manage
• (Encarta Dictionary English (North America)

Slide inspiration Purdue Online Writing
Lab Graphics Microsoft
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Organize (Outline)?

• What is an outline? Outline Data or
  information written into a plan of development.
• Outline Choice
• Sentence
• Topic (usually practical for in-class writing or
  essay exams)

Slide inspiration Purdue Online Writing Lab
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SAMPLE OUTLINE
Example of a Thesis Statement  Cats make better
pets than dogs.

• Why Cats Make Better Pets than DogsBy A. Student
• A.  Cats better pets than dogs (Topic or Thesis)
• B.  Cats better pets than dogs (Blueprinted
  Thesis)
• (1) cats cleaner,
• (2) cats more affectionate
• (3) cats better with children.

Source for Sample Outline Slides
http//www.academic.marist.edu/alcuin/icw/webhtml/
outlining.htm
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Sample Outline (Cont.)
If you can follow through an entire outline with
details such as this, the writing battle is
nearly over! Body II. Secondary Point 1 (Cats
cleaner than dogs) A. Cats -- wash themselves
at least twice daily 1. Spend 60 of life
grooming selves 2. try to avoid dirty
elements, such as mud B. Dogs need to be hand
washed. III. Secondary Point 2 (Cats more
affectionate than dogs) IV. Secondary Point 3
(Cats work better with children)
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Sample Outline (Cont.)

• Conclusion
• V. Conclusion (Restate Thesis and Summarize
  content in Body paragraphs II IV)

Source for Sample Outline Slides
http//www.academic.marist.edu/alcuin/icw/webhtml/
outlining.htm Graphics Microsoft
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Step 3 Drafting . . . requires . . .

• Writing first draft (using your outline)
• Revising draft quickly for logic problems.
• Proofreading for and correcting physical errors.

Slide inspiration Purdue Online Writing Lab
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(Writing) Drafting and Revising

• Writing the Essay /Answer
• Use Outline.
• Introduction
• Begin with a strong first sentencethat states
  the main idea or thesis of your essay.
• Continue this first paragraph by presenting key
  points that you might discuss in the essay or
  question response.

Slide inspiration Purdue Online Writing Lab
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Writing the Essay / Answer

• Body
• Begin each body paragraph with a key point or
  term from the introduction. (Topic Sentences)
• Develop each topic sentence into a complete
  paragraph (supporting evidence or examples)
• Use transitions or enumerations to connect your
  points.
• Hold to your time allocation and organization.
• Qualify answers when in doubt. It is better to
  say "toward the end of the Nineteenth century"
  than to say "in 1894" when you can't remember,
  whether the date is 1884 or 1894. In many cases,
  the approximate time is all that is wanted.

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Writing the Essay / Answer

• Conclusion
• Restate and Summarize body paragraphs.

Graphic Microsoft
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Writing Practice

• Create a topic outline of your response to the
  following scenario and question. Remember, you
  need a thesis.
• Scenario You approach the bathroom in a public
  facility that your tax dollars have partly helped
  to finance and you see a human being standing
  there, blocking the entrance to the bathroom and
  carrying on a personal conversation with another
  person. The person sees you and yet continues
  blocking the door and talking. Assume that you
  really need to go to the bathroom and that you
  are not just attempting to enter there to comb
  your hair or gaze lovingly into your own eyes in
  the mirror.
• What are three possible responses you might have
  to the person blocking the door and what are some
  possible consequences to your responses?

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Conclusion

• SSS hopes this presentation has given you some
  useful information concerning the task of writing
  in class.
• Source information included on individual slides.
• Please complete and submit to workshop instructor
  a Seminar Evaluation form to get credit for this
  workshop.
• Also, please feel free to suggest any other
  topics that you would like to see presented.
  Phone [phone].
• Thank you, and have a great learning experience
  here at Troy University.

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Credits . . .
Troy University Student Support Services Buffie
Edwards, Coordinator Eldridge Hall, Room 24 Troy
University Troy, AL 36082 Phone [phone]
bmedwards_at_troy.edu

• Presentation developed / compiled by
• Rebecca C. Money, English/Reading Specialist
• Student Support Services Shackelford Hall Annex,
  Room 109 Troy University Troy, AL 36082
• Phone [phone] rmoney_at_troy.edu
• PPT dev 2007/01-04

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Writing in Class

• THE END