Jan. 6th - Letter of Intro, Blog #1

For today's class, I would like you to write a letter of introduction to me, explaining your background as a writer and a student. I will give you about 30 minutes to work on this, so take your time. Make it legible if you can. Include the following information:

• Describe your background as a writer: what kinds of writing did you do during high school, for work, for yourself? For example, do you enjoy creative writing? What kind of academic papers have you had to write for class?
• Describe your field of study and professional goals. What led you to choose this area? (If you're not entirely sure about your major, what are you interested in doing?)
• Describe your library research skills. What kinds of databases do you use most often when you are assigned to write a research-based assignment? On a scale of 1-to-10, how confident do you feel about your research skills as an academic writer?
• What's your favorite book, and why? It can be a book from childhood, recent, whatever tickles your fancy.
• Provide some personal information about yourself and your family: for example, where did you grow up? What do your parents do for a living? Do you have any siblings? Pets? Imaginary friends? What do you like to do with your free time?
• Explain any obligations you have beyond academic work: a job, family responsibilities, membership in campus or off-campus groups.
• End by briefly describing what goals you have for this class. What do you want to improve about your writing, reading, and research skills?

Trying to be specific and concrete - make it engaging and informative! But most of all, just try and let your own voice come through the writing. This is about me getting to know you as a writer.

Blog #1: In Allyn and Bacon, read pages 5-25 in chapter one and pages 28-48 in chapter two. Try and make notes in your book or a notebook in response to the seven key concepts in these two chapters. Be sure to bring your book to class. Then, choose two "hotspots" from each of the chapters you have read and describe what they are, and then explain why you chose them. This means, a total of four hotspots. A "hotspot" is defined by the authors of A&B as "a quotation or passage that you especially notice because you agree or disagree with it or because... it strikes you as particularly thought provoking. Perhaps it raises a problem or is confusing" (130). Please label each blog post by number so I can easily find them. i.e. "Blog Post #1 - A&B chapters 1 & 2" or "Blog Post #1 - Michael Jaynes". This log should be around a double-spaced page long, though it'll be hard to figure out what that is in blogger - basically, don't half-ass it.