May 31 - the end of school!

I can't believe I'm typing up the last few agendas for the class this year.  It was truly and honor and a privilege to facilitate such an exceptional and interesting group of students.  I often joked about "the four-hour version of the class" and my (optimistic?  quixotic? bloated?) lesson plans are a reflection of how much I enjoyed reading, writing, and being involved in discussions with you. 

Okay, on with the agenda:

TUESDAY, MAY 31: Journal warm-up.  Read sample college essays that have worked and discuss each sample.  Go through Common App and UC prompts and match them with your completed brainstorm sheet.  Which questions allow you to present anecdotes that are highly personal and reflect your best attributes?  More brainstorming/narrowing down.  Last half of class: type up very rough draft in the computer lab.

For this assignment, the minimum requirement is one of the following:

1.  One of the Common App prompts (650 words max.)
2.  Two of the four required UC prompts (350 words max. for each)
3. A community college, art school, or vocational tech school prompt (please include the link and prompt at the top of your essay).

Due: Completed brainstorming sheet from last week.  Think about which prompt(s) you may want to answer before class.

Be sure to turn in any missing/late work by June 3rd and bring textbooks back to the classroom or directly to the library. 

Homework: Complete a very rough draft of your essay for the Common App or 2 short answers from the UC prompts.  Don't worry about word count at this point.  Make sure you can access your drafts electronically so you can work on them in class on Thursday/Friday.

Be sure to turn in any missing/late work by June 3rd and bring textbooks back to the classroom or directly to the library. 

THURSDAY, JUNE 2: Journal warm-up.  Read more sample essays and discuss.  Go through the final checklist for drafts: push for details, remove cliches, fix any diction/syntax issues.  Work time on laptops.

Due: Full rough draft typed out and accessible online (Googledocs, latest version in e-mail, etc.)

Be sure to turn in any missing/late work by June 3rd and bring textbooks back to the classroom or directly to the library. 

Journals will also be collected at the end of class.

Homework: Polish up your draft with the Final Checklist and make sure it is within the word count parameters.  Have others read it, set it aside, them come back and read and revise it again.

Be sure to turn in any missing/late work by June 3rd and bring textbooks back to the classroom or directly to the library. 

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MONDAY, JUNE 6: (shorter class) Volunteers will share their essays and the class will give helpful feedback.   Debate and discuss the college application process, reading several short opinions on the topic.  More work time on laptops for drafts.

Due: Be able to access your essay drafts electronically, and have them nearly completed.

Homework:  Be prepared to upload your final draft of the last assignment by Wednesday, June 8 at 12:00.  You will have at least one full hour of work time in class with laptops.

Be sure to turn in any missing/late work by June 3rd and bring textbooks back to the classroom or directly to the library. 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8:  Short, anonymous class evaluation so I can keep what you liked and also improve the section next time.  Discuss summer plans and share leads/ideas and contact information, if desired.  Work time on laptops and direct, one-on-one feedback for final drafts during the class period.

Your final version is due to Turnitin.com on Wednesday, June 8 at 12:00 p.m.

Please note, due to how far along we are in the semester and the fact that this is your final for the class, NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED. Thanks for understanding.