Friday, February 26, 2010

SDV Final Portfolio Reminders

Hi, everyone.

Here is a reminder checklist of everything that needs to be included in your final portfolio:

1) Reflection Letter (aka. Cover letter, Cover essay, Reflective essay, etc.). This should be 4-5 pages in length double-spaced and include the items that Dr. Brandon gave you in class this week. You can reference these instructions in Week 6 or at the bottom of this announcement.

2) Life Files printed out and dated (6 total including the one assigned this week)

3) Major Asignments
  • Career Assignment (including all 4 parts - Inventories Summary, printed description of one particular job, Career Exploration Worksheet, and Job Listings)
  • Advising Assignment (including all 4 parts - First Year Advising Sheet from the SSC, your addresses page, your financial aid page, and your course schedule for this semester)
  • Activities Assignment (2 completed activities and full descriptions. If you were unable to attend an activity b/c it was cancelled or rescheduled, you may include proof of the original sign up for credit.)
  • Course Evaluation (email from Class Climate asking you to evaluate the SDV course - This should be sent to you within the next few days if you haven't already received it. I just need the "Thank you" page for your assignment.)

4) Artifacts - demonstrating what you've done and learned in my class. This is one of the MOST important parts of your portfolio for me and should include LOTS of work.

If you have any questions, just email me!

-Prof M



Reminders from Week 6 on What the Reflective Letter should include:

"3. In class this week, we began discussing the reflective essay/cover letter you will write for your final SDV 100 portfolio. In many respects, your grade on your final SDV portfolio will reflect how you are doing in both SDV and ENG 111, because to write the reflective essay and write it in a way which will allow you to achieve your rhetorical purpose for the letter, you'll have to employ what you've learned in ENG 111 about rhetoric, audience, writing for a purpose, adapting your writing to the needs of your audience, and writing process. This week, you learned about the necessity of connecting the claims you make to evidence and analysis. These are the Point-Evidence-Analysis (PEA) body paragraphs we discussed in class. In class, you also worked with your group to come up with a list of claims you can honestly make about what you have learned in SDV 100, and you began to connect these claims with specific artifacts from assignments which you've completed for SDV and ENG 111.
a. Complete and publish the list of claims you can make and the evidence you can use to support these claims to your blog. This can serve as a record for your final ENG 111 portfolio of what you've learned in terms of group discussion and brainstorming as pre-writing/discovery techniques. If you weren't in class, make sure to get a copy of these notes from someone in your group; otherwise, you'll need to create them on your own.
b. With the post from 3a in hand, you are now in a position to begin drafting individual, PEA paragraphs for your SDV portfolio's reflective essay. Draft three body paragraphs of this essay using your post from 3a. Each paragraph should follow the PEA structure, that is, each paragraph should: 1) make a claim/offer an opinion about what you have learned in SDV; 2) introduce evidence you can use to support this claim/opinion; and, 3) provide an explanation of why this evidence supports your claim/opinion. Remember, in each paragraph, you might need to invest from one to three sentences for each part of the paragraph, and it isn't uncommon to need to introduce two or more pieces of evidence and accompanying analysis to support each claim. Post the drafts of your paragraphs to your blog. Remember, drafts are written in complete sentences; they capture what you want to say in sentences and paragraph form; and, you assume you'll be going back and revising and proofreading the paragraphs later, so they don't need to be perfect. They do need to capture your thinking about your claim as completely as possible. "

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Assignment Link for Week Seven Is Now Active.

Note:  This is an important week.  You'll be finishing up SDV 100, and finishing up and turning in your SDV 100 final portfolio.  The work you do this week is crucial to your suggest in both SDV and ENG 111.  Plan the week, so you can do your best work.

Note: SDV 100 Final Portfolio DUE: 4 March, 231 Massey, BEFORE Noon.

Steve

Monday, February 22, 2010

A New Regimen for Getting in Touch and Meeting with Me.

About a month ago, I was diagnosed with vertigo, which is a fancy Latin word for dizziness.  The vertigo first presented itself during a visit to Baltimore and following a cold, and the doctors seem convinced it is related to a chronic sinus infection.  As a result, I have been on antibiotics, heavy decongestants, and allegory drugs for over a month, but symptoms have become worse rather than better over time.

I don't usually share health issues with a class.  So far,  I have been able to make every class I have had to teach and interact with and help students.  However, the vertigo has affected my ability to drive, and episodes come and go unpredictably, though they do get worse as the day progresses, which means I am limited in the times I will be at my office.  While I can still make arrangements for face-to-face meetings, and I will be happy to do so, if you need to see me in person, until further notice, the best way to contact me is via one of the website contact forms or via phone, 804-885-3727.  Moreover, until further notice, please contact me to arrange each face-to-face appointment rather than stopping by my office, as I want to make sure I am there when you do stop by.  

Steve  

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Class last week

Hi, everyone.

I just wanted to say how pleased I was with the attention that you gave Ms. Pope in class last week.  You asked excellent questions!  :)

Reminder - Ms. Bruce will be coming to class with information on how to transfer to the 4-year school of your choice.  Make sure you bring lots of questions.  And, please be on time!

-Prof M

Monday, February 15, 2010

Portfolios

Hi, everyone.

A few of you didn't pick up your portfolio in class last Thursday.  I will be bringing them with me this coming Thursday.  Please make sure that you get them. 

Also, don't forget - we have a guest speaker coming this week.  Make sure you bring all of your financial aid and credit card questions with you!

-Prof M

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

The Assignment Link for Week Five is Activated

It looks to be an interesting week.  Folks like speaking about money and how to do better with it, and you'll be learning why and how you can keep more money in your pocket.  In the process, you'll be looking at the difference between process and product, learning the rhetoric and process writing involved in creating and keeping a budget, and you'll learn about financial aid.

Steve

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Office hours cancelled for Doc B, Thursday and Friday, 4-5 Feb.

I have been fighting off a chest and sinus infection since last Friday.  The cough which has accompanied it has become much worse overnight, and my voice is affected. The upshot is that I won't be keeping office hours today, Thursday, 4 February.  I don't normally have office hours on Friday, but I am also cancelling all meetings and appointments Friday as well, as I have a doctor's appointment in the morning and want to get in as much rest as possible, all with an eye toward being rested and--hopefully--well enough to tackle a full week next week.

If you had planned on stopping by my office, please email using one of the forms on the webpage, as my voice isn't all it could be.

Thanks,

Steve

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Link to week four assignments now active.

A student wrote asking that I activate the fourth week's assignments.

Usually, I activate the assignments during Prof J's and my shared office hours each Wednesday morning, 9:00-11:00, but I didn't see any real reason to not activate the link early.  I do have one concern.

Please don't get distracted from working on your portfolio for SDV 100.  Until you turn it on on Thursday, 4 Feb, it is your most important consideration in both SDV 100 and ENG 111.

Of course, starting after you finish your portfolio and turn it in, week four's assignments then become your most important consideration.

Steve

Search This Blog

Followers