What is literacy?

  1. The ability to read and write.
  2. Competence or knowledge in a specified area.

The second definition is the one we will be focusing on in this class.

What is something that you have had to learn recently? How did you begin to learn it? Did someone help you?

Intro to Literacy Narrative

A Literacy Narrative tells a story about something you have learned. Write a literacy narrative of your own, perhaps recalling how you learned to read or write. The focus of this paper is on the learning. How did you learn? How did your sponsor help you to learn? How does learning this literacy relate to learning other literacies?

Remember that there are many kinds of literacy. The narrative you compose may be about your encounters with paintings, films, music, fashion, architecture, or video games. Or it may explore any intellectual passion you have. From Graphic Design, to Mathematics, to a Foreign Language.

Requirements

  • 1,000+ words
  • Tells a story about a literacy or a sponsor of literacy
  • MLA Format
  • Works Cited
  • 1+ relevant Image(s)
  • Appropriate Structure
  • Rough Draft
  • Revised Draft
  • Final Draft posted on class blog

Here is a sample literacy narrative from a previous class that you can use as a model as well. 

Annotate Your Texts

How to Annotate

To summarize how you will annotate text:

1. Identify the BIG IDEA
2. Underline topic sentences or main ideas
3. Connect ideas with arrows
4. Ask questions
5. Add personal notes
6. Define technical words

“Shitty First Drafts”

The writing process is a very important concept that you need to learn. This will move you from writing ok papers to good papers.

The first draft is the down draft.

The second draft is the up draft.

The third draft is the dental draft.

Anne Lamott, “Shitty First Drafts”

Take a couple minutes and read the short article. Annotate the text.

CA.AnnotationPoster.JPEG

Journals

The journals will be your chance to practice the things we will be learning in class. For the next journal, read the article and then write a short summary of a point you found interesting or important.

As you learn more skills the journals will evolve as well. They should be 250 words in length. After your summary, write a short paragraph explaining why you found it interesting or important.

Four Defining Traits of a Game

  1. Goal. The outcome that the players will work to achieve. It focuses attention and gives you a sense of purpose.
  2. Rules. Limitations on how to achieve the goal. It will unleash creativity and foster strategic thinking.
  3. Feedback System. Tells players how close they are to achieving their goal. Provides motivation to keep playing.
  4. Voluntary Participation. Requires that you knowingly accept the goal, rules, and the feedback. You have the freedom to enter and leave the game at will.

With these four ideas in mind, how can we apply this to college?

Homework