June 3

We started with a writing into the day about our experiences with workshopping in the past.  Then, we shared our writing in whole group.

We covered the following red tape:

• About the handout you were supposed to bring today:
• Workshop reflection: Complete these questions on your blog after the workshop.  (It will be tomorrow night’s homework.)
• Self assessment reflection: Complete these questions on your blog when you turn in your second draft.
• The page minimum of three pages for the assignment means a FULL three pages.  Two and a half pages does not count.  You need to be at the bottom of the third page.  You can write more than three pages, if you want.

Next, we got into groups of 3-4 and made a list of the Do’s and Do Not’s of effective worshopping.  We created a class list on the board:

DO

• Read completely
• Consider the writer’s interests and aims (what they are saying and why they are saying it)
• Be open to criticism
• Pay back your way of understanding the writing (what confused you, what you understood, what you liked, etc.)
• Explain or make suggestions/examples
• Compliment the good things
• Be specific when critiquing the paper
• Be respectful of opinions or ideas
• Use words like “could” or “possibly” or “have you thought of”
• Read for content
• Pay attention to the logical flow and structure
• Take notes during the reading

DON’T

• Don’t skim
• Don’t reject information
• Don’t try to rewrite their paper
• Don’t only focus on the bad things
• Don’t have unconstructive criticism
• Don’t be an instructor (telling them what to do)
• Don’t be rude
• Don’t read for grammar
• Don’t overwhelm the writer (too many different suggestions)
• Don’t be short and sweet
• Don’t judge the reading as an A paper just because he/she is your friend

We talked about the purposes and value of workshoppoing.  See the handout you were supposed to bring to class and slide 47 on the PowerPoint.

We read a newspaper article about Charlie Boyd (see slide 49 on the PowerPoint).  We had to pick a point of view in the story (Charlie, the man driving behind him, the police officer, ect.) and rewrite the article.

We read Megan’s story and followed the steps on slide 48 on the PowerPoint to workshop it. 

Megan's concerns:

1. How can I help the reader see that the narrator is a stuffed rabbit?
2. Should I keep this as a story told to other stuffed animals or should I change it to some other form of story telling?

The class said:

• It’s cute.
• You could say they “hopped out to the front porch”
• Something about how he is craving for a carrot or eating a carrot while he was watching TV
• I like the idea from the perspective of telling the story to the other stuff animals because it’s different.  It works because you are telling a story.
• You could add dialogue.
• Maybe when he buckled him in he gave him a carrot
• He might repeat what Charlie says to him (that is the way you could add dialogue)
• “Whoa we are swerving all over the road.”
• You could have different perspectives at certain parts of the story.  Have sentences that are directed at certain stuffed animals.
• You could change it to third person and say “Charlie buckled in his stuffed bunny rabbit”
• After the first line, “Being your bunny scout leader…”
• Being a stuffed rabbit as I am… because I go every where with Charlie…”
• Charlie grabbed my floppy bunny long ear
• Or grabbed him by my poofy tail
• It might have muffled his hearing… heard a loud noise (the engine)
• Since he grabbed the ear, that’s why he couldn’t understand what the jingle was
• “I thought we were playing cops and robbers” would make it clearer that they are playing
• “I saw the car keys” – be more specific

How was this a good example of effective workshop?

• It was a conversation
• You were taking feedback and asking questions to get more clarity
• Everyone had an answer so it makes it a more creative paper
• Everyone gave feedback
• Everyone was being specific (like mentioning the key)
• We gave ideas
• It was read aloud
• You talked to (as the writer)
• We considered the writer’s interests
• We make suggestions rather than saying what you must do
• We gave suggestions and let you pick for yourself

Then we talked about the grading for tomorrow (see slide 50 on the PowerPoint).

Homework:

• Post your first draft of the Definition Essay on your blog.
• Bring enough hardcopies for your whole workshop group (including yourself).  The list of workshop groups is on Moodle.