PORTFOLIOS          ENGL 101 WRITING I

Overview 

Portfolios work in different ways in different classes. Sometimes they are used to simply collect the work that a student has done over a period of time. Sometimes they are used to mark progress via revision. And sometimes they are used as a way to assess student work—not simply his writing work but his effort and progress in class.

 

The portfolios you will turn in will do a little bit of all three of those things.  This is a chance for you to collect and reflect on your work, to think about what you’ve done well and what you still need to learn. I’ll ask you to write about this in a reflection letter that you include with the portfolios. Another way you will showcase your progress is through revision. You will revise some of your formal writing from each half of the semester. You’ll write about this in your reflection letter as well. 

 

Finally, I will use the portfolios as a way of assessing your effort, progress as a writer and as a student, and the quality of your written work. I will assess the portfolios and include a lengthy letter to you when I return them. That letter will detail your entire career in this class up to that point. It will give you feedback on the quality of the portfolio itself, and I will give you a letter grade that marks your progress in a way that is valued by the college.

 

NOTE:  I can give you two pieces of advice about how to approach portfolios: 1) I take the cover letter seriously. If you don’t, I will know. You can’t scam a scammer. It only frustrates me to have you waste my time with fluff that you don’t mean and that doesn’t help me to read your portfolio. So take the cover letter/analysis seriously. Be honest and useful in it. 2) I look for revision. If you have attempted good revisions, then you will be rewarded for it. If you say you’ve attempted revision but haven’t, you’ll be penalized for it. I don’t know how I can be anymore straightforward about what I will look for in the portfolios (revision and a good cover letter).

 

Midterm portfolio and cover letter info

Your midterm portfolio is a first shot at revision. It is a chance to show what you’ve learned in the short time from the beginning of the semester to midterm. This portfolio is worth 15% of your final grade.

 

Here is what needs to go into your portfolio:

  1. You should include two pieces of informal, in-class writing. Any piece of writing that you wrote in-class that was not for book club is eligible. Choose pieces that you feel are your best samples of in-class writing. Choose writing where you think you said something smart. Choose writing where you liked how you expressed something.  THIS DOES NOT NEED TO BE REVISED. JUST INCLUDE IT.
  2. Your Best Book Club Journal Entry So Far. This should be a meaty selection. One where you wrote in detail about the book. One where you wrote analysis as well as summary. One where you worked at developing a thesis about what the book is about and not just blithered to fill space. THIS DOES NOT NEED TO BE REVISED. JUST INCLUDE IT.
  3. Your revised Profile (Writing About People). Include your first draft of your Profile Essay with my comments along with your revision.
  4. Your revised, completed Ethnographic Essay (Writing about Places). Include your conference/workshop draft of your Ethnographic Essay along with your revision..
  5. Your Midterm portfolio cover letter. This is an in class writing. So you should bring your laptop the day this is due. It should be about two pages long. You can write it like a letter. You can write it like an essay. You can write it like a memo. You can put each question on the page and write the answer below it. Whatever. I don’t care how you format it; I just want it done. Your cover letter answers the following questions.

·         Why did you include the informal writing that you chose?

·         How has your writing improved or not improved so far this semester?

·         What have you learned about your reading habits so far this semester?

·         What will you still need to work on in future writing assignments?

·         FOR EXTRA CREDIT: Discuss what you learned about creative nonfiction?

You will have the entire class period to complete the cover letter and turn the portfolio cover letter in.  See the syllabus for due dates.

 

final portfolio and cover letter info

Your final portfolio is your last opportunity to demonstrate to me what you’ve learned this semester. It is an important document. Here is the place to worry about the details and editing and typos. It should be the most polished writing I see from you. This portfolio is worth 15% of your final grade.

 

Here is what needs to go into your portfolio:

  1. You should include two pieces of informal, in-class writing since midterm. Any piece of writing that you wrote in-class that was not for book club is eligible. Choose pieces that you feel are your best samples of in-class writing. Choose writing where you think you said something smart. Choose writing where you liked how you expressed something.  THIS DOES NOT NEED TO BE REVISED. JUST INCLUDE IT.
  2. Your Best Book Club Journal Entry since midterm. This should be a meaty selection. One where you wrote in detail about the book. One where you wrote analysis as well as summary. One where you worked at developing a thesis about what the book is about and not just blithered to fill space. THIS DOES NOT NEED TO BE REVISED. JUST INCLUDE IT.
  3. EXTRA CREDIT: Either your ethnographic essay or your profile essay, revised since midterm. Include the draft you included in your midterm. You do NOT need to revise both essays. Pick the one with the most promise and make it a real show piece.
  4. Your revised Memoir (Writing about Yourself). Include your first draft of your Memoir with my comments on it along with your revision.
  5. Your revised, completed draft of your Personal Essay (Writing about things). Include your workshop/conference draft of your Personal Essay along with your revision.
  6. Your Final portfolio cover letter. This is an in class document. You should bring your laptop to do this work.  It should be about two pages long. You can write it like a letter. You can write it like an essay. You can write it like a memo. You can put each question on the page and write the answer below it. Whatever. I don’t care how you format it; I just want it done. Your cover letter answers the following questions.

Final Portfolios are due to me at the end of class on the last day of classes. No exceptions or excuses. You’ll have the entire class period, just like at midterm, to complete the cover letter. I’ll give you a manila envelope in class. You will get your portfolios back during the scheduled exam period for this class.  For dates and times consult the syllabus link.