Writing Project #4: Revision of the Literacy Autobiography Essay

Task:
Using our classs understanding of revision and the revision process, revise your Literacy Autobiography essay. It should still focus on those turning points or most meaningful events that have shaped who you are today as a reader and writer in multiple scenes, situations, and genres. 1. Action Plan: You should identify your plans for revision. It should detail rhetorical strategies and explicate specific choices you plan to make in your own writing and on your blog. 2. Revision: Using your understanding of the Literacy Autobiography genre, you will re-create your Literacy Autobiography using WordPress. Similar to the rhetorical analysis project, you will use the blog genre to talk about and present your Literacy Autobiography. 3. Rhetorical Analysis: Additionally, you will provide a two page rhetorical analysis that identifies rhetorical choices. It should identify and explicate the choices you made for revision. You should consider your audience as well as the features of WordPress. Create your blog here: www.wordpress.com Submit your two-page action plan, two-page rhetorical analysis, and a link to your Wordpress blog to Blackboard under assignments, Literacy Autobiography Revision.

Purposes of the Assignment:

This assignment will allow you to re-see and re-examine yourself as both a reader and writer of texts in multiple contexts. This process will deepen your understanding of how you have been a member of, or influenced by, various communities and contexts. It will also deepen our shared understanding of your writing experiences. The project will deepen your awareness of the genre of literary essay (in contrast to an academic or scholarly essay) and the rhetorical skills associated with the genre. The goal of this assignment is to show you that revision is an ongoing process. Now that enough time has passed that you have gained the appropriate distance from your work, you will work to do a major revision of your Literacy Autobiography. Grading Criteria: 1. 2. 3. 4. You revision choices and rhetorical choices How well you participate in the Literacy Autobiography Genre How well you participate in the Wordpress blog genre How well you participate in the rhetorical analysis genre.

Essentially, the grade you receive on this paper will reflect not only your choices of revision, but the quality of those revisions as well. You should focus on large scale (organizational, thematic, supporting evidence) issues in your paper. If you find that you have mainly revised syntax and grammar issues, and simply posted passages to the blog, you will not be happy with your grade. Even if you are starting with an A paper, a great deal of revision will be expected from you.

Tips: You should revisit the rubrics and grading criteria for Unit 1, Unit 2, and Unit 3. You should also consider your classmates feedback as well as my end comments and marginal comments. You should also be sure that you understand the concept of revision as we have discussed using our class readings and as we have used in our class activities. Be sure to take notes and ask questions about the revision process. Your blog should represent the ways in which you have revised your writing and your participation in the Literacy Autobiography genre. It should also present your Literacy Autobiography using the conventions and features of the Wordpress blog. Explore the Wordpress site and other blogs to see how you can participate in both genres successfully. I am writing a Literacy Autobiography, too. It is still in development, but I will begin to post pieces of it to my teaching portfolio site beginning the week of December 2nd. You can look at all of my sections for ideas and guidance. You can access it using this link: simonesavannahteachingportfolio.wordpress.com Revision Strategies to Consider: Outline: Outline your paper as it exists now. Make sure to include the subject and main point of every paragraph under the outline. Major deletion: Pick the weakest paragraph of your paper. It could be the vaguest, full of clichs, a red herring paragraph that goes off topic, a paragraph that doesnt really say anything new, or a conclusion where you didnt know how to wrap things up. Delete this paragraph from your paragraph so that not one word is the same. Try to think about what you wanted that paragraph to do in your paper, and rewrite the text according to what you want it to accomplish. Spend time on this paragraph, and revise it as many times as you need until it fits back into the paper and achieves your goal as a writer. Major addition: Identify a gap in your paper. Find a place where you could have said more or should have said more, then do it. For example, add a new paragraph that fills in the gap. Or, find blanket statements or unqualified opinions in your paper and back them up with a quote or anecdotal evidence as the situation calls. Stylistic and Polishing: Modalitychange your verbs and modifiers to strengthen your argument. Get rid of contractions. Make sure you are maintaining proper tense and POV. Read your paper out loud. Correct all grammar and syntax issues. Revise word choice in order to better get across your point. Remember to review class notes, readings, and activities to guide your revision process. Due Date: You will submit your project to Blackboard under Assignments on or before Wednesday, December 12th, 2012 at 11:59pm. Submit your action plan, rhetorical analysis, and a link to your Wordpress site to Literacy Autobiography Revision.