Sunday, May 12th, 2013--Sunday afternoon around 4 pm

Greetings,

I have been working all weekend on grading essay 3. The good news is, the quality of the essays is dazzling in most instances. The bad news is, they are for the most part, longer in length than the first two essays, and I am not sure I will be entirely done by tomorrow.

We only have two things on the agenda for next week, the last week of classes:
1. video surprise
2. grade worksheet check

I believe we can easily accomplish those on Wednesday.
So no class tomorrow. It will give me a chance to complete the grading.
If you choose to revise essay 3, you will still have until the Friday of finals week to submit the revision, as explained in an earlier blog.

REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR GRADE WORKSHEET AND ALL GRADED WORK TO CLASS ON WEDNESDAY.

See you then.

Monday evening, May 6, 2013

Greetings,

thank you to all of you submitted your essay in class today (and stayed!--ahem...) and arrived on time.
My plan was that on a day that an essay was due, there would be a very good chance that all students, or at least most, would be in attendance, because I needed to distribute the dept. course evaluation. But alas, that did not happen in any of my three 20 sections.

If all students could make an extra effort to attend class and be on time Wednesday, it would be greatly appreciated. :)

Have a good evening and I will see you Wednesday.

SECOND POSTING for Wednesday, May 1st. 9:15 pm

One more thing!
One of my students in section 1 at 8 am left her/his cell phone in the class.
I will not be on campus tomorrow, but one of my officemates will be in the office, Calaveras 149, between 2 and 3 pm. You can pick it up then. It is on my desk. Also, you can try in the late morning/early afternoon. It is possible that another officemate will be there as well.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013--8:30 pm

Greetings,
Below you will find a copy of the handout from today's class. It is the sample student essay I read aloud. I want you to view it as an example of strong, analysis work.
Also, reminder, no class on Friday of this week, and Friday of next week as well.
As I mentioned in class today, this is the time in the semester where I feel that I have given you all the tools you need and now it is up to you to produce your best work. Have a wonderful and safe weekend.

The Art of Tough Love

If you have ever viewed a beautiful piece of art, you know that there is something almost majestic about it that makes the viewer want to know more. An artist must possess a certain level of skill to produce something magical which keeps the audience begging for more. The trouble with being a great artist is that you cannot go back and fix a brush stroke once it has been painted. Try as you may to erase the lines on a paper, you can still see the mistake. In the series Breaking Bad, this seems to be Jesse Pinkman’s problem. As much as he would like to go back and change his past, he never can, and this shapes the person that he has become as a young adult. On the exterior, Jesse may seem like a worthless, uneducated criminal, but beneath the surface he is still a boy who feels inadequate, searching for the affection he never received from his parents.

            Jesse may try to act like a tough guy, but underneath the surface he is truly terrified, which actually drives him further into the drug trade.  His fear becomes obvious in a number of ways, such as his reluctance to sell massive quantities of methamphetamines and his anxiety over speaking to Tuco about cutting a deal. It seems as though he is not only afraid of the legal consequences of his actions, but of the social repercussions as well. Jesse fears speaking up for himself because he is afraid of losing “friends” and having others view him in an unfavorable light. This is why he allows others to make choices for him, just as he did when he smoked meth with two men in his living room who threatened to leave if he did not.

This insecurity is perhaps one of the largest motivators of Pinkman’s behavior throughout the first season of Breaking Bad. Jesse wants everyone to believe that he is confident and capable of facing things on his own. It is necessary for him to act tough and play the role of the typical gangster to fit in with the community where he sells meth. Even his voicemail greeting testifies to the fact that he wants to adapt to this role, but it is evident that he is out of character. His lack of confidence is also demonstrated in his failure to make important decisions concerning his relationship with Walter and their drug operation. For instance, he did not want to decide how to dispose of the bodies once he and Walt had killed Emilio and Crazy Eight. Jesse goes along with the plan though he is completely apprehensive and pretends to let things roll off his back as if they are merely a consequence of being a meth cooker.

At times it seems he is overwhelmed with the anxiety that has formed as a result of his partnership with Walt, but he continues to wear a façade, not only because it helps him as a drug dealer; it also helps him cope with the emotional insecurities that he has as a result of past relationships. Much of this stems from the complicated relationship that he has with his family, who now appears distant and standoffish. It seems as though Jesse has always felt the pressure to please his parents, but has never felt like he was good enough. Through the interactions of his mother and father with Jake, his younger brother, it becomes obvious that the Pinkmans have high expectations of their children. They talk about academic achievements, positive feedback during his musical performances, and maintaining religious or moral standards. Jake’s room is also adorned with numerous trophies, suggesting that he is extremely involved and that he generally meets the high standards that his parents have set for him. Jesse’s failure to meet these expectations as a child has made him feel insufficient and has further driven a wedge between him and the remaining family members.

Though Jesse feels inadequate and knows his parents are displeased with his current actions, he still yearns to be a part of the family. He feels as though he can somehow compensate for his wrong-doings and what he was unable to accomplish in the past. For example, he voluntarily participates in household chores that most children would complain about, such as setting the table for the family dinner. Later, while chatting with his brother, he says that they should hang out more often and that if he ever needed advice then Jake could come to him. He wants to be a part of the Pinkman family again, but his parents’ lack of trust in him causes them to push him away.  During Jesse’s conversation with his little brother, Mrs. Pinkman suggests to her husband that they should check his arm for needle marks. They also assume that the marijuana joint that their maid found was Jesse’s, again showing their lack of trust in him.

The incident where the marijuana joint is found in the Pinkman home also shows how much Jesse cares for his family despite the fact that they continue to push him away. Though Jesse could have easily told his parents that the weed was his brother’s, he took the rap for the situation because he views his sibling as still having the potential to fulfill his goals and aspirations. It also shows that he does not want to tarnish Jake’s reputation, although he may not be the perfect child that his parents believe he is. Then, when his brother thanked him and asked for the joint, Jesse threw it to the ground and crushed it. This shows that he was still attempting to set the example for his younger brother; he doesn’t want Jake to go down the same path that he did.

The episode where Jesse interacts with his family also reveals a number of other important aspects about his character, which explains why he may be in his current predicament. While rummaging through a chest in his old bedroom, we see that he was actually quite a talented artist. He saved several drawings, but based on the conversation that his parents had with Jake in the kitchen and the fact that they are not on display for guests to see, one could deduce that this type of artistic interest was not fostered by his parents. They seem rather conservative, showing appreciation for more traditional, “respected” hobbies such as Jake’s training on the oboe and piccolo. For this reason, it may be assumed that Jesse did not get the type of positive attention or feedback from his family to further progress his creative skills. Currently, he still seems to be stuck in this same pattern; if he cannot attain the positive affirmations from the people around him, then he must settle for any attention.

Jesse also settles when it comes to finding the type of care and compassion he wants from others. This may be because he has learned to keep people at a distance in the same fashion his parents have become detached from him. In fact, the only type of relationships Jesse has formed with women is of a sexual nature. First, we see a naked woman throwing him his clothes from the second floor of a house. Later, we find him fooling around with a prostitute in a cheap motel room. It seems as though he purposely seeks relationships where he can remain emotionally disengaged. Ironically, he also maintains alliances with people that do not genuinely care for him either, such as the customers that he smokes meth with at his aunt’s house. Conclusively, Jesse wants deep, meaningful relationships, but keeps everyone at a distance for fear of being hurt.

The only person that has broken through this barrier is Walt, who acts as a sort of authoritative, fatherly figure to Jesse. As their friendship develops, their interactions become more than strictly business-related. Most notably was the incident in the desert where Walt becomes unable to finish cooking the meth because of the severity of his reaction to chemotherapy. Jesse notices his radiation spot and tells Walt that he should have told him he has cancer. He also gives him advice on dealing with the side effects of his treatment based on what his aunt suffered during the course of her chemotherapy. Not only does he care for Walt’s health, but he shows compassion for other human beings prior to this interaction with his cooking partner. For example, he told Walt to “think of it as doing him a favor” when he was assigned with the task of killing Crazy Eight because he was obviously suffering from respiratory issues among other injuries after the explosion in their recreational vehicle. This demonstrates that although he may pretend to neglect other people’s emotions, Jesse truly does care for others and desires more than superficial kinships.

Another sign that shows Jesse’s longing for meaningful relationships is his reaction or coping mechanism when he feels as though someone has let him down. One of his main responses to disappointment or failure is sarcasm. By being sarcastic he is able to say the things he really feels without letting others see that he is truly hurt. We see this several times throughout the series, especially in his exchanges with Walt. Perhaps this is most obvious when he finds out that Walt went behind his back to arrange a deal with Tuco. This hurts Jesse because he thought they would mutually make decisions concerning their business, and more importantly because Walt willingly established a relationship with the individual that just put him in the hospital. His snide, derisive comments about Walt’s relationship with Tuco and their meeting in the junkyard are a reflection of his dissatisfaction.

Jesse’s sarcastic mannerisms are a way of protecting himself from feeling disappointment in others, but it may also serve as a defense mechanism for being disappointed in himself. In the past he felt defeated because he did not meet the standards set by his family, which may be why Jesse fails to see that he does still have potential; however, he is lacking motivation and direction.  He never received positive feedback from his parents for his artistic abilities, so he has identified a means of finding them elsewhere. By selling drugs, he has found a group of people that keep returning to see him because they are pleased with the product he is creating. This has also become his creative outlet, which is why he is so adamant in his argument with Walt that cooking meth is an art form, not just chemistry. Walt encourages him and shows confidence in him, saying that Jesse can produce the last batch on his own after he becomes dizzy in their drug lab. This reinforcement makes Jesse believe that he does have potential, but his success in the drug game further perpetuates his addiction to the business. 

While it is true that Jesse could continue to be successful as a methamphetamine cook, he is definitely intelligent enough to find lucrative work elsewhere. This is something that he struggles with internally, as he seems to question his own intelligence and standards. He believes he is capable of finding a legitimate job, but when he runs into his old friend Badger, he is quickly convinced that it would be more profitable to partner with this man and cook meth again. Still, his ability to recall the names of the beakers, flasks, and other chemistry equipment shows that he is a fast learner. Walter even stated from the very first episode that Jesse could have performed much better in his class if he had only applied himself. Others see that he is bright and resourceful, yet he still questions his own abilities.

Initially, Jesse may appear to be a low-life, drug-dealing failure, but he has an enormous amount of potential within himself to be something greater. He needs a group of supportive individuals to help draw this potential out of him in order to become successful outside of the methamphetamine business. The only people that have ever shown interest in him and encouraged his talents in the past were people within this business, so he continues to thrive off of this feedback. Still he keeps everyone at a distance, hiding his pain, just as he did when he put make-up on his face to cover the black eye he received from Emilio. From his nostalgic moment in the bedroom where he explores the contents of his old toy chest, to the scene in the desert where he shows that he cares about Walt, Jesse’s true character is revealed to us slowly, just like in a great painting. Though his parents never fostered his artistic abilities as a child, Jesse is still an artist today, painting the picture that everything is okay while he keeps his true self inside.

Second Posting for Tuesday, April 30th, 2013

Hello again...

As I sit here reviewing a pile of revisions, I am inclined to post a little reminder...

When you decide to revise an essay, please know that I do not actually make every correction for you. So simply "fixing" the errors I edited for you does not really constitute a successful revision. Of course, if there is very little to revise or correct, this reminder does not apply to you.

Revising an essay involves starting over. Reading and digesting all of my commentaries and applying those suggestions and observations as you revise. For example, if I note that there is not enough development, that translates to...you need to do more reading and research to locate more information and examples to develop your essay.

See you tomorrow!

Tuesday, April 30th, 2013--5:30 pm

Greetings,
a few things:
1. Due to my error--I noted the due date for essay 3 rough drafts as Monday, April 29th, on the course outline BUT Wednesday, May 1 on the essay assignment. I apologize. Those students who still want to submit a rough draft for essay 3 can do so tomorrow. Since there is NO CLASS ON FRIDAY, I would prefer that you email me your draft by the end of the day tomorrow. That way I can review the essay and send you comments via email.
2. Below you will find a copy of the handout from Monday.

English 20, Spring 2013

Editing & Proofreading Workshop, Monday April 29th

REVIEW

NEW POLICY EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY! J

For this third and final out of class essay, it is now an unacceptable error (10 points deducted, if your heading set up is incorrect. By heading, I am referring to your name, my name, the class title and the date.)  Please refer to your class notes from the first week or so of classes. Also, you now have received and read at least six sample student essays, which also provide you with the correct set-up.

*******************************************************************************

REVISIONS

·      Please follow the guidelines on how to submit a revision, which are provided on your class syllabus.

·      If you did not choose to revise out of class essay one or two, and you end up wanting to revise essay three, there will still be time. Graded essay three will be returned to you on Monday, May 13^th. If you choose to revise, it must be submitted no later than Friday of finals week. YOU MUST EMAIL ME TO LET ME KNOW YOU HAVE PLACED IT IN MY DEPT. MAILBOX. Otherwise, I will not be on campus to pick it up. ALSO, be sure you hear back from me that I have indeed received the email instruction.

RESEARCH DOCUMENTATION

·      You must introduce all direct quotations with a lead-in.

·      If you refer to the author in the lead-in or when you paraphrase, you DO NOT NEED an in-text citation.

·      All in-text citations MUST CORRESPOND/MATCH THE SOURCE ON THE WORKS CITED PAGE EXACTLY.

·      DOUBLE SPACE ENTIRE WORKS CITED PAGE.

·      INDENT SECOND AND CONSECUTIVE LINES OF EACH CITATION.

·      YOU DO NOT NEED TO RECORD THE ENTIRE WEB ADDRESS.

CONTENT AND ORGANIZATION

·      One main idea per paragraph.

·      Transition clearly from one paragraph to the next. You do not need TWO transitional sentences, one at the end of the paragraph and one at the beginning of the next!

·      You do NOT need to include a Webster’s dictionary definition of words that are commonly understood and recognized by the majority of readers. For example: suicide and alcoholism are commonplace terms and do not need further explanations.

·      In a three to five page essay, there is no need to summarize your main points in the conclusion. And you also do not need to actually write—“In conclusion….”

·      Most instructors (and it should be ALL instructors) expect near perfection from a writing assignment where the student has been given three to four weeks to plan, research, write and revise an essay.  In other words, evidence of editing and proofreading must be obvious.

Although other classes probably do not have an Unacceptable Errors list, they will not be tolerant of the errors I have included on that handout, 

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Greetings,

change to the due date for first revisions of out of class essay 2:
all sections now have the due date of Monday, April 29th. (since there will be no class on Friday, and I will not be on campus to pick the essays up.)

Also, I realize that no  one really PLANS to be late to class...but if you could make an extra effort to be on time tomorrow, Wednesday, that would be great! We will have a guest speaker for the first ten minutes or so of class.

See you tomorrow.

Sunday, April 21, 2013--4:30 pm

Greetings,

A few things... and Packet #10 assignment:

1.  For students in sections 1 and 4, if you choose to revise out of class essay #2, the first revision is due by Friday, April 26th. Please refer to the syllabus on details about how to submit a revision

2. For students in section 7, if you choose to revise out of class essay #2, the first revision is due by Monday, April 29th. Please refer to the syllabus on details about how to submit a revision.

3.  A few students in section 7 asked if they could keep their copy of Musings on Immigration that we used for Group Work #3 last Friday.  Since we were finished with the work, I agreed. Any students from other sections who wish to have a copy, just ask me on Monday. I will bring them to class just in case.

4. Packet 10 Assignment: (due on Wednesday, April 24)
"Nate Silver: Does Racism affect how you Vote?"
http://www.ted.com/talks/nate_silver_on_race_and_politics.html

5. Please note that Friday, April 26th is earmarked as a day for you to work on out of class essay #3. This translates to no class on Friday, the 26th.

6. Please bring the sample student essay #3 to class tomorrow, Monday, the 22nd. Please be sure you have read it and recorded your evaluation on your copy. (This was distributed in class last Monday)

Wednesday, April 17th, 2013--6:45 pm

Hello,
below you will find a copy of the assignment distributed and discussed today in class: Out of Class Essay #3.

Also, on Friday, before we begin the group work session, you will take the second part of Quiz 5 (20 additional points) that you did not respond to today.

English 20--Spring 2013

Prof. Fraga

Out of Class Essay Assignment #3 (200 points)

Assigned: Wednesday, April 17

Rough Draft (optional) Due:  no later than Wednesday, May 1

Final Draft Due:  Monday, May 6 REMEMBER TO ATTACH THE VIEWING JOURNAL TO YOUR FINAL DRAFT. IF IT IS SUBMITTED, IT IS AN AUTOMATIC 20 POINTS DEDUCTED FROM YOUR EARNED SCORE AND THESE 20 POINTS CANNOT BE EARNED BACK IN A REVISION.

Requirements:

·      MLA format

·      If you utilize any outside sources (not required) you must follow MLA format for in- text citations, Works Cited page, etc.

Before you began viewing the first season of Breaking Bad, I assigned a mandatory “journal” of sorts; you were to take notes during and/or soon after you viewed each episode. You were also to (eventually) select a character to focus on more carefully than others. These notes will now be a valuable source as you write your last out of class essay for this course.

Assignment:

Write an in-depth character analysis of one of the characters in the first season of Breaking Bad. Write your essay for an audience that has viewed these episodes. In other words, be specific but you need not relate the entire story line.

Your essay must include the following:

• An introduction/description/background of your character

• Assertions about your character

• Supportive evidence from the episodes that support your assertions (how did you come to the conclusions you did regarding your character?)

Your supportive evidence might include but is not limited to:

• what others observe/say (or don’t observe/say) about your character—either directly or in private

• the actions of your character in particular situations

• the reactions/responses of your character in particular situations

• what drives this character

• what terrifies this character

• what pleases this character

• what does this character long for

• what does this character need

Your thesis must be assertive…it is YOUR opinion as a viewer of these episodes.

Whether or not you LIKE or DISLIKE this character is not an issue in this essay.

Whether you LIKE or DISLIKE the series is also not an issue in this essay. Proving to the reader that this character has the attributes (good, bad, layered, shallow) that you assert he or she has is your goal.

Your thesis might read something like this:

Once Walter learns of his terminal cancer, he seems very unstable and irresponsible; however, his behavior truly represents a very determined, focused and highly intelligent, strictly moral father and husband.

or…

Marie is a very insecure and lonely woman who is unhappy and uncomfortable living in the shadow of her power-driven DEA husband and her happily married and very bright sister, Skylar.

Monday, April 15th, 2013--7:30 pm

Greetings,

A few things:

1. Packet #9, due to be read by Friday, April 19:
"Writing to America:  Banned in Tucson" by Luis J. Rodriguez
https://www.facebook.com/notes/california-gold-the-sacramento-valley-chapter-of-reforma/banned-in-tucson-luis-j-rodr%C3%ADguez-progressive-april-2012/292771537459843

2. We WILL be discussing the TED Talk on Sex Slavery, so please be sure to carry any notes you may have taken while viewing with you to class until we complete our discussion.

3. Thank you, again, to all students who attended class today and completed the feedback form regarding the use of Breaking Bad as curriculum for English 20. Lots of very valuable suggestions and commentary!

SECOND POSTING FOR SUNDAY, APRIL 7TH--10:30 pm

Hello again,
somehow,
someway,
from the time I posted the first note here around 8:30 pm and now...
I have been hit with a migraine.
Not good.
In fact, I think I am going to have my husband drive me to Urgent Care to get a magic shot...it appears that it will be THAT kind of migraine.
Which is to say,
I am forced to cancel class tomorrow. I am so so sorry!
See you Wednesday in MUCH better shape that I am right now, hopefully.
Have a good, safe Monday.

Sunday, April 7th--8:30 pm

Greetings,

I had every intention of posting this entry sooner, but alas, English 1A research essays have kept me very distracted, and not in a particularly GOOD way....:)

Below you will find a few items of interest:

1. Assignment for Packet #8, due on Wednesday April 10th--(TWO ITEMS):

"NYT Correspondent Talks on Ties between Human Trafficking, Illegal Immigration"
http://journalism.indiana.edu/notices/nyt-correspondent-talks-on-ties-between-human-trafficking-illegal-immigration/

"The Fight Against Sex Slavery"
http://www.ted.com/talks/sunitha_krishnan_tedindia.html

2. Reminder about Quiz 4 on Part III of the Handbook THIS FRIDAY, APRIL 12TH.  All the information you need to prepare for the quiz is on the syllabus. It is an open notes quiz.

3. New assignment, NOT on syllabus:
 Please write (TYPE)  at the top of your paper: MUSINGS ON IMMIGRATION. Then list or write whatever comes to your mind when you hear the word "immigration" There is no incorrect way to do this. There is no word or length requirement. You can choose to list by bullet points; you many want to write a paragraph or two, or? It is VERY important that you complete and submit this assignment correctly or you will be unable to receive credit. This assignment must be submitted in person, not through email. This assignment is worth 25 points--half of the 50 points possible for Group Work #3 on Friday, April 19th.
DIRECTIONS: YOU MUST TYPE THIS ASSIGNMENT AND YOU MUST NOT PUT YOUR NAME ANYWHERE ON THE ASSIGNMENT. It is due this Friday, April 12th.

Tuesday, March 26th, 2013

Greetings,
I hope all of you are having a most wonderful spring break so far.
Below you will find the assignment for Packet #7 (5 items), due to be completed by Wednesday, April 3rd, the day we return to class. The overall topic is immigration, which rears its head in Breaking Bad, but not too obviously until later in the series. However, it IS a significant issue to study--its history and its rhetoric.

PACKET #6 (due to be viewed and/or read by Wednesday, April 3)

1.  http://www.myimmigrationstory.com/WYSO%2090%20SEC.mp3
(under two minute audio)

2. "Illegal Immigrant Deaths Set Record"
http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=130369998&m=130370353
(audio)

3.  "Obama's Immigration Policy--What it Means"
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-immigration-questions-20120616,0,4472636.story

4. "Could you Pass a U.S. Citizenship Test?
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0104/Could-you-pass-a-US-citizenship-test/Who-signs-bills
(Please take this on line test and be prepared to discuss the "results" in class.)

5. "Pros and Cons of Illegal Immigration"
http://immigration.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000842

Sunday, March 17th--10:30 am

Greetings,

and for those who celebrate Saint Patrick's Day, have a lovely one!
(my son's name is Patrick Mahony, so you can imagine that it is a big deal in my household. :)..)

1. Writing Response #5 occurs tomorrow, Monday. We will also be discussing episode 6 of Breaking Bad. Additionally, I will be addressing any questions you may still have regarding out of class essay #2. (We will be looking at a sample student essay either Wednesday or Friday this week.)

2. Packet #6, which is due to be read by Wednesday the 20th, is actually posted for you below. It is a handout that you will need to read, print out and bring to class. I will be "filling in" the blanks at the end of the handout during my lecture.

English 20-- College Composition II

C. Fraga

PACKET 6:

How to Critically Read an Essay

Educated adults exist in a delusional state, thinking we can read.

In a most basic sense, we can.

However, odds are, some of us cannot read, at least not as well as we would like.

Too many college students are capable of only some types of reading and that becomes painfully clear when they read a difficult text and must respond critically about it.

Intelligence and a keen memory are excellent traits and most students have learned to read in a certain way that is only useful for extracting information. Thus, students are often fairly well skilled in providing summary.

However, the act of reading to extract information and to read critically are vastly different!

The current educational system in American primary schools (and many colleges) heavily emphasizes the first type of reading and de-emphasizes the latter.

In many ways, THIS MAKES SENSE.

Reading to extract information allows a student to absorb the raw materials of factual information as quickly as possible. It is a type of reading we all must engage in frequently.  However, each type of reading calls for different mental habits. If we do not learn to adjust from one type of reading to another when necessary, we cripple our intellectual abilities to read critically.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN READING TO EXTRACT INFORMATION AND READING CRITICALLY.

1. They have different goals.  When students read to extract information, usually they seek facts and presume the source is accurate.  No argument is required.  On the other hand, when students read critically, they try to determine the quality of the argument.  The reader must be open-minded and skeptical all at once, constantly adjusting the degree of personal belief in relation to the quality of the essay’s argument.
2. They require different types of discipline.  If students read to learn raw data, the most efficient way to learn is repetition.  If students read critically, the most effective technique may be to break the essay up into logical subdivisions and analyze each section’s argument, to restate the argument in other words, and then to expand upon or question the findings.
3. They require different mental activity.  If a student reads to gain information, a certain degree of absorption, memorization and passivity is necessary. If a student is engaged in reading critically, that student must be active!!! He or she must be prepared to pre-read the essay, then read it closely for content, and re-read it if it isn’t clear how the author is reaching the conclusion in the argument. 
4. They create different results.  Passive reading to absorb information can create a student who (if not precisely well read) has read a great many books. It creates what many call “book-smarts.”  However, critical reading involves original, innovative thinking.
5. They differ in the degree of understanding they require.  Reading for information is more basic, and reading critically is the more advanced of the two because only critical reading equates with full understanding.

ULTIMATELY, WHAT WE WANT IS THE CONSCIOUS CONTROL OF OUR READING SKILLS, SO WE CAN MOVE BACK AND FORTH AMIDST THE VARIOUS TYPES OF READING.

FIVE GENERAL STAGES OF READING

1.      Pre-Reading—examining the text and preparing to read it effectively (5 minutes)

2.      Interpretive Reading—understanding what the author argues, what the author concludes, and exactly how he or she reached that conclusion.

3.      Critical Reading—questioning, examining and expanding upon what the author says with your own arguments.  Skeptical reading does not mean doubting everything you read.

4.      Synoptic Reading—putting the author’s argument in a larger context by considering a synopsis of that reading or argument in conjunction with synopses of other readings or arguments.

5.      Post-Reading—ensuring that you won’t forget your new insights.

Thursday, March 14th--3:40 pm

Greetings,
just a quick note.
It just occurred to me that when I returned your out of class essay 1 on Wednesday, I indicated that revisions were to be due in one week, on Monday.  (I am not used to missing class. :)...)
I just wanted to clarify that if you do choose to revise this essay, the first revision is due next WEDNESDAY, March 20th.
See you tomorrow.

Sunday, March 10, 2013--6 pm

Greetings,

I just finished a phone conversation with my mother. My dad is having complications from the surgery and so I am heading down to the bay area in a few minutes.

I have never cancelled two class sessions, ever! Except for the one I tell students about at the beginning of the semester. Again, I apologize! I will be in class on Wednesday and yes, there will be a writing response. Be sure to come prepared having viewed/read the packet due for tomorrow.

See you Wednesday. Thank you for being understanding and patient.

Saturday, March 9, 2012--4:30 pm

Greetings!

As you can imagine, my weekend is filled with grading. Currently, I am grading the out of class essays. Some of them have been a true pleasure.

I have already run into two instances of plagiarism.  If you did plagiarize, please email me and confess...because it really does use up a lot of my time when I could be grading instead of hunting down your source (s).

Hope all of you are enjoying the weekend! See you Monday.

Friday, March 8, 2013--3:15 pm

Hello,
below you will find the assignment for Packet 5, due on Monday.
Also, I have provided a copy of Out of Class Essay Assignment #2.

PACKET #5:

"Why Does Health Care Cost so Much?:
http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/content/healthcare/art2809.html?getPage=1
(Please note: this article is three pages in length.)

"Abraham Verghese: A Doctor's Touch"--TED TALKS
http://www.ted.com/talks/abraham_verghese_a_doctor_s_touch.html
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English 20, Spring 2013---C. Fraga

Date assigned: Wednesday, March 6

Rough draft (optional): due no later than Wed., April 3

Final draft due: Monday, April 15

Details:

1. MLA format

2. At least 4 outside sources on your Works Cited page. If you utilize personal interviews, at LEAST two of the four sources CANNOT be interviews.

3. Please, no Wikipedia as primary sources

4. No formulaic, 5 paragraph essay

OUT OF CLASS ESSAY ASSIGNMENT #2

Among many things, the series Breaking Bad focuses on the family entity and what happens when something quite extraordinary occurs—how do members of the family cope, adjust, and/or “deal” with the event/situation? (In the case of this series, obviously it is Walter’s cancer that is the ‘event’).

I am not referring to the everyday “bumps in the road” that occur for all families. Instead, I am asking you to consider the family unit when faced with an especially challenging situation. These situations could include but are not limited to:

• death

• birth

• infidelity

• serious injury

• dementia

• serious illness

• divorce

• unemployment

• new employment

• moving to a new home/state/area/country

• the return of a war veteran

• moving BACK home after initially moving OUT

• alcoholism

• drug abuse

Select ONE situation that you are most interested in exploring. You will conduct research (and possibly personal interviews, if possible) in order to write an essay that offers the reader background on the topic and makes an assertion about what elements impact a family in the most challenging of ways and supports it logically and interestingly.

Your thesis might read something like this:

When a family member develops dementia, the challenges are often devastating, yet the disease definitely impacts family members more than the dementia patient.

Or…

When a couple divorces, it most certainly impacts the children still living at home; however, it is the older children who have already moved away that are most affected by the split.

Thursday, Feb, 28th, 2013. 12:40 pm

Hello everyone,

I just found out that my father is having open heart surgery on Monday morning.
I apologize for having to cancel class on Monday, March 4th, but I am sure you can understand that I will want to be in Santa Rosa with my mother and siblings.

This means, of course, that the due date for out of class essay 1 is now moved to Wednesday, March 6th. I am fairly certain that will not be a disappointment. :)

See you tomorrow.

Thursday, Feb. 21st, 2013--9 pm

Hello,

Packet 4 Assignment:

"Lauren Zalaznick: The Conscience of Television"
http://www.ted.com/talks/lauren_zalaznick.html

See you tomorrow, Friday.

Sunday evening, Feb. 17th, 9 pm

Greetings,
There will be a slight change/adjustment for tomorrow's class. It is minor, but I thought I would post it anyway.
Packet 3 is still due to be completed (viewed) by tomorrow.
However, Writing Response #2 will be on Wednesday and NOT tomorrow.
Besides for Packet 3, we will also be discussing and looking at a sample student essay from out of class essay assignment #1.

Thursday, Feb. 14th, 7:30 pm

Greetings.

Below you will find two items:

1. Packet #3 assignment, due Monday, Feb. 18

2. Copy of handout distributed on Wed. Feb. 13 in class (editing guidelines)

Packet #3 Assignment
This packet consists of  one TED Talk video. Approximate running time is 23 minutes.
"Philip Zimbardo/The Psychology of Evil"
http://www.ted.com/talks/philip_zimbardo_on_the_psychology_of_evil.html

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English 20--C. Fraga

Reminders as you conduct final editing

& proofreading of out of class essays:

• No ‘you’ and ‘your’ in formal essay writing.

• No contractions in formal essay writing.

• More than a few mechanical and sentence level errors seriously affects the success and readability of your essay. How to avoid careless errors? PROOFREAD.

• Use interesting and vivid verbs.

• Learn the difference between then & than, effect & affect, past & passed.

• Proofread v. carefully for unacceptable errors.

• SPELLCHECK IS NOT ALWAYS YOUR FRIEND.

• Avoid commonly used words such as nice, good, bad, great, wonderful, etc.

• Proofread to catch errors in tense (tense shifts).

• Read your essay aloud, slowly, to hear errors often not detected when reading silently. (in particular, errors in repetitiveness become distracting and irritating quite quickly)

• Vary sentence beginnings and sentence lengths.

• Write in present tense as much as possible. (ex.  In this movie, Ariel, the youngest princess under the sea, was unhappy with her life. Should be IS unhappy with her life.)

• Do not write in the manner that you speak.

COMMA SPLICE (the two sentences below have comma splices and need to be corrected)

·      Home does not always have to be a place, it can be the memories that a person experiences that define their childhood.

·      Home for these men all signifies something different, for the father it’s a place of stability where he has control.

WORDINESS

On the other hand, we have songwriters who through their song lyrics showcase battery, fear and strength within the home.

Better:

On the other hand, some songwriters showcase battery, fear and strength within the home.

I feel that families have a great impact on our experiences of home.

Better:

Families have a monumental impact on our experiences of home.

These country-western songs about home reveal many of the various aspects of home. These songs reveal that home is somewhere we feel a sense of belonging, familiarity, and ownership.

Better:

These country-western songs define home as a place where we feel a sense of belonging, familiarity and ownership.

About Conclusions:

Do NOT simply re-word and/or re-phrase what you wrote in your introduction paragraph. It is an insult to the reader. In a short essay, the reader will not forget the overall premise of your essay.

You do, of course, want to refer to your thesis but your remarks should be more complex and qualified than the version in your introduction. In the end, readers may not agree with you, but they should know why the issue and your argument matter.

You are addressing the question, “so what?” What was the purpose for writing the essay? Why is it significant?