ASSIGNMENTS ENGL 301              WRITING & THE TEACHING OF WRITING

READING JOURNALS

For most of the reading we do in this class, you need to produce a reading journal. This is a two-paged, double-spaced, typed document that provides a brief summary of the significant points of our reading and a brief analysis of the main argument. Be prepared to use your journals in class and to have other people in the class read and comment on them.

Reading journals have three parts to them:

• Write a brief but comprehensive summary of the key points discussed in each reading.  Think of this work as archival:  for the rest of your career you’ll be able to look back at this summary and quickly determine if it offers you something you need at that moment.  I did this kind of work in graduate school and to this day I find myself going back to these notes—for this class in fact.
   

• Write a brief reaction to the piece.  Be careful here. I'm asking you not to say you hate it or love it. I'm asking you to think about the merits of the argument the author is making. Are the ideas here compelling to you as a reader/writer/teacher/student? Why or why not. 
   

• Finally, write briefly on what implications for teaching practice this reading has.  Take a personal position on this last one: think about what the reading is saying to you as a future teacher.  What practices or activities, assignments or philosophies does this essay suggest you might try in your classroom—or might not try. 

Reading journals should be typed, double-spaced, in a ten or twelve point font. They should be about two pages. They shouldn't be shorter. They can be longer, but if they are longer it should be because you really have something to say and not because you think that longer will make you seem smarter and more serious.  I will read to see if you read and understood the readings. The syllabus will indicate whenever a reading journal is due.