Monday, June 22, 2015

Final Post

I am relocating my online teaching materials to ElliottRWI, a WordPress site that allows me greater flexibility and a more intuitive interface than the locations I have used since 2010. This blog and my old teaching website, Geoffrey B. Elliott's Teaching Site, will remain in place, but I will not be adding to them hereafter. Please update bookmarks accordingly, and thank you for reading all this time.

Monday, May 11, 2015

Final Report, Spring 2015

My contributions to the Spring 2015 term of instruction at Oklahoma State University have ended. At the end of the term, I had three classes: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011--three sections of Technical Writing.

ENGL 3323.006
End-of-term enrollment: 16
Average course grade: 840/1000 (B)
Number of students earning an A grade (900+/1000): 2
Number of students earning an F grade (600-/1000): 0

Strangely, no students in this section lost points for excessive absences.

ENGL 3323.009
End-of-term enrollment: 18
Average course grade: 874/1000 (B)
Number of students earning an A grade (900+/1000): 8
Number of students earning an F grade (600-/1000): 0

Strangely, no students in this section lost points for excessive absences. Grades in the class clustered high; no students earned below a B.

ENGL 3323.011
End-of-term enrollment: 18
Average course grade: 768/1000 (C)
Number of students earning an A grade (900+/1000): 2
Number of students earning an F grade (600-/1000): 1

The one student who failed did so as a direct result of excessive absences (more than ten during the term). Another student lost some points due to excessive absences, but did not fail the class as a result of points lost.

Comments
This term offered a slate of classes that allows for easy comparison to last term. Three sections of Technical Writing are common to both, with one section number overlapping directly and meeting at the same time and in the same location.

Attrition was slightly higher this term than last; the classes show a net enrollment decline of five students to last term's two. The students who remained in the class until the end of the term appear to have fared somewhat better than their predecessors; fewer absence penalties were awarded, the failure rate was lower, and the overall incidence of A grades was much higher--although that incidence is skewed by Section 009, which appears to have been unusual in its concentration of Honors students.

I have perhaps not been as diligent in this webspace as I ought to have been; I have not posted examples of work here as I have in past positions, although I have made them available through other means. I have also been more diligent about report-writing than I was when I began teaching at Oklahoma State University. That much is good.

Also, owing to student submissions, I am revising my course documents for future teaching. Of particular note will be a realignment of how headings are declined; one student's method for doing so caught my attention, and I am adapting it to my purposes. The same is true of my employment documents such as the CV and resume.

Revision of how the blog and course website display is also being considered. I have no plans to retroactively adjust materials at this point, but I am thinking much about doing things differently going forward. My color schemes and such follower models of thinking I learned as an undergraduate, and I have not been an undergraduate for a decade, now. Rethinking how I present course and other data online suggests itself as worth doing; I shall be looking into current best practices and aligning with them as far as I can.

I will also be revising my grading policies, returning to an older model not unlike that discussed here, which asserts several categories for assignment assessment and awards a score of A+ through 0 to each, taking the integer value of the average thereof as the total assignment grade. The system worked well with the set of students for whom it was deployed. It also allowed for faster determination of assignment scores and less complaints from students about grading; there tended to be less argument that an item was B-level work than that it was an 84, 85, or 86.

There is much to do, even now that the term is ended.

Friday, May 8, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006 and 011; 20150508

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1000 in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 16 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Thirteen attended, verified by submission of the FinEx, completion of which occupied the whole class meeting.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1400 in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fourteen attended, verified by submission of the FinEx, completion of which occupied the whole class meeting.

Submitted exams will be graded as quickly as is practicable. Grades will be posted to D2L and SIS shortly thereafter; keep in mind that absence adjustments are not reflected on D2L, so the final grade reported on SIS may not be the same as that noted on D2L.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Class Report: ENGL 3323, Section 009; 20150506

Class began as scheduled at 1000 in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified by submission of the FinEx, completion of which occupied the whole class meeting.

Submitted exams will be graded as quickly as is practicable. Grades will be posted to D2L and SIS shortly thereafter; keep in mind that absence adjustments are not reflected on D2L, so the final grade reported on SIS may not be the same as that noted on D2L.

Friday, May 1, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150501

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 106, per previous announcements. The class roster listed 16 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by a sign-in sheet.

Discussion asked after thoughts on the just-submitted CrEMP and about the FinEx. Difficulties with the CrEMP will have prompted email exchanges; students are exhorted to attend to them. Student participation was good.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by a sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous section's. Student participation was adequate.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. All attended, verified by a sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous sections'. Student participation was good.

Students, please note that there will be NO office hours during finals week, and availability after finals week will be SEVERELY limited.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150429

For Section 006, class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 16 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. All attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

For Section 009, class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

For Section 011, class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

For each section, class time was taken up by review of the CrEMP in anticipation of its submission before the beginning of class time on Friday, 1 May 2015. Student participation was generally good.

***Special Notice, Repeated***
In order to accommodate a graduate defense, Section 006--and ONLY Section 006--will meet in the EC, Morrill Hall Room 106, on Friday, 1 May 2015.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150427

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 16 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Thirteen attended, verified by a sign-in sheet.

Discussion asked after thoughts on the just-submitted PEM and final thoughts about the total collaborative project before turning to concerns of the forthcoming CrEMP, due Friday, 1 May 2015, and the FinEx. Student participation was adequate.

***Special Notice***
In order to accommodate a graduate defense, Section 006--and ONLY Section 006--will meet in the EC, Morrill Hall Room 106, on Friday, 1 May 2015.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by a sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous section's. Student participation was adequate.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified by a sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous sections'. Student participation was adequate.

Friday, April 24, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150424

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 16 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by a sign-in sheet.

Discussion asked after thoughts on the just-submitted EAR before turning to concerns of the PEM and forthcoming CrEMP. Student participation was reasonably good.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Thirteen attended, verified by a sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous section's. Student participation was adequate.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by a sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous sections'. Student participation was good.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150422

For Section 006, class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 16 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. All attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

For Section 009, class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. All attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

For Section 011, class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

For each section, class time was taken up by review of the EAR in anticipation of its submission before the beginning of class time on Friday, 24 April 2015. Student participation was good, overall.

Students are reminded that, per the course syllabus, excessive tardiness (ten or more minutes out of a fifty-minute period, for example) can be penalized. Such penalization usually takes the form of an awarded absence.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150420

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 16 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. All attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion asked after progress on the EAR and CrEMP before turning to questions of documentation and consideration of social media objects in advance of the CrEMP and FinEx. Student participation was reasonably good.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous section's. Student participation was reasonably good.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous sections'. Student participation was adequate.

Students are reminded that classes will meet in the EC, Morrill Hall Room 106, on Wednesday, 22 April 2015.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150417

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 16 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Thirteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the EAR and CrEMP before turning to concerns of usage and style and review of more social media objects in advance of the CrEMP and FinEx. Student participation was adequate.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous section's. Student participation was adequate.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous sections'. Student participation was marginal.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150415

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 16 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. All attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion asked after progress on the EAR and CrEMP before moving to examine a piece of social media through the lens of technical writing. Student participation was between marginal and adequate.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. All attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous section's. Student participation was reasonably good.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous sections'. Student participation was limited.

Students in Section 011 are reminded that there will be a visiting observer in the class on Friday, 17 April 2015.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150413

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 16 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. All attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the EAR before formally announcing information about the CrEMP and FinEx. Student participation was adequate.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, a reduction of one since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier section's. Student participation was adequate.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier sections'. Student participation was adequate.

Friday, April 10, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150410

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 16 students enrolled, a reduction of one since last class meeting. Thirteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion asked after progress on the EAR before noting the results of the final exam survey posted earlier to this webspace and commenting on the presentation thereof. Student participation was adequate.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier section's. Student participation was reasonably good.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. All attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier sections'. Student participation was good.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20140408

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 17 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion asked after progress on the EAR before turning to concerns of the PEM. Student participation was somewhat subdued.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous section's. Student participation was somewhat subdued.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fourteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous sections'. Student participation was disappointing.

Monday, April 6, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 02150406

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 17 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the EAR before turning to concerns of formatting particularly relevant to it. Some students were able to take it as review. Participation was limited.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous section's. Student participation was reasonably good.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Twelve attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous sections'. Student participation was subdued.

The survey at the URL below will close during the day on Wednesday, 8 April 2015. Students who have not filled it out are encouraged to do so.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1gZS6yVuV21hKkhoscgDHbYcPQWayRo67bciGs0_XmHM/viewform

Friday, April 3, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150403

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 17 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion asked about final thoughts on the TInst and progress on the EAR before moving on to discuss the Meloncon and England article distributed Monday. Student participation was far less robust than desirable.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier section's. Student participation was subdued.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fourteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier sections'. Student participation was limited.

Students in all three sections who have not yet done so are asked to fill our the survey at the following URL: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1gZS6yVuV21hKkhoscgDHbYcPQWayRo67bciGs0_XmHM/viewform.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150401

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 17 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Class time was taken up with in-class review of the TInst, due on Friday. Student participation was good.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Class time was taken up with in-class review of the TInst, due on Friday. Student participation was good.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fourteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet, although excessive tardiness results in some students being counted absent.

Class time was taken up with in-class review of the TInst, due on Friday. Student participation was good.

Again, students who have not yet done so, please complete the survey found at the following URL: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1gZS6yVuV21hKkhoscgDHbYcPQWayRo67bciGs0_XmHM/viewform.

Monday, March 30, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150330

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 17 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the TInst and EAR before turning to questions of documentation and usage, as well as an article from College English, Lisa Meloncon and Peter England's "The Current Status of Contingent Faculty in Technical and Professional Communication." Student participation was adequate.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier section's. Student participation was good after the first fifth to quarter of class time.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. All attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier sections'. Student participation was reasonably good.

Notes for All Sections
Please complete the survey found at the following URL: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1gZS6yVuV21hKkhoscgDHbYcPQWayRo67bciGs0_XmHM/viewform?usp=send_form.

Class on Wednesday, 1 April 2015, will meet in the EC, Morrill Hall Room 106.

Those who missed class today will need to acquire a copy of the College English article and read it before coming to class on Friday.

***Special Announcement***
In anticipation of problems with campus internet access on 3 April 2015 (campus information technology has announced repairs will take place in the early morning that day), deadlines on the TInst have been extended to 1700 on 3 April 2015.

Friday, March 27, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150327

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 17 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion asked after progress on the TInst and EAR before addressing concerns of usage and general questions. It ended early in favor of student evaluations. Student participation was adequate.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Eighteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous section's. Student participation was reasonably good.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous sections'. Student participation was less robust than could be desired.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150325

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 17 students enrolled, unchanged since 13 March 2015. All attended, verified by submission of the EvalEx that took up class time.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since 13 March 2015. Eighteen attended, verified by submission of the EvalEx that took up class time.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since 13 March 2015. Seventeen attended, verified by submission of the EvalEx that took up class time.

Students in all sections are reminded that grading is in progress and assignments will be returned as complete sets of them are assessed.

Friday, March 13, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150313

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 17 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion asked after progress on the TInst and EAR before moving to a brief discussion of ideas from Joanna Wolfe's CCC article, "Rhetorical Numbers." Student participation was limited.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Twelve attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier section's. Student participation was reasonably good.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier sections'. Student participation was less robust than could be desired.

There are assignments due the week following Spring Break. Enjoy the holiday, but do not forget that it will soon be over. Please return from it safely.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150311

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 17 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Thirteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion asked after progress on the EAR (still in need of update as of this writing) and TInst before reporting concerns of the evaluation exercise. Student participation was less robust than could be hoped.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous section's. Student participation was reasonably good.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous sections'. Student participation was less than could be hoped.

Monday, March 9, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150309

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 17 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by informal poll.

Discussion asked after progress on the collaborative project and TInst before moving to consider questions of research and the article from Friday, 6 March 2015, Mueller's "Grasping Rhetoric by Its Long Tail." Student participation was reasonably good.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified by informal poll.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier section's. Student participation was reasonably good.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by informal poll.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier sections'. Student participation was reasonably good.

Students are advised that early office hours (0930-1020) on 13 March 2015 are canceled. Later office hours (1030-1120) should meet as normal.

Friday, March 6, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150306

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 17 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. All attended, verified by attendance sheet.

Discussion asked after progress on the TInst and towards the EAR (information about which is incomplete on the course website at this time) before turning to instructions and offering an additional reading: Derek Mueller's CCC 61.4 (September 2012) article "Grasping Rhetoric and Composition by Its Long Tail." Student participation was good.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Thirteen attended, verified by attendance sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous section's. Student participation was decent.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fourteen attended, verified by attendance sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous sections'. Student participation was decent.

Students in each section are reminded that the Mueller piece is to be read for discussion on Monday; those who did not receive a copy in class will need to procure one for reading and discussion. A quiz will be ready against the event of students not having completed the reading as assigned.

Monday, March 2, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150302

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 17 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by attendance sheet.

Discussion asked after the submitted IP before introducing the TInst. Student participation was adequate.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by attendance sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous section's. Student participation was adequate.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by attendance sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous sections'. Student participation was reasonably good.

Students are advised that grading of the IP will not be done in haste. It will be done, however; please be patient.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Announcement about Today, 27 February 2015

Students:

As I am ill, there will be no class today. Please take the time to review your IP materials and work to finalize them.

I apologize for the inconvenience and will see you next month.

Best,

Prof. Elliott

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150225

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hal Room 208. The class roster listed 17 students enrolled, down one since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the IP before inquiring about documentation questions and continuing practice for the upcoming evaluation exercise. Student participation was good.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hal Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous section's. Student participation was adequate.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hal Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous sections'. Student participation was decent.

Students in all sections are reminded that classes will meet in the Electronic Classroom, Morrill Hall Room 106, on Friday, 27 February 2015.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150223

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the IP before treating some concerns of usage and beginning to look at a sample of technical writing as practice for the evaluation exercise (about which information is forthcoming). Student participation was adequate.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Thirteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous section's. Student participation was decent.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous sections'. Student participation was good.

Students in all sections may benefit from the use of software identified by a student in one class: http://www.ganttproject.biz.

Friday, February 20, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150220

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion asked after progress on the IP before turning to concerns of ethics. Student participation was adequate, although more students could have contributed.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous section's. Student participation was less robust than could be hoped.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Thirteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the previous sections'. Student participation was good.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150218

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by attendance sheet.

Discussion asked after progress on the IP before moving to graphics. Readings were adjusted to account for the snow day, 16 February 2015. Student participation was good.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified by attendance sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier section's. Student participation was adequate.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by attendance sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier sections'. Student participation was less robust than could be hoped; a quiz is likely forthcoming.

Students are advised that early office hours (0930-1020) on 20 February 2015 may begin a bit late, as Prof. Elliott has a medical appointment that morning, and it may run longer than anticipated. Students are also advised that early office hours on 23 February 2015 are cancelled, as Prof. Elliott will be in conference during that time. Later office hours (1130-1220) will meet as normal in both cases.

Friday, February 13, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150213

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by a brief wrtten exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the IP before treating analytical reports. Student participation was limited.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier section's. Student participation was adequate, if somewhat strained.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by a quiz.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier sections'. Student participation was minimal.

Students in all sections are reminded that IPPR1 is due no later than the beginning of class time on Monday, 16 February 2015.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150211

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the IP before treating concerns of activity reports and research. Student participation was adequate.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as the earlier section's. Student participation was good.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, one fewer than at last class meeting. Fourteen attended, verified by attendance sheet.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as the earlier sections'. Student participation was adequate.

Monday, February 9, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150209

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after thoughts on the just-completed JobP and questions about earlier practices and materials before moving to consideration of the IP. Student groups were assigned. Student participation was good.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Eighteen attended, verified informally.

Discussion follows much the same pattern as had the previous section's. Student participation was okay.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified informally.

Discussion follows much the same pattern as had the previous sections'. Student participation was adequate.

Friday, February 6, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150206

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in the Electronic Classroom, Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster displayed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Class time was taken up by final review of JobP materials. Student participation was good.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in the Electronic Classroom, Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster displayed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Class followed the same pattern as did the previous section. Student participation was good.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in the Electronic Classroom, Morrill Hall Room 106. The class roster displayed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Thirteen attended, verified by sign-in sheet.

Class followed the same pattern as did the previous section. Student participation was good.

The JobP is due before the beginning of class time on Monday, 9 February 2015.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150204

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the JobP and other questions from eariler class activities before moving into a discussion of grammar and usage. Student participation was adequate.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Eighteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier section's. Student participation was adequate.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since the last class meeting. Eighteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier sections'. Student participation was good.

Classes will meet in the Electronic Classroom, Morrill Hall Room 106, on Friday.

Some students have already reached the maximum number of absences allowed before grade penalties begin to accrue. Alerts will be sent out to that effect.

Monday, February 2, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150202

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class. Sixteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after the just-completed IP PlanDoc and progress on the JobP before moving to treat document design. Student participation was less robust than could be hoped.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class. Seventeen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as the previous section's. Student participation was less robust than could be desired.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class. Eighteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as the previous sections'. Student participation was also less robust than could be hoped.

Students in Section 011 are reminded that there will be a visitor to the class on 4 February.

Students in all sections are reminded that those who have not submitted their EC and coursework use agreements need to do so. D2L has information about whether or not the instructor has received them.

Friday, January 30, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150130

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed eighteen students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Twelve attended, verified by submission of forms.

Discussion asked after progress on the JobP and beginnings of the collaborative project before reviewing memorandum format briefly and attending to basic concerns of proposals. Student participation was somewhat limited.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by submission of forms.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier section's. Student participation was somewhat limited.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by submission of forms.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier sections'. Student participation was somewhat limited.

Students in all classes are reminded that they need to submit the EC Agreement (in the course packet) and the Coursework Use Agreement (available from the instructor) if they have not already done so. Physical copies are required.

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150128

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after progress on the JobP before moving on to treat initial concerns of the collaborative project and teamwork. Student participation was reasonably good, if somewhat less than last class.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Eighteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same patter as had the earlier section's. Student participation was somewhat less than in previous class meetings.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Eighteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same patter as had the earlier sections'. Student participation was reasonably good.

Students in all sections are asked to have their EC Policy Agreements ready to submit on Friday. The form can be found in the Appendices of the Packet; those students not present on Friday need to submit the form with all haste.

Monday, January 26, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150126

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after concerns from previous classes and progress on the JobP before treating concerns of resume content and format. Student participation was not bad.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. All attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as the earlier section's. Student participation was good.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. All attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as the earlier sections'. Student participation was reasonably good.

Note that Section 011 will be observed on 4 February 2015.

Note also that an assignment is due before the beginning of class on Wednesday. Please review assignment sheets for information.

Friday, January 23, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150123

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after questions about previous classes before moving to consideration of letters, emails, and memoranda (important for discussion of the JobP). Student participation was reasonably good.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. All attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as the previous section's. Student participation was good.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Fifteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as the previous sections'. Student participation was improved from earlier classes, but could be enhanced more.

Students are reminded to remain abreast of assigned readings and to be working diligently on the JobP.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150121

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 18 students enrolled, one having dropped since last class meeting. Sixteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion asked after questions from earlier exercises before moving to consideration of audiences and the upcoming JobP. Student participation was improved from last class, although more students could usefully contribute.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. All attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier section's. Student participation was good.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, two having dropped and two others added since last class meeting. Eighteen attended, verified by a brief written exercise.

Discussion followed much the same pattern as had the earlier sections'. Student participation was reasonably good.

Students in all sections are reminded that reading and discussion remain important.

Friday, January 16, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150116

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall Room 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, two having dropped and two others having added since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified through a brief informal writing exercise.

Discussion treated concerns of previous classes and the results of the diagnostic exercise before noting the rhetorical contexts of technical writing. Student participation was low, with only a few questions posed. More student engagement will be appreciated.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall Room 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, unchanged since last class meeting. Eighteen attended, verified through a brief informal writing exercise.

Discussion treated much the same material as had that of the earlier section. Student participation was low, with only a few questions posed. More student engagement will be appreciated.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall Room 102. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled, one having dropped and another having added since last class meeting. Seventeen attended, verified through a brief informal writing exercise.

Discussion treated much the same material as had those of the earlier sections. Student participation was low, with only a few questions posed. More student engagement will be appreciated.

Students in all sections are reminded that readings are due for Wednesday. Demonstrating engagement with them will be appreciated; quizzes will be ready in the event no such demonstration is forthcoming.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Class Reports: ENGL 3323, Sections 006, 009, and 011; 20150114

Section 006
Class began as scheduled at 1030 in Morrill Hall 208. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled. Eighteen attended, verified by the submitted diagnostic writing exercise that occupied most of class time.

Section 009
Class began as scheduled at 1230 in Morrill Hall 306. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled. Eighteen attended, verified by the submitted diagnostic writing exercise that occupied most of class time.

Section 011
Class began as scheduled at 1330 in Morrill Hall 102. The class roster listed 19 students enrolled. Eighteen attended, verified by the submitted diagnostic writing exercise that occupied most of class time.

Students in all sections are reminded that there is a reading assignment due on Friday, 16 January 2015. (Current, correct copies of the syllabus and course calendar are available on the sections' D2L sites under "Content"; see the "Course Documents" module.) In-class comments will be greatly appreciated and will help to forestall quizzes.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

An Addendum to the Previous

An adjustment to the course calendar for my sections of Technical Writing is also being made. "JobP PlanDoc" for 2 February should read "IP PlanDoc."

I apologize for the error.

Some Comments Regarding the Spring 2015 Term

I know that I am late in getting this put together, for which I can only apologize.

This term, I am teaching three sections of ENGL 3323: Technical Writing at Oklahoma State University: 006, 009, and 011. Materials for them are currently in preparation, although they will largely follow last semester's patterns. Note that "largely" does not mean "exactly," so students need to check again for updates. Among the adjustments that will be made is the inclusion of representative examples of student work. The examples are not perfect, certainly, but they will demonstrate what A-level work in the course can look like.

Already, one change has been obligatory. The syllabus I had sent to my colleague for distribution on the first day has been amended. My office hours for the term are now

  • MWF 0930-1020, 
  • MWF 1130-1220, and
  • By appointment

I had been waiting for confirmation of another regular meeting to make the final assignment. Please do note that I am exceedingly unlikely to be able to make appointments on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as I have prior standing commitments on those days, and appointments after my teaching day is done (at approximately 1520) are also unlikely. I am, however, happy to come in early, and the OSU Writing Center is an excellent resource (go early and often).

On a personal note, I look forward to working with the 57 students currently enrolled in my classes. Most of those in my classes last term were enjoyable to have, and I hope to repeat the experience.