Ewrt 1 a plus class 7
- 2. AGENDA GPU: Sentence Types Discussion: “Grading Professors” by Wendy Kim The Basic Features How is this essay like the one you wrote in class? Read Essay 2 Assignment
- 3. GRAMMAR, PUNCTUATION, USAGE There are Four Types of sentences: Today we focuson two of them 1. Simple 2. Compound
- 4. #1: SIMPLE SENTENCE A simple sentence has one subject and one verb. I like to study grammar. A simple sentence is also called an independent clause. An independent clause ends with a period or semicolon.
- 5. SIMPLE SENTENCES Examples: Carol’s sweater is red. You and Alex need to be quiet. Ms. Bennett did a cartwheel and a backflip. Compound Subject Single subject and verb with two direct objects
- 6. #2: COMPOUND SENTENCE A compound sentence is made up of two or more simple sentences joined by one of the following: A comma and a coordinating conjunction I like to study grammar, and I love this class. A semicolon I like to study grammar; I love this class. A semicolon and an adverbial conjunction I like to study grammar; therefore, I love this class.
- 7. COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS Coordinating Conjunctions are used to join together two independent clauses. For And Nor But Or Yet So
- 8. Two independent clauses joined together by a comma and a coordinating conjunction I love you, and you love me. Independent clause (Simple Sentence) Independent clause (Simple Sentence)
- 9. COMPOUND SENTENCES USING SEMICOLONS If the relation between the ideas expressed in the main clauses is very close and obvious without a conjunction, you can separate the independent clauses with a semicolon Kelsey has benefited from her writing exercises; she has good grammar and punctuation. Tiffany works in San Francisco; she runs The Duck. Elaine pays attention in class; she takes copious notes
- 11. COMPOUND SENTENCE: ADVERBIAL CONJUNCTIONS Thomas is cool; moreover, he is fashionable . Luke’s grandmother buys him sweaters; however, he does not wear them. Clause 1 Clause 2 Independent Independent
- 12. ESSAY #2 JUSTIFYING AN EVALUATION Who can summarize Wendy Kim’s essay in two or three sentences?
- 13. GET INTO YOUR HOUSES TO DISCUSS THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS 1. Is the opening effective? Why or why not? How does this information help readers? 2. What is Kim’s overall judgement; that is, what is her thesis and where did you find it? How well does Kim forecast her reasons here? 3. What are the standards of judgement that Kim uses to measure her subject? Are they appropriate? Helpful? 4. Does she have topic sentences that connect directly back to her thesis? What are they? List at least one criterion and the topic sentence that supports it. 5. How does Kim use comparison to help make her points? 6. What is the counterargument? How does Kim address it? How effectively does Kim use sources to support her counterargument here? 7. How does Kim wrap up her essay? Is the conclusion effective? 8. What makes for credible sources? 9. Do Kim’s sources seem credible and appropriate for the kind of argument she’s making and the situation in which she is writing? “Grading Professors” by Wendy Kim
- 14. IS THE OPENING EFFECTIVE? WHY OR WHY NOT? HOW DOES THIS INFORMATION HELP READERS? “Where the Students Do the Grading” is the tagline for the Web site www.RateMyProfessors.com (RMP). Users just choose their state and find their school among the more than 6,000 campuses listed, and they’re ready to start grading their professors. The home page proudly displays the numbers: last I looked, there were more than6,200,000 ratings, covering more than 770,000 professors in the United States and Canada. In fact, RMP has been so successful that it has expanded to Australia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, and its sister-site for high school students, RateMyTeachers.com, already has a user base of 3 million students (RateMyProfessors). While not everyone agrees that these ratings provide an entirely accurate assessment, many students, like me, routinely consult RMP at the beginning of every term to decide which classes to take.
- 15. WHAT IS KIM’S OVERALL JUDGEMENT; THAT IS, WHAT IS HER THESIS AND WHERE DID YOU FIND IT? HOW WELL DOES KIM FORECAST HER REASONS HERE? WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS OF JUDGEMENT THAT KIM USES TO MEASURE HER SUBJECT? ARE THEY APPROPRIATE? HELPFUL? Overall, the Web site is well designed, extremely helpful, and amusing.
- 16. DOES SHE HAVE TOPIC SENTENCES THAT CONNECT DIRECTLY BACK TO HER THESIS? WHAT ARE THEY? LIST AT LEAST ONE CRITERION AND THE TOPIC SENTENCE THAT SUPPORTS IT. Well Designed: 1. The design of RateMyProfessors.com makes the site attractive and easy to browse. 2. The viewer’s eye is drawn to the center box, which is twice as wide as the boxes on the sides and includes the all- important search function (set off against a distinctive yellow background). 3. The navigation system is smooth and fast. Extremely Helpful: 1. Most important, RateMyProfessors.com is full of useful information that can help students make informed decisions when it comes to choosing teachers and preparing for a class they are about to take. 2. Professors are rated in several categories on a scale of 1 (worst) to 5 (best). 3. The faces and numbers are informative, but I think the comments help the most because they are so detailed. Amusing: 1. And as this last comment suggests, we can’t forget the last rating category: Is your professor hot or not? The answer to this question makes the Web site amusing.
- 17. HOW DOES KIM USE COMPARISON TO HELP MAKE HER POINTS? There are other Internet professor evaluation sites, but none is as widely used or as easy to use as RateMyProfessors.com. I compared RMP with three competitors: Professor Performance, Reviewum.com, and RatingsOnline. The user base of the first two sites looks too small to provide reliable information. Professor Performance has 73,040 evaluations at 1,742 colleges and universities, and Reviewum.com claims to have 20,098 records for 137 campuses. In addition, for the limited number of professors who are listed, there are only a small number of evaluations, not enough to enable students to make informed judgments
- 18. WHAT IS THE COUNTERARGUMENT? HOW DOES KIM ADDRESS IT? HOW EFFECTIVELY DOES KIM USE SOURCES TO SUPPORT HER COUNTERARGUMENT? This question about the possible effect of the teacher’s appearance on student response and learning leads to a more basic question about the credibility of the evaluations on RateMyProfessors.com: Are the ratings statistically valid? The simple answer, the Web site itself admits, is “Not really. They are a listing of opinions and should be judged as such” (RateMyProfessors). The results are statistically invalid, as one psychology professor explained, because the users are self-selected and not selected randomly (Harmon). And the fewer student ratings an instructor has been given, the less reliable the overall evaluation. Nevertheless, RMP claims “we often receive emails stating that the ratings are uncannily accurate, especially for schools with over 1000 ratings” (RateMyProfessors). RMP also refers readers to an article reporting a study at the University of Waterloo, Canada (UW), that found fifteen of the sixteen Distinguished Teacher Award winners at UW also had yellow smiley faces on RateMyProfessors.com (TRACE). While this correlation is reassuring, students should not approach the ratings uncritically. And evidence suggests most don’t. As one college newspaper reporter put it, “students claim they do not blindly follow the comments” (Espach). A recent study of RMP published in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication found that students “are aware that ratings and comments on the site could reflect students exacting revenge or venting” (Kindred and Mohammed). As one student explained: “If half the ratings are bad, I will ask around about the professor. If every rating is poor I won’t take the teacher” (Espach). There are other Internet professor evaluation sites, but none is as widely used
- 19. HOW DOES KIM WRAP UP HER ESSAY? IS THE CONCLUSION EFFECTIVE? When you have the option of choosing a teacher, wouldn’t you really like some information? RateMyProfessors.com allows you to see what other students have to say about professors and courses you may be considering as well as to voice your opinion. As a Web site, it is not only helpful and easy to use, but it is also amusing to read.
- 20. WHAT MAKES FOR CREDIBLE SOURCES? THE CRAAP TEST ! CREDIBLE SOURCES?
- 21. DO KIM’S SOURCES SEEM CREDIBLE AND APPROPRIATE FOR THE KIND OF ARGUMENT SHE’S MAKING AND THE SITUATION IN WHICH SHE IS WRITING?
- 22. THE BASIC FEATURES OF A “JUSTIFYING AN EVALUATION ESSAY” A Well–Presented Subject Read first to see how the writer presents the subject. A Well-Supported Judgment Look for the overall judgment and the argument supporting it. An Effective Counterargument Read also to see how the writer responds to possible objections to the argument or alternative judgments with an effective counterargument. A Readable Plan Finally, examine the essay to see how the writer provides a readable plan. Does Kim include all of the basic features of a “Justifying an Evaluation” essay?
- 23. HOW IS KIM’S ESSAY LIKE THE ONE YOU WROTE IN CLASS? A Well–Presented Subject Read first to see how the writer presents the subject. A Well-Supported Judgment Look for the overall judgment and the argument supporting it. An Effective Counterargument Read also to see how the writer responds to possible objections to the argument or alternative judgments with an effective counterargument. A Readable Plan Finally, examine the essay to see how the writer provides a readable plan. Have you included all of the basic features of a “Justifying an Evaluation” essay?
- 24. LECTURE: INTRODUCE ESSAY #2 JUSTIFYING AN EVALUATION The Writing Assignment: Using both your in-class essay and the basic features of a “justifying an evaluation” essay write a new essay evaluating the film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Examine your subject closely, and make a judgment about it in a clear and concise thesis statement. Give reasons for your judgment that are based on at least four widely recognized criteria or standards for evaluating a film like this one. Support your reasons with examples and other details from your subject. Your final essay should be between three and five pages. (This means you should have at least one line on page four to ensure you have filled three complete pages). Do not rely on your in-class essay to substitute for this new essay. As you will see, this essay assignment requires both more complex thinking and writing. Outside sources: this essay requires at least two direct quotations in addition to other examples.
- 25. HOMEWORK Read HP COS Chapter 9 Read Star Trek movie review “Star Trek or Star Wreck?” in preparation for essay 2 HW Discussion 7: Answer these questions: What is the thesis statement for “Star Trek or Star Wreck? Which body paragraph is the strongest? Why? Is there a counterargument? Where? How might you improve either the introduction or the conclusion?