The document provides an agenda and guidance for students to work on their final portfolio assignments for an English writing course. It includes instructions to post introductions and body paragraphs to discussion forums for feedback. Students are asked to revise an out-of-class essay for their portfolio and write a reflective essay discussing what they learned in the course as well as areas for further improvement. Suggested topics for the reflective essay include writing skills gained, examples from their own work, and future writing plans.

1. EWRT 1A
Class 39

2. AGENDA
✗ Work on final revisions for
portfolio: Out of class revision or
reflective essay revision HW
Discussion #48: Post your
introduction: Previous experience,
feelings, learning English,
Anecdote illustrating one of
these?
✗ HW Discussion #49: Post your
body paragraph about what you
still need to work on.
✗ Buy, find, or otherwise secure
your folder Revise out of class
essay for portfolio

3. Paper 7: The Reflective Essay
✗ Even though it might not be obvious, this
is a thesis-driven essay.
✗ What is your thesis? A more specific
version of this claim:
“I learned some things in LART/EWRT,
but I will still need to work on some things
in my next writing class.
✗ I recommend that you discuss at least:
✗ THREE or FOUR things you learned
(including one specific to LART), and
✗ ONE thing that you still need to
improve
✗ Things NOT to write about:
✗ The CONTENT of the course. The
English Department is not
interested in what you learned
about immigration or education.
They just want to hear about your
writing skills.
✗ The instructors. Whether you want
to praise me (or criticize me), the
portfolio readers do not care. They
are interested in what you learned,
not how I taught it.
✗ So what might you talk about?
Let’s brainstorm.

4. Paper 6: Structure
✗ Introduction: what might you put in your
intro? How might you start this essay?
✗ Could talk about previous experience
with writing.
✗ Could talk about your feelings about
writing.
✗ Could talk about high school and your
experience with writing.
✗ Could talk about learning English.
✗ Could talk about your future plans
and how writing fits with them.
✗ Body paragraphs about what you learned.
✗ Additional body paragraph(s) about what
you still need to work on.
✗ Conclusion
✗ The body paragraphs should be PIE
paragraphs.
✗ What is the POINT of each paragraph?
✗ But what is the INFORMATION?
✗ Mostly: Examples from your own
work.
✗ Seriously: give specific examples from
your papers—especially the portfolio
essays.
✗ Seriously: QUOTE YOUR OWN
WORK.
✗ Brainstorming activity:
✗ How might you start your intro?
✗ What are 3-4 things you have
learned?
✗ What 1-2 things will you work on in
the future?

5. Homework
✗ Essay #7 Due Tuesday at
midnight
✗ HW Discussion #50: Post your
conclusion: Your future plans?
✗ Finish Everything!
✗ Bring your portfolio essays to
class for final revision work