Now that most of you have provided a list of major details for the first assignment, it's time for the next step, which is drafting the essay. There is, however, more to it than just drafting the essay.

First, decide which chapter you want to more fully summarize and respond to. The summary will go beyond the listing of the major details to include examples that illustrate those details. You can see in the table below that most of the major details, such as "deception can be bad for your health," often contains more than a single example. With above major detail, we get secondary details such as the Listerine halitosis scam and the Seville Marketing HIV home test kit that didn't work. You don't need to include both of these secondary examples to illustrate the major detail, but you can if you can be succinct about it. The summary section of the essay should be broken into several paragraphs, with the division points among paragraphs being movement to a new major detail. Each summary paragraph can contain two or three of the major details, depending upon how long they get. In general, shorter paragraphs are easier to read than longer paragraphs, but if the paragraphs are too short, the reading/writing becomes choppy.

The response portion of the assignment calls for you to tell your readers what you think about one or two, but certainly no more than three of the ideas touched on in your summary section. Generally speaking, the fewer points you cover, and the greater detail you cover them in, the better the response can be. Too many points given too little development leaves readers unsure about what is going on. If you were to write about something, such as the use of glittering generalities, you can open with a brief description of what these generalities are and why it matters that we are aware of them. I suggest you then follow with an example of a glittering generality taken from the text (but provide a different one than you used in the summary section so as to give your reader greater coverage). Then provide an example of glittering generalities you've seen in the world around you. Two come right to mind for me. The first is Barak Obama's call for change, for the "audacity of hope." One of the biggest concerns Obama is facing is that this is empty rhetoric. What does it mean to hope? To change? These are glittering generalities because they can mean everything but nothing simultaneously. Similarly, while riding my bike out in the Valley Ford area, I've seen advertisements for internet service offering "satellite speed." Every time I see this, I wonder just what the heck it means and how it works. What is "satellite speed"? How exactly do users connect to the internet? The company name is something like "Wild Blue" which makes it seem that the service is happening through the sky, wireless, but who knows. So, I could write about one political and one commercial example based on "glittering generalities" were I so inclined.

The essay's introduction should set up the response, whatever it is you think about what you respond to. If I were to write about the problem with glittering generalities in commercial and political advertising and communication, I'd probably write about how people who use those words don't expect us to think too deeply on the topic, that they expect us to buy into what amounts to side bites of information that really contains no information. I might be charitable and suggest that these slogans and sound bites are merely meant to get our attention and then we should look more deeply into things, but I also have to suspect most people may not agree with that. The introduction should make it clear why you think this, or whatever it is you think about what you respond to, matters, why your reader should care or find it of interest.

The conclusion is your last chance to get readers to see things your way. One thing that can be done is to restate the claim of the thesis, and even restate the major reasons the thesis is one a reader should care about, but don't stop there. It's a good idea to plug the discussion into a broader but related context. For instance, if you were to focus on the political aspect, you could suggest that we endanger our democracy and nation and freedoms and rights if we are lazy and buy into these slogans and glittering generalities. You might even conclude with a call to action by challenging your readers to look more deeply into the issue, to avoid companies or politicians who engage in this sort of strategy.

The due date for the reading draft is Monday at midnight. See below for the "map" of the two chapters. You'll want to be sure each of the major details, the outer-most bullet points, are included in your summary. If you have any questions, post them here or send me an email. I will be responding to late major detail summaries once each receives two responses.

At this point, there are several students who have yet to receive at least two responses, while several have received three. Please do your best to be sure everyone gets covered by reading and responding to those students who have not yet been taken care of. At this point, those students include jelena, mar69_05, samanthathompson, crystal, manuel, mbaker and danelle. If I missed anyone, please let me know. You won't be receiving a response from me until at least two responses have been provided by students (you should receive three from students if everyone pulls their weight, never a given, plus one from me). If you have yet to post your summaries, please do so and make it a single post, both chapters in one entry. This makes it easier for folks to respond. This is a bit of time to get caught up over the holiday weekend, but after that, the flexibility all but disappears.

Some of the early summaries are being overlooked. One way to get to them readily is to click on the "recent posts" link just below your name in the upper-left after you log in. Then look down the page for some of the early posts.

As I indicated in an earlier post, once each summary has received two responses, I'll be chiming in on the work, both the summary itself and possibly the responses. In the meanwhile, you are welcome to read my comments to those who have already received two responses. I have responded to both summaries and responses. Feel free to consider how my comments might apply to your summary or your responses. Keep in mind that we are not looking for perfection here. Summary is not easy and most of you will have had little practice with them (which is why we do them). Also keep in mind you get credit for doing the work, not for how "well" done the work is at this point. Better to do it not so well than to not do it at all, but that doesn't mean you should make a halfhearted effort.

A student asked me these questions and I figured the answers would be good for everyone to read. My answers are italicized:

1. In the summary are there thesis and conclusion? Or is it just merely stating the major facts?

For now, it's just the facts. Each major detail should be covered in a sentence. When it comes to the summary and response to a point, there will be an intro with a thesis and a conclusion. The thesis will provide the direction for the response. It's okay that the summary may not seem to follow the thesis itself in the essay portion of the assignment.

2. Do I create paragraphs? Or do I just write sentences that consist of main points?

In the major details summary, no need. In the essay portion, yes.

3. Do I just start from the begging and write down all the major points. Or do I take into a consideration this text as a whole and write main points?

Yes, think of the major details and the summary itself as a map of the original.

4. How long should it be?

That depends, the major details will be no more than a dozen (give or take a little bit) sentences. For the essay, it will be roughly twice as long because of providing specific examples to illustrate each of the major details. At this point, it's better to be too long so you can cut the extra than to be too short and needing to add in the necessary information.

5. The first part that we are working on now is called the Descriptive summary, right?

No, right now we are working on the precis, think precis. Just a list of the major details in sentence form.

I read to all the summaries that other students have posted and it seems like they all use different format.

That will happen and it's not a big deal. The thing to look at is are they consistent in their choices of major details. That's what I'm concerned with, whether they are getting the big ideas from the reading, whether they understand. If various students do do things a bit different, I'm not concerned.

According to the guidelines I have concluded that I need to first read, which I did and then as I am ready to write I will read each section again and summarize it in my own words, basically stating the facts, not including
the examples. Am I right?

That sounds good. As I noted at some point, good readers are re-readers. I'm trying to push people in that directions.

Thank you for helping me to understand. I might have some difficulties in the beginning but I am sure next essays will be much easier!

Probably not. :-0, but at least this part of things should go more smoothly.

On Friday, I'll be away from the computer between about 9:30 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. I'll try to respond to any questions before I leave the house, but will certainly get to them upon my return.

First, I'm sure some of you noticed the site was down/offline for an hour or so this morning. I apologize for that, but that's the way things go on the internet. If you were working online and lost some work, here's what you can do to avoid that: write in a word processing program then copy and paste your work into the blog. I have to admit I rarely do this, but when crafting your essays, this is the best way to go. In responding to other students, this may not be practical. It won't often happen, but if you compose in the blog while you are online, you will lose your work sooner or later, whether in this blog or blackboard or just crafting an email to your friends and family, so take the necessary precautions.

On to the first assignment. Please begin by reading the whole of the assignment. There are five documents in the assignment: the assignment itself, the goals of the assignment, a very good summarizing strategy (it's not my own), a sample essay (that is about a 'C' at this point, and the criteria I am going to use to evaluate the essay you submit for a grade. You also need to read chapters one and two of unSpun.

Step one, after doing all the reading, is to have a summary of chapters one and two posted in a blog by midnight Monday. I suggest that you read the unSpun one time straight through, and then read it to summarize. This summary requires only the major details, the big details, written out in complete sentences.

Step two is to read and respond to at least three summaries of the first two chapters. Only the first three responses receive credit, so if you see someone has three responses, find someone else to respond to. This should be done by midnight Wednesday, June 2. What you should do is read and let your respondent know that they did a good job, and not just by saying "good job." Instead, you write something along the lines of "I think you hit all the major points, x, y, and z and etc. I was tempted to leave out 'x' but now that I see you included it, I'm keeping it as a major, not minor detail. How did you decide it was a major detail rather than a minor or secondary detail?" If something is missing, you might write "Pretty good job overall, but I think that 'x' needs to be included as a major detail because of blah, blah, blah." If there is something you think not necessary, you might write "I agree with most of the details you included, but I'm not sure about 'z' because that struck me as more of a secondary detail, or a minor detail. What led you to include it as a major detail? I'll check back and see what you say to decide if I have to change my mind." Keep in mind that just because someone says a summary does or does not need 'y' that doesn't necessarily make it so. That's why you read several, to get a sense of what others are doing and to think about those and then decide for yourself.

Step three is to draft an essay that addresses the assignment criteria. I won't repeat those here. Rather than a "just the major details" summary which is step one, this summary will also include specific examples, and the appropriate page citation, to illustrate the major detail. Many of the major details have more than one example, so limit yourself to the one you think does the best job. Following your summary, respond to one or two, but certainly no more than three, concerns you encounter in your summarized chapter. Be sure to flesh it out with specific examples. This draft is due no later than July 7 at midnight.

Step four is to read and respond to three drafts, using the assigned criteria. Only the first three responses receive credit, so if you see someone has three responses, find someone else to respond to. The responses are first come, first served. Just meet the posted deadlines. For the first essay, I will be reading and responding to drafts at this point as well so you can see my expectations before you receive a grade. I will wait until a draft has three responses from students before I respond. If I get bogged down by people not meeting deadlines, there's a chance some won't receive a response from me, or the class, with enough time to get work done before the next deadline. You can submit and respond to work before the various deadlines. That makes it easier on everyone involved. These responses to drafts are due no later than midnight, July 9.

Finally, almost anyway, is to submit a revised draft to me for a response and grading. This is due by midnight, July 11. I'll have those back to you within a few days. Those who earn less than a 2.0/C are required to revise, and they have one week to do so. Those who receive a 2.0 or better have the option to revise, or not, with the same deadline. In the meantime, right after the July 9 deadline, assignment two will kick off.

There is probably something I've overlooked here and if you have questions, you can attach them to this message or drop me an email. If you think others might also benefit from your answer, post it here in a public forum, kinda like asking questions in class.

First, for those who haven't yet clicked on the "schedule" link in the upper-right of the page, here's what people are posting as way of an introduction: Post an introduction of yourself, telling us three things that are true about you and one lie. Read and respond to others, speculating on what is the lie and why.

As for me, I get to post on the front page here, since I'm the hot-shot teacher. Here are four things about me, one of them not true.

• I've recently worked with a former NASA Astronaut, a veteran of three shuttle missions. One was just before The Challenger explosion, one right after.
• Until recently, I was a pack-a-day (give or take a few of course) smoker. My main motivation for quitting was the cost, about $170 a month for the cigarettes alone, never mind the breath "cleaner," lighters and the like, not to mention having to endure the nagging of my family, wife, son and doctor.
• My wife is currently in Japan on a Fullbright Memorial Fund Scholarship and my son is at the Oregon coast with his grandparents; I'm home with our dog, five cats, two guinea pigs and four fish (who live in the pond in the backyard). The house is not so clean as it usually is.
• My family has been in the Spokane area for about a century, give or take a few years. My wife's family has been in the region about the same length of time, maybe longer.

Just so you know, I started with four truths and then had to make a lie out of one of them.

By the time class begins on June 25, you should have your text book (click the "syllabus" link in the upper right (this used to say "left." My bad. Sorry.) and you'll find the book you need and my email address if you need to send me a note) and it would also be a good idea to have looked over the syllabus and assignments to see if this course is a good fit for you because the schedule is pretty rigid. At this point, I am not signing overloads for the class so if you are hoping to get in but have not yet enrolled, it's up to you to keep checking for open slots.

To create an account in this blog, you'll want to click on the "create new account" link and provide the necessary information. I must approve the account before you get access. You can change your password to something you can readily remember once you log in for the first time.

Tuesday and Wednesday are conferences to determine what will go into your portfolio. The cover sheets for the third and fourth essays will be attached to this message. The cover sheets are now attached. When you put your final portfolio together, be sure to fill out and attach the appropriate cover sheet. Attaching the incorrect cover sheet will lead your essay to fail the portfolio process, so don't do that!

Portfolios are due to my office or mailbox by 8:30 Thursday morning. they should include the impromptu completed the other day, the passing or revised mid-term portfolio submission with the verdict sheet attached, and either the website analysis or argumentative essay. All submissions should NOT have your name on them, or mine. In place of your name, use 14 (our section number) and your full student id number like this: 14-82x-xx-xxxx.

Wednesday Conferences:
Amanda Spargo 9:45 or 10:00?
Amanda Schlairet 11:30
Alyssa 11:45
Nick 12:00
Matthew 12:15
Bren 12:30

If you have any questions or concerns, or just want reassurance, contact me.

I hope everyone has a good weekend. Since most everyone was not prepared to have essays responded to in class Friday, you should, you ought, to post your essay online and request responses because I'm going to collect them for grading on Tuesday according to schedule because we have no more time flexibility. If you have particular or specific questions, I'll be happy to answer them either via email or from the blog, but I won't have time to read whole essays in order to offer general feedback.

There's no class today. I was up most of the night with my son who gashed his leg open. Get your reading of chapters six and eight done and the major details posted in the blog. I'll see you on Tuesday. I may adjust the due date of the draft, but I'll have to look the schedule over before making a decision.

If anyone has an essay they have not submitted yet, it would be okay to email it to me. If you need my address, it's on the syllabus.