TUESDAY

THURSDAY

January 17 Introduction to the course

HOMEWORK: Download, print and read thoroughly the Service-Learning course manual. Come to class with any questions.

January 19 What does it mean to be educated? What does service-learning mean? Class discussion and free writing; Introduction to Essay 1

HOMEWORK: Print out and read carefully the assignment sheet for Essay 1. Watch the movie Shrek, keeping in mind what lessons the movie teaches, what the educational value of the movie is, and whether it's appropriate for kids. Fill out your schedule form and bring it to class (in your course manual). Print out and fill out the brainstorming guide for the first essay assignment; bring that to class too.

January 24 Skills of evaluation, establishing criteria and substantiating judgments, brainstorming topics

HOMEWORK: Read "Working at McDonald's" by Amitai Etzioni. Print it out and bring it to class. Decide on a topic for your evaluation essay; leave a comment on the class blog telling us what you've chosen and why (more instructions about posting comments can be found on the blog).

January 26 Drafting and invention: how to get started, what to make sure you cover

HOMEWORK: Read the news portfolio assignment; we'll discuss it in class. Bring your course manual to class--we'll go over how to get started on your service. Draft, draft draft--bring two copies of a first draft of your evaluation to class with you on Tuesday.

January 31 Brief history of the Old South Baton Rouge Community; Dos and Don'ts of Tutoring

HOMEWORK: For Thursday, your responsibility is to carefully review and respond to your partner's essay, using this Peer Response guide. To your peer review conference, bring:

1. A copy of your essay

2. A copy of your peer's essay

3. Your response to your peer's essay

EXTRA: Here's an example evaluation essay written by a composition student in Mississippi. It isn't perfect, but the writer does a good job of meeting the criteria.

February 2 Change of Plans! Today we will take a field trip to Polk Elementary. Paula Carter, the Reading Specialist who will be supervising our tutoring, will take us through a brief orientation to the school. Be in front of Polk no later than 11:00. Do not be late!

You will also, either today or tomorrow, meet with me and one of your classmates to discuss your essay. Check the schedule for your assigned time; we'll meet in my office, Allen 43.

HOMEWORK: Revise, revise, revise! Here's a guide to help you think through the revision process. You can also check out the example essay if you're stuck. Feel free to email me with specific questions as you're working.

Bring to class on Tuesday: your Student Project Log and the peer response feedback you received from your peer conference partner.

Read through the S-L checklist before you begin your tutoring.

February 7 Final Draft of Evaluation Essay Due by 10:40

Introduction to 4-part Research Project: Short persuasive essay, Oral Presentation, Research Report, Long Researched Persuasive Essay

START TUTORING THIS WEEK! Make sure you've read through the S-L checklist before you begin.

HOMEWORK:

1. Read "The Trouble with Boys." Print it out and bring it with you to class; be prepared to discuss it.

2. Post at least 3 suggestions for possible essay topics to the blog; bring them to class and be prepared to discuss them.

3. Read and print assignment sheets: News Portfolio, Reflection, and Short Persuasive Essay.

February 9 Topic brainstorm: what about education do we want to investigate?

How do we go about it? The research process: gathering and organizing information; evaluating sources

Argumentation: how to build a case, how pick one apart

HOMEWORK:

1. Read and print "Language Diversity and Learning" by Lisa Delpit. You'll have to print it to be able to read it; apparently, my scanning skills are not so good. This essay is an excerpt from her book, Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom. Consider what she's saying and how it applies to the child you've been working with.

2. Use this essay as a jumping off point for at least one of your journal entries; bring that entry with you to class on Tuesday.

3. Extra Credit! Come to the literacy panel discussion on Saturday and receive 10 extra credit points, plus a credit for one volunteer visit.

February 14 Topic brainstorm, continued; Research strategies and interview tips; Paraphrase and summary

HOMEWORK:

1. Email your final topic choice to me.

2. Find and bring to class 2 possible sources.

3. Print out and read the packet for this essay, including helpful tips and example essays. Bring it to class with you.

4. DUE THURSDAY: Your signed S-L Partnership Agreement.

* NEW REVISED REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT!

February 16 Example essays: what are we trying to accomplish through argument, who are we talking to

Draft workshop: how to get started

Language and Diversity: guest speaker.

HOMEWORK:

1. Read this brief web page about reflection.

2. Then, reflect, in your journal, using the following prompt: Identify your initial attitudes towards the S-L component of this course (what did you think after the first week of class?) How has your attitude towards service-learning changed or stayed the same? Why?

3. Bring your journal on Tuesday: you should have at least 2 entries about your tutoring experience. I'll collect them and get them back to you by Tuesday.

4. Come to Oral Reflection Tuesday; part of your Oral Reflection grade comes from your participation.

February 21 Oral Reflection Round 1: how is your tutoring experience going, how can you use your experience in your writing

HOMEWORK:

1. Reread the three example essays. For each one, pick out the thesis and the main point of each paragraph.

2. Bring to class: notes from your 5 interviews, 2 sources, your draft. You should have AT LEAST an introductory paragraph and one full body paragraph using your sources and interviews to prove one of your points.

February 23 First draft of short essay due: peer review workshop

HOMEWORK:

1. Revise your essay, using the suggestions you received in class today. Bring to class Thursday: 2 copies of a finished draft with a Works Cited page.

2. Catch beads! Have a safe and fun Mardi Gras.

February 28 Mardi Gras Holiday

March 2 Essay Workshop; introduction to Oral Presentation, Response, and Research Report; sign up for presentation slots

HOMEWORK:

1. Submit your short persuasive essay and works cited page as a Word document to jwest22@lsu.edu no later than 10:30 Tuesday, March 7.

2. Prepare for your Oral Presentation and for your responses to your peers' presentations.

3. Continue your research.

**Here's the schedule for Oral Presentations. If you don't see your name, you should email me immediately to claim a spot.

March 7 Final draft of short essay due by email by 10:30; Oral Presentations begin

Your assignment for the next 3 class meetings is to respond to your group members' presentations (groups are organized by color; a list of your group members is at the bottom of the presentation schedule). The response guide is here; all responses are due no later than class time on March 16.

March 9 Oral Presentations

**Reminder: A copy of your project log is due next Thursday; you'll bring it with you when you come to your conference.

March 14 Oral Presentations

HOMEWORK:

1. Bring a copy of your Student Project Log (not the original) to class on Thursday.

2. Respond in your journal to this prompt:

After spending half a semester engaged in service, what do you think the role of service-learning is in college? Do universities have a responsibility to produce responsible citizens or not? How does service-learning fit into this debate?

3. Extra Credit Opportunity: As part of the Veritas lecture series, Dr. Mary Poplin is speaking tonight in Nicholson Hall Auditorium from 7-9 pm about Education and Social Justice. If you attend and would like extra credit, you may respond to the prompt on the blog. (You can only receive extra credit points once, so if you went to the Literacy Panel, you've met your extra credit quota.)

March 16 Oral Reflection Round 2, led by Robin, Jessica, Brittany R., Allyson, and Leah

HOMEWORK:

1. Bring a copy of your short essay with my comments to your conference on Tuesday (and if you've made changes already, you can bring your new draft too).

2. Research! Your long essay will require significantly more research than your short essay, so make sure you're spending this time wisely. You should aim to incorporate information from 6-8 outside sources, not including your interviews.

You should be making a plan for how to tackle your longer paper, reading through the comments your peers and I have made on your essay, deciding where you want to go from here. We'll discuss your plan at our conference.

March 21 Midterm Conferences: Bring a copy of your essay with my comments and an idea of where you should go next with this paper

HOMEWORK:

1. Bring one full body paragraph--instructions for what it should have and look like are here.

March 23 A full, revised body paragraph due: it should incorporate at least 3 sources (not interviews)

HOMEWORK:

1. Draft! Email a finished draft with questions to your group members and to me by class time Tuesday morning. Here's the Workshop signup and instructions; a response guide will be posted by Tuesday.

March 28 Group workshops: Here's your response guide

Documentation resources:

In-text citation examples

Works Cited page examples

March 30 Group Workshops: Highland Coffees!

HOMEWORK:

1. Revise! Bring 1 copy of your most finished draft and works cited page to class Tuesday for a final round of review, editing, and documentation work.

April 4 Revision Q&A; documentation workshop

HOMEWORK:

1. Final essays due Thursday, by email AND hard copy. Bring to class a final copy of your essay and the drafts and comments your peers have worked on. Feel free to include any other drafting work you'd like me to see.

2. Journal prompt for Reflection Round 3: Think about the research you’ve been doing and the service experience you’ve had. Make some connections: how have they affected one another? Have you learned anything through your research that has affected the way you perceive any aspect of your service? Conversely, have you learned anything from your service experience that helped you to think through your research? How have the two intersected to shape your thinking about education?

April 6 Final Argument Papers Due;  Oral Reflection Round 3, led by Emma, Alden, Chandler, Lauren, and Daniel

HOMEWORK:

Have a lovely, relaxing Spring Break!

If you want to make sure you're on the right track with your journal, here's an updated list of what it should include.

April 11 Spring Break

April 13 Spring Break

April 18 Introduction to the reflective essay; looking towards ending our service; review of journal assignment.

HOMEWORK:

Read or listen to Studs Terkel's "This I Believe" and to Jackie Robinson's; choose one other "This I Believe" that interests you to read. Print all 3 essays and bring them to class.

April 20 Exploring examples: how to express belief in concrete terms.

HOMEWORK:

Think! Reflect! Ponder! Your assignment for the weekend is to mull over some possible topics for this assignment. Jot any notes in your journal and bring them to class; we'll brainstorm and begin drafting on Tuesday.

April 25 What DO we believe, anyway? Brainstorming; prewriting

HOMEWORK:

Bring to class: a typed rough draft of your essay

April 27 Draft due: in class workshop

HOMEWORK:

Bring to class a typed, revised draft of your essay.

May 2 Some final stuff about writing: how to get the most out of your words

Course evaluation (BRING A PENCIL!)

May 4 Final essays due; journals due; final round of reflection led by Hunter, Brittany K., Hank, Derek, Chandler, and Michael