In this assignment, use these 5 categories to analyze one of the "Becoming Academic" narratives from Ch. 1: either Coates's "Between the World and Me," Rodriguez's "Scholarship Boy," or Graff's "Disli
Unit 1: Reading
Required
Greene & Lidinsky, “Starting with Inquiry: Habits of Mind of Academic Writers” (Ch. 1)
This chapter define academic discourse and the habits of mind writers need to adopt in order write successfully for academic audiences. Importantly, Greene and Lidinsky emphasize that effective academic writing requires more than simply regurgitating the ideas of others; rather, it involves the writer actively entering “a conversation of ideas.” We’ll trace this metaphor of academic writing-as-conversation throughout EN 106 as we work to develop the rhetorical skills necessary to persuade academic audiences. This reading, along with this unit's lecture, will help you to complete the discussion posts for Unit One.
Lunsford, “The Top Twenty”
The reading assigned from Reynolds and Davis’s Portfolio Keeping is included to give you a sense of the dimension of this course that culminates in the portfolio due during Unit Seven. Because process components are assessed separately, the portfolio for this course emphasizes not only your strongest examples of carefully prepared academic writing but also evidence of your writing processes. Note that, while reading, you are not required to complete the "Time to Reflect" activities, but you should read them and consider the recommendations, taking up such recommendations where you think they will be helpful for you.
After you read the selection from Reynolds and Davis, read the portfolio assignment for EN106. Post any questions you have to the “Office” discussion area under Course Information.
Recommended
"Performative Literacy: The Habits of Mind of Highly Literate Readers," Sheridan Blau (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
In this article, education researcher Sheridan Blau identifies seven habits of mind possessed by critically literate readers. Blau argues that the best readers are those who are willing to take risks, suspend judgments, focus attention, and allow themselves the ability to fail. This article will give you yet another perspective on what it is that you are being asked to do in a college course.
The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): Academic Writing (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
The Purdue OWL is a reliable, comprehensive resource on all facets of the writing process, from generating ideas to refining a thesis to documenting sources using MLA or APA citation styles. (Note that not all online information about citation guidelines is up-to-date.) This particular page will give you another way of looking at academic writing.
What Is An Academic Paper? Institute for Writing and Rhetoric, Dartmouth College (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
This page will offer you one more look at some of the "moves" that academic writers make in college-level writing. This page also gives a good summary of how college writing differs from high school or secondary school writing, and may offer you useful ideas for generating good writing in this and other college courses.
