NEWS

News and events updated weekly for all Core Writing teachers.

December 8, 2008

Please be sure to consult the handout Wanda distributed to your mailbox today with final reminders for all 101 and 102 instructions.  Specific information about how to conduct your final grading group meeting will be helpful in reviewing final portfolios.  Information regarding the submission of final grades and assessment portfolios is also found in this handout.

WOW! Tutoring
This semester’s Write on Workshop! (WOW!) will be held this Wednesday and Thursday in the SUB for students seeking help with their portfolios.  This is a great event for your students to get some extra help before the end of the semester.  Tutoring sessions are from 10-12 and 2-4 both days in Santa Ana (W) and Acoma A&B (R). 

December 2, 2008

WOW! Tutoring
This semester’s Write on Workshop! (WOW!) will be held on Wednesday and Thursday of next week (Dec. 10th and 11th) and is looking for tutors to help students with revising final papers. Sign-up sheets are in the mailroom and available times are 10-12 and 2-4 both days.

101 Assessment
The Core Writing Program will be conducting an assessment during Spring semester of student achievement in English 101, using the new outcomes to measure student progress. This assessment will affect every 101 section including those 101 courses linked with an FLC and will require you to turn in one or two portfolios that have been randomly selected. Since this is an assessment of program success and not of instructors, we ask that you have all identifying information removed from the portfolios you submit, including the student name, your name, andthe section number. We recommend that you ask the selected student(s) to make the extra copieswith the identifying information removed ahead of time; this will relieve you of having to take
apart final portfolios to make copies yourself.

Because of the thematic nature of FLC 101 sections, student achievement may look different in the context of the whole program than when seen among just those sections, so we’re asking for two sets of samples to accommodate two assessment readings for those courses.

What do I submit?
For 101 courses:
•One student’s portfolio

For 101 courses with an FLC component:
•Two students’ portfolios
•If the random numbers generated the same number for both portfolios, get the portfolio from thestudent one number below the other. For example, if the list asks you to get two portfolios from student #6, then do one #6 and one #5.

All portfolios should:
•Include clean copies
•Have all identifying information removed
•Include only the reflective letter and the final copy of each of the two revised papers

Therefore, you should have three total documents in each of these assessment portfolios unlike the final portfolios they’ll turn in to you for a grade which will include drafts.

Attached are two lists for 101 and FLC 101 sections with the list of courses and the corresponding student you are to ask for this assessment portfolio. The student number refers to the number on your roster. Therefore, if you teach section 5 and you have student number 18, you should look at your roster, find the 18th student listed, and ask him/her to generate the extra copy. If you don’t happen to have an 18th student, then you would take the next one possible which would be student #17.

How do I submit the portfolio(s)?
In Deanna’s office, you will find a box labeled “assessment portfolios” with a brown envelope that corresponds with your name and section number on the outside. All you need to do is put the portfolio(s) in the envelope by noon on Friday, December 19.

Please contact Paul at paf@unm.edu or stop by HUM 217 with any questions.

November 26th

There are no major announcements this week. Assessment information for all 101 instructors will be sent out on Monday, December 1 so be on the lookout for that forthcoming email.

Winter 2009 Intersession Portfolio Workshops for English 101 & 10

English 101 & 102 Instructors:

This letter is to inform you of the Intersession Portfolio Workshop sponsored by the English Department, to be held January 7, 8 and 9. In this three-day course, students who fail English 101 or 102 with a C- can raise their grade to a C, enabling them to move on to their next class, whether it is English 102, 220, 219, or a class in another department.

The workshop is not for students who earn a grade below a C-, or for students who didn’t appear to take their 101 or 102 class seriously. It’s meant for students who have put forth a strong effort and earned a C-, and who, in their instructor’s estimation, have a good chance of success in courses with more advanced writing tasks.

Please take a few minutes of class time to tell your students about this workshop, stressing that it is, of course, much easier to pass in the first place, and that attendance alone in the workshop does not guarantee a grade change—they will be required to significantly revise their portfolio and to write a memo detailing and justifying the changes they’ve made. It’s quite possible that instructors will have a clear idea of which students might need the workshop even before portfolios are turned in. Please speak with these students one-on-one, perhaps in conference, and give them a workshop information sheet (pdf linked here).

At the end of the semester, instructors should assign a grade of “I” to any student whose weak portfolio earns her or him a C-. This is very important. Students must have a grade of “I” to enroll. Instructors should then give the portfolios of these students to Dee Dee Lopez, and email the students’ names to Dan Cryer (dcryer@unm.edu). Also, please attach a copy of your list to the grade sheet you hand in to Dee Dee for her files. By referring a student to this workshop, you also agree to permit the department chair to sign and submit a grade change if the student successfully revises the portfolio.

Students who wish to enroll in the workshop must fill out the workshop information sheet (pdf linked here), and visit Dee Dee Lopez to pick up their portfolio and complete the enrollment process.

A few things to note:

• You’ll help your students out if you post grades before Friday Dec. 19. Otherwise they’ll probably have to wait till after the new year to enroll in the workshop.
• The workshop is free of charge.
• Instructors are the only source of workshop information that students will have; if you don’t tell them about it, they won’t know.
• If you or your students have further questions about the workshop, please contact Dan Cryer (dcryer@unm.edu) or Morgan Sims (jsims@unm.edu).

Thanks for your help in assuring our students have every chance to succeed!

Wanda Martin
Morgan Sims
Dan Cryer

Fall 08 Portfolio Instructions

The time for distributing portfolio prompts is soon upon us and the following information will help you in your class discussions regarding this final project.

Your students’ final portfolios must include (see course text p. vii):

1. A reflective cover letter, in which the student explains how he/she has achieved the course outcomes and points out evidence in the papers that supports those claims. These should be 2-3 pages in length.
2. A final revised version of one major course paper, along with the drafts and other work (prompts and rubrics) leading up to that final revision.
3. A final revised version of a second major course paper, along with the drafts and other work (prompts and rubrics) leading up to that final revision

In past semesters the Core Writing office has created a carefully worded prompt for all 101 and 102 instructors to distribute to their classes. This semester we would like to leave the prompt open for you to design so as to better meet the specific design of your courses. However, we have provided a sample copy of a portfolio prompt created by Dan Cryer, Dan Darling, and Sam Tetangco for you to draw from.

Remember that portfolios cannot be formally due earlier than Monday, December 15th although students who choose to may turn their portfolios in on Friday, December 12th. Also, remember that your students must turn in the portfolio directly to you as the front office will not accept them.

Please contact the Core Writing office for any questions. As we will be conducting a 101 assessment in the spring, we will be gathering one portfolio from each regular 101 and two portfolios from each FLC. More information regarding the collection of these portfolios will follow soon.

November 17, 2008

An outcomes assessment meeting for all 102 instructors will be held on Wednesday, November 19th from 4-5:30 and on Thursday, November 20th from 3:30-5. Choose the time that works best for you and we’ll see you in HUM 108—cookies will be provided.

WebCT Meeting Rescheduled
The computer-mediated meeting regarding WebCT and hybrid, on-line, and face-to-face courses scheduled for today, 11/17, has been moved to next Monday at 2pm in HUM 108.

November 10, 2008

Current FLC instructors are reminded to meet this Friday in HUM 108 at 3pm to discuss outcomes, your link with the other course, and any additional issues related to your class.

November 4, 2008

Teaching with Technology
The English Department invites you to attend two follow-up discussion sessions on teaching with technology. These conversations will provide you with techniques you can use in WebCT for online, hybrid, or face-to-face enhanced courses.

Building an Online Presence in your Class
November 10th at 2pm
In this session, you will learn about and discuss techniques you can use in your course to build an online relationship between you and your students.

Facilitating an Online Discussion
November 17th at 2pm
In this session, you will learn about and discuss strategies for building interactive discussions that engage students.

Location: Humanities 108

All English Department faculty, instructors, and teaching assistants are welcome to attend.

For more information, please contact Valerie Thomas at vthomas@unm.edu.

Please remember to meet with your grading groups if you haven’t already done so and contact your Core Writing representative with your meeting day and time.

October 27, 2008

October 20, 2008

We hope you all had an enjoyable Fall Break. As we’re approaching the second round of grading group meetings, please contact Paul (MWF groups) and Candice (TR) in the next two weeks with your meeting day and time.

Also, the following information is a reminder about the process for documenting a dropped student. You will need this when posting grades at the end of the semester.

Grades of W, WP, WF, WNC, F, NC and I require submission of a Last Attend Date to process
correctly.
- A Last Attend Date could be:
- Last actual day in class, if available (ideal).
- Date of drop.
- Date of last test/assignment submission.
- Date of last contact with the student.
Last Attend Dates must be formatted as mm/dd/yyyy (ex: 10/09/2008), with leading zeros as
applicable, to process correctly.

For more information about grading and Last Attend Date see FastInfo #3525.

October 13, 2008
Just a reminder that your teaching preference form for Spring 2009 needs to be filed with the English Department by Friday, October 17th. Have an enjoyable Fall Break!

October 6, 2008
Thanks to all those grading groups who have met to discuss student papers. Don’t forget to turn in your group’s memo to Wanda describing what occurred in your discussion. Please keep Candice and Paul informed of when your next meeting (sometime around week ten) will happen. Have a great week.

September 29, 2008

Learn more about online teaching
Please join us this Thurs, Oct 2nd from 3-4 and Fri, Oct 3rd 1-2 for lunch and to learn more about teaching online and hybrid classes. Please contact Candice Welhausen (candicew@unm.edu) or Valerie Thomas (vthomas@unm.edu) for details or more info.

Schedule Reminder
Friday, 10/3, is the last opportunity for students to drop without a grade on their transcript. If you have students who are failing your courses at this point you may want to approach them about the option to drop now without a grade. Also, if there are students who need to be dropped this week because of attendance issues please do this by Friday.

September 24, 2008

Grading Groups: Reminder We haven’t heard from every group regarding your meeting date. If your group meets on MWF please e-mail Paul Formisano (paf@unm.edu) or if your group meets on TR please e-mail Candice Welhausen (candicew@unm.edu). Please make these contacts ASAP to avoid further notifications.

Every grading group meeting needs to be held in the Lounge. You are responsible for conducting your own meeting. A member of the Core Writing Program staff will attend one of your meetings during the semester to provide assistance and to answer any questions you all may have, but the purpose is for you to work with your group members to norm the papers. Refer to the September 8 post for procedures in conducting your meeting.

Please contact any member of the Core Writing program staff if you have questions or need help conducting your grading group.

Want to know more about online and hybrid teaching? Please join us for a free lunch in HUM 108 next Thurs, Oct 2nd from 3-4 and Fri, Oct 3rd 1-2 to learn more about teaching in computer enhanced environments. Please contact Candice Welhausen (candicew@unm.edu) or Valerie Thomas (vthomas@unm.edu) for details or more info.

September 17

Just a reminder that this Friday, September 19th is the deadline to contact Paul (paf@unm.edu) for MWF grading groups, or Candice (candicew@unm.edu) for TR groups. See the announcement from September 8 to review the grading group meeting proceedures.

September 8, 2008

Grading Groups: Participating in grading groups helps the Core Writing program achieve consistency in grading throughout the semester. It gives instructors a chance to “norm” student papers with your peers in order to better prepare you all to work together in grading your final portfolios. The following information explains the guidelines for meeting with your group as well as the specific tasks to be completed during your meetings.

Grading Group Guidelines

• Each group should have 3-4 members.
• Plan to meet with your group three times during the semester to coincide with Major Papers #1 and #2 (Week 5 and Week 10) and during Finals Week to grade final portfolios.
• Each meeting will probably take about 1 hour to 1 ½ hours.
• You’ve already signed up for a specific day/time to hold your group meetings; if your group meets on MWF please e-mail Paul Formisano (paf@unm.edu) or if your group meets on TR please e-mail Candice Welhausen (candicew@unm.edu) no later than Friday, September 19th to let us know the specific date you’ll be meeting.
• All grading group meetings should be held in the Lounge. A member of the Core Writing Program staff will attend one of your meetings during the semester to provide assistance and to answer any questions you all may have.

Specific Instructions for Conducting Week 5 and Week 10 Meetings

• Each group member should bring 1 student paper to the meeting to discuss with the group, along with the rubric for grading that assignment.
• Bring enough copies of the paper to distribute to your entire group.
• Read and discuss each of the papers brought by all group members, seeking consensus about the paper’s qualities and how to evaluate it.
• Prepare a one-page memo addressed to Professor Wanda Martin, Director of Core Writing, detailing the results of your meeting including when your group met and what you all discussed.

Please contact any member of the Core Writing program staff if you have questions or need help conducting your grading group.

Syllabi: This is a reminder to you 101 and 102 instructors who haven’t filed your syllabus with the department yet. Please turn in a copy to Paul Formisano’s box by the end of this week.

August 28th 2008

Sexual Harassment Training: Great job getting this training done so far. Wanda has already received lots of certificates. If you haven’t turned yours in, please complete the training and give Wanda your certificate by the due date, Friday, August 27th. Holidays:

• Monday, September 1st is a holiday; no classes are held that day.
• For a list of interfaith holidays, please see www.interfaithcalendar.org

Teaching Help and Resources:

• Candice Welhausen (candicew@unm.edu) is available to help with MyCompLab questions. She also hold office hours in 217 (see next item).
• Mentors and Graduate Assistants are available to help with any teaching issues in the Rhetoric and Writing Office, room 217. The office hours are as follows:
• Candice Welhausen: MW 11 – 1
• Sam Tetangco: MWF 12 – 12:50
• Paul Formisano: M 1 – 3, W 1 – 2
• Dan Darling: TR 12:30 – 2

Registration Dates and Deadlines:

• The last day for students to add a class is Friday, September 5th.
• The last day for students to drop a class with a refund is Friday, September 12th.

Grading Groups: Please remember to sign up for a grading group by Friday, September 5th. Sign-ups are on Erin’s door – Humanities 249. English 101/102 Book Shortage: If you have students without the book, here are some ideas/options:

• Ask Erin to email the pdf to you (it’s too big to send through the list-serve).
• Send students to Zimmerman to check out one of the five copies on reserve.
• Scan pages and post them to WebCT or ereserves.
• Copy pages and distribute to your students.

August 25th 2008

Welcome to the first week of instruction, Fall 2008. Please check your mail boxes for copy codes and for the contact sheet. You will need to fill out your contact information as soon as possible and return it to Megan von Ackermann's mail box.

If you need any help with instruction or lesson planning please see Erin Lebacqz in Humanities 249 or send an email to elebacqz@unm.edu.

If you are an English 101 or 102 teacher and either cannot access the WebCT template, or are having troubles doing so, please email Dottie Webb at dotwebb@unm.edu, and be sure to tell her your netID and your section number.

The 101/102 book's online component is accessible at http://www.pearsoncustom.com/nm/unm_eng/ .

Please remember not to accept add cards from students. If students need help or have questions about adding a class they can see Dee Dee Lopez in Humanities 213.