Something to Keep you Busy

Like I announced in class, I shall not be able to meet you beginning today, Wednesday, until Friday, as I will be traveling to Manila to present my paper on language teaching in an international conference. Should some of you chanced upon  visiting the classroom or the office, you may see Ms. Lua Burias whom I have requested to give you the details re the next assignment on the workbook. Outlines on yellow paper may be submitted to her as well.

Why should I keep you busy? Writing is a skill and good writing does not develop overnight. Just as you never learn to swim by being in a lecture class or shoot a ball by only watching the game, so you will never improve your writing by just listening to a lecture in writing or reading about it. Organizing ideas, for example, is something you have to get used to before you can actually come up with a very unified and coherent composition. Informal writing is usually easier to organize since it is free flowing but formal writing, especially technical writing, takes time to organize and requires more precise and appropriate words. Thus, you need to immerse yourself into writing.

To familiarize yourself with the different methods of paragraph development (please see your course workbook on this), work with your partner (same partner/s on outlining) and cut out authentic samples of different methods of paragraph development. Paste each sample on a short bond paper, label it and cite the source where you got the sample. Please use APA style for citation. Make a title page for your collection and write the following criteria for rating your work:

20% correct reference citation
20% creativity
20% authentic samples (one or more of the same on each page)
20% ability to complete the task on time
20% neatness
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100%
 
Deadline is on Tuesday or Wednesday next week, Dec 8 or 9, 2009.

A few reminders: Blog tasks have to be done online. When you make a cluster, right click on it and save as picture file so you can upload it on your site.

Enjoy the tasks and keep blogging.  Merry Christmas everyone.