SNL student, Maria Jasso de Razo, featured in Global Voices

SNL student Maria Jasso de Razo is featured in the first annual issue of Global Voices, the online magazine published by The Collaborative for Multilingual Writing and Research (CMWR) and The University Center for Writing-based Learning (UCWbL). Maria wrote her paper, "How English as a Second Language Affected my Reading and Writing," for SNL writing course, "Writing Together - Writing Well," taught by Steffanie Triller and Janise Hurtig. The essay depicts the hurdles Maria overcame as an ESL student learning to read and write. On her essay being chosen for Global Voices, Maria says, "I never imagined that I could write something that would be published. You don't know how much this means to me. I can't believe it."

Read her essay here: https://depaul.digication.com/global_voices/paper_3

Online Resource for Writers -- Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing

Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing - "is a book series containing peer-reviewed collections of essays--all composed by teachers for students--with each volume freely available for download under a Creative Commons license. The Writing Spaces' aims to build a library of quality open textbooks for the writing classroom as an alternative to costly textbooks."

One of the featured essays on the site is "How to Read like a Writer" by Mike Bunn. He discusses the difference between reading for content and actively reading for writing choices and techniques made by the author to better your own writing. Bunn writes, "Questioning why the author made certain decisions. Considering what techniques could have made the text better. Deciding how to include the best attributes of what you read in your own writing. This is what Reading like a Writer is all about." To read the whole text, please visit http://writingspaces.org/sites/default/files/bunn--how-to-read.pdf.

Writing Center Offers Forums for SNL Writing Projects

Independent Learning Pursuit Forums: These Forums are designed to foster discussion, provide information, and offer support to SNL students who are currently working on or beginning an Independent Learning Pursuit. These discussion-based events feature Writing Center Tutors, SNL faculty, and a research librarian, all of whom provide focused and individualized feedback to students. This is a great opportunity for SNL students to share tips and receive advice from their peers. All students and faculty are invited!
Dates:
• July 16 from 12 noon to 2 pm (Naperville)
• August 1 from 4:30-6:30 pm (Loop--Lewis 1600)
• August 6 from 12 noon to 2 pm (O'Hare)

Click here to RSVP.

Advanced Project Forums: AP Forums allow students to discuss their Advanced Projects with other students, UCWbL tutors, SNL faculty, and a librarian. Participants discuss the steps that need to be taken before beginning the Advanced Project, generating ideas for topics, beginning research, and managing the project once it begins. SNL students at all stages in their Advanced Projects and faculty are welcome.
Dates:
• July 9 from 12 noon to 2 pm (O'Hare)
• July 11 from 4:30 to 6:30 pm (Loop--Lewis 1600)

Click here to RSVP.

SNL Writing Forum: This unique Forum at the Oak Forest campus will feature guidance from two UCWbL tutors and a librarian. SNL students of all levels are welcome to come and discuss their ILPs, APs, and class assignments. Date: July 13 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm (Oak Forest).

Click here to RSVP.

Research-Writing Workshops: Participate in this workshop to get feedback on your research project—whether it be a quarter-long class project, an AP or ILP, or a thesis. UCWbL tutors will also provide valuable tips to help you successfully complete your project.
Dates:
• July 23 from 12 noon to 2 pm (O’Hare)
• August 6 from 12 noon to 2 pm (Naperville)

Click here to RSVP.

What’s the difference between editing and proofreading?

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill features a helpful online handout about the differences between editing and proofreading, available here: http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/proofread.html. Editing and proofreading are two separate steps within the revision process, although some use the terms interchangeably. Editing involves refining the content, overall structure, clarity, style, and citations. This stage involves rewriting and reorganizing your words to better support your thesis statement and argument. Proofreading is the final step of the writing process in which you correct the punctuation, grammar, and spelling of your writing, or the surface errors that are important for presentation. The handout promises that one will save time by taking these steps one at a time, rather than trying to edit and proofread writing all at once. To encourage visitors to begin honing their proofreading skills right away, the handout includes a fun, circular challenge—seven common proofreading errors for readers to detect as they read about editing and proofreading.

Additional Resources about Editing and Proofreading:

Purdue Online Writing Lab
(Proofreading): http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/561/ (printable version of a handout and makes a nice checklist; it’s also available on their website, which offers many other writing resources, here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/561/1/)
(Grammar, Punctuation, etc. Exercises): http://owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/

SNL Writing Guide – Editing Stage of the Writing Process: http://snl.depaul.edu/writing/editing.html

University of Minnesota: http://writing.umn.edu/docs/sws/quicktips/editing_proofreading.pdf

Different Approaches to Student Journal Reflections

Starting Point, an online teaching resource for undergraduate instructors provided through Carleton College, recommends seven different formats for student journaling as part of the experiential learning process. Those offering service learning courses and/ or the externship competence should consider these unguided and structured journal assignments.

Unguided journal reflections include the “personal journal” and the “dialogue journal.”

- The “personal journal” is one in which the students freely recount their experiences without prompts.
- The “dialogue journal” is the model used in many SNL online courses. Students submit journal entries on a predetermined schedule, and the instructor provides feedback on the students’ findings in return.

Some students find it helpful to have more direction in their journal writing. Examples of guided journal assignments consist of the “highlighted journal,” “the key phrase journal,” “the three part journal,” “the double entry journal,” and the “critical incident journal.”

- The “highlighted journal” asks students to write about their experiences and then later go through the text and mark the pieces that pertain directly to course content.
- In the “Key phrase” journal, students are given course-specific terms and asked to incorporate them into their journal entries.
- The “three-part” journal asks students to divide each entry into three parts: Describing the experience, relating the experience to course content, and then applying the experience to their personal or professional goals.
- In the “double entry journal,” students divide their journal entries into two parts; one page is devoted to personal thoughts and responses to the experiential learning, and the opposite page is devoted to key concepts from class discussions and readings.
- The “critical incident journal” gives students prompts and asks them to evaluate their experiential learning experience through the lens of personal reflection and implications the experience will have for their future.

The full text is available by visiting: http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/service/types_journal.html.

Writing Center Services - Summer Quarter 2011

The University Center for Writing-based Learning (UCWbL) would like to remind you and your students to utilize the below services during Summer Quarter.

Scheduling Classroom Presentations: Remember to schedule your informational presentations for Summer 2011. Presentations are a great way to get your students excited about utilizing the Writing Center’s services at your campus or online.

To schedule your presentation at the Loop or Lincoln Park campuses, visit http://condor.depaul.edu/writing/instructors/invite.html.

To schedule a presentation at one of the suburban campuses, please email Tom McNamara at tmcnamar@depaul.edu.

Presentations are about fifteen minutes in length and will include a demonstration of our online scheduling service as well as a quick tour of the resources available to students on our website. A writing center consultant who works at your campus will deliver the presentation and take any questions from both the students and you. Furthermore, the consultant can also lead a discussion about how the Writing Center can aid your students as they tackle work specifically for your course.

Suburban Campus Writing Groups: Please note that the Suburban Campus Writing Groups begin Saturday, June 18 at the Naperville and O’Hare campuses at 10 am, a valuable resource for students who live in the suburbs. Oak Forest SCWGs will begin on Saturday, June 25th at 10 am. Meeting on Saturdays throughout the term, these groups allow students to work on their writing in an atmosphere that promotes the sort of collaborative and active learning valued by SNL. Most importantly, the groups allow students to practice reading and responding to the texts of others, allowing them to develop critical reading skills that they can utilize when assessing their own texts. Also, our Lincoln Park and Loop Writing Centers are open for services, and students are welcome to schedule one-on-one appointments and submit essays for Feedback-by-Email by visiting http://condor.depaul.edu/writing/appointments/fbe.html.

Writing Groups: Students who are unable to utilize the Saturday morning Suburban Campus Writing Groups are welcome to form their own Writing Groups that meet on the Suburban Campuses at a time of their choice. Students may form a Writing Group with classmates or friends working on similar projects, and this is an excellent option for those working on long-term projects as a means to help them stay on track with their work. Those wishing to form Writing Groups may do so by visiting http://condor.depaul.edu/writing/what/SCWG/writing_groups.html.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to email Tom McNamara at (tmcnamar@depaul.edu) or visit the Writing Center's website (depaul.edu/writing). Please encourage your students to use these services!

Strategies for Instructors to Aid English Language Learners in the Classroom

Global Voices contributor Nicholas Hayes suggests strategies for instructors to aid English Language Learners in his annotated bibliography, "Student Linguistic Identity in Freshman Composition Classes: Sources for Instructor Reference."

Read his annotated bibliography by visiting: https://depaul.digication.com/global_voices/Student_Linguistic_Identity_in_Freshman_Compositio/published