10.15 Analysis and Textbook Review

We spent the first half of class working on how to teach analysis.  I gave a sample lesson on how I teach analysis.

My lesson plan:
Objectives:
to engage students in DOING analysis = they will analyze a logic problem
to engage students in reflecting on the "moves" they make as they do analysis
to develop a list of moves that describes analytic process
to name and classify the moves associated with analysis
to describe how to apply analytic processes to problems different from the problem in the lesson
to identify aspects of analytic process that should be included in analytic writing  

Materials
logic problem

List of activities
Ask students to write/list what they think of as analysis
Collect students' language through whole group discussion and put it on the board
Identify the language students use to talk about analysis (about 10 minutes)

Put students in groups
Introduce the problem solving activity by describing the problem and telling students that they are both to work on the problem AND to notice the "moves" they make to solve the problem
Define what is meant by "moves"
Ask groups to say back the directions
Hand out problem (about 5 minutes = the whole set up should take about 15 minutes)

Work in groups for about 20 minutes
Circulate among groups - watching for signs of frustration and re-enforcing identification of moves
Provide graduated "hints" to move problem solving along
Prompt students to write down moves through out process
Allow students to work until all groups solve the problem
Celebrate solving the problem

Harvest group findings (about 10 minutes)
Ask groups to report the moves they made
List all moves on board
Classify moves
Develop sequential list of moves that define analytic process
Identify language associated with each set of moves (introduce the terms naming, classifying, patterns, hypothesis, and theory)


Apply analysis of the puzzle to everyday analysis students do (making decisions about what to buy, what to write, how to interpret social situations, etc) (about 5 minutes)

Apply analytic language to rhetorical analysis (name moves for analyzing audience, purpose, form, content for a particular writing task => constructing Lewis' portfolio) (about 15 minutes)

Reflect on what we learned, call for questions, set up next class (about 5-10 minutes)

Total: 75 minutes

And that is what we did.


Textbook review.
During the second part of class we looked through about 10 freshman writing texts, and talked about what they did, what kind of students they would work for, and which one fit with your writing philosophy.

Your textbook review is your opportunity to represent your perspective on what makes a good textbook.  It should be the book cited in your syllabus, and it should be the book used for your assignments + asssignment series.

After you chose a text to review - we talked about points to include in your review

Description of the text
physical features: size, weight, price, visual appeal
style
organization
areas of focus theory of writing (implied)
theory of teaching (implied)
readings (effectiveness as model texts)
power to explain writig process


Evaluation
Usefulness to your students
Relevance to your approach to teaching (what it allows you to teach)
How and whether it includes what you see as the important features of composition theory + process

For next week:
Because Joe was absent and because Lewis and Wayne wanted to work more on their lessons for analysis - you will be presenting your lesson's THIS week.  You should send a written plan (like the one posted above= it does not need all the points that education majors have in their plans)

Continue to post your class observations - we will use these for the observation you need to include in your portfolio.

Read: Clark, Chapter 5, Assessing Writing
BRING PAPERS WITH COMMENTS FROM YOUR CLASS.

In class we will spend the first half working on your lesson plans, and the second half working on responding to writing.

See you on Friday!