WRIT 131
Metro State University
Spring 2025
Dr. Amy Hewett-Olatunde
Zoom Meeting Information
Zoom info for course:
https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/92025746216
Please include pronouns on your Zoom screen.
Overview of Class
● Wednesdays 6-7:30 (sometimes the session may be longer or shorter)
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Whole group
Peer groups
One-on-one conferencing
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Creative writing
Academic writing
Technical writing (grammar/punctuation, etc.)
Syllabus and D2L are fully loaded for the entire semester
Due dates are firm unless you notify me otherwise.
The semester runs January 13-April 30
Types of writing:
● Plagiarism
○ No use of AI/Chat GPT.
○ Plagiarism will give you a ‘0’ on your assignments and can result in more
serious university consequences.
Session I: Wednesday, January 15, 2025
● Overview of class (15 minutes)
○ Syllabus
○ Location of assignments/discussions
○ Peer groups
● Introductions (25 minutes)
● Writing Diagnostic (15 minutes)
○ Does everyone have a pen & paper ready?
● Reflection (10 minutes)
○ Submit picture of handwritten writing diagnostic and reflection into
D2L.
○ amy.hewett-olatunde@metrostate.edu
Peer Group #1:
andrew.chang@my.metrostate.edu
caleb.davis.2@my.metrostate.edu
hassan.farah@my.metrostate.edu
sundus.gooni@my.metrostate.edu
Peer Group #2
alexander.chen@my.metrostate.edu
aiden.edlund@my.metrostate.edu
demisha.flowers@my.metrostate.edu
isse.isse@my.metrostate.edu
Peer Group #5:
berenger.rodnite@my.metrostate.edu
kye.schukraft@my.metrostate.edu
nancy.yang.3@my.metrostate.edu
kaleena.yang.2@my.metrostate.edu
Peer Group #3:
jackie.kalinoski@my.metrostate.edu
jared.maring@my.metrostate.edu
mikita.misiulia@my.metrostate.edu
sawda.mohamud.2@my.metrostate.edu
kelsey.wenger-herman@my.metrostate.edu
Peer Group #4:
jordan.maloney@my.metrostate.edu
spring.mason@my.metrostate.edu
naima.mohamed.5@my.metrostate.edu
angelica.morales.2@my.metrostate.edu
mai.vang.22@my.metrostate.edu
Introductions
● What is your name? (pronouncing someone's name is
IMPORTANT, so I want to make sure we all pronounce each
other's names correctly)
● Do you consider another language as your native language,
besides English?
● What languages do you speak/know?
● What are a couple of your interests?
● What is something unique about you?
● One word to describe how you feel starting this writing class.
For example:
My name is Dr. Amy Hewett-Olatunde. English is my native
language. I know Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, some French, some
Spanish, some German, about 50 signs in ASL, and about 50 words
in Somali and some random words in most of the languages my
middle school and high school students speak. A couple of my
interests are visual art (I love to draw and paint), writing poetry, and
spending time with my two children. Something unique about me is
that I am a visual artist and have drawn about 100 tattoos that
people have gotten tattooed on them and all of my own tattoos are
drawn by me. One word to describe how I feel starting this writing
class is EXCITED!
Writing Diagnostic
You will have 15 minutes to complete a writing diagnostic, so I am able to
understand what your writing looks like. You will not lose credit for
punctuation, words spelled incorrectly, sentence structure. (But I do want you
to try your best.) You will get full credit for completing the assignment. This
assignment should be hand-written. All other assignments in this course will be
typed. Here are the topics you can choose from:
Please choose ONE of the following and write about it for 15 minutes.
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A regret
A triumph
A fear
A recent news story
A choice you made
Reflection
I would also like you to think about your writing experience in
general.
● What kind of writing classes have you taken before?
● Have you enjoyed them? Why or why not?
● How do you feel about writing? (Writing can be poetry, writing a
song, doing a research paper, responding to reading, journaling,
etc.)
● How do you feel about your own writing?
● What areas do you need to work on in your writing? How do you feel
going into this writing class?
● Are you a PSEO student (important information for me to know).
End of Class Announcements
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We will have our next Zoom session on Jan. 29.
Please look through the syllabus on D2L.
Check your metrostate email every day.
Email me with any questions or concerns you may have.
Session II: Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025
● Questions about syllabus?
● Writing Center session (6-6:30)
● Journal #2 “Myers-Briggs Personality Test”
○ Submit in D2L
● Any questions about D2L?
○ Can you find what you’re looking for?
● Small Group Introductions (15 minutes)
● Writing Center session (particularly useful for our
research paper in a month)
Peer Group #1:
andrew.chang@my.metrostate.edu
caleb.davis.2@my.metrostate.edu
hassan.farah@my.metrostate.edu
sundus.gooni@my.metrostate.edu
Peer Group #2
alexander.chen@my.metrostate.edu
aiden.edlund@my.metrostate.edu
demisha.flowers@my.metrostate.edu
isse.isse@my.metrostate.edu
Peer Group #5:
berenger.rodnite@my.metrostate.edu
kye.schukraft@my.metrostate.edu
nancy.yang.3@my.metrostate.edu
kaleena.yang.2@my.metrostate.edu
Peer Group #3:
jackie.kalinoski@my.metrostate.edu
jared.maring@my.metrostate.edu
mikita.misiulia@my.metrostate.edu
sawda.mohamud.2@my.metrostate.edu
kelsey.wenger-herman@my.metrostate.edu
Peer Group #4:
jordan.maloney@my.metrostate.edu
spring.mason@my.metrostate.edu
naima.mohamed.5@my.metrostate.edu
angelica.morales.2@my.metrostate.edu
mai.vang.22@my.metrostate.edu
Introductions to Peer Groups
● Introduce yourself to your group.
● Do the activity “Two Truths & a Lie”
For example: I have traveled to Nigeria four times.
I have attempted to learn Somali.
My godparents are Gujarati.
● Share your 4-letter code from the Myers Brigg Personality Test
○ Do the descriptors fit you? Do you have the same strengths and weaknesses?
● Exchange emails with your group (create a Google Doc to store them or
whatever system you want).
Session III: Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025
● 6:05-6:10: Overview of class (5-10 minutes)
○ Small Groups ( Do you know who your group is?)
○ Narrative Paper process
■ Peer group Zoom session (Feb. 26)
● 6:15- 7:00 Intro to Narrative Paper
○ Peer groups
○ Pitch your topics to your group
■ Choose the one topic you are going to write
about
Peer Group #1:
andrew.chang@my.metrostate.edu
caleb.davis.2@my.metrostate.edu
hassan.farah@my.metrostate.edu
sundus.gooni@my.metrostate.edu
Peer Group #2
alexander.chen@my.metrostate.edu
aiden.edlund@my.metrostate.edu
demisha.flowers@my.metrostate.edu
isse.isse@my.metrostate.edu
Peer Group #5:
berenger.rodnite@my.metrostate.edu
kye.schukraft@my.metrostate.edu
nancy.yang.3@my.metrostate.edu
kaleena.yang.2@my.metrostate.edu
Peer Group #3:
jackie.kalinoski@my.metrostate.edu
jared.maring@my.metrostate.edu
mikita.misiulia@my.metrostate.edu
sawda.mohamud.2@my.metrostate.edu
kelsey.wenger-herman@my.metrostate.edu
Peer Group #4:
jordan.maloney@my.metrostate.edu
spring.mason@my.metrostate.edu
naima.mohamed.5@my.metrostate.edu
angelica.morales.2@my.metrostate.edu
mai.vang.22@my.metrostate.edu
Narrative Paper Group Activity
● Intro to Narrative Paper
○ Did you finish Pages 2-3?
○ Get in peer groups
○ Pitch your topics to your group
■ Go through Pages 2-3
■ Have peers give feedback on which topic is more interesting to
read about
■ Choose the one topic you are going to write about
■ Each group member needs to share
● When you are finished, you are free to leave the Zoom session if you don’t
have any questions.
Narrative Paper Peer Feedback Zoom Session
● Everyone in the group should be finished the 1st draft of your Narrative
Paper
○ It needs to include:
■ A title page
■ 3 complete pages double-spaced of text
■ 12 pt. font/Times New Roman/MLA formatted
● Choose a spokesperson for your group to send me an email of who
attended the Zoom Session and who completed their 1st drafts on Monday
evening.
● Each person will read the other groupmates’ papers.
● Each person will give verbal feedback on the other groupmates’ papers.
● Each person will fill out a Peer Feedback Response Form for each
groupmate.
● Each person will submit their Peer Feedback Response Forms into D2L.
Session IV: Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2025
● 6:05-6:10: Overview (5-10 minutes)
■ Peer group Zoom session (April 16)
● 6:10- 7:00/7:30
○ Intro to Annotated Bibliography
○ Intro to Argumentative Paper