English 101: Essay Number Two Critical Perspectives on Education Recommend Turn-­‐in Times: 3/25/14: The first draft of the essay would be due. 4/1/14: The final draft of the essay would be due Staple together your essay packet in the following order: final draft on top, first draft, and prewriting/peer review sheet. The above schedule is what I recommend to space the work out over the course of the semester and provide time for me to give you feedback on your writing. However, the final due date is really the last day of class, which is 6/3/2014. Turn in your work based on a schedule that allows you to perform best. As Gatto would say, “let them manage themselves.” Readings: 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
“Brainology” by Carol Dweck “Guitar Zero” by Gary Marcus “The Banking Concept of Education” by Paulo Freire “Against School” by John Taylor Gatto “Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work” by Jean Anyon “Why Schools Need Standardized Tests” by Norman Augustine “Classroom Fads and Magic Beans” by Margaret Wente Possible Essay Topics: During the last five weeks, we have read seven articles, five of which have presented ideas that have challenged the status quo of education/learning (articles 1-­‐5). The last two articles by Augustine and Wente support a more traditional approach to education/learning. Option One: Standard English 101 Prompt: In a 4-­‐6 page, MLA formatted essay (12 pt. font, double-­‐spaced, etc.), thesis driven essay, Evaluate to what extent society should adopt and integrate the theories discussed in the class readings. Other Possible Topics: • Comparison/contrast of your own educational experience in relation to the articles that we read. • Using the mode of a definition essay, define education. • Research local schools (either pre-­‐k, elementary, or secondary) and then compare/contrast with theories of Freire, Gatto, and Anyon. • Topic of your own choice. Propose a topic and check with me! Guidelines for all essay topics: • Whether you are in favor of these five theories (readings 1-­‐5) or you support the more traditional approach outlined by Augustine and Wente, you must include both perspectives in the essay. • You must use at least two quotes/paraphrases from three of the five articles that challenge the status quote and at least two quotes/paraphrases from one of the articles that supports the status quo. • This essay should be written in the third person. Avoid using “I” or “You” (unless you write about your own education). • In supporting your thesis statement, you should summarize and analyze the key points in the article you cite in your essay. Final Reminders: •
•
•
•
Your essay should include an engaging title, an introduction with a thesis statement, paragraphs with topic sentences, effective transitions, and a conclusion. The final draft of your essay should be carefully edited. You must include an MLA formatted work cited page. See me before class, after class, during my office hours, or arrange for another time to meet if you have questions, concerns, or if you would just like to discuss anything about this essay in further detail! The essay should be oriented toward a general academic audience and will be evaluated according to the grading rubric for this course. Yikes!
(0 points)
Thesis
Statement
The essay lacks
a thesis
statement.
Analysis /
Supporting
Information
The essay offers
no
information
to support the
thesis statement.
The student did
not use standard
essay structure.
Essay
Structure
Mechanics and
Presentation
MLA Format
Quotes
Process
The essay has
major errors
that make
reading and
comprehending
difficult.
The essay does
not use MLA
format
The essay has
not included
any quotes/
paraphrases.
The essay does
not meet any of
the
requirements on
the assignment
sheet.
Needs
Improvement
(1 point)
Satisfactory
(2.25 points)
Advanced
3 points)
The essay
presents a
confused or
undeveloped
thesis statement
that inadequately
addresses the
question.
Only minimal
information is
offered to support
the essay's thesis
statement.
The student has
only some
components of
essay structure
(e.g. some
paragraphing)
The essay offers a clear
thesis statement that
addresses the question
with satisfactory
development.
The essay contains a well-developed thesis
statement that uses a complex sentence
(although clause) and clearly addresses the
question.
The essay's thesis
statement is adequately
supported with relevant
information.
The essay's thesis statement is supported
with substantial, relevant information from
the required number of sources.
The student wrote a
structured essay that
included an
introduction, body
paragraphs, and a
conclusion.
The essay
contains some
errors, which
detract from the
overall quality of
the work.
The essay some
elements of a
MLA formatting/
The essay has
included few
quotes/paraphrase
but not formatted
correctly.
The essay meets
some of the
requirements on
the assignment
sheet.
The essay contains only
minor errors, which do
not substantially detract
from the overall quality
of the work.
The student used rhetorical devices in
writing a well-structured essay that includes
❑ a title in title case
❑ a formal introduction of the authors and
article titles while using the correct format
❑ an engaging introduction
❑ body paragraphs
❑ and a conclusion
The essay contains no typographical errors,
misspellings, or other grammatical or
mechanical errors, is written in 3rd person,
and avoids contractions.
The essay has most
elements of MLA
format/
The essay has included
some quotes/paraphrase
and most are formatted
correctly.
The essay is in correct MLA format.
The essay meets most
of the requirements on
the assignment sheet.
The essay meets all of the requirements on
the assignment sheet.
The essay included the required number of
quotes/paraphrase and all of them are
formatted correctly.
Total Score
21= A+ 20=A 19 =B+ 16= C+ 15= C-­‐ 14 = D+ Your
Score