Course Plan—Spring 2025

four pictures of a black basset hound: 1) head shot, 2) body shot, hugging a rubber duck between front paws, 3) body shot, back legs stretched out behind her, 4) shot from above, her long ears spread out on either side, on a couch

This is Betty Zing (my basset hound). I declare Betty to be our class mascot!

UPDATED:
April 6, 2024

All assignments and lessons are linked to this page! This plan is tentative, butbuilding with "Department of Planning" on it, except the "ing" of "planning" is going down the side of the building, due to lack of room along the top it will most likely not change much—except for updated links. You should examine this plan carefully so that you know when things are due. You are responsible for all work (lessons and assignments) linked to this Course Plan!

Optional Read:
Marston, D. (2021). Why we procrastinate. Psychology Today. (2021 June 9). 

For every credit hour, students are expected to spend 2 – 3 hours per week working outside of class. For example, for a 3 credit hour class, students should expect to put in 6 – 9 hours per week outside of class, studying or doing assignments. (KSU Protect Your GPA)

Week 1: January 12 to January 18

Week 2: January 19 to January 25

  • January 19: Last Day to Add or to Elect Credit/Audit/Pass-Fail
  • January 20: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day—NO CLASSES
  • MANDATORY CONFERENCES PERIOD #1—You must meet with me either this week or next week! ALL CONFERENCE APPOINTMENTS
  • January 21: Writing Workshop #1 BEGINS
    • By January 22: Post a greeting on your workshop group’s discussion board. Write a few words about what your interests are. Share your KSU email address.
  • BEGIN TO READ: The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (Terry Ryan)
  • By the end of this week, STUDY: Lesson 1: Writing and Artificial Intelligence—YOUR Voice, YOUR Thoughts

Week 3: January 26 to February 1

  • MANDATORY CONFERENCES PERIOD #1—If you didn’t meet with me last week, you must meet with me this week! ALL CONFERENCE APPOINTMENTS
  • Writing Workshop #1 CONTINUES
    • By January 27: Post some ideas for your Essay One (approximately 100 words).
    • By February 1: Respond to each group member’s post of ideas. Make suggestions for developing the idea or for generating a thesis statement (25-50 words).
  • CONTINUE TO READ: The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (Terry Ryan)

Week 4: February 2 to February 8

  • February 8: Writing Workshop #1 ENDS
    • By February 3: Share the KSU Google document for your Essay One with each of your workshop group members. The document should have a rough draft of the essay (at the very least, a few notes expanding upon the discussions about your essay.
      ▪ By February 8: Provide some feedback to each partner’s essay. Post the feedback in the discussion board. This feedback should be about ways to improve the essay: at the sentence level, at the paragraph level, or at the overall-essay level. Do not mark or edit the essay! If there is a sentence or paragraph you wish to discuss, copy and paste it into the discussion board.
  • EXTRA CREDIT:
  • Ascend Survey   (available until the end of the day, February 15) I will know that you have taken the survey, but not which student gave which answers. This is worth 5 points extra credit toward your entire course grade.
  • FINISH READING: The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (Terry Ryan)
  • By the end of this week, STUDY: Lesson 2: Critical Thinking, Theory, Facts, Feelings, Beliefs, and Bias

Week 5: February 9 to February 15 

  • February 10 (11:59pm, EST): Essay One DUE
  • February 10 (11:59pm, EST): Reflective Journal #1 DUE
  • MANDATORY CONFERENCES PERIOD #2—You must meet with me either this week or next week! ALL CONFERENCE APPOINTMENTS
  • February 10: Writing Workshop #2 BEGINS
    • Find Your Group (and Password)—The comment box has been fixed! (Feb. 11)
    • By February 14: Post a greeting on your workshop group’s discussion board. If you are new to the group, write a few words about what your interests are. Share your KSU email address. If you are in the same group, you do not need to post anything (free points).
  • February 15: Ascend Survey   (available until the end of the day, February 15) I will know that you have taken the survey, but not which student gave which answers. This is worth 5 points extra credit toward your entire course grade.
  • BEGIN TO READ: Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio (Derf Backderf)
  • By the end of this week, STUDY: Lesson 3: Opinions vs. Arguments

Week 6: February 16 to February 22 

    • MANDATORY CONFERENCES PERIOD #2—If you didn’t meet with me last week, you must meet with me this week! ALL CONFERENCE APPOINTMENTS
    • Writing Workshop #2 CONTINUES
      • By February 17: Post some ideas for your Essay Two (approximately 100 words).
      • By February 22: Respond to each group member’s post of ideas. Make suggestions for developing the idea or for generating a thesis statement (25-50 words).
    • CONTINUE TO READ: Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio (Derf Backderf)

Week 7:  February 23 to March 1

  • March 1: Writing Workshop #2 ENDS
    • By February 24: Share the KSU Google document for your Essay One with each of your workshop group members. The document should have a rough draft of the essay (at the very least, a few notes expanding upon the discussions about your essay.
    • By March 1: Provide some feedback to each partner’s essay. Post the feedback in the discussion board. This feedback should be about ways to improve the essay: at the sentence level, at the paragraph level, or at the overall-essay level. Do not mark or edit the essay! If there is a sentence or paragraph you wish to discuss, copy and paste it into the discussion board.
  • FINISH READING: Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio (Derf Backderf)
  • By the end of this week, STUDY: Lesson 4: Stories, Non-fiction, and the Power of Language

Week 8: March 2 to March 8

  • March 4: Midterm Grades Available
  • March 3 (11:59pm, EST): Essay Two DUE
  • March 3 (11:59pm, EST): Reflective Journal #2 DUE
  • March 3: Writing Workshop #3 BEGINS
    • By March 7: Post a greeting on your workshop group’s discussion board. If you are new to the group, write a few words about what your interests are. Share your KSU email address. If you are in the same group, you do not need to post anything (free points).
  • EXTRA CREDIT:  Ascend Survey   (available February 24 to March 9). I will know that you have taken the survey, but not which student gave which answers. This is worth 5 points extra credit toward your entire course grade.
  • MANDATORY CONFERENCES PERIOD #3—You must meet with me either this week or the week after Spring Break! ALL CONFERENCE APPOINTMENTS

SPRING BREAK: March 9 to March 15

black basset hound laying on the grass, tongue hanging out (happy)

Week 9: March 16 to March 22

Week 10: March 23 to March 29

  • Writing Workshop #3 CONTINUES
    • By March 24: Share the KSU Google document for your Essay One with each of your workshop group members. The document should have a rough draft of the essay (at the very least, a few notes expanding upon the discussions about your essay.
    • By March 29: Provide some feedback to one partner’s essay. Post the feedback in the discussion board. This feedback should be about ways to improve the essay: at the sentence level, at the paragraph level, or at the overall-essay level. Do not mark or edit the essay! If there is a sentence or paragraph you wish to discuss, copy and paste it into the discussion board. Do not work on a document that another partner has already worked upon! If there are only two of you, obviously this is not an issue. If there are three of you: Student A work on Student B’s essay; Student B work on Student C’s essay; Student C work on Student A’s essay. If there are four of you, pair off: Students A & B and Students C & D.

Week 11: March 30 to April 5

  • March 30: Last Day to Withdraw (Grade “W” Assigned)  
  • April 5: Writing Workshop #3 ENDS
    • By April 2: Respond to the feedback with questions for clarification or with questions for more ideas. You’re trying to really polish the essay now!
    • By April 5: Respond to the questions for each of your partners with further feedback.
  • By the end of this week, STUDY: Lesson 6: Reasonable Questions & Reasoned Conclusions

Week 12: April 6 to April 12

Week 13: April 13 to April 19

  • MANDATORY CONFERENCES PERIOD #4—If you didn’t meet with me last week, you must meet with me this week! NO LONGER REQUIRED: everyone will earn points, but no one is required to meet with me for this Conference Period.
  • Writing Workshop #4 CONTINUES
  • EXTRA CREDIT: Ascend Survey (Available April 7-19). I will know that you have taken the survey, but not which student gave which answers. This is worth 5 points extra credit toward your entire course grade.

Week 14: April 20 to April 26

Week 15: April 27 to May 3

Week 16: May 4 to May 10

NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER
May 9, 2024 (11:59pm, EST)

two pictures of black basset hound rolling her eyes: 1) upward, 2) toward the side