Reference no: EM131088920

Higher Education: Joining the Conversation

Assignment 1:  Summary and Response

In this class, we will learn to think of scholarly research and argument as a way of "joining a conversation" on an issue.Summary and response are the first steps in joining the conversation.  For your first assignment, you will choose ONE essay/article on higher education either from chapter 16 (NOT one of the two discussed in class) or from the theysayiblog.com under "Is College the Best Option?" (https://www.theysayiblog.com/is-college-the-best-option/)that presents a conversation you would like to join. You will write a summary of the essay followed by your own response to the conversation.  The summary should constitute approximately 50-70% of the word count.  The response should rely on your own personal experiences and observations about the topic, no additional research.

OVERALL

• If you choose an article from the blog, turn in a printout of the article with your assignment
• Provide a heading on your first page that includes your name, my name, the date, and a title for your assignment (do NOT include a cover page)
• Use a standard established format of your choice (e.g. MLA or APA format guidelines for font, margins, etc.)

INTRODUCTION (10-15% of word count)

• Include your text's full title and the author's full name in your introduction
• Provide an effective hook to draw your reader in
• Make sure your thesis statement indicates the promise of both the summary and response

SUMMARY (50-70% of word count)

• Play the "believing game" (TSIS 31); make sure your summary is fair and unbiased
• Avoid "closest cliché" (TSIS 33) and "list summary" (TSIS 36) errors
• Use effective "signal verbs" (TSIS 39-40)
• Incorporate at least 3 direct quotes from the text.
• Sandwich ("frame" TSIS 44) and cite your quotes responsibly, using an established format of your choice (e.g. MLA or APA in-text citations, Chicago style Notes)
• Use at least 2 template sentences from TSIS

RESPONSE (30-50% of word count)

• You may agree, disagree, or both ("yes, no, okay but" TSIS ch. 4)) but make sure your response has a focus
• Support your response with examples from personal experience

CONCLUSION (10-15% of word count)

• Return to your central thesis
• Suggest the importance of the overall conversation
• Leave the reader with something thought-provoking

DOCUMENTATION (separate page, not part of word count)

• Provide responsible documentation of your text using an established format of your choice (e.g. MLA Works Cited page, APA or CSE References page).