6.3.08 | Portfolios

• Reflections• What do you know? / What do you want to

know?• Portfolio Overview• The Cover Letter• Sample Portfolio

ReflectionAnswer the following questions in your notebook:

1. What do you think of the paper you just turned in?

2. What aspects of your paper do you consider a success?

3. What aspects of your paper didn’t turn out as well as you would have liked?

4. Last time you thought of strategies for building on your strengths to improve on your weaknesses. Did you follow your plan? How successful was it? What might you have done differently?

5. With the portfolio on the horizon, what can you build on from this writing process?

[You can cite this reflection in your portfolio as evidence of your using successful revision strategies. However, if you do so, it will have to be typed up and submitted with the rest of your work. ]

The Portfolio• What do you know about the portfolio

project?– One major paper– 3-5 shorter– Cover letter– Proof of purposeful revision– You have to do revisions– Have to turn in ALL work to get credit– 70% of final grade; 30% participation.– Due Wed. 11th by 5pm on CollectIt– Prove you are proficient with Outcomes

• What do you want to know about the portfolio project?– How do we prove these things?– How pieces of revision do we need to

show?– What is the cover letter?– When we submit it is it one document or

several?– Do the papers need all the outcomes or

can they be outcome specific?– Are you going to give us a coverletter

format?– Recommend what we have or revise and

redo?– Do our short essays need to bervised as a

full essay, or are they still in keeping with the prompts?

– Order for papers?– Still bound by 4-500 word limits?– Do we need a works cited for short

papers?– If you do more than 3 short papers, will

you take the best one?

The Portfolio: The basics from EWP

In English 111, you will complete two major assignment sequences , each of which is designed to help you fulfill the course outcomes . Each assignment sequence requires you to complete a variety of shorter texts leading up to a major paper. These shorter texts will each target one or more of the course outcomes at a time, help you practice these outcomes, and allow you to build toward a major paper at the end of each sequence. You will have a chance to significantly revise each of the shorter and major papers using feedback generated by me, your peers, and individual and group conferences. Toward the end of the course, having completed the two sequences, you will be asked to compile and submit a portfolio of your work. This portfolio will include the following: One of the two major papers Three to five of the shorter works A substantial cover letter reflection that explains how the

selected artifacts - as a whole - demonstrate the four outcomes for the course.

The portfolio is, in a sense, an argument making the case that you have completed each of the outcomes at an acceptable level. Remember that it will be necessary not just to point out places where you meet outcomes, but to explain how the outcomes have each been met. Along with the featured portfolio artifacts, you will need to submit all of the sequence-related work you were assigned in the course, each and every draft. Keep all of your work saved somewhere safe. I recommend on your Dante FTP or the LAN Server. Any portfolio that does not contain all of the above will be considered incomplete and will not be graded.

Here is how the EWP describes the portfolio, adjusted for our specific assignment:

I’ve highlighted some things to key on that I’ll return to later.

The Details• Submitted to CollectIT by 5pm on June 11th. • No late portfolios will be accepted. • Projects must include ALL writing from the quarter listed in the

checklist. Failure to do so will result in an incomplete portfolio and a max. grade of 0.7

• All papers submitted as part of the portfolio must be in MLA formatting with proper internal citation. The only exception is the cover letter which should be in cover letter format.

• The Portfolio Project is worth 70% of your final grade. To earn composition credit in this class, you need a 2.0 or better as a final grade.

• If you want comments on your portfolio, you must request it in writing as a comment on your CollectIt box.

Checklist

Short papers [6 + comments] bergeron_initials bergeron_initials_tjw leadingman_initials leadingman_initials_tjw warstory_initials warstory_initials_tjw cat_initials cat_initials_tjw decline_initials decline_initials_tjw sonata_initials sonata_initials_tjw

Major papers [2] Major1.0_initials Major1.0_initials_initialsa Major1.0_initials_initialsb Major1.2_initials Major1.2_initals_tjw Major2.0_initials Major2.0_initials_initialsa Major2.0_initials_initialsb Major2.2_initials Major2.2_initals_tjw

Short papers [6 + comments] bergeron_initials bergeron_initials_tjw leadingman_initials leadingman_initials_tjw warstory_initials warstory_initials_tjw cat_initials cat_initials_tjw decline_initials decline_initials_tjw sonata_initials sonata_initials_tjw

Major papers [2] Major1.0_initials Major1.0_initials_initialsa Major1.0_initials_initialsb Major1.2_initials Major1.2_initals_tjw Major2.0_initials Major2.0_initials_initialsa Major2.0_initials_initialsb Major2.2_initials Major2.2_initals_tjw

All of your portfolio materials should be conveniently uploaded to your CollectIt account. The possible exception might be the comments you received on your major papers, if you didn’t turn in a paper, or if you decide to use some of the optional papers [also if you turned a paper in late, you won’t have the ‘tjw’ draft].

Make use of this checklist for, as the previous slide says, if you miss something your portfolio is incomplete and can’t be graded.

You are going to select a representative portfolio that you will revise over the next week. Anything you reference in your cover letter needs to be in your portfolio selection.

All portfolio papers need to be in MLA format

Portfolio [4-6 items]

Coverletter_initials_portfolio

Major3.0_initials_portfolio

ShortpapertitleA_initials_portfolio

ShortpapertitleB_initials_portfolio

ShortpapertitleC_initials_portfolio

ShortpapertitleD_initials_portfolio

ShortpapertitleE_initials_portfolio

Revision draft(s)

Optional for use in cover letter

Reflection1_initials

Reflection2_initials

GoPost_dateofposting_initials

Portfolio [4-6 items]

Coverletter_initials_portfolio

Major3.0_initials_portfolio

ShortpapertitleA_initials_portfolio

ShortpapertitleB_initials_portfolio

ShortpapertitleC_initials_portfolio

ShortpapertitleD_initials_portfolio

ShortpapertitleE_initials_portfolio

Revision draft(s)

Optional for use in cover letter

Reflection1_initials

Reflection2_initials

GoPost_dateofposting_initials

The Cover Letter

To showcase your demonstrated composition skills by reference to a selection of your best, most representative writing.

The centerpiece of your portfolio

Embodies everything we have been trying to do in 111. It is an argument

emerging from quoted text

It demonstrates your ability to evaluate writing

It matters in an academic context [its your grade]

Display your skills Direct me A road map to your

portfolio Emphasize Outcomes Be Utilitarian!

Cover Letter Format

600 Western Ave. apt119Seattle, WA 98006June 3, 2008

Bill GatesChief Executive Officer100 Microsoft RoadRedmond, WA 98018

Dear :

As a recent college graduate, I am looking for a growing firm where I can contribute my skills and drive. Perhaps Proseware, Inc. could benefit from the enthusiasm and business sense that helped me become the number one sales representative for Fabrikam, Inc. last summer.My interest in Proseware, Inc. is rooted in several factors. First, your firm demonstrates the aggressive sales philosophy that I so admire. Second, I believe that selling intangibles is both challenging and financially rewarding. Third, I attended college in Elm County and would like to return there to live.My resume shows that I have sales experience, drive, and determination. Meeting me in person will convince you that I can apply those talents to Proseware, Inc. I will call you in a few days so that we can arrange a meeting.

Sincerely,

Joan Smith

Enclosure

Introduction that talks about what the will come up in this letter Demonstration of applicable or relevant skills. Reasons why you should be considered. Sum up your points and what you want the next actions to be.

Weird writing context• Cover-letter format• Like doing a peer review on yourself• Needs to be a guide to your writing, directing me

to the best passages• Avoid the personal journey narrative:– “I used to be a bad writer but after this class, I am so

much better…”• Be utilitarian, structured, direct. – Topic Sentence heavy: “In my essay on Schrodinger’s

Cat, I met outcome 2 by stringing together references throughout the text and reading them with purpose.”

Argument Approaches

• Paper-centered– Addresses each paper separately, pointing out

which outcomes are met.– Major-centered, with short paper suppliments

• Outcome-centered– Addresses each outcome separately, pointing to a

variety of papers meeting a selection of the subcategories

Making your best case• Honesty is the best policy

– Part of the goal is to show how well you evaluate your own writing. If it is bad and you say it is good, doesn’t speak well.

– Better to acknowledge short-comings and talk about how you might improve

• Show more than tell | Hows instead of Whats– NECESSARY that you explain how you are meeting the outcomes– Do not assume that I ‘follow you’. – Matching an outcome with a quotation is not enough.– Use the subcategories of the outcomes to help explain. If you are

performing the subcategories you are meeting the outcome. • Your writing is your evidence

– Quote yourself. Block quotes are good.– Word features to highlight passages: highlighting, comment bubbles.

Picking your papers:Be Utilitarian

• The only goal is to show that you have met the outcomes. Structure your project to that end.

• Pick papers that you can revise to demonstrate all outcomes and subcategories.

• Might mean you don’t pick your ‘best’ papers. Some lesser papers might be needed to show subcategory.

• Strategy:– Start by picking the papers

you like best, probably your major paper first.

– As you read through them, check off subcategories you think you can hit with them.

– Look to see what subcategories you might be missing, pick short papers to fill in the gaps.

What did you learn?

• Go back to your initial questions. Did we miss anything?

• Any new questions?

HW

• Check that you have all the documents you need.

• Pick the papers you think will make up your portfolio.

• Write a draft of your cover letter.

• Thursday we will be peer reviewing portfolios. The more you bring, the more help you can get.