Portfolios must be handed in to me, in person, by Monday, December 13th before 5 p.m. I will be in my office from nine to eleven and then from two to five. If you cannot make it to my office during those times, please contact me prior to the 13th to schedule an alternate time. If you do not hand the portfolio to me before 5 p.m. on the 13th, it will be considered late and will receive a significant reduction in points. If you do not turn in the portfolio before grades are filed, you will receive an F for the course.
FORMAL PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS
- At least 22 pages of revised writing, which will include the following materials:
- Final, portfolio draft of your third essay.
- 2800 words, minimum (roughly nine full pages of writing, not including works cited page)
- Works cited page/s (at least eight sources)
- Correct MLA style for the entire document (review A Writer’s Resource)
- An appropriate title
- Review essay prompts two and three to help you assess your own work
- All drafts written in the process of completing the final portfolio draft.
- Include drafts from papers one, two, and three.
- When available include the drafts with my or your peers’ marginalia and end comments.
- One to two page letter, single-spaced, defending your final draft.
Please organize the above materials in this way: The letter will go on top, then the final portfolio draft of your third essay, and finally each draft of the essay compiled in chronological order, with the latest drafts coming first. Once organized, place all materials in an appropriately sized manila envelope. Do not use a binder. I will not accept portfolios if they are delivered in anything but a manila envelope.
THE FINAL PORTFOLIO DRAFT
This is a finely polished draft of the third essay. All requirements listed in the prompt for the third essay apply to this draft, so please reread the prompt and re-familiarize yourself with its content (looking at the prompt. For this draft, the little things will count and, thus, can count against you if they are neglected. This means proper formatting, proper use of page numbering, and a proper works cited page. If necessary, review MLA formatting in A Writer’s Resource.
Up to this point, the writing process has been your focus. Now it’s time to consider the writing product. The portfolio is the end of this work, and it is now time for me, as your instructor, to judge its quality. Though I will take into account your effort during the revision process, ultimately I must make a decision about your grade based on this final product. Be sure that you have done all you can to improve the final portfolio draft before turning it in to me.
REVISION DRAFTS
You must include a single copy of all drafts. If you have to choose between multiple copies of the same draft, include the one that has my marginalia and end comments. If you do not have a draft with my comments, use one that includes comments from a workshop peer. Clearly label each draft of each essay. For example, when you include the second draft of your second essay, label it in black marker above the title: Essay 2 Draft 2. These should be arranged in chronological order newest to oldest (Essay 1 Draft 1 should be on the bottom).
REVISION NARRATIVE LETTER
This will go on the top of all other material. It’s the first thing I should see, and it will be the first thing I read before grading your portfolio. This letter should be a defense of your revision process. You need to talk about why you chose your topic, how you decided to develop it, the research strategies you used to inform it, and the revision strategies you used to improve it. You need to point to specific changes you made (and which you think are particularly good) and you need to discuss why you made them, that is, why you think they improve your paper.
Use the language we have developed throughout the semester to focus your letter. This may include:
- Talk about research strategies
- Methods for summarizing and synthesizing
- Use of different modes of argumentation
- Improvement of unity and coherence
- Revision of the thesis
However you frame your discussion, be sure to cite specific examples from your work. Think of this letter as a short essay critiquing your own work.
IMPORTANT
Do not neglect to meet the above requirements. If you do, you will receive a substantial reduction in points. The portfolio counts for a significant portion of your grade (%60), so if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask before the due date.
DUE DATE
MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2010
Deliver to my office, Avery 383, between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Any portfolio turned in after 5 p.m. will be considered late, and ten percent will be deducted from its final grade. If your portfolio is not received before the grades are filed, you will be given an F for the course.
