ENGL 1111

"City Refraction, City Reflection" by Irargerich (Attribution 2.0 Generic) http://www.flickr.com/photos/lrargerich/3203435803/

Finishing the Wikipedia Article Collaboration Pages

The Wikipedia Article Collaboration Pages and edits to your Wikipedia articles are due on Monday of week thirteen (the coming week if you are reading this on Wednesday-Saturday, and this week if you are reading this on Sunday or Monday. If you are reading this on Tuesday and didn’t finish the assignment, then you’ve got a little trouble.

And now, on with the fun!

Introduction to the Reflective Analytical Essay assignment

This week we begin the final major writing assignment for the course, the Reflective Analytical writing assignment. In content and format, this assignment requires you to use all of the skills we have learned and developed this semester. There are several ideas to think about based on our earlier work as you approach this assignment.

• Remember: the new argument articulated in the thesis should be more nuanced (not over-simplified) than things you have argued earlier in the semester
• Whatever you write should address your experience as a Wikipedian.
• In the final essay, a higher quality standard will be applied to various writing items such as thesis statements; body paragraph development (claim-evidence-explanation-closing); the accurate and effective use of sources (introducing the source, using signal phrases, formatting the direct quote correctly, using accurate in-text citations, and signaling the use of summaries and paraphrases where necessary); MLA Works Cited accuracy; and overall quality of the writing.

Thesis and claim work for Reflective Analytical Essay

Given your understanding of the assignment, let’s work on revising or drafting your working thesis statement.

Some questions that might lead to a more nuanced approach:

• In your experience working with Wikipedia in this class, what were some of your most frustrating moments? Why were these moments frustrating? How did they affect your thinking about Wikipedia or its use?
• In your experience working with Wikipedia in this class, what were some of your most rewarding or fun moments? Why were these moments rewarding or fun? How did they affect your thinking about Wikipedia or its use?
• If you had to tell someone what you like about this class, what would it be? Why?
• If you had to tell someone what you don’t like about this class, what would it be? Why?
• How has learning more about Wikipedia changed the way you think about it?
• How has learning more about Wikipedia changed the way you use it?
• How has learning more about Wikipedia changed the way you think about information on the web in general?
• How has writing in Wikipedia changed the way you write or think about writing?
• If there were one thing you could change about Wikipedia, what would it be?
• If there were one thing you would never change about Wikipedia what would it be?

As you draft this thesis statement ask yourself these questions:

• is the thesis nuanced (not over-simplified)?
• is the thesis arguable?
• can you predict what the structure of the essay will be based on the thesis statement?

Once you have written the first draft of your thesis statement, start thinking about the body paragraphs that will support this thesis.

Based on the working thesis statement, brainstorm six claims for the body paragraphs that might be used to support this thesis statement. (Remember claim statements? Each body paragraph has one, then has evidence and explanation to support it, followed by a closing.)

We are asking you draft six initial claims not because the essay needs six body paragraphs but because it is good to brainstorm more ideas than you might actually need. Then you can pick the best. Think of creating six claims as a good stretching exercise.

When you’ve drafted your working thesis statement and claims, post them in the Reflective Analytical Working Thesis Discussion in D2L. Read at least one of your peers’ postings in this Discussion and respond to it by suggesting one additional claim she/he might use to support the working thesis statement he/she has proposed.

Works Cited

To review the details of drafting an accurate Works Cited page for the final essay, please see these pages:

• See “Preparing the list of works cited” at the bottom of MLA Manuscript Format
• MLA List of Works Cited – Hacker’s Documentation Page
• Remember you can also go to this page at the MCTC library and scroll down to the section that says “Citing” and access EasyBib. http://library.minneapolis.edu/pages/researchHelp.htm