Week 10 (?): Response to Kerry's "The Writer's Toolbox"

I find myself in agreement with Kerry's observations. The idea of the tool box is something I began to introduce to my students as the semester progressed. The way English 1301 is constructed at Texas Tech, the first and final portions of the semester create tools for the students to take into other classes. It becomes less about style, and more about these skills:

• Reading Rhetorically (including taking notes, observing the article's rhetorical construction, highlighting, reading again, etc.)
• Paraphrasing and Summarizing
• Building a Working Thesis
• Identifying Quotes
• Creating a Writing Schedule (and sticking to it)
• Maintaining Professionalism during Peer Revision
• Creating a Revision Plan (more structurally engaged than looking at grammar)
• Revising for Audience
• Identifying some Common Grammar Errors
• Surviving Difficult Classes

These are the major skills students should take with them. Of course they are highly subjective. I will ask my students what they are taking from English 1301, and what should be stressed in the program.