Cameron Johannesen 1101-049 English Professor Ingram October 25th, 2013

enre !t"#$ %ssignment

&hen com'aring genre(s from high school an# college, man$ 'eo'le )o"l# ass"me that it )as sim'le* +igh school seems to ha,e ob,io"s #ifferences in genre- ho)e,er, it is not that eas$* One interesting te.t that I fo"n# from high school )as a 'rom't from a former !%/ test* /he !%/ )riting 'rom'ts are #ifferent from college )riting beca"se the$ are in 're'aration for college itself* % 'iece of te.t that I fo"n# for college )riting )as the rea#er res'onse letter #irections for this English class* /his 'iece is engaging beca"se "nli0e high school te.ts, it allo)s for o'en en#e# inter'retation from the st"#ents on their o'inions from the te.ts the$ rea#* /he !%/ 'rom't that I chose )as from the College1oar# )ebsite an# )as from the 'ast test, ta0en in earl$ October* /he a"thor of the te.t is College1oar# an# )ho e,er s'eciali2es in )riting 'rom'ts for them* !t"#ents )ho are 're'aring for college or )ho are testing their 0no)le#ge from high school are inten#e# to rea# the !%/ 'rom'ts* /he 'rom't that I chose in 'artic"lar, )as )ritten to create a challenging )riting o''ort"nit$ for st"#ents* It allo)s them to reminisce on e,er$thing the$ ha,e learne# in high school, )hether it )as )riting classes or information classes* /he st"#ents ta0ing the !%/ )riting 'ortion are tr$ing to test their s0ills an# see ho) far the$ ha,e come from high school* %lso, there is a lot at sta0e )hen ta0ing this test* /his co"l# the #etermining factor of $o"r f"t"re in college beca"se it #etermines )hich schools $o" get into* !o, it(s im'ortant for st"#ents to tr$ reall$ har# to #o reall$ )ell on the test*

Cameron Johannesen

/he 'rom't that I chose sai#3 45oes being content )ith the )a$ things are 're,ent 'eo'le from im'ro,ing themsel,es an# #oing better6 Plan an# )rite an essa$ in )hich $o" #e,elo' $o"r 'oint of ,ie) on this iss"e* !"''ort $o"r 'osition )ith reasoning an# e.am'les ta0en from $o"r rea#ing, st"#ies, e.'erience, or obser,ations*7 %ltho"gh I 'ic0e# this 'rom't, all the 'rom'ts relate# aro"n# societ$* /he College1oar# )rites these tr$ing to con,e$ the message abo"t ho) societ$ is changing so #rasticall$* /he$ e.'ect the st"#ents rea#ing these 'rom'ts to ha,e an i#ea of )hat is going on in the )orl# an# their o'inion of it* /he$ also e.'ect the st"#ents to ha,e been ta"ght ho) to )rite an# ho) to )rite )ell* It(s im'ortant that the$ are able to )rite a fi,e-'aragra'h essa$ in a short amo"nt of time, )hile still maintaining str"ct"re* In college, it is cr"cial to be min#f"l of the )orl# an# be able to state $o"r o'inion )ith a ,ali# arg"ment* /he a"thor ma0es it 're,alent that thin0ing o"tsi#e of the bo. an# ha,ing 0no)le#ge of the )orl# is ,er$ im'ortant in ans)ering this 'rom't an# all the !%/ 'rom'ts* /his is beca"se the st"#ents sho"l# ha,e learne# all the tools in or#er to ans)er the 'rom't, an# #o so correctl$* %ltho"gh this genre as a !%/ 'rom't e.ists in the !%/ testing site, it also e.ists online an# in 're'aration boo0s for the test* /o )rite s"ch a 'rom't, the a"thor has limitations on )hat he or she can an# cannot )rite* +e or she cannot be biase# an# has to ma0e the 'rom't eas$ to ma0e #ifferent o'inions or arg"ments* On the "'si#e, the i#ea for each 'rom't is al)a$s #ifferent beca"se the$ change e,er$ time a ne) test is #istrib"te#* &ith that, the )riting ne,er gets boring for the a"thor* /he a"thor from College1oar# still has to follo) the r"les of the o,erall College1oar# b"siness, b"t the to'ics can be of a )i#e ,ariet$* /he College1oar# m"st also consi#er )hat the st"#ents ha,e been learning in their classes, )hen 'ic0ing to'ics* /he$ can(t ma0e it to )here the st"#ents ha,e no cl"e )hat the to'ic e,en means*

/he te.t that I '"lle# to anal$2e f"lfills the a"thors '"r'ose in testing the st"#ents on )hat the$(,e learne# so far in high school* /he$ test them on this beca"se the$ nee# to ma0e s"re that the$ are ta0ing this serio"sl$ an# learning )hat the$ are s"''ose# to be learning )hile in school* /he 'rom't has them thin0ing o"tsi#e of the bo. an# '"lling ol# information from )hen the$ learne# it, to ans)er the 'rom't* If the a"#ience )ere to become #ifferent from the a"thor(s inten#e# a"#ience, then the te.t )o"l# not be interesting nor ma0e ,er$ m"ch sense* /he a"#ience ma$ not be 're'are# or ha,e a goo# i#ea of )hat the 'rom't is as0ing from them* /he te.t that I e.amine# for the college setting )as an o"tline#-)or# #oc"ment for o"r rea#er res'onse letters in this semester(s English class* /he a"thor of the #irections for the rea#er res'onse letters 899:(s; is Professor Ingram- ho)e,er, the act"al a"thor of the 99: )o"l# be the st"#ent )riting it to the class* /hat st"#ent )riting the 99: )o"l# be the inten#e# a"#ience of the #irections, beca"se the$ ha,e to rea# o,er them an# "n#erstan# )hat the o"tline is as0ing* /he a"thor of this te.t is attem'ting to engage the st"#ents )ho are res'on#ing to this an# allo) them to ha,e an ab"n#ance of o'inions on the to'ic the$ rea# an# are no) )riting abo"t* It(s im'ortant to ha,e o'inions an# <"estions abo"t a to'ic )hen a st"#ent, es'eciall$ in college, is tr$ing to engage an# learn abo"t it* /his is one main reason for the hel'f"lness of these #irections, st"#ents can ha,e a la$o"t of ho) to as0 their <"estions an# state their o'inions in a )ell )ritten letter* In the o"tline for the 99:(s, Professor Ingram is ma0ing s"re that the st"#ents are "n#erstan#ing the te.t the$(re rea#ing an# res'on#ing too, b"t also challenging them to thin0* 4 5o 0ee' in min# that the '"r'ose of 99:s is to res'on# to a s'ecific rea#ing assignment in a tho"ghtf"l )a$, in the s'irit of learning* =o"r 99: also sho)s me that $o"(re engaging )ith the rea#ing assignments*7 In college, st"#ents learn best b$ <"estioning* /he o"tline hel's to get

Cameron Johannesen

st"#ents in the min# set of reall$ engaging )ith the te.t that the$(re rea#ing, )hich is im'ortant to the college st"#ent(s s"ccessf"lness in the long r"n* /his genre is categori2e# as o"tlines for 99:(s in >irst =ear College &riting or English classes* /his hints that the genre is onl$ in those settings, b"t co"l# be t)ea0e# for 99:(s in other ma?or classes* %ltho"gh the <"estions are engaging an# allo) st"#ents to ,oice their o'inions, the a"thor cannot ma0e the <"estions in an$thing other than a broa# range* /his is onl$ beca"se each 99: is not )ritten for one s'ecific te.t- there is a )i#e ,ariet$ of te.ts that ma$ be res'on#e# too in each 99:* /he r"les for )hat can be in this o"tline or genre )o"l# be the )riting center or Professor Ingram* /his 99: that I chose is ,er$ s"ccessf"l in f"lling the a"thors '"r'ose for this genre* /he te.t allo)s st"#ents to again, state their o)n o'inion an# ma0e tho"ght 'ro,o0ing <"estions, )hich is the o,erall '"r'ose of the a"thor* +o)e,er, if the a"#ience )as shifte# to a #ifferent gro"' of 'eo'le, the te.t )o"l# be ,er$ challenging an# might ma0e it #iffic"lt for the ne) a"#ience to be engage# beca"se the$ )o"l#n(t "n#erstan# )hat )e ha,e been learning an# )h$ )e are #oing the 99:(s* /he t)o #ifferent genres that I anal$2e# ha# similar )a$s in engaging the st"#ents an# allo)ing them to ha,e #ifferent o'inions on the to'ics* /he 99: o"tline allo)e# for a larger ,ariet$ of <"estions an# it #i# not ha,e one certain )a$ of ans)ering the <"estions* /he !%/ 'rom't ha# one 'rom't an# the st"#ents ta0ing the test cannot ma0e "' their o)n 'rom't or <"estions to ans)er* /hese genres still e.ist for #ifferent reasons* /he !%/ 'rom't is still "se# thro"gho"t the @nite# !tates beca"se it is allo)ing st"#ents all o,er to 're'are for college )riting an# to "n#erstan# ho) to ans)er 'rom'ts that ma$ ta0e critical thin0ing* /he 99: o"tline is im'ortant

for allo)ing college st"#ents in >irst =ear College English classes to engage in their )or0 an# s'en# time "n#erstan#ing a 'iece of te.t* It hel's ans)er <"estions that ma$ be conf"sing or 'on#ering* 1oth 'ieces of )riting are reg"late# b$ a higher 'erson in the #e'artment* /he 99: O"tline #oes not ha,e man$ r"les beca"se it is a ,er$ general o"tline* /he more s'ecific that it gets, the har#er it )o"l# be to ans)er the <"estions* /here are a ,ariet$ of to'ics that are assigne# each test an# the st"#ent #oes not ha,e an$ i#ea )hat the to'ics are, )hich creates a more challenging test* I thin0 that for the !%/ 'rom't, it is im'ortant that the st"#ents are st"#$ing for the test as a )hole )ee0s before it is ta0en* /here(s reall$ no )a$ to 're'are for the )riting 'ortion other than to ta0e 'ractice tests online an# foc"s in )riting classes* >or the 99:, the st"#ents 're'aration is ho) )ell the$(,e engage# in the 'iece of )riting the$ ha# to rea#* !t"#ents )ill 'ossibl$ nee# to s'en# time anal$2ing the te.t as a )hole before the$ can as0 <"estions* /his is one main #ifferent bet)een the high school genres an# college genres* In college, it is the st"#ents ?ob to brea0 #o)n te.ts an# reall$ "n#erstan# them before the$ can as0 <"estions abo"t the te.t, since the information co"l# be ,er$ hea,$ an# o,er)helming* In high school, genres can be more sim'le an# #on(t re<"ire as m"ch tho"ght an# brea0 #o)n for the assignment* +o)e,er, most genres in high school re<"ire the st"#ent to "se the fi,e-'aragra'h essa$, )hich is rarel$ "se# in college* /his assignment has hel'e# me to learn ho) to brea0 #o)n 'ieces of te.ts an# being able to ha,e a clear "n#erstan#ing of e,er$thing* Ao), I )ill be able to anal$2e )riting an# other assignments that I ma$ be conf"se# )ith, an# the$ )ill ma0e more sense* It can be ,er$ hel'f"l es'eciall$ )hen I start to get #ee' into m$ ma?or an# the material gets more conf"sing an#

Cameron Johannesen

o,er)helming* In ne) rhetorical sit"ations, I )ill be able to <"ic0l$ recogni2e the a"#ience an# the genre of the 'iece*