Final Wad W All Parts

Mandy Bridgers
WAD: Assign/Assess
ENED 683 The Teaching of Writing
March 30, 2016
ORIGINAL WAD:
Dr. Hartman,
Im pretty excited about this assignment because I think it can be so useful in many ways. I think
itll help them write to learn, for one thing. Theyll be learning about themselves, about the
literature they are reading in class, and about the situations in which writing/literature are
created. Cultural/Social contexts are important, in my opinion, when reading literature and I
think this assignment will help reinforce that idea while the students end up participating in the
very activity as well in their own creative ways. I hope it will pan out like I am hoping because I
think it would be a great assignment to adapt in future classrooms of my own.
I am a little concerned about the assessment portion of this assignment. I watched your videos
and did my own research on rubrics and assessment tactics and what I ended up with, Im still
not entirely sure it will be the best tactic for me. Ive never had to design an assignment before
and all of this is entirely new to me which is very exciting but also kind of daunting. I cant wait
to hear your feedback on the assignment, especially the assessment plans so that I can see what I
can improve on to make this only better because I truly want this to be an assignment that could
actually benefit my students.
Thanks so much for the opportunity. This has been one of the most constructive assignments Ive
worked on since I got into grad school.
Best,
Mandy Bridgers
Rationale/Overview/Context: This assignment would be for a 300 level undergraduate

Literature class. But for the purpose of the assignment, well call the class Victorian Literature:
Cultural Contexts Then and Now. I want this assignment to do a number of things. 1) Help
teach students how to develop ideas about the world around them as this is important in
becoming a community member 2) Show them how writing those developed ideas, even in
unique ways, can have the power to influence others, move passions that could incite real change
and movement in their own culture 3) Show them how literature, as it is also unique writing by
writers just like you and me, fits into its own cultural contexts and often did the same thing (i.e. it moved and influence change). 4) Help them to understand how cultural and social contexts
can affect and influence literature as much as literature can influence the culture they operate
within.
I would tell them about the assignment at the beginning of the semester but wouldnt assign this
until probably about mid way through the semester so they had plenty of time to think about it
and would have a decent amount of literature read through our required texts. Before this is
assigned, I would have discussed in class ways the texts fit into their social and cultural contexts
and how texts can be used as catalysts for change.
Objectives/Goals:
-To help students connect cultural contexts to literature and their own writing, showing them
how these things can influence writing then and now
-To show students how to write applying several strategies in order to practice/improve writing
skills and show them how writing, in multiple strategies, can be effective
-To help students understand rhetorical influences/purposes for writing
-To provide an opportunity for students to develop rhetorical ideas about their own culture
Assignment:
This is a multi-part writing assignment in which you will employ different writing strategies and
explore how your ideas coalesce with the literature we are reading this semester. So far we have
been examining how various works of Victorian Literature were used to play on the senses of
others in order to advocate social, political, and cultural changes such as reduce child labor,
equalize women in society, and more. In this assignment, I want you to keep these things in mind
as you work through each part carefully.
Part 1: You will pick a particular cultural issue in present society that you find interesting
or important to use for this portion of the assignment. Then, I want you to rhetorically
take a stance on that cultural issue and assert your stance as would the writers of the
Victorian era. Like them, I ask that you do this in a non-traditional way. Charles Dickens
wrote stories and newspaper articles; E.B. Browning wrote a lot of poetry; while Dante
Gabriel Rossetti painted. For you, though, this could mean doing something like them
such as writing a poem, short story, or newspaper clipping, or painting a picture.
However, it could also be something more modern such as a graphic novel, social media
postings, a video presentation, etc. The main goal here, though, is remembering to assert
your rhetorical stance on a current cultural issue while keeping in mind some of the
Victorian rhetorical assertions made through their literature. It is not meant to be an essay
format so be creative and have fun with it.
Part 2: This portion of the assignment will be much more formal. Here, I want you to
connect a piece of literature that we have read to Part 1 in an essay format. Discuss how
the piece of literature fits into its own social/cultural contexts. Explain what
stance/movement the author was attempting to make through that piece of literature. Was
it successful? How may it have been influential or a catalyst for change? Finally, connect
this to your own creative piece comparing/contrasting the methods used, and the final
products assertions towards the culture they operate within.
Although this piece will be written more traditionally as an academic piece of writing,
feel free to keep the creativity flowing. Think of interesting and unique ways to link the
literature we are reading to the cultural issue you chose to expand on. However, it will
require research and the application of at least one secondary source to support the more
historical parts of this assignment.
Part 3: Finally, tie up all of the pieces. I want you to reflect on the work youve done.
Here, I want you to defend your choices showing me what rhetorical points you are trying
to make in Part 1 and how it ultimately connects in Part 2. Tell me why this is important
to you. You can also include any final connections you want to bring to my attention,
questions that were brought up during your project, challenges you had, things you
enjoyed, or any concerns you feel are unresolved in regards to the project.
Guidelines:
Proper MLA formatting for Parts 2 & 3 are required. This includes a works cited page for
any and all secondary sources, images, etc. applied.
At least ONE piece of literature is applied.
At least ONE secondary source is applied.
All parts of the assignment are turned in on time, are clear and organized.
STANDARDS
NCTE Standards for English
3. Students apply a range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts.
They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their
knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their
understanding of textual features.
5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process
elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety
of literacy communities.
Assessment: This assignment is worth 100 points.
Part 1:
Goals/Objectives (20)
-The student makes a rhetorical statement effectively and
clearly.
-The student incorporates a non-traditional form of
writing.
- The student draws on their own experiences, as well as
their interaction with others and the text(s).
Creativity/Originality (20)
-The final piece is well-crafted, striking, designed with a
/ 40 points
Explanation for points earned:
distinct style but still appropriate for the purpose.

-The final product is new, unique, and imaginative.
Part 2:
/ 40 points
-Student effectively understands, evaluates, and connects a

piece of literature to their own ideas.
-Student effectively incorporates a secondary source to
supplement their ideas with correct citations.
-Student shows an understanding of how rhetoric works in
writing/literature and considers the audience.
-The student draws on their own experiences, as well as
-The final piece is well-crafted, unique, and imaginative.
The students own thoughts and voice should be evident.
Part 3:
/ 10 points
-Student participates critically reflecting on their choices

and connections. All criteria are met for this section by
answering prompt questions provided in the handout.
Overall Organization/Writing Mechanics (10)

-The overall organization of the project is clear, concise
and easy to follow. Proper MLA format has been applied.
-Final pieces have few, if any issues/errors in grammar,
capitalization, punctuation, spelling, etc.
-At least two different forms of writing are employed (one
in Part 1 and the essay in Part 2).
/ 10 points
WAD Assign/Assess:
Dr. Hartman,
Brent did a fantastic job with what he was given. We agreed that he would do Part 1 and do a
what I would do type thing for Parts 2 & 3. Below is where I assessed his work and I was able
to see where I need revisions in the overall assignment pretty quickly. These revisions include:
being less open about what I include as a form of writing in Part 1 because I began to fret when I
considered if Brent turned in a painting as a form of writing. How would I asses this? When I
revise the project, Im going to narrow in the forms of writing. I also want the students to have a
conversation with me first about what they are planning for Part 1 so they pick an appropriate
topic. Next, and probably the most important revision, is that I want to include time for Process
Pedagogy and create stages of the assignment. This first phase (what Brent did) was super useful
in seeing how he was thinking and where he wanted to go with it and I think this phase would be
useful for all students doing this assignment. So I want to revise with the intent of this
assignment having phases of writing. Next, I want to consider the assigning process. It wasnt at
all what I was hoping and I think a lot of that has to do with the online setting of our class and
how I sent it out right at Spring Break time. I would have loved to have met with him online to
discuss or even shared a few emails back and forth about it but after that first email, I didnt hear
from Brent again until hed completed the project. In a real teaching setting, I know a lot more
would go into the actual assigning part and I wanted to feel that process out a bit more than I was
able to. Lastly, I want to revise the rubric to allow for the process work. Each phase will allow
them to also revise the previous section worked on. So if I gave this back to Brent, he could
revise section 1 and he has my comments to think about when crafting Parts 2 & 3. I tried to
respond in the ways we were learning in class which would think of my student as an individual
and respond accordingly, and to find places for them to potentially think further and expand
improving their writing rather than marking it up with no room for progress. I hope I was able to
achieve the kind of responding I was aiming for. Could you respond to that in your grading of
this assignment? A question I do have about this assignment is this: How do I comment on his
poem? I commented on things about the poem but didnt say anything about the poem itself
because Im not sure how to respond to something creative and subjective like that. Could you
help me out with this? Altogether, I think this went very smoothly and I was very pleased with
what I received from Brent. I cant wait to revise the assignment so that I can consider using it in
future classes.
Mandy
Assigning:
Assessing:
Brent King WAD (Student Work)
Part 1:
Well, I do know that slavery has become a hot topic amongst Christians today (especially
with Christians in their twenties). In turn, I decided to write a short monologue from the
perspective of a modern day slave meditating on his situation. There are some obvious biblical
allusions, and I'm sure it's an easy poem. This is also a very conceptual poem; I'm asserting that
the slave in this case does know Biblical stories. Finally, I know it is a little morose, but this does
seem like a heavy topic.
That glowing orb aloft

in the sky that travels time
and space has caused sweat
on other men's brows too. How
far must thou go to see elation
not tinged by never-ending toil
and breaking of the earth? I
know the burn from that orb,
which was there in Egypt, is
the same for me and my back
today! More, I know that sea
might only open once for
men, and not again. For, where
is he who might carry the staff?
That blessing, that power,
to me now seems spent.
Yet, I long and toil and
sing my song to that orb:
Come, bend nature once more!
Part 2:
This is What I would do:
Given that my creative piece is a short monologue, I would link it to Elizabeth Barret
Browning's poem The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim's Point. I think that my poem, albeit a great
deal shorter, would work nicely in comparison with her poem. EBB deals with a hot topic of the
dayslavery, and I attempt to address a topic that seems to be proliferating amongst the young
Christian crowd today. Going back to EBB, it is apparent that she is attempting to use her poem
to take a stand against the slavery of the time. I would tease out points about the slavery in
England during the 19th century and the elements of her poem that address it. I might even go
into some points of explication regarding my own poem and explain the cultural issue it
concerns.
Part 3:
Finally, I would reflect upon why I chose to address the topic of slavery and why it seems like an
issue that people need to know about. Plus, I would add any reflective thoughts about how I felt
doing this assignment. For instance, I really liked it. I feel like it stretched me to not only take a
stance on an important topic of our day but also to express myself creatively. Also, this
assignment helped me make connections between the literature we are reading and the culture I
live in today.
Brent,
Altogether, I think you nailed the purpose of the assignment and did so in very creative and
striking ways. The connections youre making between your expression piece and Part 2 are
strong. In your polished, final piece and in the next steps, Id like to see you expand on a lot of
the choices youre making and think further about why youre making them in the first place.
Youre off to a great start, though, and I cant wait to read the next stage. Below you will see the
rubric for the finalized version of the project. However, since this is only partially done I cannot
complete the rubric but I will provide a tentative grading for Part 1.
Part 1:
36 / 40 points (A-)
Explanation for points earned: You clearly

clearly.
writing.
make your rhetorical statement and do so in a poem,

employing a form of writing other than specifically
researched prose. However, Im not seeing where
you draw on specific experiences of your own or
others and Id like to see this expanded.
The piece is well-crafted, striking, and distinct but is

still perfectly appropriate for the purpose of this
assignment. It is new, unique, and quite imaginative.

Part 2:
/ 40 points
Part 3:
/ 10 points


/ 10 points
Revised WAD:
Dr. Hartman,
For the revision I further explained some things in Part 1 that werent thought out in the first
draft of this assignment. I also added time for process work because I think thatll help maximize
1) the goals for the assignment 2) the experience of learning for the students as well as myself
even and 3) the end product(s) of this assignment. I loved designing this assignment and I really
think it includes a lot of elements that are important to me when it comes to teaching writing. Im
really excited with what I have and think I could use this in a future class! Of course, it would be
experimental at first and I may find more issues that didnt come up this time but what I have is
definitely workable I think. I certainly think it worked well with Brent, my student but I know
not all students are the same and others may help me discover issues or things that just need
changing. I look forward to hearing what you think about my assignment. The main thing I still
am a little unsatisfied with is the grading rubric. I think Id eventually like to move it to
something more like the rubrics you do but I was having a hard time with it. I plan to keep
thinking about it. Thanks for allowing this wonderful opportunity. It was by far my favorite
assignment of the entire semester.
Mandy Bridgers
Rationale/Overview/Context: This assignment would be for a 300 level undergraduate

Literature class. But for the purpose of the assignment, well call the class Victorian Literature:
Cultural Contexts Then and Now. I want this assignment to do a number of things. 1) Help
teach students how to develop ideas about the world around them as this is important in
becoming a community member 2) Show them how writing those developed ideas, even in
unique ways, can have the power to influence others, move passions that could incite real change
and movement in their own culture 3) Show them how literature, as it is also unique writing by
writers just like you and me, fits into its own cultural contexts and often did the same thing (i.e. it moved and influence change). 4) Help them to understand how cultural and social contexts
can affect and influence literature as much as literature can influence the culture they operate
within.
I would tell them about the assignment at the beginning of the semester but wouldnt assign this
until probably about mid way through the semester so they had plenty of time to think about it
and would have a decent amount of literature read through our required texts. Before this is
assigned, I would have discussed in class ways the texts fit into their social and cultural contexts
and how texts can be used as catalysts for change. I want to include time for process work also so
each portion of the assignment would be due a week-two weeks apart.
Objectives/Goals:
-To help students connect cultural contexts to literature and their own writing, showing them
how these things can influence writing then and now
-To show students how to write applying several strategies in order to practice/improve writing
skills and show them how writing, in multiple strategies, can be effective
-To help students understand rhetorical influences/purposes for writing
-To provide an opportunity for students to develop rhetorical ideas about their own culture
Assignment:
This is a multi-part writing assignment in which you will employ different writing strategies and
explore how your ideas coalesce with the literature we are reading this semester. So far we have
been examining how various works of Victorian Literature were used to play on the senses of
others in order to advocate social, political, and cultural changes such as reduce child labor,
equalize women in society, and more. In this assignment, I want you to keep these things in mind
as you work through each part carefully.
Part 1: You will pick a particular cultural issue in present society that you find interesting
or important to use for this portion of the assignment. Then, I want you to rhetorically
take a stance on that cultural issue and assert your stance as would the writers of the
Victorian era. Like them, I ask that you do this in a non-traditional way. Charles Dickens
wrote stories and newspaper articles; E.B. Browning wrote a lot of poetry; while Dante
Gabriel Rossetti painted. For you, though, this could mean doing something like them
such as writing a poem, short story, or newspaper clipping, or painting a picture (if you
choose the more visual options, like a painting, you must include a written caption as
may work of art do, this is not a summary but rather something intertwined with your
piece of art- we can discuss this further if you have questions). However, it could also be
something more modern such as a graphic novel, social media postings, a video
presentation, etc. The main goal here, though, is remembering to assert your rhetorical
stance on a current cultural issue that means something to you personally while keeping
in mind some of the Victorian rhetorical assertions made through their literature. It is not
meant to be an essay format so be creative and have fun with it. When we have our
meeting (see timeline), well discuss more in depth any and all ideas you may have for
this.
Part 2: This portion of the assignment will be much more formal. Here, I want you to
connect a piece of literature that we have read to Part 1 in an essay format. Discuss how
the piece of literature fits into its own social/cultural contexts. Explain what
stance/movement the author was attempting to make through that piece of literature. Was
it successful? How may it have been influential or a catalyst for change? Finally, connect
this to your own creative piece comparing/contrasting the methods used, and the final
products assertions towards the culture they operate within.
Although this piece will be written more traditionally as an academic piece of writing,
feel free to keep the creativity flowing. Think of interesting and unique ways to link the
literature we are reading to the cultural issue you chose to expand on. However, it will
require research and the application of at least one secondary source to support the more
historical parts of this assignment.
Part 3: Finally, tie up all of the pieces. I want you to reflect on the work youve done.
Here, I want you to defend your choices showing me what rhetorical points you are trying
to make in Part 1 and how it ultimately connects in Part 2. Tell me why this is important
to you. You can also include any final connections you want to bring to my attention,
questions that were brought up during your project, challenges you had, things you
enjoyed, or any concerns you feel are unresolved in regards to the project. Keep in mind
that these are not a list of requirements, but just advice on some of what you might cover
in your reflection.
Timeline of Requirements:
Mandatory scheduled meeting with me to discuss your vision for this project.
Due date #1: First draft of Part 1 and a beginning what you would do for Part 2 and 3.
Part 1 will be graded.
Due Date #2: Drafts of Part 1 and 2 are due and each will be graded. Continue thinking
about Part 3 and ask any questions.
Due Date #3: Finalized drafts of all sections are due. This will be your final grade.
In between each due date I will provide feedback and you will be allowed to revise any portions
worked on. I will grade each part that is due as we go along but grades can be changed. Your
process work will be assessed so please take it seriously.
Guidelines:
Proper MLA formatting for Parts 2 & 3 are required. This includes a works cited page for
any and all secondary sources, images, etc. applied.
At least ONE piece of literature is applied.
At least ONE secondary source is applied.
All parts of the assignment are turned in on time, are clear and organized.
STANDARDS
NCTE Standards for English
3. Students apply a range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts.
They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their
knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their
understanding of textual features.
5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process
elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety
of literacy communities.
Part 1:
/ 40 points

clearly.
writing.
Part 2:
/ 40 points
Part 3:
/ 10 points


Process Work (30)

Each due date has its own process work due (see
Timeline) and will be graded separately. You
will be assessed based on whether or not you 1)
put in effort participating in the project as a
knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical
member of our class, 2) turn in what is required
at the specific due date and 3) whether or not
you have taken any feedback and used it/revised
your earlier drafts.
/ 10 points
Due Date 1:
Due Date 2:
Due Date 3:

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Mandy Bridgers

Rationale/Overview/Context: This assignment would be for a 300 level undergraduate

distinct style but still appropriate for the purpose.

-Student effectively understands, evaluates, and connects a

-Student participates critically reflecting on their choices

Overall Organization/Writing Mechanics (10)

That glowing orb aloft

Explanation for points earned: You clearly

-The student makes a rhetorical statement effectively and

make your rhetorical statement and do so in a poem,

The piece is well-crafted, striking, and distinct but is

-The final piece is well-crafted, striking, designed with a

-Student participates critically reflecting on their choices

Overall Organization/Writing Mechanics (10)

Rationale/Overview/Context: This assignment would be for a 300 level undergraduate

-The student makes a rhetorical statement effectively and

-Student participates critically reflecting on their choices

Overall Organization/Writing Mechanics (10)

Process Work (30)

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