PrintNot only are we going to write a lot this semester, we're going to learn a lot about writing. These five workshops are designed to help us achieve the overarching goal of this class: End-of-the-semester you feels like a more confident writer and science communicator than beginning-of-the-semester you. It's not about becoming the perfect writer; it's just about improving and recognizing that writing is inherently an iterative endeavor and there will never be a point where you feverishly type out a first draft flawlessly. Instead, it's about finding your own strengths and weaknesses and adapting your writing and research habits to improve upon them. Before we dig in this semester, though, let me ask you - do you know how a Penn State course earns its W? Let's take a look.
What does that W really mean?
The W designation doesn't just mean we're going to write a lot. It means we're going to treat writing as a process and use it as a tool to both facilitate learning of the content *and* facilitate effective communication of that learned content. What are the requirements?
- Writing Assignment Design - we will use both informal, ungraded writing assignments and more formal assignments to expand your thinking about the content and develop your writing skills.
- Write to Learn - You'll have weekly opportunities to write freely without being graded or having your writing edited. It's important we don't get too bogged down in the mechanics of writing that we don't spend appropriate time freely thinking about these complex concepts of the various facets of human interference with and response to the climate system.
- Learn to Write - Unit writing assignments; here's where I uncap my proverbial red pen and see how well you're able to integrate what you've learned in our Writing Workshops into your writing. No matter your planned career path from here, effective written communication skills will serve you well, so we're going to work hard to improve them.
- Treatment of Writing as a Developmental Process - This is why we go through the self-assessment exercise in each unit. Reflecting on your writing process will help us both identify opportunities for growth and improvement along the way.
- Written Feedback from the Instructor - It will take me a while to return your writing submissions because I mark them up thoroughly and provide detailed feedback in both a grading rubric and in writing. You'll need this feedback then to complete your subsequent self-assessment activities.
- Writing-based assignments account for at least 25% of the course grade - We use a variety of assessments in this course to give everyone a chance to shine, even if you don't feel like a particularly strong writer.
What are your goals for this W?
- To be a better writer at the end of the semester than you were at the start. It's really that simple! You're only in competition with yourself.
- To be able to self-edit all of your writing more effectively.
- To better manage my time to create work of which I am confidently proud.
It's a lot of work, I know.
This course will be time-consuming and probably stressful at times this semester. Hang in there, we're all in this together and you're going to do great.
- Communicating Science
- Citing Work
- Managing Time
- Writing Successfully (great tidbits for the project!)
- Styling Your Writing