Type
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Examples
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Freewriting
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Speed writing; blind screen writing; e-list; chatroom
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Responding to prompts
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Journal prompts; readings prompts; peer review prompts; beginning-of-discussion catalyst; middle-of-discussion rejuvenator; end-of-discussion summary
|
Journals
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Daily, weekly, reading-centered, event-centered, theme-centered, totally free, quantity-based, double-entry journals, lab notebooks,
|
Asking questions
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Generating questions for readings; generating questions for peers’ texts; asking questions about the course; imaginary dialogues
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Online communication
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E-lists (listservs); Pipeline chats; popmail address books; IM chats; Daedalus chats
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Class collaborative project
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Class zines; class publications; mock trials; dramatizations
|
Personal publication
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Individual’s magazine; personal web page
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Imitation
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Modeling of paragraph, sentence; using parodies; modeling genres (memos, letters to editor, CD liner notes, ads, etc.)
|
Impromptu reportage
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In-class report on a staged event; report of a field trip or video
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Metacommentary
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Analysis of a writing assignment and how it was met; analysis of classroom use of a text, program; analysis of the course; generating grading criteria for assignments
|
Creative informal writing
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Dialogues; skits; bio-poems of real/fictional persons (Gere, 1985); letters to famous persons; metaphor games
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Skills-centered
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Practice essay exams; job application cover letters; thesis sentences; revision of paragraphs; revision of peer papers
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(The following options may not be valid depending on the type of informal writing assigned)