Category: English

Department of English

CATEGORIES: Foundation Courses

Director’s Letter

Dear all, As someone who lives by an academic calendar, I usually lose September completely in the rush of starting a new semester, meeting new students, and facing myriad summer-is-over demands on my time and attention. Poof! What happened to September? Where did it go? I’m guessing many of you can relate. This year, I … Continue reading Director’s Letter

CATEGORIES: Foundation Courses

Spotlight: Get to Know Deanna Stumbo – The Magic Behind ISUComm

In her 37-year tenure with Iowa State University, Deanna Stumbo has become the administrative magician of ISUComm Courses. As the ISUComm Foundation, Advanced, and Speech Communication Staff Assistant, Stumbo’s role deals with the behind-the-scenes work, including communicating with advisors and students, assisting students with adding or dropping courses, maintaining policies, receiving student transfer course evaluations … Continue reading Spotlight: Get to Know Deanna Stumbo – The Magic Behind ISUComm

CATEGORIES: Foundation Courses

UP NEXT IN ENGL 150

ENGL 150: Modeling an interview   To help students prepare for the profile assignment, Ginnia Kovach arranges guests to come to the classroom to be interviewed about their work. The activity’s purpose is to help students understand interview etiquette, craft solid interview questions, approach recording the interview, and take substantial notes. Kovach recommends focusing on … Continue reading UP NEXT IN ENGL 150

CATEGORIES: Foundation Courses

UP NEXT IN ENGL 250

ENGL 250 – Research Project                     For the research project, Kelli Fitzpatrick, Shalini Singh, and Elizabeth Wenger recommend an activity focusing on the process of choosing a strong research topic. The purpose of this activity is to help students learn brainstorming techniques for exploring topics of … Continue reading UP NEXT IN ENGL 250

CATEGORIES: Foundation Courses

Director’s Letter

Dear all, Welcome to a new semester! Over the summer, the ISUComm Foundation Courses team made some changes. If you are teaching face-to-face, your Canvas shell looks different. The concept of invitation informed our revision process. If we think of the Canvas shell as an invitation to teaching and learning in our courses, what does … Continue reading Director’s Letter

CATEGORIES: Foundation Courses

NEW TA Q&A

Geneva Toland, MFA, CWE & Wren Bouwman, PhD, ALT                         What do you wish your students knew about you? Wren: I actually really love when they ask me questions about Iowa State or for help navigating student life. Geneva: I am trained as an … Continue reading NEW TA Q&A

CATEGORIES: Foundation Courses

CHANGES TO ENGL 150 AND ENGL 250 FACE-TO-FACE COURSE SHELLS

Based on feedback from the instructor and student surveys conducted at the end of last semester, the ISUComm Foundation Courses team has made some changes to the structure of ENGL 150/ENGL 250 face-to-face courses: Streamlining the face-to-face Canvas shells for ENGL 150 and 250. The shells include the syllabus, major assignment descriptions with due dates, … Continue reading CHANGES TO ENGL 150 AND ENGL 250 FACE-TO-FACE COURSE SHELLS

CATEGORIES: Foundation Courses

ENGL 250 – Rhetorical Analysis

To introduce the rhetorical analysis assignment, Lesley Bartlett recommends a learning activity that helps students understand “everything’s an argument.” The activity also aims to help students see they already read rhetorically in their everyday lives, and the rhetorical analysis unit builds on those skills. After ENGL 250 students have read the first chapter of Everything’s … Continue reading ENGL 250 – Rhetorical Analysis