Category: English
Department of English
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
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
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
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
NEW TA Q&A with Caitlin Moran and Kristen Neumann
1. What do you wish your students knew about you? Caitlin Moran, MA, RCPC: I wish students knew that I’m learning as much from them as they are from me. Kristen Neumann, PhD, RPC: I wish they knew how much … Continue reading NEW TA Q&A with Caitlin Moran and Kristen Neumann
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
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
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
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