Session Summary
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
5:15pm to 6:45pm PDT
Topics covered:
Dana did outstanding work this evening. We thoroughly picked apart the second draft of her Prompt #1 essay, which was a definite improvement on her first draft and in which she addressed the number-one problem with the first draft, namely the awkward narrative order. The narrative order in the second draft was excellent. As a matter of fact, the entire essay was excellent: the writing, the use of English, how it engaged and drew in the reader, and how Dana conveyed some powerful ideas about who she is and how she got that way. I left Dana with the assignment of re-writing and expanding a sentence that she and I agreed encompassed the central idea to which the entire Prompt #1 essay has led. We then launched into Prompt #2: we read the prompt itself, then discussed thoroughly what the prompt is looking for and what its purpose is, namely to reveal Dana's character and personality vis-à-vis some episode of failure in her life and how she reacted to it and how, hopefully, she allowed it to serve as an opportunity for personal growth. We then read a high-school student's actual response to Prompt #2, then read and discussed an analysis of that essay. I then left Dana with the assignment for her to write her first draft of her essay in response to Prompt #2. Absolutely excellent work this evening, Dana—thanks so much.
5:15pm to 6:45pm PDT
Topics covered:
- 2016-2017 College Essay Prompts Ongoing Lesson Plan
- Prompt #1 (cont'd)
- Prompt #2
- Prompt #1 (cont'd)
Dana did outstanding work this evening. We thoroughly picked apart the second draft of her Prompt #1 essay, which was a definite improvement on her first draft and in which she addressed the number-one problem with the first draft, namely the awkward narrative order. The narrative order in the second draft was excellent. As a matter of fact, the entire essay was excellent: the writing, the use of English, how it engaged and drew in the reader, and how Dana conveyed some powerful ideas about who she is and how she got that way. I left Dana with the assignment of re-writing and expanding a sentence that she and I agreed encompassed the central idea to which the entire Prompt #1 essay has led. We then launched into Prompt #2: we read the prompt itself, then discussed thoroughly what the prompt is looking for and what its purpose is, namely to reveal Dana's character and personality vis-à-vis some episode of failure in her life and how she reacted to it and how, hopefully, she allowed it to serve as an opportunity for personal growth. We then read a high-school student's actual response to Prompt #2, then read and discussed an analysis of that essay. I then left Dana with the assignment for her to write her first draft of her essay in response to Prompt #2. Absolutely excellent work this evening, Dana—thanks so much.