COM 101 I AM PAPER GUIDELINES Spring, 2013

The I Am exercise we did in class was an attempt to get you in touch with how you perceive yourself. This assignment is designed to find out how others perceive you and to compare and contrast their perceptions with your own. Give the slips of paper to a minimum of two other people who know you (the more people you ask, the more you will learn). Choose people who have differing vantage points on your life (i.e., mother/boyfriend; close friend/casual friend; co-worker/family member). Ask them to construct a profile (using the forms from class) that typifies you as they see you. Ask them to also use the two extra slips that you filled out in class. Request that they be as honest as possible. Upon returning, discuss with them their rationale for the profile they created (please do so in a supportive tone; your goal is to learn, not defend!). The goal of your paper is to present what you learned, applying concepts from lecture and text where appropriate. Issues you may want to address include: 1. 2. What were the major differences and similarities between the various profiles? How do you account for any differences? You probably handed the slips to the respondents with some expectations of how they would create your profile. Did their profiles match your expectations? (You may want to actually construct your expected profile in advance, then compare and contrast). What part did, meaning, perception, and context play in this assignment?

3.

This assignment is not so much a report or a research paper as it is a personal inventory, analysis, and reaction to learning about yourself. As a result, it is recommended to use first-person singular pronouns (I, me, my, mine) in describing what you experienced and learned. Avoid impersonal or collective pronouns (you, it, we)--speak for and about yourself. Please be sure to provide examples and specifics from this exercise, as well as from your interactions with the people who help you to complete this assignment. Also, identify the people and their relationship to you. References to your textbook and other relevant sources will make for a better paper. The purpose is for you to get added insight into the person you are and the person you present. Your report should reflect this insight. It need not be long, just perceptive. You will be sharing the paper with classmates, the staff of the Writing Studio and me. Feel free to be as candid as is comfortable for you. I am expecting a 4-6 page paper (no need for a cover page or binder), TYPED and STAPLED. Please use double-spacing, 1-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman font, and left-justify your margins. Include your name and section on the top left of the first page. Keep a hard copy and an electronic copy of the paper. I require college-level writing and presentation. That means the paper will have an introduction, body and conclusion. Proper punctuation, spelling and syntax, as well as complete sentences and paragraphs, are also expected. To make the data analysis easier, you should create a data table so you can visualize how the different people grouped the characteristics. Please include the data table as an appendix to the report. Referring to the data table in the paper will make for a stronger paper. (Higher grade!) To make the writing of this paper easier, you may want to organize it as follows: 1. Introduction 2. Your perception of yourself as revealed from the I AM exercise done in class 3. One persons perception of you

4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Another persons perception of you Etc, if additional people are involved Discussion and explanation of similarities and differences among the others Discussion of similarities and differences between you and the others Conclusion

General comments on the concepts discussed in class or in your textbook can be integrated within these sections or placed in a separate section at the end. You are being given three weeks for this assignment. During the first week, you should do your research and prepare an outline of the paper. Then you will have it reviewed by 2-4 members of the class. The purpose of this review and discussion is to share what you have learned and to improve the outline. At the end of the first week you will revise the outline and have your revised outline reviewed by a professional in the Writing Studio during the second week. Then you have two options, either submit the outline for a grade or proceed to write the paper. If you submit the outline for a grade, it is due at the end of the second week after we began the assignment. In this case, the highest grade you can receive for the assignment will be a B. If you plan to submit the final paper you will used the second week to draft to the paper and to take that to the writing studio for a professional review. The final paper will be due at the end of the third week after the assignment was handed out. Using the Writing Studio effectively: The better your work is when you go the Writing Studio, the better it can become after a half hour session. Do not go to them with a hand written draft of either the outline or the paper. Students who do not routinely get As on written assignments should plan to make 2-3 visits to develop the paper from draft to finished product. Take the typed, well-written outline and/or draft to the Grant Campus Writing Studio in room 19-A, Nesconset Hall. The hours are Monday Thursday 9:00 am to 7:00 pm and Friday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Appointments, while recommended are not required. They can be made by calling 631.851.6245 According to Professor Joe Gansrow, the program coordinator, the Writing Studio is designed to: teach students skills for composing and revising their papers, and to provide that instruction during any stage of the writing process. Tutoring sessions are one-on-one for a half hour and appointments are NOT necessary. Ask them for a review, showing them the assignment and the grading rubric. You will staple a copy of the session log(s) to the outline or paper that you submit to me for a grade. This assignment is due at the beginning of class on __________for those students submitting the outline for a grade and on _____________for those students writing the paper. Late outlines or papers will not be accepted. There is no excuse for not being ready to play the homecoming football game; there is no excuse for a late paper. Each would be a forfeit. Summary: I expect you to submit the following, stapled, with the pages in this order: The paper (4-6 pages) The outline The data table The log or report from the Writing Studio Blank copy of the grading rubric with your name and section information added. A copy of the outline grading rubric can be found on my website: http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/epsteis/co15/Outline_Evaluation.doc I will discuss how it will be adapted for this assignment.

Sample Data Table (You should show all 20 of the traits)

Trait GENEROUS POPULAR SHY CONFIDENT Continue with other traits. My View Really Like Neutral Not Like Really Like My Sisters View Like Like Not Like Like My Friends View Like Really Like Not Like Like My Bosss View Neutral Neutral Not Like Really Like

I AM Paper Grading Rubric Author of paper (print)________________________________ Day(s) and time the class meets__________________________ Content Strong introduction that gains attention 10 Merely states the obvious, but Introduction does not gain attention does not grab the reader or foreshadow the paper 7 5 3 0

Excellent background, Adequate background, context, Poor background, context, and idea context, and idea development and idea development development 20 15 10 5 0 Excellent use of key concepts from the course 20 Excellent use of details to explain and support 10 Impressive depth of insight/analysis 10 Effective conclusion/integration 5 Adequate use of key concepts from the course 15 10 5 Adequate use of details 7 5 3 Adequate depth of insight/analysis 7 5 3 Adequate conclusion 4 3 2 Format and Style Clear organization 5 Effective use of data table 5 Smooth transitions 5 Correct grammar/ no spelling mistakes 5 Clean/legible manuscript 5 Adequate organization 3 Data table poorly used 3 Adequate transitions 3 Few grammar errors/ Few spelling mistakes 3 Adequate manuscript 3 Confusing organization 0 Data table not used 0 Awkward transitions 0 Incorrect grammar/ many spelling mistakes 0 Sloppy manuscript 0 Total ______________ Inadequate use of key concepts from the course 0 Details are vague or nonexistent 0 Unexceptional insight/analysis 0 Weak conclusion 0