Students’ Own Writing Skills and Tools for Advancement

• Chatbots as Writing Tools

  • New chatbots can be responsibly utilized to enhance students' writing skills.

  • Effective in supporting the “they say / I say” argument structure in academic writing.

• Key Academic Questions Addressed

  • Chatbots can help address important academic queries:

  • “So what?”

  • “Who cares?”

  • Help in formulating various rhetorical moves that are significant in academic writing.

Updates in the Sixth Edition

• Core Chapter Examples

  • Core chapters include new and updated examples showcasing rhetorical movements from various authors:

  • Established writers: Michelle Alexander, Anne-Marie Slaughter, Suketu Mehta, Maya Phillips, Kenneth Goldsmith.

  • Emerging voices: Damond Williams, Joe Garcia, students Yael Lenga, and Felicity Noahubi.

• Full-Length Selections

  • New readings included:

  • “Go Ahead, Waste Time on the Internet” by Kenneth Goldsmith.

  • “Disability in Higher Education: Building Access and Building Futures” by Yael Lenga.

  • “Left Behind” by Joe Garcia, arguing for internet access for the incarcerated.

New Appendix: Citing Sources

• Citing What ‘They Say’

  • Quick-start guide for documenting sources and how to cite generative AI technologies.

  • Points students to additional models and advice on referencing.

Interactive Learning Experience

• Norton Illumine Ebook Features

  • Students can interact with the material through:

  • New templates, exercises, and tutorials.

  • “Check Your Understanding” questions auto-graded with immediate feedback.

  • Instructors can embed notes, videos, and links for customization.

• Animated Videos

  • Collection of new videos on essential concepts of academic argumentation:

  • Duration of each video ranges from two to three minutes.

  • Videos embedded in the ebook and available for streaming.

• InQuizitive for Writers

  • Adaptive assignments allow low-stakes practice in writing, editing, and research skills.

  • Explanatory feedback provided with direct links to The Little Seagull Handbook ebook, included with all new copies.

Teaching Tools and Resources

• Norton Teaching Tools

  • New searchable website with resources organized by chapter or resource type.

• Instructor’s Guide

  • Revised contents include:

  • Summaries of rhetoric chapters and essays.

  • In-class activities, discussion prompts, and assignment suggestions.

  • Sample syllabi and best practices for teaching first-year writing.

They Say / I Blog

• Online Platform

  • Offers current readings using rhetorical moves discussed in the book.

  • Archived readings available, updated monthly.

Engagement with Counterarguments and Dialogue

• Practicing Academic Discourse

  • Aim to help students become active participants in academic and public discourse.

  • Importance of listening and engaging with counterarguments emphasized due to contemporary societal divisions.

Preface: Demystifying Academic Writing

• The Conversational Nature of Writing

  • Emphasizes academic writing as dialogue with others’ texts.

  • Discussions designed for student engagement in significant academic conversations.

• Purpose of the Book

  • Reduce the mystique of academic writing by outlining essential moves and providing templates.

• Writing as a Social Act

  • Participating in and responding to ongoing discussions is a core assumption of this instructional guide.

Highlights of the Book

• Conversational Model

  • Promotes writing as summarizing “they say” to support one’s own argument “I say.”

  • Provides easy-to-use templates to facilitate these rhetorical strategies.

• A Reading Chapter

  • Encourages viewing readings as dialogues rather than passive consumption of information.

Historical Context of the Book

• Background Information

  • Origins from Gerald Graff’s assertions that educational institutions must include students in meaningful dialogues.

  • Rooted in practical templates developed by Cathy Birkenstein for effective response writing.

• Refinement through Classroom Practice

  • Templates play a fundamental role in helping students articulate sophisticated academic arguments.

Importance of the “They Say / I Say” Model

• Understanding Effective Argumentation

  • The “they say / I say” template reflects the fundamental structure of persuasive writing.

  • Illustrates relationships between the writer’s assertions and opposing views for more compelling arguments.

• Examples in Academic Contexts

  • Illustrates with various excerpts from both popular authors and societal critics.

Usefulness of Templates and Student Engagement

• Utility in Persuasive Writing

  • Templates encourage writers to address counterarguments and generate new ideas by engaging with established views.

• Templates vs. Rote Learning

  • Templates serve as foundational tools rather than constraints on creativity; they enable exploration and discourse.

Teaching Methodology and Template Critiques

• Addressing Criticisms of Template Use

  • Acknowledges objections regarding rote learning while validating the need for explicit instruction in rhetorical moves.

• Templates in Historical Context

  • Connects the use of templates to historical rhetorical teaching practices spanning from ancient Greece to modern academic writing.

The Centrality of First Person Pronouns

• Debating the Use of “I” in Academic Writing

  • Challenges conventions discouraging first-person use, arguing it can foster clarity in presenting personal claims.

• Encouragement of Responsible Subjectivity

  • Advocates for the positive aspects of articulating personal positions as long as they are evidentially supported.

Book Organization Overview

• Structure of the Guide

  • Organized into Parts addressing listening to others, one’s own responses, coherence in writing, and entering academic conversations.

• Coverage of Specific Contexts

  • New chapter on the use and citation of chatbots in writing essays included.

• Inclusive Resources

  • Incorporates elements for engaging in diverse academic environments and discussions.

Limitations of the Book

• Exclusions in Scope

  • The book does not delve into traditional logical principles of argument but rather focuses on actual discourse.

• Engagement with Others

  • Emphasizes dialogue's role in shaping understanding and productive academic writing

Conclusion

• Ethical Dimension of Writing

  • Promotes the ethical engagement with opposing views to enrich democratic discourse in diverse settings.

Exercises for Practicing Concepts

• Summary and response writing exercises provided to reinforce learning, including templates for structured responses and debates within student writing.

• Engaging students with practical applications while refining their understanding of academic rhetorical frameworks.