[The following scenario is from a course taught by Margaret Lindgren at the University of Cincinnati. It appears in my recent book, The Practice of Response (Hampton Press 2000), as one of six case studies of the ways contemporary compositionists respond to student writing. It presents a background statement on the course, the writing assignment, information about the student, the writer's memo that accompanied the essay, and a draft of the student's essay.]

Janet was enrolled in English 102, the second course in the three-quarter sequence in the English Composition Program at the University of Cincinnati. This course emphasized research, critical reading, and constructing arguments in response to academic texts. This paper was the second draft of the second essay in the course. Students would take the writing through at least one more draft before handing it in for final evaluation. In essay one, students were asked to construct an argument in response to the ideas proposed by an author whose work we had read and discussed in class. In this essay they were asked to construct an argument in response to the ideas proposed by several authors. In addition to addressing the formalities of citation, the goal was to help students learn to identify the important claims in an academic essay and focus an idea of their own, taking at least some of the author's words or ideas into consideration. In her paper Janet considers the ideas presented in Shirley Brice Heath's "The Fourth Vision: Literate Language at Work" and Paulo Freire's "The Banking Concept of Education," as anthologized in Writing Lives: Exploring Literacy and Community, 1996.

Janet had been a student in my 101 class the previous quarter, so I had an established relationship with her even at the time of this essay. She was highly motivated and a good writer, but she had little experience complicating her ideas. She consulted me frequently during my office hours, and I generally spent the time asking her questions to help her think more complexly about her topic.

Write an essay in which you express and support an argument about literacy and community using at least two of the readings we've read and discussed in this unit. You may use the other authors' words and/or ideas to introduce your argument, to support your argument, or to explain the relevance of your argument.

1. to practice summarizing and analyzing academic essays
   
2. to practice making connections among the ideas proposed by several authors
   
3. to practice developing an argument in the context of several other arguments
   
4. to practice supporting assertions with evidence
   
5. to practice using quotations in expository prose
   
6. to practice editing and proofreading
   

1. As you read the essays be sure to take careful notes. Concentrate on outlining the main points of each writer's argument and recording your own reactions. Also, be alert to connections and contradictions between arguments: these points of intersection might provide you with a starting point for an argument of your own. As you prepare to write, talk with your teacher and classmates about these connections.
   
   
2. Narrow your topic by posing a specific question about one issue. In a short essay, you can't address every aspect of literacy and community, so just focus on one issue. Talking with your teacher and classmates will help you to focus.
   
   
3. You don't need to provide a complete summary of the essays to which you refer; just quote or paraphrase passages relevant to your argument. Just be careful not to misrepresent the author's overall position by taking her/his statements out of context. As you prepare to write, talk with others about how one might misrepresent some of the essays you've read.
   
   
4. Again, make sure your work is carefully proofread and presented in MLA format with a "Works Cited" page attached.
   

1. How have you changed this essay since the last draft?
   
   I have changed this essay by taking out unclear sentences. I made my counterarguments more specific. I also made my examples more specific to help out my focus.
   
   
2. What is your argument at this point?
   
   I feel my argument is everyone learns best through interaction.
   
   
3. Are you finished? If not, about what aspect would you like me to respond?
   
   This essay is far from being finished. There is a lot of revisions that need to be made still. I am unsure if my focus is becoming more clear and less confusing. The main thing right now is my introduction. Basically, it stinks! I am aware of this but nothing has come to my mind yet on how I want to change this!