Midterm-Fall 2014

Directions:
1. You will EMBED your midterm, as PDF file, into your post (just as these directions are
embedded). See the "How to Embed" page on this site for directions if youve forgotten how
(remember, you should have already embedded your Territories).

2. Answer each of the following questions to the best of your ability. Aim for at least 200 words
per answer. That is, you should write at least 1,000 words for this midterm.

Questions:
A. Look back at your first blog post from this class. What questions did you pose in August that
you can now answer? Are there any that you cant answer?

B. Look at the 9 key concepts on the first page of the course syllabus. These concepts are
practices or "habits of mind" that you should engage with during this course. Which ones do you
feel you're doing the best with and how? Which ones seem the most challenging and why? What
questions do you have about them?

C. In your Final Portfolio Essay (FPE), youll be asked to analyze the work youve done in the
course. Youll want to quote from your own writing to support your analyses. Lets practice by
looking at your Literacy Narrative: what are your favorite revisions that you made to that
essay (any draft) and why? QUOTE from your Literacy Narrative to illustrate what youre
discussing. You may quote from various drafts to show the changes you made.

D. Choose one of the 8 sample e-Portfolios from our Moodle2 page to rhetorically analyze. You
have notes from class and Moodle2 to pull from. In your analysis, remember to address the
following:
--The rhetorical triad: How do all the pieces (author, reader, purpose, context/situation) "work"
in this sample e-Portfolio?
--The modes of communication the author uses. Remember, no text communicates via one single
mode.
--What is the genre of this e-Portfolio? Is the genre simply "e-Portfolio," or does it fit into a more
specific sub-genre? Based on the way you categorize this, can you figure out some rules for
writing in this genre? What are those rules/conventions?
--The ultimate goal of rhetorical analysis is to explore the success of the text at hand. So, based on
your analysis, do you think this sample e-Portfolio is successful? Why or why not?

E. As of midterm, what grade have you earned in this course? Look back over your answers on
this midterm as well as page 3 of the syllabus (the e-Portfolio Grade Scale). Are you setting
yourself up to compose an exemplary e-Portfolio? After youve explained your grade, you may
also ask questions about the Grade Scale if any you have any.