Metafiction Feedback

The English teacher got up from his desk, and went for a walk around campus.  He needed the fresh air.  He needed to lift his mood.  He needed to question his purposes at Korea's "best school" for the gifted.  Ah.... what the gifted have gifted upon me! 

For some reason... he'd invited upon himself the wrath of "creativity" which he'd formerly prided himself on seeking and upholding.  Creativity....  To unlock creativity, or not to unlock creativity... that was the question.  "Creativity" was such an educational buzzword.  Perhaps forcing it upon busy students was not the answer, no matter how generous the deadline.  You can't demand creativity.... or can you?  Ken Robinson said school's were "killing creativity," and right now, the English teacher felt as if creativity were killing him.

"Rise, the red angel,
Have you not drowned and damned yourself
in wine?
Do glare at the limp body
that falls from the sky
For it is thine." 

What the hell did that even mean?  It sounded quite good actually, and as the English teacher walked towards Dasan, he couldn't help but think an entire bottle of wine might be essential to grading the rest of these "metafictions." Or, more accurately, metadisasters.

 When Wendy finished her wrestling training, she went to a bar and drank some beer with her friend. Wendy drank 10 bottles of soju&beer, and she dozed off. While Wendy was sleeping, her friend found the post above. So the friend woke her up and showed it to Wendy. “Who the hell dared to wrote this trash?"

Trash... that was such a strong word. And Wendy. Whom among all these wonderful students was "Wendy."   What had inspired "Wendy"? Why do students have to write about alcohol so much? It's not like they've even tasted it before. Perhaps that was it.

A Korean proverb says, “Birds hear words of daytime. (낮말은 새가 듣는다.)” But sometimes, birds do much more than just hearing words. Some birds are not only ‘word hearers’ but also ‘word carriers.’ 

Y.S RyuMarch 13, 2016 at 11:18 PM

It was very interesting to see a pelican being anthropomorphized- the bird shouted, read a letter, and even think about complicated things. 

Can birds also hear English teachers crying inside over "complicated things"? Y.S Ryu was right though.  This was an interesting beginning... until it got literally "messy."

The life philosophy of KMLA students is BCD; Birth, Chicken, and Death. I really want to tell how much students whom ate bloody chickens are suffering from pain. One of my best friends, Mitchell, pooped blood. He is suffering from diarrhea. Mike is vomiting every five minutes.

Poor Mitchell.  An actual member of the class.  The English teacher recalled discouraging students from using actual names.  Which is why, apparently, some daring students thought it might be clever to mimic them.

Professor Garrioll was in love with the Kolakoski Sequence. He would start every class by writing, “One, two, two, one, one, two, one, two, two, one, two, and … Leo, what’s the next number? I would be very disappointed if you don’t get it. It’s a probability of 50 percent!”

What were these students smoking?  Fumes from the chemistry lab must have been tampering with their brains, he considered as he passed several tombstones along a rubber path, all bearing names of students who contributed to KMLA greatness.  Perhaps the "Kolakoski Sequence" would win one them a Nobel Prize. It did sound rather interesting.  And yet, as the English teacher approached the front of the stairs of the Dasan Building, he decided not to enter its foreboding doors.... fearing the Kolakoski Virus might be present in the very scientific air of such a facility... where - obviously - most students spent more time on oddly named sequences than writing carefully written assignments for English Composition.  

"Hello Mr. Garrioch!" 

Two polite juniors, boys holding hands, streamed past the English teacher as he turned towards the soccer field.  The hand holding was affectionate and innocent, and yet, he was reminded of one particular "romance novel" that perhaps suggested otherwise: 

 When he went there, Josh was waiting for him with the scent of perfume. The two were not the only people who were at the rooftop at that time. Samuel, the best friend of James', was there, too. Josh said. “Yes… I’m the one who wrote the letter,” with shy smile.

Did KMLA have such a rooftop?  

Jen2016년 3월 13일 오후 11:19

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
1. I didn't know three chain writings could be made into a story that has 2? 2.5? layers. The story is funny in itself that diverse crazy stories are intertwined, and you can never know what to expect. 

2. And all of it still makes sense so it's nice.

How to punish Jen.  This is something the English teacher considered as he walked around the track.  Why were these students encouraging each other to become William S. Burroughs?  Jen surely needed to be punished.  Perhaps Jen would like to explain to Mr. Garriol what this all meant:

Yes.. I’m going crazy.. Now I know what I really have to do: to be the Kungfu master. Let's go to the Shaolin Monastery. I will be back, you hairdresser!! I will shave my head and practice silent performance. Let me see if you can crumble me again! If you can't, then I'll make you bitterly feel the world of kungfu!!

Jen would be forced to perform kungfu. That seemed apropriate.  And then, there was this:

Am I hurting your feelings? If so, good cuz' you deserve to be hurt. You are such a selfish creature. I know every human has selfishness in themselves, but they at least try to pretend they care about other people. I love myself, but I tell you that I love you for the sake of it. You were selfish not just in your mind, but with your acts as well. You never show any effort to tell me you love me. Do you even love me? Well, I'm starting doubt it.

As soon as she read this sentence, she dropped the letter because of a sudden engine noise made by the car rushing beside her. Being a little frightened, she turned back and picked up the paper. She could recognize a green Tico slowing down, stopping on the roadside nearby. The door opened, and it was obvious that ten years were not enough to fade his face out from her mind.

Romance and a Tico? Still better than Twilight, perhaps.  But what about this:

Walking down the street, I met Yejoo, who used to be the “Queen Lion” of the “KMLA jungle”. She used to call herself like that. She graduated early for being such an excellent student, and did get double eyelids by plastic surgery. I asked her if she was having great days, even though I expected so.

     “Hey! How you doin’?”

     “Um… Not so good, actually. “

     I was kind of confused.

Such dialogue! Stephanie Meyer take note! 

The English teacher sighed, and decided to head back to the English Building.  Not only was it time for him to actually grade these works of genius, but the track was no longer his alone. Miss Lee, the Chemistry teacher, power walked past him with an air of disdain, and he was made to feel as if he were trespassing.  Zipped up in a black hoodie, he was reminded of this bit of "magic realism," which actually held some potential:

. Sure I could’ve run away, but frankly speaking, I wanted to be the first person to contact extraterritorial creature and get some college essay topic. Swinging my arms, some jelly-like substance made a sound, hitting my hand. Listening to the sound, I looked inside hoodie in awe for a while – there was a black hole.  

Please swallow me, black hole! For I do not wish to destroy my students with honest feedback!

He found out he can feel waves by some neurons and he can feel something by ‘Netrocan Light’ - which is the light that human didn’t find yet- with visualizing.

"Shall I shine this Netrcoan light into a dancing hoodie in order to defy the Kalokoski Sequence!" The English teacher considered heading up into the mountains, so he could scream at the sky. "An average score below 89.5! Never before!" 

He arrived back in his office, and decided to write a blog post - rife with honest criticism, which these students obviously needed.  Babying them would achieve nothing, and soft, willfully positive praise for less than stellar work would only encourage them further into their terrible habits of not planning what they write AHEAD of time.  It's as if they all just decided to be random toddlers getting high on sugar in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory.  

He sat down at his computer, logged into his blog, and began to type:

Foreword:  Be warned before you read! I am frustrated right now! I have never given low scores like this with an average score being below 89.5! Usually I am generous, and not so difficult to impress.  But this..... I shudder to say more!  SO - I will try to be nice.  I really want you all to succeed.  I don't want to give B's! So consider the first assignment a "wake up call."  You guys gotta work harder and think more before you write!  Want to know your score?  I don't think you do! But if you insist, send me a message and I will tell you your code name.

And you want to know what the "Fourth Wall" is?  This is me breaking it! This is no longer metaficiton! Those scores above are real! This blog post is real!

Honestly, during my entire time at KMLA, I have never been as disappointed as I am now with the general level of quality of a particular writing assignment.  Most of these were "not good," and that's being polite.  So, I have to ask myself... did I explain it properly?  Did we discuss it enough?  What went wrong?????  Because I have done this assignment with EVERY junior writing class since I started at KMLA, and never has this happened!  Why????  What went wrong?

First of all, most of the chain-writing was somewhat useless.  That might be it. In the past, when I've done this assignment, I created prompts to get students writing different things for specific purposes.  Maybe the "freedom" I gave you backfired.  Or, I should have made rules - such as "make sense" and "take it seriously" and  "don't write about KMLA."  I think I did suggest the first two, if not the latter.

Problems:

1) Many of you didn't follow the rules.  Using more than one chainwriting?  That's crazy! Why would you make an already complicated writing assignment MORE COMPLICATED!  I literally had to stop myself from bashing my head against my desk.

2) Basic grammar and spelling.  Yes, I know some students have an advantage in terms of language ability and are humanities students who have lived abroad.  BUT - surely you can use spell check and notice grade-school level errors I would barely tolerate from a GLPS student.  RE-READ! Inspect your work before you post it or print it!

3) SERVE YOUR READER! Your reader is the only reason you should be writing.  Don't be greedy with basic details and courtesy. Don't leave them behind. Take them on a guided tour of your imagination and don't throw away the map!  The 5 W's are tantamount to ethical communication. Forget one and you've forgotten them all!  No one wants to read drug-induced ramblings.

4) Take things seriously! This is the only assignment you've had so far. I gave you plenty of time to do it.  We spent lots of time on it. I gave an extension.  Put in some effort and don't do it 15 minutes before class starts!  Don't treat writing assignments (even fun "creative" ones) as arbitrary slap-this-and-that-together opportunities to scroll nonsense ----------------------------------------------!

The English teacher stopped himself.  Was this what he really wanted to say to students?  Wasn't it too harsh?  What happens if they cry?  Or seek revenge when it comes time to complete the teacher evaluation?

Perhaps he would allow them to write it again.  But... he considered.  Wasn't that like asking for more mental abuse?  Hadn't he suffered enough?

Yes. He had.  And so, he pressed PUBLISH.

_________________________________

"Seriously, I hate Mr. Garrioll!"

Joss and Leon sat together on the 11th floor, as they tried to figure out what Ivy League university they were.

"What does he know? Your story was brilliant!"

"Seriously! I say we feed him some chicken!"

"Or send Wendy after him!"

The sound of daegum signaled it was time for Honjung, and as they rose from their seats, they realized someone had been standing behind them all along.  And it wasn't Mr. Kim.

"One, two, two, one, one, two, one, two, two, one, two, and … Leon, what’s the next number? I would be very disappointed if you don’t get it. It’s a probability of 50 percent!”

      

and then...

WHACK!

FINIS

"And now you know what metafiction is! Muhahahahahaha!"

The English teacher left the dormitory, got into his car, and never came back.

An excellent college essay making use of metafiction...

Thread-like wound.

 My grandfather collects furniture.  He restores it.  He knows everything about it, and loves the story of wood.  One day, he sent me an envelope and asked me to fix his writing:

When valuing the quality of wooden furniture on the practical level, the flexibility and the hardness of the material are most important. The aesthetic quality, which becomes more important as the furniture becomes expensive, focuses on the beauty of the grain of the wood and the clean surface of the wood. A crack in the furniture is unexpected, but deadly and could ruin the furniture.

“Let’s go to the sauna, HanMin.”

My father interrupted me for our Sunday morning ritual.  We would go to the local sauna. We would scrub each other’s backs, get refreshed, and return home after eating popsicles together.

“The water isn’t very hot this time, HanMin.”

                  As we have always done, my father first scrubbed my back and I turned to scrub his. Then I noticed the difference in the father who I remembered, and the man he actually was. He had lost more weight, his back had become stooped, and his fingers twisted from long hours of work.

                  My father had a crack.

“Dad, start exercising. You have to take care of yourself.”

“Okay I will, HanMin. Don’t worry.”

                  The cause of my father’s crack was me. At least I thought so. I was suffering from the competiveness and a busy life of boarding school.  I wondered if I pushed my agony and sorrow onto people near me. I sometimes blamed my parents for my troubles. I spent my time vaguely, between work and play.  I knew I was being selfish, but I thought my vanity lay in love. I also had crack in myself.

“HanMin, take a cab to go home. I have to go to work.”

                  After coming home, thinking more about my father, I felt the crack grow inside me. Who was I? My vanity seemed to go against the grain of those around me. I was too resistant of accepting myself for who I was truly being.  Maybe not who I truly am.  Who could I be if I was more realistic and honest with myself? How could I fix the crack in my father’s health? If I could fix my own, I could fix his.

When wooden furniture became cracked, our ancestors covered the furniture and stored it. From the cold, arid atmosphere of winter, the wood would dry and from the hot humid weather of summer, the wood would reform and reshape itself.

                  Admitting my naivety was harder than I thought. Though I could say that I was young, understanding and admitting my faults from the heart, it seemed unreal. My father was once young like me.  He also had a father.  Did they go to the sauna as well? I recalled all those times during the summer and winter breaks. We would go to the sauna every week and have long conversations. The topics sometimes offended me or him, but we both knew that those were necessary. The heat and humidity of the sauna tempered and raised me.

If the furniture survives its trials, then the wood finds its original figure, and the crack is left as a thread-like wound - a glorious mark of its growth. Then, though it has the same quality as other well-made furniture, it is considered as exceptional furniture.

                  My life had been a continuing sequence of avoiding and hiding from myself and the reality. I was afraid. However, after realizing who I am, how my father loves me, I have tried to change myself. I now know that there are friends, teachers, and my father behind me  - who will always give help and support even when I face the ugliest and hardest truths. I now know that I have to carry myself, and though I should not follow the errors of my life, I have to keep them, be responsible for them, and love them.

                  The crack in me has been found, and is turning into a scar. My father has quit smoking and started exercising. My family seems tighter. I am becoming more self-aware.

Then, though it has the same quality as other well-made furniture, it is considered as exceptional furniture.  The artistry is a wonderful accident, that gives the wood the quality of art.

My grandfather’s words are also my father’s words.  I hear them in him.  I hear them in myself.  There is nothing I can change on paper to make them better.  I can only learn to listen to them more. 

Need some reminders on what metafiction is?

Hello Students,

I think this week's assignment is fun, so I'd like you to think creatively, and literally follow the quote below from Banksy:

"Think outside the box, collapse the box, and take a (insert bad word) sharp knife to it." — Banksy

What you will be taking a knife to and sculpting are the Chain Writing Essays.   Think of them as a "story within a story," where you superimpose a character and situation on top of the "found object" in an "inception-like" way.  Does that make sense?  Probably not.  

Likely, those Chain Writing stories are a bit off kilter, and make for an entertaining read.  So, do consider whimsically: If we were to pretend that a single person had actually written them seriously, who would that person be, and what inspired them to write what they'd written?  What was their creative process?  That's a start.  You could include the best parts of the story and write from the perspective of the writer.  OR, you could put yourselves in the shoes of someone who ends up finding/reading that work (a teacher, a mother, a publisher, or someone sitting on a bus).  What is their reaction?  How does the story within the story create or influence THEIR story?

Essentially, this writing exercise is literature's version of "found object."  Under the umbrella of found object  we have found footage, found audio, found sculpture, and even found poetry.  Basically, a "found object" is defined as finding something and reinventing it's context for artistic purposes.  For our purposes, we are taking collective group writing and supplanting it into hands of one writer (you) - who will then wrap a character(s) and situation(s) around that story.  A story within a story.

Think of this as a "mash up."  You can do whatever you want, include whatever you want, and splice it up like a film editor any way you want - so long as it has layers and explores "intertextuality."

Here are some helpful links:

Make sure you fully understand "metaficiton."

Reading that Wiki page, you will come across "story within a story."   It actually does exist as a literary device.

Furthermore, there is the "frame story," which is more directly what you will most likely fulfill.

Also consider "the fourth wall,"  which is basically described as "the imaginary boundary between any fictional work and its audience."

As a tiny clue I hope you won't read, I leave a link below to the absolute best example of metafiction written by an excellent student from the 16th wave.  Do I want you to read it?  No.  Because I want to see what you do without seeing a former example I like, which I hope you would not emulate (consciously or otherwise).  So..... no.  I won't include the link.







http://ej-lee.blogspot.kr/2011/11/metafiction.html

Your Blog is a Temple

Hello Students of 11v2,

Welcome to English Writing.  In order to save time, paper, and maximize efficiency, I require you to join the blogosphere and create a blog at Blogspot.  At my blog you will find information regarding weekly assignments, and on your blog you will complete and post them.  Not only does this create a valuable network to increase communication among us all, but it also serves as a showcase for your work.

Keep in mind - Next year, I will be writing your College Counseling letters in Naviance, where I will summarize everything I know about you, attempting to advertise you as a top candidate (hopefully) to your dream college.  To that end, you can expect to keep using this blog next year for college essay writing practice (not necessarily making your final college essays public), and I will indeed look back on your blog in order to comment on improvements you've made to your writing, and to share my impressions of you.  So, please inspire me for the next 743 days (approximately). :)  

In terms of your final grade, you can consider your blog as a work in progress that is the most important determining factor.  At times, I may ask you to print out your essays in the traditional manner so I can line-edit in fine detail; but, for the most part, you will receive feedback from myself in the comments section, where I will suggest changes, point out grammatical issues, and indicate what I found to be of strength and weakness.  It is up to you whether or not these comments are displayed on your blog, as you can change the options as you see fit.  When indicated, it will be possible for you to increase your score if improvements are made.

For the most part, you can expect one writing assignment every week or two weeks, depending on the flow of our semester. My blog is the hub where you can review the prompts and find your scores (via codename).  Some assignments will be more demanding than others, and some will be very simple.  Keep in mind that your blog is "your blog" and I will by no means stop you from posting anything you want to post outside of what I assign.  In fact, that's sort of the point.  The more active you are and the more you enjoy the process of writing, the higher your grade will be - particularly in terms of participation.  In this regard, as I've stated in the title of this post, your "blog is a temple."  Treat it with respect, reverence, and regularity. 

Unlike traditional essays printed out on paper, where artistic and creative license is limited, your blog will give you the ability to incorporate pictures, links, and even video.  Good blogs, or any kind of digital display of information, place a high value on presentation.  Are things straight? Is the font appropriate? Is it eye-catching? These are all things to consider before you publish your work.

As far as assignments go, you can expect a wide range - everything from argumentative essays to poetry to different styles of fictional narrative.  If you do something particularly impressive, you can expect your work to be highlighted.  Good writers learn from other good writers, and the best writers fully intend their work to be read.  So, in this regard, our class will be interactive.  You are encouraged to read each others work, and provide feedback.       

Blogspot provides many options and lot of freedom in terms of design.  Here are some things I'd like you to consider:

1.  Blog Title - something clever, creative and memorable.  Not just "Tom's Blog."  

2.  Blog URL - something short and sweet and simple that you could explain to someone at a party where there's no paper or pen but a lot of loud music .  Perhaps "ilovecheese.blogspot.com" and not "qwertyzxcv9081.blogspot.com"

3.  Less is more.  Don't go too crazy with Gadgets.  View counters, polls, slide shows etc. are nice, but anything with advertisements, such as games etc., should be avoided.

4.  Your display name.  You can choose anything you want, and it doesn't have to be your real name. 

5.  Creativity. Your blog is a temple - so have fun building it with your own personal creative touch.  In my case, the background image you see is a picture I took.  Try to make your blog unique to your individual personality. 

When you've created your blog, please leave a comment below with your URL and name. 

Cheers!

Course Outline - subject to change!

	2016학년도 1학기  강의 계획서 보기 1. 강좌번호 및 강좌명 (Course Code & Title) 영어작문Ⅰ [English CompositionⅠ]  | NEIS: 2973   2. 단위(Units) 2 2-1. 통합기호(Category) 11B 3. 담당교사 (Instructor) Garrioch (garrioch@minjok.hs.kr, 010-9723-3309) 공동강의교사 (Co-Instructor) Mr. Menard 4. 대상집단 (Students eligible for this Class) 계열 (Field) 전체(All) 학년 (Grade) 11 5. 수업 개요 (Course Outline) This course will guide students through a series of assignments in order to prepare students for university level writing. Forms of essay will include, but are not limited to, argumentative, synthesis, comparative, and reflective. A great deal of focus will be placed on the tasks of establishing a proper tone, style, and structure, while weaving in a balanced argument, theme, or opinion. Students will learn the process of planning an essay, writing a first draft, and polishing a second or third draft. The main goals of this course will include: Planning an essay (gathering sources, evaluating them, execution etc.) Developing proper grammar (catching verb tenses, missing articles, awkward clauses etc.) Avoiding common mistakes (cliches, generalizations, absolutes etc.) Improving vocabulary (proper word choice, use of transitions and qualifiers etc.) Encouraging creative and critical thinking (descriptive writing, developing a reader`s interest, thinking outside the box) Classes will often focus on generating the ideas that form the assignments, and this will be achieved through discussions, student presentations on current events/contemporary issues, short videos, and various reading materials. Therefore, student participation is heavily weighed. 6. 평가 (Evaluation Criteria in Percentage) 중간고사 (Midterm) 15 기말고사 (Final Exam) 15 과제물 수행 (Assignments) 60 수업중 활동 (Classroom Activities) 10 독서 평가 (Book-Reading Evaluations) 0 *독서평가가 100%는 IR과목입니다 기타 (Quiz, Workshops, etc) 0 6-1. 성적산출방법 (Grading Policy) Grade 7. 교과서 및 교수-학습자료 (Textbook and other teaching-learning materials) To be announced; but mainly various articles, websites, videos and selections from respected authors etc. 8. 독서평가 도서명 (Critical Reading Book) To be announced; but mainly various articles, websites, videos and selections from respected authors etc. 독서평가 방법(Evaluation Method) Assignments will include both in-class and take home essays. Essays will vary in word count from 500 to 1500 words, depending on the assignment. Students should carefully consider an individual teacher\\\'s requests regarding format (spacing/font), hard copy or electronic submission. Late submissions will be dealt with accordingly. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Students should cite and reference their sources (such as MLA format, or whichever style the teacher prefers) 독서평가 시기(Evaluation Period) 예) 5월 4주째 (4th Week of May) 9. 강의 진도 계획 (Tentative Class Schedule)  *강의 주제만 모아 주세요 (Class Topics Only) Individual teachers will determine what composes this percentage, which may include Speech, Mini-Assignments, Revised Assignments, quality of comments made in class, and general attitude (sleeping, tardiness, lack of effort to enter discussions etc. will factor heavily). Policy Regarding Grades: To ensure consistent effort from each student, and to uphold the true value of a letter grade designated as A (89.5 and above), a maximum of 80% of students will receive a final letter grade of A. A participation score of 20% will factor heavily in determining this. To ensure fairness, all grading for essays, including midterm and final exam, will adhere to a 90% average. To succeed, students should carefully plan their In-Class essays outside of class before writing them in class. This emphasizes essay organization and thinking, and ensures authenticity of work. This will improve essay planning along with test writing ability (SAT/AP exams etc.). Essays will be graded on the following criteria -mechanics: proper diction, grammar, internal logic, transitions -content: balanced writing that follows instructions and maintains focus Weekly Schedule: Unit I – Argumentation In this segment of the course, students will be introduced to various topics, which may include current issues (politics, current events etc.), critical readings (classic short stories, essays, editorials), and general points of contention within contemporary society (cultural values, moral dilemmas, modern trends etc.). Classes may follow a pattern of discussion followed by writing, and then further discussion and revision. Week 1: Class 1 content: Ice breakers, course explanation. Class 2 content: -First assignment introduced through discussion. Students will be asked to identify a single “current event” or “issue” that most warrants discussion. -Students produce various sources of information to learn more about the issue (both subjective and objective). Week 2: Class 3 content: In Class Writing: Argumentative Essay (In-class Essay 1) Class 4 content: Claims & Reasons (argumentative structure) How to enrich arguments. How to develop paragraphs. Week 3: Class 5 content: Take Home essay assigned: SAT Prompt (Due week 5) Class 6 content: In Class Essay #1 returned. Review of strengths/weaknesses. Students must then revise and type an improved version. Week 4: Class 7 content: Argumentative Appeals (pathos, ethos, logos) Discussion about each. Students assigned to groups. Task for next class: present strong and weak examples for each. Class 8 content: Group Presentations Week 5: Class 9 content: First Take Home essay due. Discussion about Logical Fallacies (strawman, slippery slope, ad hominem, etc) Class 10 content: Moral Dilemmas. Discussion and identification of. Reading of “The Mignonette, 1884 (Queen v. Dudley)” Week 6: Class 11 content: In Class Writing: Argumentative Essay (In-class Essay 2) Moral Dilemma: Students expected to employ previously taught argumentative tactics in response to a moral dilemma. Class 12 content: Introduction to Synthesis Essay and MLA citation format. Student’s choice of topic for a 1200-1500 word essay that must be completed in three stages (outline, first draft, final draft) and submitted two weeks before end of semester. Must synthesize various sources to form one argument, and must adhere to strict MLA format. Week 7: Midterm exams UNIT 2 – Developing Narrative In this segment of the course, students will be introduced to various narrative structures, and various elements of “story telling.” Assignments may include anecdotal essays, college essays, letter writing, interpretive writing, descriptive writing etc. Various readings of famous essays/short stories. Classes may follow a pattern of discussion followed by writing, and then further discussion and revision. Week 8: Class 14 content: Students read “Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan and a portion of Maya Angelous’ “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.\\\" Discussion about subtext, compare voice, anecdote. Students asked to come to next class ready to write similar narrative. Class 14 content: In Class Writing: Personal Narrative (In-class Essay 3) Week 9: Class 15 content: Writing Workshop: Students put into groups for peer editing and feedback on personal narratives. Asked to present an improved version of one essay from each group next class. Class 16 content: Group Presentations: Before and After Essay Improvements Teacher may require second drafts typed from all students. Week 10: Class 17 content: Voice: Introduction to 1st, 2nd 3rd person narratives. For next class, students must prepare a short sample for each. Class 18 content: Take Home Essay #3 Assigned: Write about a childhood experience in any voice other than 1st person. Group discussion about each student’s examples. Week 11: Class 19 content: The College Essay In-class readings of select essays (either from alumni or published books). Introduction to various structures, clichés to avoid, and use of narrative. Mini Assignment: Students write list: 30 Things About Me Class 20 content: Discussion about 30 Things List, and potential essays students may write as seniors. Week 12: Class 21 content: Introduction to Public Speaking. Review of famous speeches. Speech assigned for following week: My Most Embarrassing Moment – 5 minutes. Class 22 content: Take Home Essay #3 returned, discussion of strengths and weakness. Week 13: Class 23 content: Speeches Class 24 content: Speeches Unit 3 – Academic Writing In this segment of the course, we review some elements of argumentative writing learned in unit one, and apply them to one large formal assignment that must be held accountable for all information within. Since week 6, students have had time to develop ideas for their synthesis essay, and should have submitted an outline to their teacher. Final three weeks of class spent writing, revising, and getting one-on-one feedback from teacher and group peer-editing. The goal is to produce a polished academic paper that a student would be expected to complete in a university course. Week 14: Class 25 content: MLA citation review. Students submit Essay Outline, and list of sources they will synthesize. One on one discussions with students. In- class writing. Class 26 content: One on one discussion with students. In-class writing. Week 15: Class 27 content: Students submit first draft. Peer editing. Class 28 content: Peer editing continued. Week 16: Class 29 content: Final Draft of Synthesis essay due. Class 30 content: Review – “What I Learned” discussion. Students write mini-assignment about their experience and self-evaluate how they improved and will continue to improve. Week 17: Final Examination 10. 영어로 진행하는 수업 계획 (Plan for Teaching in English)  * teach in English for more than 10 minutes per class, with the exception of Korean Language Arts, Korean history, and some subjects of minjok course. All English. All the time.

The Fourth Wall

I've given you some extra time to do your "story within a story," so have a look at Lee Bori's "story within a story."

After a bit of discussion with Mr. Tweedie, he suggested that this writing exercise was not, actually, "found object" treated "found poetry," treated "found fiction" -  but actually "metaficiton."

Reading that Wiki page, I came across "story within a story."   It actually does exist as a literary device.

Furthermore, there is the "frame story," which is related, interesting, and potentially helpful.

Also consider "the fourth wall,"  which is basically described as "the imaginary boundary between any fictional work and its audience."

Ever watch a TV show that suddenly shows you that there's a camera man and a sound crew and a director, where they turn and start talking to you - through the television?  That's described as "breaking the fourth wall."

Interesting stuff that will come in handy someday in an AP Lit class or an SAT.

Here's an example of the "fourth wall."