The WID Program is committed to developing innovative writing activities
that challenge students to test the ideas and concepts that are
being covered in their classes. We are also interested in ensuring
that students are given opportunities to practice using the rhetorical
and stylistic conventions of their respective disciplines. This
page contains brief descriptions of the different academic departments
at LaGuardia and links to pages with assignments designed by members
of these departments.
| Accounting and Managerial
Studies
The Accounting and Managerial Studies Department at LaGuardia
offers courses such as Principles of Accounting, Introduction
to Business, Principles of Finance, Principles of Management,
Principles of Marketing, Business Law, Introduction to E-Business,
Organizing and Operating a Small Business, Principles of Personal
Selling, Essential Computer Skills, Word Processing, Introduction
to Paralegal Studies, Family Law, Legal Research and Writing,
Civil Litigation, Real Estate Law for Paralegals, Criminal
Law and Procedure, and Travel and Tourism. |
| Val Ginter |
Title: Travel and Tourism Research
Topics
Students engage in the actual work of travel
professionals. They have to design one-day excursions in Manhattan,
or identify suitable hotels or resort properties for different
types of individuals traveling to California, or organize a
tour of Europe for music lovers. In addition to writing up their
proposals, students are required to given an oral presentation
to their classmates (who will be posing as fellow travel professionals)
and to create brochures and posters for their projects. |
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| Michael Napolitano |
Assignments for Real Estate
Law for Paralegals
Twelve at-home writing assignments, five in-class writing activities,
and two group projects. These activities ask students to demonstrate
that they have learned the material presented to them in their
textbook and in the classroom discussions and challenge them
to express their knowledge using the rhetorical and stylistic
conventions of legal discourse (e.g., legal briefs, contracts,
clauses, etc.). |
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| Paula Murphy |
High Stakes Writing Assignment
Designed to assess how well students had mastered Microsoft
Word and to determine whether or not they could apply the analytical
skills they developed during the semester in order to evaluate
Corel WordPerfect, a software package not covered in class.
Students were given a particular format in which to write (a
business document addressed to the person within their company
who will be purchasing a new word processing software package)
and had a choice of employment situations to choose from (e.g.,
they could be the office manager of the New York Yankees, Inc.,
a senior training coordinator in a community outreach center,
or a manager of a neighborhood bakery). As you'll notice, this
high-stakes writing project was broken down into a series of
stages.
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| Computer Information
Systems Department
The Computer Information Systems Department aims to ensure
that students are thoroughly trained in the field of Computer
Information Systems (CIS) and have a strong understanding
of business organization and the role that CIS plays in supporting
corporate management. All programs in CIS award students an
Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree (except for Computer
Science, which awards the Associate of Science (AS) degree).
Courses offered in CIS include: Systems Analysis and Design,
E-Commerce, Multimedia Design, Web Programming, and Spreadsheet
Applications. |
| Rex Wong |
Writing a Preliminary Proposal
for a Computer Programming Project
Helps students come up with a preliminary proposal
for a computer programming project. Students are encouraged
to apply what they have learned about C++ to their own lives.
The focused freewriting assignment asks study wents to think
about how C++ can improve their lives or enhance their efficiency.
Students are then guided to the other stages necessary for putting
together a useful proposal. |
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| Rex Wong |
Guidelines for a Computer Project
in Several Stages
The WID Program stresses the importance of staging high-stakes
writing projects. Outlining these stages in writing assists
students in understanding that writing papers, especially term
papers, is a process that is best undertaken over the course
of several weeks. Such directions also give students a clear
sense of what are your expections for the project. |
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| James Richardson |
Midterm Assignment: Building
a Video ePortfolio
Students use digital tools to create a portfolio
aimed at informing potential clients, transfer institutions,
and employers of their talents and skills. The ePortfolio serves
as a window into their goals for the future. |
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| Avis O. Anderson |
Introduction to Literature Related
to Computer Technology
Designed for CIS100.
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| English Department
The English Department, through a carefully designed curriculum
that includes composition, literature and journalism courses,
teaches students writing and analytical skills necessary for
both academic and career success. |
| Phyllis van Slyck |
Staged Creative Research Project
She first gives students guidelines for the project and a model
outline and has them complete a draft. She has prepared a peer
critique exercise to help students evaluate each other's essays
in class. She then gives them a handout to help them sharpen
their focus when revising their draft. She also provides a guided
model for the second draft. |
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Guidelines: A Creative Research
Project |
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Model outline (AIDS in South
Africa) |
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Peer Critique Worksheet |
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Sharpening Your Focus: Creating
Reflective Questions / Documenting Sources |
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Guided Model for the Second
Draft (The De-Humanized Life of a Mexican Factory Worker)
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| Kevin Lerner |
Writing Effective Pitches
for Feature Stories
Students submit pitch letters, trying to sell their stories
to the editor, Prof. Lerner. |
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Feature Pitch Workshop
In this group assignment, having submitted their pitch letters,
students now enact selling their stories to an editorial board. |
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Journalism Ethical Dilemmas
In small groups, students discuss professional dilemmas. |
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Peer Review for Feature Stories
Students review each other's stories and give constructive feedback. |
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| English as a Second Language
Program
The English as a Second Language (ESL) Program provides non-credit
bearing courses for students of limited English proficiency
from the beginning through the advanced levels. |
| Linda Forrester |
Adapting Writing for Different
Purposes and Audiences
Shows students the ways we adapt writing for different purposes
and audiences. |
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| Linda Forrester |
Low Stakes Observation Activity
Students observe a public setting and take notes
on a stranger.
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| Mathematics Department
The Mathematics Department offers a great variety of courses
to students at all levels: from basic arithmetic and alegebra
to linear alegebra, calculus, and differential equations. |
| Hendrick Delcham |
Professor Hendrick Delcham's
Statistics Website
The web site of Professor Hendrick Delcham's Statistics course
features eight assignments and a final project.
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| Natural and Applied Sciences
Department
The Natural and Applied Sciences Department offers courses
in natural sciences (biology, chemistry, general science,
health science, and physics) and applied sciences (American
Sign Language, dietetic technician and food service management,
EMT/Paramedics, human services [child development, gerontology,
and mental health]. Other courses include those in the fields
of mortuary science, nursing, occupational therapy, physical
therapy, and veterinary technology). |
| Mary Beth Early |
A letter-writing activity designed for students in Mary Beth
Early's "Introduction to Occupational Therapy" course. |
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| Mary Beth Early |
Activity Analysis
Staged, high-stakes assignment designed for "Introduction
to Occupational Therapy." Mary Beth Early asks students
to draft an activity analysis and then to critique each other's
drafts before writing the final version of the analysis. |
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Activity Analysis Draft |
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Peer Critique Worksheet of Activity
Analysis Partial Draft |
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| Paula Nesoff |
The Individual Writing Assignments
Portfolio: Solving Human Services Problems in Communities
High-stakes staged assignment for a human services course entitled
"Community Dynamics: It's Impact on Human Services."
This assignment asks students to create a portfolio consisting
of three main components-- identifying a community problem,
describing the political structure of the neighborhood, and
reflecting upon problem-solving through group participation.
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| Jackie Ross |
Clinical Affiliation Final
Paper
High-stakes assignment developed for a clinical affiliation
course that is part of the physical therapist assistant program.
Students reflect on their experience working in a clinic,
and write a patient diagnosis in medical terminology and lay
terms. |
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Grading guidelines
A detailed rubric used to assess the assignment above. |
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Humanities Department
The Humanities Department offers courses in the disciplines
of philosophy, critical thinking, performing arts visual arts,
modern languages, and speech communication. |
| Pei-Wen Lee |
Crash
This low stakes assignment from Prof. Lee's
"Introduction to Intercultural Communication" course
aims to help students to understand how individuals' perceptions
form and to help them think about possible ways for eliminating
our stereotypes concerning certain groups of people.
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| Pei-Wen Lee |
Final Project: Intercultural
Interview Partner Project
In this high stakes assignment, students explore various aspects
of a different culture, seeking to better understand their own
culture, and learn about different ways of viewing this world.
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| Michael Rodriguez |
The Frick Collection and Corporate
Philanthropy and Social Responsibility
A Final paper that utilizes students' critical
thinking skills in analyzing the context of the Frick Collection
and the role of corporate philanthropy. Students visit the Frick
collection as part of this assignment. |
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| Social Science Department
The Social Science Department offers courses in anthropology,
economics, history, political science, psychology, and sociology. |
| Vanessa Bing |
Weekly Journal
Activities that Professor Vanessa Bing (psychology) assigns
in her "Group Dynamics" course. |
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| Lawrence Rushing |
Psychoanalytic Conflict
General psychology assignment on Freud's theory of intrapersonal
conflict. This assignment asks students to think about Freud's
ideas of conflict between the Id, Ego and Superego through students'
own experiences of intrapersonal conflict.
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| Lawrence Rushing |
Psychopathology
This assignment on psychopathology also asks students to relate
theory to personal experience.
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| Lily Shohat |
Term Paper: Developmental Autobiography
A high-stakes staged assignment from Professor Lily
Shohat's developmental psychology course. This assignment asks
students to write a developmental autobiography in which students
apply Erik Erikson's fourth and fifth stages of developmessnt
to their own childhood experiences. The writing assignment is
broken down into four stages-- 1) an autobiographical reflection
on the students' childhoods, 2) a discussion of Erikson's fourth
and fifth stages of development, 3) a first draft integrating
theory and autobiography, and 4) a final draft. The first
draft assignment is evaluated using a peer response guide. |
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Developmental Autobiography |
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Peer Review Guide |
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