OVERVIEW
I think it is crucial to have some part of a writing class where students can test ideas and practice techniques without worrying about "doing it wrong."
The Daily is where you practice you writing on a regular, ongoing basis. I will give Daily assignments most days that we are in class. You will collect them into a notebook and present it occasionally to me for review.
Some of the assignments will be completed in-class, some will be done out-of-class, some will involve library research. Some assignments will be stages of a larger multi-part assignment.
I don't grade the quality of the writing, but I do give credit for each completed assignment. You can make up missed daily assignments until the Dailies are collected. After that I won't give you credit.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
The notebook itself is a three tang folder, like the one pictured above. I ask you to use these because they are cheap and portable. They also allow you to put almost any kind of paper into the notebook. Do not use any other kind of folder.
Make sure your name, course number, and section are clearly printed on the outside of the folder.
APPEARANCE MATTERS
Many things in life need to be kept and maintained: personal finances, expense reports, tax information, checkbook, and the like. This assignment is good training for these kinds of tasks. I will not give credit to a disorganized Daily. How it looks is part of the whole assignment.
KEEPING THE DAILY
As you complete each assignment, simply place your work into the notebook in chronological order. Make sure to punch holes and use the tangs. I won't give credit to work that is loose or out of order.
On each page you need to give the assignment a clear title, and in the upper right-hand corner, put the date and the Daily Number, which is the number I gave the assignment in class. I will usually write the latest Daily numbers on the board. We'll go over the Daily numbers in class from time to time. I won't give credit to anything lacking the proper heading.
RANDOM PICKUPS
I will not give advance notice for a Daily pickup. If you were absent that day, I'm sorry. Without a written pre-arrangement the work is late, and I don't accept late work.