F.A.Q.'s
(Frequently Asked Questions)
1. Is This Class For You?
Do you want to improve your writing?
Do you know how to send and receive email?
Do you have access to a computer (in your house, a friend's house, at school, work or the library?)
If you answered YES to all three of these questions then this class is for YOU.
2. What Is This Class About?
This class will help you
-begin a writing task without fear
-write good English sentences
-use several methods to generate ideas for writing
-rewrite and edit your work
-develop an idea in a paragraph and/or short essay
We will do this by practicing writing. We will exercise our writing skills and like an exercise designed to strengthen muscles, we will see that the more writing exercise is performed, the easier and stronger your writing will become. By the end of twelve lessons, you will find that you are more comfortable writing, and at the same time, more accurate in their writing, as well.
3. Can I Get A Certificate When I Finish This Class?
Yes, if you complete all the assignments, including the journal sharing assignment, you can get a certificate of completion which will be mailed to your home.
4. How Is My Work Checked?
Your written work is checked by me. The webwork contains answers to any questions asked. No grades are given. I will provide you with lots of feedback and you will also assess your own progress.
5. Do I Have To Buy A Book?
There is no required textbook. Ask the teacher about books or weblinks which might be helpful to you
6. What If My Spelling Is Bad?
Worrying about spelling is like worrying about what hat to wear when you are naked. After you get all your clothes on, then you can worry about your hat! In other words, spelling is part of writing, yes, but it is just a part. We will work on spelling in this course but it will not be the central focus because there are many things much more important than spelling in writing. Like being clear, interesting, and easy to follow, for one thing! And besides, spellchecks are there for a reason!
7. What does Django Reinhardt have to do with all this? And who is Django Reinhardt, anyway?
Django Reinhardt was a very famous jazz guitar player from Eastern Europe. He was a gypsy. He also had just seven fingers. He lost the other three in a fire when he was a young boy. So how did he become so famous and what does he have to do with this class? Django Reinhardt became so famous because he did not worry about his missing three fingers. In other words, he didn't stress about what he didn't have. He worked with what he did. And he worked so hard and played with so much soul and energy and fire and strength that people still talk of him today as if he were touched with magic.
You can do the same thing. You don't have to know every word in the English languge, which has the biggest vocabulary in the world, by the way, to write well. You don't have to have perfect spelling and you don't have to use the most complex grammatical structures possible. (Sure, if you want to do that, fine! It will take time, but you can do it.) By focusing on what you do have and by working with strength and purpose, you can become a poet of your own thoughts. All you have to do is lose your fears and try.
