This course is designed for experienced writers seeking to improve their narrative writing skills. Our focus is on crafting a memoir-style essay that can potentially be used as a personal statement on the Common Application. Includes work with AI writing technology (ChatGPT).
Throughout the course, students will examine personal essays from published authors to discover elements of good writing. Through this inquiry-based approach, students will learn essential aspects of personal narrative writing, such as identifying their unique voice and perspective, structuring a compelling narrative, and using descriptive language to engage readers.
Additionally, we will cover academic grammar and vocabulary topics to enhance students’ writing proficiency. Students will also explore how responsible use of technology, including AI such as ChatGPT, can be used to support their writing goals.*
Students will go through several rounds of revision, incorporating feedback from peers and the instructor along the way. By the end of the course, students will have a polished memoir-style essay that showcases their personality, experiences, and ambitions.
Required Materials:
- All required materials will be provided online.
Learning activities include regular writing to communicate ideas via the discussion forum, videos and multimedia materials to support learning, anonymous peer editing workshops, and weekly participation in live webinars. Weekly webinars are 50 minutes long. Recordings are available for students who must miss a session.
* ChatGPT helped us name this class!
