Lesson Report:
Title
Personal Archives, Peer Curation, and Portfolio Preparation
This session oriented students toward compiling an authentic writing portfolio and introduced “the archive� as a lens for creative analysis. Students practiced curating items from their own lives (physical objects and memories), created descriptive records, and began a peer-browsing activity to identify shared and unique themes across classmates’ archives.
Attendance
– Absent (Session 1): 0 explicitly noted
– Planned/excused absences: 5 students (Aasia + 4 classmates) will miss Sessions 2 and 3 today due to a timed exam (pending email confirmation)
– Late arrivals: 1 (Mariam)
– Special case: Katayoun requested an extension on the essay due to a personal issue (instructor asked for details via email)
Topics Covered (chronological)
1) Opening, acknowledgments, and course framing
– Congratulated students on submitting essays; noted this was the most challenging component of the course.
– Set agenda: (1) Portfolio briefing; (2) Creative/analytic activity centered on “archives.â€�
2) Portfolio assignment briefing (deliverables and rules)
– Purpose: A single digital compilation that authentically represents each student’s work from the program; to be shared with FYS instructors as a diagnostic of starting level (not graded by them).
– Contents:
– Six pieces from students’ notebooks (any genre: freewriting, analytical, creative, including poems), student-selected.
– The full essay submitted for this class.
– File format and structure:
– One Microsoft Word document only.
– Portrait orientation pages (no landscape; avoid Prezi/Canva slide formats).
– Title page with student’s name, course, and group.
– Each piece starts on a new page.
– All pieces must be typed (no scans or images of notebook pages).
– Language/authenticity:
– Do not “polishâ€� grammar; transcribe as originally written in the notebook. Instructor will check for authenticity; overly pristine English may trigger resubmission.
– Aesthetic choices:
– Creative formatting/graphics permitted but not required; a clean white document is acceptable.
– Length guidance for selected notebook pieces:
– Substantial responses only (at least a full paragraph or a complete poem). One-line responses are not acceptable.
– Submission logistics:
– Due: Thursday by 17:00 Afghanistan Time (before the final class begins).
– Send to instructor’s personal email.
– Support and workload:
– Estimated typing time ~20 minutes.
– Instructor will reserve class time on Wednesday for selection/typing if needed.
– Q&A clarifications captured:
– Yes, include the essay again within the same Word document as the six pieces.
– Selections may come from any time (not only childhood work).
– The portfolio is standard across orientation classes (as far as the instructor knows).
3) Private free write (warm-up)
– Duration: ~3 minutes.
– Prompt options: Completely open; if stuck, write about the most difficult dish you ever cooked.
– Privacy: Not uploaded; strictly private.
4) Conceptual discussion: “Archive� as a creative/analytic frame
– Textual anchor: Recalled prior readings—poems by Rumi and the short text “Blue Haze,â€� whose protagonist, Ediga, worked in an archive to identify and recopy culturally important materials.
– Elicited definitions: Students associated “archiveâ€� with keeping/saving/storing important documents or items; highlighted personal/contemporary senses (e.g., archiving chats in WhatsApp/Telegram) and broader personal/family/community archives.
– Framing: Archives include both physical artifacts and intangible items (memories, emotions, experiences) that collectively narrate a person’s or group’s history.
5) Activity: Curate your personal archive (Part 1—List building)
– Task: Make a list of five items that belong to your personal archive. Items can be:
– Personal/family/community artifacts,
– Memories/experiences (non-physical),
– Any era (childhood to present).
– Time: ~5 minutes.
– Instructor model: A cherished childhood teddy bear (described as a durable, emotionally significant artifact still kept at parents’ home).
6) Activity: Document your archive (Part 2—Evidence and description)
– For each of the five items:
– If accessible, take and save a clear photo (avoid people/identifiers if privacy is a concern).
– If not accessible, write 2–3 sentences of descriptive, sensory-rich prose that conveys both physical details and emotional wear/meaning. Avoid flat labeling; show age, condition, and affect (e.g., worn fur, faded paint, stains indicating long use).
– Clarifications:
– Photo OR description is sufficient (not both).
– Non-physical items (memories/experiences) are allowed; if no image, provide the descriptive prose.
– Items need not be limited to childhood; adult-life items/experiences are welcome.
– Students who struggled to reach five items were encouraged to think broader (school artifacts like grade sheets, family heirlooms, key life events, community traditions).
– Descriptions should go beyond “what it isâ€� to evoke how it looks/feels and why it matters.
7) Activity: Upload and organize (Part 3—Shared class archive space)
– Logistics:
– Instructor provided a Google Drive “S1â€� folder with subfolders for each student (also shared via Google Spaces).
– Students uploaded either the five photos or five descriptions (one per archive item) into their named folder.
– Guidance:
– Ensure all five items are represented.
– Keep working if incomplete; instructor monitored progress and granted a few extra minutes.
– Students asked to “imbueâ€� descriptions with emotion and concrete visual details.
– Technical support:
– Addressed audio issues and link-sharing; ensured everyone had folder access.
8) Activity: Peer browsing and thematic note-taking
– Task: Visit classmates’ S1 subfolders, skim their five items, and take notes (no upload required) on:
– Common patterns across archives (e.g., overlapping types of objects or memories),
– Unique, distinctive, or surprising items.
– Transition: Reached the scheduled 10-minute break.
9) Preview of next session (Sessions 2–3)
– Aim: Use the curated archives to explore how artifacts/memories evidence personal growth and the paths that led students to the present.
– Scheduling note: Five students requested to leave for a timed exam; instructor requested email details and will excuse them.
Actionable Items
Urgent (before next session)
– Students who will miss Sessions 2–3: Email the instructor with program name and exam details for excused absence (Aasia + 4 classmates).
– Katayoun: Email the instructor a detailed explanation of the personal issue affecting the essay submission to request an extension.
– All students: Finish uploading five archive items (photo or description) to your named S1 Drive folder if incomplete.
– Instructor: Post a consolidated portfolio brief in Google Spaces (deadlines, file/format rules, submission email) and re-share the S1 Drive link.
Time-sensitive (by Wednesday class)
– Instructor: Allocate in-class time for portfolio selection/typing as promised.
– Students: Bring/select six substantial notebook pieces for the portfolio (avoid one-liners); be ready to type during class if provided time.
Deadline-critical (Portfolio due Thursday by 17:00 AFT)
– Students:
– Compile one Word document in portrait orientation with:
– Title page (name, course, group),
– Six typed notebook pieces (each on a new page),
– Full essay appended.
– Do not edit grammar/style beyond faithful transcription.
– Email the Word file to the instructor’s personal email by 17:00 AFT Thursday.
Follow-up/Quality checks
– Instructor: Spot-check portfolio authenticity (consistency with prior notebook work).
– Students: If not already done, upload last session’s four-line poems to Google Drive as requested earlier.
– Class: During next archive activity, bring notes on common/unique themes noticed in peers’ folders to support discussion on personal growth trajectories.
Homework Instructions:
ASSIGNMENT #1: Orientation Writing Portfolio
You will create a curated “archive� of your authentic writing from this program to showcase who you are as a writer and learner. This portfolio connects to our class discussion of archives by preserving what matters from your work and will give your future FYS teachers a clear snapshot of your starting point (it is not about perfection).
Instructions:
1) Choose your six pieces:
– Select any six pieces from your notebook from any time in the program.
– Acceptable genres: free writing, analytical writing, creative writing, poetry, etc.
– Each piece must be substantial: at least a full paragraph (4–5 lines or more) or a complete poem. Do not include one-sentence responses.
2) Include your essay:
– Add the full essay you submitted earlier as part of this same portfolio document.
3) Type everything exactly as originally written:
– Type each selected piece and your essay with no grammar/spelling “polishingâ€� or rewrites. The goal is authenticity, not perfection.
– If the language suddenly appears far more polished than your notebook work, you may be asked to redo the portfolio.
4) Compile into one Word document:
– Use Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) and place all seven items (six pieces + essay) in a single file.
– Start each piece on a new page.
5) Add a title page:
– At the beginning, include a title page with a title of your choice, your full name, the class, and your group.
6) Follow the formatting rule:
– All pages must be in portrait orientation (not landscape).
– You have creative control over appearance: a simple white document is fine, or you may add color/graphics if you wish, as long as pages remain portrait.
7) Submit:
– Email the single Word document to the professor’s personal email address.
8) Deadline:
– Thursday by 17:00 (5:00 p.m.) Afghanistan time, before our last class begins.
– We may use some class time on Wednesday to help you select and type, but you are responsible for meeting the deadline.