First-Year Composition Program Fall 2019 Rhetoric and Writing Studies RWS 1301 CRN: 16870 Section: 040 Meeting Times: T/R 3:00-4:20 Place: UGLC 236 Instructor Information: Natalie Taylor Email: [email protected]Office Hours: TR 11:00am-1:00pm Office Location: Library C443 Course Description The goal of RWS 1301 is to develop students’ critical thinking skills in order to facilitate effective communication in educational, professional, and social contexts. Effective communication is based on an awareness of and appreciation for discourse communities as well as knowledge specific to subject matter, genre, rhetorical strategy, and writing process. It is designed to prepare you for the writing you will do throughout your university experience as well as in professional and civic environments. This course offers you a curriculum that empowers you to determine the most effective rhetorical strategies, arrangements, and media to use in different rhetorical contexts Learning Outcomes At the end of this course, students will: Understand a theory of discourse communities. Engage as a community of writers who dialogue across texts, argue, and build on each other’s work. Draw on existing knowledge bases to create “new” or “transformed” knowledge. Develop a knowledge of genres as they are defined and stabilized within discourse communities. 1
Transcript
First-Year Composition Program Fall 2019
Rhetoric and Writing Studies RWS 1301CRN: 16870Section: 040
Course DescriptionThe goal of RWS 1301 is to develop students’ critical thinking skills in order to facilitate effective communication in educational, professional, and social contexts. Effective communication is based on an awareness of and appreciation for discourse communities as well as knowledge specific to subject matter, genre, rhetorical strategy, and writing process. It is designed to prepare you for the writing you will do throughout your university experience as well as in professional and civic environments. This course offers you a curriculum that empowers you to determine the most effective rhetorical strategies, arrangements, and media to use in different rhetorical contexts
Learning OutcomesAt the end of this course, students will:
Understand a theory of discourse communities. Engage as a community of writers who dialogue across texts, argue, and
build on each other’s work. Draw on existing knowledge bases to create “new” or “transformed”
knowledge. Develop a knowledge of genres as they are defined and stabilized within
discourse communities. Address the specific, immediate rhetorical situations of individual
communicative acts. Develop procedural knowledge of the writing task in its various phases. Engage reflection about their own learning.
This course is also designed to promote your overall success, inside and outside the classroom. Our coursework will help you to improve in key areas such as Com-
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munication, Confidence, Critical Thinking, Leadership, Problem Solving, Social Re-sponsibility and Teamwork. To find out more about the university’s plan to improve student engagement and learning, visit the UTEP Edge.
Required Texts & Materials
Bossie, R., & LaPrade, P. (2019). The first-year composition handbook (19th ed.)
o An e-book available through the UTEP Bookstore. Bullock, R., & Daly Goggin, M. (2019). The Norton Field Guide to Writing with
Readings (5th ed.) o Available at the UTEP bookstore.
Additional Readings will be available on Blackboard in the folder “Supplementary Readings.”
For various assignments, you will need access to Microsoft Word, Skype Business, Blackboard, and Weebly.com.
Flash drive to back up ALL course assignments. You will not be able to save your work on classroom computer hard drives, so it is vital that you save your work on a flash drive and bring it to class EVERY day.
Course AssignmentsThis section is a brief overview of the assignments we’ll cover in this course. Specific assignment guidelines can be found in the Handbook. I will also post further instructions on our Blackboard.
Other Assignments (300 points – broken down below) In-Class Journal (30 x 5 = 150 points) – Each day we are in class, you will
complete a short writing assignment related to the assigned reading or current major assignment. Each day’s assignment is worth 5 points. You must be present and in class on time to complete these assignments, as most of these assignments will be submitted to Blackboard in the first 5-15 minutes of class. On conference days, these points will be earned through a post-conference reflection. You will get full credit on each journal entry as
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long as it is complete and submitted on time. I will consider partial credit on a case-by-case basis.
Homework (140 points) – These assignments will include any work that is completed outside of class that are not final drafts of major assignments. Unless otherwise stated, you will post all homework to the designated Discussion Board on Blackboard. Check each Discussion Board prompt for particular instructions. Many of these prompts will require you to respond to a classmate in order to earn full credit. These assignments will appear in your Blackboard gradebook as they are made available to you. They will be worth between 5-20 points each, depending on the assignment.
Conferences (10 points) – At minimum, you will meet with me twice (either one-on-one or in small groups) this semester to discuss your writing and your progress in class. I will explain in class how these conferences will be scheduled. Of course, you are more than welcome to meet with me more often as these conference session are your best means of accessing one-on-one verbal feedback from me about your writing. Each required conference is worth 5 points.
Grade Distribution (Students can earn a total of 1000 points for the course):1000-900 = A 899-800 = B 799 -700 = C 699-600 = D 599 and
below = F
University and Instructor Policies
Course Delivery:This course takes place face-to-face and uses the online learning platform Blackboard. All of the supplementary material for the class will be delivered via Blackboard. It is strongly recommended that you have access to the Internet from home and are comfortable using a computer. If home access is not possible, arrangements can be made to use a computer regularly on campus in order to complete the work. Student computer labs such as ATLAS (http://issweb.utep.edu/) are often available until midnight, but schedules do vary. A great deal of work will be done online, and not having access to a computer will affect your ability to turn in assignments on time.
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Submitting Work: All work will be submitted through Blackboard. Since Blackboard comment and grade function works best with Microsoft Word, please submit all assignments in Microsoft Word following APA format unless directed otherwise. Microsoft Word is available to students at all campus computers and through the Cloud.
Due Dates: Most major assignments will be due on Tuesdays by midnight. Exceptions
include in-class group presentations and e-portfolio reflections. Homework assignments (drafts, discussion posts, etc.) will be due by the
time class begins on the scheduled date. Please be mindful of the course calendar and check it regularly.
Late Work: It is important to submit work by the deadline to earn full credit and feedback. My late work policy has three components:
1. Homework/In-Class Journal: I will not accept these assignments late. Late work in these categories will earn 0s. These 0s will add up, so please make sure you don’t let yourself fall behind.
2. Major Assignments: If you submit a major assignment (the numbered assignments listed above) late, you will be docked a full letter grade’s worth of points. For example, if your assignment earns a B and you submit it 1 day late, your grade will be a C in the grade book. No major assignment will be accepted beyond one week after the original due date.
3. Extensions: You have ONE free, no-questions-asked, 5-day extension that you can use on ANY assignment (other than group work). All you have to do is email me before the due date/time to tell me you are using your free extension—I don’t need to know why you are using it. Except in rare cases of emergency, you can’t retroactively apply your extension, so try to use your extension wisely. You will not lose any points on the assignment if you submit it within the extended five-day timeframe.
Optional Revisions:Since this class believes that writing is never really finished and that the “final” drafts you submit on due dates don’t always represent a final document, you are encouraged to revise and resubmit your major assignments to earn better grades.
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After you receive your grade and feedback on the assignment and you are unhappy with your grade, you have one week to do the following:
1. Revise your assignment.2. Take your revised assignment to the UWC and get a tutor’s feedback.3. Revise again.4. Submit your new final document to Blackboard and ensure I get proof that
you visited the UWC.If you follow all of these steps, I will throw out your original grade and re-grade your assignment. You cannot earn a worse grade on an optional revision.
Classroom Etiquette: Electronic devices can be very helpful in the classroom whether a
smartphone, tablet, or computer. However, if their use does not contribute to the conversation or tasks in the classroom then I have the right to ask you to put it away or turn it off, even if it is a personal device.
Debate, critical inquiry, and intellectual diversity are essential elements to higher education and a process of learning. There is the potential during this course for controversial and sensitive topics to be discussed during small group or whole class interaction, and to surface through our social media activity. You are expected to demonstrate the utmost respect and courtesy for your peers with differing arguments, viewpoints, and/or experiences. Sexist, racist, homophobic, or other hateful speech will not be tolerated.
As a general rule: always consider audience, in class and online. Remember that members of the class and the instructor will be reading any postings. When reacting to someone else’s message (verbal or written), address the ideas, not the person and post only what anyone would comfortably state in a face-to-face situation.
Blackboard is not a public internet venue; all postings to it should be considered private and confidential. Whatever is posted in these online spaces is intended for classmates and professor only. Please do not copy documents and paste them to a publicly accessible website, blog, or other space. If students wish to do so, they have the ethical obligation to first request the permission of the writer(s).
Email Etiquette:I welcome emails from you at any time to ask me questions and clarifications about assignments and class. I am here to help you and guide you through this
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course, and I hope you seek out assistance when you need it. I will try my best to answer you within 24-hours, though you should expect slower replies if you send emails after 5pm on weekdays or at any point on the weekends as I do not check my email often during those times. When you do email me, please include a greeting, a reminder of which section of 1301 you are in (I have multiple sections of this course), a clearly explained question, and a signature. Following these instructions will ensure that you get your questions answered as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Attendance:According to The University of Texas at El Paso’s catalog: “The student is expected to attend all classes and laboratory sessions and attendance is mandatory for all freshman-level courses (1XXX). It is the responsibility of the student to inform each instructor of extended absences. (For further information regarding excused absences refer to UTEP’s Catalog Curriculum and Classroom Policies.
You are expected to attend all class meetings and to engage in discussions and workshops. The class discussions will help you learn to improve your writing, often through the discussion of a sample student project (sometimes yours, sometimes one written by a classmate). If you miss more than four classes (or two weeks of class), you may be dropped from the course. If you miss too many classes after November 1, it is highly likely that you will fail the course. Missing a scheduled conference with me counts as an absence. Academic Integrity:The University of Texas at El Paso prides itself on its standards of academic excellence. In the classroom and in all other academic activities, students are expected to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, and any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts. Instructors are required to report the suspected academic dishonesty to the Office of Student Affairs. Visit the Office of Dean of Students page for more information on Academic integrity.
Your success in this class is important. If there are aspects of this course that pre-vent you from learning or exclude you, please let me know as soon as possible. Together we’ll develop strategies to meet both your needs and the requirements of the course. I also encourage you to visit the Center for Accommodations and Support Services (CASS) in room 106, Union East Building or contact them at 747-5148 or [email protected]. If you need official accommodations, you have a right to have these met. There are also a range of resources on campus, including the Writing Center, Counseling Center, Military Student Success Center and Academic Advising Center.
University Writing Center: UTEP’s University Writing Center (UWC) offers free writing tutoring assistance for all UTEP students. The tutors are undergraduate and graduate students who can help with all parts of a writing assignment, including prewriting, organizing, revising, and editing. They can also help to understand any writing assignment and help work on comprehending difficult textbook material. Note: To facilitate revision, I encourage you to visit the writing center at least 12 hours before the assignment is due.
The UWC is located in Library 227 and is open Monday-Thursday 9am-6pm; Friday 9am-2pm, and Sunday 12pm-5pm.
Military Students: If you are a military student (veteran, dependent, active) please visit the Military Student Success Center. I also recognize the complexities of being a student veteran. If you are a student veteran, please inform me if you need special accommodations. Drill schedules, calls to active duty, complications with GI Bill disbursement, and other unforeseen military and veteran-related developments can complicate your academic life. If you make me aware of a complication, I will do everything I can to assist you or put you in contact with university staff who are trained to assist you.
Important Dates for this Semester: Aug 26 First day of classAug 26-30 Late registration periodSept 2 Labor Day-no classSept 11 Census Day. Last day to register. Drop students who have not come to
Nov 1 Drop Date-last day to drop student with a WNov 28-29 Thanksgiving holidayDec 5 Last day of classes Dec 6 Dead Day--Day between last class day and start of finals, no classDec 9-13 Final Exams. Check the UTEP finals week calendar for your courseDec 19 Grades are posted
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Weekly Schedule
This schedule is tentative and is subject to change. I will notify you by email or in class when such changes occur, and I will post the updated schedule to Blackboard. Readings and writing assignments are listed on the dates they are due, meaning I expect you will have read the assigned reading before class begins on that day. Unless otherwise stated, writing assignments are also due on Blackboard before class for that day begins.
It is up to you to keep track of due dates by checking this calendar daily. Blackboard will NOT remind you of what to read or when some smaller assignments and drafts are due.
Key:
BB = Blackboard, which means you can find the assigned reading in the “Supplementary Readings” folder in our Blackboard course.
HB = The First-Year Composition Handbook N = Norton Field Guide to Writing Red Text = Major Assignment Due
Date In-Class Activities/Topics
Reading Due Writing Due
Week 1 – Introduction to RWS 1301T, Aug. 27
Introduction to RWS 1301; “On Unlearning”
R, Aug. 29
Rhetorical Situations and E-Portfolios
BB - SyllabusHB – pp. 97-106N – pp.55-71
“Introductions” Discussion Board
Syllabus QuizWeek 2 – Linguistic Identity and Reading StrategiesT, Sep. 3 Reading Difficult
Texts / Reflecting on our Linguistic Identities
N – pp. 10-20BB – “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” by Gloria Anzaldua
E-Portfolio Shell and Homepage draft
R, Sep. 5
Reading Difficult Texts / Activity Theory
BB – “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” by Gloria Anzaldua
Linguistic Identity Discussion Board
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Week 3 – Discourse CommunitiesT, Sep. 10
Defining Discourse Communities / Group Work
Sign-up for individual conferences
BB – Swales, “The Concept of a Discourse Community”HB – pp. 125-131
Discourse Communities Discussion Board Part 1
R, Sep. 12
Activity Systems / Group Work
BB – Kain/Wardle “Activity Theory”
Discourse Communities Discussion Board Part 2
Week 4 – Research Topics T, Sep. 17
Discourse Community Presentations /
Review Swales and Kain/Wardle as needed
R, Sep. 19
What is Research? Developing Local and Global Research Questions
N – pp. 479-484BB – “On Writing to a Question”
E-Portfolio Reflection on Discourse Community Analysis Presentation
Week 5 – Rhetorical AnalysisT, Sep. 24
Practicing Rhetorical Analysis
N – “The Politics of Stairs,” pp. 953-957N – pp. 25-32HB – pp. 137-142
Topic Proposal
R, Sep. 26
Group Work / Summary and Analysis
TBA
Week 6 – Rhetorical Analysis and Types of SourcesT, Oct. 1 Rhetorical Analysis
PresentationsR, Oct. 3 What kinds of
sources do I need to answer my question? / Primary and Secondary Sources
TBA E-Portfolio Reflection on Rhetorical Analysis
Week 7 – Annotated BibliographiesT, Oct. 8 Doing Field Research
/ Setting up TBA TBA
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Interviews R, Oct. 10
Secondary Sources / Annotated Bibliographies
HB – pp. 142-145N – pp.190-198
TBA
Week 8 – Annotated BibliographiesT, Oct. 15
Summarizing Sources
TBA TBA
R, Oct. 17
TBA TBA
Week 9 – Annotated BibliographiesT, Oct. 22
Peer Review of Annotated Bibliography
TBA Annotated Bibliography Draft
R, Oct. 24
No Class – Online Work to Complete
TBA TBA
Week 10 – Putting it All TogetherT, Oct. 29
Synthesizing Sources TBA Annotated Bibliography
R, Oct. 31
Organization TBA E-Portfolio Reflection on Annotated Bibliography
Week 11T, Nov. 5 Peer Review of
Global Issues Report Draft
TBA Global Issues Report Draft (in class)
R, Nov. 7
Analyzing Visual Arguments
TBA
Week 12T, Nov. 12
No Class – Natalie at Academic Conference, Online Work
TBA Peer Review 2 of Global Issues Report
R, Nov. 14
No Class – Natalie at Academic Conference; Online Work
TBA Group Contract and Visual Argument Proposal
Week 13 – iMovie and Visual ArgumentsT, Nov. 19
Intro to iMovie TBA Global Issues Report Final Due
R, Nov. 21
Group Work TBA E-Portfolio Reflection Assignment #6
