CollegeWritingIFall2019
WRIT105-XX
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WelcometoWRIT105-XX.Thiscourseisdesignedtoprovideyouwithasolidfoundationforcollege-levelwritingandcriticalthinking.Writingisnotthetransferofthoughtontopaper;rather,writingisthought.Withthisinmind,WRIT105bothteacheshowwritingfunctionsasameansofcriticalinquiryandstressestheimportanceofwritingtoyourcollegecoursework,careers,andlife.Thiscourseworksundertheassumptionthatthebestwaytobecomemoreadeptatwritingistowritefrequently.Forthisreason,wewillengagewithwritingasaprocessthatinvolvesmultipledrafts,brainstormingactivities,editing,peerrevision,andconferences.Iwillaskyoutodoagoodamountofwritinginclass,andtosharetheseexerciseswithyourclassmates.Youshouldbringapenandpaperorlaptoptoeachclass.Muchofthisin-classwritingwillbequick,informal,andexperimental.Itisintendedtohelpyoumoveforwardwiththelonger,gradedessaysyouwillwriteforthiscourse.Youwillhavemultipleandvariedwaysofsharingyourpointsofviewthroughsmallgroupwork,classdiscussion,andpeerworkshops.Youshouldexpecttospendroughlyeighthoursaweekoutsideofclasstimeonyourcourseworkforthisclass.Ilookforwardtoworkingwithyouall,andIinviteyoutotalkwithmeatanypointaboutyourprogressintheclass.RequiredTextBullock,Richard.TheNortonFieldGuidetoWriting,5thedition.NewYork:W.W.NortonandCompany.ImportantDatesSeptember4:ClassesbeginSeptember11:LastdayofAdd/DropperiodNovember28-December1:ThanksgivingholidayDecember20:Classesend
CourseOutcomes:
Objective Description
1.Knowledgeoftheargumentativegenre
Studentswillbeabletodefineandidentifythecharacterofargumentativewriting,anddistinguishitfromothergenresinpurposeandexecution.
2.Argumentativewriting
Studentswillbeabletopresentstrongcentralclaimsandargumentsthatarewellsupportedwithevidence,logic,andanalysis,inclearprose.
3.WritingProcessStudentswillunderstandandbeabletoexecutethekeyelementsofawritingprocess:aseriesofrigorous,thoughtfulrevisionswhichre-imagineandreworkany—andlikelyall—ofthekeycriteriaofgoodwriting.
4.Closereading
Studentswillbeabletodemonstrateanabilitytocloselyreadtext(i.e.,beattentivetofinerdetailsofcontent,argument,rhetoricalmoves,audience,social/cultural/historicalcontext,andreader/authorassumptions),throughanalyticalwritingthatdrawsontheseskillsofclosereadingtoadvancetheirownarguments.
5.Citation&Referencing
Studentswillbeabletoappropriatelydocumentandintegrateexternalresearchintotheirwriting,andbefamiliarwithatleastonestyleofformalcitation(e.g.MLA).
AssignmentBreakdown:Assignment PrimaryInquiry PercentageGradeLiteracynarrativefinaldraft SelfInquiry 10%Rhetoricalanalysisofatextfinaldraft
TextualInquiry 15%
Enteringpublicargumentfinaldraft
IssueInquiry 15%
Portfolio Reflective+RemediationInquiry
25%
Discussionboardposts [Varieswithprompt] 15%Earlyandmiddledrafts[completiongrade](6)
[Varieswithprompt] 15%
Writer’sletters(3) ReflectiveInquiry 5%
Allmajorassignmentpromptsarelocatedattheendofthissyllabus.GradingscaleA 100-94A- 93-90B+ 89-87B 86-84B- 83-80C+ 79-77C 76-74C- 73-70D+ 69-67D 66-64D- 63-61F 60-0DraftsRevisionthroughmultipledraftsisthefoundationofthisclass.Yourdraftswillbethefocusofthisclass,soitiscriticalthatyoucompletethemaccordingtothescheduleonthesyllabus.Wewilluseyourdraftstopracticevarioustechniquesforeffectivewritingduringclasstime.Youwillcompletethreedrafts(early,middle,final)foreachmajoressayassignmentandwillsubmitthemtomeviaCanvas.Thesyllabuswillindicatewhenyoushouldbringacopyofyourdrafttoclass.Ifyouarehavingtroublemakingprogressonanessay,letmeknowrightaway—ormakeanappointmentwiththeCollegeWritingStudio.Wewillhelpyoumakeforwardprogress.DoWeHaveYourNameCorrect?IfyournameisdifferentthanhowyournameislistedonCanvas,pleaseupdateyourpreferrednameinHawkSync.Pleasealsoinformmeofanychanges.ANoteonPersonalPronounsPleaseletmeknowyourpreferredpronounsatthestartofthesemester.Wewillhaveon-goingconversationsaboutwhichpronounsweshoulduseforeachotherandforthewritersthatwereadinclass.Ifweareusingthewrongpronounstorefertoyou,pleaseletmeknowviaemailorinperson.StopbytheLGBTQCenterlocatedintheOfficeforEquityandDiversity,StudentCenter,Room113A,forstrategiesfordiscussingpronounusage.CollegeWritingStudioOutsideofclass,youhaveaccesstoupper-levelstudenttutorsandadrop-inspacecompletewithlaptopsforon-sitewritingintheCollegeWritingStudio(Schmitt132).OurpeertutorsareadvancedundergraduatestudentswhohaveexcelledinCollegeWritingandaretrainedtohelpyouwithyourWRITessays.Youcanreceivehelponanypartofthewritingprocessfromunderstandingcoursereadingsanddevelopinghomeworkassignments,todrafting,composing,andrevisingmajoressayassignments.YoucanmakeanappointmentthroughthelinkthatIprovideyouatthestartofthesemester.
AttendanceEveryabsenceaftertwomayaffectyourgrade.Morethanfiveabsenceswillresultinafailinggradefortheclass.Inthiscoursethereisnodistinctionbetweenexcusedandunexcusedabsences.Documentationisnotaccepted.Ifthereareseverecircumstancesthatyoufeelwarrantanexception,pleaseletmeknowassoonaspossible.Basedonthisdiscussion,Imaybeabletoreferyoutotheappropriatecampusresourceforhelpandpossibleaccommodations.[Hybrid,online,and4-creditclassesmayhaveanadjustmenttothispolicy.]LateworkIdonotacceptlatework.AllassignmentsaredueinCanvasbythetimethatclassbeginsontheassignedduedate.Incaseofemergency,pleasecontactmeimmediately.Rememberthattechnologiesfail—computerscrash,printersstopworking,Internetconnectionsgoout.Makesurethatyoualwaysbackupyourwork,andhaveaPlanBforwhentheseeventualitiesoccur.Noneofthesereasonsarevalidfornotturninginyourwork.ClassCancelationIfaclassmustbecanceledduetoanemergency,Iwillcontactyouviaemailandwillsubstituteanonlineassignment.MakesurethatyoucheckandemptyyourMSUmailboxfrequentlytoavoidmissingimportantemails.(Onceitisfull,itwillnotacceptfurtheremail).EveniftheUniversitycancelsclassesduetobadweather,wewillholdclassonline.AcademicIntegrityStudentsandfacultyatMontclairStateUniversitydependonacademicintegritytobuildtheUniversity-widecommunitythattheyshare.TheFirst-YearWritingprogramappliestheUniversityAcademicDishonestyPolicy,whichincludesplagiarism,andtheCampusClimateforCivilityandHumanDignitypolicyaspartofitsapproachtoteachingandcommunity-building.Wewillreviewthesepoliciesandtheirconsequencesthroughoutthesemester.Itisalwaysagoodideatotalktomeortakeadvantageofotherprovidedresourcesifyouarehavingtroublewithaclassroomdiscussion,atopicinclass,oranassignment.Alwaysreachouttomefirstifyouhaveanyquestionsabouthowtouseorcitesourcesproperly.AccommodationsIfyourequireaccommodationstofullyparticipateinthisclass,pleasevisittheDisabilityResourceCenter(DRC)inWebsterHall,Room100toreceivealetterrequestingaccommodations.Thisofficewillworkwithyoutoassurethatyouaregiventheservicesnecessarytoequalizeaccess.CompletionofCourseEvaluationAlinkforanonlineevaluationofthiscoursewillbesenttoyoufromtheOfficeoftheProvostlateinthesemester.Asaprogram,weconsideryourevaluationofthecoursetobepartofyourparticipationasastudentinyourownlearning.Onceyoucompletethesurvey,youwillreceiveaconfirmationofcompletionthroughemail,whichyoushouldemailtome.CourseevaluationsareavaluablepartoftheFirstYearWritingProgramastheyhelpto
maintainstandardsofexcellence.Thesesurveysareanonymous,andIwillnotknowtheresultsuntilIhavesubmittedgradesforthesemester.Resources
• Yourclassmates.Relyononeanotherforthequestionsyouhaveregardingtheworkwe’redoinginclass.Youall,bothindividuallyandasacollective,embodyavastbankofknowledgeandexperiences.
• Me.IwilldoallIcantoassistyouinsucceedinginthiscourse.Feelfreetomakean
appointmentwithme,orjusttalkbeforeorafterclass.EmailisareliablewaytocontactmeandIwilltrymybesttorespondinatimelymanner.
• TheFirstYearWritingprogramwebsiteoffersinformationaboutaspectsofthe
programsuchastheExemplaryEssayAwards,LiveLit,andothernews.
• TheCollegeWritingStudioisstaffedbyundergraduatewritingtutorswhoarefamiliarwithourcurriculum.Theycanhelpyouatanystageofwriting,inasupportiveenvironment.
• TheRegistraroffersinformationaboutadding,dropping,orwithdrawingfroma
class.
• OIT(OfficeofInformationTechnology)provideshelpwithCanvasandcomputerissues.
• CAPSCounselingandPsychologicalServicesoffersshort-termindividualandgroupcounseling,includingtheLet’sTalkprogramthatincludesmultipleweeklydrop-insessionsaroundcampus.
• DeanofStudentsOfficeoffersservicesandinformationthatenablesyoutoreachyouracademicandpersonalgoals.
• OwlatPurdueTheOnlineWritingLabatPurdueUniversityoffersinformationon
MLA/APAstyle,grammaticalquestions,andotherwritingissues.
• CenterforStudentDevelopmentofferssupportforVeteranstudents.
• BoththeLibraryandUniversityHall(5thFloor)offerlaptoplendingservices.
• AcademicSuccessCenterofferstutoringandworkshopsinseveralsubjectareas.
• LGBTQCentersponsorsworkshops,events,andgroupmeetingsthroughoutthesemester.
• TaraReineckercanansweradvisingquestionsforthosestudentsenrolledinathletics.
AssessmentCriteriaforWrittenWorkCentralClaimThecentralclaimisadebatable,complexstanceorpositionthatestablishesyourargumentforanintendedaudience.Yourhighschoolteachermighthavecalledthisa“thesisstatement.”Youshouldfurtherexplore,support,andadvancethecentralclaimor“setofideas”throughoutthecomposition(theword“composition”representsbothanessayormultimodalproject).Thecentralclaimisthefoundationuponwhichyoubuildtheessayormultimodalprojectandwhichyouusetodrivethediscussionforward.Successfulcompositionsconsistentlydemonstrateattentiontoandfocusonthecentralclaim.DevelopmentAneffectiveargumentativeessayormultimodalprojectintegratesevidenceandanalysisintoanextendeddiscussionthatengagesinsustainedandexpandedconversation.Effectivedevelopmentusesexamplesandevidencefromotherwriters,primaryandoutsidesources,scholarlyandpopularresearch,anecdotes,andlivedexperience.Effectivedevelopmentmeansgoingbeyondlistingexamplesbyexploringtheimplicationsofthecentralclaimandtakingyouraudiencethroughthebuildingofyourideas.AnalysisAnalysisistheinnovativeheartofacompositionwhereyousynthesizetheconnectionsandrelationshipsbetweentexts,ideas,evidence,andthecentralclaim.Analysisexploresandanswersthequestions“Sowhat?”or“How?”or“Why?”Thesequestionspushyouasthewritertoofferreasonsfortheconnectionsbetweenideasandavailablesupportingevidence.Themostsuccessfulanalysisaffirmsandfurthersthecentralclaimbydemonstratingitscomplexityandsignificance.OrganizationTwomaincriteriadefineorganization:(1)acoreargumentthatispresentedconsistentlythroughouttheessayand(2)sub-claims,supportedbylogicallyconnectedandstructuredparagraphs,thatmovethroughtheargumentasitisdevelopedandsubstantiated.Theorganizationallogicofacompositionreliesonaseriesofsub-claimsdesignedtosupportandadvancethecentralclaim.Thecompositionmovesfromonesub-claimintoanotherinacohesiveway.Youmayhaveinthepastusedtheword“flow”todescribethismovementandcohesiveness.Withgood“flow”theprogressionofideasmakessensetoreadersastheyfollowyourargument.Inacompositionwitheffectiveorganization,eachsub-claimbuildsonwhatcomesbeforeitandtransitionssmoothlytothenextinalogicalprogression.ClarityofProseAsuccessfulessaydemonstratesclarityofprose,whichrequiresproficiencywithEnglishgrammar,usage,andmechanics,aswellasMLAformattingandcitations.Suchproficiency
mayalsoinvolvevariedsentencestructure,accuratewordchoices,andcarefulproofreadingthatservetherhetoricalpurposeyouareexploring.RevisionAdrienneRichdefinesrevisionasaprocessof“re-seeing”:youmakesomenewdiscoveryorbuildfurtheronanexistingideainwaysthatultimatelycreateamoresophisticated,expanded,andcomplicatedcomposition.Yousuccessfullyaccomplishthislevelofrevisionbymakingdecisionsaboutthefeedbackandresponsesyoureceivefrompeersandinstructors;ultimatelyyoumustincorporate,interpret,andtranslatethisfeedbackinproductivewaysthatreshapetheoriginalcomposition.BenchmarkLanguageWRIT105*A*paperspresentpowerful,engagingargumentsandcentralclaims.InanApaper,thewriter’scentralclaimisclearandyetalsocomplexandsophisticated.Thecentralclaimandcoreideasoftheessayaresupportedbycompellingevidence,logicalreasoning,andanalysis.Relevantsourcesareintegratedanddocumentedappropriately.Theessayishighlyreadablebecauseitisorganizedforthereader’seaseofunderstanding,andtheparagraphsandsentencesareclearly,articulatelywrittenandenhancetheoveralleffectivenessoftheessay.*B*paperspresentstrongcentralclaimsandargumentsthatarewellsupportedwithevidence,logic,andanalysis.Relevantsourcesareintegratedanddocumentedappropriately.Theessayisorganizedappropriately,andtheproseisclearthoughitlikelydoesnothavethearticulatenessofan“A”paper.*C*paperspresentcentralclaimsandargumentsthatareadercanfollowbutthatmaybeonlypartiallysupportedbyevidenceandexamples.Organizationalfocusandanalysismaybeweak,suggestingthatsignificantrevisionisneeded.Oftenthereisevidencethattheauthorhaseithermisreadoronlysuperficiallyreadthetextorsourcesunderanalysis;sourcesmaynotbeintegratedwellordocumentedappropriately.Theproseisgenerallyreadable,thoughsentencesarenotalwaysclear,anderrorsaresometimesdistracting.*D*papersareeitherunsuccessfulinpresentingcentralclaimsandarguments,orpresentargumentsthatareessentiallyunsupported.Dpapersmayvaryinlength,buttheparagraphsarefrequentlyorganizedinawaythatconfusesratherthanguidesreaders.Externalsourcesareoftennotpresentorwell-integrated;sourcesarelikelynotdocumentedcorrectly.PapersthatarewritteninprosethatisconfusingwillreceiveDs,thoughnotallDpaperswillhaveconfusingprose.*F*papersareunsuccessfulinpresentingandsupportingarguments,eitherbecausetheycontainnocentralclaimsor,iftheydo,theseclaimsarepoorlydeveloped.Essaysareorganizedandwritteninaconfusingmanner,andproseisofteninaccessibleforthereader.
Sourcesaretypicallynotdocumentedatallornotdocumentedcorrectly.Oftentheessaydoesnotmeettheexpectationsoutlinedintheassignment.MidtermreviewTheMidtermReviewisawayforinstructorsintheFirst-YearWritingProgramtomeasureyourprogressandtohelpidentifystudentswhowouldbenefitfromadditionalwritinginstructionmovingforward.Thisassignmentalsoallowsyoutoreflectuponthedevelopmentofyourwritingprocessatthemidpointofthesemester.AllWRIT105studentswillcompletethisprogram-wideassignment.TheMidtermReviewwillhelpusdeterminetheWRIT106coursethatwillbestsuityourneedsasawriter.
AssignmentForthereview,youwillsubmitthreepiecesofwritingasseparatefilesinCanvas,usingthelinkprovided:• FinaldraftofyourEssay1assignment• Onedraft,discussionpost,orotherpieceofwritingfromModule2(asassigned
byyourinstructor)• Oneshortmid-semesterreflection
Mid-SemesterReflection(150-300words)ConsideringyourexperiencesinyourwritingclasssofaraswellasyourearlyworkonEssay2,writeashortreflectionthataddressesoneormoreofthesequestions.Bespecificwhenyoutalkaboutyourwritingandyourneedsinthewritingclassoverall.Wewanttounderstandwhatyouneedhelpwithandwhereyouarefindingsuccesssofar.• Whatdidyoulearnaboutyourselfasawriterfromtheprocessofwritingthe
Essay1Assignment?• WhatstrengthsdoyouperceiveinyourcurrentModule2draft,discussionpost,
orotherprocesspiece?Whatsignificantrevisionsdoyouexpecttomakeandwhy?
• Howdidyou/willyouchangeyourapproachtoEssay2basedonyourexperiencewithEssay1?
• Inwhatways(ifany)doyouthinkyouneedmorewritingsupport?
SyllabusCaveat
Iamhappytoansweranyquestionsthatyouhaveaboutthissyllabus.Imayadjustthecoursescheduleifneededandwillnotifyyouofanychanges.
CourseScheduleModuleOne:CraftingaLiteracyNarrative
Class1:Introductions;takingatourofCanvasandthesyllabus;signingupforWCOnline.Watch:Ta-NehisiCoates,“AdviceonWriting”andCollegeWritingStudiopromo
HomeworkRead:Thesyllabus;“ShittyFirstDrafts”byAnneLamott;NFG“WritinginAcademicContexts”p.3-7Write:Discussionboardentry:pastexperienceswithwriting
Class2:Discussreadings;defineliteracies;brainstormdifferenttypesofliteracies;assigntheliteracynarrativeessay
HomeworkRead:NFG“Writingaliteracynarrative”p.75-97;NFG“Readinginacademiccontexts”;samplestudentliteracynarrativesWrite:Discussionboardentry:possibletopicsforyourliteracynarrative
Class3:Discusscharacteristicsofliteracynarratives,usingthesamplestudentessaysandtheNFGmaterial;searchtheDigitalArchivesofLiteracyNarrativesingroupsandfindcompellingexamples.
HomeworkRead:NFG“Describing”p.443-451,“Dialogue”p.452-456,“Narrating”p.462-470Write:Earlydraftofyourliteracynarrative(storyonly),dueonCanvasbyclasstime—bringahardcopytoclass
Class4:Practicepeerreviewsession;shareearlydraftsingroupsandreceiveinputonwhatthestorymightmean(analysisportionofessay).
HomeworkRead:NFG“ThinkingaboutHowtheTextWorks”p.21-23,“GettingResponseandRevising”p.348-355Write:Workonyourmiddledraft;bringacopytoclass
Class5:Withapeer’sdraft,practicesays/doesactivityfromthereading;practicinganalysiswithimages.
HomeworkWrite:MiddledraftdueonCanvasbyclasstime--bringahardcopytoclass
Class6:Peerreview—readessaysoutloud Homework
toyourgroup;workshoponusingstrongverbs
Read:NFG“EditingandProofreading”p.356-360Write:Reviseyourmiddledraft—bringahardcopytoclassnexttime
Class7:Editingandproofreadingworkshopwithyourowndrafts;introducewriter’sletterprompt.
HomeworkWrite:Finaldraftofliteracynarrative+writer’sletterduenextclass,onCanvasbyclasstime.
ModuleTwo:RhetoricallyAnalyzingaText
Class8:WatchBarackObamaspeech,“AMorePerfectUnion.”AnalyzeusingthetermsinNFG“ReadingRhetorically”p.25-32.
HomeworkRead:NFG“Purpose,”“Audience,”“Genre,”“Stance,”“Media/Design”p.55-71;NFG“WhyitWorked:ARhetoricalAnalysisofObama’sSpeechonRace”byRoyPeterClarkp.107-113Write:Discussionboardentryaboutarecentargumentthatyoumadetosomeone,andanalyzeitaccordingtothetermslaidoutinthereading.
Class9:Sharediscussionboardpoststobecomemorefamiliarwithrhetoricalterms;practicegeneratingcentralclaims.
HomeworkRead:“YouLeftoutthePartAbout…”byTa-NehisiCoates.NFG“AnalyzingTexts”p.98-107;115-130.Write:Discussionboardentry:Brainstormthreetextsthatyouareinterestedinwritingabout;describechallengesandadvantagesofeach(keepinginmindtherhetoricaltermsyouwillbeusing).
Class10:Discusspossibletopics;collaborativelywriteashortrhetoricalanalysisoftheCoatespieceonGoogleDocs(eachgrouptakesadifferentrhetoricalterm).
HomeworkWrite:EarlydraftofrhetoricalanalysisdueonCanvasbyclasstime--bringahardcopytoclass.
Class11:Reviewdevelopmentandanalysishandout;practicedevelopingyourown
HomeworkRead:NFG“BeginningandEnding”p.373-
essayfurther,usingthetechniquesinthehandout;mini-lessononagrammaticalissueIsawtrendinginthelastsetofessays.
385Write:Continueworkingonyourdraft;bringahardcopytoclass
Class12:Readstudentsampleessaysandanalyzetheirapproaches,especiallytheirintroductionsandconclusions;workshopyourownintroductionsandconclusionsbasedonNFGsuggestions.
HomeworkWrite:MiddledraftofrhetoricalanalysisdueonCanvasbyclasstime--bringahardcopytoclass.
Class13:Workshopcentralclaims;completedescriptiveoutlineofyourowndraft;practiceeffectivetransitionsbetweenparagraphs.
HomeworkRead:NFG“Arguing”p.397-417Write:Bringahardcopyofyouressaytoclass.
Class14:Findexamplesofyourassignedlogicalfallacyonlineinyourgroup;peerreview(including:checkyourpartner’sessayforanylogicalfallaciesorcause-effectassumptions).
HomeworkWrite:Continuerevisingyourrhetoricalanalysis.Bringahardcopyofyouressaytoclass.
Class15:ConcisionworkshopwithLanham;writearevisionplanforyourfinaldraft,basedonmyandyourpeers’feedback.
HomeworkWriting:Finaldraftofrhetoricalanalysis+writer’sletterdueonCanvasbyclasstime.
ModuleThree:EnteringPublicArgument
Class16:Libraryinstructionday
HomeworkRead:NFG“ArguingaPosition”p.157-184
Class17:Assignenteringpublicargumentessay;craftingresearchquestions;determiningreliablesources.
HomeworkRead:NFG“FindingandEvaluatingSources”p.489-518,“Quoting,Paraphrasing,andSummarizing”p.526-538Write:Findonesourceforyouressayandbringittoclassnexttime.
Class18:Workshoponsummarizing,paraphrasing,andquotingwithyourdraft.
HomeworkWrite:EarlydraftofpublicargumentessaydueonCanvasbyclasstime--bringahardcopytoclass.
Class19:Earlypeerreview;practicingincorporatingsignalphrases(p.535-538);mini-lessononagrammaticalissueIsawtrendinginthelastsetofessays.
HomeworkRead:NFG“AcknowledgingSources,AvoidingPlagiarism”p.539-543;“SynthesizingIdeas”p.519-525Write:Discussionboardentry:Whataresomequestions/concernsthatyouhaveaboutavoidingplagiarism?Whatwouldyouliketodiscussorpracticefurtherinclassinthisarea?
Class20:Discussdiscussionboardresponses;shareoneclaimfromyouressaysofarandanticipatehowreadersmightargueagainstit(claimsandcounterclaims);practiceparaphrasing.
HomeworkWrite:Workonyourargumentessay
Class21:MLAworkshop;flexdaytoadjustthescheduleasneeded.
HomeworkWrite:MiddledraftofyourpublicargumentessaydueonCanvasbythetimeofyourindividualconference--bringahardcopywithyoutomyoffice.Signupforindividualconferences.
Class22:Individualconferencesinmyofficeformiddledraftfeedback.
HomeworkWrite:Continuerevisingyourdraft
Class23:Individualconferencesinmyofficeformiddledraftfeedback.
HomeworkWrite:Continuerevisingyourdraft;bringacopytoclassnexttime.
Class24:Peerreview;self-review.
HomeworkWrite:Continuerevisingyourdraft;bringacopytoclassnexttime.
Class25:Editingworkshop;usingLanham,holdacontesttoseewhocaneliminatethemostpassiveverbsintheiressay.
HomeworkWrite:Finaldraftofpublicargumentessay+writer’sletterdueonCanvasbyclasstime.
ModuleFour:CompilingaPortfolio
Class26:Assignthefinalportfolio;listen/watchseveralentriesfromtheDigital
Homework
ArchiveofLiteracyNarrativesandkeeptrackofwhatiseffective/lesseffectiveaboutthem;goovertheadvantagesofaudio-onlyvs.videofortheremixandreflectionportionsoftheproject.
Read:NFG“MediaandDesign”p.637-672Write:Begintheremixportionofyourproject
Class27:Listentopartofapodcastanddiscussrhetoricaltechniquesused(pauses,music,etc.);watchtwoapproachestovideo-basedliteracynarrativesanddiscussadvantagesofapproachonevs.approachtwo.
HomeworkWrite:Bringtherevisedessayportionofyourportfoliotoclassnexttime.
Class28:Peerreviewrevisedessays;discusstechnicalaspectsofhandinginyourportfolios(fileformats,etc.)
HomeworkWrite:Bringthereflectionpartofyourportfoliotoclassnexttime(ornotesaboutit,ifyouareusingaudioorvideo).
Class29:Peerreviewreflections.Workonyourportfolio;personalconferenceswithme.
HomeworkWrite:Workonyourportfolio
Class30:Coursewrap-up.Workonyourportfolio;personalconferenceswithme.
HomeworkWrite:FinalportfoliodueonX
EssayOne:LiteracyNarrativeAssignment:Writea1,000-1,500wordnarrativethattellsastoryaboutyourownexperiencewithliteracy.Due:EarlyDraft(StoryOnly):Class4MiddleDraft(StoryandAnalysis): Class6FinalDraft:Class8WhatisaLiteracyNarrative?ALiteracyNarrativeisagenreofwritingthattellsaboutyourexperiencebecomingliterateinasubject.Agoodliteracynarrativewillhavethefollowingfeatures:
• Awell-toldstory:conflictorcrisis,resolution,suspense.• Vividdetail:sights,sounds,smells,tastes,textures,descriptionsofplacesand
people.• Significance:Eventhoughthisnarrativeisaboutyou,itmusthaveacontrolling
centralclaimandpurpose.Purpose:Aliteracynarrativeisapersonalstoryaboutreadingorcomposinginanyform,orcontext,oranylanguage.Asyouconsiderourworkingdefinitionof“literacy,”reflectonyourownliteracypracticesandasignificantmomentwithinthatliteracygrowth.Thisessayprovidesanopportunityforyoutodescribetheevent/momentindetailanddrawdeepermeaningfromtheexperience.Thisessayisalsothestartingpointforyoutobegintodevelopyourownwritingvoiceandstyle,usingstrongverbs,vividdetails,andconnectingtoalargerapplicationdrawnfromtheliteracyeventdescribed.Literacydoesnotonlyapplytocompetencyintheareasofreadingandwriting(thoughthosearecertainlytwoareasyoumightexploreinthispaper).Yourliteracynarrativeshouldexploretheprocessofbecomingliterate,whichwecandefineasbeingproficientinacertainskillormediumofcommunication,inwhateversubjectyouchoose.Inthisessay,yourtaskwillbetoexploreasignificanteventinyourlifethroughthelensofaspecificliteracyofyourchoosing(ex.dance,reading,writing,cooking,painting,etc.).Thisessayshouldnarrateasignificantpersonalexperiencewithliteracy.Concentrateononebrief,specificmemorythatdealswithliteracyinyourownlife.Theimportanceofthespecificeventshouldbeobvious,notmerelya“tackedon”detail;inotherwords,thesignificanceshouldbeintegraltothestory.Asuccessfulnarrativewillincludethefollowing:adefinitionofthelanguagewithinthesubjectofliteracy(ex.the“languageoffootball”mightincludeaudibles,handgestures,physicalmovements,afirmgraspofthegame’srules,knowledgeofhowtoproperlygearupforagame,etc.);addressamoment(ormoments)ofstruggleinyourattempttobecomeliterateinyoursubjectandhowyouovercamethosechallenges*;andasignificantamountofsensorydetailandscenework.
*Dependinguponyourpersonalliteracyexperience,youmayalsowishtoaddressamomentinwhichyourliteracywaschallengedandsubsequentlydeclinedordisappeared;thenarrativeyouchoosedoesnotnecessarilyhavetobeapositiveoneorresultinapositiveoutcome.Requirements:Thisessayshoulddemonstrateyourabilityto:
• Craftaclear,organizednarrativethatexplorestherolethatliteracyplaysinyourlife.
• Createvividscenesusingdescriptionandstrongverbs.• Usedialogueinameaningfulway.• Conveythesignificanceoftheeventbeingnarrated(thismayincludeaconnection
toalargersocialorculturalissue).• Exhibitdevelopmentthroughthewritingprocess(drafts,peerreviewworkshops,
conference).• Createclear,well-editedwritingthatislargelyfreeofproofreadingerrorsand
errorsofgrammar,mechanics,andsyntax.GradingRubric:WewillbeusingtheFYWprogramassessmentcriteriaasoutlinedinyoursyllabus.Forthepurposesofthisassignment,I’llofferadditionaldetailaboutthesecriteriabelow.Wewillspendtimeinclasshelpingeachotherunderstandandperformwellintheseareas:
• CentralClaim(15points)--Thecentralclaimisthepointyouwantyourstorytomake.Asopposedto“themoralofthestory,”thecentralclaimofastoryshouldbecomplex,engaging,andopentomultipleinterpretations.
• Development(20points)--Inorderforyourstorytomakeapoint,thedetailsinyourstoryshouldsupportyourcentralclaim.
• Analysis(20points)--Analysisexploresandanswersthequestions“Sowhat?”or“How?”or“Why?”Themostsuccessfulanalysisaffirmsandfurthersthecentralclaimbydemonstratingitscomplexityandsignificance.Inthisparticularcase,youareanalyzinghowwhatyoulearned(orfailedtolearn)matters.Theconnectionsandrelationshipsbetweenthedetailsinyourstoryshouldconnecttothesignificanceofthestory.Thissignificanceshouldbecomecleartothereaderbyconnectingtotheirexperiencethroughasharedculturalinsight.
• Organization(15points)-Bycontrollinghowyoutellyourstory,youwillkeepyourreaderinterestedandwantingtoknowmore.Bykeepingthereaderinthesceneofyourstory,youhelpthemunderstandmorecompletelywhatyouwantthemtoconsider.Ifthereadergetslostinyourstorybecausetheorderingofeventsbecomesconfusing,thereaderislikelytodisconnectfromthepointyouwantyourstorytomake.Theverybeststorieswillattempttoconnecttoreaderexperiencewellbeforethelastparagraph.
• ClarityofProse(20points)-Forthisassignment,youwillwanttouseactivesubjectsandstrongverbsinordertokeepyourreadersengaged.Doingsowillhelpyoukeepyourdetailsclearandyoursceneswelldescribed.
• Mechanics(10points)-Youshouldmakesurethatanyerrorsinspelling,punctuation,andsentencefluencydonotdetractfrommeaning.
Stepstowritingaliteracynarrative:1.Chooseatopic—asingleeventduringabrieftimespan.2.Generateideasandtext—describethesetting,thinkaboutthecharacters,explainwhathappened,considerthesignificance.3.Organize—chronologicalorplot-driven?4.Draft—beginning,ending,andmiddle,title.5.Polish—feedback,editing,proofreading,publish,andevaluateyourwork.SomeBrainstormingQuestions
• Whendidyoufirstdevelopyourinterestinthissubject?• Howhaswritingandreadinghelpedyoudevelopandmaintainthisinterest?• Howdoyoucontinuetolearnthatsubjectandmaintainyourpassioninthat
subject?Whatisasignificantmomentinyourlearningthatsubjectthatareaderwouldbeinterestedin?
• What’sthedifferencebetweenanexpertinyoursubjectandanovice?• Howdoyoudefinesomeonewhoisliterateinthatsubjectandwhatdoesthisteach
usabouttheconceptofliteracy?AdditionalThoughtsWe’llbelookingatdifferentmodelsofliteracynarrativesthroughoutthenextfewweeks.Someofthesewillbeabouttraditionalliteracy(i.e.learningtoreadandwrite)andotherswillbeaboutlearningothersubjects.Youshouldfeelfreetowriteabouteitherone.Theimportantthingtoconsideriswhetherornotyouareinterestedinthesubjectandthatyouhaveaninterestingstorytotellthatrelatestoit.Itisoftenwisetotellthestoryfirstandthendecide(oftenwiththehelpofothers)whatthestoryistryingtosay.Thiswillthenallowyouasanauthortodirectthenarratorofthestory(and/orthecharactersinthestory)tothinkthroughthesignificanceoftheeventsandconnectthemtoawiderculturalphenomenon.Multimodalcomponentfortheportfolio:Eventhoughthisisawrittenliteracynarrative,wewillalsoberecordingaudioversionsofyourstory.IwillinviteyoutouploadyourrecordtotheDigitalArchiveofLiteracyNarratives,butyouwillnotberequiredtodoso.
EssayTwo:RhetoricalAnalysisofaTextAssignment:Youwillwritea1,000-1,500wordrhetoricalanalysisofatextofyourchoosing.Inwritingyouranalysis,you’llwanttodrawonrhetoricalconceptsfromtheNortonFieldGuideandclassdiscussions;you’llneedtosupportyourclaimsbycitingspecificevidencefromthetextitself.Due:Earlydraft:Class11Middledraft:Class13Finaldraft:Class16Purpose:Whileinyourlastessay,youwereanalyzingyourownexperience(s),inthisessayyouwillbeanalyzinganothertext.Youwillselectanon-fictiontextofyourchoosingandanalyzeitaccordingtotherhetoricalprinciplesthatwediscussinclass.Rhetoricisabouthowawriterattemptstocommunicateamessagetoanaudience—youwillweighinonhoweffectivelyyouthinkthewriterwhomyouchoosecommunicatesamessageviahis/hertext.Iamusing“text”hereinthebroadsensetoincludeimages,websites,speeches,commercials,newspaperarticlesandmore—thekeyisthatyouareinterestedinthetext,wanttoexamineitindetail,andfigureouthowitworks.Ifyouchoosetoanalyzeavisualtext,youshouldinsertimages/screencapturesofyourtextthroughouttheessay(Icanshowyouhowtodothis).Wewillspendtimeinclassbrainstormingpossibilitiesanddiscussingwhichkindoftextsmightworkbest(andalsonotsowell)forthisassignment.Requirements:Strongpaperswill:
• Employspecificrhetoricalterms(purpose,audience,genre,stance,kairos,etc.)appropriately.
• Makeanoverallevaluationofthetext’seffectiveness(foraparticularaudience)• Citespecificevidencefromthechosentexttosupportallclaims(usingMLAformat).• Offerinsightsthatmovebeyondcommonsense/obviousinterpretations.
GradingRubric:WewillbeusingtheFYWprogramassessmentcriteriaasoutlinedinyoursyllabus.We’lltalkaboutthesecriteriathroughoutthecourse.Steps:
1) Chooseatextthatinterestsyouandisamanageablescopeforthisessay(i.e.,a10-minutelongvideowouldbetoomuchtoanalyzeinthiscase).Ifyouareuncertainwhetheryourtextwillworkwell,doublecheckwithmebeforeyoubeginwriting.
2) Familiarizeyourselfwiththerhetoricalterminologywe’vediscussedinclassanddecidewhichrhetoricaltermsbestapplytoyourtext.
3) Analyze—decidewhichfeaturesofthetextaremostusefulforyoutofocuson---andthenmakeanargumentforwhattheymean.
4) Draft—thisislikelyanewgenreofwritingforyou,sobesuretoundertakeseveralrevisionsofyouressay.
5) Polish—editandproofreadyourwork.Considerreadingitoutloud.SomeBrainstormingQuestions:
• Whatwasthewriter’sgoalorpurposeincreatingthetext?• Whataresomeofunstatedassumptionsonwhichthisargumentrests?• Whatwasthehistoricalcontextorkairoticmomentinwhichthistextwascreated
anddistributed?Howdoyouthinkthewriteradaptedhisorhermessagetothiskairoticmoment?
• Howdoesthewriteremployparticularstylistictechniques(repetition,figurativelanguage,etc.)inordertopersuadehisorheraudience?
EssayThree:EnteringPublicArgumentAssignment:Nowthatyouhavepracticedanalyzingexperiencesandtextsinyourprevioustwoessays,youwillusetheanalyticalskillsthatyouhavegainedtomakeanargumentaboutapublicissueinyourthirdessay.Ihighlyencourageyoutoengagewithanissuethatisrelatedtothetextthatyouanalyzedforyourpreviousessay.Forexample,ifyouanalyzedaspeechaboutimmigrationpractices,youcouldnowdoadditionalresearchandmakeourownargumentaboutimmigrationpoliciesintheU.S.Ifitiseasiertoengagewithanissuethatyoumentionedinyourliteracynarrative,youcouldinsteadusethatessayasyourfoundation.Thegoalhereisforyoutonothavetostartfromscratchwithyouranalysis;drawontheanalysisthatyouhavedonepreviously,andthenusethatanalysistomakeyourownargumentaboutanissueofpublicconcern.Youressayshouldbe1,000-1,500words.Due:Earlydraft:Class19Middledraft:ClassFinaldraft:ClassPurpose:Thisessaywillservemultiplepurposes.First,itisanopportunityforyoutoapplytherhetoricaltechniquesthatyouanalyzedinsomeoneelse’stexttoyourownargument.Howwillyouuseconceptssuchasaudience,kairos,andstancetocraftyourapproach?Thisessayalsogivesyouanopportunitytomovebeyondanalysistoargueyourownposition.Inordertodothiseffectively,youwillneedtohaveastrongsenseofthedebatearoundyourchosenissue,analyzevariouspositionsontheissue,andthenpositionyourselfamongthatdebate,usingstrongevidenceforyourstance.Inordertolearnmoreaboutmultipleperspectivesonyourissue,youwillneedtoengageinresearch.Duringthecourseofwritingthisessay,wewillpracticesoundresearchpracticesincludingcomingupwitharesearchquestion,evaluatingsources,andincorporatingcitationsandparaphrases.Forthisessay,youwillneedtoconsult5-7outsidesources.Becauseyourtopicwillbeacurrentpublicissue,youdonotneedtouseacademicsources(unlessyouwouldliketo),butallyoursourcesneedtobecredible.Wewillhavealibraryvisitduringoneclassperiodtohelpacquaintyouwithresearchpractices.Requirements:Strongessayswill:
• Exploremultipleperspectivesonanissue(thereisalwaysmorethantwosidestoanyissue),breakingdown(analyzing)theissueforthereader
• Supportallperspectivesontheissuewithcrediblesources• Quoteandparaphrasefromcrediblesources• Offeranargumentforthebestcourseofaction,supportedbyevidence• Drawontherhetoricalprincipleswehavediscussedinmakingyourarguments
• IncludeaWorksCitedpage,inadditiontoin-textcitationsGradingRubric:WewillbeusingtheFYWprogramassessmentcriteriaasoutlinedinyoursyllabus.We’lltalkaboutthesecriteriathroughoutthecourse.Steps:
1) Decideonwhichgeneralissue(fromeitheryourliteracynarrativeorrhetoricalanalysisessay)youwouldliketoexplore
2) Establishoneortworesearchquestions3) Findcrediblesourcesaboutyourissue/topicandreadthem4) Identifymultipleperspectivesaboutyourissue(notjusttwo)5) Formulateyourownargumentabouthowweshouldmoveforwardonthisissue,
basedontheevidencethatyouhaveread6) Usetherhetoricalprinciplestoguideyouasyoucraftyourargument7) Revise,revise,revise8) Polish—editandproofreadyourwork.Considerreadingitoutloud.
Brainstormingquestions:
• Whyisthisissueimportant?Whatisatstake?• Whatisyourpersonalconnectiontothisissue?• Whataspectofitdoyouthinkismostoverlooked?• Whyshouldpeoplecareaboutit,eveniftheyarenotdirectlyaffected?• Isyourevidenceconvincing?• Canyouanticipatehowpeoplemightargueagainstyouropinion?Howcouldyou
usethattosharpenyourownargument?
FinalPortfolioAportfolioisacollectionofawriter’sworkfromagivenperiodoftime.Yourfinalassignmentconsistsofaportfolioofyourworkfromthispastsemester.Theportfolioconsistsofthreeparts:(1)arevisedversionofessayoneortwo(2)anaudio/videoremixofyourliteracynarrativeand(3)areflection.Yourportfolioisanopportunityforyoutoshowwhatyouhavelearnedoverthecourseofthesemester.Itis20%ofyourfinalgrade,andisdueonCanvasonX.Part1—RevisedEssayYouwillberevisingoneofyourfirsttwoessays(asyoumakeyourdecision,keepinmindthatyouwillberemixingyourliteracynarrativeasanaudioorvideofileforanotherpartoftheportfolio,sothatmayinfluenceyourdecisiontoincludeitinthispartoftheportfolio).Thewordcountshouldberoughlyequivalenttotheoriginalassignment.Youwillengageinsignificantrevisionusingfeedbackfromyourpeersduringpeerreviewandmycommentsonpreviousdrafts.You’llusetheresourcesyouhavelearnedaboutrevisionthroughoutthesemestertohelpre-seeyourwork.Remember:“significant”revisionmeansmorethanafewnewsentences,lightlanguagechanges,orsomeproofreading.Significantrevisionismakingbothglobalandlocalchanges,includingbutnotlimitedto:adding,cutting,reorganizing,researching,shiftingortighteningthefocusofyourcentralclaim,improvingessayorganizationanddevelopment,furtheringtheintegrationofsources,etc.Proofreadingcarefullyisstillimportant.Thisrevisionwillalsorequireyoutomakecommentsdirectlyonyourowndraft.Foreverysignificantchangeyoumake,youarerequiredtocomposeanoteinthemargins(usingtheWordcommentfeature)toexplainyourchoiceforthatchange.Thesecommentsshouldnotewhatwaschangedandwhy,providingreflectiveanalysisonthenewwriting.Asthisrevisiontakesontheroleofacumulativeassignmentforthecourse,thesereflectionsshouldtraceyourgrowthinwritingandyourapplicationofcourseterms,discussions,andfeedback.Thesecommentsarealsoagoodplacetobedirectandhonestaboutyourprogress,yourstrengths,anyquestionsorstrugglesyoumightstillhave,orevenwhatyouwouldhavechangedifyouhadmoretime.Part2—LiteracynarrativeremixNowthatyouhavecompletedawrittenversionofyourliteracynarrative,wewillcirclebacktothatassignmentandconsiderwhathappenswhenyoutellthatstoryinanotherformat.By“remix”Iamaskingyoutore-seethispieceofwritinginanothermodality(audioorvideo)andthinkaboutthechangesyouwillhavetomakeinordertofulfillthetypicalconventionsofthatnewform(i.e.,ifyoucomposeanaudioreflection,whatconventionsdopodcastepisodesuse?).Choosewhicheverformyouprefer:audioorvideo.Youcanuseanyapplicationyouchoose,aslongasyouareabletouploadthefileformattoCanvas.Pleasebediligentaboutcheckingthisaheadoftime.Asyouthinkaboutwhatformyouraudio/videoremixwilltake,returntotheDigitalArchiveofLiteracyNarrativesandtakenoteofeffectiveapproaches.Thinkaboutwhatthe
audioorvideowillallowyoutodothatyoucouldnotdoinalphabeticwriting.Howcanyoutakeadvantageoftheseformatstomakeyourstoryevenmorecompelling?Youwillobviouslyrepeatsomeofthesamematerialasyourwrittenversion,butyoushouldaugmentthismaterialwithimages,music,etc.inthisnewformat.Wewilldiscussremixasapracticeinclass.Part3—ReflectionThispieceoftheportfoliorequiresyoutoreviewelementsofyourlearningaboutwritingandrevisionthroughoutthesemesterandshouldbecompletedafteryourrevisionoftwoessaysforthefinalportfolio.Youhaveoptionofeitherwritingthispieceinessayformatorcomposeanaudioorvideofiledirectlytome.Thispieceshouldbe700-800wordslong(clipsshouldbeabout3minuteslong)andaddressthefollowing:
• PersonalIntroduction:Includeabriefintroduction,reflectingonhowyouhavefeltaboutyourwritingbeforethisclassandhowyoufeelnow.Howdidyoucomeintoclassdayone?Questionstoconsider:Howdidyoufeelcomposingthefirstpaper?Howdoyoufeelnowafterdoingtheportfolio?Whatwasyourproudestorfavoritemomentthissemester?
• AssessmentasaWriter:Re-readyourfinalportfolioessayrevisionsanditspreviousdraftstodiscussyourgrowthasawriterthissemester.Noteatleasttwotothreeofthemostsignificantrevisionsyoumadetotheessaysanddiscussthem,reflectingonwhatyoulearnedintheprocessandhowthosechangesimprovedtheessay.Questionstoconsider:Whatchallengesdidyouovercomethissemester?Whatwereyourmosthelpfulorproudestmomentsinwriting?Whatdoyoustillneedtoworkon,andhowmightyoudosoinyournextwritingclass?
• ConclusionandGoingForward:Fortheconclusion,assesshowyouwilltaketheseskillsintoyourfuture,assessingwhenandwheretheywillcomeinhandy.Forexample,howdoyouplantousetheseskillsinotherwritingintensivecoursesthroughoutcollegeand/orinWRIT106,orhowcantheyapplytoyourintendedcareerpath?Beasspecificaspossible.
Ifyouchoosethevideoclip/audiofile:whilemorecasualthanawrittenpiece,itshouldstillberelativelypolished.Preparewhatyouaregoingtosayaheadoftime.Youshouldjotdownnotes(orevenwriteascripttoread)beforeyoubeginrecording.Eventhoughthisisadifferentformat,youwillstillbegradedaccordingtohowwellyouexplainyourpointsandprovideevidence.YoucaneitheruploadafileorrecorddirectlyviatheCanvasinterface.EvaluationYourgradefortheportfoliowillconsistof:
• 30%revisedessay• 30%reflection• 40%remix
Writer’slettersAlongwitheachofyourthreefinalessayassignments,youwillbesubmittingawriter’sletter,whichwillserveasanintroductiontoyouressay.Theseletters,addressedtome,willofferyouanopportunitytoreflectonthecomposingprocess,aswellasprovidesomecontexttomeasoneofyourreaders.Belowaresomeguidingquestionsforyoutoconsider.Youdonothavetoanswerallofthesequestions;focusontheonesthatseemmostusefulfortheessaythatyou’reworkingon.Imayadjustthesequestionsdependingontheessay.Pleaseincludeyourwriter’sletterasthefirstpageofyouressay.Eachoneshouldbeapproximately400words.Notethattheseletterswillbegradedseparatelyfromyouressays(basedonthethoroughnessofyourreflectionandlength)andwillcomprise10%ofyourfinalgradefortheclass.
1) Whatrevisiondidyoumakeonthisessaybasedonfeedbackfromyourpeersandme?Whatrevisionsdidyouchoosenottomakeandwhy?
2) Whatwouldyoustillchangeordevelopaboutthisessayifyouhadmoretimeandspace?
3) Whatisyourmostbeautifulsentenceintheessayandwhy?4) Showmeyourediting(orrevision);includeoneparagraphbeforeandafter
editing/revision.5) Whatproblemswithstyleoreditinghaveyounoticedinyourownwritingandhow
areyouworkingtoaddressthem?6) Whatspecificconcernswouldyoulikemetoaddressinmyresponse?7) Whathaveyoulearnedaboutwritingandthetopicyou’rewritingaboutinthe
processofcomposingandrevisingthisessay?
DiscussionboardentriesThroughoutthesemester,asindicatedonthesyllabus,IwillaskyoutorespondtopromptsonourCanvasdiscussionboard.Yourresponseswillserveasbothawaytoreflectonthereadingandalsotobrainstorm/buildtowardyournextessay.Discussionpostsareintendedtobeaspaceformoreinformalwriting—Iammainlyconcernedthatyou(1)addressthepromptand(2)fulfillthelengthrequirementof300words.Iwillnotassessmechanicalorgrammaticalissuesintheseposts,astheirprimarypurposeisidea-generation.Feelfreetousematerialthatyougenerateinthesepostsinyouressay.Wewill,onoccasion,readeachother’spostsinclass,sowritewithanaudienceofyourpeersandmeinmind.AllpromptsarelocatedonCanvasunder“discussionboard”inourcoursesection.