English 111

 

Course Description
What the @#*%! is Introduction to College Writing?

The main focus of English 111 is to introduce you to academic or college writing—to instruct you how to write analytically, evaluatively, and argumentatively for academic audiences. This course takes seriously the notion that you write to learn while you learn to write. Don’t worry we’ll figure that statement out later. Right now, just know that there is a lot of writing to be written in this class.

While this course won’t teach you how to write for every class—after all the rules for writing like a biologist are a lot different from the rules for writing like a blogger or facebooker, it will improve your ability to see and negotiate the different writing situations you will encounter in future classes and work environments. The course does not aim to show you a universal standard for good writing. Instead, it will provide you with skills that will enable you to judge writing situations rhetorically through audience analysis, word choice, and argument structure. This course will provide you with skills for understanding and constructing and analyzing a number of written genres. Moreover, you will learn a number of rhetorical techniques through which you can persuade an audience.

Course Goals
To become academic rhetors by demonstrating the following.

Abstract
You will be able to
enter different contexts and practice active and critical learning—learning how to situate the meanings of words, images, symbols, and artifacts in the environment you enter—and prepare for future learning.

successfully create documents in which you demonstrate an understanding that meaning/knowledge is dispersed in that you, the writer, are sharing it with others outside of your domain/discipline—some of whom you may never see face-to-face.

recognize rhetorical patterns in academic texts and create academic texts which incorporate the ideas of others by incorporating primary and secondary research correctly and accurately.

reflect upon your own and your peers writing as a process which undegoes a number of drafts.

understand and practice multimodality with savvy—meaning and knowledge are not conveyed solely through the printed word they are conveyed through images, texts, symbols, and interactions.

Concrete
You will demonstrate your learning by

composing a variety of documents that reflect your knowledge of academic rhetoric by applying terms and concepts covered in class to these documents.

researching and when using this research upholding the ethics of academic writing by fairly representing, incorporating, and citing sources.

analyzing your own patterns of writing and those of your peers by writing multiple drafts, reflections of your process, and participate in peer review.

responding to a number of readings by questioning them, affirming them, refuting them and complicating them in a blog.

Course Readings
Always bring the required readings to class.
1. The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan.
2. They Say, I Say: The Moves that Matter in Persuasive Writing, by G. Graff &
3. C. Birkenstein.
3. The Bedford Handbook, 7th edition, by Diana Hacker.
4. Any of the numerous readings linked from the Schedule.
5. You must print these out and bring them to class.

Policies
Attendance
Since we will be working collaboratively on many assignments, and since learning is a communal effort, your regular attendance is vital. If you miss more than five classes, you will receive a "WU” for the course.

If you are tardy for class, and I or your classmate has begun a lecture or presentation, you will be given an absence. Please schedule your tardiness in advance.

And since some things come up unexpectedly, please remember you have five absences to account for these unexpected happenings.

Behavior
In this classroom you are all considered adults. You are also considered responsible academics. To succeed in this class you need to act accordingly. This means you should:
1. Be prepared to participate in class discussion by completing assignments and
rr readings on time as indicated in the schedule.
2. Engage in discussions with respect towards your classmates and I.
3. Understand that if I feel #1 or #2 are not being adhered to, you will leave the
cccclass for the day and be given an absence.

Quizzes
These can be made up if you have an excused absence on the day of the quiz.

Late Work
Here is the deal: You can turn in one assignment one week late. This assignment cannot be a presentation and must be an individual project. You must email me on or before the due date and announce to me that this is the assignment you will turn in one week late. Otherwise, late work is not accepted. The portfolio is exempt from this policy.

Peer Review--Your peers and I will give you extensive feedback on your writing. If you do not submit a draft for peer review of at least 750 words, you will be given an absence and your final grade will drop by 10% for each draft missed.

Cellular telephones and Laptops
Cellular phones are banned forthwith from our classroom. If you do sneak one in and it rings or you engage in a cellular coversation, then you will be given a warning. The second time will result in an absence. Laptops are allowed for taking notes and class discussion related searches. They are not for random surfing no matter how uninterested you might be.

Cellular phone exception: If an iPhone does ring during class, you are exempt from the above rule for two occurances as long as you allow me to use it for five minutes.

Students with Disabilities
Reasonable accommodations are available for students with a documented disability. Please visit the Office of Disability Services (ODS) as soon as possible to seek information or to qualify for accommodations. All accommodations MUST be approved through the Office of Disability Services (1P-101). Call 982-2510 to make an appointment with an ODS advisor.

@#*%! Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism is not tolerated in any form. You will fail the course if you commit plagiarism knowingly (intentionally) or unknowingly (unintentionally). Please come to my office if you have any questions about citing sources.

CSI has developed a helpful resource on plagiarism.

Grades
A    93-100%
A-   90-92%
B+   87-89%
B    84-86%
B-   80-83%
C+   77-79%
C    74-76%
C-   70-73%
D+   67-69%
D    64-66%
D-   60-63%
F     0-59%

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