Course: Academic Writing English 131-05

Time: 12.00-12.50P

Days: M W F     Place: B 247

INSTRUCTOR: Luisa Rodríguez Connal, Ph.D.

Office: Room 228                     

Phone: 313-993-1082

Email: rodriglm@udmercy.edu or stardancerny@yahoo.com

Office Hours: 1-3, MWF.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Hacker, Diana. Rules for Writers, 5th Edition New York: Bedford/St Martin’s Press, 2004.

Lyons, Mark and August Tarrier, editors. Espejos y Ventanas/Mirrors and Windows: Oral Histories of Mexican Farmworkers and Their Families. Philadelphia: New City Community Press, 2004.

Murray, Donald M. The Craft of Revision, Fifth Edition. Boston, MA: Heinle Publishers, 2004.

Odell, Lee and Susan M. Katz. Writing in a Visual Age. New York: Bedford/St Martin’s Press, 2006.

A college dictionary from the following list:

            American Heritage Dictionary

            Random House Dictionary

            Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, Indexed

Other Required Materials:

Two pocket folders for turning in work

An email account

A Blog Account on Blogspot.com

Two disks for work in computer lab

White, lined loose-leaf paper

NO bound notebooks

Note Cards--5 x 8 for research

Photocopies of your work as required for in-class workshops

 Required Activity: In one form or another, students in this class should be available to work on a service learning project for which they will receive extra credit. The work of course will be verified by the agencies that you sign up for.

Course Purposes and Goals:

            First-year composition courses treat writing as a negotiation between writers and readers. Students also learn that specific purposes, expectations, and situations shape writing. Because writing also helps individuals uncover and develop ideas, students in English 131 practice writing as a way of thinking, learning, and discovering knowledge, as well as a means of communicating it. Composition courses emphasize both the processes and the products of writing, including both personal and academic writing. Students develop their rhetorical abilities to assess situations in order to decide what kind of writing will work well in those contexts. Through rhetorical analyses of texts by professional and student writers, students learn to improve their writing and their reading. Composition courses are workshops where students work through drafts and revisions with the help of their classmates and the teacher, in some cases publishing their writing for others.

In order for students to gain from the workshop environment that composition classes provide, it is imperative that students come to classes prepared to work. In order to be considered “prepared” for class, students must have read assigned readings listed on the schedule for each day class meets and/or bring sufficient copies of drafts for their peer writing groups. Additionally, students must come prepared for any student/teacher conferences conducted during the semester. Most importantly, students must be willing to reflect on themselves as readers, writers, students, and members of society in 21st Century USAmerica. Students will have an understanding of the influence of language and its uses on how we see or read the world upon completion of this course.

The theme for the courses I teach is “Becoming Conscious.” Throughout the semester, we will focus on diverse language use practices through readings, writings, and self-reflection. We will become conscious of ourselves as learners and writers. We will become conscious of the impact of language on our consciousness.

When you complete this course, you can expect to have improved your writing skills and have experienced conducting researched writing.  Importantly, other expected outcomes include growing skill at reading, thinking, and writing critically. To do this you will learn to engage with texts, yours, professional writers’ and your peers’, in depth. These outcomes should prepare you for writing during your academic careers, as well as the ability to critically engage with academic subjects in other fields of study.

Policies:

Attendance:

Failure to attend classes affects the quality of your understanding of the work we do in class. Missing classes keeps students from participating in classroom exercises that strengthen writing skills.

You can earn an “F” should you miss more than three classes. If you are habitually late and/or tend to miss most or part of class, I will count two of these as an absence, and I may encourage you to drop the class. I caution you that you are responsible for your attendance and performance in this class. You do not have to explain your absences; just be aware of this attendance policy because you are responsible for upholding it.

If you are absent on a day work is due, you are responsible for turning in your work early and for contacting me before you are absent.

If you need this course for graduation or any other reason, then you need to be in class regularly and punctually. If you need a particular grade in order to graduate or qualify for a scholarship, you are responsible for completing work that is worthy of that grade.

If you have trouble completing and assignment, please communicate with me. Do not panic; do not represent someone else’s work as your own or submit work already produced for another course.

Plagiarism is a serious offence that can result not only in failure in this course but also in expulsion from the university. Since many people are uncertain of what constitutes plagiarism, we will discuss it when we discuss our first researched assignment. However, I'll give a brief definition here: whenever a writer or speaker uses another person's writing, ideas, words, etc. without giving the original author credit for it, you have committed plagiarism. If you forget, please ask me to re-explain it.

Non-Inclusive Language: It is fair to say that language creates powerful images and that language affects relationships among us. Therefore, when writing or speaking in this class, students must do their utmost to use language that is inclusive. That means no sexist language or racist language. I caution you on this not because I expect gross transgressions from you but because it is university policy.

 “The use of non-discriminatory language (ie language that avoids stereotyping or offending readers in relation to their gender or ethnicity) is important in two ways. Firstly, it avoids irritating and distracting readers and, secondly, it focuses attention on the content of the reading rather than diverting attention to sexual or ethnic bias. If the aim of writing is to communicate effectively, it would seem reasonable to aid that communication by using non-discriminatory language. For example, use of the terms "man," "woman," "he," and "she" need only be used when specific reference to the gender of the person is necessary to the sense of the statement. Similarly, reference to ethnic origin should only be made when it is relevant to the sense of the work”.  

( Note: This statement was adapted from <www.usq.edu.au/education/policies/acmanual.htm). [Hill-Vásquez]  

Students with Disabilities

If you need accommodations because of a documented disability, and/or if you have medical information to share with me, please discuss this with me before our second class meeting. If you have not already obtained proper documentation from Disability Support Services, I will be happy to direct you to the appropriate office. Please feel free to e-mail me as well.

Major Portfolios - A Reminder

All English majors are required to submit a "Major Portfolio" (or "Senior Portfolio") before they graduate. All English Majors (and those planning on majoring in English) should be saving all writing assignments (including drafts, applicable writing assignments, and any other related materials) from your courses in order to prepare your required Major Portfolio. The requirements for the Portfolio may be found at http://liberalarts.udmercy.edu/english/english_portfolio.html.

  Student Evaluations: “Student course evaluations are an important source of information for curricular and teaching improvement in the College of Liberal Arts and Education.   As such, all students enrolled in CLAE courses are required to complete an online course evaluation.   You will receive e-mails explaining how to complete the evaluation online.   In addition, your instructor will remind you of the deadline for completing this course requirement.   Should a student fail to complete the evaluation, their grade for the course will not be posted until the evaluation is completed.”

Written Assignments:

Grade percentages for each writing project and journals

Essay 1 = 10%

Essay 2 = 25%

Essay 3 = 30%

Self-Reflection plus Portfolio = 20%

Blog Entries, Writer’s Journals, and in-class writing = 15%

I give extra credit of up to 10% of your grade for the service learning that I ask you to do.

Formal Assignments: You will write 4 out-of-class essays each of which we will begin in class when I hand out the prompt for the assignment.

You will write in-class exercises to provide you with the skill you will use in your written work for me or elsewhere. During the first two weeks of class, I will assign a Diagnostic Essay to help me determine your skills at the beginning of the semester. I will keep this essay, but you may ask for it when we arrive at the final unit of the course.

Beginning with the first out-of-class essay you will use research library and field research. During the course of the semester the class will learn about academic argument and by the end of the term you will be able to write to arguments. One will be based on research of one of the historical cases we study from the main text and the second will be an Argument Self-Reflection. Normally, you will select an issue, research what others have written on this issue, and frame your argument in response to the context of the issue. In addition, for purposes of this class you will write for the service learning component of the class. I have elected to have non-profits focusing on Latino issues as sites for your field reports and other work.  For your Self-Reflection Argument, the fifth out-of-class essay, you will synthesize from all you have learned over the semester. You will analyze your own involvement with the issues raised during the readings, writings, and research practices you conducted during the semester. Furthermore, you will demonstrate how this semester’s work has affected your interest in or commitment to the social or cultural issues you have studied.

Format: Obviously, writing assignments must be typed in a professional-looking manner; that means that computer printing jobs need to be separated at perforations and the tracks at the sides need to be removed and that the print is letter quality. Final versions of the essay should be typed, double-spaced, and titled. First versions must be double-spaced and legible. If you compose on computers, print out each version. You are required to turn in all drafts and notes together with your completed assignments. Use a pocket folder for materials that you turn in.

Informal Writing Assignments:

 These include blog entries, writers’ journals, in-class writings, peer and self-evaluations.  

Because the theme of the class involves becoming conscious of yourselves as learners and writers, you will keep reading journals on a blog where you will respond to readings assigned and those you use for research projects. Moreover, you will keep writing logs where you document your process for composing your papers, your attitude and feelings about your writing, and what you learned from the process of writing each of the papers.

Purpose: To encourage you to reflect upon the content, intention, and structural characteristics of the texts. To help you cultivate the habit of evaluating what you read. By clarifying essay strengths and weaknesses, these evaluations will provide a helpful tool in the revision process and in your final project—the Self-Reflection Analysis Argument.

Format: You are to keep writer’s journal entries on separate sheets of paper in a folder so the work can be put into folders from day-to-day. Entries must be typed, but neat hand written responses may be acceptable. Check with me first. If the work is handwritten, use college-lined notebook paper and ink. Each entry must be numbered (Journal #1, Journal #2, etc. . . .). Write the date of the journal entry. Remember that you will turn these entries in with the final draft of each essay assignment.

Length: Plan to write a minimum of one full page (typed) for each reading. Written responses to your own work will be at least 250 words. Written responses to peer work will vary in length but should not be less than ½ a page.

Blogs as Your Reading Journal Content: The entries will be summaries of the essays PLUS your conversation with the author of the essays.   Respond to the essays as if you were conversing with the authors. Select one of his/her points and discuss it.   Do not continue to summarize in the second half of the entry where you are to “engage” with the ideas in the reading assignment.

Grading of journals differs from grading of final drafts of essay assignments. Each acceptable journal entry will receive a check mark. I will grade the completed journal at the end of each unit. The four units correspond with the four major assignments.

 Conferences: We will meet one-on-one for twenty minutes at least twice during the semester to discuss your work-in-progress. Class will be cancelled during conference weeks.   However, should you miss your scheduled time, you will be marked absent for all class meetings scheduled for that week. Come to your conference prepared with the latest draft of the assignment and with questions about your paper or areas of writing with which you are struggling. A missed conference counts as multiple absences.

Conferences will be held in the classroom AND in my office, Briggs 228. I, also, strongly urge you to come to my office hours at other times to discuss your work-in-progress.

Grading: To complete this course successfully (i.e., with a grade of C or higher), you must attend class and all scheduled conferences, complete all assignments ON TIME; prepare for class; and participate in class activities and discussions. To receive full credit, all assignments must be submitted on time, in proper format, and with required supporting materials (i.e., all drafts, journal entries etc., associated with that particular assignment). I will not grade a draft unless I have previously read at least one rough draft and unless that draft accompanies the final draft. Late drafts will get a grade reduction of 1/3rd of a letter grade per day that it is late unless you have arranged with me before the due date to turn the paper in late. Be sure to keep a copy of each assignment in the rare event that I lose it or that I do not get it. IF you do not have a copy, you will have to rewrite the lost assignment.

            Specific requirements of individual assignments may vary, but in all cases my evaluation of your essays will consider content, organization, development of ideas, expression, mechanics, and maturity of thought. If you have a question about my comments or a grade that you have received, be sure to talk to me about it.

Grading Standards: Grades will be on an A, B, C, D, and F scale.

            An “A” reflects superb work in which the content development is thorough, organization is clear and coherent, and the mechanics and format are virtually error free. Language is sophisticated, and all the assignment criteria are met in full.

            “B” work reflects very good work that meets the assignment’s criteria in full but in which the language may be simplistic in places. “B” work may contain certain error patterns in mechanics and/or format on a minor scale, but the work’s organization is clear and coherent and the content is well developed.

            “C” work meets the assignment’s criteria but uses overly simplistic language, and/or uses sophisticated language inappropriately, and/or contains errors in mechanics and/or format, or its content is sketchily developed. The somewhat unclear organization found in “C” work detracts from the document’s purposes.

            “D” work contains massive errors in one or two areas (content, organization, mechanics, and format) and may or may not meet the assignment’s criteria.

            “F” work is either incomplete, too late to earn a full grade, or does not meet the assignment’s criteria and contains massive errors in content, organization, mechanics, and/or format.

            In class, we will discuss additional and specific criteria for each assignment, in addition to the general concerns of clarity, expression, organization, development, and mechanics.

            To complete the course, you must turn in all assignments, with drafts attached. I cannot reward you (grade-wise) for participation, attendance, and willingness to seek feedback and to revise your work, and improvement; however, I do use a Journal grade to include such aspects of your work.

Daily Schedule follows below; however, be aware that there may be times when changes to the schedule will occur. Therefore, pay attention during class for announcements. Also, look to Black Board online for announced changes. E V= Mirrors and Windows, WVA = Writing in a Visual Age, and RW= Rules for Writers