English 101-46: English Composition I

English 101-46: English Composition I

Literacy and Education

Spring 2011

11:00-12:15 TR; MHRA 1208

Instructor: Ms. C. Wooten

Email Address: Office: MHRA 3210D

Office Hours: TR 2:00-3:30

English 101 satisfies the Reasoning and Discourse (GRD) requirement at UNCG, which asserts that students “gain skills in intellectual discourse, including constructing cogent arguments, locating, synthesizing and analyzing documents, and writing and speaking clearly, coherently, and effectively” (

In addition, English 101 is designed to address three of the proficiencies listed under Student Learning Goals in the UNCG General Education Program. These proficiencies are:

·Ability to write and speak clearly, coherently, and effectively as well as to adapt modes

of communication to one’s audience;

·Ability to interpret academic writing and discourse in a variety of disciplines

·Ability to locate, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information (2007-2008 UNCG

Undergraduate Bulletin 53)

In ENG 101, you will gain practice in recognizing and producing good writing so that you can communicate effectively in situations both within and outside an academic setting. You’ll hone your skills in thinking, reading and writing, produce a body of written work of your own, and share your ideas and words with an audience of readers. My goal is for you to better understand and work through the process of writing and to begin to see how all this is connected to your life - how reading and writing extends beyond the classroom.

English 101 Course Objectives:

1. To help students develop the ability to analyze texts, construct cogent arguments, and provide evidence for their ideas in writing;
2. To provide students with multiple examples of argumentative and analytical discourse as illustrated via student and professional/published texts;
3. To introduce students to rhetorical concepts of audience, writer, message and context, and how to employ these in both formal and informal writing situations;
4. To help students develop the ability to summarize, paraphrase, and use direct quotations in writing;
5. To promote to student writers the value of writing-to-learn through sequenced assignments rooted in a common theme or focus;
6. To introduce students to the act of writing as a public and community-based process through the activities of drafting, peer review, and revision.

Required Texts:

Dodson, Will, Alan Benson, and Jacob Babb, eds. Techne Rhetorike.2nd ed. Southlake, TX: Fountainhead

Press, 2010.Print. ISBN: 9781598713855.

Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst.They Say/I Say.2nded. New York: W.W. Norton,

2009. Print. ISBN: 9780393933611.

The Norton Mix.New York: Norton, 2010. Print.(Only available in the campus bookstore!)

Various texts on Blackboard.These must be brought to class. If you do not like printing out texts

from Blackboard, you might want to consider dropping the class.

You will also need a two-pocket folder to use when turning in essays and drafts of essays. Regularly accessing Blackboard for assignments and information will also be required as will printing assignments and handouts.

Evaluation:

Portfolio: 50%

Essay Drafts: 15%

Discussion Board Posts and Other Writing Assignments (in and out of class):15%

Participation: 10%

Reading Quizzes: 10%

Grading Scale:

90-100 A

80-89 B

70-79 C

60-69 D

0-59 F

Classroom Expectations: Eating, sleeping, or reading other materials during class are not acceptable. All cell phones must be turned off prior to coming to class, and no text messaging or web surfing will be tolerated. Laptops do not need to be used during class and should not be brought to class.

Although students with disciplinary problems tend to be few and far between at the college level, if behavioral disruptions persist within a single class meeting (or, for that matter, across multiple meetings), the student in question will be asked to leave the class with points deducted from his/her participation grade and an absence for the day. Types of disruptive behavior can include any form of disrespectful comment or action directed toward me, another student, or the subject matter we are studying. I reserve the right to interpret inappropriate behaviors as I see fit and address them accordingly, and it goes without saying that remaining in my class is a tacit acknowledgment of this right.

Participation, Attendance, and Absences: I expect you to have read your assignments and brought any required written work with you to class. I also expect everyone to participate in class discussion. You must also perform all in-class writing assignments, even if the assignment itself is ungraded. Failure to live up to my expectations will be reflected in your grade.

Because class time will be largely spent in large and small group discussions, class participation and attendance is vital. You can miss two class periods with no penalty; if you miss a third, your final grade will be lowered by half a letter grade; if you miss four classes then you will automatically fail the course.

You are, by state law, allowed two excused absences due to religious holidays, which do not count toward your total of three non-penalized absences. If you plan to miss class because of religious holidays, you must notify me in advance of your absence and present me with some proof of your participation in religious activities (preferably something signed by your religious officiant).

If you are more than ten minutes late for class, do not bother to come. This will count as an absence. Being habitually late (more than three times) will also count as an absence.

Participation Rubric:

A / Superior communicative skills; excellent preparation for class discussion; always volunteers; student exemplifies mastery, rigor, and intellectual curiosity regarding course readings and concepts while also introducing relevant independent insights to the discussion; student demonstrates enthusiasm and takes initiative, particularly during group activities.
B / Good communicative skills; solid preparation for class discussion; consistently volunteers; student exemplifies interest and engagement regarding course readings and concepts; student demonstrates positive attitude; makes meaningful contributions during group activities.
C / Adequate communicative skills; fair preparation for class discussion; occasionally volunteers; student exemplifies competence regarding course readings and concepts; student demonstrates an inoffensive, but noncommittal attitude; sporadic contributions during group activities.
D / Limited communicative skills; uneven preparation for class; rarely volunteers; demonstrates indifference or irritation when prompted; inattentive during class; rare contributions during group activities. [Performance may be marked by other flaws: consistent tardiness; disruptive; etc.]
F / Weak communicative skills; little to no preparation for class; little evidence of reading assignments (this can include not buying or printing the course texts or not making up missed material); never volunteers, or doesn’t respond when prompted; demonstrates potential hostility to discussion; irrelevant, distracting, or no contributions to group activities.

Late Work: I will not accept any work after I collect it in class.If you are not in class, YOU MAY NOT SUBMIT YOUR WORK. Work may not be dropped off in my mailbox, and you may not e-mail papers to me. Work is taken up in class the day it is due, and that is it. If a major essay is due on a certain day, and you are absent, you may not turn in your essay. You get a zero. If you know you need to miss a class that has work due, let me know ahead of time and you will be allowed to turn in your work EARLY. Not late.

Academic Integrity:“Academic integrity is founded upon and encompasses the following five values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Violations include, for example, cheating, plagiarism, misuse of academic resources, falsification, and facilitating academic dishonesty. If knowledge is to be gained and properly evaluated, it must be pursued under conditions free from dishonesty. Deceit and misrepresentations are incompatible with the fundamental activity of this academic institution and shall not be tolerated” (from UNCG’s Academic Integrity Policy). To ensure that you understand the university’s policy on academic integrity, review the guidelines and list of violations at < I expect you to abide by the Academic Integrity Policy. Penalties for violation of academic integrity range from receiving an F on individual assignments to an F in the class to university expulsion.

Discussion Board Posts: Most of your writing will be posted on our Blackboard discussion board. We will review how to make posts in class. You must post your workby 7pm the day before our class periodand bring a printed copy to classor you will be given a 0 for that post. This ensures that others have time to read your work and respond to it before class. You must respond to two other posts per assignment before class; these should be formative comments (i.e. “your point about X was interesting because it made me think about Y”) rather than summative or merely responsive (i.e. “Great ideas!”). You should also respond to those who do not already have two responses UNLESS there are no alternatives. Failure to post responses to others will negatively affect your grade. When responding to others, keep in mind common courtesy; you do not have to agree with what others say, but you should disagree in a respectful manner.

Essay Format: Turn in all work in MLA format (1” margins, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12 pt. font, 8 ½ x 11” unlined white paper), and be sure to cite anything you do not come up with yourself.

Drafts of essays: A draft is a piece of writing in progress. You will write, rewrite, and revise your essays en-route to producing a final draft for your portfolio. Therefore, keep all earlier versions and revisions of each assignment in your writing folder; they may be requested for use in class discussion, conferencing, or for your portfolio. All other written work should also be saved as they will be used throughout the semester and in your portfolio. SAVE EVERYTHING YOU WRITE UNTIL THE END OF THE SEMESTER.

Peer Workshops: In addition to writing essays, you will participate in peer workshops. You will

read and comment on drafts of your classmates’ papers. Take this activity seriously. Not only

will your classmates depend on your comments to strengthen their writing, but you will depend

on theirs. The quality of your peer editing efforts will be reflected in your essay grades; if you

are not prepared for peer workshops (i.e. you do nothave a draft of your own to share) then you

may be asked to leave and you will be given anabsence for that day.

Conferences and Communication: At mid-semester and near the end of the semester, you will meet with me individually and informally to discuss your work in the class. These are times to reflect on your progress, set goals, discuss challenges, and begin to make decisions regarding the final writing portfolio. You will be asked to prepare for these conferences. Missing a conference will be counted as a class absence.

If you wish to meet with me at other times during the semester, please avail yourself of my office hours. You may also email me with questions between 8am and 7pm, weekdays and weekends. I will not be available before or after these times. You can expect a response within 24 hours; if you do not receive a response within this time period, you should assume I did not receive your email and try again. In the spirit of courtesy, you should also acknowledge via email that you received my reply.

Writing Portfolio: At the end of the semester, you will submit a writing portfolio for formal evaluation. Your portfolio will include examples of work you have done for 101, including informal and formal writing. These should be either bound at Kinko’s or UNCG Graphics and Printing on Tate St. or placed in a three-prong folder (not a binder). See the handout on Blackboard for more information.

Disability Services: Students with documentation of special needs should arrange to see me about accommodations as soon as possible. If you believe you could benefit from such accommodations, you must first register with the Office of Disability Services on campus before such accommodations can be made. The office is located on the second floor of the Elliott University Center (EUC) in Suite 215, and the office is open 8am to 5pm, Monday - Friday. Telephone: 334-5440; e-mail: .

The Writing Center: The purpose of the Writing Center is to enhance the confidence and competence of student writers by providing free, individual assistance at any stage of any writing project. Staff consultants are experienced writers and alert readers, prepared to offer feedback and suggestions on drafts of papers, help students find answers to their questions about writing, and provide one-on-one instruction as needed. Located in the Moore Humanities and Research Building, room 3211.

Essay Rubric:

Response to Prompt / Thesis / Support / Structure / Language
A / sophisticated analysis; original; shows command of interpretive and conceptual tasks; fulfills then exceeds the expectations of the assignment in some critical way / essay controlled by clear, precise, well-defined thesis; sophisticated in both statement and insight; attempts or achieves innovation of the argument or issue being studied / provides substantial, well-chosen evidence (quotations or specific examples) used strategically; connections between ideas are evident; thesis consistently supported / apt, seemingly inevitable sequence of paragraphs; appropriate, clear and skillful transitions between sentences and paragraphs / precise diction; syntactic variety and sophistication; clear command of Standard English; no or few errors; imaginative but mature use of vocabulary and sentence structure
B / shows good understanding of the texts, ideas, and methods of the assignment; goes beyond the obvious / clear, specific, argumentative thesis central to essay; may have minor terms undefined / pursues thesis consistently; clearly develops a main argument with clear major points and appropriate evidence; makes effort to link rather than stack ideas / distinct units of thought in paragraphs; clear transitions between developed, coherently arranged paragraphs / some stylistic difficulties; occasional problematic word choices or awkward syntax; some wordiness (or distractingly pompous diction); a few minor errors; some syntactic variety
C / shows an understanding of the basic ideas and information involved; may have some factual or conceptual errors / general central thesis or controlling ideas; gives little indication of organization to follow; lacking some specifics / provides some evidence, but not always relevant, sufficient, or integrated into paper; undeveloped ideas or little analysis; limited use of textual evidence / some awkward transitions; some brief, weakly unified, or undeveloped paragraphs; uneven paragraphing / more than a few minor grammatical errors; imprecise diction; awkward syntax; wordiness; over-reliance on passive voice; quotations poorly integrated
D / confuses some significant concepts; does not respond directly to the assignment / vague thesis; mostly factual rather than argumentative; unspecified elements / evidence scant, vague, or awkwardly incorporated; digresses without developing ideas; no analysis / tends to narrate or merely summarize; wanders; repetitive; illogical arrangement of ideas / some major grammatical errors (subject-verb agreement, fragments, etc.); numerous minor errors; repeated inexact word choice; inappropriate format
F / no clear understanding of reading or concepts; inappropriate response to assignment / no discernable thesis; contradictory or unsustainable thesis / little or no development; evidence simply listed or missing; plagiarizes / arbitrary or no paragraph structure; illogical or no transitions / errors in almost every sentence; several major errors (subject-verb agreement, fragments, etc.)

*** This schedule is tentative. I reserve the right to change its contents at any time. The “Readings” and “Writing/Discussion Board Posts” columns list what you should read or work on before the day’s class. All out of class writing assignments should be typed and follow MLA format. ***

Day / Readings / Writing/Discussion Board Posts
WEEK 1: Intro to the Course and Writing Foundations
Tues., Jan. 11 / Intro to the Course
In-class essay: What is Literacy?
Thurs., Jan. 13 / Intro to Literacy Narratives and Writing Foundations I
NM:Malcolm X, “A Homemade Education,” 10-22
TR:Dodson, “Introduction to Rhetorical Concepts,” 12-23; Sparks, “How to Read an Assignment Sheet,” 48-55
Bb: Print Essay 1 Assignment / On discussion board, create an entry that introduces yourself as a writer (what experiences have you had, what are your strengths and weaknesses, what do you want to learn). Respond to two other posts. Don’t forget to bring a copy to class!
Fri., Jan. 14 / Add/Drop Ends
WEEK 2: Writing Foundations; Peer Workshops
Tues., Jan. 18 / Writing Foundations II
NM: Frederick Douglass, “Learning to Read,” 23-29
TR:Guy-McAlpin, “Keeping the Beat,” 131-136
Bb Readings: “Paragraphs,” Safire; “Shitty First Drafts,” Lamott / Write a 300-wordaccount of someone who taught you how to read and/or write. Postand respond to two posts.
Thurs., Jan. 20 / Peer Workshop Practice and
Writing to Enter the Academic Community
NM: Amy Tan, “Mother Tongue,” 30-36
TR: Morehead, “The Genre of Academic Discourse,” 33-39
Bb Readings: “Peer Response,” Gillam / Write a 300-word reflection on language you use at home or out of school and how that relates to school literacy. Post and respond to two posts.
WEEK 3: Maintaining Ethos
Tues., Jan. 25 / Essay 1 Workshop
Bb: Print Essay 1 Workshop questions (don’t answer yet) / Bring four copies of Essay 1 Draft to class
Thurs., Jan. 27 / Academic Integrity
TR:Tedder, “Academic Integrity,” 24-32
Bb Readings:“The Copy Shop Plagiarism,” Baron / Write a 150-word reflection on the subject of academic integrity. Post and respond to two posts.
WEEK 4: Using Language
Tues., Feb. 1 / Audience and Language; In-Class Post-write
NM:Richard Rodriguez, “Aria,” 51-59
TS:“Ain’t So/Is Not,” 121-128
TR: Babb, “Developing an Idea of the Audience,” 56-62
Bb: print Essay 1 Post-write (don’t complete) / Essay 1 Due – submit previous drafts and workshop sheets. Post essay and respond to two posts.
Thurs., Feb. 3 / Style Used Rhetorically
NM: Gloria Anzaldua, “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” 43-55
TR: Webb, “Performing Rhetorically,” 63-68; Bufter, “Rhetoric of Voice,” 69-75 / Write a 300-word discussion of Anzaldua’s audience and her strategies to reach them via voice and tone. Post and respond to two posts.