English 101 Spring 2011

English 101-27: Composition I

Tues/Thurs: 8:00-9:15

MHRA 2210

Instructor: Ms. Tammy Bruch

Office: MHRA 3112A

Office Hours: Tues/Thurs9:30-10:30, and by appointment

Email:

Course Description:

Welcome to English Composition I! In this course, we will work to help you improve a variety of skills that UNCG has outlined for you (addressed below). In addition to honing those skills, I also hope that you will have a little fun, become more comfortable voicing your opinion in the classroom, and develop a different appreciation for your own ability to engage in written communication.

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)

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 Materials:

Dodson, William, Alan Benson, and Jacob Babb, eds. Technê Rhêtorikê. 2nd ed. Southlake,

TX: Fountainhead Press, 2010. Print.

ISBN: 9781598713855

Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst.They Say/I Say.New

York: W.W. Norton, 2009. Print.

ISBN: 9780393931747

Course readings listed on Blackboard: Print these readings out and bring them to class on discussion days.

Folder or Binder

Course Requirements and Grading:

Essay 1 5%

Essay 2 5%

Essay 3 5%

Informal Work 5%

Presentation10%

Participation10%

Portfolio 60%

Grades will be given based on a 100 point scale (90-100 =A, 80-89 = B, and so forth).

Specific instructions for each assignment will be available on Blackboard for you to print and bring to class on the specified day.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

In order to pass this class, you must turn in all three essays and a final portfolio. Failure to turn in all major assignments will result in a failing grade for the course.

Assignment Format:

All out-of-class assignments need tobe in MLA format, typed, double spaced, in 12 pt. Times New Roman Font, with 1" margins. You may need to change the default settings in your word processor in order to comply with these standards. Each major paper should also include a Works Cited page according to accepted MLA style regulations, as well as a heading on the top left corner of the first page. Please staple your papers before class.

Portfolio:

This is a portfolio course, meaning that you will be building all semester towards a final portfolio that you submit on the last day of class. In order to successfully create your portfolio, you will need to keep all of your written work in a folder or binder, and bring it to each class meeting. The second half of the semester will be strongly focused on revising your written work, so you must have it with you in order to participate in class.

Late Essays:

You will turn in a paper copy of all essays at the beginning of class on the day they are due. I will not grade an essay submitted after that time (you will receive a ‘zero’ for the assignment); however, you can submit a late essay for comments and then revise that essay for your final portfolio.

Attendance and Participation:

You will get out of this course what you put into it. Being an active participant in class will be beneficial to your growth as a writer and critical thinker; therefore, I expect you to come to every class session -- readings complete, class materials in hand, and fully prepared to engage in class discussions and activities. I will take attendance at the beginning of each class. If you miss class, you are still responsible for all assignments and material covered.

Class will start on time! Late arrivals are disruptive both for me and your fellow students. I will assign a penalty of 1/2 days absence for each instance of tardiness. If you do arrive late, see me after class to ensure that I record your presence. I will not stop during class to adjust the roll.

***You are allowed three absences in this class. The fourth absence will result in a failing grade for the course.

10% of your course grade is reserved for participation. The rubric below is designed to help you participate in accordance with the grade you would like to receive.

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.

Class Disruptions:

Please do not do anything that might disrupt me or your fellow students. This includes but is not limited to: talking to your neighbors, doodling, staring at the wall, nodding off, playing on your phone, crinkling food wrappers, crunching Doritos, etc. Remember to turn your cell phones OFF or on SILENT (not vibrate) before class begins. We will not use laptops in this course, so it is inappropriate to have one on your desk. I reserve the right to ask you to leave the classroom, resulting in an absence, for any disruptive behavior.

End of Class:

Frequently, the end of class periods will be devoted to important information concerning assignments and announcements. Please refrain from packing up books and such before you have been dismissed.

Partner Work and In-Class Revision:

You will be working with partners on a daily basis in this class. We will practice giving helpful feedback and incorporating suggestions into our own writing. Remember to always be respectful of one another’s work and willing to both receive and offer helpful critique.

Plagiarism & Cheating:

Not tolerated. Period. According to the UNCG Academic Integrity Policy, “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, based on the egregiousness of the violation.

Special Accommodations:

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 – Moore Humanities and Research Building, room 3211

The purpose of the Writing Center is to enhance the confidence and competence of student writers by providing free, one-on-one assistance at any stage of any writing project. I recommend that you take advantage of this valuable resource.

E-Mail:

Please check your email daily. It is an official form of communication, and you are responsible for any information that I send via email. Please do not hesitate to email me if you have any questions; I tend to respond within 24 hours (48 hours on the weekends).

Conferences:

I will schedule conferences throughout the course in order to meet with you individually and discuss your work. Instead of conducting a regularly scheduled class, all students will sign up for a 15 minute conference with me. Conferences are mandatory; failure to appear will result in an unexcused absence.

Course Schedule (this is tentative and subject to change at instructor’s discretion)

All assignments and readings should be complete before the beginning of class

Bb: Readings posted on Blackboard. Please print and bring to class.

TR: Technê Rhêtorikê

TSIS: They Say, I Say

DATE / READINGS / ASSIGNMENTS
WEEK 1
11 JAN / Print syllabus and bring to class
13 JAN / TSIS: Chapters 11-12 (135-148)
TR: “The Genre of Academic Discourse,” Craig Morehead (33-39)
Bb: “Inventing the University,” David Bartholomae;
“Academic Discourse: Community or Communities?” David Russell / Purchase books.
Review the syllabus, your textbooks, and our first class meeting. Based on those 3 sources, write two paragraphs about how you think you will do in this class. What seems like it will be easy or difficult for you, and why? What about your reading and writing history makes you confident about some parts of the course and hesitant about others?
Bring writing to class.
WEEK 2
18 JAN / Bb: “The Perfect Paragraph,” Safire;
“Shitty First Drafts,” Lamott
TR: “The Response Essay,” Rachel Bowman (170-175) / Write a 1 page response to Bartholomae and/or Russell
20 JAN / LIBRARY DAY
WEEK 3
25 JAN / Bb: Print Essay 1 Assignment
TR: “How to Read an Assignment Sheet,” Summar Sparks (48-55);
“Introduction to Rhetorical Concepts,” Will Dodson (12-23) / Bring a print advertisement to analyze
27 JAN / TR: “Analyzing Visual Media,” Zach Laminack (148-156) / Using Laminack’s analysis as a guide, begin analyzing your advertisement. Bring two pages of writing to class.
WEEK 4: 8 FEB / “Theses, Claims, and Forms of Argument” (224-252)
10 FEB / Essay 1 Due
WEEK 5: 15 FEB / Bb: Essay 2 and 3 Assignment Sheets
TSIS: Introduction (1-14)
TR: “Finding a Conversation to Find Research,” Courtney Wooten (118-123)
17 FEB / NO CLASS: CONFERENCES / Bring academic essay you plan to analyze for Essay 2
WEEK 6:22 FEB / TSIS: Chapters 1, 2, and 3 (17-47)
24 FEB / TSIS: Chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7 (51-97)
WEEK 7:1 MAR / TSIS: Chapters 8, 9, and 10 (101-132)
3 MAR / Essay 2 Due
WEEK 8:8 MAR / SPRING BREAK
10 MAR / SPRING BREAK
WEEK 9: 15 MAR / TR: “Revision is Writing,” Matt Mullins (76-80)
Bb: “Between the Drafts,” Nancy Sommers / Bring everything you’ve written for this class to each class meeting for the remainder of the semester.
17 MAR / Bb: Portfolio Assignment
TR: “The Portfolio Process,” Brian Ray (184-190)
WEEK 10:
22 MAR / NO CLASS: CONFERENCES
24 MAR / TR: “Keeping the Beat: How the Thesis Guides Effective Writing,” Charlie Guy-McAlpin (131-136)
Presentation: Thesis Revision; Reading TBA
WEEK 11:
29 MAR / Presentation: Revising Organization;
Reading TBA
31 MAR / TR: “Developing an Idea of the Audience,” Jacob Babb (56-62)
Presentation: Revising for Audience;
Reading TBA
WEEK 12:5 APR / “Rhetoric of Voice,” D. Mercer Bufter (69-75)
Presentation: Revising for Voice and Tone; Reading TBA
7 APR / Presentation: Revising for Transitions;
Reading TBA
WEEK 13:12 APR / TR: “Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting,” Brian Ray (40-46)
Presentation: Revising for Summary, Paraphrase, and Quotations;Reading TBA
14 APR / Rationale Essay
WEEK 14:19 APR / Portfolio Work
21 APR / LAST CLASS / Portfolios Due
FINAL EXAM:
3 MAY / Individual Conferences 8:00-11:00

English 101 Spring 2011