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English 309 – Inquiries in Writing – Fall 2009

:

Exploring Literacy in an Electronic Age

Bronwyn T. Williams Office: Humanities 204C

Phone: 852-4741 (leave a message if necessary)

Office Hours: T-R 10-11; 1-2:30; and by appt.

Purpose: We are bombarded with claims of how electronic media are fundamentally altering how we read, write, and think. While the advocates of new media technologies preach visions of bold new forms of communication that will liberate the individual writer and reader and provide new levels of democratic interaction and communication, skeptics launch laments about shrinking attention spans, the death of the printed-page book, and the cacophony of voices online. In this course we will engage these arguments, and others in between the two extremes, in an exploration of the nature of literacy, communication, and popular culture in a time in which communication technologies are shifting and developing rapidly.

The course will address questions such as:

·  What is the meaning of literacy today?

·  Should it include not only the ability to read and write critically in print, but to be able to do the same in both moving and still images, and even to be able to combine print and image?

·  How do the material conditions of our culture shape the development of different forms of literacy as well as our responses to these forms?

·  How are economic forces of globalization and corporate mergers influencing how these new forms are created and distributed?

·  How are such new forms of communication and literacy affecting our lives, both individually and as a society?

·  How do the current changes in communication and literacy compare with earlier shifts in popular culture and mass media and what can we learn from those historical moments?

·  What implications do new technologies of literacy and technology have for concepts such as protected political speech, intellectual property, and privacy rights?

·  What are the strengths of different forms of communication and how will we choose the most effective and engaging ways of delivering our messages?

Requirements

Writing: You will be required to produce four critical works this semester.

·  Two will be short (5-7 pages) critical essays addressing topics we discuss in the course.

·  A longer, critical research project, in which you pursue interests of your own that arise during the course.

·  A critical, multimodal text that will explore the uses of new media literacies.

We will discuss the details of these assignments in class.

Do not throw away anything you write in this class until the end of the course. At the end of the course, you will need to include in your portfolio the writing that led up to the finished essays, and you will want to refer to earlier work in order to write all of your final essays.

You will be asked to do informal writing in this class, both during class sessions and out of class. This informal writing will include reading responses, online discussions, ideas for essays, and so on. I do not grade informal writing on content. But I do expect thoughtful and consistent completion of this work and you do get credit for completing informal writing.

You will need to bring a flashdrive to class each day we are in the computer lab for saving your work and any webpages that interest you.

You will need to use your UofL email account in this course and be familiar with using Blackboard.

All writing done for this course might be shared with your classmates and should be written with such an awareness of audience in mind.

Reading: Any class about writing is also a class about reading. You will be expected to do all of the assigned readings and be prepared to talk about them in class. This will require that you do careful and thoughtful readings of the works -- a quick scanning of an essay will not be sufficient. You will be expected to read each assignment more than once, take notes as you go, complete reading-response assignments, and come to class prepared to talk about the readings.

ooks:

Jenkins, Henry. 2006. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide.

New York: New York University Press.

McKibben, Bill. 1992. The Age of Missing Information. New York: Plume.

Stephens, Mitchell. 1998. The Rise of the Image The Fall of the Word. Oxford:

Oxford University Press.

Additional Readings Posted on Blackboard

Reading assignments also will include articles and essays posted on Blackboard. You are expected to print out texts posted on Blackboard and bring them to class. There will be both class discussions and papers pertaining to assigned readings. Failure to do assigned readings will mean you cannot participate effectively in class discussions and that, in turn, will harm your grade.

Grading: The primary basis for your grade in this course will be your writing projects. These projects will be compiled in your final portfolio that will be due at the end of the semester. You will turn in drafts of the papers earlier in the semester and I will comment on them and give you provisional grades for each paper. You then have the option of revising the papers for your final portfolio. We will discuss the criteria I will use for grading portfolios during the course of the semester.

Your final portfolio will include:

·  An introduction that reflects on the work included in the portfolio and the writing experiences of the class

·  Your reading responses for online discussions (keep printouts of these).

·  Final revisions of your two critical essays, your critical research project, and your multimodal project.

·  Drafts of your essays and research project.

Your final grade will be based on:

·  Your writing portfolio, including final revisions of your critical essays, critical research project, and multimodal project.

·  Participation in class discussions of readings and papers, use of journals, and in-class writing assignments. Attendance of class sessions and conferences. 20 percent.

Composition Program courses use a +/- grading scale.

Mid-Semester Portfolio: In order to give you a sense of where you stand in the course, you will turn in a brief, less formal mid-semester portfolio that I will give a provisional grade. A provisional grade is not permanent, but will give you a sense where you stand in the course at mid-semester. Your final portfolio grade could be higher or lower, depending on the work you do the rest of the semester.

Deadlines and Late Papers: Each final essay in the portfolio will have been submitted for class and teacher review according to set deadlines. Any paper not submitted on deadline for these reviews will not be accepted for the portfolio. Failure to include all of the work and to meet deadlines throughout the semester will jeopardize your ability to receive a passing grade on the portfolio. Unexcused late papers will harm your grade. If you turn in work late or miss assignments you will find that it will become increasingly difficult to complete subsequent assignments. I will only give excuses for turning a paper or assignment in late before the paper is due. No exceptions. If you have a problem get word to me somehow, leave a message or send an email if necessary, before the paper is due. I will accept no unexcused late papers that are more than two class sessions late. You must complete all assignments to pass the course.

If, at any time during the semester, you have concerns about your grade, you should talk with me immediately. Don't wait to come to me a week before the semester ends and ask me what you have to do to get an "A". That is the kind of question you need to ask the first week of the semester, not the last.

Conferences: You are required to have periodic individual conferences with me in my office. This is our opportunity to work together to improve your writing. You will get the most out of conferences if you prepare for them -- think about how your work is going, what is working, where you are having trouble, what questions you have for me. Then show up on time, ask questions of me, and take notes about what we discuss. Attendance at conferences is mandatory. Missing them without a prior excuse will count as an absence in the course.

Extra Help With Writing: All students can receive writing advice and tutoring from the University Writing Center. The Writing Center is located on the third floor of the main library. You may call, 852-2173, or contact them through their Web page at www.louisville.edu/writingcenter/, to set up an appointment or to get help online or you may walk-in for an appointment. I will talk about this more in class.

Official Policies

Grievances: If you have problems or questions about the course or my conduct of the course please come see me immediately. If you are not satisfied with my response you should speak with the Director of Composition or the Chair of the Department.

Disability Accommodations: If you have a documented disability or condition that may impair your ability to complete assignments or otherwise satisfy course criteria please talk to me immediately so that we can identify, discuss, and document any feasible instructional modifications or accommodations. You need to notify me no later than the end of the first week of the semester in which the course is offered or not later than the second week after such a disability or condition is diagnosed, whichever occurs earliest. For further information and help, contact the Disabilities Resource Center on campus.

Attendance and Participation: As with any class, attendance is expected. Unlike many classes, however, this one will include in-class writing or reading exercises and discussion almost every session. The material covered in these exercises and discussions will be vital to your success in writing your essays and cannot be made up by looking at a classmate's notes. I do take attendance and you do get credit for having the readings done when you come to class, and for participating in class discussions. Missing class will usually mean missing in-class assignments and discussions and that will add up when the time comes for the final grade. Missed in-class exercises cannot be made up.

You may only have an excused absence and receive permission to turn in work late if you provide me with a valid excuse before the class session. You can leave a voicemail or email message before class. Two weeks of unexcused absences is grounds for the alteration of your final letter grade; three weeks of unexcused absences is grounds for failure of the course.

It is important to be on time for this class. To come in late is disruptive to the class and disrespectful of both me and of your fellow students. I understand that sometimes there are traffic jams, sick children, or other unforeseen circumstances that will delay you. In those instances I do hope you come to class even if you are late. Please, however, do not make a habit of coming to class late.

Cell Phones, Pagers, and Other Electronic Devices: I expect cell phones and pagers to be turned off and remain put away during class time.

Classroom Community: The essence of any course about literacy is communication. Consequently, a free and open class discussion is essential to our gaining a better understanding of the work or ideas at hand. This is a small course and I prefer to teach through discussion rather than lecture. We need to work together to explore the ideas, readings, and other assignments in the course. This class will live or die depending on the quantity and quality of the discussions. Your participation in class discussions and workshops is vital and required. This means coming prepared to talk about readings and workshop papers, listening to your classmates' comments, and giving all members of the class an opportunity to talk. Successful class discussions also require tolerance and respect from all of the members of the class. This class thrives on the open and honest exchange of ideas. This exchange, however, requires trust and respect. Although we may disagree about and debate various issues and ideas, such discussions should never get personal. To each class you should bring an intelligent, open mind and a tolerant attitude toward the opinions of others. Personal attacks or disruptive behavior have no place in this class and will not be tolerated.

Academic Integrity: The University defines plagiarism as “representing the words or ideas of someone else as one’s own in any academic exercise.” As in any University course, the work you submit must be your own. I will follow the definitions and procedures concerning cheating and plagiarism that are presented in the section on "Academic Dishonesty" in the Student Handbook. If you are not familiar with these rules and procedures I strongly recommend you read about them soon. If you have any question as to whether the work you are submitting could be plagiarized, please come ask me BEFORE you turn it in. If you plagiarize, I reserve the right to fail you and report the case to the College of Arts and Sciences.

This syllabus may be subject to change. If it does, I will let you know in class.

Reading and Assignment Schedule

Assignments are to be done for the day on which they are listed. This schedule is subject to change; if it does I will let you know as soon as possible.

Week One

25 August – Introduction

27 August – Barton, David and Mary Hamilton. 2000. Literacy Practices. In Situated

Literacies: Reading and Writing in Context. Eds. David Barton, Mary Hamilton, and Roz Ivanic. London: Routledge. 7-15.