Fall 2009
English 322: The Teaching of Writing
Elizabeth Chiseri-StraterOffice: Humanities 3324
“You can approach the act of writing with nervousness, excitement, hopefulness, or even despair—the sense that you can never completely put on the page what’s in your mind and heart. You can come to the act with your fists clenched and your eyes narrowed, ready to kick ass and take down names….Come to it any way but lightly. Let me say it again: You must not come lightly to the blank page.” King, On Writing
Course Description
Welcome to English 322, the course that focuses on theories and practices of teaching writing in secondary schools. The overall goal of the course is for participants to develop their own philosophy and practices for teaching writing based on a wide range of course readings, writing activities, and research on writing. Our course will model the kinds of activities and responses that can take place in secondary schools so that we can experience these for ourselves. As we come together as a community of future teachers, we will write together, respond to each other’s drafts and compile writing portfolios. The major premise of this approach is that teachers of writing need to be writers themselves.
Learning Outcomes:(These have been developed from professional organizations)
Understand and articulate current theories and philosophies of writing processes and the teaching of writing.
Develop and apply different modes of writing instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners
Model and share use of reading and writing for real purposes in daily life and motivate students to become lifelong writers
Develop multiple appropriate assessments to evaluate student writing
Integrate technology as a tool for writing
Develop instructional approaches to writing that foster engagement and build from students’ interests, home life and culture
Integrate writing with the reading of multiple genres of texts, including technology based information and non-print materials
Understand the needs of exceptional students, including culturally and linguistically diverse readers
Design literacy interventions and writing programs that are effective in individual classrooms
Understand that change is constant and investigate/consider new ideas that improve teaching in the English Language classroom and adapt practices based on data
Become a reflective practitioner and learner
Become a confident writer and responder to student writing
Texts:
Gaines, Ernest, Lesson Before Dying (any version)
King, Stephen, On Writing (any version)
Kirby, Dan, Dawn Kirby and Tom Liner. Inside Out: Strategies for Teaching Writing. Third edition
There will be several articles posted on our Reading list under Blackboard so you will need a blackboard account for this course
Attendance:
This is will be a very interactive class so attendance is important to your classmates and to me. You may miss two class sessions, excused or unexcused. Missing more classes will seriously compromise your grade. A missed conference is the same as a missed class.
Grading:
Everything counts—your participation, blackboard postings, workshops, formal and informal writing. Written work must be turned in on time and blackboard postings must be completed by noon the day before the following class to allow time for others to read the postings (Mon. noon and Wed. noon). Roughly calculated here’s how the major assignments break down:
Class Participation 10
Blackboard Postings and reflective paper based on postings 10
Literacy moment drafts and paper 10
Quick writes 10 (in class writing exercises)
Philosophy of teaching writing (2 drafts) 10
Case Study of a writer 10
Multi-genre research website 20
Portfolio (midterm and final) 20
General Guidelines:
This is a professional development course which asks you to think of yourself as a future teacher as well as a model student (since mostly model students become teachers). I assume that you understand how to behave in a professional manner by being on time, turning in your work promptly, participating in our class discussions and groupwork and by being courteous to the ideas of your colleagues. Please turn off all cell phones before class begins and leave them turned off (i.e. ignore them) until you leave class. You are welcome to bring drinks to class.You will want your future students to follow these rules as well.
“Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than after it.” Madeline L’Engle
Speaking Center
UNCG has an excellent SpeakingCenter that can help you in preparing individual and group speeches, with interviews and a range of speaking occasions. It is located next to the WritingCenter and requires an appointment. Their website is:
The WritingCenter
UNCG has an excellent WritingCenter that can help you brainstorm paper ideas, work on grammatical issues, and polish your writing. Please visit the WritingCenter as often as you like. Take both your work in progress and all documentation relating to the assignment (prompts, comments of prior drafts, research notes) and plan to stay up to an hour.
Plagiarism/Academic Dishonesty
Don’t do it. All verified cases of academic dishonesty (including cheating and plagiarism, the use of another’s text or ideas without proper credit and citation) will be reported to the proper university officials. See the university’s “Academic Integrity Policy” online at academicintegrity.uncg.eduor in the 2007-2008 Undergraduate Bulletin. Seriously. Don’t.
Disability Access
Students in university classrooms who have various disabilities (whether visible or invisible) are, of course, welcome, and their rights protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, it is imperative that students with disabilities register with the Office of Disability Services (ods.dept.uncg.edu or 334-5440) and inform the instructor of any special needs as early as possible so that the necessary arrangements or adjustments can be made.
Changes
Teachers must be planners so it’s important to structure a course ahead of time. As writer Annie Dillard says, “A plan is a net for catching the day.” But teachers also should respond to the needs and interests of her students so that any plan should be open to alterations. Should you feel that we need to spend more time on any aspect of this course, please let me know. This semester we are engaged in working out the “multigenre research project” so that it meets the NC state standards for a culminating experience of English education majors. Your opinions about this project will be welcomed throughout the course. And please don’t hesitate to email me or make an appointment to meet with me should you have any questions or concerns about our course. I look forward to our work together.
“Good writing should evoke in the reader, not the fact that it is raining but the feeling of being rained upon.” EL Doctored
Tentative Class Calendar
IO=Inside Out LBD=Lesson Before DyingOW=On Writing R=Readings on Blackboard
Week One
Day / Date / Class Topic / Homework/reading/writing(due the date listed)
Tue / 8/26 / Introduction to the Course: The
Literacy Artifact Exchange / Get Textbooks
Thur / 8/28 / Literacy Introductions / Bring Interview Notes to Class
Week Two
Day / Date / Class Topic / Homework/reading/writingTue / 9/1 / Why Write? Why Teach Writing? / Take notes on Gage’s essay
-Thur / 9/3 / Why Write? Why Teach Writing? / King, first 100 pages
I-2 paged response integrating these two readings about something that intrigued, surprised or disturbed you.
Week Three
Day / Date / Class Topic / Homework/reading/writingTue / 9/8 / Philosophy of Teaching Writing / King, rest of book
What do you agree or disagree with in this half of King’s book?
Thur / 9/10 / Approaches to Teaching Writing / Post 1--Write a one to two paged philosophy of teaching writing statement and post to blackboard. Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ responses. Bring your paper to class.
Inside Out, Chapters 1and 2
Week Four
Day / Date / Class Topic / Homework/reading/writingTue / 9/15 / Guest Speaker, former UNCG graduate and current high school teacher, John Zimmerman / IO, Chapters 9, 14Think about the answer to the question, What Is Good Writing? How do we grade it?
Bring questions about the writing test for John to answer.
Thur / 9/17 / The Composing Process / Chapter 6, Unquiet Pedagogy
Post 2- Why can’t and don’t students write? Write a one pager on your composing process.
Week Five
Day / Date / Class Topic / Homework/reading/writingTue / 9/22 / No Class: Conferences / Ideas for Multi-genre project and case study of a writer Bring all writing to conference
Thur / 9/24 / No class: Conferences / Ideas for Multi-genre project and case study of a writer Bring all writing to conference
Week Six
Day / Date / Class Topic / Homework/reading/writingTue / 9/29 / About Context: Home and School
Start Literacy Memoirs / Unquiet Pedagogy, Chapter 3
Inside Out, Chapter 3
Thur / 10/1 / Workshop on Literacy Memoirs / Posting 3: How does the school and home environments matter to writing teachers? Respond to two postings of your colleagues
Draft of Literacy memoirs due
Week Seven
Day / Date / Class Topic / Homework/reading/writingTue / 10/6 / Voice/Poetry / Proposals for Case Studies Due with permissions
IO, Chapters 6, 11
Thu / 10/8 / Audience/Rhetoric / Topics for Multi-Genre papers due
IO, Chapter 13
Reading: Romano
Week Eight
Day / Date / Class Topic / Homework/reading/writingTue / 10/13 / No Class: Fall Break / Begin Lesson Before Dying
Thur / 10/15 / Lesson Before Dying
Discussion / Mid-term portfolios due, including theory paper and reflective letter
NOTE: Last day to drop class, October 16
Week Nine
Day / Date / Class Topic / Homework/reading/ writingTue / 10/20 / Writing About Literature / Inside Out, Chapter 12
Readings: Assignment Design by Wiggins and McTigue
Post 4: Post your thoughts on a writing assignment you found really valuable (no responses necessary)
Thur / 10/22 / Group Presentations on Lesson Before Dying / Write a reflection on how you felt your group’s presentation went
Week Ten
Day / Date / Class / Homework/reading(due the following class meeting)
Tue / 10/27 / Case Study Presentations / Inside Out:Chapter 8
Thur / 10/29 / Case Study Presentations / Respond to student papers
Reading: Learning to Praise
Drafts Due
Week Eleven
Day / Date / Class Topic / Homework/reading/writingTue / 11/3 / Conferences: No Class
Thur / 11/5 / Conferences: No Class
Week Twelve
Day / Date / Class Topic / Homework/reading/writingTue / 11/10 / Workshop on Multi-Genre Websites
Thur / 11/12 / Workshop on Multi-Genre Websites
Week Thirteen
Day / Date / Class / Homework/reading(due the following class meeting)
Tue / 11/17 / Revision / IO: Chapter 10 and Readings, Murray
Posting 5: What are the challenges of revision for you as a writer? How can you help your students with this process? Response to two posts
Thur / 11/19 / Portfolios and Rubrics / Readings: Sunstein and Reynolds
Week Fourteen
Day / Date / Class / Homework/reading(due the following class meeting)
Tue / 11/24 / Workshop on Philosophy of Teaching Papers
Thur / 11/26 / No Class: Thanksgiving
Week Fifteen
Day / Date / Class Topic / Homework/reading/writingTue / 12/1 / Portfolio Sharing
Thur / 12/3 / Portfolio Sharing / Portfolios due
Some Due Dates for formal writing and presentations:
Philosophy of Teaching Writing 9/10 and 11/24
Literacy Memoir 10/1
Group Presentation on Using Writing to Teach Literature 10/22
Case Study of a Writer 10/29
Portfolio 12/3 (includes MultiGenre website design, case study, philosophy of teaching writing, literacy memoir, reflective paper on postings and reflection on group presentation as well as selections from in-class writing exercises)
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