Line #27086 MW 4:40-5:55 LL263
Instructor; Clarissa Simek Robinson
Office Hours: MW 2:00p.m.-4:00p.m., and by appointment.
Office: LL 343
Message Phone: (480) 965-3853
E-mail address: Clarissa.Robinson@asu.edu
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Required Textbooks:
o Strang, Steven M. Writing Exploratory Essays. California: Mayfield
Publishing Company, 1995.
o A college-level dictionary
o MLA Handbook
Other Required Materials:
o Manila Folders (all final essays and materials must be clearly marked
and submitted in this folder.)
Course Description: As the course title indicates, English 217
focuses on writing reflective essays. The source of most of the writing
in 217 is the writer himself or herself. In essence, the course asks
students to reflect and write on topics that are personally important.
However, the writer's purpose is not just to express his or her deepest
feelings and thoughts. The writing in 217 is intended to be shared
with others and made public. So the writing has a double purpose:
(1) writing to explore and discover, as well as (2) writing to explain
or argue. Throughout this course we'll do lots of informal, expressive
writing, but—with the help of each other and the models in the text—we'll
work on transforming that writing into polished essays that reflect accepted
conventions and the expectations of educated readers.
To this end, it is important to remember that although writing
can be difficult and sometimes intimidating, it is also something that
you already do. As writers write, they need a set of strategies to
help them move from thinking about a paper to polishing a final draft—strategies
that can only be learned by writing consistently and often. The primary
goal of this course is to create a community of writers who will help each
other to define individual voice, while working together to draft, revise,
and edit each other’s literary work. Since each student's needs are
unique, this course will provide a great deal of individual attention and
feedback from me, as well as peer group analysis and whole-class discussion.
I also encourage you to seek reactions to your ideas and drafts from people
outside of this course. In addition to family and friends, consider
soliciting advice from tutors in the Writing Center located on the 3rd
floor, of the Language and Literature building.
Teacher Assumptions: As this is a 200-level course, I assume
that you're taking this class because you're interested in personal, exploratory,
and reflective writing and because you want to improve your general writing
skills. I also assume that you're already competent writers, with
few writing problems. If you do have difficulties, please seek help
at the Writing Center on the 3rd floor of Language and Literature or from
a private tutor.
Also, the nature of this course allows for a variety of opinions
and ideas, but with freedom of speech comes responsibility. All students
must realize that hate speech (oral and written) as well as harassment
of any kind, will NOT be tolerated. Remember, if you want your fellow
students to respect your ideas and beliefs, you must give them the same
courtesy. I intend to provide an atmosphere in the classroom where
every student feels welcome to participate in the discussion and development
of the writing process.
To that end, it is important to keep in mind that writing is
a collaborative process, and each piece of writing will be workshopped
by your peers. Therefore, anything that you write about MUST be able
to be shared and discussed by the class as a whole. Please keep this
in mind when writing, and DON’T pick topics that are confidential, or otherwise
too personal to be made public. Also, please do not write about any
criminal activity of which you have knowledge--as a witness, a victim,
or a perpetrator. If you do write about such activity, I may be legally
required to report it.
Course Work: Deadlines are an important part of writing, and as such of this class. You must come to each class prepared to write, to share your writing with others, and to revise what you have already written. Therefore, time management is an important element to keep in mind, so plan ahead and don’t leave things until the last minute. Because so much of the work in this class is cumulative, one day building on the other, it's essential that you keep up with the daily reading and writing assignments, and that you work steadily in and out of class. It is not enough to focus solely on a final draft; all stages of the composing process are important. Please come and talk to me regarding any problems you are having with an assignment prior to its due date so that we can avoid late papers.
o Note: ALL essays MUST be handed-in to pass the class
Assignments:
I. Essay One asks you to examine your personal identity—your sense
of self—and to write an essay exploring how you came to be the person you
are. You may focus on a person or an experience (or a combination
of the two) that played a significant role in your life.
II. Essay Two asks you to reflect on the importance of some community
or place in your life.
III. Essay Three asks you to reflect on a topic that interests or intrigues
you. Rather than offering only personal opinions, however, you need
to research what other writers have said about this topic and then add
your voice to the conversation. The essay is essentially your reflections,
but within the context of other voices.
Note: Along with Essay Three you'll need to do an annotated bibliography
on at least four sources that deal with your topic.
IV. Reflective Analysis and Presentation: In lieu of a final
exam, I'm asking you to take a look backward and a look forward.
First, I'd like you to compose a 2-3 page reflective analysis of all the
work you've done in this course, analyzing and evaluating your writing
progress and your evolving understanding of how to write reflective essays.
Then, in a brief 5 minute presentation, you will present your reflections
to the class.
Note: Please keep all of your writing for this course, including
in-class and out-of-class working notes, drafts, revisions, final drafts,
reader-response answers, and writing entries. At the end of the semester
you will use this material to review your work, and analyze and evaluate
your progress as a writer.
V. Throughout the semester, I'll ask you to engage in a number of informal
writings to help you reflect on your essay subjects and topics, your work
in progress, your classmates' essays, and your own essays. The purpose
of these writings is twofold: (1) to help you (and your classmates)
write better essays and (2) to give you a sense of perspective on your
writing so you can better assess and control your composing processes and
your compositions. The informal writings are not graded per se, but
they can make a plus or minus difference in your essay grade; hence, I
encourage you to take them seriously and do them well
Essay Format: All outside-of-class writing assignments—whether essays or homework—must be computer printed, double spaced, stapled and in 12pt font. Handwritten assignments will NOT be accepted. PLEASE PROOFREAD AND SPELL-CHECK ALL WORK. Remember, each essay will undergo a great deal of revision between the first and final drafts, and having the text on a computer from the beginning will make this process much easier for you.
o Note: Please place your name, my name, course title, and date in the top, left-hand corner of the first page, and center the title two lines underneath. Put your last name and page number in the upper, right-hand corner of each successive page. Refer to the MLA Handbook for any other formatting questions you may have.
Late Papers: Essays not turned-in for evaluation on their due dates will be marked "late" and downgraded one letter grade per class period missed. Essays that are more than one week late will NOT receive a passing grade, but MUST still be handed-in in order to pass the course.
The Composition Office will NEVER accept your papers. All written work MUST be turned-in during class, NOT during office hours (or by sliding under my office door or placing on my desk). ONLY work handed to me in-class will be accepted.
o Note: If you know that you will not be able to attend class, please e-mail it to me before the beginning of the class period in which it is due. Missed in-class work cannot be made up.
Incomplete Policy: No incompletes will be given
Disposition of Papers: PLEASE KEEP COPIES OF ALL WORK ON COMPUTER DISC! Also, keep all completed/graded work. Among other things, any student who appeals a course grade will need to submit copies of all graded course papers with the appeal.
Plagiarism: To plagiarize is to present as your own any work that is not exclusively your own. Plagiarism of all or a portion of any assignment will NOT be tolerated. Besides being a fraudulent act, it does a disservice to both you and your classmates. You are here to learn, so don’t cheat yourself by being lazy and dishonest.
Plagiarism occurs when the proper sources are not documented, and due credit for the work of others’ is not given. Proper forms of documentation can be found in the MLA Handbook, and you can always come to see me regarding any questions that you have in this area.
o Note: See the "Guide to Composition" for more information on plagiarism.
Revising Papers: Revision is a major part of the writing process, and as such of this course Along with the extensive in-class group work, I am available during office hours if you need additional help revising your drafts; please come prepared with draft materials and specific questions. However, the final draft of each essay will be assigned an individual final grade, and no revisions are allowed after the final essay due date.
Conferences: Each student is REQUIRED to meet with me once during the semester to discuss progress, problems, and any questions they may have regarding written work. Classes will be canceled during this week in order to accommodate all students. A sign-up sheet will be available prior to the week of conferences, and all students must attend their meeting time. Of course, you’re always welcome to meet with me at any time during the semester as well.
o Note: Missing your conference is the equivalent of being absent for an entire week of classes.
Drop/Add and Withdrawal Deadlines: The following are the published deadlines for dropping and withdrawing from courses:
August 27: Last day of final drop/add
September 15: Unrestricted withdrawal deadline
October 27: Restricted withdrawal deadline
o Note: After September 15th, the instructor of the course you wish to drop MUST indicate that you currently have a passing grade in order for you to withdraw.
While I am optimistic that you will not elect to drop English 217, it is imperative that you pay attention to these deadlines. The better informed you are about the options available to you as a student at ASU, the more likely you will be to succeed academically. If you feel that you would benefit from additional support, please make an appointment with me during office hours so that I can provide you with information about services available to you at ASU.
Attendance and Participation: You are a student, and therefore going to class is your job. You would not be able to skip work just because you don’t feel like going, and the same goes for your classes. Because writing classes are performance courses that depend upon student attendance for your success, you must attend on a regular basis to receive credit for this course. If you miss more than four (4) class meetings—the equivalent of two weeks—you CANNOT pass this course. This means that there is no such thing as an excused absence: there are only absences. This policy on attendance is a Writing Program policy and is non-negotiable.
Note: "Attendance" means being present, on time, and prepared for the
entire class period. At the end of each class period, I will award you
credit for participation: a zero (0) if you were absent, a one (1) if you
were late or showed up but didn't contribute, a two (2) if you were there
the whole class period and contributed minimally, and a three(3) if you
were there the whole class period and contributed positively throughout
class.
Students Involved in University-Sanctioned Activities: To accommodate students who participate in university-sanctioned activities, the Composition Program offers sections of this course at various times of the day and week. We have asked advisors across campus to help students enroll in appropriate sections. If you think that this course may conflict with a university-sanctioned activity in which you are involved—athletics or the debate team or whatever—please see me after class today. While transferring to another section may be the only viable option, let's discuss the possibilities.
Disabled Students: If you are a student who requires special accommodation, please contact Disability Resources for Students at (480) 965-1234. Please feel free to discuss the special accommodations with me.
Midterm Evaluations: The Department of English requires that I submit student mid-term evaluations approximately eight weeks into the semester. If you are earning a "D" or "E" in the course, you should expect to receive one.
Grading:
Essay #1 20%
Essay #2 25%
Essay #3 and Annotated Bibliography 30%
Reflective Analysis and Presentation 10%
Attendance, Participation & In-class Work 15%
Grading Scale: Grades on individual assignments are computed according to the following scale.
Essay #1 = 200 pts.
Essay #2 = 250 pts.
Essay #3 and Annotated Bibliography = 300 pts.
Reflective Analysis and Presentation = 100 pts.
Attendance, Participation & In-Class Work = 150 pts.
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Total = 1,000 pts.
o Note: There is a marked difference between failing a paper and not turning one in.
Final Grades: Although I may be assigning plus (+) and minus (-) grades to your in-class work, there are no plus or minus final grades given at ASU. Therefore, the following scale will be used to determine your final grade:
A = 1000-900 (4.0-3.5)
B = 899-800 (3.49-2.5)
C = 799-700 (2.49-1.5)
D = 699-600 (1.49-0.5)
E = 599-0 (.49-0)
The Writing Center: The Writing Center is located on the 3rd floor of LL. It is an exceptionally useful tool, and I cannot stress enough the value of this resource for you as writers. Remember, you can ALWAYS see me to discuss questions regarding your work, but I also encourage you to schedule sessions with the Writing Center tutors. I may at times require that you pay them a visit if I feel there are specific issues with your writing that could benefit from their expertise. I am also open to discussing the possibility of extra credit if you choose to visit the Writing Center in a consistent manner.
o Note: The policies and procedures included in this syllabus are a
supplement to the "Guide to Composition."
Schedule of Homework Assignments: Subject to change! All changes will be announced in class.
Week 1: Course Introduction
M 8/21: Introduction to course and syllabus
W 8/23: Introduction continued
HW: Read pp. 1-39
Week 2: "Introduction to Exploratory Writing"—Chapter 1
M 8/28: Class discussion
HW: Read pp. 40-73
W 8/30: Class discussion
HW: Read pp. 75-114
Week 3: "Exploring the Self"—Chapter 2
M 9/4: Labor Day. Classes Excused.
W 9/6: Class discussion
HW: Read pp. 115-140
Week 4: "Exploring the Self" (continued)
M 9/11: Class discussion
HW: Write 4-6 page draft of "Identity" essay (bring 2 copies).
W 9/13 : Draft of "Identity" essay due (bring 2 copies).
Draft workshops.
HW: Revise "Identity" essay
Week 5: "Exploring Events"—Chapter 3
M 9/18: Final draft of "Identity" essay due. Presentations.
HW: Read pp. 141-160
W 9/20: Class discussion
HW: Read pp. 161-182
Week 6: "Exploring Events" (continued)
M 9/25: Class discussion
HW: Read pp. 183-197
W 9/27: Class discussion
HW: Write 4-6 page draft of "Events" essay (bring 2 copies).
Week 7: "Exploring Events" (continued)
M 10/2: Draft of "Events" essay due. (bring 2 copies). In-class
workshop.
HW: Revise "Events" essay
W 10/4: Final draft of "Events" essay due. Presentations.
HW: Read "Exploring Other People," pp. 199-265
Week 8: Conferences
M 10/9: Midterm Conferences—Meet with me in LL 343
W 10/11: Midterm Conferences—Meet with me in LL 343
Week 9: "Exploring Other People"—Chapter 4, and "Exploring Relationships"—Chapter
5
M 10/16: Class discussion
HW: Read pp. 267-335
W 10/18: Class discussion
HW: Read pp. 337-361
Week 10: "Exploring Concepts"—Chapter 6
M 10/23: Class discussion
HW: Read pp. 362-382
W 10/25: Class discussion
HW: Read pp. 383-413
Week 11: "Exploring Beliefs"—Chapter 7
M 10/30: Class discussion
HW: Read pp. 414-440
W 11/1: Class discussion
HW: Read pp. 441-489
Week 12: "Exploring Controversies"—Chapter 8, and "Exploring Texts"—Chapter
9
M 11/6: Class discussion
HW: Read pp. 491-534
W 11/8: Class discussion
HW: Read pp. 535-585
Week 13: "Exploring Texts"—Chapter 9 (continued)
M 11/13: Class discussion
HW: Write 8-10 pg. draft of essay #3 (bring 2 copies to class).
W 11/15: Draft of essay #3 due (bring 2 copies). In-class
peer editing workshop.
HW: Read "Revising Content," pp. 587-602
Revise draft of essay #3
Week 14: Peer workshops
M 11/20: Revised draft of essay #3 due. In-class peer editing
workshop.
HW: Read "Revising Style," pp. 603-630
Polish final draft of essay #3
W 11/22: Class Excused. Have a nice Thanksgiving!
Week 15: "Reflective Analysis"
M 11/27: Essay #3 due! Class discussion of "Reflective
Analysis."
HW: Write 2 page "Reflective Analysis"
Prepare 5 minute presentation
W 11/29: Presentations
Week 16: Presentations (continued)
M 12/4: Presentations
o Note: As there is no exam in this class, you MUST pick up your
essay and "Reflective Analysis" during my exam week office hours or your
grade will suffer.