Fall 2001 line 99935(12:15) 45988(1:40)
Instructor: Judith Clayton Van
Office: Language and Literature 542
Office phone: (480) 965-7655
Office hours: T/TH 8:30-9:00/11:00-12:00/3:00-3:15
e-mail: jvan@asu.edu
web address: http://www.public.asu.edu/~jvanasu
This writing course may be unlike any you have enrolled in before, for our focus won't center on your finished "products" but rather the goal of the course is to help you to develop strategies for using writing to construct meaning--which in turn assists you in generating thought-provoking discourse for your intended reader. Current research indicates that writers must become well-versed in a variety of approaches to constructing the types of genres required in their college courses (now) and in the workplace (later).
When students are equipped with appropriate strategies for generating texts, they typically approach their writing with confidence and commitment. Additionally, students report that they find the writing process and the writing they construct both rewarding and pleasurable. Upon completing this course, you will have learned that all writing involves a recursive (and often messy) process of thinking and writing strategies often referred to as peer review, invention, prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing.
This semester, I'll ask you to complete three major writing projects and two portfolio analyses--one partway through the semester, and the other in lieu of a final exam.
The Composition Program at ASU supports the Conference on College Composition and Communication's Outcome Statement (preliminary version), which supports these "outcomes" for students:
Rhetorical knowledge: this covers the kinds of things students need to know about the writing situation, such as who the readers are and what kind of information they may be expecting from the text. By the end of their first-year writing courses, students should:
be able to focus on a specific purpose
be able to anticipate the needs of different kinds of readers
be able to recognize the differences among kinds of writing situations
be able to use the conventions of format, organization, and language
appropriate to specific writing situations.
understand what makes writing types (like a book review, a project
proposal or a research report) different
General reading, writing, and thinking skills: this covers general reading, writing, and thinking skills students must have to meet the demands of different kinds of writing situations. By the end of their first-year writing courses, students should:
be able to use writing to record, explore, organize, and communicate
be able to find, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize appropriate primary
and secondary sources in order to meet the demands of different kinds of
writing situations
understand the general relationships among language, knowledge, and
power.
Processes: this covers the processes students need to follow to produce successful texts. By the end of their first-year writing courses, students should know how to use:
multiple drafts to improve their texts
strategies like brainstorming, outlining, and focused free writing
in all stages of the writing process
generating, organizing, revising, and editing strategies that are appropriate
to the specific writing situation
effective collaborative strategies to investigate, write, revise, and
edit
a variety of media, including particularly standard computerized media,
in ways that permit them to make their writing acceptable to a wide variety
of readers.
Conventions: this covers specific conventions, such as spelling and punctuation, that readers expect writers to control. By the end of their first-year writing courses, students should:
control general conventions of spelling, grammar, and punctuation expected
in standard written English
be able to document primary and secondary sources appropriately
know how to check for conventions about which they are uncertain
understand that different conventions are appropriate for different
kinds of writing situations
The Stretch Program is designed specifically for those university students who lack experience with the kinds of writing they will be asked to do at ASU--students who have good ideas and who may be effective writers in some situations, but who have minimal training and experience with academic writing. Stretch gives these students more time to develop effective writing strategies--strategies they will use in all of their university classes. Students in Stretch classes read the same texts and do the same kinds of assignments as other ENG 101/107 students. In effect, Stretch students do twice as much writing and revising as other ENG 101/107 students, thus giving them more practice at the kinds of writing they'll do in their academic career, and beyond. The first class in the Stretch sequence is WAC 101/107; the second is ENG 101/107. In effect, these connected Stretch Program classes "stretch" English 101/107 over two semesters, so students have the opportunity of extended experience at working with many and various ways of both reading and writing.
This extra time allows students to learn and work with a wide range of composing strategies, to help them understand what techniques are appropriate for any particular situation: reading strategies (to effectively read their own textbooks, as well as their classmates' writing and their own compositions), invention techniques (to help students get started on their writing), composing methods (strategies of organization), and revision and proofreading strategies (to help improve their early drafts of texts).
Students in Stretch Program classes take responsibility for their own education by being involved in a wide range of learning activities, for we believe that students can best learn to write by writing, receiving feedback (from peers and their instructor), and revising those texts, always with a view of the rhetorical situation: what do we want our writing to do?
Required texts:
Bean, John, C., and John D. Ramage. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing
2nd edition (all readings will be from this text, unless specifically indicated
otherwise)
Guide to Composition, located at http://www.asu.edu/clas/english/composition/theguidetocomposition.html
A college-level dictionary
Policies:
Attendance is mandatory. I know everyone has problems from time-to-time
in getting to class. However, since our class uses a workshop approach
where other members of the class suffer when you're not present (to comment
on their work), absences will affect your final grade for the course. 10%
of your course grade will come from your in-class writings (we do those
right at the start of class) and your class participation. At 10% of the
total grade, the "in-class writing/participation" grade is about .5% per
class period. Put another way, you'll lose 1% of your grade for every two
days you miss class--no matter what "excuse" you have for missing class.
The 1% penalty may not seem like much, but a few missed classes will quickly
move you down one letter grade.
Please note: if you miss more than four classes (more than 15% of
the course), you will fail this class.
Please also note: several times during the semester we will cancel classes so we can hold conferences. If you miss a conference, you will be counted absent for the same number of classes that were canceled in order to hold conferences. For instance, if we cancel class for two days to hold conferences and you miss your conference, that "counts" as two absences. Also note: the class period before we start these conferences, you will be asked to bring in copies of your Writing Projects to share with your classmates, so they can comment on them and make suggestions on how to improve them. If you do not have copies of your Writing Project for your classmates on the day they're due, you will be counted absent for that day and cannot participate in conferences, therefore losing two (2) class participation points as well as being absent for both class periods.
Please also note that if you don't have a workshop copy on the day it's due for in-class workshops, you will not be able to participate and will lose one letter grade from your final Writing Project grade. And obviously, to pass this class all assignments must be completed, and please remember, too, that all writing for this class must be written for this class.
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.
I want to underscore the published deadlines for dropping courses. The deadline for unrestricted withdrawal for any class you have enrolled in this semester is 9/15/2000. The deadline for restricted withdrawal--meaning that the instructor of the class you wish to drop must indicate whether or not you currently have a passing grade in that class--is 10/27/2000.
While I am optimistic that you will not elect to drop this class or any other class that you're currently taking, it is important 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 are to succeed academically. If you feel you would benefit from additional support in reading, writing, math, philosophy, or any other area of your academic life, please make an appointment to see me during office hours so that I can provide you with information about services available to you at ASU.
Grading: Grading for Writing Projects will follow English Department standards, which are based on content, organization, expression, and mechanics. If you ever have a question about a grade and/or a comment I've made, please ask me about it. Remember that your grades from your WAC 101/107 class will accumulate and will count as 50% of your ENG 101/107 grade. We will talk individually about your WAC 101/107 grades, so you will know exactly where you stand starting your ENG 101/107 semester.
All sections of first-year composition follow a uniform grading policy, which is based on the university's 4.0 grading system. To compute the final grades, the following values are assigned to the standard letter grades of A through E:
A................. 4.0
A-............... 3.7
B+.............. 3.3
B.................3.0
B-............... 2.7
C+.............. 2.3
C................ 2.0
C-.............. 1.7
D+............. 1.3
D............... 1.0
D-.............. .7
E................ .3
No paper = 0
Note that there is a marked difference between a failing paper and not
turning one in. Since final grades are reported as whole numbers (there
are no plus or minus final grades), the following scale will be used to
determine the final grade. A student will receive a final grade no lower
than the grade determined by the following formula:
A = 3.5 - 4.0
B = 2.5 - 3.49
C = 1.5 - 2.49
D = .5 - 1.49
E = .49 and below
Manuscript preparation: Please consider every piece of writing you do for this class to be "public property." We will discuss your writing in both large and small groups. Several times during the semester, you will be asked to duplicate your Writing Project for your writing groups (approximately six copies). ALL VERSIONS of ALL Writing Projects, except learning logs, must be typed, double-spaced. Please do not use cover sheets (let's save trees) or binders.
The public nature of class writing and discussions: Part of becoming a good writer is learning to appreciate the ideas and criticisms of others, and in this course our purpose is to come together as a writing community. Remember that you will often be expected to share your writing with others, so avoid writing about things that you may not be prepared to subject to public scrutiny, or things you feel so strongly about that you are unwilling to listen to perspectives other than your own. This does not mean that you are not entitled to an opinion but that you adopt positions responsibly, contemplating the possible effect on others. In particular, please do not write about any criminal activity that you have knowledge of--as a witness, as a victim or as a perpetrator. This may seem like an odd thing to caution you about, but if you were to write about such activity, I may be legally required to report it to the authorities.
Class Procedures:
For every class period, there will be reading assignments. We will discuss and/or write about these texts in detail, so be sure to read them and annotate carefully, so please remember to bring your textbook to class each day.
For most class periods, you will have a Learning Log entry. Each entry in your learning log should be dated and be about 200 words long (one typed or two handwritten pages). Most often, you will annotate and respond to the readings in your learning logs. Learning Logs will be graded on a (+, (, and (- basis.
Generally, learning logs will move you up or down about one grade. That
is, if most of your learning logs are (+, then they'll help you if you're
close to the next higher grade. If many are (-, and you'd "between grades,"
you'd probably receive the lower grade for the class. Average learning
logs, marked with a (, will keep you about the same. I strongly, strongly
recommend that you put a lot of time and effort into your learning logs--and
in the end, it will help you write better Writing Projects. LEARNING
LOGS MUST BE TURNED IN THE DAY THEY ARE DUE.
Please also keep a copy of any Writing Project you turn in, for your own files. You'll need them for the final/portfolios in both WAC 101/107 and in ENG 101/107, and also if you want to file a grade appeal.
I will not accept Writing Projects unless all earlier versions are turned in at the same time as the final version. Note also that part of the grade for each writing project comes from your "process" work--the invention and other activities that I'll ask you to write about . . . so if you want to impress me with how hard you've worked on a Project, you're going to want to turn in everything, right?
Late Writing Projects: Do not turn your Writing Projects in late, unless you negotiate with me BEFORE the due date--NEVER on the same day a Writing Project is due. Writing Projects that are late will be marked down a full letter grade for each day they are late. As with the attendance policy, I will not vary on deducting for late Writing Projects, no matter what "excuse" you might have.
Plagiarism is stealing. Plagiarism is cheating yourself and someone else. The consequences are severe, including failure for the assignment, probable failure for the course, disciplinary referral to the Dean, and possible expulsion from the University. Whenever you borrow a phrase, sentence, paragraph--or even an idea stated in your own words--from any outside source (newspaper, magazine, TV show, book) without giving credit to that source, you have plagiarized. If you have any questions about how to acknowledge someone else's words or ideas, see me.
The Printer's Devil Contest
The writing contest, "The Printer's Devil," covers the fall 2000 and spring 2001 semesters.
The contest is open to all students currently enrolled in a First Year Composition class (WAC 101/107, English 101/107, 102, 102H, 105, 107, and 108).
Prizes may be awarded at three levels of each assignment:
First Prize-$50.00 tuition credit
Second Prize-$25.00 tuition credit
Honorable mention-gift certificate valued at $10.00 from a local bookstore
If the judges do not find suitable winners for each category, those prizes will not be awarded; only those essays which the judges believe are of the highest quality will be awarded prizes. In some instances, judges may choose to award more than one prize per category. Entries will be judged throughout the semester as they are submitted. Final judging will occur during spring finals week. Winners will be notified after finals.
The submissions will be judged in three categories:
essays from WAC 101/107 and English 101/107
essays from English 107 and 108
essays from English 102, 102H, and 105
Submission requirements:
5 copies of the assignment without any identification; each copy
must be paginated and must be collated and stapled 1 signed submission
sheet for each essay entered
1 cover sheet containing the following:
Student's name and ID number Student's address and phone number (Summer address) Teacher's name, office number, and phone number Class designation Assignment title Essay title 1 disk containing essay text (multiple entries limited to1disk), fully labeled with name, essay title, and assignment title.
Permission form:
I,_____________________________, give the instructor __________________________
and the editors of the Printer's Devil Contest permission to copy and publish in paper copy and/or on the Internet as part of the Printer's Devil Contest the attached paper:
Title of writing project__________________________________________
Textbook we're using (circle one): St. Martin's Guide to Writing, 5th edition, or the Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing)
Date ______________________________________________________
Student signature _____________________________________________
Instructor signature ____________________________________________
Stretch Program Writing Project Publishing:
For each Writing Project, we want to electronically "publish" the best compositions from Stretch Program students, so close to when the final version of each Project is due we'll decide, together, on which paper(s) we'd like to publish. They'll end up on a website with the other "best" compositions, so this is a chance to show off your work . . . and they will automatically be entered in the Printer's Devil contest, too (see above).
Required writing:
Learning Logs (one percent each).............................................….....…...…...
15%
In-class writing, at the beginning of class/participation grade...........…........…...
10%
Writing Project # 1: Microtheme posing a question .......................…............…15%
Writing Project #2: two perspectives on a place …………………….……….. 15%
Reflection and analysis: where you've been, where you're heading..
..........……..10%
Writing Project # 3: Autobiographical narrative w/significance ……......……..…25%
Final portfolio analysis . .............................................................................……10%
The first version of each essay will be discussed in small group workshops and I will comment on your writing in conference. You then will revise this essay into a final draft, often working through several workshop versions, using the suggestions you received as a starting point for the final version. Remember: writing is never "done" the first time; (re) vision means (re)seeing . . . (re)cognizing . . .
Please feel free to say anything you wish in class; I will. At the same
time, I will respect you as adults and will expect you to treat the others
in the class the same way. This might seem a minor point, but we will be
doing a lot of commenting on each others' Writing Projects, and it's important
to always be considerate as well as honest. I call on everyone equally,
whether you raise your hand or not, so know in advance that you will be
expected to talk in class. Finally, remember the 6 Ps.
| Week One
Day 1: Tuesday, 8/21/01: In-class: introductions; syllabus; in-class writing: tell me about a good writing experience you've had. What made your writing effective? How did you get your writing to do what you wanted it to do? Stretch Program explanation and handout. Do survey page 101; also read the 1st two paragraphs page 101 Day 2: Thursday, 8/23/01: assignments due: read 100-104 (all readings are from the Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing); also LL#1: do #1 and #2, page 104 In-class: in-class journal writing: What in the world are you doing in WAC 101? Introductions #2; Cooperative learning and the goals for this class; reading vs. writing; questions on syllabus handout; discuss "tattoo reading; assignment handout for the first writing project for the semester. --NOTE: YOU MUST HAVE YOUR E-MAIL ACCOUNT BY 8/28/00 |
| Week Two
Day 3: Tuesday, 8/28/01: assignments due: read 105 (from "Understanding Rhetorical Reading") - 110; also LL#2: part A: tell me about your own reading habits: what do you like to read? Why? What do you dislike reading? Why? How do you read (or plan to read) your college texts differently than you read, say, a magazine or newspaper? Part B: summarize "Two Ways of Seeing a River," page 90 in-class: in-class journal writing; discuss readings; questions on assignment handout; discuss/coop LL#2 (both parts) Day 4: Thursday, 8/30/01: assignments due: read "Hunks and Handmaidens" page 128; also read 1-11; also LL#3: do #1, page 11 (generate the questions individually, even though the book asks you to work in groups) In-class: in-class journal writing: (1) what's the point of "Hunks and
Handmaidens"? (2) respond to the essay: What "makes sense" and works for
you in the essay? Why? What doesn't make sense to you?
Why not? Discuss readings; go over Writing Project # 1 in detail;
get started on early invention activities per assignment handout.
In small groups, go over LL#3 and come up with the best three questions.
Distribution lists for e-mail.
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| Week Three
Day 5, Tuesday, 9/4/01: assignments due: read 11-17; also LL#4: do the
individual parts of the "For Writing and Discussion," page 17; also read
22-25 and 29-33
Day 6, Thursday, 9/6/01: assignments due: LL#5: Part A: tell me what
you learned about the Writing Center. What seemed useful to you? What seemed
a waste of time? How will you use the WC to help with your own writing
this semester? Why? Also part B: what do you think you might want to write
about for Writing Project 1? List some details and anything else you can
think of that you might want to include in your Writing Project; also read
18-21.
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| Week Four
Day 7, Tuesday, 9/11/01: assignments due: Writing Project #1, version 1 (WP1 V1) (2 copies) In-class: workshop Writing Project #1; sign-up for conferences on 9/13 and 9/18 Please note: if you do not have a workshop draft today, you will lose one letter grade from the final grade on this project Day 8, Thursday, 9/13/01: individual conferences in my office (LL 312A) These will give us a chance to talk about WP#1 and to make sure you're on the right track; also to see where my office is so you'll know where you can always come for help with your papers. -- during the time classtime when others are having individual conferences, read 417-36 on revision Note: Friday, 9/14/00: (unrestricted withdrawal deadline today) |
| Week Five
Day 9, Tuesday, 9/18/01: individual conferences in my office (LL 542) These will give us a chance to talk about WP#1 and to make sure you're on the right track; also to see where my office is so you'll know where you can always come for help with your papers. During the time others are having individual conferences, read 417-36 on revision Day 10, Thursday, 9/20/01 Assignments due: as noted above, be sure you've
read 417-36; also WP#1 v2; also LL#6: tell me how you are feeling about
writing this Writing Project. What is the best thing about your Writing
Project? What would you like to spend more time on? If you had to select
the best idea in the Writing Project, what would it be? The purpose of
this learning log is to ask you to step back a little from your writing
and study it and think about it.
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| Week Six
Day 11, Tuesday, 9/25/01: assignments due: Writing Project #1 final version (15%) (2 copies); read 40-53; also LL#7: do "For Writing and Discussion," page 51 In-class: in-class journal writing; discuss/coop reading; discuss/coop LL#7 and report to the class; get started on WP#2; catch-up; do "For Writing and Discussion," page 424 Day 12, Thursday, 9/27/01: assignments due: read 79-90; also LL#8: using
the information on page 80, write a one-page positive letter about Mr.
Weasel; also LL#9: do "For Writing and Discussion," page 83; to get started
adding complexity, do IA#7 in class
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| Week Seven
Day 13, Tuesday, 10/2/01: assignments due: read 90-98; also LL#10: go and observe a possible place for Writing Project #2 on the ASU campus; see if you can describe it in such a way as you might to someone who's never been on campus In-class: in-class journal writing; discuss readings; work through the rhetorical analysis, page 87 and share; go out and do IA # 4 during class & report; discuss/coop LL#10; discuss readings; do #5, page 92; final prep for Writing Project 2; commenting criteria; do IA # 5, and IA # 6 in class Day 14, Thursday, 10/4/01: assignments due: Writing Project 2 version
1 (6 copies)
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| Week Eight
Day 15, Tuesday, 10/9/01 and Day 16, Thursday, 10/11/01: group conferences in our classroom |
| Week Nine
Day 17, Tuesday, 10/16/01 assignments due: Writing Project 2 version 2; also LL#11: tell me how you are feeling about writing this Writing Project. What is the best thing about your Writing Project? What would you like to spend more time on? If you had to select the best idea in the Writing Project, what would it be? The purpose of this learning log is to ask you to step back a little from your writing and study it and think about it; also IA #11: questions for your peer reviewers about Writing Project #2 In-class: in-class journal writing: workshop Writing Project 2; do IA # 9 in class on this new version Day 18, Thursday, 10/18/01 assignments due: Writing Project 2 final
(15%); also: read 628-40
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| Week Ten
Day 19, Tuesday, 10/23/01 assignments due: "Partway through" reflective letter version 1 In-class: in-class journal writing; workshop reflective letter per "constructing a draft" on assignment handout; get started and questions on Writing Project 3 Day 20, Thursday, 10/24/01 assignments due: reflective letter final
(10%); also read 142-46; also do IA #1 for Writing Project 3
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| Week Eleven
Day 21, Tuesday, 10/30/01 assignments due: read 147-54; also LL#12: do "For Writing and Discussion," page 154 In-class: in-class journal writing; discuss/coop readings; coop LL#12; do "For Writing and Discussion," page 149 and read aloud; catch-up; do IA # 4 in class Day 22, Thursday, 11/1/01 assignments due: read 154-63; also LL#13:
do one of the questions "For Writing and Discussion," page 160-61
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| Week Twelve
Day 23, Tuesday, 11/6/01 assignments due: define the word "value" in your own words, without looking it up In-class: values discussion Day 24, Thursday, 11/8/01 assignments due: Writing Project 3 version
1
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| Week Thirteen
Day 25, Tuesday, 11/13/01 assignments due: Writing Project 3 version 2 In-class: in-class journal writing; workshop Writing Project 3 Day 26, Thursday, 11/15/01 assignments due: Writing Project 3 version
3 (2 copies--one for me to read and comment on); also: LL#14: tell me how
you are feeling about writing this Writing Project. What is the best thing
about your Writing Project? What would you like to spend more time on?
If you had to select the best idea in the Writing Project, what would it
be? The purpose of this learning log is to ask you to step back a little
from your writing and study it and think about it.
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| Week Fourteen
Day 27, Tuesday, 11/20/01 Individual conferences as needed Day 28, Thursday, 11/22/01: no class: Thanksgiving |
| Week Fifteen
Day 29, Tuesday, 11/27/01 Assignments due: Writing Project 3 final (25%) In-class: get started on end-of-semester portfolio reflection and revision plan Day 30, Thursday, 11/29/01
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| Week Sixteen
Day 31, Tuesday, 12/4/01: last class day assignments due: End-of-semester portfolio reflection and revision plan final version (10%) In-class: in-class journal writing: departmental evaluations Final TBA |