English 10600-200-43933 First-Year Composition Writing About Writing

Michelle E. Parsons Office: HEAV 413 Email: parson@purdue.edu Office Hours: Tues. : 2:00-3:00PM Wed.: 4:30-5:30PM, and by appointment Course Information Fall 2013 MTWHF: 3:30-4:20pm http://courses.rhetorike.org/parsons1/

Monday Conference HEAV 225 ENGL 10600-211CRN 43944

Tuesday Computer Lab BRNG B275 ENGL 10600-200CRN 43933

Wednesday Classroom HEAV 105 ENGL 10600-200CRN 43933

Thursday Conference HEAV 223 ENGL 10600-194CRN 43927

Friday Classroom HEAV 105 ENGL 10600-200CRN 43933

Everyone will meet together three times a week in the classroom and computer lab listed above. In addition to these three meetings we will also meet for conferences. You should be scheduled for one of the conference days listed above and are required to attend conferences on your scheduled day. We will put together a specific list of these conference days for each person, since the number of people per conference and the exact length of each conference may vary as the course progresses.

Course Description
Welcome to English 106: First-Year Composition. This semester, we will be thinking and writing about the way that language and literacy work in various communities including our own academic disciplines. Because each of us is already an expert literacy user, each of us will be expected to complement our readings with our own expertise and experiences. We will learn much from each others insights.

Since writing is learned, in part, through the act of writing, we will be writing and revising a lot this semester. In addition to our major projects, which will require drafts and revisions, you can expect to complete short journal assignments with your readings. Due to the reading and writing

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assignments for this course, you will want to be sure that you set aside time for working outside class. Typically, you can expect to complete 2-3 hours of work outside class for every hour that our class meets. The official course description is as follows: Extensive practice in writing clear and effective prose. Instruction in organization, audience, style, and research-based writing (four credits).

Course Goals
The ICaP course goals, which you will be working toward throughout the semester: (1) developing rhetorical knowledge, (2) exercising critical thinking, reading, and writing, (3) engaging in writing processes, (4) acquiring a knowledge of conventions, and (5) composing with technology. We will look at these goals in detail in each of our units, but you should know that meeting the goals requires that you not only complete your assigned writing projects but also that you engage in class activities and reading assignments. For this reason, youll find that your attendance in class and your daily reading/writing assignments may be emphasized in this class in a way that they are not emphasized in your other courses. Its important to remember that meeting our course goals isnt just about turning good papers, its about participating in a learning process throughout the entire semester.

Required Texts
During the semester, we will regularly be using the following texts: The Norton Field Guide to Writing, 3rd edition by Richard Bullock, ISBN 9780-393-91956-1 They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, 2nd edition by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, ISBN 978-0-393-93361-1 Pay close attention in the bookstores: these first two books should be bundled cheaper than if purchased separately. Ask the bookstore clerks for ISBN 978-0-393-90933.

Alternately, you may purchase the e-book versions online on the Norton website. The ISBN is 978-0-393-94046-6. Composing Yourself, A Student Guide to Introductory Composition, 2013-2014 by Blackmon, Haynes, and Pinkert, ISBN 978-1-59871-745-7.

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Composing Yourself will be available only at University Bookstore on the corner of Grant and State Streets. Do not buy last years version from the Internet!

Other required items

A USB removable storage (flash or thumb) drive for electronic backup of files being worked on in the computer lab.

Policies
General Course Policies You may send me an email at the above email address by 10pm Sunday evening through Thursday and expect a response within a few hours of that time, i.e.: by midnight. However, emails sent after 6pm on Friday or on Saturday will be answered at my earliest convenience, which may be Sunday evening. I will, of course, make an effort to check emails more frequently around the time major assignments are due. If your question is particularly complex, it may take me a full day to answer. Please keep in mind that I wish to assist you, but am only human, with the same amount of time in my day as any other person. I expect myself to be on time for classes as a sign of respect for you as students. I expect you to show that same respect for your classmates and myself and be on time. I will be taking attendance by sign-in sheet promptly at 3:30pm. If you arrive after the sign-in sheet has circulated through the class, it is your responsibility to come to me after class and have me add your name. You will be marked as tardy. Three tardies equal an absence. If you know in advance you will be late to class, please let me know as much beforehand as possible. Likewise, if you will be leaving early for a specific reason, please let me know in advance, and try to leave quietly. You are college students and are expected to act as such. While discussions will be fairly informal, I do expect you to demonstrate respect for other students in the class. This means paying attention to the person who is speaking, rather than carrying on your own private conversations, either in person or through texting, and letting the speaker finish their thought without interruption. While I recognize that students may use their phone to access Internet research sources in class, I ask that no students call, text, or IM during a class session. Cell phones must be silenced during class so they are not distracting you or your classmates. If you wish to use a laptop to bring electronic versions of texts to the class, or to take notes, that is fine. However, for your drafts and peer reviews, I do require a hard copy that can be passed to your partners and turned in with your final draft. This includes drafts that we discuss in conference; please bring a hard copy. Your final draft is due in hard copy with all pre-writing, previous drafts, and peer reviews attached by staple or paper clip. You will also be expected to write approximately one page reflecting on the assignment- what you learned about yourself, your writing process, what you think went well, what may still need improvement. Your name should be on all pieces of all assignments. Electronic copies will not

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be accepted. All final drafts should be neatly typed in 12-point font, Times New Roman, with proper MLA formatting, as outlined in Chapter 50 of The Norton Field Guide to Writing, pages 484-532. You may also wish to refer to the Purdue OWL website guide to MLA formatting. This means 1-inch margins, double spaced, with one space between lines of the heading, the title, and the body of the essay, and no extra spaces between paragraphs. Any page counts require over half of the final page to be full of your writing. I also recommend that you utilize the Purdue Writing Lab as a resource. Engagement/Participation You must show up to each class, including conference sessions, prepared with all required materials for the day to gain points. This includes pencil and/or pen, paper, and any book for the day. Engagement consists of completing out of class readings and journals, completing in-class assignments and computer labs, and participating in classroom and conference discussions. Your participation in classroom discussions includes listening to speakers, raising your hand to contribute questions and/or constructive comments, and taking notes when appropriate. Attendance I do understand that you may miss some class time for various reasons. If you know in advance you will miss a class, please inform me either in person or by email beforehand. You are allowed up to five unexcused absences per semester. An absence may be excused in the case of emergency, illness of yourself or a family member (with note), or valid academically -related reasons. Please see me to confirm if your absence is excused. If for some reason you cannot see me in person, an email explanation is required. However, this class is largely based on discussion and engagement. On your fifth unexcused absence, I will request you come in to conference with me about your situation. If you are absent 6-7 times, your grade will start at a B (85%). If you are absent 8-9 times, you will drop to a C (75%). If you miss 10-12 times, you will start at a D (65%). If you miss 13+ classes, you will fail this course. If you will be missing this much time due to excused absences, you still cannot pass. Please consider withdrawing if that is the case. Missed or Late Work Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day it is due. It is your responsibility to get work turned in on time. If you let me know by email ahead of time that an assignment will be late, you will receive a 5% reduction in your final grade. If you do not let me know in advance, the final grade will be dropped 10%. If you know you will be absent, please see me in advance to discuss how the assignment may be turned in. If you miss a class due to emergency, please see me for make-up options. Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Plagiarism is a serious issue, which includes any time when you fail to give proper credit to the source of a quote, phrase, or idea. This can happen by accident, or on purpose. We will discuss in detail as a class how to avoid plagiarism through proper citation of source material. In general, an assignment that shows one minor example of plagiarism, such as may happen by accident, will be graded down 15% (An A+ would become a B, for example.) An assignment that demonstrates large amounts of plagiarized

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material will receive a 0. Multiple instances of plagiarism across assignments may be grounds for an F in the course and/or a referral to the Dean of Students. A full definition of plagiarism and academic dishonesty from the English Department and from Purdue University may also be found in your copy of Composing Yourself. Accommodations and Inclusivity No hate speech/derogatory comments will be tolerated. All incidents of this sort should be reported to the teacher or to ICaP personnel. Depending on the severity of the incident, this may lead to a consultation with the Dean of Students, etc.

If you have a disability that requires special academic accommodation, please make an appointment to speak with me within the first three (3) weeks of the semester in order to discuss any adjustments. It is important that we talk about this at the beginning of the semester. It is the student's responsibility to notify the Disability Resource Center (http://www.purdue.edu/drc) of an impairment/condition that may require accommodations and/or classroom modifications.
Emergencies For personal/family emergencies, please contact me in person or by email.

In the event of a major campus emergency, course requirements, deadlines and grading percentages are subject to changes that may be necessitated by a revised semester calendar or other circumstances beyond the instructors control. Relevant changes to this course will be posted onto the course website or can be obtained by contacting the instructors or TAs via email or phone. You are expected to read your @purdue.edu email on a frequent basis.

Course Credit and Grading

A+ A AB+ B BC+ C C4(+) 4 3.66 3.33. 3 2.66 2.33 2 1.66

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D+ 1.33 1 .66 0

For this course, the ICaP grading guidelines will be used as our grading scale. A copy of the grading scale will be distributed with each project. For general guidelines regarding what constitutes each letter grade, please see Composing Yourself. You can use that description as a guideline as you consider the ways that you might work toward a better grade. Credit for the course will be distributed as follows: Unit 1 (Literacies) Project Packet 20% Unit 2 (Rhetoric Situations) Project Packet 10% Unit 3 (Discourse Communities) Project Packet 20% Unit 4 (Academic Discourse) Project Packet 20% In-Class Discussion 5% Blog Entries 5-10% In -Class Exercises 5% Homework Assignments 0-5% Final Reflective Portfolio 10%

D DF

*For your own records, make a photocopy or back-up electronic copy of each project before submitting the original for review or evaluation. *All projects should be submitted with any drafts, memos, and reflections that have been completed for the project. *More information about course components will be available on individual project assignment sheets and on our course website. In addition to a reflection/response journal, the writing assignments in this course include a literacy narrative, a remediation of the literacy narrative, an ethnographic research essay, an academic article analysis, and a writing portfolio. Unit 1 Literacy | 20% In this unit, we will draw on Deborah Brandts concepts of sponsors of literacy and several sample narratives to reconstruct key moments in our own literacy histories and identify agents of our literacy. Together, we will explore previous writing, reading, communication activities and be encouraged to name different literacies that we have/use. The unit culminates in a written narrative. Unit 2 Rhetorical Situations | 10% In this unit, we will consider the ways that writing is shaped by the context of a specific rhetorical situation. For our projects, we will revise our literacy narratives into audio essays for the NPR This I Believe series or the National Conversation on Writing (NCoW). After examining the purpose and goals of NCoW and the conventions of the NPR audio essays, well select portions of our literacy narratives that are appropriate to a remediation and record introductions to contextualize our 3-5 minute audio essays. Unit 3 Discourse Communities | 20%

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In this unit, we will investigate a non-academic discourse community of which we are a part. We will document literacy practices, examine the community's texts, and provide photos, sketches, or other visuals that contribute to overall portrait of the community. Through reflection and writing, we will also locate ourselves within the context their chosen discourse community. The unit culminates in a research essay that integrates multiple media. As one of the major research assignment for the course, this project focuses heavily on both the practice of research and the writing of the research essay. Students not only learn to cite sources appropriately, but also gain experience discussing their research methods and their findings. Unit 4 Academic Discourse | 20% In this unit, you will use the John Swales's CARS model of research introductions to analyze an article from your own discipline. We will interact with reference librarians to determine appropriate library databases and then use these databases to find the article to be analyzed. This project facilitates inquiry into the research and writing practices of our own academic communities. Digital Writing and Research Portfolio | 10% In this final assignment, you will demonstrate your understanding of course concepts by designing a multi-media portfolio that showcases your writing and demonstrates the fulfillment of course goals. The form of the portfolio will be negotiated between the students and the instructors, but the intended audience must extend beyond the students and the instructors.

In-Class Verbal Participation | 5% While I understand that some people are naturally more reticent than others, I do expect students to contribute to each class discussion. Your contribution will be counted as any attempt to ask a question, clarify a point, or add a useful comment to the current conversation. A failure to participate in discussions for several class sessions in a row may harmfully impact your participation grade, since it will be unclear to me whether you are prepared for the class session. I don't bite, and I encourage questions, which do count for your participation. The conference times are particularly important- you need to come prepared with the required items, be on time, and be prepared to talk to other students as well as to me about your writing or issues raised by the class. In-Class Exercises | 5% You must complete in-class exercises, which will be collected and/or checked periodically. Each will be graded on a five-point scale. 10 Blogs Posts| 5-10% (Depending on other homework) These will be brief (200-500 word) responses to prompts posted on our class discussion board. You will need to do a total of 10 through the semester. Beginning Week 2, I will post a new topic by Monday morning at 8am. The post for the week is due on Friday at 11:59PM. I will post for Weeks 2-16. Please respond to 10. Also please feel free to respond to any of the posts of your fellow students in a positive or reflective manner. Completing each post will earn you the necessary points. I will read these, but will not grade them.

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Other Homework Assignments | 0-5% (May be assigned at teacher discretion) These assignments may be given periodically to reinforce a point made in class or in the reading. They should be completed with thought and care. Each will be graded on a 10-point scale. *Please note- I will give you an updated grading sheet if any assignment weights change for any reason.

Feedback on Your Work

Feedback is crucial to our development as writers; therefore, you will receive various kinds of feedback throughout the semester. Some feedback will be written; some feedback will be verbal. Some will be formal; some will be informal. And some will come from your instructor while other feedback will come from your peers. Throughout the semester, I ask that you reflect on the feedback you receive and integrate the feedback into your writing.

Students will be notified on the course website or by email of changes made to the policies or syllabus.

Class Schedule
Week 1 Mon. 8/19- NO CONFERENCE Tues. 8/20- Lab- Brief intro, Diagnostic Writing with Tarzan and Jane Wed. 8/21- Syllabus and Composing Yourself Policies; Conference Sign-ups Thurs. 8/22- Conference: Green- 3:30-3:55; Orange 3:55-4:20 Fri. 8/23- Sherman Alexie, Superman and Me http://articles.latimes.com/1998/apr/19/books/bk-42979 Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Chapter VII www.ibiblio.org/ebooks/Douglass/Narrative/Douglass_Narrative.pdf Week 2 Mon. 8/26- Conference: Red- 3:30-3:55; Blue 3:55- 4:20 Tues. 8/27- Lab- Intro to the course website; Audience exercise Wed. 8/28- Deborah Brandt, Sponsors of Literacy www.albany.edu/cela/reports/brandtsponsors10001.pdf Thurs. 8/29- NO CONFERENCE

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Fri. 8/30- Literacy Narrative- Norton Field Guide pp. 42-7, 259-65; Prewriting day Week 3 Mon. 9/2- LABOR DAY- NO CONFERENCE Tues. 9/3- Lab- What is a draft? - Norton Field Guide pp 47-9, 266-8- First draft work. Wed. 9/4- First draft due; NFG pp 33-7; Discussion of different kinds of literacies Thurs. 9/5- Conference: Green and Orange, individuals- 5 minute reviews of your drafts Fri. 9/6- Revision vs. Editing and the Peer Review Process; NFG Week 4 Mon. 9/9- Conference: Red and Blue, individuals- 5 minute reviews of your drafts Tues. 9/10- Lab- Malcolm X, Learning to Read; Speech discourse; Revision time Wed. 9/11- Second draft due; Peer review- bring Composing Yourself Thurs. 9/12- Conference: Green: 3:30-3:55; Orange: 3:55-4:20- bring peer reviews Fri. 9/13- Baron, From Pencils to Pixels spruce.flint.umich.edu/~blumner/252/baronpixel.pdf Week 5 Mon. 9/16- Conference: Red: 3:30-3:55; Blue: 3:55-4:20- bring peer reviews Tues. 9/17- Lab- Introduction to Audacity Wed. 9/18- Unit 1 Final Paper due; Intro to audio essays Thurs. 9/19- Conference: Green- 10 minute individual Fri. 9/20- Different Literacies; Remediation; Bring copy of final draft to work on cuts for audio essay Week 6 Mon. 9/23- Conference: Red- 10 minute individual Tues. 9/24- Lab- Audio essay draft Wed. 9/25- Peer Review; NFG pp 596-7, 609, 612-20. Thurs. 9/26- Conference: Orange- 10 minute individual Fri. 9/27- Peer Review Week 7 Mon. 9/30- Conference: Blue- 10 minute individual Tues. 10/1- Lab- Audio essay completion

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Wed. 10/2- Sources and plagiarism, Research papers Thurs. 10/3- Conference: Green- 10 minute individual Fri. 10/4- Unit 2 Audio Essay due; Discourse communities Week 8 Mon. 10/7- October Break- No conference Tues. 10/8- October Break- No class Wed. 10/9- Prewriting ideas Thurs. 10/10- Conference: Orange- 10 minute individual Fri. 10/11- TBD Week 9 Mon. 10/14- Conference: Red- 10 minute individual Tues. 10/15- Lab Wed. 10/16- First Draft Ethnography due Thurs. 10/17- Conference: Green- 10 minute individual Fri. 10/18- Integrating Data, hand back Draft 1 Week 10 Mon. 10/21- Conference: Blue- 10 minute individual Tues. 10/22- Lab Wed. 10/23- 2nd Draft Ethnography due; Peer review Thurs. 10/24- Conference: Orange- 10 minute individual Fri. 10/25Week 11 Mon. 10/28- Conference: Red- 10 minute individual Tues. 10/29- Lab- Academic disciplines/ journals/ jargon Wed. 10/30- Ethnography due; CARS method Thurs. 10/31- Happy Halloween- No Conference- Extra office hour instead Fri. 11/1Week 12 Mon. 11/4- Conference: Blue- 10 minute individual

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Tues. 11/5- Lab Wed. 11/6- First Draft Academic Discourse due; peer review Thurs. 11/7- Conference: Green- 10 minute individual Fri. 11/8Week 13 Mon. 11/11- Conference: Red- 10 minute individual Tues. 11/12- Lab Wed. 11/13- 2nd Draft Academic Discourse due; Peer review Thurs. 11/14- Conference: Orange- 10 minute individual Fri. 11/15Week 14 Mon. 11/18- Conference: Blue- 10 minute individual Tues. 11/19- Lab Wed. 11/20Thurs. 11/21- Conference: Green- 10 minute individual Fri. 11/22- Unit 4 Final Draft due; Week 15 Mon. 11/25- Conference: Red- 10 minute individual Tues. 11/26- Lab Wed. 11/27- Friday 11/29- Thanksgiving Break- No class Week 16 Mon. 12/2- Conference: Blue- 10 minute individual Tues. 12/3- Lab Wed. 12/4Thurs. 12/5- Conference: Orange- 10 minute individual Fri. 12/6- Last day of classes Wed. 12/11- Final Project Portfolio due no later than 5:00 P.M. in my office, HEAV 413.

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Parsons Fall 2013