CCR 632: Strategies for Teaching Composition

Fall 2016, Mondays 5:15-8:05 p.m., HOL 201

Patrick W. Berry, pwberry@syr.edu, office: HBC 235
office phone: 315-443-1912
office hours: Thursdays, 2:00-4:00 p.m. and by appointment
http://patrickberry.com/ccr632fall16

Course Overview
This course is designed to introduce you to theories of and practices for teaching
composition. We will explore strategies for responding to student writing, promoting
reflective engagement, and teaching ethical practices for research and composing. Youll
learn about the value of genre awareness in helping students write across the academy and
beyond it. Attention will also be paid to the teaching of grammar, the development of
portfolios, and the value of a multimodal approach to composing. A significant
component of the course, which aims to help you situate your pedagogical values in
relation to those of scholars in the field, will be the development of materials for teaching
WRT 105.
Course readings are available on Blackboard.
Requirements
1) Introductory Essay (approximately 900-1,200 words). Submit your response to
Blackboard on September 12 (10% of grade).
2) Papers in response to readings (approximately 600-900 words). Submit your response to
Blackboard no later than noon the day of our class meeting. Also, bring print or
electronic copies of readings to each class (30% of grade).
3) In-class and at-home assignments developed for teaching WRT 105 and a creation of a
syllabus (40% of grade).
4) A short writing project (approximately 2,000 words) and brief presentation that focuses
on theories of writing pedagogy and their potential application to your own teaching
(20% of grade).
5) A portfolio of your work in the course.
Grades, Participation, and Attendance
Your grade will be based on an overall assessment of your work. Exercises and assignments
will be graded , +, or -. If you receive a or +, you receive full credit for the
assignment.
Its important that your work be submitted on time (as a general rule, late work is not
accepted).

Active participation is expected. To benefit from the course, you must attend class, and given
that we meet only once a week, I expect to see you every Monday. Please email or call me with
any questions.
If you miss more than two classes, your grade will be reduced by one letter grade. If you miss
more than three classes, you run the risk of failing the course. A passing grade for the course is
required in order to teach with the department.
Special Needs and Situations
If you believe that you need accommodations for a disability, please contact the Office of
Disability Services (ODS), http://disabilityservices.syr.edu, located in Room 309 of 804
University Avenue, or call (315) 443-4498 for an appointment to discuss your needs and the
process for requesting accommodations. ODS is responsible for coordinating disabilityrelated accommodations and will issue students with documented disabilities
Accommodation Authorization Letters as appropriate. Since accommodations may require
early planning and generally are not provided retroactively, please contact ODS as soon as
possible.
Syracuse University and I are committed to your success and to supporting Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This means that in general no individual who is otherwise
qualified shall be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to
discrimination under any program or activity solely by reason of having a disability.
Academic Integrity
The Syracuse University Academic Integrity Policy holds students accountable for the integrity
of the work they submit. Students should be familiar with the policy and know that it is their
responsibility to learn about instructor and general academic expectations with regard to
proper citation of sources in written work. The policy also governs the integrity of work
submitted in exams and assignments as well as the veracity of signatures on attendance sheets
and other verifications of participation in class activities. Serious sanctions can result from
academic dishonesty of any sort. For more information and the complete policy, see the
Academic Integrity Policy at http://academicintegrity.syr.edu/.
Religious Observance
SUs religious observances policy, found at
http://supolicies.syr.edu/emp_ben/religious_observance.htm, recognizes the diversity of
faiths represented among the campus community and protects the rights of students,
faculty, and staff to observe religious holy days according to their tradition. Under the
policy, students are provided an opportunity to make up any examination, study, or work
requirements that may be missed due to a religious observance provided they notify their
instructors before the end of the second week of classes. For fall and spring semesters, an
online notification process is available through MySlice/Student Services/Enrollment/My
Religious Observances from the first day of class until the end of the second week of class.

Course Schedule
1. Introductions (August 29)
Course introduction.
Labor Day (September 5)

2. Process and the Teaching of Writing (September 12)

Selections from Donald M. Murrays Write to Learn. Boston: Thompson/Wadsworth, 2005.
Lad Tobin. Process Pedagogy. A Guide to Composition Pedagogies. Ed Gary Tate, Amy
Rupiper, Kurt Schick. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001. 1-18.
Peter Elbow. Selections from Writing Without Teachers. New York, 1973.
Assignment due: 1) Write a 600 to 900-word response essay that considers the suggestions the
authors make on the teaching of writing. What strategies strike you as particularly useful or
not for undergraduate writers? 2) Write a short introductory essay (approximately 900-1,200
words) that describes your experiences developing as a writer. Consider those experiences
and strategies that have proven helpful to you.
3. Literacy Narratives (September 19)
Selections from Wendy Bishops On Writing: A Process Reader, focused on literacy narratives.
Mary Soliday. Translating Self and Difference through Literacy Narratives. College English 56.5
(1994): 511-26.
Assignment due: 1) Write a 600 to 900-word response essay that surveys the readings and
consider what they teach students about literacy and identity. 2) Identify a short literacy
narrative of your choice (this can be an excerpt) and draft an assignment that you could see
using with WRT 105 students. The assignment should be one page. Post the PDF of the
excerpt along with your assignment to Blackboard.
4. Teaching Genre (September 26)
SUs Department of Writing Studies, Rhetoric, and Composition Curricula Overview
Anis S. Bawarshi and Mary Jo Reiff, Rhetorical Genre Studies Approaches to Teaching
Writing. Genre: An Introduction to History, Theory, Research, and Pedagogy. West Lafayette: Parlor
Press, 2010. 189-209.
Assignment due: Write a 600 to 900-word response essay that considers in practical terms ways
to enact the course outcomes, with a particular focus on genre and suggestions from
Bawarshi and Reiff.

5. Genre Presentations/Teaching Craft, Teaching Grammar (October 3)

Read chapter 2 of Amy Devitt, Mary Jo Reiff, and Anis Bawarshis Scenes of Writing.
Assignment due: Working in groups of 4, you need to develop a 20-minute lesson/presentation for
undergraduates that draw on the ideas expressed in Devitt, Reiff, and Bawarshis chapter. (Note:
you should not use any of the examples in the book but create your own.) This lesson should
prepare students for a unit assignment on genre. Each person should speak and you should have
a short activity that youll ask us to complete. Along with this, you close by introducing your unit
assignment on genre. Send your assignment to me by email, and if you need copies of anything,
please let me know by Monday at noon.
6. Writing to Argue/Writing to Describe (October 10)
Read two selections from Sidney Dobrins Writing Situations.
Assignment due: 1) Write a 600- to 900-word response essay that considers both chapters and
their usefulness in teaching description and argument. 2) Working in groups of three, prepare
a 10-minute presentation for undergraduates that illuminates some of the themes explored in
your assigned chapter. Your presentation can be a combination of lecture and activity (5minutes each).
7. No formal class meeting on October 17
Paula Mathieu. A Guiding Question, Some Primary Research, and a Dash of Rhetorical
Awareness. First-Year Composition: From Theory to Practice. Ed. Deborah Coxwell-Teague
and Ronald E. Lunsford. Anderson, SC: Parlor P. 111-45.
Cheryl Glenn and Melissa A. Goldthwaite. Successful Writing Assignments.
The St. Martins Guide to Teaching Writing. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins. 95-124.
Cheryl Glenn and Melissa A. Goldthwaite. Everyday Activities.
The St. Martins Guide to Teaching Writing. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins. 59-94.
Assignment due: 1) Create your syllabus and at least three assignment sheets using the provided
samples as a guide. 2) Post a short paragraph that tells me a particular aspect of teaching
composition that interests you that youd like to work on for your final paper. Post your
teaching materials (syllabus and three assignment sheets), and your project idea to
Blackboard by the end of the day on 10/16. Revise your materials by noon 10/24.
8. Responding to Student Writing (October 24)
Nancy Sommers, Responding to Student Writing.
Syllabus Workshop
9. Assessment and Portfolios (October 31)
Identify at least three articles in the Possible Readings for Students 10/31 folder and attempt
to work them in your syllabus. Submit a brief update on Blackboard on what you selected (a
paragraph or two) along with your revised syllabus and assignment sheets. Consider the feedback
you received in class as you make your revisions. If you need help finding specific types of
articles not in this folder, please email me.

10. Independent Inquiries (November 7)

Propose the book, article, or chapters that you will use for your final writing project. Begin
reading the material and write a 600-900 word response that explore the topic, as you understand
it now, and it potential value to your teaching.
11. No formal class meeting on November 14

Thanksgiving break (November 20-November 27)

12. Presentations (November 28)
Frankie
Joshua
Molly
Ross
James
Jacob
Dan
Noelle
Annie
13. Presentations (December 5)
Vt
Jimmy
Erin
Victor
Tyler
Ally
Bridget