Spring 2010 WRITING 101 SYLLABUS – 3 hrs.
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Mrs. Shannon Godwin http://faculty.winthrop.edu/godwins Bancroft 206 Phone: 323-2545 Office Hours: MW – 8-9 am, M – 11-noon, and by appointment |
WRIT101-001 SP10 MW 9:30 – 10:45
WRIT 101-006 SP10 WF 11:00-12:15
Room: KIN 211 |
“Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.”
~Nathaniel Hawthorne
Catalog Description: Writing 101 introduces you to college-level writing. The primary goal of this course is to further the development of your writing skills and to show you that writing is essential to a liberal arts education and to life-long learning. Students learn about the developmental nature of writing, the importance of academic standards, and the significance of "writing to learn." Students must earn at least a C- in Writing 101. Students must repeat Writing 101 if they earn less than a C-. A C- in Writing 101 is a prerequisite for enrolling in HMXP102.
You will be assigned at least 4000 words of graded writing, an amount which includes a research paper and a final exam (a timed writing assignment). You will write a diagnostic essay the first week of class. This essay may provide your instructor with valuable information about your writing skills. Your WRIT 101 teacher will design an essay exam which reflects the work you have done in the course. The exam is 10% of your final grade in this course.
Please see English and Writing Program website for more detailed WRIT 101 course goals. Also see the Rubric for Freshman Composition and the Correct Use of Borrowed Information statement and the Student Understandings form (to be read, signed, and turned in during the first week of class).
Section Description: The aim of this course is to help you read and write more critically. This requires your dedication and belief that you can become a better writer. This course should provide you with strategies for writing that you can carry with you through college and beyond, as well as increase your awareness of the rhetorical situation of written communication, which will in turn make you better communicators.
This course is guided in part by the process approach to teaching writing, which involves greater attention to process rather than product. As such, the general format of this course will involve frequent, brief writings in response to selected readings, life observations, and other topics as well as reflective writing on the writing process itself. You will also be writing (and heavily revising) five "major papers" totaling twenty pages of polished prose, most of which will then go into a final writing portfolio, along with other materials. Writing will occur both in and outside of class. You will write to various audiences, including your classmates and me. Group work, presentations, class discussion, individual conferences, and other instructional techniques will be used.
Also, it is very important for this class and others for you to familiarize yourself with your various Winthrop University technologies before the 2nd class meeting. You must have reliable computer access; if not, you may want to find another section of 101. Check your Winthrop email daily as well as the course schedule (in case I have to cancel class or make changes to assignments). Also, be aware of and comply with proper “netiquette” (no threats, non anonymous emails, no SCREAMING – be polite). I reserve the right to make changes to the schedule, syllabus, or other course materials as needed.
Goals for all courses in the Department of English, including those that meet requirements for NCATE certification, are described at http://www.winthrop.edu/english/goals.htm .
Departmental goals for Writing 101 include the following:
1. To use writing, the critical reading of mature prose texts, and research as means of general cognitive development, as activities which foster intellectual growth in an academic environment.
2. To encourage students to see writing as a learning tool that is important in all contexts and is not confined to the writing classroom.
3. To teach students to plan, organize, and develop persuasive essays by using introspection, general observation, deliberation, course reading, and research beyond classroom texts.
4. To make students aware of their individual voices and how those voices can be adapted to fit different audiences and rhetorical situations.
5. To encourage students to view writing as a process by using several prewriting, organizing, drafting, revising, and editing strategies.
6. To stress the importance of clear communication by teaching students to revise effectively through the complete rethinking, restructuring, and rewriting of essays.
7. To encourage independent thinking.
8. To teach students to evaluate, document, and incorporate source material accurately and appropriately, according to “The Correct Use of Borrowed Information.”
Student Learning Outcomes for Writing 101 include the following:
1. Students will analyze and evaluate nonfiction prose texts both for their ideas and their rhetorical choices trough the use of critical reading strategies.
2. Students will plan, organize, and develop persuasive, logical, and well-supported essays by using strategies such as introspection, general observation, and deliberation of source material.
3. Students will recognize and use prewriting, organizing, drafting, and revising strategies.
4. Students will apply feedback from the instructor, peers, and self-analysis to improve their writing.
5. Students will evaluate, document, and incorporate source material accurately and appropriately according to “The Correct Use of Borrowed Information” and MLA documentation style.
Touchstone Program: This course meets Touchstone Goal One: “To communicate clearly and effectively in standard English” and Goal Three: “To use critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and a variety of research methods.” It also provides students with opportunities to meet potentially Goal Four: “To recognize and appreciate human diversity (both past and present) as well as the diversity of ideas, institutions, philosophies, moral codes, and ethical principles” as well as Goal Seven: “To examine values, attitudes, beliefs, and habits which define the nature and quality of life.” Writing 101 appears in the Touchstone Program as part of the “Writing and Critical Thinking” skill area.
Texts
Axelrod, Rise B., Charles R. Cooper and Alison M.Warriner, Reading Critically, Writing Well 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005. ISBN 0-312-41477-3
Harris, Muriel. Prentice Hall Reference Guide [Winthrop University Custom Edition]. Boston: Pearson, 2006. ISBN 0-536-97038-6
Additional Materials:
Portfolio folder (to buy toward end of semester)
Loose-leaf paper for in-class writing (no frayed edges please)
Winthrop email, web access, word processor, printer (available in
library or any
computer lab on campus). There will be significant printing and some
photocopying
for this course.
Course Requirements: failure to turn in any major essay (including the final exam) will result in failure of the course
1 diagnostic essay (timed writing, but revised)
3 essays (20 pages
of polished writing) incorporated into final portfolio
1 final essay exam (timed)
in-class writing exercises
group activities/presentations
several conferences with me (probably 2-3)
journal entries
grammar log
attendance (discussed later in syllabus)
participation
Breakdown of grades:
Essay 1 (Diagnostic revision - DD) 10%
Essay 2 (Family Story – FSD) 15%
Essay 3 (Evaluation Paper – ED) 20%
Essay 4 (Proposal Paper – PD) 20%
Final exam 10%
Portfolio 10%
Journal/ Grammar Log/Quizzes 10%
Process (active participation, revisions, conferences) 5%
Journal Entries: These are thoughtful considerations of assigned topics submitted on paper (handwritten in-class or word-processed). Since you may need to use an entry or two to make up your total of 20 polished pages of writing, keep all informal writing you do both in and out of class for possible revision later. Journal entries should be at least 1 (one) full page of word-processed material (double-spaced with one inch margins). In class handwritten entries must be the equivalent, which I define as 2 (two) full pages. I will take up journal entries at each class meeting for which one is assigned.
Drafts of essays: A draft is a piece of writing “in progress.” You’ll be writing several drafts of each essay for this course. You must keep all drafts of your papers through the end of the course. Each (rough or final) draft must be word-processed, double-spaced, and with one inch margins (MLA style--see your handbook). Late work of any kind will not be accepted. No excuses. No exceptions. You must have a draft of your paper to participate in the writing workshop.
Group work: You will be working in small groups, mostly involved in writing workshops (peer editing). Sometimes you will choose your own group of three, other times your group will be assigned, or you will be grouped by topic/interest. Occasionally, additional group work will be assigned, such as small group discussions and/or presentations.
Portfolio: You will submit a collection of 20 pages of polished writing. In addition, you will present one polished assignment from your portfolio to the class. See Course Web Page for detailed information.
Grammar Log: You will keep a running list of your grammar mistakes, identification of grammar errors, and your corrections in a log to be turned in at the end of the semester. Periodically I will have grammar log checks as part of your process grade. See Course Web Page for detailed information.
Grading Standards
Essays will be evaluated by the standards listed in the “Rubric for Freshman Composition,” which can be found at the link given above. Grades are based on the following scale:
A 94-100
A- 91-93
B+ 88-90
B 84-87
B- 81-83
C+ 78-80
C 74-77
C- 71-73
D+ 68-70
D 64-67
D- 61-63
F 0-60
*According to the Writing 101 Guidelines, “Students must earn at least a C- in Writing 101 . . . and must repeat Writing 101 if they earn less than a C-.”
Plagiarism Policy: Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s thoughts, words, ideas, or lines of argument in your own work without appropriate documentation (a parenthetical citation at the end and a listing in "Works Cited")–whether you use that material in a quote, paraphrase, or summary. It is a theft of intellectual property and will not be tolerated, whether intentional or not. It is also a violation of section V, "Academic Misconduct," under the Winthrop Student Conduct Code (http://www.winthrop.edu/studentaffairs/Judicial/judcode.htm). The English Department has prepared The Correct Use of Borrowed Information to explain plagiarism (see www.winthrop.edu/english/plagiarism.htm .) You will be required to print out this statement, sign the last page, and bring it to class when required by your instructor. [or see the Plagiarism Policy of the Prentice Hall Reference Guide] Ignorance or failure to consult this material is no excuse.
Intentional Plagiarism may result in failure of the course and being submitted to the university’s academic integrity procedures. Unintentional Plagiarism in a final draft may result in failure of the assignment, the portfolio, and submission to the university’s academic integrity procedures.
Also be advised that we may be using the Turnitin.com system. Student tutorials for using turnitin.com are available at http://www.winthrop.edu/dacus/About/studentTIIinstructions.htm. I will give you the class ID number and enrollment password in class.
Duplicate Submission of Papers: You may not submit a paper for a grade in this class that already has been (or will be) submitted for a grade in another course, unless you obtain the explicit written permission of me and the other instructor involved in advance. This is to conform to the Student Code of Conduct, §V, which states: "Academic misconduct includes but is not limited to … presenting the same or substantially the same papers or projects in two or more courses without the explicit permission of the professors involved." (Student Code of Conduct §V: http://www.winthrop.edu/studentaffairs/Judicial/judcode.htm )
Attendance Policy: The official Winthrop University Attendance Policy and Final Examination policies are listed in the Winthrop University Undergraduate Catalog and state that the instructor may establish the attendance policy. In this class, the attendance policy is fairly strict because of the participatory nature of the course. Regular and prompt attendance in class is essential to receiving maximum benefit from the educational experience. You may miss 4 class meetings without penalty, regardless of excuse. Upon the 5th absence, your final grade will be lowered one letter grade. Upon the 6th absence, your final grade will be lowered another letter grade, and so forth. I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences, and you are responsible for finding out what you missed during your absence and being prepared when you return from your absence.
It is important to remember that attendance is crucial to one’s success in a writing class. Given the amount of in-class work and the policies regarding late work, frequent absences will certainly lower your overall grade. Consequently, I expect that you will attend every class meeting.
Being late to class will not be tolerated; if you are not in the classroom when class begins, you will be counted absent.
Late Paper/Assignment Policy: In all cases of absence, students are still responsible for turning in assignments on time and for coming prepared to the class following the absence. Let me know as soon as possible BEFORE you know you’ll be missing class, and your strategy for getting your assignment in regardless of your absence. No late work will be accepted, period. All assignments are due at the beginning of the class period in which it is due. No make-ups.
Final Examination Schedule: The final examination schedule for this semester will be posted by Records and Registration (http://www.winthrop.edu/recandreg/calendars/default.htm.) Winthrop University policy states that travel or work schedules are not valid reasons for missing or rescheduling a final exam. Also see course schedule for exam dates/times.
Contacting Me: I check my voice mail and email each weekday, but rely primarily on email. (I rarely check either on the weekend.) You can also leave messages for me in the dept. mailroom, 248 Bancroft, which is open from 8:30-5:00 each day. See above for office hours.
Other Policies: Please note that departmental policy requires me to keep the graded version of your essays. Make copies of any graded essays that you would like to keep as work will be submitted in your portfolio and kept by the University.
Turn off cell phones, pagers, beepers, etc. before coming to class. One possible exception would be in the case that you are the primary caregiver of young children or elderly parents/ grandparents, in which case you should see me privately to make arrangements.
Writing Center: The Writing Center provides support for all students in all Winthrop classes free of charge. It is located in 242 Bancroft (x2138). Check its web page (www.winthrop.edu/wcenter) for current hours. I highly recommend this service.
Students with Disabilities: If you have a disability and need classroom accommodations, please contact Gena Smith, Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities, at 323-3290, as soon as possible. Once you have your professor notification letter, please notify me so that I am aware of your accommodations well before the first draft of the first paper.
Safe Zones Statement: The professor considers this classroom to be a place where you will be treated with respect as a human being – regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, political beliefs, age, or ability. Additionally, diversity of thought is appreciated and encouraged, provided you can agree to disagree. It is the professor’s expectation that ALL students consider the classroom a safe environment.
Portions of this syllabus adapted from Dr. Amy Gerald and Dr. Kelly Richardson, Winthrop University 2009.