English 103 section 20
Spring 2013
Mrs. Mary Clark-Flynn
Office RB 2115, office phone 5-8371
Email: mcupchurch@bsu.edu
Office hours 11:00-12:oo, MWF, and on Thursdays by appointment
Home phone 286-4895: Do not call after 9:00 p.m.
General Information
BOOKS Read, Reason, Write: an argument text and reader; ed. Dorothy U. Seyler The Purdue OWL
Ball Point online URL http://goo.gl/nMnnb
MATERIALS Two Pocket Folders Flash drives or what ever you need to save your work Course description:
English 103: Rhetoric and Writing (3) Introduces and develops understanding of principles of rhetoric; basic research methods; elements, strategies, and conventions of persuasion used in constructing written and multi-modal texts. Prerequisite: appropriate placement. Not open to students who have credit in ENG 101 or 102.
Course Goals * Understand that persuasion—both visual and verbal—is integral to reading and composing * Understand how persuasive visual and verbal texts are composed for different audiences and different purposes * Develop effective strategies of invention, drafting, and revision for different rhetorical situations and individual composing styles * Compose texts in various media using solid logic, claims, evidence, creativity, and audience awareness * Integrate primary and secondary research as appropriate to the rhetorical situation * Develop strategies for becoming more critical and careful readers of both their own and others’ texts * Demonstrate a professional attitude towards their writing by focusing on the need for appropriate format, syntax, punctuation, and spelling * Take responsibility for their own progress * Develop the ability to work well with others on composing tasks.
Course Content and Format
The content and format of ENG 103 are designed to enable students to achieve the course goals: * Discuss, analyze, and respond to a variety of visual and verbal texts to identify rhetorical elements, strategies, and conventions * Discuss, analyze, and respond to the persuasive logics by which various visual and verbal texts achieve, or fail to achieve, their purposes * Collaborate in developing ideas, analyzing visual and verbal texts, and providing peer feedback * Compose persuasive texts through multiple drafts, revising based on peer feedback, self-reflection, instructor’s written comments, and teacher-student conferences * Reflect (orally and textually) on the rhetorical choices and decisions they are required to make as authors to shape a text for a specific audience and purpose * Reflect (orally and textually) on the rhetorical choices and decisions they are required to make in order to construct meaning out of another’s text * Complete a variety of writing assignments for multiple purposes, audiences, and contexts, using various media, and including primary and secondary research.
Requirements
As an outcome of the course content and format, which enable the accomplishment of the course goals, students in ENG 103 are required to complete: * Four or more writing projects, approximately three to four pages each that address different rhetorical situations * Reading assignments for discussion, analysis, and response * Informal writing assignments (such as journals, reading reflections, in-class writings, or smaller pieces that lead to the major writing assignments).
WRITING The main focus of this class will always be on developing the writing skills to help the students clearly communicate through writing. Students will be learning how to do rhetorical analysis on written as well as visual works. My goal is always to teach students how to take an idea or a topic, narrow it down into a coherent thesis and then to develop a thorough essay. To this end students will be learning different writing strategies. Students will do several drafts of each paper with both peer and instructor response. We will work from zero drafts to final drafts. Zero drafts will be counted towards your final grade. To receive credit for your zero draft you must have it in class on the day that it is due. Zero drafts are 10% of your final grade.
PORTFOLIOS
You will be working toward a final portfolio that will contain 3 final drafts of essays that you choose to be graded. You will be writing drafts of all of your essays and you can do as many drafts as you like; however I will only ask you for drafts on the days marked on your syllabus. If you chose to do more drafts it is up to you to get them turned in. There is no limit to the amount of drafts you do. The portfolio will be 60% of your final grade.
COLLABRATION
For every essay you write in this class there will be small groups (a.k.a. peer editing groups) that are done in class. If you do not arrive with the required typed, printed hard copy of your essay draft for your group to work with then you will not get credit for that day. Also different assignments may require collaboration with other students in the class. Collaboration projects may or may not be mentioned on the daily calendar so the only way to get total points on your collaboration is to be in class. Combined total will add up to 10% of your final grade.
DISCUSSION BOARDS There will be days this semester when we will participate in discussion boards on Blackboard. These discussion can be anything from a rhetorical discussion about an essay from the textbook, to an prewriting activity for you writing project. Discussion boards are opened for a limited time (which may be just during the class or till midnight), so you need to be in class to receive credit. Discussion boards are 10% of your final grade.
JOURNALS
Select a class that that involves writing and reading—not a math or science, do five one page entries a week. Journals will be collected every other week. If you know you will be absent and turn your journal in before the due date. Journals are 10% of your final grade.
RESEARCH
This class will explore different kinds of research as when work through each project. Some may be primary focusing on your experiences or on a specific text, while others may be secondary which incorporates outside sources. The evaluation of your research will show up in your collaboration, discussion boards and in your final portfolio.
ATTENDANCE
Wake up and come to class. You are allowed 3 absences. At the end of the semester, I will take a letter grade off of your final grade for every day over the limit. Students, who have perfect attendance for the semester and have a borderline grade, will be bumped up one increment (i.e. B to a B+). If you finish the semester with zero absences and your grade is borderline I will give you the higher grade.
TARDINESS
I notice if you are late. If you are more than 5 minutes late, I will keep track and mark it as a absence every time you reach 50 minutes. I know that some of you have to walk great distances over far lands with rough terrains in order to be here and I appreciate that, but with the extra 5 minutes you’ll be fine.
TUTORS If you want a tutor, let me know. If I feel that you need a tutor, I’ll let you know. The writing center does provide walk-in tutoring.
CONFERENCES
All days marked conferences on the syllabus will be for students who have signed up for appointments and will be held in my office RB 2115. Please keep track of the time you have selected so that you won’t miss your appointment. A conference is a week of classes. If you miss your appointment it counts as three absences. If you feel the need for additional conferences please schedule one with me. Though my office hours seem limited I will always work with both of our schedules to find a time that will accommodate us both.
SPECIAL NEEDS If you need course adaptation or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share will me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY/PLAGIARISM Academic dishonesty is one of the most serious offensives that can be committed in a scholarly community. If you are found guilty of plagiarism you will fail that paper/assignment and you may fail the course. You will also be required to take an eight-hour ethics tutorial the Learning Center and a letter stating what happened will be added to your university records. If at anytime you are in doubt about how to cite a source or confused about an assignment, just ask. I enjoy helping my students.
CHANGES
As the instructor of this class I reserve the right to make any changes I feel necessary to better serve the class. This includes any changes in course material and changes in the day-to-day schedule.
ODDS AND ENDS
In order to pass this course the English department requires that students must achieve a C or better in the class. Students who receive a C- must repeat the class. They cannot move on to English 104 if they have a C-.
Cell phones: if a phone goes off during class the student must leave the class and take an absence for the day. If text messaging is going on then the student must leave class and receive an absence for the day. If I see a cell phone out during the 50 minutes that the class meets the student must leave class and receive an absence for the day.
Computers: Laptops are to remain closed during class unless you are instructed to use them. If you wish to takes notes on class discussions use paper and pens/pencils. All discussions are typed up by either my teaching assistant or me and will be posted on Blackboard at the end of class.
Social Networks: If facebook or another social network is open on a computer, even minimized, the student must leave class and receive an absence for the day.
Please remove all headphones and ear buds during class. Thank you.
Grade distribution: Portfolio………………………………….60% Collaboration….……………………….10% Journals………………………………....10%
Zero drafts and in-class work..….10% Discussion Boards…………...……...10%
Students will be graded on the Writing Program evaluation criteria.
The Writing Program’s policies are listed in the online textbook Ball Point. Students need to read the policy section of Ball Point and print and sign the policy acknowledgement page. Turn this in to me by the end of week 2.
