English 435 Teaching Composition Fall 2006 Section 01: T TH 12:30 – 1:45 Rooms: LA1-302 and LAB 206 Dr. Sarah J. Arroyo Email: [email protected] Office: MHB 409 Phone: (562) 985-8517 Office Hours: T TH 11:00 – 12:15 and 2:00 – 3:15 (and by appointment) Course Description: This course intensively examines composition teaching practices, research, and evaluation in public schools. You will not only learn about various approaches to teaching writing, but you will also learn how to explain, as a teacher of writing, why teaching writing is important and why you approach teaching it the way you do. Writing is often seen as something tacked on to “real” content areas such as literature and history; this course will aim to expose you to the value of teaching writing for writing’s sake: to value writing in and of itself. We will discuss various approaches along with the attitudes and beliefs that accompany various approaches. We will learn how to design sound writing curriculum based on tested theories, which will also align with state expected outcomes. We will learn to articulate the rationale for this curriculum. However, this course does not replace or duplicate methods courses. English 435 is foremost a course on theories and pedagogies for writing, thereby strengthening the knowledge base upon which you will design your course curriculum. Required Texts: • Dornan, Reade Et al. Within and Beyond the Writing Process in the Secondary English Classroom. New York: Pearson, 2003. • Murray, Donald. Write to Learn, 8th ed. Boston: Thomson, 2005. • Yagelski, Robert. “Radical to Many in the Educational Establishment: The Writing Process Movement after the Hurricanes.” College English 68.2 (2006): 531 – 544. (on e-reserve)  Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. Since the nature of this class relies on your participation, and since we produce in-class work daily, it is crucial for you to attend each class. This is NOT a lecture course; hence, much of the work done in ENGL 435 is collaborative and participatory. Therefore, if you miss more than four classes, I will lower your course grade. In other words, you cannot get an “A” with five absences. Chronic lateness is also unacceptable, as is coming to class unprepared/unread. I will not grant incomplete grades.  Course Objectives: At the end of the semester, you should be able to: 1. explain how to organize the writing component of a Secondary English course 2. identify and explain key theories that inform effective writing instruction 3. identify strategies for teaching phases of the writing process, e.g. revision, editing 4. analyze the relationships between writing processes and written products 5. apply principles for designing and sequencing effective writing assignments 6. develop a rhetorical stance for reading and responding to student writing 7. apply different assessment strategies to student texts 8. analyze how technology complicates our concepts of “writing,” “text,” and “writing processes” 9. produce writing with varying technologies  Course Requirements: The fundamental requirement for this course is that you come well prepared to actively participate in every class. Careful reading of the assigned texts, substantial class and/or beachboard participation, and satisfactory completion of all assignments are required to pass the course.  Grade Distribution: Writer’s Workshop/Murray Paper 15% “Assumptions” in-class Essay 15% Reading Notes/Commentaries and “Think/Write” Responses 20%Dr. Arroyo Engl 435 Page 2 Downloaded Essay Annotated and Revised 15% In-class work, informal pres., discussion board and in-class participation 15% One grading period plan 10% Position Statement on Teaching Writing Philosophy 10%  Brief Explanation of Assignments: Two Essays: The first paper you will write will allow you to try out Writer’s Workshop and expressive writing as you see fit. You will use Donald Murray’s book as a guide to come up with a topic and genre (loosely) of your own. You will experiment with your own writing process and explore your identity as a writer. This essay will be accompanied by a “dear reader letter” explaining your writing process and purpose of the piece. The second paper, in contrast, will be an in-class essay. You will receive the prompt in advance and be able to use your responses on the discussion board. The purpose of these assignments is to allow you to experience the contrasting feelings each type of assignment engenders. Weekly Reading Notes/Commentaries on class Discussion Board: You may use the discussion board as you see fit (see below), but you must also use the d-board to post your reading notes and responses. Almost each week that we have readings assigned (10 weeks total) you are required to post. Posting reading responses to the d-board allows your work to become public and networked, thereby taking reading response out of the merely introspective realm. Posting also allows a conversation to occur and forces you to respond to others’ ideas, readings, and connections. Your notes/commentaries MUST go beyond “I like or dislike” or “I agree or disagree.” Here is a format to use for posting your notes/commentaries (you can modify this format as the semester progresses): First, summarize the section of the text to which you are responding. Use quotations and really show us that you have not only read the text but thought about it as well. Next, provide your commentary about the selection you just summarized. What issues did it raise for you? What connections did you make? What questions do you have? What links could you send us to in order to expand your response? The length of your notes should be 2 – 3 substantial paragraphs at minimum. You also can comment on someone else’s post, but you must provide material from the readings to fulfill this requirement. Responding to someone else’s post will alleviate repetition and begin conversation and networking. I expect you to refer to each other’s posts regardless of if you are making a new post or commenting on someone else’s. DO NOT assume your post exists in a vacuum. I will not tolerate a list of posts that do not attempt to create a conversation. While this is a requirement, I expect you to approach the work as you would approach any intellectual