Fall 2009 Syllabus English 131.02, T/R 8:00-9:26 WA 216 English 131.06, M/W 9:30-10:57 WA 116 Class meets from August 24-December 19 2009 Portfolio Due Date: December 10 for Section 02 Portfolio Due Date: December 09, for Section 06 Instructor: Amy Zicafoose Office: BW 231 Office phone: 780-0800 ex. 8371 Email: [email protected] or [email protected] Office hours: TBA by second week of classes Course Description: This is an intensive writing course designed to help students strengthen and refine writing skills. Research methods are introduced. An end of the semester portfolio of narrative and informative writings and an additional 16 hours of writing activities and workshops are required. (Prerequisites: Eng. 080 Eng. 090) Textbook: “Writing: A Guide for College and Beyond”—Brief Edition by Lester Faigley Other Required Materials: - Flash Drive - Three two pocket folders—you will place all English 131 papers in two pocket folders. - Some type of container for all hardcopies of your drafts, written assignments and research, this could be a three ring binder, or a file box. You must keep every hardcopy of anything you write in this class. These will not be collected. They are your records. Keep them until your final grade is in. - A positive learning attitude which includes respect for yourself, your peers and your instructor. - Access to a copier to copy your papers for in class reviewPlease note that you must bring an electronic copy of every writing assignment to class EVERY class period. If you do not have access/ability to work on your papers while in class, you will be marked absent for that day. You simply must work on your writing in class. Course Design: The focus of this course is augmenting and practicing written communication skills. The class will consist of short (mini) lectures, class discussions, readings, question and answer period, weekly class evaluations, and written self evaluations. We will use the classroom as a workshop where I will serve as facilitator, guide and consultant. Please remember that much of your work will take place outside of class. I will give you time to work on projects in class, but you will need to plan time in your schedule for writing, reading, and revising. I may read to you in class, or ask you to read a section of the text or your paper to the class. You will be sharing your writing with other students. We will be talking to each other in class in small groups and whole class discussions. You will be required to be respectful and polite at all times. You are expected to pay attention to whomever is speaking in class, and not be on your computer, Blackberry, cell phone or any other distracting device. You must actively participate in the class discussions to successfully complete this course. Participation is part of your grade. Inappropriate behaviors will be addressed immediately. We will be writing four major papers, short writing in class, take home writing assignments, group writing work, and regular reading assignments from the text book. You will need to read your text book and use the guidelines in the text to successfully complete this course. If you don‟t plan on reading the textbook—you will have problems in this course. The four major paper assignments will be revised at least once and turned in at the semester‟s end in a student portfolio. The portfolio will be 30% of your final grade. I will be evaluating the portfolio as a final product. The papers in your portfolio must be carefully revised and carefully edited to reflect your best writing efforts. All papers and assignments will be based upon the textbook. You really need to read your book to get a good grade in this course. You need to come to class prepared. If you choose not to read the assignments it will reflect poorly in your final grade, as you will be unable to truly participate in class. Class participation is part of your grade. If you choose not to come to class, you will not be able to make up what we do in class. More than three absences in class will result in an automatic .5 deduction in your grade. If youare absent for two or more times before midterm, you will be dropped from the course. After midterm, you must withdraw the course yourself if you miss more than four class sessions, or fail the course. I understand that life brings twists and turns and unforeseen circumstances which may necessitate you being absent. I do not need to know the why of your absence, nor do I need to be called, or emailed about an absence. Please do not email me and ask me what you missed in class. Get the phone number and/or email of a couple of your classmates and ask them what we covered. You cannot make up what we did in class. What happens in class is unique and ephemeral, it cannot be replicated. Your writing assignments will vary in difficulty. We will have some very straightforward, fun writing activities which will not be graded, and we will have four formal papers which will receive detailed feedback and need multiple revisions, and final editing. All your papers must be word processed. You cannot turn in a rough draft, or paper written in long hand. Your papers must be word processed on a computer. You cannot place a paper in my mailbox unless you have spoken to me and made arrangements prior to the due date of the paper. You cannot email me an assignment unless we have made prior arrangements. If you miss a due date your paper will be discounted 50%. If you do the assigned reading, participate in class, spend quality time on each paper assignment in and outside of class, complete all the assignments, and maintain a positive learning attitude, you should do very well in this course. Students‟ who miss classes, do not take advantage of class time for writing assignments, and who do not revise their papers, in general, do not get a good grade in this course. I am here to help you navigate through this course, and lead you toward meeting your goals for your writing skills. I enjoy teaching and helping people increase their written communication skills. I run this class as a workshop. When you are in class, you are writers. Your primary focus is gaining and honing written communication skills. We will talk in class about issues and topics that are related to writing assignments, we will brainstorm ideas, share writing concerns and frustrations. We will be supportive to ourselves and others in the writing process.
View Full Document
Unlocking...