New York University EXPOS-UA 3.010 – International Writing Workshop Fall 2018 Semester Section Information Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30am-6:10pm Waverly Building, Room 570 Instructor Information Megan Murtha email: [email protected] Office location: 411 Lafayette, 402A Course Information Welcome'to'your'college'writing'course!'Through'the'texts'selected'for'this'course,'each'of'you'will'find'conceptual'inlets'and'side'trails'to'traverse.'As'we'engage'with'the'texts,'the'idea s'you'consider'and'explore'will,'and'should,'range'wildly'based'on'your'own'experience'and'individu a l'a p p ro a ch 'to 'th em.'Since'many'of't he 'top ics'w e'discu ss'w ill'be'contro vers ial,'strike'personal'chords,'and'cause'potential'discomfort,'my'hope'as'we'discuss'ideas'together'is'that'we'maintain'an'open'and'inviting'dynamic'for'each'other.'Doing'so'will'help'us'to'push'each'other’s'thinking,'as'well'as'our'own,'towards'a'richer'understanding'of'not'only'the'complexity'of'course'material,'but'our'own'perspectives.'To'aid'in'establishing'this'kind'of'collabor ative,'inclusiv e'e n vir on ment,'ev er yo n e 'w ill'b e 'as k ed 'to 'a ctiv e ly 'co n trib u te 'to 'cl as s'd isc u ss io n ,'as'b o th 'initiators 'a n d're s p on d e rs .'De v elo p in g 'a ctiv e 'sp ea k in g 'an d 'lis te n in g's kil ls,'w h e th e r'o n 'th e'p a g e'or'in'person,'is'essential'for'being'respons ive ,'so cia lly 'en g a g ed 'c itize n s.''While'we'will'spend'a'great'deal'of'time'developing'critical'reading'and'analytical'skills,'we'will'also'focus'on'the'craft'of'writing'to'support'you'in'articulating'your'own'thinking'and'conceptual'discoveries'on'the'page'in'response'to'the'perspectives'of'others.'To'su p port'yo u 'i n 'acquiring'these'skills,'we'will'immerse'ourselves'in'investigating'how'the'art'of'writing'fosters'the'art'of'reading,'and 'vice'versa ,'throug h'a'series 'of'exercises 'that'w ill'build'up on 'each'other'in'com p le xit y'o v er 'the 'co u rs e 'of'th e 'se mester.'Ins ig ht fu l'w r itin g 'an d 're a din g 'sk ill s'a re 'eq u a lly 'vital'to'the'rest'of'your'academic'and'professional'journey'so'that'your'voice'can'be'heard'in'whatever'field'you'choose'to'pursue.'''To'help'specifically'with'th e 'pr oc e ss'o f'writing,'the 'st ru ct u re 'of'th e 'co u rs e'will'includ e 'a'se rie s 'of'exercises'that'build'towards'more'formal'assignments,'a'sequence'known'as'an'essay'progression.'Though'some'of'the'exercises'will'be'particular'and'prompting,'they'are'meant'to'open'up'your'thinking'to'enable'you'to'explore'your'own'insights'and'ideas'about'the'texts,'while'remaining'true'to'the'texts'themselves.'In'both'exercises'and'formal'assignments,'you'will'be'invited'to'build'connections'and'conversations'between'the'texts,'with'yourself'as'an'equal'participant'in'the'conversation.'Sometimes,'participating'can'be'uncomfortable.'Even'so,'to'feel'you'have'the'au tho rity'to'ente r'a'conv ersa tion'w ith'esta blishe d'au tho rs'is'part'of'you r'role'as'the'active,'intelligent'thinker'you'are.'What’s'more,'you'have'not'only'a'right'to'enter'the'conversatio n,'but'a'resp on sibility'to'kee p'it'alive'and 'contin uo us.''''Required Texts • All of the readings for this course will be posted on our NYU Classes page. Please print out and bring those readings with you to class on the days specified. Other Texts and Materials • A spiral notebook and a folder for loose leaf paper. • A set of colored pencils. • Three folders to serve as a portfolio for each essay progression. • A 100 pack of 3x5 Index cards. • Access to a reputable English dictionary (e.g. The Oxford English Dictionary available at: OED.com) is strongly recommended. Course website All supplementary materials, assignments, and readings will be posted on our NYU Classes page. Course Requirements Your expository writing course is divided into several units, called progressions. A progression is an interconnected sequence of reading, writing, and thinking exercises, some of which happen in class and some of which happen outside of class. Each progression guides you through this work toward the creation of a formal writing assignment. All sections of International Writing Workshop have two progressions, and four Mini-Assignments. The formal graded work of the course is these six assignments. If you do not complete the work of all the progressions, you will not be able to pass the course. At the end of the semester, you must submit a portfolio of all your work for the semester. At that time, you have the option of revising one of your early assignments. You may only take advantage of this option if you have completed all of the exercises and draft work for the progression you wish to revise, attended your conference, and all work was submitted on time. Expectations and Grades As you compose throughout the semester, try to stay mindful of these words from Heidi Estrem: Writing is often defined by what it is: a text, a product; less visible is what it can do: generate new thinking. As an activity undertaken to bring new understandings, writing in this sense is not about crafting a sentence or perfecting a text but about mulling over a problem, thinking with others, and exploring new ideas or bringing disparate ideas together. (from Naming What We Know 19) Grading Standards The brief descriptions below provide a general sense of grading standards; plusses and minuses are shades of difference: An A-range essay is both ambitious and successful. It develops an interesting problem and idea with grace and confidence. It handles its sources not only ethically but with skill and elegance. A B-range essay is one that is ambitious but only partly successful, or one that achieves modest aims well. Its problem and idea lack larger significance, or it does not consistently provide the evidence and analysis that support its insights.A C-range essay has significant problems articulating and developing its idea and argument. It may not be motivated by an intellectual or creative problem; it may exhibit problems in its use of sources. Its structure might be tidy but repetitive (lack progression) or might be disorganized and difficult to follow. A D-range essay typically does not engage concepts or sources, and may largely fail to address the expectations of the assignment. A failing essay is usually less than half the assigned length and does not address the expectations of the assignment to any significant degree. Final Grade