Recommendation Letter Ms Tappan - PBworksenglishjohnson.pbworks.com/f/Combined syllabi and Assignment Descriptions.pdffinal portfolio of assignments is worth 15 points out of a possible

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Internal Syllabi Syllabus 1

WAW Training Class Spring 2011 Textbook:

• Wardle, Elizabeth and Douglas Downs. Writing about Writing: A College Reader. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010.

Schedule

Week Date/Core/Objectives & Goals

1

Week of 8/22/11

Core 1: Autoethnography

• To understand writing

practices and processes.

• To understand writing

and research as

processes that require

planning, incubation,

revision, and

collaboration.

Chapter 2 introduction & Perl, “The Composing Processes of Unskilled College Writers” paired with Lamott, “Shitty First Drafts”

• Homework: A&E 1; D&J 7

• In class activities: D&J 3, 4; Groupwork: How might Tony have benefited from Lamott’s advice?

• In class writing: Write your own “Shitty First Draft.” Distribute Core 1 assignment

2

Week of 8/29/11


Berkenkotter & Murray, “Decisions and Revisions” paired with Haruf, “To See Clearly, Start by Pulling the Wool Over Your Own Eyes”

• Homework: D&J 1, 2

• In-class activities: D&J 4, 6. In class writing: What do Haruf and Murray have in common, and how does that compare to students’ own practices? Practice coding

3

Week of 9/5/11


Rose, “Rigid Rules, Inflexible Plans, and the Stifling of Language” paired with King’s excerpt from On Writing (1 week)


• In class writing: Freewrite on A&E 1, discuss A&E 3

4

Week of 9/12/11


Barbara Tomlinson, “Tuning, Tying, and Training Texts: Metaphors for Revision”

• Homework: A&E 1, 2, 3, 5

• In-class activities A& E Ideas 1 Creating Metaphors for other steps in composing

Peer review/Core 1 Due

5

Week of 9/19/11

Core 2: Discourse Community

Ethnography

• To understand how

language practices

mediate group

activities.

• To understand how to

Swales, “The Concept of Discourse Community” (1 week)


• In-class activities: D&J 3, 4, 5, 6 Greene. “Argument as Conversation.”

• In-class activities: D&J 1-3

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examine discourses and

texts of various

communities.

• To understand how to

conduct and analyze

ethnographic research.

6 Week of 9/26/11


Ethnography

Gee, “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction”

• Homework: D&J 3, 4, 9, 10, 11

• In class activities: D&J 1, 6, 7, 8, 12

7 Week of 10/3/11


Ethnography

Johns, “Discourse Communities and Communities of Practice: Membership, Conflict, and Diversity”


• In class activities: D&J 5, 6; A&E 2

8 Week of 10/10/11


Ethnography

Wardle, “Identity, Authority, and Learning to Write in New Workplaces.”

• Homework: D&J 1, 3, 7

• In class activities: A&E 2 Peer review/Core 2 due

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Week of 10/17/09

Core 3: Texts and Constructs


writers construct texts.

• To understand that

meaning is socially

constructed.

• To understand the

concept of the

rhetorical situation and

how to apply it to

writing and reading

situations.

Kantz, “Using Textual Sources Persuasively”


• In-class activities: Analyze a sample research paper and discuss the extent to which the paper exemplifies Kantz’s claim.

• In-class writing: Explore two opposing arguments, position them as a conversation between each other, then posit your own claim to fit the conversation.

Distribute Core 3 essay assignment

10 Week of 10/24/11

Core3: Texts and Constructs

Porter, “Intertextuality and the Discourse Community”

• Homework: D & J 1, 2, 3

• In class activities: A & E 1, 2

11

Week of 10/31/11


Grant-Davie, “Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents”


• In class activities: D& J 2, 3; A&E 1, 4

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Week of 11/7/11


No class Wed. Nov. 11 (Veteran’s Day)

Barthes, “Death of the Author”

• Homework: What does Barthes say about the role of the author and the role of the reader?

• In class activities: Apply Barthes’ theory to a short story.

• In class writing: What would Barthes say about intertextuality?

Peer review/Core 3 Due

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Week of 11/14/11

Core 4: Writing with

Authority in College


Harris, The Idea of Community in the Study of Writing

• Homework: Write a 200-word response to #2 in D&J.

• Identify in class, what difficulties students face in moving from one community to another.

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discourse is used in the

university.

• To understand how and

why discourse

conventions differ

across disciplines.

• To understand

knowledge of

disciplines language

and Discourses as a

way of being heard.

• To acquire tools for

successfully responding

to varied discourse

conventions and genres

in different classes.

• Written log/journal to take note of the differences between each of the classes taken this semester.

• Discuss in class specific differences to observe Distribute Core 4 assignment

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Week of 11/21/11



Penrose and Geisler, “Reading and Writing Without Authority”

• Homework: D&J 3

• A&E 1 Revision workshop in-class. Bring laptops.

15

Week of 11/28/11



Revision workshop Peer review (Thanksgiving week)

16

Week of 12/5/11

Last day of class---portfolio due

In-class discussion/reflection

Objectives and Outcomes: Core 1: Autoethnography

• To understand writing practices and processes.

• To understand writing and research as processes that require planning, incubation, revision, and

collaboration.

• To understand their own writing processes and practices and adjust them as appropriate to

rhetorical situations.

Core 2: Discourse Community Ethnography

• To understand how language practices mediate group activities.

• To understand how to examine discourses and texts of various communities.

• To understand how to conduct and analyze ethnographic research.


• To understand how writers construct texts.

• To understand that meaning is socially constructed.

• To understand the concept of the rhetorical situation and how to apply it to writing and reading

situations.

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Core 4: Writing with Authority in College

• To understand how discourse is used in the university.

• To understand how and why discourse conventions differ across disciplines.

• To understand knowledge of disciplines language and Discourses as a way of being heard.

• To acquire tools for successfully responding to varied discourse conventions and genres in

different classes.

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Syllabus 2

Instructor: Office/Office Hours: TBD Office Phone: TBD

E-mail: Class: ENC 1101, section TBD Meeting Time/Location: TBD

Required Texts:

• Wardle, Elizabeth and Douglas Downs. Writing about Writing: A College Reader. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010.

• Lunsford, Andrea. The Everyday Writer: 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009. Objectives: Throughout the semester we will investigate the different components that make up a rhetorical situation. We will also be investigating the changing definition of “texts” in the information age. Modern texts (and college assignments) quite often incorporate images, multimedia, and presentation programs such as PowerPoint. Please note that to complete this course you will need to be able to use the Internet to access Webcourses and small online assignments.

Grade Scale: The Composition Program at UCF uses the plus/minus grading system for final grades. NC= No Credit, which does not impact your GPA. Note that UCF policy includes C- as a passing grade for this class. Scale below indicates grade distribution for this class:

93-100=A 90-92=A- 87-89=B+ 83-86=B 80-82=B- 77-79=C+

73-76=C 70-72=C- 60-69=NC 0-59=F

Your grade will be composed of the following components. These add up to 100 overall points, so each one of these activities is worth exactly as many points as the percentage it represents. In other words, the final portfolio of assignments is worth 15 points out of a possible hundred points.

15% Assignments 15% Core I Essay

15% Core II Essay

15% Core III Essay

15% Core IV Essay

10% Final Exam

10% Quizzes 5% Attend/Part

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Assignments: These small assignments include selected in-class and homework assignments. We will discuss each of them as a class once we enter a new block. The assignment must be kept over the course of the semester, bound, and turned in to me at the end of class. Your “In a Bind” handout provides more details on this process (less than $5).

Quizzes: At the beginning of every class we will have a short quiz that will be based on the reading(s) due that day. Quizzes are given within the first five minutes of class. Be on time. If you miss a quiz, you cannot make it up.

Missed Assignments: Because you know the due dates on all the core papers at the beginning of the semester, they may only be made up in the case of a documented medical emergency. If you have missed a class, you are responsible for obtaining assignments and notes.

Due Dates: You are responsible for noting any changes to the due dates listed on class handouts. It is also your responsibility to ensure that your work is turned in on time. Assignments lose a letter grade for each day they are late (including non-attendance days, such as weekends).

Paper Formats: In-class writing assignments may be written in black or blue ink. All homework must be typed. All other assignments—including Core essays—must be typed and double-spaced in 12-point Times or Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins on all sides. In the upper left corner include your name, the course and section number, my name, and the due date. You must staple your Core essays!

Attendance: Please remember that you cannot make up missed in-class work or quizzes. Hence, if you miss a class, you miss work. Be here.

Class Blocks: The four blocks in this class cover four main ideas about texts, writers, and writing. By the end of the class, you will have a solid portfolio of materials that you can use well beyond the borders of this class.

Block I: What is a “Text”?

August xx- September xx

Food for Thought: Every piece of writing has a context. By the time you read it, a piece of writing

also represents a point (sometimes the mid-point) on a continuum of thought, planning, revision, and

collaboration.

Main Block I Readings:

• James Porter, “Intertextuality and the Discourse Community”

• Grant-Davie, “Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents”

• Stephen King, “What Writing Is”

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• Sir Ken Robinson/ RSA Animate: Changing Education Paradigms http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

Block I Assignment: Genre Study, Revision Project Management Plan, and Constituent Biography.

Core I Assignment: Rhetorical Analysis—Due September xx. This essay will consist of a 3-4 page analysis of a rhetorical situation. Five options will be presented in class, ranging from traditional print argument essay to a debate on a blog. You will choose two of these options and develop a thorough and detailed analysis of how their rhetorical situations compare. The Core I handout will provide you with more detailed information about this assignment.

Block II: Who is the “speaker”?

September xx-October xx

Food for Thought: Every piece of writing also has at least one writer. As we work through the

readings in this block, think about how your perception of the writer changes with his or her title,

anonymity (what do you make of collaborative internet blogs?), perceived social status, and

perceived biases.

Main Block II Readings:

• Donald Murray, “Response of a Laboratory Rat—or, Being Protocoled.”

• Anne Lamott, “Shitty First Drafts”

• Sara Corbett, “Video Games Win a Beachhead in the Classroom.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/magazine/19video-t.html

Block II Assignment Minis: Social Media Self Portrait, Rant and Rave, Literacy Web

Core II: Portrait of a Writer—Due October xx. This assignment asks for a thoughtful and detailed analysis of your own writing processes. Your own analysis of a secondary resource will serve as the starting point for this observation, and you will use this analysis as a springboard into a more detailed discussion of your end-to-end writing process and practices. The Core II handout will provide you with more detailed information about this assignment.

Block III: Who is listening?

October xx-November xx

Food for Thought: Skilled rhetors usually write, speak, or create with a specific audience in mind.

That audience brings with it a range of different historical backgrounds, constraints, and

expectations.

Main Block III Readings:

• John Swales, “The Concept of Discourse Community”

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• James Gee, “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction”

• Joseph Harris, “The Idea of Community in the Study of Writing”

• Elizabeth Wardle, “Identity, Authority, and Learning to Write in New Workplaces.”

• Sal Khan: The Open-Source Network http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/23/technology/sal_khan_academy.fortune/index.htm

Block III Assignment Minis: Classmate Interview, ENC Wiki, Community Mural.

Core III: Community Ethnography—Due November xx. This core assignment requires you to create and present a community ethnography using multimedia. Powerpoint is the usual medium of choice, but Flash, Youtube, or HTML are also acceptable if you have the necessary technical background. Your presentation must present a thorough and detailed profile of a specific community using text, images, and animation. The Core III handout will provide you with more detailed information about this assignment.

Block IV: Where are you now?

November xx-December xx

Food for Thought: It should be clear to you by this point that you inhabit a multiverse of potential

contexts for writing. Think about how you will need to write during the course of your college

career—in how many different contexts, discourse communities, and media. What are your goals?

How will you get there?

Main Block IV Readings:

• Ann Penrose and Cheryl Geisler, “Reading and Writing Without Authority”

• Lucille McCarthy, “A Stranger in Strange Lands: A College Student Writing Across the Curriculum”

• Kelsey Diaz, "Seven Ways High School Prepares you for Failure"

Block IV Assignment Minis: A History of Me, The Scholar’s Quilt

Core IV: Analysis of University Writing—Due Dec xx. This 5-6 page essay constructs your own detailed academic analysis of the required forms and styles of writing in a UCF major of your choice. You will need to do some primary research for this core, and that research will need to include a conversation with at least one professor. You may also draw from syllabi and assignments in courses you are currently taking. The Core IV handout will provide you with more detailed information about this assignment.

University Writing Center (UWC): You can always benefit from meeting with a UWC writing consultant to work on your core essays. Visits to the UWC are free for UCF undergraduates. You can make an appointment at www.uwc.ucf.edu, or by calling 407-823-2197.

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UCF Disability Statement: UCF is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. This syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request. If you have a disability and need accommodations in this course, you must register with Student Disability Services, Student Resource Center (SRC) 132. Phone: 407-823-2371 TDD-only phone: 407-823-2116. Email: [email protected]

University Policies: Course and university policies about attendance, religious holidays, academic honesty and other issues are available on the UCF website.

Gordon Rule To fulfill the Gordon Rule, you must pass this course with at least a C-minus.

Grading of Core Essays: A grading rubric is used to evaluate all core essays. This rubric will be passed out along with the detailed core essay assignment information when we start each block. If miss class, the rubric and assignment will be posted for you on Webcourses—please download and print them.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism (the use of someone else's words or ideas without giving proper credit) will result in failure from this course and a review by the Office of Student Conduct.

Weekly/Daily Schedule

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Syllabus 3

ENC1101: Composition I

University of Central Florida Texts: Writing About Writing: A College Reader, Wardle and Downs Additional readings available online Daily assignments: Before each class with an assigned reading, you’ll have questions to answer about that reading: two Discussion and Journaling (D&J) questions before the first class period, and one Applying and Exploring Ideas (A&E) question before the second. You must write or type your answers and bring them to class; using them to inform your participation in the class discussion is part of your grade. The questions can be found at the end of each textbook reading, and on this syllabus for readings that aren’t included in the textbook. Core assignments: At the end of each of the three core units, you will have a larger paper due. Together, the length requirements for these papers total 6,000 words, fulfilling the Golden Rule requirement for this course. You will have time in class before each due date to exchange papers with your peers and workshop. Final portfolio: You’ll receive a grade on the initial due date for each of the three unit assignments, but your “final exam” will be a portfolio, to be turned in to me on the day the exam is scheduled by the university. The portfolio will consist of revisions of each of the three unit assignments, plus a brief paper on what you’ve learned in this course, with a focus on learning you'll be able to use as you write in future courses and your career.

Core One: Rhetoric (five weeks)

• Week one: Intro and Swales CARS model

• Week two: Kantz: “Using Textual Sources Persuasively” o D&J 1,3 o A&E 1

• Week three: Grant-Davie: “Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents” o D&J 1, 2, 4 o A&E 1a

• Week four: Hyland (2001): “Bringing in the Reader: Addressee Features in Academic Articles” http://wcx.sagepub.com/content/18/4/549.full.pdf+html

o D&J 1: Hyland sees academic writing as a conversation, arguing that “any text…responds to a larger discourse already in progress” (551). How does this assessment tie in what you’ve read in previous articles for this course?

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o D&J 2: List the techniques for directly engaging the reader that Hyland gives in the article. Are these methods exclusive to academic articles? What other types of texts could use these or similar techniques to appeal directly to an audience?

o A&E: Use the UCF library database to find an academic article. Using the list of techniques you previously made, analyze the article for the ways it specifically attempts to engage readers. How successful is it in doing so?

• Week five: Core assignment: Navigating Sources That Disagree

Core Two: Process (six weeks)

• Week one: Perl: The Composing Process of Unskilled College Writers o D&J 2, 4 o A&E 1

• Week two: Rose: Rigid Rules, Inflexible Plans, and the Stifling of Language o D&J 1, 2 o A&E 1

• Week three: Penrose and Geisler (different part of the book) o D&J 1, 2 o A&E 1

• Week four: Lamott: “Shitty First Drafts” o No written homework; additional readings for this week TBA

• Week five: Sommers: “Revision Strategies of Student Writers and Experienced Adult Writers” http://www.jstor.org/stable/356588

o D&J 1: Describe the linear model of writing process Sommers discusses in the first section of the article. Does this linear model fit the way you right? If not, briefly create a model that illustrates the steps in your writing process, based on what you’ve learned about it so far.

o D&J 2: Briefly characterize the revision styles of the student writers and the experienced writers in the study. What do you think accounts for this difference? Which group’s style is more like yours?

o A&E: Choose one page from your “Navigating Sources That Disagree” paper. Create two revised drafts of this page: try to revise the first the way Sommers’ students writers did, and the second the way the experienced writers did. What did you change in each draft? Which draft do you feel is the best?

• Week six: Core assignment: Autoethnography

Core Three: Discourse Communities (four weeks)

• Week one: Swales: “The Concept of Discourse Community” o D&J 1, 2 o A&E 2

• Week two: Johns: “Discourse Communities and Communities of Practice” o D&J 1, 3 o A&E 1

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• Week three: Mirabelli o D&J 2, 3 o A&E 1: Your answers to this question will help you brainstorm for your

core assignment.

• Week four: Core assignment: Discourse Community Ethnography

Final assignment: Portfolio

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Syllabus 4

ENC1101.21 Syllabus

Instructor:

Office:

Office Hours:

Dept. Phone:

E-mail:

Campus

Mailbox:

Course Description

NEEDED

TEXTS: . • Wardle and Downs, Writing about Writing: A College Reader • Lunsford, Everyday Writer, 4th edition with 2009 MLA Update

MATERIALS: • loose-leaf notebook paper • Open mind and willingness to learn • computer/printer/Internet access • blue/black ink pen • MSWord®, or equivalent • Stapler! OBJECTIVES: • to further develop critical reading and thinking skills • to further engage in writing as a deliberate, recursive process *UPDATE • to further understand the connection between rhetorical choices and an audience

• to gain more confidence, competence, and control as a writer • to practice locating and evaluating documentary and human resources • to study the conversational and knowledge-creating nature of researched

writing

POLICIES and PROTOCOLS

Attendance and deportment: Absences in excess of 25% of class meetings may result in automatic failure of this class. Please show respect for your classmates and our work by being on time for class. Note that two late appearances equals one absence.

E-mail do’s and don’ts: Always type “ENC1101.section number” in the subject line. Sign your

first and last name. DON’T email assignments without prior consent of the instructor. Missed Assignments: Obtain daily assignments and class notes from other students in the class.

Missed handouts are available before or after class, or through email. Missed quizzes or in-class assignments may not be made-up.

Late Assignments: Assignments are due at the beginning of the assigned class period.

Assignments turned in as much as a day late will be penalized 10%; two days late equals 20%. In the event you are absent from class, turn the assignment in my gray mailbox in Colbourn Hall—before class starts on the due date—for credit, and immediately send me an email to let me know it’s there. Assignments more than one week late will receive an F.

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Electronic Devices: While fun and useful, cell phones and other electronic devices should be turned off and stowed (this means in purse, pocket, backpack, etc.). Open laptop computers are not allowed in this class without consent. Should you feel the need to record lectures in lieu of note taking, you will need my permission.

What the Instructor Expects:

It’s always nice to know what to expect from your teachers, so here is your opportunity. To succeed, you need to allot an adequate amount of time to this class; ideally, 6-9 hours a week outside of class. During this time is when weekly readings, homework assignments, and draft revisions take place. I expect all reading assignments to be completed before class starts, read material brought to class, all assignments to be turned in at the beginning of class, and active participation while in class. Additionally, word/page count must be achieved on your assignments because students who

partially fulfill the requirements receive a partial grade (basically, less 10% for

every 10% of missed word count etc). Couple my suppositions with UCF’s rules for conduct, and I’m good to go.

Pet Peeves: It’s always a good idea to be aware of the pet peeves of your teachers.

• COMMENTS & BEHAVIOR: You are expected to act and treat others according to the professional, adult environment in which you now find yourself. Having fun is one thing; disrupting class with immature comments, chatter, and useless interjections, however, is disrespectful to me and your classmates. You should be aware that I am especially sensitive about being prodded to let class out early and people continually coming into the classroom late.

Bad Words: This is a course about language, writing, construction, and meaning. Therefore, you are forewarned that there may be materials and/or discussions you encounter that contain words, phrases, and concepts which may make you uncomfortable and may even offend some. Please be aware that no one is trying to insult or attack you, but rather we are working together for understanding in the ways language and writing is used.

Academic Honesty: All work must be original by the student. In situations where students feel

the need to plagiarize (undocumented use of another’s words or ideas), they often do so because they fear trying out their own ideas, they may not have left themselves adequate time to complete the assignment, or they just don’t know how to document a source. That being noted, plagiarism is grounds for failure in this course and possible disciplinary action by the University. If you have questions about documenting a source, please consult The Everyday Writer. See me or the Writing Center if the handbook is not offering enough guidance.

Disability accommodation: Students who need accommodations must be registered with Student Disability Services (Student Resource Center, Rm. 132, ph. 407-823-2371, TTY/TDD only phone 407-823-2116) before requesting accommodations from the instructor.

Helpful Resources:

• The University Writing Center (UWC) is a free resource for UCF undergraduates and graduates. At the UWC, a trained writing consultant will work with you individually on anything you’re writing (be it for a class assignment or not), at any point in the writing process from brainstorming to revising. When you DO go, bring your assignment with

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you for the consultant to look at. For more information or to make an appointment, visit the UWC website at http://www.uwc.ucf.edu, stop by MOD 608, or call 407-823-2197.

• The UCF Library

• Use the Handbook

****In-class quizzes are given on an “as needed” basis****

Grade Distribution: Grading Scale: Grade Point Scale:

60% 20% 15% 5%

Major Essays* Portfolio Reading Responses* Final Exam

A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- NC F

=

=

=

=

=

=

=

=

=

=

93 – 100 90 – 92 87 – 89 83 – 86 80 – 82 77 – 79 73 – 76 70 – 72 ---------- 0 – 69

A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- F

=

=

=

=

=

=

=

=

=

4.00 3.75 3.25 3.00 2.75 2.25 2.00 1.75 0.00

*Note: This course is a Gordon Rule course. It contains a minimum of 6000 words of evaluated writing as required by

the English Department. Assignments which fulfill the Gordon Rule are indicated with an asterisk. Each has the following characteristics: 1. The writing will have a clearly defined central idea or thesis 2. It will provide adequate support for that idea 3. It will be organized clearly and logically 4. It will show awareness of the conventions of standard written English 5. It will be formatted or presented in an appropriate way. Students must earn a grade of “C-” or better to receive course credit.

***Note: This syllabus is subject to revision***

About Reading Responses

Throughout the semester, you will be instructed to respond in written form to various readings. Use this guide to maximize your understanding of the material and to ensure you get the credit you deserve for these assignments. STEP ONE: ALWAYS review the response first so you know what to pay attention to when the reading.

This, however, does NOT mean disregard everything else. Ideally, you should absorb the article as a whole, but knowing you have a response to write, you are given clues regarding what to think about before you write it.

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STEP TWO: Annotate the article (we will discuss this in class). Use a pen, pencil, highlighter, tape,

ketchup, eye liner—whatever you need to note certain phrases and passages that stand out to you. This includes information relevant to the reading prompts AND anything you find particularly important for any reason. Really, if it made you stop and think or gave you an “A-Ha” moment, make note of it. I’ll also let you know that sometimes you may not know why something stood out at the time. Go ahead and mark those areas too and bring them up in class.

STEP THREE: Spend some time thinking about your response. It is VERY obvious when students read at

the last minute and jot down whatever is in their heads. Resist the urge to do so.

STEP FOUR: Type your response as if it were an essay (use your college voice to write). Use MLA format,

12-point TNR font and double-space it. Put under the date: Reading Response # ____. If you have more than one page, staple it. (Seriously, staple the pages together.) Each response should be somewhere between 300 to 500 words. Writing less is showing that you didn’t really engage with the material. Each Response is worth 10 points and Reading Responses grades will make up 15% of your final grade.

**Special Note: Beginning with Reading Response 2, one in-text citation and a Works

Cited entry are required**

Rhetorical Situations: Unit 1

In this first unit, we’ll be discussing how both writers and readers play an active role in constructing texts. As you’ll see, understanding the rhetorical situation is pivotal in both engaging and creating texts, so for

this first assignment you’ll be asked to analyze and synthesize conflicting sources of information. In doing so, you’ll do more than simply summarize and compile information; instead, you’ll take part in the active

generation of meaning.

Schedule

Date Reading Due Assignments Due

Monday

1/10

Intro to Class

Expectations

Wed

1/12

READ: EW: 12-17

Read WaW: “Seven Ways” pp 871-

75

Drop Deadline tomorrow (Thursday) @ 11:59pm

Friday

1/14

Read EW: 43-63 Diagnostic essay Due

Monday Read WaW: Kantz 81-98 Reading Response # 1

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1/17

Wed

1/19

Read WaW: Kantz 81-98

Reading Response # 1

Friday

1/21

Still with Kantz and

Read WaW: Haas and Flower 146-

165

Monday

1/24

Still with Haas and Flower Reading Response # 2

Wed

1/26

Read Grant-Davie pg

Get Unit 1 instructions

Friday

1/28

Still with Grant-Davie Reading Response # 3

Monday

1/31

Still with Grant-Davie Topic Choice Part 1 Due

Wed

2/2

Read: Grant-Davie Hand-out

provided by me.

Friday

2/4

Still with Grant-Davie Topic Choice HW, Part 2 Due

Bring in One source

Internalizing Grant-Davie HW DUE

Monday

2/7

MLA Review:

Bring in Everyday Writer

Wed

2/9

Still with Grant-Davie Practicing Analyzing HW Due

Wed

2/16

Workshop Rough Draft Due. Bring in 3 copies.

Friday

2/18

Peer Review

Bring in Everyday Writer AND a Full draft. Bring

in 2 copies

Monday

2/21

Introduction to Unit 2 Unit 1 Paper DUE

Unit 1: Analyzing Sources That Disagree

ASSIGNMENT Choose an issue that’s currently being publicly debated and find three sources on it from newspapers or magazines that disagree with each other. Demonstrate your understanding of rhetorical situations and their constituents, rhetorical reading strategies, and rhetorical writing strategies by writing an analysis that does not simply summarize the sources, but explains and argues why and how the construction is different and therefore, lends to them NOT being able to agree. In most instances, each rhetor has a different audience, but because of that fact, how are the texts constructed differently? What are the constraint

differences? What “roles” do the authors play? Et cetera.

Remember that analyzing the sources and writing the paper are two different acts. You’ll need to actively read and analyze the sources to learn as much as possible and understand

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each individual rhetorical situation. Then, when you write the essay, you’ll be pulling pertinent info from your analyses to support your argument as to why the sources are constructed differently.

What to do:

Look for your sources in editorials, letters to the editors, or from commentary writers. Apply (thoroughly) the Grant-Davie handout to each article—one sentence responses will do violence to your paper grade. Pick the most relevant (or two) reasons why the constructions are different (this becomes your thesis). Remember too that audience is a given, even on a slight scale; what changes because of this fact?

Some points to consider:

■ Even “facts” are rhetorically constituted and often open to interpretation. ■ Remember that each writer both joins and plays a role in constructing the rhetorical situation for their individual text. ■ Be sure to note the effect of any constraints on a given text—either assets or liabilities. ■ Use the analytical terms from class and the readings to analyze the sources. The content of the articles we’ve read should guide your analysis. Cite them when needed, but don’t let them overwhelm your own argument.

Things NOT to do:

■ Do not argue your own opinion on the issue. Regardless of how you feel about the issue, should never be directly stated. Instead, it’s your job to persuasively answer a question about how people communicate. ■ Do not simply summarize the texts or what others have said about the texts. ■ Do not simply summarize everything you found out about the texts and their rhetorical situations in your analyses. Pick and choose the elements that contribute to your position.

Format and other info

• Three to four pages (not including Works Cited), Times New Roman (double spaced, 1-inch margins, typed)

• Name and page number in upper-right header

• Final essay must follow MLA format (see example, EW, p. 410)

• Submit your essay in this fashion: essay and rubric stapled together. The peer review and worksheet are not due at this time, but will be worth points in your portfolio, so don’t lose them—or blow off doing a peer review.

Unit 1 Homework assignments

1. Topic Choice Homework, part 1

Due:

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Value: Up to 5 points For this assignment, you need to have decided on a particular topic to deal with and three (3) sources that disagree that you want to use for you essay. These sources are not black and white/ pro and con sources, per se, but three sources with different “takes” on the topic. Submit in typed, MLA format:

1. The topic 2. The three sources (explain the sources; e.g. letter to editor from Slate.com, etc). 3. The Position each source has on the topic. (Name the author(s) and explain the

position(s) held.) Number each section.

2. Topic Choice Homework, part 2

Due:

Value: Up to 5 points This assignment is your opportunity to fine tune your choices for the Unit 1 paper. If you needed new sources, now is the time to find the right ones. If your reasoning was not so thorough, now’s the time to focus that too. So, once again, Submit in typed, DS, MLA format, 12-point TNR font the following:

1. The topic 2. The three sources (explain the sources; e.g. letter to editor from

Slate.com, etc). 3. The Position each of the sources has AND, who exactly you think the

audiences are and why you think so.

3. HW: Internalizing Grant-Davie Due:

Value: Up to 25 points For this assignment, you need to have the Grant-Davie handout in front of you. You’ll notice a lot of questions he provides for analysis. It’s important for you to understand that analyzing by applying the handout is not picking and choosing one question from a section, but rather absorbing and then applying ALL of them to a given situation. Think of a time when you had to write something to persuade another person or persons. This could be an email to someone, a note to a parent, a letter to get into college, etc. Once you have this for your topic, look at the Four sections and apply each of them. For the HW, type, MLA, etc… the following:

1. What you wrote to another, how you delivered your persuasion (email, letter, note, etc), and what it was you wanted.

2. A paragraph (like the one above) for “Exigence.” 3. A paragraph (like the one above” for “Rhetor.”

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4. A paragraph (like the one above) for “Audience.” 5. A paragraph (like the one above) for “Constraints.”

Number each section.

4. HW: Practice Analyzing Due:

Value: up to 25 points

At this point, you should have the three small articles you are definitely using for your paper. Pick one and analyze it using the Grant-Davie handout. Separate it into four (4) sections of Exigence, Rhetor(s), Audience, and Constraints, and write a short paragraph of analysis for each. ATTACH a copy of the article with your analysis (this alone is worth 5 points). Make sure the paper is set up in proper MLA, and like the Internalizing Grant-Davie HW.

Unit 1 Reading Response Prompts

*make sure to follow the format stated earlier in the syllabus.

Unit 1 RR#1 (Kantz): Reflect on the relationship between creativity and research as you’ve learned to understand it prior to this class, and as Kantz talks about it. Where do yours and her ideas overlap? Where does her thinking influence yours? And where does it seem not to work for you? RR#2 (Haas and Flower): If readers construct the meaning of texts, how does information transmission work? One claim this article makes is that when readers try to understand texts, they bring their own knowledge to it. What kinds of knowledge did you bring to this article that helped you make sense of it? RR#3 (Grant-Davie): Bitzer, you learn in this piece, argues that we should think of “constraints” as aids rather than restrictions. As a writer, how would it help you to be aware of your rhetorical situation and the constraints it creates? With your answer, supply an example where a constraint aided you as a rhetor in the past.

ENC1101. Unit 1 Paper Rubric

Date: Student Name:

Total

points

available

Total

points

earned

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Content

Author answers the research question: how are these sources constructed differently? 10

Concrete examples (direct quotes from sources) are sufficiently and appropriately (but not too much) provided to support author's position AND they’re explained. 10

Author demonstrates a clear understanding of the requirements and purpose of the paper (does not summarize or inject opinion; does make a claim). 10

Key terms from Unit 1 are clearly understood and incorporated correctly and smoothly into the essay (ex: constraints, exigence, rhetor, audience, etc). 10

Author makes a connection with the audience and motivates a sense of interest in the topic; successfully persuades reader to see things his/her way. 10

Clear thesis - author's position in response to the prompts is easily identified. 5

Overall

Writing

Consistent focus and organization is apparent and maintained throughout the paper - supporting arguments and evidence relate directly back to thesis points. 10

Employs smooth and graceful transitions - more than "the next point is" or "another point is." 5

Introduction supplies background information and establishes direction. 5

Conclusion clearly distinguishable and appropriate. 5

Sentence length variety employed to add interest and provide emphasis. 5

Tone is appropriate for audience and purpose. 4

Compelling word choice; demonstrates insightful use of figurative language; word choice is efficient, non-repetitive. 5

Demonstrates mastery of grammar with few to no errors (i.e. sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, tense/verb agreement, pronoun reference, misused words ). 4

Proper MLA Format and 12-point TNR font is evident. 2

Total points available/Total points earned 100

Letter grade earned

Print this out and submit it with your paper.

Unit 2 Paper

For this assignment, create a short (3 to 5 page) essay that is a descriptive study of your own writing process (an auto-ethnography). To analyze the total writing process: you will revise three of your reading responses completed reading responses or your Unit 1 paper and include the revised copies with your paper.

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As you complete your work on revision, from the very start to finish, you will need to keep a writing log of what’s going on, in detail (and turn this in with your paper). To keep a writing log, you will take pauses to analyze and describe your decisions and questions on sections of your work (going paragraph by paragraph). The outline will follow Murray’s experience, from start to finish. (pg. 267) Your analysis will be based on the questions below, but utilize the process and as it was discussed while executed (in essence a form of a writing log). A great way to do so is to reread pages 263-Introspection .This will give you an idea of how to respond and create a complete writing log. Please take notes on your environments and surroundings as well. Go through this process while revising both assignments and title the logs appropriately. After you have completed your work on this part of the paper, finish your writing log and turn it in with your paper. Overall your paper must answer the questions, What are my writing processes for college-level academic writing tasks? What are the strengths and weaknesses, in light of the readings for this Unit? What needs to be done differently? What is working well?” To get there, go through the Analysis: Once you have finished revising the reading response or homework assignment, take the writing log and analyze the notes. Take notes (yes, again) and in essay format, answer the questions:

• What processes did I use?

• What are the various steps I went through?

• What seems to be working well?

• What problems did I encounter? *Remember the benefit of using terminology from the readings of unit 2 and citing from them. Just a few examples,

• Are you as recursive a writer as Tony?

• Do you use any of Donald Murray’s strategies? For example, is there evidence of incubation in your process?

• What are your primary concerns when you are writing and revising—words, audience, organization, etc?

Make certain you:

• Describe your process

• Provide a meaningful answer to each question;

• Incorporate terms and ideas from class readings;

• Are thoughtful about the ways your processes will and will not work for you in college;

• Are well organized and proofread/edited;

• Cites sources used The Paper: In the paper, describe your writing processes, using terms from and making references to the readings is helpful. If you do cite the readings, you should be sure to include a works cited page at the end (use The Everyday Writer to help you).

Format and other info:

• 3 to 5 pages (not including writing log, revised works, or works cited page)

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• Submit your essay in this fashion: essay, writing log, revised works, and rubric.

Unit 2

Name_________________________________ Section number____________ Date________________

Score

Essay 35% A compilation of data from the writing log. Examples of analysis of the writing process. Connections of personal writing process to articles.

35 points max.

Writing Log

35% An analysis of two revised responses, which is an analysis of decisions on strengths, weakness, and patterns in writing process.

-5 points off for

each missing

revised reading

response. 35 pts

max.

Transitions/Diction

15% refers to positioning & varying transitions & rhythm to create a deliberate effect; varied yet appropriate diction & figurative language

15 points max.

Grammar/

MLA/S.S 15%

refers to spelling, punctuation, sentence structures, MLA format,

-5 points for

incorrect turn-in,

format. AND

-5 points for each

element of MLA

that is incorrect

or missing. 15 pts

max.

Outstanding

Well-defined structure; insightful answers to the four main questions of the essay; direct examples from the log and a strong intro and conclusion that emphasizes the overall discovery.

Revision decisions are detailed and clear. The author is aware of “why” they decide to revise or not, and discusses any additional details. Overall, a very detailed analysis.

Sentences are carefully formed and positioned with attention to emphasis-rhythm created. Several examples of figurative language and variety of word choice that is appropriate for clarity.

Demonstrates mastery of grammar, creating compelling prose; few to no errors. MLA is accurate.

Strong

Clear and identifiable introduction, body of essay, and conclusion that answers all 4 questions, with examples from the log and a few from the articles.

Several detailed examples of both the revision and the “why” or decision and connections to the patterns that appear. Examples of positives and negatives.

Sentences show variety in length, pattern, and rhythm and are linked with appropriate transitions.

Demonstrates understanding of most grammar; spell check and homonym errors remain. Few minor MLA errors.

Satisfactory

Zero connections to articles, examples of analysis in connection to the log, examples may be somewhat

Examples of revision and some analysis of the reason behind the revision decisions. Some examples of pros

Sentences show some variation in pattern. Diction is appropriate yet repetitious or incorrect in a few spots.

Occasional errors in sentence structure, verb agreement, pronoun reference, spelling and punctuation. Some

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unclear in their connections but each main question has an adequate answer

and cons; in areas, too much summary. Missing discussion points.

MLA errors.

Limited

Only 2-3 questions are answered, too much summary, limited analysis.

Vague, summarized points of only revision, lack of explanation, and/or too few examples of analysis.

Occasional fused sentences and fragments. Diction is often repetitive and unclear.

Frequent errors in sentence structure, verb agreement, pronoun reference, spelling and punctuation. MLA issues

Flawed

Essay does not fit the assignment: is too short or too long.

Does not fit any of the objectives and requirements of the writing log.

Awkward and unclear sentences; frequent run-ons and fragments, word choice inadequate.

Continuous errors in sentences, verb agreement, pronoun reference, spelling and punctuation. No MLA

nit 2 Schedule

Unit 2 Reading Responses

Monday Oct 4

Perl Essay RR#4 Due

Wednesday

Pearl

Friday Oct 8

Berkenkotter and Murray essays RR #5 Due

Monday Oct 11

Berkenkotter and Murray essays

Wed Oct 13

Sommers Essay (on Webcourses) Print out and bring to class

RR #6 Due

Friday Oct 15

Lamott and King essays

RR # 7 Due

Withdrawal deadline @11:59 pm

Monday Oct 18

Writing Log student examples Practice Writing log with a 15 minute free write.

Workshop Bring in 3 copies of a draft of your writing log

Peer Review

Bring in Everyday Writer AND a 2 copies of a

completed draft

Unit 3 Paper Assignment: Analysis of Gee’s Claims

Paper 2 Due

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**Special Note: 2 in-text citations and a Works Cited entry are

required**

Due: #4: (Berkenkotter and Murray): How did this study change Berkenkotter’s understanding of writing processes, particularly planning and revision? How did it change (or not) yours?

Due: #5: (Pearl):

Due: #6 (Sommers) (Use this response for your Auto-Ethnography): Nancy Sommers, wrote that “Because students do not see revision as an activity in which they can modify and develop perspective ideas, they feel that if they know what they want to say, then there is little reason for making revisions” (382). Does this statement apply to you? If so, why do you think you have this mindset? If not, why do you think other students have this mindset? What can be done to change it?

Due: #7 (Lamott and King):

Unit 3 Paper: Analysis of Gee’s Claims For this assignment, create a short (900- to 1,200-word) essay applying Gee’s claims to your own life. You’ve already analyzed your own writing processes in Unit 2; now you get the chance to analyze how your processes were shaped and to speculate on what this means for your future. In Gee’s article on Discourses, he makes the distinction between dominant and non-dominant Discourses. Mastering dominant Discourses, he claims, can bring money, prestige, and status. Gee also claims that once you have “fossilized” into a Discourse without becoming fully fluent in it, you “can’t be let into the game” (595). He claims that “true acquisition is probably not possible” (598) and people who are not a part of the dominant Discourse can only “mushfake” it (598). Gee appears to be claiming that people who don’t become fluent in the dominant Discourse early are never able to become part of that Discourse. His claims seem to be contradicting what is commonly seen as the “American Dream”—the idea that in the United States anyone who works hard can become whatever they want.

What to do: First, brainstorm some thoughts about how your own writing processes have been shaped over the years. Think also about what Gee means by “dominant Discourse.” Is he referring to the language and writing of the language used by people of a particular class or race?

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For the essay, create a working definition of “dominant Discourse” that builds on Gee’s claims, but doesn’t contradict it. You will also have to supply what the American Dream means to you in the introduction. Weave this stuff together nicely. Using examples from your own life, challenge or support Gee’s claims. Be sure to use key terms from the text (discourse, Discourse, dominant and non-dominant Discourses, Primary and secondary Discourses, apprenticeship, literacy, mushfake, etc.). Conclude your essay by speculating about what this (Gee’s claims and your support or challenge of them) means for your future. Is your ability to achieve the American Dream in jeopardy? Please supply a creative title to your paper. Turning in the assignment with “Unit 3 Paper” or “Analysis of Gee’s Claims” may negatively affect your grade.

Format and other info • 900 to 1,200 words, Times New Roman (double spaced, 1-inch margins, typed,

etc.)



• Submit your essay in this fashion: essay and rubric stapled together.

Unit 3 Schedule

Friday 4/1

Unit 3 Paper Read WaW: Swales 569-84

Unit 2 Due

Monday 4/4

Swales RR #7

Wed 4/6

Gee Read WaW: Gee 587-602

Unit 3 HW #1 Due

Friday 4/8

Gee RR# 8 Due

Monday 4/11

Johns Read WaW: Johns 606-628

Unit 3 HW #2 Due

Wed 4/13

Johns & questions on Unit 3

RR# 9 Due

Fri 4/15

Rough Draft Workshop Unit 3 HW #3 Due

Bring 3 copies of

your rough draft

Peer Review Bring in 2 copies of

your final draft

Mon 4/18

Unit 3 Due

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Unit 3 Homework Assignments

1. List and Analyze a Discourse Community You Belong To Just as Swales analyzed a discourse community (DC) in his essay, here’s your chance to do the same. The purpose of this assignment is to strengthen your ability to see all the DC parts Swales discusses so your essay for this Unit makes more sense (to you and me). Write a brief (seriously, this should be concise—more than 3 pages is telling me you’re rambling) report about a DC you belong to, making sure all the prompts are addressed thoroughly. Feel free to number the responses to the prompts. I’m much more concerned with the level of thought you put into this than I am in you following “essay format.” What you cannot analyze is whether or not a college classroom is a discourse community since thinking about that was a Reading Response. Pick something outside of your UCF life. What is the discourse community?: _______________________________________

• What are the shared goals of the community; why does this group exist, what does it do?

• What mechanisms do members use to communicate with each other (i.e., meetings, phone calls, email, text messages, newsletters, reports, evaluation forms, etc)?

• What are the purposes of each of these mechanisms of communication (i.e., to improve performance, make money, grow better roses, share research, etc)?

• Which of the above mechanisms of communication can be considered genres (textual responses to recurring situations that all group members recognize and understand)?

• Who are the “old-timers” with expertise? Who are the newcomers with less expertise? How do newcomers learn the appropriate language, genres, knowledge of the group?


___________________________________________________________________________

2. Primary Discourse Homework For this HW assignment, write a brief description of the “saying (writing)-doing-being-valuing-believing” of your own primary Discourse (the very one you were encultured into at birth). Be sure to note things like grammatical usage, common phrases, tone of voice, formality of speech, and values related to Discourse. Once you have done this, write a description of the “saying (writing)-doing-being-valuing-believing” of academic Discourse as you have encountered it so far. Your third step is to discuss sources of overlap (or transfer) and sources of conflict between these two Discourses. Feel free to number each of the three requirements to ensure you sufficiently answer them all. Your submission will likely look something like:

1. Primary Discourse Saying (writing): Doing:

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Valuing: Being: Believing:

2. Academic Discourse: Saying (writing) Etc.

3. Overlap and Conflict Be concise. This can be done in two pages, but you may bleed onto a third page should you feel the need. Resist answering the prompts with one word or one sentence responses. This WILL have a negative influence on your grade. Instead, put some thought into this task. For your Academic Discourse, note that it includes more than this class; it is your total experience here at UCF. This may be single-spaced.


3. Secondary Discourse HW To successfully write the Unit 3 essay, you must have a solid grasp on what Gee means by dominant and non-dominant Discourse. In your own words 1.) provide definitions for both and 2.) list examples (of both) that you have either seen or experienced in your life. After you have your lists, 3.) what are the biggest differences between the two regarding “potential?” Please do use number each section of your responses so you are certain to get credit. This may be single-spaced.


Unit 3 Reading Responses

**Special Note: 2 in-text citations and a Works Cited entry are

required**

RR#7 (Swales): According to Swales, is a college classroom a discourse community? Why or why not? RR#8 (Gee): Consider a Discourse to which you do not belong but want to belong—a group in which you are or would like to be what Gee calls an “apprentice” (10). What is hardest about learning to belong to that

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Discourse? Who or what aids you the most in becoming a part? Do you ever feel like a “pretender” (10)? If so, what marks you as a pretender? RR#9 (Johns): What does it mean to have authority in relationship to texts and discourse communities?


Date: Student Name:

Total

points

available

Total

points

earned

Content

Author created a working definition of “dominant Discourse” that built on Gee’s claims (not contradicts) 10

Concrete examples (from essay and self) are sufficiently and appropriately provided to support author's position 15

Author supplied a description of the “American Dream” that works with the paper (doesn’t say one thing and has paper contradict it) 10

Key terms from Unit 3 are clearly understood and incorporated correctly and smoothly into the essay 10

Overall

Writing

Clear thesis - author's position is easily identified (challenge or supports Gee’s Claims) and consistent focus and organization is apparent and maintained throughout the paper - supporting arguments and evidence relate directly back to thesis points 15

Employs smooth and graceful transitions between sentences and paragraphs 6

Conclusion is obvious and speculates on future 6

Sentence length variety and complexity employed to add interest and provide emphasis 6

Tone is appropriate for audience and purpose 5

Compelling word choice; demonstrates insightful use of figurative language; word choice is efficient, non-repetitive 6

Demonstrates mastery of grammar with few to no errors (i.e. sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, tense/verb agreement, pronoun reference, misused words, etc. ) 6

Proper MLA Format and 12-point TNR font is evident 5


Letter grade earned

Print this out and submit it with your paper.

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Syllabi 5

—Spring 2011

Office: Office Hours:

Syllabus:

This syllabus is your semester-long guide to succeeding in this course. It is subject to change based on our needs, but you must use it, check it, and rely on it. By taking this course, you agree to comply with the syllabus and its deadlines, assignments, and other course requirements to receive a passing grade. Print it out and keep it handy. I do not provide hard copies of the syllabus since this is an M mode class.

Class Meeting time:

This class meets primarily online in Webcourses, but we also have a face-to-face class session once per week on Tuesdays from 9:00-10:15 a.m. in CL1 117. You must attend the online portion and the face-to-face portion to successfully complete this course. Our face-to-face meetings will be used for required peer conferencing, discussion, and turning in papers.

Required Texts:

Wardle, Elizabeth and Douglas Downs. Writing about Writing: A College Reader. Boston:Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010.

Course Background:

ENC1101 is subject to the Gordon Rule. Gordon Rule courses at UCF require students to write several major and a number of smaller papers that total at least 6000 words. Students must earn a grade of C- or better to receive course credit.

In this course, you will:

• learn to write well • read, write, do, and perform • assess your individualized, personal writing process and practice it for

success • develop critical reading and thinking skills • analyze rhetorical situations and other necessary components of

writing • improve your writing and write successfully for the university setting • prepare yourself to write in the “real” world

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Reading Responses:

You will write a number of short reflections on and analyses of reading assignments, and you will post these in the Webcourses assignments section. I will teach you how to construct a successful reading response and how to earn good grades from your responses. Class Participation: Active participation is important for everyone. You will not earn an A or B grade if you do not participate regularly and substantively. You must complete the assigned reading by the date on this syllabus and come to class prepared with questions and comments. I may give quizzes on the readings. If you are absent from class, you are responsible for all material covered in class and you must contact another student for missed notes or instructions. I will not provide class notes, overviews, grades, or other information to chronically absent students. Class participation, including reading quizzes, discussions, and daily assignments will be graded, and they are worth 15% of your grade overall.

Writing Assignments: These are your long, major research and analysis papers. You will receive detailed instructions for each writing assignment. These papers make up the largest percentage of your grade. Do them according to the writing prompts and incorporate the techniques, knowledge, skills, and tools we have learned in class. Writing assignments are due in hard copy at the beginning of class on the due date. Late papers will earn half credit, regardless of excuse. Late papers may be turned into my mailbox in the Department of Writing and Rhetoric, Colbourn Hall 300 or during office hours. Plan ahead AND have a back-up plan. “My hard drive crashed” or “My printer is out of ink” are today’s equivalent of “My dog ate my homework.” These do occur, but they are not valid excuses for late work. Get your paper in on time: make three copies of your work and hand it to friends to turn in during class; email the paper to yourself and the instructor just in case trouble befalls you on the way to class; crate your dog at least four hours before every paper is due.

UCF Writing Center:

The UCF Writing Center provides free help with your essays. Use the writing center and take advantage of the help available to you. The phone number is 407-823-2197 and the Web site is http://www.uwc.ucf.edu.

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Grading: I provide a rubric and a point value for all major papers, most smaller papers, and the reading responses. Grading for other assignments will be addressed with each assignment as necessary. Everything is graded on a 100% scale, and each category is weighted as follows.

Criteria: Weight of Grade: Reading Responses 10% Participation (reading quizzes, discussions, daily assignments) 15% Writing Assignment 1: Rhetorical Analysis 25% Writing Assignment 2: Writing Process Analysis 25% Writing Assignment 3: Entering the Academic Conversation 25% TOTAL : 100% Final Grade: Percentage Required: A 95-100% A- 90-94% B+ 87-89% B 84-86% B- 80-83% C+ 77-79% C 74-76% C- 70-73% F Below 70% N/C Awarded in special circumstances if student completes all

coursework and attends all class sessions but still fails to pass.

Expectation of Academic Ethics:

I expect you to behave according to the UCF Creed:

Integrity: I will practice and defend academic and personal honesty. Scholarship: I will cherish and honor learning as a fundamental purpose of my

membership in the UCF community. Community: I will promote and open and supportive campus environment by respecting

the rights and contributions of every individual. Creativity: I will use my talents to enrich the human experience. Excellence: I will strive toward the highest standards of performance in any endeavor I

undertake.

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Plagiarism and cheating are unethical. If you plagiarize or cheat, you will be subject to disciplinary action, including loss of credit for an assignment or for the entire course, probation, suspension, or even dismissal from the university.

Classroom Etiquette:

Attend class. If you do not attend class or do not keep up in class online, you alone are responsible for making up work, reading, and getting yourself up to speed. I will not provide you with notes or private emails about things we have covered in class.

Be on time. If you come to class late, walk in quietly and sit at the back of the room. Do not interrupt the progress of the class in session.

Stay the whole time. Let me know that you will be leaving early. If you must leave early, sit at the back of the room and leave quietly. Do not make this a habit.

Turn off your cell phone. Close your laptop. Do not text.

Web Etiquette:

• Use proper English in email.

• Do not use abbreviations that you might use in personal cell phone texts, such “UR Gr8,” etc.

• Include your name, class, and class time in all e-mail communications with me and your classmates.

• Be clear. Electronic communication lacks the nonverbal cues that fill in much of the meaning in face to face communication.

• Communicate professionally.

• Check spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

• Use paragraphs. Break up large blocks of text and use a space between paragraphs.

Drop Deadline and Withdrawal Deadline: Drop deadline for this semester is Thursday, January 13, 2011. Withdrawal deadline for this semester is Friday, March 4, 2011. Students are responsible for withdrawing from a course. I will not withdraw you. Double-check the withdrawal date on the university academic calendar. It is the ultimate authority for withdrawal deadlines. If you do not withdraw and you do not attend class, I am required to assign you a grade of F.

Campus Emergencies or Severe Weather:

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Call 407-823-2000 or visit www.ucf.edu to verify whether the university of open. If the university is open during our regular class meeting period, we will have class regardless of weather. Disability Accommodation: If you have a documented disability that requires accommodation and are registered with Student Disability Services, please see me the first week of class. Disabilities cannot be accommodated retroactively; we can only plan ahead.

Course Outline

Bring your book to our face to face meetings every week!

COURSE WEEK

FACE TO FACE DATE

UNIT AND TOPIC

READING WHAT’S DUE

ONLINE?

WHAT’S DUE IN F2F?

Jan. 10-14 Jan. 11 Course introduction, Intro. to Unit 1: Writers and Readers in the University

Seven Ways (WAW pp. 871-75), Expectations (EW pp. 12-17). Helping Students (WAW pp. 81-98).

reflection 1: Post by 11:59 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 15.

No hard copies of writing due in F2F on Tues., Jan. 11.

Jan. 17-21 Jan. 18 Unit 1: Writers and Readers in the University: planning for writing assignment 1 You can write well

Kantz, Margaret. “Using Textual Sources Persuasively.” Rhetorical Reading Strategies (WAW pp. 146-65).

reflection 2: Post by 11:59 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 22.


Jan. 24-28 Jan. 25 UNIT 1: Writers and Readers in the University: Reading is important to writing. Good writers are reflective writers.

Haas, Christina and Linda Flower. “Rhetorical Reading Strategies and the Construction of Meaning.” Rhetorical Situations (WaW pp. 123-41).

Reading reflection 3: post by 11:59 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 29


January 31-Feb 4

Feb. 1 UNIT 1: Writers and Readers in the University: the

Grant-Davie, Keith. “Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents.” Rhetoric Review 15.5 (1997): 264-79.

Post your draft of writing assignment 1

Bring draft of writing assignment 1. In-class peer

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art of quoting and analysis of sources that disagree

online BEFORE class on Tues., Feb. 1

review sessions on Tues, Feb. 1

Feb. 7-11 Feb. 8 UNIT 1: Writers and Readers in the University: instructor feedback based on peer review session

No reading this week—keep working hard on that paper!

No online posting due this week. Put some more work in on that paper!

Unit 1 writing assignment due at beginning of class today, Feb. 8.

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Feb. 14-18 Feb. 15 UNIT 2: How

do we become better writers? Authority Assessing our own processes

Berkenkotter, Carol. “Decisions and Revisions: The Planning Strategies of a Publishing Writer.” College Composition and Communication 34 (1983): 156-69.

Reading reflection 4: post by 11:59 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 19

No hard copies of writing due in F2F on Tues., Feb. 15.

Feb. 21-25 Feb. 22 UNIT 2: How do we become better writers? Audience Thinking critically

Murray, Donald. “Response of a Laboratory Rat—or, Being Protocoled.” College Composition and Communication 34.2 (1983): 169-72.

Reading reflection 5: post by 11:59 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 26

No hard copies of writing due in F2F on Tues., Feb. 22.

Feb. 28-March 4

March 1 UNIT 2: How do we become better writers? Planning for writing assignment 2 Conducting research

Lamott, Anne. “Shitty First Drafts.” Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Andover,

1994.

Reading reflection 6: post by 11:59 p.m., Saturday, March 5

No hard copies of writing due in F2F on Tues., March 1.

March 7-11

March 8 SPRING BREAK—ENJOY YOUR BREAK!

March 14-18

March 15 UNIT 2: How do we become better writers? Discourse communities

Swales, John. “The Concept of Discourse Community.” In Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Workplace Settings. Cambridge UP, 1990.

.

Post your draft of writing assignment 2 online BEFORE class on Tues., March 15

Bring draft of writing assignment 2. In-class peer review sessions on Tues, March 15

March 21-25

March 22 UNIT 2: How do we become better writers? Instructor feedback based on peer review session

No reading this week—work hard on that paper!

No posting due this week. Keep working hard on that paper!

Unit 2 writing assignment 2 due at beginning of class today, March 22.

37

March 28-April 1

March 29 UNIT 3: How do writers succeed in academe? Know your rhetorical situation Carry your tools with you

Keller, Josh. “Studies Explore Whether the Internet Makes Students Better Writers.” The Chronicle of Higher Education. June 15, 2009 http://chronicle.com/free/v55/i39/39writing.htm?utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

Reading reflection 7: post by 11:59 p.m., Saturday, April 2

No hard copies of writing due in F2F on Tues., March 29.

April 4-8 April 5 UNIT 3: How do writers succeed in academe? Do the work: research, draft, revise, edit, tweak

Penrose, Ann and Cheryl Geisler. “Reading and Writing Without Authority.” College Composition and Communication 45.4 (1994): 505-20.

Reading reflection 8: post by 11:59 p.m., Saturday, April 9

No hard copies of writing due in F2F on Tues., April 5.

April 11-15 April 12 UNIT 3: How do writers succeed in academe? Collaboration and peer review

McCarthy, Lucille. “A Stranger in Strange Lands: A College Student Writing Across the Curriculum.” Practices in Higher Education. LEA, 2002:35-81.

Post your draft of writing assignment 3 online BEFORE class on Tues., April 12

Bring draft of writing assignment 3. In-class peer review sessions on Tues, April 12

April 18-22 April 19 UNIT 3: How do writers succeed in academe? Instructor feedback on peer review session

No reading this week-keep working on that final paper!

No online postings due this week.

Unit 3 writing assignment 3 due at beginning of class today. April 19.

April 25-29 April 26 EXAM WEEK—SCHEDULE TBA

38

Syllabi 6

Composition I

Fall 2010

Instructor:

Email:

Office Hours:

Office:

Class Times:

Class Location:

39

Texts:

• Writing about Writing. Ed. Elizabeth Wardle and Doug Downs

• The Everyday Writer. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford

Course Description:

This course is designed to engage you, the student, in the deliberate and recursive process that is writing. We will read a variety of materials talking about writing, discuss and analyze them, and relate them back to ourselves as writers. And, of course, we’ll write. A lot.

Course Objectives:

• Develop critical reading and thinking skills

• Demonstrate awareness of writing as a dynamic and intentional process

• Gain confidence and competence as a writer Required Materials:

• Computer/printer/internet access (for at-home research and writing)

• A notebook or two

• Pen or pencil

How to Reach Me

Email is the best way to contact me. Include your full name and ask me whatever you need to, except “What did I miss today?” For that, contact another student. Reading Reflections/Homework:

I will assign 10 Reading Reflections during the semester. All of your responses must be typed. There is no required word count. Your goal is to read the text(s) and answer the questions thoroughly and reflectively. For some readings, you’ll find a 300-400 word response is necessary. Other readings may require less. Late work is not accepted on Reading Reflections and other homework assignments. Emailed assignments are not accepted. Papers/Projects

There are three primary writing projects that are required for course completion. You will be given full descriptions of all assignments—including format guidelines—for all assignments. You will be deducted one full letter grade for each day late. Assignments must be turned in during class or they will be considered late. Papers will not be accepted via email. Play Nice: Classroom Conduct

In this course, we will always respect the writer and his or her courage in presenting work that is personal, risky and thought-provoking. We will critique only the work (not the writer), and contribute to a positive learning experience for all students, regardless of sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, social class, etc.

Attendance/Participation

Absences will negatively impact your grade and those over 6 may result in failure. Participation is also critical to your success in the course. If you talk inappropriately, text, fail to engage in materials, or are unprepared or silent, you will lose participation points. If you do contribute meaningfully, you’ll gain them… and you’ll make the class a lot more interesting.

Cell Phones and the Use of Other Technologies

You MUST turn off your cell phone BEFORE you enter the classroom. Writing is a difficult process that requires concentration and failing to turn off your cell phone is a sign of disrespect to your fellow students and to your instructor. Other signs of disrespect include: text-messaging, wearing headphones, or using any type of electronic devices, including a laptop, during class

40

time. You are encouraged to show your commitment to your personal growth as a writer and student by adhering to these policies and actively participating in class. If you continually text or sleep or talk, etc. you will be counted absent for the day.

Class structure: The First 5 Minutes Research shows that actively engaging in even small amounts of regular creative writing activities improves academic writing (Sampson and Hunt; Ferrara; Skylar, Bryant; Hatem). Other research indicates that music can enhance the critical thinking and/or writing process (Ebisutani; Ransall). In an effort to conduct our own research this semester, we will start each class with a writing prompt on the board and play various genres of music. You are expected to silently write for seven minutes in a journal that will be collected at the end of the semester and counted toward your participation grade. For each entry, include the class date, the prompt that was written on the board, the type of music that was played, and your perception of the music’s impact on your

writing. The quality of your journal writing will not be evaluated, but the quantity will be tallied. Missing entries (or very short entries of one or two sentences) will not be counted.

One-minute papers

At the end of each class, I’ll request you write a “one-minute paper.” This is an anonymous note to me that comments on the class, asks a question, or offers other types of constructive feedback. This type of feedback allows me to re-evaluate lesson plans, send emails, or add additional material if I find many in the class are having the same challenges or questions. Please be honest—and tactful.

Writing Center

University Writing Center

The University Writing Center (UWC) is a free resource for UCF undergraduate and graduate students. The UWC’s most popular service is the individualized writing consultation: a trained writing consultant will spend thirty minutes with you reviewing your work and making recommendations for revision. The consultant will work with you for an hour if your paper is longer than seven pages. You can bring your work to the UWC at any point in the process… even if you have not yet started writing. For more information or to make an appointment, visit the UWC website at http://www.uwc.ucf.edu, stop by MOD 608, or call 407-823-2197. Be sure to bring the written description of the assignment with you.

Plagiarism, Cheating, and Academic Dishonesty

All work you submit for this class must be your own, and it must be written exclusively for this course. Plagiarism and cheating of any kind on an assignment will result at least in an “F” for the assignment and may result in failure of the course. Plagiarism and cheating prompts a student’s referral to the Office of Student Conduct for further action and may result in expulsion. I will assume for this course that you will adhere to the academic creed of this University and will maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. I will also adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity, so please do not expect me to change your grade illegitimately or to bend or break rules for one person that will not apply to everyone. Disability Accommodation

UCF is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. Students with disabilities who need accommodations in this course must contact the professor at the beginning of the semester to discuss needed accommodations. No accommodations will be provided until the student has met with the professor to request accommodations. Students who need accommodations must be registered with Student Disability Services, Student Resource Center Room 132, phone (407) 823-2371, TTY/TDD only phone (407) 823-2116, before requesting accommodations from the professor.

41

Gordon Rule

This course is a Gordon Rule course. It contains 6000 words of evaluated

writing as required by the English Department. Each has the following

characteristics:

1. The writing will have a clearly defined central idea or thesis.

2. It will provide adequate support for that idea.

3. It will be organized clearly and logically.

4. It will show awareness of the conventions of standard written English.

5. It will be formatted or presented in an appropriate way.

Students must earn a grade of “C-” or better in the course to receive course

credit.

42

Evaluation and Grading:

Daily Work, Writing, and Class Engagement

500 Total

Possible

Points

Reading Reflections/Writing (10 @ 10 points each)

Paper #1 (First Submission): Navigating Sources that Disagree

Paper #2 (First Submission): Portrait of a Writer

Paper #3 (First Submission): Discourse Community Ethnography

Journal (all of your entries for the semester and designated class work)

Portfolio (Previous and Final Drafts of Papers 1-3; Class Reflection)

Class Participation (all other assignments, active participation in class (no outside talking or texting), class preparation, peer reviews, quizzes, & attendance)

Note: Absences will severely affect your engagement credit, since you can’t

participate if you’re not here. After 3 absences, your engagement grade lowers to a

C; after 5, a D; and after 6 an F (and may result in failure for entire class).

100 20 20 20 40 250 50

Grading Scale A = 465-500 A-= 450-464 B+ = 435-449 B = 415-434 B-=400-414 C+= 385-399 C=365-384 C-=350-364 NC F = 0-363

Important Dates:

9.6 Labor Day 9.23 Paper 1 Due 10.15 Withdrawal Deadline 10.21 Paper 2 Due 11.11 Veteran’s Day 11.18 Paper 3 Due 11.25 Thanksgiving 12.2 Portfolios Due 12.7-13 Final Exam Period

Portfolios:

Keep everything from this class! Homework, all drafts of

your papers, journals, notes, EVERYTHING!

The first submissions are not worth as much as the final

submissions in the form of your portfolio. This gives you

the chance to receive feedback and revise.

You may bring me other drafts of your paper between

the first and final to receive more feedback and guidance.

With each draft submitted, you must also include a typed

revision memo that explains the changes you’ve made to

the paper, how they’ve improved your paper and any

questions you have for further drafting.

43

Tentative Course Schedule Assignments due next class unless otherwise noted.

Date Topics Covered in Class Homework/Assignment

Tuesday,

8.24

Course Introduction

Course Schedule

Icebreaker

6-Word Description of Writing

Reading Reflection #1:

Read Kleine, “What Is It We Do When We

Write Articles Like This One…”.

Answer the As You Read questions on

page 23 and answer question #1 on page

40. Also, read Diaz, “Seven Ways High

School Prepares You for Failure” (p. 871).

What surprises you about this article?

What do you question? What can you

relate to or object to?

Thursday,

8.26

Kleine ,“What Is It We Do When We

Write Articles Like This One…”.

CARS model

Frame Kantz


Read Kantz, “Using Textual Sources

Persuasively”


page 83.

Tuesday,

8.31

Kantz, “Using Textual Sources

Persuasively”

Look over any previous writing

assignment descriptions you’ve received

in other classes. Read the A&E #1 and

write your mini-review in your journal.

Bring previous writing assignments and

your response to #1 to class.

Thursday,

9.2

Kantz, “Using Textual Sources

Persuasively”


Read Porter, “Intertextuality and the

Discourse Community”.

Before reading, “write a paragraph on

what, in your mind, is the difference

between an author and a writer.” Then,

answer the As You Read questions on

page 105.

Tuesday,

9.7

Porter, “Intertextuality and the Discourse

Community”

Paper 1 Assignment: Navigating Sources

that Disagree

Complete A&E #`1. Bring your

commercial/advertisement and your

intertextual analysis to class.

Thursday,

9.9

Porter, “Intertextuality and the Discourse

Community”


Read Grant-Davie, “Rhetorical Situations

and Their Constituents” and answer the

As You Read questions on page 126.

Tuesday,

9.14

Grant-Davie, “Rhetorical Situations and

Their Constituents”

Write “a brief working definition of

rhetorical situation. Give some examples

to illustrate your definition.”

44

Thursday,

9.16

Grant-Davie, “Rhetorical Situations and

Their Constituents”

Complete draft of Paper #1 and bring to

class.

Tuesday,

9.21

Writing Workshop Reading Reflection #5:

Read Perl, “The Composing Processes of

Unskilled College Writers”and Lamott,

“Shitty First Drafts”

Answer designated questions from page

234 (given in class).

What surprised you about Lamott’s

article?

Thursday,

9.23

Perl, “The Composing Processes of

Unskilled College Writers”

Lamott, “Shitty First Drafts”

Paper 1 Due: Navigating Sources that

Disagree

Paper #2 Assignment: Portrait of a Writer

Write a ‘shitty first draft’ of …

Take note of your writing process.

Tuesday,

9.28

Perl, “The Composing Processes of

Unskilled College Writers”

Lamott, “Shitty First Drafts”

Bring draft of Paper #2 to class.

Read:

Thursday,

9.30

Writing Workshop


Read Berkenkotter & Murray, “Decisions

and Revisions” and Haruf, “To See

Clearly, Start by Pulling the Wool…”


page 259 as well as D&J #1 and 2 on page

277.

Tuesday,

10.5

Berkenkotter & Murray, “Decisions and

Revisions”

Haruf, “To See Clearly, Start by Pulling

the Wool…”

Make a list of all the writing situations

you find yourself in on a day-to-day basis.

What are you writing? Who is the

audience? What technologies and skills

do you use? What genre of writing is it?

(chart to fill in)

Thursday,

10.7

Berkenkotter & Murray, “Decisions and

Revisions”

Haruf, “To See Clearly, Start by Pulling

the Wool…”


Read Rose, “Rigid Rules, Inflexible Plans,

and the Stifling of Language”

King, “On Writing”

Answer D&J #1 and 3. Also, what kinds

of rules seem to keep people from

writing, and what kinds of rules seem to

enable people to write?

Tuesday,

10.12

Rose, “Rigid Rules, Inflexible Plans, and

the Stifling of Language”


Write a paragraph about a person or

event that negatively impacted your

ability to write.

45

Thursday,

10.14

Rose, “Rigid Rules, Inflexible Plans, and

the Stifling of Language”


Work on Paper #2 and bring draft to

class.

Tuesday,

10.19

Writing Workshop Reading Reflection #8:

Read Swales, “The Concept of Discourse

Community”


page 572.

Thursday,

10.21

Swales, “The Concept of Discourse

Community”

Paper #2 Due: Portrait of a Writer

Tuesday,

10.26


Community”

Complete A&E #3 on page 586.

Thursday,

10.28


Community”


Read Gee, “Literacy, Discourse, and

Linguistics: Introduction” Answer the

Before You Read and As You Read

questions on page 588-589.

Tuesday,

11.2

James Paul Gee, “Literacy, Discourse, and

Linguistics: Introduction”

Paper #3 Assignment: Discourse

Community Ethnography

Complete D&J # 12 in your journal.

Thursday,

11.4

James Paul Gee, “Literacy, Discourse, and

Linguistics: Introduction”

Work on Paper #3 and bring

draft/materials to class. Write 2

difficulties that you’ve had so far

composing this paper.

Tuesday,

11.9

Writing Workshop Work on drafts and bring a completed

draft to your conference time.

Thursday,

11.11

Veteran’s Day

No Class

Tuesday,

11.16

Conferences

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Thursday,

11.18

Conferences


Read Wardle, “Identity, Authority, and

Learning to Write in New Workplaces.”

Answer Before You Read #2 on page 632

and As You Read #1-3 on pages 632-633.

Tuesday,

11.23

Wardle

Final Workshop for Paper #3

Portfolio Assignment

Class Reflection Assignment

1. Class Reflection Assignment: (Typed;

it will be included in your portfolio) Write

a page about what you’ve learned in this

course so far, how it has affected your

writing and what you will take with you

through the rest of your

college/professional career. Reflect on

your writing process as well: Has it

changed? Improved? How were your

experiences with writing papers in this

course?

2.Continue working on papers 1-3 for

final submission.

Thursday,

11.25

Thanksgiving

No Class

Tuesday,

11.30

Wardle

Portfolio Review

Journals Due

Thurs, 12.2

Portfolios Due

Tuesday, 12.7 Final Schedule:

Have a Merry Christmas!

47

Syllabi 7

University of Central Florida Fall MWF Office: CL1 Office Hrs:.

Course Objectives: • To develop critical reading and thinking skills • To engage in writing as a deliberate, recursive process • To understand the connection between rhetorical choices and audience • To gain confidence, competence, and control as a writer

Texts: • Writing About Writing: A College Reader. Ed. Elizabeth Wardle and Doug Downs. • The Everyday Writer. 4th edition. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford.

Materials: • Loose leaf notebook or legal-pad paper. • Two double-pocket folders. • Computer/printer/internet access. • Blue/black ink pen.

Policies and Protocols

Attendance: All absences are unexcused. An absence is an absence; even if you have a good reason, not being in class is not being in class. Every absence after three may negatively affect your final grade. Five absences or more result in automatic failure of the course. Classroom Conduct: Respect your classmates by being on time and prepared. Repeated tardiness may negatively affect your final grade. Cell phones, laptops, and other electronic devices should be turned off and stowed. No texting. Repeated violations may negatively affect your final grade. No eating in class either. E-mail Etiquette: Do type your course name, and a brief description in the subject line. Do sign your first and last name. Don’t email assignments. Don’t email excuses or ask for assignments after missing class. Do not ask me, “Did you get my email?” as if I will easily remember the content of your email. Remember that there is a difference between an email you send me and a text to a friend. Act courteously, and I’ll do the same. Missed Assignments: It is your responsibility to obtain daily assignments, class notes, and handouts after an absence. Get assignments and notes from other students in the class. Missed quizzes may not be made up. Late Assignments: Assignments are due at the beginning of the assigned class period. Homework, classwork, and quizzes will not be accepted late, no matter

48

the reason. Major papers turned in a class period late will be penalized one letter grade. Any essay more than a class period late will receive an F. All essays must be submitted to earn a grade of “C” or better in this course. If you know you’re going to miss class, it’s your responsibility to get your work to a classmate to submit it for you on time. Pick someone you trust. Assignment Format: Unless otherwise specified, ALL homework must be typed, double-spaced, and in correct MLA format to receive credit. See Everyday Writer p. 410 for the format, including what information needs to be by your name, what the header looks like, how the spacing is handled, what the proper margins and font are, etc. It’s your responsibility to get this right. If you can’t figure the format out, consider this an opportunity to get better acquainted with your word processor. Any assignment that runs more than a page must be stapled in the top left corner. Academic Honesty: All work must be original by the student. Undocumented use of another’s words or ideas is plagiarism, whether it’s intentional or not. Plagiarism is grounds for failure in this course and further academic action. Disability Accommodation: Students who need accommodations must be registered with Student Disabilty Services (Student Resource Center, Rm. 132, ph. 407-823-2371) before requesting accommodations from the instructor. University Writing Center: The University Writing Center (UWC) is a free resource for UCF undergraduates and graduates. At the UWC, a trained writing consultant will work individually with you on anything you're writing (in or out of class), at any point in the writing process from brainstorming to editing. Appointments are recommended, but not required. For more information or to make an appointment, visit the UWC website at http://www.uwc.ucf.edu, stop by MOD 608, or call 407-823-2197.

Grading and Assignments

How You’re Graded: Writing is a recursive process built around revision; few writers ever produce their best work in an first draft. Therefore, this course uses a portfolio grading system. While you’ll be submitting papers throughout the course, the majority of your grade will come from your end-of-the-semester portfolio. This portfolio will be the accumulation of all your work throughout our semester, so keep everything, including returned homework, reading journals, graded drafts, and peer-reviewed copies of papers so you can turn it all in during the final exam period. You’ll write three major essays at the end of each unit. These initial submissions will be due on a set date just to ensure you stay on track with your writing through the semester. You’ll receive a small grade for each of these initial submissions, but after that, you may revise and re-submit an assignment for feedback (but not extra points) as often as you like. All earlier drafts and a revision memo must accompany each revised submission. The revision memo is a typed explanation of the specific changes you’ve made during revision, how you think they’ve improved your paper, and what further

49

questions and concerns you have for continued drafting. My feedback and your focus early on in the writing process should be on global issues (content and structure). Local issues (grammar and mechanics, syntax, style) should be dealt with in later revisions. To be successful in this course, plan to write and submit drafts of your work early and often and to submit your best, most polished and revised work in the final portfolio.

Grade Distribution

Essay 1 5% Portfolio 60%

Essay 2 5% Participation 15%

Essay 3 5% Reading Responses

10% (10 at 1%)

Grade Scale

A 93-100

B 83-86 C- 70-72

A- 90-92

B- 80-82 NC ------

B+ 87-89

C 73-76 F 0-69

* Students must earn a final course grade of C- or better to receive course credit for ENC1101 and 1102.

Gordon Rule: This course is a Gordon Rule course. It contains 6,000 words of evaluated writing as required by the English Department. Assignments that fulfill the Gordon Rule are indicated with an asterisk. Each has the following characteristics:

1. The writing will have a clearly defined central idea of thesis. 2. It will provide adequate support for that idea. 3. It will be organized clearly and logically. 4. It will show awareness of the conventions of standard written English. 5. It will be formatted or presented in an appropriate way.

How to format papers: All work should be double-spaced, in size 12, Times New Roman font. Do not have extra line spaces between paragraphs. Indicate a new paragraph by indenting one inch (one tab stop). Paragraphs should generally not be longer than half a page. Do not have a cover page. Here is a template for what the top of the first page should look like:

[Student name] ENC 1101-5L [Date]

Relevant, Descriptive Title

50

Participation: Your participation grade is comprised of a combination of readings journals, quizzes, in-class writings and assignments, homework, and your general level of engagement. Simply showing up every day and turning in your essays is not enough to earn an A in this course. Come to class having read and seriously considered any assigned reading, completed all homework, and prepared to take an active role in a community of fellow writers. Expect to be called on. I like to hear everybody. Active participation and communication will be important in your upper level classes, the pursuit of any advanced degrees, and your career. That idea of community is key in ENC1101. Much of our class will be discussion based. As such, please keep an open mind and be respectful of your peers’ work and opinions. Repeated tardiness, class disruptions, and lack of engagement will negatively impact your participation grade. Reading Responses: We’ll be practicing writing quite a bit throughout the semester, but we’ll also be studying what researchers and writing teachers have discovered about writing and writers as well. Understanding the content in Writing About Writing will be key to your success in this course. To maximize your understanding of these articles, you’ll be asked to write a typed reading journal entry (each worth 5 pts.) in response to each reading from the text book that you’ll submit the day we discuss the assigned reading. Use this guide to help construct your reading journal entries:

1.) Always read the “Framing the Reading” section in front of each article in addition to the journal prompt you’ve been assigned. Even though you’ll need to absorb the article as a whole, this will help focus the material. 2.) Annotate the article as you read. Use a pencil, pen, highlighter, or whatever you find helpful to mark up your text. Write summaries in the margins, underline passages or phrases that stand out, and ask questions in the margins. If it made you stop and think or gave you an “Aha!” moment, mark it. Look for provocative details. This will help you in writing your journal, as well give you a better understanding of the text for your papers and class discussions. 3.) Spend some time thinking about your response (this might mean reading the article early to allow for this). It is painfully obvious when students read something at the last minute and jot down whatever is in their head. Don’t do it. 4.) Type your response as if it were an essay. Plan on writing anywhere between 250 and 500 words to fully respond to each prompt. Writing less shows you haven’t really engaged with the material. Staple multiple pages.

51

Date Class Calendar Work Due

Mon, 8/23 Course Introduction.

Wed, 8/25 Seven Ways (WAW pp. 871-75), Expectations (EW pp. 12-17).

Fri, 8/27 Writing Situations (EW pp. 43-63).

Mon, 8/30 Helping Students (WAW pp. 81-98). RR#1

Wed, 9/1 Class discussion: Helping Students continued.

Friday, 93 Rhetorical Reading Strategies (WAW pp. 146-65).

RR#2

Mon, 9/6 Labor Day—no class meeting.

Wed, 9/8 Class discussion: Rhetorical Reading Strategies continued.

Fri, 9/10 Rhetorical Situations (WaW pp. 123-41). RR#3

Mon, 9/13 Class discussion: Rhetorical Situations continued.

Wed, 9/15 Class discussion: paper topics.

Fri, 9/17 Class discussion: analysis of sources that disagree. E#1 topic

Mon, 9/20 Class discussion: the art of quoting. E#1 sources (3)

Wed, 9/22 Class discussion: introductions and conclusions.

Fri, 9/24 Peer review: introductions. E#1 introduction

Mon, 9/27 Peer review of Essay #1. E#1 typed draft

Wed, 9/29 Class discussion: rhetoric exercises. E#1

Fri, 10/1 The Composing Processes (WaW pp. 232-56) RR#4

Mon, 10/4 Class discussion: The Composing Processes continued.

Wed, 10/6 Decisions and Revisions/Response of a Lab Rat

(WaW pp. 257-81) RR#5

Fri, 10/8 Class discussion: Decisions/Response of a Laboratory Rat continued.

Mon, 10/11 Shitty First Drafts (WaW 357-61). RR#6

Wed, 10/13 Class discussion: Shitty First Drafts continued, plus show & tell.

Fri, 10/15 What Writing Is (WaW 362-66).

Mon, 10/18 Class discussion: making observations.

Wed, 10/20 No class meeting: individual conferences in instructor’s office.

Fri, 10/22 No class meeting: individual conferences in instructor’s office.

Mon, 10/25 No class meeting: individual conferences in instructor’s office.

Wed, 10/27 Peer review of Essay #2. E#2 typed draft

Fri, 10/29 Class discussion: rhetoric exercises. E#2

Mon, 11/1 The Concept of Discourse Community (WaW 569-84).

RR#7

Wed, 11/3 Class discussion: The Concept of Discourse

52

Community continued.

Fri, 11/5 Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics (WaW 587-605).

RR#8

Mon, 11/8 Class discussion: Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics continued.

Wed, 11/10 Discourse Communities (WaW 606-30). RR#9

Fri, 11/12 Class discussion: Discourse Communities continued.

E#3 thesis

Mon, 11/15 Becoming a Writer (WaW 384-87), The Joy (WaW 443-50)

RR#10

Wed, 11/17 Class discussion: examples. E#3 examples (3)

Fri, 11/19 Peer review of Essay #3. E#3 typed draft

Mon, 11/22 Class discussion: rhetoric exercises. E#3

Wed, 11/24 Class discussion: rhetoric exercises.

Fri, 11/26 Thanksgiving break—university closed.

Mon, 11/29 Class workshop: portfolios.

Wed, 12/1 Class workshop: portfolios.

Fri, 12/3 Class workshop: portfolios.

Mon, 12/6 Class discussion: rhetoric exercises. Portfolio

Wed, 12/8 Final Exam is at 7 A.M.

Calendar is subject to change.

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Paper 1: Analyzing the Rhetorical Situation of News Sources

Choose a current issue and find three sources on that issue from newspapers or magazines that have different audiences. All of your sources must be no older than two months old. Demonstrate your understanding of rhetorical situations and their constituents, rhetorical reading strategies, and rhetorical writing strategies by writing a three-to-four page analysis that does not simply summarize the sources. Instead, your rhetorical analysis will explains and argue why and how the construction of the issue is different for each source. Remember that analyzing the sources and writing the paper are two different acts. You’ll need to actively read and analyze the sources to understand each individual rhetorical situation. Then, when you write the essay, you’ll be pulling pertinent info from your analyses to support your argument as to why the issues are constructed differently.

Things to do: 1. Select a nationally important topic you are interested in, or are curious about.

2. Find sources dating back no longer than two months ago on that subject, from one of each of the following three columns:

Elite Journalism Organs Respectable Journalism Organs Lifestyle Magazines

The New York Times

The Wall Street Journal

The Orlando Sentinel

Slate.com Newsweek

National Review

Rolling Stone

GQ

Elle

Vogue

3. Apply (thoroughly) the Grant-Davie handout to each article—single-sentence responses will do violence to your paper grade. Turn in this preparation work with your essay. 4. Pick the most relevant (or two) reasons why the constructions are different (this becomes your thesis). 5. Write your first draft. Remember that less is more: the best papers have fewer points that are thoroughly explained.

Things not to do: ■ Do not argue your own opinion on the issue. Regardless of how you feel about the issue, your bias should never be directly stated. Instead, persuasively answer a question about how people communicate on the issue. ■ Do not choose your topic based on how much information you can find. ■ Do not simply summarize the texts.

Points to consider: ■ Even “facts” are rhetorically constituted and often open to interpretation. ■ Pay careful attention to the genre of each article. Is the article presented as straightforward reportage, an opinionated column, or a blog? The labeling and presentation of genres affects the rhetorical situation.

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■ Use the analytical terms from class and the readings. The articles we’ve read should guide your analysis. ■ Only quote what you need to from your sources to make a particular point. Most of the writing in this essay should be your own.


Date: Student Name:

Total points available

Total points earned

Content Author answers the research question: how are these sources constructed differently? 10

Concrete examples (direct quotes from sources) are sufficiently and appropriately (but not too much) provided to support author's position AND they’re explained. 10

Author demonstrates a clear understanding of the requirements and purpose of the paper (does not summarize or inject opinion; does make a claim). 10

Key terms from Unit 1 are clearly understood and incorporated correctly and smoothly into the essay (ex: constraints, exigence, rhetor, audience, etc). 10

Author makes a connection with the audience and motivates a sense of interest in the topic; successfully persuades reader to see things his/her way. 10

Clear thesis - author's position in response to the prompts is easily identified. 5

Overall Writing

Consistent focus and organization is apparent and maintained throughout the paper - supporting arguments and evidence relate directly back to thesis points. 10

Employs smooth and graceful transitions - more than "the next point is" or "another point is." 5

Introduction supplies background information and establishes direction. 5

Conclusion clearly distinguishable and appropriate. 5

Sentence length variety employed to add interest and provide emphasis. 5

Tone is appropriate for audience and purpose. 4

Compelling word choice; demonstrates insightful use of figurative language; word choice is efficient, non-repetitive. 5

Demonstrates mastery of grammar with few to no errors (i.e. sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, tense/verb agreement, pronoun reference, misused words ). 4

Proper MLA Format and 12-point TNR font is evident. 2


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Letter grade earned

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Paper 2: Auto-Ethnography of Your Academic Writing Processes

For this assignment, create a 4 to 5 page essay that is a descriptive study of your own writing process, otherwise known as an auto-ethnography. To do so, record (preferably with a webcam) your total writing process when you respond to Reading Response #7. Use the “speak aloud” method while writing. Afterwards, you must transcribe the recording and code the transcript with a shortened version of Sondra Perl’s coding system. Please take notes on your environments and surroundings as well. You will not be turning in your webcam footage. Based on this data, use the codes from class to analyze and describe your process. Answer the questions, “What are my writing processes for college-level academic writing tasks? What are the strengths and weaknesses, in light of the readings for this unit? What needs to be done differently? What is working well?” The Analysis: Once you have finished Reading Response #7, take the recording and other data and analyze them. Take notes on the steps of your writing process, and how much time you spent on each step. Notice if you took breaks, and if so, how often you did so. Was your writing time interrupted with editing tasks (making your writing correct)? Was your writing time interrupted with revision tasks (making your writing clearer, or more audience appropriate)? If so, how often did you interrupt the writing of the first draft for such tasks? Note how much time, if any, you spent on editing and revision after the first draft. Use terms and ideas from the class readings to help you analyze. For example,

• Are you as recursive a writer as Tony?

• Do you use any of Donald Murray’s strategies? For example, is there evidence of incubation in your process?

• What are your primary concerns when you are writing and revising—words, audience, organization, etc?

• Do the auto-ethnography process altered your writing pattern? If so, to what degree? Then jot down a description of how you went about completing the writing task. The Paper: Once you have collected and analyzed data, decide how you would like to convey that data to your audience (the instructor and your classmates). Describe your writing processes, using terms from and making references to the readings is helpful. If you do cite the readings, you should be sure to include a works cited page at the end (use The Everyday Writer to help you). In this paper you should answer all the questions: What are my writing processes for

college-level academic writing tasks? What are the strengths and weaknesses, in light of the

readings for this Unit? What needs to be done differently? What is working well? Use the IMRD outline provided to set up your paper. I recommend making each item a heading for the sections in your paper (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion).

Make certain you:

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• Cites sources used, and have a works cited entries list at the end of your paper.

• Provide your codes and transcription—see Berkenkotter’s page 266 for how to incorporate the transcription with your writing task.

• Submit your essay in this fashion: essay draft 2, peer review draft, coded transcription.

Due dates:

• Peer review draft is due Wednesday, October 27.

• Final due date is Friday, October 29, 2010.

IMRD

Many research papers we’ve read for this Unit follow the traditional IMRD format: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, so your research paper on your own writing process will too. Note that slots (i.e., necessary contents) do not always have to be separate sections; slots just need to be filled somehow, in a way that makes sense in your paper. Here’s how the “slots” look for this assignment: INTRODUCTION Short general introduction (overview of the entire paper; what’s the territory you’ll be covering? CARS Model) (1-2 paragraphs) Remember to set up CARS like this: (What do we know about this topic—what did others discover; what don’t we know or what is it we need more of, and what is your paper about?) METHODS Methods (Overview of how you did your study)

• Your research questions [or could be at the end of introduction]

• Methods you used to answer those research questions (think aloud, etc.) o What data you collected and how you collected it (Data Collection) o Who and where you collected the data from (Research Participants and

location—this is YOU) o How you analyzed the data (Data Analysis; step by step on your analysis—your

readers should be able to take your instructions and the data and do the same thing, so be clear)

• Any necessary claims about your methods (weaknesses, strengths, caveats, why this method was better than some other method, etc) (better for you to point out problems with your methodology before someone else does!)

RESULTS

• What are the direct results of the data you collected? (On a basic level, what did you find out in answer to each of your research questions? This is your cold, hard data—facts and figures)

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DISCUSSION

• What do these findings mean? What’s the significance of the results you found? This is where you analyze the results. Additionally, the prompts in the assignment are answered here: What are my writing processes for college-level academic writing tasks? What are the strengths and weaknesses, in light of the readings for this Unit? What needs to be done differently? What is working well? Ideally, all this should be woven together nicely so your reader can sit back and say, “yeah, all those prompts were answered!” If in doubt, use subheadings for each prompt.

[Results and discussion could be one section or two separate sections] Short conclusion This could be part of Discussion or may be separate section; just make sure it’s very evident where the conclusion is]

• What do you think the overall “take home” point of your findings is?

• Why should anyone else care about what your writing process is?

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Unit 3 Paper: Analysis of Gee’s Claims For this assignment, create a short (900- to 1,200-word) essay applying Gee’s claims to your own life. In Unit 2, you analyzed your own writing processes; now you get the chance to analyze how your processes were shaped and to speculate on what this means for your future. In Gee’s article on Discourses, he makes the distinction between dominant and non-dominant Discourses. Mastering dominant Discourses, he claims, can bring money, prestige, and status. Gee also claims that once you have “fossilized” into a Discourse without becoming fully fluent in it, you “can’t be let into the game” (595). He claims that “true acquisition is probably not possible” (598) and people who are not a part of the dominant Discourse can only “mushfake” it (598). Gee appears to be claiming that people who don’t become fluent in the dominant Discourse early are never able to become part of that Discourse. His claims seem to be contradicting what is commonly seen as the “American Dream”—the idea that in the United States anyone who works hard can become whatever they want.

What to do: First, brainstorm some thoughts about how your own writing processes have been shaped over the years. Think also about what Gee means by “dominant Discourse.” Is he referring to the language and writing of the language used by people of a particular class or race? For the essay, create a working definition of “dominant Discourse” that builds on Gee’s claims, but doesn’t contradict it. You will also have to supply what the American Dream means to you in the introduction. Weave this stuff together nicely. Using examples from your own life, challenge or support Gee’s claims. Be sure to use key terms from the text (discourse, Discourse, dominant and non-dominant Discourses, Primary and secondary Discourses, apprenticeship, literacy, mushfake, etc.). Conclude your essay by speculating about what Gee’s claims and your support or challenge of them means for your future. Is your ability to achieve the American Dream in jeopardy? Remember, good essay titles specify what your subject is and suggest what your attitude towards your subject is. Titles of Academic essays are allowed to be long.

Format and other info • 900 to 1,200 words, Times New Roman (double spaced, 1-inch margins, typed,

etc.)


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• Submit stapled essay in the following order: new draft, peer review draft, HW1, HW2.

• HW 1 is due Friday, November 12.

• HW 2 is due Wednesday, November 17.

• Peer review draft is due Friday, November 19.

• Final due date is Monday, November 22, 2010.

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Unit 3 Homework Assignments

4. Primary Discourse Homework For this HW assignment, write a brief description of the “saying (writing)-doing-being-valuing-believing” of your own primary Discourse (the very one you were encultured into at birth). Be sure to note things like grammatical usage, common phrases, tone of voice, formality of speech, and values related to Discourse. Once you have done this, write a description of the “saying (writing)-doing-being-valuing-believing” of academic Discourse as you have encountered it so far. Your third step is to discuss sources of overlap (or transfer) and sources of conflict between these two Discourses. Please number each of the three requirements to ensure you sufficiently answer them all. Your submission will likely look something like:

4. Primary Discourse Saying (writing): Doing: Valuing: Being: Believing:

5. Academic Discourse: Saying (writing) Etc.

6. Overlap and Conflict Be concise. This can be done in two pages, but you may bleed onto a third page should you feel the need. Resist answering prompts with one word or one sentence responses. This WILL have a negative influence on your grade. Instead, put some thought into this task. For your Academic Discourse, note that it includes more than this class; it is your total experience here at UCF. This may be single-spaced.

DUE: Friday, November 12.

5. Secondary Discourse HW

To successfully write the Unit 3 essay, you must have a solid grasp on what Gee means by dominant and non-dominant Discourse. In your own words 1.) provide definitions for both and 2.) list examples (of both) that you have either seen or experienced in your life. After you have your lists, 3.) what are the biggest differences between the two regarding “potential?” Please number each section of your responses. This may be single-spaced. DUE:

Wednesday, November 17

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Syllabi 8 ENC1101 Writing About Writing

Tentative Schedule of Units/Assignments

Text: Writing about Writing: A College Reader

Unit 1: Understanding Writing Processes (Weeks 1-4)

Essential Question: How does identity shape the writing process?

Objectives and Outcomes: Students will:

• understand how writers construct texts persuasively

• understand writing and research as processes requiring planning, incubation,

revision, and collaboration.

• have acquired a vocabulary for talking about writing processes and themselves as

writers.

• have acquired strategies for reading complex, college-level texts.

• have acquired tools for successfully responding to varied discourse conventions

and genres in different situations (including different classes).

• be able to actively reflect on their own writing processes and practices and adjust

them as appropriate to rhetorical situations.

Week 1

Chapter 2 introduction & Perl, “The Composing Processes of Unskilled College Writers” paired with Lamott, “Shitty First Drafts”

• Homework: A&E 1; D&J 7

• In class activities: D&J 3, 4; Groupwork: How might Tony have benefited from Lamott’s advice?

• In class writing: Write your own “Shitty First Draft.” Week 2

Berkenkotter & Murray, “Decisions and Revisions” paired with Haruf, “To See Clearly, Start by Pulling the Wool Over Your Own Eyes” (1 week)


• In class activities: D&J 4, 6.

• In class writing: What do Haruf and Murray have in common, and how does that compare to students’ own practices?

Week 3

Rose, “Rigid Rules, Inflexible Plans, and the Stifling of Language” paired with King’s excerpt from On Writing (1 week)


• In class writing: Freewrite on A&E 1, discuss A&E 3

Week 4

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Prepping for the Core.

**Core 1: Autoethnography. Write an account of your writing process and how you

anticipate it may change given what you’ve learned in this unit. Detailed Core

information sheet/parameters to follow.

Unit 2: Texts and Constructs (Weeks 5-9)

Essential Question: How do readers read and writers write?


• understand how writers construct texts persuasively (or not).

• understand how readers construct meaning(s) from texts.

• understand the concept of the rhetorical situation and be able to apply it to

writing and reading situations.

• understand how language practices mediate group activities.

• understand how and why discourse conventions differ across groups (including

groups within the university).

• have acquired strategies for reading complex, college-level texts.

• have acquired tools for successfully responding to varied discourse conventions

and genres in different situations (and different classes).

Week 5

Kantz, “Using Textual Sources Persuasively”


• In-class activities: Analyze a sample research paper and discuss the extent to which the paper exemplifies Kantz’s claim.

• In-class writing: Explore two opposing arguments, position them as a conversation between each other, then posit your own claim to fit the conversation.

Week 6

Porter, “Intertextuality and the Discourse Community”

• Homework: D & J 1, 2, 3

• In class activities: A & E 1, 2 Week 7

Grant-Davie, “Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents”


• In class activities: D& J 2, 3; A&E 1, 4

Week 8

Barthes, “Death of the Author” (1 week)

• Homework: What does Barthes say about the role of the author and the role of the reader?

• In class activities: Apply Barthes’ theory to a short story.

• In class writing: What would Barthes say about intertextuality?

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Week 9

Prepping for the Core

• In class activities: View a documentary in class and write an outline of a Core 2 paper if you were to write on this particular documentary.

**Core 2: Rhetorical Analysis of Documentary: Apply one or more of the readings to a

documentary from an approved list. Detailed Core information sheet/parameters to

follow.

Unit 3: Discourses

Essential Question: How can a writer recognize the language, practices, and genres of a discourse community, and how can I apply these concepts to my other classes/my major?


• understand how writers construct texts persuasively (or not).

• understand how readers construct meaning(s) from texts.

• understand the concept of the rhetorical situation and be able to apply it to

writing and reading situations.

• understand how language practices mediate group activities.

• understand how and why discourse conventions differ across groups (including

groups within the university).

• have acquired tools for successfully responding to varied discourses and genres of

various communities (including within the university).

Week 10

Swales, “The Concept of Discourse Community” (1 week)


• In class activities: D&J 3, 4, 5, 6

Week 11

Gee, “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction”

• Homework: D&J 3, 4, 9, 10, 11

• In class activities: D&J 1, 6, 7, 8, 12 Week 12

Johns, “Discourse Communities and Communities of Practice: Membership, Conflict, and Diversity”


• In class activities: D&J 5, 6; A&E 2 Week 13

Wardle, “Identity, Authority, and Learning to Write in New Workplaces.”


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• In class activities: A&E 2 Week 14

Prepping for the Core

**Core 3: Ethnography of a Discourse Community. Choose a specific discourse

community of which you are a member or one that interests you. Use Swales’ six

characteristics and the other readings in this unit to analyze the goals and

characteristics of the discourse community. Detailed Core information

sheet/parameters to follow.

Week 15

Buffer Week/Prep for Final This week will be a week for overflow, in case we fall behind in a unit.

Final Exam

Reflection: What from ENC1101 have you learned that is transferrable to other classes/your major/life?

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NGLC / Assignment Descriptions Assignment 1A

Major Paper One: Portrait of a Writer

What is your writing process? Use what you’ve learned to tell the story about yourself as a writer. Who are you? How do you

see yourself? Is that self-perception helping you be the best writer you can be? What do you do

when you write… and how can you change? (Or should you?)

First, begin by considering your personal engagement with reading and/or writing. Look at your

reading reflections and consider the literacy events of your life. How did those events shape

your perception of what writing is? How can you frame those events into a “story” that

demonstrates your perception? Then, think about what you’ve learned about writing

throughout this unit, especially considering what other writers have explored or explained about

the writing process. What resonated with you? What did you do? What will you do? How has

your perception changed of “good” writing—and good writers?

After you determined where you are and where you might be headed, tell the story of who you

as a writer. How you communicate this portrait is up to you. Here are some suggestions:

Write a screenplay. Create characters out of some of the writers who have inspired you in this

unit. What would they say to you, based on your writing level and skills? How would you

respond? What happens if you follow the advice (and how do that advice contradict itself)?

Create a how-to instructional guide for high school English teachers (or draft an individual

letter). Tell them where you are as a writer, what helped you get there, what could have helped.

Use concrete examples and memories. Predict the future of writing for students, if your

suggestions are implemented.

Write a short story where you’re the main character. In it, you are exploring your writing path.

Where do you start? Where do you end up? What evil lurks in the bushes? Where do you find

safety? Which of the writers we’ve studied this semester will act as guides?

Write an autobiography/memoir of your experiences as a writer and a reader. Make sure that

you not only tell a story about how you have been shaped as a communicator, but one that

demonstrates your accumulated knowledge regarding the writing process.

Be as creative—or straightforward—as you like, but your paper MUST include the following:

At least one scholarly research strategy read for the class (Berkenkotter/Murray, Murray) with

strategy cited.

At least one scholary research strategy you read independently from Chapter 2 in the WAW

book (Tierney/Pearson, Perl, Rose, OR Tomlinson) with strategy cited.

At least two professional writers (Didion, King, Lamott) or others you find independently (Google

NY Times Writers on Writing) or look in WAW Interlude: What Writers Say (pg. 367-384).

An active, detailed, reflective look at your writing process… what you did, what you do, AND

what you think you could try to improve that process.

Due Date for Portrait of a Writer: Sept. 21 Total worth: 25 points (essential ingredient in

portfolio)

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Assignment 2 A Unit One Assignment: “Good Writing”

and Constructs Due: February 11 (draft),

February 14 (final)

Objectives:

• To understand how readers and writers construct texts

• To recognize and understand common misconceptions about writing

• To analyze misconceptions about writing through what we learn in this unit’s readings

regarding rhetorical situation and constructs

• To practice gathering and evaluating scholarly sources, and using them to construct an

argument

• To synthesize your ideas into a nuanced, audience--‐aware analysis

In the introduction to Unit One, Wardle and Downs discuss the idea of constructs (remember

The Matrix and the red pill? Or Inception and the spinning top?). They explain that “constructs

are mental frameworks that people build in order to make sense of the world around them. One

of the key

features of an effective construct is that it quickly begins to seem ‘natural’ or inevitable, rather than

made--‐up” (43).

In this unit, we are reading articles that use research on writing to contradict how people

think about writing with how writing actually works—examining, for instance, how ideas such

as “error” and “plagiarism” are the sort of mental framework that Downs and Wardle define as

a construct. Are there similar constructs about what counts as good writing?

Questions to Consider

Use your own experiences to think about how you have constructed an idea of “good

writing.” Where do your preconceptions about good writing come from? Can you think

of a time when your idea of “good writing” suddenly seemed unnatural, or didn’t fit a

certain context for writing? Why might a rigid understanding of “good writing” be

frustrating for students? How might an inflexible view of “good writing” ignore rhetorical

situation, as Grant--‐Davie describes the term?

Assignment

What kind of preconceptions or misconceptions do students have about “good writing”?

How can studying writing help to correct some of these misconceptions? You’ve been

posting your ideas about this on the Facebook page; now it’s time to deconstruct these

ideas, and look for patterns or conflicting ideas. You will choose one idea about what “good

writing” is, and first show student’s preconceptions about that idea (i.e., error, plagiarism,

objectivity, creativity, etc.) . Then you will use the readings from this unit and at least two

other scholarly sources to prove that writing is more complicated than we like to think.

You may use popular sources as well, but you do need to have at least two scholarly ones.

Organize the Facebook responses and write an analysis. First describe and summarize some

common ideas, then use your rhetorical analysis skills to explain why students might think

what they do, and then explain to your audience what you have learned about what “good

writing” is and isn’t.

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Strategies

Here are some steps to get you started:

• Keep an eye on the Facebook responses. Choose one aspect of “good writing” to focus on.

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• Try to determine where the ideas on the Facebook page came from. Parents? Teachers?

Books? Where do you think they developed their idea of “good writing” from? Who defines

“good writing”? Are there any areas of disagreement? Are any ideas too simple?

• Ask yourself: are these universal truths about writing, or are there exceptions to these

rules? Start to look for exceptions in the readings from this unit, or think about different

contexts for writing in which these “rules” would not make sense.

• Use the Facebook posts as your “data”—incorporate quotes, create charts and tables, anything

to help prove that these conceptions about good writing exist. Keep your audience in mind

when deciding how to incorporate your data.

• Use examples from Grant--‐Davie, Williams, Kantz, and others to show how these ideas about

good writing might not be true in all circumstances.

• Support your argument with your scholarly (and, if you want, popular) sources. Search

databases like CompPile.org, JSTOR, ERIC, and MLA International Bibliography to

find relevant research.

• If we understand “good writing” as a construct, how does this transform the way we

approach writing? How might this change the writing that you do in this class, or in other

classes? What should we be teaching students about writing? Write an analysis of your

findings, addressing at least ten of your Facebook friends, whom you will tag in a “note” for

your final paper.

Evaluation

Successful assignments will:

• Analyze the Facebook responses clearly and insightfully, using quotes/data as evidence

• Engage with the readings from this unit in order to respond to preconceptions about writing

• Incorporate scholarly sources to create an argument

• Be articulately written and well--‐organized

• Address a specific audience

• Have a clear, specific argument

Format

Final analyses should be both posted online as a Facebook “note” with your friends tagged, and

turned in to me in class. The final drafts of your essays will look slightly different depending on the

format:

Hard Copy

• Typed, 12 pt. font, double spaced

• A readable font, like Times New Roman

• MLA format, including parenthetical

citations and a works cited page

• Organized with headings and sub--‐

headings, if it helps

Facebook note

• Single spaced

• Paragraph breaks instead of indents

• Link to sources if available online

• Tagged with ten friends

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Obviously I don’t expect you to tag me in your note. Instead, please print out a screen shot of

your note as it appears on Facebook so that I have confirmation that you are actually delivering

your message to your intended audience. In addition, I would like you to copy and paste your

own Facebook responses into a document and print it out, so I can give you credit for posting.

I’ve been reading everything you’ve written, but because everything is so scattered it makes it

hard for me to grade. You should have a total of six comments or responses.

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Assignment 3A

Paper 1: Navigating Sources That Disagree

BACKGROUND In this first unit, we’ll be discussing how both writers and readers play an active role in constructing text. As we’ll see, understanding the rhetorical situation is pivotal in both engaging and creating texts, so for this first assignment you’ll be asked to analyze and synthesize conflicting sources of information. In doing so, you’ll do more than simply summarize and compile information; instead, you’ll take part in the active generation of meaning.

ASSIGNMENT Choose an issue that’s currently being publicly debated and find at least three sources on it from newspapers or magazines that disagree with each other. Demonstrate your understanding of rhetorical situations and their constituents, rhetorical reading strategies, and rhetorical writing strategies by writing an analysis that does not simply summarize the sources, but explains and argues why they aren’t able to agree. Are there disagreements about what the facts are? about values? about the right thing to do?

Remember that analyzing the sources and writing the paper are two different acts. You’ll need to actively read and analyze the sources to learn as much as possible and understand each individual rhetorical situation. Then, when you write the essay, you’ll be pulling pertinent info from your analyses to support your argument as to why the sources do not agree.

Format: 4-6 pages, typed, MLA (see EW p.410), creatively titled, include all process material and earlier drafts

Last day to turn in initial graded submission for grade: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 Some points to consider:

■ Even “facts” are rhetorically constituted and often open to

interpretation.

■ Remember that each writer both joins and plays a role in constructing

the rhetorical situation for their individual text.

■ Be sure to note the effect of any constraints on a given text—either

assets or liabilities (see IAWW p. 17).

■ Your research question this time around is largely defined for you: why don’t these sources agree? It’s your job, then, to propose an answer to

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this question (this will be your thesis statement) and support it with evidence (actual points from the texts and your analyses of the rhetorical situations.

■ Use the analytical terms from class and the readings to analyze the sources. The content of the articles we’ve read should guide your analysis. Cite them when needed, but don’t let them overwhelm your own argument.

■ Do not argue your own opinion on the issue. Regardless of how you feel about the issue, should never be directly stated. Instead, it’s your job to persuasively answer a question about how people communicate.

■ Do not simply summarize the texts.

■ Do not simply summarize what others have said about the texts.

■ Do not simply summarize everything you found out about the texts

and their rhetorical situations in your analyses. Pick and choose the elements that contribute to your answer of the research question.

Some places to begin your research and find sources:

■ http://orlandosentinel.com ■ http://nytimes.com ■

http://centralfloridafuture.com

■ http://time.com ■ http://theatlantic.com ■

http://slate.com

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*All homework is listed directly below the day it is due. Have it ready to submit at the start

of class. If a reading has been assigned, have it read and annotated and be ready for

discussion and a quiz.

Friday, August 28 - The Rhetorical Situation

Read: Keith Grant-Davie’s “Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents” IAWW p. 7-22

Journal: Have you ever thought of a writer as negotiating with their audience

before? As a writer, what is the difference between imagining yourself talking to and

negotiating with your audience? What would you do differently if you were doing the latter?

Monday, August 31 - How Meaning Gets Constructed

Read: Christina Haas and Linda Flower’s “Rhetorical Reading Strategies and the Construction of Meaning”

IAWW p. 27-44

Journal: What does it mean to see texts “as purposeful actions” (31)? What are

some examples of texts that serve as actions? Support your answer with your own

experience, referencing specific texts you’ve read or created.

Wednesday, September 2 - Building the Foundation for Your First Paper

Come to class with the three sources you intend to analyze for Paper 1, having read

and annotated them beforehand. Be prepared to present these sources to the class and ready

to work with them as we start developing and constructing the first paper. Also, take a look at

the section on “Exploring Ideas” in Everyday Writer on p. 52-56 to get some ideas of how you

might start brainstorming for this paper. Also, complete the online survey I sent to you.

Friday, September 4 - How Students Use Textual Sources (and How They Should)

Read: Margaret Kantz’s “Using Textual Sources Persuasively” IAWW p. 58-76

Journal: Make a list of the things Kantz says students don’t know, misunderstand, or

don’t comprehend about how texts work. Judging from your own experience, do you think

she’s correct? How many of the things she lists do you feel you understand now? How will

Kantz’s ideas change your own approach to researched writing and using sources?

Monday, September 7 - LABOR DAY HOLIDAY - NO CLASS Wednesday, September 9 - Exploring the Rhetorical Situation

Write a 250 word rhetorical analysis of the rhetorical situation of each source (at least

250 words per source) that considers not simply the WHAT being communicated, but the HOW

and WHY. Demonstrate your knowledge of

rhetorical situations as discussed by Grant-Davies and the other authors we’ve read. Look

back at the “Rhetorical Analysis Handout 1” in IAWW p. 143 as a refresher. Be sure to

spend some time thinking about and fleshing out this analysis, as it will eventually form a

large, important part of your paper.

Friday, September 11 - Plagiarism-What It Is and Who Defines It

Read: Scott Jaschik’s “Winning Hearts and Minds in War on Plagiarism” IAWW p. 78-82

Journal: Before reading this article, what did you understand plagiarism to be?

How, if at all, has this reading changed your thinking? Be specific and support your answer

with examples.

Monday, September 14 - Drafting Paper 1

Look back at John Swales’ CARS Model of Research Introductions in IAWW p. 487.

Then, construct the first page of your Paper 1 using these same moves: stake a territory,

name a question/problem/gap, and then explain how you’ll go about answering that

74

question. Remember that you’ll need to review previous research as you stake you territory,

so consider which articles we’ve looked at that you might need to cite.

Wednesday, September 16 - Writing Workshop #1

Bring in two copies of a completed draft of your Paper 1 (4-6 pages) for the first

writing workshop. Before you write out your draft, take a look at the section on “Planning

and Drafting” in Everyday Writer p. 57-67 to get some ideas of how you might organize your

information.

Friday, September 18 - The Rhetoric of Punctuation

Read: John Dawkin’s “Teaching Punctuation as a Rhetorical Tool” IAWW p. 105-120

Journal: Explain the principle of “raising and lowering.” How does it impact your

choice of punctuation? Why does Dawkins call his way of thinking about punctuation

rhetorical?

75

Assignment 5A

Entering an Academic Conversation

INTRODUCTION

The way in which mathematicians and physicists and historians talk is quite different, and what a

physicist means by physical intuition and what a mathematician means by beauty or elegance are

things worth thinking about. ---- Clifford Geertz

ASSIGNMENT

Write a step-by-step guide for a novice who wishes to understand the kind of writing in the field you plan to

enter at the university or as profession.

Imagine yourself entering your intended field of study. You may not know how to communicate effectively

with others in your field. For this assignment, you are given the task of analyzing the kind of writing in your

field and constructing a guide for novices like yourself who will be entering your field. This guide should

explain the kinds of writing that happen in this community, clearly show a novice how to write for this

community, and provide examples of writing to help your novice get started.

PROCESS

76

In order to write this paper, you will need to visit the library and find and analyze several examples of

writing in your chosen field and then write a guide for novices who wish to enter this field.

Find and analyze three examples of writing in your chosen field. Visit the library, a working

professional in the field, or other sources to find examples of writing publication in your field of study.

1. Consider the shared goals of the community. What seems important in this field? (Some fields

focus more on the pursuit of knowledge or scientific discovery, while others emphasize practical

applications of knowledge for public good.)

2. Consider how the novice might feel when faced with the challenges of a new discourse. Write an

introduction that will help the novice feel comfortable and shows your reader how to use the guide.

(For example, “Welcome to Writing for Nursing! This guide will give you tips for writing like a

nursing professional. In section 1, you will learn how to . . . .)

3. What genres of writing exist in this community? Analyze the forms these people write and develop

a template so your reader can understand the writing genre of the field.

4. Analyze the style of writing reflect the shared goals of the community? (Is the style more technical,

reflecting a pursuit of specialized knowledge? Is the style more approachable, reflecting practical

applications of ideas?) Include examples of the writing style to help your novice understand.

5. What specialized language do you notice? Make a vocabulary list of specialized language that your

reader can access easily. Include this “dictionary” in your guide.

6. What aspects of the writing in the field might make entering the field difficult for a novice? What

questions should a novice ask when first writing for this community? Include a section that gives

the reader “Five essential questions to ask when learning to write for [biology, business, nursing,

engineering].”

Submit only the final draft of your study this assignment sheet written in a format suitable to your field of

study, STAPLED, with the grading rubric attached.

77


EVALUATION

Elements Assessment Criteria

Introduction

Does the introduction help the reader understand the purpose of

the guide and lead them through the contents? Does the

introduction use descriptive and engaging language to help the

reader understand the professional or academic field? Understanding of

Writing Studies Does the paper apply concepts discussed in this unit (discourse

community, genre, style, CARS) and use the terminology of

writing studies? Analysis

Is the analysis of writing complete enough to help a novice

understand the field and begin to write for it? Are a model, an

extended example, or a template, as well as a dictionary, five

questions, and overall clear instructions for writing in the field

included? Presentation

Does the paper present the information in a clear and consistent

style? Would a professional member of the field be impressed

by the mode of presentation? Cohesion

Does the paper as a whole present a unified and coherent

picture of the writing in a particular academic/professional field

without major gaps? Arrangement

Does the arrangement of the text flow logically from one idea to

another? Does the writer lead the reader through the handbook

in a way that makes sense? Grammar and Mechanics

Is the guide free from grammatical and mechanical errors? Is

the format appropriate, consistent, and polished?

78

Elements of the assignment

Assessment

Introduction

Outstanding Strong Satisfactory Limited Flawed

Understanding of Writing

Studies Outstanding Strong Satisfactory Limited Flawed

Analysis


Presentation


Discussion


Cohesion


Arrangement


Writer’s Style



GRADING SHEET

79

“There’s nothing to writi

Assignment 6A

AAAAUUUUTTTTOOOOEEEETTTTHNHNHNHNOOOOGGGGRARARARAPPPPHHHHYYYY////

TRAITTRAITTRAITTRAIT OFOFOFOF AAAA WWWWRIRIRIRITTTTEEEERRRR

“Shitty first Draft” Due Friday, 9/3 Final Draft Due Friday,

DDDDescescescescririririppppttttiiiioooon:n:n:n:

For this assignment, you will conduct a study similar to those conducted by Perl and Berkenkotter, but instead of looking at

someone else, you will examine yourself and you own writing processes and write and autoethnography in which you describe

them. Your method will be to record (with audio) your total writing processes as you complete your “Portrait of a Writer”

assignment for this class. Your purpose is to try to learn some things about your actual writing practices that you might not be

aware of, and to reflect on what you learn using the terms and concepts you’ve read about in this chapter.

THE STEPS

RECORDING

You will be writing a “Portrait of a Writer”

paper (discussed below). As you write this paper,

you will record yourself (video and sound) as

you say your thoughts aloud (think of

Spongebob!). Though this method may seem

awkward at first, keep working on it, and record

yourself even when you are thinking about or

planning your paper, and as you revise.

Remember Spongebob’s struggle?

TRANSCRIBING

When you have completely finished writing the

paper, listen to the recording of yourself and

transcribe it. This means typing everything that

you said on the recording, even the “ums” and

“ahs.” Type up this transcription to use for your

analysis. Bring these typed transcripts to class,

double-spaced.

ANALYZING

Once you bring your transcript to class, we will

Donal Murray

ng. All you do is

80

be working to develop a code for your analysis. We will be noting the areas where you stop in your writing process, areas where

you rant, and

areas where you are distracted (among others).

81

AUTOETHNOGRAPHY, CONTINUED! PAGE2

AAAANNNNAAAALLLLYYYYZZZZIIIINNNNGGGG,,,, PPPPAAAARRRRTTTT IIIIIIII

Once you have coded the transcript in class,

go back and look at what you did. What is

interesting about what you found? What

immediately jumps out at you? Did you do

some things a lot, and other things rarely or

never? How does your analysis suggest you

compare to Tony and Murray? Use these

findings to write the “Presenting your

findings” portion of this assignment (see

below).

WHWHWHWHAAAATTTT YYYYOUOUOUOU WILLWILLWILLWILL BEBEBEBE WWWWRIRIRIRITTTTIIIINNNNG G G G

PPPPaaaarrrrtttt One: One: One: One: PPPPoooorrrrtraittraittraittrait ofofofof aaaa WWWWriririritttteeeerrrr::::

This is the assignment during which

you will record your writing process. For

this assignment, use what you have read in

this unit to consider the story you have to

tell about yourself as a writer. Who are you

as a writer? How do you see yourself ? Is

that self- perception helping you be the best

writer you can be? How have the “writing

rules” you have learned shaped your

relationship with writing? The purpose of

this assignment is for you to step back and

consider yourself as a writer, applying what

you have learned in this unit to better help

you understand why and how you write,

and how you might write differently, or

p e r h a p s e v e n u n d e r s t a n d y o u r s e l f

differently as a writer. Remember to record

yourself every time you write/plan for this

assignment!

PPPP aaaa rrrr t t t t TTTTwwww oooo : : : : PPPP rrrr eeee ssss eeee nnnn tttt iiii nnnn g g g g yyyy oooo uuuu r r r r

fifififindndndndiiiingngngngssss

After you analyze your writing process

through your “Portrait of a Writer,” you are

to present your findings to your instructor

and/ or your classmates. This presentation

can be in the form of a formal paper, a

powerpoint presentation, a screenplay, a

letter to your high school teachers telling

them how you have changed as a writer

since high school, or any other format that

you can develop. Be sure to check with me

to ensure that your format meets the

requirements for the assignment. Also,

remember that you need to incorporate the

strategies and concepts from the unit into

your paper your presentation, and that you

should take the analysis of your

writing process seriously.

Remember how these rappers discussed their

writing processes?

“I publish in many forms--poetry, fiction,

academic article, essay, newspaper column,

newsletter, textbook, juvenile nonfiction

and I have even been a ghost writer for

corporate and government leaders--yet

when I am at my writing desk I am the

same person. As I look back, I suspect that

no matter how I tuned the lyre, I played

the same tune. All my writing--and yours--

is autobiographical.”

-Donald Murral

82

Assignment 1B Major Paper Two: Rhetorical Analysis Fall 2010

Objectivity: Just

a myth?

As writers, we’re often told to be objective, but can we be? All writers make rhetorical decisions based on their motivations. These motivations can range from the urge to educate (like textbooks) or to shock (think Howard Stern). In this unit, we’ll study how a writer writes by pinpointing strategies and determining their effectiveness to achieve these motivations.

Task Write an essay that examines two news articles and answers this three-part research question: (1) which stylistic decisions and strategies are used to communicate? (2) how do these strategies reveal the author’s stance? (3) and, finally, which author achieved the most “objectivity?” Why do you think so?

Objectives • to analyze different rhetorical situations & texts • to explain what writers & readers bring

to a text and offer evidence

• to critically think & draw conclusions • to increase your skills set for reading

and writing rhetorically

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Steps to follow 1. Choose a current issue and find two texts that report on the same news event.

(You can choose any event that interests you from Lindsey Lohan’s arrest to the

BP oil spill… but you need a news article that reports on the event, not a

commentary or opinion piece.) Bring in texts on 10/7

2. Using Grant-Davie’s definitions and terms (rhetor, exigence, kairos, etc.),

determine each element of the rhetorical situation in a paragraph form.

(Note: you are merely pinpointing elements and not yet analyzing their

effectiveness.) Due 10/7.

3. Then, for each article, determine the author’s stance. How do they use strategies effectively to

achieve their goals given the rhetorical situation?

4. Develop your thesis. (This is the answer to your research question.)

5. Build an outline. Organize the materials you will discuss and your primary points.

6. Draft, revise. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Full draft due during conference. Final

paper due Oct. 19. Format • 1,000-1,250 words • MLA format • Submit all parts of

your writing process in a pocket folder.

Evaluation Criteria: How well does your essay demonstrate the following? • consistent focus on analysis of rhetorical situation and rhetorical

strategies (instead of discussing the new event, you are focused on how it is written)

• appropriate, sufficient textual evidence (use text to support your claims, integrate it, and cite it)

Process/Deadlines

Bring both news articles to class: 10/7

Pinpoint rhetorical elements: 10/7

Individual student conferences (bring FULL draft): 10/8 – 10/13

Final draft due: 10/19

Turn in with final paper: • Final draft • All subsequent drafts (including one from conference) • Both texts

• Definitions of elements assignment • Process paragraph • Rubric

Page 84 of 3

Assignment 2B Unit Two Assignment: Who

Are You as a Writer? Due:

March 4 (draft), March 16

(final)

Objectives:

• To better understand yourself as a writer

• To relate your own writing process with the processes of the writers we have learned about this unit

• To practice writing in an academic genre

• To write a reflective, rhetorically aware analysis of your writing process

• To understand that research is a process of genuine inquiry

Context

As you will discover, the authors in this chapter believe that good writing takes hard work and

multiple drafts, and that many of us are hampered from being better writers by the “rules” and

misconceptions we have been taught about writing. This is true even of very famous people

who write a lot every day. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor has been widely criticized

for her writing. She even criticizes herself, saying, “Writing remains a challenge for me even

today – everything I write goes through multiple drafts – I am not a natural writer.” Here she

clearly conflates being a “good” writer with being a “natural” writer; she seems to believe that

some people are born good writers and some people aren’t. She also seems to believe that a

“good” writer only has to write one draft; anyone who has had to write multiple drafts must be

a “bad” writer. Even from this one short quotation, you can see that Sonia Sotomayor has a

story to tell about herself as a writer, and it is a pretty sad one. She would probably benefit a

great deal from reading the articles you have just read in this chapter—she might be comforted

to know that she is not the only one who writes “shitty first drafts.”

Just as Sotomayor tells her own story as a writer, you will also tell your own story as a

writer. While we presume Sotomayor did not have the advantage of having read the research

of scholars such as Perl, Berkenkotter, and Rose you do have this advantage, so be sure to

discuss what you have learned about your writing process by reading their work.

Assignment

You will write an autoethnography. An ethnography is a particular research process that uses

observation, interviews, and questionnaires to create an in--‐depth description of the subject

being studied. In an autoethnography, the subject of study is you. For this assignment, you will

study your own writing processes by recording (preferably with video and audio) your total

process for either a short class writing assignment or another form of writing, depending on

your research question. You can use an old--‐fashioned tape recorder, or

you can use computer programs like Garage Band or Sound Recorder (freeware available for

download online). Be prepared to transcribe the recording. Take careful notes on your

environment and surroundings as well. Based on this data, use a code created in class from the

readings to analyze and describe your process. Using her code, Perl learned that Tony and the

other student writers had “highly elaborated, deeply embedded processes” (252), which helped

her identify ways to help these students. What have you learned about

yourself through your study?

Your study will take the form of a scholarly research article appropriate for submission to

Page 85 of 3

Stylus, UCF’s journal of first--‐year writing. Because you are writing a research article, you

will need to establish your territory: include as many readings from this unit as are

relevant, as well as at least one outside scholarly source having to do with your particular

research question. Your paper should also follow the typical structure of the ethnography

genre, which includes an introduction, methodology, results, and discussion.

Some students tend to “go through the motions” with this assignment, and don’t attempt to

learn something about themselves as writers. When students write those papers, they have

very little to say about “results” or “insights,” and instead spout clichés like “I am distracted

when I write. I should try to write with fewer distractions.” In general, if the “insights” of the

paper were obvious to you before you ever conducted the autoethnography, then you have

not fully engaged in the project (and are unlikely to receive a good grade on it). Remember

that research is a process of genuine inquiry ; you should be asking real questions that you

don’t know the answers to.

If you want to look at some sample student essays that are similar to this assignment, take a look at pages 278--‐

298 in your WAW textbook, or look at the essays by Whitney Brown and Zachary Talbot in the first volume of

Stylus (http://english.cah.ucf.edu/stylus/1_1.php). (Whitney was actually one of my students!)

Strategies • Develop a research question. What do you want to know about yourself? How you revise? How you

write in different genres or for different audiences? How you write when under pressure?

• Research scholarly articles on composing processes. What have others found out related to your

research question?

• Design your study based on your research question. You should plan for at least one

think--‐aloud session, where you record yourself composing aloud and then transcribe

and code your recording. Ideally, though, you should use the think--‐aloud process to

record your entire composing process. The data that you choose to collect will be

influenced by your research question.

• Gather your “data” about yourself, whether this means recording a think--‐aloud

composing session, or keeping a writing log, or writing reflections immediately after

writing. Be sure to take notes about your environment, as well.

• Transcribe your recording, typing up everything you said, noting pauses and breaks, and differentiating

between actual text written and what you said out loud.

• Think about how you’re going to develop a code. What different actions do you engage in while

writing? Be prepared to create a code together in class.

• Use the code to create a simple composing style sheet, like Perl did. You can also

create charts to analyze the number of times you performed specific actions, or the

number of words you devoted to particular processes.

• Think about what you learned from writers like Tony in Perl’s article and Murray in

Berkenkotter’s article. Did you find yourself relating to their processes? Did reading

about their processes make you think more consciously about your own?

• Analyze your results carefully, looking for patterns. Use your rhetorical skills to create an argument;

Page 86 of 3

what have you learned about yourself, and how might these findings be useful/interesting to others?

• Write your autoethnography, including an introduction, methodology, results, and discussion (we’ll do

some drafting in class). Feel free to use headings to organize your writing.

Evaluation


• Closely analyze and reflect on your writing process

• Ask and answer a specific question (even if that question is only: “Who am I as a writer?”)

• Engage with the readings from this unit and outside scholarly research in order to respond to your

view of yourself as a writer

• Be articulately written and well--‐organized

Format

Assignments should be:

• Typed and double spaced

• 12 pt. font, Times New Roman (or other readable font)

• Cited in MLA format, including parenthetical citations and a works cited page

• 4--‐6 pages

A

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Assignment 3B Paper 2: Autoethnography

BACKGROUND

In this unit, we’ll be discussing how writing researchers have used repeatable methodologies to analyze writing process—the actual steps and moves writers take as they construct texts. As we’ll see, getting into the active mind of a writer is no easy task. “Think-aloud” protocols, however, allow researchers some insight into this process. Identifying process allows researchers and teachers to better understand and assist writers.

ASSIGNMENT Conduct a descriptive study of your own writing processes by using a think-aloud protocol to record your total process for a short class writing assignment, either one of the journal entries in this class or an assignment from one of your other courses. Be prepared to transcribe the recording and take careful notes on your surrounding environment and anything else that might impact your writing. Based on this data, use a code created in class from the readings to analyze and describe your process and your methodology. Use the paper to answer the following questions: What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of your process in light of the readings of this chapter? What might you do differently? What issues did you encounter in the research itself? What further questions do you have? Remember that the paper itself isn’t the place for random analysis of your findings. Instead, figure out how you can present your data and make it meaningful for an audience also invested in the study of writing.

Format: 4-6 pages, typed, MLA, all steps included in process folder submitted with paper Last day to turn in initial graded submission: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16

Some points to consider:

■ Be prepared to record (preferably with video) your writing process and

then transcribe the recording.

■ Reconstruct as much as possible your normal writing environment.

You want to capture and study your usual writing process, not the process you use when you’re studying yourself.

Page 88 of 3

■ Take notes about your surroundings, your mood, any stray thoughts, etc. before sitting down to write. Likewise, as soon as you’re finished, you should take additional notes since these will be useful in your analysis.

■ Be sure to express every thought that goes through your head as you compose. Even the stray, seemingly random thoughts might tell you something important about your writing process.

■ Remember that in the paper itself you’ll need to take the results of your research and argue what they mean to make your presentation of this information meaningful.

■ In the paper, you’ll need to describe your methodology. Don’t be afraid to mention any perceived shortcomings in your study; no research is perfect and identifying places where research might be flawed or misleading is an important task for researchers.

■ Consider Swales’ CARS Model of Research Introductions as you develop your paper. What do you need to describe about previous studies before describing your own? How will your lit review put these different researchers into conversation with one another?

*All homework is listed directly below the day it is due. Have it ready to submit at the start

of class. If a reading has been assigned, have it read and annotated and be ready for


Wednesday, September 23 - What Writers Say About Writing

Take a look at the NYTimes “Writers on Writing” archive at http://www.nytimes.com/books/specials/writers.html?

_r=1. Read through several and pick a writer whose views on writing and writing process

seem to match your own. Also take a look at the chapter introduction in IAWW p. 150-152.

Then, complete the following journal (continuedR).

Journal: In what ways do you agree with the writer? Where do you disagree?

If you were to construct an analogy for your own writing process, what would you

compare it to?

Friday, September 25 - Reading and Writing as Congruous Processes

Read: Robert J. Tierney and P. David Pearson’s “Toward a Composing Model of Reading” IAWW p. 153-179

Journal: In the introduction of their article, Tierney and Pearson claim that “in a sense,

both reader and writer must adapt their perceptions about their partner in negotiating what a

text means.” Based on the rest of the article, what do you think led them to this conclusion?

Can you remember a case where you made a different meaning of a text by changing your

perception of its writer? Or, can you think of a time when you adjusted and changed your own

meaning based on the readers you were writing for?

Monday, September 28 - Getting Into the Heads of Writers

Read: Sondra Perl’s “The Composing Processes of Unskilled College Writers” IAWW p. 182-196

Journal: Build a list of reasons Perl is critical of previous writing research, explaining

each. How well would you say her research here overcomes or eliminates those problems?

What do you think she might’ve done differently?

Wednesday, September 30 - What Goes On When We Write

Tierney and Pearson suggest that at the time of their article researchers weren’t

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paying enough attention to the “inner selves” of writers and readers. To research this

yourself, do this: interview at least three friends, family members, coworkers, etc. to find out

what sort of internal conversation or monologue they have while they read and write. When

do they become aware of it? How does this stream of language, or meaning, help them

construct the text? Compare their thoughts with your own. What differences do you notice

in the way people describe this process?

Friday, October 2 - A Professional Writer’s Process

Read: Carol Berkenkotter’s “Decisions and Revisions: The Planning Strategies of a Publishing Writer” and

Donald Murray’s “Response of a Laboratory Rat—or, Being Protocoled” IAWW p. 199-216

Journal: Put the research of Sondra Perl and Carol Berkenkotter into conversation

with each other. What problems of existing methods for studying writing does

Berkenkotter identify? How did these problems affect Perl’s research, and in what ways

do Berkenkotter’s methods solve (or fail to solve) such problems? How did this study

change Berkenkotter’s understanding of writing processes, particularly planning and

revision? This would be a good assignment to use as the observation for your paper.

Monday, October 5 - Protocols and Codes

Type up an initial analysis of your findings. What patterns do you notice in your

process? What stands out? Bring this write-up to class along with any notes, transcripts,

or codes.

Wednesday, October 7 - Presenting the Research

Read: Clayton Stark’s “The Average Writer: A Self Analysis” IAWW p. 272-277

Journal: How does Stark’s essay compare to Erica Keller’s? Where does he succeed?

Where could he improve his paper? His methods? His argument?

Friday, October 9 - Analyzing and Questioning Our “Rules” and Processes

Read: Mike Rose’s “Rigid Rules, Inflexible Plans, and the Stifling of Language: A Cognitivist Analysis of Writer’s

Block” IAWW p. 219-232

Journal: First, create a list of all the rules that Rose finds the “Blockers” following that

seem to interfere with their writing. Next, add yours: what rules do you find yourself forced to

follow that seem to get in the way of your writing? Finally, compare the “Blockers” rules to

those of the “non-blockers.” In your own words, what’s the difference? How do your own

rules compare?

Monday, October 12 - Writing Workshop #2

Bring in two copies of a completed draft of your Paper 2 (4-6 pages) for the second writing workshop.

Wednesday, October 14 - Revising What We Say About Writing

Read: Anne Lamott’s “Shitty First Drafts” IAWW p. 234-237

Journal: “Very few writers really know what they are doing until they’ve done it,” Lamott

claims. Does that sound like anything you’ve read in other pieces in this unit? Put Lamott’s

essay in conversation with the rest of the essays we’ve read and draw out specific

connections. Use examples and quotes as needed to support your answer.

Page 90 of 3

Assignment 4B

Unit 2: Writing Processes and Practices

Due Dates

Friday, 9/23: Unit 2 Paper Draft Due (complete draft; 3 hard copies) Friday, 9/30: Unit 2 Paper Peer Review Due (review drafts of 3 peers) Friday, 10/7: Unit 2 Paper Final Draft Due

Wednesday, 11/9: Unit 2 Paper Revision Due (if applicable) Assignment

Choose one of the following options to write a 4-5 page essay that demonstrates your increasing understanding of your own writing processes and practices, including why studying this could be useful and applicable

Option 1 (A level): Autoethnography • Find this assignment in Writing about Writing (389-94)

• Complete all suggested parts of the assignment in Writing about Writing for A level

eligibility (An A grade is the highest possible grade for this assignment, but this does not guarantee that your paper will receive an A grade)

• Submit your recordings in an appendix, presented online or as a transcribed text

Option 2 (A level – Instructor’s Preference): Reflect Upon and Contemplate

Adjusting your Writing Process(es) and Practice(s)

• Detail and Study your writing Process as it Applies to Various Situations (especially

Academic Situations); consider the Writing Processes of Others; contemplate how your writing process might improve; contemplate how technology affects your writing process; contemplate the relationship between your Affective Domain and Cognitive Domain within your Writing Process(es)

• Complete all suggested parts of the assignment for A level eligibility (An A grade is

the highest possible grade for this assignment, but this does not guarantee that your paper will receive an A grade)

• Invention/Research: Begin by reviewing your writing logs, and possibly considering the steps you need to take to achieve a successful Unit 3 paper. Contemplate what Haas and Flower (149; 150; 153; 160) have to say

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about reading and writing as information getting and giving versus reading and writing as participating in “discourse acts”, and how this pertains to your experiences. Consider what Berkenkotter (263) and Perl (242) have to say about the extensive versus reflexive modes of writing, and how these describe your experiences. Consider: when have you been constrained by “situational variables” (Berkenkotter 264) and

how does this consideration help you understand or improve your writing process(es)? Use real life examples and experiences (perhaps your log for the Unit 1 Paper) to thoroughly contemplate what works for you in your writing process, as well as where you would like to get more out of it. How might your writing process vary depending on the situation? How can your writing process improve for academic situations? How does your Affective Domain affect your Cognitive Domain during

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writing (Wardle 211)? How important is the relationship between your Affective and Cognitive Domains for you as a writer (Murray 275)? Is this an aspect of your writing that you can change or improve? How does technology affect your writing process? Is this something that can change or improve? What technologies would you like to use that you cannot access, and why might doing so help improve your writing process or yourself as a writer? Do you have an effective reader involved in your writing process (Berkenkotter 265; Murray 275)? What benefits do you imagine

professional writers have that help them write that you would also like to have? These

are just some questions you can consider to get started, so feel free to re-read through the text and add your own.

• Planning: Consider everything you’ve written and reflected upon in light of all of the texts we’ve read, especially those from Units 1 and 2. Re-read the texts we’ve read, including notes you’ve made and your responses to homework assignments. Begin writing anything that compels you, not worrying about any particular order. Consider writing sections separately, using separate sheets of paper, or even post-it notes that can later be organized and easily moved around for consideration while drafting.

• Drafting: Follow the CARS model for your introduction. This may also help you structure remainder of your paper. Begin to assemble the material you’ve produced during the planning stage by asking questions such as why what you’re learning and thinking about is useful, relevant, noteworthy, or important.

• Revising: Review your draft in light of the assessment criteria. Which points are you

hitting most strongly? Which points are more weakly being addressed, or aren’t being addressed at all? What can you add or modify to better address these points?

Format

All submitted drafts, including the final draft, should follow the following format guidelines: • 4-5 pages, double-spaced (page count does not include the Works Cited page)

• 1” left and right margins (not 1.25”!) • MLA style for in-text citations (as explained in The Everyday Writer)

• MLA style for a list of works cited (as explained in The Everyday Writer) • Refer to the student research essay in The Everyday Writer for heading, title, and page

number information. Remember to use your letter/number code everywhere in place of your name. NOTE: In your paper heading, write “Option 1” or “Option 2” next to ENC

1101, separated by a dash. E.g., “ENC 1101 – Option 2” Assessment

This paper will be assessed based on the following criteria: 1. Thinking: demonstrates college-level thinking and exploration of ideas and issues

o Displays an acquisition of a vocabulary for talking about writing processes

o Demonstrates an increasing understanding of yourself as a writer

o Actively considers writing processes and practices and how to adapt them as

necessary to make them most effective

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o Demonstrates an understanding of writing and research as processes

requiring planning, incubation, revision, and collaboration

2. Polish: demonstrates college-level polish (editing, formatting, etc.)

3. Rhetorical Analysis: demonstrates the ability to rhetorically analyze and

integrate complex texts written, discussed, or otherwise presented by others

regarding the topic of writing processes and practices

4. Consider Ideas: demonstrates the ability to carefully consider an idea or issue

5. Reflection: (in reflective comments, revision memos, or papers,)

demonstrates the ability to carefully reflect on writing processes and

practices used for writing this assignment

6. In-text Citation: uses correct in-text citations

7. Work Cited: uses correctly formatted works cited pages

8. Outside Sources: includes two or more carefully integrated outside sources

9. Macro (Global) Revision: demonstrates evidence of appropriate macro-level

revision between drafts

10. Micro (Local) Revision: demonstrates evidence of appropriate micro-level


11. Peer Feedback: displays evidence of peer feedback on or with drafts

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Assignment 5B

Writing Study Autoethnography

ASSIGNMENT

For your experiment, you will video record yourself writing for one hour about one of the

writing prompts below. While writing about this prompt, you will think-aloud (Perl) while you

write. You will then transcribe your video, code and analyze it to determine your specific

writing process. After you analyze your writing process, you will write a five to seven page

IMRD research study paper that describes your findings.

PROCESS

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In order to write this paper, you will need to collect the data and then write the study, using a

traditional study format.

Collect the Data

All data you collect will help you answer the research question: What are the characteristics of my own writing practices?

Here are the steps you will take to collect your data:

• Record a video of yourself writing something. Write about one of the following topics.

You do not have to write about everything below. These are suggestions to help you

get started.

1. Memory: What childhood experiences with writing do you remember? Were

they positive or negative experiences? What stories do your parents tell about

your writing?

2. The Future: What do you think it will require for you to be a competent writer

ten years from now? How might your writing process change for your future

job?

3. Technology. What writing technologies do you carry with you? How do these

technologies affect your writing process?

• Think-aloud as you write (see Perl). Say everything you are thinking and doing so you

can transcribe your thoughts and actions onto paper.

• Other Data: Collect anything you read or write during this observation— notes, IMs,

text messages. Keep records of when, where, and what time (exactly) did you do this

observation. These notes, videos, and your writing sample will be in the Appendix to

your paper.

• Transcribe the video: After you complete the video recording of your writing,

transcribe what you say and do in the video--you should have at least five pages of

detailed transcription. A transcription is a word for word and minute by minute

description of what you see and hear in the video. These questions may help you

know what to write in your transcription:

o Where does this take place? When?

o What are you doing (what are the activities)? o What changes (if any) are you making as you write? o What are you writing and/or reading while you write? o Do you prewrite, draft, then revise? Do you have “bathroom epiphanies”?

• Coding and Analyzing Data: We will code and analyze the transcriptions in class. Be

sure to show up that day!

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Write the Paper

• After you have conducted the study, transcribed the video, and analyzed the data, it

is now time to write a five to seven page IMRD research study that reports on the

findings of your study.

o How do I write an IMRD research study? (We will review this format in detail in

class.) � Introduction::traditionally this follows the CARS model (WaW textbook, p.

5). In this case, your introduction will begin with a personal experience

about your writing process. (We will discuss this in more detail in class.)

Write your introduction last! Really.

� Methodology: In this section, you will explain the procedures you used to

collect your data.

� Results: This is your cold, hard data. Introduce your reader to any tables,

charts, or graphs as well as explain the information on those tables.

� Discussion: What do these findings mean? What’s the significance of the

results you found? This is where you analyze the results. Additionally, the

prompts in the assignment are answered here: What are the characteristics

of my own writing practices? Ideally, all this should be woven together

nicely with the main point of your personal story so your reader can sit back and say, “Yeah, I totally understand why this person writes this way!”

� Consider what might help you improve your writing process.

Submit all work in a two pocket folder:

• All prewriting materials, rough drafts, worksheets, all data collected, this assignment sheet

• Final draft of your study written in IMRD study format and any Appendices, STAPLED,

including a Works Cited page if necessary

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EVALUATION

Elements Assessment Criteria

Introduction

Does the introduction describe a personal experience about

writing that is connected in some way to the results of your

study? Does the introduction use descriptive and engaging

language to help the reader visualize a writing experience? Main Idea

Does the paper clearly articulate a main idea about your

writing?

Does the main idea answer the research question? Method

Does the methods section clearly present detailed and coherent

methods used for this study?

Is there a clear transition from the introduction to the methods

section which helps the reader move through the paper? Data/Results

Are the results reported in a clear and detailed manner,

emphasizing a few important patterns or findings? Is the data

represented in a way that is most clear to the reader? Discussion

Is the study data explained in light of the personal experience of

the writer? Is the data synthesized into a coherent main idea

about writing? Are there explanations for discrepancies in the

data? Cohesion

Does the paper as a whole present a unified and coherent

picture of the writer’s experience about writing?

Arrangement

Does the paper display a solid grasp of academic genre as

modeled by readings and handouts in this unit?

Does the arrangement of the text flow logically from one idea to

another? Writer’s Style

Are the writer’s choices regarding diction, tone, and phrasing

appropriate and consistent to engage the intended audience?

Student must bring a draft of your paper to a conference with the instructor and visit the

writing center as part of your class participation grade for this assignment

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Elements of the assignment

Assessment

Introduction


Main Idea


Method


Data/Results


Discussion


Cohesion


Arrangement


Writer’s Style



GRADING SHEET

Date Attended Conference (if missed, counts as two absences)

Rough Draft at Conference? Y N (if missed, counts as one absence)

Date Visited Writing Center (if missed, counts as one absence)

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IMRD Many research papers follow the traditional IMRD format: Introduction, Methods, Results,

Discussion. Your paper will be written as a traditional IMRD study, but you will also consider

your own experience as a writer as a way to organize your paper around a central theme. Open

a document in your word processor and type the IMRD headings. Then, fill in the information as it

becomes available. Also see Sondra Perl’s “The Composing Process of Unskilled Writers” as

a model for this type of study.

TITLE

Write a title that is descriptive of your study. Your title could be “scientific” sounding or it could

be a quote from your transcription that seems particularly apt. Write your title last.

INTRODUCTION

Write the introduction after you have written the rest of your paper.

This section will vary from a traditional research paper. In a traditional research paper, you

frame the context, overview the entire paper’s structure, cite existing research, and find a gap

that your research will occupy. (See CARS Model p. 5 of your WaW textbook.) The introduction

to your study will be different from a “traditional” study paper in that you will include a personal

experience about your writing process rather than the CARS model discussed in your textbook.

YOU WILL NOT WRITE YOUR INTRODUCTION IN THIS TRADITIONAL MANNER.

Instead, you will use a personal experience about your writing process to frame the main idea of

your paper. The main idea answers the question: What are the characteristics of my own writing

practices?

• Make sure your story illustrates your writing practices and relates to the results of your

study. You may use the questions you answered when you recorded your video

(Prompts) as a start.

o For example, you might have written about how you won a writing award on a

paper in third grade and how the confidence from that award has made you feel really comfortable and confident about writing. This confidence might show through in your process of writing quickly and writing only one draft.

o Or, you might write about a teacher who marked all kinds of grammar mistakes on

your papers, and now you notice that your writing process includes constantly going back to fix grammar mistakes. So, write a specific personal experience that

connects in some way to what you discovered about your writing process in your study.

o See David Wallace’s ”Nobody Laps Me Twice” (on Webcourses) as a model for a study that combines a narrative introduction into an IMRD format.

METHODOLOGY

In this section, you will explain the procedures you used to collect your data. Provide detailed

description of your study method—think about how scientists must record detailed logs of their

experiments. Refer to Sondra Perl’s article as a model for this type of study. Include:

• A transition sentence that helps your reader connect the introduction to the formal study.

• Your research question. What are the characteristics of my own writing practices? • Methods you used to answer those research questions

o What data did you collect? How did you collect it?

o How did you analyze the data? (method of doing your transcript, sample of your coding system, method for displaying your data). Your reader should be able to take

your instructions and the data and do the same experiment.

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• Any necessary claims about your methods--weaknesses, strengths, caveats, why this

method was better than some other method? (You might also discuss this later in the

paper if you wish.) Remember, it is better for you to point out problems with your

methodology before someone else does!

RESULTS

• What are the direct results of the data you collected? (This is your cold, hard data—facts

and figures). Here’s where you want to include any tables, charts, or graphs as well as an

explanation of the information on those tables.

• Don’t interpret the data here; do highlight the two or three most important things you

noticed in your data.

• What quotes can you pull from the video transcript will illustrate those important points?

DISCUSSION

• Look over all the data you collected. Look for patterns of behavior and think about which

things you notice are the most important to your writing process. Remember: This is not

a study about procrastination or distractions, but a study of your writing process. For

example, if you notice that you spend a lot of time distracted, don’t discuss your

distractions as such. Instead discuss how those distractions hinder or help your writing

process.

• Did your writing change when you were distracted or when you did something to help

yourself concentrate?

• Look over what you wrote during the study. What were you thinking when you wrote

this? How do you write? Fast and furious? Slow and steady? Explain your process.

• Find a pattern that you can identify as your main writing process. Try to develop a

“theory of writing” or a main idea about yourself as a writer.

• Consider what might help you improve your writing process. • Connect your data to a your personal “theory of writing” or main idea about our writing.

• What do these findings mean? What’s the significance of the results you found? This is

where you analyze the results. Additionally, the prompts in the assignment are answered

here: What are the characteristics of my own writing practices? Ideally, all this should be

woven together nicely with the main point of your personal story so your reader can sit

back and say, “Yeah, I totally understand why this person writes this way!”

(Write the introduction now, after you know the results of your study. Think of a

personal experience or story about yourself as a writer that demonstrates the

findings from your study. See INTRODUCTION for more information.

CONCLUSION

This could be part of DISCUSSION or may be separate section.

• What do you think the overall “take home” point of your findings is?

• Why should anyone else care about what you found?

• What did I learn about myself as a writer and how can I improve my process?

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Assignment 1C

Discourse Community: Writing the Mini-Paper #3

Choose a discourse community that you belong to—or that you are joining—and write a paper that reflects a careful observation of this community. You will want to collect the following data:

Observe members of the discourse community while they are engaged in a shared

activity; take detailed notes (what are they doing? What kinds of things do they say? What do they write? How do you know who is “in” and who is “out”?)

Collect any thing people in that community read or write (their genres)—even very short things like forms, sketches, notes, IMs, and text messages

Interview at least one member of the discourse community. You might ask things like, “How long have you been here? Why are you involved? What do X, Y, and Z words mean? How did you learn to write A, B, or C? How do you communicate with other people [on your team, at your restaurant, etc]?”

After you’ve collected the data (and keep it, because you’ll be including it when you turn in your website project), analyze the data:

First, try analyzing the data you collect using the six characteristics of Swales’ discourse community:

What are the shared goals of the community; why does this group exist, what does it do?

What mechanisms do members use to communicate with each other (meetings, phone

calls, email, text messages, newsletters, reports, evaluation forms, etc.)? What are the purposes of each of these mechanisms of communication (to

improve performance, make money, grow better roses, share research, etc.)? Which of the above mechanisms of communication can be considered genres (textual

responses to recurring situations that all group members recognize and understand)? What kinds of specialized language (lexis) do group members use in their conversation and

in their genres? Name some examples—ESL, on the fly, 86, etc. What communicative function does this lexis serve (i.e., why say “86” instead of “we are out of this”?)

Who are the “old-timers” with expertise? Who are the newcomers with less expertise? How do newcomers learn the appropriate language, genres, knowledge of the group?

Then, use Johns and Wardle (Johns notes are included in a PP also on Webcourses) to analyze your data further:

Are there conflicts within the community? If so, why?

Do some participants in the community have difficulty? Why?

Who has authority here, and where does that authority come from?

How do people fail to enculturate quickly? How do people

succeed?

The more details you provide for this paper, the easier it will be write your final e-project. Solid analyses are often 3-4 pages and are written in paragraph form with subheads or other

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identifiers.

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Assignment 2C

Unit Three Assignment: Discourse Community Ethnography (Adapted from Wardle and

Downs, Writing about Writing)

Due: November 17 (draft), November 19 (final)

Objectives:

• To understand how language practices mediate group activities

• To gain tools for examining the discourses and texts of various communities

• To gain tools for conducting ethnographic research

• To conduct research and write about it for an audience

• To understand writing and research as processes

In this unit, you will learn that we never stop learning how to write and use language in new and

appropriate ways as long as we continue to interact with new kinds of people and groups. “Discourse

communities” are something you encounter every day, even if you don’t realize it. When you go to work

and interact with fellow employees or customers, you are in one Discourse; when you go to Biology class,

you are in another. By examining the unique ways that we use language and interpret texts within these

communities we are already members of, we can better understand how to navigate when we join new

communities that require us to use language in new ways.

Assignment

You will choose a discourse community that has impacted you or interests you and find a preliminary

answer to this research question: “What are the goals and characteristics of this discourse community?”

Analyzing the characteristics of a discourse community you are already somewhat familiar with will give

you the tools to help you examine (and perhaps more easily enculturate in) discourse communities you

may later encounter or attempt to become a member of.

Steps

Step 1: Collect Data

• Observe members of the discourse community while they are engaged in a shared activity;

take detailed notes (what are they doing? What kind of things do they say? What do they

write? How do you know who is “in” and who is “out”?)

• Collect any thing people in that community read or write (their genres)—even very short

things like forms, football plays, notes, IMs, and text messages

• Interview at least one member of the discourse community (tape record and transcribe the

interview). You might ask things like, “How long have you been here? Why are you involved?

What do X, Y, and Z words mean? How did you learn to write A, B, or C? How do you

communicate with other people [on your team, at your restaurant, etc.]?

Step 2: Use Swales to initially organize and analyze the data

• What are the shared goals of the community; why does this group exist, and what does

it do?

• What mechanisms do members use to communicate with each other? (i.e., meetings,

phone calls, email, text messages, newsletters, reports, evaluations, etc.)

• What are the purposes of each of these mechanisms of communication? (i.e., to

improve performance, make money, grow better roses, share research, etc.)

• What kinds of specialized language (lexis) do group members use in their conversation

and in their genres? What communicative function does this lexis serve?

• Who are the “oldtimers” with expertise? Who are the newcomers? How do newcomers

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learn the appropriate language, genres, knowledge of the group?

Step 3: Use Wardle and Mirabelli to analyze data further

• Are there conflicts within the community? Why?

• Do some participants in the community have difficulty? Why?

• Who has authority here, and where does that authority come from?

• Are members of this community stereotyped in any way in regard to their literacy

knowledge? Why?

Step 4: Decide what is important

• Given all you have learned above, what do you want to focus on in your paper? Is there something

interesting regarding goals of the community? Types of literacies in the community? Lexis and

mediating genres? Decide what your refined research question is and how you will answer it.

Return to Wardle and Mirabelli for examples of how you might do this.

Step 5: Write about your findings

In 4--‐5 pages write about what you found in response to the research question.

• Begin with a very brief lit review (“We know X about discourse communities” [cite Swales,

Johns, Mirabelli, and/or Wardle as appropriate]

• Name a niche (“but we don’t know Y” or “No one has looked at X”)

• Explain how you will occupy the niche

• Describe your research methods

• Discuss your findings in detail (Use Mirabelli and Wardle as examples of how to do

this—quote from your notes, your interview, the texts you collected, etc.)

• Include a works cited page

What to turn in:

• Final draft

• All the data you collected, including observation notes, interview questions and

transcription, and text samples

• Peer feedback

Evaluation


• Collect and analyze the required data

• Effectively answer the research question with a specific argument

• Demonstrate the ability to analyze a discourse community (building on knowledge

gained from readings in this unit)

• Be organized and clear

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Assignment 3C

Paper 3: Discourse Community Ethnography

BACKGROUND

The key concept of this chapter is discourse community, so we’ll be examining how several authors use this idea to describe how writing happens on the job, in clubs, at churches and homeowner’s associations, or wherever else we see people with common goals communicating in writing and otherwise. To prepare for this assignment, while we’re reading the authors’ definitions of discourse community, be sure to consider the various discourse communities you belong to, your respective position in them, and any communities you might like to join. If the autoethnography asked you to look inward and examine your own writing processes, this assignment asks you to look to see how writing is constructed and used in the world.

ASSIGNMENT First, choose a discourse community that has impacted you or interests you. Some possibilities include specific clubs, occupations, greek organizations, or church groups that you belong to, come into contact with, or would be interested in joining. Then, find a preliminary answer to this research question: “What are the goals and characteristics of this discourse community?” Your job is split into three steps:

Step 1: Collect Data Observe members of the discourse community while they are engaged in a shared activity; take detailed notes (what are they doing? what kinds of things do they say? what specialized language do they use? What do they write? How do you know who is “in” and who is “out”?) Collect any thing people in that community read or write (their genres)—even very short things like forms, football plays, notes, IMs, and text messages Interview at least one member of the discourse community (tape record and transcribe the interview). You might ask things like, “How long have you been here? Why are you involved? What do X, Y, and Z words mean? How did you learn to write A, B, or C? How do you communicate with other people [on your team, at your restaurant, etc.]? Step 2: Analyze the Data Use the researchers we read (Swales, Mirabelli, and Wardle) to help you organize and analyze the data you’ve collected. Step 3: Present Your Findings Given all the data you’ve collected and analyzed, decide what you want to focus on in your paper. Is there something interesting regarding the goals of the community? Types of literacies in the community? Its lexis or genres? Refine the above research question to fit your purpose(s) and then construct an essay that demonstrates what you’ve learned about discourse communities, reviews relevant literature, describes your methodology and your findings, and presents an answer to your specific research question. NOTE: FOR THIS PAPER, YOU MUST SUBMIT ALL TRANSCRIPTS, INTERVIEWS, AND DOCUMENTS YOU GATHER. Additionally, you’ll need to have gathered all of your data on your discourse community (attended a meeting/ activity, collected the genres, and interviewed at least one member) by FRIDAY,

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OCTOBER 30 Student Sample Paper: Sean Ellingham’s “Dealing with Contradiction” IAWW p. 359-372 Format: At least 4-6 pages, typed, MLA, appendices including collected data, all steps included in process folder submitted with paper Last day to turn in initial graded submission: Monday, November 9

*All homework is listed directly below the day it is due. Have it ready to submit at the start of class.

If a reading has been assigned, have it read and annotated and be ready for


Monday, October 19 - Planning the Research

Write a page on two potential discourse communities you are interested in studying. For ideas,

you might check http://www.getinvolveducf.com/, http://www.sdes.ucf.edu/sdesevents.htm, and/or

http://sdesems.sdes.ucf.edu/ VirtualEMS/ to find club and group meetings that will be happening within

the next couple of weeks. Note that you’ll need to have gathered your data by Friday, October 30. Be

sure to answer the following questions for each of the two discourse communities you’re interested in:

Why are you interested in studying it?

What are your biases and assumptions surrounding the discourse community (what opinions do

you have about them?) Do you see them in a positive or negative way? Why?

How do you plan on gaining access to the discourse community and their written texts?

Wednesday, October 21 - The Characteristics of a Discourse Community

Read: John Swales’ “The Concept of Discourse Community” IAWW p. 284-296

Journal: Consider a time when you participated in a discourse community but resisted it

or were not fully assimilated into it. What happened?

Friday, October 23 - Mini-Workshop #1

Read: “Word Choice and Spelling” in Everyday Writer p. 214-219

Bring in a clean copy of the latest revision of your Paper 1 in addition to your initial graded

submission and/or any subsequent draft with my comments.

Monday, October 26 -Analyzing a Discourse Community

Read: Tony Mirabelli’s “The Language and Literacy of Food Service Workers” IAWW p. 344-354

Journal: Do you know or have you ever participated in a discourse community that is strongly

stereotyped in the ways that restaurant work is stereotyped (for example, a football team or a sorority)?

What are the stereotypes? Using Mirabelli, consider the various “multiliteracies” of this discourse

community. Be sure to connect your experiences to Mirabelli’s analysis.

Wednesday, October 28 - Mini-Workshop #2

Read: “Sentence Style” in Everyday Writer p. 249-257.

Bring in a clean copy of the latest revision of your Paper 1 or Paper 2 in addition to

your initial graded submission and/or any subsequent draft with my comments.

Friday, October 30 - Working with the Data

YOU WILL NEED TO HAVE GATHERED YOUR RESEARCH BY THIS POINT

Use Swales’ six characteristics of a discourse community to organize and analyze your data

in an initial two- page report. See Step 2 on IAWW p. 374 for a list of questions to consider.

Monday, October 2 - How Authority and Identity Are Established in Discourse Communities

Read: Elizabeth Wardle’s “Identity, Authority, and Learning to Write in New Workplaces” IAWW p. 327-338

Journal: First, use Wardle’s article to help you define what it means to have authority over texts

and within discourse communities. Then, discuss your feelings about your own authority (or lack of it)

within any discourse community you would like to focus on. You might consider how you know whether

you have authority there, how you gained text and discourse authority (if you did), how it feels to be at the

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mercy of someone else’s authority in a discourse community, etc.

Wednesday, October 4 - Further Analyzing the Data

Use Mirabelli and Wardle to further analyze your data in a second two-page report. See Step 3

on IAWW p. 375 for a list of questions to consider.

Friday, November 6 - Writing Workshop #3

Bring two copies of a completed draft of your Paper 3 (at least 4-6 pages) for the third writing workshop.

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Assignment 4C

Unit 3: The Discourse Community Concept

Due Dates

Friday, 10/14: Unit 3 Paper Draft Due (complete draft; 3 hard copies) Friday, 10/21: Unit 3 Paper Peer Review Due (review drafts of 3 peers) Friday, 10/28: Unit 3 Paper Final Draft Due

Wednesday, 11/16: Unit 3 Paper Revision Due (if applicable) Assignment

Choose one of the following options to write a 4-5 page essay that demonstrates your increasing understanding of the Discourse Community concept, including its usefulness and applicability

Option 1 (A level): Discourse Community Ethnography

• Find this assignment in Writing about Writing (713-16) • Complete all suggested parts of the assignment in Writing about Writing for A level

eligibility (An A grade is the highest possible grade for this assignment, but this does not guarantee that your paper will receive an A grade)

• Submit copies of all acquired texts in an appendix

Option 2 (A level – Instructor’s Preference): Share and Increase Your Understanding of the Discourse Community Concept

• Explain the Discourse Community Concept to a Relative (or relatives), Analyze a (or several) Real Discourse Community (or communities) from His or Her Personal Experience, and come to a Deeper Understanding of how Knowing this Concept can be Usefully Applicable in Real Life Situations

• Complete all suggested parts of the assignment for A level eligibility (An A grade is

the highest possible grade for this assignment, but this does not guarantee that your paper will receive an A grade)

• Invention/Research: Begin sharing what you’ve learned from Swales’ explanation of the characteristics of a discourse community with a relative who has time and iswilling to communicate with you. In sharing what you’ve learned, elicit real-life instances and examples from them that fit the points you are explaining. Gather asmany examples for as many points as you can. Also, gather as many textual examples as you can that are used to mediate activities in the discourse community. Transcribe or copy to a document your conversations to submit this as an appendix with your final draft. How have they moved from being a non-member to a member(and possibly an expert member) in this Discourse Community? What texts are most valued, and which ones are tangential but still important to the DiscourseCommunity? What are the functions of these texts? How do non-members become members of the discourse community? How do members (or non-members) becomefully assimilated into the discourse community? How is discourse, both written and spoken, used to mediate the activities of members in the community? Does your relative consider that he or she is “successful” within the discourse community? Can he or she give instances of others who have tried but were unable to assimilate into

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the discourse community? Does he or she have any examples of discourse communities they tried to assimilate into, but were unsuccessful? Can you begin to explain why? These are just some questions you can consider to get started, so feel free to re-read through the text and add your own.

• Planning: Consider everything you’ve gathered in light of all of the texts we’ve read, especially those for Unit 3. Re-read the texts we’ve read, including notes you’ve made and your responses to homework assignments. Begin writing anything that compels you, not worrying about any particular order. Consider writing sections separately, using separate sheets of paper, or even post-it notes that can later be organized and easily moved around for consideration while drafting.

• Drafting: Follow the CARS model for your introduction. This may also help you structure remainder of your paper. Begin to assemble the material you’ve produced during the planning stage by asking questions such as why what you’re learning and thinking about is useful, relevant, noteworthy, or important.

• Revising: Review your draft in light of the assessment criteria (1-8). Which points are you hitting most strongly? Which points are more weakly being addressed, or aren’t being addressed at all? What can you add or modify to better address these points?

Format

All submitted drafts, including the final draft, should follow the following format guidelines: • 4-5 pages, double-spaced (page count does not include the Works Cited page)

• 1” left and right margins (not 1.25”!) • MLA style for in-text citations (as explained in The Everyday Writer)

• MLA style for a list of works cited (as explained in The Everyday Writer) • Refer to the student research essay in The Everyday Writer for heading, title, and page

number information. Remember to use your letter/number code everywhere in place of your name. NOTE: In your paper heading, write “Option 1,” “Option 2,” or “Option 3” next to ENC 1101, separated by a dash. E.g., “ENC 1101 – Option 3”

Assessment

This paper will be assessed based on the following criteria: 1. Thinking: demonstrates college-level thinking and exploration of ideas and issues

o Demonstrates an understanding that knowledge is constructed

o Displays how language practices mediate group activities

o Demonstrates how language plays a role in discourse community

enculturation

o Displays the relationship between language, identity, and authority

o Considers various understandings of what it means to be literate

o Uses tools for examining the discourses and texts of various communities

and/or a particular discourse community

2. Polish: demonstrates college-level polish (editing, formatting, etc.)

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3. Rhetorical Analysis: demonstrates the ability to rhetorically analyze and

integrate complex texts written, discussed, or otherwise presented by others

regarding the topic of discourse communities

4. Consider Ideas: demonstrates the ability to carefully consider an idea or issue

5. Reflection: (in reflective comments, revision memos, or papers,)

demonstrates the ability to carefully reflect on writing processes and

practices used for writing this assignment

6. In-text Citation: uses correct in-text citations

7. Work Cited: uses correctly formatted works cited pages

8. Outside Sources: includes two or more carefully integrated outside sources

9. Macro (Global) Revision: demonstrates evidence of appropriate macro-level


10. Micro (Local) Revision: demonstrates evidence of appropriate micro-level


11. Peer Feedback: displays evidence of peer feedback on or with drafts

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Assignmnet 5C

Rhetorical Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Rhetorical Situation:

Purpose: This assignment is designed to help you demonstrate rhetorical reading strategies, to

analyze the components of an argument and rhetorical strategies used by an author, and to write a

coherent and sophisticated analysis of a difficult text.

Audience: The audience for this paper is the instructor and your peers in the class.

Topic: The topic for this assignment is to write a rhetorical analysis of an article or other text.

Context: This paper is written for a college course, so consider the appropriate language conventions

for college writing.

ASSIGNMENT

Instructions for this Assignment:

Write an essay that closely examines, analyzes and makes a claim about the rhetorical situation

and/or argument presented in a scholarly article about writing or another text. After writing your

essay, write a short cover memo that reflects on the process of writing this paper. Use Kantz’ article

as well as the information about rhetorical situation in Grant-Davie and rhetorical reading in Haas and

Flower to help you consider ways to approach this type of analysis.

PROCESS

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To guide you through this process, I offer the following suggestions:

Remember to consider the following:

Audience: To whom does the article communicate? Who are the secondary audiences?

How might a secondary audience view the information presented?

Purpose: What is the purpose of this article? What other purposes might contribute to the

construction of this text?

Writer: What credibility does the author present? How is the author represented in the text?

Text: How is the information presented? What style, language, diction, or visual devices does the

author use to communicate the information? Is it appropriate?

Use of language: How does the author use language to demonstrate an understanding of audience,

purpose, and the information/reality of the text?

Rhetorical Situation: What is the context of this particular article? What cultural contexts are

present? Do you note any bias in the article?

Analysis of Argument: How convincing is the main claim? What evidence does the author use to

support the central claim? Secondary claims? What rhetorical appeals are used, and how effective

are these appeals?

(Your) Evaluative Thesis: How EFFECTIVE is the author's claim and support, or how does the author

represent those claims in the text?

Textual Support: What evidence from the text can you cite to back up your claims?

SEE QUESTIONS FOR RHETORICAL ANALASIS HANDOUT FOR MORE SPECIFIC HELP. DO

NOT WRITE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS AS YOUR ESSAY.

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Rhetorical Analysis

CAVEATS:

Do not argue your own opinion of the issue presented in the article. Your opinion on the issue

discussed in the article should NOT be stated--only your evaluation of how effectively the author

presents the information to the intended (or unintended) audience.

Feel free to point out bias flaws presented in the author's work.

Do not simply summarize. Some summary may be necessary, but most of your paper should be

ANALYSIS centered around an evaluative THESIS which makes a CLAIM about the text.

Do not simply list all the rhetorical strategies you find in the text. The strategies you choose to

examine should contribute to your evaluative thesis about the effectiveness of the text. Some

rhetorical strategies will have no bearing on your particular thesis.

Submit all work in a two pocket folder:

All prewriting materials, rough drafts, peer editing, worksheets, this assignment sheet

Cover memo reflecting upon the work completed

Final draft in MLA format STAPLED, including a Works Cited page

EVALUATION

Your work will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Elements of the

assignment Assessment Criteria

Context framing Does the introduction frame the argument (of YOUR paper, not

the article's) in its rhetorical context? Evaluative thesis

Does the thesis analyze the article’s effectiveness as an

argument or the use of language to explore purpose, bias, or

audience?

Textual support Is specific textual evidence (examples and quotations from the

article) provided to support the thesis? Elements Analyzed

Are the article's argument components (claims, appeals,

arrangement, rhetorical situation and rhetorical strategies)

identified and analyzed?

Objective analysis Is there analysis of the text without arguing with the text?

Arrangement Does the arrangement of the text flow logically from one idea to

another? Writer’s Style

Are the writer’s choices regarding diction, tone, and phrasing

appropriate and consistent to engage the intended audience

(the instructor)? Grammatical

Proficiency/Format Does the writer demonstrate competent grammar, usage, and

mechanics? Is the paper written in MLA format?

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Rhetorical Analysis

RUBRIC

Please staple this assignment and grading sheet to the back of your assignment.

Elements of the assignment Assessment Context framing


Evaluative Thesis


Textual Support


Elements Analyzed


Objective Analysis


Arrangement


Writer’s Style


Grammatical Proficiency/Format


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Assignment 6C

UNIT 3

RHETORICAL

ANALYSIS

PEER DRAFT: WEDNESDAY, 10/8 FINAL DRAFT: FRIDAY, 10/15

In class, we practiced analyzing rhetorical situations, looking at how

meaning is created by rhetors in various texts. We looked at images (Gaga,

Obama cartoons), read academic texts (Grant-Davie, Kleine), and even

discussed how your teachers create rhetorical situations through their

syllabi. For this assignment, you will be practicing these skills by analyzing

the rhetorical situations described in three texts of your choice. All of these

texts must discuss the same issue, and must come from different sources

(please see the sample topics and texts posted on Webcourses before

deciding on your topic and sources).

Once your texts and topics have been chosen and approved, your job is to

explain why these sources disagree (this is your “thesis”), particularly by

analyzing the rhetorical situation created in each article. Use the

language introduced by Grant-Davie (rhetors, audience, exigence,

constraints) to discuss the rhetorical situations. Research the authors

and consider their backgrounds. How may these backgrounds influence

the perspectives of the rhetors? Look at the language used in each article.

What do the specific words used by the rhetors suggest about their

perspective? If an article seems “neutral,” chances are that you are not

looking closely enough. Consider all parts of the article and its

background before presenting your argument. Think about the activities

we did in class--how did we know that the political cartoons were biased?

Remember that the “point” of this paper is not for you to tell me your

perspective on the issue discussed in your articles. I don’t care what you

think about the legalization of marijuana, but I may be interested in hearing

your opinion on how a politician may be pushing for

legalization based on his own agenda.

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Your argument must:

- Make multiple, direct references to all of your texts (convince me with

examples!)

- Focus on how the RHETORS handle the topic that you have chosen,

and use Grant- Davie’s constituents in your description.

- Be free from your personal opinions on the issue that

you are analyzing. Your paper must:

- Have a clear THESIS that explains why these sources disagree

- Be detailed enough to support your thesis (examples!).

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Assignment 2D

Unit Four Assignment:

Portfolio Reflection Due:

with your portfolio

(4/29)

Objectives:

• To demonstrate that you understand the major goals for this writing class

• To create a working definition of “good writing,” and to apply that to your own work this semester

• To analyze your work in order to demonstrate ways you have grown as a writer, reader, and

researcher

• To indicate specific aspects of your work and highlight accomplished goals of the class

The final version of this reflection will be included in your portfolio, and it will be the first

text I read before examining the rest of your work from this semester. This will take the

form of a letter, written by you and addressed to me. This letter will frame your portfolio

and help me understand what to look for in your portfolio. In the reflection you will

construct your own definition of good writing, and then apply that definition to the work

you have done this semester. You can organize the reflection letter as you see fit. Headings

might be helpful.

This letter will consist of two parts:

Part One

In our first unit, you wrote an essay explaining how the idea of “good writing” is a construct.

You demonstrated that “good writing” is an idea that people define in many different ways, and,

as you learned, some of these definitions work and some of them don’t. Given all that you have

learned this semester, you will construct your own working definition of what you now

consider to be good writing. Just as Grant--‐Davie worked from a variety of different sources to

construct his definition of ‘rhetorical situation,’ so will you work from sources you have read

this semester to construct your definition. Be sure to include (and explicitly refer to) readings

from all four units:

• Unit One: How Readers and Writers Construct Meaning (Grant--‐Davie, Williams, Kantz)

• Unit Two: Writing Processes (Lamott, Perl, Berkenkotter and Murray, Rose)

• Unit Three: Discourse Communities (Swales, Mirabelli, Wardle)

• Unit Four: Academic Literacy (McCarthy, Penrose and Geisler)

Part Two

Use your definition of good writing to show me how you have grown as a writer this semester.

Take the definition you created in part one and apply it specifically to the work you’ve done

this semester. You should individually discuss each paper you wrote, but you should also

discuss your general learning over the course of the semester, and then use this evidence to

argue for what grade you should receive on your portfolio. You must provide specific

examples from your own work and from the readings we’ve done this semester.

Some questions to consider for each section:

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Individual Papers

• What was your process for writing this paper?

• How and why did you revise?

• What did you revise?

• How has the paper changed?

• What are its strengths and weaknesses?

• What did you learn from writing and revising this paper?

General Learning

• What did you learn from the writing you did in this class—from your discussion of

“good writing” as a construct, autoethnography, discourse community ethnography,

reading responses? What did you learn about yourself as a writer and/or about the

topics you wrote about? Have you learned to enjoy any kinds of writing you did not

engage in before? Go back and re--‐read your writing from this semester before you

answer this question.

• What are your writing processes now, both for academic and non--‐academic writing? What do you

need to do personally as a writer to write well?

• What are your strengths and weaknesses right now as a writer and researcher?

• What have you learned about reading from this class—did you learn to read new kinds of texts or to

read differently than you did before? Did you gain or lose confidence as a reader?

• What have you learned about research from this class—what constitutes a good,

meaningful research project and question? What kinds of time and effort are required

for a good research project? What steps or processes might be involved?

• What would you do differently if you could do some of your projects again?

• What reading and writing assignments do you expect to face in future university courses and what will

you need to do in terms of process and preparation to write and research well in the

future?

Portfolio Grade

• What grade do you believe you deserve on the portfolio given the work you have

completed? Remember the portfolio grade is not based on effort (though effort

undoubtedly helps the quality of your writing). The portfolio grade is based on your

final written products, which demonstrate how well you read, how carefully you

researched, how well you wrote, and how much you revised. Provide careful evidence

to support your argument for the grade you deserve. ***This means referring to specific

papers and quoting or referring to specific major changes.***

• As you write your reflection, you should provide evidence for every claim that you

make. Refer to various texts you have included in your portfolio to provide evidence

for the claims you are making. For example, you might say,

“As I explained in my definition, good writing means understanding your

rhetorical situation. At the beginning of the semester, I had a hard time

understanding the assigned reading and engaging with the work because I

didn’t understand how to analyze the audience and exigence for many of the

articles. My response to Keith Grant--‐Davie’s article on rhetorical situation

demonstrates this; clearly I’m not familiar with his lexis when I describe

exigence as ‘the

easiest way to get out of a movie theater’ (1). However, over the semester my

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reading habits improved because I learned to find the writer’s ‘moves’

(Swales) and main points, take notes in the margin, and re--‐read difficult

sections. Once I learned how to analyze the rhetorical

situation of each article, I was better able to look at the big picture , and

identify ideas that would apply to me and my work. You can see this in my

final paper, which engages with the main ideas of Swales, Mirabelli, and

Wardle in order to present my own argument about my discourse

community. Because I understood that I was not the intended audience for

the articles, I was able to avoid getting caught up in the detailed theoretical

backgrounds of the readings, and focus on the major arguments and methods

instead.”

Format

Your final letter should be submitted at the beginning of your portfolio. Essays should be:

• Typed, double spaced

• 12 pt. readable font

• Cited in MLA format, including parenthetical citations and a works cited page

• However many pages it takes you to do a thorough reflection (but I would imagine you couldn’t do a thorough job in less than 4--‐6 pages)

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Assignment 3D

Paper 4: Analysis of University Writing

BACKGROUND

This last chapter ties the material of the course together by applying the concepts we’ve discussed in units 1-3 to the writing you’ll do elsewhere in college. As you’ll see, writing in the university isn’t necessarily comprised of some blanket set of moves and skills that can be applied to every discipline; each field has its own set of conventions in terms of genres, research, the sort of knowledge that’s valued, etc. If you can begin to recognize how and why these conventions are discipline-specific, you’ll be better equipped to tackle the wide variety of writing challenges you’ll face in the university.

ASSIGNMENT

For this paper, you’ll need to find out something about how writing is used in different classrooms/ majors/disciplines in the university. Then, you’ll need to organize your research into a researched argument paper in which you present and analyze your data in order to defend a specific thesis. Some possible questions to consider answering include ■ What did you not learn in high school about writing that you

need to know in college? ■ What genres do most students write in college? What are their conventions? ■ How is writing used in different classes? What does this reflect about the discipline/major? ■ How much assistance in regards to writing can students expect from professors? What does

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this assistance look like from discipline to discipline?

■ How does the writing of first-year students compare to that of upperclassmen? How does student writing change during time spent in college? ■ How does writing in college compare to academic writing in the

field? ■ Why is there not one standard formula for writing at the university? If there’s not one standard, how can students figure out how to write appropriately? You’ll need to get two types of research for this assignment—the college writing log and interview(s)— both of which are described below. The College Writing Log For the next several weeks, keep a log that tracks your experiences writing across all your classes. You should record the following information: 1.) What are you asked to write? What’s the genre? What seems to be the purpose of the writing assignment? 2.) What instructions are you given? How much time does your instructor spend explaining the assignment? What is he or she looking for? How do you know? Do you talk with others about the assignment? 3.) What feedback are you given? How well do you do? What sorts of comments do you receive? Do you understand the grade/comments? Be sure to keep any handouts/assignment sheets you’re given, as these will be worth analyzing. Also, look back at and consider any writing

assignments you’ve done throughout the semester.

The Interviews Ask if you can speak to a professor (either of a class you’re currently in or in the major you’d like to pursue) or interview at least one upperclassman to get some information about how writing works in different parts of the university. Some possible interview questions include ■ What sorts of texts do you read in conjunction with your

major/discipline? ■ How do you evaluate the claims the authors of these texts make? ■ What do you do when the authors you read disagree? ■ What sorts of texts do you write on a regular basis in conjunction with your major/discipline? How do you know how to construct them? ■ How is writing used in your classes? Format: At least 4-6 pages, typed, MLA, researched argument, include college writing log and transcripts of interviews in process folder Last day to turn in initial graded submission: Friday, December 4

*All homework is listed directly below the day it is due. Have it ready to submit at the

start of class. If a reading has been assigned, have it read and annotated

and be ready for discussion and a quiz.

Monday, November 9 - PAPER 3 DUE Wednesday, November 11 - NO CLASS/VETERAN’S DAY

Friday, November 13 - Discourse Communities in the University

Read: Joseph Harris’s “The Idea of Community in the Study of Writing” IAWW p. 383-395

Journal: Harris agrees with David Bartholomae that we “write not as isolated

individuals but as members of communities whose beliefs, concerns, and practices both

instigate and constrain, at least in part, the sorts of things we can say” (386). Later, Harris

agrees with Roland Barthes, adding, “We do not write simply as individuals, but we do not

write simply as members of a community either” (392). What are Harris, Bartholomae, and

Barthes saying here? Think of some examples to illustrate what they might mean. You might

also evaluate Harris’ claim that “students are no more wholly ‘outside’ the discourse of the

university than [their teachers] are wholly ‘within’ it” (392).

Monday, November 16 - What Students Write in the University

Bring in a specific research question that you’d like your paper to answer. Beneath it,

write a brief explanation of why an answer to that question would be valuable to your audience

for Paper 4. Also, bring in what you have of your college writing log so far.

Wednesday, November 18 - Authority in University Writing

Read: Ann Penrose and Cheryl Geisler’s “Reading and Writing Without Authority” IAWW p. 404-420

Journal: The authors argue that the difference between Roger’s and Janet’s texts stem

from a difference in their views of knowledge. They argue that Janet has been trained in an

“information-transfer model” of knowledge (415) while Roger sees “the development of

knowledge as a communal and continual process” (also known as the constructivist model of

knowledge) (417). Explain the differences between the two models and then consider your

own writing. Is it more like Roger’s or Janet’s? Support your answer with specific examples.

Friday, November 20 - Working with the Research

YOU WILL NEED TO HAVE GATHERED YOUR RESEARCH BY THIS POINT

Type up a short (1-2 pages) report that explains the research you’ve found so far.

This report should explain what you’ve found that’s most interesting, what’s been most

surprising, what you’d still like to know, and what possible answers you’ve found to your

research question. Also, bring all your relevant research to class (interview transcripts,

college writing log, assignment sheets, etc.).

Monday, November 23 - Navigating the “Strange Lands” of the University

Read: Lucille McCarthy’s “A Stranger in Strange Lands: A College Student Writing Across the Curriculum” IAWW

p. 450

-477

Journal: Do you find the same variance in expectations of your writing from class to

class that Dave experiences, or are the expectations you encounter more consistent? What

have been your strategies so far for handling any differing expectations you’re finding? Does

McCarthy’s work give you any ideas for different strategies?

Wednesday, November 25 - NO CLASS/GO TO YOUR PORTFOLIO CONFERENCE & REVISE PAPERS

Friday, November 27 - NO CLASS/THANKSGIVING

Monday, November 30 - NO CLASS/GO TO YOUR PORTFOLIO CONFERENCE & REVISE PAPERS

Wednesday, December 2 - Writing Workshop #4

Bring two copies of a completed draft of your Paper 4 (at least 4-6 pages) for the fourth writing workshop.

Friday, December 4 - PAPER 4 DUE/PORTFOLIO REVIEW BOARDS Monday, December 7 - LAST DAY OF CLASS/PORTFOLIO REVIEW BOARDS

Final Exam Period - PORTFOLIO PRESENTATION

Documents

Recommendation Letter Ms Tappan - PBworksenglishjohnson.pbworks.com/f/Combined syllabi and Assignment Descriptions.pdffinal portfolio of assignments is worth 15 points out of a possible