ENGLISH 1103Writing and Inquiry in Academic Contexts I and II

FALL 2014 BARBARA PRESNELL Office hours: MT 2-3University Writing Programs and by appointment 140 Cameron Hallbpresnel@uncc.edu “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

--Theodore Roosevelt

WHAT THIS COURSE IS ABOUT AND WHAT IT’S NOT ABOUT

This is a writing class most likely like none you've had before. Our focus is not literature or grammar or formula writing; it's on thinking and writing what matters--to you, to me, to your classmates, to your community. You’ll have much more freedom in both the subjects you write about and your approaches to them than you’ve had in the past. We are not in the business of writing poetry or short stories; we're writing essays that are research-based. Some of that search is primary--personal experience, interview, field work of various kinds---and some is secondary--library, Internet, documents of various kinds. In all cases, you will choose subjects and gather material for writing which will deepen your thinking and advance your writing skills along the way.

TIME, PLACE, AND IDENTITY: CLUES TO WHO WE ARE

As writers this semester, we are explorers into history, events, and people who have shaped us, searching for answers to the big question: who and what have made us who we are? Of course, there are a zillion ways each person can answer this question, because there are that many—or more—influences on who we are. Because we don’t have time this semester to write your complete life story and investigate all the various moments that have shaped you, your task will be to choose one unsolved mystery and see what you can find out. For example, maybe you know that your ancestors came to this country from Ireland during the potato famine in the late 1800’s, but you don’t know much more than that. Maybe you have a distant cousin who was declared a saint but you don’t know why. Maybe your family has a recipe collection that goes back three generations, but you can’t imagine your ancient ancestor cooking in her fireplace the same meals you serve up for Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe your parents are always talking about something called Operation Peter Pan, and you have no idea why it matters to them (or you). (These are all topics that have been explored in past semesters.)

We’ll start the semester reading and studying the stories others have told about their own mysteries: the saga of Henrietta Lacks and her famous cells is a fascinating look at science and racism; Michael Jennings’s “The Search for My Father,” is an intriguing tale of self-discovery; photos and artifacts from your everyday life will reveal mysteries you never imagined. During our reading and exploration of others’ journeys, you’ll be trying out ideas of your own, so that by mid-semester, you’ll have found the perfect mystery of your own to research and solve.

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WHAT I BELIEVE ABOUT WRITING

First, I believe you will do your best writing when you are writing about something that matters to you. That’s why YOU and not I will choose the topic you’ll spend your semester exploring. Second, I believe writing serves two essential purposes. First, when you write privately, knowing no one will read what you write, you can make your way through the muck of ideas in your brain and find clarity. For that reason, you’ll do a lot of writing that is yours and yours alone. Second, when you write TO someone else, whether you know that person by name or whether you’re sending your words out to the world, you want your ideas to be understood. You have to write clearly and with detail so that others will know exactly what it is you are trying to say. For that reason, you’ll also write this semester for an audience. Sometimes that audience may be your classmates and me. Sometimes it will be the world at large.

Third, I believe writing at the college level is not learned, it is practiced. You’ve been writing now for 12+ years, and you know how to do it (yawn). If you don't know how to put a sentence together by now, you're in trouble in more ways than this class can help. Therefore, as you’ll see, we won't be studying grammar. I won't be micro-grading your essays, marking errors or taking off points for misuse of commas or misspelled words. Does that mean you don't need to pay attention to such things? Absolutely not. It means you make decisions on your own about how best to express your ideas, and that includes application of the nuances of the language, such as mechanics, syntax, style, tone, and more that are available to us. To write well, and to write better, you will think critically about those decisions and experiment with better and even better ways of communicating your ideas.

WHAT WE WILL BE DOING IN THIS CLASS

Writing, reading, revising, chasing down information, workshopping, analyzing, understanding, challenging, building a portfolio. And more.

There is so much to do and yet so little time to do it in. Rather than load you up with readings and work we don’t get around to discussing or using, I’d rather choose assignments directly related to the writing you’re going to complete.

Think of the semester as a series of steps, say, up to the top of the Empire State Building or the Philadephia Museum of Art (think Rocky). You could no more make it from the bottom step to the top in one leap than you could leap through our semester activities from day one to eportfolio. Each activity and assignment builds on the next. Some will be more valuable to your particular step-climb than others, but all will matter to somebody.

BOTTOM STEPS

We’ll start with a series of exploratory readings and writings that include essays, photographs, field trips, forum discussions with your classmates on Moodle, homework assignment uploads, in-class exercises, and more. Key word here is exploratory, for during these weeks, you will be searching for a topic for your inquiry project. We’ll do a good bit of talking about that, a good bit of very directed writing, and group work activities designed to help you brainstorm your direction as much as possible.

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QUARTER OF THE WAY UP

You, working in a small group, will design and present a multimedia project that responds to our random readings from the bottom rungs. In the project and using our reading and discussions as your basis of thought, you’ll respond to the questions: how do we know who we are? how does history shape us? what influences who we become? how do others shape us?

HALFWAY

At mid-term, before you head off to your long weekend, you will write an official Proposal for your inquiry topic. You’ll also meet briefly with me for approval of your topic. I’ll approve most anything, but I’ve been doing this long enough that I can often see dead ends, false starts, book length volumes, or one-page possibilities before they happen, and my job is to ward them off by helping you get started in the right direction. You’ll also write a mid-term reflection on your progress so far.

THREE QUARTERS UP

After break, all of your time, energy, and class assignments, large and small, will be devoted to exploring your topic. This is not your typical research project, as you’ll find out, and research may include field studies, interviews, blowing the dust off old photos and letters, delving into basements and cellars. And, yes, there will also be library and computer research. You’ll build a working bibliography (sometimes called an annotated bibliography or evaluative Works Cited) that synthesizes ideas. You’ll create a visual of your findings to share with the class, and finally, you’ll write. As you can see, this inquiry project is the main assignment of the semester.

THE TOP STEP

At last, at semester’s end, you’ll complete an end-of-semester reflection that will include your thoughts—with examples—on your growth as a writer during the semester. This will complete your eportfolio of writing, upon which your final grade will be based.

SMALL GROUP WORK AND CRITIQUE

You’ll work through several drafts before you’ll call your essays finished, and in the process will work on Google docs with a critique group of your peers. While stress-inducing to think about (“I hate having other people read what I write!”—sound familiar?), I think you’ll find Google docs to be not only a useful but also a pleasant experience. Your group, formed early on in the semester, will be a steady source of information and feedback throughout the semester.

Remember, as I do: writing is not an act that takes place between a student and teacher. Writing is about communicating with others an idea about which you feel strongly and write passionately. The world is your audience.

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REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS AND MATERIALS

1) Required readings and assignments will be on Moodle. I expect you to read every one, write thoughtfully about every one, and be ready to discuss each in class, both as a piece of writing we can learn from and as an essay whose content may have something to teach us. You will often want to print readings and bring them to class. You will want to annotate and highlight your responses as you read and reflect.

2) A notebook for daily writing in class, notes, and other pertinent scribbles. This can be a composition book dedicated to writing, or it can be a section of a larger notebook. Some of your daily writings may be compiled and housed online.

Other readings, assignments, forum discussions, grades, and daily assignments will be posted on Moodle.

HOW FINAL GRADES WILL BE DETERMINED

I’ll be honest: I hate grades. I hate the process of assigning grades to your work in progress because so much of what we will do is work-in-progress. But, however much grades are the bane of our education system, we all have to admit that they serve as a motivator. So, we’ll play along, I’ll do my best at assessing your work based on an established but arbitrary set of criteria, and you will know how you “stand” as the semester progresses and how to either firm up or weaken that stance.

So, you’ll get two grades:

1) Mid-term grade

Your mid-term grade will be based on two things: 1—your successful completion of ALL assigned daily in-class writing, homework, class

participation, group work, and the successful completion, with your group, of your multimedia project, and your thoughtful, well-designed Proposal for your inquiry project. Missing work = lowered grade.

2—your mid-term reflection: how well do YOU think you are doing?

Note: mid-term grades tend to be high. That is because the type of work we are doing in the first half is easily completed, and your motivation to do well is high. Don’t let this mid-term grade give you false confidence. An A as your mid-term grade does not mean an A on your final. Keep up the good work, get ready to delve into the nitty-gritty of the inquiry project, and aim high for the rest of the semester.

2) Final grade

25% of this grade will be your mid-term grade

25% of this grade will be daily work for the semester (consider that each one will count approximately 5 points towards a total of 100.)

25% of this grade will be actual grades (0-100) on the parts of your Inquiry/Investigation. Proposal (25%)Evaluated Works Cited (25%)

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Presentation (25%)Essay (25%)

25% of this grade will be your final eportfolio.

I use the traditional 100 point scale. It’s almost impossible to receive 100 except on homework, which is a completion grade. A grade of 100 indicates “perfect,” indicates there is not one thing you can do to make it better. As a writer myself, I believe there is almost always a way to make something better.

You will participate heartily and enthusiastically in the critiquing and revising process. In this class, writing isn’t about getting it “right” to suit the teacher; it’s about making the best decisions to create the best piece of writing possible.

A NOTE ABOUT GRADES: You’re in a class now where everyone was a top high school student, and you all earned and received a lot of A’s. You may expect A’s in college, and you may well earn them. But, it’s not as simple as turning in your work. In short:

An A student is exceptional in all ways—revises work as often as necessary to make it the best it can be, goes above and beyond

in forum responses and homework assignments, seeks additional help, when needed, from the teacher or other resources. An A student gets involved in the learning process, doesn’t just do assignments for the grade. An A student may not be the most talented writer but works to be the best he or she can be. An A student isn’t satisfied with first attempts or simple responses or reflection. An A student is the exception, not the rule.

Everyone is capable of earning an A. Everyone is also capable of earning a B, C, D, or F.

HOW TO EARN AN A: Complete ALL assignments, thoughtfully, whether they are low, medium, or high stakes assignments. Take advantage of my office hours. Work well with your group, in and out of class. Don’t miss more than 3 classes (don’t miss ANY classes). Challenge yourself.

A NOTE ABOUT LATE WORK: Late work is not accepted without penalty. That goes for homework as well as major assignments. Moodle tells me when you’ve turned in something past deadline. However, if you are late, turn it in anyway, because at the end of the semester if you end up with a borderline grade, those things matter. You’ll also want a full semester’s work for your eportfolio. If a situation arises in which you need extra time, talk with me before the due date.

A NOTE ABOUT COMPLETING ALL WORK TO PASS: ALL four parts of the Inquiry project AND the two reflections (mid-term and final) must be completed in order to pass the class.

ABSENCE POLICY

There are no excused absences. I expect you to be in class with your assignments and readings complete every day. Expect a reduction in your final grade to begin after your 3rd absence, generally at 10 points per absence after 3.

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That said, there are legitimate reasons why everyone, including me, must occasionally miss class. That’s why the 3 absences are there for you. Don’t miss class early on in the semester just because you don’t feel like coming. Chances are you’ll need that absence later in the semester when flu season starts up or you’re up late studying for a chemistry exam or working in studio.

Classroom decorum:

1) No cellphones allowed. Don't rely on a smart phone for in-class work. Laptops and tablets in class should be used for appropriate classroom activity. No exceptions.

2) If you need to use the bathroom, get a drink of water, make an emergency phone call, or step out of the classroom for any reason, you do not need to ask my permission. Just get up, with the least amount of fanfare possible, and go.

3) If you are having a problem with me, a project or assignment, another student, or anything that interferes with your doing your best work, please come talk to me. It does no good to hold it till the semester is over. Now is when we can work through disagreements, misunderstandings, or any other important problems. I am here to enhance your college writing experience, not impede it. Let's work on that together.

4) Be mindful of others in the class and don't be late, annoying, disruptive, domineering, crabby, mean, giddy, asleep, unprepared, flippant, bored, boring, or any other negative adjective. This is your life; you are in charge of how it plays out.

WORKSHOPPING

With the goal in mind of making you an independent writer and editor, we will workshop the major assignments and many of the minor ones. This includes your completion of an online review of your peers' work. This can be uncomfortable for some who are accustomed to the teacher as the sole authority, doling out judgments and critique. Get used to the idea that not only are you capable of making those judgments but your classmates also have a critical response worth considering carefully.

OTHER IMPORTANT CLASSROOM PRACTICES AND SUGGESTIONS

You’ll benefit from remembering these suggestions:

Save all your work in a storage unit like Dropbox or on a flash drive and NOT on your computer’s hard drive. If your personal computer crashes or you forget your flash drive, you STILL need to be able to access your work. Create folders for projects and save all drafts. We’ll use Moodle often for assignments and storage.

I’ll open a Moodle assignment box for most homework assignments, especially for the first half of the semester. In many cases, I’ll ask you to bring to class a copy of what we’re working on, whether a reading or writing assignment. Sometimes an online copy will work; sometimes it will not. Do all of your homework before you come to class.

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Be respectful of others’ opinions. Do not dominate class discussion. Class discussions are a great way to stimulate ideas and interest, but unless everyone participates in a respectful, thoughtful manner, they can be more negative than positive.

There is no such thing as successful multi-tasking. I know you don’t believe me, because you’re a member of Gen Z, but there’s lots of evidence to prove it! Control your obsessions the best you can.

CAMPUS POLICIES AND OTHER STUFF I AM COMPELLED TO TELL YOU

Most of these are campus-wide policies, applicable in all classes. Some are class-specific.

Plagiarism:

All of the university policies concerning plagiarism apply to this class. It is NEVER all right to use someone else’s work and call it your own. There are occasions when I will allow use of images you find on the Internet, and in documenting an idea, you may need to use someone’s research. In these and ALL other cases, you MUST cite your sources. There are hefty consequences for plagiarism, and I don’t want you to have to receive them.

If you do plagiarize work, you will be reported to the Dean of Student Affairs. We will spend more class time reviewing policies and going over correct use of sources. The school policy is also my policy. Please see me whenever you have any questions.

Documented Disabilities:

Students who have a disability or condition which may impair their ability to complete assignments or otherwise satisfy course criteria should meet with me to identify, discuss, and document any feasible instructional modifications or accommodations. Please inform me as soon as possible after a disability or condition is diagnosed, whichever occurs earliest. For information and auxiliary assistance, contact Disability Services.

Our diversity-friendly classroom:

I’m a Safe Zone ally. It matters a great deal to me that UNC Charlotte—and this class—strives to create an academic climate in which the dignity of all individuals is respected and maintained. Therefore, we celebrate diversity that includes, but is not limited to ability/disability, age, culture, ethnicity, gender, language, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status. I will ask you often to explore outside your comfort zone, to discover people, places, and subjects about which you may know very little. The purpose of such exercises is to expand your worldview and help you grow into a person with sensitivities beyond your current experiences. If at any time you find yourself in a situation in which you feel threatened, either literally or emotionally, please let me know immediately. I will, of course, maintain confidentiality in all such discussions.

The Writing Resources Center: The Writing Resources Center is available for your use in two campus locations, Cameron and Atkins Library. I encourage you to take drafts of your papers for review by skilled writing instructors and tutors.

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Visit the webpage to schedule an appointment or search the database for helpful information about writing.

AND FINALLY. . .

In this 21st century global culture, where things are changing more quickly than you can find a place to park your car on campus, I believe four things are crucial for your success, not just in a writing class but also in life. You need:

to make smart decisions about technology

to make critical distinctions between trustworthy and questionable information

to develop confidence and competence to join conversations about important topics

to write passionately about what matters to you.

In this course this semester, I hope to help you move closer to achieving these goals.

The detail on this list will most likely change, but here’s a general idea of where we’re headed:

Week 1--intro to class, letter to me, freewriting, bullshitting, Week 2—Photography as topic sourceWeek 3—Henrietta Lacks, science, en plein air writingWeek 4—“The Search for My Father,” 1st draft proposal, group multimodal projectWeek 5—group multimodal, meeting with meWeek 6—library working knowledge research, Google docsWeek 7—Google docs, 2nd draft proposalWeek 8—Final draft proposal, work on Mahara

MID-TERM

Week 9—mid-term reflection, library and computer research Week 10—researching, charting, speed-datingWeek 11—research report draft and finalWeek 12—digital presentationsWeek 13—digital presentations, zero draft essay Week 14—Google docsWeek 15—Final essay dueWeek 16—snow days. Eportfolio due on last class day.

There is no final exam. The eportfolio is your capstone assignment for the semester.