Fall 2004
MWF 9:00-9:50
New Science 227
Instructor: Liz Wilkinson
Office: 02 Petty
Office Phone: 334-3294
Email: elwilkin@uncg.edu
Office Hours: MWF 10:00-11:00 and by appointment
This course is designed to help you become better readers, writers, and critical thinkers. With a little luck, this course will help you devise strategies in other college and career writing. In this class your voice and style will not be banned; as a matter of fact, they are required. To be successful, develop your writing persona, an awareness of audience, and a sense of purpose; these are what will make your rhetoric stronger.
We’ll all be reading our work out loud at times. We’ll discuss how to develop tone (persona), how to develop and manipulate ideas (message/purpose), and how readers (audience) affect both persona and message. We will have a lot of discussions, in small groups and as a class. These groups (and your work in them) will be an important part of your success. Ultimately, through this class, I hope you develop confidence in your writing, recognize the writing tools you already own, and take fun (fun?!) and interesting rhetorical chances. The best writers do take chances. Save all drafts of your work!
Some of my goals for you include:
Learning to write your variation of four different types of essays:
? Personal narrative
? Literary and/or visual analysis
? Ethnography
? Argument
Save all drafts of your work to include in your portfolios!
Evaluating and using some basic/sophisticated tools for composition:
? Aristotle’s triangle—persona, audience, message/purpose
? First, second, and third person—I, you, they
? Paragraph unity, paragraph structures, and topic sentences
? Types of appeals—ethos, pathos, logos
Using grammar/punctuation as tools rather than rules (these are on e-reserve):
? Semicolons with independent clauses
? Colons and appositives
? Commas with “FANBOYS,” non-restrictives, and intro phrases
? Punctuation with quotation marks
? MLA in-text citation and works cited
? Integrating quotations and paraphrases
Also see “University Student Learning Goals” listed on our Blackboard
site.
What you need to succeed…
Books (available at the bookstore on campus and at Addams on Tate St.):
? Writing Logically, Thinking Critically edited by Cooper and Patton
? The Middle of Everywhere by Mary Pipher
? Writing Matters UNCG English department publication
Other Stuff:
? You must have a UNCG email account and access to Blackboard and e-reserve!
MUST! VERY IMPORTANT! CAN’T STRESS THIS TOO MUCH!
? A folder in which you can keep journal writings
? Your choice of notebook or folder and paper for in-class writings
? Metal tab folder or skinny 3-ring binder for portfolio(s)
Don’t Miss Out or be Unfashionably Late
Because this class is rooted firmly in the belief that learning is not achieved
through osmosis or any other passive means, attendance is required at every
class session. Your learning (and your grade) is based on in-class discussion,
group work, and writing (see below); therefore your chances for success are
greatly increased with regular attendance. Missing more than three classes
will lower your grade for this course. If you miss more than nine classes,
you will not pass this course. Being late makes me mad. Finally, if you come
to class, but I have a hard time distinguishing you from plant life, you’re
not really in class. And, hey, I know 9 a.m. comes early; feel free to bring
in coffee and/or breakfast.
Talk to Me
Throughout this course you will be required to have two individual conferences
with me. We’ll have one at mid-term, so we can take a look at a “grade-so-far”;
the other conference time/day is up to you to choose. You’re also welcome
to have as many additional conferences as you’d like. Stop by during
office hours or make an appointment. These are opportunities for you to get
some individual assistance with the papers you are writing. Failure to show
up, prepared, for a scheduled conference will negatively affect your grade.
How to Be
Have respect for yourself, your classmates, and me, your instructor. I like
to think of this class as a safe zone. In here, you will encounter opinions
that are drastically different from your own. You may be exposed to ideas and
cultures that you have never encountered. Don’t worry; that’s a
good thing. I ask that each member of our class be allowed to express her or
his views (even those that are unpopular) without having to endure personal
attacks. Diversity is great for discussion. Be part of the action in small
groups and in class discussion. Be bold; the class needs to hear your voice.
Also, please turn off your cell phones, ipods, and pagers, etc.
Cheaters Never Prosper
Plagiarism: it’s theft of thought; don’t do it. If you have any
questions regarding what constitutes plagiarism, please see me. Otherwise,
please understand that it is a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy and
is grounds for failing an assignment, and, potentially, the course. No one
wants that, so please know that I value your ideas—no need to look elsewhere.
Need Some Assistance?
Writing Center (I am the Assistant Director—feel free to search me out
there):
The Writing Center, McIver 101, is for any writer at any level who wants some
qualified, outside input on any essay for any class. Call for an appointment,
334-3125, or just drop in.
Disability Service:
If you have any sort of disability that could affect your performance in the
class or for which you need accommodation, please contact me and/or the Office
of Disability Services at 334-5440.
The Way to an ‘A’
This is where many of you will get nervous. The grading in this course is unlike
the method that many of you may have experienced. Grades will only be given
twice during the semester: a “grade-so-far” at midterm and a final
grade at the end of the semester. On essays, you will actually receive useful
feedback that will guide you in the revision process and a very general grade
range that lets you know where your paper sits before revision. If you are
ever concerned about your progress, please come by my office; we’ll talk
about how you’re doing.
Late Policy: Journals need to come in on time. You have two “Freebies” that
allow you to be one class day late. After that, if they are late, you lose
two points per day. Via the “On-time Drafts” portion of your grade
(10%), you get rewarded for turning in essay drafts on time. You simply forfeit
2.5% of your grade for every late essay. Portfolios must be in on time.
Final grades will be based on the following criteria:
Participation 20% (group work, in-class writing, writing workshops,
readings, discussion, etc.)
Journal 20% (out-of-class, typed writing, graded on a 0-10 scale)
On-time Drafts 10% (see dates on course schedule)
Portfolio 50% (mid-term and final) SAVE DRAFTS to include in here!
General Class Schedule for English 101-5, Fall 2004
Be aware that this schedule will change; to be current with what is due and
when, you have to be in class every day. This schedule lists due dates
and other important dates that you need to be aware of. You will receive
more
detailed, day-by-day schedules as we begin working on each different essay.
Essay #1—Personal Narrative Monday, 8/16 – Friday, 9/10
Friday, 8/20 Journal #1 due
Friday, 8/27 Journal #2 due
Friday, 9/3 Journal #3 due
Monday, 9/6 Labor Day holiday—No Class
Friday, 9/10 Complete draft of essay #1 is due!
Essay #2—Literary or Advertisement Analysis Friday, 9/10 – Friday, 10/1
Friday, 9/17 Journal #4 due
Friday, 9/24 Journal #5 due
Friday, 10/1 Complete draft of essay #2 is due!
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6: MID-TERM PORTFOLIO IS DUE!
Failure to turn in a mid-term portfolio will drop your final grade by one full
letter; e.g. B- becomes C-.
Essay #3—Ethnography Monday, 10/4 – Friday, 10/29
Monday, 10/11 Fall Break/Indigenous Peoples Survival Day (Columbus Day)—No
Class
Friday, 10/15 Journal #6 due
Monday, 10/18 No Class—scheduled one-on-one student/instructor conferences
Monday, 10/18 and
Tuesday, 10/19 Scheduled one-on-one student/instructor conferences
Friday, 10/22 Journal #7 due
Friday, 10/29 Complete draft of essay #3 is due!
Essay #4—Argument Friday, 10/29 – Wednesday, 12/1
Friday, 11/5 Journal #8 due
Friday, 11/12 Journal #9 due
Friday, 11/19 Journal #10 due
Monday, 11/22 No Class—canceled (I have a conference to go to.)
Wednesday, 11/24 and
Friday, 11/26 Thanksgiving holiday—No Class
Wednesday, 12/1 Complete draft of essay #4 is due!
Friday, 12/3 Class “Open Mic”— read a 2-4 minute passage
of your writing
Monday, 12/6 Class “Open Mic”— read a 2-4 minute passage
of your writing
and…Final Portfolios are due!
TBA Final Portfolios returned and final grade awarded