Abby Arnold
Office: Petty 01D (the basement of Petty, keep going down the stairs)
Office Hours: W 12:30-2:00, R 12:30-2, by appointment
Phone: 315-1231. Please don’t call after 7pm.
E-Mail: abbyarnold@earthlink.net (Note: I have a spam blocker. If you email
me and don’t hear back within 24 hours, please try again and call me)
English 101 helps you devise strategies you can use in writing. You will learn
skills of composing- how to come up with ideas, get them on paper, revise them
and make them interesting and persuasive to readers. Writing well involves
more than following a set of rules or formulas. It means understanding and
using the relationship between who writers are and who their readers might
be. This class aims to help you understand that relationship by practicing
it.
You must keep every thing we write in this class until the end of the semester.
Learning goals for English 101 include:
Writing and evaluating arguments
Communicating clearly and effectively
Evaluating and using relevant information
Understanding aims and methods of intellectual discourse Evaluating different
viewpoints
Texts:
On Writing: A Process Reader. Wendy Bishop, ed.
Writing Matters
The Brief Penguin Handbook (highly recommended)
Supplies:
A 3 ring notebook with loose leaf paper for journal entries and in class writing
responses
Requirements: 3 polished essays of a total of 15-18 pages, plus all drafts
3 rhetorical situations for each essay, 2-3 pages
Group presentation plus 2-3 page handout for class
Writing journal—3 times a week for 20 minutes of writing time in class
writings and reading responses
group activities at least 1 conference with me portfolio
Policies and grades: Regular attendance and participation is crucial to your
success in this class.
More than 2 absences (a week's worth of class) can compromise your grade. Talk
with me in advance if you're worried about meeting a deadline or missing a
class.
I will not give you a grade on your first two individual papers. I will give
you a grade-so-far before the midterm, which will describe your progress in
the class, but is not your grade for half the class. My comments to you on
journals and papers should give you a sense of my evaluation of your work.
I encourage you to talk with me any time about your grade.
You will be writing at least 2 drafts of each of your essays for the class.
Your active participation in the revision process is the most important element
of your final portfolio grade. Revision does not mean correcting your errors.
It means playing with language, trying new options, being willing to “fail,” or
to hand in a less “perfect” piece in which you explore your ideas
and look at things in new ways. The revision process as used in this class
is to teach you to think over and over about your ideas, to connect with your
essays and make them matter—to you and therefore to all your readers.
You may revise every essay until the day you hand it in with your portfolio.
You may revise your group handout for a higher grade—but only as a group.
I will not accept group work that has been done by less than the full group.
Your final grade will be based on:
20%: Journal. You are required to write 3 journal entries each week, 15-20
minutes each session. Two times a week I will give you the subject matter;
for the others you will write what you want. They will be graded check, plus
and minus. I will collect your entries every Thursday. If you are not in class
that day and do not submit your entries earlier, you will earn a minus for
that 1 week period. I will drop one journal grade at the end of the semester.
15% Group Presentation (including handout grade for your portfolio)
15%: Class Participation and Group Work 50%: Final Portfolio of 3 polished
essays plus group handout( total= 20 pages of writing) with a writer’s
statement, rhetorical situation and all drafts, plus an evaluative letter of
your semester’s work.
Read-a-Round:
The night before your essay is due in the Read-a-Round, you must email Abby
the essay by 7pm. I will make copies and distribute it to the class the next
day.
The Writing Center: I encourage you to use the Writing Center to get new and
different perspectives on your writing. The Center is an extension of our classroom
community and will give you useful feedback. It's in McIver 101 and open M-R
9am-8pm, F 9-3, Sunday nights 6-9.
Fall 2004 Syllabus
Note: This syllabus is almost guaranteed to change. You are responsible for keeping track of all changes.
In addition to the listed journal assignments, you also will have due every week a third journal assignment, a free write of your choice. That makes 3 journal entries each week.
Week One
August 17 Class Introduction
August 19: Anne Lamott p. 319
Richard Marius p. 580
Journal Entry: Discuss your experiences in English class and with writing in
particular—think about how you write, your strengths, areas you could
improve on, what you do when you get an assignment, when do you write it, what
do you focus on, do you write drafts or just one final essay, have you used
the portfolio system before, what types of reading and writing do you enjoy,
what do you not (all of this is called your writing process).
Week Two
August 24 Barbara Mellix, p. 67
Journal—p.115 A
August 26 Amy Tan, p. 96
Journal—p. 115 B
Week Three
August 31 1st Draft Essay One. Bring copies for all your group members
Straub, p. 349
Journal: Freewrite response to reading and/or your first essay
Sept. 2 Group 1, Literacy Narratives Presentation
Everyone else: Journal Assignment p. 117, #4
Week Four
Sept. 7 2nd Draft Essay 1 with Rhetorical Situation
Read-Around. Presenters email Abby your paper by 7pm the night before
Journal: Relate the story of how you revised your paper (set the scene, describe
your attitude, the changes you made, the changes you wished you made, etc.
)
Sept. 9 Intro to Chapter 3, p. 120
Graff p. 137
Journal—freewrite reading response
Week Five
Sept. 14 Fulwiler, p. 170
Journal, p.187 A
Sept. 16 Teague, p. 176
Journal, p. 187 B
Week 6
Sept. 21 1st Draft essay 2. Bring copies for your group
Staples, p. 252
Journal, p. 306 C
Sept. 23 Group 2, Rhetorical Strategies
Everyone else: Journal p. 188 E
Week 7
Sept. 28 2nd Draft Essay 2 with Rhetorical Situation
Read-Around. Presenters E-mail your paper to Abby by 7pm
Midterm Letter to Abby
Sept. 30 Intro Chapter 5, p. 238
Hopkins, p. 247
Journal, p. 305 A and B
Week 8
Midterm Conferences all night, no class
Journal: 2 20 minute freewrite responses to any readings from another class
plus standard free write. Bring to class after fall break.
Week 9
Oct. 12 Fall Break. Have Fun
Oct. 14 Group 3 Form and Organization Presentation
Everyone else: Journal 307 D
Week 10
Oct. 19 Intro Drafting and Responding, p. 312
Dillard p. 339
Godwin 322
Journal: One page letter to class, about possible research topic for paper
Oct. 21 Elbow & Belanoff p. 403
Journal 477 B
Week 11
Oct. 26 Library Day
Journal: What matters to you? What do you want to learn more about?
Is there anyone’s (including yourself) story or life events that you
wished you had more factual information on?
Oct. 28 Group 4 Editing Presentation
Everyone else: Journal: What is your history with the research paper
Week 12
Nov. 2 1st Draft Essay 3. Bring copies to group
Journal: What do you think of your paper? Where do you need to go next? What
kinds of research do you need? What is your plan?
Nov. 4 Group 5 Research Presentations
Everyone else: Crossley, p. 419
Journal: What else in your life do you research? How do you do it? 20 minute
freewrite
Week 13
Nov. 9 Greene, p. 445
Journal: Freewrite 20 minute response
Nov. 11 2nd Draft Essay 3 with Rhetorical Situation.
Read-Around. Email copy to Abby by 7 pm night before
Journal: Discuss the state of your essay
Week 14
Nov. 16 Read-Around.
Journal: page. 606 # 2—Do with all your group members
Nov. 18 Vonnegut p. 623
Journal: Any style exercise on pages 605-615. Use one of your essays for this
class. Bring original and exercise to class to share
Week 15
Nov. 23 Journal. Another style exercise on pages 605-615 (again using an essay
from this class and one style exercise pages 619-622. Bring to class to share.
Nov. 25 Happy Thanksgiving
Week 16
Nov. 30 Portfolio Workshop
Dec. 2 Portfolio Due Abby’s Office by end of class period.