From Self to Community

Our job is to find a voice for our own age.
Nikki Giovanni

Words are a form of action, capable of influencing change.
Ingrid Bengis

Course Description:
Annie Dillard compares the writing process to catching a honeybee and letting it lead us to a honey tree. This class is about catching our thoughts and shaping our words so that they impact others. Whether our words are spoken or written, they have power to change us. Language not only is a tool for communication, but it plays a role in creating events, clarifying thoughts, and influencing behavior. In this class we will examine different writing genres and analyze how authors influence their various audiences. We will find our own writing voices and become aware of how we are communicating to others. Finally, we will learn the effectiveness of both speaking and writing and become better at both through practice and critical analysis.

Learning goals for 102: Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
• Understand the principles of effective oral and written rhetoric
• Write for a variety of audiences
• Offer supportive evidence and development for both written and oral presentations
• Develop research skills using both library and online sources
• Participate in group feedback and support processes for improving writing and speaking
• Understand effective listening skills as part of the writing and speaking processes

Texts:
· The Conscious Reader, 9th Edition, Edited by Caroline Shrodes, Harry Finestone, and Michael Shugrue
· A book club novel (chosen by you and your group) that you will buy later in the semester
· E-reserves (must be printed and taken to class on day assigned)

Blackboard
I am hoping to use Blackboard this semester to post the course syllabus, documents, etc. Also, I will be giving you a detailed course schedule two weeks at a time. I will try to post this schedule on Blackboard.

Requirements:
· 1 paired writing prompt/questions/presentation about one weekly reading
· weekly responses or weekly short assignments and book club reflections
· group book club presentations
· in-class writing
· class participation
· 2 big papers
· end of semester reflection letter

Grades:
Written work: 45%
Class participation and attendance: 20%
Presentations: 35%

Class participation means: (1) coming to class prepared with at least one question or comment from the reading assignment (2) completing homework assignments (3) providing verbal and written comments to classmates on their shared written work (4) expressing your ideas verbally with your classmates during small group activities (5) participation in the oral presentations (6) having your presence in class add to our community and overall learning (as opposed to detracting from it)

Book Clubs:
During the second half of the semester, you will meet with your groups to establish a book club. You will meet with your book club group to discuss your chosen book on most Fridays. You will plan your meetings, write reflections about the book and your group, and present your book to the class. I will give you a list of books that your group may choose from in a few weeks. I will try to give each group their first or second choice.

Attendance:
Three absences are allowed for whatever reason, but after that the final grade will be lowered. If you miss more than six class sessions, do not expect to pass the class. Unless there is a serious emergency, a missed class will count as a missed class.

Please do not be late for class. If you are more than five minutes late, you will get a late mark for the day. Two late marks count as one absence. More than three absences will lower your grade.

Policy on written work:
Use the following format for all written work that will be handed in: name and date of draft on top, double-space, 1” margins all around, 12 point font, Times, New Roman, Arial, Courier, Book Antiqua. Please staple pages together. Presentation of your work is an important component to rhetoric. These are your words from your mind – honor them with clean, typed pages! Also, no late papers will be accepted.

The Writing Center:
The Writing Center is located in McIver 101. The hours of operation are M-Th, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., and F, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. You can drop in or make an appointment by calling 334-3125. The center will be offering hours on Sundays from 6 p.m.-9p.m. Writing Consultants will assist you in any stage of your writing process.

The Speaking Center:
The University Speaking Center is located in 22 McIver. The Speaking Center is a resource that provides students with additional guidance and instruction for their speaking skills.

Tentative schedule for the next six weeks:
All page numbers listed are from The Conscious Reader

Week One: Introduction to the course. Getting to know our voices and each other. Two truths and a lie!

Week Two: No class on Monday January 17th for Martin Luther King Day.
Vignettes. Rhetoric. “Hips,” by Sandra Cisneros, pg. 80, and selected vignettes from e-reserves or Blackboard. Meet your groups. Sign up for paired writing presentations.

Week Three: Revise vignettes. Read them together. “Casa,” by Judith Ortiz Cofer, pg. 22, “Beauty,” by Alice Walker, pg. 28, and “How It Feels to Be Colored Me,” by Zora Neale Hurston, pg. 35

Week Four: Finish Hurston. Hand in your Hurston-inspired piece. Read them together. “The Discovery of What It Means to Be an American,” by James Baldwin, pg. 40, “In Mind,” “Her Kind,” and “The God Who Loves You,” pg. 91-94

Week Five: “Letter to His Father,” by Kafka, pg. 98, “Selection…” by Edwidge Danticat, pg. 124, and “Once More to the Lake” (on e-reserves or Blackboard)

Week Six: 1st Big Paper Due.