English Composition 101
Summer Session
“C” 2007
Dr.
Terry Myers Zawacki
tzawacki@gmu.edu
Office
Hours: After class and by appt.
Office: Robinson A 112a. Phone: 993-1187
Classroom: Innovation 328 Note: You will need to bring a disc(s)
or flash drive to all classes.
English 101 is a general education course designed to prepare you for
college writing and thinking with an emphasis on developing critical strategies
for working with texts, including the lived "text" of everyday
experience, and a habit of self-consciousness about your own and your peers’
thinking and writing. Course goals also include helping you to understand how
audience and purpose shape writing, how to shape research questions that enable
you to become a critical and effective researcher, how to integrate source
material, how to summarize, quote, and paraphrase accurately and critically,
and how to write effective and interesting prose.
The reading and writing we do in
this course will be focused on the broad question of what it means to be an
educated person at a time when our access to information is almost immediate
and seemingly unlimited. This question leads to other, narrower questions that
we will explore: What does it mean to be literate in this time and place? If we
take this “place” to be college, what literate practices are expected of
college students? What significant changes have occurred in your lifetime in
the way “education” (yes, a very broad term) is conceived of, delivered, and
assessed? As you consider responses to these questions in our short 5-week
semester, you’ll be observing, defining, describing, narrating, and researching
topics from your own life histories and from primary and secondary research.
These are critical thinking skills that will be important to you as you
progress through your college courses and into the workplace. As you write for
college, you’ll be using all of these skills to greater or lesser degree
depending upon your major. Because “correct” writing is one of the most
important markers of a literate student for many of your professors, we will
set aside time almost every class period for grammar discussions and
exercises.
________________
In an interview for Aurora Online, Neil
Postman, communication/education theorist and the author of The
Disappearance of Childhood, discusses the profound impact of the new
technology of the printing press on people’s conception of adulthood after the
15th century.
We know, for instance, in
the medieval world there was no such thing comparable to what we today call
childhood. There were basically two stages of life: infancy and adulthood, with
infancy ending at about the age of seven. … This form of social organization
was the product of the kind of communication system that existed. That is to
say, it was largely an oral culture in which most of the important social
transactions occurred through speech in face-to-face situations. So in order to
be an adult, one had to learn how to speak, which most people do by the age of
seven.
In the sixteenth century,
this began to change because the communication environment changed with the
invention of the printing press. After the printing press, one had to earn
adulthood by becoming literate. People are biologically programmed to learn how
to speak, but they are not biologically programmed to be literate. This
required the development of the modern school. And for the first time in
centuries, a certain segment of the population was segregated from the rest of
the population and sent to a special place, namely school, in order to learn
how to become literate. After a while, the term schoolboy became synonymous
with a certain age group, which developed into the idea of childhood—a special
stage of life that was to act as a bridge between infancy and adulthood.
(http://aurora.icaap.org/archive/postman.html)
If the
printing press and subsequent emergence of schools as places to become literate
created the idea of childhood in the 16th century, other, more recent
educational and technological advances have challenged the way we think about
and define literacy, education, schools as sites for learning, and even
“childhood” itself as information of all kinds circulates widely and freely.
All of the writing, reading, and research you’ll do in this 5-week semester
will explore what it means to be a literate, educated person in our
media-saturated, constantly evolving technological world. While this is the
focus of the course, each of your assignments allows you to practice commonly
used rhetorical patterns, e.g. narration, definition, illustration,
comparison/contrast, for organizing and supporting your arguments. Each also
asks you to employ critical thinking skills, including, for example, careful
word choice, close observation, logical use of evidence, synthesis of ideas and
information from multiple sources, analysis and evaluation of evidence and
arguments.
Required
Texts: Lunsford, Andrea A. The
Online
Texts as noted under each
week
Course
Procedures:
· Course notebook—You’ll
need a three-ring binder with sections for free writing, notes, reading log
entries, and research notes. An alternative is a series of pocket folders.
· Daily Assignments—Assignments are due on the day they are listed on the
syllabus. Daily assignments, in-class writing, and exercises (we’ll do some
grammar exercises almost every day so bring your textbook with to every class)
generally may not be made up if you are absent.
· Four Papers—Important: Keep
all drafts.
Paper
One: Defining a term in context using scholarly tertiary and/or secondary and
primary sources. Focusing question: What does it mean to be literate in this
day and age? (See assignment below.) (Minimum 900 words; 15% of grade)
Paper Two: Conducting primary
research: Interview someone at least 20 years older than you to explore one of
the ways that person’s education at a particular point in his/her life has been
different from your own at the same age. (Minimum 1200
words; 20% of grade)
Paper
Three: Conducting secondary research: What do you consider to be a significant
educational change that has occurred in your life time? What would you like to
know about that change? As you explore and narrow your topic, ask yourself what
claims you want to make about the significance of the change you’re researching
for readers who are college teachers and students. (Look
at StM page 218 for example.) (Minimum 1500 words; 30% of
grade)
Paper Four:
Making an argument about college writing. For the final paper, you'll make an argument about yourself
as a college-level writer. You'll define "college writing" based on
what you have learned from this class, from your textbook, from other college
courses you may have taken or from the descriptions of your high school
teachers. Look also at the goals for English 101: http://english.gmu.edu/composition/faculty/goals100.php
and the writing assessment rubrics found at: http://wac.gmu.edu/program/assessing/phase4.html#part3.
Using this evidence and your own demonstrated abilities, you'll argue that you
are a college-level writer. (Minimum 750 words; 10% of grade)
Participation—English 101 is a
workshop course, so I do little lecturing. Instead you’ll be working with each
other in pairs, in groups, and in larger group discussions. Attendance and
active participation are very important and constitute a large portion of
your grade. As the university catalog makes clear, “students are
expected to attend the class periods of the courses for which they register.
In-class participation is important not only to the individual student, but to
the class as a whole. Because class participation may be a factor in grading,
instructors may use absence, tardiness, or early departure as de facto evidence
of nonparticipation.” (See http://www.gmu.edu/catalog/apolicies/index.html#Anchor26.)
· Grading—Your final grade will be based on
your achieving the course goals, with particular emphasis on your ability to
write interesting and technically correct essays supported by primary and/or
secondary research, and your thoughtful and regular participation. Approximate
percentages are: papers and all accompanying work = 75%; other work (journals,
in-class writing, writing exercises, contributions to class discussion, etc) =
25%. You will have the opportunity to revise two of your papers after a grade
has been assigned. You must achieve at least a "C" grade in order to
receive credit for the course. If your work is not at least a "C"
average, you will earn an NC, which means No Credit and which does not affect
your GPA.
· Late Papers: Papers are due at the beginning of
the class period and automatically forfeit one-letter grade for each class
period they are late. This includes papers put in my mailbox in lieu of your
attending class. I will not accept a paper if I have not seen it through
the drafting stages. In no case will I accept a paper handed in with the
explanation that you changed your topic at the last minute because you could
not find enough information on the topic you had been working on.
Plagiarism means using the exact
words, opinions, or factual information from another person without giving that
person credit. Writers give credit through accepted documentation styles, such
as parenthetical citation, footnotes, or endnotes; a simple listing of books
and articles is not sufficient. Plagiarism is the equivalent of intellectual
robbery and cannot be tolerated in an academic setting. Student writers are
often confused as to what should be cited. Some think that only direct
quotations need to be credited. While direct quotations do need citations, so
do paraphrases and summaries of opinions or factual information formerly
unknown to the writers or which the writers did not discover themselves.
Exceptions for this include factual information which can be obtained from a
variety of sources, the writers' own insights or findings from their own field
research, and what has been termed common knowledge. What constitutes common
knowledge can sometimes be precarious; what is common knowledge for one
audience may not be so for another. In such situations, it is helpful, to keep
the reader in mind and to think of citations as being "reader
friendly." In other words, writers provide a citation for any piece of
information that they think their readers might want to investigate further.
Not only is this attitude considerate of readers, it will almost certainly
ensure that writers will never be guilty of plagiarism. (statement of English
Department at
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Students with
documented disabilities are legally entitled to certain accommodations in the
classroom. If you have a documented disability, please contact me
immediately. (
Useful URL’s
GMU Library's "Help with
Research" pages: http://library.gmu.edu/research/ and "Web Guides and
Tools": http://library.gmu.edu/resources/web.html.
Tutorial in Using the Library: http://library.gmu.edu/training/webtut.
An array of useful research and
‘how to’ sites -- http://mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/resources.htm
Information on Turnitin.com and
online tutorials on avoiding plagiarism: http://www.irc.gmu.edu/turnitin/resources.html
English Department’s
Information Technology Skills: http://www.gmu.edu/depts/english/composition/wits/
Online
tutorials on Image Manipulation:
http://chss.gmu.edu/tac/workshops/image_fall03/studentresources.html
(how to do just about anything with images and text)
http://classweb.gmu.edu/tec/image/Graphics%20Tutorial.html
(how to capture images)
July 2: Introduction to course. Understanding the syllabus.
Looking for definitions: What is college writing? What is critical thinking? Practicing
paraphrasing and summarizing. In-class writing.
July 3: Ways of
seeing—cultural, social knowledge, and disciplinary knowledge. Ways of
researching. In-class primary research exercise. “Exploring”
the writing center (writingcenter.gmu.edu).
Assignment: Read “In the
Laboratory with Aggassiz” at http://philosophy.lander.edu/intro/introbook2.1/x426.html
and summarize in no more than five sentences. In a separate paragraph, explain
what it shows about observing in context. Also read StM
Chapters 1 and 2 on college writing and reading/writing/research and pages
275-277 and 281-287 on paraphrasing and summarizing and avoiding plagiarism. In
log, note key things to remember about each topic.
July 4: No Class.
July 5: Defining concepts. Dictionaries and other popular and
scholarly tertiary sources. Assignment: Read StM Chaps 29 and 30 on “Word Choice” and “Dictionaries, Vocabulary,
and Spelling.” Also read "What Is College-level
Writing?" at: http://www.ncte.org/pubs/chron/highlights/126797.htm.
This article was written for teachers. Write:
In 300-400 words, summarize the main ideas in the article for your peers in
this class. Your purpose is to help them understand the significance of the
question for teachers, both high school and college, and for students.
July 9: Defining
concepts continued. Checking out the reference room: online and in Fenwick
library. Assignment: Read: StM Chapters 3 and
5 on “Rhetorical Situations,” and “Exploring, Planning, Drafting,” and pages
66-68 on rhetorical strategies. Write:
In preparation for paper one,
free write on the meaning of one or more of the following terms: “literacy,”
“education,” “school,” “schooling,” “reading,” “writing.” From your experience
and/or observation, what do you think it means to be an educated person? A
literate person? What literacy skills do you think are most important today?
Feel free to think about these terms as broadly or narrowly as you would like.
For example, you might want to talk about what “writing” means now, in
e-spaces, on cell phones, on computers, or in other “alternative” spaces. Or
about the writing you do for yourself as opposed to school audiences. Or about
school as a site that was important or detrimental to your development as a
reader/writer. Or about yourself as a reader and writer in other languages. For
any/all of the words you’ve written about, you’ll describe an experience you
have had or something you’ve observed that helps to illustrate your definition.
Ultimately, you’ll focus on one term, examining dictionary definitions and how
these connect (or not) to your own experience/observations.
July
10: Draft of
Paper One due. Note: You may choose to include visuals (like photos,
screen shots) in your text. If you do, please review the advice in StM chapter 4 on visual thinking. Assignment: Read StM chapters 6 and 29 on revising and editing and word choice.
July 11: Paper One Due.
Begin work on Paper Two. Interviewing as research. We’ll read in class “Neil Postman:
Stirring Up Trouble Stirring Up Trouble About
Technology, Language, and Education” at http://aurora.icaap.org/index.php/aurora/article/view/62/74.
We’ll be looking at interview strategies and also examining the scholarly
credibility and/or authority of the site on which this interview appears. In this 1989 interview in
July 12: Using interviews as primary evidence. Organizing a
comparison-contrast paper. Assignment:
Interview someone who is at least 20 years older than you about some aspect
of education that has changed dramatically from when your interview subject was
your age. Listen and write down the information carefully. Tape if possible. Write your interview in Question and
Answer format to turn in. Your transcript should contain a minimum of 700 words
with your interviewee doing most of the talking. Read StM pages 244-248 on interviewing. Also read: For a good student model for
paper two, read “War and Youth,” a paper written by Mariam
Haider based on an interview with her mother about
how different her youth in
Last day to drop: July 13
July 16: Rough daft of Paper Two due. As with paper one, you should feel free to include visuals. Assignment: Read St.M Chapter 7 on “Paragraph
Development.”
July 17: Paper two due. Brainstorming
topics and preparing for research. What constitutes “research”? What is the
difference between Google searching and searching the “deep web” through the
databases available on the GMU library site? How does Google Scholar compare to academic search
engines, such as those available on the Mason site?
July 18: Research topic due with free writing. As you select your topic,
consider first the changes that have been personally significant to you, those
which have had an impact on your life. In other words, why do you care about
this topic? Next think about why teachers and your fellow students would be
interested in reading about this topic. Why should they care? Assignment: Read
StM Chapters
12 and 13 on preparing for and conducting research. Also read the handout
“Principles of Academic Research.”
July 19: Compiling an
annotated list of sources. Assignment: Read: StM Chapter 14 on evaluating and annotating sources. Write: Annotations for three sources
you looked at. (Note: You are required to keep a research log on a disc or
flash drive with names and annotations for all of your research sources.
July 23: Annotated
bibliography of all sources consulted due. Once you have narrowed your topic and gathered your research, consider what
information you will include in the paper. What is your purpose? What claims
can you make? What sources, format, tone, and style will make your argument
most persuasive to your academic readers? Assignment: Read StM Chapters 15
and 16 on integrating and acknowledging sources. For an example of how to
synthesize information from both primary and secondary research, see “Things of
Value,” an essay that integrates interview data with information from an
article. Notice also the way the sources are introduced throughout the essay.
July 25
Research continued. Assignment: Read StM chapter 17 on writing a research
project. Review the citation and documentation format chapter that is relevant
to your major and/or that you prefer to use for this paper. (Chapter 18, 19,
20, or 21). Read sample research papers online at sites TBA. .
July 26: Rough draft of research paper due. As with your other papers, you should feel
free to include visuals. You may also choose to submit the paper as a hypertext
or web-based document. Should that be your choice, you will need to read
chapter 24 on creating online texts.
July 30: Research paper due. Preparation for paper
four: Making a persuasive argument about the characteristics of college
writing, in general and according to your major or intended major? Revisit the
essay you wrote the first day of class. Has your assessment of yourself as a
college writer changed? Have you met all or some of your writing goals?
July 31: Making persuasive arguments,
cont. Writing effective sentences and memorable prose. Assignment: Read: StM chapters 9 and 11 on analyzing and constructing arguments. Also read
chapters 42-45 on sentence style.
August 1: Last day of class.
Draft of Paper Four due in hard copy to edit in class.
August 3: Exam day. There will not be an exam in this
class. Instead you will turn in the final copy of paper four and an optional
revision of one other paper with cover memo explaining why the paper merits a
higher grade.
A = work far exceeds minimum
requirements, shows initiative, originality, intelligence, and well developed
critical thinking and writing skills.
B = work exceeds minimum
requirements, shows high quality critical thinking and writing skills.
C = work meets minimum
requirements, shows effort and progress.
NC = work shows lack of basic
skills and critical thinking. Writer did not adequately meet the goals and
requirements for the course.
Format for papers: Name
and date in top right corner. No cover sheet or folder of any kind. Do
not staple; use paper clip. Give paper a title. Double space. Proofread
carefully. Make last minute corrections, if necessary, with black ink.
______________________________________________________________________________
Paper
One: Stipulating a Working Definition of a Concept
Background information:
One of the key components of
critical thinking is to understand and be responsible for the words we use;
being responsible means that we must strive for precision and clarity in our
thinking and writing. Simple dictionary definitions—lexical
definitions--seek to specify a generally agreed upon meaning for words,
whether those words are concrete or abstract. But a dictionary definition
does not begin to pin down all of the meanings individuals and groups of
individuals bring to their understanding of words. Definitions, then, are very
much shaped by social, cultural, and personal perspectives as well as by one’s
purposes for defining and the audience for whom the definition is intended.
Unlike general dictionaries, specialized dictionaries and encyclopedias
stipulate how the word/term is used by a particular group of individuals. The
definition, in other words, has been constructed to fit the perspective and
interests of that group. You can also stipulate a definition based on your own
experiences with the term, perhaps a personal experience or observation(s) of
and from others.
Task: In this assignment, you are going to stipulate
a definition for one of the
following related terms—“literacy,” “education,” “school,” “schooling,”
“reading,” “writing.” Think of your audience
as concerned parents and school administrators. Your goal is help them
understand what the term means according to authorized sources (dictionaries
etc) but also to you as someone who has been “schooled” in the literate
practices you believe are important to success in life. You’ll start with a
dictionary definition and then expand with additional definitions from other
sources as relevant. You’ll illustrate the definition(s) you stipulate with
your own narrative(s) and, if you wish, with observations of and from others.
What You’ll Learn: The
importance of choosing and using words carefully; how and when to use tertiary
sources, including specialized dictionaries and encyclopedias; the difference
between scholarly and popular (Wikipedia) references;
how to construct an argument appropriate to a specific audience; how to
introduce and incorporate information from multiple sources, including your own
lived experience and/or observations, in support of your argument.
Nuts and bolts: Minimum
900 words, 12-point font, double-spaced:
Draft due: Final paper due:
Must include definitions from at
least two tertiary sources, introduced and cited correctly according to MLA,
APA, or the Chicago Manual of Style. Other sources are optional.
Final paper will include an
appropriate title, an abstract (brief summary), and a works cited page.
Optional: Feel free to include visuals, e.g. screen shots, IM print-outs,
photos, images from old textbooks, and so on. Just be sure to credit the
source. See StM
Chapter 4 for advice.