North Georgia College and State University
Technology Rich Composition Class - ENGL 1101

Created in partial fulfillment of the requirements for ENGL 8900
Dr. Elizabeth Sanders Lopez - Georgia State University

 

Syllabus:

  

Required Texts:           

• McQuade, Donald and Christine. Seeing and Writing 3.
• Glenn, Cheryl, et al, eds.  The Writer's Harbrace Handbook 3. 
• The American Heritage Dictionary or a reliable collegiate dictionary.

[Note:  A handbook and dictionary are also required in ENGL 1102.]

 

Course Description:

“What does seeing have to do with writing?” (Seeing and Writing 3,
Page 3)

This is the question we will be seeking to answer this semester, as we work to develop your writing skills. The Catalog Description of this class is:

A composition course that focuses on skills required for effective writing and reading in a variety of diverse nonfiction contexts. This course emphasizes exposition, analysis, and argumentation, and also includes an introduction to research skills.           

 

Course Objectives:

The departmental standard states that:

Students will demonstrate knowledge of the writing process by studying and practicing several kinds of writing: expository, analysis, and argumentation.  Students will demonstrate logic, coherence, organization, development, and clarity of written material.  Students will use appropriate grammar, diction, punctuation and mechanics.

To meet this objective, our specific goals for this course are:

• To develop a vocabulary of key rhetorical terms that enable you to analyze and discuss your own writing process and the rhetorical strategies employed by your fellow students and other writers effectively and intelligently.

• To learn and practice effective composing strategies, including flexible strategies for generating and developing ideas, the ability to focus on and articulate a purpose/thesis, the ability to evaluate and respond appropriately to different audiences and contexts, and the ability to revise critically and thoroughly, so that you may become a more cogent, expressive, and persuasive writer.

• To learn to manage the basics of research, integrate your own ideas with those of others, and document sources accurately.

• To understand and control writing conventions such as paragraphing and transitioning, as well as surface features such as syntax and grammar.

• To develop and improve your critical and analytical reading skills so that you can effectively evaluate written texts for their use of rhetorical strategies, identify key points of argument and discussion, and articulate your responses to readings both orally and in written form.

• To learn what makes for a good discussion and how to participate thoughtfully, provocatively, and considerately in peer response groups and whole class discussions.

 

NCTE and NCATE Standards:

This class has been designed to meet NCTE standards 3-9, 11 and 12:  (3) Students will apply various strategies of comprehension; (4) they will practice active and effective communication; (5) they will employ a range of writing strategies; (6) they will apply detailed knowledge of language conventions; (7) they will conduct focused research; (8) they will use technological and information resources; (9) they will understand and respect linguistic diversity; (11) they will participate in literacy communities; (12) they will use language to accomplish their own purposes.  Also, this course meets NCATE standards 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and 3.4.

 

Methods of Instruction:

During the first week of the semester, you will write an in-class diagnostic essay which will be graded but which will not count toward the course grade. All ENGL 1101 students will write 5000 words during the semester of evaluated writing.  Assignments will be distributed evenly throughout the semester and will demand exposition, analysis, and/or argumentation.  All required revision must be truly revision and not just lightly edited or slightly rewritten versions of earlier pages.  See The Writer's Harbrace Handbook, Chapter 4 "Revising and Editing Essays."

There will be a significant research component to the 1101 class, including both the discussion of research methods and an assignment that reflects application of those methods.

A minimum of two of your assignments will be in-class essays, requiring you to demonstrate single-draft writing skills required by Regents’ essay testing.  One of these essays will be the non-graded initial diagnostic essay. The second will serve as your final examination and will include a two-hour in-class essay. 

You will also be given frequent reading assignments and will be quizzed on those readings. You will engage in a number of homework, in-class, and online activities and writing assignments.

It is my belieft that technology is an important part of of life beyond this writing class within the academy and of life beyond the academy. Therefore this class will be "technology rich." We will utilize various online methods (i.e. chat, discussion, reading responses, email, im, blogging, etc.). You will turn in all take-home writing assignments and revisions at turnitin.com. You may be given the option of doing some peer review and professor conferences via virtual methods. I will hold virtual office hours via IM, email, and our class discussion forum in addition to being avialable for traditional office hourse. Please see me if you have any questions or need for assistance with the technologies. I will schedule a "technology bootcamp" during one or two non-class periods for those who need such assitance. The time(s) are TBA.

 

Evaluation:

You will receive significant feedback concerning your academic performance and grades prior to the last day to withdraw from a class with a grade of “W,” as well as at other sigificant intervals during the semester.

Grading Scale
A+=100-98, A=95, A-=90           
B+=88, B=85, B-=80     
C+=78, C=75, C-=70     
D+=68, D=65, D-=60     
F=59-0 

Final Grade Formula:

	Class Participation / Attendance	10		%
	Quizzes	10		%
	Essay 1: “Observing the Ordinary”	5		%
	Essay 2: “Reading Icons”	10		%
	Essay 3: “Challenging Images”	15		%
	Essay 4: “Examining Difference”	20		%
	Portfolio of Homework/Class Exercises in Harbrace Handbook/20 Errors Exercises	10		%
	Concepts Exam	10		%
	Final Exam: In-Class Essay	10		%
	Total	100		%

 

Format Guidelines:

The format of all essays will follow MLA guidelines (students may request to use APA, Chicago, or CSE).

 

Minimal Requirements for Completion of English 1101:

The faculty of English has approved the following minimal standards for passing English 1101.  Students must demonstrate their ability to

• Compose first-year level essays that are logical, engaging, and informative;

• Develop essays that include a controlling idea or thesis, provide adequate supportive evidence, and make use of effective organization;

• Demonstrate and apply an understanding of basic rhetorical concepts including ethos, pathos, and logos, and the relationship among audience, purpose, and context;

• Compose both single-draft and multi-draft essays, using prewriting, drafting, and revision, as well as editing;

• Cite and document material taken from sources;

• Construct clear, precise, grammatically correct sentences, using Standard Edited American English, and avoiding awkward phrasing and errors, including but not limited to the following: fragments, comma splices, run-on sentences, subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent disagreement, faulty pronoun reference, misuse of possessives, and misspellings.

[Note:  Achievement above the minimal passing level of C results from exceeding minimum expectations in terms of essay development and quality of content.]

 

General Expectations:

Academic Integrity: To plagiarize is to use another’s words or ideas as if they were your own.  The Writer's Harbrace Handbook notes that you must document all the following material derived from sources: direct quotations, summaries or paraphrases of material; ideas, illustrations, tables, graphs, and charts; and public electronic and personal communication (250-258). To avoid problems, please read Chapter 11 “Using Sources Effectively and Responsibly,” and Chapter 12 “MLA Documentation” of The Writer's Harbrace Handbook. You are responsible for reading and following the guidelines in the North Georgia College & State University 2006-2008 Undergraduate Bulletin: “Academic Integrity Policy” (81-84). The student who plagiarizes will be given a zero for the assignment, typically an F for the class, and should expect disciplinary action by the college.

Absence and Withdrawals: To allow for illness and other unforeseeable misfortunes, a student may be permitted a limited number of absences. If a student’s absences exceed 14% of the scheduled classes, the instructor may drop the student from the class with a “WF.” This means that I man drop you with a “WF” upon your fifth absence without consulting you. You will be allowed a make-up examination or essay only for valid and documented reasons (e.g. sickness). If you miss an essay or examination without a documented excuse, you will receive a grade penalty (usually a “0”). Foreseeable problems must be discussed with me before the absence. You are also responsible for reading and following the guidelines in the North Georgia College & State University 2006-2008 Undergraduate Bulletin: “Class Attendance” (72).

Late Assignments: All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due dates specified on the syllabus.  Late papers as a rule are unacceptable.  In order to account for emergencies, you may have ONE late assignment without penalty this semester, as long as you communicate with me prior to or within one class period of the assignment. Note that this does not apply to workshop drafts:  not having a draft on your scheduled workshop day may result in an “F” on the finished assignment and will cost you at least an entire letter grade.  If you know you will be absent on the day something is due, you must make arrangements with me to turn it in ahead of time.  Do not ask me to make exceptions to this policy—it makes me cranky.

Incompletes: Incompletes are awarded only when a student is doing satisfactory work, but for non-academic reasons beyond the student’s control, is unable to meet the full requirements of the course.

 

Resources:

Conferences: I encourage you to seek out, and may require, group or individual conferences with me over the course of the semester.  Conferences are a great resource for you, and my pleasure.  If you cannot make my office hours and would like to schedule a conference, please let me know and we will make arrangements.

The Writing Center:  North Georgia has a staffed Writing Center in Dunlap 111.  Writers working at ANY level and at any stage of the writing process are encouraged to use The Writing Center.  The staff will not write, revise, or edit papers FOR students, but they will respond thoughtfully to students’ essays and help students employ effective writing and revision strategies.  Email writingcenter@ngcsu.edu or call 867-2979.

Equal Access: Disabilities and Accommodations.  North Georgia College and State University is committed to equal access to its programs, services and activities for people with disabilities.  If you believe that you have a disability requiring an accommodation, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the instructor and the Office of Student Disability Resources.  In this case, contact Elizabeth McIntosh, Coordinator, Student Disability Resources at 122 Barnes Hall, 867-2782, emcintosh@ngcsu.edu. Further information can be found in the North Georgia College & State University 2006-2008 Undergraduate Bulletin: “Disabilities Services” (73-74).