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Portfolio:
Daily in-class writing
Reading responses
Minute papers
Problems
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Betsy Birmingham
320 J Minard
Hall
W: 231-6587 H: 293-1065
Office hours: M,T, W, H, F 9-10, and other times by appointment
Description
This section of English Composition 110 is about understanding
academic writing and research as rhetorical, rather than rule-bound,
activities. We will look at how the writing "rules"
we’ve all been taught function in our culture, what they
are really meant to do, and how they can be appropriately and
purposely broken in order to create the stronger, more rhetorically
appropriate writing that will help earn you academic success as
you progress through college.
Objectives
Specific, measurable outcomes: Students will:
- show improved ability to read and accurately summarize academic
prose.
- demonstrate increased level of confidence in their own academic
writing.
- develop skills in organizing academic essays and research
projects through forecasting information and employing transitions.
- be able to write a short, focused academic essays incorporating
one-two sources.
Learning goals: Students will have the opportunity to:
- analyze and effectively use secondary sources.
- develop longer research, and/or multimedia projects of their
own design.
- begin to effectively edit and revise their own work.
- work closely with other students developing the ability to
collaborate meaningfully.
- take charge of the quality and quantity of their own learning.
Texts
Online as assigned.
A handbook of your choice. We’ll discuss in class qualities
you may want in a handbook. Purchase online, at Barnes & Noble,
or at our bookstore.
Evaluation
Each paper assigned will include an assessment rubric so that
you know what areas I will be grading you on. These are generally:
content, organization, expression, and correctness. See sheet
on evaluation for
specifics.
Attendance
So much of the learning we do in this class is collaborative that
you must be here. We are counting on you to be here, to be prepared
for class, and to meet regularly with your group for your group
projects. In small discussion sections, absenteeism is distracting
and makes it hard for the class to develop the trust necessary
for meaningful learning to take place. Because I will do all I
can to make this course interesting and engaging, I am very unsympathetic
to students who do not come to class. Each person has one personal
day and one sick day per semester. After that, any missed classes
will hurt your grade—I will be ruthless about this. Try not
to be late—most important information about the class itself
is conveyed in the first ten minutes of class.
Preparation
This course assumes a high level of preparation for college level
reading, writing, and research. Although I want the classroom
to provide a supportive atmosphere for all learners (me included),
we will move through covering/summarizing material quickly and
spend class time making connections among texts, synthesizing
ideas, and discussing application of the reading material to our
research and projects. Because this is a workshop class, the course
will not work if you have not prepared by reading the assigned
texts, writing your responses, and completing your assigned research
tasks. The reading is challenging—and there is a lot of it.
The projects require substantial research, and the writing tasks
presuppose a process of drafting and revising. Here’s the
hard part—you need to take responsibility for the quality
and quantity of you own learning.
Due
Dates/Revision
The due dates on your assignment sheets are for your protection,
to help you balance your major work across the semester and receive
feedback from me quickly (within a week) so that you can revise
your work. Although you will not be penalized for late work, if
you turn in work after the date it is due, I do not guarantee
timely feedback; therefore, you may forfeit the opportunity to
revise. As with all professional writing, I hope you will revise
your work after input from colleagues, other professionals whose
advice you seek, and me. Please turn in projects in class and
not into my mailbox, or under my door, or anyplace else where
they might be misplaced. You may revise any written work—with
the exception of problems, tests, or in-class assignments—at
any time throughout the semester. Your grade on the revised work
will be the grade you receive for that assignment (no averaging,
etc.), so I encourage you to revise! But make sure you revise
and don’t just edit if you want an improved grade.
Plagiarism
The work you turn in must be yours/your group’s, must respect
the intellectual property rights of others, and must cite secondary
sources. This policy is consistent with NDSU University Senate
policy, Section 335: Code of Academic Responsibility and Conduct.
For more details see: http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/policy/335.htm.
Special Needs
If you have any disabilities or special needs, or need special
accommodations in this course, please share your concerns or requests
with me as soon as possible.
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Calendar
Daily
calendar/readings
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