Required Texts/Materials:

Chaffee, John. Critical Thinking, Thoughtful Writing. 1^st Edition. Houghton Mifflin, 1999.

New Century Handbook. Longman, 2000.

Standard spiral notebook for journal

Four 2-pocket folders

Course Description:

Many people go through their academic and professional lives with anxiety about writing. They mistakenly think that writing is a talent you are born with--either you have it or you don’t. By the end of the course, I want to help you dispel this myth about writing and guide you towards a better understanding of what strategies can help you write more effectively. In order to fulfill this goal, you will have the opportunity to revise your essays and explore your thoughts in many different writing scenarios. Some of it only you will read (private writing); most of it you will share with me and your classmates (public writing). This course is designed to promote the development of a diversity of writing skills, with a strong emphasis placed upon collaboration with your peers.

Attendance Policy:

Because of the participatory nature of this course, attendance is mandatory. However, you will be allowed three absences before you are penalized. Any absence beyond three will result in a lowered grade per each day missed over the three. For example, if you miss 5 classes and are averaging a final grade of B, your grade for the course will be a D. Exceptions will be made with appropriate documentation for unavoidable situations like illness, emergency, or when acting as a representative of MWSC.

Course Requirements/Assignments:

1. Four major essays, 600 word minimum (2-4 pages). Each will be revised at least once. The audience for these essays is your instructor and your classmates.

2. Thinking-Writing exercises--will serve as prompts for in-class essays, short writing assignments, and collaborative writing. All TW assignments receive points. Prepare to share some of this writing with your classmates.

3. Peer Critiques--structured feedback that you will be asked to give a classmate on the first draft of an essay.

4. Personal journals--A page per class hour (3/week) is required. They will be collected twice during the semester. I encourage you to use the journal as a tool for generating ideas for major assignments, but feel free to write about anything else (stick with the appropriate). The main audience for these is yourself. The criteria I will use to grade journals are: 1) Page count; 2) Thoughtful writing; 3) Evidence that you have used the journal as a testing ground for your ideas for major assignments. You may not include TW exercises in the journal.

5. Required conference about your writing. Please sign up for one at any time during the semester. It is to your advantage to confer with me before you revise a major essay.

6. Quizzes. These are never announced, so it is to your benefit to keep up with course readings.

7. Final Exam. This will be an in-class argument essay.

Assignment Requirements:

*Major essays must be word processed and should follow MLA format.

*All assignments are due at the beginning of the hour on the due date. Grades will be lowered for each day late on major papers.

* All major assignments must be turned in to pass this course

* There is no "make up" for TW assignments or quizzes

Grading Breakdown:

4 Essays/400 pts.

TW exercises/250 pts

4 Peer critiques/100 pts

Journals/100 pts

Quizzes/50 pts.

=1,000 total points *Class participation will also factor into this total

Grading scale: 100-90%=A; 89-80%=B; 79-70%=C; 69-60%=D; Below 60%=F

You must receive at least a C to move into English 108.

Revision Policy:

Revision is an important component of this course, as it is with any polished, thoughtful writing. For this reason, you are required to revise all first drafts. If you have not written a first draft, or if the first draft is incomplete or thrown together, your grade will be affected. Similarly, there must be evidence of meaningful changes between all drafts. Grades for all major essays will be partly determined by evidence that you have taken this process seriously.

At the end of the course, you are required to revise a graded essay of your choice. The revision portfolio will include the graded draft, peer responses, and a letter to me describing the changes you have made on the graded draft.

Disabled Student Policy:

Any student enrolled in this course who has a disability that prevents the fullest expression of his or her potential to succeed in this course must notify me in writing as soon as possible so we may discuss course requirements, options, and accomodations.

Academic Honesty:

Plagiarism is not tolerated in this course or in University policy. If a student is caught cheating, he/she will receive an F for the course. If you are anxious about a written assignment, please talk to me to discuss the problem instead of risking failure in the course.

Student Conduct:

As a condition to remaining at MWSC, the college expects all students to conduct themselves so as to maintain an effective environment for learning; to act responsibly in accordance with good taste; and to respect fully the rights of others. Behavior that disrupts the classroom environment or interferes with other students' learning will result in dismissal from the classroom. Passionate and forceful language are sometimes appropriate, intolerance and dogmatism are not.

Course Schedule:

This schedule is fairly firm, but not inflexible; please stay tuned for any changes.

8/22 Chaffee, Chapter 1

8/24 Guidelines for Essay #1; Write TW (Thinking-Writing) 1.1

8/29 Chaffee, 35-46; Write TW 2.3; Introduce Peer Critique

8/31 Draft of Essay #1 due (make 3 copies); Revision workshop

9/5 Chaffee, Chapter 4 (90-112); Write TW 4.2; Peer Critique due for partner

9/7 Chaffee, 113-117 and 122-132; in-class: TW 4.5

9/14 Library tour; Research an event for TW 7.2

9/28 MLA style in New Century (pages TBA); Topic due for Essay #2

10/3 Chaffee, 317-320

10/5 Draft due for Essay #2 (3 copies); peer review day

10/10 Chaffee, Chapter 9 (321-332); In-class: TW 9.1 & 9.2

10/12 Revised Essay #2 due; Chaffee, 332-336, 336-339; Write TW 9.4 or 9.5

10/17 Chaffee, 355-358; Write TW 9.11

10/19 In-class writing: TW 9.9; Journals due

10/24 Topic session for Essay #3

10/31 Chaffee, 391-403; Write TW 10.7

11/2 Chaffee, 403-422; Write TW 10.12

11/7 Chaffee, Chapter 11 (430-450)

11/9 Revision of Essay #3 due; Chaffee 469-478; Introduce Essay #4

11/12 Submit topic for Essay #4; Research day

11/16 Chaffee 451-468 (pick one article); write TW 11.3

11/21 No class; Thanksgiving Holiday

11/23 No class; Thanksgiving Holiday

11/28 Revision workshop day

Date of Final Exam (In-class argument paper): TBA