Missouri Western State College, Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism

ENG 466: Practicum in the Teaching of Writing

ENG 316: Internship in English

3:30-4:20 pm Tuesday, Spring 2003

Teacher:	Dr. Keith Rhodes
Office:	SSC 222C
Phone:	271-4314
Office Hours:	MWF 8:20-9:50; T 2:50-3:20
E-mail:	rhodes@missouriwestern.edu
Home Page:	http://staff.mwsc.edu/~rhodes

Required Texts and Course Materials:

· English 100 Writer's Workshops Spring 2003 Edition (given to you free of charge)

· Readings as assigned.

Additional Course Requirements

Students enrolled in ENG 466/316 will meet fifty minutes per week for training sessions and discussion of course material. Students who are not enrolled in the class for credit may attend all sessions, but need only attend sessions as shown in the Schedule at the end of this syllabus. All SAs will spend a minimum of two additional hours per week as a Student Assistant, leading ENG 100 Writer's Workshops.

Course Objectives:

You should aim:

· to become knowledgeable about writing processes, particularly heuristics and prewriting;

· to deepen your understanding of writing and of designing writing assignments;

· to become a more skilled and experienced teacher, particularly of composition;

· to comprehend the rationale for the MWSC ENG100 course design;

· to develop your own critical perspective on teaching writing.

Course Requirements and Grading Policy:

Your employment status and grade for the Practicum/Internship will be determined by the following:

Attendance, participation, and leadership: If you miss class twice during the semester for any reason other than a legitimate, documented emergency, you will fail ENG 316/466, and you may be removed as an SA. If you miss a tutorial session, other SAs should take in your students and receive your pay. If for any other reason any SA should fail to meet the minimal standards for a responsible student tutor, that SA may be replaced and will earn an F in any related class, though only after a clear warning and opportunity to respond. Poor attendance that falls short of the standard for dismissal will lower your course grade. Experienced SAs who are not enrolled in ENG 316/466 must follow these policies unless they petition successfully for other arrangements.

ENG 100 Classroom Observations and Descriptive Summary:

Students NOT enrolled in ENG 316/466 should observe one ENG100 class and write a brief, informal note verifying that they have done so. Students enrolled in ENG 316/466 are required to observe two ENG100 class sessions. The first observation should take place within the first five weeks of classes. An informal descriptive report of each classroom visit is due within one week following the class visit (about 500 words for the average length).

Reaction Paper: Students enrolled in ENG 466 are required to read and respond, in writing, to a selected journal article. Standards are set out on a rubric that will be given to you early on in the semester.

Oral Presentation: Students enrolled in ENG 466 will present and lead a class discussion during one of our weekly meetings, based on selected readings of their choice (which, in most cases, should be the same as those to be discussed in reaction papers). Standards are set out on a rubric that will be given to you early on in the semester.

Writer's Workshop Materials: Students enrolled in ENG 466 will prepare and present model activities for a potential new Writer's Workshop session. Students enrolled in ENG 316 and ENG 466 will review and respond in writing to draft versions of these activities, with copies to both the author of the activity and Dr. Rhodes. Standards are set out on a rubric that will be given to you early on in the semester.

Teaching Log: All tutors will keep a brief record of their daily Writer's Workshop sessions on the forms provided. The daily record should describe the WW activities, their successes, failures, and concerns.

Writer's Workshop Self-Evaluation:

All ENG 316 and ENG 466 students will prepare and submit a 2-3 page self-evaluation and reflection on their Writer's Workshop experiences at the end of the term.

Grading Criteria:

These are the general guidelines. Diligent completion of all requirements according to minimum specifications will earn a B. Generally satisfactory completion of the requirements as a whole will earn a C. Diligent completion of all requirements with obvious attention to quality will earn an A, which I expect to be the most common grade. Only failure to attend class, failure to complete most of the requirements, or clear and significant lapses in the Writer's Workshop will earn an F. Performance not already described will earn a D.

Academic Honesty:

Work submitted under your name must be your own work. Papers written outside of class may be edited and proofread by others, but extensive editing by others should be credited in an annotated note. You should cite all primary and secondary sources using MLA guidelines for documentation. The first infraction of academic honesty by a student will cost the student the total possible number of points for the assignment. Any subsequent infractions of academic honesty will result in a student's failure in the course.

Schedule of Unusual and Notable Activities

1/14	first class meeting
1/28	only 316 & 466 students required: work toward course requirements
2/24	only 316 & 466 students required: work toward course requirements
3/11	Spring break: no meeting
3/24	only 316 & 466 students required: work toward course requirements
4/14	final regular meeting
4/21	no meeting
4/23	(Thursday) end of workshops; turn in final materials
4/28	only 316 & 466 students required: turn in materials; evaluations