Missouri Western State College, Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism
Class: 8:00am – 8:50am, M,W, F
Writer’s Workshop: _________, _________
Teacher: Meredith Katchen
Office: EFLJ - P
Phone: 271-5815
Office Hours: W@3:30-4:00; R@8:30-10:30; F@9:00-11:00 and by appointment
E-mail: mkatchen@missouriwestern.edu
“Talent is work.” – Galina Ulanova
This is a writing course. You will be writing … quite a lot. You will write in and out of class, in journal books, on handouts, on computers, on your printed drafts. Your writing will be fueled by selected readings and your responses to them, by classroom discussions, by exercises, by critiques of your drafts, and by your burning desire to discover and develop some talent for writing. I am here help you succeed.
Required Texts and Course Materials:
Introduction to College Writing – ENG 100, McGraw-Hill, 2005.
English 100 Writer’s Workshops. Fall 2004 ed.
3-1/2" floppy disks and a disk storage box
Photocopies for group work as requested
Four folders
One spiral notebook dedicated to this class
The semester is divided into four segments, each culminating in a finished essay. Each segment will emphasize particular writing strategies and skills. In each segment, students will read, write, discuss, write, review, write. Each segment is worth a set number of points, and all segments together will total 1000 points. Your final grade will be a reflection of the total points you earn, as long as you complete all segments and meet attendance requirements.
Attendance Policy:
You must realize that this course has a very strict attendance policy. If you miss seven class periods or four Writer’s Workshops, you will receive an F for the course. Ordinarily, there are no exceptions and no “makeups” for this attendance requirement. If you know of any circumstances likely to make this policy difficult for you this semester, you should consult with your advisor and with me to review your options. Please keep in mind that the above is not meant as permission for you to be frequently absent. Each and every absence or late arrival may adversely affect your overall performance.
If you miss a class session, you are responsible for all material covered and assignments given during your absence. All out-of-class assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. No late assignments will be accepted unless you have received prior permission from your teacher.
Course Goals and Class Assignments:
Reading Goals:
At the completion of ENG 100 students should be able to
· Read actively for greater understanding;
· Use reading to improve their writing by drawing ideas and information from written material;
· Use texts to understand their own and others’ experiences;
· Read writing assignments effectively as a guide to creating better papers;
· Recognize good writing by actively reading good prose.
Writing Goals:
At the completion of ENG 100 students should be able to
· Move easily from writing for self-expression to writing for readers;
· Write at greater length more easily, more quickly, and more usefully;
· Structure their writing to fit the assignment, purpose, and audience;
· Develop their ideas and concepts with specific details, examples, and explanations;
· Craft more effective and polished sentences and paragraphs;
· Use effective planning, invention, revision, and editing to complete successful writing tasks.
General Studies Goals:
In ENG 100 students should improve their ability to
· Think critically and reason analytically;
· Write and speak clearly and effectively;
· Gain a greater awareness of the present through an understanding of other cultures and times;
· Understand and appreciate moral values and ethical choices;
· Understand and enjoy aesthetic experiences and share in related creative activities.
Projected Due Dates for Formal Writing Assignments:
These dates are subject to modification as we go along.
Task One: week 4
Task Two: week 7
Task Three: week 11
Task Four: week 15
Grading Policy:
The following information applies only to those students who successfully complete each segment and who meet attendance requirements for the class and the Writer’s Workshop.
Your grade will be determined on the basis of points you earn within each segment and the overall total of those points. Point allocations and evaluation criteria for each segment will be given to you along with an assignment schedule at the beginning of each segment.
900 to 1000 points A
800 to 899 points B
700 to 799 points C
600 to 699 points D
below 600 points F
A student must earn a grade of C or above to advance to the next level of English classes.
Evaluation criteria for each segment will be distributed with the assignment sheets specific to that segment. I will not evaluate an essay until it is finished. It must be attached to its drafts and peer reviews, and it must be accompanied by your journal. At that point, I will assign points. If you are satisfied, you are done. If you would like to work for a higher grade, you will have one additional week from the date I return essays to the class, to resubmit it. Revision beyond that date may be arranged by consulting with me. The fourth essay, however, cannot be resubmitted for a higher grade. Further, I reserve the right to require certain and specific revisions I deem appropriate.
Civility and Cooperation
Missouri Western requires all students to help us maintain good conditions for teaching and learning. All students will treat their classmates, teachers, and student assistants with civility and respect, both inside and outside the classroom. Students who violate this policy may, among other penalties, be counted absent and asked to leave. You should review your Missouri Western student handbook for further information.
Student Disability:
Any student in this course who has a disability that prevents the fullest expressions of abilities should contact Missouri Western's special needs coordinator for possible certification of special needs and expert recommendations for assistance. You should also contact your teacher personally as soon as possible so that the two of you can discuss class requirements.
Academic Honesty Policy:
If your teacher finds evidence of cheating or plagiarism, or if your teacher suspects cheating or plagiarism, you have the burden of showing that the paper has in fact been written by you. You should keep thorough evidence of your writing processes for all papers so that you can meet this burden of proof. You will receive a grade of F for any paper that shows sufficient evidence of cheating and/or plagiarism. Stronger evidence proving flagrant cheating and/or plagiarism may lead to even stronger penalties. Please note carefully the statement on plagiarism on the departmental website, found at http://www2.mwsc.edu/eflj/plagiarism.html .
Free! The CAS offers free assistance to any student who wants it!
I am here to help you succeed. I encourage each of you to visit me from time to time so that we might discuss your writing for this course. If my posted office hours conflict with your schedule, I’m sure we can make a suitable arrangement. I would like to clarify: even though I will not evaluate your essays until they are complete, I will be gladly discuss them with you at any stage of their creation and development. I’m available to help you with your writing any way that I can.
SEGMENT ONE: Somebody,
Somewhere
Fall 2004 English 100 Katchen
Our primary goal for the next few weeks is to create a draft, review it, revise it, and
polish it. To accomplish that goal, we will read selections from the textbook for
examples, stimulation, and guidance. We
will write about and discuss the content and craft of these
readings, and we will apply what we can to the task at hand.
Projected Schedule
I reserve the right to alter the schedule as I think appropriate and necessary.
All changes or additions will be announced in class. Absence will not excuse
you from responsibility for being properly prepared for the next class. Missed
work cannot be made up.
Mon 8/30 Introduction to course. ICW.
HW:
think about questions and concerns for questionnaire
Wed 9/1 Begin questionnaire for Somebody,
Somewhere essays.
HW:
Read “A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican Childhood”
HW:
Read “Habits of Highly Successful Writers,” p3-4 TGW
Fri 9/3 Journal writing on "A
Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican
Childhood.”
Discuss “Habits of Highly Successful Writers.”
HW: Read “The
Way to Rainy Mountain”
HW: Read “I Don’t
Know What to Write,” p23-27 TGW
HW: think about
revisions you would make to questionnaire
Mon 9/6 HOLIDAY - NO CLASS
Wed 9/8 Journal writing on "The
Way to Rainy Mountain”
Journal
writing: prewriting exercise.
Discuss
revisions to questionnaire.
HW: Read “Once
More to the Lake”
Fri 9/10 Journal writing on "Once
more to the Lake"
Journal
writing: prewriting exercise.
Finalize
Somebody, Somewhere questionnaire
HW: Write draft for Somebody,
Somewhere essay. Make 3 copies.
Mon 9/13 Draft due. Bring 3 copies for
review.
HW:
Revise at least one paragraph as indicated by questionnaire
Wed 9/15 Bring revised draft for
further review
HW: Make
further revisions.
Fri 9/17 Bring revised draft for
polishing.
Mon 9/20 Submit essay,
drafts, and journals to instructor for evaluation.
SEGMENT ONE COMPONENTS
Journal Entries
– 50 points
Most journal work will be done as ICW, but not all. There will be times when you will
need to write out of class. Of course, there may also be times when
you simply want to use your journals
for notes and explorations. Please feel free to do so. Keep in mind, however,
that I will be collecting and reading your journals. All journal assignments
will be announced in class. Journals will be evaluated primarily for their
relevance and volume.
Drafts
– 75 points
To write a successful draft for this first
assignment, use your journal entries to help you choose a subject. Develop your
ideas and memories into a working draft that meets the assignment below. Your
idea of a finished essay is probably my idea of a completed draft. First drafts
will be evaluated primarily by their length and timely completion. Secondary
drafts will be evaluated for responsiveness to questionnaires (this does not
mean that every criticism or concern must be acted upon). Handwritten first
drafts will earn zero points. First drafts unaccompanied by three copies will
be docked 25 points for each missing copy.
Peer Review – 50 points
We will devise and
use a peer review questionnaire. Peer reviewers will be
evaluated by the quality and scope of their written reviews. A good review will
help a writer recognize strengths and weakness in his or her drafts.
·
Tell a story about a real person, other than yourself, in
a real place. You may emphasize the person or the place, but both must be
present. The story should have real significance for you. You will need to help
your readers recognize and appreciate that significance. Your story needs to have a point to it, and
that point should guide your selection and organization of all elements of the
story. Give your writing a sense of wholeness by providing a beginning, middle,
and end.
·
Your essay must be
typed or computer-printed on 8½" x 11" plain
white paper. Leave 1” margins all
around. Double space. Use 12-point font and easy-to-read characters.
·
Your essay will be evaluated by its relevance to the
assignment, its vigor, the extent and depth of post-review revisions, length,
sense of wholeness, effective and appropriate structure, control of style and
mechanics.