Missouri Western State University, Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism

English 100-02: Introduction to College Writing

Class: 9 – 9:50, MWF, Murphy Hall 104

Writer’s Workshop: 8 – 8:50, MW, Eder Hall 222U-V

Fall 2008

Name: Meg Thompson Phone: 816-271-4316

Office: Eder 222M Email: mthompson14@missouriwestern.edu

Office Hours: 11 – 1 MW, 12:30 – 2:30 T/by appt. Mailbox: Eder 222A

Attendance Policy:

In order to improve student learning and to achieve compliance with federal financial aid policies, Western has a mandatory attendance policy for all 100-level courses. This course has a very strict attendance policy in class as well as in Writer’s Workshops. If you miss seven class periods for MWF classes or four Writer’s Workshops, for the entire semester, you will receive an F in the class. A student will be given an excused absence when acting as an official representative of the university, provided the student gives prior written verification from the faculty/staff supervisor of the event; however, there are no other excused absences, exceptions or “makeups” for this attendance requirement. Furthermore, the maximum number of absences allowed before the midterm report, Oct. 15, for this class is five. Thus, when you have six absences for a MWF class you will be reported to the Registrar’s Office, who will automatically withdraw you from this class. The Financial Aid Office will reduce financial aid as appropriate.

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.

Required Texts and Course Materials:

Introduction to College Writing – ENG 100, McGraw-Hill, 2008 (Fourth Edition)

A Troubleshooting Guide for Writers, McGraw-Hill, 2008

Jump drive

Photocopies for group work as requested

Access to a printer, healthy supply of ink, and a stapler

Course Goals:

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.

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. This handbook is available online at http://missouriwetsern.edu/handbook/index.pdf.

Grading Policy:

Your grade will be determined on the basis of your progress as a writer, the writings you submit, and your class participation over the course of the semester. You need a C or higher to pass ENG 100 and enter ENG 104. The components of your grade in the course are:

Task One: 10%

Task Two: 10%

Task Three: 15%

Task Four: 15%

Quizzes: 10%

Class Participation[1]: 10%

Final Portfolio: 30%

You will complete four major writing tasks that will be graded by your teacher. A student who does not turn in complete responses to all four tasks will not pass the course even if the grades achieved in the other writing tasks are satisfactory.

Due Dates for Formal Writing Assignments:

Task One: Sept. 17

Task Two: Oct. 8

Midterm

Task Three: Nov. 11

Task Four: Dec. 5

Writer’s Workshop:

Throughout the course of the semester, you will attend the once-a-week, small group Writer’s Workshops (listed as “labs” in the class schedule). Some of your Writer’s Workshop materials may be used in class, and some of your class papers will be critiqued and proofread in Writer’s Workshops. You must ensure that you have the right materials in the right place. Your teacher may also consider your Writer's Workshop participation as part of your grade.

If you miss four Writer’s Workshops, you will fail ENG 100. You can make-up an absence, but you must attend the make-up session on Friday of the week you missed. You can only attend the make-up session three times throughout the entire semester. If you wish to appeal your failure due to absences, you must be able to provide valid documentation for ALL absences and you must have an A or B grade in ENG 100 at the time (see Appeal Procedure in textbook). In addition to not showing up for workshop, you can also be counted absent for the following reasons (these situations also apply to class as well):

-arriving very late; tardies will be added up for an absence

-not having required materials (textbook, draft of paper, portfolio, etc.)

-not participating/not paying attention to the SA and the lesson

-sleeping

-unacceptable behavior that impedes others’ learning such as being disruptive, showing disrespect to your SA and/or peers, using foul language, using a cell phone or other electronic devices, working on other coursework

Writer’s Workshop Portfolio: Throughout the semester, you will be required to keep a notebook or folder that will serve as your Writer’s Workshop portfolio. Each week, you will record all of the activities and responses for workshop, which may include the textbook lessons as well as mini-reflective writings, freewrites and/or work on your ENG 100 task papers. In addition, it is required that you always have a current assignment sheet and task paper in your Writer’s Workshop portfolio. If you miss a workshop, you will not be able to make-up that week’s lesson unless you attend the make-up session on Friday. At the end of the semester, you will write a cover letter for your Writer’s Workshop portfolio. Then your completed portfolio will be submitted to your ENG 100 instructor, graded and will count towards your final ENG 100 course grade. As a result, attending and participating in workshop will be vital to your ENG 100 grade. Furthermore, if you take advantage of this time to learn new writing skills and apply them to your ENG 100 coursework and to work on and receive feedback on your task papers, you will see an improvement in your writing and in your course grade.

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 (Michael Ritter) 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:

Academic Honesty Policy: Academic honesty is required in all academic endeavors. Violations of academic honesty include any instance of plagiarism, cheating, seeking credit for another’s work, falsifying documents or academic records or any other fraudulent classroom activity. Cheating and plagiarism are not acceptable. If your teacher finds evidence of 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 (0 points) for any paper/assignment/exam that shows evidence of cheating and/or plagiarism. You have the burden of proving that a paper/assignment/exam showing evidence of cheating and/or plagiarism has been in fact written by you. You should keep thorough evidence of your writing processes for all papers so that you can meet this burden of proof. If you plagiarize a paper, you forfeit the right to revise that paper; if you cheat on an exam, you will not be allowed to retake the exam. Violations of academic honesty will be reported to the Provost or the designated representative on the Academic Honesty Violation Report Forms. Please see the Student Handbook for specific activities identified as violations of this policy and the student due process procedure. This handbook is also available online at http://missouriwetsern.edu/handbook/index.pdf.

Misc.

· I do not want to see or hear your cell phone, iPod, BlackBerry, or any other electronic during class. It is disruptive to the learning environment, not to mention disrespectful. Keep them off and out of the way. I reserve the right to mark you absent if you pay more attention to an overpriced gadget as opposed to the glory of education. If, for some reason, you need to keep your phone on during class, please see me prior to class starting.

· Late work is not accepted.

· A class learns to teach itself.

· Don’t mistake kindness for weakness.

· Writing is a process.

English 100 Schedule for Fall 2008

Week 1

M, 8.25

Agenda: Course introduction, informal writing

Homework: Purchase course materials

W, 8.27

Agenda: Goals for the semester, good writing techniques

Homework: Read handout of “Sudden Impact” by Zimmer

F, 8.30

Agenda: Reading discussion, introduce Task One

Homework: Contemplate a topic, read “Growing Up” by Baker

Week 2

M, 9.1

Labor Day (No Classes)

W, 9.3

Agenda: Freewrite, discuss your topic/reading

Homework: Read handout of “Is this Schadenfreude?”by Muhlhausen

F, 9.5

Agenda: Examining introductions

Homework: Read handout of “Put a Lid on It” by Sedaris

Week 3

M, 9.8

Agenda: Outlining

Homework: Read handout of “Nixon did It” by Moore

W, 9.10

Agenda: Examining conclusions

Homework: Continue working on your full-breadth draft

F, 9.12

Agenda: Workshopping skills

Homework: Prepare to bring in copies of your full-breadth draft for you and your group

Week 4

M, 9.15

Agenda: In-Class Workshop

Homework: Prepare to turn in Task One

W, 9.17

Agenda: Task One Due, introduce Task Two

Homework: Read handout of “Five Positions” by Nicholson

F, 9.19

Agenda: Structuring the sentence

Homework: Read “How it feels to be Colored Me” by Hurston

Week 5

M, 9.22

Agenda: Structuring the narrative

Homework: Read “Objects” by Lester

W, 9.24

Agenda: Using our memories

Homework: Read handout of “On Violence” by Ansary

F, 9.26

Agenda: The importance of detail

Homework: Read handout of “My Father Tongue” by Paik, compose an outline to bring to class

Week 6

M, 9.29

Agenda: Outline workshop

Homework: Re-draft outline

W, 10.1

Agenda: Remembering goals set for the semester

Homework: Continue working on your full-breadth draft

F, 10.3

Agenda: Editing and revising skills

Homework: Prepare to bring in copies of your full-breadth draft for you and your group

Week 7

M, 10.6

Agenda: In-class workshop

Homework: Prepare to turn in Task Two

W, 10.8

Agenda: Task Two Due, introduce Task Three

Homework: Compose mid-term reflection letter to turn in

F, 10.10

Mid-Term Break (No Classes)

Week 8

M, 10.13

Agenda: Mid-term reflection letter due

Homework: Contemplate a topic to discuss in class

W, 10.15

*Mid-Term Grades Due*

Agenda: Topic discussion

Homework: Read handout of “Hidden Intellectualism” by Graff

F, 10.17

Agenda: Book Smarts v. Street Smarts

Homework: Read handout of “The Speech the Graduates Didn’t Hear” by Neusner

Week 9

M, 10.20

Agenda: MLA

Homework: Read “Where College Fails Us” by Bird

W, 10.22

Agenda: Thesis statements

Homework: Read “Let Teenagers Try Adulthood” by Botstein

F, 10.24

Agenda: Direct and indirect quoting

Homework: Make sure you have at least two sources

Week 10

M, 10.27

Agenda: Proofreading

Homework: Continue working on your draft

W, 10.29

Agenda: How to prepare for conferences

Homework: Prepare to bring copies of your full-breadth draft for you and your group

F, 10.31

*Last Day to Withdraw*

Agenda: In-class workshop and conference sign-up

Homework: Prepare your draft for conference

Week 11

M, 11.3

Agenda: Class cancelled for conferences

Homework: Continue working on your draft and preparing to conference

W, 11.5

Agenda: Class cancelled for conferences

Homework: Continue working on your draft and preparing to conference

F, 11.7

Agenda: Class cancelled for conferences

Homework: Prepare to turn in Task Three

Week 12

M, 11.10

Agenda: Task Three due, introduce Task Four

Homework: Read Kozol handout from “Savage Inequalities”

W, 11.12

Agenda: Kozol discussion

Homework: Read “Learning to Write” by Baker

F, 11.14

Agenda: Examining our progress

Homework: Read “How I Learned to Read and Write” by Douglas

Week 13

M, 11.17

Agenda: The Revision Checklist

Homework: Read “Watcher at the Gates” by Godwin

W, 11.19

Agenda: Applying criticism to our writing

Homework: Read “The Lonely, Good Company of Books” by Rodriguez

F, 11.21

Agenda: Reflecting on our goals

Homework: Read “One Writer’s Beginnings” by Welty

Week 14

M, 11.24

Agenda: Assign presentation order, examining effective presentations

Homework: Continue working on your draft and presentation

11.26 – 11.28

Thanksgiving Break (No Classes)

Week 15

M, 12.1

Agenda: Presentations

Homework: Prepare for your presentation and final workshop

W, 12.3

Agenda: In-class workshop

Homework: Prepare for your presentation, prepare to turn in Task Four

F, 12.5

*Last Day of Classes*

Agenda: Task Four Due, finish presentations and evaluations

Week 16 (Week of Final Exams)

Our Final Exam is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 12, 8:30 to 10:20

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[1] Class participation includes your critical input to discussions, preparedness for class/conferences, presentations, general alertness (read: not sleeping. I reserve the right to mark you absent if you sleep through class), contributions to group work, paying attention to your peers/me, not interrupting, not texting, exercising civility, asking questions which spark intelligent dialogue, and contributing to the greater good.