ENGL 101 INTRODUCTORY WRITING: PUBLIC SPACES

Course Information: 3 credit hours Section 50 Tu/Th 2:50-4:05 Sloan 167

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Instructor Information: Ms. Courtney King courtney.king@wsu.edu Avery 378 Office Hours: TBA

In this course we will be exploring standards of composition in the academic setting by trying on various academic voices, mediums, and practices. The following will be central to our discussion: Identifying and putting into practice the rhetorical modes we already possess, Learning how to address new rhetorical situations which arise in academia and the workplace, Exploring the composition of researched thesis-driven writing, Recognizing the value of other viewpoints when writing in the university, and Discovering the writing methods and processes that work best for each of us Prerequisite: Writing placement exam or ENGL 100. Designed to develop students' academic writing, critical thinking, rhetorical strategies, reading and library skills. Credit not granted for more than one: ENGL 101, 105, and 198. The theme of this particular ENGL 101 course will be Public Spaces. We will discuss the elements of rhetoric and composition as they apply to our existence in various public arenas and as astute members of the online public. In keeping with this theme, all of your written work for this semester will be publically available online via your Wordpress blog and on Box.com. If you have an issue with this, please speak to me early in the semester so we can discuss the implications of this strategy and make accommodations as necessary. Key examples of public spaces include: The internet Washington State University National, state and local parks Town squares The library Malls
REQUIRED MATERIALS

The Academic Writer by Lisa Ede A Wordpress account A Box.com account Supplementary texts (provided electronically) Your own dynamic experiences and perspectives
SUGGESTED MATERIALS

A laptop or tablet A flash drive or external hard drive Access to Microsoft Word
COMPOSITION OF FINAL GRADE

Portfolio (50%) Blog Participation (20%) Group Presentations (20%) Draft Submissions (5%) Attendance (5%)
PORTFOLIO

Because this is a revision-based writing course, the majority of your points for the semester will come from your final portfolio. Your portfolio will consist of 22 typed pages that showcase your revision process. You may choose your most exemplary work to include in the portfolio, bound in some way with an appropriate cover page. The work compiled here will have been through multiple drafts, having gone through peer review and submission at least once. This will be due by 4PM on April 26th. More information about the specifics of the portfolio will be given closer to the submission date.
MAJOR/PORTFOLIO-APPROVED ASSIGNMENTS

Online Identity Paper (2-4 pages) Rhetorical Analysis of an Accessible Text (3-5 pages) Researched Argument (8-12 pages) (required) Reflective Essay (Portfolio Cover Letter) (2-3 pages) (required) The course is designed so that you have some choice in the composition of your portfolio. You will include the Reflective Essay, the Researched Argument, and either the Online Identity Paper or the Rhetorical Analysis. To include a paper in the portfolio it must have undergone three drafts, meet the length requirement, and have been submitted by the designated due date. You should include the following: 1. Draft 1: Your first draft with peer review comments 2. Draft 2: Your second draft (changes made from peer suggestions) with my margin comments 3. Draft 3: Final draft with all revisions made You are invited to choose the work you are the most proud of, revise it extensively, and show it off! Be proud of yourself. This is a great accomplishment and warrants a joyful dance after submission.
PORTFOLIO EVALUATION CRITERIA

All students in ENGL 101 will be assessed on the following criteria: Critical thinking, reading, and writing (Meets Goals 1, 3, 4, 5, & 6*) Rhetorical knowledge and awareness (Meets Goals 1, 2, 4, 5, 6*) Information literacy (Meets Goal 3*) Processes of writing (Meets Goals 1, 4, 5, & 6*) Knowledge of conventions (Meets Goals 4 & 6*) *Indicates which of the Six Learning Goals of the Baccalaureate are met by ENGL 101.
READING JOURNALS

Any time we have an assigned reading, a very brief reading journal will be composed at the beginning of the next class on your Wordpress blog. This practice will encourage deeper consideration of the text and can help focus our energies on the topic at hand. I will provide a prompt for the journaling and give ample time to type an entry. Discussion will occasionally be based on the entries you post and will be shared with the class. I will check to see if you participated in the journal writing immediately following class time and will assign participation points accordingly.

DRAFT SUBMISSIONS

With every major writing assignment you will submit a draft which meets all requirements by the due date. In the weeks leading up to that draft submission you will engage in peer revisions. After that, all revisions will be at your discretion for your portfolio. If you do not meet a paper's draft submission deadline, you may not include that paper in your portfolio. Late work will not be accepted. Contact me beforehand if you have a legitimate reason for asking for an extension. All draft submissions will be digital. The portfolio, however, will be printed and bound. All drafts will be due via email attachment or on Box.com by midnight on the due date (most of which are Sundays). Note: You are responsible for keeping track of your drafts. Consider backing up your work and creating folders on your hard drive for each major assignment.
PARTICIPATION

Your participation will consist of the following factors: Being prepared for class (with your text, paper, laptop, etc.) Participating in class Posting on your blog The blog you keep will help supplement class discussion for those of you who are too shy to speak up often in class. Hopefully this will be a safe space for communication and you will respond to each others posts with frequency.
GROUP PRESENTATIONS

Around week 7 we will be divided into groups around the provided sources. As a group you will form an informed team of academic peers, making you wonderful editors and experts in your particular field. During week 13 you will compose brief presentations over research projects and present them as a panel. Your panel should illustrate multiple angles on your chosen source and should anticipate constructive responses from the audience. Your grades for this presentation will be based upon YOUR performance in the group so do not rely on others to carry your weight. 10% of this grade is composed of your presentation and 10% on how you engage in the other presentations by your classmates.
CONFERENCES

At least twice during the semester I will be meeting with you individually outside of class to discuss your progress and any concerns you might have about the course. Naturally, you are invited to visit my office hours or email me whenever you have concerns or questions. If my office hours do not work well with your schedule, contact me and we will see if we can work out another time that works for both of us.
GRADING

You will not be assigned grades until the end of the semester. I simply cannot predict how well you will do on your portfolio (which makes up 50% of your final grade.) I can tell you how you're progressing, but it is against our policy to assign letter grades to drafts. Your final portfolio will make up the majority of your grade but all other work (homework, draft submissions, participation, reading journals) will be graded. One way for me to warn you of unsatisfactory progress in the course is through the assignment of a midterm grade. This policy has been approved with the Registrar's Office and the Center for Career Development and Advising and applies to all sections of ENGL 101. If you are not making satisfactory progress in the class due to absences, missed assignments, lack of participation, etc. you may receive a grade of C- or below as a warning, and you are strongly encouraged to meet with me. If you belong to an organization that requires proof

of satisfactory progress (not a grade) in writing, you may request that that I sign a Satisfactory Progress Form.

COURSE GRADING SCALE

The grading for this course follows WSU grading standards: A: Outstanding achievement-awarded only for the highest accomplishment A = 94-100; A- = 90-93 B: Praiseworthy performance-above average in most respect B+ = 87-89 ; B = 84-86 ; B- = 80-83 C: Satisfactory performance-work meets the standards for competency C+ = 77-79 ; C = 74-76; C- = 70-73 D: Minimally passing-effort and achievement less than satisfactory D+ = 67-69 ; D = 64-66 ; F = 0-63
ATTENDANCE POLICY

Due to this being a writing course with a focus on peer editing and participation in the process, your daily attendance is paramount. If for whatever reason you cannot attend a class period, please contact me beforehand. It will be your responsibility to acquire notes or future assignments from your classmates. If you miss more than five class periods you will receive a failing grade in the course.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES

Because our course relies heavily on the use of laptops and tablets, I will ask that you only have these devices out during Screens Up time. When we are ready to disengage from our technologies and be humans again, I will announce Screens Down and will expect you to close your laptop or turn your tablet face down. Cell phones, mp3 players, and other devices will be expected to be silent during the class. If I see your cellphone during class you will lose your daily participation points. I will also announce to the whole class that you are sending a very important text message and ask everyone to turn and stare at you. Please respect me and your fellow classmates by waiting until after class to attend to non-urgent communication. If an actual emergency arises, feel free to excuse yourself from the classroom quietly to take necessary calls.
DISABILITY STATEMENT

Students with Disabilities: Reasonable accommodations are available for students with a documented disability. If you have a disability and may need accommodations to fully participate in this class, please visit or call the Access Center (Washington Building 217; 509-335-3417) to schedule an appointment with an Access Advisor. All accommodations MUST be approved through the Access Center.
SAFETY STATEMENT Washington State University is committed to maintaining a safe environment for its faculty,

staff, and students. Safety is the responsibility of every member of the campus community and individuals should know the appropriate actions to take when an emergency arises. In support of our commitment to the safety of the campus community the University has developed a Campus Safety Plan, http://safetyplan.wsu.edu. It is highly recommended that you visit this web site as well as the University emergency management web site at http://oem.wsu.edu/ to become familiar with the information provided.
TOLERANCE STATEMENT

It is one of my highest goals to have a classroom in which all students feel safe, accepted, and heard. You should feel comfortable sharing your views freely and productive debate is encouraged. If for any reason, however, a student attacks, degrades, or silences another student on the basis of race, ethnicity, sexual preference, gender, religious affiliation, or another matter of identity through hate speech, derogatory terms, or isolation, I reserve the right to expel that student from the classroom.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY The Council of Writing Program Administrators (CWPA) states that In an instructional setting, plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately uses someone elses language, ideas, or other original (not common-knowledge) material without acknowledging its source. The WSU Academic Honesty Policy (based on State of Washington Code) expands the CWPA definition of plagiarism as well as explaining other categories of academic misconduct. As a WSU student, you are bound by these policies and are responsible for being aware of and abiding by them. Students who commit intentional acts of plagiarism will be reported to the Assistant Director of Composition and the Office of the Dean of Students and will fail the class. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Feel like you need a little extra boost to get through all this writing? Need an extra set of eyes to look at the monsterous paper you just wrote for your mean teacher? Here are some helpful places to turn when your paper needs a little love. The Writing Center (CUE 403) - An expert reader to help you polish a draft? For free? Use this resource! English 102 - This is a one-credit course in which small groups of 101 students receive peer editing. The OWL at Purdue - A fantastic source for MLA guidelines, model papers, and general questions. WSU's MLA Guide - Our very own MLA guide! It's color-coded! Your course blog Check our blog regularly! Your textbook - Not only is it clever and helpful, but it has a built in MLA guide in the back! Your instructor - I respond to email regularly and would love to clear up any misunderstandings if I can.