Gens 320: Advanced Composition

Prof. Lydia McDermott

Class: COWSOlin E132
Time: M 10:00-11:50/ F 11:00-11:50
Office: Olin E 122
Office Hours: T, TH, F 9:00-9:50
Contact: mcdermlm@whitman.edu

Wisdom begins in wonder.

--Socrates
The age of writing has passed. We must invent a new metaphor.
--Marshall McLuhan
Course Description
This is going to be an unusual writing class in a number of ways. We will be both extremely
traditional as well as radically new. This is quite fitting because the frame guiding our writing will be
archival research and digital composing, so we will be working with historical artifacts, but
composing within digital platforms. The two quotes above are emblematic of our project. It may
seem that juxtaposing Socrates, a classical philosopher, with McLuhan, a contemporary theorist is
anachronistic. However, they actually have much in common. Socrates was speaking and Plato
(who has written most of what we consider to be Socrates words) was writing in an age of budding
literacy. The written word was beginning to share influence with the spoken word, causing quite a
bit of anxiety. In our age of writing, digital platforms are replacing print platforms of writing, also
causing anxiety. However, across these modes of communication, many principles of rhetoric are
transferable.
Another aspect of this juxtaposition will be in the form our class takes. Due to our small class size
and arranged time, Id like to structure the course much like the tutorial system of Cambridge and
Oxford (talk about old school!). Though as Americans we often think of tutorial in the sense of
meeting with an individual instructor for extra help on a subject, in the Oxbridge world a tutorial is
the main mode of education and runs a bit differently. Tutors (what we would call Professors) meet
weekly with small groups of students (1-4) in order to share their area of expertise. Students prepare
papers on readings and topics and share them with the group, while tutors critique the writing and
content of these papers. One of the greatest advantages of this structure is the instructor/student
ratio. Additionally, students receive critical feedback regularly. For a writing course, this is pretty
ideal. We will follow this model by spending many of our meetings sharing writing and responding
to one another. The advantage here is that we work simultaneously on content, through the content
of your writing, as well as on style and delivery.
One more oddity: I want you to do some of the designing of this syllabus. Therefore, this syllabus is
a flexible document. Currently it does not have daily assignments filled into a schedule. Many of the
writing requirements will be determined by your individual goals and needs. You will see at the end
of the syllabus, a thematic schedule with larger assignments filled in, but much of the schedule is
blank, due to the above. However, we will be working in archives, practicing various genres of
writing, and creating digital exhibits via Omeka software.
Which brings us to

Requirements

Active participation and attendance (10%): Due to the format and size of this class,
your attendance and regular and enthusiastic participation are necessary for a successful course! In
this course, participation includes reading written work aloud and responding critically to each
others written work.

Weekly writing (15%): Yep, weekly small writing assignments. Later in the course, these may
take the form of blog entries. Sometimes these writings will be stepping stones for larger projects. I
will provide prompts based on your learning goals as well as readings in pdf form via CLEO.

Toward a Digital Archive (more details will be given for each step (40%):

Cool Things (10%): You will explore one cool thing in the archive in detail
and write the meta-data for that object (description, tags, etc.)
Proposal (5%): After searching through the digital materials on our Omeka
site, you will identify a theme to investigate that regards literacy, rhetoric, or
identity at Whitman in some way. What more do you need to know? Make a plan
for finding the answer to this question.
Collection (5%): Find items to add to the digital collection already acquired.
Exhibit (20%): We end the course with a digital exhibit from each student

Fulfillment of Personal Learning Goals (35%): See below.

Evaluation
I will be responding to every piece of writing you share either face-to-face or in writing. All of my
responses will be with an eye toward revision. Every assignment (except the final exhibit) will be
revisable. Revision is an essential component of good writing and thinking.
Sometimes I will give you a letter grade so that you have a better idea of how your work measures
against other work (primarily on the assignments toward a digital archive). These can always be
revised and turned in again for a new letter grade. Here is what letter grades mean:
A= This assignment exceeds the requirements, is stylistically exceptional and contains
surprising and innovative content.
B=This assignment is better than average, reflecting rhetorical awareness in construction,
stylistic choices and content. There are few errors in grammar or punctuation.
C= This assignment is average for a college level student, and as such meets the requirements
on the surface but does not show evidence of complex thought, construction, or revision.
R= You must revise this assignment significantly for me to accept it and grade it.

You may receive a + or if your essay is borderline for these categories.

Personal Learning Goals: Another unusual aspect of this course is that in the first
weeks of the course, I will ask you to identify your own learning goals. A portion of your
grade will be determined based on your fulfillment of these goals. You and I will assess the
fulfillment together.

W eekly Schedule (tentative and sparse)We will be meeting with our Archivist, Melissa
Salrin, and two other research specialists, Research Librarian, Ben Murphy and Instructional
Technology Specialist, Kaitlin Justin. I will fill in their portions of the schedule based on their
availability, so they do not yet appear on the schedule. Readings will be given via Cleo when
appropriate. M ost of our reading will be each others work and the archival
material you find.
Week 1

Introductions

Week 2

First personal reflective essay (1-2 pages) No Class Friday (Prof. McD. Out of
town)

Week 3

What is literacy?

Week 4

What is writing in the digital age?

Week 5

Student topic + learning about metadata

Week 6

Cool Things

Week 7

Student responses

Week 8

Proposal

Spring Break

Have fun!!!

Week 9

Student topic + working in archives

Week 10

Student topic + working in archives

Week 11

Collection

Week 12

Exhibit work

Week 13

Exhibit work

Week 14

Exhibit (and week 15)