WRT 105-Practices of

Academic Writing
Section: M-903
Time: M-TH- 8:00-9:45 am
Classroom: Hall of Languages 201
Instructor: Karrieann Soto
Office: HBC 201
Office Hour: TH @ 2:00 pm.
"Being literate means being able to evaluate what you read and being able to reflect critically on your own reading
and writing processes. This means being able to understand how economic, social, and political factors have shaped
your own literacy history."
(Melzer and Coxwell-Teague 3)

Course Description
Study and practice of writing processes, including critical reading, collaboration, revision,
editing, and the use of technologies. Focuses on the aims, strategies, and conventions of academic
prose, especially analysis and argumentation.

Instructor's Introduction:
Exploring Cultural Literacies and Academic Writing(s)
In this course you will be reading and writing about different literacy practices in order to take
stock on the skills you're bringing in to your first-year writing course, to determine how other
academics make meaning, and to formulate arguments following academic writing conventions.
You will be expected to write reflections, generative exercises, blog posts, academic essays, and a
multimodal project that accounts for new and more traditional media.
In general, the design of this course, as reflected in this syllabus, should allow you to engage in
reflection and careful consideration of a variety of composition processes and genre conventions.
To help you along an exploration of cultural literacies and academic writing(s), you will be
provided with a series of readings that explain conceptions of terms like literacy, genre, and argument,
among others like culture and rhetoric. Other readings will serve as examples of the kinds of
academic writing you may encounter or be asked to produce throughout your academic career,
and beyond. We'll discuss assigned readings in class, but you will also write short blog posts as a
way to help you practice articulating your own perceptions of particular readings and the
questions prompted by each.
Besides helping you engage in a variety of reading practices, the course has been designed to
practice specific academic writing practices such as summarizing, paraphrasing, pre-writing,
drafting, claim-making, incorporating sources, and making effective transitions in academic
essays. As part of the multimodal project, however, we will also practice multimedia writing
practices, such as making infographics, audio projects and short video productions. When

dealing with academic research, we will practice using Syracuse University Library databases and
discuss strategies for validating and documenting sources. In short, you will be provided with
space/time to practice each of the writing skills addressed and will receive guidance throughout
each of the course assignments. Besides practicing revision and editing on your own, I will also
provide you with feedback on full drafts before submitting final versions. More importantly, you
will often be encouraged to rely on each other to workshop papers.
As the opening epigraph suggests, literacy practices, and by extension academic writing practices,
are not solely based on individual histories, but they are also socially situated. Think of our
classroom as the social space in which we can explore our own literacies and how they are
affected by complex cultural conditions and practices within a Syracuse, New York, United
States context.

Syracuse University Writing 105 Course Outcomes

1. Writing as Situated Process
Students will practice a range of invention and revision strategies appropriate to various
writing situations.
2. Writing with Sources
Students will be introduced to primary and secondary research, utilize various library
resources, evaluate sources, and synthesize and apply research in accordance with
citation, genre conventions and ethical standards.
3. Writing as Rhetorical Action
Students will gain knowledge of rhetorical principles and practice addressing different
audiences and situations.
4. Writing as Academic Practice
Students will build their familiarity with values, strategies, and conventions related to a
range of academic contexts and disciplinary conversations.
5. Writing as Social Practice
Students will analyze, reflect on, and practice the dynamic use of language in diverse
contexts and recognize issues of power, difference and materiality.

From WPA Outcomes Statement for First-Year Composition

Composing: refers broadly to complex writing processes that are increasingly reliant on the use of
digital technologies. Writers also attend to elements of design, incorporating images and
graphical elements into texts intended for screens as well as printed pages.
Rhetorical knowledge: the ability to analyze contexts and audiences and then to act on that analysis
in comprehending and creating texts. Rhetorical knowledge is the basis of composing. Writers
develop rhetorical knowledge by negotiating purpose, audience, context, and conventions as they
compose a variety of texts for different situations.

Critical thinking: the ability to analyze, synthesize, interpret, and evaluate ideas, information,
situations, and texts.
Composing processes are seldom linear: a writer may research a topic before drafting, then conduct
additional research while revising or after consulting a colleague. Composing processes are also
flexible: successful writers can adapt their composing processes to different contexts and
occasions.
Conventions: the formal rules and informal guidelines that define genres, and in so doing, shape
readers and writers perceptions of correctness or appropriateness.

Major Assignments
Based on the outcomes delineated above, your work in this course will be evaluated in a series of
projects that will result in:
1) Literacy Narrative and Reflection (15%)- The Literacy Narrative is a 2-page narrative
on significant moment(s)/site(s) of literacy in your life. The Reflection should illuminate
insights you got about the writing process and writing in a more general sense. *
2) Rhetorical Analysis (20%)- You will write a 3-page Rhetorical Analysis of a
recent/significant media portrayal of the complexities behind cultural conditions addressed
by the scholars we study. *
3) Multimodal Project (10%)- The Multimodal Project will be a reflection on media literacies
in the multiple platforms you engage with. *
4) Argumentative Research and Reflection (30%)- Building on the work done throughout
the first units, you will write an argumentative research paper (4-5 pages) that includes
research that is conducted through/in our library databases. Citation practices should follow
MLA format. *
5) Class Blogs (15%)- You will be expected to blog about the readings assigned, to take notes
on classes, and to report on group work throughout the semester. *
*More specific instructions will be provided a week in advance.

Attendance & Participation (10%)

Writing studios are courses in language learning, and language is learned in communities;
therefore, it is essential that you attend class and participate. Absences and lack of preparation for
class will affect your classmates work as well as your own. The work you do in class, the work you
do to prepare for each class, is as important as any polished assignment you turn in for a grade,
especially considering that a component of your essays will be a record of your work towards a
final product. Participation can be demonstrated in more ways than simply being active in class
discussions (note-taking, leading small group discussions, among others). Another way to

participate is by listening and paying attention to your peers, being respectful of others in
discussions, peer editing sessions, and in general.
In addition, the course calendar is only a projection and may be subject to occasional changes
and revisions as deemed appropriate, necessary, or just interesting. That is another reason why
your attendance is vital. If you must miss a class, you are responsible for making up the work and
getting yourself back on track by following the updated course calendar, asking one of your peers,
or referring to our online class notes. Please realize, however, that class time cannot be
reconstructed or made up, and that your performance, your work, and your final course grade
will be affected by absences.
If you miss the equivalent of three weeks of classes or more without any official documented
excuse you will not be able to pass the course. Tardiness will count as half an absence, so make
sure to be here on time. I dont anticipate any of you will be in that position, however, so lets all
agree to do the work, come to class, learn a lot, and make the course a meaningful experience.

Grading
Grading in this course is as follows:
A: excellent work that abundantly meets assignment expectations
B: good work that meets expectations
C: satisfactory work that generally satisfies the assignment but with common and significant
problems
D: unsatisfactory work that exhibits very significant problems
F: failing work that does not meet university-level requirements
Pluses (+) and minuses (-) allow for more grading precision and will be used in this course.

Syracuse University Policies

Diversity and Disability Accommodations:
If you believe that you need accommodations for a disability, please contact the Office of
Disability Services (ODS), visit the ODS website http://disabilityservices.syr.edu, located in
Room 309 of 804 University Avenue, or call (315) 443-4498 or TDD: (315) 443-1371 for an
appointment to discuss your needs and the process for requesting accommodations. ODS is
responsible for coordinating disability-related accommodations and will issue students with
documented Disabilities Accommodation Authorization Letters, as appropriate. Since
accommodations may require early planning and generally are not provided retroactively, please
contact ODS as soon as possible.
Syracuse University values diversity and inclusion; we are committed to a climate of mutual
respect and full participation. My goal is to create learning environments that are useable,
equitable, inclusive and welcoming. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course
that result in barriers to your inclusion or accurate assessment or achievement, I invite any
student to meet with me to discuss additional strategies beyond accommodations that may be
helpful to your success.

Academic Honesty:
The academic community requires ethical behavior from all of its participants. For writers, this
means that the work we claim as ours must truly be ours. At the same time, we are not always
expected to come up with new ideas; we often build our thinking on the ideas of others. We are
expected, however, to credit others with their contributions and to clearly indicate the
boundaries of our own thinking, and we will practice this in class. In cases where academic
dishonesty is detected (the fraudulent submission of another's work, in whole or part, as your
own), you may be subject to a failing grade for the project or the course, and in the worst case, to
academic probation or expulsion. (http://academicintegrity.syr.edu)
Student Writing:
All texts written in this course are generally public. You may be asked to share them with a peer,
the class, or with me during classroom activities or for homework. You will also be asked to sign a
consent form requesting the use of your writing for professional development, teacher training,
and classroom instruction within the Syracuse University Writing Program.
The Writing Center:
Experienced writing consultants at the Writing Center (101 HB Crouse Hall, on the Quad) can
help you at any stage of the writing process. Face-to-face and online appointments are available
for 25- or 50-minute sessions throughout the semester and can be reserved up to seven days in
advance via their online scheduling program, WCOnline. In addition, drop-in appointments are
welcome Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and brief concerns or
questions can be emailed to consultants via the eWC. (http://wc.syr.edu)
Summer Start Writing Center scheduling will occur by sign up sheets located in HBC 239.
Religious Observances:
SUs religious observances policy recognizes the diversity of faiths represented among the campus
community and protects the rights of students, faculty, and staff to observe religious holy days
according to their tradition. Under the policy, students are provided an opportunity to make up
any examination, study, or work requirements that may be missed due to a religious observance
provided they notify their instructors before the end of the second week of classes. An online
notification process is available through MySlice/Student Services/Enrollment/My Religious
Observances from the first day of class until the end of the second week of class.
(http://supolicies.syr.edu/emp_ben/religious_observance.htm)

Course Calendar
WEEK 1
July 6th- Introductions
- Discussion of syllabus and student expectations for the course.
- Notes on Reading Practices (close reading, skimming, scanning)
READ: "What is Literacy?" by Dan Melzer and Deborah Coxwell-Teague

July 7th- Multi/literacies

- Define what literacy means.
- Notes on Blog(s) and Summary (p. 293)
READ: "Toward a Definition of Creative Nonfiction" by Brett Lott
BLOG: Reading Reaction
July 8th- Genre(s)
- Discussion of genre(s).
- Notes on Language(s)
READ: "How to Tame a Wild Tongue" by Gloria Anzaldua
BLOG: Reading Reaction
July 9th- Literacy Narrative and Subject Position
- Discussion of Culture and Literacy Narrative Assignment
- Notes on Pre-Writing Strategies
READ: "Superman and Me" by Sherman Alexie
WRITE: Draft of Literacy Narrative
WEEK 2
July 13th- Revisionary Histories
- Discussion of Sherman Alexie's history and subject position
- Notes on Peer Review and Revision
WRITE: Draft of Literacy Narrative Reflection
READ: Excerpt from Talking and Testifying by Geneva Smitherman
BLOG: Reading Reaction
July 14th- Rhetoric, Language and Grammar
- Distinctions among the three.
- Notes on Editing for Grammar
WRITE: Final Literacy Narrative and Reflection
July 15th- Rhetoric and Language
- Discuss Rhetorical Appeals
- Notes on Claim Making
READ: "The Stoning of Rachael Jeantel" by Kevin Browne
BLOG: Reading Reaction
July 16th- Rhetorical Analysis
- Practice the Rhetorical Analysis assignment
- Notes on Rhetorical Situation
READ: This Rhetorical Life's episode "On Ferguson"
BLOG: Reading Reaction

WEEK 3
July 20th- Citation Practices I
- Rhetorical audience and invoking others
- Notes on avoiding Patch-writing by Paraphrasing
READ: Collin Brooke's "Avoiding Argument by Adjective"
WRITE: Draft of Rhetorical Analysis
July 21st- Positionality
- Questioning the stance of the writer
- Notes on Persona
READ: "The Specter of Nuestra America: Barack Obama, Latin America, and the 2009 Summit of
the Americas" by Rene De los Santos
BLOG: Reading Reaction
July 22nd- Flows beyond the U.S. Nation-State
- Discussion of transnational flows of capital, people, and goods
- Notes on Topic Sentences and Transitions
WRITE: Draft of Rhetorical Analysis
July 23rd- Listening to Others
- Rhetorical listening analytic
- Notes on Workshopping papers
READ: "Wonder Woman: the feminist"
WRITE: Final Draft of Rhetorical Analysis
WEEK 4
July 27th- Multimodality
- Discussion of the concept and assignment based on Lepore
- Notes on Word Templates/Graphic Design
READ: Excerpt from What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy by James Paul
Gee (310)
BLOG: Reading Reaction
July 28th- Multimodality and Images
- Discussion of visual cultures (210)
- Notes on Pictographic software
READ: Beck on Composing (55)
BLOG: Reading Reaction
July 29th- Multimodality and Audiovisual Media
- Discussion of Games Studies, Film Studies, and Sonic Rhetorics
- Notes on iMovie and Audacity
READ: This Rhetorical Life's episode on "Translation/Transcription"
BLOG: Reading Reaction

July 30th- Old/New Media

- Questioning multimodality's newness and the advent of social media
- Notes on Social Media Etiquette
CREATE: Multimodal Project
WRITE: Rhetorical Reflection
WEEK 5
August 3rd- Felt Sense and Research Question
- Workshop to locate the burning question(s) your paper will address
- Notes on crafting research questions
READ: "Coming to Terms" by Joe Harris
BLOG: Reading Reaction
August 4th- Research Matters
- Discussion of "Coming to Terms" and Argumentative Research Assignment expectations
- Notes & Practice on Database searches
RESEARCH: Sources relevant to your topic
BLOG: Reading Reaction
August 5th- Reading Effectively and Situating Sources
- Discussion of flashpoints and writer's project
- Notes on Validating Sources (Ethos)
READ: Sources
WRITE: Notes on potential flashpoints
August 6th- Conversing with your Sources
- Making your sources speak to each other by focusing on their project
- Notes on Invention
WRITE: First Draft of Argumentative Paper
WEEK 6
August 10th- Citation Practices II
- Discussion of citation practices and format
WRITE: Proper citations following MLA
August 11th: One-on-One Conferences
- Class will not meet
WRITE: Revision of Argumentative Paper
August 12th: Reflections & Last Day of Class!
- Course Evaluations
WRITE: Revision of Argumentative Paper Reflection