John

Tiedemann writ 1122

Email: John.Tiedemann@du.edu Section 1
Office hours: TR after class TR 9:00–12:40, Sturm 287
Blog: http://1122imagine-argue.blogspot.com/

• writ 1122: imagination & argumentation..

 THE CLASS
In this section of WRIT 1122, you’ll develop the full range of your critical and creative abilities through
a series of writing exercises that ask you to exercise your imagination and your powers of
argumentation in equal measure. By writing everything from television pitches to radio stories to
public letters, you’ll learn how to combine critical thinking and creativity to write compellingly across
a diverse array of situations.
Some of our time in class will be spent discussing readings and viewings, but most of it will be devoted
to drafting and revising a series of short pieces based upon what the Greeks called the
progymnasmata: i.e., composition exercises designed to give practice in the argumentative,
storytelling, and other writerly skills needed to intervene effectively in public discourse. You will
practice adapting old tales for new audiences, turning news stories into gripping fictions, taking
stances on public debates, painting vivid pictures in words, and more.
You will draft and revise a writing exercise each class, selecting from among six exercises the five that
you’ll turn in for a final grade.
You will also help one another to develop your work, providing suggestions for revision to your peers.
At the end of the course, you will write a reflection upon the work you’ve done all quarter, thus
demonstrating and consolidating what you’ve learned.

TEXTS
All assignments will be posted on our course blog: http://1122imagine-argue.blogspot.com/. You do
not need to purchase a textbook for this class.
However, your own texts are a central element of our class — so be sure to bring your laptop to every
class meeting.
 GOALS AND FORMAT
• Goals
The goal of WRIT 1122 is to teach you strategies vital to writing across a variety of different situations.
You will be introduced to fundamental principles of rhetorical analysis and rhetorical practice, to
techniques for using readings and other source materials effectively, and to methods for generating,
revising, and editing your texts. You will receive sustained practice in writing, with feedback from your
classmates and me, resulting in several polished texts by quarter’s end.
• Class-time
Writing well takes practice, practice, and more practice. So we’ll typically spend half of our class
time in discussion and the other half writing. The writing portion of class may involve responding to a
prompt, completing an exercise, drafting or revising, or helping each other in small groups. You can
also expect to spend four or more hours each week writing at home. And because a quality
composition results from many revisions, you will revise each of your exercises with guidance from
your classmates and me.
• Participation
For each class meeting, you will receive up to 10 points toward your final grade: up to 4 for the work
you complete at home and up to 6 for class discussion.
Ø Homework: All writing assignments are to be shared with me via Google Drive by the start of class
on the day they’re due. A student will receive 4 points for posting a complete and manifestly
thoughtful draft of the assignment. S/he will receive no more than 2 point for posting a draft that is
incomplete or seems to be hastily composed. And a student will receive no points should s/he fail
to share an assignment by the time it is due.
Ø Class discussion: A student will receive 6 points for the day when s/he makes more than one
meaningful contribution to that day’s discussion. S/he will receive 4 points when s/he contributes
only once or when his/her contributions aren’t fully formed. S/he will receive 2 points if s/he
attends class without speaking up. Students will receive no points if they fail to attend class, or
distract their classmates, or waste valuable class time checking email, Facebook, etc.
 POLICIES
• Attendance
As the above indicates, there are no “excused” absences from class. If you miss class, you don’t
receive credit for class discussion for that day. However, please note that because so much of our
work is done in class and because we are on a compressed 5-week schedule, it is very much in your
interests to attend all class sessions. You’ll fall behind if you miss even one, with consequences for the
quality of your work hat will no doubt affect your grade negatively.
• Late Work
Per the above, assignments are due when they are due. Work that comes in late will receive neither
credit nor feedback.
• Technology in the classroom
You’ll need to use your laptop in class, but you are not to use it except to work — so no surfing the
web, no email, no social media, etc. You are also not permitted to record class in any way. And,
before class starts, you are to turn off your phone, put it away, and leave it there. I won’t be
reminding students to observe these rules. If a student breaks them, I’ll simply deduct their
participation points for the day. If a student breaks them repeatedly, we’ll need to discuss whether
that student would be better off taking the class at a later date, when they’ve matured.
• Civility and Tolerance
The Writing Program affirms DU’s Code of Student Conduct (http://www.du.edu/ccs/code.html),
which in part “expects students to recognize the strength of personal differences while respecting
institutional values.” Because writing courses rely heavily on interactions between all members of the
class, students and faculty must act in a manner respectful of different positions and perspectives. A
student who behaves in an uncivil or intolerant manner will be asked to stop and/or formally repri-
manded and/or subject to action by the Office of Citizenship and Community Standards.
Becoming educated requires encountering new ideas and information, some of which may conflict
with an individual’s existing knowledge or perspectives. I expect students to engage such materials
thoughtfully, in ways that reflect the values and mission of the University of Denver.
 POLICIES (cont’d.)
• Plagiarism
The Writing Program follows the Council of Writing Program Administrators policy “Defining and Avoid-
ing Plagiarism,” which states, “In an instructional setting, plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately
uses someone else’s language, ideas, or other original (not common-knowledge) material without
acknowledging its source” (http://wpacouncil.org/node/9). DU’s Honor Code also maintains that all
members of the University must responsibly use the work of others. Students who have plagiarized a
project will receive an F on that project, and the I will inform the Director of Writing and the Office of
Community and Citizenship Standards, which may take further action. Any documented acts of
plagiarism after the first may be subject to more severe actions.
• Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
The Writing Program will provide reasonable accommodations to every student who has a disability
that has been documented by The University of Denver Disability Services Program
(http://www.du.edu/studentlife/disability/ or 303.871.2455).
• Email
I usually respond to email within a day or two during the week, less quickly on weekends.
 GRADES
I’ll give you suggestions for revision and a provisional grade on each draft you turn in. You’ll select
five exercises of the six you’ll draft to revise for a final grade. The grade for each exercise will rise, fall,
or stay the same depending upon how effectively you revise it. Final drafts of all five revised exercises
are due to me via Google Drive by midnight on Saturday, March 23.

In addition to grades you’ll receive for the exercises, you will also receive a grade for your final
reflective essay, for class participation, and for homework. Here’s the breakdown:

Revised exercises: 120 points each x 5 = 600 points

Reflective essay: 200 points x 1 = 200 points
Class participation: 10 points per class x 10 = 100 points
Reflective Essay: = 100 points
TOTAL 1000 points
And here’s the scale I’ll use to calculate your final grade for the course:
A 930-1000
A- 900-929
B+ 870-899
B 830-869
B- 800-829
C+ 770-799
C 730-769
C- 700-729
D+ 670-699
D 630-669
D- 600-629
F 0–599
 CALENDAR
Detailed descriptions of each day’s work will appear on our blog: http://1122imagine-argue.blogspot.com/
W1 T June 25 Introduction to the course and Exercise 1: Once Upon a Time.
R June 27 First draft of Exercise 1 due.
Introduction to Exercise 2: Based on a True Story
W2 T July 2 First draft of Exercise 2 due.
Introduction to Exercise 3: Picture This
R July 4 Independence Day — no class
W3 T July 9 First draft of Exercise 3 due.
Introduction to Exercise 4: This I Believe
R July 11 First draft of Exercise 4 due.
Introduction to Exercise 5: Re-Mix
W4 T July 16 First draft of Exercise 5 due.
Introduction to Exercise 6: Changing Minds
R July 18 First draft of Exercise 6 due.
Introduction to Reflective Essay.
W5 T July 23 Final draft revisions
R July 25 Final draft revisions
FINAL DRAFTS DUE ON GOOGLE DRIVE BY 11:59 P.M. ON MONDAY, JULY 29