Wed, 7:00 pm in AH 2107
Section: 25 – Fall 2015 / Professor: @LouieCentanni
E-mail:
Web: profcentanni.weebly.edu
Office: SH-110D
Office Hours: M/W, 11-12 or by appointment
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followers / following
#CourseDescription:The goal of RWS 305 is for students to learn not only how to respond to academic tasks, but also how to write persuasively and effectively across a variety of genres and situations. The course contains a metacognitive component in which students learn to reflect upon and evaluate the effectiveness of their arguments within rhetorical contexts and given particular audiences. This course meets the upper division writing requirement for students who earn a “C” or better.
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Favorites (i.e., Required Texts)
1) Thank You For Arguing by Jay Heinrichs (Three Rivers, 2007)
*Most readings will be online.
#StudentLearningOutcomes: In RWS 305W students learn to respond not just to academic tasks but a wider variety of genres and settings that require diverse research methods and writing styles. The course also asks students to reflect on and evaluate the effectiveness of their own writing style(s) within rhetorical contexts.
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Following (i.e., Assignments & Grade Breakdown)
Rhetorical Analysis 20 pts
Resume/CV/Cover Letter 20 pts
Opinion Editorial 25 pts
Short Story / Memoir 10 pts
Small Assignments 15 pts
Participation 10 pts
TOTAL 100 pts
Trending (i.e., Materials)
1) Notebook
2) Access to Discipline-Specific Readings
3) Pens, pencils, and highlighters
4) Access to a stapler!
Top Stories (i.e., Web Interactions)
Blackboard: I will post major class announcements and outside reading on our course Blackboard page. Please print out all readings and bring them to class.
My personal website: I also use profcentanni.weebly.com, my own website, to post readings and helpful resources. Familiarize yourself with this site.
News Feed (i.e., Assignments)
1) Rhetorical Analysis of Academic or Professional Article in Your Discipline (4-6 pgs): You will select a formal article from your discipline and analyze the rhetorical moves the writer(s) make in order to appeal to their specific audience. Consider, especially, why such choices would likely be successful in your field as opposed to other fields (or other rhetorical strategies).
2) CV/Resume, Cover Letter/Statement of Purpose (3-4 pgs): In this practical unit, each student will create a functional resume for use after (or before, in some cases) undergraduate studies. Students will also compose a cover letter for a specific position they research or, if graduate school is your goal, a statement of purpose for a grad school application.
3) Written Opinion Editorial (3-5 pgs): While this essay may seem easy, it is the true test of what you have gained over the course of the semester. You will select an issue or conversation that matters to you and compose an opinion editorial presenting your stance. In doing so, you will need to exhibit grasp of rhetorical devices and strategies by putting them to practice.
4) Short Story / Memoir (5-7 pgs): In this “personal” unit, we will explore how many of the strict norms of writing dissolve when the goal is to entertain or inform. Your story can be fiction, creative non-fiction, or memoir, but it must have a clear purpose and audience.
Who to Follow (i.e., Due Dates)
Professional E-mail – Wed, 9/2
Assignment #1 – Wed, 9/30
Assignment #2 – Wed, 10/21
Letter of Rec – Wed, 10/28
Assignment #3 – Wed, 11/18
Presentations – Wed, 11/18
Assignment #4 – Wed, 12/9
Quizzes – unannounced (pop)
Definitions
Discourse Community: “A site or social group defined by special kinds of speech and writing, the boundaries and character of which are determined by the communicative practices as well as the social sentiments, shared norms, and cultural values of the members” (Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition: Communication from Ancient Times to the Information Age 194).
Genre: “A type of spoken or written discourse, recognized as conventional by members of an intellectual community, that draws together certain substantive and stylistic features in response to a recurrent rhetorical situation” (279).
#RhetoricalKnowledge: RWS 305W will help students identify, analyze, and respond in writing to various rhetorical situations. Students will learn how to:
-Identify individual discourse communities and find and analyze their characteristic texts, evaluate their credibility and principles, and apply relevant aspects of their information to other contexts and arguments;
-Analyze the details of a wide variety of writing situations (textual elements such as tone, evidence, organizational patterns, diction, even visuals) according to the author’s purpose as well as the audience’s needs and tastes;
-Respond effectively in writing to issues and arguments raised in a variety of disciplinary, popular, and professional texts and/or contexts;
-Produce effective arguments from a variety of disciplinary, popular, and professional contexts.
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#CriticalThinkingAndReadingStrategies: RWS 305 will provide students with strategies to understand the function of reading and writing in cultural, academic, and professional communities. Students will learn how to:
-Actively read texts using a variety of reading strategies such as annotation, visual organizers, questioning, and discussion;
-Identify how a writer uses rhetorical strategies in various genres of writing;
-Interpret, analyze, and evaluate demanding texts;
-Apply critical thinking skills and reading strategies to evaluate their own writing and the writing of fellow students;
-Reflect on their own progress as a working writer in relation to critical thinking and reading strategies.
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#WritingProcesses: RWS 305W will strengthen students’ awareness of an abilities to use writing processes effectively. Students will learn how to:
-Develop flexible strategies for creating, revising, and editing texts;
-Critique their own and others’ texts;
-Write with an awareness of audience and purpose.
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#KnowledgeOfConventions: RWS 305W will provide students with strategies to identify, analyze, and apply the writing conventions of different discourse communities and to write effectively within those communities. Students will learn how to:
-Identify how discourse communities employ particular strategies for conveying, researching, evaluating, and presenting information;
-Analyze and choose the appropriate conventions for a range of audience expectations;
-Integrate a variety of appropriate sources into their writings in a way that accurately reflects the writer’s meaning and purpose;
-Document sources appropriately;
-Sustain reasonable correctness in grammar and mechanics to perform well in a variety of writing contexts and professional settings.
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#AttitudesValuesAndPreparationForLifeBeyondTheUniversity: RWS 305W reflects the values of a liberal arts education, namely to:
-Work collaboratively and cooperatively to achieve defined goals;
-Respect the diverse points of view that characterize our multi-cultural classroom community;
-Criticially analyze a variety of texts produced for public and individual readers;
-Participate confidently in public discussion on issues of importance to the workplace and the community;
-Address issues in writing.
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#Attendance: Rhetoric is a “soft discipline,” meaning you cannot simply soak formulas up by reading the text and completing assignments. There is no substitute for attendance. Students are allowed 1 absence. For each additional absence, your participation grade will take a hit. Tardies and early dismissals may also adversely affect your participation grade.
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#Electronics:
“Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.” – Ron Swanson
Whether it be a smart phone, tablet, or laptop, electronics encourage “continuous partial attention” (i.e., doing several things at half-capacity instead of one thing at full-capacity). Furthermore, a lot of new research supports the notion that electronics in the classroom may be detrimental not only to the user, but to those nearby. Therefore, technology will not be permitted in this class. If I see phones out, I will ask you to leave.
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#LateWork: I will accept late work with a penalty. Late essays will receive a 20% deduction per class period late.
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#MindfulMinute: One of the greatest enemies to learning is what Buddhists call “the monkey mind.” Think about how many times a day your mind bounces from the task-at-hand to a problem in the past, a worry from the future, or to things you cannot handle in the present moment. In that light, I will begin each session with one minute of mindful silence. The intention is not one of spirituality or religion, but rather of focus. The hope is to create a foundation of relaxed, vigilant attention that will facilitate class activities. You may feel free to participate in any centering practice of your choice, even if that merely means shutting up for one minute; however, please respect the mindful silence.
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#Plagiarism: This is the academic equivalent to grand larceny. Copying someone’s words without citing them, using someone’s ideas without crediting them – there are many ways to fall victim to this crime. Remember that my goal is to teach, not to punish. If you have any fears about whether or not you are plagiarizing, please ask before you violate the rule. Penalties for plagiarism can range from grade reduction to expulsion from school. Be aware of this. For more information, please visit: www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/senate/policy/pfacademics.html.
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#StudentAthletes: I was a college athlete, so I know the challenges that come with balancing your practice/game schedule with classes. Please make arrangements with the professor ahead of time if you must be absent for a sporting event.
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#Respect: In this class (and really, in life), maintain what author Jon Kabat-Zinn refers to as a “don’t know mind.” Everyone has his or her own beliefs and values, and they are “right” in his or her mind. Enter every discussion in this class accepting the notion that you may not be “right.” Respect the views of others, even if you disagree with them. This is the first step toward intelligence and a necessary prerequisite for wisdom, so begin cultivating that in my classroom (if you haven’t begun already).
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#Friends: Before class ends today, please exchange contact information with two classmates so that, in the event of an absence, you are able to stay on task.
Note: Feel free to e-mail your professor regarding nearly any issue; however,the one e-mail to which I will not respond is, “What did I miss?” / “Did I miss anything important?” / any variation thereof. This is why you make friends in class.
Final Note: All information on this syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the professor.
Tentative Course Schedule
Week 1 / Wednesday, August 26 / IntroductionsSyllabus & Assignments
Discussion: UNC Writing Center, “Effective
E-Mail Communication”
Week 2 / Wednesday, September 2 / Due: Professional E-mail
Read:Johns, Ann, “Discourse Communities and
Communities of Practice: Membership, Conflict,
and Diversity”
Read: Thank You For Arguing (pp. 3-80)
Discussion: Recap of effective e-mails
-What is a discourse community?
-Ethos in an argument
Week 3 / Wednesday, September 9 / Read: Wallace, B. Alan, “Mental Balance and
Well-Being: Building Bridges Between Buddhism
and Western Psychology”
Read: Thank You For Arguing (pp. 81-104)
Discussion: Group rhetorical analysis of text
-Pathos and Logos in discourse communities
In-class: Begin selecting/organizing your own text
Week 4 / Wednesday, September 16 / Read: Sample Rhetorical Analyses
Read: Thank You For Arguing (pp. 105-141)
In-class: Applying techniques to your text
-Outlining and preparing our analyses
Week 5 / Wednesday, September 23 / Read: Thank You For Arguing (pp. 220-228, 249-270)
In-class: Workshop our papers in groups
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Week 6 / Wednesday, September30 / Due: Assignment #1 – Rhetorical Analysis
Discussion: Unit 2 – Professional
-How to fill a blank resume
-Dos and Don’ts of the resume/CV
-Dos and Don’ts of the cover letter
In-class: Research/define ideas for writing good
resume and cover letter
-Sample resumes, CVs, and cover letters
-Begin your own CVs and cover letters
REFLECTION on ASSIGNMENT #1
Week 7 / Wednesday, October 7 / NO CLASS
Week 8 / Wednesday, October 14 / Discussion: Letter of Recommendation introduction
In-class: Read sample letters
- Dos and Don’ts of Letters of Recommendation
In-class: Workshop one another’s projects
Week 9 / Wednesday, October 21 / Due: Assignment #2 – Professional Assignment
Due: Letter of Recommendation
Read: Social Justice piece
Discussion: Types of social justice advocacy
In-class: Watch/find speeches, films, books,
articles, etc. that exemplify power of civic
discourse
Select your issue
Week 10 / Wednesday, October 28 / Civic Discourse Unit (cont):
Read: Thank You For Arguing (145-198)
Logical Fallacies
In-class: TBD
Week 11 / Wednesday, November 4 / Read:Thank You For Arguing (281-328)
TBD
Week 12 / Wednesday, November 11 / VETERANS DAY – NO CLASS
Week 13 / Wednesday, November 18 / Due:Assignment #3 – Civic Discourse
Due: Civic Discourse Presentations
Week 14 / Wednesday, November25 / THANKSGIVING BREAK – NO CLASS
Week 15 / Wednesday, December 2 / Read: TBA
In-class: Form and theory of fiction / creative writing
In-class: Workshop / Organize final assignments
Week 16 / Wednesday, December 9 / Workshop final assignments
Week 17 / Wednesday, December 16 / NO CLASS
Due:Assignment #4 – Personal Assignment
“Keep your hat on. We may end up miles from here.”
-Kurt Vonnegut
SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY