11
ENGLISH 1101: English Composition I-87132—Fall 2011
Time: Tuesday and Thursday 2:30-4:45
Place: Kell 290
Instructor: Jennifer Forsthoefel
Office: GCB 966
Office Hours: Wednesday 3:00-5:00 and by appointment
Office Phone: (404) 413-5829
E-mail:
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed to increase the student’s ability to construct written prose of various kinds. It focuses on methods of organization, analysis, research skills, and the production of short expository and argumentative essays; readings consider issues of contemporary social and cultural concern. A passing grade is C.
GENERAL LEARNING OUTCOMES
· engage in writing as a process, including various invention heuristics (brainstorming, for example) gathering evidence, considering audience, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading
· engage in the collaborative, social aspects of writing, and use writing as a tool for learning
· use language to explore and analyze contemporary multicultural, global, and international questions
· demonstrate how to use writing aids, such as handbooks, dictionaries, online aids, and tutors
· gather, summarize, synthesize, and explain information from various sources
· use grammatical, stylistic, and mechanical formats and conventions appropriate for a variety of audiences
· critique their own and others’ work in written and oral formats
· produce coherent, organized, readable prose for a variety of rhetorical situations
· reflect on what contributed to their writing process and evaluate their own work
REQUIRED TEXTS
Foer, Jonathan. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2005.
Noll, James. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Educational Issues, 16 ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.
Singer, Marti. First Essays: A Peer Approach to Freshman Composition. Plymouth: Hayden McNeil Publishing, 2008.
Strongly Recommended:
Lunsford, Andrea. The Everyday Writer Georgia State University Edition. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2009.
ASSIGNMENTS AND EVALUATION
Grading Scale-Point Value
A+ 97-100
A 93-96
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 76-79
C 70-75 (GPA = 2.0)
C- 65-69
D 60-64
F below 60
The Board of Regents requires a grade point of 2.0 in a freshman composition course to be considered as “passing.”
A rubric which describes in greater detail how essays will be graded will be distributed at a later date, prior to the due date of the first essay.
Course Requirements
Essays (3-4 pages) 70%
You will complete four essays over the course of this semester. These essays will increase in value as the semester progresses.
1. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Essay (in class) (10%)
2. Reporting/Explaining Essay (15%)
3. Annotated Bibliography (20%)
4. Argument Analysis (25%)
Class Assignments 30%
This grade will include
1. In-Class Writing (Including Quizzes and Peer Review) (10%)
2. Participation (10%)
3. Homework (10%)
COURSEWORK POLICIES
Attendance and Participation:
This class relies heavily on student participation, so your attendance is expected. While I will take attendance the first few weeks of class to learn your names and to verify the roll, this will not be a habit throughout the semester. Instead, the majority of our class meetings will begin with a short quiz or written response to the readings assigned for that day. Thus, in addition to your comprehension of the readings, your attendance will be apparent to me throughout the semester. These quizzes/responses cannot be “made-up” at a later date. Please note that I make no distinction between “excused” or “unexcused” absences. It’s simple: either you are here, or you are not. If you are not here, you are not participating, and your participation portion of the overall grade will suffer as a result. If you must miss class, consult a classmate to find out what you have missed and for copies of the handouts.
In addition, I ask that you do not be late to class. It is distracting and takes away from the learning environment. I define “late” as more than fifteen minutes after the course is scheduled to begin. If you arrive before the fifteen minute grace period ends but are still late to class, you will not be allowed extra time to complete the quiz given at the beginning of that class. If you arrive after the fifteen minute grace period, you will not be permitted into the classroom and are considered absent. If you think you might have a problem arriving to class on time despite this grace period, please consider registering for a different section of this course.
Late Work:
Assignments are due at the beginning of class. If you anticipate a problem with a particular deadline, confer with me at least one class period before the assignment due date to discuss the issue. Otherwise, I will not accept late work.
Essay Submission:
Please staple all final drafts of your essays (no binders or paperclips) BEFORE coming to class. I will not accept papers that are not stapled. They should be typed on a word processor, double-spaced with standard margins and font (Times New Roman, 12 point). I will not accept emailed or faxed papers for final submission without prior discussion.
Peer Review:
The class before the final due date of your essays with be dedicated to peer review workshops, during which we will be reading each other’s work. In addition, you will have the opportunity to discuss with me any questions or concerns you have about your essay at that time. You are required to bring a draft of your essay to participate in this activity. The credit for this will be a part of you “In-class work” grade discussed later in the syllabus. I strongly encourage that you take advantage of this portion of this course.
Incompletes:
Receiving an Incomplete: The notation of “I” may be given to a student who, for nonacademic reasons beyond his or her control, is unable to meet the full requirements of a course. In order to qualify for an “I”, a student must:
· Have completed most of the major assignments of the course (generally all but one); and
· Be earning a passing grade in the course (aside from the assignments not completed) in the judgment of the instructor.
When a student has a nonacademic reason for not completing one or more of the assignments for a course, including examinations, and wishes to receive an incomplete for the course, it is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor in person or in writing of the reason. A grade of incomplete is awarded at the discretion of the instructor and is not the prerogative of the student. Conditions to be met for removing a grade of incomplete are established by the instructor.
Electronic Communication:
I will only read and respond to emails sent to . Although I am a student at GSU as well as an instructor, and thus have a student account, I do not check my student account regularly, and therefore will not respond to email sent to this or any other address that is not my faculty account. Although I check my faculty e-mail often, there is a chance that I will not receive an email from you on the day that you send it. Therefore, please anticipate waiting at least 24 hours for me to respond to emails.
Plan to check your GSU email daily for announcements regarding this class. If you prefer an email address other than your GSU one set your GSU account to forward your email to that address. It is against university policy for me to discuss private information with students through any address other than their GSU account.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
Georgia State University defines plagiarism as . . .
“ . . . any paraphrasing or summarizing of the works of another person without acknowledgment, including the submitting of another student's work as one's own . . . [It] frequently involves a failure to acknowledge in the text . . . the quotation of paragraphs, sentences, or even phrases written by someone else.” At GSU, “the student is responsible for understanding the legitimate use of sources . . . and the consequences of violating this responsibility.”
(For the university’s policies, see in the student catalog, “Academic Honesty,” http://www2.gsu.edu/~catalogs/2010-2011/undergraduate/1300/1380_academic_honesty.htm)
FOR ENGLISH MAJORS
The English department at GSU requires an exit portfolio of all students graduating with a degree in English. Ideally, students should work on this every semester, selecting 1-2 papers from each course and revising them, with direction from faculty members. The portfolio includes revised work and a reflective essay about what you’ve learned. Each concentration (literature, creative writing, rhetoric/composition, and secondary education) within the major may have specific items to place in the portfolio, so be sure to check booklet located next to door of the front office of the English Department. Senior Portfolio due dates are published in the booklets or you may contact an advisor or Dr. Goodman, Director of Undergraduate Studies. See the English office for additional information.
DISABILITY SERVICES
Georgia State University complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students who wish to request accommodation for a disability may do so by registering with the Office of Disability Services. Students may only be accommodated upon issuance by the Office of Disability Services of a signed Accommodation Plan and are responsible for providing a copy of that plan to instructors of all classes in which accommodations are sought.
According to the ADA (http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:s3406enr.txt.pdf):
‘‘SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF DISABILITY. ‘‘As used in this Act: ‘‘(1) DISABILITY.—The term ‘disability’ means, with respect to an individual— ‘‘(A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual...major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working. ‘‘(B) MAJOR BODILY FUNCTIONS.—For purposes of paragraph (1), a major life activity also includes the operation of a major bodily function, including but not limited to, functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions.
WRITING STUDIO: 976 GCB 404-413-5840
The purpose of the Writing Studio is to enhance the writing instruction by providing undergraduate and graduate students with an experienced reader who engages them in conversation about their writing assignments and ideas, and familiarizes them with audience expectations and academic genre conventions. We focus on the rhetorical aspects of texts, and provide one-on-one, student-centered teaching that corresponds to each writer’s composing process. Although we are not a line-editing or proofreading service, we are happy to discuss grammar concerns with students from a holistic perspective. Tutors will be alert listeners and will ask questions, and will not judge or evaluate the work in progress. We offer 30 minute sessions (for undergraduate students) and 60 minute sessions (for graduate students) for face-to-face tutoring. Through Write/Chat, our online tutoring service, we offer 15-minute sessions that address short, brief concerns. In addition, the GSU Writing Studio will sponsor workshops, led by faculty and staff, on various topics dealing with academic writing. Please visit the Writing Studio in GCB 976 or at www.writingstudio.gsu.edu for more information. We look forward to seeing you
ONLINE EVALUATION OF INSTRUCTOR
Your constructive assessment of this course plays an indispensable role in shaping education at Georgia State. Upon completing the course, please take time to fill out the online course evaluation.
ENGL 1101 SCHEDULE FALL 2011
Note: The reading is due on the day it is listed. You must be prepared to discuss the reading when you come to class that day.
The numbers indicate page numbers. Bring appropriate book(s) to class each session.
Week / Day / ASSIGNED READINGS / Assignments Due1 / 8/23 T / Introductions/Syllabus
8/25 Th / Introductions Continued; Discussion of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Essay
2 / 8/30 T / ASSIGN CLASS PRESENTATIONS http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/03/14/050314crbo_books1
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
9/1 Th / http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/03/14/050314crbo_books1
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close / Extremely Loud &
Incredibly Close Essay
3 / 9/6
T / INTRODUCE REPORTING/EXPLAINING ESSAY
DISCUSS PEER REVIEW AND GRADING RUBRIC
9/8 Th / First Essays CHAPTER 4 PG 49-66
“Ready for College?”
http://daltondailycitizen.com/local/x645567401/Ready-for-college
“A Lack Of Rigor Leaves Students 'Adrift' In College”
http://www.npr.org/2011/02/09/133310978/in-college-a-lack-of-rigor-leaves-students-adrift
4 / 9/13 T / First Essays CHAPTER 1&2
9/15
Th / “Atlanta's Schools Work Through Cheating Scandal”
http://www.npr.org/2011/08/10/139345533/atlantas-schools-work-through-cheating-scandal
“Dear Job Market, Thanks For A Lousy Grad Gift” by Yuki Noguchi
http://www.npr.org/2011/06/03/136830744/dear-job-market-thanks-for-a-lousy-grad-gift
5 / 9/20
T / First Essays CHAPTER 3
“It’s Not You”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/31/opinion/31brooks.html?_r=2
9/22 Th / PEER REVIEW
6 / 9/27 T / INTRODUCE ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY / REPORTING/
EXPLAINING ESSAY
9/29 Th / First Essays Chapter 5
7 / 10/4 T / TAKING SIDES ISSUE 11
10/6 Th / LIBRARY INSTRUCTION
8 / 10/11 T / TAKING SIDES ISSUE 12
10/13 Th / TAKING SIDES ISSUE 13
9 / 10/18 T / TAKING SIDES ISSUE 14
10/20 Th / TAKING SIDES ISSUE 15
10 / 10/25 T / TAKING SIDES ISSUE 16
10/27 Th / PEER REVIEW
11 / 11/1
T / INTRODUCE ARGUMENT ANALYSIS / ANNOTATED
BIBLIOGRAPHY
DUE
11/3 Th / First Essays Chapter 4
12 / 11/8 T / TAKING SIDES ISSUE 17
11/10 Th / TAKING SIDES ISSUE 18
13 / 11/15 T / TAKING SIDES ISSUE 19
11/17 Th / TAKING SIDES ISSUE 20
20-26 / THANKSGIVING BREAK
14 / 11/29 T / CONFERENCES
12/1 Th / CONFERENCES
15 / 12/6 T / ARGUMENT ANALYSIS DUE / ARGUMENT
ANALYSIS
ESSAY
This syllabus reflects a plan for the course. Deviations from this plan may become necessary as the semester progresses. Students are responsible for taking note of any changes that may occur.
Grading Rubric
Lower Division Studies Program, Dept. of English, Georgia State University
Point/Grade / 6 (A) / 5 (A-/B+) / 4 (B) / 3 (C) / 2 (D) / 1 (F)Ideas
topic
thesis
focus
purpose / Ideas are insightful, thought-provoking, and focused so that they consistently support a central idea. / Ideas are focused to support the topic and a central idea, but may not be consistently insightful or thought-provoking. / Ideas support the topic and central idea with some focus. / Ideas are cliched or general, but demonstrate some support of the topic or a central idea. / Ideas are confusing to the reader and unfocused for the topic at hand. Ambiguous central idea. / No discernable purpose or thesis or focus.