Introductory Composition: Writing as Inquiry Spring, 2013

Tyler S. Branson 402 Reed Hall tyler.Branson@tcu.edu Office Hours: MWF 11:00 11:50 (or by appointment)

Overview
There are a lot of misconceptions about writing. Many students see writing as merely transcribing thoughts that come into our brains fully-formedas some kind of dictation device we use to write down great ideas. As a result, many people consider themselves bad writers because the ideas they first write arent beautiful or concise. Guess whatnobody writes like that. Writing can become clear, concise, persuasive, and even beautiful through a process of critical thinking that occurs 1) while we write and 2) as it is read by other readers. Think about it: People dont merely write down great arguments that magically pop into their heads. Writing is a process by which those ideas and arguments manifest themselves. Have you ever started writing somethingan essay, blog, or status updateand by the time you finish you have come to new ideas or realizations you didnt originally anticipate? If so, you are a witness to the ability of writing to generate new ideas, not to transcribe ideas that are already formed. Moreover, writing is social: Authors have editors. Facebook statuses are validated by likes. New York Times articles are meticulously proofread by copyeditors. In short, writing is a social process. ENGL 10803 is thus a writing workshop that understands writing not as a method of transcribing ideas, but as a kind of inquiry. Therefore, in this class well unpack what that means by challenging those traditional definitions of writing through critical reading, drafting, revision, and editing activities. Well do a range of different writing tasksfrom personal essays, to research papers, to community engagement assignments to argumentsall in an effort to unsettle what we think writing is and to expand what we think writing can be.

Required Texts and Materials

Ballenger, Bruce. The Curious Writer, 3rd Edition. Regular access to Pearson Learning Studio for pdf readings, supplementary documents, and links on our webliography. Please bring supplementary texts to class when asked. TCU Email account (check this often: I will send important class announcements to your school email)

Assignments
Portfolios: This course has 4 Major Writing Assignments that you will turn in throughout the semester. Each assignment will be drafted, revised, workshopped, and reflected upon the resulting materials of which will be turned in as completed portfolios that you will compile onto your own website. Process Work If the goal of writing (as this class argues) is to generate ideas, collaborate with others, and make an impact on our communitiesthen part of that work is daily, reflective writing. The day-to-day work of the classwhich includes in-class writing, informal outof-class writings, quizzes, reflections, and surveysis called process work. This work is crucial to your Major Assignments and thus part of the grade within your portfolios. Not doing them adequately (or at all) can hamper your grade. Workshops For each Major Writing Assignment, you will be asked to submit drafts that will be workshopped in small groups, by the whole class, and/or by me. Each draft needs to be accompanied by an Authors Note that explains to the readers three things 1) The state of the draft (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc) and what you hope to accomplish in it; 2) What you think is going well; and 3) What you are having trouble with or what you would like advice and feedback on. This is why in a workshop you will need to bring a full draft. Drafts do not mean messy or incomplete. A draft, in this class, means a well thought-out and engaging composition. Portfolio 1: This I Believe Essay Portfolio 2: Discovery Essay Portfolio 3: Community Profile Essay Portfolio 4: Argument Essay

A Writing workshop serves dual purposes: on one hand, we get feedback from our peers and grow as writers. But on the other hand, a workshop teaches us how to become better readers. When we workshop writing, we are learning how to look for certain things as readers, how to become more informed and critical readers of texts. This is why your participation as a reader is just as importantif not more sothan your participation as a writer. A writing workshop also presents us with certain expectations of etiquette as participants. When we provide feedback to our peers, it is crucial that we keep the comments to the text: How does the text make an impression to us as readers? What is persuasive? What isnt? We need to mention things we liked

about the paperthings that worked, organizational patterns that made an impact. We must refrain from personal attacks, overly rude or bossy comments, excessive correction of grammar and spelling (especially on early drafts), and antagonistic rhetoric that is unhelpful to the writer. We will practice these skills and go over them in more detail throughout the semester. Rhetorical Responses Each unit you will be expected to write a Rhetorical Response over the course readings, which are due at the beginning of class. Ultimately, these 4 rhetorical responses help you prepare for class discussion; generate ideas for your own essays through analysis of other readings; and to practice the genre of writing typical of many academic settings. These should be 700-1000 words. Final The final project in this class has 3 components: 1) a multimedia composition in which you convert one of your essays into another medium; 2) a Rhetorical Analysis of your composing practices that analyzes the rhetorical choices you made during the project; and 3) A presentation of your new media composition during Finals Week.

Policies
Attendance To improve as a writer you need practicethis means writing by yourself but it also means peer discussion and getting feedback from readers. Long story short, if you dont come to class you wont do well in this course. It is a Composition Program policy that in writing workshop courses, only official university absences are excused (and you are responsible for bringing me notification of university absences before the event). Students representing TCU in a university-mandated activity that requires missing class should provide official documentation of schedules and turn in work in advance. Three weeks of unexcused absences, that means nine (9) class periods, constitute grounds for failure of the course. Absences due to illness, sleeping, and long weekends are NOT excused--they all count toward the three weeks' absences limit. Since illness is likely at some point during the semester, students are urged to save their unexcused absences for times when you are too sick to come to class. Students whose absences are due to circumstances beyond their control may appeal this policy by scheduling a meeting with the Director of Composition. Generally, the Director of Composition does not excuse additional absences without documentation. Grades For each major assignment of the semester, youll turn in a first draft, and then after the second draft (when applicable) youll turn in a Portfolio that contains all drafts of the essay, informal work toward the essay (in-class writing, research notes and articles, etc), and authors notes. Youll then receive a Pencil Grade. You can choose to keep the pencil grade as is, meaning the grade will be recorded for the semester, or you can choose to revise the essay again. However, revising a pencil grade means substantive

revision beyond merely cleaning up the grammar and spelling. Revising a pencil grade means an in-depth structural revision. Moreover, if you want to revise a pencil grade, you must first submit a half to full-page revision plan (due dates on the syllabus). Deadlines are strictly enforced, so if a pencil draft, revision plan, or revised portfolios are submitted late, they will not be accepted. I have the opportunity to accept or reject revision plans. Also: In preparation for constructing your portfolios, please save all of the writing that you do for this classrhetorical responses, drafts (including those with my comments and those of your peers), in-class writing, etc. In this class, the grade of C means you fulfill the minimum requirements of the course. In other words, simply coming to class and doing the assignments does not earn an automatic A. Therefore, to earn a grade higher than average means your work and participation are above average. My evaluation of above average is based on: 1) distinctive quality and development of your work; 2) consistently demonstrating critical and creative thinking in your writing; 3) your ability to guide a piece of writing through the various stages of revision; and 4) a willingness to take risks by exploring new subjects, genres, and techniques. Youll each receive your own spreadsheet so you can track your grade throughout the semester.

Feedback When I respond to your writing, I like to provide feedback that is helpful for you. So here is a breakdown of what that feedback looks like so you can get the most out of it. Passages that are particularly moving, inspiring, successful, or effective, are highlighted in Yellow. Grammar, spelling, usage, syntax, proofreading, or other kinds of errors will be highlighted in Green. In depth commentary, questions, and other kinds of feedback will be marked as a comment to the side. And finally, summative comments will be marked at the bottom of the essay. Late Work Most work is due at the beginning of class. Generally I will not accept late work unless I am notified in advance that you will need an extension. Extensions are given in rare and extenuating circumstances. Also, I do not consider technology failure to be an acceptable excuse for submitting late work. Plan ahead to avoid last minute crises related to submitting assignments. Class Conduct In classroom discussions, workshops, or activities, we will critique ideas, not people. This preserves our classroom as a place suitable for the free exchange of ideas in an environment of mutual respect. Students whose behavior distracts or disrespects others will be asked to leave and will be counted absent. Technology We will rely heavily on technology in this course, which means the temptation to check Facebook or email is perhaps greater than other courses. Please, out of respect for me and your other classmates, limit your technology use only to that which is engaged with daily activities of the course. If you have to ask whether or not your activity is related,

then it probably isnt. If I notice excessive violations I will notify you after class or via email; two violations will equal an absence for the course, and each additional violation will accrue another absence. Thus, failure to adhere to the technology policies can impact your final grade. Course Website / Portfolio Website We have a course website well use for various activities throughout the course: required readings will be there, we will share resources on the webliography, and we will submit course assignments to the dropbox. In addition, you will submit your final portfolios digitally by creating a personal website to collect your writing for the semester. We will demo various sites as a class and learn how to use them. I use Wordpress, but Ive also used Yola. You are welcome to use any site you are comfortable with. TCU Disability Statement (verbatim from TCU catalog) Texas Christian University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 regarding students with disabilities. Eligible students seeking accommodations should contact the Coordinator of Student Disabilities Services in the Center for Academic Services located in Sadler Hall, 11. Accommodations are not retroactive, therefore, students should contact the Coordinator as soon as possible in the term for which they are seeking accommodations. Further information can be obtained from the Center for Academic Services, TCU Box 297710, Fort Worth, TX 76129, or at (817) 257-7486. Adequate time must be allowed to arrange accommodations and accommodations are not retroactive; therefore, students should contact the Coordinator as soon as possible in the academic term for which they are seeking accommodations. Each eligible student is responsible for presenting relevant, verifiable, professional documentation and/or assessment reports to the Coordinator. Guidelines for documentation may be found at http://www.acs.tcu.edu/disability_documentation.asp Students with emergency medical information or needing special arrangements in case a building must be evacuated should discuss this information with their instructor/professor as soon as possible. Academic Misconduct (Sec. 3.4 from the Student Handbook) Any act that violates the academic integrity of the institution is considered academic misconduct. The procedures used to resolve suspected acts of academic misconduct are available in the offices of Academic Deans and the Office of Campus Life. Specific examples include, but are not limited to: Cheating: Copying from another students test paper, laboratory report, other report, or computer files and listings; Using, during any academic exercise, material and/or devices not authorized by the person in charge of the test; Collaborating with or seeking aid from another student during a test or laboratory without permission; Knowingly using,

buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in its entirety or in part, the contents of a test or other assignment unauthorized for release; Substituting for another student or permitting another student to substitute for oneself; Plagiarism: The appropriation, theft, purchase or obtaining by any means anothers work, and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of that work as ones own offered for credit. Appropriation includes the quoting or paraphrasing of anothers work without giving credit therefore. Collusion: The unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing work offered for credit.

Grade Breakdown
Letter Grade 4.0 Scale Quality of Work
A AB+ B BC+ C CD+ D F 4.00 3.67 3.33 3.00 2.67 2.33 2.00 1.67 1.33 1.00 0 Outstanding

Exceeds Expectations

Meets Expectations/Average

Below average/needs work Unacceptable/Incomplete

Portfolio 1 (This I Believe Essay): Portfolio 2 (Discovery Essay): Portfolio 3 (Profile Essay and Visuals): Portfolio 4 (Persuasive Essay): Rhetorical responses (4) Final Rhetorical Analysis (3%) & Presentation (5%) TOTAL

20% 20% 20% 20% 12% (4 @ 3% each) 8% 100%

Resources
New Media Writing Studio. | Scharbauer 2003 | www.newmedia.tcu.edu | newmedia@tcu.edu | 8172575194| The New Media Writing Studio (NMWS) is available to assist students with audio, video, multimedia, and web design projects. The Studio serves as an open lab for use by students during posted hours and has both PC and Mac computers outfitted with a range of design software. A variety of equipment is available for checkout to students whose teachers have contacted the Studio in advance. See their website for more information and a schedule of open hours.

Center for Writing. | Reed 419 | www.wrt.tcu.edu | 8172577221 |The William L. Adams Center for Writing is an instructional service with the mission of helping members of the TCU community improve their writing. Consultants offer feedback on writing projects to students, staff, and faculty from all academic disciplines. In addition to serving as a friendly audience, consultants address any issue a writer would like to discuss, though consultations often focus on topic generation, organization of ideas, style, clarity, and documentation. Go to their website to see their hours and make an appointment. IC Computer Lab | Mary Couts Burnett Library | www.ic.tcu.edu | The Information Commons computer lab is an open use lab available to all TCU students. Access is first come, first served, with the exception of four multimedia stations that can be reserved for use at specific times if requested. Assistance is available from the Information Commons desk staff during all open hours, with additional support from either the fulltime Computer Services Librarian or the fulltime Computer Lab Assistant during most hours. TCU Computer Help Desk | Mary Couts Burnett Library (first floor) | www.help.tcu.edu | 8172575855 The Help Desk provides support for TCU related computing accounts and services. Mary Couts Burnett Library | www.lib.tcu.edu | reference@tcu.edu | 8172577117 | The Library provides resources and services for the research and information needs of the TCU community.

Outcomes
Here are the goals and outcomes we will be working toward in this course. By the end of ENGL 10803 we will be able to demonstrate: the ability to write in a range of genres, using appropriate rhetorical conventions, such as:

Write multiple assignments in several genres, expanding their repertoire beyond predictable forms (e.g. the 5-paragraph essay). Create a text with a focus, thesis, or controlling idea, provide appropriate support for claims, use conventions of format and structure appropriate to the rhetorical situation, and recognize such in others texts.

competency in reading, quoting and citing sources, as well as competency in balancing their own voices with secondary sources, such as:
Find, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize appropriate primary and secondary sources to inform and situate ones own claims. Critically read texts for main ideas and claims, for use of genre conventions, for rhetorical strategy, and for the position of the author. Write multiple revisions that might include substantive changes in ideas, structure, and supporting evidence, enabling students to experience writing as a recursive process. Practice writing assignments as a series of tasks (invention, drafting, revising, editing).

the ability to employ flexible strategies for generating and revising their writing, such as:

Schedule (If necessary, this is subject to change) Note: It is your responsibility to keep track of due dates. Please use your planner, cell phone calendar, or notebook to write down important due dates, daily assignments, and course work. How to find readings: Click on live links from the syllabus or you can find them on our Pearson LearningStudio webliography or Doc-Sharing Week 1 M 1/14 W 1/16 Reading: Ballenger, Chapter 1 (skim)
Reading: John Taylor Gatto, Against School

Introduction to the course and the course website

WRITING HISTORY LETTER DUE F 1/18 Invention activity for Essay 1 Discussion of Rhetorical Responses Reading: Ballenger, Chapter 2 No class: Martin Luther King Holiday Brainstorming for Essay 1 Reading: Ballenger, Chapter 3: 79-82; Reading: Disney, Seeing with the Heart Reading: Sheehan, There is no such thing as too much Barbecue RHETORICAL RESPONSE 1 DUE Discussion on Workshop, authors notes, discussion about drafting and in-class writing Pick another This I Believe Essay from the website and be prepared to talk and write about it in class Reading: Ballenger, Chapter 14; 589-597 FIRST DRAFT OF ESSAY 1 DUE FOR PEER RESPONSE Meet in New Media Writing Studio (Scharbauer 2003) Work on Websites Essay 2 Assigned

Week 2 M 1/21 W 1/23

F 1/25

Week 3 M 1/28 W 1/30

F 2/1 Week 4 M 2/4

Brainstorm Essay 2 PORTFOLIO 1 DUE Discussion of Essay 2 (Research, Using and Citing Sources) Reading: Ballenger, Chapter 10 (391-396) Reading: Kolbert, Spoiled Rotten: Why do Kids Rule the Roost? Reading: Marche, Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?

RHETORICAL RESPONSE 2 DUE W 2/6 Library tutorial/visit. Reading: Ballenger, Chapter 11 449-474 Discussion on Research, Using and Citing Sources Reading: Ballenger, Chapter 12 485-521 Reading: Holmquist, An Experience in Acronyms .pdf on Pearson LearningStudio In-class work on drafting THREE SOURCES WITH DUAL ENTRIES DUE FIRST DRAFT OF ESSAY 2 DUE FOR PEER RESPONSE No Class: Conferences (Conferences, cont.) No Class: Conferences REVISION OF ESSAY 2 DUE FOR PEER RESPONSE Reading: Ballenger, Chapter 13 (skim) PORTFOLIO 2 DUE Essay 3 Assigned and Discussed Movie: Style Wars Continue movie: Style Wars Sign-up for interviews Discussion of Interviews and Community Partners (Visit) Read Cassata fliers, and the Helping vs. Serving Handout pdf on Pearson LearningStudio Reading: Ballenger, Chapter 4 119-122; Chapter 11 474-478 Midterm Reflection Letter (in-class) Reading: McIntosh, Invisible Knapsack pdf on Pearson LearningStudio Reading: Tatum, Defining Racism: Can We Talk? pdf on Pearson LearningStudio

F 2/8

Week 5 M 2/11

W 2/13 F 2/15 Week 6 M 2/18 W 2/20

F 2/22

Week 7 M 2/25

W 2/27

F 3/1

Week 8 (Interview week from March 4th March 8th) M 3/4 Interviewing, Writing, and Researching W 3/6 F 3/8 Updates on interviews Reading: Hollingsworth, Leave it to Bea Reading: Chapter from Kozols Savage Inequalities

SPRING BREAK 3/9 3/17

Week 10 M 3/18

Bring notes from primary research and interviews Discussion of drafting Essay 3 Drafting Activities RHETORICAL RESPONSE 3 DUE

W 3/20

[Thursday, 3/21: Last Day to Drop Course] F 3/22 Week 11 M 3/25 W 3/27 F 3/29 Week 12 M 4/1 DRAFT OF ESSAY 3 DUE FOR PEER RESPONSE (PROFILE) DRAFT OF ESSAY 3 DUE FOR PEER RESPONSE (REFLECTION) DRAFT OF ESSAY 3 DUE FOR PEER RESPONSE (BOTH PROFILE & REFLECTION) No class: Good Friday

Assign and brainstorm Essay 4 PORTFOLIO 3 DUE Reading: Ballenger, Chapter 7 241-256 Reading: Brian McLaren, Its time for Islamophobic evangelicals to choose Reading: Pick your own argument from a credible publication

W 4/3

F 4/5 Week 13 M 4/8 W 4/10 F 4/12 Week 14 M 4/15 W 4/17 F 4/19 Week 15

Informal Research Reports due RHETORICAL RESPONSE 4 DUE (Whole Class Workshop) Discussion of drafting Essay 4, research activities, prepare for whole class workshop Whole class workshop of Essay 4 (4 drafts) Whole class workshop of Essay 4 (4 drafts) (Whole Class Workshop) Whole class workshop of Essay 4 (4 drafts) Whole class workshop of Essay 4 (4 drafts) Whole class workshop of Essay 4 (4 drafts) FINAL DATE TO SUBMIT REVISION PLANS FOR ESSAYS 1 AND 2

M 4/22

Final Assignment Assigned and Discussed REVISED DRAFT OF ESSAY 4 DUE FOR READING TABLE

W 4/24

Visual Literacy Discussion FINAL DATE TO SUBMIT REVISION PLANS FOR ESSAY 3 (Essay 4 Revision Plan will be due the class period after you receive it back) PORTFOLIO 4 DUE Meet in the New Media Writing Studio (Scharbauer 2003) Revision Activities LAST DATE TO RE-SUBMIT PORTFOLIOS FOR ESSAYS 1 AND 2, IF APPLICABLE

F 4/26

Week 16 M 4/29 W 5/1

Revision Activities, work on Final Assignment Last day of Class: LAST DATE TO RE-SUBMIT PORTFOLIOS FOR ESSAYS 3-4, IF APPLICABLE Editing activity, revision workshop, course evaluations

Week 17 Finals Week F 5/10:

FINAL: RHETORICAL ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION ON FRIDAY, MAY 10 @11:30 2PM