1/31/09

I enjoyed the class discussion today.  It’s always interesting to hear where everyone is coming from, and the different perspectives everyone has on writing.  So just to recap, some of the issues addressed were:

1) Is everyone a writer?
2) What is your definition of a writer?

3) Is writing more of a skill or an art?  Is it simply different things in different circumstances?

4) What does it mean to get back to the basics in writing?

5) How does one write about “boring” topics and maintain personal interest?

Attached are the Meghan Foss essay, as well as one other set of reading.  This is a shorter autobiographical piece, with reading analysis questions, followed by a guideline for writing your own autobiographical piece.  One important thing about this is that it got scanned incorrectly so read pg#3 first, and then go back to page one and continue on.

For next Saturday, I would like each of you to choose an event or series of events that affected your perspective on the world.  This could be something that had to do with your writing skills, or it could be something that has simply changed your ideas about life/the world in some way.  If there is not a particular event, you can write about a series of events or a process you are going through that is changing you in some way.

This should likely be at least two pages, and can be longer if you like.  A draft will be due on Saturday.

Any other questions, please email me.

Laurie

**Unfortunately, wordpress.com is not allowing uploads right now.  I have emailed you the docs.megan-foss7

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Syllabus for English 120 Spring 2009

English 120, section 020

Saturdays 11:00AM to 1:30PM

Room HW 509

Laurie Nicholson Friedl

Fall 2008

Email: laursn@gmail.com

Office: 1432 West

Office Hour: Saturdays 10:30 to 11 and 1:30 to 2:00

Course Description

During this course, we will work on a variety of writing skills, including pre-writing, drafting an essay, working through multiple revisions, improving both grammatical and analytical skills, performing and compiling research, and writing multiple within multiple genres. This course will (hopefully) serve as an entry point for the transformation of your writing from high school to college level. By the end of the course, you should fully prepared to pass any writing assessment tools that may be applied to you in the future, I also want you to use this classroom as a forum for you to explore your identity (or perhaps more accurately, your identities) and the ways you express that identity through your writing. I will work with you as a class, but also in small groups and as individuals, so that the content and assignments of the course are relevant for you, and tailored to your academic and professional goals. The aim of this course is to help you develop your writing skills to suit your own personal and professional interests.

GOALS FOR ENGLISH 120

The goals of English 120 are to promote students’ ability to do the following things:

1.    Write in standard English prose, observing the conventions of grammar and

spelling.  Employ diction appropriate to the audience and free of jargon and clichés.

2.    Make effective use of instructor and peer critiques. Revise and edit early drafts

in light of critiques.  Proofread written work.

3.  Develop analytic reading and research skills.

4.    Write essays and develop presentations that express a clear thesis, reflect clear

thinking, and signal orderly progression of thought with smooth and logical

transitions.

5.    Produce papers that incorporate and integrate ideas from others and that use

substantiating evidence effectively.  Identify all sources with proper attribution.

6.    Create a final research or scholarly paper employing an acceptable format for

citation and documentation and that meets standard academic and specific course

requirements.

Course Requirements

The college requires that students in English 120 generate a total of 8 essays, though in some cases, an original draft may be considered a separate essay from a revised draft.

You are required to write:

1) Documented Research Paper, from 4-7 pages in length. We will develop topics and ideas for this paper throughout the semester. You will need to have a minimum of three to five sources for this essay. You will use MLA citation style, and you will need to write an annotated bibliography.

2) Portfolio: Your portfolio will consist of

a. In-class diagnostic essay

b. A cover letter explaining contents of the portfolio

c. A finished essay with at least one draft attached

d. A documented paper with at least one draft attached

e. An in-class essay

3) You are also required to participate in class discussions. Without active and consistent participation, you will not be able to receive an A in this course.

4) A final exam, given in class at the end of the semester

Plagiarism

Hunter College regards acts of academic dishonesty (e.g. plagiarism, cheating on examinations, obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents) as serious offenses against the values of intellectual honesty.  The college is committed to enforcing the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity and will pursue cases of academic dishonesty according to the Hunter College Integrity Procedures.” 

Disability Accommodations “In compliance with the American Disability Act of 1990 (ADA) and with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Hunter College is committed to ensuring educational parity and accommodations for all students with documented disabilities and/or medical conditions.  It is recommended that all students with documented disabilities (Emotional, Medical, Physical and/or Learning) consult the Office of Accessability  located in Room 1124 East to secure necessary academic accommodations.  For further information and assistance please call (212-772-4857) /TTY (212-650-3230).”

If you miss more than six hours of this class, you can be automatically failed. If you have a problem with attendance, please come speak with me.

Week 1 – Jan 31

Initial Essay

Discussing past writing experiences/expectations

Read: Longing To Belong, Saira Shah (handout), Always Running, Luis J. Rodriguez (plus ideas for writing narrative)

Week 2 – Feb 7

Discussion: Literacy Narratives, Personal Writing vs. Academic Writing

Writing Exercise: comparison of literacy narratives

Essay 1: Literacy Narrative Due

Read: Why Writing is Important (Axelrod/Cooper)

Week 3 – Feb 14

Continued with Autobiography,

Essay 1 Revisions Due

Read: Defining a Concept (Axelrod/Cooper)

Week 4 – Feb 21

Parts of an academic essay

Process: pre-writing, drafting, editing, proofreading

Sharing your work

Essay 2, Wiki Pages

Read: Wikipedia vs. Encyclopedia (Andrew Keen/Jimmy Wales)

Week 5 – Feb 28

Writing as a way to propose a solution

Readings and in-class writing

Essay: Reflections

Essay 2 Wiki Page Personal Essay

Read: Why Fans are Playing So Rough (Bill Saporito)

Week 6 – March 7

Turn in essays, peer editing

Writing to speculate about causes and effects

Writing more in-depth on a particular issue

Discuss examples

Essay 2 Revision Due

Rhetorical Strategies Handout, Ad Analysis (Jean Kilpatrick excerpt)

Week 7 – March 14

Persuasive essay in-class assignment

Deconstructing Advertisements, Methods of Persuasion Used in Society

In-Class: Dissect an advertisement using rhetorical methods discussed in class

Do a short write up of the rhetorical strategies used

Critical analysis of a piece of persuasive writing we have read

discussion in class

Week 8 – March 21

Library Visit, Evaluating Sources, Incorporating Sources

Read: Sample Annotated Bibliographies

Week 9 – March 28

Research Essay: Generating Topics, Working in Groups to develop Topics, Research

Discussion of Research Papers and Portfolios

Documentation, Using Sources appropriately

Writing Check-in, Process of Writing

Peer groups

Discuss structuring the essay

Reviewing a draft as a class

Ad Analysis Due

Read: Sample Research Papers

Week 10 – April 4

First draft of research paper due

Peer editing sessions

Free-writing activity

Reviewing drafts together

Week 11 – April 11

Continue to work on research papers, free-writing in class,

Text discussions

Read: Revision Strategies

Week 12 – April 18

Individual conferences, Discussion of Portfolios

Peer Editing Sessions

Read: Making Communities Safe for Bicycles (Proposal) Gian-Claudia Sciara

Week 13 – May 2

Practice: In-class writing, Proposing a Solution

Revisions of Research Paper Due

Week 14 – May 9

Revisiting the Issue of Literacy, Writing

What Makes a Piece of Writing “good?”

Class Discussion, group work

Compare and Contrast Essay

Week 16 – May 9

In class essay

Revisions Due

Portfolios Due

FINAL EXAM