W 131 Elementary Composition - Fall 2009

Section 38 E Call # 12191

T 12:00 noon - 1:15 p.m. NF 139

R 12:00 noon – 1:15 p.m. NF B88

Section 66 Call # 14608

MW 11:00 – 11:50 a.m. CM 226

F 11:00 – 11:50 NF B 27 

Instructor: Mrs. Irene Anders

Office: CM 139

Office hours: TR 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.; W 12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m. and by appointment.

Virtual office hours: M-F 8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.

Phone: 481-6765

E-mail: andersi@ipfw.edu

Mailbox: CM 145

Textbooks and materials:

Bullock, Richard. The Norton Field Guide to Writing. 2^nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2009.

A binder for notes and handouts

Two-pocket folders for turning in each paper and required drafts.

Writer’s notebook

Color pens for annotation

Course Policies (if you choose to remain in this course beyond the add/drop period, you are agreeing to abide by these policies and course requirements):

Your active participation in every class is vital. If you miss more than 4 (four) class sessions, you may fail the course. So, you should be present and on time for every class meeting and you should be prepared to ask questions and offer thoughtful interpretations on the readings. Be prepared to offer constructive criticism to your classmates and to receive it from them and from me.

Every time you are absent, you will miss important information, as well as the opportunity to contribute to discussions and writing workshops.

If you do miss class, you are still responsible for finding out what happened when you were absent and for making sure you are prepared for class on the day you return. Last-minute changes to the schedule are inevitable, so exchange phone numbers with a classmate or contact me before you return to class to find out what you missed.

Word-process all papers that you hand in to me.

Plagiarism is another word for academic dishonesty and is a form of theft. All of the writing and the ideas in your papers must either be your own or must be attributed to their source. Any attempt to pass off the work of someone else as your own will result in an F for the course and possibly suspension from the university.

I will not accept late papers unless arrangements are made at least two days in advance of the paper’s due date.

You are required to meet with me in my office for three conferences over the course of the semester. One conference will take place during the first two weeks of classes at your own initiative. Just come by during office hours or make an appointment. The other two conferences will be planned later in the semester. In addition to your three required conferences, I encourage everyone to meet with me during my office hours or by special appointment any time you have any concerns or questions about the course or your work.

As a matter of courtesy, please turn off all electronic devices during class.

Guidelines for papers:

All out of class work must be word processed, 12-point font, double spaced, and labeled with name, class, section and date. All drafts and final projects must follow guidelines established by The Norton Field Guide to Writing – pages 468-476 (MLA); 508-519 (APA). Please follow the visual representation on those pages for all out-of-class assignments.

Keep all pre writing, outlines, and drafts as I require you to turn them in with the final draft of the paper.

All the changes you have made in a revised draft need to be highlighted to facilitate evaluation.

Any deliberate act of plagiarism will result in an F grade for the assignment. (See The Norton Field Guide to Writing – pages 423-24).

Help Sources:

1. Me. If you find yourself floundering, perplexed, dazed, or just stuck, please come to see me. I am available to help you succeed and will gladly work with you during my office hours or at a mutually convenient time.

2. Center for Academic Support and Advancement, www.ipfw.edu/casa

The place to go for concentrated study time!

3. The SPOT Learning Center: Make your study time not only more effective, but also more efficient by signing up for free tutoring available in the SPOT in Kettler G21 (next door to the Writing Center). You are entitled to 2 free hours per week of one-to-one, course-specific help in understanding concepts, practicing the application or explanation of material being learned, and developing effective test-taking strategies. Make all appointments online through TutorTrac at www.ipfw.edu/casa. If you don’t see a tutor available for your class, contact us in Kettler G21!

Drop-in tutoring is also available for math (schedule on Web site) and a few other subjects. If you need help with study skills in general, drop by the SPOT to view our self-paced tutorials or make a one-to-one appointment. Information about STEPS (Student Technology Education Program S) classes can be found on the CASA Web site, too. Also, check with your instructor about whether Supplemental Instruction (group study) is available for this class. Questions? Call 481-5419.

SPOT Learning Center Hours Fall 2009: Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

4. The WRITING CENTER: Save time and write better papers or presentations for any class through free one-to-one or small group consultations in The Writing Center, Kettler G19 (next door to the SPOT Learning Center). Bring assignments, questions, ideas, and a draft (if you have one). Consultants can help you get started, write more clearly, revise, edit, and cite sources responsibly. Come as you begin writing and as you revise. Drop-ins are welcome if time is available, but appointments, made online through TutorTrac, receive preference. For TutorTrac, online consulting, and resources to make your writing process easier, go to www.ipfw.edu/casa/writing. Questions? Call 481-5740.

Writing Center Hours Fall 2009: M-R 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; F 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Su 1 to 5 p.m.

5. Helmke Library materials and consultants are an excellent resource.

DISABILITIES STATEMENT: If you have a disability and need assistance, special arrangements can be made to accommodate most needs. Contact the Director of Services for Students with Disabilities (Walb Union, Room 113, telephone number 481-6658) as soon as possible to work out the details. Once the Director has provided you with a letter attesting to your needs for modification, bring the letter to me.  For more information, please visit the web site for SSD at http://www.ipfw.edu/ssd/

Grades:

Paper # 1 100 points (10%)

Paper # 2 150 points (15%)

Paper # 3 200 points (20%)

Paper # 4 150 points (15%)

Attendance 100 points (10%)

Midterm 100 points (10%)

In-class Writing 100 points (10%)

Final 100 points (10%)

NOTE: YOU MUST SUBMIT ALL OUT-OF- CLASS PROJECTS AND IN-CLASS WRITINGS TO PASS THIS COURSE

If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out from a classmate what you missed and be prepared for the following class. It is also your responsibility to get from me any handouts, assignments, or graded work distributed during your absence.

Please make a point to arrive on time. Being tardy (more than 10 minutes late) four times will result in an absence.

Grading Scale

90 – 100 - A

80 - 89.9 - B

70 - 79.9 - C

60 - 69.9 - D

0 - 59.9 - F

W 131 Course Goals

The goals set by the Department of English and Linguistics state that upon completion of W 131 students should:

1. Demonstrate critical thinking through the interrelated activities of reading and writing. To achieve this goal, students will:

Annotate, analyze, evaluate, and discuss a variety of student and professional texts, focusing primarily on rhetorical principles under study.

As a means of developing and supporting their ideas, practice summarizing and paraphrasing material from a variety of texts. These texts should include both midlevel (substantial) periodicals and scholarly journals.

Analyze and discuss in writing their own work through reflective memos and/or journals.

2. Read and write clearly and persuasively in various rhetorical contexts. To achieve this goal, students will:

Read and write a variety of texts for distinct purposes and for a variety of personal, public, and academic audiences. Written work should include four out-of-class papers and some in-class writing. Most out-of-class papers should be four-to-five double-spaced, word processes pages and should include some type of research.

Develop and support a significant and insightful point, or thesis, in all papers.

Compose texts that are focused and well-developed through use of details, examples, comparisons, statistics, citing of authorities, and so forth.

For each paper, practice the recursive stages of the writing process B inventing, drafting, organizing, and revising B and become aware of the differences in the process required by different texts.

For each paper, practice different ways of organizing and arranging ideas and content that are appropriate for various rhetorical contexts, experiment with different document design by manipulating spacing, fonts, etc.

Demonstrate knowledge of usage, spelling, punctuation, and diction conventions.

Practice methods leading to greater stylistic maturity.

3. Apply methods of inquiry appropriate to various rhetorical contexts. To achieve this goal, students will:

Generate information using a variety of heuristics (e.g. free writing, brainstorming, clustering, cubing, etc.).

Learnt to use for specific purposes computer databases, printed indexes, document delivery services, and the Internet.

Use primary research methods such as observing and interviewing and incorporate the results in their papers.

Synthesize materials drawn from these primary and secondary sources with their own ideas and experiences.

Move beyond mere reporting of information to make an original contribution to knowledge.

Formally document researched writing using a documentation style appropriate for audience and forum (most often MLA or APA).