W 131 Elementary Composition -
Spring 2012
Section 31E Call # 21269
T 12:00 noon – 1:15 p.m. LA
232
R 12:00 noon – 1:15 p.m. NF
B27
Instructor:
Professor Anders
Office:
LA 139
Office
hours: TR 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.; F 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: LA 145
Textbooks and materials:
Faigley,
Lester. Backpack
Writing. 2nd ed. New York:
Longman, 2010. Print.
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
(January 13, 2012), you are agreeing to abide by these policies and course
requirements):
Your active participation in every class is vital. 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.
Attendance: Every time you are
absent, you will miss important information, as well as the opportunity to
contribute to discussions and writing workshops. Because of the importance of
what we do in class, attendance is mandatory, as is arriving to class on time.
You are allowed no more than three absences. Three late arrivals
or early departures will represent one absence. Those who exceed
three absences will have one-third of a grade deducted from their final grades
for each additional absence. (For example, if your final grade in the class in
A-, a fourth absence will lower your grade to a B+, etc.)
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.
Since in this class we will be
focusing on writing as a process, among other things, it is important for you
to learn and practice various techniques to get from a blank page to a finished
product. Therefore, a significant part of your grade for each paper will go for
the prewriting. Make sure you save all your drafts and brainstorming ideas as
you will need to turn them in with the final draft for grading. Failure to show
your prewriting materials will result in a significantly lower grade for the
paper.
Word-process all papers that you hand in to me. I do not accept hand-written
papers.
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. Using your phone in class
(texting) or using a computer for personal purposes is prohibited. Students who
break the rule will be asked to leave the room and will be counted as absent.
Guidelines
for papers:
All out of class work must be
word processed using Times New Roman, 12-point font, double spaced, and labeled
with name, class, section and date. All drafts and final projects must follow
guidelines established by Backpack Writing – pages 416-441. 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
Backpack Writing – pages 406-410).
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.
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, Helmke Library, 2nd floor. 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.
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/
Assignments
to be completed during the course of the semester:
Paper # 1 100
points (10%)
Paper # 2 150
points (15%)
Paper # 3 150
points (15%)
Paper # 4 200
points (20%)
Attendance 100
points (10%)
Midterm 100
points (10%)
Final 200
points (20%)
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) three
times will result in an absence.
Grading
Scale
97-100 A+ 76-79 C+ 0-59.9 F
93-96 A 73-75 C
90-92 A- 70-72 C-
86-89 B+ 66-69 D+
83-85 B 63-65 D
80-82 B- 60-62 D-
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: inventing, drafting, organizing, and
revising 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.).
Learn 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).