ONE 012 – Onward Composition Fall 2008

Instructor: June K. Carter

Phone: 581-2312

E-mail: june.carter@umit.maine.edu

Office: 119 East Annex

Office Hours: Students may leave messages on my phone, in my mailbox outside 119 East Annex, or with Susan Spaulding 581-2319 121 East Annex. Office Hours: By appointment—available most of the time.

Classes:

• ONE 012 6980 Div. 001; Course ID 020062; 8-9:15 am TR 102 Jenness
• ONE 012 6982 Div. 002; Course ID 020062; 11-12:15 TR 316 Shibles

Composition Aide: Joseph Audette, available MWF 10-1; 119 East Annex and by appointment

Writing Center: 402 Neville Hall: 581-3828.

Three credit hours

On-line Syllabus also available on First Class "Onward English."

Texts:

The Little, Brown Handbook, Tenth Edition with supplements from Mercury Reader and Hand-outs.

On-line material and downloadable checklists, exercises and video tutorials: ablongman.com/littlebrown.

Dialectical Journal/Notebook for class; Reliable dictionary for reference.

Learning Outcomes:

Course goals and objectives: Students will

• build confidence in their ability to read and write by reading and writing.
• learn best by discovery and experimentation.
• discover their own personal writing process.
• learn both individually and collaboratively.
• be able to transfer their writing skills to all of their other college classes.
• think critically and analytically to succeed in college.

Grading and Course Expectations:

Course Components: This course will require reading, discussion, informal writing, and the formal writing most often associated with college writing classes.

• Readings: The class will read sections from The Little, Brown Handbook that explore the issues, ideas, and practical skills about writing that we will be working with in class. You will be asked to do reading assignments from other sources to generate class discussions, activities, and active learning. The handbook is essential for reference and practicing grammar/writing skills throughout your college career—and beyond. We will cover more of the material in ONE 13 next semester.
• Informal Writing: This component includes exercises done in class, homework activities, journal entries, and informal response essays. The Dialectical Journal follows a definite format and will be an on-going record of your thinking and learning this semester. It will also contain your Personal Spelling List, some homework, and class notes. It will also be used in Reading class. The Journal will be read and graded for thoroughness, signs of improvement, and quality of work three times during the semester.
• Formal Writing: You will be assigned 4-5 writing assignments, some of which will require research documentation.
• Discussion and Activities: You will be expected to participate regularly in class discussions and activities, such as grammar workshops, peer review, journal exchange, and sharing your writing.

Grading of each component for final course grade:

• Essays and Portfolio —55%
• Journal —10%
• Homework —10%
• Participation —10%
• In-class Quizzes/Work —15%

(No Final Exam)

Rubrics for Assessing College Essays:

• A—Learns the appropriate methods and can teach or help others; participates with obvious interest; achieves a high level of competence; needs less supervision or instruction as the class progresses; shows responsibility with assignments; knows what is needed and follows through. Potential in Writing is on a par with a first-year college student, with distinguishing characteristics that give the writing an identity of its own, showing independence of thought and insights.
• B—Willingly participates in activities; learns well enough to give good revision/editing advice to others; knows what is needed or where to find helpful information. Potential is realized, showing competence with language and the development of a position.
• C—Learns what has to be done and can be relied on to complete most tasks; often needs supervision and explanation; accepts help from others; demonstrates improvement; makes some significant errors determining whether information is credible or relevant. Potential for success is evident, but unevenness suggests the writer is not yet in full command of word usage, mechanics, and a sense of direction.
• D—Learns slowly or reluctantly; needs almost constant supervision; improves erratically; seldom able to help others; makes little or no attempt to determine whether information is helpful. Potential in Writing is limited by major flaws in the thought and development of the writing, with shortcomings that draw undue attention to themselves.

Attendance and Other Policies:

• Since attendance is a vital condition for academic success, only three excused absences will be allowed before your grade may be adversely affected. Late papers will lose a grade each day they are late, an example is going from a B to a B- to a C+ down to not being accepted. Let me know when you must be out and make arrangements to get any papers and information you missed or to turn in your work. Your failure to come to class, to do the assigned reading, to participate, or to have a draft for workshops affects all the students in the class.
• Because much information and explanation will be given in class, it is vital that you participate in an alert, positive manner, ask and answer questions when appropriate, be prepared for class, and listen (and let other students and the instructor listen) to one another. If you expect an emergency call, tell the instructor, sit near the door, and take the call in the hallway; otherwise turn off your cell phones and pagers in class. There may be some unannounced writings and quizzes, plus some alterations to the assignments.
• Academic Honesty (Plagiarism, etc.)

Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism, and all forms of misrepresentation in academic work, which is unacceptable at The University of Maine. As stated in the online undergraduate "Student Handbook," plagiarism (the submission of another's work without proper attribution) and cheating are violations of The University of Maine's Student Conduct Code. An instructor who has probable cause or reason to believe a student has cheated may act upon such evidence and should report the case to the Department Chair for appropriate action.

• Students with Disabilities Statement

If you have a disability for which you may be requesting an accommodation, please contact Ann Smith, Director of Disabilities Services, 121 East Annex, 581-2319, as early as possible.

• Testing out of ENG 101

You will compile a writing portfolio, containing a cover page and your long argumentative revised paper, to be submitted to a representative of the English Department for review. In order to test out of ENG 101 and get three credits for doing so, you must have an A in both Reading and Writing this semester.

Schedule of Assignments:

Week 1. T 9/2 Roll Call; Check Syllabus; Dialectical Journal guidelines and first entries. Bring The Little, Brown Handbook (henceforth known as LBH) to explore.

R 9/4 Have explored <ablongman.com/littlebrown> and click on LBH 10th Ed. After you have read the information, rules, and examples in Ch. 33 "Capitals," do Ex. 33.1, preferably online and bring to class. Write about this experience in your Journal. Col. 1: Tell what you did and the challenges; Col. 2: Tell what you learned.

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Week 2. T 9/9 Have read LBH Ch. 1 "The Writing Process," pp. 2-15. Do Ex. 1.2 and analyze the writing situation by answering the questions on pp. 4 & 5, either online or in your Journal, using the entire page where Col. 1 & 2 are usually. Keep Col. 3 and 4 as is for now. Bring any questions you have about the chapter to ask in class.

R 9/11 Study LBH Ch. 34 pp. 496-500. Do Ex. 34.1 online. Review list of prepositions p. 245 and be able to list 20 of them from memory. We'll go over Ch. 35, if time. Bring your Journal.

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Week 3. T 9/16 QUIZ over Ch. 33-35. Bring LBH. Have reviewed Ch. 1 and know the stages of writing, how to analyze a writing situation, how to respond to a general or specific assignment, how to narrow a subject, how to consider your audience, and the purpose of writing. Know all the terms used.

R 9/18 Read Ch. 2 LBH. Know the techniques for developing a subject, Pre-writing Strategies, Patterns of Development, the part Reading and Thinking Critically play in writing, and the importance of the Thesis Statement. See Sara Ling's essay pp. 63-65. Use all this great information to start thinking about your first essay—a Narrative that describes your journey to independence, personal awareness, establishing your identity—the same things that our new country had to do to become a valid nation.

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Week 4. T 9/23 Bring your pre-writing and first draft to class for feedback about defining your purpose and your Thesis Statement and how well you're doing in creating a 2-3 page essay. Because this is a personal essay, feel free to disguise actual names or not discuss your writing with the entire class. It's important to keep information about your classmates confidential, as people in the Writing Center and Joe and I will do. Have made an appointment with Joe or the Writing Center 581-3828, 402 Neville Hall, to discuss your final draft before the 30th. Have the people who help you revise sign and date their comments on the paper. Keep building on what you are learning about writing. Bring LBH to discuss Ch. 3.

R 9/25 Have second draft done for Peer Review based on p. 67. Have used the revision Checklist p. 51 and editing pp. 55-59. Do Spelling Checker Errors p. 61 in your Journal Col. 1. Especially KNOW the Introductory Paragraph Strategies pp. 102-6 and Concluding Paragraph Strategies pp. 106-108. Be able to discuss what strategies you used and why you decided on the ones you did. Know at least 12 handy transitions from pp. 86-7. Bring LBH and Journal and all your papers. This is primarily a working session.

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Week 5. T 9/30 Bring final revised and edited essay to class to share and turn in. Bring Journal and LBH to class.

R 10/2 (End of 1st 3rd of Semester for withdrawal) QUIZ over material covered about essays—terms and details. Titles; Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs; Thesis; Audience; Format; Pre-Writing Strategies; Prepositions; Transitions; and Revising and Editing. Bring Journal for exercise and to turn in today by 2pm for grading: handling the format; interesting or helpful entries; thoroughness; and responding to your peers or giving afterthoughts in Col. 4.

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Week 6. T 10/7 LBH Apostrophes: pp. 461-468. Do all the exercises to turn in. Discuss Comparison and Contrast essays for next assignment. Have read pp. 96-top of 98. Know two ways of organizing: point by point and subject by subject. Receive handouts of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X.

R 10/9 Choose one of the readings to write a dialectical reading response as you read along in Col. 1 and your second thoughts in Col. 2. Read all of the handouts to see if you have any afterthoughts for Col. 4.

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Week 7. T 10/14 NO CLASS-FALL BREAK

R 10/16 Have read and made a journal entry of MLK's "I Have a Dream" from Mercury Reader pp. 66-70. We'll do in-class activities.

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Week 8. T 10/21 Bring first draft of your C/C essay for in-class discussion and sharing Thesis Statements. Bring LBH for Spelling pp. 542-56 discussion and preparation.

R 10/23 Read "Letter from Birmingham Jail" in MR. Take some notes in your Journal—all on one page rather than in columns. Class discussion of material and research techniques, including presenting quotations as part of your papers, so bring LBH.

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Week 9. T 10/28 Bring second draft of C/C essay to share in class and turn in.

R 10/30 LBH Sentence Fragments pp. 334-341; Do Ex. 17.1 and 17.2. KNOW subordinating conjunctions and relative pronouns p. 336 and terms: subject; verb; clause; main (independent) clause; subordinate (dependent) clause; phrases; prepositional phrases; verbal phrases—infinitive, gerund, participial; compound phrases; and appositives. Bring any questions to class to help enlighten us all.

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Week 10. T 11/4 Ch. 9 LBH "Reading Arguments Critically"; write comments and questions in Journal. Turn in Journal today by 4 pm for grading...emphasis on improvement! Receive handout from The Structure of Argument, fifth edition by Annette Rottenberg and Donna Haisty Winchell, copyright 2006.

R 11/6 (End of 2nd third of semester for withdrawals). Bring returned graded c/c essays to class with LBH and handouts for in-class activity.

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Week 11. T 11/11 Have read Ch. 10 LBH "Writing and Argument." Know inductive and deductive reasoning; evidence; appeals; organization of argument; Checklist; and sample.

R 11/13 Turn in first draft of argument essay of 8 to 10 pages. Bring to class for group discussion. We'll also go over Ch. 11 LBH for ideas for revision: claims, fallacies, etc.

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Week 12. T 11/18 Make sure you've taken your revision to the Writing Center before the 25th! QUIZ over fragments and ARGUMENTS!

R 11/20 Read Ch. 31 "Quotation Marks"; know terms: direct and indirect quotations; ellipsis marks; titles. Do ex. 31.1; 31.2; and 31.3.

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Week 13. T 11/25 Bring final argument essay—revised and edited as perfectly as you can. Discussion and turn in to me. Bring Journal for in-class activity.

Thanksgiving Break

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Week 14. T 12/2 Begin Ch. 18 "Comma Splices and Fused Sentences"; know comma splice; fused sentences; coordinating conjunctions; conjunctive adverbs (p. 261); transitional expressions (pp. 86-7); and do Ex. 18.1; 18.2; 18.3 and 18.4). Bring questions and problems written in your Journal. Start compiling Portfolio, cover page and revised argument essay.

R 12/4 Turn in portfolios by 2 pm. In-class activity with Journal. Wrap-up and evaluations.

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Week 15. T 12/9 Turn in Journals by 4 pm. ONR review—optional.

R 12/11 Optional ONR Review!

Happy Winter Break

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