Syllabus

ENG 105 Expository Writing, Oral Communication, and Research Techniques
Jennifer Marlow
FALL ’06
www.expository.wordpress.com

Texts and required materials

Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed. New York: Henry Holt, 2001. (Owl Books Ed. 2002)

Harris, Muriel. Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage. 6th Edition. Upper Saddle River: Prentice, 2006.

Rosenwasser, David and Jill Stephen. Writing Analytically. 4th edition. Philadelphia: Harcourt, 2000.

**A laptop computer configured to work on the St. Rose wireless network OR a 256mb (or larger) flash drive–try to avoid “U3 smart” flashdrives–you must have this and bring it to class on Tuesday Aug. 5th

**A working St. Rose email address.

**Please, also, plan to put aside some additional funds for copying materials that will be on reserve in the library and for printing out peer essays for workshops—I’m guessing that you’ll need about $4.00 – $10.00.

Course Objectives:
• Writing is a mode of learning. Students learn that writing is a tool to further writers’ understanding of themselves, of texts, and of the world around them.
• Writing is a complex process. Students learn that writing is commonly the result of an unpredictable, multi-stage process that includes exploring, composing, researching, revising and editing. Each student discovers what writing process works best for him or her.
• Writing takes place in a rhetorical situation. Students examine how rhetorical context influences both the process and product of composing. They learn to develop their voice according to the purpose, audience, and situation of each writing task.
• Writing sharpens critical thinking skills. Students learn the importance, in any type of writing, of making claims, of finding and evaluating evidence to support those claims, and of analyzing and evaluating the claims and evidence of others.
• Reading skills are closely related to writing skills. Students learn to read others’ texts with an eye toward writing their own, and they learn to write their own texts with an eye to the needs of readers.
• Research skills strengthen writing skills. Students learn to find, assess, and use information in the library, on the Internet, and in the field to inform a wide variety of writing tasks.
• Speaking and listening skills are closely related to writing skills. Students learn to develop, organize, and articulate their ideas in a variety of communicative contexts that include: class discussion, peer groups, and formal presentations.

Attendance

I strongly urge you to attend EVERY class session, as participation is vital to the course’s survival. Missing class will hurt your participation grade for that day (see Grading below), but I do allow four (4) absences. This DOES NOT mean four absences PLUS absences for illness, personal crises, etc. These four absences are to be used for those purposes. Please use them wisely. After four absences there will be a three-point deduction off the final grade for each class missed. Good attendance and participation could be the difference between a B+ and an A-.

Lateness is also unacceptable. If you arrive to class after attendance has been taken, it will count as half of an absence (two “latenesses” = one absence).

Attendance does NOT automatically mean participation. I expect you all to participate in in-class discussion and group work. I expect you to be to class on time with all the materials read for class and all assignments completed. **Please note: the assignment(s)s that follow the dates are to be written/read for that day’s class.

Late Assignments will NOT be accepted, and you must complete all assignments in order to pass this class. Each student will get one extension but you must talk to me about the context surrounding the lateness of your assignment. Assignments must be handed in at the start of class, or they will be considered late. I do NOT accept assignments via email.

When emailing me please include in the subject line your class section and time, as well as a brief description of what the email is regarding. In the email be sure to include your FULL name.

Do not discard any drafts, assignments, papers, or research materials you produce during the semester. You may need to refer to these at various points in the semester, and you will also be required to include all drafts (commented copies especially), brainstorming, outlining, etc. as a part of your portfolios. (Please see attached formatting guidelines for further details).

Please turn off cell phones during class; do not answer them during class; do not text message during class.

Please be respectful of your peers and their ideas. You never know who might be sitting next to you—their stories, their background—please be aware of the potential to offend. On the other side of that though, please let your voices be heard. The classroom is a shared space with a range of experiences and insights that we can all learn from.

Grading
Blogging: 25%
Participation: 10%
Quizzes: 10%
In-class writing: 10%
Oral presentation 5%
Essays: 40%

Course Requirements:

Reading and writing are inextricable. You become a better writer through being/becoming a careful reader; therefore, though this class is a writing class, it is also reading intensive. The writers we read will be both you and your peers as well as published writers. You will be asked to read with an eye for the “moves” writers make (how they present an argument; why/ways they use description; when/how narrative helps to prove a point or propel a piece; how writers concede to an opposing point of view without abandoning their own stance). In addition to studying the habits of other writers, you will be reading to seek an understanding of the writer’s purpose. You will be asked to analyze the readings assigned for this class–probing the text, asking questions of it, and taking your own stance among the issues raised and addressed. We will also be making connections between the various assigned readings. **IMPORTANT: Readings will be discussed in class on the date specified on the schedule below. In addition, you will be required to blog about the texts on a weekly basis. **Any readings that you don’t have in text or handout form will be on reserve at the library**

Blogging: Each week you will need to post at least two 250 word blog entries and at least three comments (please leave comments that are thoughtful, respectful, articulate, and carry some intellectual heft) on the blogs of your peers. One entry/week should respond to the reading from that week (excerpts and essays, not Writing Analytically), including a direct quote from the text, or you could choose for your entry to be a continuation of class discussion, again, including a direct reference to something that was said. One entry/week should be a response (think–starting a discussion about) to a news article or current event, and must provide a link to the article/source. (This begins during week three. During workshop weeks you need only one blog post responding to a current event/news item).

**Also, please note that additional blogging assignments and information, as well as various other class assignments and announcements, will be posted on the ENG105 blog: www.expository.wordpress.com

In-class writings: During at least one class session per week, we will freewrite. Freewriting consists of writing “freely” for a given period of time (generally around fifteen minutes). The point of freewriting is to keep writing, keep the pen moving. Don’t stop to think about grammar or a coherent set of ideas or organization. Write anything you think of—even if it is off-topic (topics will be given for those who find it easier to begin with a starting idea).

Portfolio/essays: finished essays in multiple drafts (3 – 5 pp. each; and 2+ pg. writing inventory). Further details and guidelines will accompany each assignment, but each essay will require at least two drafts and require you to make extensive revisions based on both peer and instructor feedback.

Presentations: Will consist of a final reading of a revised piece.

Conferences: You will be required to meet with me at least twice during the semester for a one-on-one writing conference. These conferences will be factored into both your final essay grade as well as your class participation grade.

Quizzes: Will be on the assigned readings–both from the textbook (Writing Analytically), course copies, and the book Nickel and Dimed. Quizzes will be both announced and unannounced/”pop”-quizzes!

**Syllabus is subject to change (depending on length of class discussions based on assigned readings). For an online version of the class schedule and more details on the assignments please follow the link for google calendar from the class blog www.expository.wordpress.com

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If you are a student with a documented disability and require academic accommodations please register with Ginny Rossin, the Coordinator of Special Services, located in the Academic Support Center on the 2nd floor of St. Joseph Hall (campus extension 2335 or 337-2335, off campus) for disability verification and for determination of reasonable academic accommodations. After you have made arrangements with that office, please see me to discuss your accommodations.