ENGL 101 047:
Composition
Fall 2006 Innovation Hall 318 T/TH 9:00 - 10:15 PM
REQUIRED MATERIALS Lunsford, Andrea. The Everyday Writer with Comment. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005. ISBN: Ballenger, Bruce. The Curious Researcher. 5th ed. New York: Pearson, 2007. ISBN: 0-321-36649-2 Additional required readings accessible via the GMU databases and our WebCT course site. ENGL 101 Section 047 is a WebCT course. Login directions and important course materials can be found at http://webct.gmu.edu. Email Client Students must activate their George Mason email account and check it regularly. This is the easiest way to communicate with me, and I frequently use it to communicate with you. In fact, GMU policy dictates that it is also the only way in which I will communicate with you via email. When you send messages to me, please comply with the email protocols that we will go over in class. I will not respond to messages that do not follow these guidelines. The ability to compose well-crafted academic papers is essential to your success in college, regardless of your major. Students who can construct an argument in clearly written, well organized prose and can defend that argument with credible evidence have an edge in any endeavor they undertake. My goal is to help you become one of those students. One of the best ways to learn to write is by writing, so in this course you will do a lot of inventing, drafting, and revising, steps that all good writers take to produce good prose. You will share your work with the students in the class through peer review sessions and learn more about writing by broadening the number of responses you receive on your work. Finally, we also approach the study of composition by reading and analyzing the work of accomplished writers. Because these three principles operate powerfully in our class, they form the basis of the reading and writing assignments as well as the in-class activities in this course. You will write four essays during this semester. Each writing assignment will help you develop your ability to work with different types of texts, the different rhetorical purposes of college writing, and with technology tools that will help you find the best sources to defend your arguments. By the time you have completed the course, you should know how to use the university library and its powerful databases, evaluate the material you find in them, development an argument you can prove with your research, and produce a well-written, carefully organized, properly formatted, and accurately documented paper. Most of the readings and assignments encourage you to think specifically about one broad topic: the erosion of privacy in our digital age, a trend that affects us all. Some people argue that we need to redefine our concept of privacy in order to thrive in a culture where so much interaction occurs online. Others see an increasing threat to our right to privacy coming primarily from government and business. My hope is that you will learn how scholars and professional writers discuss this issue, characterize its effects, and think about how the concepts of public and private are changing as our engagement with new technologies broadens and deepens. COURSE OBJECTIVES The English Department's Composition Program has identified the following learning and writing goals as the objectives of ENGL 101: English 101 students are expected to develop as writers who
The influence of technology, especially digital technology, has profoundly changed how we express ourselves and communicate with others. Our course will use digital tools to help us communicate with each other and conduct research. This course will include exercises designed to help students meet the following Technology Across the Curriculum Goals:
METHOD OF INSTRUCTION Learning to write is a little like learning to play a musical instrument: you won’t learn unless you practice—a lot. Because our class meets in a computer lab, you will get plenty of opportunities to practice your writing in class. You also learn by receiving responses to your writing from people who read your work. Throughout the course, there will be several opportunities for you to respond to the writing of your peers, and I, too, will give you feedback on your papers. Finally, you learn to be a better writer by reading examples of good writing. Each week we will read the work of writers who tackle complex ideas and express them in persuasive, well-defended arguments. These reading assignments are central to this course, and I expect you to read analytically. Please come to class prepared to discuss these readings and bring with you a copy of the text. This will require you to print the document since all of the readings are available online. These methods of instruction depend upon your participation, so it is important that you come to class and share your opinions about the work of your peers and the works included in the assigned readings. Remember our class is also a community, and I hope that together we can create an environment that will encourage everyone to make comments and to respectfully consider the opinions of other students. COURSE REQUIREMENTS
ESSAY SUBMISSION GUIDELINES All essays, both drafts and final versions, must be composed in Microsoft Word. The presentation is of your work is important and does affect your grade. Please submit all papers in MLA documentation style. There is an example of a properly formatted MLA paper in out text, Everyday Writer. Peer Reviews: For peer reviews, submit the draft of your essay to the Comment site, the companion site to our text, Everyday Writer. We will be conducting peer review electronically rather than by paper. I will give you instructions in class on how to do this. Final Essays: Send the final version of each assignment to me as an attachment to an email. Use my Mason Mail address: jmatthe2@gmu.edu. Make certain that your subject line includes your name, section number, and title of the assignment. Here is an example of a good subject line: LastName ENGL 101 047 Essay #1 Use the following format to title your document (Notice the lack of spaces between the identifying information): LastName101047Essay1.doc Please note that I cannot open .wps files In order for work to be submitted on time, I must receive your email with the attachment by 5:00 PM on the date the paper is due. Failing to attach the assignment is no excuse, and the late penalty will hold regardless. I grade papers electronically and return them to you via email. CLASS PARTICIPATION: Class participation comprises 20% of your final grade, and I measure this effort through a combination of quizzes, in-class exercises, and discussion list posts. Since experience has taught me that you will "fall off the reading wagon" without some incentive to stay on it, there will be a short quiz, in-class exercise, or discussion list post for each assigned reading. You will take quizzes on WebCT and respond to topics via the "Discussion" tool on WebCT. The quizzes cannot be made up. I administer quizzes at the beginning of class, and discussion topics have a specified "shelf life." If you arrive late to class, you may not take the quiz. Be on time. If you must leave before the class is over, you will not get credit for the quiz. NOTE: I am aware that you have a life outside of school and may not always be able to attend class. Therefore I will drop the three lowest quiz scores before computing the final grade. Use these three quiz drops when you need to miss class. I do not provide additional quiz drops for illness, medical appointments, car emergencies, etc., except on rare occasions where I feel the situation warrants the exception. GRADING POLICY You must complete all the requirements for the course in order to receive a passing grade. · GRADE SCALE: 94-100=A; 90-93=A-; 87-89=B+; 84-86=B; 80-83=B-; 77-79=C+; 76-74=C: 73-70=C-; 69-67=D; 66-64=-D; 63-60=D-; 59 or below=F. PLEASE NOTE: In order to get credit for ENGL 101, you must pass the course with a C. If you do not earn a "C" in the course, you will receive a grade of "NC" or "No Credit." The grade of "NC" will not negatively affect your GPA, but you will need to repeat the course. Incompletes are not granted for ENGL 101. POLICY ON LATE ASSIGNMENTS · LATE ASSIGNMENTS: Late papers will be accepted but will receive a penalty of one-half of a letter grade (5 points) per calendar day late, excluding weekends and holidays. I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE REVISIONS. POLICY ON ATTENDANCE: The George Mason University Catalog states: Students are expected to attend the class periods of the courses for which they register. In-class participation is important to the individual student and to the class as a whole. Because class participation may be a factor in grading, instructors may use absence, tardiness, or early departure as de facto evidence of non-participation. Students who miss an exam with an acceptable excuse may be penalized according to the individual instructor’s grading policy, as state in the course syllabus. To read the university policy, go to http://www.gmu.edu/catalog/apolicies/index.html#Anchor37. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability, please contact me as soon as possible. Please bring your faculty contact sheet with you (available from the Disability Resource Center) so that I can provide you with the appropriate accommodations. PLAGIARISM Claiming someone else's words or ideas as your own is a serious academic offense. Plagiarism is also having someone else provide so much "help" or "guidance" that the paper is no longer yours. We will spend time in this course learning about what does or does not constitute plagiarism. Below is the English Department's statement on plagiarism: English Department
Statement on
Plagiarism
Plagiarism means using the exact words, opinions, or factual information from another source without giving that source credit. Writers give credit through the use of accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical citation, footnotes, or endnotes; a simple listing of books, articles, and websites is not sufficient. Plagiarism is the equivalent of intellectual robbery and cannot be tolerated in an academic setting. Student writers are often confused as to what should be cited. Some think that only direct quotations need to be credited. While direct quotations do need citations, so do paraphrases and summaries of opinions or factual information formerly unknown to the writers or which the writers did not discover themselves. Exceptions to this include factual information, which can be obtained from a variety of sources, the writers' own insights or findings from their own field research, (what has been called common knowledge). What constitutes common knowledge can sometimes be precarious; what is common knowledge for one audience may be so for another. In such situations, it is helpful to keep the reader in mind and to think of citations as being "reader friendly." In other words, writers provide a citation for any piece of information that they think their readers might want to investigate further. Not only is this attitude considerate of readers, it will almost certainly ensure that writers will not be guilty of plagiarism. I so submit confirmed instances of plagiarism directly to the Honor Committee for arbitration. If the Honor Committee finds you committed plagiarism, the penalties can be very harsh and long lasting. Don’t give in to temptation and plagiarize. The George Mason Honor Code offers more detail on plagiarism and its consequences. You can find it online at http://www.gmu.edu/catalog/apolicies/#Anchor13. IMPORTANT: This course subscribes to Turnitin.com, a plagiarism detection software. You will be able to use this software to check your essays for possible plagiarism before submitting your essay for a grade. My goal is to use this software to help you understand how to use secondary sources rather than to use it as punitive tool. We will spend a great deal of time in class before you submit your first essay learning how to incorporate the words and ideas of others into your own writing without committing plagiarism. THE WRITING CENTER Since you will be writing several papers in this course, you may want to visit the University Writing Center http://writingcenter.gmu.edu, located in Robinson A114, for assistance. The Writing Center is one of the best resources you will find on campus. They have an outstanding website that offers a wealth of online resources for student writers. Additionally, the tutors can provide help for all phases of the writing process, and if you tend toward procrastination, a scheduled appointment at the Writing Center is one way to discipline yourself. You can even obtain assistance with papers by visiting the online writing center at http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/owl/index.html, but please plan ahead and allow yourself at least two days to receive a response. You can schedule an appointment at the Writing Center at any time by going to https://therichco.com/wconline/gmu/schedule. CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE
Finally, please treat your fellow classmates with respect. This is a class where cultural differences will often arise as topics of discussion. You are welcome to express your opinion, but stick to the issue. No profanity or insults will be tolerated. DATES TO
REMEMBER
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Please
note: All assignments (both assignments
and readings) are due on the
date listed.
This schedule is subject to change, but I will give you advance notice. I will announce these changes in class and then post them to the course WebCT site. If you miss class, please contact a fellow class member for the update. |
Week 1 |
||
| Tuesday August 29 |
Introduction
to the Course |
Please
read over the syllabus
carefully. If you have not yet activated your GMU Email account, please
do so as soon as possible. |
| Thursday August 31 |
Diagnostic
Grammar, Usage, & Punctuation Test Email Protocol: Dennis G. Jerz's "E-mail: Ten Tips for Writing It Effectively" In-Class EX: Email Protocol for College; Sending & Receiving Attachments in Mason Mail |
You will
receive a quiz score of
"100" for taking this test. If you do not take it, you will receive a
quiz score of "0." Email protocol guidelines available online at http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/e-text/e-mail.htm |
Week
2
|
||
| Tuesday September 5 |
"Invention
Techniques" Introduce Essay #1: The Personal Narrative Diagnostic Writing Test: In preparation for this test, please read the New York Times article, "A Face Is Exposed for AOL Searcher No. 4417749" before coming to class. |
Everyday
Writer Chs. 6 & 7, pgs. 36-48 You will receive a quiz score of "100" for taking this test. If you do not take it, you will receive a quiz score of "0." |
| Thursday September 7 |
Due: Complete Draft
of Essay #1 In-Class EX: Peer Review "Constructing Strong Paragraphs" "Revising & Editing the Draft" |
Please
bring the MS Word file of your draft to class. You will upload your essay to Comment in order to participate in peer review. Instructions for uploading your document will be given in class. Everyday Writer Ch. 8, pgs. 49-62 Everyday Writer Ch. 9, pgs. 63-70 |
Week
3
|
||
| Tuesday September 12 |
"Writing
and
Its
Rhetorical Situations" Introduce Essay #2: Opposing Points of View Due: Essay #1 |
Everyday
Writer Ch. 4,
pgs. 26-31 Please submit Essay #1 electronically to me at jmatthe2@gmu.edu. I must receive your submission by 5:00 PM today. Please verify that you sent your attachment by checking your Sent Mail. I will not notify you if the attachment does not come through, so please check your Sent Mail! |
| Thursday September 14 |
"Traveler’s
Card Might Just Pave the Way for a National ID Card" USA Today editorial by Randall Larson "Take My Privacy, Please!" New York Times article by Ted Koppel |
For more
information about
Randall Larsen, visit his website, The Institute for
Homeland Security. NOTE: If you have difficulty accessing this link from The New York Times, try this one, available from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers: "Take My Privacy, Please" by Ted Koppel |
Week
4
|
||
| Tuesday September 19 |
Lecture:
Turnitin.com The Curious Researcher, Appendix A "Guide to MLA Style," pgs. 247-263 |
|
| Thursday September 21 |
Due: Complete Draft
of Essay #2 In-Class EX: Peer Review |
Upload your draft to Comment before you come to class. |
Week
5
|
||
| Tuesday September 26 |
Conferences |
Our
class will not meet
this
week.
You must, however, schedule a conference with me. Conferences will be
held in my composition office in Robinson A447. |
| Thursday September 28 |
Conferences |
Our class will not meet this week. You must, however, schedule a conference with me. Conferences will be held in my composition office in Robinson A447. |
Week
6
|
||
| Tuesday October 3 |
Due: Essay #2 Introduce Essay #3: Review of PostSecret Exhibition PostSecret Exhibition at GMU from Oct. 2 -6th. |
You can
visit Frank Warren's
blog at http://postsecret.blogspot.com/
for a sampling of the anonymous post card submissions. |
| Thursday October 5 |
"Thinking
Visually" "Bless Me, Blog, For I Have Sinned," a New York Times review of PostSecret by Sarah Boxer "Confessions Are Good for the Soul," a Washington Post review of PostSecret by Michael O'Sullivan Optional: Frank Warren at GMU Concert Hall, Center for the Arts at 6:00 PM |
Everyday
Writer Ch. 5, pgs. 26-31 |
Week
7
|
||
| Tuesday October 10 |
Columbus
Day Recess. Our class
will NOT meet today. |
School
is open today! Remember,
Monday classes meet on Tuesday. |
| Thursday October 12 |
Due: Complete Draft
of Essay #3 In-Class EX: Peer Review |
Upload your draft to Comment before you come to class. |
Week
8
|
||
| Tuesday October 17 |
Introduce
Research Project The Curious Researcher, CH 1: "The Importance of Getting Curious," pgs. 27-38 |
In-Class EX 1.1 "Building an Interest Inventory" & EX 1.2 "The Myth of the Boring Topic" (The Curious Researcher) |
| Thursday October 19 |
Due: Essay #3 The Curious Researcher, CH 1: "The Importance of Getting Curious," pgs. 39-57 |
In-Class EX 1.4 "Finding the Questions," EX 1.5 "Finding the Focusing Question," & EX 1.6 "Finding the Relationship" (The Curious Researcher) |
Week
9
|
||
| Tuesday October 24 |
The
Curious Researcher, CH 2: "Developing a Research Strategy," pgs. 63-97 |
In-Class EX 2.1 "Library Investigations" & EX 2.2 "Investigating the Internet" (The Curious Researcher) |
| Tuesday October 26 |
“Know
It All," The New Yorker
article by Stacy Schiff "Wikipedia Celebrates 750 Years of American Independence," by The Onion |
In-Class EX: Debate pros and cons of using Wikipedia |
Week
10
|
||
| Tuesday October 31 |
The
Curious Researcher, CH 3 "Writing in the Middle," pgs. 115-130; 137-154 |
In-Class EX 3.1 "Getting a Word in Edgewise, " EX 3.2 "'Say Back' to a Source," & EX 3.3 "Paraphrase Practice" (The Curious Researcher) |
| Thursday November 2 |
MLA
Documentation and Source Integration |
DUE: RP Step #1: Double-Entry Note Taking Exercise and RP Step #2: Rhetorical Precis of one scholarly article. |
Week
11
|
||
| Tuesday November 7 |
The
Curious Researcher, CH 4 "Getting to the Draft," pgs. 176-207 |
In-Class EX 4.2 "Reclaiming Your Topic" & EX 4.3 "Three Ways In" (The Curious Researcher) |
| Thursday November 9 |
Round table discussion of research proposals | DUE:
RP Step #3: Research Proposal |
Week
12
|
||
| Tuesday November 14 |
The
Curious Researcher, CH 5 "Revising for Purpose," pgs. 216-221; pgs. 226-238 Thesis & Draft Workshop |
BRING YOUR DRAFT TO CLASS In-Class EX 5.2 "Dissecting the Fish" (The Curious Researcher) |
| Wednesday November 15 Thursday November 16 |
Conferences Our class will not meet on Thursday. You must, however, schedule a conference with me on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Monday, or Tuesday in order to go over your thesis statement & draft. Conferences will be held in my office in Robinson A435 or in the composition office in Robinson A420. Please check the schedule on our WebCT homepage for the date and time of your conference. |
DUE:
RP Step #4 & #5: Working Thesis & Draft. Submit your work
electronically to me by Thursday, November 16th, 5:00 PM. |
Week
13
|
||
| Friday November 17 Monday November 20 Tuesday November 21 |
Conferences Our class will not meet on Tuesday. You must, however, schedule a conference with me on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Monday, or Tuesday in order to go over your thesis statement & draft. Conferences will be held in my office in Robinson A435 or in the composition office in Robinson A420. Please check the schedule on our WebCT homepage for the date and time of your conference. |
|
| Thursday November 23 |
No
School.
Thanksgiving Day
Recess |
|
Week
14
|
||
| Tuesday November 28 |
"Security Versus
Civil Liberties," Atlantic
article by Richard Posner "The Patriot Act on Trial," an article in The Nation by David Sarasohn "Face Facts: Patriot Act Aids Security, Not Abuse," Christian Science Monitor article by Paul Rosenzweig |
In-Class EX: Formal
Debate Competition |
| Thursday November 30 |
"Cornell
University Office of Information Technologies “Thoughts on Facebook" "About Facebook" "MySpace Safety" |
In-Class EX: Formal
Debate Competition |
Week
15
|
||
| Tuesday December 5 |
The
Curious Researcher, CH 5 "Revising for Purpose," pgs. 238-246 |
In-Class EX 5.5 "Picking Off the Lint" (The Curious Researcher) |
| Thursday December 7 |
Roundtable
discussion of student research. |
You must attend this
class and discuss your final paper. Failure
to attend will result in a
10-point deduction to your final paper. |