southern (dis)comfort
English 101-03P/ESL
COURSE DESCRIPTION
English 101 is an intensive writing and communication course designed specifically to prepare students for whom English is an additional language for the unique communicative challenges they may face both at Emory and in their careers once they leave Emory. Over the course of the semester, we will focus on recognizing, evaluating, and deploying rhetorical principles and techniques as well as on demonstrating mastery of critical analysis, of conductingprimary and secondary research, exposition, and argumentation on selected themes and issues by completing practical exercises both in class and outside of it. Specific topics, readings, and assignments will vary between sections; however, the amount of work and the outcomes and skills you attain will be consistent across sections.
The central goal of English 101 is to help you become stronger, more dynamic researchers and communicators across multiple modes. Consequently, you can expect to conduct original research while completing assignments both individually and in groups. These assignments and activities will hone your skills in writing, speaking, listening, and observing. Over the course of the semester, you will familiarize yourself with and participate in the ongoing conversations surrounding the central topic of your section, and you should expect to complete projects that engage in and contribute to ongoing professional and academic discourse.
In this particular section of English 101-03P, Southern (Dis)Comfort, while refining our abilities to communicate multimodally, we will focus our attention on “the South” and “southern-ness” – what those labels mean to different people who use them, their history, their usefulness (or not), and their cultural value (or not). These supremely imprecise concepts have been used to malign and to praise, to evoke mythical rights and imagined wrongs, to judge, to valorize, and to other. This semester, we will interrogate these concepts as they are presented to us textually, visually, and digitally, constructing our own understanding and definitions of them as we go. Further, and as important, we will consider the impact these notions have on us as residents of the region.
English 101 is an intensive writing and communication course designed specifically to prepare students for whom English is an additional language for the unique communicative challenges they may face both at Emory and in their careers once they leave Emory. Over the course of the semester, we will focus on recognizing, evaluating, and deploying rhetorical principles and techniques as well as on demonstrating mastery of critical analysis, of conductingprimary and secondary research, exposition, and argumentation on selected themes and issues by completing practical exercises both in class and outside of it. Specific topics, readings, and assignments will vary between sections; however, the amount of work and the outcomes and skills you attain will be consistent across sections.
The central goal of English 101 is to help you become stronger, more dynamic researchers and communicators across multiple modes. Consequently, you can expect to conduct original research while completing assignments both individually and in groups. These assignments and activities will hone your skills in writing, speaking, listening, and observing. Over the course of the semester, you will familiarize yourself with and participate in the ongoing conversations surrounding the central topic of your section, and you should expect to complete projects that engage in and contribute to ongoing professional and academic discourse.
In this particular section of English 101-03P, Southern (Dis)Comfort, while refining our abilities to communicate multimodally, we will focus our attention on “the South” and “southern-ness” – what those labels mean to different people who use them, their history, their usefulness (or not), and their cultural value (or not). These supremely imprecise concepts have been used to malign and to praise, to evoke mythical rights and imagined wrongs, to judge, to valorize, and to other. This semester, we will interrogate these concepts as they are presented to us textually, visually, and digitally, constructing our own understanding and definitions of them as we go. Further, and as important, we will consider the impact these notions have on us as residents of the region.
Domain of One’s Own
This course is part of the Domain of One’s Own pilot project. As part of the Domain of One’s Own project you will author and administrate a personal website, close read multimodal texts for form and theme, and compose with a variety of digital tools.
This course is part of the Domain of One’s Own pilot project. As part of the Domain of One’s Own project you will author and administrate a personal website, close read multimodal texts for form and theme, and compose with a variety of digital tools.
- No prior experience with web design or digital authoring is required for successful completion of course work.
- Student work will be published to the web and available to reading publics beyond the class and university.
- Once you have completed the course, the site you built is yours to continue to develop into a personal cyberinfastructure that may include, but is not limited to, course projects, a professional portfolio, resume/CV documents, social media feeds, and blogs.
REQUIRED TEXTS + REQUIRED ACCESS
Hard Copy Textbooks:
Hacker, Diana and Nancy Sommers. Rules for Writers. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012.
Kindle Texts:
Emory’s Center for Digital Scholarship is providing each of you with an iPad to use this semester for the purposes of this course. Consequently, we will be reading the Kindle versions of the following texts:
Cobb, James C. Away Down South: A History of Southern Identity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. Kindle AZW file.
Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying. New York: Vintage Books, 2011. Kindle AZW file.
Wyatt-Brown, Bertram. Southern Honor: Ethics and Behavior in the Old South. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007. Kindle AZW file.
eReserves Selections, Audio + Video Clips, + Websites:
You will need electronic copies of selections from the following books and magazines and other sources, as assigned. I will post them to the course Blackboard site, and you should access (and annotate) them on your iPads via your Kindle app. Sources might include, among others:
Audio Texts:
Audible.com, Kindle, and other services offer the opportunity to purchase audiobook versions of these texts. The benefit of this is that you can acquire auditory and visual English skills if you read your ebook along to the audiobook, especially if you take advantage of the Kindle/eBook characteristics like looking up the definitions to unfamiliar words as you read, making notes as you go on your reading device, etc.
Consequently, you will be required to purchase the following audiobook versions of the texts that are available to us:
Hard Copy Textbooks:
Hacker, Diana and Nancy Sommers. Rules for Writers. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012.
Kindle Texts:
Emory’s Center for Digital Scholarship is providing each of you with an iPad to use this semester for the purposes of this course. Consequently, we will be reading the Kindle versions of the following texts:
Cobb, James C. Away Down South: A History of Southern Identity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. Kindle AZW file.
Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying. New York: Vintage Books, 2011. Kindle AZW file.
Wyatt-Brown, Bertram. Southern Honor: Ethics and Behavior in the Old South. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007. Kindle AZW file.
eReserves Selections, Audio + Video Clips, + Websites:
You will need electronic copies of selections from the following books and magazines and other sources, as assigned. I will post them to the course Blackboard site, and you should access (and annotate) them on your iPads via your Kindle app. Sources might include, among others:
- GRIT LIT
- Blount Jr., Roy. Long Time Leaving. New York: Counterpoint, 2009.
- Cook, Claire Kehrwald. Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1985.
- Hall, B.C. and C.T. Wood. South: A Two-Step Odyssey on the Backroads of the Enchanted Land. New York City: Touchstone Publishing, 2010.
- Smirnoff, Marc, ed. The Best of the Oxford American
- Smirnoff, Marc, ed. The Oxford American Magazine, selections
- selections from Garden & Gun Magazine
Audio Texts:
Audible.com, Kindle, and other services offer the opportunity to purchase audiobook versions of these texts. The benefit of this is that you can acquire auditory and visual English skills if you read your ebook along to the audiobook, especially if you take advantage of the Kindle/eBook characteristics like looking up the definitions to unfamiliar words as you read, making notes as you go on your reading device, etc.
Consequently, you will be required to purchase the following audiobook versions of the texts that are available to us:
- Blount Jr., Roy. Long Time Leaving http://www.amazon.com/Long-Time-Leaving-Dispatches-Unabridged/dp/B000Q66GDI/ref=tmm_aud_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1376578548&sr=1-1
- Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying http://www.amazon.com/As-I-Lay-Dying/dp/B000B5VELI/ref=tmm_aud_title_0
Suggested Apps + Websites:
The following apps and websites are NOT REQUIRED, though after exploring them, you may find them useful:
Online Writing Lab at Purdue (OWL @ Purdue)
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill Writing Center Handouts
Using English for Academic Purposes
Corpus of Contemporary American English
Kindle app
Audible.com app
iMovie app
WordPress app
BlackBoard app
SimpleMind+ (mind mapping) app
Idea Sketch app
Outliner app
Evernote app
Dragon Dictation app
Advanced English Dictionary and Thesaurus app
Cambridge Dictionary app
Merriam Webster Dictionary for English Language Learners app
Grammar Girl app
Oxford A to Z of Grammar and Punctuation app
Idioms app
English Prepositions app
My MLA app
Access:
We will use Blackboard to communicate with one another regularly via the discussion boards and group emails. You will also use it to submit assignments to me, and I will use it to keep, calculate, and disperse grades.
You also need access to your Emory email account. And beyond access, you MUST READ AND RESPOND TO EMAIL! Communication tools constantly shift, but for the moment email is still the best way for us to communicate with one another when we aren’t in class or talking to one another in person (even though it isn’t the primary way that we communicate more informally with one another electronically). When you email me, please use a descriptive subject. I will do my best to respond to you within 24 hours.
The following apps and websites are NOT REQUIRED, though after exploring them, you may find them useful:
Online Writing Lab at Purdue (OWL @ Purdue)
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill Writing Center Handouts
Using English for Academic Purposes
Corpus of Contemporary American English
Kindle app
Audible.com app
iMovie app
WordPress app
BlackBoard app
SimpleMind+ (mind mapping) app
Idea Sketch app
Outliner app
Evernote app
Dragon Dictation app
Advanced English Dictionary and Thesaurus app
Cambridge Dictionary app
Merriam Webster Dictionary for English Language Learners app
Grammar Girl app
Oxford A to Z of Grammar and Punctuation app
Idioms app
English Prepositions app
My MLA app
Access:
We will use Blackboard to communicate with one another regularly via the discussion boards and group emails. You will also use it to submit assignments to me, and I will use it to keep, calculate, and disperse grades.
You also need access to your Emory email account. And beyond access, you MUST READ AND RESPOND TO EMAIL! Communication tools constantly shift, but for the moment email is still the best way for us to communicate with one another when we aren’t in class or talking to one another in person (even though it isn’t the primary way that we communicate more informally with one another electronically). When you email me, please use a descriptive subject. I will do my best to respond to you within 24 hours.
GOALS
In this section of English 101, you will develop
Rhetoric
Philosophers and students of language and communication have provided us with different definitions of “rhetoric.” Plato defined it as “the art of winning the soul by discourse,” while Aristotle defined it as “the faculty of discovering in any particular case all of the available means of persuasion.” Cicero and Quintilian both aligned rhetoric with speaking, while Andrea Lunsford recently synthesized twentieth-century rhetoricians’ definitions in her own deceptively simple one: “[r]hetoric is the art, practice, and study of human communication.” Over the course of the semester, we will compose numerous work products – some written, some spoken, some visual, some electronic, and some nonverbal – that require and test our understanding and use of rhetoric. By the end of the semester, you will have acquired the habits of mind that enable you to be clear, effective, convincing communicators regardless of the situation and audience you face.
Research
Emory University tremendously values original student research. Consequently, we will work together both inside and outside our classes to foster and develop a culture of undergraduate primary and secondary research and original thought. To help accomplish this goal, you will conduct research and practice creative intellectual engagement with primary and secondary sources in nearly every class. With worlds of information immediately available to us online – literally at our fingertips – as well as a world-class research library just yards away, we will work to foster intellectual curiosity not only by approaching topics and issues in our courses from a place of inquisitive questioning but also by exploring questions that we have through immediate, sustained, deep, and broad research in the library, in the classroom, and outside of it.
Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing
“The ability to think critically […] involves three things: (1) an attitude of being disposed to consider in a thoughtful way the problems and subjects that come within the range of one's experiences, (2) knowledge of the methods of logical inquiry and reasoning, and (3) some skill in applying those methods. Critical thinking calls for a persistent effort to examine any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the evidence that supports it and the further conclusions to which it tends. It also generally requires [the] ability to recognize problems, to find workable means for meeting those problems, to gather and marshal pertinent information, to recognize unstated assumptions and values, to comprehend and use language with accuracy, clarity, and discrimination, to interpret data, to appraise evidence and evaluate arguments, to recognize the existence (or non-existence) of logical relationships between propositions, to draw warranted conclusions and generalizations, to put to test the conclusions and generalizations at which one arrives, to reconstruct one's patterns of beliefs on the basis of wider experience, and to render accurate judgments about specific things and qualities in everyday life.”
These claims about critical thinking essentially ask us to be mindful and curiously engaged with the people, images, and arguments we encounter, whether inside or outside of the classroom. Our dedication to intellectual curiosity, engagement, and research in both our class discussion and our assignment sequence will help us model critical thinking, reading, and writing for and with one another so that this type of intellectual engagement becomes second nature to us all.
Writing is/as a Process
Writing is not fast. It is not instantly gratifying. It rewards careful thought at every step of its development. With time and attention, we can all devise compelling arguments that engage us and convince our audience. As successful communicators, however, we do not simply spend this time waiting for an idea to emerge; rather, we use this time to actively participate in the writing process.
In this course, we will strive to craft writing that matters, both inside and outside of the classroom. The most direct route to creating writing that matters is to find a topic that matters to you personally, to identify other scholars to whom your chosen topic matters, and to join the ongoing scholarly conversation on your topic by creating thoroughly considered, well-researched projects. Each of these steps, from invention to research to drafting to revising, makes up the writing process, and we will each become masters of the writing process by practicing all of these steps as we complete the components of our assignment sequence.
Conventions of Communication
When we communicate with a given audience, that audience has certain expectations. Considered most broadly, those expectations are based on the standard conventions for communication in English. While these conventions may shift slightly depending on the rhetorical situation in which we find ourselves – are we speaking to our friends on Facebook? to our parents in an email? to our classmates or professor in class? to our employer? in person? in writing?on a personal or professional website? in a newspaper opinion piece? – central, accepted conventions such as punctuation; spelling; grammar; and sentence, paragraph, and argument organization continue to mark the strongest examples of clear communication. This semester you will hone your skills in these and other conventions of communication through practical application in the assignments you complete as well as in your everyday practice of communication within and outside of class.
Composition and Communication in Digital Environments
In the world outside of our classroom, we do not communicate solely through the written word on the page and certainly not solely via the scholarly essay. Consequently, we will complete a sequence of assignments that acknowledges, incorporates, builds on, and hones the global, collaborative communications skills that we all use every day in the Web 2.0 world that we live and work in. By using the electronic mode and incorporating similar technological innovations into our communications habits inside the classroom as we do outside of the classroom, our work gains immediacy and more readily connects to the broader world in a way that was nearly impossible before. This semester, we will use various communications technologies, possibly including blogs, image manipulation software, personal websites, prezis, creativist projects, etc. as tools to enrich and enliven the communicative products we create.
OUTCOMES
Over the course of the semester, as you become comfortable evaluating and implementing your own and others’ rhetorical decisions; conducting research; thinking, reading, and writing critically; and communicating and composing in digital and non-digital modes, you will achieve the following outcomes:
In this section of English 101, you will develop
- Writing skills: Throughout the semester, you will complete writing assignments in stages that build upon and refine one another.
- Reading skills: You will work on developing reading strategies that will enable you to grasp complex ideas and arguments as well as engage those arguments and ideas critically.
- Oral skills: You will actively participate in class discussions and oral presentations by expressing and defending opinions and giving presentations.
- Aural skills: You will also participate in class by actively listening to, understanding, and interacting with one another during class discussion and presentations.
- Grammar, Usage, + Mechanics Skills: You will focus on grammar regularly throughout the course by keeping a log of the grammatical errors that you make in each formal written assignment. You will include this log with each assignment and then turned in at the end of the semester. You will also complete ten different “language spots” that focus your attention on specific grammatical conventions.
- and Vocabulary: Finally, you will build your vocabulary and improve your ability to deduce the meaning of new words from a given context by focusing on the language used by others and then by using the most dynamic, compelling, and clear words to express your meaning in writing and verbally.
Rhetoric
Philosophers and students of language and communication have provided us with different definitions of “rhetoric.” Plato defined it as “the art of winning the soul by discourse,” while Aristotle defined it as “the faculty of discovering in any particular case all of the available means of persuasion.” Cicero and Quintilian both aligned rhetoric with speaking, while Andrea Lunsford recently synthesized twentieth-century rhetoricians’ definitions in her own deceptively simple one: “[r]hetoric is the art, practice, and study of human communication.” Over the course of the semester, we will compose numerous work products – some written, some spoken, some visual, some electronic, and some nonverbal – that require and test our understanding and use of rhetoric. By the end of the semester, you will have acquired the habits of mind that enable you to be clear, effective, convincing communicators regardless of the situation and audience you face.
Research
Emory University tremendously values original student research. Consequently, we will work together both inside and outside our classes to foster and develop a culture of undergraduate primary and secondary research and original thought. To help accomplish this goal, you will conduct research and practice creative intellectual engagement with primary and secondary sources in nearly every class. With worlds of information immediately available to us online – literally at our fingertips – as well as a world-class research library just yards away, we will work to foster intellectual curiosity not only by approaching topics and issues in our courses from a place of inquisitive questioning but also by exploring questions that we have through immediate, sustained, deep, and broad research in the library, in the classroom, and outside of it.
Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing
“The ability to think critically […] involves three things: (1) an attitude of being disposed to consider in a thoughtful way the problems and subjects that come within the range of one's experiences, (2) knowledge of the methods of logical inquiry and reasoning, and (3) some skill in applying those methods. Critical thinking calls for a persistent effort to examine any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the evidence that supports it and the further conclusions to which it tends. It also generally requires [the] ability to recognize problems, to find workable means for meeting those problems, to gather and marshal pertinent information, to recognize unstated assumptions and values, to comprehend and use language with accuracy, clarity, and discrimination, to interpret data, to appraise evidence and evaluate arguments, to recognize the existence (or non-existence) of logical relationships between propositions, to draw warranted conclusions and generalizations, to put to test the conclusions and generalizations at which one arrives, to reconstruct one's patterns of beliefs on the basis of wider experience, and to render accurate judgments about specific things and qualities in everyday life.”
These claims about critical thinking essentially ask us to be mindful and curiously engaged with the people, images, and arguments we encounter, whether inside or outside of the classroom. Our dedication to intellectual curiosity, engagement, and research in both our class discussion and our assignment sequence will help us model critical thinking, reading, and writing for and with one another so that this type of intellectual engagement becomes second nature to us all.
Writing is/as a Process
Writing is not fast. It is not instantly gratifying. It rewards careful thought at every step of its development. With time and attention, we can all devise compelling arguments that engage us and convince our audience. As successful communicators, however, we do not simply spend this time waiting for an idea to emerge; rather, we use this time to actively participate in the writing process.
In this course, we will strive to craft writing that matters, both inside and outside of the classroom. The most direct route to creating writing that matters is to find a topic that matters to you personally, to identify other scholars to whom your chosen topic matters, and to join the ongoing scholarly conversation on your topic by creating thoroughly considered, well-researched projects. Each of these steps, from invention to research to drafting to revising, makes up the writing process, and we will each become masters of the writing process by practicing all of these steps as we complete the components of our assignment sequence.
Conventions of Communication
When we communicate with a given audience, that audience has certain expectations. Considered most broadly, those expectations are based on the standard conventions for communication in English. While these conventions may shift slightly depending on the rhetorical situation in which we find ourselves – are we speaking to our friends on Facebook? to our parents in an email? to our classmates or professor in class? to our employer? in person? in writing?on a personal or professional website? in a newspaper opinion piece? – central, accepted conventions such as punctuation; spelling; grammar; and sentence, paragraph, and argument organization continue to mark the strongest examples of clear communication. This semester you will hone your skills in these and other conventions of communication through practical application in the assignments you complete as well as in your everyday practice of communication within and outside of class.
Composition and Communication in Digital Environments
In the world outside of our classroom, we do not communicate solely through the written word on the page and certainly not solely via the scholarly essay. Consequently, we will complete a sequence of assignments that acknowledges, incorporates, builds on, and hones the global, collaborative communications skills that we all use every day in the Web 2.0 world that we live and work in. By using the electronic mode and incorporating similar technological innovations into our communications habits inside the classroom as we do outside of the classroom, our work gains immediacy and more readily connects to the broader world in a way that was nearly impossible before. This semester, we will use various communications technologies, possibly including blogs, image manipulation software, personal websites, prezis, creativist projects, etc. as tools to enrich and enliven the communicative products we create.
OUTCOMES
Over the course of the semester, as you become comfortable evaluating and implementing your own and others’ rhetorical decisions; conducting research; thinking, reading, and writing critically; and communicating and composing in digital and non-digital modes, you will achieve the following outcomes:
- Recognize and evaluate a communicator’s message, purpose, and audience;
- Assess and synthesize the diverse needs of your own audiences, whether within our classroom, within the Emory community, or within the broader scholarly conversation you will engage throughout the semester;
- Identify, differentiate between, and characterize various rhetorical situations;
- Recognize and formulate responses appropriate to these rhetorical situations by creating artifacts that reflect invention, research, drafting, and revision;
- Construct compelling and dynamic artifacts (more here on “artifacts”) that incorporate clear and specific arguments, effective organization and structure, smoothly incorporated and well-researched evidence, strong and impactful transitions, and convincing conclusions;
- Demonstrate your mastery of the conventions of formatting, structure, voice, and tone appropriate to the rhetorical situation you are responding to;
- Analyze the impact of form and genre on the experience of reading and writing;
- Synthesize the implications of genre and form as you construct your own research and arguments; and
- Communicate in several genres and modes across multiple communicative platforms.
CLASS PARTICIPATION (10%)
You should expect to attend and participate actively in every class. Since the achievement of our course objectives depends on active participation, each student is responsible to strive to create an environment of lively critical questioning and analytical discussion. You can achieve this through frequent verbal and non-verbal communication. I envision our classroom as one in which each of us works together in an open forum in a respectfully questioning manner. To help facilitate this, here are a few ground rules.
While this policy may seem strict, part of 101 is about initiating you into the academic discourse community and your future workplace discourse communities, so I will hold you to similar standards that you will encounter in the future. When you do not show up to class, you show disrespect to your classmates, to me, and to yourself. You are all adults, and adults have responsibilities that do not disappear because they were sick, because they overslept, or because they overindulged the night before. I realize that those things will happen, but class attendance and participation should be your top priority.
ONGOING ASSIGNMENTS
Written Responses (10%) & Questions to Think About (Part of 10% Participation Grade)
Over the course of the semester, you will prepare 4 written responses of approximately 500 words and upload them to the proper assignment on our Blackboard site by noon on the date they are due. These responses will often take the form of an analysis of an important concept, moment, or scene from the reading or viewing for the coming classes, though at points during the semester you will have the option to write an imitation of the reading and a rationale supporting the decisions you made in you imitation. I cannot accept responses that are not turned in in the proper place or late. We will use these responses to help generate topics for class discussion and to help you develop your thoughts on our readings and viewings in preparation for your formal assignments. These responses will also be informally evaluated on a one to ten scale. Your grades on these responses will be based on the depth of the content, the degree to which the response illustrates your active engagement with the texts and topics of discussion, and the clarity with which you express yourselves. Responses will be graded based on content, ideas, and engagement and grammar and mechanics will only factor into your grade when they prevent your meaning from being clear. Each response will be graded, but only the top two grades will count toward your final grade; in other words, we will drop your two lowest response grades. The two highest scores will combine to be worth 5% of your final grade.
In addition to responses, you will also craft Questions to Think About. By noon each Tuesday, you should post two (2) Questions to Think About on our Class QTTA wiki on our Blackboard site. You should read them all before class time on Wednesday. These questions should be thought-provoking and should demonstrate your close engagement with the texts, issues, and questions that drive the course. They will often serve as our jumping off points for our discussions in class. QTTAs will be informally evaluated and make up part of your participation grade. Not completing all QTTAs will drastically reduce the participation grade you earn.
Language Upgrades Journal and Revision Log (5%)
Over the course of the semester, you will receive feedback on your writing, including vocabulary, grammatical, and mechanical issues that recur as you communicate. It is very useful to keep these common missteps in mind as you craft your projects as the semester progresses so that you can remain mindful of them and prevent or revise them before you turn in your projects. To make this simple, you should keep an up to date Language Upgrades Journal and Revision Log (available via BlackBoard) that you build upon and learn from each time you receive feedback on your projects. With each project you complete and turn in, please complete an updated Language Upgrades Journal and Revision Log. It should document the number of all the issues noted in the feedback you receive on your written projects. You will turn in your final, comprehensive Language Upgrades Journal and Revision Log with the final version of your Major Written Argument at the end of the semester.
These are worth 5% of your final grade, so please make sure you keep them up to date and take them seriously.
Grammar, Mechanics, + Vocabulary Activities (5%)
Over the course of the semester, we will focus on grammar, mechanics, and vocabulary as we consider the texts for the course. On the dates specified on the Map, you will be responsible for finding examples of grammatical or mechanical rules that you learn about in class and locate in the class readings; you will post these to the designated Grammar and Mechanics wiki on Blackboard. On other dates specified on the Map, you will be responsible for finding 3 new vocabulary words from the class readings, looking them up, typing their definition as used in the class reading, and then adding that information to the Class Vocabulary Bank wiki on Blackboard.
FORMAL ASSIGNMENTS
Personal Portfolio Website (Digital Assignment 15%)
This semester, you will create, revise, and update an individual, public-facing website that houses the communicative artifacts you find and create during the semester. You should populate your website with each formal artifact that you create for this course along with a reflection on each artifact that considers the process of completing the artifact, how it fits within the course, how it engages the course questions, how it demonstrates your achievement of the course goals and outcomes, etc. Feel free to include other found artifacts that are related to your individual interests in our course topic as well. This website will serve as a reflective portfolio of the original work you produce and curate during the semester, will be worth 15% of your final grade, and will be due on the final exam date for our section as determined by the College and described in our Course Map and Assignment Sequence documents.
Formal Assignment Sequence (50%)In this course, you will complete a number of formal projects that culminate in one substantial, formal, research-driven, argument. This sequence of formal assignments will help you learn to master each of the modes of communication that are important in any field of study and profession. Each of the written components of this Formal Assignment Sequence will be double graded; the first version will count for 20% of the total grade for the assignment and the second version will count for 80% of the total grade for the assignment.
Over the course of the semester, you will complete:
Each of these assignments should be integrated into your personal portfolio website. Deciding which tool or tools to use to create this site and acquiring proficiency with it/them will be your responsibility, though of course I am happy to help with this either myself or, if I cannot, to point you in the direction of the many support resources available to you on campus.
Final In-Class Self-Reflection (5%)
At the end of the semester, you will compose an in-class self-reflection considering your experience over the course of the semester, the skills you have acquired, the outcomes and goals you have met, the abilities you have strengthened, etc. This self-reflection should showcase your clear and dynamic writing as well as your careful, thoughtful, engaged thinking on this important topic.
Late formal assignments will automatically lose one letter grade for each day that they are late, but there is no reason for this to occur. J You will have numerous opportunities to work on drafting your assignments leading up to the date that they are due. You will complete peer reviews of your formal assignments with your classmates before each assignment is due, and besides having access to your classmates’ feedback, feel free to contact me with any questions or problems you have along the way.
You should expect to attend and participate actively in every class. Since the achievement of our course objectives depends on active participation, each student is responsible to strive to create an environment of lively critical questioning and analytical discussion. You can achieve this through frequent verbal and non-verbal communication. I envision our classroom as one in which each of us works together in an open forum in a respectfully questioning manner. To help facilitate this, here are a few ground rules.
- First and foremost, we cannot create the sort of classroom environment we want without your presence in class. You should come to class thoroughly prepared to participate actively. Excessive absence and unpreparedness will result in a penalty in your final grade at the discretion of the instructor.
- If your phone disrupts class in any way, you’ll be warned and then counted absent for that period, so don not let your cellphone interrupt class. Cellphones are extremely disruptive, so be respectful of your fellow students and me and either leave them in your room, put them on silent mode, or just turn them off.
- Active class participation depends on everyone being completely engaged in what is going on in class, so do not spend time in this class on activities that are not related to this course. If you are working on non-101 things, you aren’t focusing on the discussion.
While this policy may seem strict, part of 101 is about initiating you into the academic discourse community and your future workplace discourse communities, so I will hold you to similar standards that you will encounter in the future. When you do not show up to class, you show disrespect to your classmates, to me, and to yourself. You are all adults, and adults have responsibilities that do not disappear because they were sick, because they overslept, or because they overindulged the night before. I realize that those things will happen, but class attendance and participation should be your top priority.
ONGOING ASSIGNMENTS
Written Responses (10%) & Questions to Think About (Part of 10% Participation Grade)
Over the course of the semester, you will prepare 4 written responses of approximately 500 words and upload them to the proper assignment on our Blackboard site by noon on the date they are due. These responses will often take the form of an analysis of an important concept, moment, or scene from the reading or viewing for the coming classes, though at points during the semester you will have the option to write an imitation of the reading and a rationale supporting the decisions you made in you imitation. I cannot accept responses that are not turned in in the proper place or late. We will use these responses to help generate topics for class discussion and to help you develop your thoughts on our readings and viewings in preparation for your formal assignments. These responses will also be informally evaluated on a one to ten scale. Your grades on these responses will be based on the depth of the content, the degree to which the response illustrates your active engagement with the texts and topics of discussion, and the clarity with which you express yourselves. Responses will be graded based on content, ideas, and engagement and grammar and mechanics will only factor into your grade when they prevent your meaning from being clear. Each response will be graded, but only the top two grades will count toward your final grade; in other words, we will drop your two lowest response grades. The two highest scores will combine to be worth 5% of your final grade.
In addition to responses, you will also craft Questions to Think About. By noon each Tuesday, you should post two (2) Questions to Think About on our Class QTTA wiki on our Blackboard site. You should read them all before class time on Wednesday. These questions should be thought-provoking and should demonstrate your close engagement with the texts, issues, and questions that drive the course. They will often serve as our jumping off points for our discussions in class. QTTAs will be informally evaluated and make up part of your participation grade. Not completing all QTTAs will drastically reduce the participation grade you earn.
Language Upgrades Journal and Revision Log (5%)
Over the course of the semester, you will receive feedback on your writing, including vocabulary, grammatical, and mechanical issues that recur as you communicate. It is very useful to keep these common missteps in mind as you craft your projects as the semester progresses so that you can remain mindful of them and prevent or revise them before you turn in your projects. To make this simple, you should keep an up to date Language Upgrades Journal and Revision Log (available via BlackBoard) that you build upon and learn from each time you receive feedback on your projects. With each project you complete and turn in, please complete an updated Language Upgrades Journal and Revision Log. It should document the number of all the issues noted in the feedback you receive on your written projects. You will turn in your final, comprehensive Language Upgrades Journal and Revision Log with the final version of your Major Written Argument at the end of the semester.
These are worth 5% of your final grade, so please make sure you keep them up to date and take them seriously.
Grammar, Mechanics, + Vocabulary Activities (5%)
Over the course of the semester, we will focus on grammar, mechanics, and vocabulary as we consider the texts for the course. On the dates specified on the Map, you will be responsible for finding examples of grammatical or mechanical rules that you learn about in class and locate in the class readings; you will post these to the designated Grammar and Mechanics wiki on Blackboard. On other dates specified on the Map, you will be responsible for finding 3 new vocabulary words from the class readings, looking them up, typing their definition as used in the class reading, and then adding that information to the Class Vocabulary Bank wiki on Blackboard.
FORMAL ASSIGNMENTS
Personal Portfolio Website (Digital Assignment 15%)
This semester, you will create, revise, and update an individual, public-facing website that houses the communicative artifacts you find and create during the semester. You should populate your website with each formal artifact that you create for this course along with a reflection on each artifact that considers the process of completing the artifact, how it fits within the course, how it engages the course questions, how it demonstrates your achievement of the course goals and outcomes, etc. Feel free to include other found artifacts that are related to your individual interests in our course topic as well. This website will serve as a reflective portfolio of the original work you produce and curate during the semester, will be worth 15% of your final grade, and will be due on the final exam date for our section as determined by the College and described in our Course Map and Assignment Sequence documents.
Formal Assignment Sequence (50%)In this course, you will complete a number of formal projects that culminate in one substantial, formal, research-driven, argument. This sequence of formal assignments will help you learn to master each of the modes of communication that are important in any field of study and profession. Each of the written components of this Formal Assignment Sequence will be double graded; the first version will count for 20% of the total grade for the assignment and the second version will count for 80% of the total grade for the assignment.
Over the course of the semester, you will complete:
- a group reportage (5%) and pecha kucha presentation (5%),
- an electronic annotated bibliography and project proposal (10%),
- a long major project (20%) on a topic relevant to our course questions (you will come up with a topic that is important and fascinating to you within the scope of our course issues and questions – don’t worry, you and I will talk about this much more as the semester progresses) in the form of a written argument that you will post on your personal website that takes advantage of the affordances of the electronic mode – i.e., links out; incorporates images, audio, and video and considers and tailors formatting, layout, font, and other design aspects to support its rhetorical purpose,
- and a version of your major project argument remixed into a digital story that you present to the class (10%).
Each of these assignments should be integrated into your personal portfolio website. Deciding which tool or tools to use to create this site and acquiring proficiency with it/them will be your responsibility, though of course I am happy to help with this either myself or, if I cannot, to point you in the direction of the many support resources available to you on campus.
Final In-Class Self-Reflection (5%)
At the end of the semester, you will compose an in-class self-reflection considering your experience over the course of the semester, the skills you have acquired, the outcomes and goals you have met, the abilities you have strengthened, etc. This self-reflection should showcase your clear and dynamic writing as well as your careful, thoughtful, engaged thinking on this important topic.
Late formal assignments will automatically lose one letter grade for each day that they are late, but there is no reason for this to occur. J You will have numerous opportunities to work on drafting your assignments leading up to the date that they are due. You will complete peer reviews of your formal assignments with your classmates before each assignment is due, and besides having access to your classmates’ feedback, feel free to contact me with any questions or problems you have along the way.
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GRADES
Grades will be calculated based on the following weighted assignments: Formal Assignments 5% Group Reportage 5% Group Reportage Pecha Kucha Presentation 10% Proposal + Electronic Annotated Bibliography 20% Final Project Paper 10% Digital Story Final (Project Paper Remix) 15% Portfolio Website Ongoing Assignments 10% Responses 10% Participation 5% Language Upgrades Journal and Editing + Revision Logs 5% Grammar Activities 5% Final In-Class Self-Reflective Writing |
The grading scale for the course is as follows and is subject to change at my discretion: 93 and above A 90-92.99 A- 87-89.99 B+ 83-86.99 B 80-82.99 B- 77-79.99 C+ 73-76.99 C 70-72.99 C- 67-69.99 D+ 60-66.99 D 0-59.99 F |
RESOURCES
Please make good use of the following FREE services:
ESL Tutors & Academic Skills Lab
These tutors are undergraduates specifically trained to help ESL students develop their writing and speaking skills for class assignments. Tutors can also help you comprehend passages from readings that you would like to cite in your papers. You can make a maximum of two appointments each Sun.-Sat. week using TutorTrac. To schedule an appointment, go to: https://tutortrac.as.emory.edu:325/TracWeb40/Default.html
(Log in using your Emory ID and select “ESL”)
Note: You may meet with an ESL Tutor two times each week in addition to other EPASS and Emory Writing Center tutoring appointments (a total of 6 possible appointments each week).
Scheduling Tips:
The lab is different from an individual tutoring session because other students may be working there and receiving help from the same tutor. The lab tutor will probably not have time to review an entire essay with you. The best ways to use the lab are to:
Every student in ENG 101/ESL has the opportunity to work with an Academic Fellow throughout the academic year. These peer mentors are experienced students who can help you develop the skills you need to succeed in ENG 101 and other classes. You can ask your mentor for help with a variety of academic tasks, such as using the library and other university resources, talking to professors, planning your work, and managing your time. For more information about participating in this program, contact Tammy Kim (tammy.j.kim@emory.edu).
Please make good use of the following FREE services:
ESL Tutors & Academic Skills Lab
These tutors are undergraduates specifically trained to help ESL students develop their writing and speaking skills for class assignments. Tutors can also help you comprehend passages from readings that you would like to cite in your papers. You can make a maximum of two appointments each Sun.-Sat. week using TutorTrac. To schedule an appointment, go to: https://tutortrac.as.emory.edu:325/TracWeb40/Default.html
(Log in using your Emory ID and select “ESL”)
Note: You may meet with an ESL Tutor two times each week in addition to other EPASS and Emory Writing Center tutoring appointments (a total of 6 possible appointments each week).
Scheduling Tips:
- It’s a good idea to schedule appointments in advance to make sure you get the time you need with tutors.
- If you know you cannot attend an appointment, please be considerate of the tutors’ time and availability to other students by cancelling in advance.
- Remember that you may need more than one tutoring session to work through an entire paper, and plan accordingly.
- Scheduling an appointment for another student using your name is not allowed!
- You are expected to be an active participant in your tutoring sessions. Prepare for each session by identifying questions you have about your paper or presentation and specific issues you would like help with. Do not just ask a tutor to “look over my paper and correct the grammar” and then wait for the tutor to correct your mistakes.
- If you are revising a paper, make an effort to address the instructor’s comments on your own before meeting your tutor, using the language support tools available to you. This leaves you more time in a tutoring session to focus on the areas you really need help with.
The lab is different from an individual tutoring session because other students may be working there and receiving help from the same tutor. The lab tutor will probably not have time to review an entire essay with you. The best ways to use the lab are to:
- Come prepared with specific questions
- Work on an assignment in the lab and ask the tutor questions while you are working
- Bring other work to do if you have to wait for the tutor
Every student in ENG 101/ESL has the opportunity to work with an Academic Fellow throughout the academic year. These peer mentors are experienced students who can help you develop the skills you need to succeed in ENG 101 and other classes. You can ask your mentor for help with a variety of academic tasks, such as using the library and other university resources, talking to professors, planning your work, and managing your time. For more information about participating in this program, contact Tammy Kim (tammy.j.kim@emory.edu).
The Emory Writing Center
The Emory Writing Center staff includes talented and welcoming undergraduate and graduate students from a range of disciplines. They are eager to work with all writers at all stages of the composing process. Whether you are exploring ideas, revising a draft, or polishing a final version of a project, the Writing Center is the place for you. They offer discussion-based tutorials for individuals and groups that enable writers to approach their work with fresh eyes and to practice strategies for writing, revising, and editing. Tutors can talk with you about the purpose, organization, and audience of your work, your design choices, or how you engage other texts. They can also work with you on sentence-level concerns, including grammar, syntax, and word choice; however, they will not proofread for you. Instead, they will discuss strategies and resources you can use to become a better editor of your own work.
The Writing Center is located in Callaway N212. Regular appointments are 45 minutes long. You should bring a copy of your assignment, any relevant writing (notes, a draft, the url for your website, etc.) and a plan for what you want to work on. If you have a laptop, they encourage you to bring it. In addition to our regular appointments, they also offer walk-in visits, a good resource when you have a quick question or can’t get an appointment. To view Emory Writing Center hours, make an appointment, and get more information, go to writingcenter.emory.edu.
The entire Writing Center staff has been specifically trained to support Domain of One’s Own students. By talking with a tutor, you can more critically consider the purpose, design, and usability of your digital texts. You can also work with a tutor to troubleshoot technical matters; however, you should consult the Domain student resource pages first. In most cases, you will be able to solve tech troubles on your own, reserving your Writing Center appointments for discussions about how your technical choices—along with other choices—affect your larger aims.
The Emory Writing Center is an excellent resource for writers of all skill levels. It offers assistance with all aspects of writing, including brainstorming, organization, thesis formation, style, wording, and revision. While EWC tutors do not edit your artifacts, I strongly encourage each of you to schedule a meeting at the Writing Center. It is a good idea to secure appointments as far in advance as possible, especially toward the end of the semester, when the EWC is busiest. The EWC is located in Callaway N-212, and you can find it online at http://www.writingcenter.emory.edu/.
The Emory Writing Center staff includes talented and welcoming undergraduate and graduate students from a range of disciplines. They are eager to work with all writers at all stages of the composing process. Whether you are exploring ideas, revising a draft, or polishing a final version of a project, the Writing Center is the place for you. They offer discussion-based tutorials for individuals and groups that enable writers to approach their work with fresh eyes and to practice strategies for writing, revising, and editing. Tutors can talk with you about the purpose, organization, and audience of your work, your design choices, or how you engage other texts. They can also work with you on sentence-level concerns, including grammar, syntax, and word choice; however, they will not proofread for you. Instead, they will discuss strategies and resources you can use to become a better editor of your own work.
The Writing Center is located in Callaway N212. Regular appointments are 45 minutes long. You should bring a copy of your assignment, any relevant writing (notes, a draft, the url for your website, etc.) and a plan for what you want to work on. If you have a laptop, they encourage you to bring it. In addition to our regular appointments, they also offer walk-in visits, a good resource when you have a quick question or can’t get an appointment. To view Emory Writing Center hours, make an appointment, and get more information, go to writingcenter.emory.edu.
The entire Writing Center staff has been specifically trained to support Domain of One’s Own students. By talking with a tutor, you can more critically consider the purpose, design, and usability of your digital texts. You can also work with a tutor to troubleshoot technical matters; however, you should consult the Domain student resource pages first. In most cases, you will be able to solve tech troubles on your own, reserving your Writing Center appointments for discussions about how your technical choices—along with other choices—affect your larger aims.
The Emory Writing Center is an excellent resource for writers of all skill levels. It offers assistance with all aspects of writing, including brainstorming, organization, thesis formation, style, wording, and revision. While EWC tutors do not edit your artifacts, I strongly encourage each of you to schedule a meeting at the Writing Center. It is a good idea to secure appointments as far in advance as possible, especially toward the end of the semester, when the EWC is busiest. The EWC is located in Callaway N-212, and you can find it online at http://www.writingcenter.emory.edu/.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
The Emory Honor Code is in effect in this class and will be strictly enforced. The Honor Code states: “academic misconduct is an offense generally defined as any action or inaction which is offensive to the integrity and honesty of the members of the academic community. This offense includes, but is not limited to, the following:
You bear primary responsibility for understanding the nature of academic honesty and avoiding plagiarism. The English Department Plagiarism Guidelines, written by Dr. Barbara Ladd and available on the Writing Center website athttp://www.writingcenter.emory.edu/laddplagiarism.html, defines plagiarism and explains students’ responsibilities to avoid it:
Plagiarism is copying the words and/or the ideas of another person or agency or institution […] without acknowledging that you got those words and those ideas from that source. Changing a word or phrase or two in a passage does not change the reality of plagiarism. If you paraphrase a passage using the same basic vocabulary, maintaining the same order of ideas, and/or if your paraphrase is approximately the same length as the original, and basically retains the thought, spirit or language of the original, then you are plagiarizing. […] And remember that you must still cite the source of an idea even if you have summarized the idea in your own words. (Ladd “English Department Plagiarism Guidelines”)
In other words, if you didn’t think of it on your own, don’t claim it as your own. Just give credit where credit is due, and you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
CHANGES TO THE SYLLABUS
This syllabus is a general plan for the course. This syllabus—especially the required reading and assignment schedule—may be modified as the semester progresses to meet course outcomes and address the needs of members of the class. In the event changes are necessary, I will make them in consultation with the rest of the class.
DISCRIMINATION + HARASSMENT
Emory University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. This class adheres to those guidelines. Alternative viewpoints are welcome in this classroom; however, statements that are deemed racist, sexist, classist, or otherwise discriminatory toward others in the class will not be tolerated. No form of harassment, bullying, or discrimination is allowed in this class. No harassment of any kind is allowed, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, color, age, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation and identity, gender, marital status, ability, and/or status as a U.S. veteran.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES + SPECIAL SERVICES
Any student who, because of a disability or any other circumstance, may require special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should let the professor know and should register with the Office of Disability Services: http://www.ods.emory.edu/ Emory University complies with the regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and offers accommodations to students with disabilities. If you are in need of a classroom accommodation, please contact the Office of Disabilities. They will notify me of the accommodations you require, but they will not reveal to me the reasons for that accommodation. All information will be kept confidential; however, in order to have accommodations made in the classroom, you will need to register with the Office of Disabilities.
Free and confidential counseling services are available from the Emory Counseling Center (404-727-7450): http://studenthealth.emory.edu/cs/index.php
The Emory Honor Code is in effect in this class and will be strictly enforced. The Honor Code states: “academic misconduct is an offense generally defined as any action or inaction which is offensive to the integrity and honesty of the members of the academic community. This offense includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Seeking, acquiring, receiving, or giving information about the conduct of an examination, knowing that the release of such information has not been authorized:
- Plagiarizing;
- Seeking, using, giving, or obtaining unauthorized assistance or information in any academic assignment or examination;
- Intentionally giving false information to professors or instructors for the purpose of gaining academic advantage;
- Breach of any duties prescribed by this Code;
- Intentionally giving false evidence in any Honor Council hearing or refusing to give evidence when requested by the Honor Council.”
You bear primary responsibility for understanding the nature of academic honesty and avoiding plagiarism. The English Department Plagiarism Guidelines, written by Dr. Barbara Ladd and available on the Writing Center website athttp://www.writingcenter.emory.edu/laddplagiarism.html, defines plagiarism and explains students’ responsibilities to avoid it:
Plagiarism is copying the words and/or the ideas of another person or agency or institution […] without acknowledging that you got those words and those ideas from that source. Changing a word or phrase or two in a passage does not change the reality of plagiarism. If you paraphrase a passage using the same basic vocabulary, maintaining the same order of ideas, and/or if your paraphrase is approximately the same length as the original, and basically retains the thought, spirit or language of the original, then you are plagiarizing. […] And remember that you must still cite the source of an idea even if you have summarized the idea in your own words. (Ladd “English Department Plagiarism Guidelines”)
In other words, if you didn’t think of it on your own, don’t claim it as your own. Just give credit where credit is due, and you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
CHANGES TO THE SYLLABUS
This syllabus is a general plan for the course. This syllabus—especially the required reading and assignment schedule—may be modified as the semester progresses to meet course outcomes and address the needs of members of the class. In the event changes are necessary, I will make them in consultation with the rest of the class.
DISCRIMINATION + HARASSMENT
Emory University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. This class adheres to those guidelines. Alternative viewpoints are welcome in this classroom; however, statements that are deemed racist, sexist, classist, or otherwise discriminatory toward others in the class will not be tolerated. No form of harassment, bullying, or discrimination is allowed in this class. No harassment of any kind is allowed, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, color, age, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation and identity, gender, marital status, ability, and/or status as a U.S. veteran.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES + SPECIAL SERVICES
Any student who, because of a disability or any other circumstance, may require special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should let the professor know and should register with the Office of Disability Services: http://www.ods.emory.edu/ Emory University complies with the regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and offers accommodations to students with disabilities. If you are in need of a classroom accommodation, please contact the Office of Disabilities. They will notify me of the accommodations you require, but they will not reveal to me the reasons for that accommodation. All information will be kept confidential; however, in order to have accommodations made in the classroom, you will need to register with the Office of Disabilities.
Free and confidential counseling services are available from the Emory Counseling Center (404-727-7450): http://studenthealth.emory.edu/cs/index.php