English 10600: Writing About Writing

Introductory Composition Instructor: Lisa A. Curtin Office: HEAV 209 Office Hours: 4:30-5:30 Wednesday & by appointment Email: lcurtin@purdue.edu Course Website: https://blackboard.purdue.edu

Course Description

In this course, we will be examining our experiences as readers and writers in and out of an academic setting. We will do intensive, scholarly reading about the concepts of literacy, discourse, and rhetoric that will help us to improve our writing skills by building awareness of our interactions with the world through reading, seeing, speaking, writing, and thinking. The communication skills we develop in this class will help you succeed in your future college career and beyond.

Course Goals

Through this course, you will be better prepared for the writing that will be expected of you in your coursework across the university as well as the writing you will have to do in your personal and professional life. We will improve our abilities to write in multiple contexts and mediums and to communicate our ideas clearly. For official English 106 course goals see: http://www.digitalparlor.org/icap/gmo.

Required Texts, etc.

-Writing About Writing: A College Reader by E. Wardle and D. Downs (available at University Bookstore or online) -1 standard composition notebook -Microsoft Word (Available on Purdue computers or for purchase as part of the Microsoft Office suite through IT@P http://www.itap.purdue.edu/shopping/software.cfm) -We will occasionally have additional readings that will be available to you in .pdf form on our Blackboard course site.

Course Policies
Student Conduct You are college students and more importantly adults, and you will be expected to show respect for one another and to me. In this class we will discuss our own personal experiences and share our opinions, and I would like everyone to feel safe to express him or herself. Purdue University has adopted a Code of Conduct that will be upheld in this course. For the full code, please refer to http://www.purdue.edu/odos/osrr/studentconductcode.php Course Points The projects and other activities in the class will be worth a total of 1000 points. The points will be broken down as follows: Writing Projects (4): 600 points (150 points each) Journals: 200 points

Participation:

(Including in-class group activities, in-class discussions, preparedness for class & conferences, attendance, engaged behavior, etc.)

200 points

Course Grading Scale A 900-1000 points B 800-899 points C 700-799 points D 600-699 points F 599 points and below Communication & Participation In this course we will be using multiple means of communication including written journals, Blackboard, email, and classroom discussion. Written Journals: You will need to purchase a composition notebook for this class and BRING IT WITH YOU EVERY DAY. You will complete in class writing and activities in this notebook and I will review them periodically for points. Blackboard: We will occasionally use Blackboard as a means of exchanging information with one anothervia discussion posts and the sharing of files. Email: I will communicate with you via email with class-related information (including emergencies), so please check your email daily. Feel free to email with any questions. As part of your participation grade, I expect your emails to be professional. Writing Projects We will complete four major writing projects in this class: a literacy narrative, an investigative (primary) research project, a traditional (secondary) research project, and a visual rhetoric project. Attendance I will take attendance using in-class writings in your journals. You get four free absences (one week of class). After four, you will lose ten points off of your final grade for every day that you miss. 10 points is 1% of your grade. If you repeatedly arrive late to class or participate in distracting/distracted behaviors, you may be counted as absent. I will give you a warning if these behaviors are becoming a problem for you. Distracting/distracted behaviors include texting, using your computer for non-class related activities (other homework, Facebook, etc.), sleeping, etc. (Addendum: There are legitimate reasons for missing a significant number of classes (severe illness, death in the family, etc.) and in these situations you need to go to the Office of the Dean of Students to get verification for your absences, after which we can meet/email to discuss your options as far as attendance and coursework.) Missed or Late Work For full credit, you must turn your completed unit projects in at the beginning of class on the days that they are due in the correct format, stapled (if more than one page). Late unit projects will be accepted, but will lose 5 points per each class day late. I will also be collecting drafts of your projects via email, and they must be turned in in the specified file format. Any assignments due on Blackboard must be uploaded to Blackboard before class begins, or you will not receive credit. Accommodations

If you are eligible for academic accommodations because you have a documented disability that will impact your work in this class, please schedule an appointment with me as soon as possible to discuss your needs. If you are unsure, please review the information offered by Adaptive Programs in the Office of the Dean of Students: http://www.purdue.edu/ODOS/adpro/Welcome.html Emergencies In the event of a major campus emergency, course requirements, deadlines, and grading percentages are subject to change based on a revised semester calendar or other circumstances beyond my control. I will post changes to the course on Blackboard as soon as I become aware of them and will email you in the event of a change to our class schedule. If you have questions, you may contact me via email. You will be expected to read your @purdue.edu email daily. Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this class, nor in any other class you take at Purdue. Plagiarism is the use of anothers writing, work, or ideas without proper citation, as well as claiming anothers work as your own. Students who intentionally plagiarize will be reported to the Dean of Students, and you may fail this course. Plagiarized work will receive a grade of zero and will not be eligible for revision. Please view the following site for Purdues university policies on plagiarism: http://www.purdue.edu/ODOS/osrr/intergrity.htm Additional Policies Journals: We will do most of our journal writing in class, and you will be expected to write thoughtful journal entries that demonstrate your understanding of class materials. When we have readings for class you can expect your journals to be related to those readings. If it becomes apparent through your journal writing that you are not doing the readings, I will have to implement more written homework and/or reading quizzes, so do the readings. Project Drafts: I will be collecting digital drafts of your written projects to give you comments. I will collect these drafts through Blackboard, and return them to you via email. Drafts of any written project MUST BE IN .doc or .docx format. If you dont want to buy MS Office, use a Purdue computer. The process of drafting and revision is a key part of composition, so you must demonstrate a use of my comments (as well as comments from peer reviews and in-class revision processes) in your final drafts. Conferences: Depending on the type of work we are doing, we may employ alternate conference schedules (individual, partners, small groups, etc.). I will remind you of the schedule for the current week in class and/or via email, but please be aware that your conferences may be at slightly different times within the 3:30-4:20 hour from week to week, so try to avoid scheduling anything else during that time.

ENGL106 SYLLABUS REVISED 12.18.2011 BY LAC