course.goals
materials
assignments
grading
attendance
electronica
ethics
disability
instructor
kevin eric depew
office bal 4042
phone 757.683.4019
e.mail kdepew@odu.edu
web.page http://www.odu.edu/~kdepew
office hours m
& th 3:00-4:00pm & by appointment
im kerdepew
skype k.e.depew
quick
links
calendar
blackboard
(email, collaboration, and readings)
resources
English 664 has been designed using a praxis framework in which theory informs the practice you develop and you should see the practices you adopt–especially in specific contexts–contributing to the knowledge of the field. You will begin the semester with an introduction to composition studies' history and the field's theoretical movements; then you will learn how to design writing pedagogy and assess how your students respond to this pedagogy. To develop a better understanding of the field and the various students populations you will encounter in your teaching careers (mainstream, African-Americans, and second language writers), a tri-focal lens will be used to help us understand most topics and issues.
In this course you will learn ...
- praxis and the relationship between pedagogical theory and practice
- how to respond to various issues of student diversity; including those experienced in the developmental writing classroom
- the history and movements of composition studies
- to think about the local contexts and local students you will be teaching
- about writing processes
- to question assumptions about literacy development
- to develop your own informed teaching philosophy
- how to teach with different writing technologies
- how to write collaboratively
- to design assignments and units
- how to assess and respond to students' writing
- about the complexities of plagiarism
course.materials
Norton
Book of Composition Studies
Author(s): Susan Miller
W.W. Norton
ISBN 978-0-393-93135-8
Writing
Instruction in Nineteenth-Century American Colleges
Author: James A. Berlin
Southern Illinois University Press (February 1, 1984)
ISBN: 0809311666
Other readings will be retrieved from...
WikiComp Concept Entry and Revisions (100 points–50 pts for Concept Entry and 50 pts for the Revisions): By reading above and beyond the assigned readings, you will have the opportunity to acquaint yourself with the fields of composition. For this assignment, you will compose an entry on a composition concept. Then throughout the semester you will do research and contribute to these concept entries as a way to create a useful resource for you and your peers.
Sample Assignment (50 points): You will draft an assignment sheet, the document that provides your students with guidelines for an assignment. As you draft this document, you will need to consider your own goals and your student audience. Your assignment sheet will be accompanied by a one-page explanation.
Semester Syllabus (200 points): In this course you will develop teaching materials for a sixteen week (T/TH) composition course. You will outline the assignments and the daily activities. In addition to the unit plan, you will submit a 800-word explanation that justifies the pedagogical practices of your syllabus.
Evaluation Simulation (50 points): Each student will be given a sample of student writing. You will be given 60 minutes to read the sample, comment on it, assign it a grade, and write a theoretical justification for your practices.
Pedagogical Close-Up (100 points): In this 1500 word statement, you will draw upon composition theory and practice to justify the work that you have done this semester by explaining some very specific features of your pedagogy.
Three Means of Failing the Course related to Major Assignments
- Not completing a major assignment
- Major assignments will be given no credit if the assignment is not turned in prior to the instructor returning the respective assignment to the class. This becomes the equivalent of not completing a major assignment
- An act of plagiarism (or other forms of academic dishonesty)
Major Assignments
I will be looking for evidence of each student's progress towards professional level work. More specifically I will be looking for evidence of...
- well supported and "original" work that responds to a specific context
- an understanding of literacy, rhetoric, composition theory, as well as the current discussions of its application
- an ability to generate sound teaching materials and justify their pedagogical use
- addressing your audiences appropriately, including fulfilling generic expectations
- prewriting and planning
- professional quality work, in terms of mechanics, design, and protocol
Grade Scale
Your final grade (500 points) and assignments will be graded on the following point scale* :
| A =92-100 % | A -= 90-91.9 % | B+ = 87-89.9 % | |
| B = 82-86.9 % | B- = 80-81.9 % | C+ = 77-79.9 % | |
| C = 72-76.9 % | C- = 70-71.9 % | D+ = 67-69.9 % | |
| D = 62-66.9 % | D -= 60-61.9 % | ||
| F = 0-59.9 % |
*
= The instructor reserves the right to adjust this scale based on the
students' performance throughout the semester. Any adjustments will 1)
apply to the entire class and 2) never deny a student the grade that she/he
earns based upon this posted scale.
attendance
Students are required to attend every class. If you miss a class, for whatever reason, you are responsible for making up any missed work.
In this class, you will do a lot of work and discussion of ideas in the classroom. Therefore the attendance policies are:
- you
are allowed the equivalent of the two absences, excused or unexcused.
More than two absences will result in failing the course. The
following scale is used to determine equivalency:
- being late to class will be marked as a tardy and considered when your final grade is tallied.
- students who miss between fifteen and eighty minutes will receive a half-absence
- students who miss more than eighty minutes will receive a full absence
You are not only required to to attend every class, but you are required to come to class prepared. If you do not come to class prepared, you will receive an absence–whether you stay or not. Therefore, it is recommended that you pay attention to the calendar.
- submissions
due the day of an absence
- if you plan to be absent the day an assignment submission is due, you are encouraged to make arrangements to submit the work before the class
- if you cannot submit the work prior to class you are encouraged to submit it at your earliest possible convenience, especially through email
- the last day to submit work for credit is the first day that you return from an absence
To learn what work you have missed consult the instructor or the calendar.
As a general rule, a student missing a class assignment because of observance of a religious holiday or participating in any official extracurricular activity shall have the opportunity to make up missed work by following the guidelines above.
Electronica refers to technology-related issues.
E.mail
Accounts
Having an email account
is required; a lot of information for this class will be exchanged via
email and Blackboard including some assignment
submissions and class updates. You will want to establish a consistent
email account that you will use throughout the entire semester.
Because Blackboard's "Send Email" function "talks to" your ODU account, it is recommended that you work with this account. At the very least, you are required to forward your ODU mail to the account you use most. To get an ODU account go to OCCS.
You are responsible for making sure that files and messages are successfully received by the instructor and your peers; other email providers cannot provide this security. Also you will want to be aware that some evaluated coursework will be returned via email; if you are concerned about other parties reading these messages, please make alternate arrangements with the instructor.
E.mailing
Protocol
When emailing the
instructor or the class list make sure that you include a subject line
that includes the nature of the email. A subject line, such as "assignment"
is vague. Instead be specific and state whether it is a "assignment
submission," "question about assignment," or "assignment
problem."
Also use the priority setting rhetorically; in other words, make your email message stand out when you really need to draw the recipient's attention to your message. Do not use the priority setting on your standard assignment submissions or simple requests.
Protecting
Your Work
Backup your document
files frequently. Also save all email transmissions for this course. Keep
your files on your home machine, floppy disks, cds, and/ or flash drives.
You can also email documents to yourself as a means of backing up your
work. The excuse "I lost my only copy" is not a valid one. Some
tips for protecting your work–and yourself–are:
- Save all English 664 work until the course is over
- Maintain copies of drafts and work-in-progress
- Create folders on your hard drive and in your INBOX (email) for this class.
- Keep copies of your email messages related to the course as a record of your work. For all messages that you send to the instructor, you should either have the message sent to your "Sent" folder in your email account or cc: yourself the message so that you have a copy for verification
Electronic
Ethics and Respect
Electronic media allows
us some freedoms that print media does not allow. Consequently, it is
also subject to abuse. Please be respectful of your peers throughout the
semester by not displaying, viewing, or posting web pages, files, or emails
that may make others uncomfortable. Violations of this respect can be
considered harassment according to university
policy and will be handled as such.
As per the University's Honor Code, you must do your own original work in this class–and appropriately identify that portion of your work which is...
- collaborative with others
- borrowed from others
- your own work from other contexts
Whenever you borrow graphics, quote passages, or use ideas from others, you are legally and/or ethically obliged to acknowledge that use by following appropriate conventions for documenting sources. In this class, the most serious form of academic dishonesty is to recycle another individual's major project under your own name.
If you have doubts about whether or not you are using your own or others' writing ethically and legally, ask the instructor. Follow this primary principle: If in doubt, ask. Be up front and honest about what you are doing and about what you have contributed to an assignment.
If you have a documented disability, make sure you register with Disability Services (757. 683.4655). Once you do so, feel free to talk to me about any special accommodations that you may need to fulfill the requirements of this course.
At the end of the semester, you will have an opportunity to evaluate the instructor and the course. This is very important for helping the instructor and the department assess the course. Please take the time at the end of the semester to do these online evaluations.
last.updated 8.7.09