Composition and Rhetoric

English 101, Sections 26/37

Section 26: 12:00-1:20pm

Section 37: 1:30-2:20pm

Instructor: Steve Oberlechner

email: steveoberlechner@aol.com

Office: Room 438 Stansbury

Phone: 293-3107 (English Department -- ask to leave a message)

Campus mailbox: 231 Stansbury (look for my last name)

Office Hours: Monday 1:30 - 3:00pm, and Tuesday 10:30am - 12:00pm (or by appointment).

Required Texts/Materials

Brady, Racin, Ryan. Work in Progress: English 101 at West Virginia University

Ford, Schave. Community Matters

Writer's Notebook (just purchase any notebook of your choice)

Portfolio (I recommend/prefer a 3-ring binder for this assignment)

Course Goals

To help you develop and improve your writing skills. We will focus on rhetorical strategies, and we will attempt to develop new and useful ways of viewing, analyzing, and reflecting on writing (both our own and others') and on ourselves as writers. We will explore our own strengths and weaknesses as writers and seek out different strategies to improve upon both.

Attendance and Lateness

*3 or more absences will compromise your grade!

*A missed conference counts as two absences.

*6 or more absences will result in a failing grade!

*If you have two absences before mid-term, we reserve the right to drop you from the course.

*Please try to come to class on time. A closed door means that you are late.

Late Work

I do not accept late work. There is ample time to complete all of the assignments on time. In situations of emergency, please make arrangements with me before the class that you will miss.

Plagiarism and Cheating

Clear cases will result in an F for the course and appropriate academic discipline. Don't plagiarize or cheat!

Plagiarism: Any material that has been knowingly obtained or copied in whole or in part, from the work of others...including (but not limited to) another individual's academic composition.

Cheating: Doing academic work for another student, or providing one's own work for another student to copy or submit as his/her own.

Some words of advice: Don't plagiarize. Period. Especially from the internet. It is extremely easy for me to find the paper that has been plagiarized.

Grades

You will not receive a grade on individual papers. You will, however, always receive comments on your notebook and papers to give you a sense of your progress. You will also receive an "in progress" mid-term grade and commentary, which will describe your work. You are actively encouraged to talk with your instructor at any time about your progress in this class. Success in the class depends on:

*Meeting all of the requirements

*The quality of your written and oral work

*Your willingness to revise and rethink, to try new perspectives, to take risks.

Your final grade will be based on the following percentages:

*Final Portfolio: 60%

*In-Class Participation: 20%

*Weekly Writer's Notebook: 20%

Special Needs

If you have a learning disability, hearing or vision problems, or any other special need that might affect your performance or participation in class, please be sure to talk to me. Also, please be aware of the support services available to you through Disability Services, located in room G30 of the Mountainlair (293-6700).

Social Justice

English 101 supports WVU's commitment to social justice. The classroom community will work to create a positive learning environment based upon open communication and mutual respect. We welcome your suggestions.

PARTIAL SCHEDULE

(subject to change at my discretion)

Week #1

Monday, Aug 19

Introduction to the course, Syllabus, Freewrite

Home: Buy books, read the class policies on pages 1-16 of WIP, complete student contracts. Also buy your writer's notebook, as we will likely begin each class session with a freewrite or writing exercise.

Wednesday, Aug 21

Discuss Policies and Procedures, Turn in student contracts, in-class writing sample

Home: Read 1-17 and 191-197 in CM.

Friday, Aug 23

Freewrite, Discuss readings, Invention activity for Literacy Narrative

Home: Read 27-30 in CM. Think more about the subject of your literacy narrative.

Week #2

Monday, Aug 26

Discuss readings, Freewrite, Critical Reading techniques introduced,

Home: Bring in 4 copies of 1st draft of Literacy Narrative for Wednesday to be peer workshopped.

Wednesday, Aug 28

Freewrite, workshopping of first drafts

Home: Revise Literacy Narrative, Read 311-325 CM.

Friday, Aug 30

Freewrite, Discuss Reading, Discuss revision strategies

Home: Revise Literacy Narrative, prepare for Individual Conferences on Wednesday Sept. 4th.

Week #3

Monday, Sept 2

No Class -- Enjoy the afternoon.

Wednesday, Sept 4

Class Cancelled -- Individual Conferences by appointment

Home: Bring in 4 copies of 2nd draft of Literacy Narrative for Friday peer conferencing.

Friday, Sept 6

Freewrite, Peer Conferencing of 2nd drafts of Literacy Narrative.

Home: Finish 3rd and Final Draft of Literacy Narrative. Bring completed copy plus all drafting to class on Monday to turn in. Also, read CM 477-484 plus "Nacirema" essay (hand-out)

Week #4

Monday, Sept 9

Due: Completed Literacy Narrative with drafting

Freewrite, Discuss reading, Introduction to Essay #2 (Fieldworking), Double-entry notes

Home: 1 or 2 site visits with double-entry notes.

Wednesday, Sept 11

Class Cancelled--Individual Conferences by appointment.

Home: Continue field observations as necessary. Read CM 393-401.

Friday, Sept 13

Freewrite, Discuss readings, read samples of Fieldworking essays, discuss strategies and effectiveness, culture and subculture.

Home: Bring 4 copies of first draft of Essay #2 to class on Monday for peer conferencing.

Week #5

Monday, Sept 16

Freewrite, Peer workshopping of first drafts

Home: Begin revisions, read CM 402-412.

Wednesday, Sept 18

Freewrite, Discuss reading, continue workshopping of first drafts.

Home: Continue revising first drafts of Essay #2.

Friday, Sept 20

Class cancelled--Individual Conferences by appointment.

Home: Bring in 4 copies of 2nd draft of essay #2 for Monday.

Week #6

Monday, Sept 23

Freewrite, Group workshopping of second drafts

Home: Revise second drafts, Read CM 414-423.

Wednesday, Sept 25

Freewrite, Discuss reading, Continue workshopping of second drafts

Home: Finish 3rd and Final Draft of Fieldworking Essay. Bring completed copy plus all drafting to class on Friday to turn in.

Friday, Sept 27

Due: Completed Fieldworking Essay plus all drafting.

Freewrite, Introduction to Essay #3 -- Interview, Discuss Midterm progress, field questions about the direction of the rest of the semester, hand out second half of syllabus schedule.

Home: Read CM 141-149. Begin thinking about Interview candidates, and about midterm memo.

Week #7

Monday, Sept 30

Class Cancelled - Individual Conferences on Midterm Progress

Home: Bring completed Midterm Memo to class on Wednesday.

Wednesday, Oct 2

Due: Midterm Memo

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