Course Info
Summer 2007
0413 EWRT-001A-09C Composition and Reading (LEC)
Time: 12:30PM- 2:40 MTWTh
Location: S34
Contact Info
Instructor: Tim Maxwell
Office: F-61 L
Office Hours: T 2:40-3:15 and by appointment
Office Phone: 1-408-864-
E-mail: tmax@truepropaganda.com
URL: http://truepropaganda.com
Required Texts and Materials
75 Readings Across the Curriculum
A Writer's Resource
1984
An e-mail account
A college-level dictionary
A manila folder for the submission of your work
An 80-page spiral-bound notebook
Access to Internet, either at home or by
allowing for time at De Anza or other location
Course Goals
The goals of English 1A are as follows: a) to guide you in writing effectively with a variety of distinct purposes and to different audiences, b) to teach you to use the principles and methods that will enable you to enter courses in many fields with confidence, c) to provide the tools to analyze the discourses you find there, and, d) on the basis of that analysis, to begin participating effectively in these other discourses, whether written, oral, or multimedia. More generally, you will how to think, write, and read critically at a college level.
Course Overview
Some of you might think of English 1A as just another requirement, something to be gotten out of the way before you can get on to the really important stuff, whatever that is: your major, transfer, making loads of money, becoming famous, or you name it. Yes, it is required and the skills you learn here will be of great use to you in all of the courses you take that require writing. But, it does not end there. I would argue that without the ability to think for yourself using the tools you have the opportunity to learn here you are virtually defenseless in the Information Age, vulnerable to those who wish to exploit you, dupe you, cheat you, corrupt you, or otherwise steal your personal power (or your community’s power) from you--usually without your even knowing it. The premise of this course is that we are, more than ever in human history, subject to high doses of political and commercial propaganda and other forms of mass manipulation that are dangerous to our democracy and to the health of our society and our planet. The hope is that through training in why and how you should think for yourself, in basic reasoning, and in critical reading and writing you will leave this class better equipped not just to succeed but to survive.
We are all in this together. Each of us has an obligation to him or herself, to his or her particular group, and to the class as a whole. If you're having trouble, your silence is going to make it worse. Turn to me or to your classmates before you give up or go away.
Writing Assignments
Each major take-home writing assignment requires a peer workshop and your reflection on your writing process. The descriptions of the following writing assignments will be expanded on individual assignment sheets.
Take-home assignments:
A. ESSAY 1: Defining Your Freedom: A personal essay. (750 words, 80 points)
B. ESSAY 2: Explaining Hierarchies: Language and Images as Tools. (1000 words, 80 points)
C. ESSAY 3: Interpret Fiction and Make Connections (1000 words, 100 points)
D. ESSAY 4: Synthesize the Threat (1000 words, 100 points)
In-class writing:
A. A midterm: Argue for what is right. (120 points)
B. A final: A persuasive reflective essay. Details on exam. (150 points)
e-portfolio
During the course of the summer session, you will create and publish an on-line portfolio of your work in this course. It will include an essay in which you reflect on yourself as a student, writer, thinker, and person, your essays in the course, and other material that completes a picture of YOU. For info about e-portfolios in general refer to this informative site. You will have a fair amount of flexibility in determining the tool you will use for your portfolio and the content you wish to include beyond what is required.
Peer Critiques
As a peer reviewer, you will be responsible for providing thoughtful and respectful critiques of your classmates' work. You shall give the feedback you would like to receive from others. I will give credit to thorough, constructive critiques. Your hard work will also count toward your final grade. Also, you can learn much from helping others to improve. I will provide detailed guidelines for you to follow as you critique. In order for peer workshop to be successful, you cannot be either cruel or too kind.
Reflective Writing
Upon your completion of each essay, you will have the opportunity to reflect on your process, writing an essay that holds a mirror up to your efforts -- both successful and unsuccessful -- in the making of a particular piece of writing. I will provide you with prompts for these.
Submission Guidelines
You will submit your work in a STANDARD MANILA FOLDER that has been marked clearly with your name and the class you are enrolled in. The folder will contain, in the order in which the work was completed, all the steps toward the completion of the assignment, including prewriting, outlines, drafts, peer reviews written for you, final draft, and reflective writing. Missing portions will result in a lowering of your grade.
All essays must be typed in 12-point standard font (I suggest Palatino or New Century Schoolbook), be double-spaced, and have 1-inch margins. (Nothing else is acceptable.) Write your name, the class, the date, and the essay number (e.g. 2.1) in the top left-hand corner of the first page. Center the title below the heading. Use MLA style for documentation.
For each typed essay, you will write at least two (2) versions, one for peer workshop and one that is revised for final submission. You will be given guidelines for a self-evaluation or reflection before the final version is due.
ALL INTERNET SOURCE MATERIAL MUST BE PRINTED OUT, ORGANIZED, AND INCLUDED AS PART OF YOUR PACKET. ALL QUOTATIONS MUST BE HIGHLIGHTED ON THE PRINT-OUTS.
Late Papers
Late papers will be penalized, unless previous arrangements have been made. (Not being in class does not excuse you from doing the work due to be turned in that day.)
You are, however, allowed one late assignment. In lieu of the paper that is late, submit a "late paper letter" on which you state the nature of the problem resulting in the lateness and the date you will complete the work (within two weeks). Link here for the certificate.
Revisions
Only those papers that have met the submission criteria fully are eligible for revision. If the above requirements are met, ONE paper may be revised for a new grade. For this revision, include the rewritten essay along with originals and a NEW one-page reflection in your folder.
Blog
We will use a BLOG to enhance our experience in the brick and mortar classroom. The space is dedicated for free-form discussion of issues, peer exchanges, and announcements. I hope that you all will find such communication engaging. Everyone is required to post ONE BLOG ENTRY AND TWO COMMENTS EACH WEEK for credit. Think of it as an on-line journal. Your responses will be assessed qualitatively and quantitatively.
Weekly Group Media Monitoring
Each week one team of 6-7 students, members of groups we determine at the beginning of the term, will analyze how multiple sources of news are handling a specific issue or a single news story. The group will choose ONE STORY to focus on, such as the death of the alligator hunter, civilian deaths in Iraq in the U.S., the latest in the War on Terror, or political scandals, then select 5-6 media sources to monitor. These sources may include TV, radio, internet, print, or any other media. The group will then provide basic information about the story and assess the sources using the guidelines provided. Before presenting, groups will post blog advertising their presentation. The team will also be given ten to fifteen minutes of class time to present their findings to the class and to argue for their conclusions about their observations. The rest of the class will then have the responsibility to respond to the conclusions. The complete assignment can be found if you link to "media".
The Wirebound Notebook
Bring it with you to class everyday. This will be a place where you will be able to take notes develop your own ideas, record and respond to the ideas of others in the class, and practice your writing. Here you will perform all in-class writing activities. I will check it two times, once at mid-term and once at the end. USE IT TO RECORD NOT ONLY WHAT I SAY BUT ALSO WHAT YOUR PEERS SAY. Use it also as a reading journal, to record your thoughts as you read.
Course Policies
Attendance
Because this course makes use of writing activities, in-class workshops, and small-group discussion, your consistent attendance is crucial to your success. If you must miss a class for religious holidays, medical reasons, or other valid reason, you must let me know as far in advance as possible of the absence and obtain information about the work you must do to keep up in class. If you miss a class for any other reason (sudden illness, family emergency, etc.), you should get in touch with me as soon as possible and arrange to make up the work missed. If you do not take responsibility for communicating with me about absences, I will contact you by phone or email and issue a warning about your standing in the course. Should you miss more than couple of classes (excused or unexcused), your work in the class will be seriously compromised, and a continued pattern of absences may jeopardize your enrollment in the class. The best policy, therefore, is to be in class, on time, every day!
If you miss more than three classes without demonstrable excuses, I will be forced to drop you.
Note that three tardies equal one absence.
Grade Disputes
If you have a complaint about this course or wish to question a grade on an assignment, please write me a memo explaining the problems you are having with the course or my evaluation of your work. If you are not satisfied by my response or if you would like to discuss the matter further with me, we may meet. You may ask me to read an assignment again, reconsidering your work in light of points you have made about it. Many misunderstandings or problems can be worked out in such a meeting.
Incompletes
I will give a student an Incomplete in this course ONLY in this very special case: when the student has completed all of or the vast majority of the work in the class but, for some valid reason, cannot complete the course.
Revising
I stand by the principle that "writing is rewriting." You may revise as much as you want, up to the due date for the assignment. Your work will, as part of the process, be reviewed by your peers and/or by me. The revision of ONE "final draft" is possible if ALL previous steps in the writing process have been completed, including proper formatting. Your revision will be due in the tenth week of the course. Grades on revisions can either improve or not, but the new grade will replace the old. A weak revision can actually lower your grade. More careful proofreading does not constitute a revision.
Evaluation Criteria
A Excellent. Paper fully grasps the intent of the assignment. Asserts a complex thesis and fully develops it with grace and clarity. Is highly engaging to read. Successfully incorporates AND critically digests the content of the readings and the discussions held in class. Is written in a voice and a style that are exceptionally suited for subject, audience, and purpose. Uses sound paragraphing. Employs a structure that is both logical and fitting for the assignment. Is virtually free of grammatical errors and misspellings. When applicable, uses appropriate documentation style with accuracy and consistency.
B Good. Paper fulfills the basic expectations of the assignment. Asserts and develops a strong thesis. Is written with a voice and style appropriate for subject, audience, and purpose. Incorporates the content of the readings and class discussions, though perhaps only to summarize them. Has clear prose, though it may be somewhat inconsistent or have some problems such as inflated diction, cliché, overuse of passive voice, or repetitiveness. Has logical structure, though, like the "five-paragraph essay" often is, it may be too rigid and without nuance or have overly mechanical transitions. May need some editing of occasional grammatical errors, such as comma splice, verb agreement, or pronoun reference. May require some further proofreading.
C Fair. Paper may demonstrate a vague or only general understanding of the assignment. May either state a strong thesis idea, which it fails to develop fully, or state a weak or self-evident thesis with adequate development. May have style and voice that are fairly clear but that may be inappropriate for subject, audience, and/or purpose. May suffer from fairly weak prose, particularly with pervasive grammatical problems. May employ an ill-conceived or poorly executed structure that makes the logic of the paper hard to follow. May have had few substantive revisions made to it between drafts.
D Poor. Paper may demonstrate that the writer has misread the assignment. Neither states nor implies a clear and consistent controlling idea. May show little development of ideas. May suffer from pervasive paragraphing and/or editing problems that make for difficult reading. May have had few or no substantive revisions made to it between drafts.
F Failing. Come to see me if you get this grade or if you think you might.
Grading Policy
Grading
Assignments in this class will be given the approximation of point values listed below:
Essay 1 80 pts
Essay 2 100
Essay 3 100
Essay 4 100
Midterm 80
Final 100
Media Watch 80
Quizzes 80
Participation 80
e-portfolio 100
BLOG 100
1000
Your final grade will be determined using the following scale:
900-1000 pts A
801-899 B
701-800 C
601-700 D
600 and under No Pass
Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Plagiarism
Students are responsible for maintaining honesty in scholarship. Work submitted for a course must be the student's own (or a group's work, if students have collaborated on an assignment). The use of someone else's words or ideas without acknowledgment and/or as your own will earn you an “F” for the assignment and may, depending on the judgment of myself and the college result in your being dropped from the course. Remember, if I suspect plagiarism, I have means of discovering your sources. I end up doing it far too often. Don't commit this mistake. It's not worth it. For a thorough examination of plagiarism and why you should not do it, click here.
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