Course Description

Foundational composition courses tend to teach student writers several modes of writing as well as an understanding of the rhetorical situations within writing. They also help writers develop strategies for the writing process and offer them practice in numerous writing styles, including narrative, expository, persuasive, and research writing, among others. Students might also have learned about writing across disciplines or within certain disciplines. Recognizing these foundational qualities of learning about writing, Advanced Composition asks student writers to read more and write more with the aim of further developing, complicating, and clarifying our own reading and writing processes and styles.

We will begin by (re)visiting the concept of writing as a process, and in particular, identifying and elaborating upon our own processes of writing. We will seek to find ways to complicate our writing processes in order to (re)consider the depth of our ideas and arguments and the skill and style of our writing. We will engage in workshopping one another’s writing as well as self-analysis of our writing.

We will also engage critically with the texts we read, learning from the composing styles and practices of others to affirm or amend our own. Close reading will be crucial to our study of texts in this course. Our reading will include and also extend beyond standard textbooks to include memoir, speeches, and other cultural and digital texts.

This course seeks to support writers as they further develop their writing, reading, revising, and editing skills. Students may find value in articulating their writing process and applying this process to in several types of assignments that may be similar to assignments they will be asked to do in other courses. Further, students should leave the course with a clear sense of their own writing process that can enhance their academic, personal, and professional writing lives.

 

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will:

1. Understand their writing process and demonstrate their ability to enhance their writing through drafting and revision.
2. Produce written and digital assignments that reflect an awareness of context, audience, and purpose.
3. Critically analyze texts, broadly defined, and articulate their analyses through writing.
4. Research topics using scholarly materials and incorporate outside sources into their own writing accurately and effectively.
5. Proofread and edit their own writing and demonstrate improved ability to avoid grammatical and mechanical errors.
6. Assess and explain the major choices that they make in their writing

 

Course Texts

1. Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Anchor, 1995. Print.
2. Root, Jr., Robert L. and Michael Steinberg. The Fourth Genre: Contemporary Writers of/on Creative Nonfiction. 6^th New York: Longman Press, 2012. Print.
3. Rose, Mike. Lives on the Boundary. Penguin Books, 1989. Print.
4. Strunk, William, and E.B. White. The Elements of Style. 4^th New York: Longman Press, 2000.
5. Students will also have the opportunity to bring in texts of their own choosing.
6. PDFs and other readings as assigned.

 

Evaluation

Grading Scale

Plus or minus grades will be determined based on the college’s grading policy.

Points Earned	Grade
900-1000	A
800-899	B
700-799	C
600-699	D
Below 600	F

Assignment Point Values

Assignment	Points	Total Points
Participation	Distributed throughout	100 points
Daybook submissions	25 points (7 per semester)	175 points
Peer Reviews	20 points (5 per semester)	100 points
*Writing Process Project	100 points	100 points
*Ramble Essay	100 points	100 points
Cultural Event Analysis	25 points	25 points
*Contemporary Analysis	100 points	100 points
Research Proposal	50 points	50 points
*Research Project	150 points	150 points
*Text Collage	100 points	100 points
Total Points for the Course		1000 points

 

Course Projects/Major Assignments

Early in the semester, students will be provided with a Major Assignment Guidelines packet that explains each assignment in depth, including length, content, and evaluation expectations.

Daybook Submissions: A daybook is a space for writers to collect ideas, images, and thoughts that reflect their learning and that may later contribute to larger course projects (see Daybook Handout). Every other week, students will submit their daybooks for review and response. Each daybook submission should include the past two weeks’ in-class writing into the day, in-class activities, and writing-to-learn assignments.

*Peer Review: For each of the five major assignments (worth 100 points or more) this semester, students will participate in peer review. Based on input from the class, each peer review session may be structured differently so we can determine what approach(es) works best for our class. Students earn points for peer review based on being prepared with their drafts as well as on their level of participation as a reviewer.

Writing Process Project: Students will have the opportunity to consider, review, affirm, and adjust their writing process throughout this course, so this early assignment invites writers to consider how their process works currently. Students are encouraged to create multimodal projects to illustrate, describe, and explain their writing process. Projects might involve music/sound clips, Pinterest pins, links to memes or blog entries, etc. Further, students should consider and discuss strengths and challenges of their current process as points of inquiry throughout the semester. This project will be 3-5 pages in length or a comparable amount for a digital medium.

Ramble Essay: Students will go on a rambling walk (around a neighborhood, in a park, or in any other setting) and observe what they see. Look closely. Try to see things you’ve never seen before. Watch other people and try to figure out what they see around them. Avoid speaking to friends or accomplishing any other task than your ramble. Take notes if you wish. When you sit down to write, reflect upon things you saw, experienced, or thought. Ask yourself some or all of the following questions: What was most striking to me during my walk? Why? How did each of my five senses react (smell, touch, taste, hearing, and eyesight)? How can I connect my thoughts to a larger purpose? This 3-5 page essay should not only describes your ramble but also reflect upon and interpret it.

Cultural Event Analysis: Students will find and attend a cultural event on topic that interests them. Students should get their event approved ahead of time and should take ample notes at the event about the event’s purpose, audience, and the audience’s reception/engagement with the event. After the event, students will write a 2-3 page analysis of the event that not only explains/describes the event but also critiques the event and its rhetorical purpose.

Contemporary Analysis (of a current cultural or political ‘text’): For this assignment, students are analyzing a current text that might include a song, a YouTube video, a political speech, a commercial, etc. Select a ‘text’ that you find interesting and that is somehow relevant to you/your culture/your beliefs. Analyze the text, considering rhetorical appeals, audience, purpose, etc. What is the message? Why does this message matter? Who does it matter to? Does the author effectively convey the message? How? Be sure to use evidence from the chosen text to illustrate your argument.

Research Proposal: About a month before the research project will be due, students will write a proposal for their project that establishes their topic as well as indicates potential ideas, sources, directions, and research questions. The proposal is intended to help students clarify a focus well in advance and establish a timeline for the project as well as for me to offer feedback, questions, and suggestions about the topic and possible areas of research to support students as they begin their projects.

Research Project: The goal of this project is to help students critically think through a topic that interests them and that somehow relates to writing, composition, literacy, and/or learning. Students will research their topic within the assigned course readings as well as through scholarly sources in order to analyze, discuss, and explain how their topic functions. This project may take shape as a 6-8 page paper, a 5-minute video, or another medium discussed with the instructor.

Text Collage: This final course reflection project creates an opportunity for students to revisit their writing process projects and reflect on how that process has changed, developed, and/or been confirmed. Students will reflect on their writing process strengths, challenges, and changes along with other aspects of their experiences as writers in this course. The goal is to identify, describe, and analyze your writing process through specific details and examples of the work you have completed throughout the course. This 3+ page essay/digital document should address each aspect of the writing process from developing topic ideas, to organizing ideas, to drafting, to revising and editing, etc. You must provide SPECIFIC examples of each step; these examples should be drawn from the work and essays completed in this course. This becomes a text collage as it includes copied and pasted pieces from previous assignments, projects, and essays that are then explained and explored in depth to reveal how they contribute to the structure of your writing process.

 

Course Policies

Participation: Learning does not thrive in a lecture environment. Rather, the course is designed to encourage student engagement and participation, small group work, and dialogue. Much like students receive credit for attending class, they also earn a grade for participating once they get here. This means students should speak often during every class in order to earn all of their points. Participation points are earned based upon active engagement in class discussions and during group work and upon demonstrating a positive attitude toward what we do in class.

Attendance: Attendance in this class is vital to your final course outcome. Following a professional model, no distinction is made between excused and unexcused absences—if you are absent, I assume it is for a good reason, but you are nevertheless responsible for turning in work due that day on time and coming prepared for the following class.

• One, two, or three total absences = no penalty
• Four total absences = final grade is lowered by 10%
• Five (or more) total absences = F
• Arriving late OR leaving early (more than 15 minutes either way) = ½ absence
• Missing over 30 minutes of class will result in a full absence.
• Coming to class unprepared may result in being counted absent for the day.

Late Work:

• Major Assignments: These assignments MUST be turned in on time. Any assignment turned in late will lose 10% of the grade per calendar day including the due date if not turned in on time. In the event of an emergency, a student may e-mail a major assignment to the instructor .The assignment will be considered turned in on time if the e-mail’s time stamp is before the start of class on the due date. Final projects/in-class work/presentations WILL NOT be accepted late—no exceptions!
• Homework/In-class Work: Homework assignments will be collected during class, often at the beginning. Daily assignments are not accepted late—no exceptions. If you are not in class or are late to class, I will not accept your work late. With good reason, assignments may be e-mailed to me before the start of class on the due date and still receive credit.

Academic Honesty Statement: Students are reminded that materials they use for class work may be subject to copyright protection. No previously submitted papers, drafts, or pieces of writing written by the student or by another person are acceptable in this course. Incidents of student dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, etc.) may result in failure of the assignment and may also result in failure of the course, suspension from the college, or dismissal from the college.

Behavior and Communication Expectations: When students communicate with others in this course, they should demonstrate responsible and cooperative behavior. Please think critically, ask questions, and challenge ideas, but also show respect for the opinions of others, respond to them politely, and maintain the confidentiality of thoughts expressed in the class. Yelling, swearing, threatening (in words or in gestures), texting, sleeping, doing homework for another class, speaking out of turn, and any other inappropriate behavior will result in the student being counted absent for the day and the student may be asked to leave. In some instances, depending on the level of severity/number of infractions, inappropriate behavior may result in expulsion from the class and/or a failing grade for the course.

Note on Feedback: Students can expect the instructor to return assignments with written feedback in a timely manner, typically within one week after the assignment was turned in. If at any point during the course you would like to discuss your performance or to receive additional feedback, please contact the instructor privately.

 

Course Schedule

The schedule below is tentative and subject to change. The syllabus sets forth a proposed schedule of class topics and assignments, learning activities, and expected learning outcomes. However, the instructor reserves the right to modify this schedule to enhance learning for students. Students are expected to be in class and be responsible for noting any changes we make to due dates, assignment guidelines, and assignments.

Note: “4G” in the Reading Due column indicates that the selection is from The Fourth Genre. 

Week	In-Class Focus	Reading Due	Assignments Due
Week 1	Introductions: Class, Course, and Daybooks Discuss Cultural Event Analysis Activity: Course Themes Digital Collage	Your Choice (2) 4G Elements of Style (selections)
Week 2	Discuss Writing Process Project Activity: Writing Process Project Sketch Class Discussion/Decision: Peer Review Structure	“The People on the Bus” 4G “Walking” 4G Elements of Style (selections)	Daybook #1
Week	In-Class Focus	Reading Due	Assignments Due
Week 3	Peer Review: Writing Process Project Activity: Speed Dialoguing	Bird by Bird
Week 4	Activity	Bird by Bird	Writing Process Project Daybook #2
Week	In-Class Focus	Reading Due	Assignments Due
Week 5	Discuss Ramble Essay Activity: “How to Be Alone” YouTube Video	Bird by Bird
Week 6	Peer Review: Ramble Essay Activity: Moving through a Draft	Your Choice (2) 4G	Daybook #3
Week	In-Class Focus	Reading Due	Assignments Due
Week 7	Discuss Contemporary Analysis Activity: Metaphor Drawing	“Zion” 4G “On Writing ‘Zion’” 4G	Ramble Essay
Week 8	Peer Review: Contemporary Analysis Activity: Paper Organizational Sketch Class Town Hall/Community Check-in	“Teacher Training” 4G “Composing ‘Teacher Training’” 4G	Cultural Event Analysis Daybook #4
SPRING BREAK
Week	In-Class Focus	Reading Due	Assignments Due
Week 9	Discuss Research Proposal & Project Activity: Dove Chocolate Quotation & Paraphrase	Lives on the Boundary	Contemporary Analysis
Week 10	Activity: Privilege clips	Lives on the Boundary	Research Proposal Daybook #5
Week	In-Class Focus	Reading Due	Assignments Due
Week 11	Activity Discuss Text Collage	Lives on the Boundary
Week 12	Peer Review: Research Project Activity: Speed Dialoguing	Lives on the Boundary	Daybook #6
Week	In-Class Focus	Reading Due	Assignments Due
Week 13	Activity	Elements of Style (selections)
Week 14	Peer Review: Text Collage Activity: Course Evaluations	Elements of Style (selections)	Research Project Daybook #7
Week 15 (Finals Week)	Final Project Sharing		Text Collage