Writing for Teacher Candidates:  Spring 2005

English 0200-001

Professor Beth Ann Rothermel

Office Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 9:00-10:00, Wednesdays 12:30-1:30, and by appointment

Contact Info:  Office--Bates 213, #572-5336, brothermel@wsc.ma.edu

Go Straight to Assignments

Required Texts and Supplies:

  • Taking Sides:  Clashing Views on Controversial Educational Issues.  Ed. James Wm. Noll.  Thirteenth Edition.  McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 2005.
  • A writing handbook, such as The Penguin Handbook, by Lester Faigley.  Longman, 2003.
  • Folders for turning in drafts of formal essays.

Welcome!

“The desire to write grows with writing.”  Erasmus

“Teaching, I was coming to understand, was a kind of romance.  You didn’t just work with words or a chronicle of dates or facts about the suspension of protein in milk.  You wooed kids with these things, invited a relationship of sorts, the terms of connection being the narrative, the historical event, the balance of casein and water.  Maybe nothing was ‘intrinsically interesting.’  Knowledge gained its meaning, at least initially, through a touch on the shoulder, through a conversation . . .”  Mike Rose, on his work teaching elementary school children, from his semi-autobiographical account Lives on the Boundary.

This is an intensive writing course specifically designed for education majors. Throughout the semester we will explore a range of issues and concerns, both orally and in writing, relevant to the field of education today.  The course aims to help you achieve the following goals:

  • Write with purpose for varied audiences.
  • Read texts on and respond to issues in your field critically and with confidence.
  • Learn about and employ genres and academic strategies frequently in use among educators today.
  • Collaborate with others in the classroom community, while strengthening connections to communities outside the classroom.
  • Find, evaluate, and incorporate source material effectively into your own writing.
  • Employ varied strategies for effectively revising and editing your own and others' writing.
  • Craft language that is powerful and precise, using a variety of stylistic devices.

Assignments and Evaluation: We will engage in both in-class and out-of-class essay writing, along with less formal oral and written activities. Unless otherwise notified, out-of-class assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date specified by the course outline. For each out-of-class essay, you will usually write two drafts before producing the final draft. You will also be expected to complete a peer critique for each of these essays.  In other words, becoming stronger revisers of our work is a central goal of this course, one achieved by producing multiple drafts and responding helpfully to each others’ work.  As a former student of mine who is currently a middle-school teacher wrote in his essay on the power of revision, “[r]evision allows writers to find a voice in their writing” (Bobby Richardson, “Revision:  Understanding It and Some Ways to Teach it to Students,” December 2004).

  • Narrative/Analysis Essay:  100 points
  • Summary/Analysis Essay:  100 points
  • Argument Essay 1:  100 points
  • Argument Essay 2:  100 points
  • Peer Critiques:  100 points
  • In-Class Essays:  100 points
  • Portfolio with Self Assessment:  100 points
  • Writing Process (25 points per essay):  100 points
  • Homework/Quizzes/Group Presentations: 100
  • Participation: 100

For a total of 1000 points.

Assignments handed in late will be marked down (five points per day). Each formal essay assignment will be given a grade both for product and process.  However, failure to hand in early- and mid-process drafts will lower both the product and the process grade on your essay. All drafts should be typed and double-spaced. Essays should be documented using the MLA or APA citation system. You will always need at least 2 photocopies of your first and second drafts. Consider this an additional course expense. Students should also retain a copy of all their final drafts. Conferences with the instructor will be arranged when necessary. Any exceptions to the above guidelines must be discussed with me in advance of due dates.

When grading I use a system of checks.  These checks correspond to the following numbers when on a 100 point scale:

·        Check-plus=95

·        Check over check-plus=87.5

·        Check=80

·        Check over check-minus=72.5

·        Check-minus=65

·        No credit (do over)

As a class we will discuss and generate criteria for success in relation to each assignment.  In general, when work meets most or all of the criteria for success, it will be given a check or a check over check plus.  Work that goes substantially beyond the criteria for success will receive a check plus.

When I compute grades at the end of the semester, point totals will correspond to the following letters (i.e., 925 and above equals A, 900-924 equals A-):

  • A = 925
  • A- = 900
  • B+ = 875
  • B = 825
  • B- = 800
  • C+ = 775
  • C = 725
  • C- = 700
  • D+ = 675
  • D = 625
  • F = 624 and below

Participation and Attendance: This class requires collaborative learning. Attendance is vital and absences will be recorded. Missing more than three classes will affect your participation grade. Two "lates" will count as one absence.  Students missing more than 5 classes will be asked to withdraw from the course.

Much of the work that we will be doing in this class involves discussion. Your success, as well as the success of your peers, depends upon your regular participation. This is especially true on days when rough drafts are due. Failure to attend class on these days means that you will not be given a peer response assignment. This will affect your grade.  Participation is graded as follows:

For a check-plus, the individual will make frequent contributions (several times per class meeting) to discussion in a way that forwards the discussion effectively, have no more than one absence, and show excellent preparedness for class.

For a check, the individual will make regular contributions (at least two to three times per class meeting) to discussion in a way that forwards the discussion effectively, have no more than two absences, and show thorough preparedness for class.

Academic Support:  These services are intended for students of all ability levels.

  • Visit me during my office hours or make an appointment with me (see above)
  • Visit the WSC Reading and Writing Center in Parenzo 218, #5569.  Meet with a trained writing or reading professional to discuss your work.
  • Visit Student Support Services, which offers weekly workshops on writing (phone 5462 for specifics).  A consultant is also available to those students who have English as a second language.

Scholastic Dishonesty: Plagiarism is a serious offense that may lead to failure for the course or even suspension from the college.  All cases of plagiarism and misuse of source material will be reported to Academic Affairs.  For a more detailed discussion of what plagiarism is, review the gold brochure on scholastic honesty given to you when you took English Composition I (ask me for a copy if you no longer have this brochure, or took English Composition at a different institution).  Retain note cards, drafts, and any other relevant materials for all major writing assignments. You may be required to submit these on request.

Assignments

All readings are found in the textbook unless otherwise specified.  Note that assignments and due dates are subject to change.  Additional homework assignments will also be given through the semester.  In the event of cancellation due to weather or instructor illness, material due on the date of cancellation will be due during the next class meeting.

January—Week 1—Building a supportive community

  • 19: Introductions. Student surveys.  Due Jan 21:  Brief introductory writing activity on learning styles.  Read “Embracing Contraries” by Peter Elbow and “Shitty First Drafts” by Annie Lamott (handouts).
  • 21: Teachers who’ve made a difference—Hollywood myths and our own realities.  Due Jan 24:  Narratives about teachers who’ve touched lives (handouts).  Artifact assignment.

 

January--Week 2—Teacher narratives continued

  • 24: First essay assignment:  Inventing for our own essays.  Due Jan 26:  “Discovery” or “down” draft of essay 1 (bring 3 copies to class).
  • 26: Responding to each others’ writing.  Writing workshop.  Due Jan 28:  Mid-process draft of essay 1.  Read pp. 18-33 (“Should the Curriculum be Standardized for All?”).
  • 28: Global vs. local revision.  Due Jan 31:  Reading TBA.

 

January/February--Week 3—Summary and analysis—Reading and responding critically and confidently

  • 31:  What role does summary and analysis play in our personal, civic, and professional lives?  Due Feb 4:  Final draft of essay 1 (place final draft and earlier drafts in a folder when turning in).  Reading TBA.  
  • 2:  Strategies for summary and analysis.  Due Feb 4:  Read pp. 172-195 (“Have Public Schools Failed Society?”).
  • 4:  Second essay assigned (summary and analysis).  Rhetorical analysis:  Seeing what we read through complex lenses.  Due Feb 7:  Discovery draft of essay 2 (bring 3 copies to class).

 

February—Week 4—Analysis and argument

  • 7:  Writing workshop.  Due Feb 9:  Mid-process draft of essay 2.
  • 9:  Considering disagreements/Entering the conversation.  Due Feb 11:  Read pp. 150-169 and handouts.  (“Do High-Stakes Assessment Improve Learning?”)
  • 11:  Educators and arguments.  Style workshop.  Due Feb 14:  Final draft of essay 2 (place final draft and earlier drafts in a folder when turning in).  Rough draft due 9/17.

 

February—Week 5—The art of argument.

  • 14: Final draft of essay 2 due.  Argument as inquiry.  Due Feb 16:  Read pp. 120-131 (“Should Multiculturalism Permeate the Curriculum?”).  
  • 16: Claims, reasons, and underlying assumptions.  Third essay assigned (argument 1).  Due Feb 18:  Discovery draft of essay 3 (bring 3 copies to class).
  • 18:  Writing workshop.  Sign up for conferences (Feb 23/25).  Due Feb 22 (Tuesday follows a Monday schedule):  Mid-process draft of essay 3 (this time bring 3 copies to class).

 

February—Week 6—Audience and argument

  • 22:  How audience shapes what we write—unpredictable responses.  Drawing on sources.  Due Feb 23:  Mid-semester self-assessment—bring to conferences on Feb 23rd and 25th.
  • 23:  No class—Conferences.
  • 25: Style workshop—incorporating sources effectively. Due Feb 28:  Final draft of essay 3 (place final draft and earlier drafts in a folder when turning in).  Read 132-148 (“Can Federal Initiatives Rescue Failing Schools?”).

 

February/March—Week 7—Writing on demand—strategies for success

  • 28:  Final draft of essay 3 due.  Writing under pressure.  Due March 2:  Read pp. 266-277 (“Is Size Crucial to School Improvement?”).
  • 2:   Practice round for in-class essay.  Due March 4:  Reading TBA.
  • 4:  Writing workshop.  Due March 7:  Reading TBA.

 

March—Week 8—Extending our thinking using varied resources.

  • 7: In-class essay.  Due March 9:  Evaluating source material.  Reading TBA.
  • 9:  Library visit.  Due March 11:  Source summary and reflection.
  • 11:  Synthesizing source material.  Have a good spring break.  Due March 21:  Fieldwork assignment to be announced.

 

March—Week 9—Collaborative inquiry and debate

  • 21:  Group formation for debate activity and selection of topics.  Due March 23:  Reading in preparation for debate activity.
  • 23:  Class planning.  Due March 28:  Final preparation for in-class debates.
  • 25:  TBA. 

 

March/April—Week 10—Arguing for action

  • 28:  In-class debates.  Due March 30:  Group evaluations.
  • 30:  In-class debates.  Due April 1:  Group evaluations.
  • 1:  Argument and action.  Part one of film (“Do You Speak American?”).  Due April 4:  Read 278-303 (“Should Bilingual Education Programs Be Abandoned?”).

 

April—Week 11—More on arguing for action

  • 4:  Discussion of readings and part two of film.  Due April 6:  Readings TBA.
  • 6:  Fourth essay assigned.  In-class invention.  Due April 8:  Discovery draft of essay 4 (bring three copies to class).
  • 8:  Writing workshop.  What more do you want to know?  Due April 11:  Source material summaries and evaluations.

 

April—Week 12—Refining our work

  • 11:  Complicating our arguments with source material—responding to the opposition.  Due April 13:  Mid-process draft of essay 4 (this time bring three copies to class).
  • 13:  Revision workshop (station stops).  Sign up for conferences to be held April 15.  Due April 15:  Third draft of essay 4.
  • 15:  No class—conferences.  Due April 20:  Final draft of essay 4 (place final draft and earlier drafts in a folder when turning in).

 

April—Week 13—Collaborative proposals

  • 20:  Final draft of essay 4 due.  Proposing solutions collaboratively.  Due April 22:  Read pp. 376-397 (“Should Alternative Teacher Training Be Encouraged?”).
  • 22:  Collaborative proposal activity.  Due April 25:  Preparing for collaborative proposal presentation.

 

April—Week 14—More on collaborative proposals

  • 25:  Collaborative proposals.  Due April 27:  Group evaluations.
  • 27:  Preparing for in-class writing.  Due April 29:  Preparing for in-class writing.
  • 29:  In-class writing.

 

May—Week 15—Preparing a portfolio

  • 2:  Constructing portfolios.  Due May 4:  Tentative plan for portfolio.
  • 4:  Portfolio workshop.  Due May 6:  Revise one piece for your portfolio (bring 3 copies to class).
  • 6:  Writing workshop.  Due May 9:  Working on self-assessment.

 

May—Week 16—Thinking about the future

  • 9:  The Self Assessment.  Due May 11:  Porfolios presented during conferences on May 11 and 12.
  • 11 and 12:  Portfolio conferences.

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