Instructor: Dr. Tom Plummer
Schedule: Monday and Wednesday, 1-2:15 PM
THE COURSE:
This is a writing course. The areas of
focus in English 1010 are researching, writing, and thinking. My job is to help
you, not to embarrass or punish you. I want you to succeed.
In this class you will learn to use library research tools, write better, and think
more critically than ever before. No matter how you choose to spend your life,
you will have to think and write about problems. Your writing will focus on social
problems or issues. These may be problems about computer programming,
parenting, marriage, living a gay life, running for office, or engineering a
new super computer. Many of you are already wrestling with how to deal with those
problems. There is no way to escape them. The difference between success and
failure is how you think about and solve the problems you face.
In this class we will move from open
writing (personal and memoir) to closed writing (research and academic). Writing
is problem solving. You will learn how to
approach a problem in writing, how to develop an idea or an argument, and how
to draw conclusions. You will learn how to think smarter and how to write
smarter. No other class in the university is more important than this one.
Engineers spend 75% of their time writing. Good mechanics have to spot a
problem and find their way to a solution. Good doctors and nurses must think and
write. This class is fundamental to your whole education.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS: John D. Ramage, et al, The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing, 6th Edition.
Lester Faigley, The Little
Penguin Handbook.
Please bring the Ramage book with you daily.
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
You will have a broad range of writing
assignments in English 1010.
Daily rushwriting. Nearly every class period will begin
with a five minute rush write. This means that at the sound of the bell you
will begin writing like crazy. My oven timer will go off after five minutes.
Some days we will read these rushwrites aloud. Other days I will just have you
hand them in. These assignments may not be turned in late--even 60 seconds
late.
A personal essay. Writing an autobiographical piece
about your life.
Paragraphs. Learning how paragraphs are constructed and how to write them.
Summaries. Learning to summarize articles.
Analyzing. Writing analyses and understanding how research writing works.
Short research papers. Writing research papers of one to two pages.
One final longer research paper. This will be an essay of six to seven pages that incorporates research on your topic. This will be written in three drafts.
Self-reflective essay.
An in-class writing workshop will
accompany most of these assignments on the day they are due. These workshops
will account for a large part of your grade.
Neatness and formatting
Any assignments that you turn in as
homework must be typed, double-spaced, and stapled. Your name must be in the
top left corner along with the title of your assignment and the date. Pages
must be numbered. Pay attention here, folks. I will dock you one full grade if
any or all of these things are missing. Your first page should look like this. Pages are numbered from page 2 to the end.
ATTENDANCE
ATTENDANCE
THE RULE ON ATTENDANCE IS THIS: IF
YOU MISS MORE THAN FOUR CLASSES, YOU'LL FAIL THE CLASS. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING
COMING UP THAT MAY JEOPARDIZE YOUR ATTENDANCE, YOU MUST TALK WITH ME
BEFOREHAND. IF YOU COME LATE TO CLASS SIX TIMES, YOU'LL FAIL THE CLASS. I ROLL EVERY DAY AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS.
Plan ahead. For most of you, this classroom is out of the way. Give yourself time to get here.
GRADES
I am a generous grader. I don't want to
see anyone fail, so I set things up so you can succeed. I don't grade on the
curve. I'd much rather give you an "A" than a "C."
Here are the three secrets to success in
this class:
1) be in class every day and on time.
2) turn your work in on time and follow
instructions.
3) show me that you're trying. Just trying. That's it.
Schedule of classes
Monday
January 7 Class was supposed to begin
Wednesday
January 9Class really begins
Seating arrangement
Introductions
Photos and email
Rush writing
Introduction to Words and concise writing
Monday
January 14Write a list of 50 words, abbreviations, and phrases that you use everyday when you talk on your cell phone or text. Typed, double-spaced, stapled if more than one page.
Today we'll discuss the use of contemporary language of cell phones, computers, and other electronic devices. And we'll broach the idea of writing with economy. What words cost more than others, and why you, as a writer, should be careful not to overspend.
January 16
We're going to spend two or three days talking about how words can be used to create RHETORICAL STRATEGIES that persuade readers to a point of view. For today, I want you to read "Diagnosing and Treating the Ophelia Syndrome," which can be found in the online handbook to this course:
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5065833654859676169#editor/target=post;postID=1569050945779895792
After you have read the "Ophelia Syndrome," write how the author in EACH section uses rhetoric to persuade readers. For example, in the introductory section, the author cites metaphors that students have for their college experience. Your paper should list every strategy that you see. Write after each one WHY you think the strategy is effective or not effective.
As in all homework assignments, the paper should be typed, double spaced, your personal information at the top left (see example in this syllabus) and stapled.
TODAY'S DISCUSSION: HOW TO READ A TEXT, OR, HOW DOES THIS TEXT MEAN? PLEASE SEE THE ESSAY TITLED, "CLOSE READING OF A TEXT" ON OUR BLOG HANDBOOK:
http://1010plumplus.blogspot.com
Please note there will be no class on Monday. Check this blog for Wednesday's assignment.
Monday
January 21Martin Luther King Day
NO CLASS
Please attend university meetings in recognition of the day
January 23
For the next class or two, we will be discussing close reading of texts. For starters, here are names cited in the Ophelia Syndrome. Look up each one, write down the information you can find on each and how or why that person or name contributes to the Ophelia essay. Some of these names or phrases may be obscure, but you can find every one.
Hamlet
Laertes
Ophelia
Polonius
S.I. Hayakawa
Charles Schulz
Peanuts
Alfred
Korzybski
Itzhak
Perlman
Dorothy
Delay
Julliard
Wayne Booth
William Carlos Williams and the red wheelbarrow
John Keats
Negative capability
Heinrich von Kleist
Bernhard Blume
Ken Tigar
Der zerbrochene Krug
Walter Muschg
Lawrence Kohlberg
E.M. Forster
Barnard
Vicky Rippere
Bodo Reichenbach
Mark Lowry
Holly Lavenstein
To... or not to...
REMEMBER: TYPE YOUR WORK, STAPLE MULTIPLE PAGES.
Monday
January 30
February 4
Wednesday
February 11
Wednesday
February 19
President’s Day: Monday’s class will meet on Tuesday, February 19
Wednesday
February 20Monday
Wednesday
March 4
Wednesday
March 11
March 13
March 18
March 20
Monday
March 27
April 1
April 3
April 8
April 10
April 15
April 17
LAST DAY OF CLASS
