Syllabus
EN 400W-01 Maj. Roger Thompson
Advanced Composition thompsonrc@mail.vmi.edu
Preston 201A 207C LeJeune
MWF 10:00 x7057
Course Description: This course assumes that you have 1)a facility with reading and writing as can be expected from having passed EN 101 and 102; 2)a strong desire to improve your writing; 3) a desire to understand theories of reading and writing and how those theories might influence your own writing. I teach the course from a process and revision standpoint, meaning that I firmly believe that reading and writing require extensive practice and reworking. I also believe that writing is a heuristic, meaning that writing is a tool for learning and acquiring knowledge and that certain knowledge is inaccessible except through acts of literacy. I will teach skills that emerge from the discipline of rhetoric but that are applicable to a wide range of fields, including especially English, law, history, and economics, and these skills are essentially a type of critical thinking and assessing that derive only through working with your own literacy.
General Class Activity: This course is arranged to provide a new way of reading and writing through a series of building blocks. First, you will assess where you currently stand and build and rebuild a foundation for the coming weeks. Then, you will learn a new set of skills, and you will be asked to rethink some of your initial ideas about reading and writing. Finally, you will use your new skills to produce a collaborative paper with a partner. Each of these 3 general segments will have smaller steps within them, so that you will be working in a systematic fashion toward your final goal.
In general, class time will be divided into 2 parts. First, we will discuss your reading or I will give a lecture. Early in the semester, you will have a significant amount of reading, and the reading will have direct implications for your writing. In the second half of each class, we will spend time working directly with your writing. This may be in the form of workshops, one-on-one conferences, group conferences, in class work on common writing problems, or simply time to write or research alone. As the semester moves forward, we will spend less time with the class reading and more time in workshops, so that by the end of the course, our time in class will be almost exclusively writing workshops.
Assignments:
Formal Papers: We will have 5 formal papers, which will range in length from 2 pages to 8 pages. The details of each will be provided on an assignment sheet that I will pass out well in advance of the due date. All requirements for the papers will be detailed there, but in general all papers must be double spaced with 12 pt. font and will be due at the beginning of the class period. LATE PAPERS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. NO EXCEPTIONS. 100 pts. each.
Formal Homework/Reading Responses: We will have 5 formal homework responses, which will range from a series of notecards to one page papers. The details will be provided on assignment sheets, but all of these except the notecards must be typed and double spaced. Any homework that is handed in LATE CAN ONLY RECEIVE A MAXIMUM OF HALF CREDIT. 50 pts. each.
Informal Writing: These will be various in class writing assignments or short homework exercises or, if the need arises, quizzes on the reading. They will count a total of 50 pts of your final grade. NO LATE WORK ACCEPTED.
Reading: Early in the semester, we will have a significant amount of reading. Keep up with it! The reading is designed to give you direction for your research and to provide for class discussion of key ideas about reading and writing. These ideas have significant impact on writing across disciplines and will help us to make connections between wide fields of writing situations.
Attendance: Be here. Be on time. Missing more than 9 classes constitutes failure of the course. No exceptions.
Texts: Bring your texts to class EVERY DAY.
Wood, Nancy. Perspectives on Argument.
Ong, Walter. Orality and Literacy.
Weaver, Richard. Ideas Have Consequences.
Grade Breakdown:
Papers: 500 pts
Formal Homework/Response: 250
In class work/informal homework: 50
720-800 = A
640-719 = B
560- 639 = C
480-559 = D
479 below = F
Other Material: Pocket Folder: you are required to keep ALL course work, including
your own notes, drafts, etc. I may ask for you to show me previous work you have done.
Blue or Black pen
Other Information:
Plagiarism—see departmental policy and the Honor Code. If you are ever unsure as to what constitutes plagiarism, please ask me. I will deal with any plagiarized work severely.
Medical Information: If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please let me know immediately.
I will make every effort to create an atmosphere free of discrimination or harassment of any kind, and I will do my best to ensure that each individual has an equal voice in class discussion. If you have any concerns or suggestions on how to create an atmosphere conducive to the exchange of ideas, please speak with me.
I expect all cadets to adhere to the Honor Code and the regulations of the Blue Book.
No food or drink is permitted in the classroom.
Section Marcher will position him/herself close to the door at the beginning of class so that role may be taken promptly.
I AM AVAILABLE FOR YOU. Please visit with me if you have any professional questions, concerns, or celebrations.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Jan. 19 Introduction
Foundations:
21 Are you literate? Defining Literacy—a working thesis for the class
24 Wood 105-110; Revision Ideas; Note taking skills
26 Wood 194-215; What is Rhetoric; key concepts; Handout.
Ethos and Architecture Due; Fallacies; Wood 215-19
31 Wood, review 109-110; Grammar worries/Usage unveiled; Documentation
Feb. 2 Revision Reflection due; "Love is a Fallacy"
New Conceptions:
4 Ong 1-30; Wood 354-364
7 Ong 30-77
9 Ong 78-116
11 Reading Response #1 Due; Library work
14 Ong 117-138; research note cards due in class Revising class conception of literacy
16 Ong 139-155
18 Finish Ong 157-179
21 Research Paper Due; Do your ideas have consequences? Your language?
An Introduction to Richard Weaver
23 Weaver 1-34; Wood 123-143, 346-348
25 Weaver 35-69
28 Research Response Due # 2 (argument)
March 1 Assessment Day no classes
3 Rogerian Argument Wood 246-253; Weaver 70-112
6-10 Spring Furlough
13 Weaver 113-147; Wood on argument 8-14, 29-41
15 Weaver 148-169; Wood on argument 93-105, 160-163
17 Finish Weaver 170-188
20 Workshop
22 Workshop
24 Argument Paper Due
27 Presentation of argument
29 Presentation of argument
Collaboration:
31 Presentation of argument—selecting partners
April 3 FTX no class
5 Workshop
7 Workhshop
10 Argument Revision Due
12 Reading a Partner’s Paper; formulating a response
14 Workshop
17 Response to Argument Due
19 Integrating Responses and Arguments to a unified paper
21 Workshop
24 Workshop
26 Workshop
28 Workshop
May 1 Workshop
3 Partner Paper Due
5 Breathe
8-16 Exams