Schedule

RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION: MEDIA AND THEIR EFFECTS
ENGLISH 150-K AND M
FALL 2008

SCHEDULE

[Downloadable Schedule (.pdf)]

Week 1

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14

In-class

  • Introduction to the course theme and projects.
  • Introduce course web site.

Homework, to read

  • Syllabus and grading contract. Take notes for questions and issues you wish to discuss.
  • Portfolio Keeping (PK), Introduction: “Understanding Writing Portfolios” (pp. 1-7). Key concepts you should be able to explain: The difference between a learning and evaluation portfolio, and the role choice, variety, and reflection play in the construction of a portfolio.
  • Handout: Gage, Ch. 5: “Asking Questions, Generating Ideas” (pp. 70-74, 76-77). Key concepts you should be able to explain: Gage’s definition of a thesis and what it means; the importance of precision in crafting a thesis; and how you might evaluate a thesis for revision.

Homework, to do

  • Buy books.
  • Finish the Jan. 14 In-class Write. (Due Jan. 16.)
  • Come to Friday’s class with questions about the syllabus, grading contract, and the course.
  • Bring Marshal McLuhan’s The Medium is the Massage and the CompClass package to Friday’s class.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16

Due

  • Jan. 14 In-class write.
  • Bring Marshal McLuhan’s The Medium is the Massage and the CompClass package.

In-class

Homework, to read

Homework, to do

Week 2

MONDAY, JANUARY 19

Due

  • Taking Stock #1. (Assigned Jan. 16.)
  • Project 1 Brainstorm. (Assigned Jan. 16.)

In-class

  • Conclude discussion of syllabus and grading contract.
  • Discuss readings.
  • Discuss and work on Project 1.
  • Introduction to dialectical thinking.

Homework, to read

  • PK, Ch. 3: “Becoming a Reflective Learner” (pp. 17-23).
  • CR, Ch. 2: “How to Get Writing Done” (pp. 24-31).
  • Purdue OWL, “Conciseness.”

Homework, to do

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21

Due

  • Project 1 Medium List. (Assigned Jan. 19.)

In-class

  • Register with CompClass.
  • Discuss readings.
  • In-class write.

Homework, to read

  • Everyday Writer (EW), Ch. 4: “Writing and Its Rhetorical Situations.” Key concepts you should be able to explain: The importance of task, purpose, audience, and rhetorical stance to the rhetorical situation.
  • PK, Ch. 4: “Keeping Company and Working with Others” (pp. 24-27) and Ch. 5: “Keeping Up and Getting Unstuck” (pp. 27-30).
  • Skim EW, Ch. 7: “Drafting” (Sections: Intro, a, c-f.)
  • EW, Ch. 8: “Constructing Strong Paragraphs” (Sections: Intro, a-b, d-g).

Homework, to do

  • Medium Annotations. (Due Jan. 23.)
  • Post the Jan. 14 In-class Write and PK Taking Stock #1 response to your CompClass blog, which is where you will post journal entries. You now have your first two journal entries. ☺
  • PK Taking Stock #3 (p. 19). Post response to your journal.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 23

Due

  • Medium Annotations. (Assigned Jan. 21.)
  • Taking Stock #1 and #3 should be posted to your journal.

In-class

  • Discuss readings.
  • Paragraphing.
  • Discuss and work on Project 1.

Homework, to read

  • CR, Ch. 3: “Reading for Revision” (pp. 32-43).
  • Skim EW, Ch. 8 “Constructing Strong Paragraphs” (Section c).
  • Purdue OWL: “Eliminating Words.”

Homework, to do

  • Review PK Taking Stock #2 (p. 16) and come prepared to talk about your portfolio keeping strategies.
  • If you didn’t do so in class, finish the Revised Medium Annotations. (Due Jan. 23.)
  • Finish drafting Project 1 and revise it for the peer review. By class Monday, you should have taken your project through at least two complete drafts. Bring an electronic copy of your revised peer-review draft to upload to Comment.
  • Journal entry.

Week 3

MONDAY, JANUARY 26

Due

  • Revised peer-review draft of Project 1.

In-class

  • Discuss readings.
  • In small groups, share portfolio keeping strategies.
  • Upload Project 1 to Comment.
  • Peer review practice session.

Homework, to read

Homework, to do

  • Using Comment, peer review Project 1. (Due Jan. 28.)
  • Preview PK Taking Stock #5 (p. 25).
  • Journal entry.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28

Due

  • Peer review of Project 1. (Assigned Jan. 26.)

In-class

  • Discuss readings.
  • Look over peer-review comments and in small groups discuss the process, using Taking Stock #5 as a starting point. You may want to write about the peer-review process as a journal entry.
  • Begin revising Project 1. Instructor-review draft due Jan. 30.

Homework, to read

  • CR, Ch. 4: “Rewrite with Focus” (pp. 44-54).
  • Purdue OWL: “Things to Avoid.”

Homework, to do

  • Finish revising Project 1 for instructor review. Your project should be submitted in a pocket folder with all drafts and prewriting. See assignment guidelines for more information. (Due Jan. 30.)
  • PK Taking Stock #4 (p. 22). Post as a journal entry.
  • Journal entry.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 30

Due

  • Project 1, Instructor-review Draft.

In-class

Homework, to read

Homework, to do

  • Project 2 Planning. (Due Feb. 2.)
  • Bring Gage, Ch. 6 handout to class Monday.
  • Journal entry.

Week 4

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2

Due

  • Project 2 Planning. (Assigned Jan. 30.)

In-class

Homework, to read

  • CR, Ch. 5: “Rewrite with Genre” (pp. 97-118).

Homework, to do

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4

Due

  • Project 2 Annotation brought to class in both electronic and hard copy. (Assigned Feb. 2.)

In-class

Homework, to read

Homework, to do

  • Work on Project 2. (Peer-review Draft due Feb. 9.)
  • Journal entry.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6

In-class

Homework, to read

Homework, to do

  • Finish Imitation Exercise #1. (Due Feb. 9.)
  • Imitation Exercise #2. (Due Feb. 9.)
  • Finish drafting Project 2 and revise it for the peer review. By class Monday (Feb. 9), you should have taken your project through at least two complete drafts. Bring an electronic copy of your revised peer-review draft to upload to Comment.
  • Journal entry.

Week 5

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9

Due

  • Revised peer-review draft of Project 2.
  • Imitation Exercise #1. (In-class exercise, Feb. 6.)
  • Imitation Exercise #2. (Assigned, Feb. 6.)

In-class

  • Upload peer-review draft of Project 2 to Comment.
  • Share and discuss imitation exercises.
  • Style Exercise #1. (Due Feb. 11.)
  • Start peer review of Project 2.

Homework, to read

Homework, to do

  • Using Comment, peer review Project 2.
  • Finish Style Exercise #1.
  • Imitation Exercise #3. (Due Feb. 11.)
  • Journal entry.
  • Starting Wednesday, bring McLuhan to class daily.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11

Due

  • Peer review of Project 2.
  • Style Exercise #1 (assigned Feb. 6).
  • Imitation Exercise #3 (assigned Feb. 6).
  • Bring McLuhan to class.

In-class

  • Discuss readings.
  • Discuss Imitation Exercise #3.
  • In small groups, read The Medium is the Massage (pp. 1-10). As you read, keep track of questions you have, passages you do not understand, ideas that interest you, etc.

Homework, to read

Homework, to do

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13

Due

  • Style Exercise #2. (In-class assignment Feb. 11).
  • Imitation Exercise #4. (Assigned Feb. 11).

In-class

  • Discuss readings.
  • In small groups, start reading The Medium is the Massage (pp. 11-25). As you read, keep track of questions you have, passages you do not understand, ideas that interest you, etc.

Homework, to read

  • PK, Ch. 8: “Preparing to Write the Introduction and Other Reflective Components” (pp. 48-52).
  • They Say/I Say, “Introduction: Entering the Conversation” (pp. 1-13).

Homework, to do

  • Finish revising Project 2 for instructor review. Your project should be submitted in a pocket folder with all drafts and prewriting. See assignment guidelines for more information. (Due. Feb. 16.)
  • Journal entry.

Week 6

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16

Due

  • Project 2, Instructor-review draft.

In-class

  • Discuss readings.
  • Preview Midterm Portfolio.
  • In small groups, read The Medium is the Massage (pp. 26-41). As you read, keep track of questions you have, passages you do not understand, ideas that interest you, etc.

Homework, to read

Homework, to do

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Due

  • Imitation and Style Exercise #1. (Assigned Feb. 16.)

In-class

  • Discuss readings.
  • As class: They Say/I Say, Ex. 1 (pp. 26-27).
  • McLuhan Response.

Homework, to read

  • They Say/I Say, Ch. 2: “‘Her Point Is’: The Art of Summarizing” (pp. 28-37).
  • Handout: Gage, Ch. 7: “Developing Structures.”

Homework, to do

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20

Due

  • McLuhan Response (Assigned Feb. 18).
  • Imitation and Style Ex. #2 (assigned Feb. 18).
  • Midterm Portfolio Brainstorming (Assigned Feb. 16).

In-class

  • Discuss readings.
  • Share and discuss Midterm Portfolio Brainstorming.
  • Watch “I’m Acoustic Space and I’m Visual Space” video.
  • In small groups, read The Medium is the Massage (pp. 42-61). As you read, keep track of questions you have, passages you do not understand, ideas that interest you, etc.

Homework, to read

  • They Say/I Say, Ch. 3: “‘As He Himself Puts It’: The Art of Quoting” (pp. 47).
  • EW, Ch. 19: Integrating Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism.”

Homework, to do

  • Template Exercise #1. (Due Feb. 23.)
  • Write a journal entry in which you discuss the process of using the templates. Did you find them freeing? Constraining? How easy was it to find templates to meet your needs? Did you find the need to modify the templates, and if so, why?
  • Work on Midterm Portfolio.