Course Plan, Philosophy, and Syllabus: Academic Reading and Writing (ARW)
Spring
Dr. Paul Wadden * ILC 365-C * Telephone 0422-33-3210
Office Hours: Wednesday and Friday 3rd Period (And After Our Classes)
The purpose of Academic Reading and Writing (ARW) is to introduce you to intellectual life at ICU, to develop your critical thinking ability, and to further improve your English skills—both basic skills such as academic reading, writing, listening, vocabulary, and discussion and also higher order skills such as argumentation, organization, and critique.
In the first part of this course we explore questions such as What is education? What is the meaning of education? What does it mean to “be educated”? What kinds of education are there? What is the relationship between education and culture? What is the purpose of university education? What are the philosophical roots and assumptions of western education? What is your view of education, your parents’ view, your professors’ view, your society’s view?
In the next part of the course we will learn the elements and characteristics of argumentation, such as creating a thesis (the main idea in an essay) supported by strong reasons and sound evidence to make an argument. We will examine arguments to identify and analyze their evidence, assumptions, fallacies, and reasoning to consider whether the arguments are “good.”
During the final part of the term we will turn to literature, which is perhaps, with technology, the distinguishing characteristic of Homo sapiens, for as the German philosopher Ernest Cassier has observed, humans are “the animals that tell stories.” During these weeks we will read several short stories, and we will appreciate and analyze such elements of literature as style, structure, symbol, and especially theme.
Our overall goal is to fulfill ICU’s stated purpose of a liberal arts education: to cultivate “adventurous minds capable of critical thinking and sensitive to questions of meaning and value” (ICU Bulletin 5).
Readings for Educational Values
College Thinking, Jack Meiland, ELA Reader
Probable supplements: “College is a Waste of Time and Money,” Carolyn Bird (handout or online); “The Function of Education,” J. Krishnamurti (handout or online); and readings from my “A Guide to Critical Reading and Writing (and Thinking and Study) in the Liberal Arts” (handout)
Readings for Critical Thinking, Argumentation, and Culture
Portions of The Little, Brown Handbook (your textbook)
Readings for the Literature Topic
Short stories handed out to you
Writing
In addition to both intensive reading (close and careful reading to follow arguments and understand content) and extensive reading (reading more generally for ideas), writing will be an important part of our study. During the course, you will first write a paragraph to understand the structure of written English and then two essays (in multiple drafts). You will keep a weekly journal of informal writing. You will also write discussion questions for class. To support your writing, we will use The Student Guide to Writing (SGW), The Little, Brown Handbook (LBH), and a text I am working on called “A Guide to Critical Reading and Writing (and Thinking and Study) in the Liberal Arts” (a work in progress).
Vocabulary
I will give you a series of lessons in vocabulary that cover some of the most important academic vocabulary in English. Over the coming year you will learn these words. Each Friday we will have a brief quiz on one set of words.
Other Activities
One or two P & D’s (presentation and discussion)
Small-group discussions
Large-group discussions
Writing activities such as brainstorming, organizing, and peer editing
Grading and Attendance
Your grade will be based on (1) the quality of your participation in class and the quality of your attention during class (which makes attendance particularly important since you cannot participate if you are not there), (2) your independent work such as the reading of assigned articles, dialoguing with your text, writing study questions, taking quizzes, learning vocabulary, and completing writing assignments, (3) the CWT (Course-Wide Tests) and LLA (Lectures for Liberal Arts) quizzes you take, and (4) your self-evaluation of your degree of engagement and the quality of your work in this class. Please don’t bother me for handouts and assignments if you are absent from class but rather make an agreement with at least one friend to collect handouts for you and to give you information about assignments if you’re not there. Also, do NOT telephone or email me if you will late for class or if you will miss class because you are sick—just let me know when you return. Since much of this course centers around class activities and the intellectual community of the classroom, however, the more you attend class—and participate—the higher your grade will be; the more classes you miss, the lower your grade will be. Coming on time is also important: Twice late equals one absence.
Tutorials
Tutorials will not be held every week but only for writing-related activities, particularly during the essay-writing process. You must leave that time free as we will sometimes use it. When writing tutorials are held, they will be in my office (ILC 365-C).
Message to You
There is an old saying in American education that “a college is a machine that transfers information from the notes of the professor to the notes of the student without it passing through the mind of either.” Perhaps for this reason Mark Twain claimed, “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” In this course, however, I have thought deeply about the issues we are studying and shall try to have the education process take place in our minds rather than in our notes. I shall encourage you to use your “schooling” to empower your education, rather than interfere with it.