Course Schedule
Week 1: Orientation to The Course
M Aug 20: Course Introduction
Introduction to the course content, site, and tools. Discussion of your background as writers, and your expectations and goals for the course. You'll set up your Chrome menu, writer's log on Blogger, find your Comp I portfolio and submit to me, and also make a special folder on your Google Drive to store all of your work.
W Aug 22: Critical Thinking, Academic Writing
We'll discuss the differences between reading popular sources like newspapers and magazines, and more difficult sources like academic journal articles and dense reports. You'll begin to understand why academic discourse differs so much, and develop strategies to promote dynamic, rhetorical reading.
Read before class:
- U Should B Writing, "What is Academic Discourse?"
- Ellen Carillo, A Writer's Guide to Mindful Reading, chapters 1-2.
Week 2: Reading in Academic vs. Popular Genres
This week, we'll read three articles on the same topic--psychopaths and stereotypes of personality disorders. Each article comes from a different type of sources: a magazine, a blog, and an academic journal. We'll compare their approaches to the material, including how they address their audiences and present information. We'll practice the active reading and annotation strategies described by Carillo.
M Aug 27: Reading Popular Science Articles.
Read before class:
- Jessica Brown, "This is How Normal Life Feels as a Psychopath," Medium. *If you can't access the story, try logging on from a different computer.*
- Kevin Dutton, “What Psychopaths Teach Us About How to Succeed,” Scientific American.
W Aug 29: Reading Academic Sources
Read before class:
- Belinda Board and Katarina Fritzon, “Disordered Personalities at Work,” Psychology, Crime & Law. (See Week 2 of Readings & Resources Folder.)
Week 3: Academic and Popular Sources Part II
This week, we'll read a set of articles on gun violence. We'll discuss how these sources approach this topic from a medical stance, and how they present similar information in different ways to different types of readers. We'll continue practicing active reading and annotation strategies.
M Sept 3: Labor Day (No Class)
Read before class:
Howard Wetsman, "Gun Violence Isn't the Problem, Violence is the Problem," Medium.Jessica Wapner, "How Gun Violence Literally Infects Communities," Newsweek.
W Sept 5: Academic Study on Gun Violence and Infection
Read before class:
- Ben Green et al., "Modeling Contagion Through Social Networks to Explain and Predict Gunshot Violence in Chicago, 2006-2014," Ben Green, Journal of the American Medical Association.
- Watch and discuss in class: Gary Slutkin, "Let's Treat Violence Like a Contagious Disease," TED Talk.
Week 4: Academic Synthesis
M Sept 10: Introduce Synthesis Assignment
I'll introduce the first major writing assignment. We'll review basic information literacy from Composition I and discuss library database use. In class, you'll brainstorm topics and begin looking for 3 articles on a topic that interests you from different types of publications. One of these must be a peer-reviewed, academic journal article.
Read before class:
- U Should B Writing, "Overview of the Writing Process."
- U Should B Writing, "Using the Library Databases."
W Sept 12: Work Day
In class, you'll work on finding your three sources. We may schedule a student success librarian to review strategies for database use.
Week 5: Academic Synthesis Part II
M Sept 17: Work Day II and Practice Peer Review
First half of class, we'll do practice peer review of a sample paper. Second half of class will include structured work time on your synthesis essay.
Read before class:
- U Should B Writing, "The Peer Review Process."
W Sept 19: Citation Practices
We'll review direct and indirect citation practices from Composition I. You'll work on writing 1-2 paragraphs for your synthesis essay that include quotations/citations.
Read before class:
- U Should B Writing, "Integrating Your Sources."
Week 6: Peer Review
M Sept 24: Class Optional
Come if you need to work on your synthesis essay, or have questions about the assignment.
W Sept 26: Peer Review
Due before class: Upload your rough draft to the shared Google Drive Folder. You'll pick two papers from the drive to provide feedback on. When you're done, you'll meet with the person and discuss your comments.
Academic Perspectives on Fake News
We'll discuss the recent trend of "fake news" in public discourse, and its history. Although the term emerged decades ago, it has presented new challenges in how we consume and process information. In class, you'll work in groups to review different types of sources and develop a list of strategies to determine if a story is fake, or otherwise unreliable.
Week 7: Introducing the Research-based Paper
M Oct 1: No Class. I'll be at a conference upstate.
Due: Synthesis Essay
W Oct 3: Introduce Research-Based Paper Assignment.
I'll introduce the research project. You'll have time in class to brainstorm and develop topics. We'll review and practice strategies for developing a research question, as well as finding and evaluating sources.
Read before class:
- U Should B Writing, "Inquiry Through Research Writing."
- U Should B Writing, "Information Literacy."
- U Should B Writing, "Types of Sources."
Week 8: Working on Your Research Papers
M Oct 8: Gathering & Evaluating Sources
I'll introduce the annotated bibliography mini-assignment. We'll review additional materials from the library on finding and using sources effectively.
Read before class:
- U Should B Writing, "Writing an Annotated Bibliography."
- U Should B Writing, "Using the Library Databases."
W Oct 10: Supervised Work
You'll have time to work on your annotated bibliography. The goal is to have them done by the end of class.
Due: Annotated Bibliography with 3 sources.
Supplemental: Reading Sample Research Papers
We'll read and critique sample papers in class, as the schedule allows. You'll make comments on them regarding their main arguments, claims, evidence, coherence, and use of sources. See sample research papers on U Should B Writing.
Week 9: Academic Discourse Conventions
*Note: You'll receive a midterm grade report in early October, and no later than Mon, Oct 15. Your last day to drop an individual class is Tues, Oct 16.
M Oct 15: Discourse Moves and Strategies
We'll practice identifying and incorporating common discourse moves to frame your arguments. Each of you will highlight one of your research articles, looking for individual sentences and phrases that make claims and present arguments in the context of prior studies/conversations.
Read before class:
- U Should B Writing, "The Moves of Research and Academic Writing."
W Oct 17: Integrating Sources
We'll review the different forms of direct and indirect citation. Each of you will also complete an activity that involves writing and editing paragraphs for your current draft, adding quotations and citations.
Read before class:
Week 10: Finishing Research Papers
M Oct 22: Peer Review Workshop
Before class: upload a draft of your research paper to the shared folder on Google Drive. You'll review and comment on at least one other person's draft.
W Oct 24: Writing and Work Time
Structured work time on your papers. You should revise per changes recommended during the peer review last class. Try to focus on content--claims, evidence, interpretation. I'll be on hand to answer questions or read parts of drafts.
Week 11: Visual Rhetoric & Multimodality
M Oct 29: Orientation to Visual Rhetoric
We'll discuss how argument happens in different modes, combing visual and textual forms of communication.
Due: Upload a draft of your research paper to me.
Read before class:
- U Should B Writing, "Visual Rhetoric."
- U Should B Writing, "Visual Grammar."
W Oct 31
We'll continue discussing visual rhetoric and analyze examples in class.
Week 12: Working on Infographics
M Nov 5: Introduce Infographic Assignment
We'll discuss the recent trend in using infographics to convey information to diverse audiences. I will introduce the infographic assignment, and we'll analyze examples in class.
W Nov 7: Working on Infographics
In class, you'll become familiar with an infographic design tool and begin brainstorming ideas. Each of you will revisit your research papers and highlight crucial information, and think about how best to convey your argument visually.
Week 13: Course Portfolio
M Nov 12: More Work on Infographics
By the end of class, you should have a rough version of your infographic. You can exchange drafts with each other. I'll be on hand to answer questions.
W Nov 15: Reflection Statements
I'll introduce the reflection statement and digital portfolio guidelines. We'll read and critique sample reflections in class.
Read before class:
- U Should B Writing, "Reflection Essays."
Week 14 Thanksgiving Break
M Nov 19
No Class. Thanksgiving Break.
Week 15 Course Reflection & Final Revisions
M Nov 26: Digital Portfolios
We'll discuss the digital portfolio in more depth. In groups, you'll review and critique sample portfolio sites. After that, you'll begin constructing your own site.
Read before class:
- U Should B Writing, "Course Portfolios."
W Nov 28: Writing and Revision Time
You'll have unstructured time to work on your major projects for this class. This is also a good time to meet with me about any questions or concerns you have about the assignments or course in general.
Week 16 Final Peer Review Workshops
M Dec 3: Last Day of Class
You should have your portfolios built. Be ready to share them with each other during final peer review workshops. We'll work on loose ends, file permission issues, etc. By the end of class, share your portfolio link with me, so I can confirm everything works properly. Note: You are ultimately responsible for following instructions and tutorials for Google Sites, etc. I'll do my best to alert you to problems.
T Dec 4: Consultation Day
No Formal Class. Come by portfolio workshop in SUA if you need help.
Week 17: Final Exam Period
S Dec 9: Final Portfolios Due
Your portfolios are due Sunday, December 10 by 11 pm. Make sure you check your email the week of December 10 in case I need to contact you.