This course map is subject to change based on the needs of the class and/or any emergency type situations that might arise during the semester. Canvas Announcements and Modules will also provide to most up-to-date information about what we are working on in class. As a reminder, our class meets face-to-face, and so the majority of coursework will be done in the classroom. This means attendance is key to your success in the course. This course map is meant to give you a sense of what we will do for the next sixteen weeks together.

This week is all about introductions. You'll have a chance to get to know your classmates and me, and I'll introduce you to what you can expect from this course (and from me). 

Texts We'll Explore: "Failing and Flying" by Jack Gilbert; "Breaking Up with Perfectionism" from WorkLife with Adam Grant; "The Difference Between Winning and Succeeding" by John Wooden; "Give Yourself Permission to Be Creative" by Ethan Hawke 

During these three weeks, we will explore different types of compositions, including but not limited to the kinds of articles, letters, essays, poems, podcasts, short stories, and speeches that you may choose to compose. We'll start by practicing different reading strategies, such as annotation, evidence-interpretation note-taking, and "think aloud," as well as writing strategies, particularly imitation, to begin thinking about the rhetorical situation and the qualities that make a composition "good." At the end of these three weeks, you'll submit a brief essay that explores what you learned and discusses how you will apply what you have learned to your own composition project. 

Texts We'll Explore: "How to Mark a Book" by Mortimer Adler; "Ode to Gumbo" by Kevin Young; "Mint Snowball" by Naomi Shihab Nye; "Coal" and "The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action" by Audre Lorde"; The Ugly Tourist" and "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid; "Creative Eating: The Oreo Syndrome" by Elizabeth Mosby Adler

We won't meet as a class this week, but I will provide materials in Canvas so that you can prepare to work on your composition project action plans and timelines, which we will develop more thoroughly together after the break.

We will spend class time working on converting our composition goals into actionable plans as well as developing a reasonable timeline for drafting, workshopping, and revising projects. During these two weeks, you should also plan to sign up for a conference to discuss your project, your action plan, and your timeline for completing your project. This conference time will count toward Conference Checkpoint 1. 

Texts We'll Explore: "The Science of Procrastination" from Plain English with Derek Thompson; "Procrastinators, Rejoice!" by Ann Rigby

All writers have to start somewhere, and it's usually with a "shitty first draft." Once you get something written, it becomes easier to develop ideas, rewrite sentences, and fine tune word choice until your work becomes an audience-ready composition of which you can be proud. So the goal this week is to get a "shitty first draft" down (if you haven't already).

Texts We'll Explore: "Shitty First Drafts" by Anne Lamott

Maybe you’ve heard the term “peer review” before; maybe you’ve even participated in the peer review process where you exchanged your writing with a classmate and gave each other feedback. Often, the peer review process is guided by the instructor's questions about the assignment and is designed to make sure that you are meeting the assignment’s requirements. Workshops are similar to peer reviews in that they are an opportunity to gain feedback on a piece of writing, feedback that will help you to create effective revisions to your work. However, workshops function differently than peer reviews. Workshops are conducted in groups, maybe even as a whole class. This maximizes the amount of feedback that you will receive. Workshops are also guided by your questions, as the writer, rather than the instructor’s questions. So, before the workshop even begins, you will develop your own specific questions about your work, and the class and I will provide you with feedback.

During this time, you should plan to meet with me for Conference Checkpoint 2. I recommend meeting with me after your project has been workshopped and you've had a chance to revise. 

Texts We'll Explore: "Daedal" by A.E. Stallings; "The Maker's Eye: Revising Your Own Manuscripts" by Donald Murray; "How to Hoax Yourself: The Case of a Gay Girl in Damascus" by Kevin Young; selected readings on originality 

By the time we reach this point in the semester, we will have talked a lot about what makes a composition "good." As we have those conversations, we will document criteria that define quality compositions in general as well as criteria that define specific types of compositions (for instance, what makes a podcast "good" may not be exactly the same as what makes a poem "good.") You will then use the appropriate criteria to evaluate your own composition. You'll have time to draft, get feedback, and revise this in class.

Texts We'll Explore: "Icarus" by E.L. Mayo

This, our last week of classes, will be dedicated to delivering your projects to their intended audiences. This means that you will have guidance and time to submit that short story for publication or publish that podcast for all to hear. 

We won't have a final exam in this class, but you will need to schedule a final conference with me to co-evaluate your course grade. For this last conference, you will present your portfolio to me, and we will review and evaluate it together. Your final portfolio is worth 50% of your course grade, so this will determine whether you pass this course or need to repeat it. You will be able to sign up for Conference Checkpoint 3 during Week 15.