English 1101: Writing & Inquiry in Academic Contexts I Fall 2012

Instructor: Anthony Borrero / Office: Cameron, 104 aborrero@uncc.edu Office Hours: Tues from 9:30-10:30 or by appointment Required Materials Access to a computer with internet (Note: This course is Moodle intensive). A journal or writing notebook. Loose leaf paper A COLORFUL pen for responding in peer review (no black or blue pens allowed). Various online readings (Note: see course policy #5)

Course Description The goal of English 1101 is to allow you to build a greater understanding of the concept of literacy, as well as the role that literacy plays in society and for you as an individual. To accomplish this goal, this course will not only allow you to explore your own practices, beliefs, and ideologies of literacy and composition, but also how the acts or reading and writing are represented in different contexts and genres, through various voices and cultures, and of course, through a variety of textual mediums. In addition to exploring various ideologies of literacy and composition, this class will also introduce you to the process of writinga process that involves planning, drafting, and revisingas well as critical reading and analysis techniques, peer review methods, and the conventions for writing in an academic environment. By focusing on reading and writing in an academic context, and exploring how you, the writer, can make informed rhetorical decisions based on purpose, audience, and constraints of a situation, this course will allow you to produce better writing, and ultimately, allow you to become a better writer. The goals of this course include, but are not limited to: Exploring the concept of literacy from personal, local, and global perspectives Learning how beliefs, practices, and ideas of literacy are connected to cultural context Understanding the ethical implications of literacy (this includes our ethnical responsibility as writers, researchers, and as members of our global community). Practicing academic writing across a variety of rhetorical aims and situations. Engaging with process oriented composition practicesplanning, drafting, and revising. Reflecting on and make judgments about your own writing and writing processes. Reflecting on and responding to others writing through peer response and work shopping. Practicing critical reading methods for engaging rhetorical situations and texts. Formalizing your writing through professional language and MLA conventions. Authorizing your voice as both a reader and a writer.

Unless otherwise noted, all assignments should be typed in MLA format with oneinch margins, 12 point Times New Roman font, and double-spaced spacing. Course Theme & Major Assignments: The Theme: Throughout this course, you will explore the concept of literacy, not only to discover how you developed your beliefs and practices for reading, writing, and communicating, but also how the concept of literacy is valued, practices, and used in other cultures. To do this, our course will move from exploring individual views of literacy, to exploring broader, societal views. The two major project for this course are as follows: 1. Project 1:Multi-Modal Literacy Narrative: For this project, you will explore, document, archive, and analyze your experiences with literacy and composition in order to better understand how you view literacy and composition, how those ideas and practices came into being, and your future as a reader and composer of works. 2. Project 2: Literacy Ethnography: For the final project, you will choose a specific sub-culture / discourse community, and conduct a literacy study in which you examine the cultures literacy practices and beliefs, and articulate your research in a genre appropriate to the culture you have selected. Daily Assignments: Some of the daily assignments that you will engage with include, but are not limited to the following: Journal: Throughout the semester, you will be responsible for composing entries in your notebook that respond to various prompts. While these entries will cover a wide variety of topics, it is your job to respond to these prompts to the best of your ability, and to use the journal as a means for reflecting on various topics and assignments from our class. In addition to completing all journal entries, its also important that you organize and label your assignments clearly, since you will eventually choose several journal entries to include in your final e-portfolio. Moodle Posts: From time to time, I will ask you to respond to a prompt on Moodle. In these postings, you will not only respond to the prompt, but at times, you will also be asked to respond to your classmates postings. While these postings can be reflective and can comment upon the topics, assignments, and issues discussed in class, it is important to note that Moodle postings can also be used for you to raise questions and to respond to questions raised by your peers. Although posts can vary in length, in general, posts should be around 200-250 words each. (Note: When composing a post for Moodle, be sure to type it in MS Word first to assure that the Moodle server does not log off or cause you to lose your writing). Process Work: Since this is a process oriented class, the bulk of your work will come from completing pre-writing/brainstorming, multiple drafts, and revision of your work. While it may be easy to write these steps off, without completing the process work, not only will your project be incomplete, but the quality of your project, as well as your grade will suffer greatly. In short, make sure that you engage with the full writing process, and remember that the process will only be useful if you give it your fullest effort.

Sharing Your Work, Peer Response, & Paper Workshops: In this course, you will frequently be required to share your own writing and to respond to work composed by your peers. During peer response sessions and paper workshops, it is your responsibility to submit your work to your partner(s) on the appropriate due date, to ask for and provide feedback that comments upon the content of the work, and to follow up on responses through asking questions and revising your work. During all peer response sessions and workshops, it is important to note that you should be respectful of the individual who you are responding to. In addition to this, when providing response, you should try to respond as a reader (i.e. one who focuses on content and how writing communicates its concepts) rather than an editor (i.e. one who focuses on grammar and mechanics alone). NOTE: If you fail to bring a draft, or are absent on peer review or workshop dates, your grade will be adversely affected.

E-Portfolio (AKA E-Portfolio): Throughout this semester, you will create your e-portfolio in order to compile and showcase the work that you have completed throughout the semester. At the end of the semester, you will revise and reflect upon your work, reflect on your performance and the decisions you made in this course, reflect on the learning that took place, giving insight into your semester as a whole. The portfolio will grant you the opportunity to see how all of your writing, responding, and revising has worked together in order to get a more comprehensive view of how you are working as a writer. It is important that you keep track of all of your writings beginning with the first day of class. Do not throw anything away, and keep track of all of your digital work. As you work on your portfolio, keep in mind that it will be the main defense of your grade in the course, and that failure to submit a portfolio will result in automatic failure of the course. For more information about grading, please see below. Grading: Your assessment will be based on your overall performance throughout the entire course. Throughout the semester, we will meet to discuss your progress in the class, and decide where you stand based on your performance. To archive your work and facilitate these conversations, you will create a portfolio that collects the work you have completed and you will reflect on your rigor, skill, and growth through the various writing situations and assignments. Your final grade will be based on the following weights: E-Portfolio Class Participation Presentations 70% 20% + 10%______ 100%

(See next page for grade breakdown)

Grade A (90-100) Above Average

Grade Description
The highest grades will be awarded to students who showed sustained rigor in all aspects of the class (i.e. class work, process work, major projects, attendance, participation, peer response, presentations, etc.). In addition to this, the student participated in every class thoroughly, attended almost every class, arrived on-time, and abstained from disruptive behavior. In terms of their skill development, it must be evident that the student took risks and made a significant effort to improve their skills as a writer. Finally, in terms of the work that they produce, it must be evident that the students work goes above and beyond requirements in terms of quality, content, and effort, and that the student gave their all to produce the most polished and well developed writing that they could.

B (89-80) Average

Average grades will be awarded to students who show sustained rigor in most aspects of class. In addition to this, the student participated in most classes, attended regularly, arrived on-time, and abstained from disruptive behavior. In terms of their skill development, it must be evident that the student took some risks and made basic strives to improve their writing. Finally, in terms of the work that they produce, it must be evident that the students work fulfilled basic requirements in terms of quality and content, and that the students work was polished and well developed.

C (79-70) Below Average

Below Average grades will be awarded to students who show inconsistent rigor in several aspects of class. In addition to this, the student participated infrequently or only when asked to, did not attend multiple classes, arrived tardy, or participated in disruptive behavior. In terms of their skill development, the student took minimal risks and showed limited initiative to improve their writing. Finally, in terms of the work that they produce, the student failed to address some basic requirements in terms of quality and content, and failed to polish their writing and develop their work.

D (69-60) Far Below Average

Far Below Average grades will be awarded to students who show minimal rigor. In addition to this, the student barely participated, did not attend many classes, frequently arrived tardy, or participated in disruptive behavior regularly. In terms of their skill development, the student took almost no risks and showed almost no initiative to improve their writing. Finally, in terms of the work that they produce, the student failed to address most basic requirements in terms of quality and content, and lacked polished or development.

F (59-0) Unsatisfactory

Unsatisfactory grades will be awarded to students who show no rigor, fail to complete a major component of the course, or fail on the count of attendance. In addition to this, the student barely participated, consistently arrived tardy, or consistently participated in disruptive behavior. In terms of their skill development, the student took no risks and showed no initiative to improve their writing. Finally, in terms of the work that they produce, the student failed to address basic requirements in terms of quality and content, and lacked any polished or development.

Course Policies: 1. Class Participation: Class participation not only includes attending class and participating in discussions, but also the level focus you put forth in activities such as peer response sessions, paper workshops, and online discussions. In addition to this, you will also be evaluated for your preparation, which includes completing the readings for class, brining the appropriate materials to class, completing individual and group assignments on time, and engaging in appropriate behaviors that do not detract from the classes activities (i.e. repetitive lateness, texting in class, and sleeping in class etc.). If you choose to engage with inappropriate behaviors that disturb the class, I reserve the right to ask you to leave the class and you will lose participation points and possibly be marked as absent for the day.

1. Assignments & Accountability: All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the given due date and should be in the appropriate format. Failure to submit material by the proper due date or failure to submit material in the proper format may result in deductions from your portfolio or participation grade. Finally, it should be noted that failure to turn one major assignment or failure to complete your portfolio at the end of the term will result in automatic failure of the class. 2. Due Dates: Unless you talk to me beforehand, I will only accept late assignments under extremely extenuating circumstances. If you do not turn in an assignment, you will not get credit for it. If you do have circumstances where work must be submitted late, contact me and I will decide what a fair course of action is. With regard to my accepting late work, please keep in mind that I reserve the right to refuse to accept work if it is submitted significantly after the due date. Finally, it should be noted that when submitting work, it is your responsibility to submit work in the proper format and in the proper avenue, be it a physical copy or digitally. 3. Email, Moodle, & Digital Accountability: Since I will be sending all emails to your UNCC email account, as a standard practice, you should check your UNCC email account daily (Note: The same policy applies for our Moodle page it is your responsibility to check it daily). With regard to emails, it should be noted that any emails you send me should be sent from your UNCC email account, NOT private/personal email accounts (I will not respond to ANY emails sent from a private/personal email account). If you wish to send me an email, please send it no later than 8:00 PM so that I have sufficient time to read and respond to your email before the next class. Finally, while accidents do happen with computers, it is your responsibility to assure that all assignments and work are properly backed up. 4. Attendance: While you will not be penalized for your first three absences, you will automatically be dropped a full letter grade for every absence after the third, and accordingly, you can incur a failing grade due to attendance. If you are absent, you are responsible for any missed work and any modifications made to the syllabus and/or assignments. For each three classes to which you are late, one absence will be counted against you. Also, while being late will result in you being marked as tardy, if you miss more than 15 minutes of class, you will be marked as absent for the day regardless. ***An Additional Notice about the Absence Policy*** It is important to note that within this course, there is no such thing as an excused absence: you are either present in class, or you are not - there is no grey area. In addition to this, I would remind you that is your responsibility to keep up with all work that is assigned, and unless you communicate with me and have been told otherwise, all due dates should be treated firmly (this means that you should not assume that you have an extension for an assignmentall work that is submitted late will be considered late unless told otherwise). 5. Course Readings: If a reading is on electronic reserve or online, you must bring it to class. You may choose to print it out, or you may choose to save it to your computer and bring it to class electronically. You are responsible for bringing the necessary materials to class in whichever form is most convenient. Failure to bring reading to class may result in a reduced participation grade for the semester.

6. Changes in the Syllabus: Periodically, I will make minor revisions to the syllabus content, assignment descriptions, and course policies. All of the content on the syllabus is subject to change at my discretion. Finally, it should be noted that it is your responsibility to keep up with any and all changes that have been made to the syllabus or to course policies. 7. Additional Campus Policies: Disabilities Statement: Students who have a disability or condition which may impair their ability to complete assignments or otherwise satisfy course criteria should meet with me to identify, discuss and document any feasible instructional modifications or accommodations. If you do need special considerations, inform me as soon as possible after a disability or condition is diagnosed, whichever occurs earliest. For information and auxiliary assistance, contact the Disabilities Resource Center. Plagiarism: All of the university policies concerning plagiarism apply. If you do plagiarize work, you will be reported to student affairs. Please see me whenever you have any questions. Daily Syllabus (Subject to ChangeSee Class Website for most Updated Version)
WEEK 1 M, 8/20 W, 8/22 Introduce syllabus & Moodle site / What is Literacy? / What is a text? Assign 1 Project: Multi-Modal Literacy Narrative / Literacy Narrative Archetypes
st

WEEK 2 M, 8/27 W, 8/29 WEEK 3 M, 9/3 W, 9/5

Assign Part 2 of MMLN Project: Cultural Domain Analysis / The Social Construction of Literacy Venture! (Meet as assigned location) Labor Day (No Class) Assign Part 3 of MMLN Project: Literacy Sponsor Analysis / What is a Literacy Sponsor?

WEEK 4 M, 9/10 W, 9/12

Assign Part 4 of MMLN Project: Genretized Narrative Reconstruction / What is Genre Theory? Share Genre Proposals / Constructing the First Draft

WEEK 5 M, 9/17 W, 9/19

Group Conferences / 1 Draft Due of Part 4 Due Group Conferences Continued

st

WEEK 6 M, 9/24 W, 9/26

Revisiting the Little Narrative / Expanding & Revising Your Literacy Narrative Peer Review / 2 Draft of Part 4 Due
nd

WEEK 7

M, 10/1 W, 10/3 WEEK 8 M, 10/8 W, 10/10 WEEK 9 M, 10/15 W, 10/17 WEEK 10 M, 10/22 W, 10/24

Multi-Modal Literacy Narrative Project Due / Midterm Reflection Assign E-Portfolio / E-Portfolio Workshop No Class What is Assessment? / Student & Teacher Perspectives on Assessment Individual Conferences (Mid-Term Assessment) / Individual Conferences Continued. Assign 2nd Project: Literacy Ethnography / What is Culture? / What is a Discourse Community? Selecting a Discourse Community / Project Proposal

WEEK 11 M, 10/29 W, 10/31 WEEK 12 M, 11/5 W, 11/7

The Art of Observation / Engaging, & Observing Discourse Communities Research Seminar Quoting , Paraphrasing, & MLA / Engaging With Sources 1st Draft Due / Peer Review

WEEK 13 M, 11/12 W, 11/14 WEEK 14 M, 11/19 W, 11/21 WEEK 15 M, 11/26 W, 11/28 WEEK 16 M, 12/3 W, 12/5 WEEK 17 M, 12/10 Final Exams: 12/7 12/14

Group Conferences Group Conferences Literacy Ethnography Due / Assign E-Portfolio/ Sign up for Conferences Thanksgiving Break (No Class) Reflecting on Reflection / E-Portfolio Workshop Peer Review / E-portfolio & Final Reflection Workshop E-Portfolio Workshop Day E-Portfolio Due / Individual Conferences Individual Conferences

TBA

Academic Integrity:
The Code of Student Academic Integrity governs the responsibility of students to maintain integrity in academic work, defines violations of the standards, describes procedures for handling alleged violations of the standards, and lists applicable penalties. The following conduct is prohibited in that Code as violating those standards: A. Cheating. Intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, notes, study aids or other devices in any academic exercise. This definition includes unauthorized communication of information during an academic exercise. B. Fabrication and Falsification. Intentional and unauthorized alteration or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise. Falsification is a matter of altering information, while fabrication is a matter of inventing or counterfeiting information for use in any academic exercise. C. Multiple Submission. The

submission of substantial portions of the same academic work (including oral reports) for credit more than once without authorization. D. Plagiarism. Intentionally or knowingly presenting the work of another as one's own (i.e., without proper acknowledgment of the source). The sole exception to the requirement of acknowledging sources is when the ideas, information, etc., are common knowledge. (NOTE: For more information regarding plagiarism, see PLAGIARISM Appendix at http://legal.uncc.edu/policies/ps-105.html#APP.) E. Abuse of Academic Materials. Intentionally or knowingly destroying, stealing, or making inaccessible library or other academic resource material. F. Complicity in Academic Dishonesty. Intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another to commit an act of academic dishonesty. A Note to Students: Charlotte English Department Statement on Diversity The English Department strives to create an academic climate that respects people of varied cultural backgrounds and life experiences. As a community of scholars and teachers who study language, literature, and writing, we are committed to nurturing intellectual and aesthetic diversity. In all our activities, we invite participation by diverse groups, including, but not limited to, those who define themselves in the following terms: race and ethnicity; gender; political orientation; sexual orientation; special health needs; age; religion; country of origin; and socio-economic status. Finally, by fostering multiple perspectives in our coursework, we can help our students prepare to participate in our increasingly diverse society, as well as in the global community.

Course: English 1101 Instructor: Anthony Borrero Email: Aborrero@uncc.edu Student Agreement Form By signing this contract I, _______________________ do herby agree that I have read and understand all of the course requirements, policies, and assignment included on the syllabus provided by Mr. Anthony Borrero. In addition to this, my signature also indicates that I agree to fulfill all of the requirements indicated on the syllabus, follow all course and university policies, and complete all of the course assignments in the manner indicated by the syllabus and forthcoming assignment description handouts.

Signature: _____________________________

Date: _________________

Note: Should you refuse to return this form with your signature by the proper due date, I, Mr. Borrero, reserve the right to refuse grading your work until the form is submitted and you have indicated that you agree to follow the aforementioned contractual obligations.