ENG 1302 Written Argument and Research

Fall 2010

Instructor: Sean Ferrier-Watson, MA

Office Location: HL 126
Office Hours: Tuesday, Thursday 1-2PM; Thursdays 3:30-4:30PM
Office Phone: call campus ext. 5253
Office Fax: (903) 886.5980
Email Address: seanfwclass09@yahoo.com
Website: www.seanfw102class.wordpress.com

COURSE INFORMATION
Materials – Textbooks, Readings, Supplementary Readings:

Required Text:
Carter, Shannon. Literacies in Context. Southlake, Texas: Fountainhead Press, 2007.

Sustein, Bonnie Stone and Elizabeth Chiseri-Strater. FieldWorking: Reading and Writing
Research. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006.

Optional Text:
The Celebration of Student Writing at Eastern Michigan University
(http://www.emich.edu/english/fycomp/celebration/index.htm)
Some of our past Celebrations:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMWkdAzGYvw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r0PGbfhHIo

Tools and Supplies for Class

 Three-ring binder that will serve as your Research Portfolio (see below)
 Thumb drive or other means (dropbox.com account, for example) of storing digital
versions of the essays and other written material you generate (always, always keep a
backup of everything you turn in!)
 A valid, working email address that you check often (everyday)

Course Description:
This is a course about research and writing, but not in the ways with which you are most
likely familiar. You will not be asked to take a position on an issue like gun control or
welfare reform, then conduct library research on that issue to support that position, which
you finally "write up" and call a research paper. Instead you will be reading about and
arguing both with and against a large (but focused) academic question (presented in a series
of readings offered in Literacies in Context, 2007), discover and refine your arguments (not
in a pro/con sort of way), which you will then examine again through your own primary
research (interviews, field observations, surveys) and further flesh out via more traditional
library research.

The kind of "research" paper you develop will not be a rehashing of ideas already presented
elsewhere. Your research paper will contain data that exist nowhere else because you will
be the one to collect, analyze, and present this research. We call this kind of research--the
process by which we conduct it, the methods we use to analyze the findings, and the text
we write to present that research--ethnography. Ethnography, according to Bonnie Stone
Sustein and Elizabeth Chiseri-Strater, is "the study of people in cultures" and "the text that
is written based on that study." That is what you will learn to do here.
The primary purpose of this course is to further develop your skills as a reader and writer,
but we will do that via means that may seem strange and even a little confusing at first.
Stick with it, though. We believe you will be excited, surprised, and even a impressed by
what you and your classmates come up with. I know I will.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Students who successfully complete ENG 1302 will have:
1. an understanding and ability to make use of primary and secondary sources within a
focused, academic argument
2. an awareness of context and how audience and context affect a writer’s rhetorical choices
3. the rhetorical flexibility necessary to negotiate a variety of academic tasks (research,
interviews, close reading) leading to a sustained argument that is convincing, informative,
and well-researched
4. an awareness of context and how our own subject positions as writers might affect our
findings—and how to work through potential biases toward more effective arguments
5. an ability to effectively report research findings in writing (via a well-researched and
articulated essay) and in person (via a poster presentation at the end of the semester—
Celebration of Student Writing)

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Instructional / Methods / Activities Assessments
The ethnography is a semester-long project, completed in several stages throughout the semester
and in constant revision, focusing on a study of a single community/subculture and exploring
larger issues of literacy, texts, how texts mediate culture, and related activities.

We are working here from the assumption that undergraduate researchers—even in their firstyear
of college—can make meaningful contributions to the scholarly conversation. Informing
this approach is also the assumption that the subject of a writing course should be writing—what
we know about how writing works and what literacy means (literally, politically, within our
society) and, perhaps even more interestingly, what we don’t yet know.

You will depend on your classmates, tutors in the Writing Center, and me as readers who will
help you make decisions about how to present material and how best to interest your audience,
but ultimately you will be the expert on your particular study of your chosen group.

Five major writing assignments will form the core of your ethnography, and at the end of the
semester those five assignments--revised and organized (and developed with additional
information and insights you gain through your research) to reflect the texture of your own
specific group of study (and what that specific study tells us about larger issues of literacy and
literate practice)--will become one long (approximately 12-15 pages, if not more) single text.

Rather than be assigned a grade on the initial due date for each discrete piece of writing, you will
have the opportunity to revise as much and as often as you need to make your writing stronger.
With a complex assignment like the ethnography, you will be free to add information and
observations gained over time instead of feeling that earlier assumptions and conclusions are set
in stone. You can spend a lot of time developing and revising, working on certain aspects of your
writing, and all of this effort and expertise will be reflected in your final project and your grade.
That means that your attention to revision and your awareness of your own work habits,
strengths and weaknesses will become a very important element of your writing process.
Your final course grade will be based primarily on the quality of work you include and submit in
your Research Portfolio (more on that below) and your Final Ethnographic Essay (12-15 pages).
The remaining items include various informal writing assignments, and your participation in the
culminating event, a "Celebration of Student Writing" (more on that below, as well).

Attendance Policy
Attendance is mandatory. As with any college class, attendance is a vital part of the learning
process. If a student misses more than five class sessions, a deduction will be applied to the
student’s grade (attendance is an important part of your grade, so please do not underestimate the
attendance policy). Absences are considered to be unauthorized unless due to sickness, valid
emergencies (i.e. hospitalization of family or friend), or sanctioned school activities. The student
must present proof of the incident before an excuse will be issued. If, through a misfortune, a
student should arrive after the instructor has recorded absences, it is the student’s responsibility
to talk with the instructor immediately after class in order to discuss changing the unauthorized
absence to a tardy. Excessive absences can result in a failing grade for the class. If the problem is
serious enough to miss a significant amount of class, then the student should consider dropping
the course or speaking with the university. There will be no make ups for missed assignments,
but the instructor may allow for extra daily assignments for students with authorized absences.

Class Disruption Policy/Active Participation Policy

Disruptions will not be tolerated in my class. Cell-phones, laptop computers, audio/music
devices, and any other technological device that does not pertain to the lesson will be banned in
my classroom. If the device is used as a note taking instrument or as a way of performing class
activities, I might grant an exception to this policy. Newspapers, magazines, and any other
material not pertaining to the subject at hand may also constitute a violation of this policy. Any
violation of this policy can result in the student’s immediate dismissal from the classroom for the
day and a grade of zero being entered for daily participation. Failure to participate in class
activities or behavioral disruptions will also constitute grounds for dismissal.

Tardy/Leaving Early Policy

The occasional tardy is acceptable and often unavoidable in any given semester. I understand
that “things happen” and that missing a few minutes of class was not your design; however,
excessive tardiness—tardiness that results in missing more than fifteen minutes of class or
tardiness that occurs frequently—is unacceptable. In these extreme cases, I will generally mark
the student absent for the day. Unless I have given you permission to leave class early, cutting-
out before class is over will almost always result in an absents and zero for the day.

Late Policy
I will accept late major grades for partial credit. The grade for these assignments will be determined by its
merit and number of days past the due date. Daily grades and attendance are not redeemable under this
policy. If you are absent or fail to complete a daily assignment, I will not allow a make-up grade.

Rewrite Policy
Students will be allowed to rewrite two major essays for full credit. I will not permit students to rewrite a
paper with a grade above 90%. All rewrites must be submitted two weeks after the graded assignment has
been returned to the student. Since the final project is due the last week of class, it will of course be an
exception to the rewrite policy. I recommend that students only rewrite papers with a grade of B- or
lower. If you have any concerns about the rewrite policy, please address these concerns with me as soon
as possible. (Note: this policy will not apply to late submissions.)

Grading
Your final course grade will be based primarily on the quality of work you include and submit in
your Research Portfolio (more on that below) and your Final Ethnographic Essay (10-15 pages).
The remaining items include various informal writing projects and your participation in the
culminating event, a "Celebration of Student Writing" (more on that below, as well).

Final Ethnographic Essay (20%): You will be working toward this final "research" paper
throughout the term. Everything you read, write, collect, discuss, analyze, report, and reflect on
will build up to this important and complex project. Most of the "behind the scenes" materials
documenting and allowing your research and writing processes throughout the development of
2your Final Ethnographic Essay will be housed in your "Research Portfolio" which, by the very
end of the term, will be revised again in preparation for a much larger audience: the entire
school! (see "Celebration of Student Writing" below). Don't be too concerned about this. When it
is time, you will be ready. That's what we're here for!

Research Portfolio (20%): The Research Portfolio will "house both the process and the product
of [your] fieldwork. . . . .As you assemble and revise your portfolio, you'll develop a behind-
thescenes account of the story of your research, which you'll want to share with others. Naturally,
the research portfolio will include your final ethnographic essay, but your selection will also
show artifacts from the thinking process that led to this project. You'll want to represent
selections form the reading, writing, and materials you've relied on along the way: writing
exercises, fieldnotes, interview questions, charts, methods of analysis, and whatever helped you
think your way through final written project" (FieldWorking, 56-57). "To keep track of your
project," Sustein and Chiseri-Strater suggest, "you'll move back and forth among four key
activities: collecting, selecting, reflecting, and projecting" (57). See FieldWorking for much more
about how (and why) to begin this process and negotiate these activities (56-58; 112; 167-168;
220; 300; 352;412; 463)

Writing Assignment 1 (10%): Making use of Deborah Brandt's concept "Sponsors of Literacy"
(Chapter 2, Literacies in Context), this essay calls upon you to reconstruct key moments in your
literacy history by identifying the agents sponsoring this literacy and narrating the way literacy
has "pursued" you in a variety of contexts (see Literacies in Context, 39, for full description).

Writing Assignment 2 (10%): Making use of the readings presented in Chapter 3 of Literacies
in Context, this essay calls upon you to describe literacy practices as they function in a particular
place (in your church, at your workplace, in your home, in a store you frequent, or someplace
else). (see Literacies in Context, 113, for full description.)

Writing Assignment 3 (10%): Making use of the readings presented in Chapter 4 of Literacies
in Context, this essay calls upon you to examine not only your own literacy practices as you've
experienced and developed them but to compare these experiences with what formal literacy
instruction often asks of writers and readers. (see Literacies in Context, 213, for full description)

Research Proposal (10%): Before you get too far with your ethnographic project, you will be
expected to articulate your research plan--that is, what do you want to know, why is it important,
what research methods will you use to obtain the information you need, why is the proposed
research site the most appropriate one for your project's goals, and how will your research
project--as proposed--extend/resist/otherwise make use of the readings and key arguments
presented in Literacies in Context (refer again to WA1-3). Don't forget about those important
permissions (which we will discuss at some length later).

Informal Writing Assignments/Weekly Response Papers (10%): You will be expected to

develop several informal writing projects, including Reflective Memos (through which you
reflect on your data collection process and/or plans for your Final Ethnographic Project and/or
your Research Portfolio) and journal and other free-writing exercises. The Weekly Response
Papers will respond to one of our readings or discussions for the week; they should be one page in length
and conform to MLA guidelines.

Celebration of Student Writing (10%): At the end of the term (during finals week), you will
bring your ready-for-presentation Research Portfolios and an outline of your Final Ethnographic
Project to one of several tables making up the presentation area of this Celebration. There during
your scheduled hour, you will share your hard work with faculty, students, and administrators
throughout our university. Modeled after the celebration by the same name held at Eastern
Michigan University (see http://www.emich.edu/english/fycomp/celebration/index.htm), our
own "Celebration of Student Writing" at Texas A&M-Commerce will serve as the culminating
activity for many sections of English 102 and even a few sections of English 100 and 101.

All assignments (major or minor) are to be submitted as hardcopies the day they are due in
order to receive full credit.

TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS
•Flash drive or other means (dropbox.com account, for example) of storing digital
versions of the essays and other written material you generate (always, always keep a
backup of everything you turn in!)

•A valid, working email address that you check often (everyday)

• Regular internet access (additional readings available online)
•Access to a computer with a word processing program and a printer (assignments must
be typed and printed)

ACCESS AND NAVIGATION

Some supplementary texts for this course exist exclusively online, so you must have Internet
access to read and/or view these texts.

COMMUNICATION AND SUPPORT

Interaction with Instructor Statement:
Please contact you instructor with any questions you may have. Your instructor’s
communication preference is e-mail, and his/her address is: TBA. Also, each instructor in
the department of literature and languages is required to keep at least three office hours per
course per week.

Grievance Procedure:
If you have concerns about the class or about me as an instructor, please speak to me about
those concerns. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of our conversation, the next
person in the chain of command is the Director of the Writing Program, Dr. Tabetha
Adkins. Her e-mail address is Tabetha_Adkins@tamu-commerce.edu.

COURSE AND UNIVERSITY PROCEDURES/POLICIES

Course Specific Procedures:

Writing Center

The Writing Center (or the “Communication Skills Center”) offers writers free, one-on-one
assistance. We welcome all writers, majors, and disciplines—undergraduate and graduate
students alike. In fact, we work from the premise that all writers, no matter their ability
level, benefit from the feedback of knowledgeable readers. The Writing Center staff is
trained to provide writers with just this service. In short, we are here to help you help
yourself. In order to ensure the most effective session possible, we offer visitors the
following suggestions: (1) Get started on your writing project early, and visit the Writing
Center at least one day before your final draft is due. You will need time to work with the
ideas and suggestions generated in your tutorial sessions. (2) Bring a written copy of your
assignment, any relevant readings, and one or two specific questions or concerns you
would like to discuss with us. We are located in the Hall of Languages, Room 103 (903-
886-5280) and online at http://web.tamucommerce.
edu/academics/colleges/artsSciences/departments/literatureLanguages/writingCe
nter/

Academic Honesty

The official departmental policy: “Instructors in the Department of Literature and

Languages do not tolerate plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonestly. Instructors
uphold and support the highest academic standards, and students are expected to do
likewise. Penalties for students guilty of academic dishonesty include disciplinary
probation, suspension, and expulsion. (Texas A&M University-Commerce Code of Student
Conduct 5.b [1,2,3]) If you ever have any questions about a particular use of a source, always ask
your instructor. They want you to avoid plagiarism, too, so they will help you do so whenever
and wherever they can. Do what you can to take advantage of this support—to look
innocent in addition to being innocent when it comes to charges of plagiarism.

On University-Sanctioned Activities

To accommodate students who participate in university-sanctioned activities, the First-

Year Composition Program offers sections of this course at various times of the day and
week. If you think that this course may conflict with a university-sanctioned activity in
which you are involved--athletics, etc.--please see your instructor after class on the first
day.

University Specific Procedures:

ADA Statement

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides
comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this
legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that
provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you have a disability requiring an
accommodation, please contact:

Office of Student Disability Resources and Services

Texas A&M University-Commerce
Gee Library 132
Phone (903) 886-5150 or (903) 886-5835
Fax (903) 468-8148
StudentDisabilityServices@tamu-commerce.edu
Student Disability Resources & Services

Student Conduct

All students enrolled at the University shall follow the tenets of common decency and acceptable
behavior conducive to a positive learning environment. (See Code of Student Conduct
from Student Guide Handbook).

COURSE OUTLINE / CALENDAR

Schedule

Literacies in Context (LC); FieldWorking (FW)

Week 1 (Aug. 31-Sep. 2): Gee, “Literacies and Traditions”

Week 2 (Sep. 7-9): Brandt (LC); Before You Read Questions
Week 3 (Sep. 14-16): Discuss Brandt via After You Read Questions; Literacy Sponsors via
Brandt’s script
Week 4 (Sep. 21-23): Assign WA1(Sponsors of Literacy); discuss plans for writing
Week 5 (Sep. 28-30): Peer Review WA1; Barton and Hamilton (LC)
Week 6 (Oct. 5-7): WA1 due; Read Moss (LC); Read Mirabelli (LC)
Week 7 (Oct. 12-14): Assign WA2; Read Resnick (LC); Read Smith and Willhelm (LC);
Groundwork. Activity on page 55 in FW; introduce ethnography
Week 8 (Oct. 19-21): Peer Review WA2; Read 1-24 in FW; Assign WA3; Box 1 (pp. 6-7), Box
2 (p. 15) in FW
Week 9 (Oct. 26 [No Class Tuesday for 11:00AM Classes]-28): 11:00am classes will be
dismissed on October 26, 2010 for the University Convocation honoring Dr. David Brown,
Professor in Curriculum and Instruction, as the 2010 William L. Mayo Professor, to be held in
the University Auditorium. Read 56-64 in FW; Research Proposals; Box 5 (p. 84 in FW); WA2
due; first set of fieldnotes due (fieldnotes will be turned in every other week); Read 25-55 in FW
Week 10 (Nov. 2-4): WA3 due; 93-115; 175-208 in FW; Box 17 in FW
Week 11 (Nov 9-11).: 307-333; 335-338; 340-341; and 350-357 in FW; Assign Entry Narrative;
143-155 in FW
Week 12 (Nov. 16-18): Read 209-220; 220-236 and 280-286 in FW; Box 25 in FW; Assign
Layers of Culture Essay
Week 13 (Nov. 23): Read 292-300 in FW; Box 24; Entry Narrative Due; Read 412-414 in FW
Thanksgiving (Nov. 25)- University closed Thursday & Friday
Week 14 (Nov. 30-Dec. 2): Read 419-431 in FW; questions on page 429 (FW); Read 432-439;
questions on page 432 (FW); Layers of Culture Essay due
Week 15 (Dec. 7-9): Prepare Research Portfolio for Presentation (Celebration of Student
Writing); Peer-review final papers
Finals Week (Dec. 14-16): "Celebration of Student Writing" Research Portfolio, including final
paper, due