Conway Winter 2021 1

Sweetland Writing 100-001: The Practice of Writing

Instructor: Dr. April Conway Contact: arconway@umich.edu
Meeting Days & Times:MW-2-3 Student Hours:W/Tr 11-12, by appointment
For class meetings: Join Zoom Meeting ID: 91834196186
*Please sign up for a Zoom office hour appointment via Google Calendar. You can also send me
an email or a Canvas message to schedule an appointment.
**I typically only respond to email M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Course Description
WRITING 100 is an intensive writing and reading course that focuses on the writing process to
prepare you for multiple writing contexts, in college and beyond. It gives you opportunities to
practice a regular writing routine and to gain confidence with writing “moves,” or rhetorical
strategies. This course consists of small group work, individual labor, whole class discussions,
and brief lectures as mediated through Zoom and Canvas. Writing assignments will allow you to
explore different approaches to structuring an essay, to consider the effects of voice and
audience, to practice using evidence from independent research, and to experiment with
different media and modes (e.g., photo essay, podcast, video, etc.). Welcome to the course!

Course Goals and Objectives

Overarching Goal: Students will grow into more confident and practiced writers by
intentionally exploring and experimenting with the writing process, developing critical
reading skills, and becoming active members of a community of readers and writers.
Goal: To gain more confidence with writing. Objectives: Students will

● Establish and practice a writing routine.

● Gain experience with text-based and multimodal writing assignments.
● Interpret writing assignments and devise strategies for fulfilling assignments.
● Explore and practice methods of topic selection and invention.
● Practice developing clear, thorough, and effective thesis statements.
● Try different approaches to genre, style, organization, use of sources, and tone.
● Practice identifying and writing for different audiences and rhetorical situations.
● Practice revision and editing strategies.

Goal: To actively participate in a community of critical writers and readers. Objectives:

Students will

● Become adept at annotating texts of varying modes to identify main

ideas, major and minor points, and organizational strategies.
● Learn to develop analytical questions about and responses to a variety of texts.
● Practice strategies for contributing to whole-class and small group discussions.
● Gain experience with having 1-1 meetings with instructors.
● Explore different forms of peer critique and effective methods for giving and
receiving feedback with fellow students.
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Required Course Materials

● Access to Canvas for readings, messaging, announcements, submissions, etc.
● University Google Suite: Google Calendar, Google Docs, Slides, etc.
● Purdue’s Online Writing Lab for style guides (MLA and APA)
● A device with camera and audio capabilities plus access to Zoom for
synchronous class meetings, and small group + individual meetings.
Major Assignments
Over the course of the term, you will compose three formal essays. You may change
topics, but you must complete each of the scaffolded assignments with the same topic
for the formal assignments to earn a “complete.”

● Literacy Narrative: A narrative essay based on personal experience as evidence.

Embedded in this assignment is a remediation where a written rough draft will be
revised in a new medium and for a public audience.
● Rhetorical Analysis: A thesis-driven essay analyzing the rhetorical situation of and a
rhetorical strategy within a text
● Autoethnography: An essay exploring language use in a community of which you are an
insider. This essay draws on original and secondary research.

Ongoing Assignments: Please see full descriptions and some rubrics here and here.
Throughout the term, your participation in the following will contribute to our learning:
● Canvas Discussions: Informal posts that process readings before contributing to class
activities and writing assignments. Please see the rubric for Canvas Discussions
● Canvas Discussion Responses: Informal responses that encourage community building
and engaging with, and learning from, others’ ideas.
● Annotations: To engage with course texts and with your peers, you will use Hypothes.is to
annotate sections of text with your ideas and questions, and to respond to your peers.
● Peer Review Workshops: For peer review workshops, you will read your peer review
group members’ work before class and offer each other feedback in writing and in
synchronous group meetings. I will assign you to a group for each major assignment.
● Self-Reflection Assignments: Reflecting on your writing and participation is one of the
best ways to strengthen writing and critical thinking.
● Individual (instructor + student) & Small Groups Meetings (classmates + instructor):
These required meetings, scheduled throughout the term, support multiple course
objectives.
○ Individual meetings are to practice receiving and responding to
instructor feedback, etc.
○ Small group meetings are intended for invention, peer critique, etc.
Each small group (organized by me & changed for each major essay)
will need to determine a meeting time together, then one person signs
up.
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○ Please access my Google Calendar to sign up for these meetings, which

will remind you of ahead of time.

Labor Contract: Teaching Philosophy, Assessment and Grade Distribution

Writing 100: Labor Contract Requirements
You are guaranteed to pass the course if you meet the following conditions:
1. Participation as collaboration: Learning thrives with collaboration. This can look like:

● Treating each other with respect even if there are disagreements of opinion.
Language that suggests racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and other
forms of discrimination will not be tolerated in this course.
● Providing thoughtful and in-depth feedback on each other’s work. Prepare for
workshops before class and use the workshop to everyone’s benefit.
● Completing all homework and in-class writing and activities so that you can
actively contribute to class discussion, pose questions, respond to others, and
build upon your learning.
● Listening with intention: being present when people speak. Please avoid: using
social media, texting, having private conservations, doing work for other classes.
● Zoom (and other) netiquette for online learning:

o You are not required to have your camera on

o You can eat, stim, and otherwise be comfortable with everyone’s
comfort in mind, which means... Please wear clothes to our class!
o I encourage you to have your camera on when you are in a breakout
room to participate in a group activity
O To protect everyone’s privacy, do not record class or group sessions
o Stay muted when you do not need to speak: this will cut down on
background noise and make it easier to hear each speaker
o Use the chat feature, breakout rooms, shared Google docs/slide
decks, annotations, and more, to participate

2. Participation and attendance: Research shows that social interaction is one of the
best ways to learn. Because of this, participation and attendance are connected.
● Missing two synchronous class sessions and one individual or one small
group meeting will not impact course credit.
● It is good practice to email me regarding an absence, though I do not
expect you to share why you are absent.

3. For All Work/Writing you will need to:

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● Demonstrate sustained effort and investment throughout all phases of a project. This means
completing each formal submission of the writing process and working through the invisible
labor inherent in all writing (e.g. research, drafting, revising).
● Revise your work substantially and thoughtfully. Revisions are a “re-seeing” of your work with
changes to structure, thesis, analysis, evidence, and more. Revisions respond to your audience’s
feedback, to the parameters of the assignment, and to your writing goals.
● Edit your work carefully to eliminate careless errors. While some errors are understandable, if
there are patterns of carelessness (e.g. no citations or incomplete citations, no spell check...)
your work may receive an incomplete.

4. Complete all work according to instructions and on time:

Late Work: Assignments are used in class after they are due, so turning one in late means it will
impact your ability to participate. Consistently submitting work on time keeps us on track to
successfully complete the course and keeps us accountable to each others’ learning.

However--again!--we are in a pandemic and flexibility + communication is key. Please see the
48 hour notification below, and we will revisit deadlines as the term continues. Ultimately, my
goal is for you to engage in assignments to better meet your learning objectives.

● Keep track of late work in Canvas Grades by looking for this:

● Please notify me within 48 hours of an assignment’s deadline that you need an

extension; this can be 48 hours after the deadline.
● Rough drafts of essays may be submitted late if you inform your peer review group
members before the deadline and then negotiate a new deadline that works for them,
and for me. This is to ensure your peers’ time is not adversely affected.

Incomplete Work: Incomplete work is when you submit an assignment, but it does not address
the expectations laid out in assignment descriptions or rubrics. Incomplete work is less useful
for everyone because our learning and conversations around the work will be less complete.

Missing Work: Missing work is when I have no record of you submitting it. Because assignments
are built upon each other, missing work affects learning and will impact course credit.

Revisions: Revision is an important part of the writing process, and the era of COVID has added
many extra stressors to academic stress, so you may revise all major and ongoing assignments.
Email me within 48 hours after receiving an incomplete to indicate your desire to revise.
Generally you then have one week to revise, but let me know if you need more time.

How your work is assessed:

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● You will receive a “complete” (shown as a checkmark in Canvas Grades) for

work that meets the expectations of an assignment as outlined in assignment
descriptions and rubrics, and in #3 above. Work that does not meet these
guidelines will receive an “incomplete,” shown as an X in Canvas Grades.

● You will receive written (see fig. 1) or screencast feedback for all assignments
as based on rubrics and assignment descriptions. Please review feedback to
inform future writing tasks, including reflections.

Fig. 1: The image above is from Canvas Grades and explains the icons and how to access feedback for assignments.

Knowing Where You Stand

See the chart below to keep track of your class standing. As for participation in class, you
will have to keep track of it, but you can check with me at any time.

# of Non- # of # of
Participation Days Incomplete MissingAssignments
Assignments

Passing 3 6 0

Not 4 7 1
Passing

Student Well-Being

Students may experience stressors that can impact both their academic experience and their
personal well-being. These may include academic pressure and challenges associated with
relationships, mental health, alcohol or other drugs, identities, finances, etc.
 Conway Winter 2021 6

If you are experiencing concerns, seeking help is a courageous thing to do for yourself and
those who care about you. If the source of your stressors is academic, please contact me so
that we can find solutions together. For personal concerns, U-M offers many resources, some of
which are listed at Resources for Student Well-being on the Well-being for U-M Students
website. You can also search for additional resources on that website.

Recommended Resources
Sweetland Center for Writing: If you would like additional feedback as you are writing, you
can schedule an individual appointment with a Sweetland faculty member or correspond
online with a peer tutor. For more info, please visit this webpage and schedule an
appointment. You may also want to view this video

Technology: If you need technology equipment, assistance, or space, contact LSA

Instructional Support Services (ISS) at (734) 615-0100, or go online for information.
Being Not Rich at U-M: A guide created by students, for students that received national
attention.
*Sometimes the institution you are in creates more obstacles than solves them, so institutional
resources may not be the right fit. However, here are some resources U-M offers its students:
● First Generation College Students at Michigan
● Undocumented Students at Michigan
● Students with Children (and other family caregiver roles)
● Another student-parent site
● Students of Color at Michigan
● LGBTQ+ Students at Michigan

Policies and Procedures

Religious Observances: If a class session or due date conflicts with your religious holidays,
please notify me so that we can make alternative arrangements. In accordance with UM policy
on religious/academic conflicts, your absence will not affect your grade in the course.
Accommodations and Accessibility:
It is my goal to make learning accessible for everyone. To that end, I welcome your input on
what makes for a successful learning experience for you. Please reach out in a message or let us
set up a private Zoom chat so we can discuss what accommodations you would like from me.
 Conway Winter 2021 7

The University of Michigan also has what is called boilerplate language so you know what
services are provided should you want “official” accommodation. The university statement:
Request for accommodations by persons with disabilities may be made by contacting the
Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Office located at G664 Haven Hall. The SSD phone
number is 734-763-3000. Once your eligibility for an accommodation has been determined you
will be issued a verified individual services accommodation (VISA) form. Please present this
form to me at the beginning of the term, or at least two weeks prior to the need for the
accommodation (e.g. a writing assignment, etc.).
Student Sexual Misconduct Policy: As an instructor, I am responsible for helping to create a
safe learning environment on campus, and I may be required to report information about
sexual misconduct or a crime that may have occurred on UM’s campus.
Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, which includes sexual misconduct such
as harassment, domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. If you are dealing
with sexual misconduct, you can speak to someone confidentially by calling the 24- hour
crisis line at the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center (SAPAC): 734- 936- 3333.
For non-emergencies, you can contact SAPAC at sapac.umich.edu.
If you want to report an alleged violation, you can contact the Office for Institutional
Equity (OIE) at institutional.equity@umich.edu. However, your report to OIE will not be
confidential.
Academic Honesty:
Plagiarism is usually the result of time management or some unforeseen circumstance. If
you find yourself in a situation where you feel your choices are to plagiarize or to submit
an assignment late, choose the latter but contact me so we can work something out. The
library at UM has useful resources on plagiarism for you to review here.
Here is LSA’s information on academic misconduct.
A Successful Term Together
I truly look forward to an unprecedented yet promising semester together!
Land Acknowledgement
I would like to acknowledge that the University of Michigan resides on the traditional
Territories of the Three Fire Peoples - the Ojibwe, Odawa and Bodewadmi. As we work, live,
and learn on these territories we must keep in mind the ongoing effects of colonization,
communities struggle for self-determination, colonial state violence, and the recognition of
Indigenous sovereignty.[1]

[1] Adapted from “Indigenous Resources,” University of Michigan Research Guides,

https://guides.lib.umich.edu/c.php?g=283427.
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Course Schedule-Winter 2021 (Tentative)

Writing 100 The Practice of Writing

Date & Class Questions and Activities Materials Needed Assignments &
Meeting for Assignments Deadlines

Ongoing Assignments
due before class
meeting: MW 2 p.m.

Rough and final drafts

of major projects:
Thursdays @ 11:59 p.m.

Week 1

No Class
Monday
Jan. 18
Martin Luther
King, Jr. Day

Wednesday
Jan. 20 What is this course all -Course syllabus & -Annotation
Introductions about? rubrics Assignment
• remote learning
and building a
learning community
• orientation to
course syllabus and
rubrics, Canvas,
Zoom, Hypothes.is

Week 2

Monday
Jan. 25 What are key terms and -“Use All Your -Annotation
Key Terms & concepts for writing and Englishes: Write
Concepts for the multimodal composition? with Style, in Your
Course Style, in Your Voice”
 Conway Winter 2021 9

● Establishing
personal writing
goals

Wednesday
Jan. 27 How does reading help Bunn, Mike. “How -Annotations
Reading Like a with making writing to Read Like
Writer & Literacy decisions? Writer,” Reading
on Writing, 2,
Introduction to Literacy 2011.
Narrative assignment
-Literacy Narrative
assignment
description

Week 3
Small Group Meeting::
Literacy Narrative
Invention & Drafting

Monday
Feb. 1 What is a literacy -Prendergast, -Annotation
Literacy Narrative narrative? Catherine. “Or You
Genre Don't: Talents, -Canvas Discussion
• understanding Tendencies, and
literacy narratives as the Pooka of
a genre Literacy.”
•using personal
experience as - “We Speak: Patrick
evidence and Kavita,” Subtitle

Wednesday
Feb. 3 How can I use the -Student literacy -Annotation & Canvas
Reading Like a “reading like a writer” narrative x 2 Discussion
Writer and Literacy strategy to help me draft -Due before Small Group
Narratives my own literacy -Anonymous Check- Meeting: Literacy
narrative? In Narrative & Remediation
Pitch

Week 4
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Monday
Feb. 8 What norms do we need -Structured -Canvas Discussion
Peer Review to make peer review Commenting
Practice successful? Protocol
& • writing as a process
Drafting Day • offering effective -“No One Writes
feedback for other writers Alone: A Guide for
Students”

-Small Workshop

Wednesday
Feb. 10 What are the technical -Literacy Narrative Rough
aspects of remediating my Draft due Thurs, Feb. 11
Library Digital literacy narrative?
Recording and
Editing Workshop

Week 5
Individual Meetings
Week 5: Literacy
Narrative Feedback

Monday
Feb. 15 What strategies can I use -Read & respond -Peer Feedback
Peer Review to better meet my to your peers’
Workshop writing goals? literacy narratives
& Revision Plan
● Analyzing and
improving my writing
process through peer
review
● Reflection as a
means of revision

Wednesday What is the rhetorical

Feb. 17 analysis genre, including -Rhetorical analysis -Annotations
Rhetorical Analysis its purpose? assignment
Introduction description

-Student Rhetorical
Analysis
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Week 6 Small Groups

Meeting:
Rhetorical Analysis
Drafting and Invention

Monday What are rhetorical

Feb. 22 strategies and how are -Code-Meshing -Canvas discussion
Rhetorical Devices they culturally Vershawn A.
& Cultural oriented? Young
Rhetorics
-excerpt from
Powell and Bratta.
“Introduction to
the Special Issue:
Entering the
Cultural Rhetorics
Conversations.”

Wednesday
Feb. 24 No Class -Revised Literacy
Wellness Day Narrative & Reflection
Essay 2/25

Week 7
2md Individual Meeting:
Rhetorical Analysis
Rough Draft

Monday How do rhetorical

March 1 situations affect the -Baldwin. “If Black -Annotation
Rhetorical Analysis rhetorical strategies a English Isn't a
Practice rhetor chooses? Language, Then
Tell Me, What Is?”

Wednesday
March 3 -Rhetorical Analysis
Rhetorical Analysis Rough Draft due 3/4
Drafting

Asynchronous
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Week 8

Monday
March 8 What strategies can I use -Feedback for peers
Peer Review to meet writing goals?
Workshop and
Revision: ● analyzing and
Rhetorical Analysis improving my writing
process through peer
review
● Reflection as
means of revision

Wednesday
March 10 What are discourse -Auto-ethnography -Annotation
Introduction to communities and why are assignment
Discourse we learning about them? description
Communities • Identifying various
discourse communities

Week 9

Monday
March 15 What is an -Annotation
autoethnography? -Canagarajah, A.
Introduction to Suresh.
Autoethnography How can the "Autoethnography
as a Genre autoethnography genre in the Study of
prepare me for academic Multilingual
writing? Writers." Writing
• conducting original Studies Research in
research Practice: Methods
• imagining yourself and Methodologies
as a participant in a
broader conversation

Wednesday
March 17 What is an -Student auto- -Annotation
Reading Like a autoethnography and ethnography
Writer: Student how can I write one?
Autoethnography
● Text discussion
pre-writing
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Week 10

Monday
March 22 What is primary research - Driscoll, Dana -Annotation
Exploring Primary and what are the ethics of Lynn. “Introduction
Research Methods participant-based to Primary
& research? Research:
Ethics Observations,
Surveys, and
Interviews.” Writing
Spaces Vol. 2

Wednesday
March 24 How can fieldnotes -Stone Sunstein and -Annotation
Research Methods: inform my research? Chiseri-Strater.
Observations & FieldWorking,
Fieldnotes “From Down Draft
to Up Draft”

Week 11
l

Monday
March 29 How can I utilize library -Berkeley -Canvas Discussion
Library Workshop resources to conduct University Library.
research? “Evaluating
Resources…”

-Georgetown
University Library,
“Evaluating
Internet
Resources.”

Wednesday
March 31 How can interviews -Research Proposal
Interviews & and/or surveys inform my
Surveys research? -Rhetorical Analysis and
•Develop interview Cover Letter 4/1
or survey questions
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Week 12

Monday
April 5 How do I analyze a Have access to a -Primary research
Analyzing a primary source from my primary source method assignment
Primary Source discourse community to from your discourse
answer my research community
community?

Wednesday
April 7 How do I identify scholarly -Your scholarly -Annotated scholarly
Analyzing Sources evidence to answer my source source
research question?

Week 13
Final Individual
Meetings:
Autoethnography

Monday
April 12 How does synthesis work -“Strategies for -Canvas Discussion
Synthesis & and how does it help me Synthesis”
Citation Review enter scholarly
conversations?

Wednesday
April 14 Research rough draft due
Autoethnography 4/15
Drafting
Asynchronous

Week 15
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Monday
April 19 How can I improve my -Peer Review Feedback
Peer Review writing through peer due
Workshop review?
• Offer effective
feedback for other
writers to also
improve your writing

Final Draft due No class meeting -Final Project

Monday, April 2 Submit work to Canvas -Course Reflection