Chapman University
Fall 2014
English 580: Teaching composition
Instructor Information:
- Ian Barnard, Ph.D.
- Office: 428 N. Glassell #104
- In-Person Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 1-2 p.m., and by appointment
- Email Office Hours: [email protected]
Introduction
Welcome to English 580! This graduate seminar helps you to understand the major theoretical stakes in the teaching of college composition and the practical pedagogical implications of these stakes. We will read current composition theory and work on developing theoretically informed syllabi for teaching college composition.
Student Learning Outcomes:
You will
Required Texts (available at the University Bookstore):
# = on reserve in the Leatherby Libraries
In addition, we will watch several short videos in class, and I will post articles on Blackboard for you to read. You will find your own readings in the course of research you will do for the Collaborative Book Group Presentation and your Syllabus and Rationale. I also expect you to spend time and energy reading your colleagues' workshop drafts.
I will post a list of additional resources for you on Blackboard.
Course Requirements:
Welcome to English 580! This graduate seminar helps you to understand the major theoretical stakes in the teaching of college composition and the practical pedagogical implications of these stakes. We will read current composition theory and work on developing theoretically informed syllabi for teaching college composition.
Student Learning Outcomes:
You will
- understand important current debates in composition studies related to the teaching of composition
- know how to create a theoretically-informed syllabus for a college composition course
- articulate your own position on a range of theoretical and pedagogical issues in relation to other composition scholars and teachers
Required Texts (available at the University Bookstore):
# = on reserve in the Leatherby Libraries
- Bender, Eileen Teper, et al, eds. Quick Hits: Successful Strategies by Award Winning Teachers.
- Leavitt, David. Arkansas.
- McComisky, Bruce. Teaching Composition as a Social Process.
- Rose, Mike. Lives on the Boundary. #
- Trinh T. Minh-ha. Woman, Native, Other: Writing Postcoloniality and Feminism. #
- Wysocki, Anne Francis, et al. Writing New Media: Theory and Applications for Expanding the Teaching of Composition.
- Alford, Barry, and Keith Kroll, eds. The Politics of Writing in the Two-Year College. #
- Jordan, Jay. Redesigning Composition for Multilingual Realities.
- Kirsch, Gesa E., et al, eds. Feminism and Composition: A Critical Sourcebook. #
- Lewiecki-Wilson, Cynthia, and Brenda Jo Brueggemann, eds. Disability and the Teaching of Writing: A Critical Sourcebook.
- Tchudi, Stephen, ed. Alternatives to Grading Student Writing. #
- Young, Vershawn Ashanti, et al. Other People's English: Code-Meshing, Code-Switching, and African American Literacy.
In addition, we will watch several short videos in class, and I will post articles on Blackboard for you to read. You will find your own readings in the course of research you will do for the Collaborative Book Group Presentation and your Syllabus and Rationale. I also expect you to spend time and energy reading your colleagues' workshop drafts.
I will post a list of additional resources for you on Blackboard.
Course Requirements:
- Collaborative Book Group Presentation: Each group will deliver a 20-30 minute presentation on their assigned text. Your presentation should give class members an overview of the text and your take on its significance for the teaching of writing. Bring up any aspects of the text that you find particularly interesting or problematic. Do not summarize the entire text—this is boring! Focus on critically engaging with your text rather than on mere summary. You and your partners need to collaborate on all aspects of the presentation--do not divide up the work and then give multiple mini-presentations. I will give you plenty of time in class to meet with your book group partners. You need to rehearse and time your presentation. Please do not exceed the 30 minute time limit. Be prepared to answer questions from class members after your presentation.
- Blackboard Posts: You will complete five Blackboard Posts that consist of your reflections on particular readings or other assignments, as well as responses to colleagues' Blackboard Posts. Except for Blackboard Post #3, each Blackboard post should be 250-500 words long, and each response to a colleague should be at least a paragraph. Cut and past your post, or post as a Word or PDF attachment; cut and paste responses to colleagues. You are welcome to include links, images, and other digital materials in your posts and responses. Respond to different colleagues each time and try to avoid repeating others' responses. We'll discuss in class the criteria for the posts and responses. Since these assignments are designed to help you to develop your own positions in relation to the course readings and to prepare for class meetings, I do not accept late Blackboard Posts. I will post specific prompts for each Blackboard Post. Check due days and times for Blackboard posts and responses on the schedule below, as deadlines vary from post to post.
- Syllabus and Rationale: For the culminating assignment of the seminar, you'll individually or collaboratively develop a syllabus for a college composition course of your choice plus a theoretically-informed rationale for your syllabus. Your syllabus doesn't need to have every single detail of your proposed course worked out, but should be something that is ready for your students to see on the first or second day of class. Your rationale (about five pages) should refer to English 580 class readings and other materials you find appropriate, including materials presented by the book groups and other research you have done. You are welcome to include material from your Blackboard posts in your rationale. Conclude your rationale with a list of Works Cited following MLA format. You cannot explain every component of your syllabus in the five page rationale, so you will need to focus on the bigger picture and decide which are the most important and/or interesting aspects of your syllabus that you’d like to discuss, or which aspects of the syllabus others might have questions about. Everyone teaches college composition differently—your rationale is your opportunity to explain why you plan to do things a particular way. Your target readers are current or potential college writing program administrators who might be interested in hiring you to teach a college composition course or who might want to see your syllabus and rationale as part of your annual review. Since you will be posting your syllabus and rationale (or a link to them) on Blackboard, feel free to include links, images, and other digital materials. You'll get feedback from seminar participants on a draft of your syllabus and rationale before you post the final version.
- Whole-Class Workshops: Each seminar participant has the opportunity to receive feedback on a draft of her syllabus and rationale in a whole-class workshop. Each class member will also facilitate a colleague's whole-class workshop. In order to receive full credit for the workshops, you need to post your draft on time, be present and follow the guidelines for your own workshop, read colleagues' drafts before class, effectively facilitate a colleague's workshop, and make productive contributions to other classmates' workshops. The workshops are designed to give you feedback on your work-in-progress, to foster contextualized discussions of future college composition classes that you might teach, and to model strategies for working on the writing process with your own students. We will discuss the workshop protocol in class.
- Class Visit: You will observe at least one Chapman University English 103 class during the second half of the semester. I will provide a list of faculty members who are willing to be observed, and we will discuss observation protocols in class. In addition, you will reflect on your observation as part of our in-class writing activities.
- Class Participation: I expect you to read all assigned texts carefully and critically, and participate vigorously in class discussions. Try to participate at least once in each class discussion. If you talk a lot, be sure to give other seminar participants the opportunity to participate as well. Due to the highly interactive nature of this course and the emphasis on group work and class discussions, I expect you to attend all class meetings (and to be on time).
- Other Assignments include in-class writing and group activities. Please bring your laptop with you to class each week.
- Email Protocol: I acknowledge all email messages within 48 hours. If you email me but don’t get a response, I haven’t received your email. Feel free to email me concerning any questions you have about the course or about your work. Do not email your work to me for feedback; I’d be happy to discuss your work with you in person.
- Classroom Dynamics: I do not spend much time lecturing and expect you to participate vigorously in the many discussions around which the course is organized. We all teach and learn in this course--I do not believe in a one-way transmission of “knowledge” from instructor to students. I don’t have all the answers, and I look forward to learning as much as teaching in this course. You should direct your questions and comments in class to your colleagues as much as to me. I encourage you to talk in class.
- Diversity: Chapman University is committed to ensuring equality and valuing diversity. Students and professors are reminded to show respect at all times as outlined in Chapman's Harassment and Discrimination Policy. Any violations of this policy should be discussed with the professor, the Dean of Students, and/or otherwise reported in accordance with this policy. Click here to read Chapman University's Statement on Diversity.
- Students With Disabilities: Please see me early in the semester if you have a documented disability, so that we can discuss what accommodations, if any, I might make to help you to succeed in this class. Click here to read Chapman University's Policy Statement for Assisting Students with Disabilities.
- Academic Integrity: Click here to read Chapman University's policy on academic integrity. Feel free to discuss any concerns with me.
tentative schedule
Readings marked * are on Blackboard
9/4/2014
9/11/2014
9/18/2014
9/25/2014
10/2/2014
10/9/2014
10/16/2014
10/23/2014
10/30/2014
11/6/2014
11/13/2014
11/20/2014
THANKSGIVING BREAK
12/4/2014
12/11/2014
9/4/2014
- In-class Activities: introduction to the course; class member introductions; in-class reading and discussion of Mike Rose, "Remediation at a Crossroads"; in-class viewing and discussion of "The Machine is Us/ing Us"; discuss criteria for Blackboard posts; introduction to Lives on the Boundary
- Homework Assignments: read Lives on the Boundary; Blackboard Post #1 due by 4 p.m. on 9/11
9/11/2014
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading and Blackboard posts; in-class responses to Blackboard post #1; introduction to Teaching Composition as a Social Process; assign book groups and draw presentation dates
- Homework Assignments: read Teaching Composition as a Social Process 1-67; begin reading your book group text
9/18/2014
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading
- Homework Assignments: continue reading your book group text; read Teaching Composition as a Social Process 68-138; Blackboard Post #2 due (your post due by 4 p.m. on 9/23; respond to three colleagues by 4 p.m. on 9/25)
9/25/2014
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading and Blackboard posts; meet with your book group members
- Homework Assignments: read selected essays in Writing New Media; Blackboard Post #3 due (your post due by 4 p.m. on 10/2; respond to three colleagues by 4 p.m. on 10/4)
10/2/2014
- In-Class Activities: discuss readings and Blackboard posts; meet with your book group members
- Homework Assignments: read "The Term Paper Artist" (in Arkansas) and "The 'Imitation David'" (Bleeth and Rivkin) *; continue research for your book group presentation; respond to three colleagues' Blackboard Post #3 by 4 p.m. on 10/4
10/9/2014
- In-Class Activities: discuss readings and issues around plagiarism and intellectual property; meet with your book group members
- Homework Assignments: prepare book group presentations; prepare class visits
10/16/2014
- No Class: work on your book group presentations and class visits (you must complete your class visit--including debriefing with Professor--before 11/13)
10/23/2014
- In-Class Activities: assign presentation respondents; book group presentations; mid-semester course evaluations
- Homework Assignments: prepare book group presentations
10/30/2014
- In-Class Activities: assign presentation respondents; book group presentations; discuss mid-semester course evaluations
- Homework Assignments: read selected texts on designing assignments and responding to student work *
11/6/2014
- In-Class Activities: discuss readings; in-class work on designing assignments and responding to student work; grammar; discuss grading; assign syllabus and rationale; draw workshop dates
- Homework Assignments: read Woman, Native Other; Blackboard Post #4 due (your
post due by 4 p.m. on 11/12; respond to three colleagues by 4 p.m. on
11/15)
11/13/2014
- In-Class Activities: debrief class visits; discuss reading and Blackboard posts; discuss workshop procedures; assign facilitators
- Homework Assignments: read Quick Hits; respond to three colleague's Blackboard Post #4 by 4 p.m. on 11/15; Blackboard Post #5 due by 4 p.m. on 11/20
11/20/2014
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading and
Blackboard posts; in-class responses to Blackboard Post #5; discussion
of composition textbooks; what to include in a syllabus; discuss samples
syllabi and rationales; special guest Professor Morgan Read-Davidson
- Homework Assignments: if you have a workshop on 12/4, post your draft syllabus and rationale on Blackboard by 4 p.m. on 12/1; read workshop drafts before class
THANKSGIVING BREAK
12/4/2014
- In-Class Activities: whole-class workshops; course debrief; watch and discuss "Tom Cruise on Teaching Composition"
- Homework Assignments: if you have a workshop on 12/11, post your draft syllabus and rationale on Blackboard by 4 p.m. on 12/8; read workshop drafts before class
12/11/2014
- In-Class Activities: course evaluations; whole-class workshops
- Homework Assignments: post your revised syllabus and rationale (as Word or PDF attachments) or a link to them on Blackboard by 4 p.m. on 12/18
Thanks to Aneil Rallin, Nina Moon Ahn, Doug Sweet, Morgan Read-Davidson, and the English 103 faculty volunteers for ideas for and assistance with this syllabus and course!