English 105: Freshman Writing II
Professor Melissa D. Aaron
Room 6-216 MWF 1-2:05
Office: 24-229
Office hours: MW 2-3, T 10-12 and 2-3, and by appointment
Phone: 869-3839
Email: maaron@csupomona.edu
| Web page | Courses Page |
| WebCT | Resources Page |
Required texts
Axelrod and Cooper. The St. Martin's Guide to Writing. 6th edition. Bedford,
1998. You will also need to purchase a WebCT access code if it did not come
with your textbook.
Maasik and Solomon. California Dreams and Realities.
Course description
This may well be one of the most relevant courses
you will ever take at Cal Poly Pomona. In this class, we'll be reading and writing
about California, its golden and tarnished images, as well as what it's really
like to live here. We'll be thinking of its history, the stories of the people
who came to live here, from the most established to the most recent residents;
I got here in August of 1999, and I'm still trying to figure it all out. We'll
spend a special unit on the California Educational system, in which we're participants,
consumers, and perhaps activists. A very real aspect of life in California is
the computer, and it is also growing to have an increasing role in writing and
education. So this will be a computer-instructed and mediated class, and we'll
have a chance to meditate and reflect on the possibilities and problems of the
new technology, even as we make use of it. Last, but certainly not least, we'll
all be improving ourselves as writers. I hope to convince you that by end of
this quarter, you will not only have sharpened your writing skills, but that
you will agree that it's a versatile skill no person should be without.
Course requirements
You will need access to a computer and the Internet
for this course--if this will present a problem, please contact me. The class
will be taught in WebCT; we'll be exchanging papers, discussing texts, and posting
assignments there, in a virtual classroom. As a bonus, in addition to being
better writers at the end of the quarters, you'll also be digitally literate
(if you aren't already.) You will need to go to the WebCT site and register.
How it works
In order to give you more control over your own writing, this course is set up as a studio in which the majority of your time will be spent in workshop. You will be divided into small groups, and will work with these groups for the rest of the quarter. Every Monday, you will bring in fresh writing to your group, with copies for me and for each member of your group. Each of you will take turns reading your draft aloud while the others follow in their copies, making notes. The group will then provide feedback on the essay, making suggestions, which the writer will note down. The group will move on to the next writer's work. After class, the writers will take their drafts home, revise, and return to the group with a fresh draft. Online writing exercises and tutorials will be assigned on Monday for Wednesday. On Wednesday, we'll be discussing texts, doing mini-workshops on how to be better writers, and planning further work and revisions. Online discussion questions will be assigned Wednesday for Friday. On the following Monday, you'll have done your revision and be ready for workshopping.
Your writing will be process-oriented (focusing on the how of writing, not the end result) and communal, providing you with a ready-made audience of responsive readers. Continual revision will enable you to improve your writing, working on it as a craft, and the group process will give you experience in looking at other's writing, making you better readers as well as writers. As you go on, you'll find that becoming a critical reader will make you a sharper and more focused writer, a better arguer, and a clearer, more independent thinker as well. Initially, I will help you get started on your jobs as readers and writers, but ultimately, you are responsible for the success of your group. As the quarter goes on, you will be more and more autonymous and self-starting.
A note on grading
A writing class ought to be a laboratory in which experimentation can take place. Inevitably, some experiments will be less successful than others. Hence, much of your grade will be deferred until the end of the quarter, so that you can experiment to the full. That said, I expect your papers to reflect the outer limits of your skill and ability. Rough drafts, while they ought to be typed, can be very rough, leaving brackets for unfinished ideas and single-spacing; your polished version of papers ought to be double-spaced and as polished as possible.
To make this process easier, I've required the purchase of a textbook, which contains grammar and style guidelines, and, if you do not already possess one, a good dictionary (see above). You will be learning or reviewing various lessons on style, grammar, punctuation and general good usage. You may also ask me if you have any questions; but I expect you to use all the resources at your disposal. Obviously, this system rewards diligent effort and improvement.
For my grading criteria, click here.
Attendance policy
Because you are your own critics, assistants and
collaborators, your group is highly interdependant; and absence, tardiness and
nonparticipation constitute lethal blows to its effectiveness. In addition,
it is critical that you keep up with the writing and revisions, and make a solid
commitment to your group. Almost every day, you will be workshopping each other's
papers; therefore, you *are* the class. I expect you to be here and prepared,
every day, all the time. You may have two absences--and I suggest you hoard
them for genuine emergencies or sickness. After that, your participation grade
will drop. Six absences will constitute automatic failure. Excessive tardiness--say,
10 minutes or more--will be counted as an absence. Please talk to me if this
will be a problem for you. Also feel free to email me with any questions or
problems--I check my email very regularly.
At a certain point in the quarter, we will begin meeting online
in lieu of meeting in class, perhaps up to twice a week. This may prove to be
a convenience to you as you avoid circling to find parking; but WebCT tracks
you as you log on and leave posts. Therefore, I will know whether or not you
have been "attending" class.
Plagiarism
Did you know that "plagiarism" comes from
the Latin word for "kidnapper?" That's because it's theft, and the
University and I will treat it that way. I don't want to go into all the dire
consequences that will ensue; so don't do it. Enough said.
I count the Cliff's Notes as plagiarism in all cases. Don't use them, period; they will only confuse you and irritate me.
If you use someone else's ideas or words, you have to credit them. Here are two rules to help you with this: are you giving credit where credit is due? If someone wanted to find out more about the information you cited, or look up the quote, do they have enough information to do it? I would like you to use MLA documentation, and I'll show you how to do that.
Week 1 September 20th
F: Intro to class. Introductions, etc. Do"Myself as a Writer" essay
in class and ask to share. Save it—in fact, save all your writing. Collect
info sheets. Homework: register and do student homepages. For Monday, read into
in the St. Martin's Guide.
F: campus is closed. No class.
Week 2: September 23rd
M Orientation to WebCT. Placement in groups. Explanation of group protocol.
Begin discussion of California as a concept.
W Workshop on key writing concept--how to plan a paper. For Friday, read Chapter
1 of California Dreams and Realities. Discussion/chat assigned for Wednesday.
Post discussion response #1.
F: Discussion of the essays in the chapter. Spend group time brainstorming a
topic. A good starting point is the suggested topics at the end of each essay
or the topics on pages 60-61. By Monday, all students should have a rough topic
sketched out and an outline to work on in class. Post your topic idea to your
group in advance, using WebCT.
Week 3: September 30th
M Topics selected. Work on outline, using concepts discussed in class. For Wednesday,
do writing tutorial online
W Organization: how to get that first draft written. Discussion question #2
and further reading for Friday; response on WebCT assigned.
F Small group discussion of readings as relevant to your essays. For Monday,
first draft. Post to your group on WebCT.
Week 4: October 7th
M Working on drafts in groups. Work on writing tutorial for Wednesday; strategies
for coherent writing.
W Writing workshop. Plan final draft. Read Chapter 3 (Education) and respond
to discussion question #3.
F Totally online. A discussion of readings. You may log in anytime Friday to
do this.For Monday, submit final revision and bring new topic for brainstorming.
Week 5: October 14th
M First papers due: submit them online. For Wednesday, begin the next essay
and writing tutorials on paragraphing, topic sentences, etc..
W Mini-workshop on writing concepts. Brainstorm essay topics. Post response
to discussion question #4.
F Discussion group readings, thinking about new essay. Online over weekend:
submit first draft of paper #2 and respond for Monday
.
Week 6: October 21st
M Work on outline and drafts in class. For Wesdnesday, do Handbook Tutorials
and Exercise Central work on sentence structure. Also, please fill in online
survey on class and how it's going for you.
W Writing mini-workshop, more draft work.Working on drafts in groups, commentary.
F Post your final commentary on drafts online in time for your group colleagues
to make use of your comments.
Week 7 October 28th
M. Second paper due online. Chance to take a break, read from some essays, talk
about how our essays reflect what's going on. For Wednesday, prepare for writing
workshop with Handbook tutorial and exercises.
W Writing workshop: writing effective sentences, word choice, etc. For Friday,
read chapter 5--California Politics. Post discussion response #5.
F Discussion online. Brainstorm topics in groups. For Monday, submit a draft
online.
Week 8: November 4th
M Topics and beginning of draft work on paper #3, work in groups. For Wednesday:handbook
exercises, etc.
W Writing workshop. For Friday: Discussion question #6.
F Exchange drafts online for Monday.
Week 9 November 11th
M No class today--campus is closed. Work on papers. For Wednesday, handbook
tutorial and Exercise Central: punctuation, mechanics.
W Mini-workshop. For Friday, read Chapter 6—California Economics, and post
discussion response #7..
F: Instructor at conference. Between Friday and Monday; submit final draft of
paper #3 online.
Week 10: November 18th
M: Meet to discuss final portfolio: your best work, revised, with a cover essay.
W Workshop on portfolios. For Friday, informal discussion online.
F Exchange portfolio drafts and plans online and respond for Monday.
Week 11: November 25th
M: Work on portfolio.
W: Final class meeting!
F: Campus closed for Thanksgiving
The final portfolio is due in Exam Week.
maaron@csupomona.edu