Prof. Wendy C. Nielsen
College Writing I (Fall 2006)

Longman Textbook

Writing, Work, and Citizenship: a Learning Community

ENWR 105-56 (11362)
MR 4-5:15 in University Hall 3010
http://chss.montclair.edu/~nielsenw/writing1.html
<http://english.montclair.edu>

Prof. Wendy Nielsen
Dickson Hall 324
Office Hours: Mondays 10-11:30, Thursdays 1-2:30, & by appt.
nielsenw@SPAMGUARDmail.montclair.edu

Texts available at University Bookstore:
Course description: The aim of this course is to improve your writing. Though many mistakenly think writing is a natural talent, students will leave this course with mastery over the tools necessary to complete excellent college papers: brainstorming, drafting, and multiple forms of editing. Strategies for critical reading will also inform class participants' understanding of the inextricable link between careful reading and writing. This section of College Writing I is unique in two ways. In addition to being a designated Learning Community, we will explore the ways in which writing informs work. Through various writing assignments, students will learn the components of academic discourse and the tools needed to research paper topics and their own career goals.

Requirements: See
link for Assignments <http://chss.montclair.edu/~nielsenw/wr1a.html> Grading Rubric: 98-100  A+; 93-97 A; 90-92 A-; 87-89 B+; 83-86 B; 80-82 B-; 77-79 C+; 73-76 C; 70-72 C-; 67-69 D+; 63-66 D; 60-62 D-; 0-59 F

Policies:
Tentative schedule subject to change; please check your Montclair email and <http://chss.montclair.edu/~nielsenw/writing1.html> for updates
Date
Class Activities
Reading / Homework Due
1. R 9/7
Course + Student Introduction; Course Goals; FW (= Free Write): How have you used writing in the last 24 hours? Ex. of Journal HW (New Yorker); Navigating Blackboard
HW for Monday in cell below
Unit I--Academic Writing: Discourse, Argument, and Analysis
2. M 9/11
Review of Course Goals; Reading Strategies; Journals: Writing and Audience; MLA Citation: Magazines; Essay #1: Work in the Vernacular assigned
Read 7-13, 20-25, &28-39 in Carpini (unless otherwise noted, all readings refer to Composing a Life's Work); JOURNAL #1--AUDIENCE: (1 page, ca. 250 words) Select a magazine and conjecture about the identity of its readers. What do the advertisements & writing style of the magazine tell you about its audience?  What kind of things does this audience like to do besides read the magazine? How educated & wealthy are they? What types of professions do these readers have? How old are they? Bring your magazine and analysis to class & post Journal to Blackboard/Discussion @ http://montclair.blackboard.com
3. R 9/14
Review of L. 2; Studs Terkel; MLA Citation: Websites
Read 40-51, 71-7; JOURNAL #2--WRITING & WORK: Write a page (ca. 250 words) on Writing Application 1 on p. 76-7. Bring hard copy of Journal to class and post to Blackboard/Discussion.
4. M 9/18
Registers in American English; Essays Collected
Write Essay #1: Work in the Vernacular by revising what you wrote in Journal #2 for an audience of friends and family. Due at the beginning of class!
5. R 9/21
Review; Free Write: Work; Race and Gender in Work: Student Questions; Equal Pay Act of 1963; Bureau of Labor Statistics
Read 505-33; DISC. #1: Write 3 discussion questions (either ones you would pose as an instructor of the class, things you are confused about in the reading, or a mix between the two) and bring them to class (will be collected). The purpose of discussion questions is to open a dialogue between you and me; to make this a student-centered classroom; and to help students become better writers by becoming critical thinkers, or people who question what they read. Discussion questions are evaluated on a check (average, show you did the reading), check plus (insightful, original, possibly brilliant, probably shared during class), or check minus (you didn't do the reading or simply copied questions discussed in class) basis. Discussion questions are not mandatory but are taken into consideration for your Participation Grade. See also note in Policies above.
6. M 9/25
Review; Essay #2: Arguing Work in Academic Discourse assigned; Argument and Analysis; Brainstorm: Qualities of Good Academic Writing; Essay #1 Returned Read 121-46, 161-73, 369-70, 402-08; DISC. #2: Bring 3 discussion questions to class (will be collected)
7. R 9/28
Review; Peer Review of Essay #1; Self Evaluation: Your Goals
Write a rough draft of Essay #2: Arguing Work in Academic Discourse by revising Essay #1: Work in the Vernacular for an educated audience of students, teachers, professors, and other members of the academic community. The first draft is a substantial piece of work, representing several hours of writing--perhaps exploring a topic, or working on one approach, abandoning it, and trying another. Bring 2 hard copies to class and post to Blackboard/Discussion.
8. M 10/2
Peer Review and Student-Teacher Conferences regarding Essay #1
Write a mid-process draft of Essay #2: Arguing Work in Academic Discourse--bring 2 hard copies to class and post to Blackboard/Discussion. A mid-process draft is the re-working or extension of the materials of the first draft. Now your essay should really take shape in terms of content and depth. You have gone beyond description and into analysis. This draft will certainly be as long as your final draft.
9. R 10/5
Editing and Sentence-by-Sentence Analysis; Hacker
Read 147-54, 417-24, & 425-38 in Carpini; Bring Hacker to class
10. M 10/9
Essays collected; Essay #3: Interview with a Professional assigned
Essay #2: Arguing Work in Academic Discourse due
Unit II--Researching and Writing about Work
11. R 10/12
4-4:30: meet at Career Center (Morehead Hall 337, C. Sullivan);  Essay #3: Interview with a Professional assigned; Sources for Academic Research: Primary and Secondary; the Internet and Occupations Read 85-92, 95-107, 158-61, 303-09; DISC. #3: Bring 3 discussion questions to class (will be collected)
12. M 10/16
Essay #2 returned; Work & Values
JOURNAL #3--WORK & VALUES: Brainstorm and draft a page about work and values (on any related topic you specify through exploratory writing); Find a professional to interview and schedule an interview; Check out MSU's alumni mentoring programs at http://www.montclair.edu/CareerServices/AlumniNetwork.html
13. R 10/19
Active Reading; Ethics and Human Subjects in Research; In-class: Write a self-evaluation that assesses your writing style in Essay #2: What are your strengths, and what are your weaknesses as a writer? Read 187-204, 210-38; DISC. #4: Bring 3 discussion questions to class (will be collected)
14. M 10/23
Review; Summary p. 213; Peer Review of Interview Questions; MLA Citation: Interviews
JOURNAL #4--INTERVIEW: Write a draft of interview questions for Essay #3.--bring 2 hard copies to class and post to Blackboard/Discussion. If you don't have a major yet, visit the Majors Fair on Wednesday, Oct. 25 @ 1:00pm-3:00p.m.
15. R 10/26
Library Tutorial--meet in Sprague Library Room 203
By this date, you should have conducted your interview; post a draft on Blackboard/Discussion
16. M 10/30
Student-instructor conferences on essay drafts; peer review of essay drafts; Students share interview experiences and excerpts
Bring 2 hard copies of your essay to class
17. R 11/2
Review; Essay #4: Research Portfolio on Work and Writing assigned; Developing Research Topics; In-class: JOURNAL #5--RESEARCH TOPICS: Brainstorm and draft a page about potential research topics Read 318-23, 373-88; Essay #3: Interview with a Professional due
18. M 11/6
Review of L. 17
Post revision of Journal #5 to Blackboard/Discussion; JOURNAL #6--WRITING & MY MAJOR: What types of writing conventions does your discipline use? (If you don't have a major, reflect on the discipline/occupation you are writing about.) Bring evidence of writing in your discipline to class (textbook, articles, etc.). There are also examples of academic writing p. 245-75.
19. R 11/9
Peer Review of Research Proposals
Write a rough draft of your research proposal--Bring 2 hard copies to class and post to Blackboard/Discussion.
20. M 11/13
Review of L. 19; Peer Review (style & content) & student-instructor conference Write a rough draft of your annotated bibliography--Bring 2 hard copies to class and post to Blackboard/Discussion.
21. R 11/16
Review of L. 20; Essay #5: Research Paper assigned Essay #4: Research Portfolio on Work and Writing due [NEW!!]
22. M 11/20
Reading Day
Read ahead for next homework
23. M 11/27
Research Portfolios returned; Self-Evaluation & Citation Practice
Read 364-68, 413-16, 439-61 (skim); DISC. #5: Bring 3 discussion questions to class (will be collected)
24. R 11/30
Review of L. 23; Peer Review (content) & student-instructor conference
Write a rough draft of Essay #5: Research Paper on Work and Writing-Bring 2 hard copies to class and post to Blackboard/Discussion.
25. M 12/4
Review of L. 24; Peer Review (style & content)
Write a mid-process draft of Essay #5: Research Paper on Work and Writing-Bring 2 hard copies to class and post to Blackboard/Discussion.
26. R 12/7
Writing Portfolio assigned
Essay #5: Research Paper due on Work and Writing
27. M 12/11
Free Write 1; Free Write 2; Grammar Ex.
Write draft of critical introduction, and start revising Essay #2 (bring both to class); Participation Portfolio due (optional)
28. R 12/14
Review of Course Goals
Writing Portfolio due; Last day to turn in late formal writing assignments
Final Exam Week
Pick up Writing Portfolios from instructor in 324 Dickson on R 12/21 between 2-3 p.m.
Good luck on your other exams!

Wendy C. Nielsen, "College Writing I" on WCN Home, <http://chss.montclair.edu/~nielsenw/writing1.html>, Nov. 2006