betajames

While no one list is comprehensive, each provides a good start:

http://twitter.com/alice_daer/comp-rhet

http://twitter.com/swiftj/rhetorical/members

http://twitter.com/rmhoward/colleagues

http://twitter.com/easyrhetor/rhetors

[amended from Maureen Daly Goggin & Michael Stancliff]

“To review is to assess; that is the essence of the reviewer’s duties. The sad truth is that some books, even those published by prestigious presses, are poorly conceived and written; publication is not guarantee of quality. Consequently, distinguishing books of quality is one of the most important responsibilities of a book reviewer.” 
----Christina Murphy. "Breaking the Print Barrier: Entering the Professional Conversation." Publishing in Rhetoric and Composition. Edited by Gary Olson and Todd Taylor. Albany: SUNY P, 1997, 12.

 

This assignment provides you the opportunity to read a scholarly book (or edited collection) concerned with rhetoric, composition, and the teaching of writing. It also provides you the opportunity to engage in an academic genre common to the discipline. This assignment is meant to contribute to theorizing your teaching practice as well as your professional development.

You will select a book published between 2007 and 2010. I recommend you identify a book within your scholarly and/or professional interests. Your selection could also relate to your scheduled facilitation. Your best bet for identifying an appropriate codex is to use CompPile. Search by date, then organize the results by "book" in descending order. For example, here's a screenshot of "2007" results by book in descending order: 

A likely outlet for your review would be any one of the many journals devoted to rhetoric and composition. CompPile is always in need of reviews, too! 

The following questions should serve as heuristics:

• What is the book's content? (i.e., summarize and assess the major ideas in the book) How is it organized? How well does the organization work?
• What does the author promise the book will deliver? How well does the author succeed in delivering on that promise?
• How readable is the book? If it is a difficult read, is it worth the time and energy to struggle through?
• Has the book anything new to say or is it plowing familiar ground?
• What are the limitations of the book? (All books have these; good authors note them.) What problems, if any, plague the book?
• What is your intention in writing the review? Is the review meant as a service within a field or across fields? Are you consciously going to foreground a more specific agenda?
• Are you writing the review for those within the field or those working in another discipline?

Reviews often run 1500-2000 words in length. Your review should do likewise. The convention for many reviews is to first list the title of the book, followed by publishing information, followed by the review and to place your name and institution at the end. Here are two examples: "Brooke, Collin Gifford. Lingua Fracta: Towards a Rhetoric of New Media. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton P, 2009. 222 pp, ISBN 9781572738935 | Reviewed by Kerri Hauman." & "Lee, Amy. Compositing Critical Pedagogies: Teaching Writing As Revision. Urbana, IL: NCTE, 2000. | Reviewed by Nicole Provencher." 

Your review is due by Week 10, but you are welcome to complete it earlier than that. 

Semester: Winter 2011
Teacher/Guide: Dr. James Schirmer
E-mail: jschirm@umflint.edu
Office: 320D French Hall
Hours: Tues/Thurs by appointment
Mailbox: 326 French Hall

Writing Center: 559 French Hall
Writing Center Phone: 810.766.6602 (call ahead to make an appointment)
Writing Center Website: http://www.umflint.edu/departments/writingcenter/

Course Description
English 567 is designed to provide a broad overview of current and historial theories in the field of Composition and Rhetoric. English 567 also addresses and examines how these theories influence the teaching of composition. The amalgamation of classroom activities, reading, and writing will help us better understand the writing process from a theoretical and practical standpoint.

Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• understand competing and complementary theories of composition within an historical context
• possess competences in modes of composition relevant to work and study in education and related fields
• understand the writing process and its implications for writing and writing instruction
• analyze composition theories and writing 

Required Texts
All other reading materials will be available online or provided via email.

Course Contributions 
The grading contract outlines many parameters for the course, but not all. Below is more information about unique contributions to be made to the course by all students:

PRESENCE: I expect you to come to class on time, prepared, having completed the assigned reading and writing, and ready to contribute thoughts to class discussions, to listen with attentive respect to the thoughts of your peers, and to participate in all in-class group work.  I strongly urge you to attend every class, as most of the work done in class is necessary for successful completion of the course.

BLOGGERY: Contrary to assumptions about writing, authorship is more of a collective process than an individual endeavor. To better illustrate this, you are required to create and maintain a blog for the duration of the course. Particular requirements for blogging are as follows:

• Blog posts, minimum of 1 per week, are due Wednesday by 11:59pm. 
• Blog comments, minimum of 4 per week, are due Sunday by 11:59pm.

Further guidelines (including length requirements) are here. 

FACILITATION: Starting Week 3, class sessions will begin with a student-led, 60-minute facilitation based on assigned readings. The facilitation should begin with a pecha kucha presentation, but what follows that is for each group to decide. The bulk of the facilitation can take whatever format is comfortable for the student pair presenting (discussion questions, in-class activities, online activities, etc.). Student pairs will meet with the instructor at least one week prior to their facilitation to discuss approaches.

ESSAYS: Two are required for this course. One will be a professional journal book review. Unlike the reports you may have written in grade school, professional journal book reviews expect the author to have an understanding of the larger field and related literature. The second essay will be a professional journal article about a particular theory/practice. You also have the option of creating your own syllabus for a future composition course, including 2 major writing assignments. Further details on each of these essays will be provided here at the appropriate time.

TWITTER: To create and sustain further conversation about technical communication, you are required to maintain active presence on Twitter. 5 tweets per week are also required, but there is freedom regarding content. I encourage you to post original thoughts, "retweet" classmates' updates, @ (reply to) classmates' updates and share relevant links. Posts unrelated to course content are okay, but will not count toward the post requirement. I am very active on Twitter, so I encourage all students to check my profile (and those I follow) for models of engagement.

----

A majority of the tools we will be using in and outside of class are web-based, so you will not need any special software. I might, however, have some recommendations (not requirements) that I will provide at appropriate intervals. Furthermore, you should have an email address that you check regularly for this class. While I prefer to contact students via university email, I am open to other email addresses.

While technology makes life easier, it can also be difficult (computer crashes, deleted work, unavailable Internet connections, etc.). So, plan accordingly. "The computer ate my homework" or "the Internet was down" are not reasons to forgo the work assigned. It is in your best interest to leave extra time, especially in the first few weeks, to ensure that technology does not get in the way of your coursework.

How to Reach Me
The best way to reach me is by email <jschirm@umflint.edu>. You can also contact me via Twitter <twitter.com/betajames>. I am online almost every day. If you email or @ me and do not receive a response within 24 hours, please feel free to email or @ me again as a reminder. I promise not to consider this harassment. If you are more comfortable with face-to-face communication, you are welcome to schedule an appointment Tuesday/Thursday. My office is 320D French Hall.

Final Note
Should any aspect of class confuse/concern/trouble you, don't hesitate to contact me.

Week 1 - Introduction & justification

January 6, 2011

 

Week 2 - Overview

January 13, 2011

Fulkerson, Richard. "Composition at the Turn of the 21st Century." College Composition and Communication 56 (2005): 654-87.

Berlin, James. "Contemporary Composition: The Major Pedagogical Theories." College English 44 (1982): 765-77.

Week 3 - Process

January 20, 2011

Facilitation: Michelle E.

Bartholomae, Donald. "The Study of Error." College Composition and Communication 31 (1980): 253-69.

Cooper, Marilyn. "Ecology of Writing." College English 48 (1986): 364-75.

Faigley, Lester. "Competing Theories of Process." College English 48 (1986): 527-42.

Lunsford, Andrea and Lisa Ede. "Audience Addressed/Audience Invoked." College Composition and Communication 35 (1984): 155-71.

 

Week 4 - Expressive

January 27, 2011

Facilitation: John M.

Cherry, Roger. "Ethos vs. Persona." Written Communication 5 (1988): 251-76.

Elbow, Peter. "A Method for Teaching Writing." College English 30 (1968): 115-25.

Fishman, Stephen M., and Lucille P. McCarthy. "Is Expressivism Dead?" College English 54 (1992): 647-61.

O'Donnell, Thomas. "Politics & Ordinary Language." College English 58 (1996): 423-39.

Week 5 - Rhetorical

February 3, 2011

Facilitation: Kim C.

Kennedy, George. "A Hoot in the Dark: The Evolution of General Rhetoric." Philosophy and Rhetoric 25.1 (1992): 1-21.

Connors, Robert J. "The Rise and Fall of the Modes of Discourse." College Composition and Communication 32 (1981): 444-55.

Bitzer, Lloyd. "The Rhetorical Situation." Philosophy and Rhetoric 1.1 (1968): 1-14.

Vatz, Richard. "The Myth of the Rhetorical Situation." Philosophy and Rhetoric 6.3 (1973): 154-161.

Consigny, Scott. "Rhetoric and Its Situations." Philosophy and Rhetoric 7.3 (1974): 175-186.

 

Week 6 - Collaborative

February 10, 2011

Facilitation: Megan B. & Ashley A.

Bruffee, Kenneth A. "Collaborative Learning and the 'Conversation of Mankind.'" College English 46.7 (November 1984): 635-52.

Bleich, David. "Collaboration and the Pedagogy of Disclosure." College English 57.1 (January 1995): 43-61.

Lunsford, Andrea and Lisa Ede. "Rhetoric in a New Key: Women and Collaboration." Rhetoric Review 8 (1990): 234-41.

Schliefer, Ronald. "Disciplinary and Collaboration in the Sciences and Humanities." College English 59.4 (April 1997): 438-52.

Week 7 - Cultural Studies

February 17, 2011

Facilitation: Adam F.

Bartholomae, David. "Inventing the University" (MADE AVAILABLE BY INSTRUCTOR)

Bizzell, Patricia. "Cognition, Convention, and Certainty: What We Need To Know About Writing." Pre/Text 3.3 (1982): 213-43.

Miller, Richard E. "Fault Lines in the Contact Zone." College English 56.4 (1994): 389-408.

Ohmann, Richard. "Graduate Students, Professionals, Intellectuals." College English 52.3 (1990): 247-57.

Pratt, Mary Louise. "Arts of the Contact Zone." Profession 91 (1991): 33-40.

 

Week 8 - Critical

February 24, 2011

Facilitation: Kevin V.N. & Becky W. 

Giroux, Henry. "Liberal Arts Education and the Struggle for Public Life: Dreaming About Democracy." South Atlantic Quarterly 89 (1990): 297-324.

Hairston, Maxine. "Diversity, Ideology, and Teaching Writing." College Composition and Communication 43 (1992): 179-93.

Lynch, Dennis A. "Teaching Rhetorical Values and the Question of Student Autonomy." Rhetoric Review 13 (1995): 350-70.

Simon, Roger. "Empowerment as a Pedagogy of Possibility." Language Arts 64 (1987): 370-82.

Smith, Jeff. "Students' Goals, Gatekeeping, and Some Questions of Ethics." College English 59 (1997): 299-320.

 

Week 9 - SPRING BREAK

 

Week 10 - Feminist

March 10, 2011

Book review due

Facilitation: Jensie S. & Gia H.

Annas, Pamela. "Style as Politics: A Feminist Approach to the Teaching of Writing." College English 47 (1985): 360-71. 

Flynn, Elizabeth A. "Composing as a Woman." College Composition and Communication 39 (1988): 423-35.

Lamb, Catherine E. "Beyond Argument in Feminist Composition." College Composition and Communication 42 (1991): 11-24.

 

Week 11 - Basic Writing

March 17, 2011

Facilitation: Joshua D. & Amanda D.

Adams, Peter Dow. "Basic Writing Reconsidered." Journal of Basic Writing 12 (1993): 22-36.

Bartholomae, David. "The Tidy House: Basic Writing in the American Curriculum." Journal of Basic Writing 12 (1993): 4-21.

Bizzell, Patricia. "What Happens When Basic Writers Come to College." College Composition and Communication 37 (October 1986): 294-301.

Horner, Bruce. "Discoursing Basic Writing." College Composition and Communication 47 (May 1996): 199-222.

Shaugnessy, Mina P. "Diving In: An Introduction to Basic Writing." College Composition and Communication 27 (October 1976): 234-239.

 

Week 12 - Technology

March 24, 2011

Facilitation: Tara M. & Melodie B.

Bernhardt, Stephen A. "The Shape of Text to Come." College Composition and Communication 44 (1993): 151-75.

Eldred, Janet M. "Pedagogy in the Computer-networked Classroom." Computers and Composition 8.2 (1991): 47-61.

Haas, Christina. "How the Writing Medium Shapes the Writing Process: Effects of Word Processing on Planning." Research in the Teaching of English 23 (1989): 181-207.

McGee, Tim and Patricia Ericsson. "The Politics of the Program: MS Word as Invisible Grammarian." Computers and Composition 19 (2002): 453-70.

Selfe, Cynthia L. "Technology and Literacy: A Story about the Perils of Not Paying Attention." College Composition and Communication 50.3 (1999): 411-36.

 

Week 13 - Pecha Kucha!

March 31, 2011

Pecha kucha presentations

 

Week 14 - Peer Review (online; Dr. Schirmer in Atlanta)

NO CLASS

Project drafts due

 

Week 15 - Debriefing

April 14, 2011

Revised project drafts due

 

Week 16 - Exam Week

Self-evaluative reflections due

[amended from Peter Elbow] 

I often find grades to be distractions from learning. This course places a strong emphasis on participation and I'm concerned that grades might get in the way. Conventional grading often leads us to think more about grades than about learning and writing, to worry more about pleasing or fooling a teacher than about figuring out what you want to say or how to say it, leaving us reluctant to take risks. Sometimes, grades even lead to the feeling that you are working against the teacher. Instead, I want to create a culture of support, a culture where you, your colleagues and I function as allies, fellow travelers with various skills, experience and talents that we can offer to the group, rather than as adversaries working against each other for grades. 

Rather than giving individual grades for each assignment and basing them on an arbitrary point system to be tallied at the end of the semester, I will instead provide substantive comments on the majority of work performed this semester. I will also engage you in conversations about performance via progress reports. However, these assessments will not affect your overall grade in the course. Instead, they should function as guides to how you need to revise or rethink your performance. 

Through the use of a grading contract, I'm asking for a reconsideration of how you work in our classroom, what your role is as a student in a classroom, and what your relationship to one another is as colleagues. All of this really boils down to rethinking "responsibility." Traditional grading by a teacher alone keeps students from having much responsibility by instead assuming students can only be motivated by grades, not by learning or actual coursework. Grades create systems of accountability instead of providing environments for personal and social responsibility. 

In this course, the grading contract asks you to have responsibility to yourself and to the class to do the work required, to attend and participate during class time, to ask questions of me or your classmates if you're confused and to know what assignments have been turned in and where you stand in relation to the contract. As the teacher/guide, I have the responsibility to be prepared for every class, to answer any questions and consider any feedback, to provide helpful and honest suggestions on your work and to make myself available for questions and concerns outside of class.

Therefore, the default grade for the course is a "A." If you do all that's asked of you in the manner and spirit it is asked, if you work through the processes we establish and the work assigned during the semester, then you'll earn a "B." If you miss class, turn assignments in late, or forget to do assignments, etc., your grade will drop. 

“A” Grades 
You are guaranteed a course grade of “A” if you meet all of the following conditions:

1. Attendance/Participation/Presence. You’ll attend and fully participate in our scheduled class sessions and their activities and assignments. For our class, attendance equates to participation. Therefore, it is not enough for you simply to come to class. If you come to class unprepared in any way (e.g., without work done, assignments read, etc.), it will be counted as an absence, since you won’t be able to participate fully in our activities. This means any informal assignment given, or ones not outlined on our syllabus, fit into this category of attendance. 
   
   NOTE: Assignments not completed because of an absence, either ones assigned on the schedule or ones assigned on earlier days in class, will be late, missed, or ignored (depending on when you turn it in finally, see the guidelines #4, #5, and #6 below). 
   Any absence due to an university-sponsored group activity (e.g., sporting event, band, etc.) will not count against you as long as you FIRST provide written documentation in the first 2 weeks of the semester of all absences. This same policy applies to those who have mandatory military-related absences (e.g., deployment, work, duty, etc.). This will allow us to determine how you will meet assignments, participation, and the responsibilities of our contract, despite being absent. 
2. Lateness. You’ll come on time or early to class. Walking into class late 2 or 3 times in a semester is understandable, but coming habitually late every week is not. If you are late to class, you are still responsible to find out what assignments or instructions were made, but please don’t disrupt our class by asking about the things you missed because you were late. 
3. Sharing and Collaboration. You’ll work cooperatively in groups. Be willing to share your writing, to listen supportively to the writing of others, and, when called for, give full and thoughtful assessments that consistently help your colleagues consider ways to revise. 
4. Late Assignments. You will turn in properly and on time all assignments. Because your colleagues in class depend on you to get your work done on time so that they can do theirs on time, all late assignments are just as bad as missed assignments.
   Exception: twice during the semester, you may turn in a late assignment. All “late assignments” are due 2 days after their initial due date, no exceptions. Please note that a late assignment may be due on a day when our class is not scheduled to meet. 
5. Missed Assignments. A missed assignment is NOT one not completed; it is one that has missed the guidelines somehow but is still complete and turned in. In order to meet our contract for a “A” grade, you cannot have any “missed assignments.” Please note that assignments not completed at all are considered “Ignored Assignments” (see #6 below). A missed assignment is usually one completed after the 48 hours that would have made it only a “late” assignment, but it is complete. 
6. Ignored Assignments. Any assignments not done period, or “ignored,” for whatever reasons, are put in this category. One of these means an automatic “C.” Two acquired gives you an “F”  – no exceptions. 

All Compositions need to meet the following conditions:

• Complete and On Time. You’ll turn in on time and in the appropriate manner completed work that meet all of assignment guidelines. 
• Revisions. If/when the assignment is to revise, you will reshape, extend, complicate, or substantially clarify your ideas – or relate your ideas to new things. You won’t just correct or touch up. Revisions must somehow respond to or consider seriously your colleagues’ assessments. 
• Copy Editing. When the assignment is for the final publication draft, your piece must be well copy edited – that is, free from virtually all mistakes in spelling and grammar.  It's fine to get help in copy editing.

All Assessments and Peer Responses need to meet the following conditions: 

• Complete and On Time. All assessments should be complete and submitted on time and in the appropriate way so that your colleagues will get your assessments of their writing the way the class has predetermined. 
• Content. All assessments should follow the directions established by our evolving class discussions about them. 
• Courtesy and Respect. All assessments should be courteous and respectful in tone, but honest. It’s okay to say something doesn’t seem right in a draft, or that something doesn’t really work. Respect means we are kind and truthful. It’s not the “golden rule” (treat others as you would have them treat you), but a modified one: treat others as you believe they want to be treated. 

Clarification on "A"
The grade of "B" depends on behaviors. Have you shown responsible effort and consistency in our class? Have you done what was asked of you in the spirit it was asked?

However, the grade of "A" depends on acknowledged quality. Thus, you earn a "B" if you put in good time and effort; we should push each other for a "B." In order to get an "A," you have to make your time and effort pay off into writing of genuine, recognizable excellence that responds in some concrete way to your colleagues' and my concerns (and also meets the conditions for a "B"). This means that not only is revision important, but a certain kind of revision, one demonstrating a reflective writer listening, making decisions and moving drafts above and beyond expectations. Writing in the "A" category will respond to assessments and be reflective of itself.

Notice that for grades up to "B," you don't have to worry about my judgment or my standards of excellence;  for higher grades, you do. But we'll have class discussions about excellence in writing and we should be able to reach fairly good agreement.

Knowing Where You Stand
This system is better than regular grading for giving you a clear idea of what your final grade looks like at any moment. For whenever you get feedback on any essay, you should know where you stand in terms of meeting the expectations of the course. I will also encourage and guide some of these discussions on an individual basis in the form of progress reports. But if you’re doing everything as directed and turning it in on time (no matter what anyone says), you’re getting a "B." As for absences and lateness, you'll have to keep track of them, but you can check with me any time. 

Grades Lower Than "B"
I hope no one will aim for lower grades. The quickest way to slide to a “C" or lower is to miss class, not turn in things on time, and show up without assignments. This much is nonnegotiable: you are not eligible for a passing grade of “C” unless you have attend at least 86% of the class sessions and meet the guidelines above. And you can't just turn in all the late work at the end. If you are missing classes and behind in work, please stay in touch with me about your chances of passing the course.

The Breakdown 
So, here’s the way grading works in our class. In order to get the grade on the left, you must meet or exceed the requirements in the row next to it. 

	# of Absences	# of  Late Assigns.	# of Missed Assigns.	# of Ignored Assigns.
A	0	2	0	0
B	0	2	0	0
C	2	3	1 or 2	0
D	3	4	3	1
E	4 or more	4 or more	4 or more	2 or more

[amended from Delia DeCourcy, Alan Jacobs, and Bill Wolff]

Blogging in this course should be concerned with the regular examination of ideas and provide concise arguments via unique viewpoint and voice. There should be substantive thought behind the ideas you present. Find new ways of saying what you think you want to say. Push yourself to explore the ways you can get at ideas through the use of different media. Have specific references, including text, hyperlinks, video, images and audio, as means of support. Be sure to explain these references, though; don't just stick them in a post and expect readers to understand why.

Your blog is a place to further explore the ideas we discuss in class and to write about related concepts of interest. Offer an interpretation of something we've read. Ask a question about something we've read. Link to, quote from, and respond to something we've read. Provide contextual information about the subjects we're reading and their cultural and intellectual contexts. Don't forget to comment on the posts of your classmates; .

When creating, designing and writing in your blog, please complete the following:

1. Choose a professional and meaningful title and subtitle.
2. Compose a detailed and relevant About page discussing who you are and the focus of your blog.
3. Choose an appropriate theme.
4. For each blog post, compose a meaningful title written for an audience beyond our class.
5. For each blog post, include 5-6 tags.

Experiment with the dashboard area, see how things work and what happens when you make changes. The more you engage with, customize and explore your blog, the more effective it will be and the more you will get out of the assignment.

There is no set requirement for the length of a blog post or blog comment. One of the features of the blogging medium and the characteristics of individual posts is that length is determined by content and goals. Each post you make, though, should be thorough in discussing the subject at hand.

During the weeks regular blogging is required, be sure to post an entry that extends the class discussion OR one that explores an area of interest particular to you. Posts that extend class discussion should take what we have discussed in class about a subject or text and continue the discussion. For example, a post might address one of the questions raised in a class discussion. Posts that explore an area of interest particular to you are just that. Ideally, these posts should serve as introductory writing toward larger, later assignments.

Course: ENG 345 Technical Writing
Semester: Winter 2011
Teacher/Guide: Dr. James Schirmer
E-mail: jschirm@umflint.edu
Office: 320D French Hall
Hours: Tues/Thurs by appointment
Mailbox: 326 French Hall

Writing Center: 559 French Hall
Writing Center Phone: 810.766.6602 (call ahead to make an appointment)
Writing Center Website: http://www.umflint.edu/departments/writingcenter/

Course Description
ENG 345 focuses on technical communication, which is a form of communication wherein analysis of audience and purpose provides practical information toward education and/or facilitation. Therefore concerned with the production of clear and concise informative documents, including instruction manuals, user guides and a variety of technical reports, this course provides ample opportunity to learn about and practice the creation of such documents in the context of self-selected topics.

Prior or concurrent election of ENG 112 is the lone requisite for this course.

Course Objectives
Upon completion of the course, you will be able to:

• Recognize technical communications as encompassing a diverse body of potential work
• Identify several persuasive techniques available for use in technical communications
• Analyze a technical communication for a variety of strengths and weaknesses
• Construct several types of technical communication in at least one specialized area
• Assess yourself and peers as technical communicators

Required Texts
Gentle, Anne. Conversation and Community.
McMurrey, David A. Technical Writing: Online Textbook.

All other reading materials will be available online or provided via email.

Course Contributions 
The grading contract outlines many parameters for the course, but not all. Below is more information about unique contributions to be made to the course by all students:

PRESENCE: I expect you to come to class on time, prepared, having completed the assigned reading and writing, and ready to contribute thoughts to class discussions, to listen with attentive respect to the thoughts of your peers, and to participate in all in-class group work.  I strongly urge you to attend every class, as most of the work done in class is necessary for successful completion of the course.

BLOGGERY: Contrary to assumptions about writing, authorship is more of a collective process than an individual endeavor. To better illustrate this, you are required to create and maintain a blog for the duration of the course. Particular requirements for blogging are as follows:

• Blog posts, minimum of 2 per week, are due Monday/Thursday by 11:59pm. 
• Blog comments, minimum of 3 per week, are due Wednesday/Friday by 4:59pm.

Further guidelines (including length requirements) are here. 

FACILITATION: Student groups are responsible for facilitating a 60-minute session once during the semester. Assigned reading should be part of the facilitation (and given to the instructor in time to allow for copies to be made (or PDFs to be loaded)). Facilitation readings should be relevant to and provide insight on some aspect of technical communication. The facilitation should begin with a group-led pecha kucha presentation, but what follows that is for each group to decide. In other words, the bulk of the facilitation can take whatever format is comfortable for the student group presenting (discussion questions, in-class activities, online activities or chats, etc.). The introduction and subsequent discussion of facilitation topics will be based on students' interests. Once decided, student groups will meet with the instructor at least one week prior to their facilitation to finalize readings and discuss approaches.

SEQUENCES: For particular course themes, there are some longer assignments. These provide opportunities for not only greater attention and focus but also practice and preparation for later projects. The sequences are as follows:

• Technology Autobiography - due Week 2
  Reflecting on our relationships with technology helps us understand how we learn new technologies and, by extension, understand how our own coping and learning strategies are similar to and different from those around us. By putting such reflection into the form of an autobiography, telling stories of our lives with technology gives us a chance to know each other better in a unique way. 

• The "Zero Gravity Toilet" Assignment - due Week 4 / Week 15 (revision)
  While not a regular occurrence, technical communications sometimes appear in other media, namely film and television. As in 2001: A Space Odyssey's "Zero Gravity Toilet Instructions" and Saturday Night Live's "Happy Fun Ball," technical communications in other media are often implemented for humor and/or realism. Such communications can be indicative of not only technical writing principles but also cultural values. Composing technical documentation of a fictional product or service provides an early, unique opportunity to exercise present knowledge. A required, semester-end revision of said documentation should further reveal how much has been learned.

• Group Project - due Week 8
  Most technical communications have some element of collaboration. It is an opportunity to not only work closer with colleagues but also to use one of the specific online communicative technologies listed in Gentle's Conversation and Community. In working together toward the production of a technical document and doing so in some kind of online format, we should garner firsthand experience and knowledge of what Gentle observes.

• Final Project - due Week 14
  Having reflected on how we use technology and put together some introductory examples of technical documentation knowledge, it is important to put those abilities to a larger, cumulative test. Intended as a demonstration of what should be acquired in ENG 345, this assignment asks for process-oriented engagement with a focused topic for technical communication.

Further details and guidelines are here. 

TWITTER: To create and sustain further conversation about technical communication, you are required to maintain active presence on Twitter. 5 tweets per week are also required, but there is freedom regarding content. I encourage you to post original thoughts, "retweet" classmates' updates, @ (reply to) classmates' updates and share relevant links. Posts unrelated to course content are okay, but will not count toward the post requirement. I am very active on Twitter, so I encourage all students to check my profile (and those I follow) for models of engagement.

----

A majority of the tools we will be using in and outside of class are web-based, so you will not need any special software. I might, however, have some recommendations (not requirements) that I will provide at appropriate intervals. Furthermore, you should have an email address that you check regularly for this class. While I prefer to contact students via university email, I am open to other email addresses.

 While technology makes life easier, it can also be difficult (computer crashes, deleted work, unavailable Internet connections, etc.). So, plan accordingly. "The computer ate my homework" or "the Internet was down" are not reasons to forgo the work assigned. It is in your best interest to leave extra time, especially in the first few weeks, to ensure that technology does not get in the way of your coursework.

How to Reach Me
The best way to reach me is by email <jschirm@umflint.edu>. You can also find me online via Twitter <twitter.com/betajames>. I am online almost every day. If you email or @ me and do not receive a response within 24 hours, please feel free to email or @ me again as a reminder. I promise not to consider this harassment. If you are more comfortable with face-to-face communication, you are welcome to schedule an appointment Tuesday/Thursday. My office is 320D French Hall.

Final Note
Should any aspect of class confuse/concern/trouble you, don't hesitate to contact me.

Due dates are tentative. Identified dates are required face-to-face class sessions. Regular blogging is due every week unless specified otherwise.

CC = Gentle's Conversation and Community
TW = McMurrey's Technical Writing: Online Textbook

Week 1 - Introductions
Read: Instructor emails

Week 2 - Technology Autobiography due (blogged)
Tuesday, 1.11
Read: CC 1-68, TW "About Technical Writing"

Week 3 - 
Read: CC 69-100, TW "Technical Reports" 

Week 4 - ZGT due (blogged)
Tuesday, 
1.25
Read: CC 101-124, TW "Instructions"
Student group: 

Week 5 - Group project proposal due (blogged)
Read: CC 125-141, TW "Other Types of Technical Reports"

Week 6 - Twitter evaluation due (blogged)
Tuesday, 2.8
Read: CC 183-198, TW "Proposals" 
Student group:

Week 7 - Individual project proposal due (blogged) / Group project progress report due (blogged)
Group project work

Week 8 - Group project due / Group project reflection due (blogged)
Tuesday, 2.22
Read: TW "Audience Analysis" & "Information Infrastructures"
Student group:  

 

Week 9 - SPRING BREAK (no blogging/tweeting due)

Week 10 - Audience analysis due (blogged)
Tuesday, 3.8
Read: TW "Task Analysis"
Student group:

Week 11 -  Task analysis due (blogged)
Read: TW "Progress Report" & "Format & Final Production"

 

Week 12 - Individual project draft (emailed)
Tuesday, 
3.22
Project peer review

Week 13 - Project progress report due (blogged)
Individual project work

Week 14 - Individual project revision due (emailed)
Tuesday, 
4.5
Project debriefing

Week 15 - ZGT revision due (blogged)
Posterous & Twitter requirements end

Week 16 - Self-reflective essay due (emailed)
Tuesday, 4.19
Closing comments

[amended from Delia DeCourcy, Alan Jacobs, and Bill Wolff]

Blogging in this course should be concerned with the regular examination of ideas and provide concise arguments via unique viewpoint and voice. There should be substantive thought behind the ideas you present. Find new ways of saying what you think you want to say. Push yourself to explore the ways you can get at ideas through the use of different media. Have specific references, including text, hyperlinks, video, images and audio, as means of support. Be sure to explain these references, though; don't just stick them in a post and expect readers to understand why.

Your blog is a place to further explore the ideas we discuss in class and to write about related concepts of interest. Offer an interpretation of something we've read. Ask a question about something we've read. Link to, quote from, and respond to something we've read. Provide contextual information about the subjects we're reading and their cultural and intellectual contexts. Don't forget to comment on the posts of your fellow students.

When creating, designing and writing in your blog, please complete the following:

1. Choose a professional and meaningful title and subtitle.
2. Compose a detailed and relevant About page discussing who you are and the focus of your blog.
3. Choose an appropriate theme.
4. For each blog post, compose a meaningful title written for an audience beyond our class.
5. For each blog post, include 5-6 tags.

Experiment with the dashboard area, see how things work and what happens when you make changes. The more you engage with, customize and explore your blog, the more effective it will be and the more you will get out of the assignment.

There is no set requirement for the length of a blog post. One of the features of the blogging medium and the characteristics of individual posts is that length is determined by content and goals. Each post you make, though, should be thorough in discussing the subject at hand.

During the weeks regular blogging is required, be sure to post 1) an entry that extends the class discussion and 2) one that explores an area of interest particular to you. Posts that extend class discussion should take what we have discussed in class about a subject or text and continue the discussion. For example, a post might address one of the questions raised in a class discussion. Posts that explore an area of interest particular to you are just that. Ideally, these posts should serve as introductory writing toward larger, later assignments.

[amended from Peter Elbow] 

I often find grades to be distractions from learning. This course places a strong emphasis on participation and I'm concerned that grades might get in the way. Conventional grading often leads us to think more about grades than about learning and writing, to worry more about pleasing or fooling a teacher than about figuring out what you want to say or how to say it, leaving us reluctant to take risks. Sometimes, grades even lead to the feeling that you are working against the teacher. Instead, I want to create a culture of support, a culture where you, your colleagues and I function as allies, fellow travelers with various skills, experience and talents that we can offer to the group, rather than as adversaries working against each other for grades.

Rather than giving individual grades for each assignment and basing them on an arbitrary point system to be tallied at the end of the semester, I will instead provide substantive comments on the majority of work performed this semester. I will also engage you in conversations about performance via progress reports. However, these assessments will not affect your overall grade in the course. Instead, they should function as guides to how you need to revise or rethink your performance.

Through the use of a grading contract, I'm asking for a reconsideration of how you work in our classroom, what your role is as a student in a classroom, and what your relationship to one another is as colleagues. All of this really boils down to rethinking "responsibility." Traditional grading by a teacher alone keeps students from having much responsibility by instead assuming students can only be motivated by grades, not by learning or actual coursework. Grades create systems of accountability instead of providing environments for personal and social responsibility.

In this course, the grading contract asks you to have responsibility to yourself and to the class to do the work required, to attend and participate during class time, to ask questions of me or your classmates if you're confused and to know what assignments have been turned in and where you stand in relation to the contract. As the teacher/guide, I have the responsibility to be prepared for every class, to answer any questions and consider any feedback, to provide helpful and honest suggestions on your work and to make myself available for questions and concerns outside of class.

Therefore, the default grade for the course is a "B." If you do all that's asked of you in the manner and spirit it is asked, if you work through the processes we establish and the work assigned during the semester, then you'll earn a "B." If you miss class, turn assignments in late, or forget to do assignments, etc., your grade will drop.

“B” Grades
You are guaranteed a course grade of “B” if you meet all of the following conditions:

1. Attendance/Participation/Presence. You’ll attend and fully participate in our scheduled class sessions and their activities and assignments. For our class, attendance equates to participation. Therefore, it is not enough for you simply to come to class. If you come to class unprepared in any way (e.g., without work done, assignments read, etc.), it will be counted as an absence, since you won’t be able to participate fully in our activities. This means any informal assignment given, or ones not outlined on our syllabus, fit into this category of attendance. 
   
   NOTE: Assignments not completed because of an absence, either ones assigned on the schedule or ones assigned on earlier days in class, will be late, missed, or ignored (depending on when you turn it in finally, see the guidelines #4, #5, and #6 below). 
   Any absence due to an university-sponsored group activity (e.g., sporting event, band, etc.) will not count against you as long as you FIRST provide written documentation in the first 2 weeks of the semester of all absences. This same policy applies to those who have mandatory military-related absences (e.g., deployment, work, duty, etc.). This will allow us to determine how you will meet assignments, participation, and the responsibilities of our contract, despite being absent. 
2. Lateness. You’ll come on time or early to class. Walking into class late 2 or 3 times in a semester is understandable, but coming habitually late every week is not. If you are late to class, you are still responsible to find out what assignments or instructions were made, but please don’t disrupt our class by asking about the things you missed because you were late. 
3. Sharing and Collaboration. You’ll work cooperatively in groups. Be willing to share your writing, to listen supportively to the writing of others, and, when called for, give full and thoughtful assessments that consistently help your colleagues consider ways to revise. 
4. Late Assignments. You will turn in properly and on time all assignments. Because your colleagues in class depend on you to get your work done on time so that they can do theirs on time, all late assignments are just as bad as missed assignments.
   Exception: twice during the semester, you may turn in a late assignment. All “late assignments” are due 2 days after their initial due date, no exceptions. Please note that a late assignment may be due on a day when our class is not scheduled to meet. 
5. Missed Assignments. A missed assignment is NOT one not completed; it is one that has missed the guidelines somehow but is still complete and turned in. In order to meet our contract for a “B” grade, you cannot have any “missed assignments.” Please note that assignments not completed at all are considered “Ignored Assignments” (see #6 below). A missed assignment is usually one completed after the 48 hours that would have made it only a “late” assignment, but it is complete. 
6. Ignored Assignments. Any assignments not done period, or “ignored,” for whatever reasons, are put in this category. One of these means an automatic “D.” Two acquired gives you an “F”  – no exceptions. 

All Compositions need to meet the following conditions:

• Complete and On Time. You’ll turn in on time and in the appropriate manner completed work that meet all of assignment guidelines. 
• Revisions. If/when the assignment is to revise, you will reshape, extend, complicate, or substantially clarify your ideas – or relate your ideas to new things. You won’t just correct or touch up. Revisions must somehow respond to or consider seriously your colleagues’ assessments. 
• Copy Editing. When the assignment is for the final publication draft, your piece must be well copy edited – that is, free from virtually all mistakes in spelling and grammar.  It's fine to get help in copy editing.

All Assessments and Peer Responses need to meet the following conditions: 

• Complete and On Time. All assessments should be complete and submitted on time and in the appropriate way so that your colleagues will get your assessments of their writing the way the class has predetermined. 
• Content. All assessments should follow the directions established by our evolving class discussions about them. 
• Courtesy and Respect. All assessments should be courteous and respectful in tone, but honest. It’s okay to say something doesn’t seem right in a draft, or that something doesn’t really work. Respect means we are kind and truthful. It’s not the “golden rule” (treat others as you would have them treat you), but a modified one: treat others as you believe they want to be treated. 

“A” Grades
The grade of "B" depends on behaviors. Have you shown responsible effort and consistency in our class? Have you done what was asked of you in the spirit it was asked?

However, the grade of "A" depends on acknowledged quality. Thus, you earn a "B" if you put in good time and effort; we should push each other for a "B." In order to get an "A," you have to make your time and effort pay off into writing of genuine, recognizable excellence that responds in some concrete way to your colleagues' and my concerns (and also meets the conditions for a "B"). This means that not only is revision important, but a certain kind of revision, one demonstrating a reflective writer listening, making decisions and moving drafts above and beyond expectations. Writing in the "A" category will respond to assessments and be reflective of itself.

Notice that for grades up to "B," you don't have to worry about my judgment or my standards of excellence;  for higher grades, you do. But we'll have class discussions about excellence in writing and we should be able to reach fairly good agreement.

Knowing Where You Stand
This system is better than regular grading for giving you a clear idea of what your final grade looks like at any moment. For whenever you get feedback on any essay, you should know where you stand in terms of meeting the expectations of the course. I will also encourage and guide some of these discussions on an individual basis in the form of progress reports. But if you’re doing everything as directed and turning it in on time (no matter what anyone says), you’re getting a "B." As for absences and lateness, you'll have to keep track of them, but you can check with me any time. 

Grades Lower Than "B"
I hope no one will aim for lower grades. The quickest way to slide to a “C" or "N" is to miss class, not turn in things on time, and show up without assignments. This much is nonnegotiable: you are not eligible for a passing grade of “C” unless you have attend at least 86% of the class sessions and meet the guidelines above. And you can't just turn in all the late work at the end. If you are missing classes and behind in work, please stay in touch with me about your chances of passing the course.

The Breakdown
So, here’s the way grading works in our class. In order to get the grade on the left, you must meet or exceed the requirements in the row next to it. I’ve embiggened and italicized the default grade that you achieve if you meet our contract obligations. 

 

	# of Absences	# of  Late Assigns.	# of Missed Assigns.	# of Ignored Assigns.
A	0	2	0	0
B	0	2	0	0
C	2	3	1 or 2	0
D	3	4	3	1
E	4 or more	4 or more	4 or more	2 or more

All assignments that are turned in as “late” after the 2nd are considered “missed.” All “missed” assignments after the 2nd are considered “ignored.” 

 

Pleas
Each student may use one plea to the class in order to receive a special dispensation or exemption from the contract, or to be given a temporary break from the contract. A plea can only be used in extraordinary circumstances, those beyond the student's control or that are special in some other way and that have kept her/him from doing assigned work. Each plea will be voted on and a 2/3 majority is needed for approval. 

Option 1: Public Plea. 
This is the default and the one I'll push for in 99% of all cases. 

Option 2: Private Plea.  
As contract administrator, I will decide in consultation with the student whether a private plea is warranted. In rare and unusual cases, there may be extreme, extenuating circumstances that keep an individual student from meeting the contract's stated responsibilities. In such cases, the student must come to the teacher as soon as possible, and before breach-of-contract, so that s/he and the teacher can make fair and equitable arrangements, ones that will be fair and equitable to all in the class and still meet the university’s regulations on attendance, conduct, and workload in classes. In these special cases, the class will not vote on the issue (and may not even know about it).  

Please note: the first recourse in most matters will be to take all issues to the class for a plea, not to make special arrangements with individual students who cannot meet the contract requirements. The contract is a public, social contract, one agreed upon through group discussion and agreement, so the majority of negotiations must be public negotiations. This caveat to the contract is NOT an “out clause” for anyone who happens to not fulfill the contract; it is for rare and unusual circumstances out of the control of the student, and usually so personal in nature that a plea to the class is not doable or reasonable. If I (the teacher), in consultation with the student, decide that a private plea is warranted, then the class will be informed that a private plea has been made and decided upon via email.

By staying in this course and attending class, you accept this contract and agree to abide by it.