Emphasize that these two sections will require regular attendance on FRIDAY MORNINGS and that, due

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Boston College – First-Year Writing Seminar EN 010.56 – M/W 8:00-8:50 am [O’Neill 254], plus individual conferences [TBD] EN 010.05 – M/W 9:00-9:50 am [O’Neill 254], plus individual conferences [TBD] Instructor: Craig Kasprzak Office: Carney Hall 239 Office hours: by appointment E-mail: [e-mail]://www2.bc.edu/~kasprzcr/ Boston College Catalog Description: Designed as a workshop in which each student develops a portfolio of personal and academic writing, the seminar follows a semester-long process. Students write and rewrite essays continuously, discuss their works-in-progress in class, and receive feedback during individual and small group conferences with the instructor. Students read a wide range of texts, including various forms of non-fiction prose. In addition to regular conferences, the class meets two hours per week to discuss the writing process, the relationship between reading and writing, conventional and innovative ways of doing research, and evolving drafts of class members. Course Objectives: This particular section of the First-Year Writing Seminar aims to help you recognize the processes inherent to good writing and develop effective habits of composition and revision. Such skills are not innate to anyone, but come only through hard work and continuous practice. Just as you might train at long runs to prepare for a marathon, or frequent the driving range to hone your golf skills, so too does writing—good ...

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• Publié par: Thoin
• Nombre de lectures: 31
• Langue: English

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Boston College –  

EN 010.56 – M/W 8:00-8:50 am [O’Neill 254], plus individual conferences [TBD]   EN 010.05 – M/W 9:00-9:50 am [O’Neill 254], plus individual conferences [TBD]   Instructor: Craig Kasprzak Office: Carney Hall 239 Office hours: by appointment E-mail:[e-mail] http://www2.bc.edu/~kasprzcr/

First-Year Writing Seminar   

Boston College Catalog Description: Designed as a workshop in which each student develops a portfolio of personal and academic writing, the seminar follows a semester-long process. Students write and rewrite essays continuously, discuss their works-in-progress in class, and receive feedback during individual and small group conferences with the instructor. Students read a wide range of texts, including various forms of non-fiction prose. In addition to regular conferences, the class meets two hours per week to discuss the writing process, the relationship between reading and writing, conventional and innovative ways of doing research, and evolving drafts of class members.   Course Objectives: This particular section of the First-Year Writing Seminar aims to help you recognize the processes inherent to good writing and develop effective habits of composition and revision. Such skills are not innate to anyone, but come only through hard work and continuous practice. Just as you might train at long runs to prepare for a marathon, or frequent the driving range to hone your golf skills, so too does writing—goodwriting, that is—demand dedication and commitment to improvement. In this course, then, we will work as a community of developing writers to acquire a functional toolbox of effective writing skills for use in college and beyond. At the same time, this section seeks to cultivate your own individual voice and enable you to employ it self-reflectively as a vehicle for thinking and learning about yourself and your relationship to the outside world. Taking models from the work of actual Boston College students of years past, and through rigorous exercises that invite personal choice and demand creative risk-taking, you will explore writing in a variety of non-fiction forms—some familiar and others completely foreign. Specific expectations and requirements for this section of FWS follow; for more information about the program philosophy in general, and for a list of program requirements, visit the official FWS website atmtthmontp://lo.bicel/uwf.cdegoar/srp.   REQUIRED TEXTS   1) Hacker, Diana.A Pocket Style Manual, 4 th  and New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s,Ed. Boston 2004.

 

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2) To limit costs, I have posted all other assigned readings online at http://www2.bc.edu/~kasprzcr/fws_readings.htm will be expected to print out copies of. You the materials for each class and to bring them with you when we meet.

  COURSE REQUIREMENTS   1) Conferences: All sections of FWS require students to meet regularly with their instructors in near-weekly 15- minute conferences to discuss work in process. You will select from a list of possible conference times at the beginning of the semester and maintain that regular time throughout. Conferences will take place in my office (Carney 239), unless otherwise specified. Remember that conferences, abbreviated as they may be, count as the third class meeting of every week and, therefore, are not optional;missed conferences equal missed classes, and will affect your grade accordingly.   2) Attendance: Regular, punctual attendance of both class meetings and conferences is a requirement for this course. Because unforeseen circumstances can occasionally make attendance impossible, however,you will be allowed three absences,regardless of the reason will count as. Lateness 1/3 of a missed class. For every full absence after your third, your participation grade will be lowered based upon a percentage of our total meetings. After your sixth absence, you will receive a failing grade for the course. For special circumstances, a note from the Dean is required. In the event of any absence, it is your own responsibility to find out what you have missed, as well as to turn in missed assignments; I am not the course secretary, and will not chase you down to bring you up to speed.   3) Participation: Because of our intimate class size and seminar format,active participation is also a requirement for this course; simply gracing the room with your bodily presence will not be enough to succeedbe expected on a daily basis to draft writing assignments according will . You to the calendar listed below; to have read any assigned readings carefully and completely; to be prepared to discuss them at length; to listen attentively to your peers; to comment constructively  upon their written drafts in regular workshops; and to discuss actively in conference your ideas for improving your own work.   4) Peer workshops: We will devote a significant portion of our class time to peer workshopping. While the format for these workshops will vary, most will divide you into small groups for the purpose of mutual critique, support, and improvement. Your performance in peer workshops will factor into your participation grade.   5) Eight-week portfolio: During the first eight weeks of the semester, you will write and revise several essays of various lengths. These assignments will occasionally be due in draft stages [see the COURSE CALENDAR, below, for specific due dates] and will serve as the raw materials for the group workshops outlined above. At the end of this eight-week period, you will then submit a portfolio of your work to demonstrate the quantity, quality, and range of your writing to that point. The portfolio should include “completed” drafts ofeach of your longer essays, along with all of your previous drafts and shorter writing assignments (which you are welcome to revise as often as you see fit, but will not be required to do so). You will also have the opportunity to designate a particular piece of writing as your best work, which will carry a weighted value for grading

 

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purposes, but ultimatelyyou will receive only asinglegrade for the entire portfolio, one that reflects not only the finished products, but your progress at each stage along the way. [Note: Because you will not be receiving any grades until after week nine, a portion of our conference time during week six will be devoted to discussing your standing in the course to that date]. Becauseam asking you to submit each and every draft of everything you write, you I must remember to save your drafts individually (use the “Save As” function on your computer; simply clicking “Save” or the diskette icon will overwrite any previous work). Do not—and I cannot stress this enough—DO NOT THROW AWAY ANYTHING YOU WRITE FOR THIS COURSE, as I cannot give you credit for what you do not include in your portfolio, even if I have seen it previously.   6) Final magazine project: In week nine, you will begin more concentrated inquiry into one of the issues or interests you will have uncovered through your previous writing, and will present your work in the form of a theme-based magazine. This project will differ formally from your previous work only insofar as it also will require you to design and lay-out your writingvisually. Your magazines may take any form and be any length you choose, but must include the following: a researched cover story; an opinion/editorial piece; a free-form creative piece; a “From the Editor”/ “Dear Reader” piece; and twloe tters to the editor, both of which will be  drafted by your classmates. At the end of the semester,you will need to submittwocopies of your magazine, one that I will grade and return to you and one that I will keep for my records.   7) “Letters to the Editor”: Near the completion of the final magazine project, you will receive overviews of your workshop partners’ magazines in progress and draft one thematically consistent letter—from the perspective of a regular reader—to the imagined “Editor” of each. The letters you draft for your classmates will count toward a portion of your own overall magazine grade.   8) Self-assessment: In lieu of a final examination, you will write a three- to four-page self-assessment, in which you comment upon your progress over the course of the semester and assign yourself a non-binding mock grade. This assignment demands both honest self-reflection and careful, well-reasoned persuasion, and, though I alone reserve the right to assign your final course grade, your argumentation might make a difference in the event of a borderline grade. Your self-assessment will be due on or before the final examination date for your section listed on the COURSE

CALENDAR.    ASSESSMENT    After add/drop ends, we will vote as a group to determine the weights for each of four individual components of your final grade:   Class participation (including workshops and conferences) writing up to and including 3/20)Eight-week portfolio (all magazine project (including two Letters to the Editor)Final   Self-assessment

 

COURSE POLICIES   (A) Drafts: Mistakes and misdirection are often what enable good writers eventually to produce good writing, so you are hardly expected to produce perfect first drafts. In fact, no writereverproduces a

 

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perfect first draft. However, you will be expected to approach each draft with due diligence. Draft status is not a valid excuse for incompletion or half-hearted effort, nor is it for  carelessness.   (B) Revision: Contrary to the beliefs of many, the process of revising does not entail simply eliminating the cosmetic blemishes from one’s work. The word’s Latin derivation (revidre) suggests more comprehensively to see or to visit again (re-, again;vidêre as you revise your Thus,, to see). work, you will be expected to approach each assignment with a new set of eyes, both literally and figuratively. Your classmates and I will provide some of this new perspective, by supplying constructive advice and criticism through workshops and conferences, butyou will also be expected to approach your work dynamically with each subsequent draft. Fixing a comma here, or substituting a word there, is not revising; it isediting, and it requires far less intellectual and creative energy than revising does. If all you do is edit, your grade will reflect your effort accordingly.   (C) Meticulous Proofreading: It isn’t just a good idea; it’s arequirementfor all written assignments, and students who fail to do so will be penalized accordingly.   (D) Extensions and Missed Assignments: I generally frown upon the granting of extensions, and will grant them only in the event of a documented forewarned, however, that I willexcuse (i.e., from the Dean). Benevergrant extensions on the day immediately preceding a deadline, nor will I allow them after a deadline has already passed. If you miss an assignment and do not contact me sufficiently in advance, your grade will be penalized for each day that the assignment remains outstanding.   (E) Paper Formatting: All writing for this course should be typed and double-spaced in a sensible 12-point font (in other words, noCopperplate Gothic,Lucida Console, orVerdana), with standard one and one-quarter inch margins on all sidesAND some kind of fastener (i.e., a staple, or a paper clip) to safeguard against runaway pages cited, when applicable, should follow. Works standard MLA format.   (F) Consulting Writing Tutors: All students are encouraged to take advantage of the free tutorial services offered by the Connors Family Learning Center (located on the second floor of O’Neill Library). The CFLC features a staff of friendly peer tutors trained specifically to help you diagnose problems in and generally improve your writing, in 50-minute sessions that range from brainstorming and strategizing, to revising and troubleshooting written drafts. Appointments are available on a walk-in basis, or by calling x2-0611 on campus. You may also wish to use the Online Writing Lab, or OWL (www/.cb./udelwotp:/ht), whose tutors deliver constructive, globally-oriented feedback on student writing, usually within 48-hours of submission. You are free to utilize these services—or any other tutorial—as often or as infrequently as you like, and your decision to do so will have no direct influence on your grades.   (G) Academic Integrity: Boston College takes seriously any and all breaches of academic integrity—including, but not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, and collusion—and I adhere strictly to the university’s official policies and procedures on the matter. It is each student’s own responsibility to familiarize him-

 

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or herself with the official language of BC’s standard, which I will distribute to you on the first day of class and which is available online at   http://www.bc.edu/offices/stserv/academic/resources/policy/#integrity.    If, after reviewing these guidelines, you remain uncertain about the definitions or procedures associated with academic integrity, it is imperative that you see me for clarificationbeforeany potential violations occur. Any students found to have violated these guidelines purposefully will be subject to the standard penalty—a failing grade for the course—and a mandatory judicial hearing before the Dean and the Committee on Academic Integrity for your school. It is always best to err on the side of caution, so be ever certain that your work is original—meaning both that it is your ownandthat you have produced it exclusively for this course—and take all of the necessary steps to acknowledge clearly the intellectual property of others.     PROVISIONAL COURSE CALENDAR (Subject to change)   Note: All assignments aredueon the particular date indicated (denotes reading assignments due;denotes written assignments due).  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEK ONE Mon., 1/16 – NO CLASSES—MLK DAY   Wed., 1/18 –Welcome to FWS: introduction to the process method, syllabus review, diagnostic writing  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEK TWO Mon., 1/23 –Student introductions; Class discussion: How do you write? –Statement of course goals (2 pages)   Wed., 1/25 –Introduction to peer review; Constructive reading; Showing vs. telling –My grading rubric;Lamadore, “Being Barbie” – end comments & list of grading “Teacher’s” criteria    Note: Wed., 1/25 is the deadline for Add/drop/late registration ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  WEEK THREE[CONFERENCES BEGIN THIS WEEK] Mon., 1/30 –Conference sign-ups; Course grading contract; Class workshop: description; Introduction to dialogue –Dawson, “Skin”;Anderson, “Brownsmead, Oregon (25 Minutes East of Astoria)”;Anon., untitled descriptive essay –Descriptive assignment (2-3 pages)   Reminder: Bring four copies of your writing to Monday’s class, and to any other classes designated as workshops in the future, unless otherwise specified.    Wed., 2/1 –Class workshop: dialogue; Writing about sequence – FunnyAnon. “A , Valentine”;Malchodi, “Madame”;Anon., untitled dialogue essay –Dialogue assignment (2-3 pages)  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

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WEEK FOUR[CONFERENCE #2]  Mon., 2/6 –Class workshop –TBA –Sequence assignment (2-3 pages)   Wed., 2/8 –Introduction to narrative; Freewriting exercise –Harvell, “Family Portrait”;  Freeman, “My Name Was Simóna”  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEK FIVE[CONFERENCE #3]  Mon., 2/13 –Class workshop –Narrative (4-6 pages)   Wed., 2/15 –Introduction to revision –Anon., untitled narrative drafts #1 & #3;Stanger, “Signed in Red”;TBA  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEK SIX[CONFERENCE #4  PROGRESS EVALUATION] Mon., 2/20 –Class workshop –Narrative revision   Wed., 2/22 –Introduction to analysis – Rauseo, “The Night the Mirror Broke”;Pardo, “The Other Side”;Anon., “Leis around My Neck” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  WEEK SEVEN[CONFERENCE #5]  Mon., 2/27 –Class workshop –Cultural analysis (4-6 pages)   Wed., 3/1 –Writing persuasively; Mid-semester course evaluations –Daniels, “The Veritas about Maroon”;Beaulieu, “The Oppressed Smoker”;Anderson, “The Extinction of the Written Word”  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mon., 3/6 – NO CLASSES—SPRING BREAK   Wed., 3/8 – NO CLASSES—SPRING BREAK  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEK EIGHT[CONFERENCE #6]  Mon., 3/13 –Class workshop; Incorporating outside sources into your writing –Persuasive essay (4-6 pages)   Wed., 3/15–Library research information session –Murphy, “An Issue of Privacy”; O’Neill, “Who Cares about Child Care?”  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEK NINE[CONFERENCES OPTIONAL THIS WEEK]  Mon., 3/20 –Class workshop –Researched persuasive essay   Wed., 3/22 –Introduction to the final magazine project; Brainstorming exercise –Eight-week portfolio  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEK TEN[CONFERENCES OPTIONAL THIS WEEK]  Mon., 3/27–Class workshop –Magazine project proposal[one copy only]   Wed., 3/29 – Reading & research day   Note: Class will meet in the holdings section of O’Neill Library today.  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEK ELEVEN[CONFERENCE #7]  Mon., 4/3 –Class workshop –Draft of researched cover story

 

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  Wed., 4/5 –TBA –Draft of creative piece  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEK TWELVE[CONFERENCE #8]  Mon., 4/10 –Class workshop –TBA –Draft of Op-Ed piece   Wed., 4/12 –TBA ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  WEEK THIRTEEN[NO CONFERENCES THIS WEEK] Mon., 4/17 – NO CLASSES—PATRIOTS’ DAY / EASTER MONDAY   Wed., 4/19 –Class workshop –Second draft of researched cover story ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  WEEK FOURTEEN[CONFERENCE #9  FINAL WEEK OF REQUIRED CONFERENCES]  Mon., 4/24 – Class workshop –TBA –Draft of “From the Editor”/ “Dear Reader” piece   Wed., 4/26 – Magazine layout; Class workshop –TBA –Two letters to the editor (1 page each)

*** Target deadline for completed magazine text ***   Note: In addition to today’s writing assignment, I would like everyone to bring to class a magazine, along with a short, brainstormed list of the features (aesthetic, formal, etc.) that you typically expect to see in/on such a magazine.  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEK FIFTEEN Mon., 5/1 – Course evaluations   Wed., 5/3 – Magazine presentations –Final magazine project ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  FINAL EXAMINATION „EN 010.56 – Exam block 01 (MWF 8) – Tues., May 16, 9:00 am „02 (MWF 9) – Thurs., May 11, 12:30 pmEN 010.05 – Exam block Self-assessment essay (3-4 pages)   Note: Final examination dates follow the official university exam schedule, available at http://www.bc.edu/offices/stserv/academic/current/exams/.