UWRT 1102, SPRING 2015
PROFESSOR ADAM MORGAN

Writing and Inquiry in Academic Contexts II

English 1102-02

Spring 2015

 

Instructor: Adam Morgan

Classroom: Cameron 109

Office: Cameron 113

Office Hours: Wednesdays, 1:30pm-2:30pm

 

Class Description

Prerequisite: UWRT 1101

 

In UWRT 1102, students develop an extended inquiry project that integrates materials from varied sources and includes writing in multiple genres. Students write, revise, edit and reflect on their writing with the support of the teacher and peers. Students also immerse themselves in a conversation about a topic through reading, questioning, and process writing. Polished writing might assume the forms of presentations, reviews of research, essayistic arguments, or multi-media and web-based projects.

 

 

Students learn to distinguish rhetorical contexts, practice different conventions, and develop positions in relation to research. They also adopt digital technologies to network, compose, and/or critique and disseminate their work. Grades are derived primarily from portfolios that include work generated throughout the term.

 

Required Texts and Materials

• A writing notebook

• Portfolio Keeping, Reynolds and Rice

• The Curious Writer, Bruce Ballenger

 

Grading

Final grades will be based on your final portfolio, commitment to class participation, and peer responses. Posting/turning in any portion of your assignments late will result in points deducted from your final portfolio. Final grades will be weighted as follows:

 

Portfolio 50%

Class Participation 30%

Peer Responses 20%

 

Grades will be determined using a 10 point scale (90-100=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, etc.) All formal papers and a final portfolio must be completed to receive a passing grade in the course. Plagiarism will result in failure of the course.

 

Assignments of Enormous Importance

Note: all assignments must be posted to Moodle by 11:59PM (midnight) on the dates

listed below.

 

Throughout the semester we will be working on a number of formal and informal writing assignments, including work with digital composing and remediating some of your writing. Everything you write for the class may be a part of your final portfolio, so it’s important that you save all of your work for the semester, including all drafts of written work. Save all of your rough drafts, commented papers from me, your talk-backs to me, etc. in a file so your work is easy to find at the end of the semester.

 

Extended Inquiry Project: This will be the foundation for everything we do in class. You will choose a topic within the first few weeks of the semester and explore it from various perspectives.

 

There are 3 major aspects of the Extended Inquiry Project that we will draft, revise, and complete during the semester, which will heretofore be referred to as the Feats of Strength; at the end of the semester, they will be incorporated into your digital Final Portfolio. Here are the due dates associated with each of them.

 

1. Inquiry Proposal

1st Draft, February 3

Peer Response, February 8

Final Draft, February 10

 

2. Annotated Bibliography

1st Draft, February 24

Peer Response, March 8

Final Draft, March 10

 

3. Inquiry Essay

1st Draft, March 29

Peer Response, March 31

Final Draft, April 7

 

Reflective Writing

In addition, you will write two pieces of reflective writing about your successes and

challenges throughout the course.

          • Midterm Reflection, March 15

          • Final Reflection, April 26

 

Portfolio

At the end of the semester, you will select from the formal and informal writings you

have completed, and you will analyze, synthesize, evaluate and reflect on your writing.

It is important that you start collecting materials for the portfolio from the first

week of class since you will need everything you work on throughout the semester to

compile your portfolio. A good suggestion from former students: start a file on your

computer (or better yet, your H drive, Google docs site, or Dropbox). By the middle of the semester you will begin to build a website to house your work.

 

Additional details about this assignment will be given throughout the semester. Save the

various drafts of your work in separate files so that you are able to show your writing

process and be sure to back up your work throughout the semester.

 

Finally, you will post a link to the final, revised version on Moodle before we meet for the Final Exam (date and time TBD).

 

During the exam period, be prepared to present your portfolio to the class for 8-10

minutes.

 

Portfolios will be evaluated according to the engagement they demonstrate in all aspects

of the class—daily writing, process work, reflection, etc.—not just the polished drafts.

We will discuss the evaluation with more detail in class. It is important that you start

collecting materials in the portfolio from the first week of class.

 

Class Elements

Throughout the semester we will be working on a number of formal and informal writing

assignments, including work with digital composing and remediating some of your

writing. Everything you write for the class may be a part of your final portfolio, so it’s

important that you save all of your work for the semester, including all drafts of written

work. Save all of your rough drafts, process memos, commented papers from me, your

talk backs to me etc. in a file so your work is easy to find at the end of the semester.

(Revise as needed to convey the importance of generating a variety of work throughout

the semester, working toward composing a final portfolio at the end of the term).

 

Class Participation

Class participation points will not be easily earned in this class. If you don't do the required readings, you won't be able to participate, and I will be able to tell. I believe that a class should have a relaxed but focused atmosphere; however, this cannot be achieved unless everyone in class is committed to certain standards of behavior and engagement. Coming to class is important, but it is not enough. The participation grade will be based not only on your daily presence but also your level of focus and preparation.

 

Reflective Writing

Unlike high-stakes performance-based writing (essays, articles, etc.), reflective writing is introspective. Properly done, it allows you to "write through" ideas to gain a deeper understanding. It is essentially an act of exploration and/or discovery and is performed without consideration of conventional writing constraints, allowing you to freely practice grammar, structure, and voice.

 

Seminar Discussions

Because writing is dialogue, at key points throughout the semester

there will be formal discussions of texts and ideas. Every student is expected to actively

participate because multiple perspectives are essential to an individual’s understanding.

 

Blogs

Blogs offer an effective platform for reflective writing, allowing you to think through writing and archive your development as a critical thinker over the semester. They allow you to experiment with word choice, voice, and perspective—all of which are essential building blocks of good writing.

 

Peer Responses

An important part of each assignment, you will read and respond to classmates' essays and offer meaningful feedback designed to aid in revision. Detailed guidelines will be provided for each assignment phase.