Writing_Rhetoric_Syllabus.doc

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Multimedia Writing & Rhetoric (WR 13300-01)

Fall 2012

Jeffrey Bain-Conkin

TR 9:30-10:45

Coleman-Morse 201

Office: 300 OShaughnessy Hall

Office Hours: Thursday 11:00-12:00, Friday 10:00-12:00 (other times by appointment)

E-mail:[email protected]

Course Description

Because researching and composing arguments is increasingly linked to technologicaltools, multimedia sections of Writing and Rhetoric teach students how to make the most of

a wide array of resources. From standard tools, such as Microsoft Word, to more powerful

Web sites and software, students in multimedia sections use composition technology to its

fullest while exploring the unique opportunities and challenges of composing in the 21stcentury. While students do not need any prior technological skills, they should be ready to

learn many of these skills over the course of the semester. Students should have access tocomputers and the Interweb.

Course Objectives

1) Recognize the narratives that surround us in media every day.

a) Examine myriad sources.

b) Evaluate the goals of these narratives.c) Determine intended audiences.

2) Articulate what makes narratives effective.a) Appreciate various forms.

b) Understand appropriate content.

c) Comprehend ethics of Writing and Rhetoric.

3) Form narratives using a variety of media.

a) Craft theses and appreciate rhetorical situations.

b) Research others narratives.c) Support claims using evidence.

d) Anticipate objections and alternatives.

e) Make appropriate conclusions for imagined audiences.

4) Understand the creative process and its component steps.

a) Brainstorm well.b) Freewrite and Draft.

c) Rewrite.

d) Edit and Format.

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Course Cancellation Policy:

In the unlikely event that the instructor needs to cancel class, he will notify students via

email (or, in emergencies, someone will post a notice on the door). Ultimately, students

should not wait more than ten (10) minutes before leaving in the classroom. The instructorwill provide his completed discussion and reading notes from the missed class as well as

review missed materials upon students requests.

Assignments and Grade Breakdown

*All assignments will be individually completed unless instructor approves group work.

*Instructor will provide assignment sheets for Portfolio assignments detailing expectations.

Exams: Zero examinations in this course (Youre welcome)

Participation: 5%See above for attendance and participation requirements.

Workshops: 5%

1) Presenting at workshop.

2) Participating in others workshop (attending, contributing comments).

Informal Writing: 10%

1) Blog/discussion-board entries, of which students will choose three (3) for

grading. Grades determined by thoughtfulness and relevance to topic.2) In-class exercises.

Portfolio: 80%Narrative Essay: 20%

1000 words

Rhetorical Analysis: 20%1200 words

Research Paper: 20%

2500 words

Visual Essay: 20%

Portfolio System and Deadlines

All grades under the Portfolio component of the grading breakdown are in pencil until

the final due date: December 6th (at the beginning of the class period). Deadlines for the

initial drafts appear in the Course Schedule (see below).

Students therefore have the opportunity to rewrite all assignments under the Portfolio

category and re-submit them for a new grade. Note: grades are not guaranteed to improve,

though rewrites using professorial, workshop, and peer-review comments should raise

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grades. Also, late penalties for initial drafts remain in effect for later draft grades. (For

example, a paper that originally was one weekday late can only get an A-, no matter how

improved the newest draft is.)

Resubmission Process:

1. Revise the assignment, possibly using instructor and peer feedback.*Note: due to the instructors grading style of prioritization, even making

all suggested changes will not guarantee an A.

*Note: there is a chance your resubmission could receive a lower grade.2. Post the new assignment as a new entry on your Tumblr blog. Title it something

like revised assignment X.

3. Email the instructor with:

a. notice of resubmissions existenceb. list/description of changes made to the assignment

4. The instructor will respond with either a new grade, or encouragement to change

even more of the draft.

Required University Writing Center and Student-Teacher Conferences

Students must visit the Writing Center (Coleman-Morse 203) once over the course of the

semester. The Writing Center is most effective for larger issues of structure, organization,

transitions, et cetera. Although they accept drop-in students, it encourages schedulingappointments. During a class session, a Writing Center tutor will come and explain the

appointment process.

The visit to the Writing Center must happen prior to Fall Break. Bring your assignmentwith you! (Or post it to the N: drive.) After visiting the Writing Center, post a 120-word

reaction to your experience. What did you expect? Did the visit change your perception of

the Writing Center? Will you go again?

Students must visit the instructors office hours twice during the semester: once before the

break, and once after the break. Students should schedule an appointment with theinstructor in advance. When scheduling an appointment, students should briefly state what

they hope to accomplish during the conference. For example, students may use these

conferences to improve essays for the portfolio submission or complain about the

instructors (lack of) fashion sense.

Academic Honesty Policy:

All Notre Dame students pledge the following at their matriculation and sign multiple

statements each semester, thoughdespite rumorsalmost never in blood:

As a Member of the Notre Dame community, I will not participate in or tolerateacademic dishonesty.

Depending on the nature of the offense and the extent of dishonesty within an

assignment/exam, penalties will range from a zero of the assignment/exam to failure of the

course.

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(The following appears in an adapted form through permission from Professor Bill

Svelmoe of Saint Marys College):

Plagiarism is the most serious academic offense a student or faculty member can commit. Itis the passing off of anothers ideas or words as ones own; in effect, it is theft. Plagiarism

destroys the educational process itself, inasmuch as education requires that students do thehard work of thinking and forming their own ideas and then sharing those ideas with

others. The plagiarist shows disrespect not only for those from whom she steals and forthose to whom she presents the plagiarized work, but also for herself. She is, in effect,

saying that she is incapable of doing her own work, or that she is too lazy to give proper

credit to those from whom she borrows.

Students plagiarize primarily as a failure of time management, not character. Therefore,

this course includes breaking assignments into component parts, requiring students to plan

ahead for what appear to be unwieldy and intimidating projects. Students who still find

themselves trawling the interweb at the eleventh hour angling to plagiarize should politely

request an extension. Nearly always granted, these new due dates and accompanyingpenaltiesif anyemerge from an agreement between student and instructor.

Plagiarism undercuts the trust that is essential in any community of learning. It will

destroy the relationship between instructors and students, making a semesters course feellike an eternity. Post-plagiarism, the classroom experience becomes awkward for

everyone. Future encounters on campus require students flee the instructor by hiding in

garbage cans, nearby classrooms, or behind sculptures. Students wishing not to beembarrassed by banana peels on their clothes, by interrupting random classes, or by

mocking squirrels should simply avoid plagiarism.

For all of these reasons, the University of Notre Dame maintains an academic honestypolicy. Accordingly, I treat incidents of plagiarism very seriously.At minimum, a studentwhose work is discovered to be plagiarized will fail the assignment in question. If, in my

estimation, the student plagiarized with the deliberate intent to deceive, the student will fail

the course, not just the assignment. In keeping with the official policy, I will reportinstances of plagiarism to appropriate administrators.

It is every students responsibility to be aware of what plagiarism is and to learn how to

document their work correctly. I will go over these procedures in class and am always

available to answer questions. Never let the pressures of academia lead you intodishonesty. Character is more important than what may seem more obvious measures of

success.

Statement on Students with Disabilities:

The University of Notre Dame does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national

or ethnic origin, sex, disability, veteran status or age in the administration of any of its

educational programs, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic andother school-administered programs or in employment.

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The University has designated the Director of its Office of Institutional Equity to handle

all inquiries regarding its efforts to comply with and carry out its responsibilities under

Title IX and under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The Title IX and Section504 coordinator may be contacted as follows: Director Office of Institutional Equity 414

Grace Hall (574) 631-0444

Course Schedule

Note: Due Dates (**) apply to 9:29 a.m. (South Bend time) of the noted date, even forthose students with unexcused absences. The student is responsible for posting her/his

paper (and double-checking its availability).

Week One: Beginnings

21 August Syllabus, etc.23 August How to Read

Week Two: Audiences and Situations (Work on Narrative Essays)

28 August Audiences

30 August Situations

Week Three: Introductions

4 September First paragraphs

6 September Peer Review (Narrative Script)**Narrative Script Due

Week Four: Arguments, Theses, Topics11 September Peer Review (Narrative Essay)

**Narrative Essay Due

13 September Good topics

Week Five: Organization and Conclusions

18 September Organization

20 September Conclusions**Topic/Theses/Situation (Research Paper) Due

Week Six: Revising Process and Reading Multimedia25 September Revising Process

27 September Rhetorical Analyses

Week Seven:

2 October Peer Review (Rhetorical Analysis)

**Rhetorical Analysis Draft Due

4 October Library Visit

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Week Eight: Evidence and Sources

9 October Finding sources11 October Evaluating sources

**Annotated Bibliography of five sources (Research

Paper) due

FALL BREAK

Week Nine: Visual Essays

23 October Samples and Dissections

**Outline (Research Paper) Due

25 October Technologies

Week Ten: Visual Essays

30 October Work on Visual Essays

1 November Work on Visual Essays

Week Eleven: Peer Review and Rules for Workshop

6 November Peer Review (Visual Essay)

**Visual Essay Draft Due8 November Rules for Workshop

Week Twelve: Workshop Preparation

13 November Practice Workshop**Research Paper Draft Due

15 November Workshop

Weeks Thirteen and Fourteen: Nothing but Workshops


22 November THANKSGIVING BREAK27 November Workshop


Week Fifteen: Teary Farewells4 December Workshop

6 December ??

**Portfolios due AT TIME OF CLASS (more tears)

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Writing_Rhetoric_Syllabus.doc