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Keli Rowley 1429 14
th St. Apt. B,
Santa Monica, CA 90404 (310) 528-9541
I. PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION
Fields of Expertise: Rhet/Comp; Pedagogy; African-American; African; Film/Visual Culture; Critical Theory
Education:
2014 M.P.W. Professional Writing Degree in Progress University of Southern California
2012 M.A. English (Literature) With Distinction California State Univ., Northridge
1994 B.A. Journalism Magna Cum Laude University of Northern Colorado
1994 B.A. Theatre Magna Cum Laude University of Northern Colorado
Experience:
2011-2012, Teaching Associate, California State University, Northridge
2009-2010, Supplemental Instructor, California State University, Northridge
2010-2011, Instructional Assistant, California State University, Northridge
2009-2012, Learning Resource Center Writing Consultant, California State University, Northridge
1994-2009, Journalist and Screenwriter
II. TEACHING
California State University, Northridge
Undergraduate Courses
2012-12 English 114B: Approaches to University Writing Teacher of Record 1 section
2011-11 English 114A: Approaches to University Writing Teacher of Record 1 section
2009-10 English 060: Supplemental Instruction Team Teacher of Record 2 sections
2009-10 English 098: Developmental Writing Instructional Assistant 3 sections
CSUN Writing Center 2009-present Worked one-on-one with undergraduate and graduate students on essays in all subjects.
Helped with introductions, theses, grammar, topic sentences, organization, and citations.
Workshops:
2011-2012 Teacher of Record for CSUN Writing Proficiency Exam preparatory workshops
2012-2012 Teacher of Record, six-week creative writing workshop for at-risk middle school students at
New Directions for Youth
2008-09 Young Storytellers Foundation, six-week one-on-one screenwriting mentorships with
underprivileged elementary youth
III. PUBLICATIONS
2000-2001 Entertainment Reporter/Sportswriter, The Palm Beach Post, West Palm Beach, Florida
2000-2001 Travel Writer. The Bremerton Sun, Bremerton, Washington
2000-2000 Newspaper graphic design published in the book Best of Newspaper Design
1996-2000 Special Sections Editor/Entertainment Reporter, The Daily Times-Call, Longmont, Colorado
1995-1996 Design Director/Movie Reviewer, News Chronicle/Castle Rock Chronicle, Parker, Colorado
1994-1995 Page Designer, The Daily Times, Farmington, N.M.
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IV. HONORS/AWARDS/GRANTS
International:
2012 Finalist, UCLA MFA Screenwriting program
2006 Third place out of 3,600 writers in Scriptapalooza Screenwriting Contest
2000 SND International Award of Excellence, design published in book Best of Newspaper Design
National:
2011 Nominated for Charles Davis Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Presentation at the
Rocky Mountain MLA Conference
2010 Michael Schoenecke Travel Grant for Graduate Students to the PCA National Conference
2008 Quarterfinalist, Fade In Magazine Screenwriting Contest
2006 Top 10 out of 1,000 writers in Writers on the Storm Screenwriting Contest
2004 Second Place – Creative Screenwriting Open Writing Tournament, scene performed by
professional actors at closing ceremonies of Screenwriting Expo
2001 Top 10, Sports Special Section Design, Associated Press Sports Editors
2000 Top 10, Sports Special Section Design, Associated Press Sports Editors
First place Division I page design, Florida Sportswriter’s Association
1996 The Daily Times-Call named One of the Best Designed Newspapers in the World by the
Society for Newspaper Design
State:
2012 M.A. with Distinction, California State University, Northridge
2009-2010 CSUN Associated Students Travel Grant (2)
2009 Nominated for Eva Latif Writing Prize
Nominated for Oliver W. Evans Writing Prize
1998 First place page design; Second place education reporting; Third place science reporting,
Colorado Press Women
1994-1999 The Daily Times-Call named Best Designed Newspaper in the State, Associated Press
1994 Journalism Departmental Scholar of the Year, University of Northern Colorado
Magna Cum Laude, University of Northern Colorado
John Seelmeyer Academic Scholarship
V. PAPER PRESENTATIONS AND PARTICIPATION
International Conferences:
2012 29th
International Conference on Psychology and the Arts, Ghent, Belgium.
Presented paper: Psychological Dissociation in J. M. Coetzee’s Dusklands
2011 Rethinking the Monstrous: Violence and Criminality in Society, Munich Germany.
Chaired session: “Women and Children.”
Presented paper on “Frames and Forms” panel: “Richard Wright’s Empathetic ‘Monster’ in
Native Son.”
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2011 Hawaii International Conference on the Arts and Humanities, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Chaired session.
Presented papers: “Comparing Novel and Graphic Novel Identity Significations in
Paul Auster’s City of Glass” and “Richard Wright’s Dialectical Unity of Forms in Native Son”
National Conferences:
2012 Rocky Mountain MLA Conference on the Arts and Humanities, Boulder, Colorado
Chaired African literature session.
Presented paper: “Psychological Dissociation in J. M. Coetzee’s Dusklands.”
2012 The Image of the Road in Literature, Media and Society, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Presented paper: “Okonkwo’s Road to Ruin in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.”
2011 Rocky Mountain MLA Conference on the Arts and Humanities, Scottsboro, Arizona
Chaired session on African-American Literature.
Presented paper on “Art and Literature” panel: “Comparing Novel and Graphic Novel Identity
Significations in Paul Auster’s City of Glass.”
Nominated for Charles Davis Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Presentation
2011 Pop Culture Association National Conference, San Antonio, Texas
Presented paper: “Fantasy Worlds as Vehicles for Self Realization in Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland and The Phantom Tollbooth.”
Recipient: Michael Schoenecke Travel Grant for Graduate Students to the PCA National
Conference
2010 Rocky Mountain MLA Conference on the Arts and Humanities, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Presented paper: “Richard Wright’s Progressive Dialectical Unity of Forms in Native Son.”
2010 Harry Potter Infinitus, Orlando, Florida
Presented paper: “Dumbledore’s Search for Identity."
State Conferences:
2012 Narratives Mediated (dis)junctions Conference, Riverside, California
Presented paper: “Richard Wright’s Dialectical Unity of Narrative Forms in Native Son.”
2012 CSUN Sigma Tau Delta Honors Colloquium: Sex … Or Something Like It, Northridge, Calif.
Presented paper: “Jane Eyre’s Search for Self Respect in a Patriarchal Society.”
2010 CSULA Significations Conference, Los Angeles, California
Presented paper: “Comparing Novel and Graphic Novel Identity Significations in Paul Auster’s
City of Glass.”
2010 CSUN Sigma Tau Delta Honors Colloquium: Boundaries (un)Defined, Northridge, California
Presented paper: “Traversing Boundaries Between Good and Evil in Naguib Mahfouz’s Arabian Nights and Days.”
2009 CSUN Sigma Tau Delta Honors Colloquium: The Fantastique, Northridge, California
Presented paper:“Dalton Trumbo’s Use of the Grotesque to Show Objectivity in Johnny Got His
Gun” and “Fantasy Worlds as Vehicles for Self Realization in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
and The Phantom Tollbooth.”
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VI. MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES
National:
2010-2012 Member: Modern Language Association
2010-2012 Member: Pop Culture Association/American Culture Association
2010-2012 Member: PsyArts
2010-2012 Member: Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society
2009-2010 Member: Associated Graduate Students of English
Regional: 2010-2012 Member: Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association
VII. COMMITTEES AND SERVICE
University: 2011-2012 Treasurer, Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society, CSU Northridge
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Teaching Philosophy
Keli Rowley
In her book Teaching Students to Write, author Beth S. Neman discusses the pros and
cons of multiple teaching methodologies. In particular, she champions a method she calls
“Personal Support and Academic Demand” (10), a technique which combines positive
encouragement in the classroom with high expectations for student work. This method, more
than any other, speaks to the atmosphere I want to create in my own classroom. I believe in
creating a safe environment for my students, one in which they can feel free to voice questions,
to make mistakes, to take risks and to struggle without fear of reprimand or ridicule. At the same
time, I also want to push them beyond what they think they can achieve. To create this
atmosphere of productivity, I set a high bar in my classroom at all times. I give students reading
and writing assignments for homework every night. I quiz them on the readings in class every
day. I give them multiple in-class activities every class period. My students expect to work hard
in my classroom – but they also learn. As a result, my students have achieved more than I ever
thought possible – and more than they ever thought possible. That is why I love teaching and
why I continue to pursue it as a career. In particular, I believe the most important aspects of
teaching are engaging a wide diversity of students, presenting material in a wide range of ways,
grading in a cumulative manner, creating a community in the classroom and building a positive
learning environment.
One way I strive to engage a wide diversity of students in the classroom is to choose
readings which have a universal appeal -- topics such as identity, family, and career. I also ask
students to read essays about TV, film and sports since pop culture subjects appeal to a wide
range of ethnicities, ages and experience levels. In addition, I try to select essays which address
topics that are directly relatable to my students. If my students are minority, ESL, developmental
writers, then I choose articles about diversity, overcoming struggles with writing or learning
English. In this way, I strive to pique student interest through relevant and absorbing material.
This is particularly important in developmental writing classrooms where students may lack
enthusiasm for reading and writing.
In addition to choosing interesting material for students, I also strive to present material
in a wide variety of ways. This, too, helps keep students engaged and gives them different
avenues for learning. I use PowerPoint presentations when lecturing as a way to provide visual
reinforcement for lessons. I also support my lectures with clips from Youtube, DVDs, movies,
TV shows and online blogs. These different forms of media are appealing to students and at the
same time add valuable information to the overall lecture.
I also work to encourage active learning in my classroom. I do this by introducing a new
activity approximately every 15 minutes. In one class period, for example, I might start with a
quiz on the reading homework, then conduct a class discussion on the reading, then move to a
lecture on a new topic and then end with group work which is related to the lecture. In this way,
students are constantly engaged in different types of active learning each class period. This keeps
them occupied and constantly thinking and working on new ideas.
I also use technology to encourage active learning in my classroom. I feel this is necessary
since technology is such a key component of students’ lives and is used in almost every career. I
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post my syllabus and all relevant class materials, such as readings and essay prompts, on a class
Moodle page. Students can access this page at all times to find homework assignments, post
homework responses and even ask me or other fellow classmates relevant class questions. In
addition, I also assign individual and group blog assignments. For the individual blog
assignments, I show students how to create a blog in blogspot and then ask that they post all of
their homework responses to their individual blog site. This is fun for the students (and me)
because they can personalize their blogs, but it also teaches them how to use technology. The
group blog assignments further this knowledge by showing students how to use blogs to convey
a central idea such as “Is Technology Making Us Lazy?” This not only advances their writing
skills, but also helps them understand and utilize technology in increasingly complex ways.
Another way I encourage active learning is by utilizing a cumulative grading process. I want
students to be held accountable for all the work they do, both in class and for homework. Though
this does create more work for me, I find that students are much more engaged when I give them
points for every assignment, including in-class activities. This also encourages students to attend
class on a regular basis since an absence results in points lost for in-class assignments. I also
deduct points for late homework assignments, but allow make-up work for half credit. I want the
students to know there is a penalty for late work but I also want to encourage them to do the
work. This policy allows for that balance. Finally, for essay assignments, the first draft is worth
half of the points of the second draft. I do this because I want students to take the first draft
seriously but I don’t want them to feel pressured to create perfect work the first time around. I do
also require that students do a self edit and a peer edit of the first draft of each essay since I
believe learning to revise is a key component of writing.
In addition to the nuts and bolts of teaching – material, methodology, grading -- I also think
it’s important to create a community atmosphere in the classroom. I do this in a variety of ways.
First, I always move student desks from rows into a circle. I believe this creates a more
interactive community feel in the classroom, encourages students to be engaged and allows me to
see each student’s face at all times. Not only does this make each student feel equally important
in the classroom, but it also cuts down on texting and other disruptive practices. Second, for the
first class of every semester, I always begin with a name game icebreaker activity which
encourages students to get to know one another and allows me to learn student names quickly.
Third, when assigning group projects, I choose the groups rather than allowing students to
choose their own groups. This is because I want different students to get to know one another.
This also allows me to put stronger students with struggling students. Finally, when I teach year-
long stretch composition programs, I take a photo of the class and add that to the front page of
the second-semester syllabus. Each of these practices gives students a sense that they are part of
a community.
In addition to creating a community feel in the classroom, I also believe it’s important to
create a positive learning environment. I do this through generous positive reinforcement. This
doesn’t mean I don’t give constructive criticism, it simply means I emphasize the positive things
my students are doing first before going on to show them how to make improvements. I feel this
is especially important in developmental classrooms where students feel unsure about their
writing skills. In addition, I also respond to student emails as quickly as I can, check in with
students who get behind, offer to make appointments with students outside my office hours, and
ask them about their interests outside of class. While I think it’s important for teachers to keep
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good boundaries, I also think showing students I care about them as people creates a more
positive classroom atmosphere. I also try to be very encouraging in class discussions. I
complement students generously when they have good insights because this encourages students
to speak up. I also strive to be diplomatic and kind when students voice an incorrect answer.
This, too, is important in creating a positive classroom environment.
Fostering a supportive atmosphere is important in a composition classroom. I want to
help students build confidence and a strong foundation of skills while also helping them grow as
writers, and as people. To cultivate this growth, I want to give students increasingly advanced
assignments which push them to excel. This again coincides with Neman’s theory of “Personal
Support and Academic Demand.” Neman asserts that students “experience a sense of success
more readily when they feel they have met a challenge” (11). I agree. The challenge for me as a
teacher then is to find a balance between pushing students just enough without going too far and
making them feel overwhelmed. I believe the key to this is smaller, shorter scaffolding
assignments which build toward a bigger project. Students feel more able to succeed when they
can approach a large project via a succession of smaller steps. That is my goal as a teacher – to
provide every opportunity for success – and then let students find their own ways to achieve it.
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Work Cited
Neman, Beth S. Teaching Students to Write. 1980. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.
Print.
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Teaching Rationale for Eng 114B, California State University, Northridge
In her book Teaching Students to Write, author Beth S. Neman discusses the pros and
cons of multiple teaching methodologies. In particular, she champions a method she calls
“Personal Support and Academic Demand” (10), a technique which combines positive
encouragement in the classroom with high expectations for student work. This method, more
than any other, speaks to the atmosphere I want to create in my own classroom. I believe in
creating a safe environment for my students, one in which they can feel free to voice questions,
to make mistakes, to take risks and to struggle without fear of reprimand or ridicule. At the same
time, I also want to push them beyond what they think they can achieve. To echo Neman’s
words, I’m looking for “a way that conveys to each student both that we expect him to produce
work that is clear, cogent, and good, and that we know with a certainty that he has what it takes
to do so” (12). To create this atmosphere of productivity, I set a high bar in my classroom at all
times. I give students reading and writing assignments for homework every night. I quiz them on
the readings in class every day. I give them multiple in-class activities every class period. My
students expect to work hard in my classroom – but they also learn. As a result, my students have
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achieved more than I ever thought possible – and more than they ever thought possible. But,
there’s still a long way to go. That’s where the second semester of the Stretch program at CSU
Northridge comes into play. Now that I have built what I hope is a strong foundation of writing
skills in Eng 114A, I want to find ways to build on these skills in increasingly advanced ways in
Eng 114B. To that end, I plan to use online blogs, multi-layered group projects and in-depth
philosophical discussions, to open my students’ minds to more complex ideas and to further their
writing abilities. In this rationale, I will explain my methodology for these approaches, define my
motivation for their use and discuss the outcomes I hope to achieve with my choices.
To begin, I have decided to put each unit of the spring curriculum in this order: Project
Web, Project Space, and Project Text. I believe that this sequence will be especially conducive to
student learning because each part will build on skills learned in previous units. In my first unit,
Project Web, I will begin by having students design their own online blog. In the first semester
of Eng 114A, I used Moodle as a way of exposing my students to technology based assignments
and online interactions. They have posted all of their assignments on Moodle and have
commented on each other’s work on a consistent basis with no trouble. Now, I want them to take
this background in interactive technology even further by creating their own blog in the spring
semester. I believe a blog is a good next step toward encouraging them to interact and express
themselves in more advanced ways using a more sophisticated online medium. I plan to have
students create the blog using Blogger, post their homework and essay assignments there and
then use the blog for in-class freewrites and other in-class assignments. I will also encourage
them to include visual elements and video where appropriate. Also, because my class will be in
the computer lab one day a week, I can guide the students through the beginning stages of the
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blog designing process as they follow along on their computers. This will make the interactive
learning more immediate and allow me to answer questions instantaneously.
Starting the spring semester with this assignment will not only make students more
familiar with online technology but it will also blend nicely with the first unit – Project Web, a
unit devoted to interrogating societal issues and concerns related to new media. In this unit, I will
have students read a collection of essays from Patsy Callaghan and Ann Dobyns’ book A
Meeting of Minds. The book groups essays by topics into “Casebooks” which present students
with a wide range of views on a particular topic. I will use the casebook titled “Are We Too
Plugged In?” to illustrate the varied ways in which new media impacts society. Concurrently, I
will also assign movies about the internet, movies such as The Matrix, Catfish, The Social
Network, and We Live in Public as well as excerpts from Middle Men, Adoration, Stealth,
Swimfan, Wargames, Hackers and AntiTrust. We will discuss how these films serve as social
commentary for the impact of new media on society. I want to use a visual medium in
conjunction with readings so that students can include visual elements such as movie photos or
movie video clips in their weekly blog post assignments. These initial readings, film viewings,
blog postings and class discussions will then set a foundation upon which students can build the
next phase of the unit – the paper and group project.
For the group component of Project Web, I will put students together into sets of three. In
their groups, students will come up with a theme about the impact of the internet on society.
They will then create a new blog which allows them to design an Expert Page analyzing this
topic. They will use photos, video and commentary from their blog postings as well as additional
materials they find on their own. In this way, the early readings, film viewings and blog tasks act
as scaffolding assignments, giving students a pool of foundational materials from which to draw
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for the group project. For the paper component of Project Web, students will write their own 3-4
page individual paper on a subtopic of their group’s overall theme. These individual papers will
be posted on the Expert Page and will serve to reinforce the group’s idea. By having an
individual component of the project, students will continue to strengthen their writing skills
while at the same time showing their individual understanding of the unit’s overall subject
matter. In addition, by creating a group blog, students can learn from each other’s technical
expertise and learn to work together with fellow classmates.
Once my students have become familiar with online blogging and have submitted their
group projects for Project Web, I want to move on to a more sophisticated group assignment for
Project Space. For this unit, I want to expose students to a variety of ways to consider the
concept of space. Therefore, I will be assigning readings which address spatial relationships from
a multitude of angles. I will also assign creative homework projects designed to generate ideas
for the final group project. For example, I will begin with a chapter called “Mediated Spaces”
from the book Remediation: Understanding New Media. This chapter discusses space in relation
to theme parks. In conjunction with this chapter I will ask students to write a 250-word analysis
of an amusement park space either by visiting it or by using a park map. This will serve as a
foundational exercise for a later group project in which student groups will design their own
amusement park, draw a park map to show their representations of space and write a paper
justifying and explaining the spatial relationships they’ve chosen. I will then move on to projects
addressing urban space, comic book representations of urban space, interior design space and
campus design space. Each of these units will be designed to help students think about spatial
relationships in different ways and give them ideas for their final group projects.
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For the group projects, I will put students into groups of four and have them draw the
subject for their final project from a hat. The projects will include: Creating a model or comic
book representation of a fantasy city; creating a remodeled representation of a popular
neighborhood city space; creating a board game of a fantasy university campus; designing an
ideal student study space, and creating a park map for a brand new amusement park. By having
each group do a different project, students will be exposed to the concept of space from a variety
of angles. In addition to the group projects, each student will be required to post on their blog a
2-3-page paper analyzing a subtopic of the particular type of space they are addressing in their
group projects. The papers will be shorter because the group projects are complex, but the
writings will show that each student understands the concept of space and how it relates to their
particular project.
Though the final project is titled Project Text and is designed to teach students the
fundamentals of literary analysis, I want to utilize and build on the multimodal experiences and
knowledge students will have gained to that point in the semester. Therefore, as a class we will
generate one online class blog about Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll
and Mr. Hyde. On the days when the class is in the computer lab, we will work together as a
class to design our blog and to contribute meaningful written work, analyses, drawings,
freewrites, photos and other relevant materials to the blog. We will create a kind of Expert Page
which highlights and discusses our journey through the novel.
To begin this unit, I will have students read an excerpt titled “Analyzing Literature” in A
Meeting of Minds, which will give them a foundation for literature analysis. We will discuss the
examples in the book as well as what it means to analyze written texts. I will then have students
read two to three chapters of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for each class period.
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I chose this particular novel because it’s dark and exciting, but at the same time poses engaging
in-depth philosophical ideas about identity and evil. My hope is that the novel’s suspense will
keep students interested and that the underlying subject matter will push them to think in more
in-depth ways about issues of self and morality. I also chose it because of its length. Since the
story is only 55 pages, students can easily finish it in the span of five classes without feeling
overwhelmed. This will also give them time to read additional assigned scholarly articles on the
text and to prepare for group projects. I will be using the Norton Critical Edition, which has a
wealth of scholarly essays about the novel, each of which will act as supplementary material. In
addition, I will ask students to read excerpts from Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics in
order to get a background in graphic novel analysis. Then, I will have them read Dr. Jekyll and
Mr. Hyde: A Graphic Novel by Andrzej Klimowski and Danusia Schejbal, and compare it to the
book. I will also ask them to watch a film adaptation of the novel. In this way, students will be
able to add visual elements to their blog and to assess the novel from a multitude of angles.
Once we begin the unit in earnest after spring break, I will divide students into pairs and
assign each pair one scholarly article on the novel. The student pairs will be required to do an
annotated bibliography of the article, to pose questions to the class based on the article’s main
points and to use those questions as a jumping off point to conduct a 10-minute class discussion
of the article’s primary ideas. This will give students a chance to practice annotations, to see
what a scholarly literary analysis looks like, to begin to fully understand the articles by engaging
in a discussion with their peers and to begin generating ideas for their own individual papers
based on some of the ideas brought up in the articles. Furthermore, by the time students begin
work on their final papers, they will have annotations for 10 scholarly articles on the novel,
which they can use as sources. During the group presentation, I will also ask each member of the
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student audience to write down five questions they have about the material presented. This will
keep the audience engaged and also give them questions to ask during the discussion period.
Once the readings, discussions and group projects for Project Text have been completed,
students will be required to write a 4-5 page literary analysis of the novel using three of the 10
sources discussed in the group presentations. Students will also include an annotated
bibliography. Each of the individual papers will be posted on the class blog for The Strange Case
of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde so that by the end of the semester we will have created a class
response to the book.
In a year-long program such as the Stretch program at CSUN, students can build up a
solid foundation of skills and confidence in the first semester and then really begin to grow as
writers in the second semester. To cultivate this growth, I want to give students increasingly
advanced assignments which push them to excel. This again coincides with Neman’s theory of
“Personal Support and Academic Demand.” Neman contends that students “experience a sense
of success more readily when they feel they have met a challenge” (11). I agree. The challenge
for me as a teacher then is to find a balance between pushing students just enough without going
too far and making them feel overwhelmed. I believe the key to this is smaller, shorter
scaffolding assignments which build toward a bigger project. Students feel more able to succeed
when they can approach a large project via a succession of smaller steps. That is the reason why
I have a series of blog assignments in the first half of each unit for Project Web, Project Space
and Project Text. My hope is that these assignments will be fun and manageable and that they
will help students get some traction before going on to final projects. That is my goal – to
provide opportunities for success – and then let the students find their own ways to achieve it.
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Work Cited
Neman, Beth S. Teaching Students to Write. 1980. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.
Print.
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How I Came Into Teaching
Three years ago I went back to school at CSU Northridge to get my M.A. in literature
because I loved to learn. What I didn’t expect was that I would learn as much as a teacher as I did as
a student.
As an English teacher and writing tutor at CSUN, I learned that in order to compete in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship, participants have to obtain a black belt in five different types of
martial arts. I learned what it’s like to have a leg amputated. I learned the ins and outs of
libertarianism. I learned that Elysian Park is a neutral gathering area for L.A. ethnic groups and gangs
and that very few fights ever start there as a result.
Every time I read a student paper, these are the things I learn. That is why I love teaching –
and why I continue to pursue it as a career. It’s also why I struggle to understand why so many of my
colleagues, particularly veteran teachers, complain so fervently about their students’ work. Yes, there
are grammar and syntax errors. Yes, students sometimes struggle to get their ideas across. But, there
is rarely a time when I cannot find at least a nugget of genuineness and truth in a student essay – and
learn from it myself as a result.
Teaching writing is a unique discipline in this way. Not only do I learn from my students, but
I also learn about them. Writing is a personal form of expression. In reading what students write, I
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gain insight into who they are. In this way, the classroom gives me a way to get to know 20 new
people.
I first learned about the power of teaching from my father. When I was young, I used to love
to hear my father talk about his work. He loved it with such a passion. He talked constantly about his
students, about the challenges he faced in the classroom, about finding new ways to reach students
who were struggling, about taking the blame when students were confused so that they wouldn’t feel
badly about their bewilderment. In other words, like me, he taught because he loved to learn – to
learn new ways to reach students, to connect with them, and to help them.
I value those lessons about teaching and learning now, but I didn’t when I was young. Back
then, I wanted to be the one doing things, not the one teaching things. At least that’s the way that I
thought of it. So I worked as an actress, a dancer, a journalist, a graphic designer, a screenwriter, and
even a gymnastics coach. But, while I was successful at each of these professions and felt a personal
satisfaction from pursuing them, there was always something missing.
That’s when my dad’s passion for teaching crossed my mind again. I wanted to find a way to
continue pursuing creative writing as a career, but I needed a way to make a living at the same time.
Teaching at the university level seemed like the perfect option. The schedule was flexible -- I would
have six weeks off in the winter and three months off in the summer. My only worry was that
teaching would take away from my time to write. I didn’t want to spend time teaching others to do
what I wanted to be doing myself. I was amazed and delighted when teaching turned out to be just as
fulfilling as creative writing – and just as instructive. I learned as much about myself in the
classroom as I did in front of the keyboard.
The first time I realized this was when a friend recommended that I work as a writing tutor at
the CSUN Learning Resource Center. It was there at the LRC that I discovered how much I could
learn from helping others. Every student paper I read taught me something new. But, more than that,
it taught me the power of the written word. One student wrote about his life in a gang. Another wrote
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about living in a garage after his mom lost her job. Another wrote about getting addicted to drugs
after her best friend was murdered in a drive-by. These students taught me more about courage,
perseverance and life than I could have ever gotten in my everyday existence – and their work fueled
my own writing as well. Their experiences gave me ideas for creative pieces. Plus, teaching the
fundamentals of writing helped me think in deeper ways about my own writing mechanics. It also
helped me understand which parts of writing were difficult for developmental students to grasp. It
taught me to find creative solutions to every student’s particular problems. It taught me that every
student learns in different ways and at a different pace and that it’s my job to find a solution that
works for them. It taught me to be aware of student personalities since some were used to criticism
and others were more sensitive. I loved it. I learned something new every time I went to work.
But, it wasn’t just the learning I enjoyed. It was also the personal connection. My previous
careers had all been about competition, about standing out, about rising to the top. While there’s a
certain satisfaction that comes from this kind of personal achievement, it’s a narcissistic way of
living. It turns a person away from personal connection. Teaching led me toward it – while still
allowing me to do something I loved. One student I worked with in the LRC, for example, ran in one
day to tell me she had gotten an “A” on her paper. Another emailed me to tell me she had self-
published her own book and that I had been one of the people who had given her the courage to write
it. Another student sent me an excited text to tell me she had finally gotten the score she needed on
the CBEST and that now she would be able to begin student teaching. These experiences surprised
me. I had never expected teaching to be so rewarding. This was another lesson I learned on my road
to becoming a teacher.
But the greatest joy of teaching came when I stepped into my own classroom as a member of
the Teaching Associate’s program at CSUN. Being a teacher of record has allowed me to connect
with students in a different way from the LRC and it has given me a chance to apply the lessons I
learned in the LRC to a real-world classroom. It has taught me how to foster a community
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atmosphere in the classroom through icebreaker activities, class discussions and group projects. It has
taught me how to lead a productive class discussion with 20 students. It has taught me how to work
with students on multiple drafts of their essays and how to help them improve over a full semester. It
has taught me how to be firm but fair with my classroom management, grades, and rules. But more
than anything it has taught me how to establish a rapport with my students over a 15-week period. By
working with them for an extended time, I have learned who they are, what worries they have, what
struggles they’ve been through and what they hope to achieve. In other words, I’ve come to know
them not just as students but as people.
As a result of the lessons I’ve learned as a teacher, I no longer consider teaching a career I do
in order to make money for my “real” pursuits. I think of it now as a viable and satisfying career
choice in and of itself.
I finally understand all of the joys and frustrations my father used to talk about when I was
growing up. Now, being a teacher myself, I have a new perspective on pedagogy. I’ve used many of
my father’s techniques and ideologies in the classroom, but also developed some of my own. Each of
these endeavors has given me a new outlook on learning and on imparting knowledge to others.
There is something profoundly rewarding about seeing a student finally understand a concept that
was once a source of frustration. There is something even more rewarding about seeing that same
student put into practice the know-how they’ve gained as a result of my efforts.
Teaching has also taught me a lot about myself. Through the process I’ve come to understand
who I am in a more profound way, come to value connections with others and come to appreciate the
value of learning and serving others rather than pursuing my own vain ambitions. I no longer
subscribe to the old adage: "Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach." Instead, I think: "Those who
can, do -- and then teach others to do it, too.”
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PROGRESSION I ASSIGNMENTS
EXERCISE 1: Letter to Author Prep (10 points)
1. Choose two passages that you most connected with and write a brief description of why they
caught your attention.
Ex: “Rule number one in English composition is: Be yourself” (247).
I remember my English teacher telling me the same thing. But, I didn’t understand what that
meant. What did it mean to “be myself” in writing? Who was I? How could I express myself?
2. Make a list of five questions you would like to ask the author.
3. Write a paragraph sharing with the author a similar experience you had.
EXERCISE 2: Letter to the Author (10 points)
Using the information you compiled in Exercise 1, write a one-page letter to author Fan Shen, Jennifer
Crichton or Nicholas Gage. The body of the letter might look something like this:
PARAGRAPH 1: Discuss the two passages you liked and share with the author why you connected with
what he wrote.
PARAGRAPH 2: Using the questions you compiled, ask the author about the parts of the essay that you
would like to know more about.
PARAGRAPH 3: In the last paragraph, share with the author your own experience which is similar to his,
and explain why his essay helped you to see this experience in a new light.
EXERCISE 3: Letter to Family Member (10 points)
*** Choose one of the following three prompts
1. Using the essay “Who Shall I Be?” write a two-page, double-spaced letter from your high school self to
your college self. First, describe your high school identity. Next, describe the new person you want to be
in college. Last, describe what you’ll need to change to become that new person, what you want to keep
the same and why and how these changes will affect your life.
2. Using the essay “The Classroom and the Wider Culture,” write a two-page, double-spaced letter to a
family member or friend telling them about a time when you were in an unfamiliar situation and you had
to learn to act in a new way. How did you feel? Were you successful? How did trying on this new
personality change who you are? Did it give you a new way of looking at yourself or the world? First,
describe the new situation. Next, describe how you changed who you were in order to fit in. Last, tell
how you felt about this new “you.”
3. Using the essay “The Teacher Who Changed My Life,” write a two-page, double-spaced letter to
someone who influenced you in an important way – a teacher, coach, relative, mentor. First, describe
your relationship with them (i.e. how you met, what your relationship was). Next, tell them what you
learned from them. Last, tell them how it changed the way you live your life.
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USING QUOTES IN A PAPER:
Writers quote the words of others in a paper to provide evidence for the writer’s ideas and to give the writer’s
argument increased credibility. Writers should select quotes which are relevant, memorably worded and
authoritative.
To most effectively utilize quotes in a paper, writers need to adhere to a few specific guidelines:
1. Introduce the speaker, the title of the speaker’s work that is being quoted, the year of the article
and any other pertinent information.
EXAMPLE: In her 1977 article “Plain Jane’s Progress,” Sandra M. Gilbert ...
2. Add a lead-in which introduces the quote.
EXAMPLE: In her 1977 article “Plain Jane’s Progress,” Sandra M. Gilbert shows how stepping
outside societal norms is looked down upon by the general public …
3. Type in the quote using quotation marks and ending with properly formatted MLA citation in
parentheses.
EXAMPLE: In her 1977 article “Plain Jane’s Progress,” Sandra M. Gilbert shows how stepping
outside societal norms is looked down upon by the general public: “The occasional woman who
has a weakness for black-browed Byronic heroes can be accommodated in novels and even
in some drawing rooms; the woman who yearns to escape entirely from drawing rooms and
patriarchal mansions obviously cannot” (781).
*Note: You do not need a last name of the author in the parentheses in this case because the
author’s name is introduced in the lead-in.
4. Comment on the quote to show its significance.
EXAMPLE: In her 1977 article “Plain Jane’s Progress,” Sandra M. Gilbert shows how stepping
outside societal norms is looked down upon by the general public: “The occasional woman who
has a weakness for black-browed Byronic heroes can be accommodated in novels and even in
some drawing rooms; the woman who yearns to escape entirely from drawing rooms and
patriarchal mansions obviously cannot” (781). Jane Eyre is Bronte’s response to this
frustrating societal standard.
* In later references to the same work, the title of the article and the author’s first name are not needed. But,
the author’s last name, the lead-in, the quote and the comment must still be included.
For example, the next quote from the same work in the same paper might read: Gilbert compares Jane to
famous outsider fairy-tale characters Cinderella and the Ugly Duckling: “The smallest, weakest, and plainest
child in the house, she embarks on her pilgrim’s progress as a sullen Cinderella, an angry Ugly Duckling,
immorally rebellious against the hierarchy that oppresses her” (783). Her rebellion comes in the form of a fiery
confrontation with Mrs. Reed.
*Note that there is still a lead in to the quote, the quote and then a comment afterward. The only change is that
the author’s first name and the title of the article are not mentioned again in later references.
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“I don't do things half-heartedly because I know if I do, then I can expect half-hearted results.”
-- Michael Jordan thinkexist.com
English 114B/Approaches to University Writing
Spring 2012
Instructor: Keli Rowley Office: SN113 (677-0921 – no voicemail)
Room Number: JR247/248 Office Hours: 9:30-10:30 T or by appt.
Class Time: T/Th 8-9:15 Email: [email protected]
COMPUTER LAB:
The class will be held in the computer lab (JR248) on Tuesdays and in JR247 on Thursdays.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
A Meeting of Minds: Strategies for Academic Inquiry and Writing by Patsy Callaghan and Ann Dobyns
Norton Edition of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde graphic novel by Andrzej Klimowski and Danusia Schejbal
Wings
INTRODUCTION:
Welcome back! After a productive fall semester, we are back for the spring. Now that we have built a
strong foundation of writing skills in Eng 114A, we will build on these skills in increasingly advanced
ways in Eng 114B. To that end, we will use online blogs, multi-layered group projects and in-depth
philosophical discussions to create intricate arguments about increasingly complex ideas.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Prerequisites: Successful completion of ENG 114A, expository prose writing with a focus on both
content and form. Specific emphases will include the exercise of logical thought and clear expression, the
development of effective organizational strategies, and the appropriate gathering and utilization of
evidence. Includes instruction on diction, syntax, and grammar, as well as the elements of prose style.
COURSE GOALS:
Demonstrate competence in university writing
Demonstrate the ability to use rhetorical strategies that include the appeal to audience, logic, and
emotion
Understand writing as a recursive process and demonstrate its use through invention, drafting and
revision (creating, shaping, and completing)
Demonstrate the ability to use conventions of format, structure, style, and language appropriate to
the purpose of a written text
Demonstrate the ability to use library and online resources effectively and to document sources.
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STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
You will gain the ability to read critically You’ll read extensively from a variety of academic and non-academic texts, including anthology essays,
academic journal articles, autobiography, fiction, and news media. You will demonstrate the capacity to
read critically by responding to these texts during class discussions as well as writing projects that include
exercises, essays, and thematic projects.
You will gain the ability to write effectively You will produce a range of writing that demonstrates proficiency with rhetorical strategies and
expository writing concepts. This writing will include autobiography, dialogues, epistles, descriptive and
argumentative essays, interactive Web reflections, thematic projects, and blogs.
You will gain knowledge of the cultural diversity of literatures
You will read an assorted body of literature produced by writers from across the globe. You will discuss
and write about these diverse experiences.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING:
Final Portfolio 300 points
Project Web 200 points
Project Space 200 points
Project Text 200 points
Blog/Participation/In -class work 100 points
1,000 points
A: 93-100% A-: 90-92% B+: 87-89% B: 83-86% B-: 80-82% C+: 77-79%
C: 73-76% C-: 70-72% D+: 67-69% D: 63-66% D-: 60-62% F: 0-59%
ESSAYS, HOMEWORK, QUIZZES AND CLASS PARTICIPATION
Essays: Essays should be written in proper MLA style, 12-point Times New-Roman font with one-inch
margins. Each draft must meet the minimum page count requirement to receive full credit. First drafts will
be used for self/peer editing but must also be turned in to me.
Homework: Homework is a very important part of class. Readings and blog projects will be assigned
each day. They will be worth 10 points each.
** For each reading assignment, you will need to print the article, annotate it and put it in a three-ring
binder. This will be turned in to me at the end of the semester and will be included in your participation
grade.
Participation: Discussions are a big part of this class, so participation is very important. All students are
expected to contribute to any and all in-class conversations and activities.
Make-up work: Assignments will be lowered one grade for each class day they are submitted after the
due date. After the fourth class period, all make-up assignments will receive half credit.
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PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS:
All students are required to submit a portfolio at the end of the semester. This is worth 300 points. It
is a chance for you to showcase your best work from the semester.
Requirements:
Two essays (with other drafts attached). Do not throw away your early drafts!
A submission to Wings with submission form attached.
One reflective essay cover letter.
CLASS POLICIES/ATTENDANCE/FOOD/TECHNOLOGY
Attendance is required at all classes. Your grade will be lowered one letter grade for every three
absences you incur. Three tardies equal one absence.
Food and drinks will be permitted as long as they are not disruptive.
Cell phones must be put away at the start of class. If I see you texting on your cell phone, you
will receive one warning. On the second offense, you will be asked to leave the classroom and will be
marked absent.
In the computer lab, I do not want to see you on Facebook or email sites. If I see you on these
sites, you will receive one warning. On the second offense, you will be asked to leave the classroom and
will be marked absent.
PLAGIARISM:
Plagiarism is a serious offense and will result in severe disciplinary action. According to the
CSUN university catalog, plagiarism in all its forms is “an offense for which a student may be expelled,
suspended, or given a less severe disciplinary sanction. Academic dishonesty is an especially serious
offense and diminishes the quality of scholarship and defrauds those who depend upon the integrity of the
campus programs” (para 2). http://www.csun.edu/science/help/help_docs/plagiarism.html
In order to prevent plagiarism, students will submit all essays to turnitin.com.
RESOURCES:
The Learning Resource Center, located in Bayramian Hall 415, is a free service which provides
tutoring help to students working on essays. Students meet with tutors for 30-minute sessions. Call 818-
677-2033 to make an appointment. I encourage you to make appointments early since they book up fast.
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:
Contacting me: Email is the best way to reach me. I will check my account regularly on
weekdays. If you do not receive a response from me within 24 hours, please resend your email.
Outside interests: Screenwriting, traveling, singing, dancing, acting, yoga, pilates, cycling,
hiking, working out, movies, reading, psychology, philosophy, NFL football.
Previous professions: Newspaper graphic designer, sportswriter, entertainment reporter, movie
reviewer, screenwriter, Minnie Mouse at Disneyland, gymnastics coach, actress, dancer.
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PROJECT WEB
For this unit, you will create your own online blog using Blogger. On it, you will post daily
responses to readings and film viewings as well as do a creative writing exercise and a final paper. You
will also work in small groups of three to complete a group project.
The theme for Project Web will be “The Impact of the Internet on Society.” You will read a series
of essays from “Casebook 5: Are We Too Plugged In?” from A Meeting of Minds. At the same time, you
will also watch a series of movies including: The Matrix, The Social Network, Catfish, We Live in Public,
Surrogates and excerpts from Middle Men, Adoration, Stealth, Swimfan, Wargames, AntiTrust and
Hackers. You will also be assigned a supplementary creative project.
For each reading, you will write a summary, post two quotes with explanations of their
significance for you and post two questions for the author.
This unit will consist of five main components:
1. Create your own online blog
2. Post responses to readings and movies
3. Creative writing exercise
4. Group project
5. Individual paper
Daily responses: 50 points (5 postings worth 10 points each)
Group project/Individual paper: 150 points
Group Expert Page: 70 points
Written content: 30 points
Visual content: 20 points
Group project assignment distribution: 10 points
Reflection on group project: 10 points
Individual paper: 80 points
First draft: 20 points
Second draft: 40 points
Peer Edit: 10 points
Self Edit: 10 points
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PROJECT SPACE
For this unit you will examine space from a multitude of angles. Each week will be devoted to an
examination of a different type of spatial relationship. As we examine different types of spaces, we
will look at how space affects a location, how it affects communication and how it affects the people
within that space.
For this unit, you will read excerpts from varying assigned resources. You will then post summaries of
the readings as well as responses to the reading based on questions I will provide. These questions will
push you to think about space in new ways and to generate ideas for the final group project.
In addition, in class we will be working in groups on creative projects which relate to weekly themes
about space. These group sessions will be designed to generate ideas for a final group project.
Once readings and in-class projects are completed, groups will draw assignments from a hat. Each
group will present a project to the class which interrogates space from one of five perspectives.
This unit will consist of three main components:
1. Blog summaries/responses to the readings
2. In-class exercises and brainstorming
3. Group project/Individual spatial analysis paper
Daily blog responses: 50 points (5 assignments worth 10 points each)
Group project: 150 points
o Final group project:
50 points final group project
20 points peer edit
40 points final individual spatial analysis papers
10 points peer edit
10 points self edit
o Group project assignment distribution: 10 points
o Reflection on group project: 10 points
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PROJECT TEXT
In this unit, you will learn to read and analyze literature. You will begin by reading the
“Analyzing Literature” section of A Meeting of Minds. In this section of the book, you will learn
strategies for literary inquiry.
You will read the novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.
You will write a 4-5 page literary analysis of the novel as well as annotate a scholarly article about the
novel and lead a group discussion of the article in groups of two. You will also read excerpts from Scott
McCloud’s Understanding Comics, and then read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: A Graphic Novel by Andrzej
Klimowski and Danusia Schejbal. You will also watch a film adaptation. This will give you multiple
angles from which to assess the story.
For homework, you will write a summary of assigned chapters, choose two favorite quotes from
those chapters and write a brief explanation of why the quotes were significant for you, and write two
questions either for the author or for class discussion. You will also respond to questions posed by me.
For the group component of this unit, you will work in groups of two. Each pair will be
responsible for one scholarly article written about the novel. I will provide the article, but you and your
partner will have to write an annotated bibliography of the article and lead a 10-minute class discussion.
This unit will consist of four parts:
1. Responses to homework: 50 points (5 responses worth 10 points each)
2. Group presentation/discussion: 30 points
3. Annotated bibliography: 20 points
4. Individual paper: 100 points
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WELCOME BACK!
Tuesday, Jan. 24
PROJECT WEB
In class:
1. Blogging
What is a good blog?
Scholarly examples
http://www.knavickas.com/ and http://dolor.blogspot.com/
Look at Time Magazine best examples/discuss
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,2075431,00.html
2. How does a blog reflect your identity/personality?
Read/discuss excerpts from Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet
3. In-class computer lab guided demonstration of how to create an online blog using Blogger.
4. Write a one-paragraph introduction to your blog explaining what it is and who you are.
Homework:
Begin creating own blog.
LOSS OF CONNECTION
Exercise: TBA
Read: “Society is Dead, We Have Retreated into the iWorld” (500-502 A Meeting of Minds).
On blog: Write a summary of the article, pull out two quotes and explain why the quotes were significant
for you, write two questions for the author. Post on your blog.
Thursday, Jan. 26
In class:
Freewrite/Discussion of article.
Read and discuss:
“Split Attention” from Moodle.
Read and do freewrite on: “Is Being ‘Plugged In’ Changing Campus Life? A Conversation” (495-498 A
Meeting of Minds).
***Discussion of counterargument.
Homework:
LOSS OF THE REAL
Read:
“Loss of the Real” from Moodle.
On blog: Write a summary of the article, pull out two quotes from the article and explain why the quotes
were significant for you, write two questions for each author. Post on your blog.
Tuesday, Jan. 31
In class:
Discuss the article and do additional exercises and freewrites.
Read and discuss excerpt from Fahrenheit 451.
Watch excerpt from Surrogates and discuss.
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LOSS OF HUMANITY/HUMANS LIKE MACHINES
Homework:
Read: “Aspects of the Self”
“Artificial Minds” from The Matrix and Philosophy
On blog: Write a summary of “Artificial Minds,” pull out two quotes from the article and explain why
the quotes were significant for you, write two questions for each author. Post on your blog.
Thursday, Feb. 2
In class:
Discuss Donna Haraway’s The Cyborg Manifesto
Discuss The Matrix
Watch excerpts from A.I., I,Robot, 2001: A Space Odyssey
LOSS OF PRIVACY
Homework:
Read:
Panopticon
Foucault’s Panopticon
Tuesday, Feb. 7
In class:
Freewrite
Discuss panopticism
Read and discuss excerpt from 1984.
Watch and discuss excerpt from Minority Report.
BECOMING LAZY
Homework:
Read: The Veldt
Read: “The Experience Machine” from The Matrix and Philosophy
On blog: Write a 500-word summary and response to “The Veldt.”
Write a summary of “The Experience Machine,” pull out two quotes and explain why the quotes were
significant for you, write two questions for the author. Post on your blog.
Thursday, Feb. 9
In class:
Freewrite.
Discuss story
Watch and discuss excerpt from Wall-E.
Creative Writing exercise.
Handout Group Project/Essay 1 prompt. Discuss.
Meet in groups. Begin brainstorming. Hand in Group Assignment Distribution sheet to me.
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Homework:
Thesis/intro for Essay 1
Finish creative writing story and post on blog.
Tuesday, Feb. 14
In class:
Anonymous workshopping of thesis.
Introduction peer edit.
Meet in groups.
Homework:
Continue working on group Expert Page.
First draft of individual essay.
Thursday, Feb. 16
In class:
Peer edit of individual papers.
Homework:
Finish Group Expert Pages.
Tuesday, Feb. 21
In class:
Peer review of Expert Pages.
Handout/discuss Group Project Reflection.
Homework:
Draft 2 of Essay 1/Final Expert Page/Group Project Reflection
Thursday, Feb. 23
Due: Draft 2 Essay 1/Expert Page/Group Project Reflection
PROJECT SPACE
AMUSEMENT PARK/MALL SPACE
In class: Introduction to spatial representations
Read and discuss: “Mediated Spaces” from the book Remediation: Understanding New Media
Homework:
Read: “Interior Design Space” and Chapter One from “A Space of My Own.”
On Blog:
1. Write a 250-word blog where you describe your current study space. What do you like about it? What
do you not like about it? Consider, in particular, your furniture, lighting, storage and decoration. Post on
your blog.
2. Write a 500-word spatial analysis of Disneyland using the park map
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y9reapuFMt4/TVR8VL2-
UQI/AAAAAAAAABE/EGSUyprlf0A/s1600/disneyland_map.jpg
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Tuesday, Feb. 28
INTERIOR DESIGN SPACE
In Class:
Discuss “A Space of My Own” with examples.
Assess interior spaces in pairs. Pairs present findings to the class.
Watch excerpts from Home Improvement
Assign/discuss homework
Homework:
Read: Excerpt from “The End of Public Space? People’s Park, the Public and the Right to the City” from
Don Mitchell’s book The Right to the City: Social Justice and the Fight for Public Space.
On Blog:
1. Write a 500-word blog describing your ideal study space if money was no object.
2. Write a summary of “The End of Public Space,” pull out two quotes and explain why the quotes were
significant for you, write two questions for the author. Post on blog.
Thursday, March 1
URBAN SPACE
In Class:
Discuss: “The End of Public Space.”
Freewrite: Think of a popular gathering place in your neighborhood. Write a 250-word analysis of what
you think is working about the space and a 250-word proposal which details ways to renovate it.
Read: “Black Men and Public Space.” Discussion and freewrite.
Read: Additional excerpts from “The End of Public Space? People’s Park, the Public and the Right to the
City” from Don Mitchell’s book The Right to the City: Social Justice and the Fight for Public Space.
Homework:
Read: “’I Am New York’ – Spider Man, New York City and the Marvel Universe” from the book
Comics and the City: Urban Space in Print, Picture and Sequence.
Tuesday, March 6
COMIC BOOKS AND URBAN SPACE REPRESENTATIONS
In class:
Examples of comic book representations of Urban Space.
Find and post online photos of downtown New York City alongside panels from a Spiderman comic
showing how New York is represented visually in comic books. Write a 250-word analysis of how space
is represented in the comic and what it says about New York City.
OR
Do a 500-word creative freewrite where you create your own fantasy city. Describe how the downtown
area would look spatially. Draw one panel of the comic book or a cover for the comic book. Post both on
your blog.
Homework:
Read: Chapter 1 from Educating by Design: Creating Campus Learning Environments That Work
On blog: Choose two quotes from the reading, post on your blog and discuss the significance for you.
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Thursday, March 8
CAMPUS SPACE DESIGN
In class:
Read/discuss excerpts from Educating by Design: Creating Campus Learning Environments That Work.
Homework:
1. On blog: In 250 words, describe a fantasy university board game you would like to design.
Describe how space plays a part in the design of a campus.
2. Draw a blueprint showing how the space would be used to encourage student involvement, interaction,
communication. Bring it to class.
Tuesday, March 13
In class:
Hand out Group Project prompt. Break students up into groups of four. Have students draw for which
project they will do.
Break up into groups and brainstorm. Turn in assignment distribution sheet to me.
Homework:
Write 5-7 minute group project pitch for the class.
Thursday, March 15
In class:
Pitch group project ideas to class/Get feedback
Homework:
First draft of Group Project.
Tuesday, March 20
In class:
Peer edit first draft of Group Project/Go over spatial analysis papers/Group project reflection
Homework:
First draft of individual 2-3-page spatial analysis papers.
Thursday, March 22
In class:
Peer edit first draft of individual 2-3-page spatial analysis papers.
Homework:
Final draft of Group Project, Individual Paper and Group Project Reflection
Tuesday, March 27
Due: Group project/Individual Paper/Group Project Reflection
PROJECT TEXT
In class:
Read: “Analyzing Literature” p. 134-154 in A Meeting of Minds.
Introduction to Literature Analysis – lecture/discussion. Do Application exercise p. 143.
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Homework:
Read: Annotated Bibliographies on Moodle
Read: Carl Jung’s “Shadow Self” on Moodle
Read: Freud’s “Id, Ego, Superego” on Moodle
On blog: Write a 300-word summary/response to Jung’s “Shadow Self.”
Thursday, March 29
In class:
Go over Project Text group project. Pair up students. Assign scholarly articles.
Introduction to Annotated Bibliographies with examples and practice.
Discuss Jung’s “Shadow Self.” Write annotated bibliography of this article in class.
Homework:
Read: Chapters 1-4 in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Read: “Man’s Nature is Good” and “Man’s Nature is Evil” on Moodle.
On Blog:
1. Post summary of Chapters 1-4, two favorite quotes with explanations, two questions about the text.
2. Post one paragraph reactions to “Man is Good” and “Man is Evil” or one 300-word response to both.
Tuesday, April 3
SPRING BREAK
Thursday, April 5
SPRING BREAK
Tuesday, April 10
In class:
Freewrites and discussion: Chapters 1-4 in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Discuss: “Man’s Nature is Good” and “Man’s Nature is Evil.”
Two student-led discussions of scholarly texts.
Optional discussion/freewrite: Disliking flaws in others posting on Moodle.
Homework:
Read: Chapters 5-7 in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Read: “Creating the False Self.”
On Blog: Post summary of Chapters 5-7, two favorite quotes with explanations, two questions.
Thursday, April 12
In class:
Freewrite and discussion: Chapters 5-7 in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Discuss: “Creating the False Self.”
Two student-led discussions of scholarly texts.
Optional discussion/freewrite: Readings on Doppleganger and doing what other self can’t.
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Homework:
Read: Chapters 8-10 in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Read: “Using Our Flaws and Faults.”
On Blog: Post summary of Chapters 8-10, two favorite quotes with explanations, two questions.
Tuesday, April 17
In class:
Discuss: Chapters 8-10 in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Freewrite: Answer questions in “Using Our Flaws and Faults.”
Discuss: “Using Our Flaws and Faults.”
Two student-led discussions of scholarly texts.
Optional discussion/freewrite: Article on “Hypocrisy” and/or article on “Inebriety.”
Homework:
Read: Excerpts from Understanding Comics on Moodle.
*Possible reading of scholarly article on comic book adaptations of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and
Mr. Hyde.
Thursday, April 19
In class:
Discussion/Lecture on Understanding Comics.
City of Glass presentation.
Read first few pages of graphic novel, practice analyzing in groups.
Homework:
Read: First half of graphic novel.
On Blog:
1. Post 300-word response to graphic novel.
Questions to address: How is the graphic novel different from the novel? Are these differences good or
bad? In what ways can graphic novels enhance a novel’s message and in what ways do they struggle to
represent the novel’s themes?
2. Choose one image from the graphic novel, describe it and then analyze how it enhances the novel or
how it struggles to represent the novel’s words in a visual way.
Tuesday, April 24
In class:
Freewrite and discussion of graphic novel.
Two student-led discussions of scholarly texts.
Hand out prompt for Essay 3/Discuss.
* Handout: Thesis/antithesis/synthesis example, read and discuss.
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Homework:
Read: Second half of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde graphic novel.
On Blog:
1. Post 500-word response to graphic novel.
Questions to address: How is the graphic novel different from the novel? Are these differences good or
bad? In what ways can graphic novels enhance a novel’s message and in what ways do they struggle to
represent the novel’s themes?
2. Choose one image from the graphic novel, describe it and then analyze how it enhances the novel or
how it struggles to represent the novel’s words in a visual way.
Due: Thesis for Essay 3.
Thursday, April 26
In class:
Two student-led discussions of scholarly texts.
Anonymous thesis workshopping.
Watch part of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde movie OR other articles haven’t got to. Discuss.
Homework:
First draft of Essay 3
Tuesday, May 1
Due: First draft of Essay 3.
In class:
Peer edit of first draft of paper
Self Edit (if time) – Descriptive Outline/Revision Plan.
Homework:
Self Edit – Descriptive Outline/Revision Plan
2nd
draft of paper
Thursday, May 3
In class:
Due: 2nd
draft of Essay 3
Read and discuss: Sample cover letters from Wings.
Brainstorm cover letter work.
Homework:
Portfolio cover letter
Revise other essays/projects
Tuesday, May 8
In class:
Cover letter workshopping/peer edits.
Homework:
Final Portfolio!
Thursday, May 10
Final Portfolio due
PARTY!
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Sample Annotated Bibliography
Emanuel, James A. “Fever and Feeling. Notes on Imagery in Native Son.” Negro Digest 18.2 (1968). 160-
67. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 21 Feb. 2010.
Emmanuel discusses the ways in which Richard Wright uses symbolic imagery to further
enhance reader understanding of Bigger’s identity. Emmanuel shows how the furnace reinforces
the fiery guilt bubbling in Bigger’s belly. He demonstrates how Bigger retreats to the center of a
given space any time he feels constricted by the events happening around him. He explains how
eyes are used by Wright as a symbol of guilt and as a figurative symbol of the spiritual blindness
of Bigger and the other characters in the novel. He even shows how Wright uses the figurative
image of a wall as a symbol of separation and detachment. Emmanuel asserts that these images
and many others serve to deepen reader understanding of Bigger and of the black male persona in
America.
Gibson, Donald B. “Wright's Invisible Native Son.” American Quarterly 21.4 (1969): 728-38. MLA
International Bibliography. Web. 7 Feb. 2010.
Gibson contends that past critics of Native Son have focused too much on the social
significance of Bigger Thomas and have therefore missed the most significant point of the novel -
- Bigger’s journey of self realization. Gibson asserts that critics’ misplaced focus on the social
aspect of Bigger’s persona have caused them to place too much emphasis on Boris Max’s speech
at the end of the novel, to misread the novel’s ending, to incorrectly label the novel a propaganda
piece and ultimately to misunderstand Bigger as a person. Focusing on the final section of the
novel, titled “Fate,” Gibson shows how Wright uses existentialism to artfully construct Bigger’s
inner philosophical struggle and how Bigger finds ultimate freedom and salvation in his budding
conscious awareness of self.
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“I don't do things half-heartedly because I know if I do, then I can expect half-hearted results.”
-- Michael Jordan thinkexist.com
English 114A/Approaches to University Writing A
Syllabus/Fall 2011
Instructor: Keli Rowley Office: SN113 (677-0921 – no voicemail)
Room Number: JR215 Office Hours: 9:30-10:30 T or by appt.
Class Time: T/Th 8-9:15 Email: [email protected]
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Reflect, Inform, Persuade by Elizabeth Rodriguez Kessler
A Meeting of Minds: Strategies for Academic Inquiry and Writing by Patsy Callaghan and Ann Dobyns
The Little Seagull Handbook by Richard Bullock and Francine Weinberg
New Voices
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Active CSUN email account
Access to Moodle
1 Green Book
1 journal notebook
Three-ring binder for quizzes, handouts and activities
Colored highlighters
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
In this class, students will read, analyze and write essays about all types of written works
including: academic essays, newspaper articles, magazine articles, song lyrics, films, movie posters,
poems, novels and graphic novels. Students will learn to look critically at texts, to analyze, question and
engage with them as informed readers. Students will also learn to think of writing as a process of
discovery achieved through multiple drafts and revision. In addition, students will learn to edit their own
work as well as the works of others.
COURSE GOALS:
My goal for this course is to make writing fun. (Really!) In the past, you may have dreaded
writing essays, but I hope that through the course of this class, you will come to see that writing can be a
wonderful way to express yourself, to learn about yourself and what you think, to think deeply about
issues that concern you and to share with others the topics you are most passionate about. I don’t expect
perfection. We’re all here to learn. All I ask is that you care and put forth your best effort. In return, I will
strive to do the same.
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STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
During the course of this class, you will learn to:
Summarize a wide variety of written work, including academic articles, films, poems and songs.
Read critically, annotate and engage with a text.
Write different types of essays: personal narratives, argumentative essays and literature analyses.
Turn down your internal critic.
Edit and revise your own work.
Edit the work of others and give constructive feedback.
Think more deeply and critically about life.
Read with a more critical, inquiring eye.
See and acknowledge both sides of an argument.
Use MLA style and formatting.
Use and cite sources.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING:
Final Portfolio 300 points
Two essays: 200 points (100 pts each). In-class essay: 50 points. Cover letter: 50 points.
Three essays 300 points (100 points each)
Progression assignments 150 points
Quizzes 150 points (10 points each quiz)
Class Participation/homework/in-class work 100 points
1,000 points
A: 93-100% A-: 90-92% B+: 87-89% B: 83-86% B-: 80-82% C+: 77-79%
C: 73-76% C-: 70-72% D+: 67-69% D: 63-66% D-: 60-62% F: 0-59%
ESSAYS, HOMEWORK, QUIZZES AND CLASS PARTICIPATION
Essays: Each essay is worth 100 points. It should be written in proper MLA style, 12-point Times New-
Roman font and one-inch margins. Each draft must meet the minimum page count requirement to receive
full credit. First drafts will be used for self/peer editing but must also be turned in to me. Points on the
first draft will be determined by meeting the minimum page requirement and by effort and depth of ideas.
This is a work in progress and will be treated as such. My comments on this draft will be focused
primarily on helping you develop your thoughts. Second drafts must include first draft (with my
comments), self edit, peer edit and final draft. Points on this draft will be more comprehensive, focusing
on elements such as: intro, thesis, topic sentences, body paragraphs, conclusion, formatting and grammar.
ESSAY REQUIREMENTS:
First Draft 20 points
Second Draft 40 points
Peer review 20 points
Self edit 20 points
Total 100 points
Homework: Homework is a very important part of class. Readings will be assigned each day of class and
short quizzes will be given out at the start of each class period to ensure that students are keeping up.
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Quizzes: Short quizzes will be given out at the start of each class period. They will be worth 10 points
each. You may opt out of one in the semester.
Participation: Discussions are a big part of this class, so participation is very important. All students are
expected to contribute to any and all in-class conversations and activities.
PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS:
All students are required to submit a portfolio at the end of the semester. This is worth 300 points. It
is a chance for you to showcase your best work from the semester.
Requirements:
Two essays (with other drafts attached). Do not throw away your early drafts!
A submission to Wings with submission form attached.
One in-class essay
One reflective essay cover letter.
CLASS POLICIES/ATTENDANCE/FOOD/TECHNOLOGY
Attendance is required at all classes. If you miss more than three class meetings, your grade will
be lowered by one letter. Two tardies equal one absence.
Food and drinks will be permitted as long as they are not disruptive.
Laptops and cell phones must be put away at the start of class. If I see you texting on your cell
phone, you will receive one warning. On the second offense, you will be asked to leave the classroom and
will be marked absent.
Late papers and assignments will be marked down one letter grade for each day they are late.
Papers cannot be emailed. They must be submitted to turnitin.com and then presented in person.
PLAGIARISM:
Plagiarism is a serious offense and will result in severe disciplinary action. According to the
CSUN university catalog, plagiarism in all its forms is “an offense for which a student may be expelled,
suspended, or given a less severe disciplinary sanction. Academic dishonesty is an especially serious
offense and diminishes the quality of scholarship and defrauds those who depend upon the integrity of the
campus programs” (para 2). http://www.csun.edu/science/help/help_docs/plagiarism.html
In order to prevent plagiarism, students will submit all essays to turnitin.com prior to submitting
them in class.
RESOURCES:
The Learning Resource Center, located in Bayramian Hall 415, is a free service which provides
tutoring help to students working on essays. Students meet with tutors for 30-minute sessions. Call 818-
677-2033 to make an appointment. I encourage you to make appointments early since they book up fast.
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:
Contacting me: Email is the best way to reach me. I will check my account regularly on
weekdays. If you do not receive a response from me within 24 hours, please resend your email.
Outside interests: Screenwriting, traveling, singing, dancing, acting, yoga, pilates, cycling,
hiking, working out, movies, reading, psychology, philosophy, NFL football.
Previous professions: Newspaper graphic designer, sportswriter, entertainment reporter, movie
reviewer, screenwriter, Minnie Mouse at Disneyland, gymnastics coach, actress.
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STUDENT INFORMATION FORM
Name:
Major and why you chose this major:
Email you use most frequently:
What do you like to read? (This can be anything from books to blogs to magazines to comic books)
If you didn’t have to worry about money and time and you could do anything you wanted all day long,
what would that be?
Expectations for the course:
If you were teaching this course, what would you like to see included? What would you not like to see?
Who was your favorite teacher and what did you like about him or her?
What languages do you speak besides English?
Do you require special accommodations?
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FALL 2011 SCHEDULE
Tuesday: 8/30
Agenda: Icebreaker
Discuss syllabus
Moodle intro
Progression intro/explanation
Reading to Inquire Strategy
Discuss annotation
Assignment: Fill out Student Information form, page 4 of syllabus.
Put profile/picture on Moodle
Read and annotate “The Classroom and the Wider Culture” (246-250) in Reflect, Inform
Read: “Shitty First Drafts”
Thursday: 9/1
Due today: Fill out Student Information form, page 4 of syllabus.
Put profile/picture on Moodle
Read and annotate “The Classroom and the Wider Culture” (246-250) in Reflect, Inform
Read: “Shitty First Drafts”
Agenda:
Discuss “Shitty First Drafts”
Freewrite
Discussion of “The Culture and the Wider Classroom”
Do Letter to Author Prep for “The Culture and the Wider Classroom” in class
Assignment: Read and annotate: “The Teacher Who Changed My Life” (400-404) in Reflect, Inform.
Highlight parts that intrigue you and write questions in margins.
Do Letter to Author Prep and post on Moodle.
Respond to one classmates’ posting that has not been responded to. This should be a
considerate, well thought out response.
Tuesday: 9/6
Due today: Annotation of “The Teacher Who Changed My Life” (400-404) in Reflect, Inform.
Highlight parts that intrigue you and write questions in margins.
Respond to one classmates’ posting that has not been responded to.
Do Letter to Author Prep and post on Moodle.
Agenda:
Freewrite
Discussion of reading.
Read: 118-119 in Reflect, Inform, Persuade.
Discuss: What is a personal narrative essay?
Audience exercise.
Assignment: Read and annotate: “Who Shall I Be?” (238-243) in Reflect, Inform, Persuade.
Do Letter to Author Prep for “Who Shall I Be?” and post on Moodle.
Respond to one classmates’ posting that has not been responded to. This should be a
considerate, well thought out response.
Read John R. Edlund’s “Three Ways to Persuade”
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Thursday: 9/8
Due today: Annotation of “Who Shall I Be?” (238-243) in Reflect, Inform, Persuade
Do Letter to Author Prep for “Who Shall I Be?” and post on Moodle
Respond to one classmates’ posting that has not been responded to. This should be a
considerate, well thought out response.
Read John R. Edlund’s “Three Ways to Persuade”
Agenda:
Quiz on Edlund reading
Freewrite
Discuss Edlund article
Read pages 38-40 in A Meeting of Minds.
Group work – Strategy p. 40 of A Meeting of Minds
Progression I intro
Assign/discuss: Letter to Author.
Assignment: Letter to Author (See: Page 13, Example 2 of syllabus)
Read: The Personal Letter (108-114) in Reflect, Inform, Persuade.
Tuesday: 9/13
Due today: Letter to Author
Read: The Personal Letter (108-114) in Reflect, Inform, Persuade.
Agenda:
Quiz on reading
Discuss The Personal Letter
Assign Letter to Family Member
Other ways to understand a reading better:
Read 63-69 in A Meeting of Minds.
Do Strategy p. 66. Part I individually and Part II in groups.
Assignment: Letter to Family Member (See page 13, Exercise 3 of syllabus)
Read Summaries (69-72): A Meeting of Minds
Thursday: 9/15
Due today: Letter to Family Member (See page 13, Exercise 3 of syllabus)
Read Summaries (69-72): A Meeting of Minds
Agenda:
Quiz on reading
Discussion of how to write a summary
Group practice.
Individually, begin writing summary of one of three assigned readings. (See:
Page 14, Exercise 4 of syllabus)
Assignment: Summary of one of three assigned readings (See: Page 14, Exercise 4 of syllabus)
Read: Writing Process (3-7) in Reflect, Inform, Persuade.
Read: Brainstorming (8-25): Reflect, Inform, Persuade
Read: Intro/Thesis (60-68): Reflect, Inform, Persuade
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Tuesday: 9/20
Due today: Summary of one of three assigned readings (See: Page 14, Exercise 4 of syllabus)
Read: Writing Process (3-7) in Reflect, Inform, Persuade.
Read: Brainstorming (8-25): Reflect, Inform, Persuade
Read: Intro/Thesis (60-68): Reflect, Inform, Persuade
Agenda:
Quiz on readings
Writing Process discussion
Brainstorming – discussion
Try two brainstorming approaches – these will be attached to essay.
Hand out first essay prompt
Brainstorming – individual work
Intro/Thesis – discussion
Assignment: Write intro/thesis for Essay 1
Read: Body/Transitions/Conclusion (68-74) in Reflect, Inform, Persuade
Read: MLA formatting (526-533) of A Meeting of Minds
Thursday: 9/22
Due today: Intro/Thesis for Essay 1
Read: Body/Transitions/Conclusion (68-74) in Reflect, Inform, Persuade
Read: MLA formatting (526-533) of A Meeting of Minds
Agenda:
Quiz on reading
Intro/Thesis – anonymous workshopping
Body/Conclusion discussion
Discuss MLA formatting
Assignment: Draft 1, Essay 1
Read Peer Review and Editing (79-89) in Reflect, Inform, Persuade
Tuesday: 9/27
Due today: Draft 1, Essay 1
Read Peer Review and Editing (79-89) in Reflect, Inform, Persuade
Agenda:
Quiz on reading
Editing/Revision discussion
Peer review discussion with example
Self edit
Peer review
Assignment: Begin revising essay using Self Edit and Peer Review comments.
Read: Informing Words and Images (126-129) in A Meeting of Minds
Bring in copy of movie poster. Answer Strategy questions (129) A Meeting of Minds.
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Thursday: 9/29
Due today: Begin revising essay using Self Edit and Peer Review comments.
Read: Informing Words and Images (126-129) in A Meeting of Minds
Bring in copy of movie poster. Answer Strategy questions (129) A Meeting of Minds
Agenda:
Quiz on reading
Informing Images intro discussion.
Progression II intro.
Group project
Exercise I Word Picture explanation/discussion with example.
Assignment: Draft 2, Essay 1
Exercise I (page 15 of syllabus)
Read 130-134 in A Meeting of Minds
Tuesday: 10/4
Due today: Draft 2, Essay 1
Exercise I (page 15 of syllabus)
Read 130-134 in A Meeting of Minds
Agenda:
Quiz on reading
Discuss reading
Group exercise
Exercise II – Scene
Assignment: Exercise II (page 15 of syllabus)
Thursday: 10/6
Due today: Exercise II (page 15 of syllabus)
Agenda:
Group scene exercise.
Exercise III. Explain and discuss with example.
Assignment: Exercise III (Page 15 of syllabus)
Read Academic Argument 234-250 in A Meeting of Minds
Tuesday: 10/11
Due today: Exercise III (Page 15 of syllabus)
Read Academic Argument 234-250 in A Meeting of Minds
Agenda:
Quiz on reading
Discuss reading
Hand out Essay 2 prompt, discuss
Brainstorm individually
Test thesis in pairs.
Assignment: Brainstorming (to be turned in)
Intro/Thesis Essay 2
Read: Verbs, Verb Tense and Tense Agreement pgs. 365-367 A Meeting of Minds; Fused
Sentences, Faulty Parallelism and Sentence Fragment pgs. 370-371 A Meeting of Minds.
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Thursday: 10/13
Due today: Brainstorming
Intro/Thesis Essay 2
Read: Verbs, Verb Tense and Tense Agreement (365-367) in A Meeting of Minds; Fused
Sentences, Faulty Parallelism and Sentence Fragment (370-371) in A Meeting of Minds.
Agenda:
Grammar test
Intro/Thesis workshopping
Get in Home Groups/Peer Review groups
Assignment: Draft 1, Essay 2
Read Revising for Compelling Ideas: 334-341 in A Meeting of Minds
Tuesday: 10/18
Due today: Draft 1, Essay 2
Read Revising for Compelling Ideas: 334-341 in A Meeting of Minds
Agenda:
Quiz on reading
Discussion of reading
Self edit – Individually, work on a Descriptive Outline/Revision Plan for your
paper. * This will be included with the essay and will be graded.
Exchange papers in Home Groups, then get in Peer Review groups, take home
papers.
Assignment: Edit peer papers
Finish Descriptive Outline/Revision Plan
Read: 277-283 Evaluating Media in A Meeting of Minds
Thursday: 10/20
Due today: Edit peer papers
Finish Descriptive Outline/Revision Plan
Read: 277-283 Evaluating Media in A Meeting of Minds
Agenda:
Quiz on reading
Group discussion using essays from reading.
Progression III intro with example
Assignment: Draft 2, Essay 2
Read “Reading Rhetorically” online
Read 174-175, 187-191 in A Meeting of Minds.
Tuesday: 10/25
Due today: Draft 2, Essay 2
Read “Reading Rhetorically” online
Read 174-175, 187-191 in A Meeting of Minds.
Agenda:
Meet in the library.
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Assignment: Exercise I (See page 16 of syllabus)
Read: Writing Evaluations (287-294) in A Meeting of Minds
Thursday: 10/27
Due today: Exercise I (See page 16 of syllabus)
Read: Writing Evaluations (287-294) in A Meeting of Minds
Agenda:
Short quiz on reading
Discuss reading
Discuss Exercise II: Dialogue
In Groups, create a dialogue between the two writers of the Napoleon Dynamite
reviews. Perform dialogue scenes.
Hand out MLA Works Cited example page and discuss homework.
Assignment: Find two more scholarly sources about your particular film/book/song/TV show. Using
p. 533 of A Meeting of Minds, type up a Works Cited page which includes your three
sources.
Tuesday: 11/1
Due today: Find two more scholarly sources about your particular film/book/song/TV
show/graphic novel/painting. Using p. 533 of A Meeting of Minds, type up a Works Cited
page which includes your three sources.
Agenda:
Handout: 100 Greatest Films Film Selection Criteria and discuss
(http://www.filmsite.org/criteria2.html).
Discuss Exercise III: The Proposal
Work on proposal.
Assignment:
Exercise III (page 16 of syllabus)
Read 42-51 from They Say, I Say
Read: Using Reader Cues 219-220 in A Meeting of Minds
Thursday: 11/3
Due today:
Exercise III (page 16 of syllabus)
Read 42-51 from They Say, I Say
Read: Using Reader Cues 219-220 in A Meeting of Minds
Agenda:
Quiz on reading
Discuss reading in They Say, I Say
Discuss Reader Cues, do Application exercise in groups.
Hand out essay prompt for Essay 3. Discuss.
Brainstorming work – individually
Assignment: Brainstorming (to be turned in)
Thesis/Intro for essay 3
Read 55-67 in They Say, I Say
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Tuesday: 11/8
Due today: Brainstorming (to be turned in)
Thesis/Intro for essay 3
Read 55-67 in They Say, I Say
Agenda:
Reading quiz
Discuss reading/Do exercise
Intro/Thesis Essay 3 workshopping
Assignment: Draft 1, Essay 3
Thursday: 11/10
Due today: Draft 1 Essay 3
Agenda:
Self Edit using rubric p. 83.
Review Descriptive Outline and Revision Plan.
Peer Review – Pair up, exchange papers and write a Descriptive Outline and
Revision Plan for partner. * This will be included with the essay and will be
graded.
Assignment: Begin revising essay using Self Edit and Peer Review comments
Read: Punctuation (372-376) in A Meeting of Minds
Tuesday: 11/15
Due today: Begin revising essay using Self Edit and Peer Review comments
Read: Punctuation (372-376) in A Meeting of Minds
Agenda:
Punctuation test.
Additional punctuation exercises.
Assignment: Draft 2 Essay 3
Read: Commonly misused words handout
Read: Commonly misspelled words
Thursday: 11/17
Due today: Draft 2 Essay 3
Read: Commonly misused words handout
Read: Commonly misspelled words
Agenda:
Misused and misspelled words test
In-class essay fundamentals with timed practice.
Assignment: Read WPE samples on CSUN website in preparation for in-class essay.
Tuesday: 11/22
Due today: Read WPE samples on CSUN website in preparation for in-class essay.
Agenda: In-class essay.
Assignment: Edit best two essays for portfolio.
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Thursday: Thanksgiving
Tuesday: 11/29
Due today: Best two essays for portfolio.
Agenda:
Partners use rubric to evaluate two essays.
Read Cover Letter examples in New Voices and discuss.
Brainstorm for cover letter
Assignment: Write portfolio cover letter.
Continue revising two portfolio essays
Thursday: 12/1
Due today: Portfolio cover letter.
Agenda:
Cover Letter peer review.
Teacher Evaluation
Writing a “bad essay” in groups.
Assignment: Continue revising portfolio essays and cover letter.
Tuesday: 12/6
Due today: Portfolios
Thursday: 12/8
NO CLASS
Tuesday: 12/13
Meetings to return portfolios
Thursday: 12/15
Meetings to return portfolios
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PROGRESSION I
EXERCISE 1: Letter to Author Prep (10 points)
1. Choose two passages that you most connected with and write a brief description of why they
caught your attention.
Ex: “Rule number one in English composition is: Be yourself” (247).
I remember my English teacher telling me the same thing. But, I didn’t understand what that
meant. What did it mean to “be myself” in writing? Who was I? How could I express myself?
2. Make a list of five questions you would like to ask the author.
3. Write a paragraph sharing with the author a similar experience you had.
EXERCISE 2: Letter to the Author (10 points)
Using the information you compiled in Exercise 1, write a one-page letter to author Fan Shen, Jennifer
Crichton or Nicholas Gage. The body of the letter might look something like this:
PARAGRAPH 1: Discuss the two passages you liked and share with the author why you connected with
what he wrote.
PARAGRAPH 2: Using the questions you compiled, ask the author about the parts of the essay that you
would like to know more about.
PARAGRAPH 3: In the last paragraph, share with the author your own experience which is similar to his,
and explain why his essay helped you to see this experience in a new light.
EXERCISE 3: Letter to Family Member (10 points)
*** Choose one of the following three prompts
1. Using the essay “Who Shall I Be?” write a two-page, double-spaced letter from your high school self to
your college self. First, describe your high school identity. Next, describe the new person you want to be
in college. Last, describe what you’ll need to change to become that new person, what you want to keep
the same and why and how these changes will affect your life.
2. Using the essay “The Classroom and the Wider Culture,” write a two-page, double-spaced letter to a
family member or friend telling them about a time when you were in an unfamiliar situation and you had
to learn to act in a new way. How did you feel? Were you successful? How did trying on this new
personality change who you are? Did it give you a new way of looking at yourself or the world? First,
describe the new situation. Next, describe how you changed who you were in order to fit in. Last, tell
how you felt about this new “you.”
3. Using the essay “The Teacher Who Changed My Life,” write a two-page, double-spaced letter to
someone who influenced you in an important way – a teacher, coach, relative, mentor. First, describe
your relationship with them (i.e. how you met, what your relationship was). Next, tell them what you
learned from them. Last, tell them how it changed the way you live your life.
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EXERCISE 4: Summary (20 points)
Write a one paragraph (approx. 4-6 sentences) summary of “The Classroom and the Wider Culture” “The
Teacher Who Changed My Life” or “Who Shall I Be?” In your summary, be sure to include:
1. The author’s main idea
2. The most important points he uses to reinforce that main idea.
3. What lesson or discovery did he learn as a result of his experience?
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PROGRESSION II
EXERCISE 1: The Word-Picture (10 points)
Choose a movie poster that you feel makes a strong statement about a particular idea. Describe the
poster in words for the reader and then analyze the poster’s message. What idea or theme do you think
the graphic designer is trying to get across to the viewer with his or her work? This assignment should be
approximately 100 words.
EXERCISE 2: The Scene (10 points)
Part 1: Choose a scene from the movie that you think reinforces the idea/theme/message from the
poster. How does a dramatic scene convey a particular message? Write a 1-2 page response in which you
describe the scene and then explain how it reinforces the central idea you discussed in Exercise 1.
Part 2: In groups, write a 1-2 page original scene that reinforces a central idea. We will perform these in
class.
EXERCISE 3: Observation (20 points)
Choose a crowded setting – coffee shop, bar, restaurant – and do a one-hour observation of the people
there, paying particular attention to the ways in which people interact. In what ways do their interactions
reinforce your central idea from the first two exercises? Write a 1-2 page response which first describes
the setting and the people you observed and then discusses how their interactions reinforce your
main idea.
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PROGRESSION III
EXERCISE 1: Argument and Analysis (10 points)
Choose a film/book/song/TV show to evaluate. Find one scholarly evaluation or review of it. Evaluate the
article using pages 80-83 of “Reading Rhetorically.”
PARAGRAPH 1: Answer the questions from John C. Bean’s article “Reading Rhetorically”: What effect
is this text trying to have on me? What kind of change does the writer hope to make in my view of the
subject? (80) Did my view of the subject change as a result of reading this work? Why or why not?
PARAGRAPH 2: Using Peter Elbow’s Believing and Doubting Game from Bean’s article, write a
paragraph summing up what you BELIEVE about the article.
PARAGRAPH 3: Write a paragraph summing up what you DOUBT about the article.
PARAGRAPH 4: Imagine interviewing the author and brainstorm five questions you might ask.
EXERCISE 2: The Dialogue (10 points)
In groups, create a fictional dialogue between the two opposing writers of the reviews of Napoleon
Dynamite on pages 291-293 of A Meeting of Minds.
1: Summarize the author’s main point(s) in the article.
2: Create a fictional dialogue between the author of the first article and the author of the second article. Be
sure to give each author equal time and do not take a side on the issue. Let the authors simply debate their
points.
EXERCISE 3: Argumentative Proposal (20 points)
Decide whether you would like to do an Evaluation or a Review.
FOR EVALUATIONS:
Using pages 287-290 as a guide, write an Argumentative Proposal including these four elements:
1. Identify five evaluation questions about your subject.
2. Describe in one paragraph what you would consider to be a good example of your particular category
(Exs: A good sitcom, hip-hop song or horror film).
3. Complete the evaluative argument from p. 289 for your particular subject: (Your subject) is a (good,
mediocre, poor) example of (your category) because it (does/does not have) these features ______, or
meets/does not meet these criteria _____.
4. List at least 5 reasons that you will use to back up your argument.
FOR REVIEWS:
Using page 290 as a guide, answer all of the questions in number one of the Strategy exercise. You should
complete one paragraph for each letter – a, b, c and d.
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SAMPLE WORKS CITED PAGE
Works Cited
Del Fattore, Joan. “The Hidden Self: A Study of the Shadow Figure in American Short
Fiction.” Dissertation Abstracts: Section A. Humanities and Social Science 39 (1979):
6127A. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 5 Nov. 2010.
El-Enany, Rasheed. Naguib Mahfouz: The Pursuit of Meaning. New York: Routledge, Inc.,
1993. Print.
Jung, Carl. “Aion: Phenomenology of the Self: (The Ego, the Shadow, the Syzygy:
Anima/Animus).” The Portable Jung. Ed. Joseph Campbell. New York: Viking Penguin
Inc., 1971. Print.
---. The Undiscovered Self. 1957. New York: Signet, 2006. Print.
Mahfouz, Naguib. Arabian Nights and Days. New York: Anchor Books, 1995. Print.
Sanford, John A. “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden
Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature. Eds. Connie Zweig and Jeremiah Abrams.
New York: Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 1991. 29-34. Print.
Stevens, Anthony. “The Shadow in History and Literature.” Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden
Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature. Eds. Connie Zweig and Jeremiah Abrams.
New York: Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 1991. 27-29. Print.
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