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Spring 2008

Week 1
I. Introduction to the Course [a/k/a Previous Weeks]
  MON 1.7 WED 1.9
5:30-6:50 Office Hours Office Hours
7:00-8:50 WRA135
Jill Clark to
introduce
herself		 WRA135

  • PLEASE NOTE: All materials and assignments will be covered during class. Always take good notes and you'll be just fine. ADDITIONAL NOTE: at the University Level, "take good notes" means "take more notes than you think you'll really need."
  • PLEASE ALSO NOTE: For the first week of classes we will meet in the classroom assigned by the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, & American Cultures - indicated in the MSU schedule - EBH105. Beginning 1.14.08 we will always meet in EBH203, the Learning Resources Center's Computer Lab, unless otherwise indicated on this Schedule.
  • Course introduction.
  • "Get to know one another" session.
  • Discussion of writing - and prewriting - as a fundamental process of self-discovery.
  • Discussion of the Quindlen article.
  • Four Rules of Prewriting.
  • Q&A session.

ASSIGNMENT FOR WEEK 2 (so complete the assignment BEFORE next week, of course):

  • Read Horace Miner's "Body Ritual among the Nacirema."
  • Begin to consider the writing assignment associated with that essay (that is, begin your prewriting).
  • IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO STAY IN THIS SECTION, please begin composing a document in a word processor detailing the following six matters. (NOTE: respond in SHORT but COMPLETE sentences - with agreeing subjects and verbs, commas in the right places, and all your other best "English Composition Stuff" as you know it presently. Again, keep your responses SHORT and COMPLETE.) Just hang on to this document (e.g., store it in your AFS space) for the time being, please. Also, please NEVER "Save as HTML" if your wordprocessors allows that.

    1. The name by which you wish to be known by myself and your class mates (e.g., "Dave" instead of "David," "Bobbi" instead of "Roberta," "T.C." instead of "Thomas Carlyle," &c.). This will be the representation of your "self" as listed on the forthcoming daily sign-up sheet, the WRA135 class webpage for Spring 2008, and just about everything else. (While work-intensive, we like to keep it somewhat informal in here. <g>)
    2. Indicate what computer/technology experiences/resources are presently at your command.
    3. Indicate any service work you've previously accomplished or with which you are currently engaged.
    4. What do you like in media ... and - by extension - what are you like, as demonstrated by your favorite media? That is, choose some books or movies or musicians or TV shows or radio stations or CDs or authors or whatever to exemplify your "tastes of favorites," illustrative of whom you see yourself to be ... and why.
    5. Offer a quick'n'dirty synopsis (title, author, abstract, BRIEF commentary) of the last two novels you've read (and remember, Shakespeare did not write novels).
    6. How has the post-9.11.01 American environment effected you personally?

  • Spend AT LEAST two hours going over various materials related to this course, including - but not limited to - the following:

  • Make an honest assessment of your ability to commit to this VERY challenging course, bearing in mind the time required to fulfill your Service-Learning obligation. If you choose to drop, NOW is the time to do it ... though PLEASE recognize ALL Tier One writing courses are very challenging!

Week 2
II. Early Writings and the Rubric
  MON 1.14 WED 1.16
5:30-6:50 Office Hours Office Hours
7:00-8:50 WRA135 - in
EBH203 from
now on		 WRA135

  • PLEASE NOTE: all materials and assignments will be covered during class. Take good notes and you'll be just fine.
  • Establish your homepage and BOTH webfolio pages (WRA135 and SLWP).
  • Catch-up time for new folks & supplemental "get to know each other" session.
  • Further discussion of "Body Ritual among the Nacirema."
  • Further discussion of the writing assignment associated with that essay. Post your current draft as <http://www.msu.edu/~userid/WRA135/nac1.html>, where <userid> is your MSU userid.
  • Continued discussion of the writing process.
  • Additional matters for your webfolios:
    • Download the spreadsheet you can use to keep up with your class evaluations. (Then you can keep the scores privately in your AFS space.)
    • Discussion of the online essay format typically used for this course, which you should keep in your WRA135 webfolio.

Assignment:

  • Become familiar with TQIC rules - with an emphasis on the components of a thesis.
  • Create a webpage [appropriate filename: <RubricStuff.html>] describing in detail the three SPECIFIC sub-sections (e.g., comma splices, introductions, adverbs) of the Rubric you find:
    • MOST problematic (three sub-sections)
    • LEAST problematic (three sub-sections)
    • Also include on that webpage your responses to the six questions posed earlier (i.e., the name by which you wish to be known, &c.). Please do NOT use MSWord to "save as HTML" - copy and paste the TEXT in its "raw form"!
  • Consider whom you would like as a member of your group (keeping in mind your group members need NOT be a reflection of your [potentially] shared SLWP assignments, but will be the folks with whom you will present the Civil Liberties materials)
  • Post a draft of your Nacirema First Draft in accordance with the assignment ... correctly formatted.

Week 3
II. Early Writings, Group Establishment/Development, and Contacting Agencies

  MON 1.21 WED 1.23
5:30-6:50 Office Hours Office Hours
7:00-8:50 WRA135 WRA135
YOU ARE NOW EXPECTED TO HAVE ALL YOUR "TREEWARE" TEXTS FOR THIS COURSE.
  • Find the person's Nacirema essay you were assigned. Remember their essay will be found at this URL: <http://www.msu.edu/~userid/WRA135/nac1.html>, where "userid" is their ... well ... their user identification. Print a Rubric's "side two" and fill out the "Instructor Evaluation" side for your peer ... as best you can for now!
  • Go over your Nacirema essays, turn them into revised webpages, discuss evaluation/revision/editingMoe Bush methods & strategies.
  • Update posted Nacirema essays.
  • Review posted online descriptions of yourself (interests, Rubric/tech skills, & last two novels read, &c).
  • Determine group Moes. (Picture your group Moe wearing that distinctive Moe Howard wig ... it seems to help.... <g>)
  • Discussion of Project Agreement, Audience Assessment, and Fact File/Interview.
  • Q&A sessions.

Assignment:

  • Read your group's Civil Liberties chapter, as it will be the "launching pad" for your presentations.
  • Get together to discuss your chapter with one another.
  • Work on your own webfolio pages.
  • Revise for a Next Draft your Nacirema observations - per the writing assignment - with an eye to suggestions made by peer-reviewers
  • Become utterly familiar with the six categories of the Rubric

  • Yet again: Become familiar with TQIC rules

Week 4
III. Early Writings, the Language of Democracy, and Contacting Agencies
IV. Familiarization with Resources in the Writing Center

  MON 1.28 WED 1.30
5:30-6:50 Office Hours Office Hours
7:00-8:50 WRA135 WRA135
Jill coming in

  • Further discussion of "prewriting," "drafting," and "editing."
  • Rubric review.
  • Revise and post to your webfolio your latest Nacirema assignment.
  • Develop your webfolios as YOUR OWN.
  • Learn to do "Targets" on HTML pages using your editor (i.e., SeaMonkey, Mozilla, Netscape, whatever) - SUPER EASY! Then, start uploading your journal reflections.

Assignment:

  • Read your group's Civil Liberties chapter, as it will be the "launching pad" for your presentations.Moe Szyslak As a group, review your research strategy and guidelines for working and writing together.
  • Get together to discuss your chapter with one another. Be sure you've chosen the right Moe! (Illustration to the right would clearly be the wrong Moe. <g>)
  • Work on your own webfolio pages.
  • Revise toward a Final Draft your Nacirema observations - per the writing assignment - with an eye to suggestions made by peer-reviewers
  • Become "super-familiar" with the six categories of the Rubric

  • Yet again: Become familiar with TQIC rules
  • Katherine Newman's "American Nightmares"
  • Charles Derber's "The Good Man Fills His Own Stomach"
  • P.J. O'Rourke's funny, thought-provoking "Slamming and Jamming" (For review)
  • Update your WRA135 webfolio to include abstracts about current readings (not including the poetry, below)
  • Let's talk about some poetry.

Week 5
IV. Early Writings, Readings, and Contacting Agencies

  MON 2.4 WED 2.6
5:30-6:50 Office Hours Office Hours
7:00-8:50 WRA135 WRA135

  • Revise and post to webfolios your latest assignments. Your webfolios must now be YOUR OWN.
  • View beginning of Victory Begins at Home, by Bill Maher.
  • Discussion of Newman, Derber, and O'Rourke.
  • Review of your S-L journal entries.

Assignment:

  • Upload your S-L journal's latest entries.
  • Have an updated draft of your Nacirema essay posted to your WRA135 Webfolio
  • Study for FIRST MIDTERM EXAM!

    • REMINDER: As discussed in class, Midterm Exam #1 will cover everything for which you've been responsible since the beginning of the semester. This includes - but may not be limited to - all the following:

  • Fundamental class information from the Achievement Requirements (including how many absences you're "allowed" with no question, differences between 3.5 and 2.5 essays, etc.)
  • Fundamental computer skills, such as:

      • How to access your webspace
      • How to correctly format a URL - how its name is organized, where it must go in your Andrew File Space, &c.
      • How to make new webpages using Mozilla
      • How to make links using Mozilla
      • How to compose <mailto> links with specific Subject headings
      • Why you may NOT use the <mailto> links on the "public" computers on campus (hint: the spoken example I gave dealt with "sending 'naughty' emails to the President")
      • Making Targets/Anchors

    • Information from the various Writing Center presentations
    • Information from daily lectures, discussions, and Q&A sessions
    • ALL prewriting, drafting, and revision strategies discussed
    • Information about your SLWP agency
    • The Quindlen article
    • Miner's Nacirema observations
    • Newman's observations
    • Derber's observations
    • O'Rourke's observations
    • TQIC rules (particularly as they regard Writing a Thesis).
    • The Whitman and Frost poems.
    • Details of the six categories of the Rubric instrument, as well as what a Rubric-approach evaluation is about.

    • Project Agreement and Audience Assessment finalized and "worked out" with your agency contact person.
    • ALL matters discussed and viewed in class!
    • Get EVERYTHING "up to date"; get ready for First Midterm Exam. NOTE: We will NOT have an "in-class study session" for the upcoming First Midterm Exam, nor will you receive some sort of "handout study guide"; you're to have such study sessions on your OWN time and use this schedule as your study guide.
    • Whitman
    • Frost
    • Q&A.

    NOTE: Monday the 11th we will meet in Bessey 300, the WRITING CENTER.

    Week 6
    IV. MEET IN THE WRITING CENTER ON MONDAY
    MIDTERM EXAM #1 ON WEDNESDAY

      MON 2.11 WED 2.13
    5:30-6:50 Office Hours Office Hours
    7:00-8:50 WRA135
    MEET IN the
    WRITING CENTER    		 WRA135
    FIRST
    MIDTERM EXAM

    • MONDAY the 11th: presentation by the good folks in the Writing Center (300 Bessey Hall, just upstairs from our Lab on the North end of the hallway).
    • Discussion of how Derber, Newman, and O'Rourke pieces fit together ... along with everything else.Maher's Victory Begins @ Home
    • Discussion of Whitman and Frost.
    • Revisions of Abstracts.
    • Posting of Revised Nacirema Essays.
    • Q&A on MIDTERM EXAM #1.

    Midterm Exam #1

    REMINDER OF EXAM PROTOCOLS:

      • TELEPHONES SURRENDERED TO LAB AIDE
      • The ONLY books you may use are your Allyn & Bacon Handbook and, if desired, a dictionary.
      • You may use all your notes, handouts, and printouts ... but you may NOT have photocopies of other people's materials.
      • When FIVE MINUTES of exam time remain you may use your computer ... but if you use IM (instant messaging) or email at any time before turning in your exam, both you and your message partner/s will receive a 0.0 for the exam.
      • For more on MSU's policies on academic dishonesty, please see this page from the Office of the Ombudsman.
      • You would also be well-advised to bring one examination "bluebook."

    Assignment:

    • Update your WRA135 webfolio to include abstracts about current readings.
    • Have specific research topics in mind when we meet in the Library on Monday!
    • Link to the Written Midterm assignment.

    Week 7
    V. Getting "Up To Date"

      MON 2.18 WED 2.20
    5:30-6:50 Office Hours Office Hours
    7:00-8:50 WRA135 -
    meet in Main Library
    across from Reference
    Desk; librarian Hui Hua
    Chua will make your
    research life so EASY!    		 WRA135 -
    Jill probably
    coming in!

    Monday:

    • 7PM SHARP! Meet in Library's lobby area between the two main entrances. We'll then gather in the Basement Instruction Room of Main Library. We will be meeting Hui Hua Chua, U.S. Documents Librarian, Liaison to the School of Journalism @ MSU.

    Wednesday:

    Assignment

    • Read and take VERY good notes on the following:

    • Update your WRA135 webfolio to include abstracts about current readings.

    Week 8
    VI. Getting It All Digitized/
    Think Globally, Act Locally

      MON 2.25 WED 2.27
    5:30-6:50 Office Hours Office Hours
    7:00-8:50 WRA135 WRA135

    • Darned likely: Pop Quiz over last week's readings.
    • We'll spend this week getting stuff caught up, watch some short videos, evaluating progress now that we're in the middle of the semester.
    • Engage in this in-class Sentence-Combining exercise. Post your responses to the appropriate place in your WRA135 webfolio (have a look at what Sammy Sample did). OPTION: you may use MS Word and then post as a PDF file if you choose to (but if you do, be sure to include this image [] without the square brackets).
    • Now let's do this one in class.

    Assignment

      • Read When You Ride Alone You Ride With bin Laden.
      • Update your WRA135 webfolio to include abstracts about current readings.
      • View Roger & Me
      • Make CERTAIN ALL your SLWP and WRA135 webfolio materials are up-to-date. Your SLWP webfolio must have at least these elements:

        Part I: Planning the Writing Project

        • Linked Agreement & Proposal
        • Linked Audience Assessment

        Part II: Working on the Writing Project

        • Linked Agency Fact File
        • Linked Journal entries up to the current date

        Part III

        • Agency Evaluation for Service-Learning Writing Project

    SPRING BREAK: March 3-7

    Week 9
    VI. Getting It All Digitized/
    Think Globally, Act Locally

      MON 3.10 WED 3.12
    5:30-6:50 Office Hours Office Hours
    7:00-8:50 WRA135 WRA135

    Boondocks10.26.02

    Futurama Roger & Me

    Big One

    		 Bowling for Columbine

    Assignment

    • Continue working on your MANY various projects for this course.
    • TO BE SURE ... EVERYONE MUST READ THESE RESOURCES FROM PBS

    • PRESENTERS FOR ALL CHAPTERS OF CIVIL LIBERTIES: Get your "digital ducks in a row" concerning your presentations.
    • Be CERTAIN you're fully familiar with the relevant texts related to our interests of Moore's The Big One.

    Week 10
    VII. Think Globally, Act Locally (cont'd)
      MON 3.17 WED 3.19
    5:30-6:50 Office Hours Office Hours
    7:00-8:50 WRA135
    WRA135

    • Quick Moe meeting on Presentation progress.
    • Finsish segments of The Big One (90").
    • Discussion of Reaction Essay writing exercise.

    Assignment

    • Continue working on your MANY projects for this course.
    • Complete the combined sentences for the even-numbered selections in Exercise 1 from THIS page, based on a work from the Purdue University Writing Lab. Post your page and link it to the appropriate place in your WRA135 webfolio.
    • Study for 2nd Midterm Exam.

    Week 11
    REVIEW & DISCUSSION & MIDTERM EXAM #2
    Deadline to meet with me at least once to discuss your writing progress
      MON 3.24 WED 3.26
    5:30-6:50 Office Hours Office Hours
    7:00-8:50 WRA135
    WRA135
    Midterm Exam #2

    Buttercup

    • Midterm Exam #2. ALSO - Presenters for Chapters One and Two are each to give me hard copy (i.e., paper) drafts of at least 4 Quiz Questions dealing with their chapter topics.

    REMINDER OF EXAM PROTOCOLS:

    • TELEPHONES SURRENDERED TO LAB AIDE
    • The ONLY books you may use are your Allyn & Bacon Handbook and, if desired, a dictionary.
    • You may use all your notes, handouts, and printouts ... but you may NOT have photocopies of other people's materials.
    • When FIVE MINUTES of exam time remain you may use your computer ... but if you use IM (instant messaging) or email at any time before turning in your exam, both you and your message partner/s will receive a 0.0 for the exam.
    • For more on MSU's policies on academic dishonesty, please see this page from the Office of the Ombudsman.
    • You would also be well-advised to bring one examination "bluebook."

    Assignment:

    • PRESENTERS FOR ALL CHAPTERS OF CIVIL LIBERTIES: Get your "digital ducks in a row" concerning your presentations.
    • NOTE: IF YOU EVER JUST "READ TO US" YOU WILL LOSE POINTS; we already know how to read ... and we've already read the sourcetext material.
    • Work from your notes. Have in mind a sense of how your presentation fits into the "big picture" of the general topic.
    • EVERYONE MUST HAVE a hardcopy of the "Faulty Logic" list as presentations are conducted; let's keep our presenters "honest"! <g>
    • Read some reviews for Fahrenheit 9/11 - be sure to cover all shades of the political spectrum. Here are a few sources:

    Week 12
    VIII. Individual Rights vs. the Public Good

      MON 3.31 WED 4.2
    5:30-6:50 NO Office Hours Office Hours
    7:00-8:50 6:50-9:10
    WRA135
    WRA135

    Civil Liberties Book

    • MONDAY: Show up by 6:50 and be prepared to stay till 9:10. We're getting caught up on everything and answering questions.
    • In-class plagiarism exercise.

    Assignment:

    Week 13
    VIII. Individual Rights vs. the Public Good (cont'd)

      MON 4.7 WED 4.9
    5:30-6:50 Office Hours Office Hours
    7:00-8:50 WRA135 WRA135

    MONDAY: Presentation of Chapter One - Civil Liberties topics.Civil Liberties Book

    • EVERYONE MUST HAVE a hardcopy of the "Faulty Logic" list as presentations are conducted; let's keep our presenters "honest"! <g>
    • ALSO - Presenters for Chapters Two and Three are to give me hard copy (i.e., paper) drafts of at least 4 Quiz Questions dealing with their chapter topics.

    WEDNESDAY: BRIEF "coda" from Chapter One Presenters, if needed.

    • As always: EVERYONE MUST HAVE a hardcopy of the "Faulty Logic" list as presentations are conducted; let's keep our presenters "honest"!
    • Presentation of Chapter Two - Civil Liberties topics.

    Assignment:

    Week 14
    IX. Final Agency Coordination/
    Perfection of Webfolios

      MON 4.14 WED 4.16
    5:30-6:50 Office Hours Office Hours
    7:00-8:50 WRA135 WRA135

    MONDAY: BRIEF "coda" from Chapter Two Presenters, if needed.Civil Liberties Book

    • Again: EVERYONE MUST HAVE a hardcopy of the "Faulty Logic" list as presentations are conducted; let's keep our presenters "honest"!
    • Presentation of Chapter Three - Civil Liberties topics

    WEDNESDAY: BRIEF "coda" from Chapter Three Presenters, if needed.

    • Yet again: EVERYONE MUST HAVE a hardcopy of the "Faulty Logic" list as presentations are conducted; let's keep our presenters "honest"!
    • Presentation of Chapter Four - Civil Liberties topics.

    Assignment:

    • Fix this! (Described in class.)
    • Dead Dog Due Date for all other materials except Week 15 writings: 11:59PM, last Friday of Week 14 [CHANGED: Dead Dog Due Date now just before class on Monday the 21st - though you must STILL have your "Reflecting" essay posted and printed.]
    • Compose and post your Study Group Project Evaluation Form (template).
    • Post your "Reflecting on Your Service Learning Experience" page; bring a hardcopy of your POSTED page to class Monday the 21st (i.e., you're to bring a printout of what's posted, with the URL printed right on the page, printed BEFORE class begins; NOTHING else will be accepted).

    Week 15
    X. Reflection and Wrap-Up
      MON 4.21 WED 4.23
    5:30-6:50 Office Hours Office Hours
    7:00-8:50 WRA135 WRA135
    Jill coming in!

    • BRIEF "coda" from Chapter Four Presenters, if needed.

    • Peer review of your hardcopy of your "Reflecting on Your Service Learning Experience" in class. [Reminder of assignment: "bring a hardcopy of your POSTED page to class Monday the 21st (i.e., you're to bring a printout of what's posted, with the URL printed right on the page, printed BEFORE class begins; NOTHING else will be accepted).
    • Spend a good bit of time discussing Maher's book so we may fix this.
    • Be prepared for a pop quiz.
    • In class completion of Study Group Project Evaluation Form (template).
    • Peer Reviews of ALL online materials.
    • REMINDER: failure to have Agency Evaluations in my mailbox (OR FAXED TO ME) by the deadline WILL RESULT IN A 0.0 EVALUATION FOR THAT PORTION OF YOUR FINAL EVALUATION.

    Assignment:

    • STUDY for your Final Exam. As indicated during class, a fair deal of the exam will deal with Maher's book, Presentation materials, as well as various Rubric concerns. (For more on the Rubric, see "Week 1," below.
    FINALS WEEK
    XI. Final Exam Week
    FINAL EXAM:
    Monday, April 28th - 8:00-10:00 p.m.

    I will have Office Hours - in EBH204 - for at least one hour before the Final Exam ... and more likely two or more hours. It goes without saying, I can also be reached via email and in my office, as usual.

    REMINDER OF EXAM PROTOCOLS:

    • TELEPHONES SURRENDERED TO LAB AIDE
    • The ONLY books you may use are your Allyn & Bacon Handbook and, if desired, a dictionary.
    • You may use all your notes, handouts, and printouts ... but you may NOT have photocopies of other people's materials.
    • When FIVE MINUTES of exam time remain you may use your computer ... but if you use IM (instant messaging) or email at any time before turning in your exam, both you and your message partner/s will receive a 0.0 for the exam.
    • For more on MSU's policies on academic dishonesty, please see this page from the Office of the Ombudsman.
    • You would also be well-advised to bring one examination "bluebook."

    Get Your War On 1
    Get Your War On 2