West Virginia State University
English 303-01 Syllabus
Digital Cultures
Instructor: Jessica Barnes-Pietruszynski
Office: 234 Hill Hall
Phone: 766-3077
Email: jbarnesp@wvstateu.edu
Office Hours: by Appointment
Welcome
Hello and welcome to English 303. I am looking forward to working with you as you sharpen your skills in writing and learning the writing processes that work best for you. My goal is to assist you in your continued development as a writer.
Course Description
An advanced writing course which focuses on structure, style, and point of view in contemporary non-fiction writing. Assignments involve the skills of observing, investigating, reporting, interpreting and persuading. Examples from various disciplines are analyzed. Prerequisite: English 102
Our Class Theme
This class will concentrate on an examination of the rhetoric and ethics of internet technology and culture. We will look at theories of digital culture and its effects on both online and actual identities and communities, especially in relation to ethnicity, gender, class, physical ability, and sexual orientation. In that vein we will use a wiki space that I have set up particularly for this class and a blog we will use for invention and topic discussions.
Textbooks and Websites
All readings with be online- links can be found in the blog.
http://english303summer2010.blogspot.com/
Course Materials
• A jump (flash, thumb) drive or other medium for storing electronic files;
• A State email account.
• Note: Students are expected to have ready access to a computer and the Internet, or to make time to access the computer labs on campus.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• To practice daily writing in and out of class as a way to overcome writers block and to generate materials for writing.
• To develop an awareness of one’s own voice as a narrator or persona.
• To investigate topics as preparation for writing about them by techniques such as observing, interviewing, and researching.
• To read as writers by analyzing the style of various writers in order to understand the components of style and by analyzing the structure and content of various essays.
• To write essays that show development of appropriate structures, content, and style for various writing purposes.
• To develop an awareness of one’s own writing habits and processes, and to engage in revision and editing and
• To review some of the issues and rules of English usage and contemporary style and to review formats for documentation and introduction of researched information.
Class Assignments
1. 3 Projects: You will be asked to write and revise three different units throughout the semester, of which you will include in your final portfolio. While early drafts of these papers may be a bit shorter, each of these should be approximately 8-10 pages in the end. For each of these Unit assignments, you will include the following: all drafts, a Cover Page (see below), Works Cited or Bibliography page(s), response received from your Editorial Committee and instructor, responses you gave to members of your Editorial Committee, and your Unit Analytical essay.
Since this is a research-writing oriented class, outside research must be included in these projects using ethical and appropriate citation according to discipline or forum.
When each Unit is complete, you will receive an Advisory Grade for that Unit as a whole. This grade will not count toward your final grade, but will advise you on where the unit is at that point in time.
2. Reading Responses: One of the key elements of any writing course is reading: being able to read critically and with an eye toward style, rhetorical strategies, and revision precludes the act of writing. During the semester, we will spend some time reading and discussing other writers and their writing. You will be responsible for reacting to these readings through responses. I will give you some free writing prompts, but you will be able to write on anything that we have done or read in class thus far. You will post these responses on our blog where it can be responded on by the class. You will write three reading responses to any of the media that we read.
3. Blog Inventions: As we work through your project topics you will use the class blog to freewrite, brainstorm and web. This is a place to talk through your ideas, try out topics and get helpful feedback from your classmates and me. For each project you will be required to write one (more if you like) blog entry as an invention exercise. You will also be required to respond to your classmates invention exercises.
4. Class Responses: Your thoughtful responses to the other members of your editorial committee in peer responding to their projects as well as responding to reading responses on the wiki space and the class blog.
5. Final Portfolio: Your portfolio works as the capstone of English 303 and your final grade relies heavily on that portfolio. The portfolio system is the best way for students to most effectively work on the strategies for writing and revision. The purpose of portfolio assessment is to make an overall evaluation of your writing ability. This judgment will be based on your skills and abilities as reflected in a number of different types of tasks. All three of your projects will be revised and included in the portfolio.
Grade Breakdown
Reading Responses: 15%
Blog invention Exercises: 10%
Class Responses: 10%
Participation and Attendance: 10%
Portfolio Essay Revisions: 55 %
Revision: Writing is a recursive process never quite finished. During the course of every unit you will write drafts of paragraphs and essays. With the help of your peers, myself and multiple drafts your units will begin to take form. Revision is a major component of the writing process, which is why you will hand in all drafts of the essay. You will revise essay units in the portfolio.
Writing Guidelines:
• All papers must be typewritten and double-spaced on a computer and word processor. No hand-written papers will be accepted, and you are held responsible for any and all word-processing problems.
• Margins will be of the standard size: 1 ¼” from the top and bottom of the page and 1” from the left and right margins. Times New Roman size 12 font will be used (no others).
• The upper, left-hand corner of the first page should look as such:
Your Name
English 303
Jessica Barnes
Unit #
Date
• Skip one line and place your title in the center of the first page. Do not underline or put the title in quotation marks.
• Place page numbers on all pages, in the upper, right-hand corner.
• Always back-up your work in more than one place. Technological failure does and will happen and is not an excuse for late work.
POLICIES
Late Work: In college, and especially in this class, deadlines are extremely important. Therefore, I do not accept late work for daily assignments, quizzes, peer response, or in-class written papers. If not turned on time or you have not made arrangements with me, you will receive a zero for that assignment.
Academic Dishonesty:
Plagiarism is academic dishonesty. It is using other people’s words & ideas—from books, magazines, journals, newspapers, the internet, or papers-- without giving them credit. Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this class. If you plagiarize a paper, you will receive an F for the paper and possible be removed from the course. For further information on plagiarism, please read the attached policy towards the end of your syllabus.
Class Schedule and Assignments:
Below is a basic outline for the semester. This syllabus covers most readings, major due dates, and other important deadlines. Other assignments may be given in class in addition to those listed. You are responsible for knowing when assignments are due and turning them in on time.
English 303 Syllabus
Summer 2010
Week 1
1. Read through syllabus and read/view intro material
2. Read first assignment- write a brainstorming blog entry.
3. Read through first batch of readings.
4. Reading Response Due as blog entry.
Week 2
1. Work on project one.
2. Post updates and ideas/ process writings as blog entry
Week 3
1. Project 1 Due
2. Read second batch of media.
3. Read second project assignment.
4. Post Reading Response as blog entry.
5. Post Brainstorming ideas for project 2 as blog entry.
Week 4
1. Work on Project two.
2. Post updates and ideas/process as blog entry.
Week 5
1. Project two due.
2. Read third batch of readings.
3. Read Project 3 assignment.
4. Post Reading Response as blog entry.
5. Post Brainstorming as blog entry for project three.
Week 6
1. Work on project three.
2. Project three due by end of the week.
3. Revisions of projects one and two due by end of week.
