Course Content

COURSE CONTENT

Weekly Writings

This is a writing class, so be prepared to write during each class.  Some of these writings will be free-writes that I will never see.  Some will be turned into me.  There will also be homework assignments that include writing.

Participation

Regular participation in this course is required, but you will not be judged purely on how much time you spend talking.  I recognize that speaking in a class is much easier for some than others, and you will not be penalized if you do not relish speaking opportunities.  However, being able to articulate your ideas is a skill worth developing in your social, academic and professional lives and the best discussions include all of our voices.  

Overall participation will be determined by several factors, including: good attendance; punctuality; general preparedness; thoughtful and timely peer-response letters; respectful attentiveness when others are speaking; and an apparent effort to contribute to class discussions and workshops. 

The final portion of your grade (essentially the plus or minus) will be determined by participation and in class assignments. 

Process and Writing Workshop

The Process

Writing is a process.  Very little—if any—writing is great in a first draft (Hemingway rewrote the ending to A Farewell to Arms 39 times because he “couldn’t get it right”).  In fact, a lot of first drafts are quite shitty.  I used to write my college papers the night before they were due.  Sometimes they made sense through the haze of caffeine and stress that fueled my thoughts - more often, though, they were a jumbled mess of words and ideas that did not connect. I do not encourage this type of slapdash writing, although I know you will need to experiment with your own processes before you find a way that works best for you.  What I will encourage – and require – is revision.  The more you treat writing as a process – one that can be worked and revised - the more you challenge your ideas and the way in which you present them, the more you pull and prod and cut and paste and think and rethink, the better writer you will become.  Writing is difficult, messy, and incredibly frustrating—just like anything worth doing.  You cannot expect to become a great writer overnight.  But the skills will come with the practice.  You simply have to have the courage to stay in the room and write, to sit in that chair when you don’t want to, to turn off your phone and put away your video games, and be willing to let things get messy. When you treat writing as a process, you will begin to see how ideas evolve and how those drafts go from shitty, to better, to even better, to good, and maybe, to great.

Peer Review Workshops

Contrary to common belief, writing is not a solitary process.  Rather, writing accomplishes the most as a collaborative process where we work together to analyze ideas and construct understanding, and emphasize writing as an interaction between writer and audience.  Through workshop, you will understand the importance of writing as a process, as well as the importance of revision.  Each workshop will give you the opportunity to develop and refine your written communication skills as you prepare to employ them both here at the university and out in the wider world.

You will write 4 major papers in our class.  The Thursday before each workshop you will send a rough draft copy to myself and two (or three) of your peers.  You will read the paper, make comments and write a letter to your peer that discusses your initial thoughts.  The marked paper will be returned to your classmate along with a copy of the letter.  A copy of the letter will also be provided to me.

More details for this process can be found on our website, and will be discussed in-depth in class. 

You are expected to provide and receive peer feedback for each of the 4 major drafts. 

  

Portfolios

Four papers will be required as well as several in class assignments.  Three of the papers (chosen by you) will make up the final portfolio. At least one of the final portfolio papers must contain outside sources (MLA or APA research paper format).  The portfolio will be due the last week of classes (not finals week).

Portfolio Qualification

You must submit designated class exercises and at least two drafts of all three papers by the established deadline to qualify for final portfolio submission. This is non-negotiable. 

Portfolio Grading System

Writing 150 is graded on a portfolio grading system. A portfolio is simply a collection of work that is used to showcase abilities and growth to a larger audience. This means that besides me at least one other Writing 150 professor will be involved in the grading process of your final portfolio. Once you have met the minimum requirements of the class, you will submit your final portfolio to me.  Your portfolio will be graded by me and passed along to one other member of the portfolio group for their review.  This outside professor will read your portfolio choices and give the portfolio a full letter grade (A, B, C, D, or F) and return the portfolio to you me.  If the two grades match, I may put a plus or minus on the grade.  That will be your grade for Writing 150.  However, if the two professors’ grades do not match, I will either discuss the grade differences with the portfolio member who issued the second grade or give your portfolio to another portfolio group member to review (without any grades marked on it).  At this time, a majority will be reached in respect to your portfolio grade.  Please do not hesitate to see “FAQs about the Portfolio Grading System” in the GVSU Dept of Writing text or ask me for further information if you have questions.

Keep in mind that throughout the term I will provide you with feedback and can help you gauge a grade, but the only “graded” work will be the final Portfolio.  I will stress this again - you will not receive a letter grade from me directly on any of your class assignments.  However, The University requires midterm grade reports “for all freshmen and for any undergraduate student in other than good standing.”  The grades are available to you online through your Banner account but not recorded on your official transcript.  In Writing 150, midterm grades are a general assessment of the overall quality of your work in the class up to that point and have no bearing on your final grade as determined by me and the portfolio grading group.