A composition course that develops writing skills beyond the levels of proficiency required by ENGL1101, that emphasizes interpretation and evaluation, and that incorporates a variety of more advanced research methods. Develops communication skills in networked electronic environments, emphasizes interpretation and evaluation of cultural texts, and incorporates research methods in print and on the Internet.
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking involves understanding social and cultural texts and contexts in ways that support productive communication and interaction.
·Analyze arguments.
·Accommodate opposing points of view.
·Interpret inferences and develop subtleties of symbolic and indirect discourse.
·Use writing and reading for inquiry, learning, thinking, and communicating.
·Integrate ideas with those of others.
·Understand relationships among language, knowledge, and power.
·Recognize the constructedness of language and social forms.
·Analyze and critique constructs such as race, gender, and sexuality as they appear in cultural texts.
Rhetoric
Rhetoric focuses on available means of persuasion, considering the synergy of factors such as context, audience, purpose, role, argument, organization, design, visuals, and conventions of language.
·Adapt communication to circumstances and audience.
·Produce communication that is stylistically appropriate and mature.
·Communicate in standard English for academic and professional contexts.
·Sustain a consistent purpose and point of view.
·Use a variety of technologies to address a range of audiences.
·Learn common formats for different kinds of texts.
·Develop knowledge of genre conventions ranging from structure and paragraphing to tone and mechanics.
·Control such surface features as syntax, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
·Create artifacts that demonstrate the synergy of rhetorical elements.
·Demonstrate adaptation of register, language, and conventions for specific contexts and audiences.
·Apply strategies for communication in and across both academic disciplines and cultural contexts in the community and the workplace.
Process
Processes for communication—for example, creating, planning, drafting, designing, rehearsing, revising, presenting, publishing—are recursive, not linear. Learning productive processes is as important as creating products.
·Find, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize appropriate primary and secondary sources.
·Develop flexible strategies for generating, revising, editing, and proofreading.
·Understand collaborative and social aspects of writing processes.
·Critique their own and others’ works.
·Balance the advantages of relying on others with [personal] responsibility.
·Construct and select information based on interpretation and critique of the accuracy, bias, credibility, authority, and appropriateness of sources.
·Compose reflections that demonstrate understanding of the elements of iterative processes, both specific to and transferable across rhetorical situations.
Modes and Media
Activities and assignments should use a variety of modes and media—written, oral, visual, electronic, and nonverbal (WOVEN)—singly and in combination. The context and culture of multimodality and multimedia are critical.
·Interpret content of written materials on related topics from various disciplines.
·Compose effective written materials for various academic and professional contexts.
·Assimilate, analyze, and present a body of information in oral and written forms.
·Communicate in various modes and media, using appropriate technology.
·Use digital environments for drafting, reviewing, revising, editing, and sharing texts.
·Locate, evaluate, organize, and use research material collected from electronic sources, including scholarly library databases; other official (e.g., federal) databases; and informal electronic networks and internet sources.
·Exploit differences in rhetorical strategies and affordances available for both print and electronic composing processes and texts.
·Create WOVEN (written, oral, visual, electronic, and nonverbal) artifacts that demonstrate interpretation, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and judgment.
·Demonstrate strategies for effective translation, transformation, and transference of communication across modes and media.
Hatchet, Gary Paulsen
Lord of the Flies, William Golding
The Birchbark House, Louise Erdrich
On The Come Up, Angie Thomas
Gary Ross’ The Hunger Games (film)
Participation = 20%
Pop and Announced Quizzes, Asynchronous Discussion Posts, Peer Reviews = 10%
Introductory Video = 5%
Text Presentation and Multimodal PowerPoint with Partner(s) = 10%
Reflective Essay on Community Engagement = 20%
Collaborative Podcast = 15%
Final Portfolio = 20%
Participation and In-Class Discussion
Students are expected to read the assigned readings before class. Consistent participation in class discussions and demonstrated knowledge of the assigned readings will contribute to this portion of the final grade. Be certain to bring your texts to class every day—either electronic copies, print-outs, or books—and paper and pen or pencil with which to write.
Prepare for class participation by annotating the reading assigned for class. Highlight parts of the reading that are confusing, exciting, or unexpected. Relate the material to your own interests and other texts on the syllabus. Pay attention to the content of the material as well as its form (structure, format, style). Listen to your peers attentively and draw connections among their ideas. Students can also participate synchronously via a collaborative Google Doc if they would like to share links, make notes on the discussion, or participate in the discussion nonverbally.
See the tech policy that discusses how using technology outside of what is expected for this class will dramatically reduce your participation grade.
Reflection on Community Engagement
Students will reflect on their 4 hours of community service in Atlanta. This essay can take the form of personal narrative, answering such questions as how does the work connect with the course theme of childhood and survival? And how did the work make an impact on both the community and the student?
Word Count Requirement: 750-1,250 words
Pop and Announced Quizzes, Peer Reviews, Informal Assignments
Pop and announced quizzes on the reading and writing topics will be graded on Canvas. Students will sometimes be expected to engage with each other’s comments on the readings (a)synchronously. Students will also review a peer’s draft and upload their comments on their peer’s draft and peer review form for credit.
Text Presentation and Multimodal PowerPoint
In small groups, students will lead one class discussion on a text. The artifact consists of 2 parts: a 10 to 15 minute oral presentation that accompanies a multimodal PowerPoint presentation. Students should refrain from summarizing the reading; rather, students should focus on the text’s background such as its historical, biographical context, themes, and any other areas of interest that would be relevant to a class discussion. Students will conclude the presentation with 3 to 4 strong, original discussion questions for the class.
Collaborative Podcast and Annotated Bibliography
Groups of about 4 students will produce an 8-10 minute podcast on one of the course themes. Potential subjects can include childhood, survival, adaptation, individual texts, comparative literature, and Robinsonades, for example. The podcast should have a transcript and a catchy episode title and group name. Students should smoothly integrate 3-5 scholarly sources into their podcast. Students will submit an annotated bibliography with information about each of the scholarly sources.
Final Exam: Reflective Multimodal Portfolio
At the end of this course, students will create a portfolio that includes all artifacts they have produced. They will compose a brief reflective introduction to each artifact, offer annotations, and conclude with a substantial reflective essay. With this in mind, students are responsible for keeping (and backing up online or on a thumb drive) all scaffolding assignments (e.g., outlines, prewrites, etc.) and all drafts of all artifacts and minor assignments in the course. You will present and reflect upon these “process documents” in the overall reflective essay.
Evaluation Equivalencies Table
A: 90-100 Superior performance—rhetorically, aesthetically, and technically—demonstrating advanced understanding and use of the media in particular contexts. An inventive spark and exceptional execution.
B: 80-89 Above-average, high-quality performance—rhetorically, aesthetically, and technically.
C: 70-79 Average (not inferior) performance. Competent and acceptable—rhetorically, aesthetically, and technically.
D: 60-69 Below-average performance. Needs substantive work —rhetorically, aesthetically, and/or technically.
F: 0-59 Unacceptable performance. Failure to meet minimum criteria rhetorically, aesthetically, and/or technically.
Attendance and participation are essential to success in courses in the Writing and Communication Program. Because of this, you are expected to attend class in person. Not attending a scheduled class session in-person results in an absence. A late arrival of more than 5 minutes counts as a tardy. 3 tardies = one absence.
There may be times when you cannot or should not attend class, such as if you are not feeling well, have an interview or family responsibilities. Therefore, this course allows for four absences without penalty, regardless of the reason.
Exceptions are allowed for Institute-approved absences (for example, those documented by the Registrar) and situations such as hospitalization or family emergencies (documented by the Office of the Dean of Students). Only absences officially exempted by the Institute (e.g., due to participation in official Georgia Tech athletics, religious observance, to personal or family crisis confirmed by documentation from the Dean of Students) will not be counted among your allotted absences.
Students are additionally allowed 3 illness related absences for which they do not need to provide documentation; however, students must let the instructor know that they are missing class for medical reasons. Students must provide medical documentation if they exceed 3 absences for medical reasons, whether these absences are in consecutive order or appear sporadically throughout the semester.
Absence penalties: Each additional, unexcused absence after 4 deducts 2% from a student’s final grade. Missing 8 classes in this course may result in failure of the class, as determined by the instructor of the course in consultation with the Director and Associate Director of the Writing and Communication Program. Students are expected to keep up with their own attendance record; see the instructor if you have a question about how many classes you have missed. The instructor’s record is the official record of your attendance in the class.
Students are responsible for finding out what they may have missed while absent from class. Students should check Canvas, review the syllabus, and ask a friend before emailing the professor to ask what they missed.
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.
This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Writing area.
Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential
knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content,
and support students’ broad academic and career goals.
This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:
- How do I write effectively in different contexts?
Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning
Outcomes:
- Students will communicate effectively in writing, demonstrating clear organization
and structure, using appropriate grammar and writing conventions.
- Students will appropriately acknowledge the use of materials from original sources.
- Students will adapt their written communications to purpose and audience.
- Students will analyze and draw informed inferences from written texts.
Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Persuasion