Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Tuesday
Computer Lab
BRNG B275
ENGL 10600E09-16012
Wednesday
Classroom
KNOY B016
ENGL 10600E09-16012
Thursday
Conference
HEAV 223
ENGL 106000E9-161018
Friday
Classroom
HEAV 105
ENGL 10600E09-16012
Course Description
English 106 at Purdue offers a personalized learning environment in three different settingsthe
traditional classroom, the computer lab, and conference-style class sessions. Our class will expand on this
personalized learning by linking this section of ENGL 106 with TECH 120. Through this pairing, the goal
of this course is to immerse you in the world of technology from a humanities perspectivehow it shapes
us as humans and how it calls the nature of the human into question. Using Purdues Documenting
Realities syllabus approach, this course will examine the various methods that society uses to document
and present the world and will challenge you to define reality in all of its mutable forms. We will
explore the intersecting relationships between reality, documentation, technology, and what it means to be
human through various genres of writing that will expand your critical reading and thinking skills and
equip you with the rhetorical knowledge needed to succeed in your respective majors.
Course Goals
Introductory Composition at Purdue is designed to help you:
build confidence in your abilities to create, interpret, and evaluate texts in all types of media
understand, evaluate, and organize your ideas
hone and expand critical thinking skills
understand what it means to write in different contexts for different audiences
develop, articulate, and support topics through a variety of research methods
become an effective writer who can respond credibly, accurately, and convincingly to a variety of
writing situations
Instructors Philosophy
In my role as a composition instructor, I believe I serve a dual role in the classroom as both an
advocate and a facilitator. I am first an advocate of writing, as I strive to present myself as
an authority on writing, critical reading, critical thinking, and research. As the semester moves
forward, I also perform the role of facilitator, deliberately leaving class activities and lesson
plans open after a few weeks so that my students interests and needs can direct our
conversations and goals within assignments. I adapt this approach to encourage students to learn
by doing, working on collaborative in-class projects and presentations in order to limit the
Required Materials
You will be expected to bring your books to class every day, along with a writing utensil and paper for
taking notes. You must also have the following materials:
a binder, folder, or notebook in which you will keep your assembled coursework
a supply of binder clips or large paper clips for turning in lengthy assignment packets
a flash drive or other storage device
an account on Dropbox.com for electronic assignment submissions
Grade Breakdown
Email Assignment
Unit 1: Visual Rhetorical Analysis
Mini-Paper #1: Close Reading
Unit 2: Literary Analysis
Mini-Paper #2: Library Profile
Unit 3: Researched Argument
Annotated Bibliography
Unit 4: Website with Infographic
Presentation
Homework Assignments
In-class writing
Quizzes (announced and unannounced)
Reading Responses
Participation and Professional Behavior
Total Points for the Course
Points
50
100
50
100
50
100
50
150
50
100
100
100
1000
E-mail Etiquette
For this class, I expect you to check your e-mail daily for updates, reminders, or additional readings that
may be due. In any e-mail you send to me, I expect you to conduct yourself professionally. This means
including a subject line, greeting, short message with your question or an indication of your purpose, and
an appropriate closing. E-mails without subject lines or messages will not be read. Any attachment
uploaded to Dropbox or sent via e-mail must include your last name as part of the file name like this:
Hummel__First Draft.docx
Unidentified attachments will not be opened. When you submit anything to me electronically, I
understand Internet connection issues and other technical difficulties may arise. I will respond to let you
know I have received your e-mail. If you do not receive an e-mail from me to confirm your submission,
please resubmit your assignment to achieve full credit.
Technology Etiquette
I realize that cell phones, laptops, and tablets play a large role in the classroom environment, especially
with our own classes in the computer lab. That said, I have a zero-tolerance policy for cell phone use and
inappropriate Internet use during class time. I expect your phones to be on silent during class and your
headphones/music players to be put away at the start of class. If I notice excessive cell phone use or you
are not using the computer lab for class activities, you will receive one verbal warning and your
participation grade will be reduced. If your behavior continues to be disruptive or does not improve, you
will be counted absent from class that day.
Grading Scale
Rubrics will be provided for each assignment with a description of the quality of work expected for
particular grades. The following is a letter grade/point value scale you can use to track your grade
throughout the semester.
93-100 (A)
90-91 (A-)
87-89 (B+)
84-86 (B)
80-83 (B-)
77-79 (C+)
74-76 (C)
70-73 (C-)
67-69 (D+)
64-66 (D)
60-63 (D-)
Below 60 (F)
Descriptions of Grades
A to A- : You did what the assignment asked at a high quality level, and your work shows originality and
creativity. Work in this range shows all the qualities listed below for a B, but it also demonstrates that you
took extra steps to be original or creative in developing content, solving a problem, or developing a verbal
or visual style.
B+ to B-: You did what the assignment asked of you at a high quality level. Work in this range needs
little revision, is complete in content, is organized well, and shows special attention to style and/or visual
design.
C+ to C- : You did what the assignment asked of you. Work in this range tends to need some revision, but
it is complete in content and the organization is logical. The style, verbal and visual, is straightforward but
unremarkable.
D+ to D- : You did what the assignment asked at a low level of quality. Work in this range tends to need
significant revision. The content is often incomplete and the organization is hard to discern. Verbal and
visual style is often non-existent or chaotic.
F: Dont go here. I usually reserve the F for people who dont show up or dont do the work. If you give
an assignment an honest try, I doubt you would receive an F. If you feel you put in your best effort and
still received an F, you might consider dropping the class.
Attendance
You must attend class regularly. Much of what you may miss cannot be made up. In order to participate
in discussions, activities, peer reviews, and in other instruction activities, you must be present. I realize
that sometimes you have illnesses or circumstances beyond your control, so I am allowing you three
absences without attendance penalty. I expect you to let me know before class via e-mail when you are
going to be absent. I often schedule specific group activities, and I need to know how many students will
be participating.
If you miss more than three classes, your final grade will be lowered by half a letter grade. This
means if you have 4-5 absences, the highest grade you may obtain is "A-." If you have 6-8 absences, the
highest grade you may obtain is "B," and if you have 9-11 absences, the highest grade you may obtain is
"C." If you have 12 or more absences, the highest grade you may obtain is "F." Also, please be aware that
missing a conference counts toward your absences. Conferences will be held for a minimum of 10
minutes or a maximum of 25 minutes, so you should have no excuse for skipping conferences, except in
emergency situations. Additionally, if you are more than 20 minutes late to class, I will count you absent
for the day.
Campus Emergencies
The website on Emergency Preparedness is at www.purdue.edu/ehps/emergency_preparedness/. Check
the course website and your e-mail for updates about class cancellations during inclement weather.
Class Schedule
This schedule is a general overview of the semester and is subject to change. All updates to the
schedule will be posted on the course website.
Week
Week 1
Week 2
Theme
Introduction to Course
Understanding Rhetorical Situations