College Writing I, Fall 2022 1

Kent State University

ENG-11011: College Writing I
Fall 2022 Syllabus
CRN, Course Number
Satterfield Hall, Room Number ###
Meeting days; meeting times. ###
Instructor: Noah McGeorge
Nmcgeorg@kent.edu
Office: Satterfield Hall, Room #
Office hours: ########
Description: A Class about Writing
Welcome to College Writing I. This class may not teach you the secrets for passing any
essay assignment in your major. However, it is true that no matter your major, you will write for
credit. It’s also true that we “write to know”; the act of writing is a means of knowledge making
that can not only enrich your other studies but your personal life. To help you realize that
enrichment, the material in this class treats literacy (reading, writing, and effective
communicating) as an object of study. In short, you’re not just writing to write, but writing to
learn about writing. The things you will learn—such as collaboration, invention, process, self-
assessment and revision, reading, multimedia strategies, and even a little communication
theory—is all knowledge that you can use to translate your thoughts to someone else’s “aha”
moment. In this way, this class is an introduction to and about (college) writing.
I say it’s an “introduction,” however, you are not starting from scratch. Think of where
you are now; it’s not by luck that you made it to this class. You have already proven yourself
literate in several modes of communication throughout your life. For instance, think of the
persona you adopted in your college entrance essays. Was that persona different from the one
you take on when you write to your friends? What about when you write a postcard to family?
Learning how to switch our language practices to fit different contexts is a skill that takes hard
work to hone, a skill that will serve you well this semester.
We will start with the personal story: a narrative that tracks your literacy to date. Then we
will move into writing about other people’s writing: an analysis of a community’s discourse
online. For the rest of the semester, we will work with both primary and secondary research to
College Writing I, Fall 2022 2

write about an interview and then to turn that interview into an audio essay. Together with in-
class activities such as peer review meetings, these projects are experiential learning
opportunities that will help you achieve our goals enumerated in the course’s “Learning Goals”
below.
College Writing I can be a demanding course. However, if you participate in each class
and do your best work on each assignment, you will pass. Once passed, you will have satisfied a
Kent Core requirement and be on your way to College Writing II.
Texts and Materials
The readings for this course can be accessed for free by clicking on the hyperlinks in the
course calendar. You will read from:
• Student Guide to College Writing I & II
• Writing Spaces, various authors
o Volume 1
o Volume 2
o Volume 3
o Volume 4
• Purdue Online Writing Lab
Any other course materials, including assignment guidelines, will be available on Canvas.
In addition to reading announcements on Canvas, check your email. You are also encouraged to
log into your free Microsoft 365 account using your student login.
Talk with me if you run into problems securing reliable internet.
Minimal Course Requirements
Students must compose a substantial amount and variety of work in order to demonstrate
that they have met the learning outcomes below. Learning to write and writing to learn are often
discrete activities, but both should be part of the writing class. To that end, students in the first
writing class will:
1. Compose a variety of texts with opportunities to consider and clarify their ideas in light
of response from others, including teachers and peers.
2. Produce at least 5000 words of text that has been thoughtfully revised and copyedited to
meet the expectations of particular rhetorical situations. Multimodal texts may be
included as part of the overall body of work students produce in the course.
College Writing I, Fall 2022 3

3. Complete frequent low-stakes or writing-to-learn activities such as single-draft reading

responses, journals, in-class efforts, and discovery drafts.
Learning Goals
Below is a list of what you can learn in this course. Throughout the calendar, you will
notice references to these goals beside each activity. For example, if you see “IA” for a given
day in the calendar, we will be learning the conventions of a genre, such as narrative writing.
I. Rhetorical Knowledge
Students will develop their understanding of rhetorical situations as they read and write in
several genres. By the end of their first writing course, students should:
A. Understand how genre conventions shape the texts they read and should shape the texts
they compose.
B. Understand the possibilities of electronic media/technologies for composing and
publishing texts for a variety of audiences.
C. Compose texts that
• Have a clear purpose.
• Respond to the needs of intended audiences.
• Assume an appropriate stance.
• Adopt an appropriate voice, tone, style, and level of formality.
• Use appropriate conventions of format and structure.
• Recognize common rhetorical strategies and appeals.
• As appropriate, attempt to employ rhetorical strategies and appeals in
their own writing.
II. Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing
Students will develop their critical thinking skills as they analyze model texts and
secondary sources. By the end of their first writing course, students should be able to:
A. Use reading and writing for inquiry, learning, thinking, and communicating.
B. Locate and evaluate secondary research materials, including visual texts such as
photographs, videos, or other materials.
C. Analyze relationships among writer, text, and audience in linguistically diverse texts.
D. Use various critical thinking strategies to analyze texts.
College Writing I, Fall 2022 4

E. Develop a clear line of reasoning and recognize how incorporating ideas and evidence
from sources can strengthen their work.
III. Knowledge of Composing Processes
Students will work individually and collaboratively to hone their revising and editing
skills. By the end of their first writing course, students should be able to:
A. Recognize that writing is a flexible, recursive process that typically involves a series of
activities, including generating ideas and text, drafting, revising, and editing.
B. Use electronic environments to support writing tasks such as drafting, reviewing,
revising, editing, and exploring texts.
C. Discover and reconsider ideas through drafting, reviewing, and revising.
D. Recognize the difference between revising and editing and understand why both
processes are critical.
E. Understand that writing is often collaborative and social. To demonstrate that
understanding, students should be able to
F. Work with others to improve their own and others' texts.
G. Balance the advantages of relying on others with taking responsibility for their own
work. Apply this understanding and recognition to make global and local revisions.
IV. Knowledge of Conventions
Students will study genre conventions and apply appropriate conventions to their own
work. By the end of their first writing course, students should be able to:
A. Recognize the genre conventions for structure, paragraphing, tone, and mechanics
employed in various rhetorical contexts.
B. Use syntax, grammar, punctuation, and spelling appropriate to particular rhetorical
situations.
C. Select and employ appropriate conventions for structure, paragraphing, mechanics,
format, and design.
D. Acknowledge the work of others and use a standard documentation format as needed.
How Stuff is Graded: What is Labor-Centered Grading?

Think about how your writing has been graded before. Grading in traditional writing
classes, inside and out of college, have often been what is called “product-centered.” Product-
centered grading assigns grades only on the teacher’s judgement of your final submission’s
College Writing I, Fall 2022 5

quality. For example, I once had a professor—Professor F—who would subtract 5 points for
every linguistic error (such as beginning my sentences with a conjunction). But I and my peers
were human and new to writing essays. What good do you think such unrealistic standards of
quality did us? Do you think they made us better writers or better spellcheckers?

What Professor F failed to see in his grading was the work, the energy, the labor that
went into those final essays. Writing takes time. In college, it can really take a lot of time. Like
in any job, one’s labor needs to be compensated for as much as the final product one makes.

Therefore, I’ve done my best this semester to design grading criteria that rewards labor.
In short: you can earn a passing grade by completing all of the labor asked of you. You can then
earn higher grades by meeting more than half of your assignment expectations and by doing
other helpful labor throughout the semester.

Earning a Passing Grade

1. Submitting Projects on Time

There are five projects you will complete in this course. You cannot pass the course
without completing each project. These include:

• Literacy narrative
• 3-4 pages (total > 1,500 words)
• Write a narrative detailing an event(s) that contributes to the writer/reader
you are today.
• Analysis of an online discourse community
• 3-4 pages (total > 1,500 words)

• Choose a community that uses written genres for communication online.

Evaluate the effectiveness of the community’s communication for its
intended audiences.
• Literacy ethnography
• 5-6 pages (total > 2,500 words)
• Conduct a recorded interview with someone not of your generation on the
topic of literacy. Write an essay about the interview that (1) incorporates
College Writing I, Fall 2022 6

the interviewee’s words, (2) incorporates at least two secondary sources,

(3) and offers interpretations of or takeaways from the interview.
• Audio essay
• 5-8 minutes
• Adapt the literacy ethnography into an audio essay which mixes your
interviewee’s voice with your own recorded interpretations.
• Semester Labor Reflection
• 2-3 pages (total > 1,000 words)
• Reflect on how your writing labor practices have changed throughout the
semester. Evaluate how those practices have served the quality of your
projects, citing at least two as evidence.

You are also assigned:

• Reading responses
• Total > 250 words each
• For most assigned readings, you will write a response to a few questions
provided by me. You will submit the responses on Canvas by 1 hour
before the start of class. Reading responses can be turned in before but are
not accepted after this time.

2. Doing Substantial Revisions to Create Drafts that Meet at Least Half Expectations

An instructor cannot watch you labor through your writing. Therefore, I must make an
inference based on the quality of your work. It’s important to me that with each assignment, you
are doing the work of considering and reconsidering the guidelines. Further, it’s important to me
that you are using peer and instructor feedback. Therefore, here are the ways you can earn
passing points on your drafts:

• First draft: Your first draft meets the minimal word count and is itself evidence that you
tried meeting expectations.
• Second draft: Your second draft (1) meets at least half of expectations and (2) shows
substantial revision that takes into account feedback on the first draft (when making a
grade on this, I always compare your revisions to the peer review documents you’ve
received). A second draft too similar to the first is returned for revision without a grade.
College Writing I, Fall 2022 7

• Importantly: If your second draft fails to meet half of the expectations enumerated
in your Project Guidelines document, you will earn at most 50% (failing) on your
final project grade, unless you revise for a third draft.
• Third draft: If your second draft does not meet enough expectations, you can try again for
a third draft to earn most to full credit. In these cases, the second draft will be returned
with its projected final grade, encouragement to keep trying, and a resource (such as a
meeting with me).
• You can turn in a third draft on two conditions: (1) you submitted a second draft
that was substantially revised from the first draft (which you turned in on time for
peer review) and (2) your third draft is fully revised from your second,
demonstrating attention to feedback.
• Students who did not turn in a first draft cannot turn in a third draft.
• Third drafts are due a week after the second draft is returned to you.
• Projects due during finals season are not eligible for third drafts.

3. Attending Class

You agree to participate in, as best you can that day, at least 28/30 of our scheduled class
meetings. Meeting these requirements for at least 28/30 meetings results in no points deducted.
This is in line with Kent State’s policy 3-01.2 which requires regular attendance.

Each unexcused absence beyond the second results in a deduction of 200 points—a letter
grade’s worth—from your final tally. Thus, it’s very possible you’ll fail the course if you miss
more than two weeks’ worth of class meetings without university-approved excuses.

In cases of university-excused absences, you are expected to provide to me appropriate

documentation (such as a doctor’s note). In these cases, we may arrange an alternative
assignment that substitutes for the class you missed.

4. Collaborating with Peers

To compose successfully, you must learn from your peers and in turn contribute to their
learning. Thus, you must participate in class, conducting peer review, Socratic Seminars,
workshops, or other discussion formats.
College Writing I, Fall 2022 8

There are a few key parts of peer review that you have to complete to earn points in this
area towards your final project grade. These steps build on each other, so if you miss one, you
will not receive credit for peer review. The steps include:

1. Submitting your first draft on Peer Review Canvas page.

2. Submitting a peer review response to each person in your group in Canvas.
3. Participating in peer review workshop days.
4. Completing the Contribution Survey at the end of class on peer review workshop
days.

The labor you put into collaborating with your peers contributes to a passing grade on
projects.

Getting Higher than Passing Grades

1. Excelling at Project Expectations (Crafting High-Quality Compositions)

If you complete a project’s necessary labor—turning in fully revised drafts on time,

completing all peer review, meeting half of expectations—and meet most to all expectations, you
will earn up to an A on your final project grade. Below is an example of a graded project that
includes the weight of each labor step towards your final project grade.
College Writing I, Fall 2022 9

Example of Graded Project with Weights of Each Step

Labor Completed Percentage Earned Points Earned

✓ Turned draft #1 on time to peer review tab

in Canvas. Draft was short of word count
10% (/20%) 25 (/50)
minimum, the main expectation for first
drafts.

✓ Completed all peer review assignments.

Had a doctor’s note excusing them from 20% 50
the in-class meeting.

✓ Submitted draft 2 on time. Draft

demonstrated revision based on peer and 10% 25
instructor feedback.

✓ Met half of project expectations (e.g.,

word count, integration of 2 sources, 20% 50
reference page, central question / thesis).

✓ Met most of the other project expectations

(e.g., coherence, qualified thesis,
20% (/30%) 50 (/75)
consideration of alternative explanations,
appropriate tone).

80% (/100%) 200 (/250)

2. Doing Other Helpful Labor

In addition to doing the required labor on projects, you can earn points towards your final
course grade by:

• Participating in tutoring and writing a reflection 25 points each

o You can earn 25 points towards your final for each visit to the Kent State Writing
Commons. Read the course policy “Writing Commons” below to learn more
about tutoring.
College Writing I, Fall 2022 10

o To earn the points:

▪ Receive a signature on the Writing Commons Confirmation Document (in
Canvas) from the tutor. Because meetings can be cancelled, I will not
accept screenshots of things such as meeting confirmations. If the meeting
was virtual, ask the tutor to send you a confirmation email after the
meeting, which you can forward to me.
• Signatures found to be forged make a student guilty of intentional
plagiarism and liable to fail the class.
▪ Submit a 1-page reflection on how the tutoring session contributed to your
learning and/or composition.
o You can earn points for up to four visits.
• Meeting your peer review group outside of class and reflection 25 points each
o You can earn 25 points for each meeting your peer review holds outside of class.
Meetings may be online or on public campus grounds. Do not meet at one
another’s homes or rooms. To earn the points for the meeting, each person in the
group needs to:
▪ Write a 1 page reflection on how meeting with your group contributed to
your writing. In the reflection, include a picture of the group together.
• I’m expecting something like peace signs around a library table
that’s got laptops on it. Double check that there is nothing that
would violate the Student Code of Conduct in the photograph.
o Photographs that are found to be from non-academic
contexts or repeats of previously submitted photographs
will constitute intentional plagiarism and each group
member will be liable to fail this class. The same policy
holds for written reflections that are nearly identical; every
person’s essay is different, so reflections should be as well.
▪ You can earn points for up to four meetings.
• Submitting a third, fully revised draft 40 points each
o In cases where your second draft is returned to you with encouragement to revise
and submit a third draft, a student who does so within a week of the date the paper
College Writing I, Fall 2022 11

is returned and writes a significantly revised paper may earn 40 additional points
towards their final course grade. This is in addition to the increased final grade the
student earns towards their project grade.
• Student-proposed x points
o I encourage students to propose to me extra labor and negotiate the labor’s point
values. Any proposed labor must be agreed upon by week 8. After we agree, I will
make an announcement on Canvas so that every student can complete the labor.

Final Grade Breakdown

Points will be continually tallied throughout the semester in the Grades section on Canvas.
The total value of projects adds up to 900/1,000, or an A. This decision was made to encourage
students to experience collaborative “other” labor, such as tutoring and meeting your groups. A
breakdown of where points come from and how they add up:

Project / Assignments Points Value

Literacy Narrative 150

Online Discourse Community Analysis 150

Literacy Ethnography 200

Audio Essay 150

Self-Assessment 150

Reading Responses 100

Other helpful labor 100

1,000

Kent State University Grading Scale

We will be using the +/- grading scale to describe intermediate levels of performance
between a maximum of A and a minimum of F.
College Writing I, Fall 2022 12

A > 93% B+ 87-89 C+ 77-79 D+ 67-69

A- 90-92 B 84-86 C 74-76 D 60-66
B- 80-83 C- 70-73 F 0-59

Grading Policies

Late and Missed Work

All of the labor you complete for this course directly impacts the learning of your peers;
we rely on one another to learn in this class. It is expected that every piece of writing you do is
turned in on time so that your peers may benefit from workshopping it.

Submitting drafts up to 24 hours after the initial due time results in a letter grade
deducted from the final project grade. For up to 48 hours after the initial due time, submitting
results in the deduction of two letter grades.

Drafts submitted 48 hours after the deadline are considered missed and may not be
submitted for credit.

Reading responses are not accepted late.

In most cases, excused absences in class do not warrant any extensions of project
deadlines. For example, you are still expected to submit peer review responses if you miss class
during a peer review meeting (unless you talk with me about why this may not be possible given
your circumstances).

Gimme

Students will have one “gimme” that they can apply to their points total in consultation
with me. Our primary concern will be to make fair and equitable arrangements that still meet the
university’s regulations on attendance, conduct, and workload. A gimmie is not an “out clause”
for anyone who happens to not fulfill obligations in some way; it is for rare and unusual
circumstances out of the control of the student. Talk with me to figure out ways you might want
to apply your gimme, keeping in mind I must document the gimme and its use in the gradebook.
Here are three (but not all possible) options:
• One project may be turned in up to 48 hours late without any points deducted.
College Writing I, Fall 2022 13

• One project counted as missed is counted as late.

• A gimme may be used in lieu of an excuse for one absence after the second.
Course Policies
Negotiations and the Syllabus as a Living Document
Read the syllabus and course calendar closely. If there are unfair expectations or
discrepancies, bring them up in class. With the whole class, and likely with a vote, I will
negotiate certain clauses in the syllabus or course calendar. Any changes must contribute to an
equitable environment and to every student achieving the course’s learning goals. Proposed
changes must be made at least a week in advance of the proposed change’s effect.
Diversity and Inclusion
This is an inclusive class. In this class, you will be treated with respect and dignity and
all students will be provided equitable opportunities to participate, contribute, and succeed.
Students from all backgrounds and perspectives will be well served by this course, and the
diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource and strength. All assignments,
activities, and discussions in this class will be respectful of diversity as it relates to gender,
sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. Given the course’s
communicative approach—your peers require you to communicate with them to succeed—I hold
all my students to a high standard for not only respecting but considering experiences and ideas
which they themselves may not hold. Students who cannot meet community standards in this
regard will leave class for that day, likely at the cost of their attendance record.
Please let me know ways to improve the course’s handling of diversity and equity (for
you personally or for others) by emailing me, bringing your points up during discussion, or by
stopping by my office. I will never challenge your notes for improvement or your grievances
with my teaching. Read more about Kent State’s Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Holidays not Listed in Kent’s Calendar
Please talk with me early in the semester if there are observations of religious holidays or
ceremonies for which you plan to miss class. Established religious holidays are an excused
absence.
Infectious Diseases
To protect all students, those who demonstrate symptoms of COVID-19 are (1) asked to
stay home and granted an excused absence on the condition that they (2) attend a doctor’s
College Writing I, Fall 2022 14

appointment and/or receive a COVID-19 test.

If you find yourself with the following symptoms (CDC), email me right away to arrange
an excused absence (this is not an exhaustive list):
• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
To schedule a COVID-19 test, visit the Kent Covid Response Team website or call 330-
672-2525. Afterwards, email me proof of your appointment, such as a screenshot. Follow up
later with your results.
Students with the following symptoms should not think of emailing me but should
immediately seek emergency medical services (this is not an exhaustive list):
• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion
• Inability to wake or stay awake
• Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone
Electronics (Phones, etc.)
Out of respect for your peers, please refrain from casual internet use. After an initial
warning, students who break this policy are asked to leave and are counted absent.
If you expect an important call during class, mention it to me in the beginning of class.
Academic Honesty
Use of the intellectual property of others without attributing it to them is considered a
serious academic offense. Cheating or plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the work or for
College Writing I, Fall 2022 15

the entire course. Repeat offenses result in dismissal from the University. University guidelines
require that all infractions be reported to the Student Conduct Officer on our campus.
“Plagiarize” means to take and present as one's own a material portion of the ideas or
words of another without full and proper credit to the source of the ideas, words, or work.
Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:
• Copying words, sentences, and paragraphs directly from the work of another
without proper credit.
• Copying illustrations, figures, photographs, drawings, models, or other visual
and nonverbal material of another without proper credit.
• Presenting work prepared by another in final or draft form as one’s own
without citing the source, such as the use of purchased papers.
Plagiarism is different from misuse of sources, which is when a writer does not properly
cite a source, misuses quotations, includes too much of an original source in a paraphrase or
summary, or commits similar unintentional violations of academic protocol. If you misuse
sources, we will work together on appropriately incorporating and/or citing the sources. Note
that some audiences/instructors will consider misuse of sources to be plagiarism; for this reason,
it is extremely important for you to identify the conventions associated with source use and
citations in any class (or writing situation). More information can also be found at: Plagiarism >
Information for Students.
Registration Requirement
The official registration deadline for this course is week two and can be found under
Calendars and Deadlines on the University Registrar webpage. University policy requires all
students to be officially registered in each class they are attending. Students who are not
officially registered for a course by published deadlines should not be attending classes and will
not receive credit or a grade for the course. Each student must confirm enrollment by checking
their class schedule (using Student Tools in FlashLine) prior to the deadline indicated.
Registration errors must be corrected prior to the deadline.
Class Cancellations, Snow Days, and Other University Closings
In the case of an emergency, weather-related or otherwise, please check the Kent State
website for information on class cancelations and/or campus closings. Students may also
subscribe to Flash ALERTS, Kent State’s official emergency text notification system to alert
College Writing I, Fall 2022 16

subscribers of critical information no matter what time it is or where they are in the world. Flash
ALERTS expands the university's ability to send critical news and information to the university
community during campus emergencies. Students may sign up for Flash ALERTS online.
Student Accessibility Services
University policy 3342-3-01.3 requires that students with disabilities be provided
reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access to course content. If you have a
documented disability and require accommodations, please contact me at the beginning of the
semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments. Please note, you must first
verify your eligibility for these through Student Accessibility Services. Visit the Student
Accessibility Services (SAS) website for more information. Talk with me if you need help
connecting with (SAS).
Mental Health Resources and Mandated Reporting
If you are in need of mental health assistance, please know that the University provides
several resources. Step Up & Speak Out is a suicide prevention campaign with one of the most
comprehensive lists of resources available for students, including campus-specific information.
You can also find a list of resources, including domestic violence at Mental Health Help. Kent
State also offers Psychological Services, including teletherapy. If you are struggling with
housing and basic care needs, consider contacting the Ohio Homeless Shelter
Directory or the Kent State Women’s Center.
Although I am one of your many resources here at Kent, I must report to the University
any communications (including your essays) that indicate (1) intent to harm yourself and/or
others, (2) mentions of sexual assault, (3) or might otherwise suggest you or others are presently
in danger. If these points are relevant for you, please visit the appropriate resource above and do
not include details of them in your College Writing assignments. I will be happy to help you
connect with those resources but be aware of my obligation as a mandated reporter.
Writing Commons
The Writing Commons is a free service to help students become stronger writers. They
are a place for students to talk with outside readers about their work, both early on when they are
still generating and considering ideas, as well as later during the drafting and revising stages.
They have a staff of peer tutors who are specially trained to help students identify their writing
needs and to offer insight, feedback, and support. You can visit for help with developing your
College Writing I, Fall 2022 17

ideas or focusing your essay. This service, however, is not for editing. Please do not ask a tutor
to proofread your essay. However, you can ask for help with introductions, conclusions,
transitions, clarity, etc.
Withdrawal Deadline
If you are considering withdrawing from this course, please consult with your advisor.
Withdrawal from a course can affect financial aid, student status, or progress within your major.
For withdrawal deadlines, please refer to the Registrar’s webpage. If you have experienced
extenuating circumstances and the withdrawal deadline has passed, you may be eligible to
petition for a late withdrawal.
College Writing I, Fall 2022 18

College Writing I Course Calendar

Fall 2022

Read
Before
WEEK 0

• Syllabus and Calendar

Thur. Personal introductions
Aug. Introduction to the course
During
25 Introduction to Socratic Seminars

Due

Listen
• Asao Inoue’s Pedagogue Episode
Before
Read along as you listen:
Tues.
• PDF Transcript of Pedagogue episode
Aug.
How do we assess writing?
30
During Socratic Seminar on writing assessment and Inoue
• Inside: A-L
WEEK 1

Due Reading Response: Inoue [1 hour before class (b/c)]

Read
Before
• “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan
Thur. How do we write narratives?
Sep. 1 During Breakout group presentations on Tan
Assigning Project 1: Literacy Narrative
Due Reading Response: Tan’s “Mother Tongue” [1 hr. b/c]
College Writing I, Fall 2022 19

Read
Before • “Shitty First Drafts” by Anne Lamott
Tues. • “Resources for Writer’s Block” Student Guide
Sep. 6 How do we start?
During
Writing Activity: Intro to invention
Due Reading Response: Lamott [1 hr. b/c]
Watch
WEEK 2

• “Where Does Creativity Hide?” by Amy Tan

Before (transcript available on this page)
• So You’ve Got a Writing Assignment. Now
Thur. What? by Corrine E. Hinton

Sep. 9 How do we labor through drafting?

Mindful drafting activity
During
Socratic Seminar on process
• Inside: L-F
Due Reading Response: Tan TedTalk and Hinton [1 hr. b/c]

Read
• “The Phenomenology of Error” by Joseph M.
Before Williams
• “Peer Review & Collaborating with Others” Student
Guide
Tues. How do we give content-focused feedback to our peers?
Sep. 13 Socratic Seminar on assessing peer writing and writing
During
feedback
WEEK 3

• Inside: A-L
Reading Response: Williams [1 hr. b/c]
Due Literacy Narrative Draft 1 [Tues by 5pm]
Peer Review Responses [Wed by 5pm]
Read
Before
Thur. • Peer review responses to your work.
Sep. 15 During Peer Review Meeting (see Canvas for group assignments)
Due Contribution Survey [end of class]
College Writing I, Fall 2022 20

Read
• What’s That Supposed to Mean? Using Feedback
Before
on Your Writing by Jillian Grauman
• “Revising & Editing” Student Guide
Tues.
How do we self-assess and revise?
Sep. 20
Writing Activity: Reverse Outlining
During
WEEK 4

Breakout discussions on peer feedback: “What did you

mean when…?”
Due Reading Response: Grauman [1 hr. b/c]
Prepare
Before
• Questions to ask instructor and peers.
Thur.
How do we self-assess and revise?
Sep. 22 During
Workshop
Due Literacy Narrative Final Draft [by Friday, 11:59pm]

Read
• Understanding Discourse Communities by Dan
Before Melzer
• “Understanding Visual Rhetoric in Digital Writing
Environments” by Mary E. Hocks (pp. 340-350)
Tues.
Discourse communities? or, Who are we composing for?
Sep. 27
Socratic Seminar on discourse communities
During
• Inside: A-L
Assigning Project 2: Online Discourse Community Analysis
WEEK 5

Reading Response: Practicing Analysis (Hocks & Melzer) [1

Due
hr. b/c]
Read
• Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Steps Toward Rhetorical
Analysis by Laura Bolin Carroll
Before
• “The Rhetorical Situation” Student Guide
Thur. • Multimodal analysis exemplar: “The Fashion
Sep. 30 Industry: Free to be an Individual” by Hannah Berry
What is rhetoric?
During
Socratic Seminar on rhetorical analysis [Inside: L-F]
Due Reading Response: Carroll [1 hr. b/c]
College Writing I, Fall 2022 21

Read
• The Sixth Paragraph: A Re-Vision of the Essay by
Before
Paul Lynch
Tues. • My Five-Paragraph Theme-Theme by Ed White
Oct. 4 How do we arrange our thoughts on the page?
During Breakout Discussion
Writing Activity: Outlining
Due Reading Response: White & Lynch [1 hr. b/c]
Read
WEEK 6

• Exigency: What Makes My Message Indispensable

Before
to My Reader by Quentin Vieregge
• “Crafting a Thesis Statement” Student Guide
How do write with purpose? or, Centers of gravity
Thur. Breakout Activity
During
Oct. 6 Writing Activity: Should a thesis always go in the
beginning?
Reading Response: Vieregge [1 hr. b/c]
Online Discourse Community Analysis Draft 1 [Sunday by
Due
5pm]
Peer Review Responses [Monday by 5pm]

Read
Tues. Before
• Peer review responses to your work
Oct.
During Peer Review Meeting (see Canvas for group assignments)
11
Due Collaboration Survey [end of class]
WEEK 7

Thur.
Oct. Fall break runs from Oct. 13 to Oct. 16 (Sunday).
13
College Writing I, Fall 2022 22

Read
• Writing with Force and Flair by William T.
FitzGerald
• “Using Transitions” from Student Guide To College
Before
Writing
Tues. • Multimodal textual analysis exemplar: “The
Oct. 18 Fashion Industry: Free to be an Individual” by
Hannah Berry
WEEK 8

How do we guide readers?

During Writing Activity: Beyond Transition Words
• Groups’ analysis of Berry
Due Reading Response: FitzGerald [1 hr. b/c]
Before Prepare questions for instructor and peers
Thur. During Workshop
Oct. 20 Online Discourse Community Analysis Final [Friday
Due
11:59pm]

Watch and read

• “Signing Black in America” by the Language and
Before Life Project (turn off YouTube’s captions)
• Literacy Ethnography Exemplar: “Whistlin' and
Tues. Crowin' Women of Appalachia: Literacy Practices
Oct. 25 since College” by Katherine Sohn (pp. 423-427)
How do we write about other people?
During Socratic Seminar on Literacy Ethnography [Inside: A-L]
WEEK 9

Assigning Project 3: Literacy Ethnography

Due Reading Response: “Signing Black in America” [1 hr. b/c]
Read
Before • Introduction to Primary Research: Observations,
Surveys, and Interviews by Dana Lynn Driscoll
Thur.
How do we conduct primary research?
Oct. 27
During Presentation: Ohio University’s Interview Protocol
Mock interviews with breakout groups
Due Reading Response: Driscoll & Sohn [1 hr. b/c]
College Writing I, Fall 2022 23

Read
• Wikipedia Is Good for You!? by James P. Purdy
Before • “Research Questions” Student Guide
Bring to class
Tues.
• Laptops / tablets
Nov. 1
How do we conduct secondary research?
During Presentation: Wiki Mines and the Library Minds
Breakout groups: Finding and evaluating sources
WEEK 10

Due Reading Response: Purdy [1 hr. b/c]

Read
• Reading Games: Strategies for Reading Scholarly
Before Sources by Karen Rosenberg
Have read and bring to class
Thur. • Two secondary sources for your project
Nov. 3
How do we read academic writing?
During Presentation: Rhetorical moves common to scholarship
Writing Activity: Research notes as prewriting
Due Reading Response: Rosenberg [1 hr. b/c]
College Writing I, Fall 2022 24

Read
• Annoying Ways People Use Sources by Kyle D.
Before Stedman
• “APA In-Text Citations” Student Guide
Tues. • “APA Reference Page” Student Guide
Nov. 8 How do we integrate sources into our writing?
Presentation: Who are the APA?
During
Socratic Seminar on academic honesty
• Inside: L-F
Due Reading Response: APA practice (Stedman) [1 hr. b/c]
WEEK 11

Read
• Walk, Talk, Cook, Eat: A Guide to Using Sources by
Before Cynthia R. Haller
• “Synthesizing Sources” Student Guide
• “Integrating Sources” Student Guide
Thur. How do we integrate sources into our writing?
During
Nov. 10 Writing Activity: Source Integration Techniques
Reading Response: Secondary source prewriting (Haller) [1
hr. b/c]
Due Online Discourse Community Analysis Draft 1 [Sunday by
5pm]
Peer Review Responses [Monday by 5pm]
College Writing I, Fall 2022 25

Read
Before
Tues. • Peer response to your work
Nov. 15 During Peer review meeting
Due Contribution Survey [end of class]
Listen (transcripts available on page)
• “Attention Donor 3046: Your Daughter Made A
Podcast To Find You” by Anya Steinberg
• “How to Win the Student Podcast Challenge” from
Before NPR and Anya Steinberg
WEEK 12

Bring to class
• Laptops / Tablets
• Headphones
Thur.
• Audio files of your interviews
Nov. 17
How do we present audio data?
Assigning Project 4: Audio Essay
Assigning Self-Assessment
During
Presentation: Taking Notes in Audacity; Burps, Coughs,
and Ums; and Royalty Free Music
Breakout discussions or Q/A
Due Reading Response: Steinberg [1 hr. b/c]

Prepare
Before
Tues. • Questions for your peers and instructor.
Nov. 22 During Workshop
WEEK 13

Due Literacy Ethnography Final [Wednesday 11:59pm]

Thur.
Thanksgiving break runs from Wed, Nov. 23 to Sunday, Nov. 27.
Nov. 24
College Writing I, Fall 2022 26

Read
Before • Reflective Writing and the Revision Process: What
Were You Thinking? by Sandra Giles
Tues.
How do we assess our progress as writers?
Nov. 29
During Socratic Seminars on self-assessment Criteria
WEEK 14

Due Reading Response: Giles [1 hr. b/c]

Before
Working Day
Optional attendance. Classroom available as a space to
Thur. During
work, to talk with the instructor, or to hold an additional
Dec. 1
meeting with your groups for credit.
Draft of Audio Essay [Sunday by 5pm]
Due
Peer Review Responses [Monday by 5pm]

Read
Before
Tues. • Peer review responses to your work
Dec. 6 During Peer review on audio essay
Due Contribution Survey [end of class]
Prepare
WEEK 15

• Questions for peers and instructor (can be about

Before any assignment).
Thur. Read
• “Oral & Academic Presentations” Student Guide
Dec. 8
Presentation: Audio Essay Presentation Guidelines
During
Workshop
Due

Final exams period

Dec. 12 * Dates and times *
WEEK 16

– • Audio Essay Final [before scheduled exam time]

Dec 18 • Audio Essay Presentation [during scheduled exam time]
• Semester Self-Assessment [by day of exam, 11:59 pm]