ENG Teaching Writing and Grammar

Transcription

1 ENG Teaching Writing and Grammar Spring 2010 Professor Jen Powers Ph.D. Class meets: TF 1:00-2:15 Office: Dunton 229 Phone: Room: 114 Dunton Office Hours: by appointment only or call. SYLLABUS Prerequisites: Sophomore standing and demonstrated competency as a writer. Written competency demonstrated by submission of a writing sample, to be evaluated by the instructor. This course has three primary objectives: (1) to enable students to teach the writing process, particularly rewriting and revising; (2) to ensure that students have a good grasp of grammar, with emphasis on the parts of speech, punctuation, sentence patterns, and usage; and (3) to provide students with an opportunity to practice what they learn. Topics include different approaches to teaching writing, responding to and grading writing, and establishing the classroom as a writing and reading workshop. The course is offered spring semester in conjunction with a section of Voices of Community. In addition to classes each week, you will be providing writing assistance for 4 or 5 students in that section. You are required to meet with the members of your group for a total of at least one hour per week. You will keep a weekly journal in which you maintain observations about the students work, strategies you use, and how things are going. THIS WILL BE COLLECTED WEEKLY, so you should be doing it digitally and submitting it to Epsilen. Course Organization The course combines study of research on teaching writing, examination of dominant schools and authorities on writing instruction, and study of grammar with constant application and reflection on that practice. Theory and practice will be joined in a dialectic. Expectations: 1. Keep up with all the readings I assign. 2. Attend all required functions and be fully prepared at all times. 3. Demonstrate instructional level competency with basic English grammar in context of class writings and mini-quizzes. 4. Teach mini-lessons in grammar and writing techniques. 5. Maintain a journal of your tutoring sessions and techniques used. 6. Complete a research paper on teaching writing (midterm). 7. Complete a tutoring overview and strategy analysis based on tutoring sessions (final). Grade and Assignments 1. Attendance, participation, and preparation = 25% 2. Grammatical competency = 10% 3. Teaching competency = 25% 4. Midterm research paper = 20% 5. Tutoring and Journals = 20%

2 Teaching: when you teach a lesson you will be evaluated on: Preparation: Do you have all the material that you need? Do you know what you are talking about? Do you have a carefully considered plan for how to implement your lesson? Have you referenced our reading materials adequately? Delivery: Are your materials clear? Do you speak clearly? Do you engage all students? Appropriateness: Is your lesson pitched correctly for your audience? Does it address the issues you should be addressing? Do you understand the questions or confusions facing your students as evidenced by responding in a way that is helpful? Grammatical competency: You will be assessed on your knowledge of parts of speech, punctuation, and sentence structure in every piece of writing you do for this class. You must demonstrate competency in all areas, and I will maintain a checklist of demonstrated competency. At the end of the course, any areas not checked off as competent will count against your grade at the approximate rate of one full letter grade per each area in which competency is not demonstrated. Part of this will happen on GRAMMAR FRIDAYS, during which time you will be assigned a particular topic on which to present. Your presentation will be no shorter and no longer than a half-hour, and should incorporate both technology and some sort of prepared handout for the rest of the class. Research paper: Length = 7-10 pages. You will write a review of the literature on some aspect of teaching writing and grammar. A literature review is a research paper. You pose a question about a topic and see what the relevant literature has to say about it. From your review of the literature you answer your question. I have provided a list below of suggested readings to get you started. You will also want to check resources at the library, which are extensive; we will be discussing journals and sources specific to the teaching of writing as well. Your research paper should use MLA format (see the Hacker reference book for help on this; you should all be familiar with this book, especially since the Voices students are using it for their papers). DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. Start this paper asap it will take longer than you think. Required Texts (supplemental readings will be supplied by me in class): Allen, Robert. Pocket Fowler s Modern English Usage (Oxford Paperback Reference). Oxford: Oxford University Press, Noden, Harry. Image Grammar Strong, William. Write for Insight. Pearson, Recommended Reading on Teaching Writing and Grammar: Murray, Donald. Write to Learn, 3 rd edition. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., Graves, Donald. A Researcher Learns to Write. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, Calkins, Lucy. The Art of Teaching Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, Truss, Lynne. Eats, Shoots & Leaves. New York: Gotham Books, Tentative Schedule (Please note the TENTATIVE! Be prepared and plugged in for changes):

3 Date Topic Readings Due Assignment Due 1/19 Intro to the exciting world of Writing Sample writing and grammar!!! 1/22 GRAMMAR FRIDAY: Prof. P. INTRO TO ISSUES: TEST!!! Take a tour through your Pocket Fowler s; Noden Ch. 1 1/26 Grammar and Writing TOGETHER; tutoring groups Writing from Inside Out 1/29 GRAMMAR FRIDAY: Charlie PARTS OF SPEECH ; Tutor Talk: the big HOW-TO 2/2 The Hidden Curriculum; parts of speech in writing 2/5 GRAMMAR FRIDAY: Leigh PARTS OF SPEECH CONT D 2/9 Tutor Talk; Expressive Writing/Imitation 2/12 GRAMMAR FRIDAY: Max PUNCTUATION 1 2/16 Expressive Writing: Special Effects 2/19 GRAMMAR FRIDAY: Robyn PUNCTUATION 2 2/23 Tutor Talk; issues on punctuation; Basic Writers Issues 2/26 GRAMMAR FRIDAY: Charlie PUNCTUATION 3 3/2 Tutor Talk; issues on punctuation; Metaphors and Images 3/5 GRAMMAR FRIDAY: Leigh TENSE AND VOICE 3/16 Tutor Talk; issues on punctuation 3/19 GRAMMAR FRIDAY: Max AGREEMENT 3/23 Tutor Talk; Grammar of Passages 3/26 GRAMMAR FRIDAY: Robyn WHO/WHOM AND ISSUE WORDS Strong Introduction Strong Ch. 1 Strong Ch. 2 Strong Ch. 3; Noden Ch. 4 Noden Ch. 5 Strong Ch. 4 Strong Ch. 5 Noden Ch. 6 Brushstroke Writing Turn in your agreed-upon tutoring schedule for your group writing sample Parts of Speech writing sample Strong Ch. 3/Noden Ch. 4 writing sample Noden Ch. 5 writing sample SPRING BREAK STARTS AFTER TODAY week to Epsilen; be ready to share; Strong Ch. 5 writing sample Noden Ch. 6 writing sample

4 Date Topic Readings Due Assignment Due 3/30 Assessment Strong Ch. 6 4/6 Tutor Talk; Assessment II RESEARCH PAPER DUE. 4/9 GRAMMAR FRIDAY REVIEW DAY; Coaching and Revision; application to tutoring sessions 4/13 Tutor Talk; issues on agreement Writing Process and Revision ; Coaching vs. Teaching; Research 4/16 issues on assessment ; BIG PICTURE of meaning in teaching writing; nonfiction forms 4/20 Tutor Talk; issues on problem words; assign mini-lesson dates and parameters Strong Ch. 7; Noden Ch. 9 Strong Ch. 8; Strong Ch. 9 Strong Ch. 10; Noden Ch. 8 4/23 Mini-lesson #1 lesson plans 4/27 Mini-lesson #2 lesson plans; turn in tutor journal entries for week to Epsilen; be ready to share 4/30 Mini-lesson #3 lesson plans 5/4 LAST CLASS 5/7 10:30 am Mini-lesson #4 Discuss Mini-lessons ; final deconstruction and discussion of final exam FINAL EXAM Lesson plans; peer critiques and week to Epsilen Bring final tutor journal overview and strategy analysis

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