English 375W –
Teaching Composition in Secondary School (Text Readings must be done
during class time. WFI = Writing for Insight;
WOD = Writing on Demand)
English 375W –
Teaching Composition in Secondary School Dr. Melanie Ann Hanson TTh 11:00 am to 12:20 pm Room #: SHSU EV 417 Office #: SHSU EV 108 Telephone #: SHSU 936-294-1435 Office Hours:
12:30 pm to 2:00 pm, Thurs mah011@shsu.edu AND www.shsu.edu/~mah011 Texts:
Writing on Demand by Anne Ruggles Gere and Kelly Sassi, published by Heinemann Write for Insight
by William Strong, published by Allyn and Bacon Notepaper and folder or notebook Pen or pencil Index cards Students should maintain a working email address The book and all materials must be brought to class
each day. The English 375W class is intended to prepare pre-service secondary teachers to teach composition. The class philosophy is influenced by the theory that writing teachers must be writers. The class will experience various approaches to teach composition and to assess writing. The students contract for a semester grade. Discussion and application of classroom, practices and composition theory, definition of standards, and evaluation of student writing are addressed. Pre-requisites: 6 hours of English composition and 6 hours of 200- or 300-level English courses. 3 credit hours. Course Requirements
and Grading: To successfully complete this course, you should complete all of the
assignments and follow directions on all assignments. The assignments consist
of:
Page
2 *All class work is considered part of this
syllabus. You should complete
assignments the professor gives you or that you devise that are approved by
the professor. If the professor did not
give you written approval to do your assignment choice, the assignment is not
valid and will not count towards your grade. Class Policies
Student Syllabus
Guidelines: You may find online a more detailed description of certain SHSU
policies listed below. These online
guidelines will also provide you with a link to the specific university
policy or procedure to which the syllabus guidelines are connected. The online students syllabus
guidelines: http://www.shsu.edu/syllabus/ It is important to be familiar with the
material in the Class Schedule concerning religious holidays because this
explains the policy that will be followed. Students
are allowed to miss class and other required activities, including
examination, for the observance of a religious holy day, including travel for
that purpose. Students remain
responsible for all work. See Student Syllabus
Guidelines. Students are
expected to sign in on the daily attendance roster. If you do not sign in, your assignments might not be graded on
that day and then these assignments might not be ones that you can make up. You may not sign in for someone else. If you sign in for someone else (whether
they are in attendance that day or not), your assignments for that day might
not count towards your grade and then these assignments might not be ones
that you can make up. Students who miss class due to university-sanctioned events should
present a letter on university letterhead, signed by their advisor or coach,
that explains the absence. Since this information is known in advance, the
letter should be submitted to the instructor by the end of the first week of
instruction. Students who miss a class session are still responsible for the
content of the class and material covered.
Please get the email address of three peers in class; ask these students
to explain the missed assignments, copy their lecture notes, and ask these
students to take extra handouts to give to you. If you need to come to class late or leave class early, please sit
near the door. University policy allows 3 hours of excused absences. If you have an excessive number of
absenses, there is a possibility that we will have a conference. Please be positive about participation in
this class in all respects: attendance, attitude, discussion, activities, and
completion of your grade log. Section 51.911(b) of the Texas Education Code requires that an
institution of higher education excuse a student from attending classes or
other required activities, including examinations, for the observance of a
religious holy day, including travel for that purpose. A student whose absence is excused under
this subsection may not be penalized for that absence and shall be allowed to
take an examination or complete an assignment from which the student is
excused within a reasonable time after the absence. “Religious holy day” means a holy day observed by a religion
whose places of worship are exempt from property taxation under Section
11.20, Tax Code. Late Papers and Final Exam: It is prudent to hand in assignments
in a timely manner. A signup sheet will be passed around during classtime for some
assignments; you should do your assignment on the day you sign up for
it. If you need to re-schedule, we
will try to work you in if possible.
No promises. Assignments of any kind may not be emailed to the professor. All coursework must be handed in as a hard
copy. If you send me an assignment
via email, I may not be able to pull the assignment up and you will have to
hand in a hard copy of the assignment anyway. The final exam should be taken during final exam time. Students who cannot do this should speak
to the professor the week before final exam period. The comprehensive final exam will cover the 2 textbooks
required for this course. Questions
could be in a variety of patterns including short essay, fill-in-the-blank,
true/false, multiple choice and matching. A makeup exam can be requested. A
study guide will be provided. It is a good idea to keep track of your grade; average it yourself so
that you know what your grade is.
Keep an assignment and grade log.
If you need a log form, there is one on this website that you can
print. Grade updates will be sent to the student via email on weeks 4, 8, and
12. The student may send a grade
update via email to the professor week 15. Page 3 This course outline and
syllabus follows the rules that appear in Dr Bridges and Dr Young’s course
syllabi. Quality and quantity are important when handing
in major assignments; these are considered when your final exam and other
assignments are graded. You should think about all assignments in
terms of competence, thoroughness, and thoughtfulness. Be certain that
you have all the pages of handouts that are distributed to the class. To assure that your assignments will receive
the highest grade possible, follow directions and ask questions if you are
uncertain how to proceed. If you need
to ask a question, write it down on a card or on paper, ask your question in
the Evans building hallway, come to office hours, or email the professor. At times, due to extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s
control, the student may not be able to finish the course, and the student
may request a grade of X (incomplete). A student who requests an X grade for
ENG 375W should provide adequate documentation of the reason the student was
unable to complete the course, and the student should have satisfactorily
completed at least 50 percent of the course’s assignments in order to be
eligible for a grade of X. If an
instructor feels an X to be warranted, the instructor will recommend this
grade to the Department Chair who then will decide whether the X should be
entered as the semester’s grade. If
an X is approved, the student has one semester to complete the remaining
work; if the student does not complete the work in that time period, the X
grade automatically converts to an F. Rubrics for all assignments can be found on
Nicenet in Conferencing. The students in this class will
be asked to complete a course/instructor evaluation form toward the end of
the semester. Students should study 30 minutes each day of the week to prepare for this course. Students can form study groups to assist them in preparing for class work. Mark the reading with your comments and response notes. Proofread your writing and use revision and editing techniques before handing in major assignments. There might be some optional assignments in this class that will not be graded. There may be assignments that cannot be made up. Page 4 ***To expedite course curriculum and keep a pleasant classroom
environment, students are asked to please refrain from asking questions or
making comments during class time. If
you need to ask something or say something, please write down your ideas or
questions on the provided index cards and hand them to the professor at any
time during class. Your card will be
answered as quickly as possible. If
the rest of the class needs to hear what you have written, the professor will
make that decision, not you. During
class work time, you may approach the professor one at a time and ask a
question in a quiet voice. ***Of course, during discussion time, participation is
encouraged. Your opinion on the
reading, film clips, and exercise writings is valued by the professor and
part of your overall grade for the course.
Personal problems and concerns are not part of these discussions. *** These procedures will help the other students in the class who are
trying to work and concentrate. If you need background noise to work, bring
your music and ear phones to class.
Do not crank the music up so loud that the class can hear it. *** Personal problems and questions and comments may only be expressed
on the index cards or paper, in the hallway, during office hours, or on
email. This helps make the classroom
a more genial environment for everyone involved. The other students do not
appreciate having to wait and listen to every personal concern that each
student might need to express during class time when we are all supposed to
be working. ***Students who blurt out things in front of the entire class will be
asked by the professor to use the proper channels to ask questions and make
comments. So that you are not
embarrassed in front of your peers, please follow the classroom rules of
conduct. ***If you feel like whining, please try to keep it to yourself. None of us want to hear it because we all
have problems of our own. Class is
not an appropriate place to vent and air your problems to all of us. ***Students are expected to assist in maintaining a classroom
environment that is conducive to learning.
Students are to treat faculty and students with respect. Students are to turn off all cell phones
while in the classroom. Under no
circumstances are cell phones or any electronic devices to be used or seen
during times of examination. Students
may tape record lectures provided they do not disturb other students in the
process. See Student Syllabus Guidelines. ***The English department realizes that you will not always agree with
everything you read or hear in this class.
That’s OK. We don’t expect you
to. What we do expect you to do is be
open-minded, flexible and patient while in class. Writing Center: The Writing Center is located in 111
Farrington; its phone number is 4-3680. It is open Monday through Thursday
from 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. on Friday from 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. and on Sunday
from 2:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. The Writing Center is a place where the student can
go for help with writing assignments in all classes, including developing
ideas and then structuring them in a paper. The student may also visit the
Writing Center online: www.shsu.edu/~wctr. There is no additional
charge for using the Writing Center, and the student is encouraged to do
so. The professor is also available
and willing to tutor students concerning their writing. In addition, there are reading and math
centers on the SHSU campus as well as academic advising and much more at the
SAM center. Academic
Dishonesty/Plagiarism: All students are expected to engage in all
academic pursuits in a manner that is above reproach. Students are expected to maintain honesty and
integrity in the academic experiences both in and out of the classroom. Any student found guilty of dishonesty in
any phase of academic work will be subject to disciplinary action. The University and its official
representatives may initiate disciplinary proceedings against a student
accused of any form of academic dishonesty including, but not limited to,
cheating on an examination or other academic work which is to be submitted,
plagiarism, collusion and the abuse of resource materials. See Student Syllabus Guidelines. The instructor may require that the student
submit all essays to the following plagiarism detecting services: Google, copyscape.com, and
turnitin.com. Enrolling in the course
and electing to stay in that section constitutes the student’s agreement to
submit work as the instructor requires. Copyright Laws: The student is
individually and solely responsible for violation of copyright and fair use
laws. SHSU will neither protect nor
defend students nor assume any responsibility for student violations of fair
use laws. Violations of copyright
laws could subject the student to federal and state civil penalties and
criminal liability as well as disciplinary action under SHSU policies. For these reasons, SHSU encourages
students to visit its copyright web page. Drop Date: October 10 is the final date to drop or withdraw from a
class without a grade being recorded.
No withdrawals will be permitted after this date for any reason. American With Disabilities ActSpecial
Accommodations: It is the policy of Sam Houston State University that individuals
otherwise qualified shall not be excluded, solely by reason of their
disability, from participation in any academic program of the
university. Further, they shall not
be denied the benefits of these programs nor shall they be subjected to
discrimination. Student with disabilities
that might affect their academic performance should visit with the Office of
Services for Students with Disabilities located in the Counseling Center. They should then make arrangements with
their individual instructors so that appropriate strategies can be considered
and helpful procedures can be developed to ensure that participation and
achievement opportunities are not impaired. SHSU adheres to all applicable
federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and guidelines with respect to
providing reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. If a student has a disability that may
affect adversely his/her work in this class, then the student is encouraged
to register with SHSU Counseling Center and to talk with the instructor about
how best to deal with the situation.
All disclosures of disabilities will be kept strictly
confidential. NOTE: no accommodations
can be made until the student registers with the Counseling Center. See Student
Syllabus Guidelines. Visitors:
Unannounced visitors to class must present a current, official SHSU
identification card to be permitted into the classroom. They must not present a disruption to the
class by their attendance. If the
visitor is not a registered student, it is at the instructor’s discretion
whether or not the visitor will be allowed to remain in the classroom. Students wishing to audit a class should
apply to do so through the Registrar’s Office. See Student Syllabus
Guidelines. End of syllabus Class
Assignment Log – 32 total assignments
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