writing 100
spring 2014
dr karen carr
in writing 100, you will begin to develop analytical and writing skills that will enable you to begin to make meaning of the world around you, and of the world of ideas that college introduces you to. writing is as much a perspective as it is an act, as it asks you to begin to think critically about culture, as both a participant an an observer. good writing is about much more than grammar and syntax, though these are important parts of the equation. good writing is about a practice of engagement that honors the complexity of seeing, listening, reasoning, and demands intellectual, imaginative attention.
in this section, we will approach writing as a means of attaining layers of understanding about the things we think we already know -- which is to say, the ideas, expectations, performances and gestures that constitute contemporary culture.
you will be doing a lot of writing, from informal class assignments, to drafts, to peer critiques to formal, finished essays. each piece of the process is equally important, as it is all a part of the ongoing practice of learning to think and see as a writer. to that end, attendance in this class is crucial. you are allowed two absences, and any more than this will lower your grade. please be aware that i do not discriminate between excused and unexcused absences, as each has the same effect: you are missing work that cannot be made up.
*i do not allow any devices of any kind to be on in my classroom.
*you must arrive on time; leaving early will count as an absence.
*please refrain from taking unnecessary “breaks” during class.
*all work must be submitted on time, to me, at kcarr@ric.edu
when you are submitting essays, please make sure that they sent as attachments in any of the following formats: word, pdf, rtf
textbook: reading culture: contexts for critical reading and writing, 8th edition, by diana george and john trimbur
schedule:
monday, january 27: intro to class
wednesday, january 29: introduction (pp.3-10); chapter 1, pp.1-23
monday, feb 3: chapter 1, pp. 24-48
wednesday, feb 5: draft of essay #1 due