ENGLISH 110

Spring 2001

Instructor: Benjamin Vogt
Office: Denney (DE) 513
Hours: M 3:30-4:30, T 1:00-3:00
Phone: 292-1730 (call during hours only)
Mailbox: Denney 421 (below name)
E-mail: enfrancais@juno.com

Class times: T/F 11:30-1:18
AV 107

English 110 is a writing course designed to help you become effective writers, readers, and thinkers. Through daily informal writing assignments, personal notebooks/journals, peer editing workshops and formal essay assignments you will become confident in writing for the academic community, all professional
environments and for personal satisfaction. We will see how a variety of writers craft their texts, how they use language, and how each of you has always been a
superbly talented writer (not to mention a Minnesota Vikings and Timberwolves fan).

Texts
Writing Lives/Reading Communities. Eds. Halasek, Singleton etc.
The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing, 2nd Ed. Ramage and Bean.
The Writer’s Companion. On-line.
http://english.ohio-state.edu/programs/fywp/Writers_Companion_Web/Writers_Companion_Text.htm

Requirements
Essays – There will be three, 4-6 page essays during the quarter, one per unit. Each essay will be edited and revised at least twice, with the help of peer
groups and individual conferences with me. You will be encouraged to continually revise each essay throughout the quarter, ultimately turning in 2 of 3 essays
along with their “sneak peeks” in a Writer’s Portfolio, which will constitute the majority of your final grade.

Writer’s Notebook/Journal – Always bring this with you to class!! This will be comprised of several assignments: in-class informal writing, free-writes,
response to readings and out-of-class journal entries. These entries will generally be 1-3 pages in length, single-spaced. I anticipate 3 entries per week. I will collect these once, randomly and not all together, to see what you’re thinking. Mark any personal entries you don’t want read.

Readings – Selected sources from the texts mentioned above, as well as the occasional piece brought in by me or any piece brought in by a student which
seems especially important to class activities.

Portfolio – It will include the final (best) draft of 2 of the 3 essays as well as their “sneak peek” drafts (I will assign a ghost grade to your second draft, you may keep that grade or continue revising for a better one, just let me know when you turn the portfolio in. However, only two of the three final drafts will count towards the portfolio). Also included: personal statement essay, four of your best journal entries (typed).

The Percentages
How your work will be evaluated as a final course grade:

55% - Portfolio
15% - Writer’s Notebook/Journal (graded on substance, assignments and 3/week)
20% - Participation (attendance, peer group/class participation, pop-quizzes,
on time for meetings)
10% - Personal Statement Essay

Policies
Attendance is a vital part to your success as a writer, and to the success of your peers. Each unexcused absence after 2 will result in the lowering of the
final course grade by 1/3 of a letter grade, 5 unexcused absences is course failure. Excused absences such as personal illness, family illness/tragedy,
religious observance or collegiate athletic events will not affect your grade. However, it is your responsibility to notify me ahead of time, or in the event
of personal or familial illness, as close to on-time as possible. Excessive tardiness - more than 3 times - will lower your participation grade by 5
percent. Being tardy is arriving 10 minutes late without a valid excuse. Respect is paramount here.

All work must be handed in during class on the date due. Late essay drafts or incomplete papers (no works cited, not 4 pages) will lower the final course
grade by 1/3 of a letter each day late. Late peer comments will subtract 5 percent from the participation grade. Late portfolios will lower the final course grade by one full letter each day absent from my hands. Journals will not be accepted late. Your portfolios and journals will be held by me until the end of the following quarter after you take 110, but please pick them up ASAP after break.

Plagiarism is the unauthorized use of the words or ideas of another person. It is described on-line in the Writer’s Companion. Please read this carefully, and
be aware of citing your sources in your essays according to the MLA style (see Chapter 22 in the Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing).

Resources
1) Ombud: serves as an intermediary who helps resolve conflict between 110 students and instructors. You may contact the Ombud at any time with concerns or
questions. This year the Ombud is Keith Manecke; office in DE 363, phone 2-5778, manecke.2@osu.edu

2) OSU Writing Center: provides free professional writing consultation. You must set up an appointment beforehand, or call anytime for availability at 688-5865.
The center is located in 485 Mendenhall Laboratories (main oval) and I encourage you to use them.

Daily Schedule
All reading and writing assignments are listed on the date due.

- This syllabus is subject to change at any time; you will be given proper
notice of any changes made.

Assignments Due/In-Class Work

MARCH

Tuesday 27

You

- Introduction/Howdy
- Discussion of Syllabus
- First-Day Essay

Friday 30

WL: intro to Unit One, Auster
ABGW: Ch 1, 3-17
ABGW: Ch 2, 22-37 and Ch 17

- Personal narrative - Return essay
Journal: Favorite book - Sign-up for conferences

APRIL

Tuesday 3

Conferences this week
ABGW: Ch 3 40-51 and Ch 4 55-75
WL: Alexie

- Purpose and audience - Essay #1 prompts

Friday 6

Conferences this week
ABGW: selections from Ch 7 and 19
WL: Eighner

- Open form prose - Minimal story - Language and structure

Tuesday 10

WL: Carver, O’Brien

- Fictional non-fiction

Friday 13

Essay #1 sneak peek w/ copies

- Workshop groups
for all group members

Tuesday 17

Workshop Groups w/ comments

- No formal class

Friday 20

WL: intro to Unit 2 and Gilyard
ABGW: Ch 8

- Exploratory essay - Ronsard

Tuesday 24

Essay 1, Draft 2 due
ABGW: Ch 18, sections 2-7 and 9
WL: Shen

- Organization, transition, fin - Essay #2 prompt - Journal response to R,G,S

Friday 27

WL: Hirsch
ABGW: Ch 14, 316-339

- Argument and support - Problem posing education

MAY

Tuesday 1

WL: Freire - Audience
ABGW: 550-572 MLA
Journal: Favorite teacher

Friday 4

Essay #2 sneak peek w/ copies

- Workshop groups

Tuesday 8

Workshop Groups w/ comments - No formal class

Friday 11

WL: intro to unit 3 and O’Neil - Disassembling images
ABGW: Ch 10, 215-232 - Advertising as Language


Monday 14

Paper 2, Draft 2 due in mailbox by 3:00

Tuesday 15 WL: Williams and Barthel - Evaluative essay
ABGW: Ch 15, 360-370 - Essay #3 prompt

Friday 18

WL: Gamson - Proposition essay
ABGW: Ch 16, 390-397, 409-411

Tuesday 22

Essay #3 sneak peek w/ copies - Discuss WL selections
WL: Ewen and Jones - Workshop groups


Friday 25

Workshop Groups w/ comments - No formal class
- Portfolio prompt

Monday 28

Paper 3, Draft 2 due in mailbox by 3:00

Tuesday 29

Conferences this week - Self-evaluation
ABGW: Ch 25 - Summation
WL: Levine - Course evaluations

JUNE

Friday 1

Conferences this week - Workshop/Conferences/?
Portfolio workshop


Monday 4

Portfolio due by 1pm, in mailbox or office
Have a good summer!!!

-- First-Day Writing

Using details and specific examples, describe your earliest memory of writing
and discuss the significance of the event or events. 1.5-2 pages single-spaced.

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