California State University, Northridge
English 098: Developmental Writing
Summer 2010
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Instructor Information
Attendance
Introduction
Collaborative Internet Review
Student Learning Outcomes
Critical Literacy Narrative Blog
Required Texts
Responses to Workshop Drafts
Email
Textual Analysis
Plagiarism
Issue Essay
Disability Issues
Portfolio Preface
Course Grade
Other Writing Assignments
Portfolio
Tentative Schedule
Instructor: Dr. Ian Barnard (website: http://www.csun.edu/~ib5991)
In-Person Office Hours in ST 834: Thursdays 3-4:30 p.m., and by appointment
Email: ian.barnard@csun.edu
A. Introduction
Welcome! I hope you find this course enjoyable and intellectually rewarding. You’ll get
practice composing in various modes and for different types of audiences. Major
assignments include an analysis of a music video, a collaborative internet review, an
issue essay, a critical literacy narrative blog, responses to colleagues’ drafts, and a
preface to your final portfolio. There will be few lectures--class time will revolve around
discussions and workshops. You’ll compose multiple drafts of some or all of your
assignments. Revision will be an essential part of the work of the class. You’ll receive
oral and written feedback on your composition drafts from your colleagues and me.
Whole-class workshops will give us all the chance to discuss the issues at stake in the
projects, to articulate and negotiate our criteria for effective composition, and to address
and practice a variety of rhetorical strategies in the context of specific student texts.
As I will not spend much time lecturing, I expect you to participate vigorously, critically,
and thoughtfully in the many workshops and discussions around which the course is
organized. We all teach and learn in this course--I do not believe in a one-way
transmission of “knowledge” from instructor to students. I don’t have all the answers,
and look forward to learning as much as teaching in this course. You should direct your
questions and comments in class to your colleagues as much as to me. I encourage you to
talk in class; you should speak at least once during each class discussion.
B. Student Learning Outcomes
You will demonstrate
 competence in the recursive writing process, using strategies for invention,
drafting, and revision
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your understanding that writing in an academic context means exploring a subject,
distinguishing your own ideas from the ideas of others, and organizing
information around a central focus
developing facility in various genres of writing, including timed writing, personal
writing, journal writing, text-based writing, and argument, developing rhetorical
strategies appropriate to audience and purpose
your knowledge of critical reading strategies and apply them to both print and
visual texts
developing competency in organizational patterns, sentence structure, and the
basic usage and mechanical practices of Edited American English
your developing understanding of how to use writing and reading as a means of
participating in the world around you
C. Required Texts (Available at the Matador Bookstore)
1. Kennedy, X. J., et al. Writing and Revising: A Portable Guide. 2009 MLA
Update.
2. Sapphire. Precious.
Please bring Writing and Revising to all class meetings. If you have a laptop, bring it as
well. If you don’t have a laptop, you will need to print out workshop drafts and
responses.
D. Email
I usually acknowledge all email messages within 24 hours. If you email me but don’t get
a response, I haven’t received your email. Feel free to email me concerning any
questions you have about the course or about your work. Be sure to include a salutation,
signature, and appropriate subject heading in your email message. Do not email your
assignments to me for feedback; I’d be happy to discuss your work with you in person
during my office hours.
E. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a contested and context-specific topic. We will discuss effective ways of
using sources and issues around plagiarism in class.
F. Disability Issues
Please see me early in the course if you require academic accommodations based on a
documented disability.
G. Course Grade
In order to receive Credit for this course, you must satisfy the following five
requirements:
1. Earn a “Pass” on the portfolio
2. Do not miss more than three class meetings
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3. Facilitate a whole-class workshop, have one of your drafts workshopped, and
participate orally in workshop discussions
4. Earn credit for the collaborative internet review, the critical literacy narrative
blog, and the textual analysis
5. Earn credit for 80% of the other assignments (including the Push response, inclass writing exercises, drafts of compositions, and responses to colleagues’
workshop drafts)
1) Portfolio
You portfolio consists of the following items (not necessarily in this order):
a. Cover page
b. Table of Contents
c. Preface
d. Revision of issue essay
e. Revision of textual analysis OR link to revision of critical literacy narrative blog
f. Your three best unaltered responses to colleagues’ workshop drafts
Since you will be posting your portfolio on Moodle, you are welcome to include links,
images, and other digital media. Since the grade deadline occurs soon after the portfolios
are due, I cannot accept late portfolios.
2) Attendance
Since there are no examinations and tests in this course, and since your participation in
in-class workshops and other in-class activities is a vital component of the course, I
expect you to attend all class meetings. It’s a good idea to save the three allowed
absences for emergencies (illness, family crises, etc.). Two tardies (arriving late or
leaving early) count as one absence. I will also mark you tardy if you are not prepared
for class. Of course, if you add the course late you will be marked absent for any classes
you missed.
3) Whole-Class Workshops
Every class member will have the opportunity to have one of her papers workshopped in
a whole-class workshop, and to facilitate the whole-class workshop of a colleague's
paper.
5) Other Assignments
Other assignments include composition drafts, responses to colleagues’ work,
brainstorming, responses to readings, your portfolio presentation/reading, and in-class
work. To receive credit for an assignment, you must complete the assignment
satisfactorily and on time (we will discuss specific criteria in class). Your are welcome to
use material from your other assignments in your collaborative internet review, critical
literacy narrative blog, textual analysis, issue essay, and portfolio preface.
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Major Projects
Collaborative Internet Review
Due: 7/14/10
Length: 500-750 words
With your group members, write a review of the novel Precious to be posted on
amazon.com.
Critical Literacy Narrative Blog
Draft due: 7/21/10 Revision due: 7/29/10
Create a blog (consisting of one long blog entry or a series of related entries) about your
relationship to literacy (language, speaking, writing, reading). As you develop your blog,
reflect on the literacy issues we have discussed in relation to Precious (the novel and
film). Also, think about what the main point is that you want to convey in your blog—it
should have a focus, and not consist of a bunch of unrelated points. Since this is a
writing class, your blog should include a substantial amount of written text (750-1000
words); it should also include links and images and should be visually appealing.
Remember that anyone in the world can read your blog, so you need to create your blog
for a general readership. Do not assume that your readers are members of our class or
have specialized knowledge about the issues or texts you refer to.
Responses to Workshop Drafts
Various due dates
Length: each response should be 250-500 words long
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for each response, answer the relevant questions listed under “Responding to
Workshop Drafts” on Moodle
make your comments and suggestions specific; support your assertions with
examples from the composition you are discussing, and give concrete revision
suggestions (see sample responses on Moodle)
Textual Analysis
Draft due: 7/28/10 Revision due: 8/6/10
Length: 750-1000 words
Write an essay in which you analyze Lady Gaga’s music video Telephone or Erykah
Badu’s music video Window Seat. Analyze one scene, theme, character, motif, image,
set of images, issue, or technique in the video (develop your own ideas--don’t just repeat
what we say about your video in class). Ensure that your essay has a focus/thesis, and is
not a collection of random points about your chosen video. While you should focus on
analyzing one aspect of the video, a strong essay will make connections between this one
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aspect and what you see as the important issues about/in the video as a whole. Support
your thesis with specific reference to and examples from the video, and detailed
discussion of these references/examples. Imagine your audience as an
academic/scholarly readership. Assume that your readers are interested in the topic and
have seen your video (thus you do not need to summarize the video in your paper). Do
not assume that your readers are members of our class.
Issue Essay
Draft due: 8/3/10 Revision due: 8/12/10
Length: 750-1000 words
Details to follow.
Portfolio Preface
Due: 8/12/10
Length: 250-500
Write a short preface introducing your portfolio. Support your points with specific
references to or examples from the work in your portfolio. Consider addressing some or
all of the following issues in your preface (these are suggestions, not requirements; you
will need to be selective, as you can’t address all these points in 1-2 pages): explain the
significance of the issues addressed in your work; discuss your development as a
composer over the course of the semester; discuss what revisions you made to your
compositions and why; explain why you included the compositions in your portfolio that
you did; explain why you have placed your portfolio items in the order that you have;
discuss what you see as the strengths and weaknesses of your writing, as reflected in your
portfolio. Imagine the readers of your preface as English 098 instructors.
Caveats:
 your preface should read as a cohesive whole, not as a collection of unrelated
points about your portfolio
 the preface is your opportunity to reflect on and discuss your work; it should not
read as an evaluation of the course or of me
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Tentative Schedule
Tuesday, 7/6/10
 Introduction to the course
 Discuss syllabus
 In-class writing (diagnostic)
 Introductions
 Introduction to Precious
 Discuss reading strategies
Homework:
 Read Precious Chapters 1-2
Wednesday, 7/7/10
 Discuss Precious
 In-class reading
 Working with Moodle
 Discuss writing strategies
Homework:
 Finish reading Precious
 Precious response due on
Moodle by noon on 7/8/10 (250500 words: write what you think
of the book; give specific
examples from the text)
Thursday, 7/8/10
 Discuss Precious
 Respond to Moodle posts
 Assign collaborative internet review
Homework:
 Read sample amazon.com
reviews and bring some to class
 Read Chapter 3 in Writing and
Revising
Tuesday, 7/13/10
 Discuss sample reviews
 Discuss sample Moodle posts
 Work on collaborative internet review
Homework:
 One member of each group
should post the group’s
collaborative internet review on
Moodle and on amazon.com by
noon on 7/14/10
Wednesday, 7/14/10
 Watch and discuss the film Precious
(109 minutes)—today’s class will run
until 2:30 p.m.
Homework:
 Read Chapter 4 in Writing and
Revising
Thursday, 7/15/10
 Assign and work on critical literacy
narrative blog
 Options for invention
 Workshop preparation
 Assign workshop dates and facilitators
Homework:
 Work on critical literacy
narrative blog
 Read issue essay readings
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Tuesday, 7/20/10
 Workshop preparation
 Discuss readings for issue essay
 Work on critical literacy narrative blog
Homework:
 Post a link to your critical
literacy narrative blog draft on
Moodle by noon on 7/21/10
Wednesday, 7/21/10
 Watch and discuss music videos
 Assign textual analysis
 Discuss sample responses to workshop
drafts
Homework:
 Respond to assigned workshop
drafts by noon on 7/22/10
Thursday, 7/22/10
 Whole-class workshops (critical
literacy narrative blog)
 Work on textual analysis
 Options for organization
Homework:
 Respond to assigned workshop
drafts by noon on 7/27/10
 Work on revising your critical
literacy narrative blog
 Work on your textual analysis
Tuesday, 7/27/10
 Whole-class workshops (critical
literacy narrative blog)
 Discuss revision
 Work on textual analysis (theses)
Homework:
 Post a draft of your textual
analysis on Moodle by noon on
7/28/10
Wednesday, 7/28/10
 Assign issue essay
 Mid-semester evaluations of course
Homework:
 Respond to assigned workshop
drafts by noon on 7/29/10
 Post a link to your revised
critical literacy narrative blog on
Moodle by noon on 7/29/10
Thursday, 7/29/10
 Whole-class workshops (textual
analysis)
 Work on issue essay
Homework:
 Respond to assigned workshop
drafts by noon on 8/3/10
 Work on revising your textual
analysis
 Post a draft of your issue essay
on Moodle by noon on 8/3/10
Tuesday, 8/3/10
 Whole-class workshops (textual
analysis)
 Work on issue essay (theses)
Homework:
 Respond to assigned workshop
drafts by noon on 8/4/10
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Wednesday, 8/4/10
 Whole-class workshops (issue essay)
 Assign portfolio preface
Homework:
 Respond to assigned workshop
drafts by noon on 8/5/10
Thursday, 8/5/10
 Whole-class workshops (issue essay)
 Discuss revision
Homework:
 Read Chapter 9 in Writing and
Revising
 Post your revised textual
analysis on Moodle by noon on
8/6/10
Tuesday, 8/10/10
 Work on revision
Homework:
 Work on revisions and portfolio
preface
Wednesday, 8/11/10
 Work on portfolio preface
 Work on portfolio
 Prepare for portfolio
presentations/readings
Homework:
 Post your portfolio on Moodle
by noon on 8/12/10
Thursday, 8/12/10
 Portfolio presentations/readings
 Course synthesis/rupture
 Party?