EDF 3413: Writing for Thinking
Instructor: Kim Ball
Office hours: email for appointment
Email: kim.ball@msstate.edu
Office: 510H Allen Hall
Catalog Description:
(Prerequisites: Completion of EN 1103 and 1113 or equivalent with grade of C or better in each and junior
standing). Designed to enhance participants' writing/thinking skills and to prepare participants to use writing as a
learning process with groups they teach or lead.
Required eText with MindTap Online Access
• Chaffee, J. (2019). Thinking Critically (12th Ed.). Cengage Learning.
Optional Resources
Publication Manual of The American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition.
Purdue University OWL Writing Lab Website.
Course Objectives:
The overall purpose of the course is to enhance student reading, thinking, and writing abilities in both technical
and non- technical literature, and to further improve skill in writing documents with clear utilitarian purposes in
mind: to communicate effectively and forcefully one’s responses to a number of issues written by professional
writers; to write practical documents in several formats; and to write standard English through a review of basic
grammatical structure. The particular content and teaching methodology will vary with the teacher of record.
Goals:
1. To increase the student's proficiency in decision making and problem solving through the development of
critical, creative, and reflective thinking skills.
2. To assist the student in acquiring key knowledge concerning English essentials (e.g., parts of speech,
punctuation, mechanics, spelling, and grammar), sentence construction, and paragraph construction, and
paragraph development necessary for success in a professional career.
3. To help the student gain an understanding of the oral and written communication standards required to function
effectively as a professional (e.g., writing memoranda and research reports).
4. To assist the student in developing proficiency in oral and written communication.
5. To enhance the student's awareness of ways (e. g., professional demeanor) to promote multicultural awareness,
gender sensitivity, and racial appreciation through verbal and nonverbal communication.
6. To develop the student's capability to communicate effectively with various cultural, racial, and special interest
groups.
Weekly Text Reading Schedule:
All reading assignments should be completed by the beginning of each week.
This will help to fully participate in classroom discussion. Discussion involves comments, responding
to others’ comments, and asking questions in a respectful manner.
Assessments and Assignments:
Student grades will be a combination of book assignments, discussions, homework, quizzes, papers and a final
presentation.
Grading:
Book Assignments (27% of total grade)
Discussion (7% of total grade)
Homework (18% of total grade)
Quizzes (24% of total grade)
Research Papers & Presentation (24% of total
grade)
The grading scale is:
A = 900 – 1000 points
B = 800 – 899 points
C = 700 – 799 points
D = 600 – 699 points
F = Below 600 points
Proper Practices for Discussion
For this course please observe the following guidelines for etiquette.
1. Don’t show anger. It is usually not received well. Discussions and debates should remain calm.
2. Be considerate of others’ time.
3. Be forgiving of others’ mistakes. Some individuals may be less experienced than you.
Academic Honesty Policy
All work completed for this class must be original. I expect each individual to think, write, reflect, question, and
even struggle with the concepts presented in class. This is the only way you will learn and grow as a teacher and
a writer. Students who commit academic misconduct, including plagiarizing work (copying or borrowing heavily
from published materials, including quotes or paraphrasing without giving credit to the original author, copying
or paraphrasing without giving proper credit within the body of the document, or copying or borrowing heavily
from another student’s work) will fail this class. The university holds Academic Misconduct as a serious and
punishable infraction. University Academic Misconduct polices may be found in the Bulldog Handbook, available
from the Student Association or at www.msstate.edu/dept/audit/1207A.html.
Honor Code
“As a Mississippi State University student I will conduct myself with honor and integrity at all times. I will not
lie, cheat, or steal, nor will I accept the actions of those who do.”
For more on the honor code, visit http://students.msstate.edu/honorcode/.
Disability Statement
All necessary accommodations will be made for any documented disability. Contact disability services at 3253335 or visit the Student Support Services website or office for more information. Give the accommodation
letter to the Instructor by the end of first week of classes and no later than that.
Some Resources:
On Campus—Tutoring, help with writing and papers, and other support:
• Holmes Cultural Diversity Center http://www.hcdc.msstate.edu/ 325-2033
• Teaching and Learning Center http://www.tlc.msstate.edu/ 325-2957
• The Writing Center in Lee Hall http://www.msstate.edu/dept/english/writingcenter.html
University Safety Statement. Mississippi State University values the safety of all campus community members.
Students are encouraged to register for Maroon Alert texts and to download the Everbridge App. Visit the
Personal Information section in Banner on your mystate portal to register. To report suspicious activity or to
request a courtesy escort via Safe Walk, call University Police at 662-325-2121, or in case of emergency, call
911. For more information regarding safety and to view available training resources, including helpful videos,
visit ready.msstate.edu.
Disclaimer: This syllabus is subject to change.