Syllabus
UWP 104D—Writing in the Professions:
Elementary and Secondary Educations
Winter Quarter 2015 (CRN 92298/92299)
Instructor: Miles Miniaci
Office: Voorhies 231B
Office Hours: Tues./Thur. 1:30 – 3 pm or by appointment
Email: mbminiaci@ucdavis.edu
Course Description:
Welcome to UWP 104D, Writing in the Professions: Elementary and Secondary
Education. UWP 104D is an advanced composition course for upper-division students
and credential candidates who plan to become elementary or secondary school
teachers. Assignments provide practice in a variety of modes of writing and will
emphasize writing as a process that involves substantive revision, as well as explore
issues and common scenarios in the teaching profession. UWP policy requires 6000
words of original work for each course, so you should plan to spend a significant
amount of time on outside work for this class (homework, reading, writing papers).
Students must earn a C- or higher in order to meet the Upper-Division Writing
Requirement. GE credit: Wrt (cannot be used to satisfy a college or university
composition requirement and GE writing experience simultaneously). Prerequisite:
course 1 or English 3 or the equivalent and upper division standing.
Course Goals:
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To improve students' analytical skills in reading and writing, and to explore through
readings and writing assignments issues and problems relevant to the teaching
profession
To give students an opportunity to explore a variety of nonfiction writing forms
including narrative, analysis, argument, report, and research papers
To help students develop a clear, lively, and forceful prose style
To develop appropriate and consistent strategies for organizing and developing both
formal and informal written assignments
To help students better understand how to use and document sources of information
in formal written assignments
To give students the opportunity to develop research skills (gathering data and
synthesizing primary and secondary sources), with a special emphasis on the skills
that educators need and on issues and topics related to the field of education
Required Texts and Materials:
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Binder Paper (no spiral-bound paper, please!)
Access to and ability to use SmartSite and a printer
Required Readings will be posted weekly on SmartSite; it is the student’s
responsibility to access, download, and if necessary, print these documents.
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Attendance/Tardies:
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You may miss up to two classes for any reason, no excuse or explanation
necessary; however, these two “free” absences may not be on in-class writing days
or peer review days. It is wisest to save those “free” absences for dates when you
might actually be sick.
If you miss 3-4 classes and/or are absent on a peer review day, your grade will drop
by 25 points or 5%. This may be repeated for up to a 10% deduction for additional
absences beyond the 4th instance, or for additional missed peer reviews.
If you arrive after I take role or leave early, you will be considered tardy. Three
tardies will constitute one absence and may impact your final grade according to the
policies for attendance listed above.
If you miss more than 20 minutes of class, you will be marked absent for the day.
Graded Assignments:
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Cover Letter
Professional Communications
Narrative Report
Program Proposal
Research Project
Timed Writing Final
Participation
Due Dates:
50
50
50
100
150
50
50
500
1/20 (1st Draft) 1/27 (Revised)
Various (Pre-Writes)
2/10 (1st Draft) 2/17 (Revised)
2/24 (1st Draft) 3/3 (Revised)
3/12 (1st Draft) 3/18 (Revised)
In-Class
NA
*All formal assignments must be submitted to earn a passing grade in the course. With
the exception of Participation and the Reading Responses, all assignments listed above
are “formal” assignments.
Late Papers & Makeups:
Late/incomplete submissions will lower your final grade on that assignment by 10% for
each 24-hour period they are late (this includes weekends).
Additional Grading Policies:
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Standards for evaluating writing: The rubric will always be useful in understanding
the criteria used to evaluate your writing. Grades are not curved and your work is
graded according to UWP standards, a copy of which you can find here:
http://writing.ucdavis.edu/instructor-resources/grading-standards-1. However, it may
also be useful for you to understand the following distinctions:
o A: Outstanding work that excels at responding to the assignment. In addition to
meeting all of the requirements of the assignment, it demonstrates originality and
sophistication. A papers are stylistically accomplished, carefully edited and free
of grammatical and mechanical errors.
o B: Solid work that meets all of the requirements of the assignment at a high
level. While the paper still needs revision, it presents complete, appropriate
content, is well organized and demonstrates a clear attention to stylistic issues.
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o C: Adequate work that meets the basic requirements of the assignment. The
paper may have some organizational lapses, but is logical overall. The style is
straightforward with a few lapses, but may be repetitive or unremarkable.
o D: Unsatisfactory work that requires significant revision. Often, D papers lack
clear organization, require further development of content, and/or have
mechanical and stylistic errors that impede the reader’s understanding.
o F: Inadequate work that does not respond to the needs of the assignment. May
be off-topic or incomplete.
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Class Participation Grading Criteria:
o 90-100 points: A student earning points in this range does the following: Speaks
frequently in class without dominating the discussion: Talks about concepts in the
text or lecture; Goes beyond the obvious; Struggles with new ideas; Takes risks;
Gives examples; Asks questions; Shares personal experience and explains how
it relates to class content; Demonstrates an open mind; Expresses an interest in
other students’ points of view; Takes leadership role in group activities;
Encourages others to participate.
o 80-89 points: A student earning points in this range does the following: Speaks
regularly in class without dominating discussion; Gives examples; Asks
questions; Shares personal experience; Demonstrates an open mind; Listens to
others; Participates actively in group activities.
o 70-79 points: A student earning points in this range does the following: Speaks
occasionally in class; Listens to others; Demonstrates a real interest in the
subject matter; Participates somewhat in group activities; OR dominates
discussion without sensitivity to other students’ need to participate.
o 60-69 points: A student earning points in this range does the following: Rarely
speaks in class; Participates minimally in group activities; Shows little interest in
class; Is sometimes uninvolved in class; Is occasionally not present to participate
in class activities.
o 59 points and below: A student earning points in this range does the following:
Almost never speaks in class and doesn’t listen to others; Is frequently not
present for class discussions and activities; Does not participate in assigned
group activities; Is off-task at times; OR demonstrates hostility, put-downs,
ethnocentrism, racism, sexism toward other students and/or instructor.
Other Policies:
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Cell phones must be in the silent or vibrate position during class and put away
except during breaks. Students will have access to lab computers, so no personal
electronics should be necessary.
Rude, hostile, or inappropriate behavior towards your instructor or your classmates
can lead to a referral to Student Judicial Affairs. SJA also considers sleeping in
class to be disruptive.
All written work must be original for this class.
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Plagiarism is using the work of others as if it was your own. It is a serious offense
with serious consequences. For more information, please see the UWP’s Plagiarism
Guidelines document: http://writing.ucdavis.edu/instructor-resources/plagiarismguidelines. Suspected instances of plagiarism will be reported promptly to SJA.
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Incompletes, by university policy, are only allowed in cases of documented true
emergencies, such as a serious illness or death in the family. If such an emergency
arises, please discuss it with me immediately. UWP policy requires that all
instructors must obtain permission from a supervisor (the UWP Director or Associate
Director) before assigning an “I” grade.
Getting Assistance:
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Tutoring:
Additional tutoring support is also available in the Student Academic Success Center
(2205 Dutton Hall, 752-2015, http://sasc.ucdavis.edu). The SASC offers free
workshops and one-to-one tutoring. It also employs ESL specialists.
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Students with Disabilities:
Students with disabilities are encouraged to utilize the on-campus resources for
them: http://sdc.ucdavis.edu/. If you need any special accommodations to complete
this course successfully, please provide me with the information and documentation
as soon as possible.
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Other Resources:
One key to your success in this and all of your classes is knowing what resources
are available to help you succeed. As the instructor for this course, I am here to
help you. If you have concerns about your progress in this class, please discuss
them with me immediately—do not wait until it is too late to do anything. Please take
advantage of my office hours, make an appointment with me, or email me if you
have questions or need assistance. However, please respect the following
boundaries: a) I do not respond to emails after 5 pm; and b) I do not appreciate more
than one email per day pertaining to the same issue. I will respond within 24 hours.
o Your peers are an important resource upon which you should always draw, and
they should be your first point of contact when you expect to miss or have missed
a class or when you have questions about due dates, etc. I do not re-teach or
pre-teach class, so developing a relationship with your classmates is crucial in
order to catch up with anything you may have missed. If you are, or intend to be,
absent, contact the following people to discuss what you missed or just for moral
support. Remember, it is always useful to build a support network of scholars
around you.
__________________________________________________________________________
Name
Reliable contact information
__________________________________________________________________________
Name
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Reliable contact information
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Course Calendar
Please ensure that you update this calendar when any changes are announced in
class.
Week
Week 1
Tuesday
6
Jan 5 –
Jan 9
Week 2
Jan 12 –
Jan 16
Week 3
- Syllabus Review
- Diagnostic In-Class Writing:
Teaching Memoir / Autobiography
13
- Brainstorm / Discuss: Why We Teach
- Brainstorm / Outline Teaching Experience
& Education
- Robinson Reading
- Individual/Small Group Reader Response
Activities
15
- Brainstorm Pedagogies, Strategies, &
Skill Sets
- Review Cover Letter Guidelines
- HW: Cuban Reading Response
- HW: Professional Experience Pre-Write
20
- Cover Letter Due
- HW: Cover Letter 1st Draft
22
- Return Cover Letters
- In-Class Writing / Group Work:
Email to Colleague & Email to Admin.
- Create Feedback Scripts / Peer Review
Jan 19 –
Jan 23
Week 4
Thursday
8
- HW: Muller Reading Response
- HW: 3 Acad. / Prof. Email Samples
27
- Revised Cover Letter Due
- Role Play / Share Parent Emails
- Discussion: Conventions of Professional
Communication
Jan 26 –
Jan 30
- HW: Vallas Reading Response
Week 5
3
Feb 2 –
Feb 6
- Role Play / Share Objective Commentaries
- Review Narrative Report Guidelines
- HW: Emails to Colleague / Admin. / Parent
29
- Guest Speaker: Behavior Management &
Effective Communication
- Pre-Write: Incident Report
- HW: Incident Rpt. / Objective Commentary
5
- HW: Narrative Report, Self-Study &
Action Plan
- HW: Narrative Report, Preface
Week 6
10
12
- Narrative Report Due
Feb 9 –
Feb 13
- Presentations / Q & A (w/ Notes)
HW: Metz Reading Response
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- Peer Review / Share & Narrow
Area, Criteria Suggestions
-Discuss Action Plan Best Practices
- Return Narrative Reports
- Green Reading
- Individual/Small Group Reader Response
Activities
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Week
Week 7
Feb 16 –
Feb 20
Week 8
Tuesday
17
- Revised Narrative Report Due
- Brainstorm Course Proposal Suggestions
- Review Course Proposal Guidelines
24
Mar 9 –
Mar 13
Finals
Mar 16 –
Mar 20
- HW: 1st Draft of Program Proposal
26
- Program Proposal Due
Presentations / Q & A (w/ Notes)
3
- Revised Program Proposal Due
- Submit Research Topics
- In-Class Research
Mar 2 –
Mar 6
Week 10
- Group Work: Brainstorm Program
Proposal Suggestions
- Review Program Proposal Guidelines
- HW: Kahlenberg Reading Response
- HW: Course Proposal
Feb 23 –
Feb 27
Week 9
Thursday
19
- Return Program Proposals
- Tyre Readings
- Individual/Small Group Reader Response
Activities
- Discuss Sources of Funding & Resources
5
- In-Class Drafting / Workshopping of
Research Projects
HW: 1st Draft of Research Project,
Introduction & Background
10
- HW: 1st Draft of Research Project,
Literature Review & Analysis
12
- Writing Workshop / In-Class Drafting or
Revision of Literature Review
- HW: 1st Draft of Research Project, Works
Cited Page
- Research Project Due
- Create Feedback Scripts / Peer Review
- Quick Write: Revision Plan
Wednesday 10:30 am – 12:30 pm Wednesday
6 – 8 pm
18
Section 003 Class Final 18
Section 004 Class Final
- Practice Subject Examinations
(Constructed Responses)
- ALL Revised Research Projects Due by
10:30 am
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- Practice Subject Examinations
(Constructed Responses)