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Discourse 100: Reasoning, Values and Communication
Instructor: Dr. Crystal Gorham Doss
Email: dosscr@umkc.edu
Phone: (816) 235-2526
Office: 013 Cockefair Hall
Office Hours: MW 1:00 – 3:00 or by appointment
Class Registration #: 47878
Section # 0005
Time: MW 4:00-5:15 PM
Classroom: TBA
Course Description
“Discourse” refers to the language, images, styles, genres, behaviors and other forms of communication used by specific
social and professional groups. The techniques of discourse analysis and language awareness taught in this course will
enable you to position yourself socially and professionally, helping you understand the discourse conventions and
“commonsense” assumptions that create and define academic, political, professional, and other discourse formations and
communities. Students will produce, perform, and analyze college-level, oral and written texts; and they will learn how
written and oral performances function together in specific discourse communities. This course is associated with the SCE
Anchor course in Reasoning and Values and it prepares students for Discourse II: Culture and Diversity.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students will demonstrate an ability to:
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Explore and analyze their own and others’ values through the use of multiple strategies that engage different
sources and perspectives in written and oral discourse.
Identify and analyze how cultural context and assumptions play a role in the analysis and production of discourse.
Understand basic rhetorical concepts (audience, purpose, genre, convention, logos, ethos, pathos, logical fallacies,
structure, etc.) and apply such concepts to the interpretation, analysis, and production of written and oral
discourse.
Develop an introductory understanding of critical discourse analysis and critical language awareness.
Use written and oral discourse to develop and present meaningful and interesting ideas that show the students’
voice, a willingness to take intellectual risks, and an attempt to enter an academic conversation.
Create academic discourse through a basic process that includes editing, proofreading, and revising multiple
drafts.
Interpret their own and other’s work and reflect on their own development as producers of discourse.
Construct basic research strategies, use appropriate research resources, learn to identify scholarly sources, and
evaluate and cite those information sources.
Develop an introductory understanding of citation and an ability to appropriately cite sources using a consistent
professional style (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.).
Identify and address personal impediments to discourse production, including speech anxiety and writer’s block.
Texts
Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst. "They Say / I Say": The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. 2nd
ed. New York: Norton, 2011. Print. ISBN 978-0-393-93361-1
O’Hair, Dan, Hannah Rubenstein, and Rob Stewart. A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking. 4th ed. New York: Bedford/St.
Martins, 2013. Print. 1-4576-0184-2
Readings posted on Blackboard
Teaching Philosophy and Overview of the Course:
I believe it is important for students to take an active role in their education and that students have as much to
learn from each other as they do from teachers. Thus, this is not a traditional lecture course but rather a conversationbased course. Students will be working in small groups, participating in planning workshops and peer reviews as well as
working collaboratively in order to meet these goals. By approaching tasks in this manner, I hope students will learn to
rely on each other for instruction, information, and guidance, becoming more independent and critical thinkers.
This course will introduce students to academic discourse and the basics of rhetoric. The course is divided into
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four units, each addressing a different set of questions about reasoning, values, and communication. In “Unit 1: What is
the Value of the Liberal Arts for You?”, Students will investigate the value of a liberal arts education by delivering a
speech that addresses their own experiences with liberal arts education and writing an essay in response to the ongoing
debates about the value of liberal arts to higher education. In “Unit 2: What is Academic Discourse?”, students will
analyze communication within the academy by writing an essay that uses the techniques of critical discourse analysis and
critical language awareness to analyze scholarly writing from two different disciplines. In “Unit 3: How do Professionals
Communicate?”, students will conduct interviews with professionals to discover how professionals communicate in the
workplace and civic life. Students will work collaboratively to develop roundtable panels to present their findings to class
and facilitate a conversation about the role of liberal arts education to professional communication. In “Unit 4: What is the
Future of Teaching Communication in the Academy?”, students will compose a multimodal project that explains and
defends their own vision for teaching communication in the academy. In lieu of a final exam, students will compose a
comprehensive reflection essay and submit a revised version of the essay from Unit 1 or Unit 2.
Assumptions:
 Reading, writing, speaking, listening, and thinking are not separate from each other; they are interconnected and
mutually reinforcing practices.
 Reading, writing, speaking, listening, and thinking matter—in the classroom and in the world beyond the
classroom.
 You have something important to say.
 Anyone can learn to write and speak well and read, listen, and think critically.
 Learning to write and speak well and think, listen, and read critically are ongoing, life-long processes.
Expectations:
 KEEP ME IN THE LOOP. TALK TO ME EARLY AND OFTEN. I want all of my students to succeed, and I am happy to
help students however I can. That said, I cannot help if I do not know that there is a problem or if I am only
informed of a problem after the fact. If there is something going on in your life that is affecting your performance
in class or that you feel deserves special consideration, let me know as soon as possible, and we’ll see what we
can work out.
 BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR EDUCATION. Do the reading. Write the essays. Deliver the speeches.
Participate in class discussion. If you do not understand, ask questions. If you are absent, get the information
about what went on in class, lecture notes, etc., from a classmate before the next class period.
 THIS IS A PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENT, ACT ACCORDINGLY. Be respectful of everyone in the classroom by
being prepared, listening, paying attention, and being engaged.
 READ THE SYLLABUS AND ALL ASSIGNMENTS CAREFULLY.
 SHOW UP ON TIME. If you must be late, discreetly find your seat and catch up later.
 BE PREPARED. If an assignment is due, it should be ready to turn when class begins. If a draft is required, have it
printed. If reading is required, read it before class and be ready to discuss it.
 AGAIN, BE PREPARED. While I am happy to answer questions and help however I can, before meeting with or
emailing me, please prepare by reading the syllabus, the assignment, the assigned reading, lecture notes, etc. It is
discourteous to ask a professor to summarize assigned reading that you have not read or recap a lecture to which
you did not pay attention.
Contacting Me:
 Email is the best way to reach me. I respond to email and phone calls received during the work week within 24-48
hours. Emails sent after 5:00 p.m. on Friday will likely not receive a response until Monday.
 For face-to-face meetings, you can come by office hours (above) or schedule an appointment.
 I am always happy to meet with students to discuss their work. If you would like me to critique an essay that is in
progress, please email a draft to me 24 hours before we meet. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, I will
not critique essays via email; such conversations are best had face-to-face and are not suited for email.
Course Policies:
 It is essential that you understand course policies, for not having read the syllabus or misunderstanding the
syllabus does not exempt you from its policies or any penalties for not following those policies.
 I reserve the right to alter the syllabus and schedule of assignments as necessary.
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Please refer to the following web page and the linked resources for critical information regarding course policies
and resources. You are expected to abide by all the rules and regulations regarding student conduct referenced in
these pages. http://cas.umkc.edu/CPR/
Add your recording policy here.
Attendance:
 If you are absent, it is your responsibility to collect notes, handouts, etc., and to ensure that you are prepared for
the next class (i.e., missing Monday’s class is not an excuse for being unprepared for Wednesday’s class).
 If you are late, come in and discretely find your seat, do your best to catch up without interrupting any class
activities that are in progress. After class remind me to mark you as present.
 From the “UMKC Attendance Policy” (http://www.umkc.edu/catalog/Attendance_Policy.html):
"Excused absences" include absences due to illness of the student, illness of an immediate family member
for whom the student must care, death of an immediate family member, religious observance (where the
nature of the observance prevents the student from being present during class), representation of UMKC
in an official capacity, and other compelling circumstances beyond the student's control. Students seeking
an excused absence must provide documentation upon request to substantiate the excuse. Students with
excused absences shall undertake appropriate make-up or alternative work to be provided by instructors
of the courses in which excused absences were incurred.
 If you miss an assignment because of an absence, you will take a zero for that assignment. If you have an absence,
you can do an extra credit journal to make up the assignment. Otherwise, late work is not accepted, i.e., if you are
absent, you will take a zero.
Grading:
Grades will be averaged as follows:
In-class writing, quizzes, etc.
Speech Response Letters
Introduction Speech
Response Essay
Comparative Analysis Essay
Roundtable
Persuasive Multimodal Project
Reflection and Portfolio
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15%
5%
10%
15%
15%
15%
15%
10%
I use a standard grading scale (A = 94-100%, A- = 90-93, B+ = 87-89%, B = 84-86%, B- = 80-83 %, etc.)
Grade Appeals: http://www.umkc.edu/catalog/Procedure_for_Appeal_of_Grades.html
In-class Writing, Quizzes, etc.
 There will be reading quizzes, in-class writing assignments, or short homework assignments. Some may be
collected in class; you may be required to submit others online.
 If work is collected in class, you must be present in class in order to submit work.
 If you have an absence, you can do an extra credit journal to make up the assignment. Otherwise, late work is not
accepted, i.e., if you are absent, you will take a zero.
Essay Guidelines:
 In order to receive a passing grade, all essays must
o follow MLA manuscript format and documentation style (See
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/resdoc5e/RES5e_ch08_s1-0013.html)
o be written in black ink and 12 pt Times New Roman font
o meet the length requirement
o include any supplementary material listed on the assignment sheet.
 You are allowed one extension this term. You may use it for any reason and for any graded essay, except for the
final draft of the portfolio. When you take your extension, please add a note in the textbox with your submission.
 The extension extends the deadline one class period. (That is, if an essay is due on Monday, the extension moves
the deadline to Wednesday.)
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If not using your extension, late essays are accepted for 50% credit.
All essays must be submitted via Blackboard as Word or RTF files and will be submitted to TurnItIn.com.
I will not accept essays in hard copy or via email
I may periodically select student drafts or other work in progress to share with the class for discussion. If you do
not want your essay made public in this way, please notify me via email.
Speech Guidelines
 Barring exceptional circumstances, if you are absent the day you are to deliver a speech or participate in the
roundtable, you will take a zero for the assignment and the assignment cannot be made up.
 Speeches must stay within the timeframe on the assignment sheet, or the grade will be reduced.
 Speeches will be evaluated based on delivery, content, and organization.
Cheating, Plagiarism, Etc., :
 Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated.
 Academic Dishonesty Policy from UMKC catalog (http://www.umkc.edu/catalog/Student_Conduct.html):
Academic dishonesty, such as cheating, plagiarism, or sabotage. The Board of Curators recognizes that
academic honesty is essential for the intellectual life of the University. Faculty members have a special
obligation to expect high standards of academic honesty in all student work. Students have a special
obligation to adhere to such standards. In all cases of academic dishonesty, the instructor shall make an
academic judgment about the student's grade on that work and in that course. The instructor shall report the
alleged academic dishonesty to the Primary Administrative Officer.
a. The term cheating includes but is not limited to:
(i) use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examinations;
(ii) dependence upon the aid of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers,
preparing reports, solving problems, or carrying out other assignments;
(iii) acquisition or possession without permission of tests or other academic material belonging to a
member of the University faculty or staff; or
(iv) knowingly providing any unauthorized assistance to another student on quizzes, tests, or
examinations.
b. The term plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:
(i) use by paraphrase or direct quotation of the published or unpublished work of another person without
fully and properly crediting the author with footnotes, citations or bibliographical reference;
(ii) unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of
term papers or other academic materials; or
(iii) unacknowledged use of original work/material that has been produced through collaboration with
others without release in writing from collaborators.
 If a student is found cheating or plagiarizing, he or she will receive a 0 (F) on the assignment. All instances of
academic dishonesty may be reported to the University.
 Academic Dishonesty Prevention (Information about the use of Turnitin.com):
http://www.umkc.edu/provost/policies/academic-integrity-dishonesty-and-plagiarism.pdf
 All written work may be submitted to TurnItIn.com
Computers and English:
 Printer and/or computer problems are unfortunate; however, they do not excuse late or incomplete work.
 Disruptive or disrespectful behavior is unacceptable, including using cell phones during class. Cell phones should
be turned off and remain put away during class. Laptops/tablets may be used in class only if students sit in the
back row.
 All students must have UMKC email and Blackboard accounts and check them regularly.
 All “technical” issues need to be resolved by Monday, August 26. If you’re having problems with Bb or UMKC
email, please contact the University’s IS office http://www.umkc.edu/is/ or 816-235-2000.
Student Abilities:
 Any student in this course who has a disability that prevents the fullest expression of his or her abilities should
contact Services for Students with Disabilities (http://www.umkc.edu/disability/) as soon as possible so that they
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can discuss class requirements and recommendations necessary to ensure full participation.
Information for Students:
Academic Dishonesty: http://www.umkc.edu/provost/policies/academic-integrity-dishonesty-and-plagiarism.pdf
Sexual Harassment/Discrimination: http://www.umkc.edu/provost/downloads/harassment-statement.pdf
Grade Appeals: http://www.umkc.edu/catalog/Procedure_for_Appeal_of_Grades.html
Writing Center: http://cas.umkc.edu/writingcenter/
Services for Students with Disabilities: http://www.umkc.edu/disability/
Academic Freedom: http://www.umkc.edu/helpline/academic_freedom.asp
Tentative Schedule for ENG 110
All reading is from They Say/I Say (TSIS), A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking (PGPS) or is available on Blackboard
(Course Documents  Required Reading).
Week 1
Monday 19 August
None
Assignments Due
Today
Lecture/Discussion: Syllabus and Schedule
In Class
Introductions
Wednesday 21 August
Online Reading (This was sent to you via email as a PDF file. Read before class;
Assignments Due
bring printed copies or your laptop/tablet with you to class):
Today
 “Rhetorical Situations”:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/625/1/
 “Elements of Rhetorical Situations”:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/625/02/
 “Aristotle’s Rhetorical Situation”:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/625/03/
 “Text”: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/625/04/
 “Author and Audience”:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/625/05/
 “Purposes”: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/625/06/
 “Setting”: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/625/07/
 Brooks, David. “The Practical University.” Available on Bb.
Unit 1 Overview
In Class
Lecture: What is Rhetoric?
Discussion: Brooks and Rhetorical Reading
Friday
Reading from TSIS: Introduction, Ch 11-12
Assignments Due
Online Reading (read before class; bring printed copies or your laptop/tablet
Today
with you to class):
 “Introduction: Thinking-Intensive Reading”:
http://guides.hcl.harvard.edu/sixreadinghabits
 Keller, Dan. “Directing Attention: Multitasking, Foraging, Oscillating.”
http://dmp.osu.edu/dmac/readings/keller.doc .
 Fish, Stanley. “What Should Colleges Teach?” Available on Bb.
 Gutting, Gary. “What is College For?” Available on Bb.
Discussion: Critical Reading
In Class
Individual Writing/Small Groups: Reading with a Purpose and The Art of
Skimming
(Time Permitting: Fox It Reader Demo)
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Week 2
Monday 26 August
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Wednesday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Friday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Reading: PGPS Part 1 and Chapters 6-8
Assign Introduction Speech
Discussion: Assigned reading
Small Groups: Brainstorm
Reading: PGPS Parts 3-4, Ch 23
Sample Speeches
Reading: PGPS Part 5
Assign Response Letters
Small Groups: Practice
Week 3
Monday 2 Sept NO CLASS LABOR DAY
Assignments Due
NO CLASS LABOR DAY
Today
In Class
NO CLASS LABOR DAY
Wednesday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Friday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Introduction Speeches
Introduction Speeches
Introduction Speeches
Introduction Speeches
Week 4
Monday 9 September
Reading: TSIS Ch 1-2
Assignments Due
Online Reading:
Today
 Hacker and Dreifus. “Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission?”
http://proxy.library.umkc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/logi
n.aspx?direct=true&db=afh&AN=52552576&site=ehostlive&scope=site
 Ungar. “7 Major Misperceptions about the Liberal Arts.”
http://proxy.library.umkc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/logi
n.aspx?direct=true&db=afh&AN=48488008&site=ehostlive&scope=site
Assign: Response Essay
In Class
Discussion: Assigned Reading
In-Class Writing: Summarizing
Wednesday
Reading: TSIS Ch 3-4
Assignments Due
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Today
In Class
Friday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Online Reading:
 Murray. “Too Many People are Going to College.”
http://proxy.library.umkc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/logi
n.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=34243659&site=povlive&scope=site
Discussion: Assigned Reading
In-Class Writing: Quoting
Reading: TSIS Ch 5
Online Reading:
 Rose. “Blue-Collar Brilliance.”
http://proxy.library.umkc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/logi
n.aspx?direct=true&db=afh&AN=41226212&site=ehostlive&scope=site
Discussion: Assigned Reading
In-Class Writing: Responding to others
Week 5
Monday 16 September (LAST DAY TO DROP WITHOUT CLASS SHOWING ON TRANSCRIPT.)
Online Reading:
Assignments Due
Today
 Hairston and Lamott (available on Bb)
Discussion: Assigned Reading and Writing Process
In Class
Small Groups: Brainstorming for Essay #1
Wednesday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Friday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Online Reading:
 WEx Training Guide, Ch 1-3 (available on Bb)
Complete “Practice Review Sheet” on pp. 10-13 of the WEx Training Guide
Sample Peer Review
Drafts due
Peer Review
Week 6
Monday 23 September
Assignments Due
Response Essays Due
Online Reading:
Today
 Excerpt from “Critical Discourse Analysis and the Discourse of
Condescension” (available on Bb)
 “Analyzing Talk and Text Through CDA” (available on Bb)
 “Critical Discourse Analysis” (available on Bb)
Assign Comparative Analysis Essay
In Class
Lecture: Critical Discourse Analysis
Discussion: Assigned Reading
Wednesday
Online Reading:
Assignments Due
Today
 Kaufman. “Changing Economics in an Era of Healthcare Reform.”
Available on Bb.
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In Class
Friday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Cavellero. “Health, Luck and Moral Fallacies of the Second Best.”
(available on Bb)
Sample Analysis
Pick the two essays from the list that you will analyze for the Comparative
Analysis Essay. Bring printed copies or your laptop/tablet with you to class.
Post Rough Drafts on Bb by Friday, September 27 at 5:00 p.m.
Small Groups: Brainstorming
Week 7
Monday 30 September
Assignments Due
Post Rough Drafts on Bb by Friday, September 27 at 5:00 p.m.
Today
Small Group Conferences
In Class
Wednesday
none
Assignments Due
Today
Small Group Conferences
In Class
Friday
none
Assignments Due
Today
Small Group Conferences
In Class
Week 8
Monday 7 October
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Wednesday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Friday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Week 9
Monday 14 October
Assignments Due
Today
Writing: Revised Drafts
Reading: TSIS Ch 7-8
Peer Review
Writing: Revised Drafts
Reading: TSIS Ch 9-10
Peer Review
Online Reading: Zinsser (available on Bb)
Peer Review
Comparative Analysis Essays Due
Reading: PGPS Ch 27-29
Online Reading:
 “Conducting an Interview Presentation”
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/708/01/
 “Conducting Interviews”
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/sub_section_main_1047.aspx
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In Class
Wednesday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Friday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Week 10
Monday 21 October
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Wednesday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Friday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Week 11
Monday 28 October
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Wednesday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Friday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Assign Roundtables
Lecture/Discussion: Interview Techniques and Questions
Reading: PGPS Part 2
Discussion: Assigned Reading
Small Groups Work Session
Interview Questions Due
Small Groups Work Session
Reading: PGPS Part 6
Discussion: Assigned Reading
Small Group Work Session
Reading: PGPS Appendix A & B
Discussion: Assigned Reading
Small Group Work Session
Interview Reports Due
Small Group Work Session
Assign Response Letters
Group 1 Deliver Roundtable
Group 2 Deliver Roundtable
Group 3 Deliver Roundtable
Week 12
Monday 4 November
Assignments Due
Today
Group 4 Deliver Roundtable
In Class
10
Wednesday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Friday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Online Reading:
 Daley. “Expanding the Concept of Literacy.” Available on Bb.
 Selber. “Reimagining Computer Literacy.” Available on Bb.
Assign Multimodal Project
Discussion: Assigned Reading
Online Reading:
 Selfe. “The Movement of Air, The Breath of Meaning: Aurality and
Multimodal Composing.” Available on Bb.
 “Radiolab Presents Symmetry.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEQskIsHKT8
 “Radiolab and NPR Present Words.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0HfwkArpvU
 “WNYC/NPR's Radio Lab presents Parabolas (etc.)”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdSgqHuI-mw
 Brueggemann, Brenda Jo. “Why I Mind.” The Information Stories
Project: Sustaining Democracy in a Digital Age, 2010. YouTube. Web.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoNR6EWT7D4
Lecture: Multimodal Composing: Assets and Affordances
Discussion: Assigned Reading
Discussion: What are Your Options?
Week 13
Monday 11 November
Online Reading:
Assignments Due
Today
 “Multimodal Projects.” http://kcwritingcenter.weebly.com/multimodalprojects.html
Discussion: Evaluating Multimodal Compositions
In Class
Wednesday
Online Reading:
Assignments Due
Today
 “Cite and Attribute Your Sources.” http://open.umich.edu/share/cite
 “Creative Commons.”
http://depts.washington.edu/trio/trioquest/resources/writing/cc.php
Optional: http://dmp.osu.edu/dmac/supmaterials/storyboards.pdf
Lecture: Intellectual Property, Copyright, Citation, and Attribution
In Class
In-Class Writing: Invention
Friday
Online Reading:
Assignments Due
Today
 Delagrange. “Chapter 1: Reading Pictures, Seeing Words”
In Class
Lecture/Discussion: Arrangement, Invention, and Revision
Small Groups: Brainstorm
Week 14
Monday 18 November
Assignments Due
Today
Lab Day
In Class
11
Wednesday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Friday
Assignments Due
Today
In Class
Draft of Multimodal Project Due
Peer Review
MULTIMODAL PROJECTS ARE DUE
Online Reading:
 “Assembling a Writing Portfolio”
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/everyday_writer3e/addresources/1.html
“What is Reflective Writing?”
http://www2.smumn.edu/deptpages/tcwritingcenter/forms_of_writing/reflect_essay.php
Assign: Portfolio
Lecture: Writing for Assessment and Revision
Week 15
Monday 25 November THANKSGIVING: No Class
Week 16
Monday 2 December Last Day of Classes is Wednesday, December 4
Draft of Response Essay or Analysis Essay
Assignments Due
Today
Peer Review
In Class
Wednesday
Writing: Drafts of Reflection Essays Due
Assignments Due
Today
Peer Review
In Class
Details about Finals, Grades, and Extra Credit
Week of December 9
PORTFOLIOS DUE by 3:00 p.m. LATE PORTFOLIOS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. NO EXCEPTIONS.