Critcal Thinking and Open-Mindedness

Here are the two short videos I've shown in class about critical thinking and open-mindedness. I found these through the site Metafilter.com.

The Future of Literacy -- DeVoss

To access this essay go to the UCF libraries website. Search for the book Literate Lives in the Information Age. When you find the listing, click on the ebook option. You should be taken to another screen where you can read the full text of the book. The only part you need to read is Chapter 7, which is titled The Future of Literacy.
Your response for this essay will be due on Friday.

Questions? Problems? Ask here.

A "Noteworthy" Periodical

The assignment for 5pm Friday is to respond to this post with a link to an argument from a "noteworthy" periodical.

Literacy Articles

Respond to this post with your first assignment. Remember to include a link to the article, a brief summary and an explanation of why you found this article relevant.

Don't forget to identify yourself. For example, if I'm in section 2 I'd sign my post KarenB2 or something like that.

Deborah Brandt "Sponsors of Literacy"

You can read the Deborah Brandt article here.

ENC 1102 Syllabus

ENC 1102—Composition II

Instructor: Karen Best

Office: CNH 305D

Office Hours: MW 1-2:30 and by appointment

kdbest@mail.ucf.edu

321-442-0484

http://professorkdbest.blogspot.com/

Course Objectives

•         Study writing as situated, motivated discourse.

•         Study rhetoric as a theory of writing and a way of knowing and persuading.

•         Study the conversational and knowledge-creating nature of researched writing.

•         Study how we read and the conversational, contributive nature of reading.

•         Practice locating and evaluating documentary and human sources.

•         Practice identifying available choices in writing and editing and making the strongest choice.

Course Description

This is a researched-based class about literacy, language, and writing.  The focus of the course is to first read and understand how academic arguments are created.  Then, you will conduct research and write research-based arguments for academic readers in given discourses. Finally, you will present your work to your peers.

Texts

            Everyday Writer: Andrea Lunsford

Everything’s An Argument 5^th edition: Andrea Lunsford

Your own writing may be used as supplemental texts, so be prepared to provide photocopies for your review groups.

Gordon Rule

This class is subject to the Gordon Rule, requiring students to write a minimum of 6000 words of evaluated writing.  Assignments fulfilling this rule have the following characteristics: 

1. The writing will have a clearly defined central idea or thesis.

2. It will provide adequate support for that idea.

3. It will be organized clearly and logically.

4. It will show awareness of the conventions of standard written English.

5. It will be presented in an appropriate format.

Late Work

Late work will not be accepted. If you miss an in-class exercise or assignment due to an absence, you cannot make up that work at a later date. I expect assignments to be turned in to me in class, in proper hardcopy format, on the date due. If you know in advance you must miss a class period during which I will be collecting an assignment, make arrangements to get your work to me early. Yes, five minutes after class has ended means your paper is late.

Participation

            Your participation grade is based on the following criteria:

•         Attendance

•         Preparation for and participation in class discussion and activities

•         Thoughtful participation in workshops and out of class peer review

•         Completion of the required minimum number of drafts of all major assignments.

•         Serious revision between drafts.  The extent to which you revise pieces will vary, but “revision” is not copy-editing; it is substantive change in a piece in response to my or other readers’ feedback.

Absences will affect your participation grade. After three absences, you should become extremely concerned about your participation grade: four absences will lower your engagement grade to a D, five absences will lower it to an F.

Email and Phone Policy

You may expect a response on email within 48 hours, with the exception of Saturdays and Sundays. I will not accept assignments via email. Similarly, please be courteous when considering the timing of your phone calls and keep them to within business hours whenever possible. If you do not receive a response on an email within 48 hours, please follow up by phone to insure that your message has been delivered.

Electronic Devices

            Use of electronic devices including cell phones, laptops and music players is not permitted in this class. Laptops that are brought into the classroom as note-taking aids far too often become distractions and a means of surfing the internet in class. Do not bring laptops to class.   

Grading

Your final grade will consist of the following components:

Critical analysis	20
Research and inquiry	20
Research Log	15
Annotated Bibliography	10
Reflective Response to Research	10
Final Researched Argument	20
Presentation	15
Participation	50
Reading Notebook	40
Final Portfolio	100
Total possible points	300

Grading

This class uses the following plus/minus grading system:

A: 93-100 A-: 90-92 B+: 87-89 B: 83-86 B-: 80-82

C+: 77-79 C: 73-76 C-: 70-72 NC/F: 69-0

Formatting

            All assignments must be typed in 12-point Times New Roman font and double-spaced with 1” margins all around. Include your name, course number with section and email address in the upper left corner of the page. Use numbered pages on all assignments of two pages or longer. No double-sided papers. Multiple pages must be stapled or in a Manila envelope. Please to not hand in a paper of several loose pages. If your paper does not follow proper formatting, you will lose a full letter grade. I will not accept any assignments via email, electronic file or any means other than printed upon paper.

Academic Dishonesty/Cheating

The following is the official stance on academic dishonesty at UCF. It is taken from the UCF Golden Rule website: http://www.goldenrule.sdes.ucf.edu/2e_Rules.html

1. Cheating is a violation of student academic behavior standards. The common forms of cheating include:
1. Unauthorized assistance: communication to another through written, visual, electronic, or oral means. The presentation of material which has not been studied or learned, but rather was obtained solely through someone else’s efforts and used as part of an examination, course assignment or project. The unauthorized possession or use of examination or course related material may also constitute cheating.
2. Commercial Use of Academic Material: Selling notes, handouts, etc. without authorization or using them for any commercial purpose without the express written permission of the University and the Instructor is a violation of this rule.
3. Plagiarism: whereby another’s work is used or appropriated without any indication of the source, thereby attempting to convey the impression that such work is the student’s own.
4. Any student who knowingly helps another violate academic behavior standards is also in violation of the standards.

Disability Statement

The University of Central Florida is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities.  Students with disabilities who need accommodations must be registered with Student Disability Services (SDS), Ferrell Commons Room 132, phone (407) 823-2371, TTY/TDD only phone (407) 823-2116, before requesting accommodations from the professor. Students who are registered with SDS and need accommodations in this course must contact the professor at the beginning of the semester to discuss needed accommodations.  No accommodations will be provided until the student has met with the professor to request accommodations and provided a professor letter from SDS. This syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request. 

This syllabus is subject to change at any time.

You are responsible for all information contained here.

Week	Objective	Discuss	Assignments Due
Jan. 10-14	Why Writing Matters Course Intro Begin Discussion about students experiences on how they learned to read and write Introduce Class blog.	Pgs 987-1007 in EEA Malcolm X, “Learning to Read”	Students find and post link on class blog on any article on literacy.  Write a brief summary and then address why the article seems relevant
Jan 19-21 Note: MLK Holiday Jan 17th—No Class	What is a Rhetorical Argument?  What purpose does it serve?  Where do we find them? Introduce claims, counter arguments Introduce types of argumentation Introduce the difference between summary, analysis, and synthesis Handout Critical Analysis Handout	Chapter 1 in Everything’s An Argument Deborah Brandt. “Sponsors of Literacy” Discuss different student findings on class blog.	Write a brief analysis responding to Brandt’s claims.  Students find an article from a “noteworthy” periodical and post on class blog.
Jan. 24-28	What are an Argument’s Implications Introduce rhetorical appeals How do advertisements help us understand given appeals?	Chapter 6 in EAA Lutz. “Weasel Words” Allport. “Language of Prejudice Discuss student findings.  What articles are the most appealing and why?	Identify and write about the warrants in Lutz and Allport’s essays.
Jan 31-Feb 4	The Rhetorical Situation Matters Recognizing ethos, logos, and pathos	Chapter 5 in EAA Danielle DeVoss. “The Future of Literacy.”	Write a response that addresses where DeVoss uses ethos, pathos, and logos.  Which of these rhetorical strategies is the most effective in her argument?
Feb. 7-11	Peer Review	Bring a draft of Critical Analysis to Class	Critical Analysis Due Feb 11
Feb. 14-18	What is Research? What is primary and secondary research Conduct in class interviews Preparing Surveys	Assign and discuss Reading Notebook Assign and Discuss Research and Inquiry Assignment How can we use articles to brainstorm join or enter a conversation?	Write a reflection of the in class interview process.
Feb. 21-25	Evaluating Sources How do we search library data bases Scholarly articles versus Google versus Wikipedia	Chapter 16 in EAA Nicholas Carr. “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”	Write a brief summary of why your issue is important and why others would care Bring interview or survey questions to class
Feb 28-Mar 4	Conference with Unit Two (to see if students have a viable research problem and determine if have a focus.   Bring a draft of Research and Inquiry to Conference		Research and Inquiry Due
Mar. 7-11	Spring Break
Mar. 14-18	Writing An Annotated Bibliography MLA format	Review how to evaluate sources Bring Reading Notebook and analyze in class two citations	Reading Notebook Due Mar 18
Mar. 21-25	Why Do Students Cheat?   Review paraphrasing summarizing, quoting	Chapter 18 in EAA	Students find their own article on plagiarism and then create their own definition.  Use correct in text citations when writing this response
Mar. 28-Apr 1	Structuring An Argument Thesis Workshop Do your claims connect to your thesis? Are the claims relevant to the audience?	Chapters 7-11 in EAA In class “mini” debates to defend claims and test your position and the structure of the argument	Write a brief response identifying which type of structure seems best suited for your issue and audience
Apr. 4-8	Workshop on Annotated Bib Peer Review	Bring draft of final research essay to class	Bring a draft of Annotated Bib to class Annotated Bibliography Due Apr 8
Apr. 11-15	Presenting your research	Presentations	Research Reflection Due Apr 11
Apr. 18-22		Presentations continued	Final Research Article Due Apr 18
Apr 25-29	Finals Week		Final Portfolio Due

Spring 2011 Composition II Classes

Welcome students. We'll be using this blog as a gathering place for course information and research accumulation. When posting, please be sure to identify yourself by your first name, last initial and section number so that you can receive credit for posting while protecting your private information. Best regards and hope to hear from you soon.