English 0802: Analytical Reading and Writing

Section 715, Summer 2025

 

Instructor: Tara Kennette; she/they

Office hours: Wednesdays; 6:00PM-9:00PM; email me to set up a zoom appointment; my schedule is relatively flexible and if you need to meet outside of my scheduled office hours we can find another time that works

Email: tuk96834@temple.edu; Email is the best way to reach me. I will aim to respond within 24 hours of your email Monday through Friday. If you write over the weekend, I will get back to you on Monday.

Class Meetings: Online; Asynchronous

 

Course Description

Welcome to English 802! This course will introduce you to the challenges and pleasures of college-level reading and writing. Once you have completed English 802 with a C- or better, you will have completed one of the required foundational courses in the General Education program. These are our course goals and objectives:

 

• identify key arguments in published texts and the writing of your peers;
• create and defend arguments of your own through effective rhetorical strategies and synthesis of others’ ideas;
• use the conventions of academic discourse, including
  • coherent and logical organization
  • Standard English grammar and syntax
  • correct citation and evaluation of research sources;
• revise your writing through multiple drafts and reflect on your own writing process.

 

Course Theme

The theme of this class is public space and the public sphere, and many of our readings apply this theme within the context of higher education. We do not presume that you are experts on these topics, and we have chosen them because they are somewhat familiar and yet they are also academically complex. They are also interdisciplinary topics, and students from all majors should be able to find connections between their interests and the work of this course. In fact, we strongly encourage you to use your own perspectives and interests to develop research topics.

 

In this class, there are no right or wrong answers or opinions in most cases. As we will discuss, academic discourse involves weighing evidence and presenting a strong, well-argued position, and you will get lots of practice doing so in English 802. When you complete this course, you will have strengthened your critical thinking, reading and writing skills and will have established a set of good practices and habits that should be useful throughout your college career and beyond.

 

Required Course Materials and Technology Specifications

You will not need to purchase books for this course, and we will not require any fees or other expenses. All readings and videos will be posted on Canvas through the Charles Library course reserves.

 

Using Canvas and your Temple email are required for this course. Please familiarize yourself with our Canvas course site so that you understand where and when readings are posted. Please note that readings will often be available if you want to read ahead, but if you read ahead, you won’t have the benefit of getting more context or trigger warnings in advance. Please check the technology specifications for using Canvas from computers and networks off campus. You will be submitting work online through Canvas for this course, and you must have regular access to Microsoft Word which you can download for free through TU Portal (Microsoft Office 365) or use in any Temple computer lab. If you use Google Docs, you will need to learn how to convert your document into Word in order to submit your papers (it’s easy!). Feel free to consult Temple’s Information Technology Services for support: https://its.temple.edu/. Limited resources may be available for students who do not have the technology they need for class. Check the Dean of Students Support and Resources webpage for details.

 

Course Mode and Expected Student Workload

This course has no regularly scheduled meetings. Our course is online and asynchronous. Class activities, discussion of readings, and review, planning, and writing of the major papers will happen via Canvas. Students in all sections of English 802 regardless of course mode should expect to spend a minimum of 8-10 hours a week on this course including class time.

 

Course Requirements

1. Be present and engaged in our online course.

Being present and engaged in this course is vital to your development as a college-level writer and thinker. Our course consists of several modules that require you to complete assigned readings, watch video lectures, and submit written assignments. If you fall behind on two modules’ worth of material, I will contact you via email. If you continue to fall behind on coursework you risk failing the class.

 

 

2. Read and annotate our assigned readings

Every paper you write in this class derives in part from our assigned readings and the discussions we have about them. When you read, take notes in the margins and/or keep a list of thoughts and questions to bring up in discussion forums or written assignments. Sometimes, you may need to read a paragraph or a section more than once before it makes sense, and this is completely normal when reading dense academic publications or other types of long readings. I recommend that you talk to friends and family about our readings, too. I dislike giving reading quizzes, but I will do so as needed if it seems that too many of us are reading too quickly or aren’t thinking carefully about the readings. Also, interacting with others respectfully is important, and a full policy on how to interact in class and on Canvas is included below. 

 

3. Complete all coursework assigned on Canvas.

Outside of our major papers, coursework consists of small assignments and activities that we do on Canvas, and may include writing, quizzes, and Canvas discussion posts or journal entries. This coursework is essential for learning, and it will be graded as Complete (full credit) or Incomplete (no credit). Together, these activities will be worth 20% of your final grade. In general, I will give you a grade of Complete if you’ve met the basic requirements outlined by the assignment, and if you do not follow directions or submit your work on time, you will get a grade of Incomplete. A full policy about late coursework is included below.

 

4. Write and revise four substantial papers through multiple drafts.

You will write four papers and submit them to me for feedback and guidance. Then, you will revise these drafts into final versions due in a final portfolio at the end of the semester. I will give you feedback for Papers 1, 2 and 3, and this feedback will be formative and intended to help you revise. You will not receive a binding grade on these drafts because I want you to revise them as many times as possible before the final portfolio.

 

My feedback will also give you an idea of where your grade might stand on a draft if it were submitted in the final portfolio as is and without any revision, and it will give you a baseline of your progress. It is relatively normal for students to receive feedback that indicates a draft is not yet passing in its current condition, and I do not want you to be discouraged by this. It simply means you have work to do, and because draft grades are not binding, there is no penalty for having a draft that is not yet passing. If you ever feel discouraged, talk to me, and I can help you plan for revision and feel hopeful about making improvement in your writing.

 

I give feedback on each draft only once if it is submitted on time, but we can talk about your drafts and revisions as many times as you wish if you bring them to me to discuss during conferences and office hours. Keep in mind that you may also bring your papers to the Writing Center at any stage in the writing process, and I encourage everyone to visit the Writing Center on a regular basis for this and other classes. More information about this is included below.

 

5. Meet with me for individual conferences outside of class.

We will meet for conferences on Zoom to discuss your progress, and I will offer you an optional conference at the end of the semester in case you need it. Dates, times, and modes for our conferences will be mutually arranged. I will let you know what you need to prepare for each conference, and if you arrive without it, I reserve the right to cancel our conference. If I can reschedule a missed conference, I will, but this is not guaranteed.

 

8. Reflect on your writing process and your progress towards our course goals.

Evidence shows that self-reflection enhances learning and improves outcomes, and I will assign many opportunities for you to reflect on your work in this course. Short reflections will also be used in Paper 4 and will be important in our assessment of your final portfolio.

 

9. Submit a well-revised final portfolio at the end of the semester.

Your final portfolio will consist of four papers that you have revised multiple times. The grade on your final portfolio (60%) and the grade on the quality of your revisions (10%) are the majority of your final grade in the course. A rubric for final portfolios is included below, as is a detailed explanation of my grading process.

 

When you revise, you should do so as thoroughly as possible, which means addressing the issues noted in my feedback on your drafts and going above and beyond to address all of the ideas and suggestions that we discuss throughout the semester. For instance, our class readings serve as models of good writing to emulate and use as inspiration. Your coursework and class activities, and my mini-lectures and explanations will give you ideas and plenty of practice for successful college writing. Individual conferences and peer review workshops will allow you to reflect on your progress and grow as a reader, writer and thinker. Final portfolios in which revisions only “fix” simple errors or address only things mentioned in my feedback are unlikely to result in grades of A or B for revision in your final grade, and a lack of serious revision will prevent final portfolio grades from being in the A range altogether.

 

How To Succeed in This Course

Be respectful when interacting with others in class and on Canvas.

Some of our readings include ideas that you might find controversial or uncomfortable. In college, students are meant to build critical thinking skills in a variety of contexts, and we want you to feel appropriately challenged and inspired by our course materials. We recommend that you use our Canvas site as a space where we can collaborate to examine ideas and arguments for mutual learning. As such, we all have a responsibility to try to make others feel comfortable learning, participating, and asking questions. Here are some ground rules for respectful interaction with me and your classmates:

 

• Everyone may have an opinion, but everyone must recognize that an opinion is not a fact.
• Everyone may write or say something that “comes out wrong.” If you do so, simply admit that what you said or wrote wasn’t quite what you meant and try again.
• Everyone may change their mind (including me!).
• Everyone has the responsibility to challenge others or disagree in a respectful, polite way:
• “I respectfully disagree....”
• “I hear you, but you might not have considered every perspective….”
• “In my experience, that hasn’t been true….”
• “Can you share your evidence to support that?”
• Everyone must accept that their opinion may be challenged without getting defensive or upset (this can be hard!). When someone challenges your opinion, take a deep breath and consider what the other person is saying carefully before you respond.

 

Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University’s nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. We are all here to learn and work with others, and any activity that runs contrary to the spirit of learning and collaboration will not be tolerated. I am here to help foster a respectful and accountable space, and if a student seems not to participate in this space as described above, I will speak with them about it. However, explicitly hostile or hateful language, discrimination or abuse will not be tolerated.

 

Netiquette

Whenever we are engaged in online work through Canvas, we must be as appropriate and collaborative as we are in person. The term “netiquette” refers to standards of behavior appropriate for an online learning environment. The netiquette policy for this course is adapted from these core rules:

 

• Remember the Human: When you aren’t face-to-face it can be easy to forget that you are communicating with a person who has feelings and emotions just like any other person. Please show respect for your instructor and for your classmates by being courteous in all written communication. Avoid sarcasm, which can be difficult to interpret in cyberspace.
• NO YELLING, PLEASE: Using all capitals letter is often considered yelling online.
• Read First, then Submit: Make sure you take time to carefully read instructions before beginning an assignment. Similarly, please read what you typed before submitting an assignment to check for grammar, typos, and other errors. Reading aloud before submitting is highly recommended.
• Find Answers: Before asking a question, read the syllabus, check Canvas, and conduct an Internet search to see if the answer is easy to find. If these do not provide you with an answer, do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Consult with me during office hours and practice good time management.

I welcome you to visit me during office hours as listed on the first page of the syllabus. You can come see me for many reasons, including to say hello, to talk about one or more of your papers, and to discuss readings or ideas that have come up in class. Or, if you are struggling in the course and need help setting voluntary deadlines or figuring out how to approach an assignment, I encourage you to talk to me and see if I can help. If you are unavailable during my office hours, email me and we’ll try to find another time.

 

You may find that one of the biggest challenges in college is keeping track of your assignments and budgeting your time. I strongly recommend using a non-Canvas calendar, whether paper or digital, to keep track of due dates and course requirements. The calendar built into Canvas may seem helpful at first, but do not rely on it! Many students have made the error of assuming that the Canvas calendar is comprehensive only to find that they’ve missed an assignment or fallen behind in a course. Don’t make this mistake—trust me and use a secondary calendar.

 

Take advantage of campus resources.

Did you know Temple’s Student Success Center (SSC) offers tutoring for writers at the Writing Center? Writing Center tutors can help you understand and get started on your assignments, and they can also provide you with engaged, kind, and critical feedback on drafts of your work. The tutors are graduate and undergraduate students who are successful writers and experienced readers; all tutors have completed training in effective methods of coaching writers. Tutoring is free of charge and available by same-day session or pre-scheduled appointment. More information about the Writing Center, as well as other resources offered by the SSC by clicking the links above, by calling 215-204-0702, or visiting our “Front Desk” Zoom room via the Meeting ID at 929-916-654. You can also get help (even through live chat) with your research from the Charles Library.

 

Also, it is common for your first year at a new school to be stressful, and I want you to know you’re not alone and there are resources here at the university, such as Tuttleman Counseling Services and the Dean of Students. The Dean of Students offers a wide range of support for students who do not have enough food, who struggle with access to secure housing, who need emergency student aid, who are dealing with sexual assault, and who have similar problems and are unsure where to turn. Further, the Dean of Students provides specific forms of outreach and support for LGBTQIA students, international students, and veterans, among others. I strongly encourage you to seek out help from the Dean of Students when needed, and if you’re having trouble connecting to the proper resources, let me know and I’ll do my best to help by filing a CARE TEAM report or asking the team in First Year Writing for assistance.

 

Late Policies

Weekly Coursework and Peer Review Workshops

Weekly coursework deadlines are firm because we sometimes use it as the basis for future discussions and activities. Also, weekly coursework is intended to build skills and habits over time. I will do my best to make deadlines clear on Canvas and to post announcements and other reminders on a regular basis. But ultimately, you are responsible for checking Canvas often and keeping track of weekly coursework.

Drafts Submitted During the Semester for My Feedback

Drafts of your papers must be submitted on time. If an extreme situation or sudden crisis arises that prevents you from submitting a draft for feedback on time, you may ask me for a one-week extension and I will say yes, no questions asked. However, your final portfolio must contain revisions of papers I have seen in draft form during the semester, and if you have not submitted a draft on time or within one week (using the extension), your final portfolio will receive a failing grade and you will have to repeat English 802, even if your other work is of passing quality or was marked complete.

 

I know this sounds harsh, but the reason for this strict policy is that I must see your drafts in a timely manner so that I can encourage continual improvement. Much like faculty in a math course, writing faculty need to see how you get from point A to point B to be sure you understand the process of writing that we are teaching in this course. The only possible exception to this late policy for drafts would be if you have a situation so significant that the Dean of Students or the CARE Team have reached out to me to ask for extra time or if you have already alerted me to a DRS accommodation that requires me to give you longer than one week extension; in these cases, we will work out arrangements and you will still be subject to the above policy using the newly agreed-upon revised due dates.

 

Also, if you decide to re-write a paper from scratch after I have seen a version of it and given you feedback, you must submit the new draft to me before it goes into your final portfolio. If you do not, your portfolio will violate the above policy for having one or more papers I have not seen in draft form during the semester. If you are ever in doubt that you are working on a draft that is fundamentally “new” and unlike the one I gave feedback on, contact me to discuss. The purpose of this is to prevent plagiarism and to ensure, as stated above, that I can see your progress with a draft over time. If a paper appears to be wholly new and does not show how you got from point A to point B, the portfolio cannot be passing even if the quality of the new paper is satisfactory or above. I will not necessarily give you written feedback if you produce a wholly new draft, nor will we need to meet or discuss it unless I see a problem with what you’ve done. But I will be glad to support you starting fresh or improving a draft so much that it is unrecognizable from a first draft as long as you keep me in the loop and show me what you’re doing before the final portfolio is due.

The Final Portfolio

The final portfolio due date is listed on the schedule. But after the due date, I cannot accept final portfolios and you will be given a failing grade for the course. The reason for this policy is that I need time to read final portfolios, to discuss final portfolios with other faculty in First Year Writing, and to calculate and enter final grades in TU Portal.

 

Occasionally, a student who had been making good progress has a true medical emergency at the very end of the semester that would make it impossible to complete a final portfolio on time. In cases like these, contact me to discuss an Incomplete, which is an arrangement that requires formal documentation of the emergency and approval of the Dean and other university officials. To qualify for an Incomplete, you must be in good standing in the course and have submitted drafts of Papers 1, 2, and 3 (that is, you must have completed the equivalent of more than 50% of the coursework and must be able to complete the remaining revisions on your own without guidance). If you believe you qualify for an Incomplete, you must speak to me about it before the last day of classes so that I can send you the paperwork and start the process of getting formal approval. Again, an Incomplete is not a casual arrangement and it does not apply in situations that are not true emergencies. It is not possible to arrange an Incomplete after the semester is over. For more information, see the full policy in the Undergraduate Bulletin.

Calculating Your Final Grade

Most of your final grade is determined by your final portfolio, worth 60%. The initial drafts of your papers are worth 15%, and weekly coursework is worth 25%.

 

Your final portfolio will include fully revised versions of each paper along with one or more of your previous drafts to show your progress and document how you got from the first to the final draft. What I expect to see in your final portfolio is that your writing has improved over time and that you have met our course goals and objectives. To complete this course and get ARW credit in GenEd, you must receive a final grade of C- or above; a grade of D+ or below will require you to repeat the course.

 

Final portfolios are graded by committees of faculty from First Year Writing called Teaching Circles. We use a standard rubric (included below) to ensure that portfolios are read by more than one person and that grades across multiple sections are fair and consistent. That is, this system ensures that a C in one section of English 802 is equivalent to a C in another section of English 802, and all students can be assured that their work has been reviewed fairly and free from intentional bias. All faculty in First Year Writing participate in Teaching Circles, and this system of grading has been used successfully for decades at TU and in many other writing programs around the world.  

 

You may occasionally feel frustrated with our grading system because unlike other courses where you can check Canvas and receive an immediate projected final grade, you will not receive a binding grade on your biggest assignments until the final portfolio is submitted. But try to remember that our system works to your advantage. You are the one who ultimately decides your grade through completing (or not completing) weekly coursework, participating (or not participating) in peer review, and revising (or not revising) your papers for the final portfolio. Your final portfolio is being graded not on where you began the semester but on the cumulative result of your work since the first day of class. If you think about it, giving early binding grades would be quite unfair in a course designed to see progress over time. There is some other good news, too: you may encounter a similar style of grading later in your coursework, such as in advanced major-specific Writing Intensive courses or senior capstone courses, and if so, we hope you’ll think back to all you learned in English 802. If you are ever feeling completely unsure of where your grade might be heading or how you’re doing in the course, please check in with me at conferences, at office hours or by appointment. I am always happy to talk about your papers on Zoom, and I never want you to feel like your entire grade is up in the air or uncertain.

 

Course grading scheme:

 

A 93-100% A- 90-92% B+ 87-89% B 83-86% B- 80-82% C+ 77-79%

C 73-76% C- 70-72% D+ 67-69% D 63-66% D- 60-62% F 0-59%

 

University Policies

Policy on Recording Class Meetings or Conferences

This course will not meet on Zoom unless mandated by the university, which is highly unlikely. But we may meet on Zoom for conferences, and this is the official policy from the university that is applicable to conferences, which are official class business and similar to a class meeting: “recordings of class meetings will be allowed at [faculty] discretion [and particularly if a student in the class has an accommodation requiring such recordings]. Any recordings permitted in this class can only be used for the student’s personal educational use. Students are not permitted to copy, publish, or redistribute audio or video recordings of any portion of the class session to individuals who are not students in the course or academic program without the express permission of the faculty member and of any students who are recorded. Distribution without permission may be a violation of educational privacy law, known as FERPA as well as certain copyright laws. Any recordings made by the instructor or university of this course are the property of Temple University.”

Disability Accommodations Policy

Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact Disability Resources and Services at 215- 204-1280 or in 100 Ritter Annex to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.

 

If you are not sure whether or not you qualify for accommodations, go to DRS to get more information. DRS understands that some students may not arrive at Temple University with documentation for their accommodations, and they will work with you to figure out how best to proceed. It is up to you whether you want to send me your accommodations, but keep in mind that accommodations cannot be applied retroactively. It is highly advisable to reach out to me about your accommodation so that we can discuss it. Students should seek out assistance from DRS.

Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities Policy

Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. Please read the university’s policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy #03.70.02).

Policy on Academic Honesty

To protect yourself from engaging in academic misconduct, please read Temple University Statement on Academic Honesty for Students in Undergraduate Courses.

 

In general, all sources of information that you use in your papers must be identified as clearly, accurately, and thoroughly as possible. Plagiarism occurs when sources are used but not acknowledged and appear to be presented as your own original ideas. Of course, we do not want to discourage you from using other people’s ideas or data. Our aim is exactly the opposite – academic writing often involves a conversation with other writers. But you must always make clear your sources and you must always be sure that the work you submit is your own. Academic cheating, in general terms, is the breaking of the general rules of academic work and/or the specific rules of individual courses. It includes falsifying data or sources; submitting work in one course that was done for another course without the instructor's approval; having someone else complete your papers or any of your course work for you; or actually doing another person’s work.

 

If you plagiarize on a draft of a paper submitted before the final portfolio, I will give you one very serious warning and you will have a chance to revise the paper right away so that I can re-read it and see that you’ve corrected the errors. But if you plagiarize a second time or if plagiarism is found in your final portfolio, you will fail the course and will be reported to the University for academic misconduct. This policy is not negotiable. If you are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism, ask BEFORE you hand in the work. It will be too late afterwards.

Acceptable and Unacceptable Use of Generative AI Tools in This Course

Generative AI such as ChatGPT are exciting new tools that you may find useful in this class. As such, I have not banned them outright, and we may even use them occasionally in class activities. But AI cannot replace real human thinking and writing, and you should never use AI generated writing in place of your own work. Even in its most updated forms, AI has been known to reproduce biases, generate fake research sources, provide ideas within incorrect contexts, and spread disinformation and other harmful ideas. Human writing is the purpose of English 802, and we expect to see your genuine, human writing throughout the semester and in your final portfolios.

Generative AI tools are permitted in this course for the following activities:

• brainstorming and refining your ideas;
• coming up with a variety of prompts for library research;
• drafting outlines;
• suggesting alternate perspectives or adjacent ideas;
• organizing your thoughts.

If you use AI in any form, you must acknowledge having done so in writing on anything you submit for this course. This site gives directions for citing AI in your papers, and if you use it for weekly coursework or other assignments, you must include a note at the end explaining how you used AI and why it was useful. Also, you are responsible for the information you submit based on an AI query (for instance, that it does not violate intellectual property laws or contain misinformation or unethical content).

Generative AI tools are not permitted in this course for the following activities:

• To complete assignments or other writing that requires self-reflection or personal experience.
• To generate full sentences or paragraphs that you incorporate into your own writing without acknowledgement.
• To do group work unless I have specifically directed you to do so.
• To peer review a classmate’s draft.
• To generate full drafts or revisions (even if the revision is on your own, original draft).

If you are found to have used AI without acknowledgement on a small assignment, the penalty will range from an Incomplete on the assignment to an F for the course depending on the severity of the situation. If you are found to have used AI without acknowledgement on a draft submitted for peer review or my feedback, you will have one week to revise and resubmit or you will receive an F for the course. If you are found to have used AI without acknowledgement in your final portfolio, the penalty will be an F for the course.

 

 

 

 

Course Schedule

 

Unit One: Inclusivity in public space

This unit focuses on three articles about inclusivity and diversity in public space. By public space, we mean the spaces in which we all go when we are not in our own private homes: streets, schools, stores, public bathrooms, workplaces. By reading these articles closely and discussing them in class, we will find intersections between these authors’ ideas and generate questions about who belongs in public spaces and how we might make public spaces equitably available to all people.

 

Due 5/19

Online Introductions (discussion board)

Complete syllabus overview assignment

View Burke’s TED Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD_SLJG7oi8

Submit Burke TED Talk Reading Response

 

Due 5/21

Read Gay, “Some Thoughts on Mercy” https://www.thesunmagazine.org/issues/451/some-thoughts-on-mercy

Review the assignment for Paper #1

Complete Paper #1 Questionnaire

Submit Gay “Some Thoughts on Mercy” Reading Response

 

Due 5/26

Read Logan, “Street Harassment: Current and Promising Avenues for Researchers and Activists”

Online discussion on the reading 

 

Due 5/28

Brainstorm and post ideas for Paper 1 in Canvas assignment

 

Unit Two: Surveillance in public space and in the public sphere

This unit focuses on the use of surveillance in public space and in the public sphere. We will read a foundational article in surveillance studies (Foucault’s “Panopticism,” which you are likely to encounter again at Temple no matter what your major) and then we will read several articles about various forms of surveillance that we may have encountered. Think about questions such as: How much surveillance of our daily lives is acceptable? Does surveillance improve or detract from our personal safety? How can an average person resist or avoid surveillance if they wish to do so? How are institutions creating cultures of surveillance, such as those in schools and workplaces? How does a culture of freedom coexist with a culture of surveillance?

 

Due 6/2

Sign up for a Conference for next week

Read Foucault, “Panopticism”

Submit Foucault Reading Response

Review assignment for Paper #2

Submit Paper #2 Questionnaire

 

Due 6/4

Submit a revised Paper #1 to Canvas Assignments for instructor feedback

Submit self-reflective journal response

Read Gray, “Urban Surveillance and Panopticism: Will We Recognize the Facial Recognition Society” https://ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/surveillance-and-society/article/view/3343

Read Gans & Mann, “When the Camera Lies: Our Surveillance Society Needs a Dose of Integrity to be Reliable” https://theconversation.com/when-the-camera-lies-our-surveillance-society-needs-a-dose-of-integrity-to-be-reliable-35933

Discussion on readings

 

Due 6/9

Meet in conferences to discuss Paper 1 feedback and your plan for Paper 2

Complete the first library module

Read Watters, “Pearson, PARCC, Privacy, Surveillance & Trust” http://hackeducation.com/2015/03/17/pearson-spy

Read Mann, “What’s Your Emergency?: White Women and the Policing of Public Space”

Submit Reading Response

 

Due 6/11

Brainstorm and submit topics for Paper #2 and start searching for articles in your topic for Paper #2

 

Unit Three: The public sphere and social change

This unit focuses on the public sphere and social change. As you read and prepare for class, think about what you know about social change. How does it happen, and how often is it related to things we consume and engage in the public sphere, such as music, art, and other forms of media? Think about how often you see viewpoints other than your own or if you live in a “filter bubble?” Where do you get your news and information about the world? What do you make of the phrase “cancel culture,” and why do you think it is popular right now? How much do you think the public sphere of the internet is a useful place to create social change? Do you encounter internet activism, and if so, how much do you participate in it? What forms of internet posting draws your attention or repels you away? What kinds of art or music are popular in the contemporary public sphere, and how much of it focuses on social issues or social change?

 

Due 6/16

Watch TED Talks to introduce Unit 3:

Eli Pariser “Beware Online ‘Filter Bubbles’” https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles?language=en  

Kaphar, “Can Art Amend History?” https://www.ted.com/talks/titus_kaphar_can_art_amend_history?language=en#t-21760

Review Paper #3 Assignment

Submit Paper #3 Questionnaire

 

Due 6/18

Submit a revised Paper #2 to Canvas for instructor feedback

                Submit self-reflective journal response

Read Bishop, “Americans Have Lost Faith in Institutions. That’s Not Because of Trump or ‘Fake News’” https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/03/03/americans-have-lost-faith-in-institutions-thats-not-because-of-trump-or-fake-news/

Read Mitchell , Jurkowitz, Oliphant & Shearer, “Americans Who Mainly Get Their News on Social Media are Less Engaged, Less Knowledgeable” https://www.journalism.org/2020/07/30/americans-who-mainly-get-their-news-on-social-media-are-less-engaged-less-knowledgeable/

Read Grygiel, “Political Cartoonists Are out of Touch—It’s Time to Make Way for Memes” https://theconversation.com/political-cartoonists-are-out-of-touch-its-time-to-make-way-for-memes-116471 

Discuss readings

 

Due 6/23

Read Simmons, “Race and Racialized Experiences in Childish Gambino’s ‘This is America’” (in Course Reserves)

Read Alexandra “Artists Fight Coronavirus-Related Racism on Instagram.” www.kqed.org/arts/13877013/artists-fight-coronavirus-related-racism-on-instagram

Read Rowland & Ingraham, “How Google Street View Became Fertile Ground for Artists” https://theconversation.com/how-google-street-view-became-fertile-ground-for-artists-77845

Submit reading response

Submit potential paper topics for Paper 3

 

Due 6/25

Complete second library online module

Submit Research Proposal for Paper #3

 

Week 7

Due 6/30

Submit draft of Paper #3 to Canvas for instructor feedback

Submit self-reflective journal response

 

 

Due 7/1

Review the process for completing and uploading your final portfolio;

Work on reflective Paper #4

Complete SFFs

 

Due Thursday, 7/3: Final portfolios due on Canvas

 

There is no final exam for this course. Once you submit the final portfolio, you have completed your work for English 0802. I will grade your final portfolio and calculate your final grade off Canvas, and then I will enter final grades on Banner before the end of the grading period.

 

Please note that I do not upload comments on final portfolios because you’ll have already gotten plenty of feedback from me throughout the semester, and usually students can anticipate their final portfolio grade on their own. But if you want some brief feedback on your final portfolio or if you have any questions about your final grade, you may contact me via email. I will do my best to respond to you in a timely manner.

 

 

English 802 Portfolio Grading Criteria

 

A-range portfolios:

• The writer demonstrates facility in making nuanced, original, and well-researched arguments addressed to the course theme.
• The writer accurately represents others’ ideas and constructs subtle and complex arguments in relation to others’ ideas in all three papers.
• The writer demonstrates full awareness of academic audience in all three papers, the papers are well-organized and the research is well-integrated.
• There are virtually no errors in syntax, grammar, mechanics, usage, style, and documentation.
• The portfolio demonstrates that the writer has improved over the course of the semester, and it is clear that the writer worked hard to revise and edit their papers. The writer is reflective about their progress and demonstrates an excellent understanding of their own writing process and development as a writer.

 

B-range portfolios:

• The writer demonstrates facility in making thoughtful and well-researched arguments addressed to the course theme.
• The writer accurately represents others’ ideas, with only minor exceptions, and constructs clear and sometimes complex arguments in relation to others’ ideas in all three papers. Occasionally, the writer may make reductive or black-and-white analyses in one or more of the three papers, but these are minor and do not negate or seriously undermine the arguments.
• The writer demonstrates good awareness of academic audience in all three papers, and the papers are generally organized well and the research is nicely integrated, though one or two sources may be not credible.
• There may be a few errors in syntax, grammar, mechanics, usage, style and documentation, but none of these errors impede the reader’s understanding of the writer’s arguments.
• The portfolio demonstrates that the writer has improved over the course of the semester, and there may be indications that the writer of the portfolio worked hard to revise and edit their papers. The writer is reflective about their progress and demonstrates solid self-awareness about their development as a writer.

 

C-range portfolios:

• The writer makes good arguments addressed to the course theme.
• The writer accurately represents others’ ideas, though the articulation of these ideas may be limited or confusing in one or more of the three papers.
• Research for the arguments is generally done at an adequate level, meeting requirements for the assignments, and the writer may show some difficulty in connecting research to their own arguments in one or more of the papers. There may also be one or more papers in which some sources are not credible.
• The writer demonstrates some awareness of academic audience in all three papers, and the papers are organized well enough to follow the arguments, but the organization of one or more of the papers may be reductive, simplistic, confusing, and/or under-developed. Sometimes C-range portfolios contain one or more papers that include padding or sections in which the writer has made leaps of logic.
• There may be one or more papers in which there are serious errors of syntax, grammar, mechanics, usage, style and documentation, but these errors should not seriously undermine the comprehensibility of the arguments.
• The portfolio demonstrates that the writer has improved over the course of the semester, but there may be indications that the writer of the portfolio did not pay close enough attention to revision or editing of all three papers. The writer is at least somewhat reflective about their progress and development as a writer, but it may be lacking in quality and possibly quantity.

 

Failing (D and F) portfolios:

• The writer demonstrates an inadequate ability to make arguments addressed to the course theme.
• The writer has not represented others’ ideas correctly in one or more of the three papers, and it is likely that the writer makes reductive or black-and-white analyses. The writer may demonstrate some awareness of academic audience, but there are serious organizational problems in one or more of the three papers that make it difficult or impossible to follow the arguments, and one or more papers includes simplistic, confusing, or under-developed ideas.
• Research for the arguments is generally done at a basic or level, possibly meeting requirements for the assignments. But with respect to research, the writer cannot adequately connect others’ ideas to their own arguments in one or more of the papers. There may also be one or more papers in which the required number of sources is missing and/or in which sources are not credible.
• One or more of the three papers may not show basic formal achievement in sentence structure, transitional words and phrases, appropriate pronoun use, and other elements of writing necessary for full comprehensibility of the writer’s arguments.
• The portfolio may demonstrate that the writer has improved over the course of the semester, and the papers may show considerable improvement from first drafts, but the writer may not yet be able to revise or edit well enough to complete the papers at a C-range or above level.
• The writer may be reflective about their progress, but it is lacking in quality and possibly quantity.
• Sometimes, failing portfolios themselves are inconsistent and contain two passing-level papers and one failing paper, but in these cases, the entire portfolio receives a failing grade because all three papers must be at or above a C- grade to pass the course.

 

 

 

English 802 Writing Assignments for Summer

 

Assignment for Paper 1: Rhetorical Analysis

 

Description

Write a rhetorical analysis of one of our articles from Unit 1 for an audience of thoughtful, educated readers who have not encountered the article you’re analyzing. For our purposes, a rhetorical analysis explains purpose, audience, genre, and context. These questions will guide your analysis:

 

• Who is the audience for this article, and how successful was the writer in anticipating their audience’s expectations and understanding of the topic, and in what ways did the writer appeal to their audience and were they persuasive in doing so? Do you think you are a member of the writer’s intended audience?
• What was the writer’s purpose in writing this article, and how successfully do they articulate this purpose, whether stated or implied? How successful is the writer at fulfilling their purpose?
• How would you describe the style and tone of the article, and are these choices consistent with the genre of the journal or publication in which the article appears? What are the effects of these choices on the writer’s intended audience and on you, as a reader (whether you’re in the intended audience or not)?
• Has the writer sufficiently situated their article within an ongoing conversation about their topic, and did they cite sources and acknowledge others’ ideas and research in a meaningful way? Does the writer explain key terms and ideas fully enough for their audience and on you as a reader (whether you’re in the intended audience or not)?

 

Details

Your paper should focus on explaining the key points in your analysis, and together, they will combine into a coherent main point. The following list contains examples of how to state a coherent main point for this assignment:

• WRITER’S FULL NAME, in their article “XYZ,” does an excellent job of appealing to their audience through multiple examples and anecdotes, and as a result it is enjoyable to read. However, the article is not fully successful in achieving its stated purpose because WRITER’S LAST NAME’s conclusion does not include any discussion of how their audience could change their behaviors and address the underlying problem of TOPIC.

 

• In ACADEMIC JOURNAL, articles usually follow a clear structure in which a writer explores a social issue, reviews other scholar’s attempts to understand the social issue, and then proposes her own analysis of the issue to propose a new solution. WRITER’S FULL NAME, in her article “XYZ,” does exactly that, and in this paper, I will discuss the most effective aspects of WRITER’S LAST NAME’s work and explain why they are so effective for their particular audience and purpose.

 

• In “XYZ,” WRITER’S FULL NAME is successful at establishing a clear topic and problem that needs a solution, as is consistent with the academic genre in which the article is published. But the article is weighed down by too much information and too many statistics, facts and charts that are presented without enough context and explanation. It is possible that some readers in WRITER’S LAST NAME’s intended audience do not need a lot of context, but context is always vital to be sure that readers understand where the ideas exist in conversation with other writers and disciplines. Thus, WRITER’S LAST NAME is only partly successful in achieving their purpose in this article.

 

Notice that in each example, the main point is not just saying that the article is “good” or “bad.” Instead, these examples serve to begin a complex analysis, and this is what I want to see in your papers. Aside from figuring out your own main point, it is common for students to struggle in deciding how much to summarize the article and where to include the summary. There are essentially two good options: in most cases, you may summarize the article while you in the process of explaining your main point, but you may also begin your paper with two or three paragraphs of summary before launching into an explanation of your main point. Either is fine, and you should choose whichever structure fits best with your analysis and main point.

Format

Your completed paper must be at least five (5) pages long, double-spaced, with one-inch margins and a 12-point font. Quotes and paraphrases from your research sources must be cited in-text and listed at the end using MLA or APA. No additional research or source material is necessary for this assignment, and if you use any additional sources they must be cited. You may write in the first-person (using “I”) and the style of your paper should be formal and academic. That is, you may cite personal experience if it is fully necessary to your rhetorical analysis and main point, but personal digressions and unrelated opinions should not be included.

 

 

Resources

If you would like to discuss ideas and get help on this assignment:

• Ask questions in class or through e-mail.
• Come to office hours.
• Consult with a Temple librarian if you’re having trouble understanding your article’s genre or the writer’s intended audience. Chat and other options are available here:  https://library.temple.edu/contact-us.
• Consult with a tutor from the Writing Center. Appointments and other options are available here: https://studentsuccess.temple.edu/programs/writing/index.html.

 

Assignment for Paper 2: Topic Exploration

 

Description

Explore a topic from unit 2 in a paper intended for an educated but non-specialist audience. You might think of this assignment as the first step in writing a full research paper, but instead of writing the actual paper, you’ll be going through the initial phases (conducting library research and analyzing/organizing your sources).

The first step is to define your topic, write several research questions, and conduct library research to understand what others have said about these questions. In this research, you will also identify evidence you could use to take a position on your topic or identify gaps in the published literature that you or someone else should fill. As you read through your sources, analyze them much like we did in Paper 1 (audience, purpose, genre, and context) and keep track of where your sources are similar and where they are different. When you find sources that speak to one another through citation, wonderful, and these articles may be especially useful to you in understanding the topic and the wider context in which it exists.

Keep in mind that you will need to search for sources multiple times, not just once, because good research is a process in which sources often lead you to new research questions or a series of new sources. There is no limit to the number of research questions you can pursue, though you should be careful not to expand your topic too much. You will likely find that there are at least two categories of sources: sources that make new or innovative arguments about your topic, and sources that fill in the context or review the background that might be relevant to a full study of your topic. Both of these are important kinds of sources, and both should be used in your paper. You may find many more sources than you’ll include in the paper itself, however, and some of the process of library research involves deciding which sources are most important to discuss and which ones are not.

Details

Your paper should be organized as follows (but do not use section headings). Your first section will function as an introduction (1-3 paragraphs): describe your topic, explain your research questions, and discuss the relevance of your topic (why is it important, who might care about it, and how actively are researchers and others writing about it).

Your second section will be a presentation of your research, and you’ll lead us through your sources by summarizing them and explaining how they are part of the scholarly conversation: who is involved, what are they saying, and how do these voices relate to one another? Your analysis of the sources will be particularly helpful in this section.

Your third section will function as an extended conclusion (1-3 paragraphs) in which you imagine the contours of a larger research paper that could be produced from your topic exploration. What are the positions that someone could take in this imaginary research paper, and do any of those positions seem particularly compelling to you? How would this imaginary research paper add to the existing scholarly conversation in your research sources? What additional research would be valuable for this imaginary research paper if time allowed? For example, would more research on adjacent topics be useful, or would you recommend primary research to collect new data, such as surveys, interviews, or observational studies?

Format

Your completed paper must be six to eight (6-8) pages long must incorporate at least six (6) relevant and valid research sources, including one of our course readings in Units 1 or 2. It should be double-spaced, with one-inch margins and a 12-point font. Quotes and paraphrases from your research sources must be cited in-text and listed at the end using MLA or APA. You may write in the first-person (using “I”) and the style of your paper should be formal and academic. While you may describe aspects of your research process from a personal perspective, particularly in the introduction and conclusion, your main purpose in this paper is to present research and explore a topic, not to share stories or offer self-reflections about what did or did not go well.

 

 

Resources

If you would like to discuss ideas and get help on this assignment:

• Ask questions in class or through e-mail.
• Come to office hours.
• Consult with a Temple librarian, particularly if you are having trouble refining your research questions or finding high-quality sources. Chat and other options are available here:  https://library.temple.edu/contact-us.
• Consult with a tutor from the Writing Center. Appointments and other options are available here: https://studentsuccess.temple.edu/programs/writing/index.html.

 

 

 

Assignment for Paper 3: Persuasive Argument

 

Description

Write a paper in which you make a persuasive argument on a topic related to Literacy, our theme for Unit 3. In this paper, you will weave together everything you are learning in English 802: rhetorical analysis, scholarly research in library databases, persuasive writing that incorporates rhetorical strategies, and the use of a writing process involving multiple drafts.

Your first step is to select a topic and engage in a research-based topic exploration (like that of Paper 2). While we will explore possible topics in class, here are a few prompts that might help you get started: 

• Think about the various kinds of literacy (e.g., media, digital, scientific, emotional, financial, cultural, visual), each of which has sparked interesting debates and generated many articles and books. You might stumble on a debate about which you have an arguable position and that might interest you enough to write about in Paper 3.
• Think about your own life so far and the debates in which you’ve participated or witnessed. Do any of those debates continue to interest you, and what aspect of these debates is related to literacy? For instance, if you loved or hated being required to take STEM classes (science, technology, engineering and math) in high school, you could dig into existing debates about the significant investments in STEM education in the US in the last 20-30 years. How effective have these efforts been at improving scientific and numeric literacy? How expensive are these efforts, and should these investments continue, and if so, how? This is just one example of how you can take an experience you’ve had and find an angle that connects it to literacy. Ideally, whatever debate you explore will lead you to a specific and arguable position, and don’t be afraid to narrow your topic quite a bit (i.e., if you explore STEM education, you might need to narrow it much further to STEM classes in New Jersey public high schools with a particular focus on how engineering principles are or are not being taught).
• What debates exist within your major or future career? Read the course catalogs for your major and browse the journals and sites related to your future career to see how people communicate, where there exist problems and concerns, and try to identify areas in which literacy is particularly important. For example, if you are planning to go into the health professions, you could look into the use of electronic health records (such as MyChart) that allow patients easy access to their own medical information but also create significant downsides, such as instances where patients receive traumatic or life-changing health information without proper medical and emotional support, and doctors being overwhelmed by patient emails through electronic portals instead of scheduling office visits. Essentially, these are literacy debates: how much information should be shared, what improvements should be made in the electronic health record industry, and what is the future of electronic health records? This example is specific to one field, but you can use it as a model for a topic or issue in your own areas of interest. Complex and arguable debates about literacy exist in every discipline and career.

 

By exploring your topic widely and reading others’ research and opinions about it, you will eventually come to a clear position of your own, and this position will be the central purpose of your persuasive argument. Keep in mind throughout this process that a good academic position is arguable, meaning that some readers might agree, and others might disagree with you. Paper 3 must not be a recitation of facts and should not be simply a report or summary of existing ideas. Use your research process to figure out what you think and not only to confirm your own ideas or find sources to “prove” that you are right. If your paper uses sources only to cite facts or to “prove” that you are right, it is unlikely to earn a grade higher than C. Stay open-minded and even consider sources that are slightly adjacent to your own topic because a wide-ranging research process is most likely to lead you to an interesting and complex position. The more complex your position, the better, in fact. If you get stuck at any point with a list of research sources and no idea what to do next, look for complexities and places where your sources most agree or are opposed.

Format

Your paper must be six to eight (6-8) pages long and must incorporate at least six (6) relevant and valid research sources, including one of our course readings in Units 2 or 3. Peer-reviewed sources are highly recommended, but if you are writing about recent technological developments, sources written by experts or featuring expert knowledge are fine. Quotes and paraphrases from your research sources must be cited in-text and listed at the end using MLA or APA. You may write in the first-person (using “I”) to make clear how your voice relates to those of your research sources and to strongly assert your argument, but this is not a personal paper, and your style should be formal and academic.

 

 

Resources

If you would like to discuss ideas and get help on this assignment:

• Ask questions in class or through e-mail.
• Come to office hours.
• Consult with a Temple librarian, particularly if you are having trouble refining your research questions or finding high-quality sources. Chat and other options are available here:  https://library.temple.edu/contact-us.
• Consult with a tutor from the Writing Center. Appointments and other options are available here: https://studentsuccess.temple.edu/programs/writing/index.html.

 

 

Assignment for Paper 4: Reflection

 

Description

Write a paper of two to three (2-3) pages in which you present a clear, comprehensive, and candid account of your progress towards our course goals this semester. Your audience is very specific: university faculty who teach in First Year Writing. 

 

If Paper 4 is missing or incomplete in your final portfolio, your portfolio will be incomplete and not eligible for a passing grade even if the other papers are passing (C- or above). This paper may be shorter than the others, but it is no less significant.

 

Format

This paper should not cite any sources other than your own writing, and you must write in the first-person (using “I”). Before you start writing, re-read your own reflective journal responses for each paper, read over my feedback on each of your drafts, and look through the work you’ve submitted on Canvas. If you wish, you may introduce yourself briefly (your major, your educational and career goals, and any challenges you faced in achieving these goals now or in the past). You are also strongly encouraged to use examples in this paper to show readers how you have improved, how you have met course goals, and to share the elements of your work about which you feel most proud. Examples can take many forms, including quoting from your own papers or reflective responses, describing your writing process in detail, and referring to places in your final portfolio where we might see improvement most clearly.

 

While I always enjoy hearing positive feedback on my work as an instructor, this paper should not be used for that purpose. Your feedback and compliments will be much more effective if you put them on your Student Feedback Forms because SFFs are anonymous and completely disconnected from the grading process.

 

Process

I will only provide feedback on your draft of Paper 4 if it is seriously off-track; if you do not receive feedback on it within a few days, you may feel assured that your paper is heading in the right direction and is at least in the C range. Revise this paper as many times as possible before putting it into your final portfolio.

Resources

English 0802: Analytical Reading and Writing

Section 715, Summer 2025

 

Instructor: Tara Kennette; she/they

Office hours: Wednesdays; 6:00PM-9:00PM; email me to set up a zoom appointment; my schedule is relatively flexible and if you need to meet outside of my scheduled office hours we can find another time that works

Email: tuk96834@temple.edu; Email is the best way to reach me. I will aim to respond within 24 hours of your email Monday through Friday. If you write over the weekend, I will get back to you on Monday.

Class Meetings: Online; Asynchronous

 

Course Description

Welcome to English 802! This course will introduce you to the challenges and pleasures of college-level reading and writing. Once you have completed English 802 with a C- or better, you will have completed one of the required foundational courses in the General Education program. These are our course goals and objectives:

 

• identify key arguments in published texts and the writing of your peers;
• create and defend arguments of your own through effective rhetorical strategies and synthesis of others’ ideas;
• use the conventions of academic discourse, including
  • coherent and logical organization
  • Standard English grammar and syntax
  • correct citation and evaluation of research sources;
• revise your writing through multiple drafts and reflect on your own writing process.

 

Course Theme

The theme of this class is public space and the public sphere, and many of our readings apply this theme within the context of higher education. We do not presume that you are experts on these topics, and we have chosen them because they are somewhat familiar and yet they are also academically complex. They are also interdisciplinary topics, and students from all majors should be able to find connections between their interests and the work of this course. In fact, we strongly encourage you to use your own perspectives and interests to develop research topics.

 

In this class, there are no right or wrong answers or opinions in most cases. As we will discuss, academic discourse involves weighing evidence and presenting a strong, well-argued position, and you will get lots of practice doing so in English 802. When you complete this course, you will have strengthened your critical thinking, reading and writing skills and will have established a set of good practices and habits that should be useful throughout your college career and beyond.

 

Required Course Materials and Technology Specifications

You will not need to purchase books for this course, and we will not require any fees or other expenses. All readings and videos will be posted on Canvas through the Charles Library course reserves.

 

Using Canvas and your Temple email are required for this course. Please familiarize yourself with our Canvas course site so that you understand where and when readings are posted. Please note that readings will often be available if you want to read ahead, but if you read ahead, you won’t have the benefit of getting more context or trigger warnings in advance. Please check the technology specifications for using Canvas from computers and networks off campus. You will be submitting work online through Canvas for this course, and you must have regular access to Microsoft Word which you can download for free through TU Portal (Microsoft Office 365) or use in any Temple computer lab. If you use Google Docs, you will need to learn how to convert your document into Word in order to submit your papers (it’s easy!). Feel free to consult Temple’s Information Technology Services for support: https://its.temple.edu/. Limited resources may be available for students who do not have the technology they need for class. Check the Dean of Students Support and Resources webpage for details.

 

Course Mode and Expected Student Workload

This course has no regularly scheduled meetings. Our course is online and asynchronous. Class activities, discussion of readings, and review, planning, and writing of the major papers will happen via Canvas. Students in all sections of English 802 regardless of course mode should expect to spend a minimum of 8-10 hours a week on this course including class time.

 

Course Requirements

1. Be present and engaged in our online course.

Being present and engaged in this course is vital to your development as a college-level writer and thinker. Our course consists of several modules that require you to complete assigned readings, watch video lectures, and submit written assignments. If you fall behind on two modules’ worth of material, I will contact you via email. If you continue to fall behind on coursework you risk failing the class.

 

 

2. Read and annotate our assigned readings

Every paper you write in this class derives in part from our assigned readings and the discussions we have about them. When you read, take notes in the margins and/or keep a list of thoughts and questions to bring up in discussion forums or written assignments. Sometimes, you may need to read a paragraph or a section more than once before it makes sense, and this is completely normal when reading dense academic publications or other types of long readings. I recommend that you talk to friends and family about our readings, too. I dislike giving reading quizzes, but I will do so as needed if it seems that too many of us are reading too quickly or aren’t thinking carefully about the readings. Also, interacting with others respectfully is important, and a full policy on how to interact in class and on Canvas is included below. 

 

3. Complete all coursework assigned on Canvas.

Outside of our major papers, coursework consists of small assignments and activities that we do on Canvas, and may include writing, quizzes, and Canvas discussion posts or journal entries. This coursework is essential for learning, and it will be graded as Complete (full credit) or Incomplete (no credit). Together, these activities will be worth 20% of your final grade. In general, I will give you a grade of Complete if you’ve met the basic requirements outlined by the assignment, and if you do not follow directions or submit your work on time, you will get a grade of Incomplete. A full policy about late coursework is included below.

 

4. Write and revise four substantial papers through multiple drafts.

You will write four papers and submit them to me for feedback and guidance. Then, you will revise these drafts into final versions due in a final portfolio at the end of the semester. I will give you feedback for Papers 1, 2 and 3, and this feedback will be formative and intended to help you revise. You will not receive a binding grade on these drafts because I want you to revise them as many times as possible before the final portfolio.

 

My feedback will also give you an idea of where your grade might stand on a draft if it were submitted in the final portfolio as is and without any revision, and it will give you a baseline of your progress. It is relatively normal for students to receive feedback that indicates a draft is not yet passing in its current condition, and I do not want you to be discouraged by this. It simply means you have work to do, and because draft grades are not binding, there is no penalty for having a draft that is not yet passing. If you ever feel discouraged, talk to me, and I can help you plan for revision and feel hopeful about making improvement in your writing.

 

I give feedback on each draft only once if it is submitted on time, but we can talk about your drafts and revisions as many times as you wish if you bring them to me to discuss during conferences and office hours. Keep in mind that you may also bring your papers to the Writing Center at any stage in the writing process, and I encourage everyone to visit the Writing Center on a regular basis for this and other classes. More information about this is included below.

 

5. Meet with me for individual conferences outside of class.

We will meet for conferences on Zoom to discuss your progress, and I will offer you an optional conference at the end of the semester in case you need it. Dates, times, and modes for our conferences will be mutually arranged. I will let you know what you need to prepare for each conference, and if you arrive without it, I reserve the right to cancel our conference. If I can reschedule a missed conference, I will, but this is not guaranteed.

 

8. Reflect on your writing process and your progress towards our course goals.

Evidence shows that self-reflection enhances learning and improves outcomes, and I will assign many opportunities for you to reflect on your work in this course. Short reflections will also be used in Paper 4 and will be important in our assessment of your final portfolio.

 

9. Submit a well-revised final portfolio at the end of the semester.

Your final portfolio will consist of four papers that you have revised multiple times. The grade on your final portfolio (60%) and the grade on the quality of your revisions (10%) are the majority of your final grade in the course. A rubric for final portfolios is included below, as is a detailed explanation of my grading process.

 

When you revise, you should do so as thoroughly as possible, which means addressing the issues noted in my feedback on your drafts and going above and beyond to address all of the ideas and suggestions that we discuss throughout the semester. For instance, our class readings serve as models of good writing to emulate and use as inspiration. Your coursework and class activities, and my mini-lectures and explanations will give you ideas and plenty of practice for successful college writing. Individual conferences and peer review workshops will allow you to reflect on your progress and grow as a reader, writer and thinker. Final portfolios in which revisions only “fix” simple errors or address only things mentioned in my feedback are unlikely to result in grades of A or B for revision in your final grade, and a lack of serious revision will prevent final portfolio grades from being in the A range altogether.

 

How To Succeed in This Course

Be respectful when interacting with others in class and on Canvas.

Some of our readings include ideas that you might find controversial or uncomfortable. In college, students are meant to build critical thinking skills in a variety of contexts, and we want you to feel appropriately challenged and inspired by our course materials. We recommend that you use our Canvas site as a space where we can collaborate to examine ideas and arguments for mutual learning. As such, we all have a responsibility to try to make others feel comfortable learning, participating, and asking questions. Here are some ground rules for respectful interaction with me and your classmates:

 

• Everyone may have an opinion, but everyone must recognize that an opinion is not a fact.
• Everyone may write or say something that “comes out wrong.” If you do so, simply admit that what you said or wrote wasn’t quite what you meant and try again.
• Everyone may change their mind (including me!).
• Everyone has the responsibility to challenge others or disagree in a respectful, polite way:
• “I respectfully disagree....”
• “I hear you, but you might not have considered every perspective….”
• “In my experience, that hasn’t been true….”
• “Can you share your evidence to support that?”
• Everyone must accept that their opinion may be challenged without getting defensive or upset (this can be hard!). When someone challenges your opinion, take a deep breath and consider what the other person is saying carefully before you respond.

 

Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University’s nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. We are all here to learn and work with others, and any activity that runs contrary to the spirit of learning and collaboration will not be tolerated. I am here to help foster a respectful and accountable space, and if a student seems not to participate in this space as described above, I will speak with them about it. However, explicitly hostile or hateful language, discrimination or abuse will not be tolerated.

 

Netiquette

Whenever we are engaged in online work through Canvas, we must be as appropriate and collaborative as we are in person. The term “netiquette” refers to standards of behavior appropriate for an online learning environment. The netiquette policy for this course is adapted from these core rules:

 

• Remember the Human: When you aren’t face-to-face it can be easy to forget that you are communicating with a person who has feelings and emotions just like any other person. Please show respect for your instructor and for your classmates by being courteous in all written communication. Avoid sarcasm, which can be difficult to interpret in cyberspace.
• NO YELLING, PLEASE: Using all capitals letter is often considered yelling online.
• Read First, then Submit: Make sure you take time to carefully read instructions before beginning an assignment. Similarly, please read what you typed before submitting an assignment to check for grammar, typos, and other errors. Reading aloud before submitting is highly recommended.
• Find Answers: Before asking a question, read the syllabus, check Canvas, and conduct an Internet search to see if the answer is easy to find. If these do not provide you with an answer, do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Consult with me during office hours and practice good time management.

I welcome you to visit me during office hours as listed on the first page of the syllabus. You can come see me for many reasons, including to say hello, to talk about one or more of your papers, and to discuss readings or ideas that have come up in class. Or, if you are struggling in the course and need help setting voluntary deadlines or figuring out how to approach an assignment, I encourage you to talk to me and see if I can help. If you are unavailable during my office hours, email me and we’ll try to find another time.

 

You may find that one of the biggest challenges in college is keeping track of your assignments and budgeting your time. I strongly recommend using a non-Canvas calendar, whether paper or digital, to keep track of due dates and course requirements. The calendar built into Canvas may seem helpful at first, but do not rely on it! Many students have made the error of assuming that the Canvas calendar is comprehensive only to find that they’ve missed an assignment or fallen behind in a course. Don’t make this mistake—trust me and use a secondary calendar.

 

Take advantage of campus resources.

Did you know Temple’s Student Success Center (SSC) offers tutoring for writers at the Writing Center? Writing Center tutors can help you understand and get started on your assignments, and they can also provide you with engaged, kind, and critical feedback on drafts of your work. The tutors are graduate and undergraduate students who are successful writers and experienced readers; all tutors have completed training in effective methods of coaching writers. Tutoring is free of charge and available by same-day session or pre-scheduled appointment. More information about the Writing Center, as well as other resources offered by the SSC by clicking the links above, by calling 215-204-0702, or visiting our “Front Desk” Zoom room via the Meeting ID at 929-916-654. You can also get help (even through live chat) with your research from the Charles Library.

 

Also, it is common for your first year at a new school to be stressful, and I want you to know you’re not alone and there are resources here at the university, such as Tuttleman Counseling Services and the Dean of Students. The Dean of Students offers a wide range of support for students who do not have enough food, who struggle with access to secure housing, who need emergency student aid, who are dealing with sexual assault, and who have similar problems and are unsure where to turn. Further, the Dean of Students provides specific forms of outreach and support for LGBTQIA students, international students, and veterans, among others. I strongly encourage you to seek out help from the Dean of Students when needed, and if you’re having trouble connecting to the proper resources, let me know and I’ll do my best to help by filing a CARE TEAM report or asking the team in First Year Writing for assistance.

 

Late Policies

Weekly Coursework and Peer Review Workshops

Weekly coursework deadlines are firm because we sometimes use it as the basis for future discussions and activities. Also, weekly coursework is intended to build skills and habits over time. I will do my best to make deadlines clear on Canvas and to post announcements and other reminders on a regular basis. But ultimately, you are responsible for checking Canvas often and keeping track of weekly coursework.

Drafts Submitted During the Semester for My Feedback

Drafts of your papers must be submitted on time. If an extreme situation or sudden crisis arises that prevents you from submitting a draft for feedback on time, you may ask me for a one-week extension and I will say yes, no questions asked. However, your final portfolio must contain revisions of papers I have seen in draft form during the semester, and if you have not submitted a draft on time or within one week (using the extension), your final portfolio will receive a failing grade and you will have to repeat English 802, even if your other work is of passing quality or was marked complete.

 

I know this sounds harsh, but the reason for this strict policy is that I must see your drafts in a timely manner so that I can encourage continual improvement. Much like faculty in a math course, writing faculty need to see how you get from point A to point B to be sure you understand the process of writing that we are teaching in this course. The only possible exception to this late policy for drafts would be if you have a situation so significant that the Dean of Students or the CARE Team have reached out to me to ask for extra time or if you have already alerted me to a DRS accommodation that requires me to give you longer than one week extension; in these cases, we will work out arrangements and you will still be subject to the above policy using the newly agreed-upon revised due dates.

 

Also, if you decide to re-write a paper from scratch after I have seen a version of it and given you feedback, you must submit the new draft to me before it goes into your final portfolio. If you do not, your portfolio will violate the above policy for having one or more papers I have not seen in draft form during the semester. If you are ever in doubt that you are working on a draft that is fundamentally “new” and unlike the one I gave feedback on, contact me to discuss. The purpose of this is to prevent plagiarism and to ensure, as stated above, that I can see your progress with a draft over time. If a paper appears to be wholly new and does not show how you got from point A to point B, the portfolio cannot be passing even if the quality of the new paper is satisfactory or above. I will not necessarily give you written feedback if you produce a wholly new draft, nor will we need to meet or discuss it unless I see a problem with what you’ve done. But I will be glad to support you starting fresh or improving a draft so much that it is unrecognizable from a first draft as long as you keep me in the loop and show me what you’re doing before the final portfolio is due.

The Final Portfolio

The final portfolio due date is listed on the schedule. But after the due date, I cannot accept final portfolios and you will be given a failing grade for the course. The reason for this policy is that I need time to read final portfolios, to discuss final portfolios with other faculty in First Year Writing, and to calculate and enter final grades in TU Portal.

 

Occasionally, a student who had been making good progress has a true medical emergency at the very end of the semester that would make it impossible to complete a final portfolio on time. In cases like these, contact me to discuss an Incomplete, which is an arrangement that requires formal documentation of the emergency and approval of the Dean and other university officials. To qualify for an Incomplete, you must be in good standing in the course and have submitted drafts of Papers 1, 2, and 3 (that is, you must have completed the equivalent of more than 50% of the coursework and must be able to complete the remaining revisions on your own without guidance). If you believe you qualify for an Incomplete, you must speak to me about it before the last day of classes so that I can send you the paperwork and start the process of getting formal approval. Again, an Incomplete is not a casual arrangement and it does not apply in situations that are not true emergencies. It is not possible to arrange an Incomplete after the semester is over. For more information, see the full policy in the Undergraduate Bulletin.

Calculating Your Final Grade

Most of your final grade is determined by your final portfolio, worth 60%. The quality of your revisions and participation in peer review are each worth 10%, and weekly coursework is worth 20%.

 

Your final portfolio will include fully revised versions of each paper along with one or more of your previous drafts to show your progress and document how you got from the first to the final draft. What I expect to see in your final portfolio is that your writing has improved over time and that you have met our course goals and objectives. To complete this course and get ARW credit in GenEd, you must receive a final grade of C- or above; a grade of D+ or below will require you to repeat the course.

 

Final portfolios are graded by committees of faculty from First Year Writing called Teaching Circles. We use a standard rubric (included below) to ensure that portfolios are read by more than one person and that grades across multiple sections are fair and consistent. That is, this system ensures that a C in one section of English 802 is equivalent to a C in another section of English 802, and all students can be assured that their work has been reviewed fairly and free from intentional bias. All faculty in First Year Writing participate in Teaching Circles, and this system of grading has been used successfully for decades at TU and in many other writing programs around the world.  

 

You may occasionally feel frustrated with our grading system because unlike other courses where you can check Canvas and receive an immediate projected final grade, you will not receive a binding grade on your biggest assignments until the final portfolio is submitted. But try to remember that our system works to your advantage. You are the one who ultimately decides your grade through completing (or not completing) weekly coursework, participating (or not participating) in peer review, and revising (or not revising) your papers for the final portfolio. Your final portfolio is being graded not on where you began the semester but on the cumulative result of your work since the first day of class. If you think about it, giving early binding grades would be quite unfair in a course designed to see progress over time. There is some other good news, too: you may encounter a similar style of grading later in your coursework, such as in advanced major-specific Writing Intensive courses or senior capstone courses, and if so, we hope you’ll think back to all you learned in English 802. If you are ever feeling completely unsure of where your grade might be heading or how you’re doing in the course, please check in with me at conferences, at office hours or by appointment. I am always happy to talk about your papers on Zoom, and I never want you to feel like your entire grade is up in the air or uncertain.

 

Course grading scheme:

 

A 93-100% A- 90-92% B+ 87-89% B 83-86% B- 80-82% C+ 77-79%

C 73-76% C- 70-72% D+ 67-69% D 63-66% D- 60-62% F 0-59%

 

University Policies

Policy on Recording Class Meetings or Conferences

This course will not meet on Zoom unless mandated by the university, which is highly unlikely. But we may meet on Zoom for conferences, and this is the official policy from the university that is applicable to conferences, which are official class business and similar to a class meeting: “recordings of class meetings will be allowed at [faculty] discretion [and particularly if a student in the class has an accommodation requiring such recordings]. Any recordings permitted in this class can only be used for the student’s personal educational use. Students are not permitted to copy, publish, or redistribute audio or video recordings of any portion of the class session to individuals who are not students in the course or academic program without the express permission of the faculty member and of any students who are recorded. Distribution without permission may be a violation of educational privacy law, known as FERPA as well as certain copyright laws. Any recordings made by the instructor or university of this course are the property of Temple University.”

Disability Accommodations Policy

Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact Disability Resources and Services at 215- 204-1280 or in 100 Ritter Annex to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.

 

If you are not sure whether or not you qualify for accommodations, go to DRS to get more information. DRS understands that some students may not arrive at Temple University with documentation for their accommodations, and they will work with you to figure out how best to proceed. It is up to you whether you want to send me your accommodations, but keep in mind that accommodations cannot be applied retroactively. It is highly advisable to reach out to me about your accommodation so that we can discuss it. Students should seek out assistance from DRS.

Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities Policy

Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. Please read the university’s policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy #03.70.02).

Policy on Academic Honesty

To protect yourself from engaging in academic misconduct, please read Temple University Statement on Academic Honesty for Students in Undergraduate Courses.

 

In general, all sources of information that you use in your papers must be identified as clearly, accurately, and thoroughly as possible. Plagiarism occurs when sources are used but not acknowledged and appear to be presented as your own original ideas. Of course, we do not want to discourage you from using other people’s ideas or data. Our aim is exactly the opposite – academic writing often involves a conversation with other writers. But you must always make clear your sources and you must always be sure that the work you submit is your own. Academic cheating, in general terms, is the breaking of the general rules of academic work and/or the specific rules of individual courses. It includes falsifying data or sources; submitting work in one course that was done for another course without the instructor's approval; having someone else complete your papers or any of your course work for you; or actually doing another person’s work.

 

If you plagiarize on a draft of a paper submitted before the final portfolio, I will give you one very serious warning and you will have a chance to revise the paper right away so that I can re-read it and see that you’ve corrected the errors. But if you plagiarize a second time or if plagiarism is found in your final portfolio, you will fail the course and will be reported to the University for academic misconduct. This policy is not negotiable. If you are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism, ask BEFORE you hand in the work. It will be too late afterwards.

Acceptable and Unacceptable Use of Generative AI Tools in This Course

Generative AI such as ChatGPT are exciting new tools that you may find useful in this class. As such, I have not banned them outright, and we may even use them occasionally in class activities. But AI cannot replace real human thinking and writing, and you should never use AI generated writing in place of your own work. Even in its most updated forms, AI has been known to reproduce biases, generate fake research sources, provide ideas within incorrect contexts, and spread disinformation and other harmful ideas. Human writing is the purpose of English 802, and we expect to see your genuine, human writing throughout the semester and in your final portfolios.

Generative AI tools are permitted in this course for the following activities:

• brainstorming and refining your ideas;
• coming up with a variety of prompts for library research;
• drafting outlines;
• suggesting alternate perspectives or adjacent ideas;
• organizing your thoughts.

If you use AI in any form, you must acknowledge having done so in writing on anything you submit for this course. This site gives directions for citing AI in your papers, and if you use it for weekly coursework or other assignments, you must include a note at the end explaining how you used AI and why it was useful. Also, you are responsible for the information you submit based on an AI query (for instance, that it does not violate intellectual property laws or contain misinformation or unethical content).

Generative AI tools are not permitted in this course for the following activities:

• To complete assignments or other writing that requires self-reflection or personal experience.
• To generate full sentences or paragraphs that you incorporate into your own writing without acknowledgement.
• To do group work unless I have specifically directed you to do so.
• To peer review a classmate’s draft.
• To generate full drafts or revisions (even if the revision is on your own, original draft).

If you are found to have used AI without acknowledgement on a small assignment, the penalty will range from an Incomplete on the assignment to an F for the course depending on the severity of the situation. If you are found to have used AI without acknowledgement on a draft submitted for peer review or my feedback, you will have one week to revise and resubmit or you will receive an F for the course. If you are found to have used AI without acknowledgement in your final portfolio, the penalty will be an F for the course.

 

 

 

 

Course Schedule

 

Unit One: Inclusivity in public space

This unit focuses on three articles about inclusivity and diversity in public space. By public space, we mean the spaces in which we all go when we are not in our own private homes: streets, schools, stores, public bathrooms, workplaces. By reading these articles closely and discussing them in class, we will find intersections between these authors’ ideas and generate questions about who belongs in public spaces and how we might make public spaces equitably available to all people.

 

Due 5/19

Online Introductions (discussion board)

Complete syllabus overview assignment

View Burke’s TED Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD_SLJG7oi8

Submit Burke TED Talk Reading Response

 

Due 5/21

Read Gay, “Some Thoughts on Mercy” https://www.thesunmagazine.org/issues/451/some-thoughts-on-mercy

Review the assignment for Paper #1

Complete Paper #1 Questionnaire

Submit Gay “Some Thoughts on Mercy” Reading Response

 

Due 5/26

Read Logan, “Street Harassment: Current and Promising Avenues for Researchers and Activists”

Online discussion on the reading 

 

Due 5/28

Brainstorm and post ideas for Paper 1 in Canvas assignment

 

Unit Two: Surveillance in public space and in the public sphere

This unit focuses on the use of surveillance in public space and in the public sphere. We will read a foundational article in surveillance studies (Foucault’s “Panopticism,” which you are likely to encounter again at Temple no matter what your major) and then we will read several articles about various forms of surveillance that we may have encountered. Think about questions such as: How much surveillance of our daily lives is acceptable? Does surveillance improve or detract from our personal safety? How can an average person resist or avoid surveillance if they wish to do so? How are institutions creating cultures of surveillance, such as those in schools and workplaces? How does a culture of freedom coexist with a culture of surveillance?

 

Due 6/2

Sign up for a Conference for next week

Read Foucault, “Panopticism”

Submit Foucault Reading Response

Review assignment for Paper #2

Submit Paper #2 Questionnaire

 

Due 6/4

Submit a revised Paper #1 to Canvas Assignments for instructor feedback

Submit self-reflective journal response

Read Gray, “Urban Surveillance and Panopticism: Will We Recognize the Facial Recognition Society” https://ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/surveillance-and-society/article/view/3343

Read Gans & Mann, “When the Camera Lies: Our Surveillance Society Needs a Dose of Integrity to be Reliable” https://theconversation.com/when-the-camera-lies-our-surveillance-society-needs-a-dose-of-integrity-to-be-reliable-35933

Discussion on readings

 

Due 6/9

Meet in conferences to discuss Paper 1 feedback and your plan for Paper 2

Complete the first library module

Read Watters, “Pearson, PARCC, Privacy, Surveillance & Trust” http://hackeducation.com/2015/03/17/pearson-spy

Read Mann, “What’s Your Emergency?: White Women and the Policing of Public Space”

Submit Reading Response

 

Due 6/11

Brainstorm and submit topics for Paper #2 and start searching for articles in your topic for Paper #2

 

Unit Three: The public sphere and social change

This unit focuses on the public sphere and social change. As you read and prepare for class, think about what you know about social change. How does it happen, and how often is it related to things we consume and engage in the public sphere, such as music, art, and other forms of media? Think about how often you see viewpoints other than your own or if you live in a “filter bubble?” Where do you get your news and information about the world? What do you make of the phrase “cancel culture,” and why do you think it is popular right now? How much do you think the public sphere of the internet is a useful place to create social change? Do you encounter internet activism, and if so, how much do you participate in it? What forms of internet posting draws your attention or repels you away? What kinds of art or music are popular in the contemporary public sphere, and how much of it focuses on social issues or social change?

 

Due 6/16

Watch TED Talks to introduce Unit 3:

Eli Pariser “Beware Online ‘Filter Bubbles’” https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles?language=en  

Kaphar, “Can Art Amend History?” https://www.ted.com/talks/titus_kaphar_can_art_amend_history?language=en#t-21760

Review Paper #3 Assignment

Submit Paper #3 Questionnaire

 

Due 6/18

Submit a revised Paper #2 to Canvas for instructor feedback

                Submit self-reflective journal response

Read Bishop, “Americans Have Lost Faith in Institutions. That’s Not Because of Trump or ‘Fake News’” https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/03/03/americans-have-lost-faith-in-institutions-thats-not-because-of-trump-or-fake-news/

Read Mitchell , Jurkowitz, Oliphant & Shearer, “Americans Who Mainly Get Their News on Social Media are Less Engaged, Less Knowledgeable” https://www.journalism.org/2020/07/30/americans-who-mainly-get-their-news-on-social-media-are-less-engaged-less-knowledgeable/

Read Grygiel, “Political Cartoonists Are out of Touch—It’s Time to Make Way for Memes” https://theconversation.com/political-cartoonists-are-out-of-touch-its-time-to-make-way-for-memes-116471 

Discuss readings

 

Due 6/23

Read Simmons, “Race and Racialized Experiences in Childish Gambino’s ‘This is America’” (in Course Reserves)

Read Alexandra “Artists Fight Coronavirus-Related Racism on Instagram.” www.kqed.org/arts/13877013/artists-fight-coronavirus-related-racism-on-instagram

Read Rowland & Ingraham, “How Google Street View Became Fertile Ground for Artists” https://theconversation.com/how-google-street-view-became-fertile-ground-for-artists-77845

Submit reading response

Submit potential paper topics for Paper 3

 

Due 6/25

Complete second library online module

Submit Research Proposal for Paper #3

 

Week 7

Due 6/30

Submit draft of Paper #3 to Canvas for instructor feedback

Submit self-reflective journal response

 

 

Due 7/1

Review the process for completing and uploading your final portfolio;

Work on reflective Paper #4

Complete SFFs

 

Due Thursday, 7/3: Final portfolios due on Canvas

 

There is no final exam for this course. Once you submit the final portfolio, you have completed your work for English 0802. I will grade your final portfolio and calculate your final grade off Canvas, and then I will enter final grades on Banner before the end of the grading period.

 

Please note that I do not upload comments on final portfolios because you’ll have already gotten plenty of feedback from me throughout the semester, and usually students can anticipate their final portfolio grade on their own. But if you want some brief feedback on your final portfolio or if you have any questions about your final grade, you may contact me via email. I will do my best to respond to you in a timely manner.

 

 

English 802 Portfolio Grading Criteria

 

A-range portfolios:

• The writer demonstrates facility in making nuanced, original, and well-researched arguments addressed to the course theme.
• The writer accurately represents others’ ideas and constructs subtle and complex arguments in relation to others’ ideas in all three papers.
• The writer demonstrates full awareness of academic audience in all three papers, the papers are well-organized and the research is well-integrated.
• There are virtually no errors in syntax, grammar, mechanics, usage, style, and documentation.
• The portfolio demonstrates that the writer has improved over the course of the semester, and it is clear that the writer worked hard to revise and edit their papers. The writer is reflective about their progress and demonstrates an excellent understanding of their own writing process and development as a writer.

 

B-range portfolios:

• The writer demonstrates facility in making thoughtful and well-researched arguments addressed to the course theme.
• The writer accurately represents others’ ideas, with only minor exceptions, and constructs clear and sometimes complex arguments in relation to others’ ideas in all three papers. Occasionally, the writer may make reductive or black-and-white analyses in one or more of the three papers, but these are minor and do not negate or seriously undermine the arguments.
• The writer demonstrates good awareness of academic audience in all three papers, and the papers are generally organized well and the research is nicely integrated, though one or two sources may be not credible.
• There may be a few errors in syntax, grammar, mechanics, usage, style and documentation, but none of these errors impede the reader’s understanding of the writer’s arguments.
• The portfolio demonstrates that the writer has improved over the course of the semester, and there may be indications that the writer of the portfolio worked hard to revise and edit their papers. The writer is reflective about their progress and demonstrates solid self-awareness about their development as a writer.

 

C-range portfolios:

• The writer makes good arguments addressed to the course theme.
• The writer accurately represents others’ ideas, though the articulation of these ideas may be limited or confusing in one or more of the three papers.
• Research for the arguments is generally done at an adequate level, meeting requirements for the assignments, and the writer may show some difficulty in connecting research to their own arguments in one or more of the papers. There may also be one or more papers in which some sources are not credible.
• The writer demonstrates some awareness of academic audience in all three papers, and the papers are organized well enough to follow the arguments, but the organization of one or more of the papers may be reductive, simplistic, confusing, and/or under-developed. Sometimes C-range portfolios contain one or more papers that include padding or sections in which the writer has made leaps of logic.
• There may be one or more papers in which there are serious errors of syntax, grammar, mechanics, usage, style and documentation, but these errors should not seriously undermine the comprehensibility of the arguments.
• The portfolio demonstrates that the writer has improved over the course of the semester, but there may be indications that the writer of the portfolio did not pay close enough attention to revision or editing of all three papers. The writer is at least somewhat reflective about their progress and development as a writer, but it may be lacking in quality and possibly quantity.

 

Failing (D and F) portfolios:

• The writer demonstrates an inadequate ability to make arguments addressed to the course theme.
• The writer has not represented others’ ideas correctly in one or more of the three papers, and it is likely that the writer makes reductive or black-and-white analyses. The writer may demonstrate some awareness of academic audience, but there are serious organizational problems in one or more of the three papers that make it difficult or impossible to follow the arguments, and one or more papers includes simplistic, confusing, or under-developed ideas.
• Research for the arguments is generally done at a basic or level, possibly meeting requirements for the assignments. But with respect to research, the writer cannot adequately connect others’ ideas to their own arguments in one or more of the papers. There may also be one or more papers in which the required number of sources is missing and/or in which sources are not credible.
• One or more of the three papers may not show basic formal achievement in sentence structure, transitional words and phrases, appropriate pronoun use, and other elements of writing necessary for full comprehensibility of the writer’s arguments.
• The portfolio may demonstrate that the writer has improved over the course of the semester, and the papers may show considerable improvement from first drafts, but the writer may not yet be able to revise or edit well enough to complete the papers at a C-range or above level.
• The writer may be reflective about their progress, but it is lacking in quality and possibly quantity.
• Sometimes, failing portfolios themselves are inconsistent and contain two passing-level papers and one failing paper, but in these cases, the entire portfolio receives a failing grade because all three papers must be at or above a C- grade to pass the course.

 

 

 

English 802 Writing Assignments for Summer

 

Assignment for Paper 1: Rhetorical Analysis

 

Description

Write a rhetorical analysis of one of our articles from Unit 1 for an audience of thoughtful, educated readers who have not encountered the article you’re analyzing. For our purposes, a rhetorical analysis explains purpose, audience, genre, and context. These questions will guide your analysis:

 

• Who is the audience for this article, and how successful was the writer in anticipating their audience’s expectations and understanding of the topic, and in what ways did the writer appeal to their audience and were they persuasive in doing so? Do you think you are a member of the writer’s intended audience?
• What was the writer’s purpose in writing this article, and how successfully do they articulate this purpose, whether stated or implied? How successful is the writer at fulfilling their purpose?
• How would you describe the style and tone of the article, and are these choices consistent with the genre of the journal or publication in which the article appears? What are the effects of these choices on the writer’s intended audience and on you, as a reader (whether you’re in the intended audience or not)?
• Has the writer sufficiently situated their article within an ongoing conversation about their topic, and did they cite sources and acknowledge others’ ideas and research in a meaningful way? Does the writer explain key terms and ideas fully enough for their audience and on you as a reader (whether you’re in the intended audience or not)?

 

Details

Your paper should focus on explaining the key points in your analysis, and together, they will combine into a coherent main point. The following list contains examples of how to state a coherent main point for this assignment:

• WRITER’S FULL NAME, in their article “XYZ,” does an excellent job of appealing to their audience through multiple examples and anecdotes, and as a result it is enjoyable to read. However, the article is not fully successful in achieving its stated purpose because WRITER’S LAST NAME’s conclusion does not include any discussion of how their audience could change their behaviors and address the underlying problem of TOPIC.

 

• In ACADEMIC JOURNAL, articles usually follow a clear structure in which a writer explores a social issue, reviews other scholar’s attempts to understand the social issue, and then proposes her own analysis of the issue to propose a new solution. WRITER’S FULL NAME, in her article “XYZ,” does exactly that, and in this paper, I will discuss the most effective aspects of WRITER’S LAST NAME’s work and explain why they are so effective for their particular audience and purpose.

 

• In “XYZ,” WRITER’S FULL NAME is successful at establishing a clear topic and problem that needs a solution, as is consistent with the academic genre in which the article is published. But the article is weighed down by too much information and too many statistics, facts and charts that are presented without enough context and explanation. It is possible that some readers in WRITER’S LAST NAME’s intended audience do not need a lot of context, but context is always vital to be sure that readers understand where the ideas exist in conversation with other writers and disciplines. Thus, WRITER’S LAST NAME is only partly successful in achieving their purpose in this article.

 

Notice that in each example, the main point is not just saying that the article is “good” or “bad.” Instead, these examples serve to begin a complex analysis, and this is what I want to see in your papers. Aside from figuring out your own main point, it is common for students to struggle in deciding how much to summarize the article and where to include the summary. There are essentially two good options: in most cases, you may summarize the article while you in the process of explaining your main point, but you may also begin your paper with two or three paragraphs of summary before launching into an explanation of your main point. Either is fine, and you should choose whichever structure fits best with your analysis and main point.

Format

Your completed paper must be at least five (5) pages long, double-spaced, with one-inch margins and a 12-point font. Quotes and paraphrases from your research sources must be cited in-text and listed at the end using MLA or APA. No additional research or source material is necessary for this assignment, and if you use any additional sources they must be cited. You may write in the first-person (using “I”) and the style of your paper should be formal and academic. That is, you may cite personal experience if it is fully necessary to your rhetorical analysis and main point, but personal digressions and unrelated opinions should not be included.

 

 

Resources

If you would like to discuss ideas and get help on this assignment:

• Ask questions in class or through e-mail.
• Come to office hours.
• Consult with a Temple librarian if you’re having trouble understanding your article’s genre or the writer’s intended audience. Chat and other options are available here:  https://library.temple.edu/contact-us.
• Consult with a tutor from the Writing Center. Appointments and other options are available here: https://studentsuccess.temple.edu/programs/writing/index.html.

 

Assignment for Paper 2: Topic Exploration

 

Description

Explore a topic from unit 2 in a paper intended for an educated but non-specialist audience. You might think of this assignment as the first step in writing a full research paper, but instead of writing the actual paper, you’ll be going through the initial phases (conducting library research and analyzing/organizing your sources).

The first step is to define your topic, write several research questions, and conduct library research to understand what others have said about these questions. In this research, you will also identify evidence you could use to take a position on your topic or identify gaps in the published literature that you or someone else should fill. As you read through your sources, analyze them much like we did in Paper 1 (audience, purpose, genre, and context) and keep track of where your sources are similar and where they are different. When you find sources that speak to one another through citation, wonderful, and these articles may be especially useful to you in understanding the topic and the wider context in which it exists.

Keep in mind that you will need to search for sources multiple times, not just once, because good research is a process in which sources often lead you to new research questions or a series of new sources. There is no limit to the number of research questions you can pursue, though you should be careful not to expand your topic too much. You will likely find that there are at least two categories of sources: sources that make new or innovative arguments about your topic, and sources that fill in the context or review the background that might be relevant to a full study of your topic. Both of these are important kinds of sources, and both should be used in your paper. You may find many more sources than you’ll include in the paper itself, however, and some of the process of library research involves deciding which sources are most important to discuss and which ones are not.

Details

Your paper should be organized as follows (but do not use section headings). Your first section will function as an introduction (1-3 paragraphs): describe your topic, explain your research questions, and discuss the relevance of your topic (why is it important, who might care about it, and how actively are researchers and others writing about it).

Your second section will be a presentation of your research, and you’ll lead us through your sources by summarizing them and explaining how they are part of the scholarly conversation: who is involved, what are they saying, and how do these voices relate to one another? Your analysis of the sources will be particularly helpful in this section.

Your third section will function as an extended conclusion (1-3 paragraphs) in which you imagine the contours of a larger research paper that could be produced from your topic exploration. What are the positions that someone could take in this imaginary research paper, and do any of those positions seem particularly compelling to you? How would this imaginary research paper add to the existing scholarly conversation in your research sources? What additional research would be valuable for this imaginary research paper if time allowed? For example, would more research on adjacent topics be useful, or would you recommend primary research to collect new data, such as surveys, interviews, or observational studies?

Format

Your completed paper must be six to eight (6-8) pages long must incorporate at least six (6) relevant and valid research sources, including one of our course readings in Units 1 or 2. It should be double-spaced, with one-inch margins and a 12-point font. Quotes and paraphrases from your research sources must be cited in-text and listed at the end using MLA or APA. You may write in the first-person (using “I”) and the style of your paper should be formal and academic. While you may describe aspects of your research process from a personal perspective, particularly in the introduction and conclusion, your main purpose in this paper is to present research and explore a topic, not to share stories or offer self-reflections about what did or did not go well.

 

 

Resources

If you would like to discuss ideas and get help on this assignment:

• Ask questions in class or through e-mail.
• Come to office hours.
• Consult with a Temple librarian, particularly if you are having trouble refining your research questions or finding high-quality sources. Chat and other options are available here:  https://library.temple.edu/contact-us.
• Consult with a tutor from the Writing Center. Appointments and other options are available here: https://studentsuccess.temple.edu/programs/writing/index.html.

 

 

 

Assignment for Paper 3: Persuasive Argument

 

Description

Write a paper in which you make a persuasive argument on a topic related to Literacy, our theme for Unit 3. In this paper, you will weave together everything you are learning in English 802: rhetorical analysis, scholarly research in library databases, persuasive writing that incorporates rhetorical strategies, and the use of a writing process involving multiple drafts.

Your first step is to select a topic and engage in a research-based topic exploration (like that of Paper 2). While we will explore possible topics in class, here are a few prompts that might help you get started: 

• Think about the various kinds of literacy (e.g., media, digital, scientific, emotional, financial, cultural, visual), each of which has sparked interesting debates and generated many articles and books. You might stumble on a debate about which you have an arguable position and that might interest you enough to write about in Paper 3.
• Think about your own life so far and the debates in which you’ve participated or witnessed. Do any of those debates continue to interest you, and what aspect of these debates is related to literacy? For instance, if you loved or hated being required to take STEM classes (science, technology, engineering and math) in high school, you could dig into existing debates about the significant investments in STEM education in the US in the last 20-30 years. How effective have these efforts been at improving scientific and numeric literacy? How expensive are these efforts, and should these investments continue, and if so, how? This is just one example of how you can take an experience you’ve had and find an angle that connects it to literacy. Ideally, whatever debate you explore will lead you to a specific and arguable position, and don’t be afraid to narrow your topic quite a bit (i.e., if you explore STEM education, you might need to narrow it much further to STEM classes in New Jersey public high schools with a particular focus on how engineering principles are or are not being taught).
• What debates exist within your major or future career? Read the course catalogs for your major and browse the journals and sites related to your future career to see how people communicate, where there exist problems and concerns, and try to identify areas in which literacy is particularly important. For example, if you are planning to go into the health professions, you could look into the use of electronic health records (such as MyChart) that allow patients easy access to their own medical information but also create significant downsides, such as instances where patients receive traumatic or life-changing health information without proper medical and emotional support, and doctors being overwhelmed by patient emails through electronic portals instead of scheduling office visits. Essentially, these are literacy debates: how much information should be shared, what improvements should be made in the electronic health record industry, and what is the future of electronic health records? This example is specific to one field, but you can use it as a model for a topic or issue in your own areas of interest. Complex and arguable debates about literacy exist in every discipline and career.

 

By exploring your topic widely and reading others’ research and opinions about it, you will eventually come to a clear position of your own, and this position will be the central purpose of your persuasive argument. Keep in mind throughout this process that a good academic position is arguable, meaning that some readers might agree, and others might disagree with you. Paper 3 must not be a recitation of facts and should not be simply a report or summary of existing ideas. Use your research process to figure out what you think and not only to confirm your own ideas or find sources to “prove” that you are right. If your paper uses sources only to cite facts or to “prove” that you are right, it is unlikely to earn a grade higher than C. Stay open-minded and even consider sources that are slightly adjacent to your own topic because a wide-ranging research process is most likely to lead you to an interesting and complex position. The more complex your position, the better, in fact. If you get stuck at any point with a list of research sources and no idea what to do next, look for complexities and places where your sources most agree or are opposed.

Format

Your paper must be six to eight (6-8) pages long and must incorporate at least six (6) relevant and valid research sources, including one of our course readings in Units 2 or 3. Peer-reviewed sources are highly recommended, but if you are writing about recent technological developments, sources written by experts or featuring expert knowledge are fine. Quotes and paraphrases from your research sources must be cited in-text and listed at the end using MLA or APA. You may write in the first-person (using “I”) to make clear how your voice relates to those of your research sources and to strongly assert your argument, but this is not a personal paper, and your style should be formal and academic.

 

 

Resources

If you would like to discuss ideas and get help on this assignment:

• Ask questions in class or through e-mail.
• Come to office hours.
• Consult with a Temple librarian, particularly if you are having trouble refining your research questions or finding high-quality sources. Chat and other options are available here:  https://library.temple.edu/contact-us.
• Consult with a tutor from the Writing Center. Appointments and other options are available here: https://studentsuccess.temple.edu/programs/writing/index.html.

 

 

Assignment for Paper 4: Reflection

 

Description

Write a paper of two to three (2-3) pages in which you present a clear, comprehensive, and candid account of your progress towards our course goals this semester. Your audience is very specific: university faculty who teach in First Year Writing. 

 

If Paper 4 is missing or incomplete in your final portfolio, your portfolio will be incomplete and not eligible for a passing grade even if the other papers are passing (C- or above). This paper may be shorter than the others, but it is no less significant.

 

Format

This paper should not cite any sources other than your own writing, and you must write in the first-person (using “I”). Before you start writing, re-read your own reflective journal responses for each paper, read over my feedback on each of your drafts, and look through the work you’ve submitted on Canvas. If you wish, you may introduce yourself briefly (your major, your educational and career goals, and any challenges you faced in achieving these goals now or in the past). You are also strongly encouraged to use examples in this paper to show readers how you have improved, how you have met course goals, and to share the elements of your work about which you feel most proud. Examples can take many forms, including quoting from your own papers or reflective responses, describing your writing process in detail, and referring to places in your final portfolio where we might see improvement most clearly.

 

While I always enjoy hearing positive feedback on my work as an instructor, this paper should not be used for that purpose. Your feedback and compliments will be much more effective if you put them on your Student Feedback Forms because SFFs are anonymous and completely disconnected from the grading process.

 

Process

I will only provide feedback on your draft of Paper 4 if it is seriously off-track; if you do not receive feedback on it within a few days, you may feel assured that your paper is heading in the right direction and is at least in the C range. Revise this paper as many times as possible before putting it into your final portfolio.

Resources

To discuss ideas and get help on this assignment:

• Ask questions in class or through e-mail.
• Come to office hours or bring your draft to an optional conference.
• Consult with a tutor from the Writing Center. Appointments and other options are available here: https://studentsuccess.temple.edu/programs/writing/index.html.

 

To discuss ideas and get help on this assignment:

• Ask questions in class or through e-mail.
• Come to office hours or bring your draft to an optional conference.
• Consult with a tutor from the Writing Center. Appointments and other options are available here: https://studentsuccess.temple.edu/programs/writing/index.html.