Graft/English 204W08 SE 117
Section 04: T/Th 8:30-9:50
Section 01: 10:00 - 11:20
VSpace.svsu.edu
GREAT LAKES WRITERS SYLLAWEB
ENGLISH 204 Sections 1& 4
Instructor: Lynne Graft
Science East 167 - Phone: (989) 964.4030
lrgraft@svsu.edu
Office Hours: 11:30 - 12:30 M/W, T/Th
or online or by appointment
revised 09 January 09
THIS DOCUMENT SERVES AS A BASIS OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN US
Required Texts and Supplies
General Education Category 1 (Literature) Main Student Objective
This Category 1 course will thus:
Course Description
Great Lakes Writers is a computer-mediated course which has been collaboratively designed by Ruth Sawyers and Lynne Graft. You will sometimes be interacting with students from 2 separate sections taught by both Instructors. The course will increase your ability to appreciate and understand works of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction written by writers influenced by the culture of the Great Lakes region. We will study writers and works that are easily recognized and familiar and others not as well known. You may not always agree with an editor's or critic's assessment or with your instructors', but you should, nonetheless, come away from the course with a body of knowledge which will enable you to examine a work of literature and develop an adequate understanding of it on your own. You will learn the importance of critical theory and the role various critical stances play in interpretation of literature. This may be a slow process for some, at first, but your success will be greatly enhanced by regular attendance and thorough, close reading (not skimming) of the materials assigned. And of course your great attitude will help tremendously!
The class is not a lecture class. Rather, it is a writing-intensive, response-based exploration and sharing of ideas revolving around the study of literature. It is your responsibility to come to class having read (as opposed to "skimmed") your assignments and formed preliminary opinions about them. Together we will explore, expand upon, and revise those opinions. You do not have to agree with your instructor, the critics, or your classmates, but you must provide support for your own opinions. Fair enough? You will learn to do this and may be amazed before long that you read differently, with greater insight than you did in the past.
*If you have a reading comprehension problem or read slowly, you must build extra time into your study schedule to adequately read the material. Even very adept readers need to read literature several times, annotating their texts and taking notes.
Required Presentations/Performances
SVSU will be hosting several visiting writers who will be visiting our classes and also giving public presentations and performances at SVSU. Some of these will be held in the Rhea Miller Theater and some in the Allen Reading Room in Zahnow Library. You will need to make arrangements as soon as dates are provided to us to be free to attend two of these presentations. This required fieldwork is accompanied by points in the Assignments category of your evaluation. These course requirements are spelled out early and clearly so that you can do that. If you are unable to do so, you should not enroll in this section of 204.
Great Lakes Writers has a heavy emphasis on interactivity and sharing of ideas, and is designed with an electronic component, the Web-based course management program, VSpace. VSpace is a place on the web where you can find out about assignments, announcements, and where you can turn in assignments electronically. Blackboard also offers us the ability to hold online group discussions and create dialogic journals. Your computer screen will reveal that you are enrolled in two GLW VSpace meeting places; you will conduct your journal in your VSpace section with a group that you will be with all semester. You will use the META Section for your Journal and any activities for which we merge both sections. You will use your own section's (#1) VSpace for assignments and other course documents pertaining to our class. You will find online discussion to be enlightening, liberating, and fun. The Journal is an extremely important part of the course (20%). Because the program is Web-based, you can access your journal from anywhere you have computer access, at school or from home. You will receive hands-on instruction in using Blackboard in a class session devoted to that. Although not a Category 10 Course, by decision of the English Department this course is writing intensive. In accordance with the GenEd requirements for Category I, it is also communication-intensive and interactive, but not a Category 9 course. If you are looking for a lecture course where you do nothing more than sit back and take notes or watch Power Point, you should look for a different section of GenEd. right away.
VSpace Dialogue Journal
The Journal is required; it is not an option. A person who chooses not to post timely required entries will receive no more than a D in the course. Specific guidelines for entries will be placed in your e-mail inbox and in Blackboard under Course Documents. In the journal you should discuss with your group your thoughts about the assigned readings, and also record new information you might have been inquisitive enough to seek out on your own. You should make an effort to dialogue with not at your group members, and call them by name. You may respond in the journal to controversies that arise in class discussion. You may take issue with the instructors, with an author, playwright, poet, or with a classmate. Occasionally, you may even try creating your own literature: an essay, editorial, poem, play, whatever, providing the attempt is honest and not just filler. Make observations, ask questions, wax philosophical. Hopefully, this literature we study is going to make you THINK, and the journal will become a record of the level of your thinking. Because it is weighted as 20% of your grade, it can raise or lower your grade considerably, depending on its quality and evidence of effort.
Look upon lab time as you would library time. You must build time for it into your schedule. This may require you to make extra trips to campus that you had not planned on, but this is an aspect of the university experience that you cannot avoid, the difference between a degree and a certificate. Planning a schedule which allows you time only to attend class is extremely unrealistic and ill-advised.
We will sometimes make specific journal assignments; more often we will give you broad areas of thought for discussion. Your self-discipline is required in order that you build lab or home computer time into your schedule to participate in group dialogue and post a 150 word entry twice each week. Entries must be timely and well-spaced, not written two at the same time. Your first entry must be posted by 10:00 Wednesday evenings and a second entry must be posted before 10:00 on Saturday day night. It is at that time that we record all responses for the week. However, you may post your second entry any time after Wednesday at 10 p.m. or when all members have posted their first entries, whichever occurs first. Conceivably, your entire group could be through with the Journal for the week at some time after 10:00 on Wednesday. It is never true that students have to write on the weekend, it is simply an option for those who can't/don't do it earlier. Entries do not carry over from week to week. A week with no contribution is a lost week.
Be aware now, at the beginning of the course, of this required on-line component which is an integral part of the course and which becomes your responsibility. To fault the course or the instructor later because you have difficulty getting to a lab or securing computer access would be unwarranted. This is a choice you make when you take this course. Make the decision now to accept or decline the opportunity that online participation affords you rather than to complain at the end of the semester or anytime you have procrastinated or fallen behind, that the requirement was too much for you. Invariably, by the end of the semester, students have become aware of how online discussion has expanded their knowledge and enjoyment of the course :-)
Attendance
Obviously, if you are not in class, you are not participating and will be graded accordingly. More than two absences in the semester will hurt your grade, and if you miss four times, you should expect to fail the course. You alone are responsible for obtaining missed assignments and class notes; therefore, it is wise to keep in close contact with your Journal group members from whom you should get any missed assignment. I do not take class time or write email messages to re-assign work explained in class. You are, however, very welcome to come to office hours. In-class writings or quizzes are exercises in spontaneous writing or inquiries about assigned readings, and therefore cannot be made up.
Please be on time. Late entries are disruptive and distracting to your classmates and put you at a disadvantage since class begins with the direction for the day's work and with collaborative activity that works best if you are there from the beginning. If parking is a problem, build that into your schedule so that you make it to class on time. Likewise, if you are addicted to Starbuck's, build that into your schedule too, since long lines exist there before each section of this class.
Evaluation
You will have a creative writing short story sequel (10 %), an essay midterm and final (10 % each), and an online, dialogic journal (20 %), various responses to assigned readings: quizzes, homework, class contributions (20%), in-class assignments both individual and in groups (20%), a Mitch Albom assignment (5%), and a Roethke assignment (5%). This course is not mandated a Category 9 communication-intensive course by the General Education Committee. However, all GenEd courses require oral communication as a component. Therefore, your oral contributions to class discussions and group work are very important. If you never open your mouth to speak, you can hardly make a positive impression :-) The wide variety of assignments planned for you assure you opportunities to engage with the literature and also enable you and your instructor to assess the depth of your understanding and the maturity of your insights. You will be expected to observe the conventions of acceptable mechanics and usage. This includes adherence to MLA guidelines and correct spelling! As a college student, you have been admitted to an academic community and must learn to express yourself in the language of that community. The prerequisite for this class is completion of all Basic Skills courses (reading, writing, and math) with a grade of P in addition to a grade of C in English 111, its equivalent, or a waiver.
Late papers are not an option. For practical purposes, due dates must be strictly adhered to. Papers and projects/assignments are announced well in advance and may not be handed in late for a lowered grade. Papers not turned in on time are not read and receive a grade of 0. If you are having difficulty of any kind and anticipate that you cannot make a deadline, see me in advance of the due date to determine if an extension can be granted. This cannot occur except in an emergency situation. This is in reference to death, earthquake, plague, etc., not over-sleeping, all night fights with girlfriend/boyfriend, sudden onset of pneumonia, writer's block, etc.
If something is due and you cannot be in class to turn it in, you must somehow get it to second floor Science East and deliver it personally to the Faculty Secretary, Cathy Smith. Your paper will then be stamped with date and time and put in the appropriate office on the first floor. Your other option is to mail the paper to your instructor, making sure it is postmarked in a post office (not via personal postage meter) on or before the due date. Do not slide any major paper under our door. We accept no responsibility for such papers; too many have access to the hallway, the floor, and our desks. Though it may appear that we do, we do not have an English Faculty Secretary on 1st floor SE. The person you see there works for Technical Publications.
Another option for turning in a paper on time is to deposit it in the Digital Drop Box of our VSpace site. If you deposit something there, be sure to tell me you have done so. Do not attempt this with only minutes to spare if you have never done it. The time of deposit is automatically recorded. The instructor assumes no responsibility for a paper deposited that does not arrive. If the paper is deposited correctly, it will record as such in VSpace. A lab assistant can help you complete this task if you do not know how. Anything sent to the DDB must be saved as an RTF (rich text format) document. This method of saving [SAVE AS] ensures that papers created on one computer can be opened and read by another. Never save anything as Works. No computer on campus will be able to open it.
PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism is academic theft - the use of someone else's words or ideas without proper acknowledgement of the source. It sometimes occurs unintentionally on the part of the student, though most students arrive at college already having been taught how to avoid plagiarism. No plagiarism will be tolerated by either instructor in Great Lakes Writers. Even when unintentional, the act of plagiarism has serious consequences including course failure. The SVSU stance on plagiarism can be found in the Student Handbook and is printed for you below.
SVSU PLAGIARISM POLICY
Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism/Cheating Policy: The official school policy, as stated in the Code of Student Conduct, is as follows:
1.8.1 No student shall cheat, plagiarize or facilitate academic dishonesty by another student. Students are responsible for completing all kinds of assigned academic work without unauthorized aid of any kind.
1.8.2 The imposition of regular disciplinary penalties does not preclude an academic penalty imposed by an instructor. If a failing grade in a course is given for academic dishonesty, the Coordinator of Student Conduct will be notified in writing by the instructor or academic dean.
If this Syllaweb seems a bit heavy handed and authoritarian, please understand that we all need guidelines in order to function effectively. As reforming procrastinators ourselves, we tend to build a course with that type of student in mind. You should regard the class as a non-threatening, informal and fun place to be. The classroom is a democratic place and all opinions are respected and valued. It is our hope that you will feel an integral, contributing member of the group and have quite a good time in the process. We hope, too, that you emerge a more critical reader and thinker for having taken the course. The class requires considerable time and effort and a serious work ethic, but your new analytical skills and appreciation of literature will remain with you and make it all worth the effort.
Great Lakes Writers will amaze you as you experience the importance place and landscape in Great Lakes literature. You will leave this class with a genuine appreciation of literature, but also with a substantial reading list of authors and works you'd like to pursue in the future. What is really exciting is that the course changes each time we teach it as we, together, discover the wealth of writers in the Great Lakes region of the country
N.B. : Any student with a disability that may restrict her or his full participation in course activities is encouraged to meet with me during the first week of the semester or contact the SVSU Office of Disability Services, Wickes 145, for assistance.
SYLLAWEB ACTIVITIES and READING SCHEDULE
Great Lakes Writers - English 204
revised 09 January 2009
There is a certain amount of flex built into this schedule which may not be apparent to you but is to us. From time to time we may be off our schedule. KEEP YOUR READING UP-TO-DATE IF THIS HAPPENS so you are not behind when we miraculously get caught up!
| Week 1 |
Introduce texts, syllabus, policies, procedures. Discuss Blackboard: group participation, electronic journal, online behaviors and obligations; course description, writing sample |
| Thursday |
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| Week 2 |
Hemingway as representative of Modernism; background information and Michigan connection Who was Nick Adams? Discussion of and activities with Part I of Nick Adams Stories Read: Garrison Keilor's "The Runway" handout |
| Thursday |
Write: Card Report for “The Battler.” |
| Week 3 |
Card Report due - "The Battler."
Write: Card Reports due 5 February: “Now I Lay Me,” “A Way You’ll Never Be.” |
| Thursday |
Continued discussion and group work with readings Annotate, take notes! Keep track of characters and their types! How are Oates and Hemingway different? Similar? |
| Week 4 |
Card Reports due: “Now I Lay Me,” “A Way You’ll Never Be.” Read: Part IV, A Soldier Home:
Assign: Short Story Sequel to create Marjorie and Nick Trilogy |
| Thursday |
Finish Hemingway Video |
| Week 5 |
Them, Part One - Card Report Due, Discussion and writing What is Post-Modern? What makes Oates contemporary? What is “The American Dream”? Read: Them, Part 2 and Write: Card Report by 21 Feb. |
| Thursday |
Show Malcolm X documentary Read: Write: |
| Week 6 |
Short Story Sequel due Michael Moore's Roger and Me Begin thinking about the 60s, civil rights, the "American Dream." Join Michael Moore listserv |
| Thursday |
Card Report due, Part 2 of Them Video: Michael Moore's Roger and Me, conclusion Write: Part 3 Card Report, due 28 Feb. |
| Week 7 |
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| Thursday |
Them, part 3 - Card Report due Read: Begin now, to be finished by end of break. Annotate your text! |
| Week 8 |
Quiz, Winona's Web M. Moore
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| Thursday |
Discuss Cogan, Winona's Web Read:
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| Week 9 |
SPRING BREAK !! HAVE FUN AND KEEP READING |
| Thursday |
SPRING BREAK CONTINUES |
| Week 10 |
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| Thursday |
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| Week 11 |
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| Thursday |
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| Week 12 |
In-class writing on The Lake, the River, and the other Lake Read: Jim Harrison's "The Summer He Didn't Die" and "Republican Wives" Write: Card Reports on Harrison, due 10 April
|
| Thursday |
Character Analysis due |
| Week 13 |
Discuss Roethke Write: Reflections on Albom's memoir
|
| Thursday |
Discuss Albom 's various writing genres Card Reports due - "The Summer He Didn't Die" "Republican Wives" |
| Week 14 |
No Class Scheduled in lieu of Field Trip |
| Thursday |
No Class Scheduled in lieu of Field Trip
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| Week 15 |
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| Thursday |
Flex |
| Week 16 |
FINAL EXAM WEEK - Class meets Tuesday only. |