Course Syllabus

ENGL 131: English Composition: Exposition

5 UW credits / 1.0 High School credit

Raisbeck Aviation High School

Semester 1: September 1, 2022 - January 26, 2023

Periods 2-3-4

 

Instructor: Brad Thew, M.Ed.,NBCT

Email: brad.thew@highlineschools.org

Course Description

In this writing course, students work closely with their peers and instructor to develop a portfolio that reflects an ability to write papers with complex claims that matter in academic contexts. Students' diverse language resources, knowledge, and goals are centered and provide a starting point as they learn to engage in writing, reading, research, and rhetorical skills to compose ethically, critically, and impactfully across different contexts, audiences, and genres both within and beyond the university. The readings in this class focus on academic discourse from various disciplines.

Course Materials

• writer/thinker/maker: Approaches to Composition, Rhetoric, and Research at the University of Washington. 
• Additional readings provided by the instructor

Course Learning Goals

The course is designed to facilitate your development of critical academic writing skills to help you become a successful writer in any discipline. We will focus on vital traits of “good writing.” Using a framework known as The Outcomes, we will practice creative, cohesive, complex, and conscientious writing. There are four outcomes:

• One - To compose strategically for a variety of audiences and contexts, both within and outside the university. 
• Two - To work strategically with complex information in order to generate and support inquiry. 
• Three - To craft persuasive, complex, inquiry-driven arguments that matter. 
• Four - To practice composing as a recursive, collaborative process and to develop flexible strategies for revising throughout the composition process.

We will investigate ideas that reflect personal and public investment. We will acknowledge the stakes (the “so what?”) involved in our readings and own writings. The course will emphasize that there is not one correct formula for writing; with that in mind, we will learn how to connect with the audiences authentically.

This is a writing-intensive course, and you will be writing every week. Given that writing is a continual process and arguably never complete, you will constantly be writing, sharing your writing with your peers, and extensively revising your work throughout the semester. This means re-visiting your entire piece and not just fixing grammatical errors. Writing is collaborative, and learning from peers is often one of your most significant resources. You will be asked to reflect on your writing. In addition to the fully listed outcomes at the end of the syllabus, you can find more information on the UW Expository Writing Program Outcomes at: https://english.washington.edu/ewp-course-outcomes-100-level-courses. 

Portfolio and Course Structure

In this course, you will complete two major assignment sequences designed to scaffold the skills necessary to fulfill the course outcomes. Each sequence requires the completion of a variety of shorter written assignments (2-4 pages), each of which targets one or more of the course outcomes. These shorter assignments will help you practice the outcomes and build to the major paper (6-10 pages) at the end of the sequence. You will have the opportunity to significantly revise each major paper using feedback from instructor comments, peer review sessions, and writing conferences. 

Toward the end of the course, having completed the two sequences, you will compile and submit a portfolio of all your work along with a critical reflection. The portfolio will include the following: one of the two major papers, three to five of the shorter assignments, and a critical reflection that explains how the selected portfolio demonstrates the four outcomes for the course. In addition to the materials you select as the basis for your portfolio grade, your portfolio must include all of the sequence-related writing you were assigned in the course (both major papers and all the shorter assignments from both sequences). The grade for complete portfolios will be based on the extent to which the pieces you select demonstrate the course outcomes. You must keep all drafts of all writing assignments. Additionally, retain all peer responses and notes from instructor comments and conferences. The portfolio will be worth 70% of your final grade.

While I will have great sympathy for you if your hard drive crashes, I will not accept it as an excuse not to have previous drafts. I strongly recommend a cloud-based storage option for your work, such as Google Docs. 

Participation

Coursework in the Synergy grade book is used throughout the semester for progress reporting, comprising 30% of your final grade. Your coursework grade is determined by the following:

• Submitted drafts of short assignments and major papers
• Portfolio completion steps
• Participation in Writer’s Conferences. These conferences will typically happen before the two major papers are due and are to discuss your ideas and concerns for the project and any other concerns you may have. Remember, these are mandatory and will benefit your paper's development and overall progress.

 

Grading Standards

• Course Work (30%)
• Portfolio (70%)
• Highline School District grades are the combined grades from both Course Work and Portfolio, listed as a Letter grade, with no plus or minus indicator per district policy.  
• University of Washington grades are the combined grades from both levels, listed as a grade point (0.0 - 4.0), with plus or minus variations per university policy. Students must receive a 2.0 to earn the UW Composition credit.

Course Policies

• Attendance - Please see the Raisbeck Aviation High School Student Handbook. Students must attend 80% of all course sessions to earn UWHS credit. 
• Late Work - In keeping with the university procedure, major papers must arrive on the assigned date, even if you leave school that day. I will not give feedback on late assignments; this includes essays that are turned in late for peer review. (If you do not have a complete draft peer-reviewed before it is turned in to me, it is considered late, and I will not read it). This means you will not receive crucial suggestions to improve your work for the portfolio. You will be responsible for seeking feedback from an adult with writing experience. I understand that on some rare occasions, legitimate and compelling reasons (an illness or death in the family) prevent people from turning in assignments on time. In such instances, please contact me immediately so we can devise an alternative plan. Late work will receive a reduced score in the grade book. 
• Completing Missed Work - Since this course is based on a portfolio system that requires all of your work from the semester, you are required to complete every assignment, even after the due date. Partially completed assignments or assignments that do not show a thoughtful process will lead to an “Incomplete” portfolio.
• Make-up Work - If you miss class, you’re responsible for ascertaining what happened during your absence by checking Canvas as well as turning in any assignment work within a comparable amount of time. 

About UW in the High School (UWHS)

Since 1981, through UW in the High School (UWHS), the University of Washington has partnered with high schools across Washington state to offer UW courses for UW credit in the high school classroom. Courses are official UW courses, taught by the high school’s own teachers, who have been approved and trained by UW faculty. Students in the UW course have the option to register to earn UW credit and will receive from the teacher a UWHS registration form and fact sheet, with all registration details and the deadline. https://www.uwhs.uw.edu/

UW Academic Honesty Policy

Students registered for UW credit through UWHS are expected to adhere to the University's standards of academic honesty. This requires that students clarify assignments and procedures with their teachers, study diligently and seek help when they need it. Any suspected misconduct will be determined in collaboration with the appropriate UW academic unit and high school.

UW Disability Accommodations

For students registering for UW credit, any accommodations approved at your high school must also be approved for your UW courses by UW Disability Services Office. They can be contacted at dso@uw.edu, 206-543-6450 (voice) or 206-685-7264 (fax). Students, parents, or school staff can submit documentation (504 plan, IEP, or similar, as well as supporting documentation that outlines the diagnosis from an appropriate professional). The email/fax should also include the name and contact information for the most appropriate high school administrator (e.g., teacher, counselor, etc.).  Once the DSO staff has reviewed and approved the documentation, they will include the administrator in their confirmation email.

UW Grades

You will earn both a high school grade and a UW grade for the course. The UW grade you receive will follow UW grade policies and might be different from the high school grade. Your final UW grade is recorded on your UW transcript, which is an official record of your UW coursework, grades, and credits. After the course is over, the teacher submits the UW grades to UW. Until that time, your UW transcript will show the UW course along with the grade of “X,” which is a placeholder until the final UW grade is recorded. To confirm your UW grade, you can view your grades online through MyUW (which requires you to set up your UW NetID), order an official UW transcript, or ask your teacher. Grades cannot be mailed or provided over the phone.

Learning Outcomes for English 111 / 131

This course is designed around a set of learning outcomes that focus on foundational and transferable writing, reading, research, and rhetorical capacities and skills for composing ethically, critically, and impactfully across different contexts, audiences, and genres within and beyond the university.

Outcome 1: To compose strategically for a variety of audiences and contexts, both within and outside the university, by

• recognizing how different elements of a rhetorical situation matter for the task at hand and affect the options for composing and distributing texts;
• coordinating, negotiating, and experimenting with various aspects of composing—such as genre, content, conventions, style, language, organization, appeals, media, timing, and design—for diverse rhetorical effects tailored to the given audience, purpose, and situation; and
• assessing and articulating the rationale for and effects of composing choices.

 

Outcome 2: To work strategically with complex information in order to generate and support inquiry by

• reading, analyzing, and synthesizing a diverse range of texts and understanding the situations in which those texts are participating;
• using reading and writing strategies to craft research questions that explore and respond to complex ideas and situations;
• gathering, evaluating, and making purposeful use of primary and secondary materials appropriate for the writing goals, audience, genre, and context;
• creating a ‘conversation’—identifying and engaging with meaningful patterns across ideas, texts, experiences, and situations; and
• using citation styles appropriate for the genre and context.

 

Outcome 3: To craft persuasive, complex, inquiry-driven arguments that matter by

• considering, incorporating, and responding to different points of view while developing one’s own position;
• engaging in analysis—the close scrutiny and examination of evidence, claims, and assumptions—to explore and support a line of inquiry;
• understanding and accounting for the stakes and consequences of various arguments for diverse audiences and within ongoing conversations and contexts; and
• designing/organizing with respect to the demands of the genre, situation, audience, and purpose.

 

Outcome 4: To practice composing as a recursive, collaborative process and to develop flexible strategies for revising throughout the composition process by

• engaging in a variety of (re)visioning techniques, including (re)brainstorming, (re)drafting, (re)reading, (re)writing, (re)thinking, and editing;
• giving, receiving, interpreting, and incorporating constructive feedback; and
• refining and nuancing composition choices for delivery to intended audiences in a manner consonant with the genre, situation, and desired rhetorical effects and meanings.