101 Syllabus, Goleman, Spring 05

Required Texts: Brothers and Keepers, John Edgar Wideman

                         Writer's Reference, Diane Hacker

                         

Course Handouts ($1): “To See and Not See,” Oliver Sacks

                                      Introduction to Strong Reading and Writing, Bartholomae & Petrosky

Materials: Folder for holding all class assignments and paper

 

Course Introduction to English 101

        Welcome to English 101.  This is a course in critical reading and writing which will help you to develop an active and authoritative relationship to college texts and assignments.  Our course will emphasize your role as an interpreter of what you read; I will help you to consider where your interpretations come from, and how they might be expanded, intensified or challenged.  Similarly, we will look at the course readings as acts of interpretation which you as a critical reader can consider in terms of where they come from, and how they might be expanded or challenged.  In other words, in this course, we will think of reading and writing as activities that bring us into conversation with interesting authors who have strong perspectives and rigorous writing styles.  Over a semester of reading, writing and discussing these authors' works, and your responses to them, you will develop your own portfolio of essays which I expect will also contain strong perspectives and rigorous writing styles.  Our process will be focused and steady, but not back-breaking.  My goal is to show you ways of making sense of college reading by becoming deeply engaged with it through writing. As a result, the work you have to do in college can become less of a chore and more of a chance to explore the ideas of others and to create ideas of your own.        

 

Course Description

       This course will involve two sequences of related reading and writing assignments. In the first sequence, we will read and write about the complex and unexpected effects of regaining one’s vision after a lifetime of blindness in “To See and Not See” by Oliver Sacks.  In the second sequence, we will read Brothers and Keepers by John Edgar Wideman.  In the chapter, “Our Time” from this family memoir, Wideman tries to figure out where, when and how his brother’s troubles with the law began and what his own place in this story is. Wideman finds no simple answers:

You never know exactly when something begins. The more you delve and backtrack and think, the more clear it becomes that nothing has a discrete, independent history; people and events take shape not in orderly, chronological sequence but in relation to other forces and events . . . that after all could produce only one result: what is. (19)

 

       This moment in Wideman’s essay could be called a model for our course.  Just as he uses writing  to challenge and complicate his starting ideas, so too  you will have the chance, over and over again, to complicate your own points of view through conversation with yourself, the course readings and student papers.  Be assured that our work with each other's papers will be analytical and supportive--never harsh or condescending. Some assignments will address early stages of the composing process (note-taking, marking, list-making, clustering); other assignments will address the later stages of sustained, logical thought.  Whether letter-graded or checked, every assignment counts toward your final grade . 

 

Grading

Each assignment should be done in sequence and none should be skipped. Your final grade will involve a review of the totality of your work. To qualify for an A or B in the course, you must have successfully completed no less than 80% of all the work: graded papers, homework, class work.  Students who do not successfully complete at least 60% of the course will not pass, regardless of their grades.. Class participation will count as one paper grade. You are expected to come to class with all necessary materials, ready to contribute to class work and discussion. If you are very shy and have difficulty talking in class, we can discuss ways to compensate. Everyone should aim for an A in class participation; it only means doing your fair share to keep the course running. In the name of active and engaged education, we have composed the following list of requirements and procedures.

 

 

Course Requirements and Procedures

 

1. You must come to class regularly and on time.  Any student with 6 or more absences should not expect to pass the course.  If you develop a chronic pattern of lateness, I reserve the right to convert tardies to absences (3:1) and even to deny entry to class.

2. All assignments must be handed in on time.  More than 2 late assignments will significantly lower your final grade.  I will accept 1 late paper, no questions asked.

3. No paper will be accepted more than a week late--except for emergencies where I can make exceptions.

4. Assignments handed in on time can be revised for a new grade.

5. Number your pages and connect them with a staple or paper clip. 

6. If you miss class, get the assignment from Goleman's mailbox in the Main Office of the English Department, Wheatley, 6th floor, or email me for an attachment.

7. Keep your assignments in a folder; save drafts.

8. Come to class with your book and assignment, ready to work.

9. All graded papers should be typed and proofread.  You can correct errors on a final draft with a pen. Word processing lessons are available in Healey Library, upper level, room 015 (HL-UL-015).

10. If you don’t already have an email account, you should open one (UMass offers them free.)

11. If you have a disability and feel you will need accommodations in order to complete course requirements, please contact the Ross Center for Disability Services at 617-287-7430. (For more information on the services listed in #9, 10, 11, go to: www.english.umb.edu/freshman

Click “Students” and you will find a menu of services fully explained as well as program course descriptions.)

 

Finally, as your instructors, Mark and I are looking forward to working with you.  Whether in conference, in class, or in the margins of your papers, we will try to be both supportive and challenging.  Our goal is to help you get closer to the meaning you are trying to make and not to some pre-formed answer in our own heads.  We are interested in helping you to say what you want to say within the context of your assignments and with great respect for your point of view.  You are welcome to come and see us, to talk over any matter, large or small, that may have an impact on your learning.  We can also be reached by email.  Your success is our greatest concern. We have designed the course to make success possible.  Remember that good communication between us can smooth the bumps that sometimes occur in a term and prevent them from becoming obstacles.