Introduction to College Writing

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Call for Student Papers for 6th Annual SBCC Student Conference

I thought some of you might find the topic of this year's Student Conference interesting. Possible topic for your research paper?

6th Annual SBCC Student Conference

Mirroring Faith, Mirroring Science: Reflections
on the Structures That Shape Our World

Friday,
April 24, 2009

11:30-2:30 BC Forum
FREE
LUNCH at 11:30

Please note that all SBCC Student Conference topics are intentionally
broad.

We want as many students as possible to be able to say something about
the topic.

The ideas below, then, are simply an opening salvo of possibilities.
If you or your student have another idea, so much the better. Please
feel free to contact me if you have any questions:


Short films showing faith and/or/vs. science in action.

Student composed music that somehow encapsulates faith or science, or
that alternates between the two.

The art of faith (paintings, in particular) is much deeper than that of
science: why?

In what way is/isn't faith the same as religion?

What is the role of judgment in both faith and science?

Both faith and science depend on theorizing that which cannot be proven
(yet): why are we so willing to allow this for science but not for
faith?

At what point is a social science a science, and how do or don't they
speak to the issues of faith? Why?

Who are the New Atheists, and why should we care?

Many religions explicitly state that theirs is the way to God. How,
then, can religions co-exist while still adhering to this tenent?

Must faith and science be opposed?

How do we inhabit the shadowy realm in which faith and science overlap?

Is the battle between faith and science (is there a battle?) a
necessary, useful tension within our society?

Science as Savior: examine science fiction and futuristic work.

Receeding Christiantiy: why are some religions admired, and other
receed in popularity?

Examining the faith-full: how do people of various strong religious
beliefs function in secular America?

Scientific Prophecy: what counts as proof to the lay public in certain
scientific debates, such as global warming?

What do you think the role of religion should be in 21st century
America? Why?

Are new sciences, such as nano technology, blending the bounaries
between faith and science?

Historically, what has been the role of God?

Compare religions on the inerrancy of key texts and examine the
consequences of that inerrancy.

Cult v. Religions v. New Religions: How do new religions emerge?
When--and can--a cult become a religion?

Expressions of faith: the response of the arts to the movement of
faith.

And so on--please encourage your students to be as creative as possible.
Papers should run about 5-6 pages--so in some ways they are an overview
to some of the more substantive topics suggested here.
Submission deadline: Thursday, April 9 at 5:00 pm. IDC 311.
Electronic submission to Prossor@sbcc.edu

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Interesting Article from Washington Post. What is your take?

Where Is Our Radical Youth?

By Ron Charles
Sunday, March 8, 2009; B01

In 1969, when Alice Echols went to college, everybody she knew was reading "Soul on Ice," Eldridge Cleaver's new collection of essays. For Echols, who now teaches a course on the '60s at the University of Southern California, that psychedelic time was filled with "The Autobiography of Malcolm X," "The Golden Notebook," the poetry of Sylvia Plath and the erotic diaries of Anaïs Nin.

Forty years later, on today's college campuses, you're more likely to hear a werewolf howl than Allen Ginsberg, and Nin's transgressive sexuality has been replaced by the fervent chastity of Bella Swan, the teenage heroine of Stephenie Meyer's modern gothic "Twilight" series. It's as though somebody stole Abbie Hoffman's book -- and a whole generation of radical lit along with it.

Last year Meyer sold more books than any other author -- 22 million -- and those copies weren't all bought by middle-schoolers. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the best-selling titles on college campuses are mostly about hunky vampires or Barack Obama. Recently, Meyer and the president held six of the 10 top spots. In January, the most subversive book on the college bestseller list was "Our Dumb World," a collection of gags from the Onion. The top title in January was "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" by J.K. Rowling. Their favorite nonfiction book was Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers" about what makes successful individuals. And the only title that stakes a claim as a real novel for adults was Khaled Hosseini's "A Thousand Splendid Suns," the choice of a million splendid book clubs.

Here we have a generation of young adults away from home for the first time, free to enjoy the most experimental period of their lives, yet they're choosing books like 13-year-old girls -- or their parents. The only specter haunting the groves of American academe seems to be suburban contentment.

Where are the Germaine Greers, the Jerry Rubins, the Hunter Thompsons, the Richard Brautigans -- those challenging, annoying, offensive, sometimes silly, always polemic authors whom young people used to adore to their parents' dismay? Hoffman's manual of disruption and discontent -- "Steal This Book" -- sold more than a quarter of a million copies when it appeared in 1971 and then jumped onto the paperback bestseller list. Even in the conservative 1950s, when Hemingway's plane went down in Uganda, students wore black armbands till news came that the bad-boy novelist had survived. Could any author of fiction that has not inspired a set of Happy Meal toys elicit such collegiate mourning today? Could a radical book that speaks to young people ever rise up again if -- to rip-off LSD aficionado Timothy Leary -- they've turned on the computer, tuned in the iPod and dropped out of serious literature?

Nicholas DiSabatino, a senior English major at Kent State, is co-editor of the university's literary magazine, Luna Negra. As a campus tour guide, he used to point out where the National Guard shot students during the May 1970 riot. But the only activism he can recall lately involved anti-abortion protesters and some old men passing out Gideon Bibles. "People think we're really liberal," he says, "but we're really very moderate." Submissions to the lit mag so far this year are mostly poetry and some memoirs about parents. "The one book that I know everyone has read," he says, "is 'I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell.' " So, no uprising unless the bars close early.

Perhaps this shouldn't surprise us. A new survey of the attitudes of American college students published by the University of California at Los Angeles found that two-thirds of the freshmen identify themselves as "middle of the road" or "conservative." Such people aren't likely to stay up late at night arguing about Mary Daly's "Gyn/Ecology" or even Robert Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance."

Professor Eric Williamson -- a card-carrying liberal in full tweed glory -- argues that "the entire culture has become narcotized." An English teacher at the University of Texas-Pan American, he places the blame for students' dim reading squarely on the unfettered expansion of capitalism. "I have stood before classes," he tells me, "and seen the students snicker when I said that Melville died poor because he couldn't sell books. 'Then why are we reading him if he wasn't popular?' " Today's graduate students were born when Ronald Reagan was elected, and their literary values, he claims, reflect our market economy. "There is nary a student in the classroom -- and this goes for English majors, too -- who wouldn't pronounce Stephen King a better author than Donald Barthelme or William Vollmann. The students do not have any shame about reading inferior texts."

Roger Kimball, editor and publisher of the New Criterion, marches in the other direction -- he has no complaints about the market economy -- but he arrives at the same dismal appraisal of the academic culture. Universities and colleges "enforce an intellectually stultifying, politically correct atmosphere that pretends to diversity," he complains. "One of the results of this is a notable uptick in superficiality and a notable uptick in the anesthetizing of that native curiosity that was once a prominent feature of the adolescent mind."

I want to start humming that classic middle-age rant from "Bye Bye Birdie": "Why can't they be like we were,/Perfect in every way?/What's the matter with kids today?"

But maybe young people's reading choices reflect our desire to keep them young. David Farber, author of "The Sixties Chronicle," says that the way Americans think about the age of maturity has shifted considerably. "There's much more an emphasis now on kids thinking of themselves as kids, even into their early to mid-20s," he says. "But in the '60s, they thought of themselves as agents of historical change. The sit-ins, the civil rights movement, the possibility of being drafted focused the mind. The contagion of protest made everyone think of themselves as possible demonstrators."

That spirit is still alive and well, even if it's not reflected in their favorite book titles, according to Mike Connery, who writes about progressive youth politics for the Web site Future Majority. He doesn't see a generation of vampire-loving boneheads. "Young people today express their politics in very different ways than they did in the '60s, '70s and '80s," he says. Yes, they love Meyer's "Twilight" series -- even his fiancee is "obsessed" with it -- but that's just for escape. "People don't necessarily read their politics nowadays. They get it through YouTube and blogs and social networks. I don't know that there is a fiction writer out there right now who speaks to this generation's political ambitions. We're still waiting for our Kerouac."

But is anyone really waiting? As young people shift toward the Internet and away from exploring their political activism in books, the blood drains from their shelves. For the Twitter generation, the new slogan seems to be "Don't trust anyone over 30 lines." What you see at the next revolution is far more likely to be a well-designed Web site than a radical novel or a poem. Not to be a drag, man, but that's so uncool. For those of us who care about literature and think it still has much to offer, it's time to start chanting, "Hell, no! We won't go!"

charlesr@washpost.com

English 120 Powerpoint








Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Paper # 2

English 110
Detorie Spring 2009
Assignment # 2

Paper Schedule:
3/4: Paper Assigned
3/9: Typed Thesis and Plan due for Peer Review (bring 2 copies)
3/16: Final Draft due at the beginning of class

Your purpose in this paper is to state and explain an idea based on a topic given below. You should first explore the topic, using some of the methods discussed in your Penguin Handbook. Your exploration should lead to a working thesis and a tentative plan for developing the thesis. Bring two typed copies of your thesis and plan to class on 3/9. After we review these plans in class, you will write a first draft. The final draft, revised by your own careful review, is due on 3/16.

What I’m looking for:
Length 900-1200 words (3-5 pages)
Independent intellectual effort and thoughtfulness
A clear and wel1-focused thesis that is specific and interesting
A clear scheme of organization: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion
Unified paragraphs with topic sentences and strong transitions between paragraphs
Backing up your ideas with examples from the text
Quotes that are integrated in way that demonstrates close, thoughtful reading
Skillfully constructed sentences
Evidence of reflection and revision
Proper use of MLA citation and documentation (i.e. in-text citation and a works cited page)

Choose one of the following topics:

1. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” King says that to defy or evade the law is to invite anarchy (para. 20). Explain what King means by this in the context of his letter. Look up anarchy in a good dictionary or an encyclopedia. Would anarchy be less or more desirable than the conditions that existed in Birmingham in the 1960s? Be sure to include quotes from the letter to support and illustrate your position.
2. In a sense, Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s “Declarations of Sentiments and Resolutions” represents an agenda of things that must be done to help establish the equality of women. How do you think Stanton would feel about the condition of women today? Would she feel that there is anything that remains to be done today? Is there enough progress being made in these areas? Be sure to include quotes from the Declaration to support and illustrate your claims.
3. In “A Theory of Justice,” John Rawls coins several phrases that many commentators have found useful: “justice as fairness,” “the veil of ignorance,” “primary goods,” and “the original position.” Describe and evaluate the most interesting idea that Rawls raises for you in his thoughts about the nature of justice. Decide whether it should guide people in their choices in a society and, if possible, describe how it could be put into effect. Be sure to use quotes from the article to support and illustrate your claims.
4. Write a letter in which you address an injustice. Just as King aligns himself with Paul’s letters in the Bible, attempt to align yourself with King. You may do this by drawing comparisons between the injustices King describes and/or the way in which he describes and addresses those injustices. You must use sources (King’s article and additional sources re: the injustice you are addressing) to support and illustrate your claims.
5. Got an idea? Run it by me.




GOOD LUCK!

Monday, March 2, 2009

course grades

GRADING (subject to change)


Essay 1 (3-4 pages or 900-1200 words) 10%

Essay 2 (3-4 pages or 900-1200 words) 10%

Essay 3 (3-4 pages or 900-1200 words) 10%

Essay 4 (in-class , about 3 pages or 900 words) 10%

Essay 5 (short research, 5 pages or 1500 words) 5%

Essay 6 (7-8 pages or 2100-2400 words) 20%

Essay 7 (final exam, about 3 pages or 900 words each) 10%

Participation (includes attendance, quizzes, peer review) 15%

Homework (typed answers to questions) 10%

Friday, February 27, 2009

Links and Notes

Hi Everybody! Here are the links I said I would post:

Voter Fraud in Isla Vista?

Wikipedia article on Rodney King

Also, here is an interesting article about Obama's rhetoric.

Also, here is a little video about Elizabeth Cady Stanton:




Have a great weekend!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Quotes for Close Reading


"More money is put into prisons than into schools. That, in itself, is the description of a nation bent on suicide. I mean, what is more precious to us than our own children? We are going to build a lot more prisons if we do not deal with the schools and their inequalities." -Jonathan Kozol

"Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilized by education; they grow there, firm as weeds among rocks." –Charlotte Bronte

"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." –James Baldwin

"Establishing lasting peace is the work of education; all politics can do is keep us out of war." –Maria Montessori

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” –Nelson Mandela

“Leaders are more powerful role models when they learn than when they teach.” -Rosabeth Moss Baker

“If the rich and all the church people should send their children to public schools they would feel bound to concentrate their money on improving these school until they met the highest ideals” –Susan B. Anthony

“Why should society feel responsible only for the education of children and not for the education of all adults of every age?” Erich Fromm

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” – Plutarch

“Education is the progressive discovery of our own ignorance.” Will Durant

“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” B.B. King

“Education is what remains when one has forgotten everything one has learned in school.” Albert Einstein

“I suppose it is because nearly all children go to school nowadays, and have things arranged for them, that they seem so forlornly unable to produce their own ideas.” –Agatha Christie

“Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense.” Gertrude Stein

“Study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in.” Leonardo DaVinci

“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper of self-confidence.” Robert Frost

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Paper # 1

English 110

Detorie Spring 2009

Assignment # 1

Paper Schedule:

2/4: Paper Assigned

2/9: Typed Thesis and Plan due for Peer Review (bring 2 copies)

2/11: Draft due for Peer Review (bring 2 copies)

2/18: Final Draft due at the beginning of class

Your purpose in this paper is to state and explain an idea based on a topic given below. You should first explore the topic, using some of the methods discussed in your Penguin Handbook. Your exploration should lead to a working thesis and a tentative plan for developing the thesis. Bring two typed copies of your thesis and plan to class on 2/9. After we review these plans in class, you will write a first draft. Bring two typed copies of your first draft to class on 2/11. The final draft, revised in light of the advice you get from your peers and your own careful review, is due on 2/18.

What I’m looking for:

Length 900-1200 words (3-5 pages)

Independent intellectual effort and thoughtfulness

A clear and wel1-focused thesis that is specific and interesting

A clear scheme of organization: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion

Unified paragraphs with topic sentences and strong transitions between paragraphs

Backing up your ideas with examples from the text

Quotes that are integrated in way that demonstrates close, thoughtful reading

Skillfully constructed sentences

Evidence of reflection and revision

Choose one of the following topics:

1. How would Lao-Tzu critique the society in which you live? What would he recommend to you as worthwhile behavior and what would he condemn? Base your answers on an analysis of the advice Lao-Tzu gives in the Tao- te Ching. Would you find it possible to argue against his critique and maintain a worthwhile and virtuous path for yourself?

2. What form of government would Machiavelli feel is most stable and desirable? Base your answers on an analysis of the recommendations Machiavelli gives his prince. Consider his views of individuals in society and their roles and responsibilities in regard to the prince. What governments of today might satisfy Machiavelli’s demands for the way a state should operate?

3. Compare Lao-Tzu’s view of human nature with Machiavelli’s. Consider how this view shapes the ultimate purpose of government, the obligation of the leader to the people being led, and what seems to be the main work of the state. Which view do you favor? Why?

4. Compare the advice of Machiavelli or Lao-Tzu with the behavior/politics of a leader – past, present, or fictional – who you think exhibits the qualities described by Lao-Tzu or Machiavelli (pick one). Be sure to back up your argument with examples from both the text and the behavior/policies of the leader you describe. (Note: by “fictional” I mean a character from a story, not a leader who you have invented for the purpose of this essay).

GOOD LUCK!

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

English 110 Rubric

click to enlarge

Fun with Lao Tzu and Machiavelli



If you have no idea who Karl Pilkington is, or if you have never heard of Ricky Gervais, take a look here.



This video discusses Machiavelli in the historical context of the Italian Renaissance.

ETA: Karl Pilkington tackles one of the questions from the Proust questionnaire:



ETA: Conan O'Brien answers the questions we used in our ice breaker

Sunday, January 25, 2009

syllabus

English 110: Composition & Reading

CRN 58966 | MW 3:55-5:15pm | Room ECC 02

http://english110spring2009.blogspot.com/

Michelle Detorie Office Hours M 5:30-6:30

Office: IDC 312 Cubicle A and by appointment

Mailbox IDC 317 (Debra Fondren)

CRITICAL DATES

Start Date: 26-JAN-09
End Date: 23-MAY-09
Last Date to add class: 08-FEB-09
Last Date to drop with a refund: 07-FEB-09

Last Date to drop without a "W": 08 FEB 2009
Last Date to drop with a "W": 27 MAR 2009
Census Date: 02/09/09

Final Exam: 05/18/09 2:00-4:00 pm

REQUIRED TEXTS

Faigley, Lester. The Brief Penguin Handbook.

Jacobus, Lee A. ed. World of Ideas

Book-length work tba

REQUIRED TEXTS FOR English 120

English 120: College Research Skills

A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF ENGLISH 120: COLLEGE RESEARCH SKILLS (CRN 58967)

English 120 is a one-unit, credit/no-credit class designed to introduce you to the research skills needed for college courses. It is a co-requisite with English 110. The two courses are graded separately (that is, you can pass one and not other). English 120 is CSU and UC transferable. More about English 120 can be found in the first few pages of the English 120 handbook.

COURSE DESCRIPTION & GOALS:

English 110 is designed to help you develop your critical thinking skills so that you will become more active readers, more persuasive writers, and more informed (and useful) citizens. In this media and information-driven age, the ability to evaluate and synthesize facts and opinions is more important than ever.

The focus of the class is the development of strong reading, writing, and researching skills. Practice makes one become a stronger reader and writer, and you will a lot of opportunity to practice in this course. You will write long and short analytical essays, in-class timed essays, and a research paper.

This course will also help you to develop your own strategies and techniques for approaching every stage of the writing process, for both in-class and out-of-class essays.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR ENGLISH 110:

  1. Analyze college-level texts by identifying and evaluating main ideas, audience, purpose, organization, strength of evidence, and rhetorical strategies.
  2. Write coherent, thesis-driven academic prose that is grammatically and syntactically sound.
  3. Gather, evaluate, and synthesize sources in a correctly documented research paper.
  4. Apply knowledge of writing as a process that includes revision.


GRADING (subject to change)


Essay 1 (3-4 pages or 900-1200 words) 10%

Essay 2 (3-4 pages or 900-1200 words) 10%

Essay 3 (3-4 pages or 900-1200 words) 10%

Essay 4 (in-class , about 3 pages or 900 words) 10%

Essay 5 (short research, 5 pages or 1500 words) 5%

Essay 6 (7-8 pages or 2100-2400 words) 20%

Essay 7 (final exam, about 3 pages or 900 words each) 10%

Participation (includes attendance, quizzes, peer review) 15%

Homework (typed answers to questions) 10%

ASSIGNMENTS & REQUIREMENTS

  1. Except for in-class writing, all work you turn in should be typed (double-spaced with one inch margins and standard 12-pt font) and stapled. Your pages should be numbered. Please proofread! You do not need a title page: just put your name, the course name, my name, and the date in the upper left corner, and center the title above your text. Final papers need a title, drafts do not. I will subtract points from your final grade if your essay does not conform to these format specifications. Also, be sure to keep an extra copy of all of your work: if for some reason I do not have your paper after you have turned it in, it is your responsibility to provide me with another copy. Descriptions of specific assignments will be handed out in class. LATE PAPER POLICY: I will accept one late paper, but you must turn it in before the next paper is due. A paper is considered late if it is not printed and stapled at the beginning of class on the day that it is due. Please note that late papers are always subject to grade reduction.

  1. Attendance is required. Much of the coursework will be done in class and cannot be made up. Because of this, good attendance is essential. I will allow two unexcused absence. A third absence requires documentation: a doctor’s note or a letter from a funeral director in the case of a death in the family. Absences will lower your participation grade, and students with more than three absences will be dropped from the class. Frequent or excessive tardiness will also result in a lower attendance grade and may count as an absence. I won’t quantify or negotiate whether a late arrival is or isn’t an absence. I think everyone knows what qualifies as “frequent” or “excessive” tardiness. This is the protocol I appreciate for late arrivals: come into the class, say to the class “sorry I am late,” and take your seat.

  1. Come to class prepared. Do the assigned reading and writing on time. Your class participation grade is a combination of attendance and a subjective measurement of how prepared you are and how eagerly you participate in conversation. I cannot discuss how you are doing for participation; you should have a pretty good idea just by reviewing your attendance record, how prepared you have been (instructors always know who has done the reading, and how much of it), and how much you have contributed. Note: I understand that some folks are shy. I won’t force anyone to talk. If this is an issue for you, please come see me during office hours so that your grade isn’t adversely affected.

  1. A note about plagiarism: DO NOT DO IT! If you ever use another writer’s words or ideas, be sure to give him/her credit.

  1. A note about DSPS (Disabled Student Programs & Services) Department: SBCC students with disabilities who are requesting accommodation should use the following SBCC procedure: contact the DSPS office in SS160 (x2364), submit documentation of your disability to the DSPS office, communicate with a DSPS specialist regarding options for services and accommodations, and reach written accommodation agreement not only with the DSPS specialist but also your instructor. SBCC requests you complete this process at least ten working days before your accommodation is needed, in order to allow DSPS staff and SBCC instructors time to provide your accommodation.

COURSE ETTIQUETTE: High standards of conduct and courtesy are expected (naturally)

  1. Whoever has the floor should have your attention.
  2. Don’t pack up early. It’s just plain rude.
  3. Texting, web-surfing, and/or napping in class is also rude. If you do any of this during class, you will be counted as absent.
  4. We will consider some fairly difficult and controversial material in the class, and I want to be sure that everyone feels free to express their opinions without fear of censure. Students and instructors are expected to be respectful of one another, to avoid inappropriate or abusive language, and to be kind and polite.
  5. If you send an e-mail, be sure to include a greeting and closing, to use complete sentences, and correct grammar and spelling.
  6. Please come to my office hours or make an appointment with me if you have questions or concerns about the class, a grade, or an assignment. I often prepare my materials in the moments before class, and therefore it is difficult for me to give you my undivided attention. Because class time is valuable, I cannot discuss issues related only to an individual student during class.
  7. If you have a question that is not related to the current topic of discussion, consider bringing it to me in office hours or waiting for a more appropriate time to ask your question. If you are worried that you will forget your question, write it down.

OTHER THINGS

  1. Since I often send updates via email, I expect you to check your sbcc pipeline e-mail daily. I will also be using pipeline to post a copy of this syllabus, copies of course assignments, and calendar updates.
  2. If you wish to appeal a grade that you have received on a paper, you can return it to me along with a written statement detailing the nature of your grievance. You have one week from the day I return your paper to initiate an appeal.
  3. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to consult with a classmate or the course website to check for missed work.

COURSE CALENDAR

*Be sure to read the introductory materials included with the readings in A World of Ideas

WEEK ONE

1/26 Introduction to the Course and Course Policies

HW: Read “Evaluating Ideas: An Introduction to Critical Reading” WI

Read “Critical Reading and Viewing” Ch. 6 PH

1/28 Diagnostic essay written in class

HW: Read “Thoughts from the Tao-te Ching” (Lao-tzu) WI

Write responses to “questions for critical reading” WI

WEEK TWO

2/2 Diagnostic essay returned

HW: Read “The Qualities of the Prince” (Machiavelli) WI

Write responses to “questions for critical reading” WI

2/4 Paper 1 Assigned

HW: Read “Planning and Drafting” Ch. 3 PH

Write one page freewrite about one of the paper topics

Create thesis & plan for peer review