CLASS/ DATE TOPIC READINGS due for ACADEMIC WRITING HANDBOOK & other assignments PROJECT ASSIGNMENT Begin in class; Finish and bring to next class. Class 1 Jan. 25 Introductions and overview Why do we need a writing class in graduate school? What makes writing challenging? Blackboard Text (BB): Brodkey, L. "A First Look at Writing in the Academic Community" Graff & Birkenstein, Preface, Introduction, & Ch 7 "So What? Who Cares?" Becker, Ch. 1 "Freshman English for Graduate Students" Identify two or three "problems" in your field that are of interest to you. For each issue, write 1 page (free write) exploring your current thoughts and questions about the subject. Consider questions like: - Why, when, how and/or for whom is this a "problem?" - Why is this problem worth thinking about? - What in your background or experience causes you to feel to this issue? - Brainstorm questions that might be asked about this topic. 2 Feb. 1 Metanarratives about writing What are the "stories" we have gleaned about writing from our context? What personal "stories do we hold about our own writing? Doing library research Becker, Ch. 3 "One Right Way" Becker, Ch 6 "Risk" (Pamela Richards) Becker, Ch. 7 "Getting It out the Door" Graff & Birkenstein, Ch. 9 "Ain't So / Is Not" Ideas/Options for Entries 1 & 2 * What are your strengths as a writer? * What are your goals as a writer? * What advice does Becker you would like to remember? * Explore some of similes you might use to describe writing. * Make a list of helpful and unhelpful beliefs or myths you have about writing. Put together a working reference list with 4-7 potential sources. (Format in APA so you won't have to change later!) Based on your initial foray into the literature, write about what you are discovering about the questions or topics "radiating" from your problem of interest. What branches of the literature seem most interesting to you? Why? What branches seem least interesting, and why? CLASS/ DATE TOPIC READINGS due for class ACADEMIC WRITING HANDBOOK PROJECT ASSIGNMENT
Class 3 Feb. 8 Literacy as social practice Genre and communities of practice Academic Discourse Defining key terms Introduction to academic writing as discourse, genre, and jargon. Purpose of academic writing Identifying a Site & “prestige abstraction” Roe & den Ch. 1 "The Concept of Genre"; Ch 3, "Academic Research" pp. 25-50 Becker, Ch. 2 "Persona & Authority" APA Publication Manual, Chs 1 & 2 Ideas/Options for Entry 3: * Draw a visual representation of your position relative to one or more discourses. What topics, questions, abstractions and methodological practices define your communities? * Make a list of rhetorical phrases that are common in your discursive community. * Make a list of the cultural and assumptions that define the discourse in which you are reading. * Make a list of the kinds of questions that can be asked in your discourse. Then make a list of the kinds of questions that are not asked. Continue adding to your working reference list. Begin trying to group your references according to communities of practice. In other words, see if you can discern the "cartography" of the discourse. Write a page or two in which you discuss the different groupings of articles and your reasons for grouping as you have. a topic (Research Site + Prestige Abstraction) Class 4 Feb. 15 Critical reading (I) * Summary (descriptive and critical) Graff & Birkenstein, Ch. 1 "They say" Ch. 2 "Her point is" Ch 3 "As he himself puts it" Roe & den Ouden, Ch. 4, "Skimming, notetaking and summarizing" pp. 61-75 Ideas/Options for Entry 4: * Make a list of tips or advice from the readings strategies to use when summarizing and/or taking notes * Make a you can refer to easily to remind you of Graff & Birkenstein's templates for summary. Due on BB: 1-2 page Topic Proposal Write summaries for at least two of your sources. Use the language and strategies suggested in this week's readings. CLASS/ DATE TOPIC READINGS due for class ACADEMIC WRITING HANDBOOK PROJECT ASSIGNMENT Class 5 Critical reading (II) Becker, Ch. 8 "Terrorized by the Literature" Ideas/Options for Entry 5: Create a graphic representation of the "landscape(s)" of theory and research
March 7 * Claims * Evidence * Core Paragraph Structure Graff & Birkenstein, Ch 4 "Yes/No/Okay, But" Ch 5 "And Yet" Ch 6 "Skeptics May Object" * Make a reference page that the different "moves" available for positioning your claims. * Make a reference page showing the different ways you can qualify your conclusions. Class 8 March 14 Cohesion Metadiscourse Graff & Birkenstein, Ch 8 "As a result"; Ch 10 "But don’t get me wrong" BB: Parker & Riley, “Metalanguage” pp. 117-120 from (1995). Writing for academic publication. Parlay Press. Feak & Swales, pp. 38-41; pp. 71-96 Idea/Option for Entry 8: * Make a page you can use for quick reference when trying to increase the cohesiveness of your writing. Draft another section of your literature review. Class 9 21 Point of view, voice, and authority Social purposes of citation/conventions Citing, Referencing, and Footnotes, APA conventions APA Publication Manual, Ch 6, Crediting Sources Feak & Swales, pp. 42-59 BB: Giltrow, Ch 2 "Citation, Summary and Authority," pp. 29-88 (except pp. 58-67 near bottom of page); and Appendix A Ideas/Opinions for Entry 9: * Make a reference page, perhaps with examples, addressing one or more of the following questions: - By what means does a writer establish/signal authority in academic discourse? - How does a writer exhibit point of view or stance? -- How might a writer exhibit style, voice or presence? Complete a draft of the body of your literature review and bring a hard copy to next class. DATE READINGS due for class ACADEMIC WRITING HANDBOOK PROJECT ASSIGNMENT
Class 10 March 28 Positioning (revisited) Introductions Roe & den Ouden, Ch 6, "Front Matter and Scholarly Introductions," pp. 113-154 BB: Parker & Riley, Ch 8, Introductions for Entry 10: * Create a page of helpful "quick references" for APA style conventions. Write an introduction for your paper. Review citation patterns and adjust using the guidelines from the readings this week. Class 11 April 4 Conclusions Abstracts BB: Parker & Riley, Ch 13, Conclusions Roe & den Ch. 8, "Scholarly Conclusions," pp. 243-253 Due on BB: Proposal for study a conclusion for your LR. Write an abstract for your LR. Class 12 11 Revision and editing Peer review vs. peer editing Sentence structure: Nominalization, weak misplaced modifiers-- Discovering meaning through grammatical analysis Peer review of study Roe & den Ouden, Ch 10, "Revising and Proofreading" APA Publication Manual, Chs 3 & 4, The Mechanics of Becker, Ch. 4, "Editing by Ear" Graff & Birkenstein, Ch 11 “He says contends” BB: Cook, “Loose, Baggy Sentences” from (1985). Line by line: how to improve your own writing. New York: Modern Language Assn. for Entry 12: Create a page that contains prompts, reminders or examples that will be helpful for you to reference as you edit your work. Include tools that will help you address "problem areas" in your writing style. Due in or on BB: Academic Writing Handbook Revise and edit your LR. 13 18 Preparing for presentations Peer review of Literature Review BB: Nygaard, Ch 9, “Saying it out loud” from (2015). Writing for scholars: A practical guide to making sense and being heard (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Bring a draft handout for your final presentation. Create the PowerPoint presentation you will use next week. 14 25 Presentations Course evaluations Due on BB: Final reflection