Study of Composition

ENGL550-001: Study of Composition
Fall Semester
Monday and Wednesday, 2:00-3:15 p.m.

General Information

Instructor: Bruce Closser
Office: Nethery Hall 116
Phones: 471-3172 (office); 473-5480 (home; not after 9 pm)
Hours: As posted
E-mail: closserb@andrews.edu

Course Textbooks

Tate, G., Corbett, E. P. J., & Myers, N. (1994). The Writing Teacher's Sourcebook. Third Edition. New York: Oxford University Press.
Various articles taken from the professional literature and provided as handouts or held on reserve in the library. You may make photocopies of these if you wish.
Various articles related to your personal research.

Course Description

ENGL550: Study of Composition is designed to introduce graduate students to theories, issues, and methodologies underlying one of the fastest growing and most interesting aspects of English studies, the teaching of writing. Through reading, writing, lecture, and discussion, students will become familiar with the complexities of the writing process.

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of this semester, you will, through reading, discussing, writing, and conducting personal research:

Know and be capable of discussing the historical background to many current theories and strategies for teaching and understanding writing.
Understand the nature of the writing process and all its stages--including rewriting, writing, revising, and editingand be able to apply this knowledge to situations where you are required to write or to teach writing.
Explore some of the issues and theories associated with designing, teaching, and assessing writing assignments and how these influence your own efforts to teach writing.
Answer a personal composition question through personal research and reading in literature available in professional journals and various data bases and on-line resources.

Projects and Activities

During this semester you will engage in a variety of projects and activities designed to introduce you generally to the field of composition. These are summarized below. I recommend that you consider carefully how you plan your approach to these activities. If you choose your research topic carefully early in the semester, there is no reason why the articles you include in your annotated bibliography could not also be the articles you read for your Review of Literature (see below).

Assigned Reading During the semester you will read from the required textbook and from a variety of articles on reserve in the library or the Writing Center. Quizzes in the form of reactions or applications will be a regular feature of the course.

Reading Journal Record summaries of all reading you do for the class, including all assigned and unassigned reading. These summaries, providing they are well done, will be invaluable when you begin studying for your final examination. Store them in a 3-ring or spiral notebook.

Annotated Bibliography Select a topic of interest, gather and read a minimum of 15 articles on this topic, and write an annotation (one paragraph of 75-100 words) for each item. Prepare the bibliography in APA style; APA style manuals are available for purchase in the book store or may be found in the Writing Center library. The annotations should provide the scholar or researcher's main point(s) and supporting evidence. The annotated bibliography is due when indicated in the Tentative Schedule of Activities below. Provide a copy for each class member.

Review of Literature Do a library paper (12-15 pages) in which you read about a composition-related topic (assessment and evaluation, process, peer groups, writer apprehension, effective classrooms, pre-writing strategies, style, ESL or basic writing, or the history of some aspect of composition, for instance) and present a review of your reading. I suggest that early in the quarter you set aside time to scan the tables of contents of the last ten years of major composition journals (College English, Research in the Teaching of English, College Composition and Communication, English Journal, for instance) in order to develop a sense of the field. Identify an aspect of composition which has received frequent attention and which interests you and do your research in this area. This paper may form the foundation for a later project paper. This paper is due when indicated in the Tentative Schedule of Activities below. Present an oral report of your project to the class during the last week of the semester as indicated in the Tentative Schedule of Activities below.

Proposal Develop a proposal (1-2 pages) for a potential research project based on your library paper. This proposal should contain a question which grows out of your library paper and a methodology for answering this question. This proposal may be developed in conjunction with Bibliography and Research.

Book Review Select a composition-related book and write a review (2-3 pages) of it. Do a show-and-tell during the last week of the semester; bring the book to class and tell us about it. Provide each class member with copy of your review.

Course Evaluation

Your course grade will be determined by the quality of your work on the following projects, weighted as follows:

Attendance/quizzes/daily activities (10%)
Reading Journal (20%)
Annotated Bibliography (5%)
Library Paper (30%)
Proposal (10%)
Book Review (10% )
Project Oral Report (5%)
Final Examination (10%)

Students earning 94% or higher of the total points possible will receive an A. The A- range runs from 90-93%, the B+ range from 88-90%, the B range from 84-87%, the B- from 80-83%, and the C range from 70-79%. Late work, attendance policy

Tentative Schedule of Activities

Discussion questions and related reading are indicated in the tentative schedule of activities below. In general we will adhere to this schedule of activities. Changes will be announced as necessary.

8/28--Registration

8/30--What will the class be like? What has been your experience with writing

9/4--LABOR DAY--HOLIDAY--NO CLASS

9/6--Why teach writing?

Farber, "Learning How to Teach: A Progress Report" (273)
Jarratt, "Teaching Across and Within Differences" (92)*
Elbow, "Embracing Contraries in the Teaching Process" (54)

9/11--What is writing?

Fulkerson, "Four Philosophies of Composition" (3)
Berlin, "Contemporary Composition: The Major Pedagogical Theories" (9)

9/13--What do writing teachers need to know about their past?
Submit Annotated Bibliography

Stewart, "Some History Lessons for Composition Teachers."*
Connors, "Rise and Fall of the Modes of Discourse."*

9/18--What does the writing process involve? (Part 1)

Perl, "Understanding Composing" (149)*
Sommers, "Between the Drafts" (279)

9/20--What does the writing process involve? (Part 2)

Pemberton, "Modeling Theory and Composing Process Models"*
Harris, "Composing Behaviors of One- and Multi-Draft Writers"*
Harris, "Strategies, Options, Flexibility, and the Composing Process"*
Selzer, "Exploring Options in Composing"*

9/25--What do writing teachers need to know about rhetoric?

Corbett, "Rhetoric, the Enabling Discipline" (26)
Lazere, "Teaching the Political Conflicts: A Rhetorical Schema" (35)*
Tiner, "Elements of Classical and Medieval Rhetoric in the Teaching of Basic Composition" (371)*

9/27--Scheduled Catch Up Day. To be used to complete any remaining discussion.

10/2--What do writing teachers need to know about linguistics?

Ohmann, "Use Definite, Specific, Concrete Language" (384)
Connors, "Static Abstractions and Composition" (353)

10/4--What do writing teachers need to know about cognition?

Tobin, "Reading Students, Reading Ourselves: Revising the Teacher's Role in the Writing Class" (72)
Reither,"Writing and Knowing: Toward Redefining the Writing Process" (286)
Burnham, "Crumbling Metaphors: Integrating Heart and Brain through Structured Journals" (173)
Flower and Hayes "The Cognition of Discovery: Defining a Rhetorical Problem."*
Emig, "Writing as a Mode of Learning."*

10/9--COLUMBUS DAY--HOLIDAY--NO CLASS

10/11--Scheduled Catch Up Day. To be used to complete any remaining discussion.

10/16--What do writing teachers need to know about audience?

Park, "The Meaning of Audience" (310)
Ede/Lunsford, Audience Addressed/Audience Invoked: The Role of Audience in Composition Theory and Pedagogy" (320)
Elbow, "Closing My Eyes as I Speak: An Argument for Ignoring Audience" (335)

10/18--What do writing teachers need to know about prewriting strategies? Submit Reading Journal

Coldiron, ""Refutatio" as a Prewriting Exercise" *
McGlinn and McGlinn, "Problem Solving and Prewriting: Mental Play in the Writing Class"*
Boiarsky, "Prewriting Is the Essence of Writing" *
Gage, "On the Difference between Invention and Pre-Writing"*

10/23--What do writing teachers need to know about writing? (Part 1)

Bleich, "Collaboration and the Pedagogy of Disclosure" (294)
Weathers, "Teaching Style: A Possible Anatomy" (368)
Rankin, "Revitalizing Style: Toward a New Theory and Pedagogy" (374)

10/25--What do writing teachers need to know about writing? (Part 2)

Pianko, "Reflection: A Critical Component of the Composing Process"*
Selfe, "The Composing Processes of High and Low Writing Apprehensives"*

10/30--Scheduled Catch Up Day. To be used to complete any remaining discussion.

11/1--What do writing teachers need to know about revising?

Brockman, "Revising Beyond the Sentence Level: One Adolescent Writer and a 'Pregnant Pause.'"*
Harper, "The Writer's Toolbox: Five Tools for Active Revision Instruction."*
Yagelski, "The Role of Classroom Context in the Revision Strategies of Student Writers." *
Monahan, "Revision Strategies of Basic and Competent Writers as They Write for Different Audiences."*
Lutz, "A Study of Professional and Experienced Writers Revising and Editing at the Computer and with Pen and Paper."*
Sommers, "Revision Strategies of Student Writers and Experienced Adult Writers." *

11/6--How do writing teachers design writing assignments?

Larson, "The Research Paper' in the Writing Course: A Non-Form of Writing" (216)
Fahnestock/Secor, "Teaching Argument: A Theory of Types" (222)
Lamb "Beyond Argument in Feminist Composition" (231)

11/8--How do writing teachers respond to their students writing? (Part 1)

Wiener, "Collaborative Learning in the Classroom: A Guide to Evaluation" (132)*
Horvath, "The Components of Written Response: A Practical Synthesis of Current View" (243)
Murray, "The Listening Eye: Reflections on the Writing Conference" (66)
Anson, "Response Styles and Ways of Knowing.*

11/13--How do writing teachers assess their students writing? (Part 2)

Raymond, "What We Don't Know about the Evaluation of Writing."
**White, "Issues and Problems in Writing Assessment."
Duke and Sanchez, "Giving Students Control over Writing Assessment."
**Klein "Assessment at Work. 6 Ways to Assess Writing."
Writing Assessment: A Position Statement.

11/15--How do/can computers function in a writing course?

Hawisher/Selfe, "The Rhetoric of Technology and the Electronic Writing Class" (129)
Rodriques/Rodriques "How Word Processing Is Changing Our Teaching: New Technologies, New Approaches, New Challenges" (391)*

11/20--What should you consider when designing a writing course?

Dean, "Multicultural Classrooms, Monocultural Teachers" (105)
Rosenthal, "Male and Female Discourse: A Bilingual Approach to English 101" (119)
Roskelly, "The Risky Business of Group Work" (123)
Taylor, "The Persistence of Difference in Networked Classrooms: Non-Negotiable Difference and the African American Student Body" (113)
Morgan, "Ethical Issues Raised by Students' Personal Writing" (87)
Salvatori "Conversations with Texts: Reading in the Teaching of Composition" (163)
Tate, "A Place for Literature in Freshman Composition" (175)
Matalene, "Experience as Evidence: Teaching Students to Write Honestly and Knowledgeably about Public Issues" (180)

11/22--THANKSGIVING--HOLIDAY--NO CLASS.

11/27--How do you design courses for basic writers?

Shaughnessy, "Diving In, An Introduction to Basic Writing" (94)
Rose, "Remedial Writing Courses: A Critique and Proposal" (193)

11/29--How do you design courses for ESL writers?

Bartholomae, "The Study of Error" (258)
Zamel, "Strangers in Academia: The Experiences of Faculty and ESL Students across the Curriculum" (100)

12/4--What have you learned in your own research? (Project oral reports: 10-15 minutes. Provide one page outline/summary for each class member.)

12/6--What have you learned in your own research? (Project oral reports continued)

What books did you read? (Book reports: 5-7 minutes. Provide one page summary for each class member)

12/11--Submit completed library paper. Preparation for final exam--study sample exam questions; select and revise, or write and submit 10 questions.

12/13--Preparation for final exam--develop strategies for answering exam questions.

12/**--What did you learn this semester? (Final Exam as scheduled) Submit reading journal at final examination.

Suggested Reading

Following is a bibliography of writing-related books in the James White Library. The list is not complete; in addition to the books listed below, you will find various composition textbooks in the library, only a few of which are included on this list. The list is intended to suggest a range of reading topics available (curriculum, pedagogy, writer's block or writing apprehension, writing centers, cognition, etc). As you will notice, the majority are theoretical books dealing with issues in composition. Call numbers have been provided for your convenience. I hope that the bibliography will provide you with a title for a book you may read for your book review; the list may also suggest areas where you may want to do further reading for your individual projects.

Adler, Richard R. Writing together: a peer-editing approach to composition. (LB1631 .A44 1989)

Allen, Terry D. Writing to create ourselves: new approaches for teachers, students, and writers. (PE1405.U6 A44 1982)

Anson, Chris M. ed.Writing and response: theory, practice, and research. (PE1404 .W6934 1989)

Applebee, Arthur N. Contexts for learning to write: studies of secondary school instruction. (LB1631 .A59 1984)

Arkin, Marian, and Barbara Shollar. The writing tutor. (PE1404 .A73 1982)

Arnold, Roslyn. Writing development: magic in the brain. (LB1139.W7 A74 1991)

Atchity, Kenneth John. A writer's time: a guide to the creative process from vision through revision. (PN145 .A83 1986)

Bain, Ann. Written language disorders: theory into practice. (RC429 .B34 1991)

Baldwin, Charles Sears. Writing and speaking: a text-book of rhetoric. (PE1408 .B36 1917)

Bannister, Linda. Writing apprehension and anti-writing: a naturalistic study of composing strategies used by college freshmen. (PE1404 .B27 1992)

Barnes, Donna, Katherine Morgan, and Karen Weinhold. Writing process revisited: sharing our stories. (LB1576 .W746 1997)

Barnett, Robert W. and Jacob S. Blumner.Writing centers and writing across the curriculum programs: building interdisciplinary partnerships. (PE1404 .W69446 1999)

Baumbach, Jonathan, ed. Writers as teachers/teachers as writers. (LA2311 .W8)

Bazerman, Charles, and David Russell eds. Landmark essays on writing across the curriculum. (PE1404 .L28 1994)

Bearne, Eve. Writing policy in action: the middle years. (LB1631 .B36 1991)

Bearne, Eve, and Cath Farrow. Writing policy in action: the middle years. (LB1631 .B36 1991)

Beaufort, Anne. Writing in the real world: making the transition from school to work. (PE1479.B87 B42 1999)

Bird, Lois Bridges. Writing as a way of knowing. (LB1576 .B4963 1997)

Bolter, J. David. Writing space: the computer, hypertext, and the history of writing. (Z52.4 .B65 1991)

Brand, Alice Glarden, and Richard L. Graves, eds. Presence of mind: writing and the domain beyond the cognitive. (PE1404 .P65 1994.)

Brand, Alice Glarden, and Richard L. Graves, eds. Presence of mind: writing and the domain beyond the cognitive. (PE1404 .P65 1994)

Brannon, Lil. Writers writing. (PE1408 .B667 1982)

Bushnell, Paul Palmer. An analytical contrast of oral with written English. (LB1631 .B8 1972)

Calfee, Robert C. and Pamela Perfumo. Writing portfolios in the classroom: policy and practice, promise and peril. (LB1029.P67 W75 1996)

Cooper, Marilyn M. Writing as social action. (PE1404 .C636 1989)

Coulmas, Florian, Konrad Ehlich, eds. Writing in focus. (P211 .W717 1983)

Daiker, Donald A. and Max Morenberg. The Writing teacher as researcher: essays in the theory and practice of class-based research. (LB1576 .W75 1990)

Daniels, Harvey and Steven Zemelman. A writing project : training teachers of composition from kindergarten to college. (PE1404 .D36 1985)

Davidson, Donald. American composition and rhetoric. (PE1408 .D235)

DeSalvo, Louise A. Writing as a way of healing: how telling our stories transforms our lives. (PN171.P83 D47 1999)

Dorn, Linda J. Apprenticeship in literacy: transitions across reading and writing. (LB1139.5.L35 D67 1998)

Faigley, Lester et al. Assessing writers' knowledge and processes of composing. (PE1404 .A85 1985)

Fearn, Leif. Writing effectively: helping children master the conventions of writing. (LB1576 .F393 1998)

Fiderer, Adele. 25 mini-lessons for teaching writing : quick lessons that help students become effective writers. (LB1575.8 .F53 1997)

Florian Coulmas, Florian, and Konrad Ehlich. Writing in focus. (P211 .W717 1983)

Foerster, Norman. Writing and thinking; a handbook of composition and revision. (PE1413 .F6 1941)

Forseth, Carol Avery. -- And with a light touch: learning about reading, writing, and teaching with first graders. (LB1528 .F67 1993)

Frederiksen, Carl H., and Joseph F. Dominic, eds. Writing: the nature, development, and teaching of written communication. (P211 .W72 1981)

Freedman, Sarah Warshauer, ed. The acquisition of written language: response and revision. (P301 .A28 1985)

Gerrard, Lisa, ed. Writing at century's end: essays on computer-assisted composition. . (PE1404.W6944 1987)

Goeller, Carl G. Writing to communicate. (HF5721 .G6 1975)

Graves, Donald H. Writing: teachers and children at work. (LB1576 .G728 1983)

Hall, Nigel. Writing with reason: the emergence of authorship in young children. (PN171.C5 W75 1989)

Helmers, Marguerite H.. Writing students: composition, testimonials, and representations of students. (PE1404 .H397 1994)

Herrington, Anne, and Charles Moran, eds. Writing, teaching, and learning in the disciplines. (LB1576 .W76 1992)

Hill, Carolyn Ericksen. Writing from the margins: power and pedagogy for teachers of composition. (PE1404 .H54 1990)

Hoot, James L. and Steven B. Silvern, eds. Writing with computers in the early grades. (LB1576.7 .W75 1988)

Howard, James. Writing to learn. (LB1576 .H677 1983)

Jenkinson, Edward B. Writing as a process of discovery; some structured theme assignments for grades five through twelve. (LB1631 .J42)

Jensen, George H. and John K. DiTiberio. Personality and the teaching of composition. (PN151 .J46 1989).

Kinkead, Joyce K. and , Jeanette G. Harris, eds. Writing centers in context: twelve case studies. (PE1404 .W69447 1993)

Langer, Judith A. Children reading and writing: structures and strategies. (LB1573 .L28 1986)

Lester Faigley, et al. Assessing writers' knowledge and processes of composing. (PE1404 .A85 1985)

Macrorie, Ken. Writing to be read. (PE1408 .M3326 1984)

Martin, Nancy, ed. Writing across the Curriculum pamphlets: a selection from the Schools Council and London University Institute of Education Joint Project: Writing across the Curriculum. (LB1631 .W695 1984)

Martin, Nancy et al eds. Writing and learning across the curriculum, 11-16. (LB1631 .W7)

Matsuhashi, Ann, ed. Writing in real time: modeling production processes. (P301 .W74 1987)

McCrimmon, James McNab. Writing with a purpose: a first course in college composition. (PE1408 .M23 1957)

McCunn, Donald H. Write, edit & print: word processing with personal computers. (Z52.4 .M35 1982)

Moffett, James. Active voice: a writing program across the curriculum. (LB1631 .M54)

Monroe, Rick. Writing and thinking with computers: a practical and progressive approach. (PE1404 .M66 1993)

Munson, Gorham Bert. The writer's workshop companion. (PN145 .M78 1968)

Murray, Donald Morison. A writer teaches writing: a practical method of teaching composition. (PN181 .M8)

Murray, Donald Morison. A writer teaches writing. (PE1404 .M88 1985)

Odel, Lee, and Dixie Goswami.Writing in nonacademic settings. (PE1404 .W726 1985)

Olson, Gary A., ed. Writing centers: theory and administration. (PE1404 .W695 1984)

Olson, Gary A., and Elizabeth Hirsch, eds. Women writing culture. (HQ1397 .W67 1995)

Parry, Josh:-Ann. Write on: a conference approach to writing. (PE1404 .P37 1988)

Parsons, Les. Writing in the real classroom. (LB1576 .P265 1991)

Polon, Linda. Write a story: grades 1-3 : open-ended writing activities for young children. (LA-COM GYB 1998 E-1-3)

Polon, Linda. Write a story: grades 4-6 : open-ended writing activities for children. (LA-COM GYB 1998 E-4-6)

Proett, Jackie and Kent Gill. The writing process in action: a handbook for teachers. (LB1631 .P697 1986)

Radencich, Marguerite C. Administration and supervision of the reading/writing program. (LB1576 .R25 1995)

Rafoth, Bennett A. and Ronald L. Rubin, eds.The social construction of written communication. (P211 .S63 1988)

Reiss, Donna, Dickie Selfe, and Art Young, eds. Electronic communication across the curriculum. (PE1404 .E437 1998)

Reynolds, Mark, ed. Two-year college English: essays for a new century. (PE68.U5 T9 1994)

Rose, Mike. Writer's block: the cognitive dimension. (BF456.W8 R67 1984)

Scardamalia, Marlene. Writing for results: a sourcebook of consequential composing activities. (LB1576 .S314 1981)

Schlemmer, Phil. Writing projects. (LC3993.27 .S34 1987)

Schmidt, Jan Zlotnik, ed. Women/writing/teaching. (PE1405.U6 W65 1998)

Schmidt, Patricia Ann. Beginning in retrospect: writing and reading a teacher's life. (LA2317.S34 A3 1997)

Scholes, Robert J. ed. Literacy and language analysis. (P211 .L724 1993)

Schwartz, Mimi. Writer's craft, teacher's art: teaching what we know. (PE1404 .W675 1991)

Sebranek, Patrick. Write source 2000: a guide to writing, thinking, & learning. (PE1112 .S43 1995.)

Severino, Carol, Juan C. Guerra, and Johnnella E. Butler, eds. Writing in multicultural settings. (PE1405.U6 W75 1997)

Shaw, Harry. A complete course in freshman English. (PE1408 .S474)

Smith, Barbara Leigh, et.al. eds. Writing across the curriculum. (PE1404 .W694 1984.)

Smith, Donald E. P. The adaptive classroom. (LB1050 .S572 v.3)

Smith, Frank. Writing and the writer. (BF456 .W8 1994)

Sorcinelli, Mary Deane, and Peter Elbow, eds. Writing to learn: strategies for assigning and responding to writing across the disciplines. (LB2365.E5 W75 1997)

Staton, Jana, et al. Dialogue journal communication: classroom, linguistic, social, and cognitive views. (LB1576 .D463 1988)

Swain, Sherry Seale. I can write what's on my mind: Theresa finds her voice. (LB1576 .S93 1994)

Tcudi, Stephen, ed. Alternatives to grading student writing. (LB1576 .A6157 1997)

Tchudi, Stephen. A guide and plan for conducting workshops for writing in the content areas: the NEA in-service training program. (LB1631 .T271 1983)

Tway, Eileen. Writing is reading: 26 ways to connect. (LB1576 .T83 1985)

Vachek, Josef. Written language. General problems and problems of English. (PE1150 .V28)

Wallace, Ray, and Jeanne Simpson. The Writing center: new directions. (PE1404 .W69445 1991)

Wiener, Harvey S. Any child can write : how to improve your child's writing skills from preschool through high school. (LB1631 .W387)

Wiener, Harvey S. The writing room : a resource book for teachers of English. (PE1404 .W5)

Wilde, Susie. Write-a-thon: how to conduct a writing marathon in your third-to fifth-grade class. (LB1576 .W48765 1997)

Williams, Raymond. Writing in society. (PR99 .W67 1991)

Young, Art and Toby Fulwiler, eds. Writing across the disciplines: research into practice (PE1404 .W693 1986)

Zeni, Jane. Writing Lands: composing with old and new writing tools. (PE1404 .Z45 1990)

Ziegler, Alan. The writing workshop. (PE1404 .Z5 1981)

Zinsser, William Knowlton. Writing to learn. (PE1429 .Z53 1988)