Elements of Assessment:
The following assignments will be factored into your course grade. In addition, these will also help assess your progress in mastering the outcomes noted above.
(1) Class Participation and Exercises: The nature of this class demands that all students contribute regularly to the discussions and participate in in-class or online exercises such as a paper grading "norming" session. Both quality and quantity will be considered, with an emphasis on the former. In addition, online students may be asked to post in several online threaded discussions or to attend one or more discussion sessions on Elluminate. Altogether, 30 points (25 + 5 for the Check-In Test and Tasks) may be earned for participation and exercises.
(2) Reading Responses to Romano: Students will write ten (10) short (one or two paragraphs) reflections on chapters from Tom Romano's Clearing the Way (you may choose which ten of the twelve chapters). These responses will be worth 30 points.
(3) Article Review: Students will write a short paper (1.5-2.5 pp.) summarizing and commenting on a journal article which explores a particular approach to teaching writing. Possible topics for this paper will be discussed in class and workshop sessions will be scheduled to assist students in writing the review. Chaps. 11 and 12 in G&G may give you some ideas. The review will be worth 20 points.
(4) Teaching Presentation: Students will present a lesson to the class as if teaching a secondary or collegiate class learning about a writing skill, a rhetorical mode, or other topic in writing. Undergraduate students will be expected to link the presentation to their syllabus and at least one of their writing prompts; graduate students will be expected to link the presentation to their syllabus and at least two of their writing prompts. The presentation will be worth 30 points.
Verification Activity: This assignment also serves to verify or authenticate the work of online students. Online students will be expected to produce positive ID to the instructor at the time of the online presentation.
(5) Writing Prompts and Responses: Write ten (10) prompts for assignments (2 Forum/Short Answer, 2 Freewrite/Brainstorm activities, 2 Essay Question, 2 Short Paper [your choice of approaches], 1 Rhetorical Mode, 1 Self-Reflection on Own Writing). Some of the prompts should be linked to your Syllabus and Teaching Presentation assignments (see those assignments for details). Chapter 4 in G&G is particularly helpful, as are some parts of Romano and some of the articles in Chap. 11 of G&G. Write your own "model" answers to the prompts.
(6) Composition Syllabus: Outline a syllabus and some assignments for a course (any level MS to college) that involves student writing. It can be a "writing" course, but it could also be a course where students write about literature or other subject matter. Include some ideas from Chaps. 1-3 in G&G (diagnostic essay, approaches such as peer review or conferencing, etc.) Likewise, consider employing ideas from Chaps. 6-8 in preparing students for their writing assignments. You should also work some (at least two) of the prompts that you used in #5 above into the syllabus. Don't worry about making the syllabus "complete" or "perfect"; I just want to see you thinking about some of the approaches and choices in teaching writing. GRADUATE STUDENTS: Your syllabus will include a short statement (about one page max) explaining the theoretical approach(es) you have taken in this syllabus and a bibliography of two sources related to your theoretical approach. The final syllabus (and supporting statement for graduate students) will be worth 40 points total.
(7) Figuring Course Grades:
Check-In Test and Tasks 5 Participation & Exercises 25 Article Review 20 Responses to Romano 30 Prompts and Responses 50 Presentation 30 Composition Syllabus 40 Total Possible: 200 (196+ = A+; 184+ = A; 180+ = A-; 176+ = B+; 164+ = B; 160+ = B-; 156+ = C+; 144+ = C; 140+ = C-; 136+ = D+; 124+ = D; 120+ = D-; 119- = F)