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Students in this
course have the opportunity to practice reading, response, and essay-writing
skills that they will need to enter Composition 101. The students in this
course have a wide range of abilities, some scoring just below the 101
students in the sentence sense and reading comprehension parts of the
placement exam. A few score well below the 101 students and will be identified
to the instructor for intervention and assistance at the RLC (Rutgers
Learning Center, formally the LRC). The placement exam does not feature
a written portion, because proficiency with reading predicts proficiency
with writing. Thus both reading and writing need to be taught together,
along with opportunity for orally articulating ideas through both discussion
and public speaking. A few classes should be scheduled in the computer
lab so that students can practice revising prose with the instructor on
the computer.
Students in this course will learn to:
- Determine the sub-text
of pieces of literature, the organization of information in written
and visual texts, and the assumptions and strategies of essayists, based
upon analysis of prose and close-reading/viewing skills.
- Practice writing
response papers and applying critical reading skills to their own response
papers by internalizing peer-review skills.
- Identify the unifying
principle of paragraphs and employ this principle in their own writing.
- Manage the flow
of information in the paragraph and sentence, learning to revise sentences
according to principles of style.
- Identify the main
ideas of readings and the work of peers, writing retrospective outlines
for each.
- Internalize self-correcting
measures for grammatical, syntactical, and mechanical errors.
- Identify and employ the basic structure of the analytic paper, by developing ideas from response papers into 2-3 page essays, complete with introduction and thesis (simple argument-see Brief Penguin Handbook), unified body paragraphs, and conclusion.
Regardless of level, each student in the writing program produces a portfolio to showcase his/her 3 best course papers and/or presentations. These portfolios serve as final exams for the course and must be evaluated by two readers: the student's instructor and another instructor (please pair up to exchange portfolios). In the case of wide disagreement, you should consult a third instructor, who will decide the portfolio grade.
Students should submit clean copies of their work in the portfolio and write an introductory cover sheet during the time allotted for final exams, that provides an overview to their work, focusing on either the themes of their papers or their writing process. Drafts are not to be included in the portfolios; only final papers without instructor comments should be included. Students may present the portfolio in the way that they wish (color binders, visual images, labels/tabs or files, etc.).
The portfolio should
be worth at least 20% of the student's grade. Both instructors should
provide a sheet stating the grade with a brief justification. Portfolios
must be kept for a year following the end of the semester.
The use of The Brief Penguin Handbook will be determined by the writing issues faced by students. You may assign individuals different sections to read and apply in the lab. You should determine levels of difficulties with an initial response paper and set three goals for each student to achieve. For example, a goal for a particular student may be improved focus and thesis development, use of commas, and use of topic sentences. In that case, the student will need to focus on mastering those three skills to sustain a passing grade. You may wish to pair peers with similar problems so they can discuss and review one another, internalizing corrective measures. Because students present a variety of writing problems, instruction may often take on a small group or individualized manner. You may create comma activities for a group having difficulty, while the others are discussing the reading. Any students struggling with grasp of basic grammar, spelling, or syntax must be referred to the RLC for a mandatory 3-visit tutoring session. Other students may also take advantage of the RLC at any time, by scheduling an appointment and bringing assignment/writing materials to a tutor. Our website, Penguin's website, and the RLC have a variety of exercises and software programs to assist students with individual problems. Students will make the most progress with focused intervention.
The required texts include The Brief Penguin Handbook, Webster Dictionary, and for fall semester only, Laura Esquivol's Like Water for Chocolate, read by all freshmen during the summer and/or first weeks of fall semester. Students can also view the film in the library (several copies are on reserve) or in freshmen dorms (both discussion groups and film viewings will be organized for orientation week). The Writing Director, Holly Blackford, has several copies of a teaching guide with writing activities, which you can peruse and photocopy. Choices of short stories, novels/novellas, essays, poems, and visual texts are your purview. Students should read at least one substantial piece of literature that touches upon many social issues, which the course essays should reflect. For example, on instructor organized his course with Latino/a coming-of-age novels, which are engaging, relevant, and accessible (his teaching evaluations were outstanding; his students spoke of their new enthusiasm for reading!) Students achieve intellectual coherence and depth if you choose a broad theme for the course readings, which mimics the work they will need to do in topical courses. We encourage the use of multicultural literature and theme. Readings should be accessible but contain levels of challenge. If they so choose, instructors can assemble a small reader, selecting readings from the McGraw-Hill database. Readers cost students 10 cents/page and take 2 weeks to produce.
This class is pass/fail, but many instructors prefer to assign grades to student work so they know how they compare to peers, readying them for the work of 101.
The typical pacing
for 99 includes rhythms of new reading, response papers, discussion, revision,
peer review, and in-class writing activities.
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Department of English
| Rutgers University-Camden
| Rutgers University
Department
of English
Armitage Hall, Fourth Floor
Rutgers University,Camden, NJ 08102
Tel: (856) 225-6121, Fax: (856) 225-6602
