welcome!

let's start simple ...

1. Come to class.
2. Write early; revise often.
3. Don't cheat.
4. Make something cool.

Sounds easy, right? We can make it work, and I'll provide information on how to make that choice by offering a detailed but realistically flexible schedule, a clear sequence of assignments, helpful resources, conferencing options, and many ongoing activities designed to help you become a better writer. 

This post will give you the basics. For a more specific view (including "the legal" -- aka "course policies"), I encourage you to read the syllabus, listed under "Active Course Docs."

You still have time to think about my course as a good "fit" or not, so read carefully, and if you think you can work within the structure of my course policies, stay! Or, consider another section. If you decide to stay, begin to get familiar with how it works, mostly through this blog, its calendar, and Blackboard (Bb) announcements.

what's this?

This is the course blog, a portal for assignments, tips, encouragement, community-building, and generally helpful resources. Because I can link everything here, you will not need to purchase a textbook for this course (you're welcome!). 

I will also use Bb to coordinate class information (via announcements), but for the most part, this is the place. To be clear, this is not an online class. You should always come to class. However, some classes will be for research, conferencing, and attending campus events, so we will not always meet in our classroom -- we may meet in the Library, or in my office. To be clear, keep up with class announcements (live!) via Bb announcements and calendar notes. Also, get peer contacts!! 

I will often (at least every Friday) require that you post reflective writing and drafts at a blog you will create. Your blog will be featured at the blogroll (@ right). We will create blogs in class. This will give you a chance to play with some elemental design skills, which we will refine throughout the semester. I hope you'll create a blog that invites you to write often. I assign a blog post for every Friday. Often, something we're discussing in class gives up a natural topic. Or, perhaps you attended an Arts & Ideas event, and either I've asked you to write about it, or you are simply drawn to think it through a bit more, in writing. In addition to writing at your blog, you are also assigned blog responses. So, you'll be writing and responding to your peers' entries. Most writers participate in writing communities; our blogs afford us a sense of community for those times when we are not face to face (often, inspiration strikes when we are not in our "official" writing space -- blogs are great for helping you capture your thinking "in the moment").

Blogs are great for sharing our thoughts and bringing them to a community for consideration. In fact, so much writing happens in just this way, as digital media and internet access makes such collaborations easy and productive. 

Don't love writing with or for others? We'll help you get over that. You see, writers share. Most knowledge evolves in this way, through sharing, giving and receiving feedback, revising, and polishing to pleasing effect. Granted, the process isn't always pretty. Often, we have to WERQ in order to be polite and respectful to others. Practice helps! 

Write with care, here, and in all venues. With this in mind, I'd like to encourage you to avoid rants or attacks. Most of all, I want to use the course blog and your individual blogs to help each and every student to feel a part of our writing community.

essential concepts

The work of this course should be relatively easy for you because you already know a lot of what I am going to teach you. You know it from your life experience and immersion in literate culture(s). This could mean that this knowledge is very general and maybe something you don't think about very conscientiously. We're going to bring it into the light for contemplation and practice. Essentially, I am going to reanimate three key concepts, about which you may already have some deep knowledge. They are:

1. Claims require evidence.
2. Meaning has context.
3. Writing is revision.

What do you already know about these 3 concepts? Write a few paragraphs, explaining with conceptual detail and/or examples from your life and from your writing (really! bring to next class or post as an early blog entry).

We will build on your existing rhetorical knowledge and skill, and we will reanimate it. This course should help you develop productively flexible strategies for making wise choices toward effective communication. This course focuses particularly upon a range of skills routinely used by academic writers, but these skills apply in any rhetorical situation (within and beyond the academy).

You need to be diligent about keeping up, doing thoughtful work, and not allowing yourself to be lazy about your writing. We will work in class, but you should count on doing at least 5 hours of writing outside of class, each week. The Lewis University Catalog suggests that "You are expected to do at least 2 hours outside of class for every hour in class." So, as you can see, I'm suggesting a more realistic time commitment. Time it out carefully; break it up over time, and always do thoughtful work.

course requirements:
(w/ policies)

1. Attendance = mandatory. 7 absences allowed. These 7 are to account for emergencies and other unavoidable absences. These are not "freebies," and  no explanation is required/desired. Simply rejoin when you're ready, but keep up as best you can while away. 
2. Attention (cell phones are allowed, but use discretion. If you seem distracted, I will ask you to turn it off. Also, while you may take pics of whiteboard notes, writing them out has proven -- via actual research -- to be FAR better for retention. Finally, i don't consent to being recorded).
3. Preparation & Participation (all homework, revised drafts ready @ start of each class period, readings completed, blog entries made, etc.). Respectful participation involves your willingness to be present with the class, with your peers and demonstrate a clear understanding of course structure & content.
4. Completion of each major Writing Project and homework assignments.
5. Observation of all course policies.