THEORY IN THE TEACHING OF COMPOSITION:  ENG 4043

Department of English and Philosophy, ASU, Spring 2006

I.          COURSE:       "Theory in the Teaching of Composition"

            Description:      An introduction to teaching composition based on current research and theory

                                    with special emphasis on practical applications in the secondary school classroom.

            Classroom:                   Wilson 303

            Class meetings:             2:00 - 3:15 MW

            Instructor:                     Dr. Robert Lamm         Office:  Wilson 308

                        Phone:              (870) 972-2176           Fax:      (870) 972-3045

                        E-mail:              rlamm@astate.edu

                        Office hours:     MW: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m., 3:15-4 and by appointment

II.        TEXTS:          Lindemann, Erika.  A Rhetoric for Writing Teachers.  Oxford UP, 2001.

                                    Padgett, Ron, ed.  The Teachers and Writers Handbook of Poetic Forms

                                    Proett and Gill.  The Writing Process in Action.  NCTE, 1986

                                    Packet photocopies, to be announced.

                                    Access to Internet, email, word processor, and printer.

III.       ASSIGNMENTS:     

a.       Microteaching lesson:                            10%

b.      Writer's journal:                                      5%

c.       Term project:                                        20%

d.      Anthology contributions:                        10%

e.       Professionalism :                                    5%

f.        Portfolio:                                              10%

g.       Exam (midterm)                                    10%

h.       Exam (final):                                         15%

i.         Sparks review:                                      10%

j.    Quizzes (over reading)                            5%

a.  Microteaching Lessons:  You will plan, deliver, and assess one 10 minute “microteaching” lesson that is oriented toward the writing process.  If you work collaboratively, your team will have to determine the focus of the unit and the sequence of activities. In a post-discussion, the class will reflect on the merits of delivering that lesson in that fashion.  Include a lesson plan:  objectives, activities, list of materials.

b.  Writer's journal:  This is an informal journal.  It will be graded more by volume and thought-content, less by organization and GUMP correctness.  Write (on the average) five minutes, three times each week.  You should record your discoveries and insights with a focus on writing and teaching; you may also include samples of your drafts of other writing assignments.  Thirty full-length entries comprise an A; 30, a B; 25 a C; 20, a D; 15-less, an F.

c.  Term project:  You will conduct a teacher-research project. This will involve designing pre- and post-tests to accompany a  lesson of at least 30 minutes duration. The test subjects are your classmates. You will work on a team of at least four other students; the write-up will be in an 8-10 page report that includes the following:  title, rationale, review of literature, methodology (subjects, materials, data), analysis of data, conclusions, and references.

d.  Anthology contributions:  You will submit two pages of photocopy-ready text for a class anthology.  These works may include anything written for this course during the semester.  This may include a page of your journal; it likely will include pieces of writing that you began in class but completed as self-assigned homework.

e.  Professionalism:  This will be an indication of your dedication, service, and ethics.  There will be 50 points required.  Documentation in the form of a report and attached proofs (membership card; written statements or other proofs from presenters or supervisors) must be submitted to the course instructor as supplements to a short (1-2 page) report.

Professional Membership:

·        10 pts. for local membership (e.g., Literature Club, SciFi Club)

·        20 pts. for state membership (e.g., SAEA, ACTELA) or national/regional membership (e.g., NEA, NCTE, MLA, CCC)

o       10 pts/hr attendance of local meetings; 20 pts/hr presenting

o       10 pts/hr attendance of state meetings; 30 pts/hr presenting

o       20 pts/hr attendance of national/regional meetings; 40 pts/hr presenting

·        Volunteerism:  10 pts/hr (e.g., Literacy League, CESL, ACTELA)

·        Other:  by arrangement with instructor (e.g., online forums)

f.  Portfolio:  You will prepare a portfolio of your writings, illustrating and briefly explaining the following:  (1) stages of writing a single piece of writing, from start to finish,  (2) samples of four genres you can produce, and (3) one of your best products.  The whole portfolio and each of the three sections should have an introduction that explains what the artifacts are meant to illustrate.  It is even better if the writing samples are annotated in some way to show important features; however, this can also be accomplished through a short introduction to each piece.  The portfolio should be bound neatly and be self-explanatory to other readers.

g. &  h.  Exams:  The students and instructor of the course will work collaboratively to design exams.  Some of the final and midterm will be drafted throughout the semester.

i.  Sparks review:  ASU produces an on-line literary journal, Sparks ( http://www.clt.astate.edu/sparks/).  A collection of “young adult” books is housed at the COE, office 349, waiting for you to select one book and write a review.   The format for the reviews can been seen on the website, by example.   Reviews are 75 words or less and can be submitted via email to Dr. Skinner or Dr. Owens for editing prior to publishing.

j.  Quizzes:  Expect periodic quizzes over reading assignments.

IV.       SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS OF THE COURSE:

·        Workload:  The amount of reading and preparation for each class meeting varies, but the course outline (see below) will enable you to plan well ahead for what you must have completed by a given date.

·        Disability policy:  Any student with a disability should see the instructor at once about necessary accommodations.  Should a disability prevent a student from completing the course requirements as outlined by the instructor on the first day, an alternative procedure will be determined by the instructor.

·        Plagiarism, cheating, or other unethical means of completing class assignments:  minor infractions reduce the grade of the assignment; major infractions are referred to university authorities.  Refer to student bulletin.

·        Flexibility clause:  Within reasonable limits, the course outline and assignments are subject to alteration when such alterations better suit the objectives of the course without unduly inconveniencing the students.

V.        THE NATURE OF THIS COURSE:

            The chief purpose of this course is to convey how to teach writing effectively.  Certainly, this means learning various techniques, methods, and activities that help students become better writers.  However, in order to know the best methods of teaching, a teacher must know why certain methods are preferable over others—this is where theory and research become invaluable.  Every method demonstrated in this course is included presumably for a good reason, a reason based on theory and research.   You should be actively curious about the why for every how.

            This course embraces components of lecture, discussion, workshop, and seminar:  lecture provides condensed explanations, discussion encourages a flexible exchange of information, workshop requires you to practice the techniques you are learning, and seminar makes you more responsible for your own development.  Most of the students taking “Theory in the Teaching of Composition” eventually will become teachers themselves.  You are expected to think and act not just as a student but also as a co-teacher of the course: you take responsibility of ensuring that the atmosphere of the classroom is positive and productive.

Website updated January 6, 2009