CCR 632: Composition On and Off the Page

Fall 2015, Mondays 5:15-8:05 p.m., HOL 201

Patrick W. Berry, pwberry@syr.edu, office: HBC 235
office phone: 315-443-1912
office hours: Thursdays, 9:30-11:30 a.m. and by appointment
http://patrickberry.com/ccr632fall15

Course Overview
This course explores how the teaching of writing involves looking beyond the page to
historical and social contexts, to people in process, and to our increasingly global landscape. It
also considers how notions of multimodality are challenging traditional ideas about it means to
teach composition. What is the role of response in the teaching of writing? What about
grammar? What does it mean to teach writing across the curriculum in the twenty-first
century? These are some of the questions we will cover in situating our own pedagogical
values in relation to those of other scholars in the field. A significant component of
the course will be to help you develop a teaching portfolio and material for teaching with the
Writing Program.
Course readings are available on Blackboard.
Requirements
1) Papers in response to readings (approximately 600-900 words; approximately 30% of grade).
See schedule for details. Submit your response to Blackboard no later than noon the day of
our class meeting. Also, bring print or electronic copies of readings to each class.
2) A teaching exploration (20%). Jason Markins (jrmarkin@syr.edu ) and I will work with you
to select an appropriate topic. Details will be forthcoming.
3) Midsemester group presentation (10 minutes) at a symposium exploring strategies for
working with genre in the teaching of writing (15%). The symposium, entitled Teaching
with Genre: What, Why, and How, will take place on Monday, October 19, during class
time. The event will be open to the public and Professor Scott and students from his CCR
632 class will attend.
4) A short writing project (approximately 1,500 words) that focuses on theories of writing
pedagogy in College Composition and Communication or one that focuses on your experiences
actually teaching WRT 105 with me.
5) Portfolio that includes your WRT 105 syllabus, three unit assignments and calendar, and
your final project.
Grades, Participation, and Attendance
Active participation is expected. To benefit from the course, you must attend class. Since we
meet only once a week, I expect to see you every Monday. Please email or call me with any
questions. Your grade will be based on an overall assessment of your work. I will consider your
portfolio, participation, and engagement with the readings through your weekly writings. If you
miss more than two classes, your grade will be reduced by one letter grade. If you miss more

than three classes, you run the risk of failing the course. A passing grade for the course is
required in order to teach with the Writing Program.
Special Needs and Situations
If you believe that you need accommodations for a disability, please contact the Office of
Disability Services (ODS), http://disabilityservices.syr.edu, located in Room 309 of 804
University Avenue, or call (315) 443-4498 for an appointment to discuss your needs and the
process for requesting accommodations. ODS is responsible for coordinating disabilityrelated accommodations and will issue students with documented disabilities Accommodation
Authorization Letters as appropriate. Since accommodations may require early planning and
generally are not provided retroactively, please contact ODS as soon as possible.
Syracuse University and I are committed to your success and to supporting Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This means that in general no individual who is otherwise
qualified shall be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to
discrimination under any program or activity solely by reason of having a disability.
Academic Integrity
The Syracuse University Academic Integrity Policy holds students accountable for the
integrity of the work they submit. Students should be familiar with the policy and know that
it is their responsibility to learn about instructor and general academic expectations with
regard to proper citation of sources in written work. The policy also governs the integrity of
work submitted in exams and assignments as well as the veracity of signatures on attendance
sheets and other verifications of participation in class activities. Serious sanctions can result
from academic dishonesty of any sort. For more information and the complete policy, see
the Academic Integrity Policy at http://academicintegrity.syr.edu/.
Religious Observance
SUs religious observances policy, found at

http://supolicies.syr.edu/emp_ben/religious_observance.htm, recognizes the diversity of

faiths represented among the campus community and protects the rights of students, faculty,
and staff to observe religious holy days according to their tradition. Under the policy, students
are provided an opportunity to make up any examination, study, or work requirements that
may be missed due to a religious observance provided they notify their instructors before the
end of the second week of classes. For fall and spring semesters, an online notification process
is available through MySlice/Student Services/Enrollment/My Religious Observances from
the first day of class until the end of the second week of class.

Course Schedule
1.

Introductions (August 31)

Review course requirements; participate in writing process activity and discuss the
following readings:
Donald M. Murray. Teach Writing as a Process Not Product. Cross-Talk in
Comp Theory: A Reader. Ed. Victor Villanueva and Kristin L. Arola. Urbana:
NCTE, 2011. 3-6.
James Berlin. Contemporary Composition: The Major Pedagogical Theories.
College English 44.5 (1982): 765-77.
Tara Lockhart and Mark Roberge. Choices about Your Philosophy of Writing.
Informed Choices: A Guide for Teachers of College Writing. Boston: Bedford/St.
Martins. 3-19.
Review Writing 105 and 205 outcomes.

Labor Day (September 7)

2.

Literacy Narratives and Genre Awareness (September 14)

Deborah Brandt. Accumulating Literacy: Writing and Learning to Write in the
Twentieth Century. College English 57.6 (1995): 649-68.
Mary Soliday. Translating Self and Difference through Literacy Narratives.
College English 56.5 (1994): 511-26.
Deborah Dean. Teaching Genre Concepts. Genre Theory: Teaching, Writing, and
Being. Urbana: NCTE, 2008. 45-54.
Amy Devitt. Teaching Critical Genre Awareness. Genre in a Changing World. Ed.
Charles Bazerman, Adair Bonini, and Dbora Figueiredo. Fort Collins: The WAC
Clearinghouse/Parlor P, 2009. 337-51.
Assignment due: Write a 2- to 3-page response essay that considers the use of genre
and literacy narratives in teaching.

3.

Response and Assessment (September 21)

Nancy Sommers. Responding to Student Writing. College Composition and
Communication 33.2 (1982): 148-56.
Peter Elbow. Ranking, Evaluating, and Liking: Sorting Out Three Forms of
Judgment. College English 55.2 (1993): 187-206.
Chris M, Anson Response and the Social Construction of Error. Assessing Writing 7
(2000): 5-21.
Asao B. Inoue. A Grade-Less Writing Course That Focuses on Labor and
Assessing. First-Year Composition: From Theory to Practice. Ed. Deborah CoxwellTeague and Ronald F. Lunsford. Anderson, SC: Parlor P, 2014. 72-110.
Tony Scott and Lil Brannon. Democracy, Struggle, and the Praxis of
Assessment. College Composition and Communication 65.2 (2013): 273-98.
Assignment due: Write a 2- to 3-page response essay in which you describe your
own understanding of response in connection to the readings.

4.

Genre and Writing about Writing (September 28)

Wendy Bishop. Preaching What We Practice as Professionals in Writing. Genre
and the Teaching of Writing. Ed. Wendy Bishop and Hans Ostrom. Portsmouth:
Boynton/Cook, 1997. 9-16.
Mary Soliday. Stance. Everyday Genres: Writing Assignments Across the Disciplines.
Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 2011. 36-70.
Carmen Kynard. Getting on the Right Side of It. Genre Across the Curriculum. Ed.
Anne Herrington and Charles Moran. Logan: Utah State University Press, 2005.
128-51.
Assignment due: Working with your partner, submit a draft of your symposium
presentation (approximately 4 pages). Send to me by email. Post the two articles
youll be using with the teaching exploration to Blackboard.

5.

Felt Sense, Contemplative Practice, and Creativity (October 5)

Selections from Sondra Perls Felt Sense: Writing with the Body. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann, 2004.

Gesa E. Kirsch. Perspectives: From Introspection to Action: Connecting

Spirituality and Civic Engagement. College Composition and Communication 60.4
(2009): W1-W15.
Patrick Sullivan. The Unessay: The UnEssay: Making Room for Creativity in the
Composition Classroom. College Composition and Communication 67.1 (2015): 6-34.
Doug Hesse. The Place of Creative Writing in Composition Studies. College
Composition and Communication 62.1 (2010): 31-52.
Assignment due: Write a 2- to 3-page response in which you consider the extent to
which the readings/audio files offer a viable approach for teaching composition.

6.

Teaching Grammar and Disciplinary Boundaries (October 12)

Michelle Navarre Cleary. The Wrong Way to Teach Grammar. The Atlantic 25
February 2014: http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/02/thewrong-way-to-teach-grammar/284014/
Laura R. Micciche. Making a Case for Rhetorical Grammar. College Composition
Communication 55.4 (2004): 716-37.
Erika Lindemann. Freshman Composition: No Place for Literature. College
English 55.3 (1993): 311-16.
Gary Tate. A Place for Literature in Freshman Composition. College English 55.3
(1993): 317-21.
Assignment due: Provide revised draft of your group presentation (paper and PP
slides). Write a 2- to 3-page response in which you consider Micciches ideas for
teaching grammar.

7.

Symposium (October 19) Symposium will take place in 304 Tolley

8.

New Media, Multimodality, and Pedagogy (October 26)

Alexander Reid. The Activity of Writing: Affinity and Affect in Composition. FirstYear Composition: From Theory to Practice. Ed. Deborah Coxwell-Teague and Ronald F.
Lunsford. Anderson, SC: Parlor P, 2014. 184-210.
Jody Shipka. Beyond Text and Talk: A Multimodal Approach to First-Year
Composition. First-Year Composition: From Theory to Practice. Ed. Deborah CoxwellTeague and Ronald F. Lunsford. Anderson, SC: Parlor P, 2014. 211-35.

Collin Gifford Brooke. New Media Pedagogies. A Guide to Composition

Pedagogies. Ed. Gary Tate, Amy Rupiper Taggart, Kurt Schick, and H. Brooke
Hessler. New York: Oxford UP, 2013. 177-93.
Teaching Explorations: Rohan and Jakob
Special guest: Patrick Williams
Assignment due: Draft a 1-page assignment that makes use of multimodality or
new media. Write a 2- to 3-page response in which consider ideas you might use
from the readings.

9.

Close Reading, Research, and the Possibility of Transfer (November 2)

James P. Purdy and Joyce R. Walker. Liminal Spaces and Research Identity: The
Construction of Introductory Composition Students as Researchers. Pedagogy 13.1
(2013): 9-41.
Rebecca Moore Howard and Sandra Jamieson. Researched Writing. A Guide to
Composition Pedagogies. Ed. Amy Rupiper Taggart, Brooke Hessler, and Kurt Schick.
Oxford University Press. December 2014. 231-47.
Ellen C. Carillo. Making Reading Visible in the Classroom. Currents in Teaching and
Learning 1.2 (2009): 37-41.
Special guest: Rebecca Moore Howard
Teaching Explorations (three students): Wil, Alex, and Tim
Assignment due: Prepare a description of your three WRT 105 units. You can
build on the work youve done with your teaching exploration and
symposium presentation. Take a look at the WRT 105 course outcomes and
consider how your units connect with the course outcomes.

10.

Syllabus Planning (November 9)

Special guest: Anne Fitzsimmons
Teaching Explorations: Jono and Sarah
Assignment due: Revise your WRT 105 syllabus (using template) and
assignments. Prepare a list of readings using the database provided. Include
PDFs or links for new material.

11.

Inquiries into College Composition and Communication (November 16)

Teaching Explorations: Amanda and Anna
Assignment due: If youre doing the article option for your final reflection, please
provide me a short annotated bibliography (approximately 150-words per entry). If
youre doing the second option, please write a brief (600-900 word) reflection on
your experiences teaching.

Thanksgiving break (November 22-November 29)

12.

Syllabus and Assignment Workshop (November 30)

Teaching Explorations: Melissa, Alexandra, and Anastasia
Assignment due: Continue working on portfolio.

13.

(December 7) Sharing from portfolio.

Teaching Explorations: Emelie and Joel