1

1113: Principles of English Composition I

Fall 2015
Instructor: Taylor Beth Ellis
Email: taylor.b.ellis-1@ou.edu
Office Hours (Gittinger Hall 127):
W: 2-3:30pm TR: 10:30am-12pm
and by appointment
Sections:
ENGL 1113 (070) MWF: 11:30am-12:20pm SEC P0207
ENGL 1113 (097) MWF: 12:30-1:20pm SEC A0236
Course Overview: 1
In English 1113 students develop a rich and complex understanding of how writing is
constructed for various contexts and audiences. Through reading and writing about
literacy practices and studying conventions of writing in fields or communities they hope
to enter, students will develop a rich vocabulary to use in discussions of literacy broadly
conceived (reading and writing as arising from and inflecting the social context) and in
critical thinking about their own writing. The development of such a vocabulary has
proven to enhance writing expertise as well as the ability to transfer writing strategies
and assess conventions for new writing contexts. Throughout the course, students will
learn to discuss and plan writing projects, collect and analyze writing from academic
disciplines and the public sphere, and create a multimodal composition that prepares
them to generate writing outside of traditional alphabetic and textual modes. English
1113 concludes with a multimodal composition project that builds on earlier work and
showcases that knowledge for new audiences.
Objectives for 1113:
Use research (including personal writing/reflection, reading, interviewing,
observation, and analysis of primary documents) to investigate their own and
others literacy experiences
Produce texts in inquiry-based genres appropriate for subject matter, audience,
purpose, and context
Articulate a multifaceted understanding of literacy by integrating evidence from
personal experience and extensive research
Read critically and evaluate a diverse range of texts and articulate how features
(such as claims, evidence, organization, verbal and nonverbal elements, etc.)
function for different audiences and situations
Apply strategies for generating ideas for writing, planning, drafting, and
organizing material
Employ a range of strategies to revise drafts and ideas based on feedback from
instructor, peers, and others

1 Some of the language in this syllabus is adapted from the Pilot FYC Learning Outcomes.

2
Provide appropriate, engaged feedback in response to peers texts
Articulate their own strengths as readers, writers, and learners as well as areas for
development
Produce writing that adheres to conventions (including content, organization,
format, and documentation style) and remains free from errors that detract from
meaning

Required Texts and Materials:

Course materials will be posted on D2L or handed out in class. Please also bring a
pen/pencil, and paper/notebook for note taking and written activities. You will also need
to print drafts of papers for in class peer reviews. Each student is allotted $5.00 for
printing on campus. Please visit http://www.ou.edu/ouit/learning/labs/printing.html for
more information about on campus printing resources.
Personal Statement:
I want to be a resource for you in all of your learning endeavors. Please visit me during
my office hours, or by appointment, should you need help generating and developing
paper ideas throughout the semester. I am here to help. I have an open door policy and
want to work with you in your development as a writer and as a student.
Grading Breakdown:
Papers (80%):
Literacy Narrative (LN) 20%
Literacy Profile (LP) 20%
Case Study (CS) 20%
Multimodal Project (MP) 20%
Other (20%):
Peer Review/Informal Writing (IW)/Quizzes/ Participation*
Major Paper Due Dates:
Literacy Narrative
Literacy Profile
Case Study
Multimodal Justification & Presentation

September 18
October 16
November 16
December 14 /17

Papers:
In English 1113, you will develop four major writing assignments. You will use the
writing process for each essay, which will involve going through the stages of prewriting,
researching, drafting, peer reviewing, revising, and editing. The four writing assignments
will be included in the four units that make up the English 1113 curriculum: Literacy
Narrative Unit, Academic Profile Unit, Case Study Unit, and the Multimodal
Composition Unit.

All paper assignments will be turned in on D2L via the dropbox function by the
beginning of class on the due date. A hard copy is also due at the beginning of class on
said due date.
All papers must adhere to MLA requirements for spacing and margins with 12pt. serif
style font (examples include Times New Roman, Cambria, Baskerville).
Informal Writing (IW):
I will often assign informal activities that ask you to practice processes and strategies you
will need to complete the major writing projects. These activities should be clearly
labeled with the date, activity, and your name. We will either use these assignments as a
point of class discussion or I will collect them (or both). You can lose points if we utilize
IW in class and your assignment is not complete. When I do collect your IW
assignments, I will respond to your writing and indicate how many points you have
earned (between 1 and 10). As the IW assignments are in place to help you practice
writing, reading, and thinking processes, I will be assessing your efforts, level of detail,
and depth of insight rather than focusing on mechanics per se. If you spend time and
thought on the IW assignments, you can easily earn 10/10 points.
*Participation:
The interactive nature of this course means that we rely on one another to learn. I hope to
learn as much from you as you learn from me. Engaged participation requires that you
actively engage with one another, as well as with the course material. You are responsible
for attending and contributing to class discussion (asking questions, adding comments,
sharing ideas/observations). You will lose participation credit for absences, tardiness,
incomplete assignments, and/or failing to pay attention and engage in class activities (for
example, texting, sleeping, doing work for another class, zoning out, etc.).
Course Policies
Late Work:
Assignments are due on the day they are listed on your syllabus and will be turned in via
D2L before the beginning of class, in some cases you will be required to bring a hard
copy to class as well. I do not accept late work on homework assignments. I will
accept major paper assignments late, but one letter grade will be deducted for each day
(not class period) that the paper is late.
Example: For a paper due on Monday but turned in on Wednesday (two days late), the
highest grade possible for that assignment would be a C.
If you dealing with extenuating circumstances you may request an extension no later than
48 hours before the assignment is due.
Revision Policy:
You will be able to revise one paper during the semester, except for the final paper. You
will have one week after papers are graded to meet with me and devise a revision plan.

The revised paper is due within a week of receiving your paper back. The revision paper
will be graded individually and both papers will then be averaged. This is the only
revision that will be allowed. Revision is built into the class in the form of peer review
and drafts and I will expect you to take advantage of the resources that are structured into
the class. There are also resources such as the OU Writing Center and my office hours,
which are powerful tools for revising.
Tardiness Policy:
As this class requires collaboration and engagement in class discussions and group work,
arriving to class on time is essential. If you are late to class, you will be counted as absent
for that day. After your third tardy, each subsequent tardy will be counted as an absence.
If you know you will be late to class regarding an appointment or other conflict, please
inform me beforehand.
If you are more than 5 minutes late to class you will be counted as absent.
Technology Policy: 2
Please turn off all cell phones and put them away during class.
Laptops and tablets will be allowed as long as they are not a distraction to the class but
for class work and notes only. I like social media just as much as you guys, but please
save it for after class.
Departmental and University Policies: 3
Important Dates:
August 23


October 30


September 7

November 25-November 29

Last day to add a course

Last day to withdraw without signed consent
Labor Day No class
Thanksgiving Holiday No class

Accessibility Statement
Disabilities can be visible and invisible, and I am dedicated to creating an inclusive
classroom environment. If you have a disability, or think you may have a disability, I
encourage you to contact me so we can work together to develop strategies for your
success. The Disability Resource Center (DRC) provides support for students with
documented disabilities, and you can contact them at drc@ou.edu or 405-325-3852. You
may contact DRC without notifying me if you would prefer to keep your disability
confidential.
Academic Integrity
The Provosts website (intergrity.ou.edu) provides the definitions of academic integrity,
plagiarism, collusion, and cheating that are used by all instructors, in all courses at the
University of Oklahoma. Each student is individually responsible for accessing, reading,
and understanding these definitions, and for conducting him-or herself in accordance with

2 Some of the language in this syllabus was adapted from Renata Ryan Burchfields, Mandi McRays, and
Amanda Cuellars ENGL 1113 syllabi.
3

From the FYC Programs Statement of Departmental Policies

the highest standard of academic integrity. Any concepts you do not fully understand
need to be cleared up with your instructor before you submit any work for a grade.
The most common violation of academic integrity in First-Year Composition courses is
plagiarism, which the Provost has defined as:
1. Copying words and presenting them as your own writing.
2. Copying words (even if you give the source) without indicating that they are a
direct quotation by enclosing them in quotation marks.
3. Copying words and then changing them slightly or substituting synonyms (even if
you give the source).
4. Presenting someone elses ideas as your own, even if you change the wording.
It is also a violation of academic integrity to submit the same work for more than
one course, unless you have the express permission of both instructors.
Violations of academic integrity carry penalties up to and including expulsion from the
university.
Important note regarding contestation of misconduct: In the event of plagiarism, the
instructor may charge the student with either an admonition or an academic misconduct
charge. Any student who receives an admonition can contest it. To do so, the student
must contact the Student Conduct Office within 15 regular class days after receiving the
admonition. Any student who receives the charge can deny the charge through an appeals
process.
Attendance
Students are allowed three (3) unexcused absences per semester in a course that meets
three times a week, or two (2) in a course that meets twice a week. The penalties for
missing more than that are as follows:
Penalties for Unexcused Absences
2x/week Course
3x/week Course
Penalty
3
4
1 letter grade
5
7
2 letter grades
7
10
Automatic F
Three (3) unexcused tardies= 1 unexcused absence
It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious
observances, Provost-approved activities, and legally required absences (such as military
service and jury duty) and to provide without penalty for the rescheduling of
examinations and additional required coursework. (Faculty Handbook)
Student Athletes and others engaged in Provost-approved activities must notify the

Should you have to miss class, you must inform the instructor of the reason for the
absence ahead of time and arrange to complete all coursework in a timely fashion.
Meeting for Final Examination
All First-Year Composition courses must meet for their final examination periods.
ENGL 1113 (070) Monday, December 14, 2015. 1:30- 3:30pm SEC P0207

ENGL 1113 (097) Thursday, December 17, 2015. 1:30-3:30pm SEC A0236
Retention of Graded Papers
The English Department require instructors to collect all graded major writing
assignments by the end of each semester, and keep them until the grade challenge period
for that semester has passed.
Changes to the Policy Statement and Syllabus:
This policy statement and syllabus are subject to change according to the classs needs.
You will be notified of any changes in a timely fashion and are responsible for the
information in the most recent version of these documents.
Campus Resources:
The Writing Center
Most universities have a writing center, a place for students, faculty, and staff to meet and
talk about writing. The Writing Center here at OU is a resource I encourage you to use.
Experienced writers, including myself, seek feedback from many different readers as we
develop our ideas and texts. The writing consultants at the writing center are able to talk
with you about your writing--at any stage in the process and for any course you are
taking. I use the writing center as a place to work on my own professional writing, to
consult with peers about my drafts, and to find community with other writers.You can
make an appointment (online or by phone 325-2936) and you can drop in whenever they
are open (Wagner Hall, Room 280). I urge you to visit the web site for more information:
www.ou.edu/writingcenter.
OU Writing Center
http://www.ou.edu/writingcenter/
325-2936
Disability Resource Center
http://www.ou.edu/drc/home.html
325-3852
Goddard Health Center
http://goddard.ou.edu/
325-4611
OU Health Services:
Counseling Services
http://goddard.ou.edu/counselingservices.html
325-2911
First-Year Composition Office
www.ou.edu/fyc
Gittinger Hall, Room 122
325-5927
OU Cares
325-0841
oucares@ou.edu

*Homework Schedule*
Readings and essay assignments are due on the date at which they are listed. Assignments
to be turned in are indicated in boldface type.
*Note: This schedule is subject to change at the instructors discretion and according to
the needs of class.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Week 1 (week of Aug. 24) Introduction to First Year Composition
M

Course introduction

Finish reading the course syllabus.

Read Barton and Hamilton Literacy Practices posted on D2L using the
active reading strategies discussed in class.

Review Barton and Hamilton. Brainstorm personal encounters with literacy

practices in community and life, and bring a list of 3-5 literacy practices with
you to class on Friday.

Week 2 (week of Aug. 31)

M

Bring an artifact that members of the literacy practice in which you

participate use or produce. For example, if you engage with scrapbooking, you
could bring a scrapbook that you have created.
Discuss Unit 1 paper assignment sheet.

D2L post over Digital Archives of Literacy Narrative, Maribel Gaytans My

Bilingual Education.

Type up your individual practice profile.

Week 3 (week of Sept. 7)

M

Labor Day - No Classes

Continue collecting artifacts/examples of your chosen literacy practice that

could be used for references/examples in your upcoming narrative and bring to
Fridays class.

Complete a draft of the literacy narrative introduction and submit to D2L

dropbox.

Week 4 (week of Sept. 14)

M

Submit rough draft of literacy narrative by Saturday, Sept. 12 at 5:00 pm.

Bring a hard copy or electronic copy of rough draft for in class peer review.

Bring a hard copy or electronic copy of updated draft for in class peer review.

Final draft of literacy narrative due at 11:59 pm.

Bring a hard copy or electronic copy of polished draft for in class peer review.
Review of writing assignment sheet and peer editing exercise.

Week 5 (week of Sept. 21)

M

Reflect on Unit 1. Introduce Unit 2.

Read Roozens Journalism, Poetry, Stand-up Comedy and Academic

Literacy: Mapping the Interplay of Curricular and Extracurricular Literate
Activities from the bottom of page 11 to near the bottom of page 18. When
reading this article pay special attention to how Roozen discusses Charles literate
activities both within and outside of the classroom. Use the following questions to
guide your reading:
What are a few of the differences Charles experienced when writing
for his high school newspaper vs. his Rhetoric 101 class?
What is the turning point for Charles in his Rhetoric 101 course? In
other words, when does Charles start to connect with the material from
class?
In what ways was Charles able to merge his previous literacy
experiences with his experiences in Rhetoric 101?

Read Roozens Journalism, Poetry, Stand-up Comedy and Academic

Literacy: Mapping the Interplay of Curricular and Extracurricular Literate
Activities from the bottom of page 18 to the top of page 26. Post
approximately 150 words to the discussion board regarding the following:
What non-academic literacies do you have that you could incorporate
into your academic literacies/career?

Week 6 (week of Sept. 28)

M
Explore websites for academic disciplines/professions of interest come to class
with and post to the D2L discussion board:
3 disciplines/professions you find interesting
What kinds of reading and writing do you think happen in this
discipline?
What aspects of reading and reading in this discipline/field would you
like to learn more about?
Choose 1 discipline and list at least two people in that discipline who
seem like someone you may want to interview
Answers should be approximately 150 words.
(FYI: Need to complete your interviews by the Monday of Week 7)
W

Conduct independent research online or in library to find tips/dos and donts of

conducting/participating in interviews. Pick at least three tips and in a D2L
Discussion Board Post of at least 150 words, discuss your
familiarity/unfamiliarity with these tips and how these tips can help in your own
primary research. Also, choose a discipline/profession you would like to study,
and begin narrowing down individuals within the discipline you would like to
interview.
(FYI: Need to complete your interviews by the Monday of Week 8)

Develop a list of at least 5 questions to use in class on Friday to use in

interviewing your fellow classmates regarding their academic and non-academic
literacies, how they connect, and how they diverge. Upload this list to D2L
discussion board before next class, and bring a hard copy of this list to class
with you on Friday.

Week 7 (week of Oct. 5)

M

Conduct the following:

choose a discipline to study
draft 5-8 interview questions designed to learn about the literate
practices of a person in a specific discipline
contact 3-4 potential individuals within chosen discipline to interview
upload draft/revision sample email to D2L discussion board.

Begin conducting interviews by the end of next week, Friday, October 9,

2015

10

Post a status update of your research progress on the appropriate D2L

discussion board (approximately 100 words), noting challenges, solutions,
interesting discoveries, surprises, etc. The discussion post should also include
the text-based interview questions they created with their group today.
Continue conducting interviews and collecting pertinent artifacts/sources.

Week 8 (week of Oct. 12)

M

Bring a 3 page rough draft of Literacy Profile to class. Peer review the first
half of Literacy Profile essay

Bring full rough draft of Literacy Profile to class. Peer review full draft of
Literacy Profile essay

Bring a print copy of a draft they wrote for either Unit 1, 2, or 3 to the next
class, and post this draft to the D2L discussion board.
Final review of Literacy Profile essay. Essay due by 5 pm.

Week 9 (week of Oct. 19)

M
W

Bring a writing assignment from a discipline you hope to enter or from a class
you are taking. Introduction to Unit 3.
Read Grant-Davies Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents pages
264 to the top of 273 for next class.
While reading the article, consider the following thoughts or questions:
Identify any terms that might be important to understand during this unit (keeping
the writing assignment in mind), and should be included in the graphic organizer.
Consider the conversations/debates between scholars Grant-Davie introduces,
specifically regarding rhetorical situations and their rhetors. How do you see the
relationship between rhetorical situations and their rhetors?
Identify and define the four constituents Grant-Davie's sees in rhetorical
situations.
Be prepared to discuss these ideas in class.

Read Dobrins Understanding Rhetorical Situations Chart and GrantDavie's "Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents" pages 273-279.
Begin to identify how the example of a "compound rhetorical situation" in GrantDavie's article aligns or does not align with Dobrin's Elements of Rhetorical
Situations chart.

11

Week 10 (week of Oct. 26)

M

Bring in 2 3 examples of texts that can function in multiple activity systems.

Post a rationale to D2L post stating why you chose these particular texts a
prior to Mondays class. Explore how texts can work in different
situations/systems.

Choose 1 text from the texts you found Monday and provide a 150 word
description about the activity systems you see this text moving between prior
to Wednesdays class.

In class invention time regarding chosen text.

Week 11 (week of Nov. 2)

.
M
Bring list of 2-3 insights from your chosen text. Begin to explore the different
audiences your chosen text moves between. (Discussion of outlining). (Schedule
time for Student/Teacher Conferences).
W

Come to class with a rough outline of the various sections you would like to
include in your Case Study along with 1-2 sentences in each section
describing what information will be included. The sentences should be
relatively specific to your text. Bring a print/electronic copy to class. (Add
more content to outline in class). (Schedule time for Student/Teacher
Conferences).

Continue working on outlines, adding pertinent details (quotes/page

numbers/etc.) and bring a hard copy of this more detailed version to class.
Discussion of detailed outlining. In class production time. (Student/Teacher
Conference Preparation).

Week 12 (week of Nov. 9)

M No Class - Student/Teacher Conferences
W No Class - Student/Teacher Conferences
F Bring copy of most current draft to class. In Class Peer Review.
Week 13 (week of Nov. 16)
M

Unit 3 papers due in appropriate D2L dropbox before class. Have

access to technology (laptop or tablet) for this class period. The library allows
students to check out laptops, should you need help with technology access.

12

In a D2L discussion board post of at least 150 words, discuss two things that you
have learned for each of the three units/papers completed so far. Bring hard
copies of your previous three papers (Unit 1-3) to class.

Develop 2-3 informal interview questions to ask a peer during the next class
period, related to glossing insights, themes, connections, and the process of
developing these ideas (i.e. How or why did you see/find/notice that?). Bring
hard copy to class.

Week 14 (week of Nov. 23)

M

In a D2L discussion board post, list 3-4 different modalities that you have either
worked in, seen used, or find particularly useful. Describe and/or explain your
experience with each. Due on D2L before beginning of class.

No Class - Thanksgiving Break

No Class - Thanksgiving Break

Week 15 (week of Nov. 30)

M

Proposal due in D2L dropbox before class.

W
to

Chosen modalities mock up due in class and posted to D2L dropbox prior
beginning of class.

Post the reflection sketch from Wednesdays class to D2L prior to Fridays
class. (You can take a picture or scan the sketch to upload to D2L.)

Week 16 (week of Dec. 7)

M
in

Write at least a half draft of your reflection, considering the information discussed
class (remixing your reflections), and paying close attention to the criteria listed
on the Reflection section of the assignment sheet.

Bring composition and reflection to class. In-class production time.

F
Bring the rough final version of your composition and reflection to class.
Peer- review on composition and reflection.
Week 17 (week of Dec. 14) - FINALS WEEK
- Student Presentations. Feedback on each presentation stating one form of praise
and one question, to be given to presenter at the end of class.