Course Description
English 110 is required of all students pursuing a teaching credential. The course is designed with two major goals in mind. First, through discussions, activities, and practice, our own writing skills will be honed. Second, through discussion, reading, observation, and planning, our awareness of current issues in educationóand in the way these issues relate to the teaching of writingówill be expanded. The course will require traditional essays, classroom observations, and lesson plans, as well as the reading (and rereading) of a number of intriguing and relevant articles and essays.

Required Materials

• Stand! Educational Psychology. David Podell, Ed.
• The New St. Martinís Handbook. Andrea Lunsford and Robert Connors.
• A good dictionary of your choosing.
• A 3-ring notebook or other means of keeping all of your writing organized.

Grading Criteria
65% Course Writing Assignments
25% Commentaries & Presentation
10% Class Participation, In-Class Work, Attendance

Attendance
The assignments you do in this class will be directly generated by class discussion; attendance is, therefore, crucial. I take attendance daily at the beginning of class. If my records indicate that you have missed more than 7 class days (25% of the in-class time), you will automatically fail the course. To avoid attendance problems entirely, come to class regularly. In the past, there has been a very high correlation between absenteeism and low grades in my writing classes.

Late Work
Assignment due dates and times are specified on the schedule or elsewhere on this syllabus. I am under no obligation to read work turned in after the due date has expired. I may, under certain conditions and on an individual basis, make special arrangements regarding late work.

Plagiarism
All work for this class must be original work written specifically for this class. When sources are quoted or paraphrased, they must be documented by using the conventions set up by the Modern Language Association (MLA); see chapter 44, pp. 516-563 of The New St. Martinís Handbook for information on how to use MLA documentation in your papers. Failure to adequately document sources is plagiarism; its consequences are outlined in section IV-A of the University Code. Any instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the universityís administration.

Assignment Details
Essays
Three essays (5-6 pages each), in both rough and polished forms, will be required for the class. Details for each assignment will be generated through our classroom discussions. Additionally, you will be asked to write eight short responses to the readings; these will serve as starting points for the longer essays you will put together, and will be turned in with each essay. The final writing for the class will require you to create a World Wide Web-based research project. You will use current technology to write web pages that address, in a different format but using the same rhetorical strategies, the ideas generated in class.

Presentations & Commentaries

• Presentations: You will be put into groups of four early in the term, and each group will be responsible for teaching class readings on specific days. On presentation days, you will become the classís "experts," and will design activities and discussions to lead the class to an increased understanding of the issues presented by the readings.
• Commentaries: Commentaries are written responses to other studentsí writings, done as part of the writing process. These are important, and account for a significant portion of your final grade. Take them seriously.

Course Calendar
Note: "SEP" refers to readings in Stand! Educational Psychology; "NSMH" refers to readings in the New St. Martinís Handbook. Topics in the NSMH (grammar, etc.) will be added as needed.
 

Week 1	8/24	Course Introduction. Assigned writing: "How I see envision my classroom."
	8/26	The Future and Past of Education. Writing categories. Assigned writing due.
Week 2	8/31	SEP Issue 1 "School Quality" (1-13); NSMH "Introduction" (I.1-I.35).
	9/2	SEP Issue 2 "Standards & Testing" (14-27); NSMH Ch. 1 (4-17).
Week 3	9/7	SEP Issue 3 "Constructivism" (27-40); NSMH Ch. 2 (18-31).
	9/9	NSMH Ch. 3 (32-49) & Ch. 5 (70-101). Working Thesis Due.
Week 4	9/14	Essay #1 Rough Draft Due--Bring 4 copies to class. Peer eval. practice.
	9/16	Peer Group Conferencing.
Week 5	9/21	Peer Group Conferencing.
	9/23	SEP Issue 5 "Nature v. Nurture" (61-80); NSMH Ch. 4 (50-69).
Week 6	9/28	SEP Issue 6 "Children Today" (81-90). Essay #1 Revised Draft Due.
	9/30	SEP Issue 7 "Multiple Intelligences" (91-102); NSMH Ch. 6 (102-134).
Week 7	10/5	Technology and writing--meet in Taylor 205. Peer evaluation practice #2. Essay #2 Thesis Due on disk, RTF format.
	10/7	Peer Review--Taylor 205. Essay #2 Rough Draft Due, on disk, RTF format. NSMH Ch. 50 (645-651).
Week 8	10/12	Grp. 1: SEP Issue 9 "Disabilities Issues" (129-148); NSMH Ch. 44 (516-563).
	10/14	SEP Issue 8 "Multiculturalism" (103-128). Essay #2 Revised Draft Due.
Week 9	10/19	Grp. 2: SEP Issue 10 "Tests" (151-168).
	10/21	Grp. 3: SEP Issue 11 "Ability Groups" (169-176).
Week 10	10/26	Essay #3 Draft Due--Bring 2 copies. Peer evaluation practice #3.
	10/28	Peer Commentaries Due. In-class workshop.
Week 11	11/2	Grp. 4: SEP Issue 13 "Learning Disabilities" (192-204).
	11/4	SEP Issue 12 "Phonics Debate" (177-191); Essay #3 Revised Draft Due.
Week 12	11/9	Grp. 5: SEP Issue 14 "TV & Media" (205-219).
	11/11	Grp. 6: SEP Issue 15 "Violence" (220-232).
Week 13	11/16	Grp. 7: SEP Issue 16 "Character" (233-265); NSMH Chs. 40& 41 (430-475).
	11/18	NSMH Ch. 42 (476-515).
ïïï	11/22	Thanksgiving Break Nov. 22-26
Week 14	11/30	Web Research Presentations.
	12/2	Web skills day #1--meet in Taylor 205. Essay #4 Rough Draft Due.
Week 15	12/7	Web skills day #2--meet in Taylor 205.
	12/9	Web skills day #3--meet in Taylor 205. In-class workshop.
Finals Week	12/16	Thursday, 12:00-1:50. Final Exam. Portfolios due.