Teaching College English Composition

Teaching College English Composition
Summary

All instructors have their own style of teaching, so when asked to create my course into a shareable format using SoftChalk, I was a bit daunted because I thought that my style would not transfer to anyone else's. It seemed too specific.

This may still be the case; however, I attempted to organize the material in a general process-writing approach flexible for multiple teaching styles.

The course opens with an explanation of the Rhetorical Situation: purpose, audience, and style. Purpose and audience take up little room, but "style" goes into detail about the dos and don'ts of writing for a formal audience. Style discusses not only Formal Standard English, but it also discusses point of view in relation to rhetoric and literature writing.

From the Rhetorical Situation, the course moves on to the Writing Process: prewriting, drafting, organizing, and revising (including a discussion between the differences of editing and proofreading).

From the Writing Process, the course moves into the parts of an essay and how to organize those parts. There is discussion about outlining and writing a working thesis statement, essay map, and topic sentences. I have included examples and activities that students can complete in analyzing effective thesis statements as well as writing detailed supporting paragraphs.

The final page discusses the introduction and conclusion. Students and instructors may find it odd to end with this part of the essay. However, as I explain in the material, introductions and conclusions are the hardest paragraphs to write, so they should be saved for the end of the process when the writer has a clearer understanding of their essay topic and organization.

Every page is accompanied by images that provide a visual representation of the concepts, and several sections also contain video links. The videos either come from my material or are public videos found on YouTube.

In this document, instructors will find best practices for online teaching, a sample Syllabus, and sample essay assignments with rubrics. Some instruction is included with those assignments and are very basic so instructors can make any necessary changes to match their personal teaching styles.

To the right under the "Handouts" Sidebar, you will find a Sample Syllabus, a Tentative Schedule that follows my 16-week online course, grading rubrics for Discussions and Journals, and an explanation about Professional Correspondence.

The presented material is not an exhaustive course compilation by far, but it provides the general concept behind a beginning college-level writing course.

All of this material I use in my online composition courses. They have been tweaked over the years, and I hope you find them as useful as I and my students have.

 

Keri Bjorklund De Deo

English Faculty

Sheridan College

Sheridan, WY

 

Best Practices

The Northern Wyoming Community College District (NWCCD) uses the following checklist adapted from Quality Matters to ensure online courses follow best practices:

Include a getting started checklist (AKA - course tour or course navigation guide).

 

Include a Start Here folder or learning module on the home page that contains pertinent preliminary course information.

 

Include a link to the first or all learning modules (week, chapter, module, unit) on home page. If you make your home page the weekly assignments, this is covered.

 

Include a course syllabus that includes the minimum requirements set by the common course syllabus as well as the following components. (See the "Handouts" Sidebar for a sample.)

  • Methods of Communication
  • Minimum Computer Literacy Skill Requirements
  • Minimum Technology Requirements
  • Testing Procedures
  • Code of Conduct
  • Copyright Statement
  • Technical Support Resources
  • Academic Support Resources
  • Student Support Resources

 

Include an assessment checklist/course outline with due dates, point values, and assignment location (may be included in syllabus). I have a semester Tentative Schedule as well as weekly To Do Lists. See the "Handouts" Sidebar to the left for a sample.

 

Include an instructor welcome statement (text, audio, video, slideshow, etc.). (Click here for a sample.)

 

Include a student introduction discussion forum.

See sample image:

Inclue a course information quiz (AKA - Scavenger Hunt or Syllabus Quiz). I allow students to take the quiz as many times as possible in order to have 100%. They must pass it with 100% to proceed with the course. I also include a signature line where they have to agree to the course policies.  

Include a question & answer discussion forum. You can often subscribe to these forums so an email is sent to you immediately after a question is posted.

 

Include fonts and colors that enhance the viewing and reading of content. This is where SoftChalk comes in handy. It is already ADA compliant and includes a variety of easy-to-read colors and formats.

 

Include an overview/learning plan for each learning module to include target competency, learning activities, and assessment activities.

I do this in the form of a To Do List:

 

Types of Essays

Academic essay types vary; however, most college essay assignments focus on these rhetorical assignments:

The following pages provides sample instructions and information on writing an Illustration Essay and a Summary/Response Essay.

Illustration/Example Essay

Everyone has basic beliefs that determine how we act or judge others.  For example, when I'm driving behind someone and they switch lanes or turn without using his or her turn signal, I am annoyed and my belief is reinforced that everyone should use a blinker when turning or changing lanes.  In another instance, I see other drivers acting in ways that I deem discourteous.  After time, I may conclude that drivers in Sheridan are discourteous.  This is a judgment I have formed based on my observations.  If I were to write an essay on this judgment, then I would need to prove my point by showing examples that have brought me to that conclusion.  This would be called an illustration essay, which is a type of reflective essay.  To write a reflective essay, you need to explore your beliefs or biases. This week's discussion allows you to do this by answer the following questions: What beliefs (other than religious) do you have that you formed based on your observations and/or experiences?  Answer this question in the discussion board.  A list of topics is provided for you for this assignment.  In the future, you will be allowed to choose your own topic, but until then, please stick to the provided list.

The purpose of this essay is to share your thinking with others and explain what you believe to be "true." To do this, you need to use examples to prove your points.  Examples need to be very specific (i.e. particular events, places, people, etc.).  Think of it as painting a picture for your reader, and not just telling about your experiences or reasons.  In the professional writing world, we say: "'show'," don't "'tell.'" The essay example provided demonstrates how to do this by using sensory details included. 

Sensory details use all of the senses to describe something (smell and sound in addition to sight).  Think about how dull the essay would be without these sensory details.  Use your own senses in your essay in addition to specific details such as names, places, dates, specific events, etc. to prove your point.

Another way to think of this essay is as an argument essay without research. You are arguing toward a solution to a problem or you are arguing about why you think something is true.

Chapter 18 goes into greater detail about a reflective essay and provides an example. Below is more explanation about organizing body paragraphs for the essay. 

A general outline for the body paragraphs could look like this:

Paragraph Organization

1) Topic Sentence (ts)

     2) Subtopic #1 (ST)

          3) specific example/detail (d)

          4) specific example/detail (d)

     5)  Subtopic #2 (ST)

           6) specific example/detail (d)

          7) specific example/detail (d)

8) Concluding sentence (CS)

*  You may include more subtopics or more specific details.  Use this outline as a guideline, not necessarily as a set form (use the outline form for the precise form).

Filled in, this outline/body paragraph might read:

  Many young people obtain jobs based on personal connections instead of actual work experience. (ts)  Most of the jobs I have held, I have gotten through my acquaintances instead of through my job skills. (ST#1)  For example, I once obtained a job as a billing clerk because a girl I knew casually was leaving the job and recommended me. (d#1) I had no relevant experience to the position, but I was hired anyway. (d#2)  I also held a job as an office clerk at a livestock trading company because the owners were friends of the family (ST#2).  I currently work as a technical writer for a software company (ST#3); I was hired in this job without an interview because my sister is already employed by the company (d#1).  Again, I had no experience in the field, just my sister's recommendation (d#2).  Once I was in these positions, because of my personal connections, I learned the skills needed for the job. (CS)

* You'll notice that this body paragraph follows the general outline closely, but not exactly.  Just be sure that you provide, in each body paragraph, adequate examples and detail to support your topic sentence and thesis statement.  Although this example does include details, such as what jobs he/she held, more details could be included.  Beware, though, that you do not go too far.  The details included need to be relevant to your point.  Don't simply include details for the sake of including details.  For example, going too far here would include explaining his/her sister's educational background or the details about the interview (I was dressed to kill), etc.

WRITING TIP

Illustration/Example Essay Assignment

A sample rubric can be found here. 

Essay I Assignment Sheet
(200 points with outline)
Keep this assignment sheet handy while you write, revise, and edit your essay. Failure to follow the assignment will result in a failing grade.

Due Date

See the Weekly Assignments for the due dates—all essays & outlines are due at 11:55 PM

Length

3-6 full pages, not 2 ½ or 2 ¾. Typically, essays that meet the minimum page requirement are "C" essays.

Audience

Think of your audience as a room full of successful 1010 students and a group of college instructors.  They are deciding which essay best matches the assignment requirements to put into a book for future 1010 students.  They don't know you, but they're interested in getting to know you and your thoughts through your writing, but they also are interested in professional distance.  Therefore, professional, semi-formal writing is needed.  (See the reference to "mechanics" below & the discussion on FSE in Week 1.)

Objective

Write a 5-paragraph, 3-6 page essay responding to the options below.  Explain your point of view through your observations and/or by certain events that happened in your life (or people you know). Provide plenty of related specific examples (a person, people, places, events, dates, etc.) to prove your opinion. See the lecture notes to understand these concepts (thesis statement, essay map, topic sentences, etc.).  Essays that meet only the minimum page requirement tend to be "C" essays due to lack of development.

Introductory & Concluding Paragraphs

The introductory paragraph should include a hook to capture the reader's attention, and the thesis statement should be the last sentence in the first paragraph.  The introduction & conclusion should be more than three sentences.  You may use an anecdote or other method of. The textbook section on "Beginning and Ending" (pp. 299-311) might help here.  Do not begin the essay by answering the question.  Your answer & your reasons become your thesis & essay map, which come at the END of the introduction, not the first sentence of your introduction.

Organization

This essay must follow the basic 5-paragraph structure with the thesis statement and attached essay map as one sentence at the end of the introductory paragraph.  The topic sentences need to match the essay map. Additionally, the examples given within the body paragraphs should flow coherently and in the most appropriate order (chronological, spatial, emphatic, etc.).  Look these up in the textbook if you are confused by these terms.  The paragraphs should contain sub-points followed by examples and a concluding sentence that ties everything together and reconnects the reader to your thesis.

Development

The three body paragraphs must contain specific examples that support the general statement presented in the thesis. Specific examples answer questions such as who, what, when, and where.  If you find yourself talking about people in general, or using "you," then you are not using specific examples.  The essay must also reach the minimum page requirement.  If you find yourself describing actions (e.g. She went into the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee), then you are creating a narrative, not an illustration.

Research

There is no research requirement for this essay. Do not attempt research.  Any research in your essay means that you have not followed the instructions, and it will result in a lower grade.

MLA

This essay must be formatted according to MLA guidelines (margins, pagination, paragraphing, etc.).  See the template and the examples in the textbook for guidance.

Mechanics

This essay is semi-formal; therefore, contractions and first person pronouns are allowed.  Other rules of FSE language apply (see the lecture notes for a definition of FSE).
No "you"
No abbreviations
No informal phrases

The Outline

The outline is due one week before the essay is due. An outline uses Roman Numerals for each paragraph and capital letters for the sub-points.

The outline must follow MLA formatting, use proper grammar, and contain a thesis statement, essay map, and topic sentences for each body paragraph. The topic sentences must be complete sentences and follow the points provided in the essay map. Follow the student example closely.

Essay I Assignment Options
Based on your personal observations and life experiences, tell your audience what you believe to be the answer to one of the following questions. 

Option 1

Does advertising really influence your purchasing decisions? Explain and provide details supporting your opinion.

Option 2

Did high school adequately prepare you for college? Explain and provide details supporting your opinion.

Option 3

What bad habit gets you into trouble? In what ways? Explain and provide details supporting your opinion.

Option 4

Does technology help or hinder your education? Explain and provide details supporting your opinion.

Option 5

Currently, our society uses a rating system for television shows, games, movies, etc. Do you think this is a valuable system? Why or why not? Explain and provide details supporting your opinion.

Option 6

If you have a topic in mind that you would like to write about for this essay (and/or throughout the semester), please contact me and we will discuss this as an option for this paper and other papers to come.

 

Summary/Response Essay Assignment

A sample rubric for this assignment can be found here.

Essay II: Summary/Response Essay Assignment

300 points

Hint: Keep this assignment sheet visible while working on your essay and read it several times.

Overview

The Summary/Response essay is designed to help you with the beginning process of research. In doing research, it is vital to learn how to read critically as well as to learn how to summarize and respond to a document. This may sound easy, but many times students struggle with these tasks. This essay also is a starting point for teaching citations and how to avoid plagiarism.

 

You may only* choose from essays in chapter 10 or chapter 60

 

*Should you choose a different text for your assignment, you must get approval from me before submitting the outline.

Focus

You must say whether or not you agree or disagree with the author's main point (yes, say "I agree…" or "I disagree…"). Using "I" is okay in this context. The essay map should identify the three reasons WHY you agree or disagree OR the three points you agree or disagree with. The body paragraphs, then, follow this organization and go into depth for each of those three points. For support, explain what you agree or disagree with and why. Each body paragraph should include the author's points with your response. This means that while each body paragraph will focus on your opinion, it will not ignore the points of the original article. This also means that you are not creating a new argument essay on the same topic. You are responding to the points…think of this as a conversation with the author.

Format

4 pages minimum + Works Cited page

Follow proper MLA document formatting as well as MLA citation rules.

Organization

The essay must first begin with a summary in the first paragraph and follow all the components of an effective summary (see pp. 470-471 in the textbook). The summary and response must be separated by a clear agree/disagree thesis statement, and the response must contain the components of an effective response essay. Hint: Paragraph 1 is the summary. Paragraphs 2-4 are your response. Paragraph 5 is the conclusion.

Development

The essay must follow the conventions of a college-level essay:

·         a clear & supportable thesis statement with an essay map: "I agree with …because…"

·         supporting topic sentences for each point.

·         supporting evidence from your personal life, the text, or another source, and follow logical conclusions

 

The reading & course resources explain what constitutes valid evidence and how to cite the text.

Grammar & Style

This essay must adhere to the rules of Formal Standard American English: 

            No contractions;

            No abbreviations;

            No second person;

            No commands;

            Limited 1st person point of view. (It is acceptable to say "I agree" or "I disagree" in your thesis and topic sentences.)

 

Proper punctuation, verb use, and sentence structure are expected.  The Writing Center or Smarthinking is encouraged as part of the revising process.

Research

The student sample essay uses citations correctly. Follow those patterns for the in-text citations AND the Works Cited page. The only source needed for this assignment is the essay in the textbook. However, you may use another source if so desired. Please keep these points in mind:

 

·         Articles must be quoted, paraphrased, summarized, and properly cited in all cases.

·         Wikipedia, other encyclopedia sites, and personal websites are never valid websites for academic research.

·         Use proper citation techniques for in-text citations & a Works Cited page.

·         Incorporate research within the essay: introduce the source (with credentials) and explain the borrowed information and the relationship between the thesis and the data.

·         Hyperlinks are unacceptable anywhere in the essay (including the Works Cited page).

·         Web addresses are unacceptable within the essay—use proper title formatting. 

·         I am particularly harsh on citation and Works Cited formatting for this essay, so spend considerable amount of time getting the citations correct.

 

Writing a Summary/Response Essay

What is a Summary/Response? (a.k.a. Textual Analysis)

What is a Summary?

So…a summary is...

An overview that objectively, fairly, and accurately presents the main ideas of a piece. 

A Summary Must Include

 

Strategies for Writing a Summary

Formatting Titles & Citations

 

What is a response?

A response provides general information about the article you summarized.

In your assignment, you are asked to agree or disagree with the article you read.

Three Types of Responses

Analyzing the effectiveness of the essay.

Agreeing or disagreeing with the ideas in the essay.

Interpreting and reflecting on the essay.

When Writing Yours...

More on Evidence…