Required Text:
- Seyler, Dorothy U., Read, Reason, Write: An Argument
Text and Reader.
10th Edition. McGraw-Hill, 2012. (Purchase at the UH Manoa
Bookstore)
Writing Assignments:
Four formal papers ranging from
approximately 3-6 pages each, one longer research paper (approximately 8-10
pages), drafts of major assignments for workshop sessions, daily reading and
writing homework exercises and chapter summaries, and a semester writing log
for the final paper project.
This course will concentrate on
developing and improving students’ skills in writing clear, academic,
university-level prose. The approach in this course will emphasize the notion
of writing as a working process. While working on both informal exercises and
developing more formal essay assignments, students will explore a number of
essential stages involved in the writing process which includes brainstorming
and initial inquiry research, outlining and drafting, peer reviewing, revising,
editing, and proofreading their final project. The emphasis in this
course will also include recognizing the significant connection between reading
and writing where the development of better critical/analytical thinking skills
produces more self-reflective writers. The focus of our major writing
assignments will be helping student-writers understand the rhetorical situation
in which we write–that is, writing with a purpose; understanding your
audience, situation/context, stance, and effective writing strategies and
approaches used to communicate ideas clearly and convincingly.
Daily class activities will involve
a collaborative workshop atmosphere where students will engage in class
discussions and informal writing sessions. Students will also often work in
smaller groups, analyzing reading assignments, which are directly relevant to a
particular writing task, understanding how particular writing concepts and
strategies work within a variety of types of writing, and reviewing and
commenting on drafts of peer work. All in-class activities and homework
assignments will focus on improvement in writing clarity, focus, and clear and
purposeful organization of ideas in order to produce effective, meaningful
writing. Formal writing assignments will also emphasize students learning
how to effectively use and integrate current, credible research into their
arguments according to an appropriate set of style and formatting guidelines.