Welcome to English 1301 Week 1 June 6, 2018

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About me BA in English from Texas A&M International University MFA in Creative Writing from University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Pursuing my doctorate here at TTU in English. Previously taught introduction to writing courses and introduction to creative writing classes. (Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, playwriting) Worked on a small indie film last year.

WRITE THIS DOWN: English1301jb.wordpress.com

What To Expect In This Class It’s your responsibility to read the Syllabus on Blackboard. Participation grade and Discussion Board grade links are on Blackboard too.

Questions & Answers CREATE A NEW THREAD AND ASK AWAY:

Course Theme

Course Theme In this section, we will investigate perspectives on video games and culture to explore the rhetorical dynamics of arguments about video games. Video games are a site of continual public argument, as people argue about whether video games harm youth or help them (are they educational, or do they teach violence and sexism?), about racial and gender representation in video games, about diversity of employment in the video game industry, and more. While we are only “dipping our toes” into public conversations about video games, our goal is not to walk away as experts, but rather to practice inquiry and analysis: “listening in” on this continuing conversation to practice summarizing, synthesizing, and analyzing the arguments of others.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING E-MAILS: 1.) I will only answer e-mails from 10 am to 5 pm. 2.) Please e-mail me from your TTU e-mail only. 3.) I will take 24 to 48 hours to respond to e-mails unless you have an emergency. 4.) Before you e-mail, be sure to check the class syllabus, this WordPress site, or even Blackboard. A lot of information you are asking about can be found on these three things. 5.) If you e-mail me, put your section number somewhere in the e-mail.

Here are a few major things you need to know about this class:

Absences can seriously hurt your grade

Absences can seriously hurt your grade Because participation in class activities is important to both your success and your classmates’ success, you are allowed up to 2 absences (for official or personal reasons). After your 2ND absence, your final grade will be penalized half a letter grade (5%) for each absence.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS CLASS Project or Activity Portion of Final Grade: Project 1: Mediated Values Essay 10% Project 2: Summary Project with Writer’s Memo 15% Project 3: Rhetorical Analysis 25% Project 4: Podcast Episode with Statement of Goals and Choices 20% Project 5: Final Self-Assessment Essay 10% In-Class Participation 10% Blackboard Discussion Forum Posts 10% Note: In order to pass this class, you must complete Projects 1 through 5. Failure to submit these five projects will result in failing the class.

Late penalties All major projects must be submitted in Blackboard by the due date and time listed on the course schedule. If you have trouble submitting your work on Blackboard for any reason, email your instructor and include a copy of your completed assignment, along with an explanation of the technical problem, prior to the deadline for the assignment. As soon as the technical problem has been resolved, you must submit your assignment as usual. Any exceptions to this policy must be arranged with me before the assigned due date and time. Late major projects will automatically receive a letter grade (10%) penalty. If your project is more than 1 class period late, it could receive a total grade deduction of up to 20%. If your project is more than 1 week late, it could receive a total grade deduction of up to 50%. After two weeks, your project will receive a zero.

Late penalties Always backup your electronic files. A lost file or a crashed computer is not an excuse for late work in this class.

Participation Ten percent of your final grade in this class is calculated through an in-class participation grade. I will calculate this grade based on your participation in in-class activities, including freewriting, small- group work, whole class discussion, coming to class prepared with work assigned, showing evidence of having done the readings, actively listening to each other, and so forth.

Participation If you don’t regularly participate, your grade will drop. Perfect attendance alone is not enough alone to warrant an A for participation. Simple perfect attendance without engaging with in-class activities and while not coming to class prepared will earn you a C- (70%) for participation. This grade will be lower if attendance is poor or if you’re actively not participating (like reading a newspaper, engrossed on your laptop with non-course related websites, etc.)

Tardy Policy If you arrive late after roll has been taken, it is your responsibility to let the instructor know at the end of class that you were late and not fully absent. Here are some important rules to remember: 1. If you arrive more than 20 minutes late to class, you will be counted absent. 2. If you miss more than 20 minutes of class (whether at the beginning or end), you will be counted absent. 3. If tardiness is continual, I will count three tardies as an absence.

Discussion Boards Blackboard Discussion: All assignments should be completed on time. If you do not complete the writing assignments you cannot be included in the review groups or revisions, and thus will lose points.

Discussion Boards Detailed: Each of these primary posts should be at least 150 words, though many will probably need to be 200-300 words. (Note: I am not as interested in the actual word count as I am in the depth of your ideas.) Semiformal: Your posts should contain some degree of formality: proofread, organized, etc. However, they will also be part of a dialogue, so in that regard, they will differ from an essay you turn in for a class. It is inevitable that we will take some time to reach a mutual understanding of the appropriate level of formality. Referenced: While you won't always need formal citations in your posts, you should look for opportunities to build your argument by referencing our readings, other sources, or your colleagues' comments.

Any Questions?

For Friday, June 8 Found on Blackboard:

For next time: Complete your three readings for Friday, Jun 8 Complete the Brainstorming Discussion Board …

Think about the following questions when reading the three articles: 1 Think about the following questions when reading the three articles: 1.) How are the values of these authors shaped and shared through mediated experiences? 2.) How are values shaped by, reflected in, and even challenged by the media?

The Mediated Values Essay {Unit I} UNIT RATIONALE: What ties these three essays together is the that the authors explore how values are shaped and shared through mediated experiences: Mann connects with the world through the encyclopedia, Fawaz values identifying with those who are radically different from him because of reading X-Men, and Reed suggests that Stranger Things can help viewers value adolescent girls’ emotions. Values, then, are not solely individual, but are shaped by, reflected in, and even challenged by media.

The Mediated Values Essay {Unit I} What is a belief? What is a value?

The Mediated Values Essay {Unit I} A belief is “a concept or statement that we hold to be true.” A value is “a concept or idea that we hold to be important.”

The Mediated Values Essay {Unit I} How can we understand both? For example, a person might value freedom from the government. As a result, this person believes they need to arm themselves to exercise their right to bear arms and protect themselves from the government.

The Mediated Values Essay {Unit I} Prompt Construct an essay that informs your audience (your teachers and classmates) about how a specific piece of media (e.g., a book, a movie, a television show, a song, an album, a magazine, etc.) has shaped a value you hold. Use your personal experiences with this media to explain how that media has shaped your understanding of this value and how it is shared with others.

Brainstorming Activity On your sheet of paper, develop a list of core values you personally hold. List as many as you can. After 3-5 minutes (I will let you know), make a HUGE list (anywhere from 10 – 20) of different types of media that you really like. Try to get 10-20 some objects across different types of media. Possible media types may include: books, magazines, television shows, blogs, movies, songs, albums, a video game, artists, etc.) Of all the list, pick your most favorite piece of media. Answer the following question: “Why is this piece of media important and how has it helped shape who you are?” (This is where your values come into play.)

For Friday, June 8 Found on Blackboard:

Blackboard Activity (Informal Homework) On Friday, June 8, by 11:59 p.m. you will write a paragraph for three pieces of media that you might write your essay on. 1.) Make a list with three of your most favorite pieces of media (Possible media may include: books, magazines, television shows, blogs, movies, songs, albums, a video game, artists, etc.) 2.) Write a paragraph for EACH of the 3 things you selected. You must answer the following question in your paragraph: How has this particular piece of media helped shape my values? (Remember: be specific with your values.)