1 CM 220 College Composition II Professor Tina M. Serafini General Education, Composition Kaplan University Seminar #1

UNIT #1 SEMINAR: Changing the World… One Idea at a Time Course outcomes Syllabus information Tips for success Academic writing Writing experiences 2

Contact Information s: use CM or CM220-37: –Concern in subject line (for example: CM Unit 3 project question) Office hours: by appointment (on AIM) AIM ID: ITProfTina Cell #: (814) [in case of an emergency] –Note: Some of you may be Prof. Nelson or Prof. Stollar-Solver’s students. Their ’s are and 3.

Flex seminars …Choices Every Week DayTimeInstructor Wednesday10-11:00pm ESTProf. Serafini Wednesday8-9:00pm ESTProf. Stollar-Slover Monday7-8:00pm ESTProf. Nelson 4

Course Description: CM220 is… …designed to develop the writer’s skills in: Academic Research Analysis and Organization of research Application of critical thinking skills Developing effective arguments Supporting arguments with credible sources APA citation Learning through Collaboration Prewriting, editing, revision, and proofreading processes 5

BIG IDEAS… CM220 takes the theme of invention and the exploration of “BIG IDEAS” that impact the world, our communities, and our lives, while situating these themes within a persuasive writing framework. You will explore and practice several persuasive forms of writing throughout the course and examine writing as invention in various settings and situations. 6

BIG IDEAS…continued –You will create an “appeal for change” (persuasive argument) as a final project that presents an idea and a plan for implementation. –One component of the final will be a ‘multi-modal component,’ such as, a blog, podcast, or web site that can disseminate your idea to a wide audience. 7

COURSE OUTCOMES… CM220-1: Construct logical arguments CM220-2: Develop strategies for effective problem solving CM220-3: Conduct research to support assertions made in personal, academic, and professional situations CM220-4: Articulate what constitutes effective communication in personal, professional and diverse contexts CM220-5: Demonstrate effective listening strategies 7

Course Level Assessments… 0: No progress 1: Introductory 2: Emergent 3: Practiced 4: Proficient 5: Mastery 9: Cannot be assessed (didn’t turn in assignment) 9 Used by Kaplan to measure student progress Helps to determine if courses are helping students fulfill course outcomes Leads to needed revisions in course Does not affect your grade Found in grade book in units with assessed projects

Late Policies… All unit assignments (projects, quizzes, discussion, seminar, etc.) are due Tuesday prior to 11:59 pm ET of the unit. Late assignments can be marked down one letter grade for each unit the assignment is late. For example, if you turn in your Unit 5 project, a “B” paper with a grade of an 85%, during Unit 6, one letter grade will be deducted from it, giving you a grade of C (75%). If you turn this project in during Unit 7, two letter grades will be deducted from it, giving you a grade of D (65%). As you can see, it is to your benefit to submit assignments on time. –Late discussion posts to classmates may not receive credit as their purpose is to further the discussion and the discussion cannot be furthered after it has ended. –Assignments submitted more than three units late may not be accepted. Unit 9 projects…will not be accepted late without prior approval from the instructor or an approved incomplete grade request. 10

Project Guidelines… Projects due Tuesdays by 11:59 p.m est. Use the correct unit’s dropbox to post assignments Write documents in MS Word with “.doc” or “.docx” extension Read grading rubric and project guidelines carefully! They should be followed step-by-step to avoid losing points. Be sure to review Kaplan’s plagiarism policy (see the syllabus and the Writing Center for details) 11

Substantive Invention Lab (Discussion Board) Posts Will… Avoid short expressions of agreement or disagreement or summaries of a classmate’s post (“I agree or disagree with your points.”). Pose follow-up questions to issues raised by myself or other students in order to encourage further discussion. Use personal experiences (or examples) to illustrate your points. Recommend alternative solutions to problems and offer constructive disagreement with issues raised by your peers (referring to writing skills, not personal opinions on topics). Refer to our course readings and offer relevant parallels between those readings and our discussions. Demonstrate your knowledge of the course material. Stay on topic. Be about words for the main response and 100 words for responses to classmates. Requirements vary for each unit, so read instructions and review any examples carefully. 12

Effective Seminar Discussions… Be respectful Avoid side conversations Be prepared—briefly review material before class Stay on topic Ask questions! –Use // to raise your hands before a ? and I will call on you. 13

Seminar Option #2 (or FLA)… Only required if you miss the live seminars –Select the “seminar” tab for that unit. –Review the questions carefully. –Post a response of about words in that seminar’s discussion thread by the end of the unit. No seminar credit will be given after a unit ends. Response is saved in a MS Word document and submitted to the drop box for grading. –Review the archive before responding to the question(s). 14

Virtual Tour of Course 15

Unit 1# Assignments… Introduce yourself to the class Reading: Unit #1 overview; The Kaplan Guide to Successful Writing, chapters 1, 2, 3, 8, 15 –Textbook is posted in Doc Sharing Invention Lab: Identify a “big idea” to explore or review an existing idea from the Innovation Gallery Seminar: Introduction to course, methods of discovery, and field trip to register with the New York Times or Washington Post 16

Introduce Yourself… Karl Marx ( ) famously said, “The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it." Marx’s quote about change implies that it is not enough merely to think about the world. The implication is that we also have the responsibility to “change the world.” (1) Why is it our responsibility to create change in the world? (2) What positive influence would you most like to have, and how might you go about doing that? Also, tell the class anything that will help us to understand you, your thoughts on writing, and your goals for your future! 17

Invention Lab (Discussion Board)… What is a problem in the nation or in your community that needs changing and why? Do you have any “big ideas” for addressing this problem? –This problem could be tied to your field of study or it could be something with more personal implications. If you do not yet have a “big idea,” (do not panic!) you can find one from the ‘Inspiration Gallery’ to discuss for this week’s lab. –Hopefully, this unit will help ‘inspire you’ to find a problem that needs solving or help you brainstorm potential ideas. 18

Invention Lab (Discussion Board)…continued Your initial post should be about words, and your responses to two classmates should be a minimum of 100 words each. Offer suggestions regarding your classmate’s “big idea,” noting whether you think it is a solvable problem and why. –Also, you will have two additional post to your classmates (or me) during the week to meet the minimum requirements for the discussion. 19

Other Course Assignments/Projects… Unit 2 project: 60 points (“pitch” your idea) Unit 4 quiz: ungraded (citing sources and avoiding plagiarism) Unit 4 project: 100 points (primary and secondary research project) Unit 6 project: 150 points (draft of persuasive essay) Unit 9 project: 240 points (5-7 page revision of blueprint for progress (unit 6), letter to the editor (unit 5), and presentation of Big idea (unit 7), as well as a reflection on the student’s development of the Big Idea) 20

FINAL PROJECT… Is a portfolio consisting of revisions of the blueprint for progress that you will submit in unit 6, the letter to the editor that you will write for the unit 5 discussion, and the presentation that you will create for the unit 7 discussion. The presentation can be a blog, podcast, brochure, slide show, or one of the other multi-media forms covered in the tech labs (units 2-7) or approved by your instructor. You will also write a reflection piece that answers the following questions in paragraph form: What did you learn about yourself as a writer? As a thinker? What did you learn about the process of writing? What skills did you develop that might help you in the future? What did you take from the larger conversation with others? How did your feedback from peers and your instructor affect the revision of your blueprint, letter to the editor, and presentation? 21

FINAL PROJECT… You will also write ‘a reflection piece’ that answers the following questions in paragraph form: What did you learn about yourself as a writer? As a thinker? What did you learn about the process of writing? What skills did you develop that might help you in the future? What did you take from the larger conversation with others? How did your feedback from peers and your instructor affect the revision of your blueprint, letter to the editor, and presentation? Note: You will want to answer all of the questions to get the maximum points possible! 22

TIPS FOR SUCCESS…In CM220… Review the “course home” materials about the library, plagiarism, and navigating the E-college platform. Review the documents posted in Doc Sharing. Check and announcements frequently. All important course announcements are communicated here! Communicate with me and ask questions! Participate actively in the weekly discussions and seminars. Read grading rubrics and assignment guidelines carefully… Following the instructions is important for your success in this course! Details for all assignments are included in the instructions. 23

Some questions to consider… What are differences between informative and persuasive writing? What kinds of persuasion do we see and use in our daily lives? How might you use persuasive writing in your professional life? What are some positive (or negative) experiences you have had with writing? What apprehensions do you feel about this class/final project? 24

Your Toolbox… MS Word Dictionary Thesaurus Bartleby.com Kaplan library Kaplan Writing Center (live chats, Q & A, paper review, library) Google Scholar Google Books Free academic databases and electronic journals available on- line at: e_academic_databases.html 25 USE: BE CAREFUL! Returns from Internet searches Blogs Wikipedia

Advantages to Writing… Writing gives you time to reflect and research – shape and reshape material. Writing makes communication more precise. Writing provides a permanent record of thoughts, actions, and decisions. Writing saves time-- we absorb information more swiftly when we read than when we hear. 26

What to know before you write… 27 Purpose: Why are you writing? Audience: to whom are you writing? Context: Terminology Nature of text (essay, , etc.)

Writing Styles… Levels of formality: Informal  Formal What are the differences in these styles and when would you use each one? 28

Academic Discourse… “Presentation of ideas (usually in written form) in academic or scholarly contexts that exhibits conventional characteristics in form and expression -- traditionally, such communication has been objective, analytical, and expository, and has generally advanced an argument for a particular thesis -- can also refer to conventions of discourse followed within individual scholarly disciplines -- is often addressed in writing instruction for college students” (Academic Discourse, 2010). What does this mean to you? What qualities would this type of writing have? What are the challenges of writing “this way”? 29

DISCOVERING IDEAS… Where do ideas for writing come from? Newspapers, magazines and journals Online discussion communities Current events Inspiration Gallery What are ‘YOUR ideas for generating ideas? 30

INSPIRATION GALLERY… 3b1c 3b1c What is Zach’s BIG IDEA? What situation is the origin for his BIG IDEA? 31

What are your BIG IDEAS? Share some of the possible ‘Big Ideas’ you have with us! –What are some local, national and global problems that you are interested in and that might be valuable to write about? –How about a new product or software, improving an existing product or concept, or possibly starting a movement or business? –Are there topics that might be problematic in any way, that might pose a challenge to the writer/audience ? 32

Field Trip… Register with The Washington Post or The New York Times: dyn?node=admin/registration/register&destination=reg ister&nextstep=gather&application=reg30- globalnav&applicationURL= dyn?node=admin/registration/register&destination=reg ister&nextstep=gather&application=reg30- globalnav&applicationURL= 33

A Look Ahead: Unit #2 Seminar… The Unit #2 seminar will focus on: –Thesis Statement and research question development, as well as logical fallacies –What is an argument? –The Unit #2 Project: we’ll be discussing your topic and the controversies you have found about that topic. There is a sample project to view in Doc Sharing!  Note: if you cannot find sources for your topic, it may not be suitable topic to write a paper for this class.  Likewise, if you cannot find a clear debate in the sources you found (authors who take opposing positions), you may wish to rethink your topic. 34

35 Thank you for being with us tonight!