English 1101H: Honors Composition I

First Day

2012-05-24T12:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to your English 1101H course! I hope this semester will be both fun and challenging for you! Your professor's name is Dr. Matthew Horton (that's me!), but you can call him Dr. H. I have high hopes that this semester will help you improve your skills as a college-level writer!

Click on these icons and see what you can do! This course is about writing, sure, but it is also about using technology to help you discover new possibilities with writing. Writing's not all just about typing papers and turning them in. In fact, this course strives to be as PAPERLESS as possible! This might be a little scary for some of you, but I assure you, the skills you'll learn will be just as important as effective writing!

Also, go ahead and look through some of the most important resources on this course website:
Read the syllabus
Check the agenda
Using Google Drive

Additional resources are available by clicking the tabs across the top and various links in the right-hand margin. As much as you can, familiarize yourself with this course website. My contact info is in the right-hand margin at well, towards the top.

Syllabus

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In this course, you can achieve the following goals:

Approach writing as a process of improvement
Discuss your thoughts about current issues
Develop a helpful writing process for yourself
Learn the parts of an essay to compose smart, lively papers
Gain confidence in communicating with an audience
Use Google Drive to produce, share, revise, and respond to digital documents, including your own
Evaluate sources on a recent and personally important issue

Texts and Materials

Content, by Cory Doctorow
Purdue University Online Writing Lab
Magazine articles about various topics
Google Drive account
A flash drive for storing software and backup documents

Course Grading

How your grade is calculated

Final portfolio
Assigned reading responses
Peer and self-responses
Daily activity

up to 475 points
150 points
200 points
150 points

Course Policies

Ask for help. If you are struggling or need help, tell me right away—we can meet for tutoring in my office. Please use extra time before class to ask me questions. If you seek help on assignments before they are due, you will see progress more quickly. Be sure to use your UNG email account if you send me an email.
Participate. Arrive on time, stay until dismissal, take notes, speak your thoughts, and stay engaged to earn "Daily Activity" points.
Make-Up Work. Work for this class includes assignments done on your own time as well as assignments done during class. When you are absent on a due date, you need proof of excuse to turn in missed work.
Turning in work. Depending on the assignment, all work for credit will be composed in Google Drive. Be sure to confirm that you have met the word count/length requirement for each writing assignment. You will become proficient in several online technologies for writing, so you will need a working computer with decent internet. The computers in the labs here on campus work great if you don't have one at home. Never use email to turn in work.
Email. The official form of communication at UNG is email. This policy protects all of us in the exchange of information. If you need to contact me about anything, whether personal or class related, please use your UNG email account to send a message to matthew.horton@ung.edu. This is my official UNG email address. Check your email two or three times a day for updates. Check it every hour if you have emailed me a question.
Computers. Please log on as soon as you arrive and browse the website for this course. Review the calendar, look over some writing guides, reread assignment instructions, organize your course bookmarks, work on an essay in progress, etc. Please take care of all personal communication (e.g., email, texting, Facebook, etc.) and leisure usage (e.g., ESPN, Facebook, games, etc.) outside the classroom. Turn off your cell phone and put it out of reach. In the classroom, all that matters is your course work. Any sign that you are not taking full advantage of class time for class-related activities might prompt me to deduct "Daily Activity" points.
Printers. I would prefer, to avoid distractions, that you not print any documents in the classroom while we are doing activities or having a discussion.
Disruptive behavior. I emphasize the importance of sensitivity and respect in and out of class between you and me and between you and your classmates. Refrain from gestures, attitudes, tones, and words that are meant to be base, insulting, or provocative. Please do not express disagreement with my policies, decisions, or academic help in front of other students; I am happy to field complaints privately during my office hours. You should, of course, disagree openly with any of my ideas about the readings or the films we watch. I won't be angry at all; I will be quite pleased. If I disagree right back, don't get angry or feel embarrassed; just keep talking. Disagreement about ideas is a sure sign of their value. One other rule: if you come to class, don't leave early unless you have checked with me before class begins. You may have bottled water in the classroom, but food is too distracting.
Academic honesty. All work submitted to fulfill requirements of this class must meet UNG standards of academic honesty. Violations of these standards include receiving or giving assistance on any graded assignment without my permission (aka, cheating), fabricating evidence for use in an assignment (aka, lying), and using another person's words or thoughts in your assignment without giving that person credit (aka, plagiarism). Penalty for committing these acts could range from a zero on the assignment to an "F" in the course.
Withdrawal. Remember that you cannot withdraw from a class simply by not coming anymore; rather, you must withdraw yourself through Banner Web before the midpoint. Also, I reserve the right to request that you be withdrawn from the class if you miss more the 10% of the class meetings before or after midpoint. Please be familiar with the University Attendance Policies.
Disclaimer. This syllabus is subject to change to meet the needs of the course.

Supplemental Syllabus

Calendar

2012-05-23T11:30:00.000-04:00

Click items on the agenda to read additional details and instructions.

Readings

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In addition to the book we are reading, Content (choose the PDF version because it has page numbers), your reading material will consist of various magazine articles about a variety of topics. You determine which ones you use as the basis for your essays! One of the three essays you write on these topics will be expanded into the research topic for your portfolio.

The following magazines have free and interesting reads:

How Your Grade Is Calculated

2012-05-23T10:30:00.000-04:00

I am using a flexible system that gives you almost complete control over the grade you earn in this class. My goal, actually, is to change your view of grading, at least as it applies to your pursuit of better writing skills. Your grade in this course will, very simply, reflect how hard you worked at making yourself a better writer than you are right now.

You'll produce four longer writings (1000+ words) and many smaller writings (300+ words each). Timely completion of all assignments accounts for 500 pts. The final portfolio for this course is worth a maximum of 475 pts. A total of 900-975 points equals an "A" in the course (800-899 equals a "B" and 700-799 equals a "C").

Timely completion means (a) meeting deadlines and content/length requirements for assignments and (b) participating in classroom activities designed around completion of these assignments. Why? Most students want a course grade to reflect their effort in a course; this approach to grading rewards effort without sacrificing academic rigor.

Using Google Drive

2012-05-09T17:53:00.000-04:00

Your essays and reading responses this semester will be done on Google Drive. This online document creation and storage tool allows you to compose essays without any word processing software on your computer. The sharing feature allows you to collaborate with me and your classmates as you write your essays and receive feedback. You can also comment and make suggestions on essays shared with you.

In order for this tool to work for us, we will all have to cooperate, learn some new skills, and follow some rules. It will be a steep learning curve for some of you, but I think you'll be pleased with the results!

First, you'll need a Google account. If you have a Gmail account, then you already have a Google account, so all you need to do to get started is to sign in to Google Drive! If you don't have a Google account, the easiest way to start one is to sign up for Gmail! This link will allow you to designate a username for a Gmail account--I recommend using something like "LastName.FirstName" for your username.

Once you have your Google account, let me know the Gmail address you'll be using and sign in to Google Drive, and we'll configure some things together during class. Here is the first assignment:

Create a folder called "Lastname.Firstname.1101H.Writing.F13"
Share the folder with me and grant me "edit" privileges (I'll give you my sharing address during class)
Create a document in that folder called "Lastname.Firstname.My.Expectations.F13"
Share this document with everyone else in the class and grant them "comment" privileges
Now open this document and write a 300-word response about your expectations for this course this semester. What are you most looking forward to? What are you most afraid of?
Create another document in the same folder called "Lastname.Firstname.My.Goals.F13"
Share this document with everyone else in the class and grant them "comment" privileges
Now open this document and write a 300-word response about your goals for this course this semester. What can YOU do to make progress as a writer? Describe your resolve to pursue a higher level of confidence and proficiency as a writer.

Future essays will also go in this folder with an appropriate filename (LastName.FirstName.Paper.Number.F13), and you will give commenting permissions to the classmates assigned to peer review your essays. As for the peer responses and self-responses you write, you can place them in this folder as well.

Parts of an Essay

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In the color-coded sections below, the various parts of an essay are laid out for you. Use this as a guide for crafting effective essays. There are many ways to put an essay together, but the suggestions I make here are applicable to writing in many subjects. Students in the past have appreciated this guide, but I do not mean for it to stifle your need or potential to experiment with other forms.

Beginning: (Generate interest, orient the audience) [1-2 paragraphs]

Reach out to your audience

Start with a specific detail and open your reader's mind to an interesting idea. You could discuss a striking statement from an article or mix in an anecdote that sets the stage for your paper. Your audience needs something real to feel involved. Writing general or opinionated ideas will hide that you are a thinking person. At its most effective, "Reach out to your audience" will be the first paragraph of your paper.

Prepare your audience

In your second paragraph, start setting up your paper by narrowing the focus down to your actual topic. Imagine your reader asking, "Okay, interesting beginning, but what is THIS paper going to be about?" Give background information that your audience needs to know up front. Give the impression that you have a serious purpose, and always convince the audience feel that you are leading them to an important choice. This part of the paper should naturally follow the concrete detail you discussed for "reaching out."

Preview your argument

In the same paragraph as "Prepare your audience," give a short version of your paper's stages of thought. These stages should not be IN your thesis, like a list of different ideas, but should mentioned BEFORE your thesis. Each stage makes a point to persuade the reader that your thesis statement is true or reasonable. In the middle section of the paper you will elaborate on each stage--they should work TOGETHER in SEQUENCE to develop ONE argument: your thesis. Laying out your stages here will keep your thesis statement from sounding like it comes out of nowhere.

State your thesis, the MAIN argument of your paper

Immediately following your preview, make a statement that you think is both true and persuasive. It should direct the audience toward a choice or a way of thinking that you imagine they do not already agree with. So your thesis cannot be a statement of fact or an obvious truth. A great thesis will be a single idea--it brings the topic to focus and tells the reader your position. To get a thesis that works with your stages, you will have to go through some trial and error.

Middle: (Present stages, at least 1 paragraph per stage) [3-4 paragraphs]

For EACH middle paragraph:

Transition and topic sentence

The topic sentence starts the paragraph and represents one (or part of one) of your stages. If you need a transitional hook, ask yourself, "what is the relationship of THIS stage to the PREVIOUS one?" The answer is your transition. Of course, if your transitions are solid and true, you often won't need to write a hook.

Details to support topic sentence

Illustrate using concrete examples from real life, quotations from texts and experts (if appropriate to your subject), personal stories, logical deduction, etc.

Closing statement to explain your support

Giving evidence is not enough. Every paragraph should have a closing sentence or two to show that the topic sentence has actually been proven. No claim is self-evident, so proof must be demonstrated AFTER evidence is given. How is this stage tied to your thesis?

Sometimes, one of your middle paragraphs can acknowledge a different point of view that questions your thesis. First, you state the other point of view and explain how it is reasonable. Then disagree, offering NEW evidence in response to this opposing point. But mentioning a counter-point at the beginning of your essay is counter-productive.

Ending: (Answer the crucial question "so what?") [1-2 paragraphs]

Explain importance of proving your thesis

Clarify why the point of your essay is important. In other words, discuss the significance of your thesis. Why is it relevant? Why does it matter? The WORTH of your thesis is not self-evident.

New information to help apply the thesis

Save some recent developments or information to add body to your conclusion. Keep the attention of your reader. Using general conclusion cliches to finish your essay will leave your audience with an empty feeling. Instead, apply the relevance of your thesis by extending your attention.

Satisfy reader with a closing statement

Discuss the benefits of taking your position; give a warning or call for action; suggest a solution or another problem. Or you can raise issues that leave your audience thinking and wondering.

Assignments

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Reading Notes
Reading Responses
- Respond to assigned readings
- Respond to peer writing
- Respond to your own writing
Essays
Final Portfolio

Self Responses

2012-05-09T10:30:00.004-04:00

When you submit essays for evaluation, you will also submit your own evaluation of the struggles and achievements you've encountered in the writing process. Create a new document in your Google Drive essays folder for this course; use the following filename for each self response you write:

"LastName.FirstName.PaperTopic.Self.Response.F13"

The content parameters of this response are pretty wide open, but your discussion should revolve around your impressions of your experience working on your paper. Points might include what you felt successful doing, what you felt frustrated by, areas in which you needed help but did not ask, and areas in which you felt confident. What was it like to write this paper, and how can you apply the lessons you learned to future papers? To what extent have you improved yourself as a writer through the process of writing this paper?

Write at least 300 words for this self-response.

Daily Activity

2012-05-09T10:30:00.003-04:00

Every day in class, there will some kind of discussion or writing assignment. In order to participate fully in these activities, you must be on time to class and stay through dismissal. More details to come.

Peer Responses

2012-05-09T10:30:00.002-04:00

As your peers make progress on their own essays, you will offer evaluations of their work that help them (and you) continue to improve.

On the day a rough draft is due, you will begin evaluating the essays of two different peers (and two peers will review your essay). Arrange with your group how you will distribute the sharing. Only students with a complete draft can be reviewed, each student must review two essays, and each student (with a complete draft) must have two reviewers.

On each essay you evaluate, you should spend 45-60 minutes. The first step is to read the essay and make comments in the margin about various strengths and weaknesses of the essay. Focus on the ideas of the essay and the structure of those ideas in the essay, not the grammar or style. As you read the essay, ask yourself, "How can the writer be more specific? How can the writer make the ideas more vivid? How can the writer improve how each idea BUILDS from the one before it?" Remember, the standard of excellence you're reaching for is effective communication. As Hjortshoj wrote, "Effective writing, therefore, facilitates continuous reading from beginning to end" (115). Make substantial comments on parts of the beginning, middle, and end of the essay.

Once you are done commenting on the paper, create a new document in your Google Drive essays folder for this course.

By default, you will be the owner of the document, but when you share this document with the peer you are evaluating, you need to make that student the owner. First, grant them editing privileges; when you see your peer's name on the sharing list, make him/her the owner. After doing so, you will still be able edit the document, but the student you are evaluating will actually own the document. And as long as you created the document in your essays folder, I'll have access to it as well.

Type a 300+ word response to your peer's paper. To earn credit for the peer responses you write, you must refrain from superficial, trite, cliched statements of praise and approval. Instead, I need to see evidence that you are grappling with the writer's actual attempt to communicate an idea and how that attempt can be improved. Do not generalize about the student's essay; instead, use specific examples from the essay to show what works but can work better. Also, show what does not work and suggest how to make it work.

Your response needs to be thorough because you also stand to benefit from the thorough responses of your peers. In other words, do your part and do not let it slide. Your peer responses will be featured in the final portfolios of the students you help, so you need to be accountable to this responsibility. At the top of your peer response, indicate which paper you are evaluating and address the writer ("Dear Michael"); at the end of the response type your full name after "Sincerely"--in this way, you are communicating directly with your peer.

Assigned Reading Responses

2012-05-09T10:30:00.000-04:00

For various readings you choose, whether from the book we are reading or from magazine articles that spark your interest, you will compose intelligent responses that show your understanding of the content of the material and your interest in discussing its importance. You will write these responses on Google Drive. We will set up your Google Drive during class, when I can give you guided instructions.

Steps for Doing an Assigned Reading Response

Type out the citation of the reading assignment. Use proper MLA format for credit.
The first paragraph of your response should highlight an idea from the assignment that caught your eye and made you think. I do not want the main idea of the article, but a single idea that stood out to you while reading it. Explain what the author is trying to communicate about the issue at hand and give some examples from the text to show his point of view.
The second paragraph of your response should connect the author's idea to one that you come up with that relates. Your idea should be personally signficant to you and must be specific, not general. How does the author's idea extend to an issue you find important? Show the relevance of the author's idea by explaining what it made you think about.
Give your response an intelligent and original title.

Essays

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You will write FOUR essays this semester:

First topic
Second topic
Third topic
Annotated Bibliography

Your topic for each essay will be based on a particular idea that you identify in a reading assignment as inspiring, interesting, problematic, etc., something the author writes that gets your mind moving. This is your starting point. From there, you will need to develop your own idea, based on first-hand experience, that extends, challenges, or applies that idea to something else. Take it in a new direction that shows your unique concern and investment.

The research topic should be based on one of your first three papers. You can go in a new direction or extend in the same direction, but your discussion should still be grounded in first-hand experience. The main difference will be that you include the ideas and insights of other authors in your discussion. Your own voice is still the one that matters most, but your paper will open up other points of view as well, in cooperation with your own. You need to use FIVE outside sources. And those sources need to be journal articles, book chapters, or long magazine articles.

The coolest thing is that you can write all of your essays in Google Drive, an online writing and storage tool. Google Drive allows you to organize your documents in folders and share those folders with anyone else who has a Google Drive account.

Each of you will store your essays in a folder ("LastName.FirstName.1101H-Writing.F13") that you share with me; please grant me "edit" privileges so that I have constant access to the documents in the folder. You will also share individual documents with other select students, who will make suggestions and write responses to your work. The essays will be typed using standard MLA formatting. You can use this template.

MLA Conventions for Essays

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Yes, they are arbitrary, but so are all rules, right? In the world of college writing, MLA is not the only standard you'll have to learn, but it is definitely quite common.

Use 1” margins
Use 12 pt. Times New Roman font
Double-space the text
Put last name and page number in upper right header
Use four-line heading on first page
Leave out extra spaces between paragraphs or around title
Are all sources cited, either in the sentence itself or in parentheses?
Double-check the punctuation of your citations in the text.
On Works Cited page, center the title Works Cited at the top (no italics).
Put works cited entries in alphabetical order and double-spaced.

Click here to see what the first page of an MLA paper looks like.
Go here to read more about MLA conventions.

Reading Responses

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Throughout the semester, you will post responses to various readings: articles that I assign for class discussion, your classmates' essays, and your own essays. These shorter writing assignments will help you practice your writing skills, develop ideas for your essays, and give you time to reflect on the skills you're learning.

You will respond to:

Each piece will be 300 words, which is roughly between 3/4 page and 1 full page of double-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman, with 1" margins.

Reading Notes

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You need to take take hand-written notes, covering more than one full page of notebook paper, for all reading assignments from Content (choose the PDF version because it has page numbers). The notes you take are meant to demonstrate that you have read the assignment on the agenda. When you come to class, please have more than a full page of written notes on standard notebook paper. To receive daily activity credit for notes, you have to

Turn them in at the beginning of class and stay to discuss the material!
Record your observations instead of summarizing
Whenever you want to record an idea in your notes, you must quote the author (exact words, with quotation marks) and give a page number
Quoting the author is not enough in itself; record your thought about the quotation. Keep your thought brief so that you have enough space in your notes to cover the whole reading assignment.
If you write big or leave lots of white space, you'll need to write more pages of notes
Be sure your notes reflect that you read the whole assignment--go past the minimum if you need to cover more
Put your name, date, and the reading assignment at the top of the first page.

Final Portfolio Instructions

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Using Google Sites or Google Drive, you will collect, revise, and present your writing for this course and articulate your thoughts about your progress as a writer.

There are three possible grades to earn on your portfolio, and each one depends on the level of effort and effectiveness you reach:

The "C" portfolio (375 points)
The "B" portfolio (425 points)
The "A" portfolio (475 points)

The "C" Portfolio:

Three papers, three-source bibliography. If the portfolio contains your cover letter, three essays of 1,000+ words each with at least two 300-word responses to each paper from your peers, and a three-source annotated bibliography, you will receive a "C" on the portfolio (cover letter, 3 essays, 3-source annotated bibliography, 8 peer responses)

The "B" Portfolio:

Three papers, three revised papers, five-source bibliography, revised bibliography, conference proposal. If the portfolio contains everything required for the "C" portfolio, and (a) all three essays have been revised and edited so that they are substantially free of grammar and proofreading errors and logic/rhetorical confusion, (b) a 300-word analysis/reflection for each essay about the improvements you made, (c) a five-source, error-free annotated bibliography, and (d) a conference proposal for a presentation, you will receive a "B" on the portfolio (cover letter, 3 essays, 5-source annotated bibliography, 8 peer responses, 4 error-free revisions, 4 "B" self-reflections, conference proposal).

The "A" Portfolio:

Three papers, three revised papers, seven-source bibliography, revised bibliography, conference proposal, finished presentation. To receive an "A" on the portfolio, it must contain everything required for the "B" portfolio and the following: (a) a seven-source, error-free annotated bibliography and (b) a finished presentation that is conference-ready (cover letter, 3 essays, 7-source annotated bibliography, 8 peer responses, 4 error-free revisions, 4 "B" self-reflections, conference proposal, finished presentation).

The Analytical Cover Letter:

This cover letter will request my evaluation of your work in a professional and formal way, just as you would ask a potential employer to look at a resume.
In the first paragraph, introduce your project by discussing (1) your general impression of your achievement this semester, (2) what I will find in your portfolio, and (3) what grade you plan for the portfolio to earn. Note: Portfolios that do not earn a "C" are not eligible for a "B," and portfolios that do not earn a "B" are not eligible for an "A."
In the last paragraph, offer some general comments about your experience in the course and thank me for the opportunity to work on this project.
The paragraphs between should explain your achievement more specifically on each of the papers. Explain your goals with each paper, your revision choices, and how your changes moved the paper along a path of improvement. Dedicate one paragraph to each paper.
One more paragraph before the last should analyze yourself as a writer. Discuss some achievements, some ongoing problems with your writing, and some continuing goals you have set for yourself as a writer, based on your experience this semester.
Your cover letter should be single-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman, 1" margins and follow the format of a professional business letter. The letter should fill at least two complete pages: The date of submission on the first line and your name, following "Sincerely," on the last.
Find template here.

Annotated Bibliography:

However many sources you choose to include in your portfolio, you will write a two-paragraph commentary on each one A source can be a lengthy magazine article, a journal article, or a book chapter.
But before you write any commentaries, you first have to select some sources. You can use various tools to search for potential sources, but you will need an idea to guide your final selection. Think of a research question that represents an interest you have regarding the intersection of computer technology and culture. The sources you choose should represent different approaches to addressing the particular issue you are targeting. The question you raise will be the focal point of your search for sources.
You'll know a source is worth writing a commentary on if it offers insight that can help an intelligent person address your question. The connection does not have to be direct--you should not look for answers to your question. Rather, stay open to connections that are indirect, insightful. Then you can use your intelligence to make the connection clear.
Each commentary will start with a citation of the source (MLA style) and then have exactly two equal-length paragraphs that total at least 300 words.
1. The first paragraph should identify an idea in the source (some point the author makes) that pertains to your research question. Explain this idea as the author presents it.
2. The second paragraph should explain how that idea contributes to intelligent thinking about the question. How does the author's idea help you consider your question from a different angle, without actually answering the question? What does this idea bring to a discussion of your question?
Above your commentaries should be an introduction that includes and explains your research question. How did you arrive at it, and why is it important?

Conference Proposal:

Once you finish your commentaries, you should write a conference proposal for a presentation. This one-page document will explain your research question and what you hope to discuss about your question based on the sources you collected. How did you arrive at your research question, and why is it important? You don't have to have an answer for your question, but you do need to demonstrate that the question calls for several important considerations. So imagine that you will be giving an oral presentation to a group of students and faculty. How can you sell your idea so that you are selected to present at the conference?

Citation Examples

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Magazine/Journal Article from Magazine/Journal Website:

Branch, Taylor. "The Shame of College Sports." The Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly Group, October 2011. Web. 4 June 2012.

Magazine/Journal Article from Galileo Database:

Diffie, Whitfield, and Susan Landau. "Brave New World of Wiretapping." Scientific American 299.3 (2008): 56-63. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 29 October 2010.

Magazine/Journal Article from Paper Version:

Diffie, Whitfield, and Susan Landau. "Brave New World of Wiretapping." Scientific American 299.3 (2008): 56-63. Print.

Book from eBook Collection (EBSCO Host):
Dulworth, Mike. Connect Effect: Building Strong Personal, Professional, and Virtual Networks. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2008. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). EBSCO. Web. 26 October 2011.

Book in PDF format (on website):
Dulworth, Mike. Connect Effect: Building Strong Personal, Professional, and Virtual Networks. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2008. PDF file.

Book in Print Form:

Cohen, Daniel. Our Modern Times: The New Nature of Capitalism in the Information Age. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2003. Print.

Book Chapter from eBook Collection (EBSCO Host):
Dulworth, Mike. "Entering the Network Zone." Connect Effect: Building Strong Personal, Professional, and Virtual Networks. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2008. 75-88. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). EBSCO. Web. 26 October 2011.

Book Chapter in Print Form:

Duff, Carolyn S. "Extending the Wisdom." Learning From Other Women: How to Benefit From the Knowledge, Wisdom, And Experience of Female Mentors. New York: AMACOM, 1999. 139-158. Print.

Work from an Anthology:

Weiss, Loel M., and Mark Itzkowitz. "Unholy Waters." Tempest in the Temple: Jewish Communities and Child Sex Scandals. Ed. Amy Neustein. Brandeis University Press, 2009. 13-42. Print.

Sharpening Your Paper Topic

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The best way to sharpen your own topic is to help your classmates sharpen theirs. For our in-class workshop, I would like you to read two topics of other students, offering advice where necessary, according to the guidelines below. Comment on your classmate's document with elaborate and detailed suggestions. After you have evaluated the topics of two other students, please look at your own topic again and revise it by applying what you have learned.

What to look for in a topic:

1. Based on a complex idea from an article or assignment you read for class

If the topic addresses a general idea, indicate so because a general idea will make for an overly general essay. The topic should be grounded in an idea from a reading assignment but clearly show the writer's intent to take the idea in a new direction according to his or her own concerns.

2. Focuses on ONE particular experience, question, or idea that the writer can base, to some extent, on first-hand experience

If the student seems to want to write about the article as a whole, or several different ideas, help him or her decide which one would work BEST. For instance, if the approach is to analyze an experience, it should be a single incident. If the approach is to point out a consequence, reason, or improvement to a problem, it should be singular and specific, not plural or general.

3. Has stages that develop a central idea in a logical sequence, not a list

The ultimate goal of this paper is to extend an idea from an article with a discussion of your own. Whatever that topic is, and there is a lot of room for different kinds of topics, the discussion has to lead the reader through a sequence of stages. If the topic only tries to summarize the article or give a list of examples, be sure to offer a suggestion for a more complex rhetorical discussion.

4. Indicates a possible thesis and the relevance of the topic

Even if a topic is well-developed, it is not necessarily clear why it is important, so make sure the writer has offered a reason that the paper topic will be worth reading. The relevance of a topic could come from any direction, but it needs to be open stated so that the purpose of writing the essay is well-defined.

How to Write an Email to a Teacher

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Be mindful of your teacher's inbox

Use your UNG email account
Start with a new message instead of replying to some old email message
Put a clear and proper title in the subject line

Structure the content your email message in a professional way

Use a conventional salutation
Immediately say what class you are in, indicating the day and time it meets
Make your message as clear and concise as possible
- Statement of your problem or interest
- Question that is relevant to that problem or interest
- Justification of question (why do you need an answer)
- Request for response (if you need one)
Express your gratitude in a genuine way
Sign your full name after saying "Sincerely" or "Regards" etc.

Before you send the email, save it as a draft so you can check over it

Only ask questions that are not otherwise answered in the course materials
Polished grammar is a must; use complete sentences and complete words
Your entire message should give an impression of consideration and care
Email is NOT an informal means of communicating with a teacher

Reasons to email (know your rhetorical situation)

Alert your teacher about a future absence
Request an appointment during office hours
Ask a question about the some of the course material that is confusing you
Share something of interest that is relevant to a recent lecture
Express thanks for an appointment you had with your teacher
Apologize for something rude you might have done

Important Considerations

Use email with your teacher in a way that follows the course policies.
When you email or visit a teacher, your demeanor says more than you think.
Credibility is an image that you project to another person.
Deference is the key to a good image in the eyes of one who wields grades.

Writing Guides

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Research Guides

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Other Tools

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How to Cite Sources

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For Guidelines and Examples, please see the section called "Research and Citation Resources" at the Purdue Online Writing Lab. You should look through that entire resource for advice.

Using a Source

Using a source means putting someone else's words or thoughts in your paper, whether you quote or paraphrase. Most of your work should be your own ideas and words. Use sources for background and for opinions that differ from your own (so that you can disagree or add to what they say), but don't fill up all of your pages with the ideas of other people. All but a few sentences should be your own thoughts.

Citing a Source

Citing a source means telling the reader who authored the outside information and where you found it. Your citation should point the reader to the correct entry on the Works Cited using MLA style.

Using a Quote (exact words of the source)

State Rep. Roger Williams has recently argued that alcohol sales restrictions on Sunday in Georgia promote economic inequality: "It is unfair for the state to create an uneven playing field where some types of business are allowed to profit from Sunday sales while others are not."
According to State Rep. Roger Williams, "It is unfair for the state to create an uneven playing field where some types of business are allowed to profit from Sunday sales while others are not."
State Rep. Roger Williams has argued that "It is unfair for the state to create an uneven playing field where some types of business are allowed to profit from Sunday sales while others are not."
The argument that the state should not "create an uneven playing field where some types of business are allowed to profit from Sunday sales while others are not" implies that alcohol should not be treated differently from other products (Williams).
The attendance policy at Gainesville State College is clearly stated in the catalog: "Attendance at all scheduled classes is expected. The individual instructor's 'Absence Policy' is specified on the course syllabus. Questions regarding an instructor's attendance/absence policy should be directed to the instructor."
The attendance policy in the GSC catalog vaguely states that "Attendance at all scheduled classes is expected. The individual instructor's 'Absence Policy' is specified on the course syllabus. Questions regarding an instructor's attendance/absence policy should be directed to the instructor."

Using a Paraphrase (only your own words)

State Rep. Roger Williams has recently argued that alcohol sales restrictions on Sunday in Georgia unfairly handicap businesses who deal exclusively in alcohol.
According to State Rep. Roger Williams, alcohol sales restrictions on Sunday in Georgia unfairly handicap businesses who deal exclusively in alcohol.
The argument that alcohol sales restrictions on Sunday in Georgia unfairly handicap businesses who deal exclusively in alcohol implies that alcohol should not be treated differently from other products (Williams).

Signal Phrases

According to Michael Smith, "insert quote" (45).
Michael Smith argues that "insert quote" (45).
In an attempt to define financial wisdom for college students, Michael Smith writes, "insert quote" (45).

How to Find Sources

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Look for specific sources that deal with your topic or issue, either directly or indirectly

Exactly what search terms to use will depend on your topic
Think about related issues to help expand your search terms
Keep in mind that you can use journal articles, book chapters, and long magazine articles as your sources

Learn about resources in the UNG library

GIL: UNG Library Catalog
GIL Universal Catalog
GALILEO
Academic Search Complete
UNG Library
GIL allows you to search through the physical contents of the library
GALILEO allows you to search through various electronic databases
You can request books the main campus library if it is not on the Oconee library shelf
Look for books FIRST because they take the longest to find

Consider related issues that might shed light on your topic

Open your mind to the bigger concerns to which your topic points
Think about how different issues are interconnected
Talk to your peers and friends about your topic to see if they can open your mind further