Andrea L. Beaudin
Keeping with the spirit of revision, I like to change the structure of classes periodically. I have linked to two sample syllabi (PDFs) from classes held a year apart.
Spring 2006: To help encourage students' recognitions of themselves as writers, the course focused on developing a single long text--in this case, a book. Students wrote a proposal for the text that also outlined the chapters and development. They also created a website that further publicized (literally, making public) their work. Upon publishing their texts, students wrote and posted reviews of their peers' work.
Spring 2007: As a broad range of composing practices and expression are required of us (academically, professionally, and personally), this course offered students the opportunity to explore the different methods of (and purposes for) composition that they would likely use in their lives. Assignments included a report, a proposal, a position paper, and a video essay. Each student chose a theme for the semester; topics were as diverse as stencil art, Connecticut's weapons laws, the treatment of animals, and forensics. The grade was primarily based on the writer's final portfolio (Please see the Grade Computation Rubric)..
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