Advanced Writing for Elementary

Education Majors
English 313


Instructor: Stacie Mason
Email: stcmason@gmail.com


COURSE TEXTS
Wondrous Words, Katie Wood Ray
Rulebook for Arguments, Anthony Weston

COURSE OBJECTIVES
English 313 is a course in understanding and applying rhetorical principles to situations you may face as writers and future
elementary school teachers. My two main goals, then, are first, to help you become confident, independent writers;
second, to help you prepare to teach writing. Here are several additional course objectives:
Practice anticipating and meeting audience needs
as you write for varied audiences and purposes.
Use various methods of invention, organization,
and style to adapt written and oral forms of
communication to specific rhetorical situations.
Write coherent and unified texts, including
effective introductions, clear thesis statements,
sufficient support, effective transitions, and
strong conclusions.
Write in a correct, clear, and graceful prose style.
Effectively evaluate and comment on the writing
of others to facilitate revision.

Use research skills to engage in academic
conversations about elementary teaching.
Collaborate with classmates during prewriting,
writing, and revising stages.
Consider the relationship between learning to
write and learning to teach writing.
Reflect on writing principles as they apply to
your writing and the teaching of elementary
school writing.
Appreciate and enjoy writing.

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
Attendance, Participation 50 points
Your contribution to class discussion and activities is
vital to the success of the course.

In-class writing 50 points
Credit for in-class writing activities; cannot be made up.

Reading log 50 points
Points awarded for completing outside reading.

Writers notebook 30 points
In a special notebook, experiment with writing craft.

Writing center, rough drafts 4x5 points 20 points
Visit BYUs Writing Center twice during the semester;
turn in rough drafts for research proposal and paper.

Personal narrative 2-3 pages 50 points
Write a personal reflection article that illustrates your
teaching philosophy.

Author study 2-3 pages 50 points
Study and imitate a favorite childrens author.

Outside Project 2-3 pages 50 points
Visit a class, interview a teacher, or examine a curriculum
and write about it.


Conventions log 40 points
Record conventions errors and corrections; log progress.

Library tutorial assignment online 25 points
Complete the library research tutorial and assignment.

Research Proposal 4 pages 100 points
Make a plan for writing your research paper.

Research Paper 10 pages 250 points
Using library research, write an argumentative paper
related to writing instruction. Individual or group.

Research Presentation 2 minutes 10 points
Present findings from your research.

Writing program (group) 10+ pages 160 points
Design a writing program unit of study, consistent with
your philosophies for teaching and grading.

Group presentation (WP) 8-10 min. 15 points
Share an overview of and lesson plan from your writing
program.

Letter and Resume 2 pages 50 points
Create a professional resume and cover letter to apply for
a job.


COURSE OUTLINE
I. Foundation
Read: Wondrous Words, other selections
Write: Writers notebook, personal narrative, author study, outside project, various in-class assignments
II. Exploration
Read: Rulebook for Arguments, individual research
Write: Research proposal, research paper
Present: Research findings, group presentation about writing conventions
III. Synthesis and application
Read: Wondrous Words, online sources, textbooks related to elementary writing curriculum
Write: Group writing program, individual letter and resume
Present: Group writing program


SHORT COURSE ON WRITING
Ive heard students complain that every teacher grades differentlythe biggest challenge is figuring out what teachers want.
While I will give you specific assignment sheets, here are suggestions that apply to all writing assignments for this class:
I. Be clear. Have you ever read something and had no idea what it meant? While its true that good writing is often
thought-provoking, you want your readers to be thinking about the ideas, not trying to make sense of confusing words
and sentence structure. Choosing the right words, punctuation, and sentence structure, and providing specific
information and examples all help you to say what you mean and mean what you say.
II. Be personal. Please write about subjects that are meaningful to you. Share specific, personal experiences to connect to
your subject and audience. I love to read papers that show enthusiasm.
III. Write for your audience. Other than personal journals, what you write should meet the shared needs of you and your
audience; the subject and purpose should be relevant to both. Adapt your style to be appropriate for your audience,
whether youre writing for children, parents, or colleagues.


GRADING SCALE
A 930-1000 B 830-869 C 730-769 D 630-669
A- 900-929 B- 800-829 C- 700-729 D- 600-629
B+ 870-899 C+ 770-799 D+ 670-699 E 0-599


BRIEF EXPLANATION OF GRADES
A Excellent; exceeds expectations; insightful, clear, beautifully written; organization and presentation enhance meaning
B Very good; meets expectations; clear, correct, interesting; flows well and follows appropriate format
C Fair; falls short of expectations
D Poor; does not fulfill the assignment


COURSE POLICIES & PROCEDURES
Attendance and Participation: One purpose of a university is to facilitate the exchange of ideas; class discussion is an
essential part of your university experience generally and this course specifically. You gain participation points by
contributing to class discussion (based on both the quality and appropriate quantity of contributions); you lose
participation points for missing collaborative sessions, including peer review and small group discussions. After three
absences, you lose 10 points for each additional absence, and approximately 2 points per late arrival or early departure.
By missing class, you also risk losing points for in-class writing assignments.

Paper Format: Unless otherwise specified, papers should be typed, double-spaced, using 1-inch margins and a 10-12 point
font (Times New Roman, Garamond, Palatino or similar).


Late Assignments: For each day an assignment is late, I will deduct points 5% of total possible assignment points. I do this
to be fair to students who complete work on time.

Minimum Requirement: You must write a research paper to pass this course.

Revision Policy: You have the option of revising one paper for a higher grade. Revisions are due one week after I return
your graded paper. I will take the time to re-grade your paper only if you take the time to significantly revise your paper
(not simply sentence-level corrections). Turn in original graded paper, new revision, and a brief cover letter explaining
changes you have made and why. I will give you the grade for the revised paper.

I reserve the right to use your papers as good models unless you notify me in writing that you do not wish for me to do so.

UNIVERSITY POLICIES
Academic Honesty: As stated in the Honor Code you have signed, plagiarism is not tolerated. You must properly cite all
outside sources. Possible penalties for plagiarism include failing the assignment, failing the course, and expulsion from
the university.

Preventing Sexual Harassment: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any
participant in an educational program or activity that receives federal funds. The act is intended to eliminate sex
discrimination in education. Title IX covers discrimination in programs, admissions, activities, and student-to-student
sexual harassment. BYU's policy against sexual harassment extends not only to employees of the university but to
students as well. If you encounter unlawful sexual harassment or gender based discrimination, please talk to your
professor; contact the Equal Employment Office at 422-5895 or 422-5689 (24-hours); or contact the Honor Code
Office at 422-2847.

Students with Disabilities: Brigham Young University is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that
reasonably accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have any disability which may impair your ability to
complete this course successfully, please contact the Services for Students with Disabilities Office (422-2767).
Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities.
Services are coordinated with the student and instructor by the SSD Office. If you need assistance or if you feel you
have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of disability, you may seek resolution through established
grievance policy and procedures. You should contact the Equal Employment Office at 422-5895, D-282 ASB.


ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
BYU Writing Center, 4026 JKB.
Meet with a writing tutor during any part of your writing process to receive help with developing, organizing, or
clarifying your ideas. You will receive credit for going twice during the semester (the first visit by Friday, 9/23).

Library
Rachel Wadham, Education Subject Librarian
Rachel_Wadham@byu.edu 1223 HBLL
Knowledgeable about the field of education, Rachel will gladly help with any part of the research process. Email her
questions or make an appointment to work with her.

Utah Education Network
http://www.uen.org/
Excellent resource for teachersincludes core curriculum descriptions and lesson plans.

Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
Go here for help with conventions, APA, letters and resumes.