writ 1133 syllabus, spring 11

8/7/2019 WRIT 1133 syllabus, spring 11

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John TiedemannWRIT 1133Section 56: MW 12:0012:00, Sturm 186

Office hours: MW 24 and W 124, at

Jazzmans. Email your availability during

those hours to make an appointment.

Email: [email protected]

VE RU M FA CT UM : Writing, Rhetoric, and the Invention of Knowledge in, across, and out of the Academy


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T H E C L A S S

Speculating about the nature of truth, the philosopher and theorist of rhetoric Giambattista Vico famouslydeclared Verum esse ipsum factum, which may be translated in two paradoxical ways: both as Truth itself isfact and Truth itself is made. This paradox that what we call truth is at one and the same time given, likefacts, and created, like fictions lies at the heart of the rhetorical practice of invention, i.e., the process ofdiscovering and/or constructing new ideas.

In this class, well study and practice strategies of invention across a range of academic disciplines and in bothacademic and public spheres. How do critics invent original arguments about verbal and visual artifacts? Howdo social scientists invent original arguments about human cultural practices? How do we use what we havelearned about writing and research in an academic setting to invent original arguments for use in a public one?As the repetition here of the word original ought to suggest, the writing that you do in this class will be largelyself-directed. Ill provide you with the tools of invention, but the invention itself the discovery and creationof new ideas will be up to you.

A S S I G N M E N T S

Project 1: Inventing with ArtifactsFor this project, youll learn about how humanists generate arguments by analyzing and interpreting artifacts,specifically rhetorical ones.

Project 2: Ethnographical Invention

In this project, youll design and conduct a social scientific research project on an aspect of life as it is livedonline, in communities such as those found on Second Life, Facebook, or Flickr.

Project 3: Public In(ter)vention

This project asks you to intervene in a civic debate of your choosing by creating and acting within a rhetorical

situation of your own making.Project 4: Teaching as Invention

In this project, youll create original lessons to contribute to a writing and rhetoric handbook for next years DUclass.

T E X T S

Unless otherwise indicated, all readings will be posted on our course blog:

http://1133writrhet.blogspot.com/

Your own texts are a central element of this class so please bring your laptop to every classmeeting.


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G R A D E S

For each of your compositions, you will receive a provisional grade on the draft preceding the final draft, alongwith suggestions for revision from me. That provisional grade will rise, fall, or stay the same depending uponhow effectively you revise as you complete your final draft. All final drafts of all essays is due to me on Sunday,March 14, by noon.

Grade calculation

Your grade for the course will be calculated on a 1,000 point scale and distributed as follows:

assignment relevant dates point value % of final grade

Project 1 First draft: April 4; revised draft: April 6; final draft: June 3. 150 points 15%

Project 2 First draft: April 25; revised draft: April 27; final draft: June 3. 250 points 25%

Project 3 First draft: May 11; revised draft: May 16; final draft: June 3. 250 points 25%

Project 4 First draft: May 23; final draft: June 3. 250 points 25%

Engagement 100 points 10%

Ill use the conversion tables below when calculating grades:

Letter grade to point value point value to final grade

Project 1 Project 24 Engagement

A = 140150 187200 100 9341,000 pts. = A

A = 135139 180186 - 900933 = A

B+ = 130134 174179 - 867899 = B+

B = 125129 166173 86 833866 = B

B = 120124 160165 - 800832 = BC+ = 115119 154159 - 767799 = C+

C = 110114 146153 76 733766 = C

C = 105109 140145 - 700732 = C

D+ = 100104 134139 - 667699 = D+

D = 9599 126133 66 633666 = D

D = 9094 120125 - 600632 = D

F = 089 0119 0 0599 = F


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C O U R S E C A L E N D A R

Mon., March 21 Introduction: Introduction

Wed., March 23 Discussion: Inventing with Artifacts Texts: Lloyd Bitzer, The Rhetorical Situation; Barack Obama, Statement on

Libya.

Mon., March 28 Discussion: Inventing with Artifacts Texts: The Big Blue Bear and other strangely rhetorical artifacts

Wed., March 30 Discussion: Inventing with Artifacts Texts: Found objects

Mon., April 4 Workshop: Draft of Project 1 due in class.

Wed., April 6 Discussion: Ethnographic Invention Draft of Project 1 due on Google Docs by the start of class.

Mon., April 11 Discussion: Ethnographic Invention

Reading: Selections from Howard Rheingold, The Virtual Community.

Wed., April 13 Workshop: Ethnographic Invention

Reading: Selections from Neil Postman, Technopoly.Mon., April 18 Workshop: Conducting virtual ethnographies

Wed., April 20 Workshop: Conducting virtual ethnographies

Mon., April 25 Workshop: Draft of Project 2 due in class.

Wed., April 27 Discussion: Public In(ter)vention: Community-Based Reserarch Draft of Project 2 due on Google Docs by the start of class.

Mon., May 2 Workshop: Library workshop: Well meet in the Research Instruction Room in Penrose

Wed., May 4 Workshop: Public In(ter)vention: Community-Based Research

Mon., May 9 Workshop: Public In(ter)vention: Community-Based ResearchWed., May 11 Workshop: Draft of Project 3 due in class.

Mon., May 16 Workshop: Teaching as InventionDraft of Project 3 due on Google Docs by the start of class.

Wed., May 18 Workshop: Teaching as Invention

Mon., May 23 Workshop: Project 4 and Final Revisions

Wed., May 25 Workshop: Project 4 and Final Revisions

ALL FINAL DRAFTS OF ALL PROJECTS DUE TO ME BY NOON ON FRIDAY, JUNE 3.

writ 1133 syllabus, spring 11

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