Wednesday, Sept. 27^th   Introduction--"How we think about the disabled."   We will discuss explicit and implicit arguments in a cartoon and an obituary.



Monday, Oct. 2^nd   Read (carefully) the introduction: "Thinking Critically about Your Writing" (pp. I-1 to 1-35) in The New St. Martin's Handbook.   Bring this text with you to every class session, including today's.

Before Monday's meeting, all class members must sign-in online after they have read the conditions for taking the course.   See "Grading policies," "Conferencing," and "Course policies" at the top of this page.   Go to the sign-in page to indicate that you have read all three sections and accept (or do not accept) their terms.   You can access the sign-in page at the conclusions of "Grading policies," "Conferencing," and "Course policies" sections.



Wednesday, Oct 4^th   Read "FAQ: Writing Online" (pp. 2-3) and chapter one in The New St. Martin's Handbook: "Writing, Reading, and Research" (pp. 4-17).

Also, for Wednesday's class, read chapter one in Everything's an Argument: "Everything Is an Argument" (pp. 3-17).



Monday, Oct. 9^th   Read pages 21-27 of chapter two and all of chapter three in The New St. Martin's Handbook: "Exploring, Planning, and Drafting" (pp. 32-49).  

Also, for Monday's class, read Nancy Mairs's essay, "On Being a Cripple" (in the course reader).



Wednesday, Oct. 11^th   Due: critical review / rhetorical analysis focusing on Nancy Mairs's "On Being a Cripple."   Bring one copy to class.

Also, for Wednesday's class, read the very short online essay concerning Born on the Fourth of July(go to: N.Y.U.'s Film Database keyword: "Disability").



Monday, Oct. 16^th   Read chapter two in Everything's an Argument: "Reading and Writing Arguments" (pp. 19-31).

Also, for Monday's class, read "Politics, Movies, and Physical Disability" by Martin Norden (in the course reader).



Wednesday, Oct. 18^th   Read chapter three in Everything's an Argument: "Readers and Contexts Count" (pp. 19-31).



Monday, Oct. 23^rd   Due: yes and yes pair of essays.   Bring (number of copies TBA) to class.



Wednesday, Oct. 25^th   Peer-editing workshop today.   Review portions of the introduction in The New St. Martin's Handbook: (pp. I-5 through I-14) and (from the same text) sections 3b-3e (pp. 37-45) and 4d-4e (pp. 56-57).   Use these sections to prepare peer evaluations.

Also, for Wednesday's class, read the short online essay concerning The Waterdance (go to: N.Y.U.'s Film Database   keyword: "disability").



Monday, Oct. 30^th   Reread p. I-29 in The New St. Martin's Handbook: (the last bulleted item: "avoid equating . . . .") and read chapter four (same text): "Revising and Editing," pp. 50-69.

Also, for Monday's class, read "Everywhere: Disability on Film" by Paul Darke (in the course reader).



Wednesday, Nov. 1^st   Due: the rewrite of the "'yes' and 'yes'" pair of essays (bring one copy to class).

Also, for Wednesday's class, read chapters four and five in Everything's an Argument: "Arguments from the Heart" and "Arguments of Value" (pp. 43-54).



Monday, Nov. 6^th   Read chapter six in Everything's an Argument: "Arguments Based on Character" (pp. 56-62).

Also, for Monday's class, read "Black Hats and Twisted Bodies" by Allan Sutherland (in the course reader).



Wednesday, Nov. 8^th   Read chapter eight in Everything's an Argument: "Structuring Toulmin Arguments" (pp. 81-94).



Monday, Nov. 13^th   Read chapter ten in Everything's an Argument: "Arguments of Evaluation" (pp. 120-143).



Wednesday, Nov. 15^th Read "A Feminist Perspective" by Jenny Morris (in the course reader).



Monday, Nov. 20^th   Quiz today on chapter seven in Everything's an Argument: "Arguments Based on Facts and Reason" (pp. 64-76).

In addition, read for Wednesday's class "Rethinking Special Education without Losing Ground" (New York Times Op-Ed piece, 7/5/00).

Due: source-based argument.   Bring (number of copies TBA) to class.

Be prepared for more discussion of the pieces by Martin Norden, Jenny Morris, Paul Dark, and Allan Sutherland.



Wednesday, Nov. 22^nd   Class cancelled for Thanksgiving break.



Monday, Nov. 27^th   Peer-editing session today.   Review portions of the introduction in The New St. Martin's Handbook(pp. I-5 through I-14) and sections 3b-3e (pp. 37-45) and 4d-4e (pp. 56-57) in the same text.   Use these sections as well as the relevant portions of Everything's an Argument to prepare peer evaluations.

Also: read chapter fifty in The New St. Martin's Handbook: "Making Oral Presentations" (pp. 645-651) and prepare your oral presentation based on your "final argument."



Wednesday, Nov. 29^th   Oral presentations begin today.



Monday, Dec. 4^th   Oral presentations continue.



Wednesday, Dec. 6^th   Oral presentations end (last day of class).


Monday, Dec. 11^th   Due: portfolios (with and writing inventories) by 10 am (box outside my office [408] in Margaret Jacks Hall).   The portfolio will include the rewrite of your final argument.

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Conferencing

The Nature of Conferences: During the quarter, students will meet one-on-one with the instructor for a total of three times.   Each meeting will last about thirty minutes.   These meetings are mandatory!   Failure to show up for an appointment will adversely affect your grade. I will circulate a sign-up sheet in class and you will enter your name in three of the six possible rounds.   If you are unable to attend the appointment at the scheduled time, you are required to contact me well in advance by phone, pager, or email.   If you contact me by e-mail, I need at least three hours advance notice that you are postponing. Bring the focus material to the meetings (see below).   During these sessions we will go over your essays and peer-group evaluations and talk about your strengths in this work as well as any problems you might be having with your writing.

Conferencing Schedule Sign up for two of the first three rounds.   Everyone must sign up for the fourth round. First round: week two (Oct. 5).   Focus: bring in an essay that you have written in the last year, preferably one that has been reviewed and corrected by either one of your high school teachers or one of your Stanford instructors.   If you have no recent writing samples with you, prepare and bring with you a list of comments that your teachers have made with regard to your writing.   What did they like about your writing and what aspects of it did they recommend that you try to improve? As an alternative to bringing in an old paper, you may bring in an early draft of your critical review/rhetorical analysis paper. Second round: weeks three, four, and five (Oct. 12-27).   Focus: Oct. 11th "Critical review / Rhetorical Analysis" essay. Third round: weeks six, seven, and eight (Nov. 2-17)   Focus: Nov. 1st re-write of your "'yes' and 'yes'" pair of essays. Fourth round: weeks nine, ten, and eleven (Nov. 23-Dec. 8)   Focus: first draft of the Nov. 20th "argument essay."

After reading this section ("Conferencing") and the sections entitled "Grade policies" and "Course policies," go to the sign-in page to indicate that you have read them and accept their terms.

Sign-in sheet

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