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CM 220College Composition II

Welcome to seminar #1Please feel free to chat with each

other before we begin.

Professor : Dr. JoAnn FunkGeneral Education, Composition

Kaplan University

UNIT 1 SEMINARChanging the World, One Idea at a

Time

• Course outcomes • Syllabus information• Tips for success• Academic writing• Writing experiences

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Contact Information• Email: jfunk@kaplan.edu• Office hours: by appointment (on AIM)• AIM ID: drjfunk• Note: Some of you may be other

professors’ students. If so, you can find this information in your own Course Syllabi.

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Flex seminars

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• The seminar format has changed back to having students enrolled in a class attending only their own professor's seminar.

• The decision was made based on the confusion and loss of community felt by people when discussing aspects of the course with another professor other than their own.

Seminars

• I realize that this seems limiting in the number of seminar days and times you previously had to choose from and how that seemed so flexible and accommodating.

• What are feelings about this change? I will share your feedback with my supervisor.

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Course Description

CM220 is designed to develop the writer’s skills in:• Research• Analysis of research • Application of critical thinking skills • Development of effective arguments • Supporting arguments with credible sources• APA citation• Collaboration• Prewriting, editing, and revision process

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BIG IDEASCM220 takes the theme of invention and the

exploration of BIG IDEAS that impact the world, our communities, and our lives, while situating these themes within a persuasive writing framework. Students explore and practice several persuasive forms of writing throughout the course and examine writing as invention in various settings and situations. Students will create an “appeal for change” as a final project that presents an idea and a plan for implementation. One component of the final will be a multi-modal component such as a blog, podcast, or web site that can disseminate their idea to a wide audience.

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COURSE OUTCOMES

• CM220-1: Construct logical arguments• CM220-2: Develop strategies for effective problem

solving• CM220-3: Conduct research to support assertions

made in personal, academic, and professional situations

• CM220-4: Articulate what constitutes effective communication in personal, professional and diverse contexts

• CM220-5: Demonstrate effective listening strategies

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Course Level Assessments0: No progress1: Introductory2: Emergent3: Practiced4: Proficient5: Mastery9: Cannot be

assessed (didn’t turn in assignment)

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Used by Kaplan to measure student progress

Helps to determine if courses are helping students fulfill course outcomes

Leads to needed revisions in course

Does not affect your grade

Found in grade book in units with assessed projects

Late Policies• Late Assignments: • All unit assignments (projects, quizzes, discussion, seminar,

etc.) are due Tuesday by 11:59 pm ET of the unit assigned. At the discretion of your professor:

• Late assignments can be marked down one letter grade for each unit the assignment is late. For example, if you turn in your Unit 5 project, a “B” paper with a grade of an 85%, during Unit 6, one letter grade will be deducted from it, giving you a grade of C (75%). If you turn this project in during Unit 7, two letter grades will be deducted from it,

giving you a grade of D (65%).

• As you can see, it is to your benefit to submit assignments on time.

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Late policies continued…

• Late discussion posts to classmates may not receive credit as their purpose is to further the discussion and the discussion cannot be furthered after it has ended.

• Assignments submitted more than three units late may not be accepted.

• Unit 9 projects will not be accepted without prior approval from the instructor or an approved incomplete grade request.

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Project GuidelinesProjects due Tuesdays by 11:59 p.m est.Use the correct unit’s dropbox to post

assignmentsWrite documents in MS Word with “doc”

or “docx” extensionRead grading rubric and project

guidelines carefully!Be sure to review Kaplan’s plagiarism

policy (see the Writing Center for details)

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Substantive Invention Lab (formerly known as discussion board) Posts Will… Avoid short expressions of agreement or disagreement or summaries

of a classmate’s post. Pose follow-up questions to issues raised by myself or other

students in order to encourage further discussion. Use personal experiences to illustrate your points. Recommend alternative solutions to problems and offer

constructive disagreement or feedback with issues raised by your peers.

Refer to our course readings and offer relevant parallels between those readings and our discussions.

Demonstrate your knowledge of the course material. Stay on topic. Be about 200-250 words for the main response and 100 words

for responses to classmates. Requirements vary for each unit, so read instructions and review any examples carefully.

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Effective Seminar Discussions

• Be respectful• Avoid side conversations• Be prepared—briefly review material

before class• Stay on topic• Ask questions! Use ??? before a ?

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Seminar 2 Option

• Only required if you miss the live seminar• Select the “seminar” tab for that unit.• Review the questions carefully.• Post a response of about 200-300 words in a

Word document and attach it to the dropbox for that seminar by the end of the unit. No seminar credit will be given after a unit ends.

• Review the archive before responding to the question(s).

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Unit 1 Assignments

• Introduce yourself to the class• Reading: Unit 1 overview; The Kaplan Guide

to Successful Writing, chapters 1, 2, 3, 8, 15• Invention Lab: Identify a “big idea” to

explore or review an existing idea from the Innovation Gallery

• Seminar: Introduction to course, methods of discovery, and field trip to register with the New York Times or Washington Post

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Introduce YourselfKarl Marx (1818-1833) famously said, “The

philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it."

Marx’s quote about change implies that it is not enough merely to think about the world. The implication is that we also have the responsibility to change the world. Why is it our responsibility to create change in the world? What positive influence would you most like to have, and how might you go about doing that?

Also, tell the class anything that will help us to understand you, your thoughts on writing, and your goals for the future.

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Invention Lab (alias DB)What is a problem in the nation or in your community that

needs changing and why? Do you have any “big ideas” for addressing this problem? This problem could be tied to your field of study or it could be something with more personal implications.

If you do not yet have a “big idea,” find one from the Inspiration Gallery to discuss for this week’s lab. Hopefully, this unit will help inspire you to find a problem that needs solving or help you brainstorm potential ideas.

Your initial post should be about 200-250 words, and your responses to two classmates should be a minimum of 100 words each. Offer suggestions regarding your classmate’s “big idea,” noting whether you think it is a solvable problem and why.

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Other Course Assignments/Projects

• Unit 2 project: 60 points (“pitch” your idea)• Unit 4 project: 100 points (primary and secondary

research project)• Unit 6 project: 150 points (draft of persuasive essay)• Unit 7 discussion includes draft of multimodal

presentation• Unit 9 project: 240 points (5-7 page revision of

blueprint for progress (unit 6), letter to the editor (unit 5), and presentation of Big idea (unit 7), as well as a reflection on the student’s development of the Big Idea)

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FINAL PROJECTIs a portfolio consisting of revisions of the blueprint for

progress that you will submit in unit 6, the letter to the editor that you will write for the unit 5 discussion, and the presentation that you will create for the unit 7 discussion. The presentation can be a blog, podcast, brochure, slide show, or one of the other multi-media forms covered in the tech labs (units 2-7) or approved by your instructor.

You will also write a reflection piece that answers the following questions in paragraph form:

• What did you learn about yourself as a writer? As a thinker?• What did you learn about the process of writing?• What skills did you develop that might help you in the future?• What did you take from the larger conversation with others? • How did your feedback from peers and your instructor affect the

revision of your blueprint, letter to the editor, and presentation?

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TIPS FOR SUCCESSReview the “course home” materials about the library,

plagiarism, and navigating the E-college platform.Review the documents posted in Doc Sharing.Check e-mail and announcements frequently.Communicate with me and ask questions!Participate actively in the weekly discussions and

seminars.Read grading rubrics and assignment guidelines

carefully.Always review sample projects and posts before

starting your own.

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Some questions to considerWhat are differences between informative and

persuasive writing?What kinds of persuasion do we see and use in

our daily lives? How might you use persuasive writing in your

professional life?What are some positive (or negative) experiences

you have had with writing?What apprehensions do you feel about this

class/final project?

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Your Toolbox

• MS Word• Dictionary• Thesaurus• Bartleby.com • Kaplan library• Kaplan Writing Center (live

chats, Q & A, paper review, library)

• Google Scholar & Books• Guide to Successful Writing• Free academic databases and

electronic journals available on-line

http://www.wholeagain.com/free_academic_databases.html

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USE BE CAREFUL

•Returns from internet searches

•Blogs

•Wikipedia

Advantages to Writing

• Writing gives you time to reflect and research – shape and reshape material.

• Writing makes communication more precise.• Writing provides a permanent record of

thoughts, actions, and decisions.• Writing saves time-- we absorb information

more swiftly when we read than when we hear.

• Can you think of more?

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What to know before you write

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Writing Styles

• Informative – p. 349• Persuasive – p. 357 + Sample

essays!• Compare & contrast – p. 363• Evaluative – p. 373• Descriptive – p. 379• Cause & Effect – p. 385

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Academic Discourse• Academic discourse, then, refers to the kinds of

language used in academic settings.  Of course, this is difficult to define, since different academic areas use different kinds of language with different sets of assumptions!

In general, academic discourse refers to language used by students and professors in college settings that purposefully describes a subject in complex ways so that a certain audience can understand and respond to it.

Term: Definitions. (2009). First year compositions at USF. Retrieved from http://collegewriting.us/glossary/Wiki%20Pages/Home.aspx

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DISCOVERING IDEAS

Where do ideas for writing come from?

• Newspapers, magazines and journals

• Current eventsWhat are YOUR ideas for generating

ideas?

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INSPIRATION GALLERY(Found in Doc Sharing)Wendy Kopp, Teach for America President

TED: Ideas Worth Spreading

"Pass It On" Billboards

Daily Challenge

Zach's Idea for a Television Show

The Big Idea on MSNBC

Ad Council Public Service Announcements

HALO

Jim Collins

Kaplan’s Helping Professions website

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What are your BIG IDEAS?

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Questions, anyone???

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