Here is the second article of Matt Richtel's that we will be reading, "Growing up Digital, Wired for Distraction." How does this article compare to or complement the other article by Richtel that we read for Friday?

Also, just for fun, here is an ecard for Joel Stein, the author who argued that adults shouldn't read young adult books like The Hunger Games. Ha.

"Mind Over Mass Media" and "Outdoors and Out of Reach"

Here is Steven Pinker's op-ed article from The New York Times, "Mind Over Mass Media," and here is the link to Matt Richtel's "Outdoors and Out of Reach." These two articles seem to be written from opposing viewpoints. Which one, in your opinion, builds the strongest case in its discussion of technology and the brain?

Books vs. E-books

Just for fun, and to supplement our discussion on books vs. e-books, here is a New York Times article that compares the environmental impact of books vs. E-readers:
"How Green is My iPad?" by Daniel Coleman and Gregory Norris

And finally, this graphic sums up how I feel about real books! Is anyone else as nerdy as I am??

"The ABCs of E-Reading"

Here is the link for "The ABCs of E-Reading" by Fowler and Baca.  How many of you own Kindles or read e-books on your iPod or tablet? How do you prefer to experience books, now that so many options are available?

"The Power of Young Adult Fiction"

Here is the link for "The Power of Young Adult Fiction." My question for you is, do you agree with Joel Stein that adults need to grow up and read only adult fiction? Is there any value to young adult fiction to readers who are not children or teens?

"Your Brain on Fiction"

Here is the link to Annie Murphy Paul's "The Neuroscience of Your Brain on Fiction." What did you think of this article? If fiction has such an impact on our brains, does that make the decline in reading even more significant?

"Twilight of the Books"

Welcome to the first reading of the semester, "Twilight of the Books" by Caleb Crain. Below this post, you can comment or ask questions about the article. Just make sure to include your name in the post if you post anonymously.

I look forward to hearing what you think about Crain's article!

Syllabus

Here is the syllabus for Spring Semester, 2013:


English 1010: Introductory Writing

Instructor: Emily Whitby/ email: emilywhitby1@weber.edu

Office Hours: MWF 10:30-11:30 (by appointment)

Office: EH226

Course:			First semester freshman composition is a course dedicated to  reading and writing, and this semester we will do a great deal  of both.  The chief objective of this course is to introduce students  to strategies of reading and writing that will benefit them as they  move through college (and beyond).  Freshman composition is also  a course sequence aimed at providing students with the skills  necessary to critically approach the world around them and the  texts they encounter in it, and to construct and articulate arguments  about that world.
Texts:			Writing Matters WSU Custom  Weber Writes 2012 Composition notebook (non-spiral bound) Other suggested materials:  Wildcard (for printing on campus), flash drive (for saving  and transferring documents), mini stapler (available for $2-$3 at bookstore)
Assignments:			Readings: You are to come to class every day prepared to discuss and write  about the assigned reading. You will need to bring a copy of the  assigned reading with you to class, either a hard copy or an electronic  copy on a laptop or tablet. Writing Journal: Each day, I will give you questions to write about in class.  These  questions will deal with the assigned reading for the day, and will  often be geared toward preparation for an upcoming essay.  You  will need to respond to these questions in a “Writing Journal” that  you will turn in at the end of the semester for grading. Discussion Questions/Responses: Over the course of the semester, you will write at least 10 discussion  questions based on your readings, and at least 10 responses to other  students’ questions, and submit them to the class blog. http://whitbyenglishsp2013.blogspot.com (11:30 class)   Reading Responses: You will need to write 5 Reading Responses this semester and turn  them in on Fridays as indicated. These are to be two full pages in  length, typed, and double spaced; they should include 1) a Summary   of the text’s argument, 2) a Comparison with other texts we have  read, and 3) an Evaluation of the text’s argument.  You must include  all three sections and meet the minimum page requirement in order to  receive full credit. Essays: You will compose 3 essays of graduated length, complexity, and grade   weight.  I will give you detailed descriptions of the essay assignments  as we begin to draft them. Presentations: Each week, a group of students will give a presentation on an assigned  topic.  Presentations should last 5-10 minutes, and should include a  handout for the class.
Percentages:			Essay 1 — 15%                                         Grade Scale: Essay 2 — 20%                                         A   94-100%   A-  90-93% Essay 3 — 25%                                         B+ 87-89%    B 83-86%     B- 80-82% Reading Responses — 10%                   C+ 77-79%   C 73-76%   C- 70-72%   Writing Journal — 10%                          D+ 67-69%   D 63-66%   D- 60-62% Presentation – 5%                                    E 61% and below        Discussion Questions — 10%             UW   Unofficial Withdrawal Final Exam — 5%
Policies:			Attendance is mandatory.  I will take roll every day.  You may miss this class three  times without penalty.  Each absence after that will affect your final grade. Assignments are due at the beginning of class.  Unless prior arrangements are made,  if you are not on time and prepared with your assignment in hand, it will be considered  late.  Late work will be penalized for each day it is overdue.  Emailed assignments: You may occasionally email assignments to me if necessary.  You will receive credit for turning the assignment in as soon as I receive the emailed  copy; however, I will not grade and respond to assignments until I receive a hard copy. I expect you to behave civilly and respectfully at all times (both to me and to your  peers).  Should you behave inappropriately (chatting, texting, reading the newspaper,  doing other work in my class, using laptops for anything other than 1010 classwork,  etc.) you will either be counted absent for the day or be asked to leave the class and   then counted absent.  In short, behave appropriately and respectfully. I reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus to accommodate the dynamics  of the class. Plagiarism is the attempt to claim another’s work as your own. The WSU Student Code  defines plagiarism as “the unacknowledged (uncited) use of any other person or group’s  ideas or work” (Section 6-22, part IV, subsection D). Any attempt to claim credit another’s  work, in whole or in part, is a violation of this policy and is regarded by the Composition   Program as a serious offense, and plagiarism may result in failure of the courses.
Outcome Goals:			English 1010 introduces students to the habits and practices necessary for writing well at  the college level by providing them opportunities to write in a variety of styles and genres.  Although individual pedagogy may vary from section to section, the course emphasizes  invention, organization, cohesion, focus, and grammatical and mechanical correctness.  Because the relationship between writing and reading is a reciprocal one, English 1010  also emphasizes students reading texts that are consistent with the kinds of reading  assignments they will be asked to do in other university courses.
Accommodations:			Any student requiring accommodations or services due to a disability should contact  Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) in room 181 of the Student Service Center.  SSD can also arrange to provide course materials (including this syllabus) in alternative  formats if necessary. Weber State University recognizes that there are times when course content may differ  from a student's core beliefs.  Faculty, however, have a responsibility to teach content  that is related to the discipline and that has a reasonable relationship to pedagogical  goals.  If you, as a student, believe that the content of the course conflicts with your  ability to pursue a topic, you may request a resolution from the instructor.  Please see  WSU policy 6-22 for further clarification on this policy.
Contingency Plan:			In the event of an extended campus closure, you will continue to submit assignments  to me via e-mail and discuss the text on the class blog.  Please ensure that I have a valid   e-mail address for you that you access on a regular basis.  I will e-mail you with further   instructions if a campus closure occurs.
Week:	Reading:			Due:
Week One	M 1/7	Syllabus & Introductions
	W 1/9	Syllabus & Introductions
	F 1/11	Crain, “Twilight of the Books” (http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2007/12/24/071224crat_atlarge_crain)
Week Two	M 1/14	Paul, “The Neuroscience of Your Brain on Fiction” (www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-neuroscience-of-your-brain-on-fiction.html)
	W 1/16	Room for Debate, “The Power of Young Adult Fiction” (http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/03/28/the-power-of-young-adult-fiction)
	F 1/18	Fowler and Baca, “The ABCs of E-Reading” (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703846604575448093175758872.html)		Reading Response #1
Week Three	M 1/21	Martin Luther King, Jr. Day—NO CLASS
	W 1/23	Writing Matters, “Avoiding Sentence Fragments” (WM 344-350).		Presentation: Sentence Fragments
	F 1/25	Pinker, “Mind Over Mass Media” (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/opinion/11Pinker.html); Richtel, “Outdoors and Out of Reach, Studying the Brain.” (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/technology/16brain.html?pagewanted=all)
Week Four	M 1/28	Writing Matters, “Avoiding Comma Splices and Fused Sentences” (WM 350-355). Richtel, “Growing Up Digital,Wired for Distraction” (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/technology/21brain.html?pagewanted=all)		Presentation: Comma Splices
	W 1/30	Goldwasser, “What’s the Matter with Kids Today?” http://www.salon.com/2008/03/14/kids_and_internet
	F 2/1	Turkle, “Can You Hear Me Now?” http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2007/0507/176.html		Reading Response #2
Week Five	M 2/4	Semicolons (WM 444).		Presentation: Semicolons
	W 2/6	Drafting, Essay #1
	F 2/8	Drafting, Essay #1
Week Six	M 2/11	Workshopping, Essay #1		First Draft Due
	W 2/13	Peer Review, Essay #1		Second Draft Due
	F 2/15	“A Portfolio of Advertisements” (Blog).		Essay #1 Due
Week Seven	M 2/18	President’s Day—NO CLASS
	W 2/20	Fowles, “Advertising’s Fifteen Basic Appeals” (Blog); Apostrophes (WM 447)		Presentation: Apostrophes
	F 2/22	“Selling Happiness: Two Pitches from Mad Men” (Youtube).
Week Eight	M 2/25	Writing Concisely (WM 283).		Presentation: Wordiness
	W 2/27	“A Portfolio of TV Commercials” (Youtube);
	F 3/1	Drafting, Essay #2		Reading Response #3
Week Nine	M 3/4	Spring Break—NO CLASS
	W 3/6	Spring Beak—NO CLASS
	F 3/8	Spring Beak—NO CLASS
Week Ten	M 3/11	Workshopping, Essay #2
	W 3/13	Peer Review, Essay #2
	F 3/15	TBA		Essay #2 Due
Week Eleven	M 3/18	Braithwaite, “Obamacare and the Constitution” (WW 5).		Presentation: Passive and Active Voice
	W 3/20	Isaacson, “Drug Representatives” (WW 13).
	F 3/22	Kennedy, “Public Health Matters” (WW 26).
Week Twelve	M 3/25	Lake, “Waste Not, Want Not” (WW 34).
	W 3/27	Lunt, “BCS: Bonus or Bust?” (WW 46).		Reading Response #4
	F 3/29	EH Closed--NO CLASS
Week Thirteen	M 4/1	Ondrusek, “Star Wars: Timeless Work of Art or George Lucas’ Tinker Toy?” (WW 66).
	W 4/3	Pace, “I See the Moon, the Moon Sees Me” (WW 79).
	F 4/5	Mi, “No One Wins” (WW 56)
Week Fourteen	M 4/8	Park, “The Cycle of Writing: A Self-Portrait” (WW 86).
	W 4/10	Workman, “A Growing Sensation” (WW 91).
	F 4/12	Drafting, Essay #3		Reading Response #5
Week Fifteen	M 4/15	Drafting, Essay #3
	W 4/17	Workshopping, Essay #3		Writing Journal Due
	F 4/18	Peer Review, Essay #3
Week Sixteen	M 4/21	Final Exam		Essay #3 Due