Writing+for+Children+Syllabus


 * Writing for Children Workshop Dr. Stephanie Vanderslice**
 * 3375: CRN 17221 Thompson 103 12:15-1:30**
 * Office Hours: Tuesdays: 10:20-10:50, 2:30-5, Thursdays 10:30-10:50, 2:30-3, Fridays 1:15-3:15 and by Appointment**
 * Office: Thompson 336 Office Phone: 501-450-3340 Email:** **stephv@uca.edu**
 * Best way to reach me: e-mail!!! Personal Blog: wordamour.wordpress.com**


 * CLASS WIKI: writingforchildrenworkshop.wikispaces.com**

At last! We have a Writing for Children workshop that really will function //as a workshop//. That means everyone will have the time to work closely on two projects for children with instructor and class feedback. And everyone in the class will be, more or less, on the same page because everyone will understand the different forms and requirements of writing for children since you’ll have had Forms of Writing for Children, the prerequisite for this class.

We’ll be reading two books early in the semester (see texts below) that will give everyone additional knowledge in responding to each other’s work and we will be reading closely and responding carefully, also drawing on the knowledge we gained about children’s publishing.

We’ll also be reading some blogs, as well, and keeping up with the industry and doing some digital work at the end to continue building your digital competencies (see the digital competencies list at the end of the syllabus). Your digital author report is also designed to give you an additional mentor; that is, you’ll choose a writer whose work and interviews you’ll study closely and your report will tell us how studying that author’s work informed your own and helped you improve your own work. I can’t wait to get started! Let’s go!


 * Texts:**
 * Amoss, Berthe and Eric Suben. //Writing and Illustrating Children’s Books for Publication//. Cincinnati: Writer’s Digest Books, 2005.
 * Lamb, Nancy. //The Writer’s Guide to Crafting Stories for Children//. Cincinnati: Writer’s Digest Books, 2001.

//Project Drafts 1 and 2//: These will be writing for children projects you are working on. Either a completed picture book (doesn’t have to be a dummy though it can be if you want it to be), a nonfiction piece or an excerpt from a longer work. There is a 5 page (typed, double spaced) minimum for the latter two. If you’re working on a longer work, both drafts can be separate excerpts from the longer piece. NOTE: **Your workshop piece must be up on the wiki by 5 pm 3 days before it is due. Therefore, if your workshop piece is due on a Tuesday, it should be up on your page on the wiki no later than 5 pm on Friday. If it’s due on a Thursday, it should be up on your page on the wiki no later than 5 pm on Sunday. If it is not there at that time, you will lose 50 points on your workshop piece.**
 * Major Assignments**:

//Peer Reviews//: You’ll do a typed, //minimum// one page peer review for each of your classmate’s works; due the day their work is being workshopped. These will be graded. Be thoughtful, supportive and provide constructive suggestions.

//Blog, Reading Responses or Talking Points//: On the day the books are due or the blog check in is due, you’ll bring in 10 talking points total. You’ll follow five blogs; as a class we will ALL follow Blue Rose Girls and Cynsations; the other 3 blogs you follow are your choice but should be related in some way to children’s publishing.

//Digital Author Report//: You’ll choose an author to study this semester and you’ll give a digital report (create a website, make a digital story or Prezi, create a wiki—use any form of digital media you want) on this author’s career specifically looking at how this author can inform your own work. That’s right. You will choose this author based on how well she or he can inform your own work, then you will read their work and create a report that will discuss what you learned about the craft of writing for children from this author. Two parts: Author Proposal: Due September 20. A typed proposal describing the author you have chosen and specifically focusing on why you have chosen this author and how a close reading of his or her own work can inform your own work. Classes begin Letters || In Class Writing Wiki Page Due || September 1 In Class Writing || Blog Check in 10 Talking Points or a Response || September 8 Amos and Lamb Due, 10 Talking Points Workshop 1 || Workshop 2 || September 15 Workshop 3 Crafting Stories for Children Due, 10 Talking Points || Workshop 4 Workshop 5 || Workshop 6 || September 29Workshop 7 || Blog Check In 10 Talking Points or a Response || October 6 Workshop 8 || Workshop 9 || October 13 Workshop 10 || Workshop 11 || October 20 Fall Break || Workshop 12 || Blog Check In 10 Talking Points or a Response || November 3 Workshop 13 || No Class: Attend Heather Sellers Event Today or Tomorrow || November 10 Workshop 14 || Looking Closely at Revision Workshop 15 || November 17 No Class: Dr. V at Conference || Looking Closely at Revision Workshop 16 || November 24 Thanksgiving Holiday || Bring a Draft || December 1 Looking Closely at Revision Workshop Bring a Draft || Work Time: Digital Author Reports || December 8 Work Time: Digital Author Reports || Final Examinations5-8 pm Present Digital Author Reports Via digital media of your choice || December 15Final Examinations ||
 * Tuesday** **Thursday**
 * August 23 || August 25
 * August 30
 * September 6
 * September 13
 * September 20
 * DIGITAL AUTHOR REPORT PROPOSAL DUE** || September 22
 * September 27
 * October 4
 * October 11
 * October 18Mid Term Grades due 19th
 * October 25No Class: Attend Dan Chaon event tonight OR Christopher Paul Curtis November 2 || October 27
 * November 1
 * November 8
 * November 15
 * November 22
 * November 29 Looking Closely at Revision WS
 * December 6
 * December 13

Extra Credit: 50 points for attending Handmade Puppet Children’s Workshop Saturday 50 points for attending BOTH 1 Dan Chaon Event and a Christopher Paul Curtis event

MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS
 * Project 1 Draft (typed, double spaced, complete picture book, excerpt of longer work 5) || 200 ||
 * Project 2 Draft (typed, double spaced, complete picture book, or excerpt from longer work 5 pg min) || 200 ||
 * Talking Points/Book Responses, 3 Blog Check Ins (5 total) || 200 ||
 * Digital Author Report (incl. proposal) || 200 ||
 * One page, typed responses to colleague’s work (14 due each on draft date) || 200 ||

900-1000 points || (x2) 800-890 points || (x2) 700-790 points || (x2) 600-690 points || X2 ||
 * A || 90-100 (x2),
 * B || 80-89
 * C || 70-79
 * D || 60-69
 * F || 59.9

DIGITAL COMPETENCIES Because digital literacy is cross-curricular, digital competencies are the same for each of my classes. They are based on preparing you to live and work in the 21st century and taken from an article in Inside Higher Education ([|www.insidehighered.com]) on skills every college graduate needs to master. While the //content// of your assignments will be centered on reaching the objectives of the individual class, the //forms// these assignments will take will be based on these digital competencies.

10 Digital Competencies for Every Graduate

Graduates should be able to. ..

1.Start a Blog 2. Buy an Audio Recorder and Learn to Use It   3. Start Editing Audio 4. Post an Interview (or Podcast) on Your Blog 5. Learn How to Shoot, Crop, Tone, and Optimize Photos (And Add Them to Your Blog) 6. Learn to Create Effective Voice-Over Presentations with Rapid Authoring Software 7. Tell a Good Story with Images and Sound 8. Learn to Shoot Video 9. Edit Your Video with iMovie, Windows Movie Maker or Windows Storyteller 10. Publish Your Video on Your Blog.

Class Rules (or, staying on Dr. Vanderslice’s good side).
 * Stay focused, even if you have your laptop or netbook. Give your teachers and your colleagues your respect.
 * Conversely, we will use the phrase “screens down” when we want to emphasize that we want everyone’s full attention. I and your fellow class members expect you to respect this.
 * Refrain from reading any outside material or doing any outside work from other courses during class.
 * Except in cases of emergency (clear it with me before class, I understand these do arise) turn your cell phone or beeper off during class.
 * If you text in class, I will ask you to turn your phone into me during said class.
 * Be respectful of other class members. We all bring a range of knowledge, experience and interest to class. Let’s appreciate that.
 * Refrain from derogatory language or hate commentary. This class has the potential to produce provocative discussions that will make us all better teachers and writers but only if we approach it with an attitude of tolerance.
 * You may bring drink and/or food, especially if you think it will help you stay awake and alert, particularly if you tend to get drowsy due to the length of the class or the time it meets (but not, of course, the subject matter or delivery J ).

UNIVERSITY, DEPARTMENT AND COURSE POLICIES


 * Disability Policy:**The University of Central Arkansas adheres to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you need an accommodation under this act due to a disability, contact Disability Support Services at 450-3613. They are located in room 212 of the Student Health Center. Please feel free to discuss this issue with your instructor, in private, if you need more information.


 * Sexual Harassment Policy:** Harassment by any faculty member, staff member, or student is a violation of both law and University policy and will not be tolerated. Please read the appropriate pages of your Student Handbook for the policies, definition, and procedures concerning harassment. If you have questions or concerns, please contact your instructor or the chair. Individuals who believe they have been subjected to harassment should report the incident promptly to their academic dean or to a departmental chair or directly to the university’s Affirmative Action officer, legal counsel or assistant vice president for human resources.


 * Other Policies:** You should familiarize yourself with all academic policies in your //Student Handbook//.


 * Special Problems**//:// If, during any point of the semester, you find that personal problems are keeping you from completing your course work, you may find it beneficial to visit the counseling center. All students are entitled to free, confidential, professional counseling. Please contact the University Counseling Center at 450-3138. They are located in the Student Health Center, suite 327.


 * Attendance **: If a student in the Department of Writing misses two weeks’ worth of classes—i.e., six classes of a MWF course, four classes of a TTH or MW course, or two classes of a one night a week course—and/or a student in a MWF or TTH class misses a week’s worth of classes consecutively without contacting the instructor, the instructor may drop the student from the course. When dropping a student for non-attendance, the instructor will assign a WF, WP, or W, as appropriate.


 * Plagiarism **: If a student in a Writing Department course turns in a paper that includes an extended passage that has been a.) written for him or her by someone else for pay or as a favor, or b.) copied from a print or electronic source written by another author, even if some of the words have been changed, that student will immediately be dropped from the course, receiving a WF grade. In addition, notification will be sent from the Writing Department office to the Office of the Provost documenting the student’s academic misconduct. This documentation will be retained permanently at the Office of the Provost.

If a student in a Writing Department course turns in a paper that has borrowed from other sources without giving complete and unambiguous credit to every source (e.g., quotation marks are not included around all direct quotations, in-text citations are missing, the bibliography is missing or incomplete), that paper will receive a grade of 0 (zero). If the instructor deems the plagiarism to be accidental, the instructor may allow the student to revise the paper for a higher grade.


 * Incompletes **: It is the policy of the Department of Writing that an incomplete (X grade) may be assigned only under extraordinary circumstances, such as a documented medical emergency, a death in the student’s immediate family, an unavoidable legal responsibility (e.g., jury duty, military service), a natural disaster that has affected the student’s own home or immediate family, or extended university closure. An incomplete grade may also be assigned for courses that extend beyond the regular end of term. However, an incomplete may be assigned only if the student remained in good standing for the first ¾ of the semester.

When assigning an incomplete grade, the instructor should establish a written contract with the student specifying exactly when the missing work must be turned in. However, the student may not turn in the missing work any later than the end of the first month of the following semester—excluding summer. Specifically, any student assigned an X grade for a fall semester class or a winter intercession class may not turn in the missing work any later than the end of the first month of the spring semester. Any student assigned an X grade for a spring semester class, a May intercession class, or a summer term class may not turn in the missing work any later than the end of the first month of the fall semester.

When dropping a student for disruptive behavior, the instructor will assign a WF grade, specifying on the Drop for Non-Attendance form that the grade is assigned for “disciplinary action.” A record of this disciplinary action will remain permanently on file with the university and the instructor will keep permanent record of dropping the student for disruptive behavior. Additionally, when dropping a student for disruptive behavior, the instructor is encouraged to submit to the Dean of Students a list of the problematic behaviors.
 * Disruptive Students**: Any student in a Writing Department class whose behavior regularly interferes with the instructor’s ability to conduct the class and foster student learning, or who exhibits a behavior so outrageous as to severely impede the conduct of a class, may be dropped by the instructor after the instructor consults with the department chair. Prior warning will be provided to the student when possible, but under extraordinary circumstances such warning may not always be possible.


 * Late papers**: Assignments, including drafts, are down graded one full grade for each day late (each day not posted on your blog), so an assignment deadline missed on Tuesday would result in a D by Friday.


 * Inclement weather**: If Conway schools are closed for inclement weather, we will not meet but will have an alternative assignment posted to the Wiki. If classes are cancelled you should immediately go to the wiki for instructions.


 * Academic Integrity**

The University of Central Arkansas affirms its commitment to academic integrity and expects all members of the university community to accept shared responsibility for maintaining academic integrity. Students in this course are subject to the provisions of the university's Academic Integrity Policy, approved by the Board of Trustees as Board Policy No. 709 on February 10, 2010, and published in the Student Handbook. Penalties for academic misconduct in this course may include a failing grade on an assignment, a failing grade in the course, or any other course-related sanction the instructor determines to be appropriate. Continued enrollment in this course affirms a student's acceptance of this university policy.


 * This coupon entitles the bearer to turn in one set of talking points OR one peer review draft late. ||