Because
Writing is a Process, It is Never Finished.
407-905-6400
http://teachers.ocps.net/~kennyg
Statement of Purpose:
The
Olympia High School Curriculum Guide describes Creative Writing I and II
as follows:
Creative Writing I . . . provides an
intensive workshop for intermediate to advanced writers in all media, including
aspiring poets, lyricists, screenwriters and playwrights, aimed at developing a
personal writing style. It establishes the creative process and uses a variety
of literary and multimedia forms to encourage creative expression.
Creative Writing II
. . . extends the creative process to a variety of literary and
multimedia forms, with an emphasis on publication. Through a series of extended
writing opportunities, students will demonstrate their personal voices and use
more sophisticated creative techniques. By the end of the term, students will
create a significant work suitable for a broader audience, such as poetry and
lyric contests, periodical publication or publication in the Olympia annual
anthology. (23)
Academic Principles
The
course is based on three principles:
1. Constraint begets creativity.
2. Literature is a conversation.
3. Writing is a process that is never
finished.
As
we explore the various literary forms, we will consider the constraints imposed
by form and subject. We will experiment
with rigid formalities as well as with what happens when we purposefully change
form. We will also experiment with
various sources of inspiration, including the constraints of randomness made so
famous by the Surrealist movement of the early twentieth century.
To become literary, we must engage in the great
conversation of culture by selecting models to emulate in language, style, and
form. Creative writing, therefore, must
have an intensive creative reading component.
Students will engage in guided readings of their own choosing, although
they may be assigned specific texts to read and model from time to time. To promote conversation, the Commonplace
Book will be updated at least weekly as a space in which to record and
comment on words, thoughts, phrases, or sentences that strike our fancy. The Commonplace Book will be kept online in
a blogspace to be shared conversationally by the entire class.
The
practice of writing is essentially one of revision (Re-Vision). It is a process that advances the
conversation by successively reshaping a text until it achieves a level of
quality we can call artistic. Effective
revision begins by learning how to ask cogent questions and to respond to those
questions, We will workshop our
texts in class, learning how to respond to a draft with questions rather than comments,
how to listen to an audience, and how to take advantage of each other’s
experiences to become competent artists.
We will then track the emergence of our work in portfolios, which
will enable each writer to determine her or his growth while also serving as
the primary mode of assessment upon which a final grade will be determined.
General
Course Objectives:
After
successfully completing this course, the student will:
1.
Understand
various literary forms and conventions in English in order to select and work
with those that will most effectively convey meaning within the constraints of
specific literary formats.
2.
Reflect
critically on his or her own writing in order to select and engage language
that supports meaning in terms of the issues developed within each piece.
3.
Understand
audiences and how to reach them in terms of knowledge and experience they bring
to the student’s own literary texts.
4.
Understand
and use effective critical strategies, including talking about writing in ways
that help other writers improve their work.
5.
Use
process-writing strategies effectively to meet the needs of a variety of
audiences, writers, and types of information being communicated.
6.
Distinguish
style, form, and genre as elements of writing that readers use to construct meaning
from an artistic text.
7.
Understand
and recognize the elements of a personal voice and how voice helps the reader
construct meaning.
8.
Understand
what publication means and the requirements of publishers to participate
actively in that aspect of the literary conversation called publication.
9.
Select
and use appropriate speaking, listening, and viewing skills to clarify and
interpret meaning in both formal and informal situations.
Materials
Needed:
1.
Notebooks – spiral bound 70 or 100 pages 8 X 10 or 8˝ X 11. Please buy the cheapest available, probably
at a dollar store rather than an office supply store. We are likely to fill at least two per semester, although more
prolific writers will use even more.
2.
Portfolio – an expanding wallet, expanding file, or ring binder with sufficient
capacity and dividers to hold works in process as well as returned graded
projects. The final portfolio is
prelude to publication, and the final grade will depend in large measure on how
well the student selects and revises his/her best work. Graded work can always be revised for a
better grade.
3.
Writing utensils including pen blue or
black ink only, pencil, and highlighters in various colors. Pencil
is not acceptable for work submitted for a grade.
4.
Paper
– loose-leaf, legal pad, or other ruled paper for note taking and in-class
writing; the writing notebook should not be used for note taking or graded
in-class writing.
5.
Optional
pocket notepad, index cards, or other media on which to note observations
outside of class.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a form a cheating whereby a person
claims work done by another as his or her own.
It will not be tolerated.
Olympia High School’s policy on academic integrity is that dishonesty
will result in a zero and will be documented by a discipline referral. Examples
can include, but not limited to, plagiarism, cheating and copying answers on
assignments.
One
important barrier to plagiarism in Creative Writing is the portfolio process of
revision. Work submitted for a grade
without substantial backup in terms of notes and drafts may be suspected of
plagiarism.
Another
type of infraction that technically falls outside the definition of plagiarism
occurs when a student attempts to present the same work for a grade in two
different classes without the knowledge and permission of both teachers. This also includes work that might have been
done in previous years. Every
assignment in Creative Writing supports a specific learning objective;
therefore, any attempt to submit recycled or duplicated work without prior
permission of both teachers or specifically as part of the constraint of the
assignment will result in a 0 for the project along with other consequences
associated with plagiarism which include detention or referral and parental
notification.
To help students avoid problems associated with plagiarism, submission drafts of all major projects will be turned in via the web site Turnitin.com.
Students who
have ten or more absences for any reason during a semester may pass the
semester by scoring a passing grade on the semester exam.
Assessment and Evaluation:
Assessment of performance and growth will be ongoing
and reflective constituting ongoing learning opportunities for the
student. Major assessments will be
associated with Commonplaces, daily observations, and portfolio
selections. Other forms of assessment
will include workshop participation, projects, compositions, quizzes, homework,
and tests. Grades are based on all work throughout each nine-week period plus a
comprehensive exam will be given at the end of each semester. Orange County
Public Schools mandates the semester exam counts as 20% of your grade for a
one-semester course. The Orange County Public Schools’ grading scale is as
follows:
A= 90-100 C= 70-79
F= 59 or below
A student’s average will be computed on a points
earned/points possible scale. Each assignment will include a point value
determined by level of difficulty and time allotted for completion. Extra credit may be awarded at the teacher’s
discretion for additional activity and work that enhances the student’s
learning. To track weekly progress
online, please take advantage of K12planet.com.
Progress Reports:
Progress
reports will be issued during each nine-week grading period. If a student is
absent on the day progress reports are issued, she/he will be responsible for
obtaining a report from the teacher. If a student is not failing a class at
progress report time, but then begins to do poorly, parents will be informed as
soon as possible.
Behavior for Success:
Our
standards of behavior are based on expectations of mutual respect for each
other as human beings who have come together for the purpose of learning and
intellectual growth. I expect you to
treat your fellows and me with respect, just as you should expect to be
treated.
The
few simple rules that everyone must follow in order to create an adequate
atmosphere that promotes respectable behavior and an environment that is conducive
to learning are spelled out in the OCPS Code of Conduct and the Olympia
High School Planner. Specific
expectations for classroom behavior implied by those rules include, but are not
limited to the following:
1.
Because you cannot possibly know anyone else’s
story, neither judge nor speak ill of others.
2.
Come
to class on time. Students are considered tardy to class if they are not in
their assigned seat working or prepared to work (books, paper, writing utensils
out) when the bell rings.
3.
Be
prepared DAILY with books, notebook, writing utensils, and any
assignments that are due.
4.
Follow
directions the first time
they are given; raise your hand and ask the teacher for clarification if you do
not understand.
5.
Raise
your hand to be recognized before speaking. Talking out of turn or talking to
other students during instructional time constitutes an interruption, a
fundamental breach of respect.
6.
No
eating, drinking, or personal grooming in class; we have a cafeteria and rest
rooms for those purposes, and food crumbs attract pests.
7.
Students
must have their student handbook/hall pass to leave class.
8.
When
a student has an excused absence or tardy, she/he must make arrangements
with Mr. Kenney to make up the missed work. Check the class web page before you
return to class – http://teachers.ocps.net/~kennyg/. After returning from an excused absence, students have the number
of days they were absent, plus one, to turn in any assignments they missed. If
a student misses school on the day an assignment is to be turned in the
assignment must be turned in immediately upon return.
9.
Work
missed as a result of an unexcused absence or tardy is not
covered by item 8 and risks an automatic grade of zero.
10.
Assignments
not made up will be given a grade of zero.
11.
All
make-up assignments will be given to
the student before or after class only.
12.
Work
that is not turned in on time will be penalized ten percent per day for each
day late until the grade reaches fifty percent.
Behavior
that interferes with classroom policy will have consequences appropriate to its
severity and frequency.
Mr. Kenney reserves the right to make changes in this syllabus as necessary.