In other first year writing courses at the university level, the student receives a grade on each individual assignment with little or no opportunity to revise the writing. In CAI Portfolio English 1010, your teacher will ask you to revise each of your major writing assignments, and your writing will not be graded until near the end of the semester--after you have had ample opportunity to collect the best of your revised work in a WRITER'S PORTFOLIO for evaluation. This goal is facilitated by the availability of the computers for each step of the writing process.
The Portfolio System aims at helping you become mature writers capable of attaining both professional and personal purposes through writing. It encourages you to go beyond merely writing for your teacher by requiring you to address and communicate to a variety of real, flesh-and-blood audiences. Employing this state-of-the-art Portfolio System of Assessment, your English 1010 teacher will provide you with the best writing instruction available. The English Department is using this system because it offers a number of advantages to students:
The Portfolio System recognizes that becoming
mature writers requires prewriting, writing, and
rewriting your essays. It involves going through multiple
drafts until you have achieved your purpose. This system
will allow you to revise your essays throughout the
semester because your teacher will assign a final grade
to your Portfolio only at the end of the semester.
Your teacher will provide you with constructive
feedback throughout the semester on your
essays, and you will also have the opportunity to implement
this feedback to further improve your final grade.
You will be able to focus on your writing
without worrying constantly about your grades.
Researchers have found that students make greater
improvement in their writing when their focus is shifted
from punitive feedback through letter grades to constructive
feedback in the form of suggestions for further revision.
Of course, after you submit your Mid-term Portfolio, your
teacher will let you know about your pass/fail status up
to that point and assign an informational letter grade.
Above all, you will have the
opportunity to offer only the best of your work for final assessment. Out of the
four essays you will compose in CAI Portfolio English 1010, your teacher will ask you to choose
your top three essays for the Final Portfolio.
In this system, you will develop a portfolio of your writing over the semester. All students will write four major essays (see "Portfolio Writing Assignments") in addition to any other homework or in-class assignments. Your teacher will provide you with a schedule of deadlines for completing all drafts of these essays.
During week fifteen of the semester, you will prepare your Final Portfolio, which will consist of a total of three pieces of writing: Three essays of your choice selected from the four essays assigned by your teacher (Essay 1 and two essays out of Essay 2, 3, 4). You will make sure that you select only those three essays that you have carefully revised and edited using all the feedback provided by your teacher. At this stage your teacher will also assign a letter grade to your portfolio. Your portfolio will be judged by the "Standards or Judging Student Portfolios, English 1010" (see English Folder insert and Portfolio p. 9). To earn a grade of C or better, your writing must meet all five of the following criteria for effective writing:
Achieves its specific purpose.
Considers and adapts to its intended audience.
Adequately develops ideas through the use of specific details.
Carefully constructs and organizes ideas, paragraphs, and sentences.
Effectively uses language, including correct grammar and mechanics.
Your Final Portfolio grade (70%)
Your grade for all other work
(30%)
Your teacher will coach you throughout the semester on how to prepare all materials--the disk and the Final Portfolio for evaluation. You will follow these guidelines to ensure success in the course:
You must complete all essay assignments in sequence and on time.
You must set up and maintain a
course disk for your essay writing per the " Basic Requirements"
for your records.
You must write at least three drafts of each essay assignment.
You must present all teacher drafts in hard copy.
You will submit your Portfolio at the end of the
semester to your teacher in a two-pocket
folder.
You must complete all the work assigned by your teacher and
meet the teacher's attendance policy. (Passing the Final Portfolio
does not automatically pass you in CAI Portfolio English 1010.)
If at any time during the semester you have questions
regarding the CAI Portfolio System or your status in the class, you will
immediately discuss them with your teacher.
You must attend the MTSU Writing Center (Peck Hall 325)
if your instructor requires it.
| Intro to CAI Portfolio | Syllabus | Schedule | The Peer Process | Requirements & Guidelines | Writing Tools | List-Serves | Five Writing Assignments |