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| Holland, Michigan. Photo by me. |
Dear English 103 students,
I hope you
are excited about starting at (or returning to) Ball State this fall. Maybe you
don’t feel excited to take a writing course, but there are a lot of reasons you
should.
Why should you get excited about English 103?
1. This might be the smallest class you have this semester, so you will have an opportunity to know your classmates and to get individual feedback on your work. I will learn your name. You will learn the names of your classmates.
2. This is not a lecture class. I will rarely, if ever, lecture for more than 10 or 15 minutes at a time. Instead, we will spend class time talking to each other, working in small groups, figuring things out, writing, and so on.
3. You will have choices. Within certain parameters, you can choose your own writing topics or genres.
4. The things you will learn apply matter in the world outside this class. Rhetoric and writing are everywhere—understanding them better will still be relevant a year from now or ten years from now.
5. Writing can help you learn—about subjects you are studying, about things you are curious about, and about yourself.
6. Writing can help you think. Because writing and critical thinking are closely linked, wrestling with writing often means wrestling with your thoughts.
7. Writing can be satisfying, even fun.
What is this class about?
This course
is about rhetoric, or the art of persuasive communication.
You will not only learn key concepts related to rhetoric, you will practice
using them to understand the world around you and to understand your power to
influence it. This course is also about writing and about your development as a writer.
This course should help you become a more flexible, effective, and confident
writer.
Who am I?
I am Matthew
Hartman, Teaching Professor in the Department of English. I grew up in Jackson,
Michigan, which is a Muncie-sized city “famous” for three things: Cascades
Park, giant banana splits, and a state prison that was once the largest walled
prison in the world. I graduated from Western Michigan University in 1990
and then moved to Bakersfield, California, for a year, where my wife taught
high school and I sold shoes and then worked as a substitute teacher.
We later
moved to Athens, Ohio, and then Buffalo, New York, where I graduated with a
Ph.D. in English. After graduation, I worked for a couple years as a proposal
writer for a staffing company in Buffalo.
In 2001, I began teaching at Ball State, where I have taught various
courses in writing, literature, and film. I have taught composition regularly
throughout my career.
In my
non-professor life, I play piano and guitar at a very amateur level; I run; and
I like to play games of various sorts (cards, board games, role-playing games),
watch movies, and read books. I have two daughters and three elderly, rather
high-maintenance cats.
Fun fact
about me: August 19, the first day of the semester, will be my 30th
wedding anniversary!
Do you need to buy a book for this class?
Yes. We will be using Praxis: A Brief Rhetoric by Carol Lea Clark, 3rd
edition, which you should be able to find at the Ball State bookstore or
online. The book costs $49 for a new
copy, but you should be able to find a used copy for less than $30 or rent it
for less than $20.
What will class be like day to day?
I will run
the course as a workshop. While I will
occasionally present mini-lessons on various topics, we will spend the majority
of class time doing things—writing, revising, working in small groups, sharing
and responding to drafts, participating in class discussions, and reflecting on
your writing and learning. Throughout the semester, we will work on exercises
and short papers that will lead to longer projects that bring together what you
have learned.
What can you do to succeed in this class?
Every
semester I ask students to give advice to future students. Here is the advice they give most often:
1. Attend class regularly.
2. Keep up with the smaller assignments and drafts, because they build toward the larger projects.
3. Use feedback to help you revise and improve your writing. Take peer review seriously and don’t skip conferences.
Here is my
advice:
1. Start the semester with a positive attitude. Come to class every day prepared and committed to stay engaged for the full 50 minutes. I guarantee you will get more out of the class and enjoy it more if you prepare and participate actively.
2. Take advantage of office hours (MWF 11-11:50). This is a time when you can drop in without an appointment to get help, talk about a concern, or just say hello. If you are not free during my office hour, feel free to schedule an appointment.
3. Communicate. If you are struggling during the semester with a difficult assignment, a heavy workload, or a personal situation that is affecting your attendance or performance in the class, let me know (whether in person or via email). I can probably help, or refer you to someone who can.
What will I do to help you succeed?
I promise to
come prepared every day to make the most of our time together. I promise to
answer your questions and give you constructive feedback on your work so you
can adjust your efforts to succeed in the class. I will do my best to make this
class interesting, challenging, rewarding, intriguing, and generally worth your
time and effort.
That said,
the success of the class depends a great deal on your effort. As the Nobel-prize winning economist Herbert
Simon wrote, “Learning results from what the student does and thinks and only
from what the student does and thinks.
The teacher can advance learning only by influencing what the student
does and thinks.”
What if you want to find out more before class starts?
Feel free to
email me with any questions you have, or to introduce yourself. Also look
through the information on Canvas (https://bsu.instructure.com). The
Canvas site is not yet complete, but there will be more and more material there
as we get closer to the start of the semester.
Recommended reading
I recommend Cal
Newport’s Study Hacks blog. Newport has a lot of specific advice
about how to approach college, how to manage your schedule, and how to study.
You may or may not agree with his philosophy, but you will find a lot of useful
suggestions and a lot to think about on his blog.
See you soon
I’m looking
forward to our semester together! See
you August 19!
Best wishes,
Dr. Hartman
