Laura Sparks, PhD
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First-Year Composition & More

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My teaching experience ranges from first-year composition, to professional writing, to working as a TA supervisor and training new graduate student teachers. I have taught writing courses at universities and community colleges, as well as mentored student writers in various Writing Centers. Embracing these different roles has made me sensitive to both micro-level interactions with students and larger curricular goals – so I am invested in merging everyday student interactions with the skills and experience valued at administrative and institutional levels, as well as in public spheres. Here are some of the writing courses I've had the pleasure of teaching.

COURSES TAUGHT
 
California State University, Chico, 2014-Present
ENGL 692: “Witnessing Atrocity: Advocacy and Resistance in Human Rights Rhetoric(s)” (Special Topics): Investigates how human rights advocacy functions rhetorically, with particular attention to issues of visibility, spectacle, and witnessing.
 
ENGL 634: Teaching Composition. Introduces graduate students to theories of teaching writing; supports development of syllabi and assignment sequences for ENGL 130/130E.
 
ENGL 333W: Advanced Composition for Future Teachers.
 
ENGL 338z/338W: Environmental Rhetoric. Sustainability GE Pathway. Taught as both face-to-face and hybrid model. Supports students’ critical engagement with the environments that surround us and the arguments communities have about them.
 
EnNGL 335W: Rhetoric and Writing. Introduction to rhetorical studies. Taught as both face-to-face and hybrid model. Covers major theorists and approaches to rhetoric, from Classical to Contemporary.

ENGL 130PW: Academic Writing “Jumbo.” (1 section of 90 students)
 
ENGL 130W: Academic Writing. First-year academic writing course. Students compose essays, perform research and analysis, and create multimodal final projects.
 
NURS 310: Academic Writing for Nurses. Online course in academic writing, reading, and research for nurses in the RN to BSN Program.
 
T.A. Weekly Practicum: Weekly pedagogy meetings with all graduate students teaching ENGL 130. Supports development of teaching practices through shared lessons plans and best practices, assignment design/redesign, and peer-to-peer observations.
 
ENGL 131 Weekly Practicum: Weekly pedagogy meetings with all writing mentors in ENGL 131. Supports facilitation of writing workshops through shared practices, assigned readings, and peer-to-peer observations.
 
Indiana University, Bloomington, 2008-2014
ENG-W501: Teaching of Composition in College, Consulting Group. Supports graduate instructors’ development of teaching practices through unit plans, grading case studies, class observations, and the development of teaching portfolios.
 
ENG-W350: Advanced Expository Writing. Advanced writing course for juniors and seniors.
 
ENG-W131: Elementary Composition. Required first-year writing course that introduces students to analytical habits of mind and academic writing norms.
 
ENG-W131: Elementary Composition, Basic Writing.
 
ENG-W270: Argumentative Writing. Elective course in argumentation and persuasion. Students develop a rhetorical approach to case-based civic and academic argument. Course culminates in final research project on discipline-specific academic arguments.
 
ENG-W231: Professional Writing Skills. Students develop awareness of professional writing genres, with an emphasis on professional writing as rhetorical practice. Texts produced include job materials, proposals, and recommendation reports.
 
Pilot Instructor, <emma> Program for Digital Composition, Department of English, Indiana University, 2010-2013. <emma> is a digital writing environment and open-source CMS.
 
Chemeketa Community College, 2007-2008
WR 121: Composition-Exposition. Transfer-level composition course that emphasizes genres of academic reading and writing.
 
WR 115: Introduction to Composition. Non-transferable course for students who require additional practice with academic writing conventions.
 
California State University, Chico, 2004-2006
ENGL 130: Academic Writing. Composition course that teaches academic writing conventions and inquiry-based research. (2 sections)

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  • Home
  • Teaching
    • Teaching Philosophy
    • Courses Taught
  • Research
    • Conference Abstracts
    • Research Project
  • CV
  • Contact