Approved Texts for ENG 1310 & ENG 1320

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  • English 1310/1320 Handbooks

    • Bedford Handbook vs. EasyWriter (with or without exercises)

      The choice between these Bedford products may seem a matter of preference, but upon further study, the Bedford Handbook prioritizes a streamlined resource for students in their college writing, with full sections on MLA and APA styles and grammar lessons to clarify concepts discussed in the text, while EasyWriter has all of these with additional lessons on writing style as well as Chicago and CSE documentation formats. Also, the EasyWriter with Exercises includes student samples, writing prompts, and practice assignments throughout the lessons. As a side note, both physical texts are small, but the EasyWriter uses a handy spiral construction that makes use convenient on a flat surface. Since most students use the digital versions of the text, this could be one preference-based decision for instructors, if they use the physical text. 
       
      Utility: Both of these texts can provide 1310/1320 instructors enough content to fill a semester of writing instruction. In 15 weeks, teachers might feel they did not have enough time to cover all they want in terms of students’ writing style and personal voice. However, the choice of texts should likely come from the individual instructors emphases in the classroom, meaning that experienced instructors armed with additional resources may choose the streamlined Bedford Handbooksupplemented with readings and in-class activities, while EasyWriter lessons may be the better option for those looking for help structuring such activities. 

      Concerns:  As college writing courses, First-Year English sections should emphasize the standard academic essay and research documentation, but given the learning gaps in our incoming student writers, there will be a temptation to reteach grammar concepts and proper usage. Nevertheless, deviating too long from more global concepts of essay-writing could undermine official learning outcomes. That said, grammar concepts can be integrated through mini lessons, as part of peer review, and assigned for student review when using either text. Some in our department have assigned grammar lessons as part of students’ oral presentations. For example, in 1310, if students/groups present over a reading or paper topic, they would also need to study a brief lesson on grammar and explain it to the class as a whole. Teachers could comment or supplement on student coverage of these concepts as needed. 

      Conclusion: As previously stated, both texts are useful for composition and documentation lessons, but less experienced instructors may opt for the EasyWriter with Exercises to build their curriculum. If newer lecturers want to experiment with the Bedford Handbook, they should implement activities in class to make concepts more engaging, especially when applying them to students’ own writing.

      Note: With a Bedford Bookshelf (ISBN 9781319543280) adoption, students have access to all Bedford titles. Flipbook of Bedford Bookshelf books: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/digital/flipbooks/2024-ml-bedford-bookshelf/index.html

    • Bedford Handbook vs. EasyWriter (with or without exercises)

      The choice between these Bedford products may seem a matter of preference, but upon further study, the Bedford Handbook prioritizes a streamlined resource for students in their college writing, with full sections on MLA and APA styles and grammar lessons to clarify concepts discussed in the text, while EasyWriter has all of these with additional lessons on writing style as well as Chicago and CSE documentation formats. Also, the EasyWriter with Exercises includes student samples, writing prompts, and practice assignments throughout the lessons. As a side note, both physical texts are small, but the EasyWriter uses a handy spiral construction that makes use convenient on a flat surface. Since most students use the digital versions of the text, this could be one preference-based decision for instructors, if they use the physical text. 

      Utility: Both of these texts can provide 1310/1320 instructors enough content to fill a semester of writing instruction. In 15 weeks, teachers might feel they did not have enough time to cover all they want in terms of students’ writing style and personal voice. However, the choice of texts should likely come from the individual instructors emphases in the classroom, meaning that experienced instructors armed with additional resources may choose the streamlined Bedford Handbooksupplemented with readings and in-class activities, while EasyWriter lessons may be the better option for those looking for help structuring such activities. 

      Concerns:  As college writing courses, First-Year English sections should emphasize the standard academic essay and research documentation, but given the learning gaps in our incoming student writers, there will be a temptation to reteach grammar concepts and proper usage. Nevertheless, deviating too long from more global concepts of essay-writing could undermine official learning outcomes. That said, grammar concepts can be integrated through mini lessons, as part of peer review, and assigned for student review when using either text. Some in our department have assigned grammar lessons as part of students’ oral presentations. For example, in 1310, if students/groups present over a reading or paper topic, they would also need to study a brief lesson on grammar and explain it to the class as a whole. Teachers could comment or supplement on student coverage of these concepts as needed. 

      Conclusion: As previously stated, both texts are useful for composition and documentation lessons, but less experienced instructors may opt for the EasyWriter with Exercises to build their curriculum. If newer lecturers want to experiment with the Bedford Handbook, they should implement activities in class to make concepts more engaging, especially when applying them to students’ own writing.

      Note: With a Bedford Bookshelf (ISBN 9781319543280) adoption, students have access to all Bedford titles. Flipbook of Bedford Bookshelf books: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/digital/flipbooks/2024-ml-bedford-bookshelf/index.html

       

    • Review to come.

    • The Top Hat bundle (ISBN: 9781778775130) includes all three e-books. 

      Text-to-speech availabe via the Top Hat app. 

      For more information/help with Top Hat, contact Mary.Coman@tophat.com

    • TOP HAT BUNDLE:  ISBN: 9781778775130

      ENG 1310/ENG 1320 Handbooks:

      1. The Evolving Essay 
      2. Active Voices: The Language and College and Composition
      3. Signs: A Grammar Handbook. 

    • Review to come.

  • English 1310 Readers

    • FYE Textbook Committee review: Academic Writing offers an interesting variety of interdisciplinary essays and resources for students. The topical sections are well-structured and analyzed for student understanding. Exercises seem useful, though I would suspect the instructor would need to match the class structure to the text more than cherry-pick readings for the most effective implementation of this textbook. Topics of identity and class do appear but do not take center-stage.

    • Review to come.

      Text-to-speech Option: Instructions for how to activate the audio narration here. This is the same for all of Norton texts.  Let Katie know if you need anything else or have any other questions on this.

      Norton Contact:  Katie Sisk, ksisk@wwnorton.com

    • Utility: This textbook has a clear view of critical thinking and academic writing outcomes, outlined for instructors in the preface. The physical copy of the book is cleanly laid-out and readable. Questions for Critical Reading, etc. provide guided responses for the student reader. 

      Concerns: The textbook does include varying viewpoints of traditional and moderate professionals, but it also includes essays on topics that might be questioned under SB 37:

      The general education review committee of an institution of higher education shall ensure courses in the curriculum:
      (1)Are foundational and fundamental to a sound postsecondary education;
      (2)Are necessary to prepare students for civic and professional life;
      (3)Equip students for participation in the workforce and in the betterment of society; and
      (4)Do not endorse specific public policies, ideologies, or legislation. 

      Note: With a Bedford Bookshelf (ISBN 9781319543280) adoption, students have access to all Bedford titles. Flipbook of Bedford Bookshelf books: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/digital/flipbooks/2024-ml-bedford-bookshelf/index.html

    • With a Bedford Bookshelf (ISBN 9781319543280) adoption, students have access to all Bedford titles. Flipbook of Bedford Bookshelf books: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/digital/flipbooks/2024-ml-bedford-bookshelf/index.html

      Concerns: The textbook does include varying viewpoints of traditional and moderate professionals, but it also includes essays on topics mentioned in the SB37:

      The general education review committee of an institution of higher education shall ensure courses in the curriculum:
      (1)Are foundational and fundamental to a sound postsecondary education;
      (2)Are necessary to prepare students for civic and professional life;
      (3)Equip students for participation in the workforce and in the betterment of society; and
      (4)Do not endorse specific public policies, ideologies, or legislation. 

    • Note: With a Bedford Bookshelf (ISBN 9781319543280) adoption, students have access to all Bedford titles. Flipbook of Bedford Bookshelf books: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/digital/flipbooks/2024-ml-bedford-bookshelf/index.html

    • Review to come.

      Text-to-speech Option: Instructions for how to activate the audio narration here. This is the same for all of Norton texts.  Let Katie know if you need anything else or have any other questions on this.

      Norton Contact:  Katie Sisk, ksisk@wwnorton.com

    • Review to come.

      Text-to-speech Option: Instructions for how to activate the audio narration here. This is the same for all of Norton texts.  Let Katie know if you need anything else or have any other questions on this.

      Norton Contact:  Katie Sisk, ksisk@wwnorton.com

    • Note: With a Bedford Bookshelf (ISBN 9781319543280) adoption, students have access to all Bedford titles. Flipbook of Bedford Bookshelf books: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/digital/flipbooks/2024-ml-bedford-bookshelf/index.html

    • Note: With a Bedford Bookshelf (ISBN 9781319543280) adoption, students have access to all Bedford titles. Flipbook of Bedford Bookshelf books: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/digital/flipbooks/2024-ml-bedford-bookshelf/index.html

      An In-House Review
       
      Reading the World (Austen) vs. Bedford Bookshelf’s A World of Ideas (Jacobus). 
       
      Utility: Both of these readers provide comparable selections of topical essays on culture, education, government, ethics, and science/technology. Reading the World, which has been a mainstay in our department for over a decade, contains excellent options for English 1310 readings with critical questions, writing application, and instructional materials on style and logical reasoning. A World of Ideas contains similar structure of thematic units as Reading the World, but its reading and writing instruction in the opening sections of the book are referenced in pre-reading and critical questions for each essay/excerpt. It shares some of the same readings or suitable substitutes for an instructor looking to transition to the Bedford Bookshelf’s more economical access to textbooks.  
       
      Concerns: As mentioned, the price of Reading the World should be considered, because while students no longer carry additional costs to access, using this text would require an additional adoption of a writer’s handbook, which is additional for the university. In fact, the Bedford Bookshelf includes multiple readers and handbooks for a single cost.   
       
      That said, new instructors will need to become comfortable with the Macmillan website and internal search methods, so that they can help students find the assigned texts. Also, because the Bookshelf offers additional readers and other texts, instructors may be tempted to supplement their reader with various additional texts. Note that first-year students need reliable access to familiar texts and may find navigating multiple texts in their Macmillan library confusing, especially in the early parts of the semester. This obstacle might lead to a teachable moment and early discussion of research methods they may see in 1320, but new instructors may want to limit causes of confusion in their classes.
       
      Conclusion: Both texts are pedagogically sound choices for a first-year writing course. If the department seeks to reduce costs, however, A World of Ideas can provide most of what instructors have valued in Reading the World, along with additional resources and topics.

    • Note: With a Bedford Bookshelf (ISBN 9781319543280) adoption, students have access to all Bedford titles. Flipbook of Bedford Bookshelf books: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/digital/flipbooks/2024-ml-bedford-bookshelf/index.html

  • English 1320 Readers

    • Note: With a Bedford Bookshelf (ISBN 9781319543280) adoption, students have access to all Bedford titles. Flipbook of Bedford Bookshelf books: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/digital/flipbooks/2024-ml-bedford-bookshelf/index.html

    • Note: With a Bedford Bookshelf (ISBN 9781319543280) adoption, students have access to all Bedford titles. Flipbook of Bedford Bookshelf books: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/digital/flipbooks/2024-ml-bedford-bookshelf/index.html

    • Review to come.

    • Note: With a Bedford Bookshelf (ISBN 9781319543280) adoption, students have access to all Bedford titles. Flipbook of Bedford Bookshelf books: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/digital/flipbooks/2024-ml-bedford-bookshelf/index.html

    • Text-to-speech Option: Instructions for how to activate the audio narration here. This is the same for all of Norton texts.  Let Katie know if you need anything else or have any other questions on this.

      Norton Contact:  Katie Sisk, ksisk@wwnorton.com

      Review: 

      • Utility: This literature reader provides a welcome opportunity for First-Year English teachers to implement a variety of fiction, drama, and poetry readings into English 1320 lessons, specifically preparing students for literary concepts and analysis they will need in their sophomore literature courses. Norton Introduction to Literature provides a flexible set of sections, some of which focus on thematic topics and others centered on literary concepts such as character, figurative language, and  symbolism. The text also includes non-fiction excerpts for historical context as well as formal literary writing from scholarship. The “Suggestions for Reading” could provide opportunities for research, and “Suggestions for Writing” contains numerous prompts to focus literary analysis writing. The chapters on the literature research essay include lessons and samples of quotes and citation, so these could supplement the current MLA instruction in the EasyWriter or Bedford Handbook. 
      • Concerns: The main drawback of this text would not be in the book itself, but in how it will be used by instructors who prioritize literary analysis over the more general skills needed for writing in students’ own disciplines. Of course, students should be doing outside library and online research, but instructors should be careful to use the literary texts as a jumping point for real-world research topics and avoid making 1320 solely into an intro lit. course, which it is not. I would urge restraint, as well, in the number of readings given to students, so they can practice the decision-making and self-motivated research about concepts and ideas they may need or want for their future academic and professional goals.
      • Conclusion: This text serves as a strong option for instructors that seek a reader that bridges the gap between literary analysis and writing about the world that literature attempts to represent. The sheer variety of readings and tools might tempt instructors to structure the course on literary concepts, but I would suggest that the required, 1250-word major essay be researched beyond a piece of literature to a real-world topic, even if the literature inspires this topic. While writing on literature during 1320 will serve students for sophomore literature classes, we should consider that these courses assign a range from 500-750 word analysis essays, but students’ future fields could require more comparable depth to the FYE-mandated benchmark research essay.

    • An In-House Review
       
      Reading the World (Austen) vs. Bedford Bookshelf’s A World of Ideas (Jacobus). 
       
      Utility: Both of these readers provide comparable selections of topical essays on culture, education, government, ethics, and science/technology. Reading the World, which has been a mainstay in our department for over a decade, contains excellent options for English 1310 readings with critical questions, writing application, and instructional materials on style and logical reasoning. A World of Ideas contains similar structure of thematic units as Reading the World, but its reading and writing instruction in the opening sections of the book are referenced in pre-reading and critical questions for each essay/excerpt. It shares some of the same readings or suitable substitutes for an instructor looking to transition to the Bedford Bookshelf’s more economical access to textbooks.  
       
      Concerns: As mentioned, the price of Reading the World should be considered, because while students no longer carry additional costs to access, using this text would require an additional adoption of a writer’s handbook, which is additional for the university. In fact, the Bedford Bookshelf includes multiple readers and handbooks for a single cost.   
       
      That said, new instructors will need to become comfortable with the Macmillan website and internal search methods, so that they can help students find the assigned texts. Also, because the Bookshelf offers additional readers and other texts, instructors may be tempted to supplement their reader with various additional texts. Note that first-year students need reliable access to familiar texts and may find navigating multiple texts in their Macmillan library confusing, especially in the early parts of the semester. This obstacle might lead to a teachable moment and early discussion of research methods they may see in 1320, but new instructors may want to limit causes of confusion in their classes.

       
      Conclusion: Both texts are pedagogically sound choices for a first-year writing course. If the department seeks to reduce costs, however, A World of Ideas can provide most of what instructors have valued in Reading the World, along with additional resources and topics.

    • Review to come.

      Text-to-speech Option: Instructions for how to activate the audio narration here. This is the same for all of Norton texts.  Let Katie know if you need anything else or have any other questions on this.

      Norton Contact:  Katie Sisk, ksisk@wwnorton.com

    • Review to come.

      Text-to-speech Option: Instructions for how to activate the audio narration here. This is the same for all of Norton texts.  Let Katie know if you need anything else or have any other questions on this.

      Norton Contact:  Katie Sisk, ksisk@wwnorton.com