|
Course
Description and Goals
The primary goal of this course is to prepare you for English 101.
As such, we will focus on learning to think critically, develop ideas,
organize those ideas in a clear and coherent structure, and communicate
those ideas in clear and precise language.
Required Texts and Materials
Boeck, Tammy L. and Rainey, Megan C. Connections: Writing,
Reading, and Critical Thinking.
The Little, Brown Handbook.
An email account accessible both on and off campus
Access to a computer outside of class
Computer disks
Colored file folder (supplied by teacher)
The syllabus is a binding document, designed to make clear and overt the
policies you will be expected to follow in this course. It is YOUR
responsibility to know the policies and adhere to them.
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory. I know everyone has problems from
time-to-time in getting to class. However, the subject of this course,
writing skills, requires that you actually be in class to acquire and
practice those skills. It helps if you think of the class like a
science lab: if you are not here to do the experiment, you cannot fulfill
the requirements of the course. Also, most of the
"experiments" cannot be made up - I cannot reproduce the
conditions of a class discussion or paper workshop.
You may miss 4 classes with no penalty. After 4 absences, each
missed class will result in a 3% deduction from your FINAL grade.
Please note that there is no difference between an “excused” and
“unexcused” absence. If you miss a class, it is your
responsibility to find out what was discussed that day. You may
contact me via-email, but you should also get the phone numbers or email
addresses of two fellow students as well. (Note: you may want to
check the schedule first.)
Please note that attendance means showing up ON TIME. Anyone
arriving more than five minutes late will be assessed a “tardy,” and
two “tardies” will constitute an absence. If you are late to
class, it is your responsibility to see me after class to make certain I
marked you present
Paper Preparation
ALL DRAFTS of your papers must be word processed, using a standard font
such as Times New Roman or Ariel, 11 or 12 point. We will be using
Microsoft Word to workshop our papers, so files MUST be saved in MS
Word-compatible format. If you are not sure if your word processor
is compatible, come talk to me. Special Note: Because Microsoft is
Evil, MS Word and MS Works are not compatible. Please check to see
which you use, and let me know.
You are responsible for keeping back-ups of your work. I have one
cat that shreds paper as a hobby, and another that will use as a toilet
any paper not actually in the litter box, so it is essential that you make
copies of any work you turn in.
As a special side note: those 3.5 floppies that we all use to save
work? They are remarkably fragile things. The corrupt if
exposed to magnets. They corrupt if bent in any way. They corrupt
for no immediately obvious reason at all. If you only take to heart
one thing I tell you, it should be this: SAVE YOUR WORK IN MORE THAN ONE
PLACE. Get into the habit of emailing drafts to yourself.
Please note that a corrupted disk IS NOT an acceptable excuse for not
having a draft or final paper. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure
that you will have a draft or final paper on time even if something goes
wrong.
Late Assignments
Late assignments will be handled as follows:
- For FINAL DRAFTS ONLY, you get one “freebie”: you may turn in
one paper one class period late with no penalty. On the day the
paper is due, simply notify me that you are exercising your late paper
option. If the paper is not turned in on the next class meeting,
it will receive a “0.” Once the later paper option is used,
any paper not turned in one time will receive a “0.” DO NOT
USE THIS OPTION UNTIL YOU NEED IT. Note that a paper is
considered "late" if not turned in during the first 10
minutes of class. Papers cannot be turned in to my office or the
department office.
- Papers that receive a "0" for not being turned in on time
CANNOT be revised for a higher grade.
- Late rough drafts will not be accepted. If you show up on
workshop days without a draft, you will not receive credit for
participating in the workshop, and 5% will be deducted from your final
project grade. Note: a common problem on draft days is disk
failure. Please bring a hard copy to class in addition to your
electronic copy.
- In-Class writings cannot be made up. Missing one or two will
not drastically affect your grade. Missing five or six will.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the use of another's words, content, or ideas without
acknowledgment. Don’t do it. Plagiarism will result in
failure of the assignment.
Just as a note: I encourage you to seek feedback on your writing from
family and friends. However, they should limit that feedback to
reactions, comments, and general suggestions. Do not let them write
the paper for you. The goal of this course is to improve your
writing strategies, and we cannot achieve that goal if you are turning in
someone else's work.
Note on the Public Nature of Writing and Class Discussions
Part of becoming a good writer is learning to appreciate the feedback of
others. You will be sharing your writing with many people in this
course. Therefore, you might wish to avoid writing about a topic that you
are not prepared to subject to public scrutiny, or on which your feelings
are so strong that you cannot consider alternate viewpoints
Classroom Conduct
I tend to run a fairly informal classroom. In return, I expect that
you will treat me and each other with respect. Please be attentive
and polite during discussions: you don’t need to raise your hand to
speak, but you should also be careful to give everyone a chance to speak.
Remember that we will be discussing some "touchy" subjects.
Again, I expect you to be respectful of one another. You can argue
and disagree, even passionately, but don’t get personal.
Please not that absolutely NO ethnic, gender, or other slurs will be
tolerated, in either spoken discussion or on-line.
Special Note for Computer Classrooms:
Classroom time is to be used for classroom activities. If you
finish your work early, I will not object to you checking your email or
looking at web sites; however, I expect you to return to class work when
directed.
At no point should either a chat program or a game be opened during
class time, even if you are finished with your activity. The first
time I see a chat program or a game open on your computer during class
time, you will receive a warning. The second time, you will be asked
to leave the classroom and be assessed an absence for the day.
Extra Credit
I do not offer extra credit options.
Withdrawal
At midterm, the faculty member is required to report any student the
faculty member believes has ceased attending the course; all such students
will be withdrawn. After midterm, the faculty member cannot withdraw
any student; withdrawal from the course must be done by the student prior
to 5pm on the last day to withdraw as published in the Parkland College
Schedule. Students who cease attending after midterm and do not
withdraw themselves will receive an F for the course.
AOD Compliance Notice
If you have a disability for which you may need an academic accommodation
(including special testing, auxiliary aids, non-traditional instructional
formats), please inform the instructor as soon as possible and/or contact
one of the following for assistance: Evelyn Brown, Room X148, Ext 2587;
Other Disabilities: Norm Lambert, Room A250, Ext. 2620.
Course Work and Grade Distribution
| Assignment |
Points |
| Project 1:
Writing About Heroes |
50 Points |
| Project 2:
Analyzing Cultural Texts |
50 Points |
| Project 3:
Examining Cultural Definitions |
50 Points |
| Project 4:
Exploring Cultural Roles |
50 Points |
| In-Class
Writings |
25 Points |
| Peer Workshops |
20 Points |
| Participation |
25 Points |
| Total |
270 Points |
Final Grade Breakdown by Percentage:
|
A = 90-100
|
B = 80-89
|
C = 70-79
|
D = 60-69
|
F = 59 or below
|
Final grade Breakdown by Points:
|
243-270 = A
|
B= 216-242
|
C = 189-215
|
D = 162-188
|
F = 161 or below
|
Successful completion of the course requires that all assignments be
completed. Failure to turn in any of the four major projects WILL
RESULT IN FAILURE OF THE COURSE.
In-Class Writings
Most classes will begin with a brief (10 minute) written response to a
prompt. These will often be about either the reading assigned for
the day, or about your current project. These will be assessed
primarily on quality and development of ideas – I do not expect them to
be as polished as a draft.
Peer Workshops
Once a paper cycle, you will be asked to bring in a rough draft of your
paper to share with your classmates. You will also be asked to
comment on the drafts of others to help them improve their papers.
Directions will be given for this activity. Your grade will be based
on quality and thoughtfulness of your response – simply writing “looks
good!” won’t cut it.
Participation
This class will often use a collaborative approach to writing: that is, we
will work together to develop ideas, organize those ideas into papers, and
polish those papers. As such, your participation is crucial.
Your participation grade will be based on your level of preparation for
the day’s activities, attentiveness and contribution to both whole-class
and small-group discussions, both face-to-face and electronic, and active
involvement in group brainstorming sessions and other collaborative
exercises.
|