ENGLISH 085 COLLEGE READING, WINTER 2008 JACKSON COMMUNITY COLLEGEINSTRUCTOR: Sue Faley OFFICE HOURS: After class and by appointmentOFFICE: Hillsdale Center EMAIL: [email protected] REQUIRED TEXT AND MATERIALS:1. Introduction to Critical Reading, 6th edition, by Barnwell and McCraney.2. Cornerstone: Building on Your Best for Career Success, Sherfield, Montgomery, Moody. 3. Two spiral notebooks: single subject, college rule, size 8” x 10 ½” 4. A folder for loose papers.RECOMMENDED: Any portable dictionary.COURSE OBJECTIVES:1. Improve your reading comprehension.2. Make connections between what you read and your own experiences.3. Write clear summaries of what you read.4. Develop a range of study skills and strategies.5. Combine information from several reading sources.6. Read for pleasure and for information.ASSOCIATE DEGREE OUTCOMES: The JCC Board of Trustees has developed a list of essential skills that all graduates should develop. The Board has said:JCC’s goal is to prepare students to live productive and meaningful lives. Implicit in this goal are efforts to prepare students to: (a) live and work in the 21st century, (b) be employed in situations which will require retraining several times during a productive life, and (c) function in a rapidly changing international society.In support of these guidelines, ENG O85 students will develop critical thinking skills, including the ability to Generate questions about text before and while reading. Identify impact of emotion on thought. Distinguish between fact, opinion and inference. Recognize bias in a piece of writing. Incorporate new knowledge with old.KEYS TO READING SKILL DEVELOPMENT:1. The more you invest time and effort in reading, the more your reading skills will develop.2. Skillful reading requires vigorous mental activity. Be alert and actively seek out what the author wants to say by asking questions, making guesses and predictions, reflecting on ideas, and drawing on your own knowledge and experience as you read.3. Pay attention to how the author recognizes ideas, noticing heading titles, bold or italicizedwords, central themes, patterns, etc. (Noticing how writers organize their ideas can also make you a better writer.)ASSIGNMENTS AND TIME MANAGEMENT: You are expected to read the assigned materials and do journal writing and other work before class starts. Plan out your week, allotting enough time to complete the assigned work. You should spend about 8 hours preparing for this class.LATE WORK: Late work will not be accepted unless you and I have discussed the situation beforehand. No exceptions! If you miss a class, only partial credit will be given for the work. You are expected to be caught up with all assignments when you return to class. This is because the course work is not information based; we are concerned in English 085 with the developmentof a complex and sophisticated process. In order to accomplish this goal, it is essential you do the course work as it is assigned over the semester.ATTENDANCE: Attendance is mandatory. If you miss a class due to an emergency, it is your responsibility to contact a classmate or the instructor before the next class meeting to find out what you need to do to prepare for the next class. Class attendance and school work must be a high priority if you are to benefit from the course and receive a grade. 3 absences: highest possible grade is 3.5 4 absences: highest possible grade is 3.0 7 absences: highest possible grade is 2.0 10 absences: No creditASSESSING YOUR READING SKILL PROGRESS: At the beginning and end of the semester,you will take the Nelson-Denny Reading Test. This will help in assessing your progress and determining whether you need to take a second semester of ENG 085, College Reading. This is the only way to determine whether you have achieved the level of reading comprehension that has been designated as necessary to succeed at JCC. Your grade for the course however, has nothing to do with your score on the Nelson-Denny post-test.GPA:Percentage grades will be assigned as follows: % Grade % Grade 93-100 4.0 71-77 2.0 88-92 3.5 64-70 1.5 83-87 3.0 56-63 1.0 78-82 2.5 48-55 0.5A 2.0 is a passing grade. Only courses with passing grades count toward graduation. Other colleges transfer in only courses with passing grades. Many financial aid sources, including most employers, require passing grades. Additionally, earning less than a 2.0 in a class results in being unable to participate in the next level of courses in a discipline which requires this course as a pre-requisite. Registering for the next course sequence without passing the prerequisite mayresult in you being dropped from that class.TUTORIAL ASSISTANCE: Tutoring is available for this course as well as most other courses here at JCC. If you would like a tutor for a class, please contact me or call the Center for StudentSuccess (796-8415) located in Bert Walker Hall. They are there to help you succeed, so please take advantage of this free resource. If I see a student is struggling and needs support, it is a requirement that the student attend tutoring through the Center for Student Success.Tuesday, February 5, 2008 is Project Success Day. Attendance and a written paper will be required. An updated schedule and agenda will be given to you closer to the date.READING PROJECTS:1. You are to find and read materials on topics of interest to you personally. Locate at least one book, two magazines or newspaper articles and three web sites. Write down interesting things you learned. Finally, give an oral presentation. Tell us about what youread, what you learned, and what impact this reading may have on your life.2. You will be reading one book outside of class. As you read your book, you will be keeping response journals. I will give particular assignments for these journals and a final written paper