English 085, Reading Essentials, Fall 2008Instructor: Mrs. Kathie GatesEmail: [email protected] Class Meetings: Monday and Wednesday 6:00-7:56Room: Walker Hall #108Textbooks and Supplies1. An Introduction to Critical Reading2. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch3. Notebook: multi-subject, college rule, size 8” x 10 ½ “4. A notebook or folder for loose papers5. 2 packages of 3 x 5 cards (100 count)Course Objectives:1. Improve your reading comprehension. (We’ll test you at beginning and end.)2. Make connections between what you read and your own experiences.3. Write clear summaries of what you read.4. Expand your vocabulary5. Learn effective study strategies.6. Combine information from several reading sources. (e.g., for research project)7. Read for pleasure and for information. (personal reading, culture project, text)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 arapidly changing international society.In support of these guidelines, ENG 085 students will develop critical thinking skills, including the ability to1. Generate questions about text before and while reading.2. Distinguish between fact and opinion.13. Incorporate new knowledge with old.Keys to reading skill development:1. The more you read, the faster you’ll develop the skill of reading. Read widely and often! 2. 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 organizes ideas, noticing heading titles, bold or italicized words, central themes, patterns, etc. (This will also make you a better writer.)Attendance and Late Work:Attendance is extremely important to your success in this class and college. Students who missmore than 5 classes generally are not successful in this class. If you must miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out what you need to do to prepare for the next class. You have been given a class calendar with all assignments listed for each class in case of an absence. If homework is due when you are absent, then you are responsible for submitting the assignment to me when it is due. Late work will not be accepted, regardless of the reason, unless arrangements have been made ahead of time. I also suggest you make a “study buddy” with whom you exchange contact information.Make up quizzes or tests must be completed before the next regularly scheduled class period, and arrangements must be made with the instructor prior to the anticipated absence if at all possible. Quizzes or tests not made up within this time frame will receive a ZERO. Anyone missing 6 classes will be automatically dropped from the course regardless of the reason.Academic Honesty: The JCC Catalog states, “Academic honesty . . . is the ethical behavior that includes producing their own work and not representing others’ work as their own, either by plagiarism, by cheating,or by helping others to do so . . . . Faculty members who suspect a student of academic dishonesty may penalize the student by taking appropriate action up to and including assigning a failing grade for the [assignment] or the course itself. Instructors should document instances of academic dishonesty in writing to the Academic Dean.”Academic dishonesty could involve:- Having a tutor or friend complete a portion of your assignments- Having a reviewer make extensive revisions to an assignment- Copying work submitted by another student2- Using information from information services without proper citation (citations should be documented using the MLA Writing style).Assessing 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. The other means we use is your performance in class. Your comprehension scores will generally improve to the extent that you read widely, attend class regularly, and put time and effort into doing assignments.Tutorial Assistance:Tutorial assistance is available for this course as well as most courses at JCC. If you would like to work with a tutor for this class or another class, please contact me or visit the Center for Student Success (796-8415), located in Bert Walker Hall. The staff are there to help you succeed in your studies, so please don’t hesitate to make use of this resource.Assignments and Time Management:You will receive a calendar of reading and assignments. You are expected to read the assigned materials and do journal writing and other work before class starts. I suggest you plan out your week, allotting enough time to complete the assigned work. Generally, you should plan to spend 3-4 hours preparing for every 2-hour class (that means up to 8 hours per week doing reading and writing for this class). Reading Summaries: An Introduction to Critical ReadingYour calendar tells you which story or essay to study for each class and are to be read before class. You will have several activities/summaries to complete in class pertaining to the story or essay. Summaries will focus on three levels of meaning:1. Literal level: Summarize, in your own words, what the reading selection is about. Here the focus is on the words of the text.2. Interpretive level: Read between the lines. What are the author’s intentions in writingthis? What lessons is she/he trying to convey? Quote from the text to support your interpretations. Here the focus in on the author’s ideas.3. Applied level: Relate this piece to your own experience, your own thinking, or other things you’ve read. What does this writing say to you personally? Tell your related stories. Here the focus is on you, your experiences, your ideas.3EssaysYou will have 3 essays to write relating to the class readings. Topic 1—Choices and ConsequencesTopic 2—Overcoming ObstaclesTopic 3—Community Rights vs Individual RightsSee essay guidelines and calendar for more information.Vocabulary: Your calendar