English 131.81: Writing ExperienceFall Semester, 2007Mondays and Wednesdays, 8:00 – 9:27 a.m.August 20 – December 12Instructor: Sue SkiendzielEmail: [email protected] or [email protected]: leave a message at the Hillsdale Center, 437-3343Course Description:This is an intensive writing course designed to help students improve, strengthen, and refine writing skills. Research methods are introduced. An end of the semester portfolio of narrative and informative writings and an additional 16 hours of writing activities and workshops are required.Course Objectives:English 131 course goals and objectives incorporate specific Associate Degree Outcomes (ADOs) established by the JCC Board of Trustees, administration, and faculty. These goals are in concert with four-year colleges and universities and reflect input from the professional communities we serve. ADOs guarantee students achieve goals necessary for graduation credit, transferability, and professional skills needed in many certification programs. The ADOs addressed in this course are:- Writing clearly, concisely, and intelligibly- Working in small groupsTextbook:Writing: A Guide for College and Beyond (brief edition) by Lester FaigleyCourse Materials:1. Paper and pencils/pens.2. Notebook to take notes in class3. Five 2-pocket folders.4. Access to a computer with word-processing capabilities and a printer.5. Flash drive.Guided Practice and Workshops (GPAW):All students enrolled in a writing course at JCC must complete a total of sixteen hours of additional guided practice in composition, called “Guided Practice Activities and Workshops” (GPAW), outside of classroom time. Since GPAW work closely corresponds to classroom writing assignments, students are expected to complete assigned workshops at the times specified on the course calendar.“What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.” -- Samuel JohnsonGrading:To determine the grade for the course, I use a point system. The total amount of points that a student can earn for the semester is 1000. You can keep track of your own grade by recording your points received as you have work graded and returned.A student’s final grade will be determined as follows:GPAW (Guided Practice and Workshops)—144 pointsMisc. written assignments/quizzes—151 pointsDrafts and revisions for 4 major essays—310 pointsPortfolio—300 pointsParticipation –60 points Oral Presentation –35 pointsGrading scale:4.0 94%—100% (940—1000 points)3.5 88—933.0 82—872.5 76—812.0 70—751.5 64—691.0 57—63.5 50—56Attendance:Attendance is mandatory. I do not keep track of whether an absence is excused or unexcused. No points will be deducted for one absence. Ten points will be deducted for the second absence and every absence after that, no matter what the reason. I would recommend that you save your one “excused” absence for an emergency. If you do miss a class, 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. Points will also be deducted for arriving late and leaving early. My goal is for you to be successful in this class. My experience has shown me that students who don’t attend the classes are generally not successful in class, and those who attend each class have the most chance at success. Although I do not keep track of excused absences, I do realize that major events can happen in all our lives, such as deaths, surgeries, house-fires, etc. Please tell me about the situation if such an event happens to you. I will be happy to work with you, sothat the stresses of the coursework do not overwhelm you during an already unhappy time.Late Work Policy:Assignments must be turned in on time. This class has a very tight schedule and if one assignment is turnedin late, the student will find it nearly impossible to get caught up. Daily work cannot be turned in late and quizzes cannot be made up. If one of the four major essays is turned in late, five points will be deducted from its grade for each class-day that it is late. Portfolios will not be accepted past their due date. There areno exceptions to this.Academic Honesty Policy:This class will follow JCC’s Academic Honesty Policy. All work submitted will be written by the student whose name it bears. Any type of plagiarism or cheating may result in a failing grade or removal from the course. Early in the semester, Academic Honesty will be discussed in more depth.Portfolios:Your portfolios will be due near the end of the semester. Your portfolio will contain 10 – 12 pages of your best writing from this class. Everything in the portfolio must be reviewed by me, and revised accordingly. A separate informational sheet about the portfolios will be given to you.Essays:There will be four essays assigned for this class. The first essay will be an essay about an important person or event in your life. It will be worth 70 points. The second essay will be an observation paper. It will be worth 80 points. The third essay will be an analysis of a magazine advertisement, and will be worth 70 points. The fourth essay will be a research essay. This essay will be worth 90 points. There will be an assignment sheet for each essay. This will be given to the students as each essay is first assigned and will give all the details for each essay. Students may be required to submit their essays to the Turnitin.com service.Misc. Assignments and Quizzes:Throughout the course of the semester, students will be assigned various smaller writing assignments. These will reinforce the learning points from the textbook and class discussions, as well as providing more writing practice. Additionally, there may be quizzes given over textbook readings and class discussions.Participation:It is expected that students will participate in class discussions and peer group discussions. Everyone will get more out of the class if I am not the only one discussing the subject. Class participation makes our time together much more interesting and valuable to everyone, including me. Participation points will be deducted when students do not participate either vocally or through body language, have obviously not prepared for class, disrupt the class, sleep, or do other things besides this class’s work.Oral Presentation:Near the end of the semester, each
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