ENG131.I3.FA2008: SyllabusENG131.I3.FA2008 Writing Experience: English 131 online Fall 2008 Instructor : Dr. Gary Cale Office : BW 243 Office Phone : 517-796-8562; English Department 517-796-8582 Email: [email protected] Office Hours : Monday-Wednesday 1:00- 3:00 I am also available by appointment. Text: Writing: A Guide for College and Beyond, Brief Edition by Lester Faigley Penguin Handbook Welcome to English 131 Online. First, as you know (since you signed up for the course, I assume that you know what you signed up for), this is an eight-week course, an accelerated version of English 131. Although the course only meets (virtually) for eight-weeks, nothing is left out of this course, in terms of assignments, textbook readings, discussions or peer reviews. Nothing. You are getting the same class—just in half the time. In practical terms, this means that you will have to find at least 10 hours a week to work on this class. That may seem like a lot—and it is—but in order to study, practice, and master compositional strategies you will need that much time and probably more. That is not a suggestion: it is a requirement. So, say to yourself right now, “In order to succeed in this class I am going to need to find 10 hours to study and write—consistently and weekly.” You cannot plan on two hours this week and eighteen hours the next week. That strategy just won’t work. Due to the pace of the class (stop and think about it—we have half the time to complete the same number of assignments), you cannot afford to fall behind. I can just about guarantee failure if you miss a deadline.My first suggestion, then, is simple. Look over your commitments: other classes, work, family, eating, travel, and (hopefully) sleeping. (If you are really lucky, maybe you have time for recreation too, like, say, riding a bicycle which is the only thing that keeps me sane.) Fit in the 10 hours that you need for this class. Can you find 10 hours? If not, then something has to go. Can you cut back on work hours? Can you drop a class? Can you minimize your travel time? If not, and you still cannot find 10 hours per week without jeopardizing your health or your relationships, then perhaps this class is not for you. That may sound harsh, but I’d rather see you take the class when you can insure your own success than struggle and fail in a situation that is heavily stacked against you. Although you may not believe me, I are not trying to scare you! I want to present you with the reality of this class. So, be honest with yourself. Can you do this? Can you commit the time? So, are you in or out?If you are in, GREAT; read on. Required Internet AccessA reliable computer and/or regular and consistent access to a reliable computer is a must. If your computer blows up mid-semester or you break up with a significant other and he or she takes possession of a shared computer, you must forge ahead. Although I will feel bad for you, a moribund or deceased computer or lack of visitation rights to the computer of your choice does not excuse you from completing assignments on time. I wish I could be more lenient, but I cannot. Have a back-up plan in place: know where you can access a computer to complete your work. Locally, JCC offers computer labs on campus. For those of you living beyond the Jackson area, I suggest that you check the hours of your local library or nearby college campus.Course Goals and Objectives The course goals and objectives incorporate specific Associate Degree Outcomes (ADO) established by the JCC Board of Trustees, administration, and faculty. These goals are in concert with four-year colleges, universities, and reflect input from the professional communities we serve. ADO guarantee students achieve goals necessary for graduation credit, transferability, and professional skills needed in many certification programs. The ADO and course objectives addressed in this class include the following: ADO 1: The ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and intelligibly. ADO 9: The ability to work in small groups and/or teams. Grading and Major Assignments Your class grade reflects your participation, performance, and growth in the class as evidenced by the strengthening and extension of writing and communication skills, preparation and timeliness regarding assignments and activities, and a marked level of responsibility and concern for positive personal and collective learning experiences. I grade on a 4.0 scale with 4.0 being excellent. You must achieve a 2.0 in this class to pass. Less than a 2.0 will not transfer for credit or serve as a prerequisite for another course. Percentage Conversions are as follows: 90 – 100 4.0 (A) 85-89 3.5 (B+) 80-84 3.0 (B) 75-79 2.5 (C+) 70-74 2.0 (C) 65-69 1.5 (D+) 60-64 1.0 (D) Below 59 0.0 Essays: 45 percent (15 percent for each essay) You will complete three major essays this semester: A narrative essay, a profile, and an argument. Two of the essays require research. You must document your sources following the Modern Language Association rules for documentation and citation. At least one of the papers, the profile paper, requires significant time in primary research such as site observations and formalinterviews. I will assess each essay you work on in class in this way: 50% for process and 50% for the revised and polished draft. To show process, save all work in process to your disk and hard drive (saving to both prevents loss of work). Use the “Save As” feature and save as ‘brainstorming,’ ‘outline,’ ‘draft 1,’ ‘draft 2,’ ‘draft 3,’ and so on to show work with revision. Each paper will undergo instructor and peer editing prior to the final draft. I will not grade papers submitted without process: it’s my way of ensuring that you actually worked on this paper this semester. Portfolio: 35 percentPolished, final versions of these papers will be evaluated in the middle of Week 8 one last time by me. Your portfolio will represent what you learned over the course of the semester: consider it a kind of final exam. More on this later. Discussion/Participation: 10 percentEach unit will require two different online and asynchronous discussions: 1) peer review of other selected students’ essays and 2) whole class discussions of model essays from the textbook and/or relevant questions I ask. You must learn to read better in order to write better. We learn to read better by testing our ideas against others ideas in cooperative,
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