Syllabus

User Name and Password:  

You must use a username and password after the first week of class. Without these words you will not be able to access the course materials. The format of your username and password are clearly posted on the main page of your course. If you still need assistance with your username and password please go to this page and read the instructions: http://www.bcconline.com/orient/password.htm, to receive further assistance.

Instructor: Sandra Halsey

E-mail: shalsey@bcconline.com

Class meetings: Clearly posted on main page of course

Course Description

English composition and reading using descriptive, narrative, expository, argumentative, essay and research techniques. UC/CSU (CAN ENGL 2)

1. Write effectively in the following modes: description, narration, argumentation, process and exposition.
2. Understand and use effective English prose style, including such elements as paragraph types, sentence variety, emphasis, detail, and succinctness, as well as mold these elements into effective original essays.
3. Analyze prose models, make decisions about those models, and use stylistic elements of those models in their own writing.
4. Write an effective original college-level research paper.

Official Student Learning Outcomes

1. Students will be able to read and analyze a college-level article or essay and compose an essay in response that goes beyond a standard five-paragraph essay.
2. Students will incorporate research into essays using MLA documentation style.

At the successful completion of English 1A, students will be able to:

1. Read and interpret college level texts
2. Write short essays at the college level in a variety of modes, using a variety of strategies
3. Think more critically, using enhanced cognitive skills.
4. Submit a minimum of 6 formal essays in a variety of modes, using a variety of strategies: (they will write a minimum of 3000 words).
5. Read critically between 100 and 250 pages of text and incorporate ideas and materials from such reading into a variety of discussion forms: pairs, groups, full class, honing their summarizing and paraphrasing skills.
6. Practice and receive feedback on reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.
7. Identify various essay modes and strategies and to produce such essays.
8. Analyze essays and other literary forms, using the vocabulary peculiar to the language arts: thesis, main idea, evidence, logical fallacies, casual analysis, etc.
9. Employ various critical thinking skills in college level (and life) reading and writing activities: drawing inferences, identifying assumptions, identifying and correcting logical fallacies, judging claims (theses) and supporting evidence.
10. Succeed in English 1C and other college level classes.
11. Feel confident in their reading, writing, and thinking skills, thus in themselves.

• ST MARTIN'S GUIDE TO WRITING, Author: Axelrod. Edition: 8th.
   
• Inquisitive attitude

A. Cognitive domain

1. Interpreting literature, and model essay, and subsequently composing essays. Presupposes that students will receive explicit instruction and practice in all the basic cognitive skills
2. Problem solving: Choosing topics or completing assign ones, writing for specific purposes, specific audiences.
3. Evaluating judging ideas, form [essays]
4. Drawing valid inferences: reading between the lines
5. Analysis: outlining arguments and strategies for presenting them, causal analysis, comparison contrast, definition, process analysis
6. Logical fallacies

B. Affective Domain

1. Rewriting (even editing) necessities decision making, applying concepts, considering alternative points of view, evaluating and judging ideas and their presentations.
2. Discriminating between degrees of successful writing, reading, and thinking develops taste and life-long skill in language arts.
3. Such guided practice and supportive feedback promotes confidence and improved self images.

900-1000=A     800-899=B     700-799=C     600-699=D     0-599=F

Yes, you can get ½ or ¼ points for poor comments.

Attendance is determined by your activity through the discussion boards and emails to me. NOTE: You are required to post discussions more than once a week, and return to comment on other discussions. Discussion group posting dates are clearly posted on the main page of the course. Missing a day of discussion board comments and emails loses those points. These two areas cannot be made up.

Discussion Group: The student will be required to participate in on-line discussions. This will be in the form of discussions of the reading material, question and answer sessions, and peer workshops.

Workshops will consist of e-mailing your work to another student for commentary. At least one workshop is required per assignment. If needed, I will assign partners. The track changes tool on Microsoft Word should be used to insert comments on workshop papers. Upon completion of the workshop, the assignment and the comments must be e-mailed to me for credit. Each student should email the workshop to ensure that they receive credit. DO NOT RELY ON YOUR PARTNER TO EMAIL ME; TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN GRADE.

Instructor E-mail- Students may email their work once a week for comment and suggestion. You may pick out a particular paragraph that you are struggling with, or I will. It is expected that any comments I make will be applied to the entire text, not just the paragraph being scrutinized (Don't let me find the same types of errors in later drafts).

You are welcome to e-mail me any time if you are struggling, have a question about my comments, or do not understand anything presented in the class (online or classroom).

E-mail protocol: It is imperative that you identify yourself as a student in the English 1A class. Therefore you must enter your name and class in the subject line of your e-mails. I will not open an e-mail that does not provide information. This is a good habit to get into, as many of your teachers will be teaching several classes on-line, and won't know who you are or what class you are in. I personally teach for 2 different colleges so it is doubly important to me.

Plagiarism, the passing off of someone else’s work as your own, is a serious offense. The maximum penalty for plagiarism is expulsion from the college. The penalty for deliberate plagiarism in this class is failure of the class, for this is a clear violation of academic and personal integrity. If the student is unaware of whether his work is plagiarized or not, he/she should ask for clarification from me. NOTE: proper citation of work is the key to plagiarism elimination.

Although we will do not meet, discussion and email conduct should be exemplary. Respect for others and their opinions is paramount.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any problems.

In the box below type, I understand the policies for classroom climate, and that I may contact the instructor, shalsey@bcconline.com at any time.

A syllabus is not a contract between instructor and student, but rather a guide to course procedures on attendance, requirements, grading, and objectives. The instructor reserves the right to amend the syllabus when emergency circumstances dictate. Students will be duly notified.

In the box below, I understand a syllabus is general guideline for students to use in planning their time for a particular class. The instructor reserves the right to make modifications to the syllabus with reasonable time allowances for students to adjust to the changes.

Important note: This syllabus must be completed by the 4th day of class. Anyone who has not completed it and sent it in will be dropped from the class.