ENGLISH 252: WRITING IMPROVEMENT
Fall 2005
Schedule # 53060 MF 10-11:50

Instructor:
Shana Bartram

“Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending” - Anonymous
Course Description & Requirements

Inside this issue:

Course Outcomes (our goals):
Develop writing skills and prepare you to take English 125 by:
1. Writing short papers (2-3 pages of out of class writing and 1-2 pages in class writing) that convey the writer’s ideas by utilizing all aspects of the writing process (topic, main idea, topic sentences, supporting details, revision, etc.), including: clear and complete English sentences without major sentence errors, and by punctuating correctly.
2. Following the conventions of English writing - capitalization, indenting, spelling, hyphenating, etc.
3. Correctly using verbs (past, present, future, etc.,), nouns, and word skills
(spelling, vocabulary, etc.).
4. Expanding basic sentence structure - including recognizing and using
appropriate dialect (standard, community, neighborhood slang).
5. Combining sentences using coordination, subordination, and phrase structures.
6. Dividing the writer’s text into paragraphs.
Develop real world writing experience and civic responsibility by:
I. Volunteering as little as 10 hours over the duration of the semester at an
organization of your choice (see timesheet volunteer guidelines)!
2. Writing about meaningful experiences.
3. Learning to share (through writing) your experiences with others via
power-point presentation.
4. Creating your own community service portfolio and enhancing your resume.
This course is graded as Credit/No Credit only. You must earn a ‘C” or better to earn “Credit” and to pass this course.

Required Texts / Materials

Triumphs in Society, Biays, John Sheridan & Carol Wershoven
The New Century Pocket Guide for Writers ,Hult, Christine A & Thomas N Huckin

A College– level dictionary
Discs/cd’s to save work
A binder & Portfolio to save/present your work
Access to email/ internet
Scantrons/blubooks for exams

Course Description & Requirements	1 –2
Important Dates	1
Required Texts/Materials	1
Grading Criteria	2
Additional Information—Extra –credit	3
Important Due Dates	3
Instructor’s Information	3

Important Dates:
August 15th—Instruction begins
September 5th—Labor Day. No classes held
November 11th—Veterans Day. No classes held
November 24 –26— Thanksgiving Holiday. No classes held
December 12-16—Finals Week

Page #

ENGLISH 252: WRITING IMPROVEMENT
Fall 2005
Schedule # 53060 MF 10-11:50

Course Requirements Continued

Class Participation - Required
Essays 50%
Homework 10%
Mid-term 10%
Final 10%
Service Learning 20%
Portfolio & Presentation
Grading Scale:
90—100% = A
80– 89% = B
70– 79% = C
60– 69% = D
0—59% = F
Remember: You must earn a “C” or better to pass this course
Keep copies of
ALL your work
until the end of
the semester!

Attendance:
Since group work and in-class writing assignments are a major component of this class, attendance is vital. I understand that emergencies arise from time to time; however, your grade will suffer from excessive absences and tardiness. You may miss up to four class sessions before you run the risk of being dropped from the class. Additionally, I consider three tardies/ early departures as one absence. Unfortunately, there are NO excused absences.

workshopping/editing during each class period. Keep a copy of your work in your binder until the end of the semester.
Essays/ Out of class Writing Assignments:
You will be required to write several short essays over the duration of the semester, including a final research project. Your writing will be examined in both a workshop setting by your peers and by the instructor as well. Copies of your work are due the class session prior to your workshop.
All revisions for a higher grade must be submitted during my office hours!

Participation:
Participation is required. Come to class prepared and ready to work. Discussions are primarily group-led. Those who come to class under prepared may be asked to leave the class and will be considered absent for that day.
Reaction Papers:
You are required to write (type) a two page reaction paper each week.
In-class Writing Assignments:
You will be required to work on essays and other assignments, including peer
I do not accept late work. If you know that you will be unable to attend class the day an essay is due, it is your responsibility to turn the essay in before that class session. All essays must be typed, double-spaced, in size 12 font, and follow MLA format. If you do not follow the required format, I reserve the right to not accept your essay (and you run the risk of receiving a failing grade for that assignment). I will not read / grade essays that have not been proofread. Be sure you read your paper for spelling/mechanical errors before it is due.
Workshops:
You must bring a copy of your paper for each member of your group to the class session prior to your workshop. Essays will be reviewed by each member of your group and returned to you for revision.
Homework:
You will be assigned homework each week. Please have homework completed and be ready to discuss at the beginning of the class session it is due. Again, if you are not prepared for class, I reserve the right to ask you to leave class for that day and you will be counted as absent.
Service Learning Portfolio & Presentation:
You will be required to volunteer 10 hours of community service over the duration of the semester. You will be asked to write several short papers and compile them into a semi-professional portfolio. Additionally, you will be asked to do a short power-point presentation at the end of the semester.
Quizzes/ Tests:
Be prepared to take a quiz at any given time. Quizzes/tests will be based on reading assignments, vocabulary words, grammatical functions, writing process review, etc.

Grading Criteria

Requirements continued...

“Pearls do not lie on the seashore. If you desire one, you must dive for it” - Eastern Saying

ENGLISH 252: WRITING IMPROVEMENT
Fall 2005
Schedule # 53004 MF 8-9:50

Page #

Additional Information

If you miss class, it is your responsibility to find out what you’ve missed, changes to the schedule, etc.
It is the responsibility of the student to officially withdraw from the course. Failure to do so may result in an “F” final semester grade. Additionally, I reserve the right to drop a student from the course (please refer to “campus policies” in the schedule of courses).
Cell phones and pagers must be turned off before class. I make exceptions for emergencies, however; you must inform me before class begins.
For your own protection, keep a copy of all your work until the end of the semester.
Please inform me of any special circumstances you might have, i.e.; learning disabilities, family emergencies, etc. If you have special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please notify me immediately. Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate your needs.
Because we are using Blackboard, a class e-mail list will be generated.

Don’t forget!
In order to pass this class, you must meet the English 125 Course Outcomes.

8/29 Essay 1 Workshop
9/9 Essay 1 Revision Due
9/19 Essay 2 Workshop
9/26 Essay 2 Revision Due
10/10 Essay 3 Workshop
10/14 Mid-term
10/17 Essay 3 Revision Due
10/31 Essay 4 Workshop
11/7 Essay 4 Revision Due
11/28 Service learning
portfolio due
12/2 Presentations
12/9 Presentations cont.
Instructor’s Information:
Office: Annex 5
Office Hours: Wed 9-12
Phone: 638-3641 ext. 3472
Email: shana.bartram@reedleycollege.edu

“If you can not find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?” - Dogen

Extra—Credit:
I give extra-credit to anyone who enrolls in and successfully completes a semester credit in English 272: The Writing Center

Some Important Due Dates

This story can fit 175-225 words.
If your newsletter is folded and mailed, this story will appear on the back. So, it’s a good idea to make it easy to read at a glance.
A question and answer session is a good way to quickly capture the attention of readers. You can either compile questions that you’ve received since the last edition or you can summarize some generic questions that are frequently asked about your organization.
A listing of names and titles of managers in your organization is a good way to give your newsletter a personal touch. If your organization is small, you may want to list the names of all employees.
If you have any prices of standard products or services, you can include a listing of those here. You may want to refer your readers to any other forms of communication that you’ve created for your organization.
You can also use this space to remind readers to mark their calendars for a regular event, such as a breakfast meeting for vendors every third Tuesday of the month, or a biannual charity auction.
If space is available, this is a good place to insert a clip art image or some other graphic.

Organization

Primary Business Address
Your Address Line 2
Your Address Line 3
Your Address Line 4

Phone: 555-555-5555
Fax: 555-555-5555
E-mail: someone@example.com

Your business tag line here.

Instructor:
Shana Bartram
Annex 5