Author: ck007

English 125: Spring 2016
College Writing Skills

Reedley College

Professor Caroline Miller

Section - 51439
TTH (CC1 207)
1-2:50

English 125: College Writing Skills

The purpose of this course is to assist you on your journey to becoming a better writer. Before you can become a better or stronger writer, you must believe that writing well is important and serves a purpose in your life. You have to be willing to constantly ask yourself, "What am I trying to say?" Then, you must challenge yourself to answer this question honestly and fully. Effective writing IS something that can be learned through practice.
In this course, students will develop the process of writing, revising, and finishing essays, which includes the logical development and organization of ideas. Students will avoid common writing errors, develop their writing skills by reading model essays and analyzing rhetorical strategies, develop critical thinking skills by matching the structures of writing to meaning and audience, and by using writing as thinking to explore and express ideas. This course is a companion to ENGL 126 and prepares students for ENGL 1A. Students must successfully complete written course work to receive credit.
We use Blackboard as a supplement to our class. You can access our Blackboard directly from the Reedley College Website (click on the “Blackboard” link found under the “RC Online” link).

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
Write multiple papers of at least 1200 words, which include an introduction, multiple body paragraphs, and conclusion of some sophistication. This essay will include:
a clearly defined thesis statement
unified supporting paragraphs, which begin with topic sentences
quotations that support the topic sentences and the thesis
supporting material and ideas, which exhibit critical thinking
complete sentences which include a variety of sentence types (simple, compound, complex, and compound/complex sentence)
descriptive vocabulary that exhibits growth and sophisticated word choice
avoidance of fragments, comma splices, sentence fuses and other basic skills errors, such as capitalization, spelling, homophone issues, verb tense issues, subject-verb agreement, pronoun agreement, word choice issues, confused syntax, etc.
use of MLA guidelines to set up essays, correctly use in-text citations for at least one source, and complete a works cited page
writing that is free from plagiarism
demonstrated awareness of how to write from the 3rd person point of view for a specific audience
Plan and revise independently, employing all stages of the writing process as necessary and appropriate.
Complete a multi-paragraph in-class essay with a thesis and support.

Special points of interest:
Students who utilize the RC Writing Center when taking English 125 have a higher pass rate than those who do not use the RC Writing Center.
The RC Writing Center can be used online!
Students who do not procrastinate and are well organized generally do better in college.

Inside this issue:

Course Objectives	2
Lecture Content	2
Texts	3
Required Course Work	3
Computer Skills—Desirable	4
Email	5
Checking Grades	6
Semester Schedule	6
Plagiarism	7
Paper Policy	8
Essential Information	9
Office Hours	10
Important Dates	10

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English 125: Spring 2016
College Writing Skills

Course Objectives

“Becoming a writer is about becoming conscious. When you're conscious and writing from a place of insight and simplicity and real caring about the truth, you have the ability to throw the lights on for your reader. He or she will recognize his or her life and truth in what you say, in the pictures you have painted, and this decreases the terrible sense of isolation that we have all had too much of.”
Anne Lamott

In the process of completing this course, students will:
learn about writing papers which include introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions
learn to write with some sophistication
practice writing thesis statements
practice writing topic sentences
learn about using quotations and in-text citations that support the topic sentences and the thesis
practice developing supporting material that exhibits critical thinking
develop an understanding of what a complete sentence is and practice using a variety of sentence types (simple, compound, complex, and compound/complex sentence)
learn about common sentence errors, such as fragments, comma splices, sentence fuses
develop their usage of descriptive vocabulary that exhibits growth and sophisticated word choice
learn how to follow MLA guidelines when formatting papers and using quotations and a works cited page
learn about avoiding plagiarism
write papers in which they will use 3rd person point of view and practice addressing a specific audience
practice using all stages of the writing process as necessary and appropriate
practice writing in-class essays

Learning Goals to Practice

All of the following will be included; the instructor will decide the order, and some topics may be studied simultaneously (for example, writing process, critical thinking, sentence and paragraph structure, and reference work will all be included in work on a short reference paper).

A. Using the writing process: / 1. prewriting strategies / 2. outlining / 3. drafting / 4. revising / 5. editing	C. Thinking critically: / 1. analyze ideas / 2. use supporting evidence to validate a / thesis	E. Understanding purpose, audience, voice: / 1. awareness of / audience / 2. academic language use / 3. third person point of view
B. Writing a well-developed essay: / 1. introduction / a. thesis statements / 2. body paragraphs / A. topic sentences/claim / B. evidence / C explanation / D. significance / E. connections / 3. concluding paragraphs / 4. coherent development / a. focus / b. organization / c. unification	D. Writing sentences: / 1. sentence variety / a. simple sentences / b. compound sentences / c. complex sentences / d. compound complex sentences / 2. crafting sentences / a. using parallelism / b. eliminating wordiness / 3. avoiding and correcting sentence errors / a. fragments / b. run-ons (comma splices and sentence fuses) / 4. punctuation	F. Using MLA guidelines: / 1. avoid plagiarism / 2. set up an essay / 3. cite direct quotations / 4. write a works cited page

Reedley College

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Required Text and Supplies

Graff, Gerald. They Say/ I Say, 3rd ed. W.W. Norton & Company, 2014
Rodriguez, Richard. Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez. New York: Bantam Dell, 2004.
Notebook, pen
Flash Drive
Flash Drive

Required Course Work

Class Participation Required Grading Scale
90-100% = A
In class work and homework 10% 80- 89% = B
Final Exam 10% 70- 79% = C
Portfolio 80% 60- 69% = D
0- 59% = F
While the majority of the class grade is based on the final portfolio, the entire semester of in-class work and homework leads towards the portfolio. It is not possible to pass the class if you are not regularly present in class. If you miss more than 4 classes (the equivalent of 2 weeks) it is unlikely that you will pass. On the other hand, the only form of extra credit I offer is attendance credit. If you attend ALL class meetings (mentally and physically) you grade will be bumped up a full letter grade.
All work throughout the semester falls under “in class and homework”. Those assignments and tasks will be assessed as complete [c], incomplete [i], or missing [m]. You will be given a grading contract which includes a chart explaining how [c], [i], or [m] can affect your grade in different ways. Basically, when you receive [c] (complete on all work)—your final grade will be bumped up 10%. If you have 1 missing or incomplete, you will be bumped up 5%. If you have 2 missing or incomplete your grade will stay the same. If you have 3-4 missing/incomplete your grade will go down 5%. If you have more than 5 missing/incomplete your grade will go down 10%.
Incomplete = work not done according to ALL directions, and/or not done in the ‘”spirit” it was asked to be done in.
Missing = not turned in
All work throughout the semester is leading towards the final portfolio. You final portfolio grade plus the final exam grade = your grade in the class plus or minus up to 10% based on the grading contract.

Attendance

Roll is taken every day generally within the first five minutes of class.
I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences. All appointments, interviews, meetings with counselors must be scheduled outside of class time. If you work, inform your employer of your class schedule. I consider an unprepared student as absent. I also consider students who are not “mentally present” (whose mind is else where: ie: sleeping in class, texting in class, etc) as absent.
It is your responsibility to stay informed concerning any changes of assignment due dates, readings, etc… This means that being absent is not an excuse for not knowing what is happening in class. Always come to class prepared—even after an absence.
If you are absent the first day of the semester, you will be dropped.
If you attend the first class of the semester but are absent the second class—and you do not contact me prior to class—you will be dropped.
If you miss any classes for the first four weeks of the semester, you will be dropped.
If you have four absences by the end of the ninth week, you will be dropped from the course at my discretion.
When you miss class you will receive “missing” [m] on that day’s class work which could lower your final grade up to 10%.
If you do not complete all of the assignments for day one AND weeks one, two, three, and four, you will be dropped from the class.

“How do I know what I think until I see what I say?”
E.M. Forster

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English 125: Spring 2016
College Writing Skills

Computer Skills—Desirable

What you need to know.

“You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can't edit a blank page.” ― Jodi Picoult

Know your computer!

Skills Needed:
Know basics of word processing (saving files, using spell check, using grammar check, moving text, using the help function, etc.)
Know how to access and navigate the Internet (use a browser, utilize search engines, save and or print from the Internet)
Know how to send e-mail and attachments
Hardware Needed:
Pentium (PC) or Mac equivalent
Home Internet access is desirable. You can use the computers on campus, but they are not always available. You need to know when each lab is open and available for drop-in use. Also, know if your local library has computers available with Internet access.
If your home computer crashes, is in need of repair, or you lose Internet access, you must find an alternative way to complete the required work on time for this class. This means, of course, that you need to constantly back up the work from your hard drive to a flash drive or other source. This also means avoiding completing assignments at the last minute.
Software Needed:
The most common word processing format is Microsoft Word. If you use another word processing program, you will need to learn to save your work in Rich Text Format (RTF).
Guidelines for how to save in RTF are found under the Technical: MLA and How To link on Blackboard.
Do not use Microsoft Works or any other program that does not allow for easy conversion.
Using WordPad is unacceptable. If you have WordPad, you must plan to visit a local library—public or school—to convert your work before sending it for review or as the final product.
If you use Pages, you will need to learn to save in Rich Text Format as well. I cannot read Pages documents.
Adobe Reader. This can be downloaded for free. Essays may be returned to you in PDF form. Most handouts will be uploaded as PDFs.

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Email—Important!

An e-mail address is essential. The college now uses only the college email accounts (your last name underscore your seven digit ID@my.scccd.edu). You must use your college account for this and any Reedley College class. You can set your scccd.com email to forward to another email account. Information about school email can be found on the home page of the college website and on the login page for Blackboard.
I use e-mail to communicate with the class as a whole, with groups, and with individuals. Whether you have Internet and e-mail access at home or on campus, you should plan on checking your e-mail at least every other day—once a day is preferred. DO NOT use your cell phone as the primary means of checking/reading email. Phone screens are too small; therefore, you are not easily able to view the “whole picture” when reading email. Additionally, many phone programs do not allow for spell check on email messages, so refrain from using your phone as a primary means of communication with me.
When you send an email, you must be specific in the message and always sign your name. Your email address does not necessarily identify who you are unless you are using your scccd account. I do not read or respond to email if I do not know the sender.
In the subject line, include the class and section number. This semester I am teaching 3 classes. In order to respond quickly, I need to match you to the correct class—which means you need to add the section number as well (51439 )
In addition, remember, when you email me, your instructor—your English instructor—you are not text messaging or emailing a friend. You need to run spell check and think about the way you are writing, for example, do not use lower case i’s when using the first person pronoun “I”.
After sending an email, look for a response! This might sound like common sense, but I am always surprised by students who send an email with an “urgent question” or an important question about an essay or grade, to which I reply in a timely manner with a question or further information, and it takes three or four days for a response from that student.
One more note about email—do not send email out of anger or frustration. Do not send an email immediately after seeing a grade if the grade was not what you expected. If you have a question about a grade or comments made on an essay, take some time to think carefully about what you want to ask.

EMAIL
Use It wisely!

“10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer” Write. Write more. Write even more. Write even more than that. Write when you don’t want to. Write when you do. Write when you have something to say. Write when you don’t. Write every day. Keep writing.” ― Brian Clark

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English 125: Spring 2016
College Writing Skills

Grades

Effective writing IS something that CAN be learned through practice. It is a skill you will use throughout your life.

I use gradebook to keep track of your progress. You will have a separate grade sheet to explain how grades work in this class. It is a little different than traditional grading. The focus is on learning—not earning a grade by continually producing products that are graded. With writing, it is something you need to practice, make mistakes, revise and try again. Instead of being ask to produce something for a grade, you will be expected to do the work assigned, In class and out of class, and do “in the spirit asked” which means to follow the directions and give it your best. When you complete assignments, you earn a “C” which means “Complete”.
Your overall grade for the semester is based on a portfolio that you will submit at the end. This portfolio will include a collection of your best work that has been revised throughout the semester. It will demonstrate the learning process and what you have produced over the semester. This portfolio is 80% of your grade. You will also have a final where you write a reflection essay based on explaining what you included in your portfolio and what you learned all semester. The final is 10% of your grade. The last 10% of your grade is an adjustment based on how many “completes” “Incompletes” and “missed” assignments are in gradebook.

Learning how to communicate effectively in writing is the goal of this class. Writing isn’t just about writing. It is about reading, thinking and communicating. It is something you will continue to practice all semester. Your grade is a reflection not just of how well you write, but how thoroughly you have practiced, revised, and adjusted your approach to writing.

Weekly and Semester Schedule

Weekly schedules will be given by a unit basis. They will be uploaded regularly to Blackboard.

Reedley College

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Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

If you have a verified need for an academic accommodation or materials in alternate media (i.e., Braille, large print, electronic text, etc.) per the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, please contact me as soon as possible.

Student Conduct

You are expected to behave in a manner that is respectful to others and conducive to learning. You are expected to interact with each other respectfully and to work cooperatively and constructively in group and partner activities and assignments.
You will get as much out of this class as you put in to it. My job is to help you gain a stronger appreciation for writing. I truly care about your success and will do whatever I can to help you. However, the final responsibility is yours.

Plagiarism and Cheating

If it is discovered that you have cheated or plagiarized on an assignment—at any point during the semester—you will receive a zero on that assignment and perhaps a failing grade in the class. Additionally, a plagiarism report will be filed with the administration. Plagiarism on the final portfolio will result in a failing grade in the class.
Plagiarism means to pass off the work of others as your own.
Plagiarism is dishonest and represents an attempt to obtain the
benefits of a college degree without doing the work.
For more information about plagiarism and cheating, refer to the Spring 2016 Class Schedule (Campus Policies).
Bottom line: Do not copy someone else’s words or ideas without giving him/her credit. Do not use another student’s paper as your own. Do not use a paper you wrote from another class in this class. Do not use a paper you wrote for this class in a previous semester. Do not have another person write the paper for you. Do not copy anything off of a book or website without correctly citing it. All of these are forms of cheating. You will receive a zero on the assignment (whether it is something plagiarized on your papers or on the discussion board) and a report will be filed with the administration for their review. Please be advised that you will submit your final drafts of your papers though Turnitin.com (through links on Blackboard), so if you do plagiarize, you will be caught.

Plagiarism
Cheating

Take advantage of the classroom community we will create here. Writing is something that is practiced socially. You need your peers for this class and they need you!

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English 125: Spring 2016
College Writing Skills

Paper Policy

ATTENTION: Failure to turn in the first essay will result in being dropped from the class.
It is not possible to pass this class unless all essays are completed.

All papers must be revised and typed in accordance with MLA guidelines. All work leading to your final paper must be kept—for example, all prewriting, rough drafts, peer responses, and any other work produced. There are no exceptions to this policy.
Papers that do not follow MLA guidelines (as demonstrated on Blackboard in the “Technical: MLA and How To” folder) will be docked 5%, which is ½ of a letter grade. This will increase to 10% for the final portfolio.
Word Processing Formats: The most common word processing format is Microsoft Word. If you use another word processing program, you will need to learn to save your work in Rich Text Format (RTF). Guidelines for how to save in RTF are found under the “Technical: MLA and How To” link on Blackboard. Do not use Microsoft Works or any other program that does not allow for easy conversion. Using WordPad is unacceptable. If you have Pages, you must learn to convert files to so they can be submitted to TURNITIN and read by others.
If an essay is due and you cannot access Blackboard, probably Blackboard is down. Don’t stress—wait a little bit and try again. When this happens, watch for email messages from me. Of course, if an essay is due and the Blackboard is down, I will not hold you to the original due date. I will email and post to Blackboard (once it is up again) the revised deadline.
Guidelines for turning in essays through Blackboard can be found on Blackboard under the “Technical: MLA and How To” link. All essays will be turned in through TURNITIN through links on Blackboard. TURNITIN is a website that detects plagiarism. This means that if you copy and or copy/paste writing from a website, another published source, or from a previous student of mine, without properly citing the source or sources, the plagiarism will be detected. You will be “caught.”
You will be required to share most of your drafts of essay in progress for peer workshops. We will have at least one type of Writer’s Workshop for each essay. All students are required to post a rough draft or outline (as directed) for each Writer’s Workshop (with minimum writing completed as announced in weekly emails). The Writer’s Workshop will take place on the discussion board in a forum set up specifically for each essay.
We will be doing various types of writing assignments this semester—and each essay will be based on a reading. Before beginning an essay, a discussion will be completed. Some discussion will also be completed in groups outside of class.
With all our writing assignments, process will be focused upon as well as final product.
At my discretion, sentences and/or paragraphs may be taken from essays or other assignments and shared with the class to help illustrate grammar concepts, writing concepts, MLA guidelines, and more.
Graded papers are returned to you via email, through GradeMark, or in class generally within two weeks after their due date. It is expected that you download and read all returned essays. They contain comments about the essay and about writing to help you grow and improve as a writer. If you can not see the comments click the review tab and click show comments.
If something happens to your computer and/or Internet and an essay (or other assignment) is due, email me, of course, using another computer or your phone. Do not wait until everything is back up before contacting me. Moreover, you need to back up your work on a moveable storage device. Public libraries have computers with Internet access—work can be completed in places and on computers other than those we have at home!

Reedley College

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Essential Information

This class is taught face-to-face, so students meet with an instructor/class for FOUR unit hours. The average amount of homework for a unit hour is two-three hours. This means that the time needed for this class outside of the scheduled four hours is eight to twelve (8-12) hours per week. It is important to understand the time commitment necessary to be successful in this or any class.
Some of the eight to twelve (8-12) hours will be accomplished by meeting outside of class with assigned groups.
If you carry a cell phone, you MUST set the phone on vibrate or turn the phone off during class. AND you MUST put the phone in your book bag, purse, or pocket. You do not need to look at your phone during class.
It is your responsibility to stay informed concerning any changes of assignment due dates, readings, etc… This means you must pay attention to any announcements made in class and check Blackboard.
It is your responsibility to officially withdraw from this and/or any course. Failure to do so may result in an "F" grade being awarded.

Helpful Hints

Keep a copy of each of your papers. This protects you if I should happen to lose one of your papers. You should save your work on your hard drive and back up your work to a USB or other storage device.
Should you discover that you are unable to regularly attend class for whatever reason, it is imperative that you discuss this with me as soon as possible. Telling me of work schedule changes, illness, family emergencies, etc. after missing several days/weeks is unacceptable.

Keep your goals in front of you. Fill in the blank. Why do you need to become a better writer? Or (at the least) why do you need to pass this class and someday graduate college?
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
_____________

Professor Carrie Miller
Email: caroline.miller@reedleycollege.edu

Office and Office Hours
Office: CC1—216
Office Hours:
By Appointment

Section / 51439 / T-TH / CC1 207 / 1-2:50 / Final / Thursday, / May 19 / 1-2:50

“The end depends upon the beginning” – The Emperors Club

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Important Dates

January 18	M	Martin Luther King Day, Campus Closed
January 29	F	Last day to drop a Fall 2015 full-term class to avoid a “W” (in person)
January 31	SU	Last day to drop a Fall 2015 full-term class to avoid a “W” on WebAdvisor
February 5	M	Last day to change a Fall 2015 class to/from a Pass/No-Pass grading basis
February 12	F	Campus Closed
February 15	M	Campus Closed
March 11	F	Last day to drop a full-term class (letter grades assigned after this date)
March 21-24	M-Th	Spring Recess (no classes, campus opened)
March 25	F	Spring Holiday, no classes campus closed
May 16-20	M-F	Fall 2015 final exams week

Think about the education of others as well as your own