DURATION: 29 classes, 39 hours of instruction, plus final.
LOCATION: Chapman Hall 631.
SCHEDULED TIME: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00 3:20 PM.
FIRST CLASS: Tuesday, August 30. LAST CLASS: Thursday, December
8.
FINAL: Tuesday, December 13, 2:00 4:30 PM.
CREDITS TO BE EARNED: 3 semester hours.
ELIGIBILITY: placement testing, or successful completion of ENG
063 with a grade of C- or better
INSTRUCTOR: Rory Donaldson, M.A.T.
VOICE MAIL: 8603043178
EMAIL: roryd@brainsarefun.com
OFFICE HOURS: arranged individually
Required Material: Prentice Hall Reference Guide; Prentice Hall Pocket Readers, Argument and Writing Across the Curriculum; dictionary/thesaurus.
Please bring all material to every class.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: English 101 is a nonfiction, collegelevel, writing class that focuses on practicing writing for college: research material, creating sound arguments, expressing the relationship of self to surroundings. There is an emphasis on complex sentences and rewriting. By the end of the course I want you to know, You really can write.
During the class you will be taught how to take notes, choose a topic, develop a thesis and conclusion, create sound arguments, maintain coherence, write essays and express yourself confidently. In order to develop as a writer, a significant percentage of each class will be spent writing. Six essays, including a research paper and selected readings are required.
Students will learn practical writing techniques that will allow them to tackle research assignments in other classes, successfully take essay exams, develop resumes, and complete homework assignments with assurance. You will find the writing skills learned in this course applicable to all levels of academic and professional writing as you progress through your education and employment.
GOAL OF THE COURSE: Students will learn to write substantively
for various purposes.
SPECIFIC OUTCOMES: The student will learn to:
- focus on exposition as the main technique in essay writing
- expand main idea for depth and breadth
- focus on ideas of substance and merit
- practice relative subordination to the main idea
- work with various ways of writing by reading professional essays
- place their ideas in effective sentences
- place ideas in effective sequence
- create smooth, informative connections between thoughts and paragraphs
- chose correct grammar, punctuation, spelling and sentence structure
- use correct forms of citation in research writing
- compose a variety of essays: expository, personal and research
- employ various rhetorical formats (exemplification, cause and effect, description, etc.) within the larger forms
- vary sentence structure to create a pleasing flow
- use appropriate vocabulary to insure clarity
- improve their writing through repeated revision
- identify appropriate scope of inquiry for research topics
- use a variety of research methods competently
- use the library and other sources of information effectively
EVALUATION
In order to improve one's writing skills one must 1) Choose to write; 2) Choose to write with "quality;" 3) Write. To accomplish these goals considerable writing shall be done in class.
In addition, students shall turn in six original "essays" on time, and in required format. There will also be a written midterm and final essay exam. All work shall be kept in portfolios.
The format for all written material, homework, and essays written both inside and outside of class shall include, but is not limited to: word processed, 12 point Times (or Times New Roman), double spaced, 1 inch margins (approximately 250 words per page). In-class, hand- written material, should be blue or black pen.
Students should refer to pages 401 419 of their Reference Guide for a sample format.
MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Essay One |
|
In class (600 - 800 words) | Sept. 8 | 10 |
| Essay Two |
|
In class (600 800 words) | Sept. 22 | 10 |
| Essay Three |
|
Homework (600 800 words) | Oct. 6 | 10 |
| Mid Term |
|
In class | Oct. 13 + 18 | 10 |
| Essay Four |
|
In class (600 800 words) | Oct. 27 | 10 |
| Essay Five |
|
Homework (600 800 words) | Nov. 10 | 10 |
| Essay Six |
|
Research Paper (1,500 2,500) | Nov. 22 | 15 |
| Final |
|
In class | Dec. 13 | 10 |
| Portfolios |
|
In class | Ongoing | 15 |
| Participation |
|
In class | Ongoing |
All essays must be accompanied by prewrites and drafts. Final drafts are due the beginning of class on the day they are due. Papers completed early will be accepted upon completion. Each stage of the research paper must be attached to the final draft.
Reading: Because writing cannot be done in a vacuum, perhaps it would be more accurate to call this course: reading/writing/listening/speaking/information organization and study skills, with an emphasis on writing.
Each week, students will be asked to study a wide variety of written material. Students will be asked to summarize the main points of the readings in short essays that will be collected into portfolios.
GRADING
Your final grade will be based on your attendance, class participation, and the quality of your written assignments.
An "A" paper is one that displays care, effort, style, analysis and mechanics that go beyond the minimum requirements: (e.g., if the assignment calls for two examples, you provide four. If the assignment can be satisfied with ten lines, you provide twenty).
A "B" paper is one that displays care, effort, style, analysis and mechanics that go beyond the minimum requirements: (e.g., if the assignment calls for two examples, you provide three. If the assignment can be satisfied with ten lines, you provide fifteen).
A "C" paper is one that meets all the requirements: (e.g., if the assignment calls for two examples, you provide two. If the assignment can be satisfied with ten lines, you provide ten).
Assignments failing to meet the basic requirements will earn a grade of "D" or "F," indicating poor effort, lack of focus, many mechanical errors.
POLICIES
Do you have a particular challenge or disability that may require special accommodation? Contact the Office of Disability Support Services immediately: 860- 343-5879. Please let me know how I can be of assistance, immediately.
Plagiarism, copying work and presenting it as your own, is a serious problem because it is intellectually dishonest. You may be accused of plagiarism if you:
turn in material you did not write
turn in material written for another class
turn in material edited by another
fail to paraphrase, summarize, or quote sources properly
cut and paste from another source without proper citation
Plagiarism is a form of cheating. Academic dishonesty, cheating, is so serious that students will be referred out of class and may receive an automatic failure..
Class Cancellation: If the college has canceled the
class, all work due that day will be due the following class meeting.
If I am absent or late you will be notified and will be provided
with instructions. Class is scheduled to begin at 2:00. Should
I be late, or should you receive no special instruction, you should
wait ten minutes and then you are dismissed.
Late Work and Extra Credit: No late work will be accepted
except in the case of illness or injury. Should this occur, contact
me by email as soon as possible. Your work is due, in total, at
the beginning of class the day you return. There is no "extra"
credit to make up for late or incomplete assignments.
Extra Help: If you would like some extra help set up an appointment with me. In addition, free tutoring is available through the Learning Center in Chapman Hall. See Randeane Tetu to set up an appointment.
SUGGESTIONS FOR A SUCCESSFUL COURSE
Make sure you have your MxCC and State of Connecticut library
cards
Cooperate
Participate
Stay Involved
Write furiously
Create fat portfolios
Master skills
Let me know of any problems of difficulty, early
Communicate
Smile
Above all, find out what success means to you.
Thank you for considering this class. I look forward to working with you to improve your skills. Do not hesitate to contact me when I can be of assistance.