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Course Description:
Designed
to help the student recognize and critically evaluate important ideas in short
and book length texts, and offers instruction in expository and argumentative
writing, appropriate and effective use of language, close reading, cogent
thinking, research strategies, information literacy, and documentation.
The Online Environment:
Online is not easier
than the traditional educational process. In fact, many learners say it
requires much more time and commitment, so be prepared for this as you take
an online English course. You need to
be a strongly self-motivated learner and be willing to commit 5 to 10 hours
per week per online course. Also, you
will need a "Plan B" in case your home computer experiences any
difficulties. The Skyline campus has
computers for student use in the Library (bldg. 5), in the Learning Center
(bldg. 5), and in the Business Lab (rooms 8119-8121, bldg. 8). Missing deadlines for any online quizzes,
exams, postings, papers or assignments due to technical difficulties will
not be a valid excuse in an online class.
Due dates are given well in advance so don't wait until the last
minute and risk a blackout or computer crash that occurs right on a
deadline. With that said, taking an
online course can open new ways of learning for you and often increases
student participation with the pressures of public speaking in the
traditional classroom removed.
Student Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the semester, students will be able to do the
following:
A.
ESSAYS: Write focused, organized, well-developed, and text-based
essays appropriate to college
transfer level
using effective paragraphs, which support a clear thesis statement, and
demonstrate
competence in
standard English grammar and usage.
B. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: Demonstrate critical
reading, writing, and thinking skills appropriate
to college
transfer level
through analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of important ideas from
a variety of college
level texts.
C. INFORMATION LITERACY: Use research
strategies appropriate to college transfer level to
effectively
evaluate and skillfully integrate credible and
relevant sources and cite according to MLA guidelines.
Required Textbooks: “…a
mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its
edge.”
--George R.R. Martine, A Game of
Thrones
(1) The Tipping
Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
(2) Pop Culture Freaks: Identity, Mass Media and Society 2nd edition by
Dustin Kidd
(3) Additional readings provided by
instructor
(4) Department Rhetoric--Optional:
Unless you prefer a print version (which you can
purchase in Skyline’s
Bookstore), the Rhetoric is provided for you electronically at:
http://accounts.smccd.edu/skyenglish/
Required SMCCD College
Email: In an online class, you will be
receiving regular messages (2 to 5 emails per week) from your instructor. To
avoid missing important messages both from your instructor and from the
college/District, be sure your student email account is activated and
prepared to check your email daily during the semester. Log in at http://my.smccd.edu/. If you don’t want to check your my.smccd.edu
account, forward your my.smccd.edu email to your regular email
account. To forward your SMCCD email…
1.
Go to Websmart at https://websmart.smccd.edu/
2. In your student
account area, click on the link that says "New! Student Email"
3. Here, you may
view your email address and password, and you may reset your password.
4. IMPORTANT:
Open your my.smccd.edu email.
5. Click
“Settings” at the top of the page.
6. Click the
“Forwarding and POP/IMAP” tab.
7. Under
Forwarding, click the “Forward a copy of incoming mail” button.
8. Enter the
email address you want to forward your email to
9. Click “Save
Changes.”
Course
Policies:
(1)
Class Conduct: At Skyline
College, our classrooms, in-person and online, are safe and inclusive
places. In this community, we treat each other with
mutual respect regardless of differences in race,
religion, age, and/or
sexual/gender identity. If you go by a
different name or would like a different
gender pronoun used, please
advise your instructor and your preference will be honored. Students are
responsible for adhering to
the Code of Student Conduct outlined in the Skyline Student Handbook:
http://skylinecollege.edu/catalog/rightsresponsibilities/codeofconduct.php.
(2) Attendance: You are a valuable part of our
classroom community. You’ll be sharing your ideas on the
on-going content of the
class as well as interacting and collaborating with your
classmates. Since your
online presence is
vital to both your academic goals and the success of the class, you
should be
prepared to log-in regularly
each week and check your smccd email daily while the class is in
session.
Not logging into our course
in Canvas regularly and missing important assignments, can result
in being
dropped/withdrawn from the
class or failing the class. If you find yourself falling behind,
remember that
your instructor is your ally
and here to help, so reach out when you need support.
(3) Participation: Remember that participation counts
both for your grade and in your life.
Active
participation means
regularly logging in, posting discussions and assignments on time, and
providing
thoughtful written feedback
for workshop peer review. It also
means emailing your instructor when you
have questions or want quick feedback, or
when you want more detailed feedback, making an office or
phone appointment.
(4)
Late Assignments: All due
dates are given well in advance so it’s unfair to the students who complete
their work on time to accept the work
from those who do not. However,
because “life happens,” each
student will be allowed two
“late tickets” during the semester; twice students may choose to turn an
assignment in 48
hours after the due date. You
cannot use late tickets on timed exams.
Please note: When you post a late assignment, please also email
me to let me know as Canvas does
not always notify me of late
posts.
(5) Saving and Submitting Work: You must create a backup file of
every piece of work you submit for
grading. All files should be in DOC, RTF or PDF file formats (note: Do not
post .docx files as not all
students can open this type of
file).
(6)
Disabled
Students: In coordination
with the Disability Resource Center (DRC), reasonable
accommodation will be
provided for eligible students with disabilities. For more assistance, please
contact the DRC in building
5, Room 5132 or call 650-738-4228.
For more information visit:
http://skylinecollege.edu/disabilityresources/index.php
(7) Academic Integrity: The
work you submit/present must be your own.
All paraphrases and quotations
must be cited
appropriately. If you are caught cheating or plagiarizing another person’s
work, you may
be disciplined in one or
more of the following ways:
>Failing grade on the
assignment which could lead to a lowered course grade or failing the course.
>Being reported to the Dean of
Enrollment Services/Disciplinary Officer who maintains a record of
those reported for
academic dishonesty.
>Disciplinary probation, suspension
or expulsion
For clear definitions of
cheating/plagiarizing, see the Skyline College Student Handbook:
http://catalog.skylinecollege.edu/current/rights-responsibilities/integrity.php.
To
know how to properly integrate and cite outside sources and research, visit:
http://accounts.smccd.edu/skyenglish/10IntegratingSources.htm
Available Support Services:
Skyline College cares deeply about student success and provides a range of
support for students both academic and personal, so take advantage of these
resources:
<>Academic Counseling: for counselor
guidance, creating action plans, getting connected with the Career
Center and Transfer Center. Room
2-218, 650-738-4318, skycounseling@smccd.edu.
<>The Learning
Center:
provides tutoring in all subjects. Sign up for LSKL 800 for general tutoring
or
for LSKL 853 for reading and
writing support. Room 5-100, 650-738-4144.
<>Library: consult librarians for expert research
advice. Building 5, 2nd floor, 650-738-4311,
skylibrary@smccd.edu. Use the Library’s website to conduct online
research, access citation guides
and much more: http://www.skylinecollege.edu/library/
<>Health &
Psychological Services: provides health care and mental health
services (counseling, crisis
intervention, substance abuse). Room 2-206 &
2-237, 650-738-4270, skyhealth@smccd.edu
<>Financial Aid: help
with fee waivers, grants, scholarships, work study programs and loans.
Room 2-2234, 650-738-4236,
skyfaoffice@smccd.edu
<>SparkPoint: provides
students and the community FREE financial education/coaching, food pantry,
tax
preparation, banking/savings
advice, assistance with public benefits enrollment and more. Room
1-214, 650-738-7035,
skylinesparkpoint@smccd.edu, visit: http://www.skylinecollege.edu/sparkpoint/
Papers:
The writing requirements are as follows and each paper will be accompanied by
formal reflections (1-2 pages) on writing struggles, successes, and
goals:
(1) Due Dates-- Paper #1 (2-4 pages, 500-1000 words) Draft due 9/21, Revised 9/28
Research Paper #2 (3-5 pages,
750-1250 words) Draft due 10/19,
Revised 10/26
Paper #3
Midterm 90-minute timed essay exam on Thursday, November 5th
Collaborative Research Paper #4 (4-6
pages, 1000-1500 words) Draft 12/8,
Revised 12/15
Paper #5 Final essay exam—2 ½ hour
timed essay exam on Thursday, December 17th
For detailed paper guidelines and topics, visit: http://accounts.smccd.edu/bellr/papertopics105F20.htm
(2) Revision-- E.B. White said, “The
best writing is rewriting.” Because revising
or “re-seeing” a piece of writing is such an important aspect of the writing
process, each of the papers has two due dates. The first draft is not graded and is used
for class workshopping, so students can give and receive advice to apply to
the graded revision due a week later.
If you would like instructor feedback on your draft, make an office or
phone appointment. On
papers, you must meet the page minimums. 5% deducted for half a page under
and minus 10% for each full page under the minimum.
(3) Workshopping—Each draft will be read
and commented upon by student workshop groups. You do not want to use a late ticket
on a draft because: (1) you cannot participate in the workshop without a
draft; (2) you won’t get any peer feedback on your draft; (3) you won’t be
able to give written feedback on your peers’ drafts so will receive zero
scores and peer review counts as 5% of your overall course grade; (4) if you
do not submit a draft, you cannot turn in a revision a week later for a grade
and you cannot pass this class if you fail to turn in one of the major
papers. Below are the important
workshop dates:
Paper
#1 Workshop: 9/21 Paper #2 Workshop: 10/19 Paper #4 Workshop: 12/8
(4) Format— All papers must meet
the required minimum length, and they must be typed, double-spaced, have 1”
margins, and have a font of 12. When you post assignments in
our online classroom, they must be in .DOC, .RTF or .PDF format or else I will not
be able to open your document and your work will not be counted as on time.
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Course Grade:
Paper 1 10%
Paper
2 10%
Paper
3--Midterm 10%
Paper
4 20%
Paper
5—Final 25%
Discussions
10%
Assignments
10%
Peer
Paper Review 5%
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Scoring as follows:
A
= 93-100 D+ = 67-69
A- =
90-92 D =
63-66
B+ = 87-89 D- = 60-62
B =
83-86 F =
0-59
B- =
80-82
C+ = 77-79
C =
70-76
Skyline does not assign A+ or C- grades
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Departmental Grading Standards: http://www.skylinecollege.edu/skyenglish/6EvaluatingWriting.htm
Skyline College’s Important Dates
to Remember:
As a student, you’ll want
to know the important academic dates regarding dropping and withdrawing from
classes, school holidays, final exams, etc.
Visit Skyline College’s Academic Calendar:
http://skylinecollege.edu/academics/academiccalendar.php.
TITLE IX:
The San Mateo County Community College District
is committed to maintaining safe and caring college environments at Cañada
College, College of San Mateo and Skyline College. The District has
established policies and procedures regarding Sexual Misconduct, Harassment,
and Assault. A District website has also been developed which provides you
with important information about sexual misconduct and sexual assault. http://smccd.edu/titleix/.
To learn more about these issues and how you can help prevent them, you are
encouraged to view the “Not Anymore” videos, which can be found on WebSMART
under the Student Services link.
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