Skyline
College
Instructor: Rachel Bell
Web page: http://www.skylinecollege.edu/bellr
Online
class orientation: http://www.smccd.edu/accounts/bellr/Orientations.htm
Office Hours: M W 7-8pm (in 7306) and
tutoring in TLC (in 5100) Weds 2:30-4:15pm
“America
will never be destroyed from the outside.
If we falter and lose our
freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” --Abraham Lincoln
Course
Prerequisites: Writing Prereq: Completion of
ENGL 826 or ENGL 828, ESOL 840 or ESOL 841/842 with a grade of C or better, or
eligibility for ENGL 836, ENGL 846 or ESOL 400 on approved college placement
test. Reading Prereq: Completion of READ 826 or ENGL 828, ESOL 840
or ESOL 841/842 with Credit or a grade of C or better, or eligibility for READ
836, ENGL 846 or ESOL 400 on approved Reading Placement Test and multiple
measures.
Course Objectives: The
objective of this course is to integrate the teaching of reading and writing
skills. This course will guide students toward becoming more critical readers,
writers, and thinkers through recognizing the effective writing strategies of
other writers, through becoming aware of their own processes of writing, and
through learning to discern logical relationships between words, ideas, and
arguments. The course will also guide students toward becoming more active,
purposeful, and confident readers. To achieve this goal, we will work on
strengthening and developing study skills as well as reading strategies. By the
end of this course, students will be able to read and write more effectively,
distinguish the main ideas from supporting details, apply strategies to
increase retention, evaluate a writer's argument or reasoning, and draw from a
larger vocabulary.
Required Materials: Course
Reader (at Skyline's Bookstore) and the following texts…
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the
Age of Show Business by Neil Postman
Generation Me by Jean M. Twenge
Nickel
and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich
Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser
Course
Policies:
(1) Attendance—Your active participation is necessary for you and your
classmates to realize the objectives of this course. Therefore your attendance is crucial. A maximum of 4 (four) absences is permitted
over the course of the semester.
Exceeding these absences will adversely affect your participation grade.
(2) Late
Assignments—No late work will be
accepted. All due dates are given well
in advance; therefore I feel that it is 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 the following class period after the
due date. Late assignments beyond this will
not be accepted. You cannot use late tickets on in-class exams.
(3) Class
participation—Remember that
participation counts--both for your grade and in your life. It is essential that you become consciously
involved in class by participating in discussions and contributing thoughtful
comments, questions, and answers.
(4) Plagiarism-- Paraphrasing or directly copying any text and using it as your own
without proper attribution, whether you’ve done it intentionally or not, is
plagiarism and is unacceptable and will result in failure. We will carefully look at how to integrate
and properly document outside sources.
(5) Disabled
Students—Reasonable
accommodation will be provided for eligible students with disabilities. Contact
the DSPS office for an accommodation letter (650) 738-4280.
(6) Technology
Policy—These policies are made with this idea in mind…
You’re in college to gain knowledge from the classes you have signed up
for. This information is going to help
you be successful in many areas. Ideally
you will excel in these classes, achieve your goals, and earn a degree that you
will have for life. To accomplish this
you need to not just be physically present but also mentally present which
means don’t text, surf the net, take calls in the
hallway or in any other way use technology to be “elsewhere” during class time.
Laptops: Can be used in the classroom and can be a very
effective learning tool. However, if you
are suspected of misusing the laptop and using it for non-class related
activities (checking email, posting on Facebook,
instantly messaging, completing homework for another class), you will be
required to email your class notes to the instructor 10 minutes after the
conclusion every class session. If you
are not able to produce the requested notes, you will lose in-class laptop
privileges.
Cell phones: You do not need cell phones for any reason
during class time. Before you enter the
classroom, turn your cell phones off.
This does not mean put them on vibrate; it means to turn them off. Nothing is more distracting than phones
ringing during class. There is also no
need to ever be texting during class, and yes the instructor can see you when
you are texting under the desk. Going
out in the hallway to answer a call or make a call is also unacceptable during
class time. Students guilty of any of
these activities will be marked absent for the day.
IPods or other listening devices: These are inappropriate in the
classroom. Before you enter the
classroom, turn off and put away any such device.
Papers: Five major
papers will be written for this class.
The requirements are as follows:
(1) Due Dates-- Paper
#1 (2-4 pages, 500-1000 words) Draft
due 2/22, Revised 2/29
Paper #2 (3-5 pages, 750-1250 words) Draft due 3/19, Revised 3/26
Paper #3 Midterm essay exam on Monday, April
16th 4:30-6pm
Collaborative Research Paper #4 (4-6 pages,
1000-1500 words) Draft 5/14, Revised 5/21
Paper
#5 Final essay exam—2 ½ hours on Monday, May 21st 4:30-7pm
(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. Each student will
receive feedback and suggestions on each of his/her papers through in class
workshop groups of three; then each student will be asked to revise each paper
based on peer feedback.
Please note: if the first due
date for a paper is missed, the paper cannot be turned in at all and will not
receive a grade.
(3) Workshopping--Each paper will be read, discussed, and commented upon by student
workshop groups. Students without a
completed paper on the day of the workshop will not be allowed to participate
in the workshop. Students not
participating in workshops will lose their peer participation points for that
activity, they will not receive the benefit of commentary on their writing, and
if they do not turn a paper in on the workshop date, they cannot turn in a
revised paper a week later for a grade.
You cannot pass the course if you fail to turn in one of the five (5)
major papers for the course. Below are
the workshop dates--students must upload a copy of their paper for their group
members and comment on the writing of their group members on the day specified:
Paper #1 Workshop: Weds, 2/22 Paper #2 Workshop: Mon, 3/20 Paper #4 Workshop: Mon, 5/14
(4) Format—Papers must meet the required minimum length or run the risk of not
being accepted. All papers must be
typed, double-spaced, have 1” margins, and have a font of 12. If you email me any assignments as
attachments, they must be in .DOC or .RTF format or else I will not be able to
open your document and your work will not be counted as on time.
Reading Journals: A series of informal written responses will
be collected on the course readings.
“America is the only
country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between.”
--Oscar
Wilde
Course Grade: Record
Your Own Grades:
Paper 1 10% Score for Paper
1 ______ x .10 =
_____
Paper 2 10% Score for Paper
2 ______ x .10 =
_____
Paper 3—Midterm 10% Score for Paper
3 ______ x .10 =
_____
Paper 4 20% Score for Paper
4 ______ x .20 =
_____
Paper 5—Final on 5/21 20% Score for Paper
5 ______ x .20 =
_____
Reading Journals 10% Reading
Journals ______ x .10 = _____
Presentation 5% Presentation
score ______ x .05 =
_____
* Participation 5% Participation ______ x .05 =
_____
TOTAL:
(convert total to %) ________
* Participation includes being
prepared each day, meeting
with me at least once during the course of the
semester, Scoring as follows: 100-90=A, 89-80=B
adding to daily discussion, and
giving your classmates 79-70=C, 69-60=D, 59-0=F
thoughtful responses to their writing in workshops.
For an online grade calculator, go
to: http://www.smccd.edu/accounts/bellr/ReaderGradingMenu.htm
"I love
the United States, but I see here everything is measured by success, by how
much money it makes,
not the satisfaction to
the individual." -- John Fellows
Akers, former president and CEO of IBM
Additional
campus information:
Available Support Services: The
Learning Center (Building 5) provides support for writing, reading, math, and
other subjects. Sign up for LSKL 800 for
general tutoring, or for LSKL 853 for reading and
writing support through the Writing & Reading Lab in the Learning
Center. Librarians, on the 2nd
floor of building 5, can assist with research projects and library questions.
Academic counselors, health services, and other student support services are
available in the Student Services Center in Building 2.
Smoking Policy: Smoking is now
permitted only in designated areas in parking lots around campus.
Designated areas are clearly marked and ashtrays are located nearby. The
active participation and cooperation of all students, faculty, staff and guests
in promoting a healthy and safe environment at Skyline College and guests are
expected to observe the smoking policy. Tobacco-free resources are available in
the Student Health Center, located in Building 2, room 2209, (650) 738-4270,
and on the Skyline College website.
Plan Ahead – Pay Ahead—Starting with the Spring 2012 semester, students who do not pay their fees
well before classes start will be dropped from their classes. Check the Skyline College website for the
drop date each semester. The drop date
for the spring semester is January 4. A
Fee Payment Plan is available, which allows you to pay
your fees over a specific period of time and not be dropped from your
classes. Please go to the Financial Aid
office in Building 2 for more information.