Skyline College     

          English 846: Reading and Writing Connections—Spring 2012
        Course Theme—Living in the U.S.A: entertainment, economics, food and self

                                                                                  
                                                        Instructor:  Rachel Bell     

                                         Web page: http://www.skylinecollege.edu/bellr
            Online class orientation: http://www.smccd.edu/accounts/bellr/Orientations.htm

                                    Email: bellr@smccd.edu, Voice Mail: (650) 738-4349

       Office Hours: M W 7-8pm (in 7306) and tutoring in TLC (in 5100) Weds 2:30-4:15pm

                                                           

English office & mailboxes:  Rm 8112-14, 738-4202    Course Dates: 1/18 – 5/21 in Rm 7307
Course Meetings:  Mon & Weds 4:30-6:50pm                  Schedule #39991 – Engl 846 JA, Units 5.0

           


                                                    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  =  _____

Reading, Podcasts & Word Parts Quizzes          5%                             Average Quiz score      ______ x .05  =  _____
Homework                                                        5%                             Average of homework  ______ 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.