Prerequisites |
English 846, which satisfies requirements for both English 836 and Reading
836, gives you five units of credit and is applicable toward attaining
an associate degree. Prior to enrolling in this course, you should have
passed English 826 and Reading 826 with a C or better, or placed into
this course via your score on the reading placement test or any other
appropriate tests.
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Course
Description and Goals |
English 846 is a reading/writing development workshop designed to introduce
you to the conventions of university-level academic composition and help
you to develop as a reader, writer, and critical thinker. You will improve
what you already know about reading and writing, expand your knowledge
with new processes and skills, and know what you still need to work on.
In this class, you will learn that writing is not a talent some fortunate
people are born with but a skill that can be learned and developed through:
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- PRACTICE:
To accomplish these goals, you will be required to write — a lot!
- HARD WORK:
You will have 1 initial writing sample, 5 out-of-class essays, 1 in-class
timed writing exam, several smaller writing assignments, assorted sentence
and paragraph exercises, readings and worksheets. Expect to have homework
of some kind for every class meeting.
- PATIENCE:
Nobody, even professional writers, “gets it right the first time.”
Writing is a process with many steps — from thinking about the
topic, to outlining your ideas, to revising and revising and revising
again. This course will focus on guiding you through these steps, and
so you will be required with each assignment to also complete and submit
each step in this process.
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You will also come to understand reading and writing as a way to make
meaning in the world, thinking, talking and writing about what you read
in ways that are appropriate to your purpose, audience, and the topic.
To strengthen your reading ability, you'll learn strategies to actively
engage with the text, gauge your comprehension, as well as augment vocabulary.
Other related skills that we will cultivate are study skills, active listening,
and participating in discussions. Most of our time will be devoted to
group work where you will get feedback from one another as well as from
me. In sum, you will learn how reading and writing are interrelated and
complimentary processes. |
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Textbooks
and Materials Needed |
- English 846 Course Reader and Workbook:
Contains some of the readings, reference material, and homework
exercises for this class. This will be available from the bookstore
during the second or third week of instruction.
- "Student Record Folder":
Available from the bookstore.
- The American Heritage Dictionary
(paperback)
- A Lesson Before Dying by
Ernest J. Gaines
- Your “archive”: A system
to keep all of your paperwork, probably a binder that is 1” or
1.5” wide or a large accordion folder, with at least these six
sections labeled:
Class Notes |
Sentence Combining |
Essays |
Readings |
Handouts |
Other Writing |
Because there is so much material for this class, it is important to
keep it organized.
- One folder with two pockets: When
you turn in each final draft of an essay, you will also need to turn
in this folder, which will include your rough draft, peer review sheets,
and any homework/ worksheets you have completed for that unit.
- An organizer, datebook, or planner: To
keep track of all your assignments and essay due dates.
SUPPLIES NEEDED:
- A 3-ring loose-leaf binder with dividers and paper for class handouts
and notetaking
- 3" x 5" index cards, two colors, for vocabulary study cards
- Binder rings, clips, or rubber bands for your vocabulary cards
- Pens, pencils, highlighters, erasers, correction fluid, paper clips
- A small stapler and three-hole paper punch
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Course
Requirements
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1. Essays (60%)
Essays will usually be between three and five pages. Expect
an essay to be due approximately every week; due dates are subject to
change at the instructor’s discretion. All essays must be
typed in black ink, double-spaced, on white 8.5” x 11” paper
in a standard font — no exceptions. Margins should be 1” all
around. I will provide a sample essay to show you the format conventions
you should follow. When each essay is due, you will need to turn in a
folder which includes two clean copies
of the final draft, your peer review sheets, your rough draft, and any
homework/worksheets we have done during that unit. You
must turn in all of your essays in order to pass this class.
Please consider every piece of writing you do for this class to
be “public property.” Part of becoming a good writer is learning
to appreciate the ideas and criticisms of others, and in this course,
our purpose is to come together as a writing community. Remember that
you will often be expected to share your writing with others, so avoid
writing about things that you may not be prepared to subject to public
scrutiny, or things you feel so strongly about that you are unwilling
to listen to perspectives other than your own. This does not mean that
you are not entitled to an opinion but that you adopt positions responsibly,
contemplating the possible effect on others. |
Proofreading: While
the ideas, organization, and development of your essays are most important,
proofreading does count. On your first essays, I will mark proofreading
errors and will ask you to correct some or all of them. You should use
your first essays as opportunities to discover which areas of proofreading
give you the most trouble — pay close attention to the errors
I mark, keep your own record of the trouble spots in addition to what
I mark, and ask about anything you don’t understand. If, for instance,
you have difficulty with count and non-count nouns, you should keep
a running list of all the non-count nouns I point out in your essays
or that you ask me about. If I mark any problems with “idiom,”
you should keep a record of those.
In other words, take control of your writing and your learning. Some
of the tools you will need to proofread effectively will be covered
in class, but much of what you do to strengthen your proofreading skills
will be individual work. After Essay #3, too many proofreading errors
(more than an average of three per page) will mean that an essay does
not pass, despite whatever strengths it may have. Also, feel free to
mark up the final draft even after the essay is printed out; I’d
rather get a marked-up final draft than a clean rough draft.
Late Essays: All
essays, including revisions, are due at the
beginning of class on the assigned date — any time after
that time is considered late. You may turn in only one
excused essay late in the semester, and “late” means by
the next class meeting — for instance, if an essay was
due on Monday, you can turn it in late on Friday. Use the “late
essay” coupon attached to the end of this syllabus. When papers
come in late, I will still grade them, but may not be able to provide
any written feedback on the essay itself. If you turn your essay in
any later, you will be penalized one full letter grade for each class
meeting that it is late; otherwise, your essay will be graded “pass/fail,”
at the instructor’s discretion.
Revision: Revision
is a significant step in the writing process that involves much more
than mere proofreading. For Essay #5, you will be able to revise one
of your previous essays for a better grade. Before you work on this
revision, we will schedule a conference to discuss your revision plans.
When you turn in your revision, include the original essay with feedback
and please highlight the changes you made on your revision. Your revision
grade will be averaged with the original grade, unless the revision
grade is lower.
Plagiarism:
At all colleges, plagiarism is unacceptable. Plagiarism refers to passing
off another person’s ideas or words as your own, from copying
someone else’s words or ideas without citing that source to having
people write or excessively edit your essays for you. According to the
Skyline College “Student Handbook,” plagiarism is:
- Incorporating the ideas, words, sentences, paragraphs, or parts
of another person's writing, without giving appropriate credit, and
representing the product as your own work.
- Representing another’s artistic/scholarly works (such as musical
compositions, computer programs, photographs, paintings, drawings,
or sculptures) as your own.
- Submitting a paper purchased from a research or term paper service.
Any assignment that has been plagiarized will receive an “NC”
(no credit) and we will meet to discuss your status in the course. You
may also be required to meet with the Dean of Language Arts for disciplinary
action.
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2. Attendance/Participation
(10%)
Because all the work we do in class is directly related to your writing
development, it is crucial that you come to each class prepared and ready
to participate. I will take roll at every class meeting. If you cannot
make a particular class, call or e-mail me to let me know. You will also
need to call a classmate and be sure to get the homework assignment and
any materials from him or her. You are responsible for all homework whether
you’ve been in class or not.
Being present in class and prepared is essential to success; summer sessions
are very intense because of the short term and we will be moving through
material quickly. The Skyline College attendance policy will be enforced
— a student who misses two weeks’ worth of classes can be
dropped. [NOTE: Two days of summer school class is the equivalent of two
weeks of semester length classes.]
Missing more than two class meetings will
affect your grade, and missing more than four class meetings is unacceptable
and will result in a failing grade for attendance, participation, and
homework. While you are in the classroom, please turn off all cellular
telephones, pagers, Walkmans, etc. before class begins. It is disrespectful
to me and to your classmates.
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* IMPORTANT NOTE * |
To keep your spot in this class, you must attend all
class meetings during the first two weeks. If you are absent without notifying
me during this time, you will be dropped from the class. |
I expect all of us to get started on time and not be interrupted by late
arrivals which invariably produce distracting paper shuffling and repeated
directions/conversation. We will use the entire class period — from
10:30 am to 12:35 pm. Three “late
arrivals” (defined either as coming in after I take roll or more
than 10 minutes into the class) will be considered an absence; early departures
carry the same consequences. Both will count toward the maximum of six
absences permitted. |
Conferences
Conferences are a major part of this class. They provide opportunities
for us to work together on your growth as a writer. Please keep your appointments
with me; if you have to miss a conference with me, call me ahead of time
to let me know.
- Introductory Conference: I will
hold a short conference with each of you within the first two weeks
of class to go over your first essay and talk about what you would like
to accomplish this semester.
- Revision Conferences: For Essay
#5, you will revise one of your previous essays. You must come prepared
for the discussion — read my comments carefully and be ready to
tell me specific ideas you have for revising the essay based on my comments.
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Peer Review Days
Peer review is an integral part of the class, and it works best with your
full participation and cooperation. On peer review days, you and two of
your peers will get together and read each other’s essays and comment
on them. These workshops are here to help you, by providing feedback from
your readers and allowing you to reread and rethink about your work. Remember,
we don’t write in a vacuum — you need to get feedback from
your readers.
You will need to bring three copies of your
draft to class on these days. Your essay must be a “good-faith
draft”: it should be at least two pages long and shows careful thought
and planning even though it may be unfinished. Notes and outlines, while
important elements of the writing process, do not count as drafts.
By missing peer review, you will be letting yourself and your classmates
down. Peer review is a required step in your writing process; you must
attend to receive full credit for your essay. You may miss one
peer review day without penalty; use the “missed peer review day”
coupon at the end of the syllabus. If you
do not attend a workshop for a given paper or come to a workshop unprepared
and without a “good faith draft,” your final grade for that
paper will drop by one grade. |
Class Discussion/Readings
Many times in class discussion, it becomes fairly obvious who has done
the reading and who has not, who is willing to speak their minds and who
chooses to disengage; get your words out there. Convince me that you are
prepared for class, have thought about these ideas, and are ready to participate. |
3. Homework and Lab
Work (20%)
Homework consists of sentence or paragraph exercises, worksheets, freewrites,
and any other assignments. We will go over homework in class the day after
it is assigned; I expect everyone to have completed the homework before
coming to class. Homework is a large part of your responsibility as a
student and will greatly affect how much you learn in this class. Each
homework assignment is worth three points. Late homework will be accepted
by the next class period and carries
a point penalty.
Points |
Meaning |
3 points |
excellent work |
2 points |
good work |
1 point |
incomplete or needs improvement |
0 points |
turned in late |
-1 point |
not turned in |
PLEASE NOTE THAT NOT TURNING IN HOMEWORK EARNS
YOU NEGATIVE POINTS.
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Submitting Assignments
by E-mail: I will only accept homework electronically if you are
absent on the day that the work is due or if we have made previous arrangements;
otherwise, your work will be considered late. Keep in mind, however, that
if you e-mail me your homework, you do so at your own risk and I cannot
guarantee that I will receive it on time. Please send your work in Microsoft
Word format (.doc) or in rich text format (.rtf) as an attachment. NOTE:
I do not accept essay assignments via e-mail. |
Quizzes and In-Class
Work: You may not make up a missed quiz or in-class activities;
you lose points entirely. |
Lab Work
A required activity for English 846 during summer session is 7 hours of
lab time during which you work on assigned activities in The Learning
Center or attend other workshops and events on campus. During this time
you may work on the following types of activities:
- Tutoring with an instructional aide on homework assignments for English
846.
- Work on Academic.com, a
computerized reading program, in The Learning Center.
- Work in text materials in The Learning Center to develop specific
skills, such as vocabulary development, main idea, notetaking, textbook
reading, etc.
- Work in text materials in The Learning Center to more generally practice
comprehension.
- Attend instructor-approved campus events, such as Learning Center
or Writing and Reading Lab workshops, poetry readings, plays, lectures,
etc. Proof of attendance is required with either a signed attendance
slip or a written one-page summary/reaction paper of the event.
- Participate in any of the other activities described inside the “Student
Record Folder.”
You must purchase a “Student Record Folder” to document your
lab attendance. I will collect your lab folder from time to time to check
on your progress. Your lab work will count towards your homework grade,
with each lab hour worth 14 points, for a total possible 100 points. You’ll
begin your lab work during immediately. Any hours in excess of your required
7 hours for the summer (up to 10 extra hours, worth 3 points per hour)
can be counted as extra credit towards your homework grade.
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4. Final Exam (10%)
The final exam is scheduled for Thursday,
August 4 from 10:30 am - 12:35 pm. The final is required to pass
the course. Please do not take the course if you cannot take the final
at the scheduled time; no finals will be given early. |
Extra Credit: Options
will be offered throughout the semester at the instructor’s discretion. |
Special Accommodations:
In coordination with the DSPS office, reasonable accommodation
will be provided for eligible students with disabilities. If you do not
yet have an accommodation letter, please contact the DSPS office at (650)
738-4280.
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Important
Dates |
Late registration |
Monday, June 20 - Thursday, June 23 |
Last day to DROP or WITHDRAW
(“W”) |
Thursday, June 23 |
Holidays |
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HOLIDAY |
Monday, July 4 |
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Grading
Policy |
This course is graded A-B-C-D-F with no plus or minus grades. You may
choose to take the class Credit/No Credit, but you will need to sign up
for this option with me. Grades are assigned as follows:
A or Credit: |
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90-100% average on tests and assignments |
B or Credit: |
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80-89% average on tests and assignments |
C or Credit: |
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70-79% average on tests and assignments |
D or No Credit: |
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60-69% average on tests and assignments |
F or No Credit: |
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below 60% average on tests and assignments |
W (Withdrawal): |
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a requested grade which can be assigned only if requested before
June 23, 2005. Use college withdrawal
procedures. |
Note that the "W" is a requested grade. A
"W" will not be assigned unless you follow the official college
WITHDRAWAL procedures. If you wish to drop this class, you must
initiate the process using the SMART system. Students will not be automatically
dropped for missing class. If you simply disappear from class without
going through the withdrawal process, you will receive whatever letter
grade you deserve at the end of the semester, most likely an “F.”
Essays are graded A-B-C-NP (Not Passing). Unsubmitted or late work will
earn a NC (No Credit) grade. I will be handing out a detailed grading
criteria sheet that will help you understand what I and the department
regard as excellent work (A), good work (B), adequate work (C), and not-passing
work (NP). You must turn in all of your essays
in order to pass this class.
Don’t expect to get excellent grades on your first essays —
this class is here to coach you towards more complex and sophisticated
writing, not to simply validate what you already know how to do. And don’t
despair — writing is difficult, and English 846 can hardly teach
you everything there is to know. We will work together to strengthen your
skills and confidence. Your attendance, participation in class, and homework
will all contribute to your overall grade, but your essays compose the
bulk of your grade, 60%. If you are on a borderline between grades, an
overall upward trend in your essay grades will help you.
This course is graded A-B-C-D-F with no plus or minus grades. You may
choose to take the class Credit/No Credit, but you will need to sign up
for this option with me by the fifth week of the semester.
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Final Notes |
- Always make and keep a copy of your essay for your records before
you turn it in.
- Save all essays and homework until the end of the semester.
- Exchange phone numbers/e-mail addresses with at least two of your
classmates so that you can contact them for assignments if you are absent.
- This class is often in high demand — if you miss the second
class meeting without notifying me or if you do not submit the required
first essay, student information sheet, and syllabus contract on time,
you will lose your spot in this class.
- Always see me any time you have questions or concerns.
- Come to class prepared, but come to class even if you aren’t.
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My goal is to help you discover ways to develop and support
your opinions so that you will be able to think critically and write effectively
when expressing your own voice as a member of the academic community.
You, however, are responsible ultimately for your success
in this class, and the best way to ensure that success is to come to class
every day, come to class prepared, and come see me as soon as you have
a question or problem. I look forward to working with you!
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Please note that the above schedules
and procedures in the course are subject to change in the event of extenuating
circumstances. |