Course Description, Goals, Requirements

Catalog Course Description

An introduction to the fundamental techniques and rhetorical devices necessary to effective expository prose, with emphasis on paragraph development, outlining, organization, and revision leading to the multiple-paragraph essay. This course is designed for students taking ENGL 101. · Placement is based on multiple assessment measures.

Overview/Prerequisites

This is ENGL 101s, a class designed to supplement ENGL 101. You should have tested successfully into this course and be concurrently enrolled in ENGL 101. Successful completion of the course along with ENGL101, will enable you to take ENGL 102, 103 or 104. We will be fine tuning your writing skills on various levels during this semester, using a conference style class. On line. Few lectures. No tests. No sweat... right? Actually, this class may be the hardest you will ever take if you are not a motivated person. This course requires the maturity of the student to read, write and excel on one's own. If you don't read the material or do your papers, only you will suffer.

Objectives

This course is designed to help you become a more efficient writer. By semester end you will be able to present your thoughts in an organized, logical and effective manner. We will cover various writing approaches which will not only prepare you for English courses, but also any course that requires compositional skills. My job is to give you the tools to create pieces of writing that reflect your thoughts, attitudes and what you have researched in a collegiate, scholarly manner. Your job, if you accept it, will be to utilize those tools to your best advantage. Your responsibilities include both mastering grammar and understanding the material we cover. You will learn how to effectively communicate with a college level reader, through development of grammar skills, articulation of ideas and organization. I do not give credit for creative spelling. If you don't know a word, LOOK IT UP! Writing effectively is a skill which requires practice and diligence. Again, you cannot pass this course merely by showing up every day.

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Course Methods

This is an online class with portfolio grading. We will have a series of writing assignments, one for almost every week. There will be reading and journal assignments. You will submit essays through Canvas almost every week and have your progress monitored. I will respond to the submission with a "COMPLETED" or "INCOMPLETE," and instructions, if needed, to revise. If you are instructed to revise, you have one week to make the changes and resubmit to the same folder. If you miss the revision date, even by a few minutes, the revision will NOT be accepted.

HOW IT WORKS

I will keep a tally on each student through Canvas, on which I will sign off on your progress. You will not get credit for any essay that is not marked COMPLETED by me.

Each essay will be three paragraphs: 2-3 sentence Introduction, 2-3 sentence Conclusion, and a Body paragraph that has a minimum 10 sentences. You will have 11 opportunities to complete a MINIMUM of six (6) 3-paragraph essays for a passing (C) grade. These are your choice, but assignment RESEARCH PAPER must be included in the six.
You may NOT submit the same work for both ENGL101 and ENGL101S. That means a RESPONSE for the RESEARCH PAPER for ENGL101 must be a different body paragraph from the body paragraph for submission of the RESEARCH PAPER essay in ENGL101S. (Both body paragraphs will be part of the completed RESEARCH PAPER due at end of semester in ENGL101). See Grading Policy, Assessment for final grade breakdown.

It is imperative you remain on top of the class. Because the readings are from the ENGL101 course, you should be keeping up with assigned reading anyway. Also, you cannot wait until the end of the semester to complete your writing assignments.

YOU MAY NOT TURN IN THE FIRST DRAFT OF AN ASSIGNMENT AFTER ITS ASSIGNED DATE.

Thus, if you get too far behind, missing too many assignments, there will be a point at which you will no longer be able to catch up and pass the course. Keep up with the work. Talking with classmates and me about the assignments and any problems you may have is encouraged. There is no curve in this course, so there is no competition. Any help from tutoring or in groups is encouraged.

Ultimately, this class is in your hands. And, yes, you will be able to use the things you learn in this course in your other classes (especially in the ENGL101 class in which you are also enrolled), in your post-graduate work, and in your jobs and careers. If you have any questions at any time during the course of this class, I want you to feel free to see me in my office or in the chatroom Wednesdays 7-9 pm.

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