English 302 Syllabus
Welcome to English 302 Online, a course designed to help you become a better college writer and hopefully, a better thinker as well. We'll examine methods writers use to persuade people by analyzing arguments or expressions of opinion for their validity and soundness. We'll also focus on critically assessing, developing, and effectively expressing opinions on issues by using the principles of logic. While I don't expect you to become an award-winning novelist as a result of this class, you should be better able to handle the many writing assignments you will encounter in college and beyond. This section will involve on-line class discussion, formal essays, and two on-campus essays (a midterm and a final).
"Read, read, read. Read everything--trash, classics, good or bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master." --William Faulkner (an award-winning novelist)
STAYING IN TOUCH
Phone: 558-2127; FAX 650-2715 (include cover sheet)
Email: minert@scc.losrios.edu
Office: RS217 Website: http://web.scc.losrios.edu/minert
Note: My office hours are listed under Faculty Information, but I am on campus at other times as well. If these times are inconvenient for you, please make an appointment to talk. Also, I check my email regularly, and I’ll try my best to respond to emails Monday through Friday as soon as I can.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK
The Well-Crafted Argument, White & Billings. Houghton Mifflin, 3rd edition. (Make sure you buy a NEW copy FROM OUR CAMPUS BOOKSTORE because you ABSOLUTELY NEED the EDUSPACE password that is included). Yes, it's expensive, but it's the only book you'll buy for this course, and you can resell it to the bookstore after the semester if you wish.) ----A copy is available for two-hour checkout at the Reserve Desk in the LRC. ----You'll need an SCC library card to access the library's Online Databases.
CLASS MEETINGS
This class will be conducted almost entirely online, but there are three times you must come to the SCC campus: for the orientation meeting, for the midterm examination (an in-class essay during the ninth week, date and location to be announced) and the final. I may also ask to see you for an individual conference with me to look over your writing (in my office; we'll arrange appointments later).
COMPETENCIES FOR ENGLISH 302:
At the beginning of the course, the writing done by students hoping to complete English Writing 302 successfully with a grade of “C” or better must demonstrate the competencies expected of students who have completed English-Writing 300 successfully. Students should also demonstrate the reading skills of students who have passed English-Reading 310 successfully. (For more information on these see the GUIDE TO SCC WRITING AND READING CLASSES in External Links). Mechanics Overall mastery of the conventions of punctuation, spelling, and capitalization Sentences Good variety of sentence types and constructions Relative freedom from major sentence faults: fragments, comma splices, or run-on sentences Avoidance of passive voice except where logically warranted Relative freedom from sentence constructions using the verb “to be” in its many forms (weak verbs) Body Paragraphs Overall mastery of the competencies described in the “body paragraph” section of the “English-Writing 100 Competencies” Introduction & Thesis Establish and convey a tone appropriate for the assignment, the intended audience, and purpose of the essay Demonstrate consistently the writer's focus on the needs of the audience Clearly establish a frame of reference for the audience (readers) Conclusion States and analyzes the causal relationship(s) drawn from the thesis and supporting information May utilize analogy or other effective device The Research Assignment Demonstrates the student's ability to conduct library research, field research or both Shows the student's ability to quote, summarize, and paraphrase from sources and to smoothly incorporate this information into an essay Is correctly documented using current MLA (Modem Language Association) format The Whole Essay Demonstrates unity and coherence throughout Features consistent and effective tone Meets the readers' (audience's) needs and expectations (delivers what the introduction and thesis “promise") Features probing, substantive thought appropriate to a college level essay.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
By the end of the semester, essays written by English Writing 302 students who have achieved success in the course (earning a grade of “C” or higher) will demonstrate the following additional competencies: evidence that the student can handle ambiguity (i.e., entertaining several different points of view or bodies of evidence and eventually picking one point of view that takes into consideration the others) evidence that the student can recognize and avoid logical fallacies close textual analysis of fiction or nonfiction (more than merely telling a story or summarizing a plot) control overall elements of a persuasive argument evidence of the ability to make arguments from abstract concepts effective, sophisticated, and correctly-documented use of primary and secondary resources evidence that the student is aware of and has control over his or her writing style and voice.
GRADING POLICY: DEMONSTRATING WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
Grading is on a point system. To earn a C in this class, you must earn at least 70% of the total possible points; to earn a B, 80% or better; and to earn an A, 90% or better. The bulk of your grade will be based on formal essays graded numerically according to the English department's standards, most of them involving drafts reviewed and critiqued by your fellow students. In addition, you will be graded on your active participation in the Discussion Board and other on-line activities. Four Essays (100 points each)---------- 400 Participation (includes DB posts, homework, etc.)--------------100 TOTAL --------------------------------------500
ESSAYS
Essays should be composed in Word and sent to the DROPBOX in Blackboard. Be sure to proofread and spell check your assignments before submitting them; an abundance of errors --even typos-- can interfere with a reader's understanding of your writing. Since clarity is essential in college-level writing, sloppy presentation will lower your grade.
Your Writing Will Be Evaluated For: 1. Unity: Clear purpose in thesis statement or topic sentences; all material supports stated purpose. 2. Organization: Clear structure; sentences and paragraphs follow one another logically. 3. Development: Sufficient specific evidence 4. Sentence skills: Control of sentences (no fragments, run-ons, comma splices, etc.) 5. Mechanics: Correct punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and format. Note: If you need to brush up on sentence-level errors, please consult the Online Writing Lab websites listed in External Links. The Three-Week Schedule I've tried to schedule the major essays so you'll have about three weeks to work on each one. First, you'll read a number of related articles, participate in the discussion board, produce an outline and send it to me via the appropriate Discussion Board for approval and advice, write a draft and have it reviewed by smarthinking, make any necessary changes, and finally send the finished, meticulously proofread version to me for grading. Fair enough? I'll post further details about this process for each essay assignment.
How Can You Become a Better Writer?
There are three ways: practice, practice, and practice. Not dreaming about it, talking about it, or postponing it. Just practice. So we'll do a lot of writing in this course, at least 6500 words worth (was that a pun?). That includes the essays and exams and the posts to the discussion boards (one of the advantages of a threaded discussion or chat is that they're written/keyboarded as opposed to just spoken). You'll also write about what you've read (responses). Finally, you'll analyze what parts of writing you're doing well and what parts you need more work on. However, if you know that your grammar, spelling, or usage skills need brushing up, begin working on them TODAY.
Submitting Essays
Write your essays single-spaced in MSWord, edit and spell check them, and then save them as rtf (Rich Text Format). Do not save your essay as Text Only. In the subject line label the essay with your last name, then the essay number like this: smith_jane_Essay1 and send it to the Digital Dropbox, using the directions in Getting Started in Your Blackboard Course. Once the essay is in the Drop Box, only you and I can see it; when I grade the essay, you will find it in the Drop Box with my comments embedded (I'll use Word's Track Changes feature).
PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism is copying someone else's writing and turning it in as your own. That means not only copying someone's paper but also "borrowing" ideas or sentences from a source without giving that source acknowledgment. In this class, you will look for support in outside sources to back up your ideas, but the reasoning and the sentences must be yours. In general, keep copies of all your sources, since I may ask to see them. If I suspect the work you have turned in is not your own, the burden of proof will be on you to show me that it is. If the style of your formal essays deviates from what I see in your postings, responses, and midterm, I will require you to rewrite under more controlled conditions. Check the Plagiarism site in External Links for acceptable examples of paraphrasing. If you plagiarize in this course, you will be dropped, and I will send your name to the Dean of Students for disciplinary action. Don't even think you can get away with plagiarizing--after reading your essays and posts for the first few weeks, I'll have a feel for your writing--any significant deviations from your usual style will send me to the search engines that can check suspicious writing easily.
LATE WORK
Late work is not accepted except in the case of a serious emergency that you have cleared with me BEFORE the assignment was due. This may sound Draconian, but I have found that students who keep up with their work usually pass, those who fall behind and submit last-minute, shoddy work usually fail. Technical difficulties: If technical difficulties arise (servers going down, power outages, etc.) that prevent access to the course website, then due dates will be relaxed. However, if you have technical difficulties at your end, you are responsible for keeping up with the class. When a technical problem occurs, first post a question in the HELP! Discussion Board--if that doesn't work, then contact me.
TURN-AROUND TIME
Though people today consider email the equivalent of a written phone call and expect an immediate reply, please remember that you are one of 150 students in my classes this semester. In general, you can expect me to return your formal assignments within two weeks from the date I receive them (and usually within one week) and to respond to inquiries as soon as I reasonably can. If for any reason I need more time to respond, I will try to inform you in advance. SAVE EVERYTHING I will keep accurate records of the work you complete for this course. I will even save your graded assignments in a folder on my hard drive until the end of the semester. However, computers crash and files get lost, so you should save everything I send you, especially graded assignments. If there is ever a question about whether you submitted an assignment or not, you will have to provide me with a copy of the assignment with my comments and grade on it. Otherwise, you will not receive credit for that assignment.
DISCUSSION BOARDS
In the COMMUNICATION section of Blackboard is the button for Discussion Boards, where you will find online Forums for our discussion topics. These Boards are the equivalent of attending class and participating in discussion, so you have to stay active. While you do not have to check in every day (though that would almost certainly boost your grade!), you do need to respond every time an assignment is posted. When I post the assignment, I'll specify how many times I expect you to participate. A day or two AFTER the due date, return to the DB, read ALL the postings and reply to at least TWO. (In other words DO NOT RESPOND ON THE SAME DAY YOU POST). Check back afterwards to see if anyone replied to YOUR post or your reply and then respond to them--try to get a conversation going. Finally, don't respond to postings dated BEFORE the semester began--those are SAMPLES from previous students. Although I will not grade individual posts, at the end of the semester you will be graded for participating the required number of times during the semester and also on the quality of your postings. If your response is underdeveloped (too brief or superficial, for example) or off-topic, your grade will suffer. I recommend that you compose your postings in Word, spell check to eliminate those annoying typos, then save, then copy and paste to the Board. Since these postings are essentially email, I don't expect them to be altogether error-free, but I do expect them to be thoughtful and of high quality. You should certainly proofread and edit your posts with attention to sentence structure, spelling, and grammatical correctness. Remember: if you are not actively participating in the Discussion Boards or if you fall significantly behind, you will be dropped from the course or given a failing grade regardless of your progress on the essays. No late DB's are accepted for credit; in addition, if you miss three DBs, you will earn no higher than a C for the class; if you miss four or more, you will be drooped or earn an F. A Note on Mutual Respect: In the immortal words of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, "Show a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T." Since we'll be dealing with some controversial issues in this class, it's especially important that we show a respectful understanding of viewpoints that differ from our own. Don't attack a person you disagree with.
ACADEMIC STANDARDS
According to the SCC catalog, earning one unit of college credit requires performing three hours of work per week for a semester. Since English 302 is a three-unit class, you should expect to devote at least nine hours a week to this class. Research has shown that online students who check in on their courses five times a week drop out less frequently, get better grades, and are more satisfied with their learning experience than those who don?t check in as often. Since I regularly post announcements without emailing them to individual students, it's important that you check in frequently.
EXTRA HELP
Please feel free to drop by my office or call or email me if you have questions or would like individual help. I really want you to succeed in this class, and I'll work with you to help you accomplish your goals. Remember, you're in this class to learn, and my job is to help you do so. If you run into problems keeping up with the work, have an emergency that will keep you from participating for an extended time, or simply are confused about an assignment, then contact me, and I'll work with you to help you succeed. If you are feeling discouraged or overwhelmed and are thinking about dropping the class, please email me before reaching your decision--I may be able to offer some help that will keep you in the class. Deal? That said, though I have been an English instructor for about 25 years now, teaching online is a relatively new experience for me. I imagine that this might be one of your first online classes, too. So we're all explorers in this new form of distance education, cybernauts in a virtual world. Let's have a wonderful journey together!
"Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he's had three months to write. [It] was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task before him. Then my father sat down beside him, put an arm around my brother's shoulder and said, 'Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.'" --Anne Lamont (another award-winning author)