English 1A, Section #7 Office: Libs 2110

English 120, Section 68809 – Reading and Comp 1, Fall 2016

Professor Lee Rosichan Office: 840A Phone: 707-321-2375 Hours: Tues 5:00-6:00PM Faculty secretaries: 256-7726 M-W 5:30-6:30PM Email address: [email protected]

To log in to your class (save in your favorites): https://napavalley.blackboard.com/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_1_1

Required Texts: SMG - The St. Martin’s Guide to Writing 10th Ed. Axelrod and Cooper BR - Bedford Researcher 6th ed. Palmquist TTH - The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis, Vintage

Course Description: This course introduces students to expository, analytical, and argumentative writing based on reading and analysis of essays and other college-level texts. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking and reasoned support of ideas. This course also guides students to develop proper research and MLA documentation skills.

Student Learning Outcomes for this course: 1. Think, read, and write critically about a variety of ethical, civic, and intercultural issues in unified, coherent, well-supported, and grammatically correct documents. 2. Demonstrate adequate research skills, including MLA citation and documentation, evaluation of sources and search engines, use of electronic databases, and proper incorporation of outside sources (including quotation, paraphrase and summary).

Online Requirements: The use of Blackboard will include accessing the Bedford component, and, as the semester progresses, may be used to post assignments and notices to you. See below for the requirements of the Bedford component. It will be a good idea to check Blackboard at least a couple of times a week. Please be aware that the older copy of the Bedford Researcher that is available is outdated on MLA format.

How to Cope When Your Computer Breaks: Have a back up in place! You can access the class and textbook sites on as many computers as you like via a normal web browser and you should always have extra copies of your work on a flash drive or other storage. Be sure to bookmark the URL for our class (above) in case the Napa Valley College website goes down. A broken computer (or printer) is NOT a valid excuse for missing deadlines; you need to get in to campus if you don’t have access to a working computer or printer elsewhere and NOT wait until the last minute to find out you lost your files. You must actively learn how to submit assignments, send email, etc. in the online class as “it didn’t work” is also not a valid excuse for not turning in work. Be sure to contact me immediately so I may help you with any software issues BEFORE the assignment is due.

1 Academic Integrity and Honesty: Any student who violates the Napa Valley College Academic Honesty Policy (please read) will be subject to the discipline mentioned therein. Cheating of any kind, copying someone else’s work, allowing someone to copy your work, and plagiarism, whether intentional or accidental, are offenses punishable by failure of this course.

Having someone extensively edit and revise your writing is also dishonest and a form of plagiarism. All essays must contain the student’s original work, or else they must be scrupulously documented/cited. You will be required to submit your essays to www.turnitin.com for plagiarism review.

• Harassment of any kind (implied, written, oral or physical) toward any member of the class or the instructor will not be tolerated (see pgs. 19-20 of the NVC Catalog).

Communication: You are urged to contact me via email at any time, particularly if you have a question or would like feedback on an essay. ALL emails I receive will be answered within 48 hours. DO NOT CONTACT ME 12 HOURS BEFORE AN ESSAY IS DUE, HOPING FOR LAST MINUTE HELP BECAUSE THERE IS NO GUARANTEE I WILL GET YOUR EMAIL AND BE ABLE TO RESPOND IN TIME--PLAN AHEAD.

Course Requirements: All students will be expected to write a series of essays in which skills in organization and development of ideas are demonstrated. Final drafts of essay assignments must be word- processed double-spaced and MLA formatted.. Papers must include one-inch margins and must have page numbers. Each student must also submit rough drafts for peer review. Students must submit other assignments related to final drafts of essays. Writing is a process, and we will be taking a journey in discovering our writing strengths through practice, practice and more practice.

Each student is responsible for the assigned readings and/or activities. Reading passages assigned for a particular week should be read before the week is over or according to deadline.

• Assignments are due at the exact time given on indicated days. Late assignments are NOT accepted; under extraordinary circumstances if I receive a late paper, a full letter grade will be deducted. You must have documentation to support a claim of emergency.

Note: Failure to complete an essay assignment will significantly affect your grade as it results in a loss of 100 to 200 points each. You will likely not pass the class if you miss any of the major writing assignments.

Essays

2 There will be five major essay assignments for the semester. Essays will vary in length from 1000-2000 words (4-8 typed pages, double-spaced, MLA format). The essays are: 1) Narrative, 2) Profile, 3) Explaining a Concept, 4) Argumentative/Research, and 5) Finding Common Ground. The Concept and Common Ground Essays will be in a timed format as the midterm and final examinations. You must be present in class for the timed, in-class writings to get full credit.

 You are allowed an optional revision of each of the first two essays contingent upon communicating with me via email. Your revision(s) must be turned in within two weeks of the essay’s having been returned to you. Revision grades are averaged with the originals.

Response Papers You will be asked to submit frequent (almost once a week), short (1 pg) response papers in the course of our reading. These papers should NOT be a summary of what you read in our book even though they may bring up aspects of the reading; rather, they should be your critical response to what you’re reading (what surprises you and why, questions that came up, an exploration of ideas that might interest you to write about, etc.) The best way to get into the flow of writing these short responses is to annotate while your read (either in the margins or on sticky notes) and simply put those thoughts and responses together into a cohesive few paragraphs right after you are finished with the reading. These papers must be typed and properly formatted according to MLA including standard 1’’ margins, double-spacing, name, date, class, and indentions (see the Pocket Manual). You will also be asked to respond critically to other student responses.

St. Martin’s Guide to Writing: You will be responding to activities and exercises in the assigned chapters throughout the semester, sharing your responses with your classmates and discussing them. These assignments will complement the planning and drafting stages of your essays, providing guides, suggestions, and instructions as you progress. These conversations will be the basis for a lot of your discovery and success as writers as you move through the course, so take them seriously.

Workshops: There will be semi-weekly “workshops” on basic skills that will help to strengthen the structure, format, and clarity of your writing. The idea is to make it easier for you to think, plan, and execute the extensive writing demands in the course.

Group Presentation: There will be a group research presentation project on a theme from the novel The Twelve Tribes of Hattie. Topics will be selected, groups will be formed, and those groups will “meet” to divide up tasks, put together the presentation, and assign parts for the actual presentation. Peer responses will also be included in the grading for the project.

Online Research Unit: English 120 is a 4-unit course, including a unit dedicated to research practices offered in an

3 online format. Students can expect to spend an average of at least 12 hours each week (3 hours in class and 9 or more hours outside of class) on work for this course, with an average of at least 3 hours each week dedicated to the required online Research and Documentation Unit.

The Research and Documentation Unit is offered through NVC’s Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS) and in connection with the textbook The Bedford Researcher. Students will work on a variety of lessons, videos, quizzes, discussion forums, journals, etc., in Blackboard to master research skills. These skills will also be integrated into classroom instruction and applied to a research project, essay, or series of essays. The lab has 13 research lessons which require 2 – 4 hours of work each. If you do not complete 9 (nine) of the Research Lab lessons by the final withdrawal date, you may be dropped from English 120 with a W.

Again, the online component is required. YOU MUST COMPLETE THE ONLINE RESEARCH LABS TO GET CREDIT FOR THE COURSE. To complete the Research U nit, you must review the lessons and take the corresponding quizzes by the due dates outlin ed on the course calendar. You must earn a 70% average on the quizzes to pass. You may miss up to two quizzes as long as you maintain a 70% average.

Visit the NVC Online Education home page for information about accessing Blackboard and for tutorial help for understanding the Blackboard system.

Grading: Grades are based on all of the above, as well as class participation. Note that response papers, reading, and participation count as a significant part of your grade (20%). You can easily get an “A” for this 20% if you are an active and consistent participant in the class and do the assignments, or you can easily get an “F” if you consistently fail to keep up with the reading and participate in the class.

Response Papers/participation 20% Essay #1 (4 pgs) 10% Essay #2 (4 pgs) 10% Midterm (timed essay 4-5 pgs) 10% Essay #4 (6-8 pgs) 15% Final (timed essay 4-5 pgs) 15% Group Presentation 10% Bedford Unit 10%

Final Exam The final will be the last day of class, December 13, at our regular time of 6:00pm-8:50pm. Attendance is mandatory.

Campus Policy on Disability Access for Students: Please note that I cannot make special arrangements for a disability unless you have documentation from DSPS. If you feel you may need an accommodation based on the impact of a learning disability,

4 schedule an appointment with Learning Services in the Library and Learning Resource Center (LLRC), room 1766, phone (707) 256-7442. A Learning Disability Specialist will review your needs and determine appropriate accommodations. If you need accommodations for physical or other types of disabilities, schedule an appointment with DSPS Counselor, Sheryl Fernandez, in the Counseling Department located in the 1300 building, phone (707) 256-7220. All information and documentation is confidential. Please feel encouraged to make an appointment with me privately to discuss your specific learning needs in my class.

Add/Drop Dates: Late add – August 15 to August 26 Last day to drop w/refund – September 2 Last day to drop w/o “W” – September 16 Last day to request P/NP grading – September 16 Last day to drop w/”W” – November 10

(Please return this section in week 2)

English 120 Fall 2016, Section 68809

I have read and understood the contents of this syllabus, and I understand the consequences of not following the assignments and rules. It is my responsibility to complete the assignments of this course, to study the course material and to attend each class meeting on time. I also understand that it is my right to ask the instructor, at any time, for clarification of any assignment, rule or my responsibilities for this course.

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