Frederick Community College

 

English Composition

EN 101 ONL-

Summer 2011

 

Class begins: June 6,

Class ends: Aug 1

Last Day to Withdraw:  July 13

 

 

 

 

Instructor Information:

 

 

Name:   Beth Healey

Office:  none

E-mail: bhealey@frederick.edu

Phone Number: 

English Office (301) 846-2600

Contact Hours:

Email—expect a reply within 24 hours

Campus Mail Box #:  807

           

Course Information:

 

Credits:  3

On-campus Meetings:  None required

On-campus Essay: one

Prerequisites:  EN 50A and EN 52 OR ESL 95 and ESL 99

 

Course Description:

Presents the basic techniques of exposition through the writing of essays and the study of prose models

 

Core Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the semester, the student will demonstrate

 

1.      College-level communication skills by

§  writing effective, organized, clear, concise, grammatically correct English by

§  using appropriate stylistic options (tone, word choice, and sentence patterns) for a

specific subject, audience, and purpose (informing, arguing, or persuading). 

§  demonstrating the ability to understand and interpret both written texts and oral

presentations in English. 

§  understanding the critical role of listening in communication. 

§  demonstrating an ability to organize ideas effectively by

§ selecting and limiting a topic.

§ developing and supporting a thesis with relevant and well-reasoned material.

§ employing a logical plan of development and using effective transitions.

§  demonstrating an understanding of the conventions of the English language by writing

essays that are substantially free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and mechanics

2.      Critical thinking skills by

§  evaluating evidence by differentiating among facts, opinions, and inferences. 

§  generating and evaluating alternative solutions to problems.

§  researching, analyzing, comparing, synthesizing, and drawing inferences from

readings and other research materials in order to make valid judgments and rational

decisions. 

3.      Social and educational values by

§  identifying and evaluating moral issues and conflicts.

§  displaying academic honesty and properly documenting source material. 

§  valuing the importance and responsibility of the individual. 

§  understanding the need for lifelong learning and its applicability to their educational

goals

4.      The value of a multicultural society by

§  acknowledging a plurality of cultural and personal values and demonstrating respect

 for the right of others to express their viewpoints.

§  working cooperatively in groups with diverse membership and contributing to the

group’s efforts with ideas and suggestions

5.      The use of technology by formatting papers and conducting research. 

 

 

 Instructional Methods:

 

Online presentations (lecture, links, handouts), Discussion Board postings and responses, peer evaluation of students' writing, grammar exercises, instructor's written comments on students' writing, individual conferences with instructor (by phone, email, or in person)

 
How This Course Is Organized

 

This is NOT a self-paced course.  All assignments have due dates that must be met.

 

This course is divided into six workshops, but the first is called Workshop 0 because it does not follow the patterns of the others. Workshops 1-5 repeat a six-part cycle of activity, with a few variations.  For example, in Workshop 5, each student will give an interactive presentation of her or his final research paper. I will provide specific details about each workshop in the coming weeks.

 

The first part of a workshop is the Content from our text, my lectures, other handouts and links.  The content provides the foundation for all other activities in a workshop.  You will be asked to respond to the content on the Discussion Board or in some other way.

 

The second part of the workshop is the You Be the Judge (YBTJ) exercise. This exercise requires you to read about a workshop’s concept, think about that concept, and put it into practice with some written examples or exercises. YBTJs help prepare you to complete essay assignments.  YBTJ assignments are completed individually, and then you will compare your responses to those others have written in a Discussion Forum. Give each a good attempt (which means you need to explain why you think what you think) and finish it by the deadline on the Due Dates Topical Outline.

 

After the YBTJ exercise, and prior to submitting each essay, we will have a Grammar Assignment or other exercise. This is the third phase of each workshop.

 

The fourth phase in the cycle is the written Essay. The essay assignments are designed to help you apply that workshop’s concept in a complete essay. The essay requirements are simple at first, but they grow in complexity as the term proceeds.  Essays should be carefully revised, edited, and proofread. 

 

You will be able to revise your essay draft after you have received comments from me or from your peer responses, depending on the assignment.  The revised essay must be turned in by the assigned date or the essay receives zero credit.

 

The fifth phase of the workshop is the Draft/Response.  For the first essay, I will respond to your rough draft with suggestions for revision.  For the second essay, I will respond to your outline.  For the remaining essays, you will be responding to one of your peer’s drafts with your comments.  I will provide specific instructions for response.

 

Finally, the workshop ends with a Self-Assessment assignment (sixth phase).  The questions will vary, but usually these assignments ask you to reflect on your progress as a writer.

 

NOTE: You will compose four essays and one annotated bibliography this semester.  The second essay will be written in the Testing Center.  Two of the essays will be part of the research paper project and will focus on a current controversial issue.

 

Submitting Assignments: Each assignment will have specific submission instructions. You Be the Judge, peer evaluations, and some other assignments will be posted on the Discussion Board.  Other assignments, including final essays, will be submitted as Assignments—a Blackboard function that allows me to give you written feedback on your work.  All assignments will be returned within a week of the assignment’s due date.

 

Texts and Course Materials:

 

Hacker, Diana.  The Bedford Handbook.  8th ed.  Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010  (or any recent edition -required)

 

Kennedy, X.J., Dorothy Kennedy, and Marcia F. Muth.  The Bedford Guide for College Writers.

     8th ed.  Boston: Bedford/St.  Martin’s, 2008.  (required)

 

A college dictionary and thesaurus.  A good online dictionary and thesaurus is available at

   M-W.com

 

A variety of texts, available through links on our Blackboard site

 

Progress Report:

 

By the middle of the third  week of the semester, I will have returned your first paper and graded several other assignments.  At this point you can evaluate your progress in this course and decide if you need to make any adjustments (additional study, tutoring, conference with instructor) to assure your success in this course.

 

Evaluation Methods:

 

 

Point Value

Final Grade Scale

First Essay

  50 points

675--750---A

Second Essay (comparison/contrast)

   -written in the Testing Center

  75

600--674—B

525--599---C

Annotated Bibliography (first phase of research project

100

450--525—D

Second phase of Research Project

100

 

Final Research Paper

200

 

5 You Be the Judge activities

  50

 

3 Grammar quizzes@ 5 points

  15

 

3 Draft/Peer Evaluation assignments @ 20 points

  60

 

3 Reader response entries @ 5 points

  15

 

5 Self Assessments

  30

 

Other activities and exercises

  55

 

                      TOTAL

750

 

 

Student Services

 

A variety of services are available to assist students in succeeding at FCC. Students can learn more about these services by visiting the Student Services web page: http://www.frederick.edu/student_services/index.aspx.

Students with disabilities who are in need of accommodations or who have questions related to disabilities services should contact the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office at 301-846-2408. Students can learn more about these services by visiting the Services for Students with Disabilities web page: http://www.frederick.edu/student_services/disability.aspx.

 

 

 Participation Policy:

 

For each workshop, there are several graded assignments and these assignments have deadlines.  No late work is accepted in this class unless you have made prior arrangements with the instructor.  Therefore, if you will be unable to complete an assignment on time because of an emergency or serious illness, it is your responsibility to let me know about the problem and to work with me to make up missed work. This course does require one in-class writing assignment, so you will need to come to the Testing Center during the week this assignment is due.

 

 

 Email Policy:

 

With the exception of MOL students, all FCC students will receive and are expected to use their FCC email addresses for correspondence with faculty and staff at the college. Students can establish and access their FCC email accounts at https://myfcc.frederick.edu. Email is an instructional tool essential to student-instructor and student-student communication. In the Blackboard environment by default, your email address is available to all students in this course.

However, students are permitted to use email addresses of other students in this course only for the purpose and the duration of this course.

The instructor can be expected to respond to regular student email inquiries (grades, posted assignments, and tests excluded) within the time frame of 24 to 48 hours.

 

Academic Integrity:

 

Work in this course is subject to the provisions of the FCC Code of Academic Integrity. Plagiarism in any form will not be tolerated. As a student, it is your job to practice academic honesty at ALL times.  Make sure that all sources, particularly Internet sources, get proper credit for quotations, paraphrases, and ideas. More information about this and the Student Conduct Code are available at http://www.frederick.edu/student_services/studentpolicies.aspx

You must send your Academic Integrity Pledge to the instructor. The form is available at http://courses.frederick.edu/_utilities/regform.htm
 

Topical Outline

EN 101-ONL

Summer 2011

 

 

See Due Date Topical Outline for due dates (under Course Materials button).

See Weekly Assignment Folder for details of all assignments (under Assignment button).

BG indicates an assignment in your text, The Bedford Guide for College Writers with Reader.

BH indicates an assignment in your text, The Bedford Handbook

 

Every effort will be made to keep to this schedule; however, the instructor reserves the right to alter or amend it as necessary.

 

Online courses have no inclement weather make up dates as we are not cancelled for inclement weather.

Week

 

Subject

Assignment

 

 

1

 

Workshop 0

Explore Course

Review Syllabus

Get to know participants

The writing and reading processes

 

Letter to instructor

Syllabus Activity

Getting Acquainted Activity

Read: BG pages 8-29

 

 

2

 

 

 

Workshop 1: The Basic Essay

Critical thinking

Academic Writing

MLA format

Using evidence to support a thesis

 

 

Read: BG pages 33-47

You Be The Judge 1 (YBTJ W1): Essays?

Draft the first essay (W1)

Grammar Corner—Commonly Confused Words

First Essay (W1) due

Self assessment W1

 

 

3

 

 

 

Workshop 2: Essay Unity—Sticking

   to One Idea

Writing a Comparison/Contrast

Thesis and planning strategies

 

Read: BG: pages 104-120, including Brit, “Neat

    People Versus Sloppy People” and Chabot,

    “Take Me Out to the Ball Game . .

Response to reading W2

YBTJ W2: Thesis?

Outline the second essay (W2)

Read: BG: pages 310-333

Grammar Corner W2—Using Commas

See BH section 32 for more on commas

Second Essay (W2) due—Write in Testing

    Center

Self assessment (W2)

 

 

4

 

 Workshop 3: Beginning Research

   Choosing a Topic and Locating Resources

College Theme: The Challenge of Affluence

Creating a working bibliography

Evaluating Sources

Constructing an Annotated Bibliography

 

Read: “The Democratization of Information:

    Power, Peril, and Promise” (handout)

Response to reading W3

Read: BG: pages 371-388

Grammar Corner W3

Conduct research

Self assessment W3

 

5

 

 

 

Evaluating Sources

Taking Notes

Using Documented Evidence To Support Points

Paraphrasing

Integrating borrowed material

Ethos

Avoiding plagiarism

 

 

YBTJ W3: Evaluating Sources

Library Tutorial

Explore Research Room

Continue research

Paraphrase practice

Annotated Bibliography due

 

 

6

 

 

 

Workshop 4: Taking a Stand

Using cause and effect to develop an argument

 

 

Read: BG: pages 121-165, including Harjo,

    “Last Rites for Indian Dead” and Choi,

    “Invisible Women”

Response to reading W4

Continue research

YBTJ W4: Is It an Argument?

Draft of second phase of the research project

    due

 

 

7

 

 

 

Logos

Avoiding logical fallacies

Writing the introduction

Global revision

 

 

Logical Fallacies exercise

Grammar Corner W4

Peer evaluation

Second phase of the research project (Essay

    W4) due

Self assessment W4

 

8

 

 

 

Workshop 5: The Final Research Paper

Opponents’ view

Refutation

Writing  the conclusion

Pathos

What have you learned?

 

 

Continue research

YBTJ W5: Refutation

Peer evaluation of final paper

Final Research Paper due

Final self assessment W5

 

 

NOTE:  Your instructor reserves the right to make changes to this outline as needed.