BELLEVUE COLLEGE
Engl& 101 - English
Composition I
Fall Quarter 2012
Paula
D. Sebastian
Office
Location: R230K
Email:
psebasti@bellevuecollege.edu
Textbook: Reading Our World: Conversations in
Context, Yageliski
Additional Materials:
Bring YOUR
TEXTBOOK to class every time we meet!
Attendance & Participation
(20%):
English 101 is a course involving both
in-class and on-line sessions.
Attendance is directly connected to
performance, particularly in group-oriented, intense hybrid classes such as
English 101. You are expected to attend every class and attend on time. Missing a portion of a class, arriving late
or leaving early, does count as an absence. If you come in after I have taken
attendance, it is your responsibility to come up after class and make sure you
have been marked late, rather than absent.
Your attendance
will comprise 10% of your grade. Your participation grade for in-class and on-line will comprise
an additional 10%. Participation includes oral
participation in class discussions and homework assignments, contributions to
group exercises and peer review, and the attitude, demeanor, and sensitivity
you display towards me and other students.
This is NOT a correspondence course,
completed on your own timetable in isolation. How much you learn will be
directly proportional to how much you participate in both the in-class meetings
and in the on-line community. Please be advised that the workload may be very
difficult for you if work and family demands do not allow you a minimum of two
to three uninterrupted hours every weekday to work on the assignments for this
class
Preparedness and class participation (40% of Final Grade):
To receive full credit for this component,
you must attend each class on time, have completed all written work and read
related materials on days they are to be discussed. You must generate at least 8
formal critiques of peer essays, have your own essay drafts completed and
available for class critiques. You must participate actively and constructively
in all peer critiques, small group activities and class discussions by offering
insightful or thought provoking, relevant comments that advance and develop the
discussion. Keep in mind that what matters here is the caliber and quality of
your comments, not the amount of noise you make.
To be successful in this course, you must be
self-motivated and work independently. I strongly recommend that you login daily (particularly during the week), check your CANVAS mailbox and the calendar to see
what assignments you should be working on.
Keep me informed if you are having computer
problems, and I will try to find help for you. I am not a computer expert, so
unless the server is malfunctioning, it is your responsibility to get any
technological problems worked out. After week 2 of the quarter, I do not accept
computer problems as an excuse for missing assignments.
Courtesy Expectations: This class is conducted partially on-line,
yet I expect you to be as courteous and respectful to me and to your classmates
as you would be in person in a classroom setting. Emails and discussion board
posts cannot be taken back. Please write all of your correspondence with care
and courtesy; don’t send emails or posts that you might later regret – in terms
of content, words, and tone. A rule of thumb might be: Before sending
something, write it up, save it, go away for an hour or more, then re-read it
before posting. Content Appropriateness:
Where any type of assignment for this course is concerned, no sexual or
sexually suggestive content will be tolerated. Any such assignments will
receive a zero and be forwarded to the Dean of Students for disciplinary
action.
Ground Rules:
Out of respect for everyone in the classroom,
I ask that you follow these ground rules:
Homework:
Reading Assignments, Rough Drafts, Peer
Evaluations, and Essay are assigned to accompany each module. Assignments are
DUE on the date stated for the assignment and posted on the class calendar. NO LATE
ASSIGNMENTS will be accepted. Identify all assignments with both the
assignment number and name.
Final
Draft Essays (40%):
You will write four 1000-word
papers in this class. The process for writing, revising and submitting work is
on a tight timeline. Don’t fail to meet these deadlines. We will spend
extensive time in class on the structure, logical organization and development
of your papers. Papers may be revised PRIOR (only) to final grade. Please feel
free to ask for additional help or schedule an appointment with me.
Use the following guidelines for typing your
assignments:
please include the following:
o Your Name
o Course: English 101
& Section # of Class
o Instructor’s Name: Paula
Sebastian
o Date the paper is
submitted
o Creative title for
essay, followed by an explanatory title:
Designer Genes: An analysis of the role
of genetic engineering
Grading
Policy:
40% Final Draft Essay
40% Preparedness & Participation (including
module assignments)
20% Attendance (10) and Participation (10) in class
meetings
Attendance Grid:
0-2=A; 3=B; 4 =C; 5=D; 6+ = F (And you will
fail the class)
Special Needs:
If
you require accommodation based on a documented disability, have emergency
medical information to share, or need special arrangements in case of an
emergency, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible. If you’d
like to inquire about becoming a DRC student, you may call 564-2498 or go in
person to the DRC (Disability Resource Center) reception area in Bi32
Outcomes:
After completing this course, students will be able to...
Think and read critically: carefully
read, analyze, interpret and evaluate claims, beliefs, texts and/or issues.
· frame questions, define problems, and
position arguments.
· consider multiple points of view and
differentiate between assumptions, beliefs, facts, opinions, and biases.
· read and respond to various texts
critically for purposes of interpretation, analysis, synthesis, evaluation,
and/or judgment.
· demonstrate an understanding of a
text’s main point/thesis and its relevant supporting details.
Compose and revise in context: shape
written responses for different audiences and purposes.
· consider flexible strategies for
prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing.
· develop and support thesis statements
that are appropriately complex and significant.
· construct unified paragraphs with
topic sentences and supporting details that advance the thesis.
· apply various methods of development
such as illustration, comparison and contrast, and/or analysis.
· balance their individual voices with
those from other texts.
· employ style, tone, and mechanical
conventions appropriate to the demands of a particular audience or purpose.
Reflect and evaluate: recognize
and incorporate newly acquired skills.
· develop the ability to critique their
own and others’ work.
· gain a clearer perspective of habits
that may detract from the effectiveness of their own writing.
· respond to comments from their
instructor and peers