Engl&101- English Composition I
WINTER QUARTER 2013
Instructor:Laura Burns
E-mail: laura.burns@bellevuecollege.edu (M-F)
Office: R230M
Phone: (425) 564-2373

Office Hours: I'm available online every weekday throughout the day, checking in 7:30 am, around noon and around 5pm. I also check my CANVAS email most weekends. Most days of the week I’m also on campus (except Fridays) after 10:30, and we can arrange an in-person meeting.

Required Texts:

Campbell, Joseph. Pathways to Bliss.

Marius, Richard. A Writer's Companion. 4th edition. Because the original is out of print, our bookstore has created a special edition that costs less than the original. You will need to order this directly through our bookstore. To give you time to do this, I've added a PDF to our 1st paper module, the Self-Analysis, which contains the first 15 pages of Marius that you need to read.

Hogan, Linda The Woman Who Watches Over the World.

By the end of the 3rd week of the quarter, you'll need access to ONE of the following movies: Invictus (2009), Snow White and the Huntsman (2012),or Pan's Labyrinth (2006, director Guillermo Del Toro). These movies are available through the county library, Netflix or On Demand. Amazon Instant Video will also stream to your computer for a very small fee. You might also find some of these videos in grocery stores that stock DVDs.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

English 101 is an online-only class, meaning it meets only in Canvas and does not hold in-person class sessions. You'll need to devote many hours per week, checking in frequently, to be successful. This on-line course is NOT a correspondence course, completed on your own timetable in isolation. You must participate in this course in an ongoing manner to successfully fulfill the requirements of the course. We will be using CANVAS rather than BLACKBOARD beginning this fall quarter 2012, so be prepared to spend some time learning this new platform for online learning at BC.

This online course will require you to have some particular attributes and skills:

• college level reading and comprehension skills,

• good self-motivation,

• good problem solving skills,

• the ability to communicate clearly in writing,

• the ability to learn well in a totally visual medium,

• the ability to follow written directions, and

• the ability to use your computer to complete various tasks, including (but not limited to) uploading and downloading files as well as attaching files to e-mail messages and in the assignment dropbox as required, and

• the ability to ask questions as needed.

Many students mistakenly believe that writing is a talent, gifted to everyone else. But writing is not a single task, accomplished in isolation. Writing is a skill, developed with practice in reading texts, analyzing texts, thinking through the texts and then lastly, writing these ideas down. Anyone with enough determination and effort can learn to communicate effectively in writing. This class is designed to use writing, in the form of an academic college essay, to improve your written communication skills as well as your critical reading and thinking skills. Some students may already have a measure of these skills; some students may be better at some skills and feel less comfortable with the others. Whatever your abilities before now, I ask you to approach the class with compassion and tolerance for each other.

If you signed up for this course thinking that it would have less work than a course in the classroom, you were mistaken. Any online course has more writing work than a class in the classroom as all of our communication must be written. Please be advised that the workload may be very difficult for you if work and/or family demands do not allow you a minimum of two to three uninterrupted hours every weekday to work on the assignments for this class. I have tried to focus and space assignments to facilitate as many learning styles as possible, but you may need to schedule extra time, especially around paper writing/editing time, depending on your ability to read or write.

This English 101 course will focus on the following outcomes:

Demonstrate various invention practices: brainstorming, free writing; outlining, journaling
Demonstrate ability to write in various modes: personal narrative, expository,
analytical, descriptive, argument
Demonstrate the phases of writing: draft, revision, final copy
Explore sources of writing: reading, thinking, analyzing, discussion
Create a thesis statement that suggests the focus of the paper; does not point out the
obvious, and is written as a sentence.
Develop and include enough details and examples to support the identified thesis and
reinforce focus
Demonstrate various patterns of organization and
use the organization pattern that suits your identified purpose & audience.
Illustrate the concept of Audience in your writing.
Artfully combine Audience, Purpose, and Tone in compositions written in and outside of class
Write in a vocabulary appropriate to your subject and identified audience.
Begin and conclude a paper effectively.
Show effective control of mechanics: paragraphing, punctuation, spelling.
Differentiate between key ideas and supporting details in reading
Locate the thesis statement in reading assignments
Practice good group skills: how to give useful feedback, and how to make use of
feedback you receive
Develop self-assessment skills

Student Responsibilities

Because of the special method of course delivery, several requirements must be met.

• In order to use our class website effectively, you MUST complete the Canvas Student Orientation and be aware of the ideal web browsers to use and the basic tools. Follow the link in this module to view the videos.

Also click on the “How to Start Classes in Canvas” link in this module to explore browser requirements and other general questions you might have.

• Always keep me informed if you have problems with the technology, and I will find help for you. You may also contact the Distance Education office directly by email or phone: landerso@belleveucollege.edu or 425-564-2438. They can be extremely helpful with technology! However, I expect that you bring some expertise with you to help in solving problems that arise. Ultimately, your computer and internet services are your responsibility. If you are signed up for the online section and you have computer problems, you may use the computer labs on the BCC campus if you have an emergency.

My Expectations

As you know, every teacher has expectations. These are mine.

1. I expect that you signed up for this course because you want to learn to read, think, and write critically. We call that formal academic writing. Therefore, I expect that you will complete the work I have created to teach you these skills.

2. I expect that you have come to this class with a working usage of modern English grammar as English 101 does not teach grammar. I may suggest additional non-graded work for students who struggle with grammar. I set aside a segment of our website to provide a grammar and mechanics help area, complete with exercises; use it if you have these problems. I encourage you to schedule an appointment in my office or utilize the Writing lab's virtual tutor or go to D204 (Writing Lab) on campus for help with grammar problems. All papers with major grammatical errors lose points in this class. See the Major Grammar Errors page in the Mechanics area under the Resources and Tool link for help in identifying these errors.

3. I expect that you will use standard English for all your communications (i.e., email, assignments, discussions, etc.) in this class. Please no texting abbreviations or unusual capitalization (or lack thereof). Multiple sentences need to be arranged in paragraphs with correct punctuation. Disjointed sentences that fail to use standard English will receive a failing or very low grade. That said, I must confess to occasionally using a smiley face when I'm offering constructive criticism (always kindly meant, I assure you). Other than that, let's avoid emoticons and similar texting "codes."

4. I expect that you will participate in ALL class activities, including peer reviews, Marius assignments, and literature discussions. All of your papers must go through the Peer Review process in order for them to be accepted by me. If your paper is not submitted into your peer review group, I will not accept it for grading or comments. It also then will not be accepted in your portfolio, as you are not demonstrating the “phases of writing,” one of the major outcomes of English 101. Also, you must complete peer reviews for other students, or your Critical Summaries will not be accepted. Thus failure to participate in these areas may cause you to fail the course, even if your other written work is passing.

5. I expect that you'll keep track of due dates, reading assignments and class activities using the CALENDAR, which you'll find on the top toolbar of the course. Checking this calendar and the announcements on the homepage (also found in“Announcements”) frequently will be vital to your success in the class.

6. I expect that the total of all formal papers in the portfolio in this class will average C-(70) or better to move to English 201, 270, 271 or 272. In addition, you must submit all formal papers on their due dates during the quarter to move on.

7. I expect that you will take care to back up your papers and other assignments on more than one disk and/or store them on your hard drive AND a disk. It is your responsibility to keep track of this material--not mine. If some computer catastrophe should occur, you will still be responsible for producing the work by the due date in order to get a grade. Be careful--save and back your work up regularly!

8. I expect that you will show respect to everyone by responding to e-mail and discussion postings in a way that is not judgmental, degrading, or derogatory. Even though we may disagree with the interpretations of others, please use some self-restraint and compassion in responding to others' ideas. Logical and questioning responses are encouraged. Choose your words and the tone of your message with utmost care. I also expect tolerance for others' abilities and learning styles.

9. I expect each final draft will be submitted to the assignments link provided in each module. These submissions must be made by the date shown on the class calendar. Papers submitted after that date will lose 5 points per 24 hour period that they are late. I will not accept papers more than 3 days (72 hours) late. Don't ask. To avoid losing points for late work, do not wait until the last minute to submit your work. Start early. Sometimes the technology takes longer than you think.

10. I expect honesty. I expect that you will neither do work for others nor use work done by others. Cheating and/or plagiarizing will not be tolerated. Plagiarizing is cheating, as is copying answers on a test, glancing at nearby test papers, swapping papers, buying papers, using ideas from other sources without proper documentation, writing papers for others, or having them written for you. BCC utilizes a plagiarism detection software, and I use it for random spots checks. Plus, if I even remotely suspect your paper sounds plagiarized, I will submit it to this site. If you cheat or plagiarize, the following actions will be taken:

• youwill receive a grade of "0" on the work (period).

• A report of the incident will be filed in the Dean of Students' Office. This report may become part of your permanent record or the Dean may choose to pursue further disciplinary action.

12. Personal conferences on your paper can be held in my office if you can/want to come to the campus and we can work out a mutually convenient time; otherwise, e-mail or local phone conferences can be held. If you can’t meet me during my office hours, please contact me first to set up an appointment BEFORE coming to the campus.

CLASS REQUIREMENTS

Formal Papers: You will write 3 formal academic papers (minimum 800-1000 words) in this class, which are then revised in a final portfolio. The process for writing, revising and submitting work is on a tight timeline. Even though I accept late papers (up to 3 days late), failure to meet the deadlines will put you at a disadvantage. We will follow this process for all papers:

You will compose an original draft on your computer, then revise it yourself to get rid of obvious errors.
You will POST this original, self-revised draft of each paper to your writing group for the appropriate peer review by the date on the calendar. This draft MUST be copied/pasted into a message composed in your group’s discussions. If you expect to get help on your papers, you must post them early in the peer review period. Papers posted late in the review process may get overlooked.
While you wait for comments on your paper, you will give peer comments on two other classmates' papers. The peer review process is described in detail under Resources module/Peer Review Instructions. Please take care to spread your comments around; if one paper already has two sets of review comments, please choose another paper to review.
After giving comments, collect your comments and revise your paper. Then, using the editing tool provided under Resources, thoroughly edit your paper before submitting it to me by the date and time listed on the calendar. Please take the time to proofread your work.
Directions for submitting your final draft to me are available in the CANVAS tutorial under “How to Submit Assignments to CANVAS.” During the quarter, your final draft receives a minor grade and is returned to you for further revision.
At the end of the quarter, all three papers are revised and peer reviewed again, and submitted to me in a e-portfolio for final evaluation. It is at this stage that your final papers receive a significant point grade.
Your papers will be graded based on the standards posted under the Grading Standards link (see Resources and the first paper module, the Self-Analysis).
I will read and grade papers beginning on the due date. I will provide detailed written comments on the final drafts of Papers 1, 2 and 3. To process a complete set of papers in this manner usually takes about 6 working days. The final portfolio will receive a holistic, overall grade based on the quality of all three papers.
You MUST turn in and pass all three papers during the quarter, which means you must post your drafts in peer review as well as submit them to me. Going through this writing process is required in order for me to accept and grade your portfolio. You must also submit all three in revised form in your portfolio. Additionally, your portfolio must earn a C- or better in order to pass this class. Points from critical summaries and discussions are important, but if your portfolio is not a C- or better, you will not pass the class. If you fail to turn in one paper, your best course of action is to drop the class.

Paper points available during the quarter -- 150 points for all 3 formal papers, 50 points each paper

Total portfolio points available--450 points total (150 points each paper)

Peer Review/Critical Summaries: Much of what you will learn about writing in this course will come from participating in a peer review of others' papers. Do not fail to participate in this area of the course. See the Peer Instructions link located under Resources & Tools/How To? for instructions on how to complete this critical work! In general, to participate successfully in peer review, you will complete these tasks:

(1) You will analyze two other students' papers using a Peer review tool that is posted in the specific paper module. You MUST use the assessment tool that I have provided in order to earn full credit for comments on student papers. After you have analyzed and evaluated each student paper, copy-and-paste your evaluation of each paper as a REPLY to the paper you reviewed in the peer review discussion for your group. This work must be completed by the peer review closing time. I have set aside class days for this work; do not fail to do it. If you fail to meet these deadlines, you will NOT receive points for the Critical Summaries based on your peer reviews.

(2) After posting your evaluative comments to each student whose paper you reviewed, you will write (off-line) a Critical Summary of your remarks for each student paper that you reviewed. This summary should be unified and coherent piece of writing with specific evidence from the student paper and the Marius text and Grading Standards. Be sure to refer to the student writer by name in your summary. Another document in our first paper module explains this assignment in depth and provides a sample.

(3) Last, you will submit both summaries (in one document) as an attachment in the assignment link for that critical summary. Your original peer review will follow each summary. I will check to be sure that you are posting feedback to the student as well as submitting the summary to me; however, I grade from the document you send to me. Summaries must be thorough; I expect around 350 words per paper summarized as a minimum--"A" grade summaries will have more words. More information on the critical summary assignment is posted under the the Self-Analysis module and in Resources.

(4)You will be required to write and submit critical summaries on Papers 1, 2, 3 for at least two of your peers. You will also write one additional set of Critical Summaries for the Portfolio Peer Review. For completing this task per my directions, you will receive 50 points per paper assignment (25 points for each summary). Summaries must submitted to me by the due date posted on the calendar or they will receive ZERO points. I will not accept late summaries; please don't ask.

Note* - Every quarter a few students complain about the critical summary assignments. BC's English department guidelines recommend 101 instructors to have student produce around 6000 words of original, revised and edited writing over the quarter. Since you will write only 3 original papers of 800-1000 words per essay, the critical summary assignment allows me to meet the departmental guidelines. Furthermore, you are spared reading another book and writing another formal paper.

Total Points for Peer Summaries: (200 points, 50 points each Critical Summary assignment)

Discussions: I have created an individual forum in the discussion area for weekly discussions on the written texts and the films. Instructions and requirements for participating in discussions are posted in the Self-Analysis module area as well as under the Resources module. I do my best to participate in the discussion; however, I cannot possibly respond to every comment or answer.

Total points available -- Literature discussions (48 pts. each X 3 discussions) total 144 points;

Marius Homework Assignments: There are three Marius homework assignments, available in “Assignments” and due within each paper module. These are shorter writing assignments that are usually a few paragraphs long, and ask you to analyze a student paper. Marius assignments (27 points X 3 assignments) total 81 points.

Self-Assessments: There are opening and closing self-assessments that are important for you to complete, to reflect on your progress with your writing skills. You will find them in “Quizzes.” Complete these assessments using the assessment tool. They are both worth 25 points.

Total points for the course = 1075 points

* NOTE: To figure out your grade at any time, simply divide the total points you have earned by the total points you have submitted to that point. I use standard percentage markings:

95-100% = A
90-94% = A-
87-89% = B+
84-86% = B
80-83% = B-
77-79% = C+
74-76% = C
70-73% = C-
65-69% = D+
55-65% = D
51-54 = D-
Below 51% = F

How do we communicate with each other?

In the course navigation list on the left hand side of the homepage, you will find links to class announcements, the class discussion area, a list of modules, assignments and your gradebook. This course is arranged by modules, which you can find by clicking on “modules.”All relevant links to specific discussions, assignment descriptions and assignment submission areas are located in the relevant module.

Announcements will be posted for you as needed throughout the quarter. I use this tool almost daily to be in contact with you, so please read these announcements carefully so that you will know of any important changes or issues in the class.
An Inbox has been provided for private e-mail communication between you and I or you and other classmates. It is located in the Inbox on the top righthand side of the homepage, right above the blue "Canvas" title. Since I get between 40 and 50 e-mail messages every day at my various work addresses, I will appreciate "URGENT" notices in the subject line, if you have a real emergency. I check my class email morning and afternoon in order to respond in a timely manner to all messages, whether or not they are urgent. Please do not use e-mail to submit your work unless you have contacted me for approval FIRST.
The discussion area provides a place for synchronous discussions of course materials. These topic areas will house your discussion about our literature and movie assignments. Please follow the dates on the class calendar for posting questions and for commenting. I have allowed time for you to do this work; don't fail to do it before the deadlines posted on the class calendar.
People contains your groups for your peer review activities. There you’ll find your assigned group for your first peer review. As we continue, the first few peer review groups will be assigned to you; in the last peer reviews, you’ll be able to choose your own groups.
The Grades link will take you to the gradebook for this class. This area will contain all of the grades for your work WHEN I have completed the grading.

You are responsible for posting the discussion messages into the correct area depending on its purpose. You must also handle the postings, downloading messages you wish to keep to your home computer and creating folders to store that information. Please do save any messages you wish to keep.

STUDENT RESOURCES

Disability Resource Center

The Disability Resource Center serves students with a wide array of learning challenges and disabilities. If you are a student who has a disability or learning challenge for which you have documentation or have seen someone for treatment and if you feel you may need accommodations in order to be successful in college, please contact us as soon as possible. If you are a student with a documented autism spectrum disorder, there is a program of support available to you.

If you are a person who requires assistance in case of an emergency situation, such as a fire, earthquake, etc, please meet with your individual instructors to develop a safety plan within the first week of the quarter.

The DRC office is located in B 132 or you can call our reception desk at 425.564.2498. Deaf students can reach us by video phone at 425-440-2025 or by TTY at 425-564-4110. Please visit our website for application information into our program and other helpful links at www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc

Student Writing Lab

If you’re inexperienced with writing literature papers, we have a Writing Lab available with free tutors who are trained in many different kind of composition assignments. The Lab is in D204, and you may call for an appointment at (425) 564-2494. Typically the Lab schedules appointments for the following week on Thursdays, and the spaces can get filled up, so do plan ahead!

Bellevue College Affirmation of Inclusion

Bellevue College is committed to maintaining an environment in which every member of the campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college, free from harassment and discrimination. We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue College, and students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat one another with dignity and respect. http://bellevuecollege.edu/about/goals/inclusion.asp

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