English Composition I Cassie Cross
ENGL 101, Section AC
cross.cassie@gmail.com
M W 5:30pm-7:40pm, D102
Office:
R230P
FALL 2012 Office
Hours: M W 1-5pm
T R 1-3pm
Welcome to English
Composition 101! Over the 12 weeks of this quarter you will be reading and
discussing the works of others as well as writing and sharing your own work. This
course will focus on the ways in which we communicate stories and ideas through
both fiction and nonfiction. We will look at the different methods and mediums
that writers have used to tell their stories. We will examine the ways in which
writers use the craft of writing to communicate their message.
“We tell
ourselves stories in order to live.”
-Joan
Didion
The writing
classroom can be a warm, comfortable and exciting place to share words and I
aim to create that here. Working with fellow writers who put time and thought
into their work, and who you trust to be respectful of your work, is an
invaluable experience.
We are here to
become better writers by communicating our thoughts clearly and concisely to an
audience. No one said this would be easy. In fact, I can tell you without a
doubt, after spending all of my life working on it, writing is hard. Even published authors struggle with it.
Writing is a process
and in this course you will learn how to do clear and thoughtful revision of
your work. This course will rely on a workshop format, where your classmates
will respond to your writing and you will give thoughtful comments on your
peers’ papers as well. Responding to writing—published writers as well as your
classmates’ work—will help you to think more critically and objectively about
your own writing. Ideas, given time and reflection, can develop and grow; in
this course you will have the opportunity to make use of the process format and
succeed in writing well-informed, highly developed essays.
Course Goals:
Upon completion of this course, you will be
able to
§ Demonstrate
various invention practices: brainstorming, free-writing, outlining, and
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.
Required Materials:
The
readings for this course will be from the required texts:
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (ISBN: 978-0-547-73502-3)
The Little Seagull Handbook by Richard Bullock
and Francine Weinberg (ISBN: 978-0-39391151-0)
Both
are available through the Bellevue College Bookstore, as well as Amazon.com* or
other online sources. Any additional readings will be provided for you on our MyBC course site.
*Note:
Amazon.com offers a service for students, Amazon Prime, which gives you free
2-day shipping on textbooks. You can sign up for this service at http://www.amazon.com/gp/student/signup/info
Requirements for the
course:
ü three
original essays, edited and polished
ü drafts/revisions
of each of those essays
ü in-class
exercises and reading responses collected in a portfolio
ü thoughtful
participation in discussion and workshop
ü demonstration
of study and engagement with the course
Grades:
Grades will be weighted as follows:
Paper 1 20%
Paper 2 20%
Paper 3 25%
Portfolio 15%
Participation 10%
Workshop 10%
Participation
includes contributing to class discussions, turning in work on time, and being
present in class. Workshop includes
making thoughtful, substantive comments on your classmates’ papers, being
present on workshop days, and completing drafts on time for workshop (e.g., not
turning in drafts that only amount to one page, turning in the same draft for
both workshops, etc.)
Please note that while
there is not a dedicated grade for attendance, missing more than two weeks of
class is grounds for failure, regardless of your performance when you do attend
class. Significant absences will impact your grade.
Essay
Format:
All essays must be
typed, double spaced, in size 12 font, with 1 inch margins. Late papers lose 5
points every day they are late. I do not
comment on late drafts. (You do, however, have the option of making an
appointment with me outside of class.) I
do not accept assignments by e-mail. In rare circumstances exceptions will
be made, but you must clear it with me first.
Expectations:
I expect professionalism from my students. If
you have any problems or concerns with your performance in the course, please
contact me. Failure to meet deadlines on a consistent basis without
communicating with me the reason will result in a significant impact to your
grade.
I expect your emails to be addressed and
composed in a professional manner. I expect timely completion of assignments in
accordance with our class calendar. Please plan time for troubleshooting
computer issues should they arise. With the amount of resources Bellevue
College offers its students, there should be very few reasons for late work due
to computer malfunction.
Communication is
key. Come to class, participate in discussion, turn in assignments on time, and
contact me by email if you have any concerns. Worried about an assignment? Let
me know. I’d rather help you with your draft than give a poor grade to a
problematic final paper.
This quarter will go by fast. Stay vigilant.
I suggest taking a look at the course schedule and copying the calendar into
your personal calendar. I also recommend setting designated times to work on
this class, at least 3-4 times a week, more often when a paper is due.
Writing
Lab:
The Writing Lab offers one-on-one help with
writing, including class assignments, college applications, resumes, and more.
Make an appointment by calling ahead (564-2200) or stopping by (D204).
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is
grounds for probation or suspension from Bellevue College as well as for
failure in this course. I will not
tolerate it, and will report any instance of plagiarism I find to the Vice
President of Student Services. Plagiarism is a counterproductive, non-writing
behavior that is unacceptable in a course intended to aid your growth as an
academic writer. Any instances of plagiarism I find in your essays will result
in an immediate failing grade on that assignment, and possible failing grade
for the course.
Disability
Resource Center:
If you are a
student who has a disability or learning challenge for which you have
documentation or have seen someone for treatment, please register with The
Disability Resource Center. If you are eligible, you will be provided with an
accommodation letter, which you must review with me the first week of class. More information can be found at: www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc