English 1301
Monday P.M., Tuesday A.M., Thursday A.M.
Last week I could not access BlackBoard; Angryverbs.blogspot.com is always the more reliable site for announcements.
mhall46184@aol.com is the better email address.
Bring all of your research paper impedimenta to each class; I will schedule at least half of each class for writing. Remember, however, that a half-hour or so once or twice a week is not near enough time.
Because of the paucity of on-site computers, you may bring your little electrical plastic boxes for research writing.
You are subject to quizzes at any time.
Most of you have chosen very workable topics and are making good progress; some of you, well, there's always next term.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Research Papers and Mid-Term Exams
English
1301
Monday
P.M.
Tuesday
and Thursday A.M.
Angryverbs.blogspot.com
Week
of 22- 26 October 2012
Research Papers and
Mid-Term Exams
1. Research writing
The
next few weeks are dedicated mostly to your research paper. Please note that budgeting so much time in
class for one short paper is a freshman construct for instructional purposes;
in the future an instructor or professor in your professional discipline will
expect you to write your research papers entirely on your own outside of class,
to a very high standard, and with minimal oversight.
Your
reading assignments were made on the first day of class in August, and all our
work so far this semester has been a preparation for your research paper; thus,
a statement such as “I don’t understand research papers” is a clear indication
that the speaker has not read the assignments, has not listened to the
instructor, and has not connected the metaphorical dots as directed. College is not a passive experience; if you
wish to succeed you must demonstrative initiative in resisting a culture that
tempts you to idleness.
Please
note the due-dates for progress checks.
Complete duplicate notes in your copy of the time line and in mine, and
have me check your progress and sign off on it.
You can easily dodge this; you can also easily fail the class.
For
the duration of this project you may bring your appropriate electronic gadget
on/in which to keypad your work. You
should set high standards for yourself. You
can cleverly manage to sneak time to look at Honey Boo-Boo and exchange
vacuities with your 2,432 BFF; you can also cleverly manage to fail the class.
Bring
all of your research paper impedimenta to class every meeting. “It’s on my computer at home” translates as
“I don’t need a professional reference from my instructor for a scholarship or
a job.”
Both
classes are quite large, and so the time available for one-on-one is
minimal. The two extremes to avoid are
(1) clinging, that is, expecting the instructor to spend hours proof-reading
every sentence and correcting every mistake, down to misspellings, and (2)
never seeing the instructor at all for a general look-see-discuss regarding
your progress.
Remember
that I am on campus almost always by 5:00 P.M. on Monday nights and usually by
8:15 A.M. on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
I will happily stay late for genuine needs, but not for remediation.
Remember
that your research paper is 25% of your final grade, that due-dates are not
suggestions, and that your paper will be processed through a programmed
plagiarism search. Don’t download, and
don’t turn in a paper your ol’ buddy at SFA gave you – where do you think he
found it?
2. Your Semester Exam
I
will return your semester exam to you at the end of your first class meeting of
the week. As always, you are welcome to
see me and argue a point, but only after you have taken it away and read it
carefully. Since this test is 25% of
your final grade, don’t be shy! Argue
from your assigned book and handouts, not from feelings. You must prove your point from authority. If any part of a response has ever been
changed, crossed out, erased, or modified in any way, or is messy, you have no
arguable point.
I
do not understand why some of your classmates left answers blank – how can
anyone not succeed on an open-note, open-book test?
I
do not understand why some of your classmates failed – how can anyone not
succeed on an open-note, open-book test?
I
do not understand why some of your classmates hurried through the test.
3. Attendance.
The
State of Texas requires Angelina and all other publicly-funded colleges to
observe strict attendance policies, and neither Governor Perry nor Dean
McKenzie has written me to tell me I am permitted to ignore the law. Some of your classmates are still reading the
out-of-date grade-school script about excused and unexcused absences – “excused” and “unexcused” do not obtain in
college. You are in class or you are
not in class, and I must note and record these realities. This is especially difficult for those in an
evening course, but there can be no deviation.
Further, you were advised of this at the beginning of term. You have to find a way.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Lessons, Weeks 6 & 7, 8-19 October 2012
English
1301
Monday
P.M.
Tuesday
and Thursday A.M.
Weeks
6 & 7
8
– 12 October and 15 – 19 October
M.
Hall
Angryverbs.blogspot.com
1. Columbus Day is not
an Angelina College holiday. Be here. Fans of the errant Genoan won’t receive even
a “nice try” for pleading otherwise.
2. During the week of
8 – 12 October we will finish up everything “Seafarer,” and then plunge
(metaphorically) into research writing employing the MLA format. This will not be easy, and most of your individual
work must be accomplished according to your own individual schedules. The 1:3 rule truly obtains in a writing
assignment. The size of the classes,
especially the morning class, is a bit too much for our on-campus computer
access; thus, if you have a small computer / lights-up-and-makes-noises-thingie
you wish to use during class, you are welcome to bring it (not during a test). For the rest, please remember that the campus
computers do not save, and that many students use memory devices which could be
corrupted, and which could then corrupt the computer’s files, which could then
corrupt your memory device, which could then corrupt your computer, and so the
circle of death goes on. Even so, your
work is due as scheduled; you must always make electronic backup files and
frequently print your work onto paper, good old paper, fragments of dead trees,
after every work session, now and in your professional career.
3. The week of 15 – 19
October is, for this class, given over to the mid-term exam, which is 25% of
your final grade. Regardless of your
schedule, you may take your test on any of three occasions: Monday (6 – 8:40),
Tuesday (0945 – 1105), or Thursday (0945 – 1105). I will not give the test after Thursday. Further, I will be in class early (certainly
by five on Monday night and by eight-thirty on Tuesday and Thursday), and you
may begin the test as soon as you arrive.
Once you have submitted your test for
grading, you are through for the week. I
recommend that you do not rush through the test, which is 25% of your final
grade. Dual-credit students – if you
finish early, be sure that your parents and school know where you are. A better choice would be to use that time in
the classroom or in the library working on your research paper; make a mature
choice.
You may use YOUR book and YOUR notes only;
the use of other folks’ notes, including photocopies, will result in a zero for
you and for the lender. This test is
about YOUR cumulative work during the term.
If someone pressures you to lend him your notes before the test, you
must man up / woman up and say no; you should never carry a leech. If someone whispers to you during class, get
up, take your test and notes, and get away from him.
Pencils – no.
I will be here each class session, and will
be here early. When you are finished
with your test we can work on your research paper.
4. A reminder re
absences: Angelina’s rules are absolute, and are not subject to interpretation
by, well, me. In college the concept of
excused absence does not obtain.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Research Paper Time Line - This Will Also be Given to You as a Handout
Student’s
Name_______________________________________
M.
Hall
English
1301 / 1302 / 2302
8
and 9 October 2012
Research Paper –
Rocks, Shoals, and a Time Line
We
may have to be flexible on this schedule, said flexibility solely at the
discretion of the instructor.
We
will also work on other projects while on the research paper.
At
least half of each class will be devoted to research paper drafts, questions,
and mutual aid. You must budget your time
carefully. Many of your classmates began
the research paper in August, as suggested, and some are close to completion.
1. Your research paper grade is 25% of your final
grade.
2. The grade for your research paper will be
based on the final draft alone.
3. Your research paper will be graded according
to the rubrics on the multiple handouts given you on the first day of class and
again shortly at midterm.
4. “But you said…” is
a null concept. Your instructor will not
make any promises or conjectures; he will make general suggestions when asked,
but they are not contractural. Your
instructor is not going to proof-read your paper; it is your paper.
5. “But you didn’t
tell me…” is another null
concept. You are responsible for all
class presentations and for reading the masses of material in the handouts, in
your 1301 text, on angryverbs.blogspot.com, and on Blackboard. English 1302 and 2320 students – your
successful completion of 1301 voids any excuses; the freshman MLA research
paper is a basic.
6. About the sample
research papers: your book contains an excellent specimen; further, you will read,
with the permission of the writers, numerous old papers – some of them quite
bad - from previous classes, some of them high school classes. Again, these are not contracts; high school
papers are not graded as rigorously and, indeed, your instructor may well have
missed an error. These papers serve
solely as an aid, and are not authoritative.
7. Downloading from
the ‘net – don’t. Even your befuddled
old teacher can work up a simple string search, and changing words around won’t
block a find. If you turn in work not your
own, you will be awarded an F for the class.
Please note that 5 November is the last Angelina drop day.
8. No excuses – three
months is more than enough time to write a 10-page MLA paper.
Time
Line - Have your instructor sign for these items both on your copy and on his:
1. Week of 15 & 16
October. Your topic and thesis statement
must be final by the end of class; you will not be permitted to change
them. Two months is enough time to make
a decision.
A. Topic____________________________________________________
B. Thesis
statement___________________________________________
________________________________________________________.
C. Instructor
signature________________________________________
2. Week of 22 and 23 October
or earlier. Share your pretty good, typed
(a few handwritten corrections are fine) first page in MLA format, complete
with title, and with your thesis statement at the very beginning.
A. ___Inadequate or
not submitted
B. ___Lookin’ good so
far!
C. Instructor
signature______________________________________
3. Week of 29 and 30 October
or earlier. Share your pretty good,
mostly complete, and typed (a few handwritten corrections are fine)
bibliography (aka works cited).
A. ___Inadequate or not submitted
B. ___Yes, this looks promising
C. Instructor
signature______________________________________
4. Week of 5 and 6 November
or earlier. Share your pretty good,
mostly finished, typed (handwritten corrections are fine) rough draft, complete
with bibliography, heading with sequential page numbering, and all other bells,
whistles, guts, and feathers.
A.___You are welcome to repeat the class in the spring
term.
B.___You probably have a winner here!
5. Week of 12 and 13 November. As usual, the first half of class will be granted
for working on your paper (which should not be necessary).
19
and 20 November. Submit research paper NLT
the beginning of your first class of the week for ten extra points.
27
and 28 November. Your official due-date;
submit your paper NLT the beginning of your first class of the week.
3
and 4 December. Your NLT at the beginning
of your first class of the week with a ten-point penalty. This is
the mercy; three months is enough time to write a paper, find a computer, buy
an ink cartridge, and retrieve your paper from your friend’s pickup truck in
Louisiana.
Research Paper Reminder - This Will Also Be Given to You as a Handout
M. Hall
English 1301, 1302, 2320
1st day of class, 28 August
2012 / 29 August 2012, and again on 8 and 9 October 2012
Writing a Research
Paper
This is an outline. We will discuss each point in class as the
term progresses.
Objectives: The student will write a
college-level persuasive (state a thesis and then support it) research paper
according to the MLA format:
1. Plan a research paper, select and
limit a topic, write a preliminary thesis statement, and make a rough outline.
2. Research the topic, employing the
‘net and other sources, and make a working bibliography.
3. Take notes, evaluate sources, and
use direct quotations, paraphrases, and summaries.
4. Organize information for a research
paper, revise the preliminary thesis statement, make a detailed outline, and
take additional notes.
5. Draft and document a research paper.
6. Revise and finish a research paper.
Your usage reference is your textbook’s
research writing content, which is based on the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, your copy of Bedford, and multiple handouts.
GENERAL NOTES:
1. Your complete paper must be computer
generated.
2. Each page will have, on average, two
relevant direct quotations, properly punctuated and sourced.
3. The minimum number of body pages is
5; the maximum is 10. Double-space, and follow the format in the MLA.
4. I must see your preliminary thesis
statement and rough outline.
5. Neatness in the final draft is a sine qua non. This reflects your professionalism
6. Computers behave strangely. Storage devices can be pinched or destroyed,
or perhaps the class clown playfully erases weeks’ worth of your work the day
before it’s due. Computers fail.
Printers fail. Plan ahead. No one can live your life for you; you must
anticipate all possible calamities. Make duplicates. Print out parts of your paper as soon as you
can, and store them safely.
7. Check your topic with your teacher
and have him sign off on it. Make sure you can handle the topic and that there
are adequate resources available to you. See separate list.
8. Your paper must have at least five documented
sources (more would be better), including at least one internet source. Actually, all your sources may come from the
internet. One repetition of a source is
fine, but I do want you to consider a variety of sites. Explore!
9. Writing lab --Hanging around idly with such
excuses as “I’m typing it at home” or “I can’t work with all these
distractions” will not be accepted. Get
busy; this project is more demanding than it might seem.
10.
You cannot pass the class without a solid, professional research paper.
12. Use 12-point Verdana.
13. Your completed paper will be
stapled neatly, and will be graded as follows:
Body / content 35
points
Bibliography 25 “
Aesthetics (neatness, clean paper, clear typeface, no
corrections, no dog-ears, and so on) will be graded subjectively 20 points
MLA 20
points
14. The research paper will be graded
holistically, but spelling and usage errors will be penalized at two points
each, more if egregious.
15. You will turn in your final draft
only.
16. The research paper is 25% of your course
grade - you cannot pass the course without a successful research paper.
17. The research paper is due:
- If
you turn in your paper NLT the beginning of class on 20/21 November, you
will receive 10 extra points.
- NLT
beginning of class, 27/28 November, no penalty
- I
will accept your paper NLT the beginning of class on 4/5 December with a
loss of 10 points.
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