21
July 2014 – provisional rough draft for posting to angryverbs.blogspot.com
(BlackBoard is not available until the beginning of term).
M. Hall
Angryverbs.blogspot.com
This is a provisional syllabus for English 1301; any
changes between now and the first class will be slight. If there is no
subsequent version, this one is it. As
the term progresses I will also post to angryverbs.blogspot.com
numerous documents regarding block form business letter format, MLA essay
format (which is in your textbook), and other matters.
Jasper High School students only: Angelina College and
Jasper High School have developed an agreement which can modify some of the
attendance requirements on certain (and rare) occasions, such as U.I.L.
competitions and Jasper High School holidays.
This agreement does not apply to activity practices or rehearsals,
meetings, absences due to JHS discipline matters, and other occasions. Angelina’s attendance policies are otherwise
very clear; read them carefully. If
external situations not covered in the Angelina / JHS agreement suggest to you
that you might not be able make class as required, you might want to consider a
distance or computer course instead of this one. Do not put yourself in a bind.
I do not accept late papers. Ever.
Your text is The
Bedford Handbook, 9th edition.
Because of the many changes this year, an older edition won’t do. Don’t worry about bringing a copy to the
first class, but you’ll need one the second week. You are welcome to share a copy with a study
buddy. Do not buy any ancillary material
such as CDs or online access codes (electronic access to something called “Integrated
Media” [what does that mean?] comes
with your purchase); you need only your book, paper, and pens filled with
copious amounts of black or blue ink (No pencils. Ever.).
English 1301 is by its nature pretty dull and mechanical;
it helps you learn how to write professionally in the detached third-person,
addressing a topic or problem through proof and illustration, not by
self-reference, the incessant I, I, I, me, me, me self-absorption of our age of
anti-social media. Even a brief
reflection will reveal the need for rational thought: you wouldn’t want your
physician to focus on his or her moods instead of tending to your broken arm,
and an attorney who puts his palm to your face, whines “I’m not having a good
day,” and retreats to his or her happy place within his MeMeMeSpace on the Orwellian
telescreen does you no good in court.
So, yes, while English 1301 is a bit of a yawner, it helps you prepare
for your profession and, as an extra, your ability to think critically about
the “cataract of nonsense” (C. S. Lewis) that flows from popular culture.
Read the final syllabus carefully; by enrolling in class
you agree to follow it. If you have a
question about this provisional draft, please do not be shy in writing to me
about it.
Angelina College
Liberal Arts
English 1301, Composition I
Syllabus
I.
BASIC COURSE
INFORMATION:
A.
Course
Description:
Three hours credit.
Intensive study of and practice in writing processes, from invention and
researching to drafting, revising, and editing, both individually and
collaboratively. Emphasis on effective
rhetorical choices, including audience, purpose, arrangement, and style. Focus on writing the academic essay as a
vehicle for learning, communicating and critical analysis.
B. Intended
Audience: Students who have satisfied TSI writing requirements.
C.
Instructor:
Instructor Name: Lawrence
Hall. Office Location: G. Office Hours: Before and after class. Office
telephone: 409 489 9000. Facsimile
machine: 409 489 9416. “Call me” is not
a message. Email: mhall46184@aol.com. Please be advised that I do not log into my
official Angelina email every day; mhall46184@aol.com
is the better choice. I always reply to
email as soon as I read it; if you send a message and do not hear from me in a
day or so, your message did not get through.
When writing, follow the block form business letter format – this is a
writing class, after all, so let the professionalism begin now. If you send a poorly-formatted letter I will
return it to you for a re-write.
‘Net contacts: Blackboard
and angryverbs.blogspot.com. Blackboard
is unreliable, so I will also post notes to angryverbs.blogspot.com. Angryverbs.blogspot.com contains most of last
term’s lessons, notes, and guides, and will prove very useful to you. These sources do not replace classroom
contact, lessons, and documents; this is not a distance-learning class.
II. INTENDED STUDENT OUTCOMES:
A. Core Objectives
Required for this Course
1. Critical
Thinking: to include creative thinking,
innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and
synthesis of information
2. Communication:
to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual
communication
3. Teamwork: to
include the ability to consider different points of view and to work
effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
4. Personal
Responsibility: to include the ability
to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making
B. Course Learning
Outcomes:
• Demonstrate
knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes
• Develop ideas
with appropriate support and attribution
• Write in a style
appropriate to audience and purpose
• Read, reflect,
and respond critically to a variety of texts
• Use Edited
American English in academic essays
III. ASSESSMENT MEASURES
A. Assessments for
the Core Objectives (Tentative)
1. Critical
Thinking: Students will read expository prose critically to distinguish between
perception and inference, surface and implied meanings, fact and opinion. Students will formulate and develop arguments
and critical theories about issues, argumentative prose, and literary
interpretations. A rubric will be used
to assess critical thinking skills as demonstrated through embedded questions
on standardized exams.
2. Communication:
Students will write modal essays and other written compositions. Students will prepare visual aids to use in
oral presentations to accompany the compositions being prepared. A rubric will
be used to assess the effective development, interpretation and expression of
written, oral, and visual communication as demonstrated through embedded
questions on standardized exams.
3. Teamwork:
Students will engage in teamwork exercises to assess each member’s ability to
consider different viewpoints and work towards a common goal. These exercises may include a mixture of peer
editing in groups, group research projects, and group oral presentations of
findings. A rubric will be used to
assess teamwork as demonstrated through embedded questions on standardized exams.
4. Personal
Responsibility: Students will be required to demonstrate their ability to
connect choices and actions, engage in ethical decision-making, and understand
its consequences. A rubric will be used to assess personal
responsibility as demonstrated through embedded questions on standardized
exams.
B. Assessments for
Course Learning Outcomes
1. Students will
demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes by
composing a variety of essays.
2. Students will
show the development of ideas with proper support and attribution by preparing
essays using appropriate MLA documentation.
3. Students will
demonstrate the ability to write in a style appropriate to audience and purpose
by composing essays with a variety of purposes directed to different types of
audiences.
4. Students will
demonstrate the ability to read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety
of texts by composing essays that directly address the ideas discussed and
issues raised in texts read in class.
5. Students will
show the ability to use Edited American English in academic essay by composing
a variety of essays employing EAE.
IV. INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES:
Methodologies that may be utilized in presenting course
content include in class or online lecture notes, paper and pen or online
grammar exercises or research exercises,
in person or email workshops for student writings in progress, audio-visual
presentations for view in class or outside of class, online discussions
(synchronous or asynchronous), student presentations to groups or to instructor
only, and guest participants.
V. COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND POLICIES:
A. Required
Textbooks and Recommended Readings, Materials, and Equipment.
Your text is The
Bedford Handbook, 9th edition. This
is a much-revised edition, so an older one won’t do. Don’t worry about bringing a copy to the
first class, but you’ll need one the second week. You are welcome to share a copy with a study
buddy. Do not buy any ancillary material
such as CDs or online access codes; you need only your book, paper, and black
or blue pens (No pencils. Ever.).
B. Course Policies
– This course conforms to the policies of Angelina College as stated in the
Angelina College Handbook.
1. Academic
Assistance – If you have a disability (as cited in Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act
of 1990) that may affect your participation in this class, you should see Karen
Bowser, Room 208 of the Student Center. At a post-secondary institution, you
must self-identify as a person with a disability; Ms. Bowser will assist you
with the necessary information to do so. To report any complaints of
discrimination related to disability, you should contact Dr. Patricia McKenzie,
Administration Building, Room 105 or 936-633-5201.
2. Attendance –
Attendance is required as per Angelina College Policy and will be recorded
every day. Any student with three (3)
consecutive absences of four (4) cumulative absences will be dropped from the class.
Records will be turned in to the academic dean at the end of the semester. Do
not assume that non-attendance in class will always result in an instructor
drop. You must officially drop a class
or risk receiving an F. This is official
Angelina College Policy.
3. Additional
Policies Established by the Instructor —
Quizzes
may appear at any time -- be prepared for each class. All work has a one-class-period expiration
date, but this is only if you are absent.
A due-date is not a suggestion; out-of-class assignments are due at the
beginning of the class. Please do not ask to leave class on a due-date to print
out your paper. No one wants to hear
about your home printer or computer problems. Really. This isn't high school.
Attendance: Per Angelina College requirements, three
consecutive absences or four cumulative absences from a day course or two
absences from a night course require me to drop you; I am not permitted
flexility in this. Disappearing during a
break or during class counts as an absence. Tardiness is an absence; your
presence elsewhere in the building instead of in class and on time is an
absence. I cannot / will not re-teach a
class session; if you miss, you must ask a classmate for notes. Form casual
study / buddy groups and communicate with each other. If I miss -- and I
haven’t yet – I will try to post my absence on angryverbs.blogspot.com and
Blackboard in advance. Individual emails or ‘phone calls are impossible.
Out-of-class
work must be produced on a word processor.
I accept 12-point Bookman Old Style (preferred), Geneva, Arial, or Times
New Roman. Follow the MLA format. Papers
are due at the beginning of class; if you are in the library typing when class
begins you have both a zero test grade and an absence. Please do not bring me a memory device and
ask me to print out your paper -- that's a zero for the assignment. In-class work must be in black or blue
ink. This is not high school.
Office
Hours: Before and after class. I hope to
be in the classroom approximately a half-hour before class and briefly after
class. Please feel free to email me at any time at my email address (mhall46184@aol.com is best) to ask me
reasonable questions or for reasonable advice.
Do NOT ask me what we did last week; access Blackboard and
angryverbs.blogspot.com, and ask a classmate.
Really. This isn’t high
school. Show initiative; passivity is
your enemy.
Class
participation: let's have lots of fun here, but remember that even the most
heated arguments should be in a spirit of good fellowship, with no ad hominem attacks. You are a scholar --
argue like one, with courtesy and generosity. You must talk! The outside
readings are not overwhelming, so take some notes and prepare to make a
significant contribution: one good, original thought -- YOUR THOUGHTS, not Mr.
Cliff's or Mr. Sparks' -- per poem / essay / narrative. No potty-mouth – and don’t piously cite the
First Amendment as a pretext for foul language; the FA is about the freedom to
petition your government and the freedom to assemble peaceably.
Drinks
and snacks -- You probably had a long and tiring day before you arrived in
class, so I do not mind a cup of coffee or a small soda, but remember that this
is not McDonald's: no food, please. Please use a bit of paper towel so no rings
are left on the furniture, and at the end of class put all debris away in the
trash cans. Push the chairs back into position.
The nice folks who clean up around here are overworked and underpaid,
and deserve everyone's respect for their contributions to your success.
How
much help? When writing papers you may solicit a great deal of assistance from
others with matters of form and proofreading; indeed, I encourage such
collaboration. The thesis and content, however, must be your work alone, and
all quotations and sources must be properly documented. I cannot emphasize too
much what a serious issue this is. An instructor need not resort to plagiarism
programs; a simple string search on any search engine will ferret out a
downloaded paper. Anyone who perpetrates such an offense will suddenly be free
to find his or her true self -- if you cheat, I will drop you from the class
with an F. I search out all papers through plagiarism sites, which may result
in a slower paper return. I apologize for any delay that occurs.
Referring
to this class as a basic to be gotten out of the way is impolitic. Education is
a joy in itself, a rare privilege enjoyed by very few people in history, and
even the most tiresome prerequisite is never a basic or something to be gotten
out of the way. You are now a college student, not a conscript high school
sophomore. Celebrate your intellect. Oh – and please don’t tell me that you
made straight As in high school.
Cell
'phones, recorders, things that stick out of the ear, and other gadgets -- I
don't mind if you keep your 'phone on buzz if you are concerned about a sick
child or a situation at least as important. Please take the call discreetly out
of the classroom. DO NOT TALK ON A TELEPHONE, TEXT, TWEET, TWIT, TYPE, OR
MANIPULATE ANY KIND OF CAMERA, RECORDER, OR OTHER COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE IN THE
CLASSROOM AT ANY TIME without a specific and immediate learning need, not even
before or after class. Don’t allow the Orwellian telescreen to absorb your very
being and become your happy place. You
are a child of God, not “a nameless number on a list that was afterwards
mislaid” (Doctor Zhivago). Disconnect
from the electronic masters and interact with humans for the duration of the
class. Do not make any visual or sound recordings at any time without the
permission of the entire class. For
those with hearing difficulties, you are welcome to record me FOR YOUR OWN
STUDY / REVIEW ONLY, WITHOUT EDITING AND WITHOUT PUBLICATION. But be sure you don’t record someone else
without that person’s permission.
A
rule I never thought I'd have to make -- no spit cups.
If you flunked English
1301 at a four-year school and are here to make it up, you are very welcome;
however, if you are under the illusion that this is an easy class requiring
nothing more than a cell 'phone, a bottle of water, and practice in anger
management, go away.
If
you send emails in which the writer is not identifiable, in which the email
address is childish, or in which the content is not formatted as a business
letter complete with heading, inside address, salutation, body, complimentary
close, and signature, all in block form, then I will require you to rework the
message before I respond to it. You are
in college, not in junior high.
By
law I may not talk with a third party – parents, friends, relatives,
others. Regardless of your age, this is
not high school, and if your parents wish to keep up-to-date with your
progress, you must take care of that.
And, really, even if it were not the law, why should it be any other
way? The one exception, per contract and
state law, is that I will advise the high school counselor of dual-credit
students of any deficiencies. I will not
talk with you on the telephone or by email about some issues – after all, I
can’t possibly know if the person on the other end of the aether is you.
Being
prepared for class and being informed about class assignments is your
responsibility. IF YOU MISS A CLASS, BE
PREPARED WHEN YOU RETURN TO CLASS. Your
tentative calendar is the sequence I use to organize the class, so look at it
and at lesson postings on angryverbs.blogspot.com and on BlackBoard, and
communicate with your study-buddies. Be
prepared for class when you come back.
Do not attempt to use an absence as an excuse for not being prepared.
This is college, not high school.
If you have more absences than allowed by the student
handbook, you will be dropped and you will not be readmitted. There are no excused absences; there are just
absences.
If you have any work to make up because of an absence,
that work must be completed upon your return to class. Please be sure to initiate contact with me to
make your arrangements. You cannot make up work after the next class,
and there will be no make-up work allowed during the last two weeks of
classes.
I do not accept late
papers. If you are absent the day an
assignment is due, I will accept it at the next class, but not later. If you miss a test, I will offer it at the
next class, but not later.
ANY INSTANCE OF PLAGIARISM, WHICH IS THE UNACKNOWLEDGED
USE OF ANYONE ELSE'S WORK—PUBLISHED OR UNPUBLISHED—OR CHEATING OF ANY KIND,
WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE AND IRREVOCABLE FAILURE FOR THE ENTIRE COURSE.
It
is the policy of Angelina College that you not bring children to class.
I
encourage you to talk with me. Please
stop me during a lecture if you do not understand the material. If you are having difficulties, please bring
them to my attention right away. I
cannot give you help with understanding if you wait until the day an assignment
is due to ask for clarification. I do
not give makeup or bonus work.
These
policies are applicable to everyone throughout the entire semester. Please do not embarrass both of us by asking
for exceptions to be made for you.
Jasper
High School students only: Angelina College and Jasper High School have
developed an agreement which can modify some of the following on certain
occasions, such as a U.I.L. competition and Jasper High School holidays. This agreement does not apply to called
practices, meetings, absence due to JHS discipline requirements, and other
occasions. Angelina’s attendance
policies are very clear; read them carefully.
If external situations not covered in the Angelina / JHS agreement
suggest to you that you might not be able make class as required, you might
want to consider a distance or computer course.
Do not put yourself in a bind.
VI. COURSE
OUTLINE:
Class
Sequence -- VERY flexible. Indeed, this is so flexible it's a candidate for
Cirque d'Soleil. This is a pattern of a typical (and thus almost mythical)
semester. Use it as a maybe / sort of /
this-could-happen suggestion / guide, remembering always that preparations and
instructions for one class are given during the previous class, and your
absence is no excuse:
Week
1: Discussion of expectations. Hand out and discuss syllabus. Hand out and
discuss "Rules for Essay Writing."
Hand out and discuss “Words that Don’t Matter.” Think about a topic for
your research paper. Hand out and discuss, oh, more stuff.
Week
2 (or so): 10 minutes' journal time.
Grammar review item. You will be given a descriptive essay for
study. Read in class in small groups or
solo. We will suffer – um, enjoy - a guided discussion re the essay or excerpts
and author's techniques. Connect to students' own experiences. Assign rough
draft of a narrative essay, with time in class to begin. Think some more about
your research paper.
Week
3 (or so): 10 minutes' journal time. Peer review: Circulate rough drafts of
narrative essay in small groups. You will be graded on your possession of a
substantial -- a few scrawls in your notebook won’t do -- rough draft, most of
it computer-generated. Begin writing your research paper.
Week
4 (or so): Narrative essays due at beginning of class. 10 minutes' journal
time. Grammar review item. Introduce and discuss persuasive essay, concepts and
techniques. Assign topics for persuasive essay. Feel guilty because you haven’t
begun your research paper.
Week
5 (or so): 10 minutes' journal time. Grammar review item. Circulate rough
drafts of persuasive essays in small groups for peer review. Panic about your
research paper.
Week
6 (or so): 10 minutes' journal time. Grammar review item. Plunge into
existential denial regarding that research paper.
Week
7 (or so): Persuasive essays due at beginning of class. 10 minutes' journal
time. Grammar review item. Review for mid-term exam. Despair that after tonight
you must now really, really, really begin to write the research paper you
haven’ t even researched.
Week
8 (or so): First Great Celebration of Learning: Mid-term Exam.
Week
9 (or so): 10 minutes' journal time. Grammar review item. Discuss research
papers in MLA format. Topics. Ad lib computer writing lab. Um…research paper?
Week
10 (or so): 10 minutes' journal time. Grammar review item. Ad lib writing
research paper writing with one-on-one instructor consultation. No, I will not
give you a topic for your research paper.
Week
11 (or so): Research papers due at beginning of class. 10 minutes' journal
time. Grammar review item. Introduce and discuss expository essays. Examples.
Computer lab time. Curiously enough, attendance at tonight’s class will be thin
-- must be that virus that’s going around.
Week
12 (or so): 10 minutes' journal time. Grammar review item. Ad lib writing of
expository essays with one-on-one instructor consultation.
Week
13 (or so): Expository essays due at beginning of class. 10 minutes' journal
time. Grammar review item.
Week
14 (or so): 10 minutes' journal time. Grammar review item. Review for final
exam.
Week 15 (or so): Last
Great Celebration of Learning: Final Exam.
Your research paper, which is 15% of your complete
grade, is due:
24 November, Monday, NLT (not later than) 11:30
A.M., for ten bonus points.
1-3 December, NLT beginning of class.
8-10 December, NLT beginning of class, for a loss
of ten points.
VII. EVALUATION AND GRADING:
A.
Grading
Criteria
1 Argument / persuasion paper 15%
1 Literary essay with documentation 15%
Best 1 of at least two in-class essays 15%
Average of tests / quizzes 15%
Research
paper 15%
Mid-term exam 15%
Final exam
10%
Please know that I use the
terms “quiz” and “test” synonymously.
“Tests and essays” as a category are the cumulative of your essays,
projects, and tests. The mid-term exam
and final exams are stand-alones at 25% each.
I am considering grading the research paper as two or perhaps three
separate components for the cumulative 25%; this would help your grade
somewhat.
All papers
assigned for this class must be computerized in correct MLA format
B. Determination of Grade (assignment of
letter grades)
A (90-100) Excellent
B (80-89) Good
C (70-79) Average
D (60-69) Minimum
passing
F (50 or below) Failure
Standard
Grading Policy for the English Department for all Essays Assigned:
A–above
average. Good organization, exceptional content, No more than one major Error.
A+ = 98, A = 95, A- = 92, A- -
= 90
B–above
average. Good organization, exceptional
content, and only one or two major errors.
B+ = 88, B = 85, B
- = 82, B - - = 80
C–average. Organization, clear content, no more than 3
major errors.
C+ = 78, C = 75, C
- = 72, C - - = 70
D–below
average. Either lacks content and/or
organization or has many major errors.
More than 4 major errors drops the grade to an F.
D+ = 68, D = 65,
D - = 62, D - - = 60
F–failing. Shows little or no effort. Contains 4 OR MORE major errors. F = 50.
0–no
grade. Did not turn in work, plagiarized
an essay, or did not write on the assigned topic.
Please Note: In the case of a plagiarized essay or
research paper, a student will be dismissed from this course with an F.
Examples of major errors:
CS - comma splice The boy ran, he fell down.
Frag - fragment Crying as he fell on the sidewalk.
Frag error - fragment error Although he was hurt; no one stopped to help him.
RO - run on or fused He hurt his knee it was bleeding.
S/V - subject/verb agreement Everyone
laugh at him.
The instructor may modify
the provisions of the syllabus to by informing the class in advance. No document can cover all possibilities,
emergencies, or contingencies; if we are faced with an unanticipated situation,
the instructor will decide.
