English 1302- week 5 assignments

English 1302.WC1: Composition II

Fall 2014, Central Park Campus

Course Number: ENGL 1302

Course Title: Composition II

Instructor: Wendy Commons

Office: E221, Central Park Campus

Office Hours: Monday, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. online; 2:30-3:30 on-site

Tuesday, 1:00-2:15 p.m. on-site

Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. on-site

Thursday, 1:00-1:30 p.m. on-site

Friday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. online

(Other times available by appointment)

Email: [email protected] (Preferred contact method; please allow 24-48 hours for response. Email

may not always be checked on weekends.)

Office Phone: 972-548-6823

Department office contact in case of emergencies: Office of Academic Affairs, B-122 F, 214.491.6270

“When asked, ‘How do you write?’ I invariably answer, ‘One word at a time.’” - Stephen King

Class Information: Section number WC1, Online, Central Park Campus

Special Considerations for Online Students: Because this class has no face-to-face component, your primary

method of receiving information will be through text. You must read all course materials thoroughly and carefully.

You also need to check course materials and email regularly (I’d suggest at least twice a week), which naturally

requires a computer with internet access. If you don’t have one at home, I highly recommend choosing a study

location where you can access one (library, home of a friend or relative, etc.) and planning to spend a lot of time

there over the course of the semester. We do not have a strict schedule in which everyone is expected to be online

at specific times, but all students are expected actively participate in class activities.

Technology Requirements: To successfully complete this course, students must have ready access to a computer

with internet access and access to Blackboard. Students should also know how to send emails, attach files to emails

and discussion board posts, and type and save documents in Microsoft Word or a similar word processing

program.

Netiquette: Part of your evaluation will include work done in online class environments (Blackboard and

TurnItIn.com). The activities in which you participate in our online class space should be conducted as if you were

in a classroom. Be courteous to your fellow students and to your instructor. In discussion board posts, emails, and

other online exchanges, I expect you to use the sort of written language I would see in an essay that you would turn

in for a grade: no IM-speak, no slang, no all-caps, no no-caps. I don’t have problems with the occasional emoticon,

but just make sure that everyone can understand the point you are trying to communicate.

Course Description: Intensive study of and practice in the strategies and techniques for developing research

based expository and persuasive texts. Emphasis on effective and ethical rhetorical inquiry, including primary and

secondary research methods; critical reading of verbal, visual, and multimedia texts; systematic evaluation,

synthesis, and documentation of information sources; and critical thinking about evidence and conclusions. Lab

required.

Course Credit Hours: 3

Lecture Hours: 3

Lab Hour: 1

Course Format: Lectures, class discussion, small group discussions, computer-assisted instruction, audio/visual

materials, personal conferences, lab assignments, in-class writings/responses.

Prerequisite: ENGL 1301

Course Resources:

They Say, I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing, 3rd edition, by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein.

ISBN: 0393935841.

Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments and Handbook by Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer, with MyWritingLab

(access card package). ISBN: 9780321902634.

Supplies:

1. Access to the Internet for using Blackboard and for turning in assignments. 2. An active Collin email (Cougarmail) address. Please note that all emails to the professor must be sent via

your Collin email due to the college’s privacy policies.

Student Learning Outcomes:

� State-mandated Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students will: 1. Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative research processes. (Teamwork) 2. Develop ideas and synthesize primary and secondary sources within focused academic arguments,

including one or more research-based essays. (Communication Skills)

3. Analyze, interpret, and evaluate a variety of texts for the ethical and logical uses of evidence. (Critical Thinking)

4. Write in a style that clearly communicates meaning, builds credibility, and inspires belief or action. (Communication Skills)

5. Apply the conventions of style manuals for specific academic disciplines (e.g., APA, CMS, MLA, etc.). � Additional Collin Outcome: Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to do the

following:

1. Demonstrate personal responsibility through the ethical use of intellectual property. (Personal Responsibility)

Method of Evaluation: This class is set up to give you every possible advantage toward making a decent grade.

Completion of all assignments is vital to your success in my class; any student who does not complete all major

essays will not be eligible to pass. A passing grade in this class constitutes an average of 60 or better. As your

instructor, I also reserve the right to require tutoring through the Writing Center or Online Writing Lab for

students I feel need extra help completing and/or revising their assignments. For more information about the

Writing Centers and the OWL, please visit http://www.collin.edu/writingcenter.

Your final grades will be determined as follows:

� Essay #1 (Summary and Response Essay): 10% � Essay #2 (Annotated Bibliography): 15% � Essay #3 (Researched Argument Essay): 15% � Essay #4 (Reflective Essay): 10% � MLA Exam: 20% (10% from exam, 10% from proper documentation in Essay #3) � Lab Assignments: 15% � Participation and Professionalism: 15%

I will use the following grade scale to determine final grades:

� A = 90-100 � B = 80-89 � C = 70-79 � D = 60-69 � F = all grades under 60

Essays will usually be graded within two weeks of the due date. I will provide feedback for your graded material

either through Turnitin.com or via email.

Lab Component: The lab component is an integral part of this writing course. Over the course of the semester, you

will need to complete a combination of selections from the list below. This lab work is not the same as regular daily

coursework that you must complete to stay on track in the class; it is, instead, designed as additional writing-

focused activities that will help improve your writing throughout the term. During the semester, you will need to

track and provide evidence of completing these lab requirements outside of class.

For this course, you are required to complete 16 units of lab work. All students will be required to complete a

minimum of sixteen grammar-based quizzes (passing with a 70 or better) in MyWritingLab by the middle of the

semester; this will count as eight of the 16 required lab units. For the remaining eight lab units, which will be due

later in the semester, you may do any combination of the assignments below:

� Writing Center visit for Essay 1, 2, and/or 3: 2 lab units. Each Collin College campus has a writing center. I encourage you to use this complementary service to get assistance with your essays and other

writing assignments. You must work on an assignment for this class to receive lab credit for your visit,

which must be completed before the assignment’s due date. If you cannot get to campus, you may also send

your paper to the Online Writing Lab (or OWL), but be aware that the turnaround time for the OWL can be

up to 5 days (meaning you should send your essay to them at least that many days before it is due). If you

visit a Writing Center, ask your tutor for documentation of your visit; if you submit to the OWL, you should

forward the reply they send you to me at [email protected]. For more information about the college’s

writing centers and the OWL, visit www.collin.edu/writingcenter.

� Reflection on Essay Writing for Essays 1, 2, and/or 3: 1 lab unit each. For each of these essays, write a 300-word reflection over the essay writing process. You should focus on what you learned while

completing the essay, whether it be something directly related to writing (“I learned I have a difficult time

making my paragraphs flow together”) or something related to your learning style or personality as a

student (“I learned that, for me, waiting until the last minute to complete a writing assignment is not a

good idea” or “I found out that I had better luck remembering what I’d read when I wrote annotations after

each research session”). You should also identify what you think you did well in the essay and what you

hope to improve in future assignments. You will have one week after receiving your graded essay to submit

your reflection.

� Attend a Writing Center Workshop (1 lab unit each): The Writing Center also hosts occasional workshops on each campus, which you may attend for lab credit. These workshops cover topics like MLA

documentation, research, and argumentative writing. If you attend a workshop, please send me a brief

summary (at least 200 words) of what you learned and how this information will be applied in your writing

for this class.

� MyWritingLab Grammar Quizzes: half a lab unit each. At the beginning of the semester, everyone will complete a diagnostic test in MyWritingLab intended to show you which aspects of your writing need work.

MyWritingLab will design a personalized study plan for you based on the results of this test. Completing the

quizzes recommended by MyWritingLab (and reading some of the accompanying resources) should help

you improve your writing on the sentence level. You must get a score of 70 or better on a quiz in order to

receive credit. You won’t need to submit anything for these labs; MyWritingLab will track your progress for

me.

Due Dates: Assignments for this class, including essays and discussion posts, will be due Sundays before midnight

unless otherwise noted on the course calendar and/or in the assignment’s instructions.

Make-up or Late Work: In this class, all of your assignments will be submitted electronically. Assignments

submitted the day after the due date will receive an automatic twenty-point deduction and will not receive my

comments; after that, they will not be accepted at all. To avoid complications due to technical problems, you should

avoid waiting until the last possible minute to submit your assignments. If turnitin.com is down, you may email

your essay to me before the due date and time in order to receive full credit.

Parachute Clause: I will waive the twenty-point deduction for late work on one assignment per student per

semester. Points will be added back to the assignment grade at the end of the semester.

Online Discussion or Collaborative Activities: All discussion and collaborative activities must be submitted in a

timely manner. Discussion posts must include substantive comments, including at least one response to other

posts. (Avoid posts that don’t really add to the conversation, like “I agree” or “good point” – elaborate your

thoughts more clearly.) Maintain a collegial tone appropriate for class discussion, and never resort to insults, slurs,

or inappropriate language. Don’t plagiarize; if you include information from an outside source in your post, let us

know where you found it. Discussion and collaborative activities will be evaluated based on timely submission,

substantive contribution to the conversation, and proper tone, including appropriate grammar and syntax. Please

see the course netiquette statement for more details.

Delivery Method of Feedback and Graded Material: All grades and feedback will be posted via Turnitin.com or

Blackboard, usually within two weeks of the due date.

Contacting Your Professor: Your main means of contacting me will be via email. Due to the college’s privacy

policies, all emails sent to me at [email protected] MUST be sent from your official college email

(Cougarmail); otherwise, I may not be able to respond. Emails will usually be returned within two to three days. Be

sure to include your full name in the text of each email submission, and always write the course and section

number in the subject box of your email - example: ENGL 1302.WC1.

Attendance Policy: Students are expected to check their college email accounts and Blackboard discussion forums

at least twice per week.

Withdrawal Policy: See the current Collin Registration Guide for last day to withdraw. Last day for withdrawal is

October 17th. Should you choose to withdraw from this class, you must see the Registrar’s Office for the proper

paperwork. Students who do not formally withdraw will receive a performance grade.

Collin College Academic Policies: See the current Collin Student Handbook.

Americans with Disabilities Act Statement: Collin College will adhere to all applicable federal, state and local

laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal

educational opportunity. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the ACCESS office, SCC-D140 or 972.881.5898

(V/TTD: 972.881.5950) to arrange for appropriate accommodations. See the current Collin Student Handbook for

additional information.

Professor’s Requirements and Behavior Expectations:

1. All essays are to be submitted in accordance with the MLA documentation style. Be sure that you use 12- point font, include a heading, and set all of your margins to 1”. For additional information, consult your

textbook, handbook, or the MLA style manual.

2. Peer reviews will be done for most, if not all, of the major assignments you will be completing in this class. These conferences are not optional and must be completed in order to receive full credit for the

assignment. Each student is allowed to make up one missed peer review per semester by visiting the

Writing Center or submitting his or her essay to the Online Writing Lab before the essay’s due date.

3. This course stresses writing as a process, and if you fail to complete part of the process, you fail to complete the assignment. Therefore, assigned pre-writing activities must be submitted on time in order for

your essay to receive full credit.

4. In this class, any cases of plagiarism will automatically be reported to the College’s Dean of Students. I reserve the right to refuse future work from students who are caught plagiarizing; thus, students caught

plagiarizing may not receive a passing grade. Plagiarism is unacceptable in college-level courses and is

therefore grounds for failing. Students should also avoid submitting work from other/previous classes for a

grade in this class. See Collin College’s plagiarism policy below for more details.

Incomplete: Students prevented from completing the course because of extenuating circumstances may qualify for

a grade of Incomplete if the student has attended regularly, completed 80% of the course work, and is present to

sign the Incomplete Contract. (See the College Catalog about Incomplete Grades and Contracts.)

7-2.2 Scholastic Dishonesty: Every member of the Collin College community is expected to maintain the highest

standards of academic integrity. Collin College may initiate disciplinary proceedings against a student accused of

scholastic dishonesty. While specific examples are listed below, this is not an exhaustive list and scholastic

dishonesty may encompass other conduct, including any conduct through electronic or computerized means.

Scholastic dishonesty shall involve, but is not limited to, one or more of the following acts:

General Scholastic Dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts, or omissions related to

applications for enrollment, credit or class work, research, and/or the award of a degree; falsifying academic

records; using annotated texts or teacher’s editions; using information about exams posted on the Internet or in

any electronic medium; leaving a test site without authority; failing to secure test materials; and/or submitting

work that is not one’s own. All work submitted for credit is expected to be the student’s own work. Students are

expected to record honestly and accurately the results of all their research. Falsification of research results

includes misrepresentations, distortions, or omissions in data or reports on research.

Plagiarism is the use of an author’s words or ideas as if they were one’s own without giving credit to the source,

including, but not limited to, failure to acknowledge a direct quotation. In the preparation of all papers and other

written work, students must distinguish their own ideas and knowledge from information derived from other

sources. The term “sources” includes not only published primary and secondary materials, but also information

and opinions gained directly from other people. Whenever ideas or facts are derived from a source, the source

must be indicated by the student.

Cheating is the willful giving or receiving of information in an unauthorized manner during an examination or to

complete an assignment; collaborating with another student during an examination without authority; using,

buying, selling, soliciting, stealing, or otherwise obtaining course assignments and/or examination questions in

advance; unauthorized copying computer or Internet files; using someone else’s work for assignments as if it were

one’s own; submitting or resubmitting an assignment (in whole or in part) for more than one (1) class or

institution without permission from the professor(s); or any other dishonest means of attempting to fulfill the

requirements of a course.

Collusion is intentionally or unintentionally aiding or attempting to aid another in an act of scholastic dishonesty,

including but not limited to, failing to secure academic work; providing a paper or project to another student;

providing an inappropriate level of assistance or unauthorized collaboration; communicating answers to a

classmate about an examination or any other course assignment; removing tests or answer sheets from a test site;

and allowing a classmate to copy answers.

In cases where an incident report has been filed for alleged violation of scholastic dishonesty, the faculty member

is requested to delay posting a grade for the academic work in question until the case is final. Students found

responsible for scholastic dishonesty offenses will receive an authorized disciplinary penalty or penalties from the

Dean of Student Development Office. The student may also receive an academic penalty in the course where the

scholastic dishonesty took place. The faculty member will determine the appropriate academic penalty.

Instructor clarification: MANY CASES OF PLAGIARISM ARE THE RESULT OF CARELESS DOCUMENTATION OR

FAULTY NOTETAKING. Unfortunately, the reader who finds the error, not knowing the writer's intent, can only

assume the plagiarism is intentional. Intentional or not, plagiarism in any paper will still carry serious penalties.

You can avoid plagiarizing if you remember that when you quote, use quotation marks; when you paraphrase, use

only your own words. IN EITHER CASE, YOU MUST DOCUMENT.

Many students overreact when they learn what plagiarism means. They either assume that they should not use any

sources (thus avoiding the problem entirely), or they assume they should document every word they have written.

Both reactions are in error, for good writing involves the synthesis of your own ideas with the ideas of others.

Documentation serves the purpose of clearly indicating which ideas are yours and which are those of other writers.

If you are in doubt about that dividing line, ask your instructor or the Writing Center tutors for guidance.

Plagiarism, because it is a form of theft, burglary, kidnapping, or dishonesty that interferes with the goals of

education, must carry severe penalties. The English Department's policy is that an assignment containing

plagiarized material receives an automatic "F."

In this class, any cases of plagiarism will automatically be reported to the College’s Dean of Students, and penalties

for plagiarism may range from receiving a zero for the plagiarized assignment to failing the class, depending on the

circumstances. I consider submitting work from other/previous classes without permission from me

plagiarism.

Writing Workshops for Students: Several Writing Workshops will be held each semester to address specific

areas of the writing and research process. These workshops address topics such as sentence structure, MLA

documentation, writing a literary analysis, essay organization, ESL issues, how to spot and correct common writing

errors, etc.

Writing Workshops for Students: Several Writing Workshops will be held each semester to address specific

areas of the writing and research process. These workshops address topics such as sentence structure, MLA

documentation, writing a literary analysis, essay organization, ESL issues, how to spot and correct common writing

errors, etc.

Grading Standards: To unify grading, I will be using the following guidelines.

I. EXCELLENT/SUPERIOR (A/B) a. Note: Although “A” and “B” papers possess many of the same features, the style, originality, and level of

excellence of the “A” paper are exceptional.

b. Preparation: The student adapts his or her thinking to the form and requirements of the assignments, developing the paper through preliminary outlines and drafts.

c. Contents: The paper contains a significant and central idea clearly defined and supported with concrete, substantial, and consistently relevant detail. The superior paper displays freshness and originality of

perception; it moves through its ideas with inevitability organic to its central idea.

d. Development: The paper engages attention and interest at the beginning, progresses by ordered and necessary stages, and ends with a non-repetitive conclusion. Development is economical, original, well

proportioned, and emphatic; paragraphs are coherent, unified, and properly developed; and transitional

expressions are both logical and effectively placed.

e. Sentence Structure: Sentences are unified, coherent, forceful, and varied to promote a lively and interesting rhythm.

f. Diction: The language is distinctive, fresh, economical, and precise; usage is rarely incorrect. g. Grammar and Punctuation: Correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and mechanics reflect clear and

effective thinking.

h. Appearance: The student has carefully proofread and correctly documented the paper. The student will type out-of-class papers using standard 10- or 12-font size on standard white paper using 1” margins and double

spacing throughout (no triple spacing between paragraphs).

II. AVERAGE (C) a. The “C” paper is clear, competent, and controlled, but its style and originality are undistinguished. b. Preparation: The paper contains evidence of at least one preliminary draft. The student has clearly and

competently adapted the topic and content to the assignment.

c. Content: The central idea is apparent but too general, familiar, or limited. Although supported with concrete detail, such detail may be occasionally repetitious, irrelevant, and/or sketchy.

d. Development: The plan of the paper is recognizable but not developed and/or consistently fulfilled. Development may be disproportionate or exhibit inappropriate emphasis. Transitions are clear but too

abrupt, mechanical, and/or monotonous. The paragraphs are unified, coherent, and usually well developed.

e. Sentence Structure: The sentences are competent, but many lack force, variation in structure, and/or effective rhythm.

f. Diction: The language is appropriate to the paper’s purpose, subject, and audience; it is not overly formal, abstract, or colloquial. Errors in usage are infrequent.

g. Grammar and Punctuation: Deviations from standard grammar, punctuation, spelling, or mechanics damage the paper’s clarity and effectiveness.

h. Appearance: The “C” paper conforms to the guidelines established for the superior paper. III. UNSATISFACTORY (D-F)

a. Although “D” and “F” papers may share the same faults (such as inadequate development or absence of a discernible thesis), the “F” paper exhibits an obvious breakdown in style and structure.

b. Preparation: The student’s ideas do not relate to the specific assignment, and the paper suggests scant evidence of a preliminary draft.

c. Content: The central idea is missing, confused, superficial, or unsupported by concrete and relevant detail. Content is obvious, contradictory, and/or aimless.

d. Development: The essay lacks clear and orderly stages and further fails to emphasize and support the central idea. Paragraphs are typographical rather than structural; transitions between paragraphs are

missing, unclear, ineffective, or rudimentary.

e. Sentence Structure: Sentences are incoherent, incomplete, fused, monotonous, rudimentary, and/or redundant, thus thwarting the intended meaning.

f. Diction: The level of language is inappropriate to the subject; errors in usage are frequent. g. Grammar and Punctuation: Frequent mistakes in basic grammar, spelling, and punctuation obscure the

writer’s ideas.

h. Appearance: An illegible presentation is always a liability. i. Plagiarism: Collin College faculty do not tolerate plagiarism. A paper containing plagiarism will earn a failing

grade.

Tentative Course Calendar

GR = Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments; TSIS = They Say, I Say

� Week 1: August 25-31 � Read through the information in the Orientation folder in Blackboard � Introduce yourself in the Week 1 discussion forum

� Week 2: September 1-7 � September 1: Labor Day; campuses closed � Read Chapters 1 (“Making Effective Arguments”) and 2 (“Reading Arguments”) in GR � Read the introduction and Chapter 1 (“They Say”) of TSIS � Complete grammar diagnostic in MyWritingLab � Complete Week 2 discussion posts

� Week 3: September 8-14 � Read Chapters 2 (“Her Point Is”), 3 (“As He Himself Puts It”), and 4 (“Yes/No/Okay, But”) in TSIS � Read Chapter 6 (“Analyzing Written Arguments”) in GR � Complete Week 3 assignments in MyWritingLab � Complete Week 3 discussion posts � Choose an essay from GR to analyze for Essay 1 (requires instructor approval)

� Week 4: September 15-21 � Read Chapter 5 (“And Yet”) in TSIS � Read Chapters 4 (“Drafting and Revising Arguments”) and 20 (“Documenting sources in MLA

Style”) in GR

� Complete Week 4 discussion posts � Complete assignments in MyWritingLab � Post draft for peer review before midnight on Thursday

� Week 5: September 22-28 � Complete assignments in MyWritingLab � Post completed peer reviews before midnight on Tuesday � Essay 1 (Summary and Response) due Sunday before midnight via Turnitin.com

� Week 6: September 29-October 5 � Read Chapters 3 (“Finding Arguments”) and 16 (“Planning Research”) in GR � Read Chapter 6 (“Skeptics May Object”) in TSIS � Complete assignments in MyWritingLab � MLA Exam Review due Sunday before midnight

� Week 7: October 6-12 � Read Chapters 7 (“So What? Who Cares?”), 8 (“As a Result”), and 10 (“But Don’t Get Me Wrong”) in

TSIS

� Complete assignments in MyWritingLab � Post draft for peer review before midnight on Thursday � MLA Exam due Sunday before midnight

� Week 8: October 13-19 � October 17: Last day to withdraw � Read Chapter 13 (“Analyze This”) in TSIS � Complete assignments in MyWritingLab � Post completed peer reviews before midnight on Tuesday � Essay 2 (Annotated Bibliography) due Sunday before midnight via Turnitin.com

� Week 9: October 20-26 � Read Chapter 19 (“Writing the Research Project”) in GR � Go through Chapters 8 (“Definition Arguments”), 9 (“Causal Arguments”), 10 (“Evaluation

Arguments”), and 13 (“Proposal Arguments”) in GR as needed for help designing your argument in

Essay 3

� Complete assignments in MyWritingLab

� Week 10: October 27-November 2 � Go through Chapters 8 (“Definition Arguments”), 9 (“Causal Arguments”), 10 (“Evaluation

Arguments”), and 13 (“Proposal Arguments”) in GR as needed for help designing your argument in

Essay 3

� Complete discussion posts in Blackboard � Complete assignments in MyWritingLab � Post draft for peer review before midnight on Thursday

� Week 11: November 3-9 � Post completed peer reviews before midnight on Tuesday � Essay 3 (Researched Argument) due Sunday before midnight via Turnitin.com

� Week 12: November 10-16 � Read Chapter 11 (“Narrative Arguments”) in GR

� Week 13: November 17-23 � Read Chapter 12 (“What’s Motivating This Writer?”) in TSIS

� Week 14: November 24-30 � All lab units due Wednesday before midnight � November 26-30: All campuses closed for Thanksgiving holiday

� Week 15: December 1-7 � Essay 4 (Reflection) due Wednesday before midnight via Turnitin.com

� Week 16: December 8-14 (Final Exam Week) � Complete online survey in Blackboard

Note: All dates and assignments listed here are tentative and subject to change. Students are responsible for

recognizing and following any alterations made to this schedule.