ENGLISH 101 course

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In Search of a Voice and Other Adventures:

College Reading and Composition I--English 101-8218

Online Spring 2016 (8 weeks: 11 April-3 June)

H. Vishwanadha

e-mail: [email protected]

[email protected]

My voice restore for me

My mind restore for me

. . . . . . . .

It is finished in beauty

It is finished in beauty.

from the Navajo "Night Chant"

1. This course will focus on effective expository prose and critical reading--necessary survival skills for your success in college and the professional world. In addition, we shall improve

our research skills through assignments in the library.

2. This class is taught entirely online and runs eight weeks from 11 April to 3 June. You are expected to have a working computer with a reliable connection to the web via the

internet throughout the semester. Make sure you have installed on your computer the

necessary software to submit assignments in a format compatible with the ETUDES platform

and my computer (Word 2003 or later format or Rich Text Format for all documents). You

should become familiar with the ETUDES platform and other aspects of the online learning

environment. The home page of the online courses at myetudes.org is the main portal to gain

access to the course home page that has all the course materials. The web site also includes

helpful videos, FAQs, and other useful information to help orient you to the ETUDES

platform. Browse these sources as soon as possible. Take note of the Help Desk. For any

technical questions or problems, contact the Help Desk at 310.287.4305 or

[email protected]. Regular participation in all online discussions is required.

Additional information about distance learning and online courses, visit

www.wlac.edu/online

3. Writing is a complex, enriching process. All of us should systematically go through the prewriting/discovery, rough draft, and revision phases of the composing process. Rewriting is

the best form of writing. We shall continually revise our essays to make them informative,

thoughtful, and effective.

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4. The absolute TRUTH about composition according to Vishwanadha:

We write not just for grades and teachers but for real human beings.

We write not just correctly but effectively and gracefully.

We write not just to fill up paper but to inform and persuade.

Rewriting is the best form of writing.

5. Required texts:

a) A. Gawande. Complications. A Surgeon‟s Notes on an Imperfect Science. New York: Picador, 2002.

b) S. Winchester. Professor and the Madman. New York: Harper Perennial, 2005. c) A Pocket Style Manual. Ed. Diana Hacker. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin‟s, 2007. d) A good desk dictionary.

1. Assignments:

Essays (about 4) 55%

Timed-writing assignments (about 6) 25%

Threaded discussions 15%

Journal (at least one entry a week) 5%

Carefully review the document titled “101EssayGrading Rubric,” which is posted in the

“Course Policies and Procedures” section

2. There is no midterm or final examination. We will write several essays and timed-writing assignments throughout the semester. The last essay will be completed and submitted by

Saturday 4 June and the last timed-assignment by Friday 3 June. Details will be given later in

the semester.

3. There is no formal research paper. The essays (including Essay IV) will require research of secondary sources. We shall follow the usual procedures for academic research (compiling a

working bibliography of reliable sources, taking careful notes, and documenting all borrowed

information) as outlined in Hacker‟s Pocket Style Manual. Specific instructions for

composing and submitting these essays will be given in the course of the semester. Students

are required to adhere to these instructions. Essays not following these instructions will not

be accepted.

4. The course grade--a cumulation of all the written work--will be determined according to the following scale:

A+ 12 B+ 9 C+ 6 D+ 3

A 11 B 8 C 5 D 2

A- 10 B- 7 C- 4 D- 1 F 0

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5. Class Participation: Active and regular participation in all the activities every week (reading, discussions, essays) is required. The discussions are a vital part of the course. Not

participating in a weekly discussion or not submitting an assignment is equivalent to being

absent for the entire week. Two or more unexcused absences will result in your being

dropped from the course. Remember, all assignments will have specific due dates, and after

the deadline has passed the system will not allow you to submit late assignments. Make sure

you submit your work by the deadline specified to receive proper credit.

6. Any assignment more than one week late--except under extenuating circumstances--will lose one letter grade. Please complete all assignments, both written and oral--on time. Not

submitting a major writing assignment, such as an essay or timed paper, will result in a drop

of one letter grade in the course grade.

7. Individual Conferences (Office Hours): Although we do not meet on campus, I expect you to “meet” me regularly via email throughout the semester. Don‟t hesitate to ask questions and

seek advice about any aspect of the course and about your writing. I check my emails

regularly, several times a day, including weekends. And I reply promptly.

8. Course SLO: Argue a point and support it (in writing) using extensive evidence from outside sources.

9. Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:

 read and critically evaluate college-level material;

 distinguish between factual statements and opinions;

 identify the thesis or main idea of a text;

 understand and evaluate the primary argument and assumptions of a nonfiction

text;

 understand and apply the basic principles of college-level research, such as locate

sources, read and annotate them, and use them appropriately in the student‟s own

writing;

 learn to write effectively for different audiences and purpose, with an emphasis on

informative and persuasive writing;

 appreciate the nuances and richness of written and oral expression in the English

language;

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 use writing to construct a community of critical thinkers and responsible citizens.

This course helps improve our skills in critical thinking, critical reading, effective research,

and persuasive writing. We will write and revise essays throughout the semester to help

develop these skills and to measure our progress in improving these skills.

Please adhere to the principles outlined in the “Standards of Student Contact” in the

Things to Know/Policies (PDF file), pp. 138-39, at www.wlac.edu.

You will find clear discussion of the nature of academic writing, the procedures for

submitting essays in college, and the nature of plagiarism and how to avoid it in Diana

Hacker’s A Pocket Style Manual and at www.dianahacker.com/writersref. I shall refer to

appropriate sections in the book throughout the semester. Read them carefully and follow

the instructions.

Disability Support Services (DSS) Accommodation Statement* “Students with disabilities

who need any assistance or accommodations should contact the instructor”. Students should also

contact the Disabled Student Programs & Services (DSPS) center located in SSB 320 or call

310-287-4420.” [email protected]

Academic Integrity: True education involves development of excellence in our skills as well as

our ethical conduct. Integrity—both academic and personal—is part of the very fibre of this

course. We are all expected to be honest in our work and our behavior. Here is the college policy

on academic dishonesty that you should be aware of: “Academic dishonesty policy: “LACCD

student code of conduct as it relates to student dishonesty (Board Rule 9803.28) is as follows:

„Violations of academic integrity of any type by a student provides grounds for disciplinary

action by the instructor or college. Violations of Academic Integrity include, but are not limited

to, the following actions: cheating on an exam, plagiarism, working together on an assignment,

paper or project when the instructor has specifically stated students should not do so, submitting

the same term paper to more than one instructor, or allowing another individual to assume one‟s

identity for the purpose of enhancing one‟s grade. For more information on the Standards of

Student Conduct refer to the college catalog available in hardcopy and online at www.lattc.edu.‟”

Finally, before you consider dropping the class, talk to me. It's never as bad as you think it is.

Best wishes.

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Tentative Schedule

Weeks

1-2 Narrative/Process Analysis Essay I and

Review of Thesis Paper 1

Discussion of Gawande:

Author‟s Note, Introduction and Part

I (pp. 11-106).

3-4 Research Essay II and

Discussion of Purpose Paper 2

Discussion of Gawande,

pp. 109-52.

5-6 Definition Essay III and

Discussion of Winchester: Paper 3

Chapters 1-6

7-8 Argument and Persuasion Essay IV and

Discussion of Winchester: Paper 4

Chapters 6-10