Welcome to the English 1A home page. Here is the catalog description for English 1A, College Composition. Below, you will also find information on everything you need to know before you come to class, such as textbooks, requirements, grading, attendance policy, late paper policy. For complete course description and information on specific assignments such as journals and the portfolio, you must attend class. You are welcome to browse through and email me with any questions. I look forward to seeing you in class.
This course develops the reading, critical thinking, and writing skills necessary for academic success, emphasizing expository and argumentative writing as well as research and documentation skills. As a transferable course, it presupposes that the students already have a substantial grasp of grammar, syntax, and organization, and that their writing is reasonably free from errors. A research paper is required for successful completion of the course.
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The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell |
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Fields of Reading by Comley et al |
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A Writer's Reference by Diana Hacker |
Also, I recommend that you also keep a good, college dictionary by your computer when typing essays. The computer does not know whether or not the meaning of the word you cannot spell is correct, and the spell checker therefore cannot be of help unless you have a clear idea of the meanings of the actual words themselves.
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Five essays, 3-5 pages long, typed. |
| In-class essay final exam, worth 100 points. |
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A research paper, 6 pages long, typed. |
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Rough drafts are required, worth 10 points each; students must be present during the class workshop of the rough drafts in order to receive credit. |
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Journal, worth 100 points. |
| Portfolio, including three essay revisions, worth 100 points. |
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Numerous in-class writings and class participation, 100 points. |
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Reading quizzes, rough drafts, oral presentations, and review sheets, worth a total of 100 points. |
Grading and evaluation will be based on all the work you complete during the course of the semester. Essays will receive a letter grade and numerous comments to help you understand the paper's strengths and weaknesses. Essays will be graded holistically on effectiveness of purpose, technique, and the achievement of a message for a desired audience. Students will learn these concepts in the workshop sessions and the classroom in general, and thus participation in class is necessary for a student to pass the course.
Through workshop, you will learn to share and evaluate your own work along with the work of others. These workshops should provide you with the feedback you need to improve your writing, as you take the responsibility for your own improvement throughout the course. Students should take the workshop seriously, as rough drafts are worth 10 points on each final grade.
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Essays, both rough and final drafts together, plus the portfolio assessment, comprise 60% of the total grade. |
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Research paper and all the steps together, 20%. |
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Tests, quizzes, class attendance, in-class writings, and class discussion, 10%. |
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Journal, 10 %. |
Required. You are responsible for all work assigned, whether or not you are in class. Two weeks of class absences will lower your grade one full letter.
Just a hint for student success: those students who have previously earned grades as high as A or B in my courses have consistently attended classes and know what's going on.
Late papers and other policies:
| Do turn in assignments on time. Late assignments will be marked down one full letter grade for each class day the assignment is late. No excuse or disaster will alter this policy. No late assignments will be accepted two weeks after the due date. Do let me know one class period ahead of a due date if you know of circumstances which could prevent you from turning an assignment in on time. I may grant you an extension, but no due date will be extended for longer than two weeks from the due date. I will not grant extensions on the due date -- do plan ahead and be organized if you intend to pass this course. You must hand in all essays in order to pass the course. |
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All papers must be typed and in MLA format. Make those documents beautiful, as if you were handing them in to your boss at work: for example, be sure to paginate correctly and to run the spell checker. Do this before you arrive in class on the day a paper is due. Hand in all papers at the beginning of class the day they are due. |
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Do see me if you have any special needs that I can address, such as disabilities or handicaps, and we will work together to meet those needs. |
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Don't plagiarize (borrow) the written work of any other writer. You will receive an automatic F (a zero--no points) for borrowed work, and you may not pass the course as a result. DON'T DO IT. See policy on plagiarism in the Student Code of Conduct. |
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DO KEEP A PORTFOLIO OF ALL YOUR ESSAYS AND ESSAY DRAFTS! |
