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Bensen-Barber

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Syllabus Spring 2015

English 111 DL03/DL06


College Composition I
Spring 2015
Syllabus

Contact/Course Information

Instructor: Beth Bensen-Barber


Course Time: Virtual
Classroom: Virtual
Email: ebensen-barber@reynolds.edu
Office: PRC, BH, Room 220B
Office Phone: 804.523.5754

The best times to reach me in my PRC


office by phone or in person are during
my MW or TuTh scheduled office hours.
Otherwise, please contact me by email.
Office Hours
MW 10:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m.
TuTh 9:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m.

Course Web site:


http://bbensen-barber.com/2014springeng111/

Virtual Office Hours: I will respond to


emails and voice mails as quickly as
possible. If you do not receive a response
from me within 24 hours during the work
week (M-F), please send another email or
call my office phone again.

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Textbooks and Purchase Materials

Required Purchase Textbooks


Blau, Susan, and Kathryn Burak. Writing in the
Works. 3rd ed. Australia: Wadsworth/Cengage,
2013.

Recommended Textbook:
Hacker, Diane. A Writers Reference. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2007.

Note: A Writers Reference is not a


required purchase, but it is an excellent
handbook to add to your library. It is likely
you will continue to use this handbook as a
resource throughout your college career
and you will likely refer to it in Eng 112.
A good handbook is a valuable tool to refer
to even when not taking a composition
class.

Additional Purchase Materials:


Required: (free) An open mind and willingness to take on new challenges.
Required: (free) A WordPress blog account. Sign up at the following URL:
https://wordpress.com/
(You will find further instructions in Week 3s content folder in Blackboard)

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Required: Since this is a distance learning course, you will need to purchase a thumb drive,
flash drive or other plug-in device for saving documents regularly. In addition to saving to
your hard drives, it is important that you develop a habit of saving to plug-in devices as well
(or use iCloud, digital drop box, etc.).
Required: Reliable Internet connectivity outside of the college.
Required: Reliable access to Microsoft Office 2007/2010 or equivalent software.
Recommended: A collegiate dictionary and thesaurus.
Recommended: 3-ring binder or 2-pocket folder to file class handouts. Or begin creating
electronic folders for each of your classes and for each assignment. Electronic folders for
English 111 might appear in this way:

Save all assignments, lectures, and supporting handouts/documents that pertain to each
assignment in the designated folder.

Course Description

Prerequisites: To register for this course, students must have a placement recommendation for
ENG 111 or placement recommendation for co-requisites ENG 111 and ENF 3. ENG 111 is a
prerequisite for ENG 112.
ENG 111 develops the skills students possess prior to entering college-level writing courses and
prepares students for academic and professional communication. Students will produce texts
that reflect critical thinking and knowledge of writing processes, rhetoric, and digital
technologies. English 111 will also introduce students to research processes.
ENG 111 has been designated as a "writing intensive" course according to standards developed
by the English department.

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General Course Goals


By the end of ENG 111, students shall
Adapt the writing process to a variety of tasks, formats, genres, and rhetorical situations.
Produce texts that are grounded in evidence and formally documented.
Model and apply academic integrity and appropriate use of others ideas and feedback in
producing effective communication.
Demonstrate improved written and oral communication skills.
Use digital and print technologies to compose, to research, and to disseminate texts.
Rhetorical Knowledge
By the end of ENG 111, students shall
Demonstrate a clear understanding of the rhetorical situation, including purpose, context,
audience, and genre.
Adapt voice, tone, and level of formality to a variety of rhetorical situations.
Use conventions of format, structure, design, and documentation appropriate to the rhetorical
situation.
Analyze texts to describe how and why writers use rhetorical devices.
Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing
By the end of ENG 111, students shall
Use writing and reading for inquiry, learning, thinking, and communicating.
Integrate their own ideas with those of others in appropriately documented texts.
Produce reflective texts, including but not limited to memos, letters, journals, blogs, lists, and
threaded discussions.
Read, summarize, and respond to a variety of non-fiction texts.
Process
By the end of ENG 111, students shall
Employ effective writing processes to include pre-writing, peer-reviewing drafts, and
revising.
Demonstrate reflection on individual communication processes.
Produce at least 4500 words (approximately 15 pages) of informal and 3600 words
(approximately 12 pages) of formal writing.
Edit their writing with consideration to surface features such as syntax, usage, punctuation,
and spelling that are appropriate for the rhetorical situation.
Oral Communication Skills
By the end of ENG 111, students shall
Participate in interactive discussions, peer reviews, and oral presentations.
Use non-verbal cues as an essential aspect of self-presentation.
Demonstrate use of active listening skills.

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Digital Technologies
By the end of ENG 111, students shall
Use electronic environments for drafting, reviewing, revising, editing, and sharing texts.
Locate, evaluate, organize, and use research material collected from a variety of modes to
include print, digital, aural, and visual sources, including scholarly library databases and
informal digital networks.
Disseminate texts in both print and digital forms (may include written, aural, and visual
modes).

Course Requirements

This course is NOT self-paced. You will be responsible for weekly readings,
postings, and assignments in Blackboard or your WordPress blog site. You will
also be responsible for completing several writing assignments, all with specific
due dates. Please see the course schedule below and the Due Dates button on
the Course Menu in Blackboard for additional details.

Technology Requirements: To be successful in this class, you must have access to a computer
which is connected to the Internet. Required readings will come from your textbook and other
digital/online sources. Additionally, all assignments will be available only through the Internet;
more specifically, you will need access to Blackboard, the online course management platform in
use by Reynolds to remain abreast of assignments, deadlines, etc. (See below for more
information about Blackboard.) I will be uploading some reading assignments in Adobe.pdf;
please ensure you have the ability to read and print documents using Adobe Reader.
Minimum technology requirements for the course:
College (VCCS) email account
High-Speed Internet connection
Web browser (Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc.)
Microsoft Office 2010 or equivalent program
Word Processing Program equivalent to MS Word.
PowerPoint
Adobe Reader
Adobe Flash Player
Media Player
Additional details for Distance Learning computer literacy/technology requirements may be
found at the following URL: http://reynolds.edu/get_started/distance_learning/requirements.aspx
Scroll down to Computer Literacy section.

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If you do not have Adobe installed on your computer, download a free


program from the Reynolds Academic Computing Support page. Click on
Adobe Reader to access and download the free program.
You are not required to use MS Office 2010; however, do keep in mind that
compatibility issues may arise, especially for Mac users.
If you are using a word processing program other than MS Word, please save
your word processed documents in .docx, .doc, or .rtf (Rich Text Format).
Click on the following link for instructions on saving documents in RTF:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2133238_save-rich-text-format-rtf.html
Please note that saving in file extensions other than .docx, .doc, or .rtf might
result in a grade of zero if I am not able to open documents.
Attendance Policy: Attendance is included in your class participation grade, which is worth 5%
of your semester grade. I do not calculate your attendance grade until the end of the semester.
Although this is a Distance Learning course, I will be monitoring your contributions to
Blackboard's weekly discussions/assignments (see details about Blackboard below) and will
consider your participation in weekly discussions/assignments as attending class. As a
conscientious student and as a student involved in a community of learners, you are required to
participate regularly. I will check attendance in this online course weekly and will base your
attendance on the timely submission or posting of assignments due for the week or by your
logging onto the Blackboard site. Simply logging into Blackboard does not constitute
attending class; you must also complete assignments and participate in weekly discussions.

Excused vs. Unexcused Absences: I appreciate receiving emails concerning


an absence; however, sending an email, presenting a note from a doctor or
lawyer, or discussing your absence with me do not excuse missed classes. An
absence is an absence. To be fair to all students, I do not differentiate
between excused or unexcused absences. I do not have a maximum number
of absences, but should you abuse this policy, you could jeopardize your final
semester grade. Use your absences wisely.
Per Reynolds College Attendance Policy 1-3, you will be involuntarily withdrawn from the
course to receive a full refund for failure to attend class by the 15% attendance drop deadline (30
Jan 2015) if you have not participated in class activities at least once prior to this date. You will
also be involuntarily withdrawn and receive a grade of W if you stop attending class for a period
of two weeks by the final 60% attendance drop deadline (30 Mar 2015). If applicable, these
actions could impact your financial aid. Should you need to miss an inordinate number of

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classes, you might consider withdrawing from the course or risk receiving a failing grade at the
end of the semester.
In order to be counted present for one week, submit at least one written assignment due that
week. If you have not submitted any written assignments in two consecutive weeks, you will be
reported for withdrawal from the class.
Withdrawal Policy: Before withdrawing from the course, please contact me to discuss your
academic standing in the class. Also, prior to withdrawing, contact a financial aid specialist to
discuss any potential impact a withdrawal may have on your eligibility for financial aid.
Withdrawals also count as an attempt and may therefore impact your ability to take a repeated
course (see Repeated Course Policy below).
After the add/drop period, a student may withdraw without academic penalty, and receive a
grade of "W," if withdrawal is officially completed prior to the last date to withdraw listed on
Course Schedule and in the Course Syllabus. Please refer to Policy 1-10 Student Initiated
Withdrawal for withdrawal procedures and specifics.
Important: If you decide not to complete the course you must officially withdraw by following
the stated procedures in the College Catalogue. After the last date to withdraw, I will consider
extenuating circumstances on a case-by-case basis. However, you must contact me within one
week of circumstances.
Repeated Course Policy: Students are normally limited to two (2) enrollments in the same
course. Prior to registering to take a course for a third time, students must submit a completed
Request to Repeat Course Form with all required approvals, and documentation of extenuating
circumstances to a campus Student Success Center. Repeat approval is not required for certain
exempted courses, and all attempted hours and grade points for these courses will be calculated
in the GPA. (College Catalogue)
Students with Disabilities: Per Reynolds college policy 1-15, Eligibility of Students with
Disabilities to Receive Accommodations (also found in the Student Handbook), special
services/accommodations are provided to assist students in accessing programs and activities
offered by the college. Should you require special needs, please register with the Office of
Student Accommodations (Downtown Campus 804.523.5628, or Parham Road Campus and
Western Campus 804.523.5289). Please provide documentation of your disability.
For further details go to the following URL: http://www.reynolds.edu/studentaffairs/accom.htm
Student Conduct Policy: In order to achieve the best learning environment possible for this
class, Reynolds administrators, faculty, and staff expect students to adhere to the highest
behavioral standards. All forms of disruptive behavior will not be tolerated in this course.
Disruptive behavior can be defined as behavior that interferes with the teaching and learning
process. As such, any disruptive behavior will be addressed by the instructor and/or reported to
the Dean of Students for judicial processing.

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In addition, please note that three (3) incidents of disruptive behavior may result in a zero for
participation in your overall grade. Single incidents that are severe will result in the loss of
participation credit for the course (i.e. earning a failing grade). Should your behavior become
disruptive, I reserve the right to file a Behavior Intervention Referral Form in the Office
of Student Affairs. Please review Student Conduct Policy 1-35 for further details.
If you have any questions regarding the Reynolds Student Conduct policy (Policy 1-35),
please refer to the Student Handbook online, or contact the Office of Student Affairs at
804.523.5296.
Academic Honesty/Plagiarism Policy: Plagiarism is not acceptable.
Students who plagiarize will either receive a failing grade on the assignment or
fail the course; students may also be reported to the Dean of the School of
Humanities and Social Sciences, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and
Dean of Students for disciplinary action and for the filing of a Behavior
Intervention Referral Form.
Per the current Reynolds College Catalog, Reynolds subscribes to the notion of academic
honesty and integrity as it relates to students behavior within the classroom or with assignments
and examinations (54). Please consult policy number 1-34 (Academic Honesty) for complete
details and definitions of academic honesty.
SafeAssignment: SafeAssignment is a program designed to scan student documents for
instances of plagiarism. I will be asking you to submit your work through SafeAssignment
periodically during the semester. It is not my intent to catch students plagiarizing; rather, it is
my desire to use SafeAssignment as a learning tool to ensure you understand your
responsibilities. In the event I find a questionable document, I will submit that document myself.
Should SafeAssignment identify violations of plagiarism, I will send you formal email
notification of a first violation before filing a Behavior Intervention Referral Form. Please
understand that if you do not contact me, I will make note of this on Behavior Intervention
Referral Form. In some instances I will offer you the opportunity to revise your work.
Subsequent violations of plagiarism will result in automatic failure from the class and the filing
of a Behavior Intervention Referral Form with the Dean of the School of Humanities and Social
Sciences, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Dean of Students.
Email Policy: Per Reynolds Policy 1-8, email is the official method of communication. All
faculty must communicate with their students using their college email accounts. Please develop
a habit of checking your college accounts often, as I will communicate with you using only your
college email addresses. Your email accounts became active when you were assigned a user
name and password. Go to My Reynolds Log-in for access to your email account, Blackboard,
etc.
Late Assignment Policy: Word process all assignments. Unless otherwise noted, assignments
are due in Blackboard by midnight on the due date or in your blog sites. I will not accept a late

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paper if you turn it in after I have returned graded papers. I usually take two weeks to grade a
batch of papers.
You are allowed ONE late assignment without penalty during the semester;
otherwise, I do not accept late assignments. Use this policy wisely.
I will not accept a late paper if you turn it in after I have returned graded
papers.
Technology problems are NOT an excuse for multiple late assignments!

While I understand problems that occur when using technology, it is your responsibility to
complete assignments well in advance of due dates to avoid last minute issues like crashing
computers or loss of Internet connections that might prevent turning in assignments in a timely
fashion. Save your work on multiple devices OFTEN: hard drive, flash drive, iCloud,
digital drop box, etc. Compose weekly discussion posts and blog posts in a Word document
first and then copy and paste to the online platform in use. Save these Word documents to
maintain a history of your work outside of Blackboard and your blog sites. Should your home
computers fail, you have access to the college computer labs on all three campuses.
Follow the Schedule of Assignments carefully, and check Blackboard often for announcements
of changes or adjustments to assignments to ensure adequate preparation for all class
assignments. In addition to printing hard copies of the syllabus and assignments and saving
these in a binder or folder, it is probably a good idea to keep all graded and ungraded
assignments in an electronic folder on your desktop and on your plug-in device, as you will refer
to returned assignments over the semester.
Peer Reviews/Workshops Policy: I have scheduled three online peer review workshops to
improve your editing and proofreading skills. Failure to participate on scheduled peer review
days/weeks will result in a zero for the days/weeks assignment, and a decrease of one letter
grade on your final paper grade (equivalent to 10% of your final paper grade). You will be
uploading COMPLETED DRAFTS through Blackboard in assigned groups; uploading an
incomplete draft will result in a zero for the peer review assignment, and a decrease of one letter
grade on your final paper grade. Unless otherwise stated, peer reviews may not be accomplished
outside of Blackboard.
If you have a legitimate, documented reason for not attending a peer review
session or workshop, I will gladly make other arrangements to assist you with
making up your missed participation. However, you must notify me at least
24 hours prior to the scheduled peer review workshop date. An accepted
substitution procedure is for you to attend a documented and scheduled
tutoring session in one of the Academic Support Centers at the Parham Road,
Downtown, or Western campuses. Schedule and attend a tutoring session at
the location most convenient for you.

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Blackboard: Blackboard is the online course management platform in use at Reynolds that will
supplement Eng 111. In addition to accessing the course syllabus and assignments, you will
write in-class and out-of-class responses to reading assignments in assigned textbooks, to
handouts, to electronic reading assignments, etc. Responses may be in the form of freewriting
sessions, journal topics, and out-of-class writing assignments in Blackboard. You will be able to
access copies of assignments and supporting documents/resources in the Weekly Content button
on the Course Menu or by clicking on Blackboards Course Documents button also on the
Course Menu. Check Blackboard often for updates and changes to the schedule or to
assignments.
General Classroom Guidelines: Eng 111 is a course that requires A LOT of writing and
reading. Incorporate ample time into your schedules to complete assignments in a timely
manner. Since this course is labor intensive, missed assignments will be difficult to make up.
Please carefully track due dates on the course schedule, in the Due Dates button on the Course
Menu, and on assignment sheets. Should you find you are falling behind or are having problems,
please contact me as soon as possible. Monitor your progress regularly to avoid any possible
downfalls.
Class Climate Survey: Reynolds uses Class Climate to collect student evaluations of faculty.
Toward the end of the semester, expect an e-mail message in your VCCS e-mail account from
sender name "Class Climate Survey" inviting you to participate in an online survey to evaluate
the effectiveness of your class. You will receive a separate e-mail message for each course
section in which you are enrolled. Each e-mail message contains a password-protected link to the
online survey. By clicking this link, your password is automatically recognized, and you are able
to respond anonymously to the survey. After completing the survey, you will receive a
confirmation message, via e-mail.
Emergency Preparedness: (Program the numbers below into your cell phone)
Campus Police: PRC 804.523.5219, DTC 804.523.5472, WC 804.523.5407
Chief of Police and Security Services: Paul Ronca 804.523.5239
College Safety Manager: Pamela Hicks 804.523.5722
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY DIAL 5911 (College Police Dispatcher) The 5911 number can
be dialed directly from the Colleges IP phone system.

Grading
Posting of Grades to Blackboards Gradebook: I usually take two weeks to grade a batch of
papers. I will post grades, commented papers, grading videos, and rubrics (when required) when
I complete grading an entire classes worth of an assignment.
Click on the following URL for a video tutorial of how to access and navigate through
MyGrades:

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http://ondemand.blackboard.com/r91/movies/bb91_student_checking_grades.htm
Familiarize yourself with Blackboards grading icons to avoid not receiving/earning a grade on
an assignment. Below are a few icons of which you should be aware:
Successfully submitted an assignment but not graded yet:
Assignment graded but not for credit:
Assignment in progress (student needs to complete the assignment):
Error occurred when submitting an assignment:

If you do not see the yellow exclamation point your assignment did not submit
successfully. Resubmit. If Blackboard does not allow you to resubmit, contact
your instructor by email ASAP.
If you see the red exclamation point, an error occurred. Contact your instructor
by email ASAP. If the problem persists, contact the Student Help Desk at
804.371.3000.
During this course you will write six essays ranging from 300 to 1800 words/three (3) to six (6)
pages: Short Profile Essay, Profile Essay, Summary of a Movie, Movie Review, Pitch
Proposal Essay, and Modest Proposal Essay. Your final assignment will be a portfolio in your
WordPress blog and in which you include the following:
a reflective essay in which you discuss your writing experiences and how they relate to
course learning outcomes and the rhetorical situation;
a representation of your works for the semester:
All previously submitted short essays (Profile Essay, Movie Summary, Pitch Proposal)
New pages to post your Profile Essay, Movie Review, and Modest Proposal.

Word process all major and minor writing assignments.


Unless otherwise stated, all assignments will be due by midnight in your blog
site or in Blackboard on assigned due dates.
To ensure preparedness for each assignment and for your final portfolio, it will
be helpful for you to create a folder on your flash drives or hard drives for each
assignment. Save all documents pertaining to each assignment in their
respective folders for easy access when submitting final portfolios.

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In addition to writing formal essays, there will be several in-class writing assignments, journal
entries, quizzes on assigned readings, and worksheets (all completed in Discussions). Unless
otherwise noted, all assignments will count toward your final grade.
Graded Assignments:
Assignments
Diagnostic Assignment

Percentages
Due Dates
(%)
0
By midnight Jan 16

Academic Honesty Agreement

By midnight Jan 16

Weekly Discussion Responses (Responses and


assignments completed in Blackboard. Identified
as DP1, DP2, DP3, etc.)

10

Class Blog: Three entries pertaining to essays 1,


2, and 3.
Essay #1: Profile Essay (Interview a person
pertaining to their career or hobby choices)

10

Essay #2: Movie Review (A research assignment


in which you analyze a movie of your choice)

15

Essay #3: A Modest Proposal (A research


assignment in which you propose a satirical
solution to a social problem)
Modest Proposal Presentation

20

Essay #4: Portfolio (End-of-semester portfolio in


which you compile and reflect on your writing)

20

By midnight each Friday


(original responses) and
the following Monday
(responses to two
classmates)
Feb 11 (SPE), Mar 4 (Film
Summary), Apr 1 (Pitch)
By midnight on Monday,
Feb 23
(final revision)
By midnight on Monday,
Mar 23
(final revision)
By midnight on Monday,
Apr 20
(final revision)
By midnight on Monday,
May 1
By midnight on Monday,
May 8

Attendance/class participation (attendance


calculated at the end of the semester; class
participation will consist of any assignments not
listed above)

Total Percentage Points

10

10

100

Grading Scale:
Letter Grade
A+
A
A-

Percentages
99-100
94-98
90-93

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B
BC+
C
CD+
D
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Syllabus Spring 2015


89
84-88
80-83
79
74-78
70-73
69
64-68
60-63
59 and below

Incomplete Policy: I will consider assigning incomplete (I) grades if students have a legitimate,
documented reason. I will assign an incomplete (I) if students have fewer than two absences
and have completed at least 75% of the course work.
A grade of "I" (incomplete) bears no credit. An instructor may award the "I" grade for
documented, unavoidable reasons and only when the student is passing the course and has
completed a significant portion of the course requirements (75% of assignments for this
course). Since the incomplete extends enrollment in the course, requirements for satisfactory
completion shall be established through student/faculty consultation. The grade of I will
revert to grade earned in the course. The student is expected to complete course work as agreed
upon with the instructor. See Incomplete Grade policy 1-7 for more details.
Revision Policy: You may revise any of the first three major essays (Profile Essay, Movie
Review, A Modest Proposal), provided you turn in the essays on the assigned due date, and
provided you return revised essays to me within two weeks after you receive the initial graded
essay. Turn in revised essays as email attachments. I will average the two grades; if you earn
a 75% on the first essay and an 85% on the revision, your final essay grade will be an 80%.
Simply correcting errors I have pointed out in your essay does not count.
For example, if I have highlighted and commented on problems with fragments, dont assume
that I have highlighted all fragments. Try to find similar errors and correct them. Or, if you have
problems developing your ideas, make note of my comments, make revisions based on those
comments, and look for additional ideas that might need development. Also, do not hesitate to
talk to me about revisions. I am more than happy to schedule an appointment to meet with you
to clarify my comments or provide assistance with grammar, development of ideas, etc. Avoid
waiting until the last two weeks of the semester to try to complete revisions. I will not accept
revisions if the due date has passed and waiting until the final weeks of the semester is not an
effective means to improve your writing skills and your grade. Take advantage of this revision
policy early in the semester.
Continue to next page for
Calendar/Schedule of
Assignments

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Calendar/Schedule of Assignments
(This schedule is subject to change.)

All reading assignments are due on the weeks they are listed on the schedule
below. You are responsible for completing all assigned readings prior to
listening to or reading lectures and prior to participating in weekly
discussions/assignments. Each reading assignment is identified in the
Readings column.
Also note that assignment due dates are in the Assignments column.

Linked titles = electronic


readings. Click on links to access
and read essays.

WITW = Writing in the Works

Important Dates
January 16, 2015
January 28, 2015
March 26, 2015

Last day to add a class


Last day to drop a class with a refund
Last day to withdraw from a class with a grade of W
This schedule is subject to change.

Week/Date
Week One:
January 12

Readings
All items in the Week One Lecture Link button to
begin the English 111 course orientation
Diagnostic Essay Assignment Guidelines
Cisneros, My Name excerpt
Essay Formatting Guidelines
(all above items are linked in Week Ones content folder)

Assignments
16 Jan: Academic
Honesty Agreement
16 Jan: Diagnostic
Essay
16 Jan: Original
Introduction
Discussion Post
(DP)

Week One requires submitting of three assignments by 16 January. This will not be the
norm, but it is a necessity to ensure preliminary/diagnostic assignments are completed in
a timely manner.

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Week/Date
Week Two:
January 19

Readings
The Rhetorical Situation (WITW, pp. 2-17)
Pareles, Lavish Worlds, and the Headwear to Match
(WITW, pp. 18-19)
The Writers Process (WITW, pp. 21-26)
audience, purpose, context, voice, media (click on
links to access readings)

Assignments
19 Jan: Introduction
responses to two
classmates
23 Jan: Original DP
posts

Week Three:
January 26

The Writers Process (WITW, pp. 31-37)


paragraphs, introductions, conclusions (click on links
to access readings)

26 Jan: DP
responses to two
classmates
30 Jan: Original DP
posts

Week Four:
February 2

Writing About Others: Profiles (WITW, pp. 171192)


Anatomy of a Profile (WITW, pp. 175-178)

Week Five:
February 9

Writing About Others: Profiles (WITW, pp. 184192)


Matthai, A Fine Balance: The Life of a Muslim
Teenager (WITW, pp. 197-200)

Week Six:
February 16

Collaboration, Peer Review, and Writing as a Public


Act (WITW, pp. 45-53)
Peer Review (Click on link to access and read
article)

Week Seven:
February 23

Writing an Evaluation: Film Reviews (pp. 279-300)


Anatomy of a Film Review (WITW, pp. 282-285)
Roger Ebert Reviews (click on link to access and read
reviews)
"Distinguishing Fact from Opinion" (WITW p.71-72)

Start creating blog


site with About
Page. See further
details in Week 3s
content folder
2 Feb: DP responses
to two classmates
6 Feb: Original DP
posts
9 Feb: DP responses
to two classmates
11 Feb: SPE posted
to your blog site by
midnight
13 Feb: Original DP
posts
16 Feb: DP
responses to two
classmates
18 Feb: Completed
draft of Profile
Essay
20 Feb: Peer review
responses
23 Feb: Final
revision of Profile
Essay in Blackboard
by midnight
27 Feb: Original DP
Responses

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Week/Date
Week Eight:
March 2

-16Readings
Integrating Sources: Quoting, Paraphrasing, and
Summarizing (WITW, pp. 505-507)
Kaling, Flick Chicks: A Guide to Women in the
Movies
Denby, Call the Doctor: Contagion
Denby, Dream Factory: Inception
(click on links to access and read articles)

Syllabus Spring 2015


Assignments
2 Mar: DP
responses to at least
two classmates
4 Mar: 300-600
word summary of
movie of your
choice in your blog
site by midnight
6 Mar: Original DP
responses

~~ Spring Break: classes not in session 9-15 Mar ~~


Week Nine:
March 16

Document Review Guidelines (click on link to


access and read article)

Week Twelve:

Baron, Dont Make English Official: Ban It Instead


Fish, Whos in Charge Here?
Singer, The Singer Solution to World Poverty
Pollock, You Say You Want a Resolution?

16 Mar: DP
responses to two
classmates
Note: not participating in peer review will result in a 10% 18 Mar: Completed
draft of Movie
downgrading of your Profile Essay. Please contact me
Review Essay
should you not be able to participate in peer review.
20 Mar: Peer review
responses.
Week Ten:
Writing for Your Community: Proposals (WITW, pp. 23 Mar: Final
March 23
revision of Movie
443-459)
Review by midnight
Swift, A Modest Proposal(click on link to access
in Blackboard
and read essay)
27 Mar: Original
DP responses
Week Eleven: Research (WITW, pp. 479-496)
30 Mar: DP
March 30
responses to at least
two classmates
1 Apr: 300-600
word Pitch in your
blog site by
midnight.
3 Apr: Original DP
responses

April 6

6 Apr: DP responses
to at least two
classmates
10 Apr: Original DP
responses

Bensen-Barber
Week/Date
Week
Thirteen:

-17Readings
Document Review Guidelines (click on link to
access and read article)

April 13
Note: not participating in peer review will result in a
10% downgrading of your Modest Proposal. Please
contact me should you not be able to participate in
peer review.

Week
Fourteen:
April 20

DIY Media and Design: PowerPoint Proposal


(WITW, pp. 460-465)
Delivering the Speech
Your First Speech
(click on links to access and read articles)

Week
Fifteen:
April 27

Week
Sixteen/Finals
Week:

No reading assigned.
Please follow instructions in Week 15s DB forum for
presenting.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions or
assistance.
No reading assigned
Use final exam week to complete portfolios

May 4

Have a wonderful summer!

Syllabus Spring 2015


Assignments
13 Apr: DP
responses to at least
two classmates
15 Apr: Complete
draft of Modest
Proposal for in-class
Peer Review
Workshop
17 Apr: Peer review
response letters in
Blackboard by
midnight
20 Apr: Final
revision of Modest
Proposal essay by
midnight in
Blackboard
24 Apr: Original DP
responses
27 Apr: DP
responses to at least
two classmates
1 May:
Presentations
4 May: Responses to
at least two
classmates
presentations
8 May: Final
reflective portfolio in
blog site by midnight

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