Spring 2010 Syllabus

Danny Mayer ENG 101 J010, J012
Spring 2010 ENG 101 J022, J024

E-mail: Danny.Mayer@kctcs.edu
Office Hours: M/R 12-2, T 1-2 Office: 247 Oswald Building
Mailbox: AT 101 Division Offices: AT 101 & 102
Phone: 246.6486 (Office) Division Phone: 246.6340
Assistant Dean: Diana Martin, AT 201C, 246.6286

Course Texts:
Hacker, Diana. Rules for Writers, 6th ed.
An active blog on Blogger.com
In-class handouts
Two folders—one to hold handouts and readings, the other to use when handing in your various writings.
ENG 101 course blog: http://bctceng101.blogspot.com/

Course Definition
English 101 provides further instruction in drafting and systematically revising essays that express ideas in Standard English. This includes continued instruction and practice in reading critically, thinking logically, responding to texts, addressing specific audiences, and researching and documenting credible academic sources. NOTE: Credit is not available by special examination. ENG 101 and ENG 102 may not be taken concurrently. Prerequisite: Appropriate writing placement score or ENG 091.

Strategies for Success
Look around at your classmates. On average, about half of you will not complete this course. Many of you will stop showing up to class; many of you will fall behind in your studies. Some of you will not engage with the course content and teaching style; a small amount of you will have life circumstances contribute to your not completing the course.

So how to be successful in this class?

First, an “A” is not a mark of success. For some of you—those who have not spent much time reading and writing on your own—a “C” may mark success. We all come from different backgrounds and are prepared differently for the experience of taking a writing (or biology or math) class. Here are some strategies that will help you be successful in my classroom.

(1) Attend class. If you skip class regularly—more than 4 times throughout the semester—then you have missed out on a significant amount of course material. Reading and writing is practice. Your attendance gets you to a space where you can practice with a teacher and engaged classmates available to inspire and help you along the way. If you do not come to class, you will perform poorly in this class.
(2) Participate in class. You learn less by simply hearing me discuss reading and writing. Successful students will come prepared to talk, to think critically every class period, and to ask questions that are both “on” and “off” the topic of the day. An engaged student participating in class will work to get their voice heard in class. Presence is not participation.
(3) Do assignments. You will write and read quite a bit in this class; at various times in the semester, you will be doing a lot of reading; likewise, at various times in the semester you will be doing a lot of writing. This is a writing and reading class; if you put off this work until the last second, you will be less successful.
(4) Be self-motivated. This point cannot be stressed enough. This class will ask you to research, read and write on topics of your choosing. Defining what topics are of importance to you, and sticking with those topics as you do the hard work of learning more and writing on your topic is essential. If you like to be told by your instructor what to do, you will have a difficult time being successful in this class. I expect students to be self-motivated and to ask questions and be curious. Do that.



Grading
All writing assignments must be completed for you to pass this course.

Blog Writing (20%): You will be required to keep and maintain an online blog. In this blog, you will develop a single theme through regular blog postings. Blogs will also act as “trial runs” for practicing the writing concepts we discuss in class. I expect blogs to be set up by the second week of classes and for you to contribute to your blog regularly—at least once a week (a bare minimum). I will grade your blog at two (2) points during the semester—near midterm and at the end of the semester—and each grade will comprise 10% of your final grade, for a total of 20% of your course grade.

You must email me your blog web address so that I may access and read your blogs. This is your responsibility. Failure to do so will mean that I cannot grade your blog, which will result in a “0.” It will also mean that you have not completed all writing assignments and therefore will not pass this course. Make sure to send me this information immediately.

Newspaper Writing (30%): You will write two articles for a local newspaper, North of Center. One article will be a shorter piece, between 600 and 800 words, which will comprise 10% of your final grade. The second article you write will be a feature piece, between 1500 and 2000 words in length, which will comprise 20% of your final grade. (Note: You may choose to direct your article to a different magazine or newspaper, though you will need to get permission from me before you start writing.)

Research and Analysis Writing (30%): You will compose two types of documents traditionally found in college writing classes. The first, an analysis paper, will be 600-800 words in length. This assignment will comprise 10% of your final grade. The second writing will be a research paper that requires you to document your research using MLA format. This paper will be 1500-2000 words in length and count 20% toward your final grade. The topic of your research paper may derive from your blog writing. That is to say, in the research paper you may transform your more informal online writing from your blog into a more formal college-level research paper.

Participation Grade (20%): Active participation is important to the functioning and success of this class. I will grade your participation at two (2) points during the semester—near midterm and at the end of the semester. Each grade will count 10% toward your final grade. Participation includes regular attendance, being visibly prepared for class (readings done, drafts completed), and actively participating in classroom activities.

Approximate Due Dates of writing and participation grades:
Analysis Paper (10%) Week 4 Research Paper (20%) Week 10
Short Newspaper Writing (10%) Week 6 Newspaper Feature (20%) Week 14
Blog Pt. 1 (10%) Week 8 Blog Pt. 2 (10%) Week 16
Participation Grade Pt. 1 (10%) Week 8 Participation Pt. 2 (10%) Week 16

Grading Scale: 100-90=A 89-80=B 79-70=C 69-60=D Below 60=E

Attendance: I expect you to attend every class; if you cannot make class, I expect you to do two things, in this order: to check my ENG 101 blog to see if you missed any important announcements or handouts, and to meet with me in person in my office. I am uninterested in why you've missed class—we've all got our reasons, and I allow up to two absences per grading period without negatively affecting your grade.







The Classroom
I expect you to show up to class every day prepared. This means that I expect you to have read and be prepared to discuss any readings we may have. I don't mind calling on you. On days when we have rough drafts due, I expect you to arrive with a complete draft in hand. Doing activities not related to class will result in an absence for the day. In other words, I expect for you to focus on this class during classtime and to arrive prepared to contribute to the class's daily activities; failure to do these things will negatively affect your participation grade. Finally, please be considerate to your classmates, who may hold different worldviews than you.

Late Papers
I do not accept late work. Prepare yourself for the inevitable printer failure, email snafu, etc. by completing your work well in advance of an assignment's due date. No excuses.

Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is a serious academic offense and will be dealt with according to the policies set forth in KCTCS Code of Student Conduct. Sanctions include failing the assignment, reducing the course grade, and/or failing the course.

Withdrawal Policy:
Withdrawing from the course before midterm does not require the instructor’s permission. After midterm, the instructor’s permission is required, but is given at the instructor’s discretion. To obtain the necessary signature, a student should take the official form to the instructor before the last day of that class. Generally, the best time to contact an instructor is just before or just after the scheduled class meets. In all cases, the responsibility for withdrawing from the course is the student’s. The instructor is not allowed to assign a “W” grade unless you officially request it. Students who simply stop attending the class will receive an “E” grade (failing).

Student Rights and Responsibilities:
All rules and regulations set forth in the current edition of the KCTCS Community College Code of Student Conduct will be followed in this course. The Code of Conduct is available online at: http://www.kctcs.edu/student/studentcodeofconduct.pdf.

Reasonable Accommodation:
Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact a staff member in BCTC's Disability Support Services (DSS) office, 103 Oswald Building. The DSS phone number is 246-6530. Please do not request accommodations directly from the professor or instructor.

(Gen Ed) Course Objectives:
Communicate Effectively: Speak and write using Standard English; develop basic computer skills to research and write informed essays; learn collaborative peer review skills

Think Critically: Demonstrate problem-solving through interpreting, analyzing, summarizing, and/or integrating a variety of materials into the writing process; connect classroom learning to the world outside the classroom

Learn Independently: Use appropriate search strategies to find, evaluate, and use research effectively; think creatively to generate paper topics; make choices based upon awareness of differing perspectives.

Examine Relationships in Diverse and Complex Environments: Recognize relationship of individual to local, regional, national, and planetary communities through class discussion and student writing.