MVHS Room A-109
Instructor: Mr. Willis Humiston
MA English Literature & Language
MA Human Resources Development
I. Catalog Description: Prerequisite: Appropriate placement score or credit in ENGL 0301 or 0302. Note: ENGL 1301 and ENGL 1302 cannot be taken concurrently.
This course focuses on student essay writing in a variety of modes. Also emphasized are reading and analytical thinking. A research paper is required. Students practice writing for a variety of audiences.
II . Extended Course Description: This course emphasizes training in academic reading and writing. Essays written will be based on a variety of purposes and will be created in a multitude of forms. Students will study the principles of invention and arrangement and work to develop a sense of audience and purpose in their writings. Students must earn a minimum grade of C in English 1301 before enrolling in English 1302
Freshman Composition is part of the core curriculum of any college or university program. This is because as a college graduate, you must be able to communicate effectively in writing, no matter what degree you are seeking. The goal of this course is to highlight for you the shared conventions of clear, precise and meaningful written dialogue so that you can have an impact both inside and outside of these college walls. This course will also emphasize the sheer enjoyment of the written word as students will be encouraged to write from their hearts and hear their own voice. What does it mean to be a writer? We will discover the answer to this question as it pertains to you through a series of meaningful writing exercises.
III. Course Outcomes : The goals of the course will be achieved by the following course outcomes:
A. Develop a unique writing voice -- Learning to select an appropriate persona and voice for a particular audience and purpose.
B. Develop prewriting techniques to generate ideas for essays.
C. Demonstrate the ability to think critically by questioning written works, aiming to identify logical premises, assumptions, or underlying claims Learn to choose rhetorical strategies that are appropriate for given writing situations.
D. Compose well-organized essays with strong thesis statements appropriate to audience and purpose; strong, developed paragraphs including topic sentences, ample supporting details; and appropriate conclusions Learn to organize ideas logically and choose words for precision, appropriateness, and interest.
E. Revise organization and content of essays in structure, style, format, standard grammar and syntax, taking into account peer responses, instructor suggestions, and the writer's own reflective analysis Learn to write in order to develop clarity, fluency, and interest by varying sentence structure, length, and content.
F. Engage in the research process and complete a 5 page research paper following MLA-style standards, develop library skills, understand reference materials, and learn to use technological resources [Note: A page must be at least 90% filled before it is considered a complete page];
G. Experience a student-centered community that supports diverse ideas and learning styles by engaging in collaborative and active learning;
H. Reflect on and assess learning through construction of a writing portfolio;
I. Enjoy the experience!
IV. Student Competencies : After successful completion of the course, you will be able to write with:
A. a strong sense of audience and purpose
B. fluency, specificity, and the authenticity of your own voice (persona)
C. control of diction: words chosen for precision, appropriateness, and interest
D. control of syntax: the structure of individual sentences, variety, and interest
V. Attendance : Each class is important. Since this course is based on the seminar model , attendance, participation, and collaboration are essential . If you must be absent due to any reason, you will still be held responsible for any material covered during the class that you missed. No make-up quizzes or journals will be given. This includes material that was due on the day of your absence. It must be turned in at the regular class time, or earlier. Please contact me BEFORE the class meeting time to avoid penalties to your grade. Any absence will have a detrimental effect on your growth and grade in this class. You will be given the opportunity to earn collaboration points for your participation grade. These will come from a variety of in-class activities that I will designate. Your participation grade will be constructed from these points. Attendance will be critical to gaining a high collaboration grade as well as success in the course.
VI. Tutoring: T utoring and writing assistance are available at MVHS by contacting me and by going to the Palo Alto College campus. Contact the English Learning Center at 921-5199. Take your papers, the assignments given to you, and any helpful pre-writing you have done to the writing lab long before they are due so that you can be assured assistance that will make a difference in your success in essay writing. Log on to http://www.accd.edu/pac/html/depts/english/eng/learningcenter.htm for more information.
Instructor: Mr. Willis Humiston
Office Hours: By appointment ( 8:00-8:30 am )
Phone: (830) 931-2514 Monday to Friday
E-mail: whumiston@accd.edu (eportal email)
VIII. Materials/Text: Required Texts and Materials:
• Kim Flachmann & Michael Flachmann, The Prose Reader: Essays for Thinking, Reading , and Writing, Seventh Edition
• Diana Hacker, The Bedford Handbook, Sixth Edition
• These books must be brought to class each day unless instructed otherwise.
• A writer's notebook , any shape, size, and color you want! Pick something that is large enough to carry your thoughts and reflects your personality in some creative way! Use this to jot down ideas as you read to help you in future writing exercises.
• A Blue Paper 3-Prong Brad Pocket Folder to turn in and store all essays, drafts and revisions .
• A Yellow Paper 3-Prong Brad Pocket Folder for research project materials (color-coded folders help keep papers and classes organized, and they also evolve into portfolios quite easily if used with each assignment)
• Use only college-ruled, narrow lined paper for your in-class journals.
• HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: A College Dictionary which can be found in any bookstore.
• Dark Ink & Highlighter: All in-class writing assignments, quizzes, and journals must be written in dark blue or black ink. Additionally, you should have a highlighter of some kind (any color or type you choose) to enhance note-taking and aid in peer editing activities.
• *** Blue Book Exam Booklet for Final Exam. [Large Size] TBD
1. Students will be asked to read the assigned chapters and be prepared for class discussion about the material on the date listed on the schedule.
2. Quizzes will be given over the chapter material.
3. In-class writing assignments will be given on the material discussed.
4. Lecture and/or discussion will be presented about chapter material and MLA.
5. Students will be asked to peer review student work.
6. Students will be asked to participate fully in class collaborative activities and discussion of presented topics.
7. Students will write formal typed essays and a formal research paper.
8. Students will make class presentations about chapter material.
9. Students will be asked to read their writing to the class periodically.
10. Students will take a final examination demonstrating their mastery of various writing forms.
Grades will be assigned according to the following averages:
A (90-100)
B (80-89)
C (70-79)
D (60-69)
F (below 60)
NOTE: A successful completion of a research paper is required to pass English 1301.
The final course grade will be determined as follows:
Quizzes.. .......................... .. 10 %
Essays (formal writing).................................................................. 30 %
Research Paper .. 20%
Journals (informal writing) ......................... 20 %
Participation & Attendance .10%
Final Exam .. . 10 %
100 %
Late essays Not acceptable! Late work earns no credit!
Homework Due on the date indicated on the syllabus at the start of the class.
Scholastic Integrity :
At Medina Valley High School academic honesty is required. The MVISD Code of Student Conduct identifies behavior that is unacceptable in the classroom. Please go to Page 6 of the Code under Prohibited Conduct: A significant part of the district's educational mission is to instill the habits and manners of civility and to teach students the boundaries of socially appropriate behavior. In furtherance of this mission, students will be subject to disciplinary consequences if they engage in any of the prohibited conduct while they are subject to the school's jurisdiction as described in this Code of Conduct: 1. Scholastic dishonesty, which includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, or unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work.
Please go to the MVISD Web site for further details on consequences at
http://www.mvisd.com/pubs/student code of conduct.pdf .
At Palo Alto College , students and faculty value academic achievement, lifelong learning, diversity, and personal and social responsibility. We embrace our values out of commitment to families, peers, neighbors, and ourselves. Integrity, one of our core values, is characterized by honesty and fairness, and is essential for an open exchange of ideas, and to the collaboration necessary for learning.
In upholding integrity, academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Cheating on assignments, plagiarism (unauthorized use of another person's work, or inadequate documentation), and collusion through unauthorized collaboration will result in serious penalties. Please go to page 52 of the catalog or http://www.accd.edu/pac/htm/Current/academics/pdf/catalog0405/GenInfo.pdf and read all the policies and procedures regarding Scholastic Dishonesty.
XII. Student responsibilities and requirements:
A. COME PREPARED TO CLASS :
Read the textbook, and any additional reading selections provided, before coming to class. Have all written work done and readu to be turned in at the start of class.
B. ATTENDANCE :
Students are required to attend each scheduled class meeting. The Excessive Absence Policy as detailed in the PAC catalog states that a student who has absences equivalent to two weeks of class instruction may be dropped by the instructor. Please go to the MVISD Attendance Policy for further details. The instructor does have the right to drop a student from the class due to excessive absences. Your attendance does have an effect on your final grade. DO NOT MISS CLASSES!
C. ASSIGNMENTS :
It is the student's responsibility to complete all assignments as scheduled by the instructor. Please refer to the weekly course plan attached to the end of the syllabus . During the course, you will complete at least five (5) and up to ten (10) formal writing assignments, plus a formal research paper, and a final essay exam. If a student is absent, it is the student's responsibility to obtain class notes or assignment information from their classmates.
D. TURN IN FORMAL PAPERS BY THEIR DUE DATES :
You will be writing two types of papers: formal papers and in-class journals.
1. Formal papers must be typed on a computer/word processor; using 12 point size print, double-spaced, one inch margins, in a standard font preferably Times New Roman. [Note: The body type of this paragraph is in 12 point Times New Roman font.] Do Not Use Cursive Fonts or Bold and be sure to meet the length requirement .
2. Formal papers must be submitted by their due dates. Late work is not acceptable. A paper is late if it is not turned in at the beginning of class. Late work will receive an automatic F or zero points.
3. You will write at least five (5) formal papers, which will be polished essays of 500 - 700 words or 2 to 3 pages reflecting your understanding of writing forms: description, narration, process analysis, comparison/contrast, definition, and the final research paper is an argumentation/persuasion piece. These essays should show organization and clarity in their support and delivery of thematic ideas. All elements of good writing apply. Formal papers must be turned in a folder.
E. MAKE YOUR IN-CLASS WRITING JOURNALS MEANINGFUL:
1. Journal/in-class writing will be completed during the class period assigned.
2. The purpose of journaling or writing reflection papers is to start you thinking about topics that may be used in your formal compositions. These brief, informal writings of 200-400 words or 2-4 handwritten pages should be written with purpose and audience in mind. They need not be polished or formal, but they should reflect good thinking and appear in essay or paragraph form. The minimum length of each writing reflection paper is 200 words and you will write between eight (8) to ten (10) of them during the course. These papers will be handwritten on college-ruled, narrow lined paper; skip lines to make the paper double-spaced, and write on one side only.
F. OFFER EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK DURING PEER REVIEWS :
You will be giving verbal and/or written feedback to your peers on drafts of each formal paper. You should keep your comments brief and to the point, addressing strengths AND weaknesses of the paper. Point out parts of the composition that were particularly effective, telling why the writing is good. Also, since we are all striving to become better writers, be sure to suggest ways that the paper could be improved. Provide enough information so that the author knows how to improve the work. To help you with your job as a reviewer, check The Bedford Handbook, Part I and specifically chapter 3 pages 41-71 (Making global revisions; revising sentences) and The Prose Reader pages 1-35 .
G. MAINTAIN A PORTFOLIO:
1. Use a 3-Prong Brad Pocket Folder to keep ALL IN-CLASS handwritten work that you have produced during the course. You will be asked to turn in your portfolio at least two times within the semester.
2. You should save print-outs of your formal works, showing drafts as they were originally written and then as they later developed and became more polished. These drafts will also be turned in to reflect the peer commentary that you chose to use to finalize your writing.