English 100: Freshman Composition

Instructor: Jeff Gray Section: 21869

Email: Use the online course shell on MyOCC to email (click on the envelope icon on our class homepage). If you are unable to access the course email use the following:
jgray@occ.cccd.edu

For all Technical Support issues concerning the online portion of the class contact Tech Support: (877) 500-4OCC

Course Description. English 100 will involve you in college-level reading and writing tasks. Through our emphasis on analysis applied to a variety of texts, we seek to develop your fluency as a critical reader and writer and your awareness of conventions that govern various writing situations according to the writers particular purpose and audience. Each of the major assignments asks you to take apart texts, to deduce the patterns and strategies in texts, and create texts of your own that synthesize this work. In addition, this course requires you to engage in a multi-staged, recursive writing process for each major paper. You will draft, revise, and revise again in order to discover and refine your interpretations and assessments of your own ideas as well as those contained in other texts. Those who engage in successful writing processes will confront complexity, accounting for evidence that appears to complicate or even contradict your initial ideas about a text. Fortunately, English 100 is a collaborative effort. You will work in small groups to analyze texts, and you will share your writing with your classmates at various stages in its creation. The three papers for the course and daily assignments will be sites for your invention, drafting, and revision processes. Although you can fully expect this course to demand considerable time and attention on your part, those who take our work together seriously will be rewarded with improved critical writing skills. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Writing Outcomes: Students will be able to articulate logical and sophisticated ideas in essays that are organized, coherent, logical and well developed while using proper grammar Reading Outcomes:

Students will be able to identify major and minor supporting details, identify structural elements, such as transitions, thesis statements and topic sentences and be able to discuss and summarize the main ideas in a text.

Students will be able to evaluate argument structures and scrutinize argument conclusions based on the facts, assumptions, inference, and overall logic. Research Outcomes: Students will be able to effectively use the library, conducting research via online and textual databases, periodicals, books, and reference materials. Students will be able to evaluate research in order to assess its relevance and use that research effectively in their papers.

Texts and Supplies Fink, Inge. Reading Life, Boston: Thomson Wadsworth 2005. Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death. New York: Penguin, 1986. Hacker, Diana. Rules for Writers. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2004. (Recommended) Photocopies of your drafts for group workshops and conferences. All major essay projects must be completed to pass the course. If you fail to complete an essay project, you will fail the course, regardless of your average. Keep all papers until you receive your final grade from the college.

Essays. All take-home essays will be done in MLA format (as discussed in Hacker). Essays will be evaluated for content (including development and maturity of thought), organization, expression, and mechanics. The grade for the final version of your paper will take into account both your writing process as demonstrated in class workshops and drafts as well as the final draft itself. Standards of competence and expected levels of maturity are higher in college than in high school. Missing a draft deadline will automatically result in a drop of one letter grade for the final draft. Not bringing the required copies of drafts for workshops is considered missing the deadline. Methods. Through lectures, readings, discussions, in-class writing, and collaborative group work students will have the
opportunity to improve college-level writing skills, further develop paterns of invention, and discover critical thinking opportunities in order to expand the breadth of their own essay writing abilities.

Grade Weighting. Be sure to keep track of your own grade throughout the semester. Your final grade for this course will be calculated in the following manner: Essay Project One ` 10% Essay Project Two 15% Essay Project Three 15% Rhetorical Analysis Essays (3) 15% Homework (including online)/In-Class Writings/Quizzes 20% In-Class Essay Exams 20% Class Participation and Attendance 05% Online Homework. The online portion of the course is designed to take place of what would be classroom discussion in a traditional course. The benefit of having discussions take place online is that all students are able to participate with thoughtful comments having time to think and articulate in a more complete manner than traditional classroom discussions allow. Each week you will be given specific discussion topics that must be completed within a given time frame. I will be reading all of your postings, ocassionally adding some of my own comments, but my role is to facilitate your discussions together. Be sure to check back throughout the week because I will often send messages to those who do not adequately meet the discussion requirements. As stated in the attendance policy, missing discussion postings will result in a drop in homework grade as well as an absence for the week. Please be advised: Blackboard tracks your usage time when you are logged on to the system and tracks time spent in each module. This information may be viewed by your instructor. More importantly, it is obvious when you are just throwing words on the screen to meet the assignment rather than using solid critical thinking skills and spending time articulating college level ideas. The former will not be accepted as completing the assignment and you may be asked to do it again or may lose credit for the assignment. You can think of the course as being split into four parts each week: 1) Attend Class 2)Complete homework assigned for that class session 3)Complete online discussion posting 4) Complete homework assigned for that (online) class session.
Late Assignments. NO late homework will be accepted without prior consent. Essays are due at the beginning of class on the due date specified (coming to class 20+ minutes late makes the essay late). Late essays will be penalized one letter grade for each day of the week late (If the essay was due on Monday and you turn it in Wednesday it is two days late). A hard copy of any emailed assignments must be submitted by the next class meeting. Be sure to save your work constantly to different sources (hard drive, flash drive, email) and check to be sure your printer is working before the due date of an essay. Attendance Policy. Improvement in writing is a complex process that requires a great deal of practice and feedback from readers. Regular attendance is thus necessary for success in this course. Three unexcused absences constitute grounds for exclusion from the class. Excused absences include official campus/college activities and illness with a physicians note. Unexcused absences include sleeping in and long weekends. Coming to class 20+ minutes late will count as an absence as will leaving class early. Because online participation is a required component of this course, missing the weekly online assignment counts as an absence.

Classroom Interaction Policy. To make the most of the opportunities that this class offers: always come to class prepared for the
days activities by bringing th enecessary book(s) and cooperate with your classmates in small-group activities and discussions. Students exhibiting disruptive behavior (including in-class cell phone communication, off-topic inappropriate conversations, etc.) will be asked to leave with an unexcused absence. Do not text in class it is a major distraction. Excessive abuse of this policy will result in exclusion from the class. If asking a question through our online class email, be prepared that it may take 24-48 hours to get a response (especially on weekends). Most likely it will be much sooner than that, but dont put yourself in a position where you need an immediate answer, if at all possible. Because they often become a distraction, laptop computers are not permitted in class. Do not use the classroom computers without instructor consent. Do not eat in class. Drinks are permitted.

Syllabus and Schedule Changes. I have tried to make this document as complete as possible; however, during the course of
the semester I may be required to alter, add, or abandon certain policies/assignments. I reserve the right to make such changes as they become necessary. You will be informed of any changes in advance.

Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism. It is the philosophy of Orange Coast College that academic dishonesty is a completely
unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the College. "Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts." It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the conventions of citation by which you indicate which ideas are not your own and how your reader can find those sources. Read your handbook for more information on quoting and citing properly to avoid plagiarism. If you still do not understand, ask.

Essay Rubric
Stated Objectives or Performance Introduction + Thesis Inadequate Demonstration 1 Lacks clear introduction, thesis, and organizing elements Developing 2 Undeveloped introduction with weak or inadequate overview of the texts; poor or confusing thesis Adequate 3 Basic but unoriginal opening; introduction and summary of main texts; clear thesis and basic overview of main points Accomplished 4 Strong opening; clear overview of texts, strong clear analytical thesis with overview of main points discussed in the body Mastery 5 Original, engaging opening; strong summary of texts; well-written, precise, engaging thesis; clear preview of main supporting points, well connected rather than merely listed Compelling textual evidence to support thesis; quotes show rather than tell; Quotes/citations are smoothly integrated into the analysis

Evidence

Little or no textual evidence to support the thesis

Some evidence that supports thesis but lack of ability to differentiate between good and poor quotes and/or sources

Sufficient textual evidence to support thesis, but lack of ability to differentiate between good and poor quotes/sources; quotes may tell rather than show; quotes/sources are not smoothly integrated into the paragraph _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _______ Demonstrates ability to analyze and connect textual evidence, but analysis is obvious, trivial, trite, or unclear Relatively clear organization, but body paragraphs and transitions

Convincing textual evidence to support thesis; very few lapses in ability differentiating between good and poor quotes; Quotes and/or citations are well integrated into the paragraph

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ ___ Analysis of Evidence

________ ____ Copies evidence with no analysis; simply summarizes texts Lacks clear organization

________ ________ Shows limited ability to analyze and connect evidence; still relies heavily on summary Lacks cohesiveness; limited paragraphing

_________ ________ Provides thoughtful, clear analysis of evidence with occasional lapses Clear organization and logic; good transitions;

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _____ Provides insightful analysis that looks at word choice, implications, connotations, gaps in the text, etc. Clear, logical, engaging organization with orderly progression

Organization

skills

are uneven

minimal unevenness in paragraph focus, structure, and development Occasional minor errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar, but ideas are clear

of ideas; elegant, cogent transitions; well-structured, focused, and developed paragraphs Few errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar; wide variety of sentence structure and vocabulary

Mechanics

Major spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors that interfere with clarity of writing

Significant and distracting spelling, grammar, punctuation errors, enough that ideas are not clear; consistent error patterns that reveal a lack of mastery

Frequent minor errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar, but basic ideas are clear;

Daily Schedule Note: schedule is subject to change with advance notice.

Unit I----------------------- Analyzing Personal Texts: Self and Society

T 8/27 Online

Course Intro Discussion Posting

HW: Read Brisick (126); Hochman (131); Hwang (139) HW: Write Past/Future Essay 2-3 pages (Due in class next meeting)

T 9/3 Online

Process of Writing /Critical Reading Discussion Posting

HW: Read Walker (250) HW: Read pp.3-13; Do exercise p.12

T 9/10 Online

Rhetorical Analysis Guidelines Discussion Posting

HW: Re-Read Walker (250) HW: Rhetorical Analysis #1 Walker (250)

T 9/17 Online

Presentations/ Guidelines Essay #1 Discussion Posting

Due: R.A. #1

HW: Draft Essay #1

HW: Draft Essay #1 (Bring 4 Copies to next Class)

T 9/24 Online

Revision Discussion Posting

Due: Draft Essay #1 (4 copies)

HW: Read Sedaris (510) HW: Revise Essay #1

T 10/1 Online

Rhetorical Appeals Discussion Posting

Due: Essay #1

HW: Read Schlosser (307) HW: TBA

Unit II------------Analyzing Social Texts: Marketing, Race, and Rhetoric

T 10/8 Online

Media Rhetoric and Analytical Writing Discussion Posting

HW: Read Beate (616); Read Blakeslee (632) HW: Rhetorical Analysis #2 Belkin (621)

T 10/15 Online

Presentations/Paragraphs/Guidelines Essay #2 Discussion Posting

Due: R.A. #2

HW: Draft Essay #2

T 10/22 Online

Expository Thesis/Revision Discussion Posting

Due: Draft Essay #2 (4 copies)

HW: TBA HW: Read Orwell Politics and the English Language

T 10/29 Online

Midterm ExamIn-class Essay Discussion Posting

Due: Essay #2

HW: Rd. Postman (Chapters 1-4) HW: Rhetorical Analysis #3 (Postman)

Unit III----------------Analyzing and Arguing Public Spaces: Apathy or Oppression? T 11/5 Online Quiz/Discuss Postman/ Presentations Discussion Posting Due: R.A. #3 HW: Rd. Postman (Chapters 5-7) HW: Rd. Postman (Chapter 8)

T 11/12 Online

Library Research/ Annotated Bibliography/Guidelines Essay #3 Discussion Posting

HW: Finish Postman HW: Annotated Bibliography (Bring to next class)

T 11/19 Online

Logic Discussion Posting

Due: Annotated Bibliography

HW: TBA HW: Draft Essay#3 (4 copies)

T 11/26 Online

Revision Discussion Posting

Due: Draft Essay #3 (4 copies)

HW: Rd. Foucault (540); Ivins (547) HW: Revise Essay #3

T 12/3 Online

Final Exam Prep: Orwell v. Postman Discussion Posting

HW: Read Kinsley (559); Manjoo (574) HW: Essay #3

T 12/10 Online

Final ExamIn-Class Essay TBA

Due: Essay #3