P.S. Please print this syllabus for your records. It is best to have it done BEFORE our first class session.

Transcription

1 Dear Developmental Reading Student: Fall 2010 Welcome to READ 310! Congratulations on your decision to continue to strengthen your reading skills and continued academic success. Since effective reading skills are crucial to college success, enrolling in this course can be one of the best decisions you make. As your instructor, it is my responsibility to make our class sessions as productive as possible. It is your responsibility to attend class regularly, complete every assignment, and learn the material that is presented and discussed in class. Try your best not to miss even one class session. Plan time to attend class, as well as time to complete all of the homework assignments outside of class. If you do have to miss, check the assignment calendar (on Blackboard) to determine what work you must complete before attending the next class. Contact me if you have questions, or need assistance. Being a student is not always an easy job. In fact, it is often hard work and requires giving up other (often fun!) activities to make enough time to study. The reward, though, is that you will feel great satisfaction from giving your best effort and from being successful. And, let s face it: being successful in college can change the rest of your life in many significant ways. I hope that you will benefit from this course and find it a valuable, enjoyable experience. Sincerely, Pam Sawyer P.S. Please print this syllabus for your records. It is best to have it done BEFORE our first class session. Collin College READ 0310: Developmental Reading III Semester: Fall 2010 Section, Meeting time, & Room: READ S10, 08:30 am - 09:45 am TR Spring Creek Campus K212 READ S11, 10:00 am - 11:15 am TR Spring Creek Campus I112 READ S12, 11:30 am - 12:45 pm TR Spring Creek Campus K212 Come to the computer lab (J-119) every Thursday beginning 9/1/2010!!! PJS/Revised: 8/10 1

2 Please retain this syllabus for reference throughout the semester. Please memorize your section number; you will use it on every paper all semester. If you think you can or think you cannot, you are probably right. Henry Ford Instructor Information Name: Pam Sawyer Phone/voice mail: If you would like me to return your call, you must leave a phone number and the time that is best for me to contact you. psawyer@collin.edu, this is the best way to contact me. D-234A (inside the library), Office Hours Week Day Time MW 1:00 PM- 2:30 PM TR 12:00 PM -1:30 PM Important Dates: Final Exam Schedule for the sections pertaining to this syllabus are: READ , Wednesday, Dec. 8 th from 8:30 AM 11: 30 AM READ , Monday, Dec. 6 th from 10: 00AM 12:00 PM READ , FRIDAY, Dec. 10 th from 11:30 A.M.-1:30 P.M. Course Description: Offers additional instruction in developing vocabulary and comprehension skills. Effective study skills are introduced. Successful completion of READ 0300 or assessment is required. NOTE: This class may not be used to satisfy the requirements for an associate degree. Lab required. Course Credit Hours: 3 Lecture Hours: 3 Lab Hours: 0 Prerequisite: Assessment or successful completion of READ 0300 Co-requisite: None College Repeat Policy: Developmental Education courses may be taken for a combined total of no more than 27 credit hours. In addition, you may repeat this course only once PJS/Revised: 8/10 2

3 after receiving a grade, including W. If you drop this class before census day, it will not count against you. Required Texts and Materials: Textbook: Rothman, David and Jilani Warsi. Read to Succeed: A Thematic Approach to Academic Reading.Boston, MA: Longman, The use of annotated texts or teacher s editions constitutes scholastic dishonesty and the college will initiate disciplinary proceedings against a student accused of using such a text. Students are required to bring the textbook to every class. Supplies: Three-ring binder, paper, pen and pencil, red pen, highlighter Getting organized from the beginning of the semester will contribute greatly to your success. Please use a standard-sized, three-ring loose-leaf notebook that has a pocket inside the cover. Put this syllabus in the notebook. As you receive handouts during the semester, and as homework assignments are returned to you, put them in your notebook. Get in the habit of putting completed work in a particular section in your notebook. This way, you won t waste valuable class time hunting for assignments, handouts, or important papers. Student Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, a student will have mastered active reading skills and concepts of READ This course will prepare students for college level reading. Student s will demonstrate mastery of the following outcomes upon successful completion of this course: a. Stated and Implied Main Ideas b. Supporting Details, Mapping, and Outlining c. Transitions d. Patterns of Organization e. Inferences f. Purpose and Tone g. Components of Argument h. Distinguishing Facts from Opinions Course Requirements: A local reading assessment will be administered prior to enrolling in this course. Students are required to attend lecture the equivalent of three hours per week AND to complete all lab and homework assignments, tests, and the final exam. Because we want you to success in college level reading, tutorials may be required. Based on the results of on-going assessments, you will be required to attend tutorials to increase your academic success. Course Format: Read 0310 comprises lecture, class discussions, small group work, individual assignments, and on-line practice. Collin College Policy Statement: ADA Statement: It is the policy of Collin County Community College to provide reasonable and appropriate accommodations for individuals with documented disabilities. This College will adhere to all applicable Federal, State, and Local laws, regulations, and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal educational opportunity. It is PJS/Revised: 8/10 3

4 the student s responsibility to contact the ACCESS Office (G-200) or , (TDD ), in a timely manner if he/she desires to arrange for accommodations. The student has the responsibility of informing the course instructor of any disabling condition which will require modifications to avoid discrimination. Please let me know what I can do to make your learning experience most effective. Attendance Policy: Short version-- Students must attend classes regularly. Students are expected to attend each class and to arrive on time. If a student is late or leaves class early three (3) times, it will count as one (1) absence. Repeated absences may result in failing this course. Please see the Registration Guide for the last day to withdraw. Religious Holy Days: please refer to the current Collin Student Handbook. Longer version: Just as working in the real world requires diligence to attendance, punctuality, paying attention, asking and answering questions, participation in group work, and productive use of time comprise so does your success in this class. If you show up late, leave early, sleep on the job, or produce inadequate work on a real job you will fail. Similarly, these types of behaviors will result in failing this class at the worst, or simply losing out on information that will help you succeed. Preparation to learn is very critical to your in class professionalism, so do your homework! Be in class on time, every time! Tardies, especially chronic tardies, are disruptive to everyone, and they lower your success in the class. Attending all classes and being on time are simply part of being a responsible student. It is part of your responsibility to your classmates, too, since we will often use cooperative learning techniques in this class. ( Cooperative learning means you are responsible for helping your classmates learn and succeed and they are responsible for helping you learn and succeed.) Please don t bring children or guests to class. In general, A students rarely, if ever, miss class. B students tend to miss only a class or two; C students tend to miss even more. And, of course, you must positively participate in class, as well as attend. The scoring for my MWF classes is: 50 points deducted per absence. The scoring for my TR classes is: 70 points deducted per absence. (Remember, in college missing 6 MWF classes I the equivalent of missing two weeks of class. Missing 4 classes is equivalent to missing two weeks of class.) Three tardies are counted as an absence, so come to every class session on time! I expect you to call me (or have someone call me) if you miss more than two classes in a row. Please notify me in advance if you will be absent form class in observance of a religious holiday. You can reach me by phone, leave a message on my voice mail, or me. Let me know your situation and when you will be back in class. To have your call returned, leave me your phone number and the best time to call. If you are unable to complete the course for any reason, it is your responsibility to officially drop the course (withdraw) by the assigned date on Collin s official calendar. Simply stopping to attend class without withdrawing will earn you and automatic F. The process to withdraw from a Developmental course includes: meet with your professor (me), meet with an advisor, and then meet with the Dean of Developmental Education. It is your responsibility to let me know when you need help. I can be of assistance if you let me know you re having difficulty. Call me, come by during my office hours, or ask after class to arrange a time too get together (see first page of syllabus for contact information). PJS/Revised: 8/10 4

5 You are responsible for knowing how many absences you have. I will periodically inform you of my attendance records, so you can double check your attendance. Not knowing how many absences you have is not an excuse for accumulating too many. So you see, simply showing up to class is not enough just as showing up at work is not enough. You need to have good attendance and positive participation in class. Doing your homework assignments better ensures you are prepared to learn and contribute positively in class. If you are miss 4 or more assignments, you will not be allowed to take the Final Exam. I cannot allow you to turn in a set of late assignments all at once to catch up at the last minute. You will need to compete as they are assigned. And, obviously, you will learn more if you are consistently doing your work. Method of Evaluation: The final grade for this course will be based on the following criteria: Method of Evaluation: The final grade for this course will be based on the following criteria: Class work/homework 20% Lab Work 20% Major Assessments 40% Final Exam 20% Grading Policy & Scale: Grade AD= ; BD= ; CD= ; FD=699 or below; or IP will be awarded. A grade of DD will not be awarded. Grading: In order to receive an AD in the course, a student must complete all coursework with an average of In order to receive a BD in the course, a student must complete all coursework with an average of In order to receive a C in the course, a student must complete all coursework with an average of If a student has below 70 points on coursework, he/she will receive an FD. Class work/homework 20% You will be given an assignment calendar that shows both the class activities and the homework assignments. This will make it possible for you to know what the assignment is and to do it, even if you miss class a day. Do your assignments completely, neatly, and on time. They help me to determine your understand of the course material. Also, to become a better reader, you must practice: that is, READ! For this reason, you will regularly be assigned interesting, informative reading selections for homework. Completing these reading and writing assignments also helps you prepare for the end-of-course tests. Important guidelines for Homework: 1. If you miss a class, you are still responsible for completing the homework and turning it in the day your return to class. If you are absent, check the assignment calendar and do the homework. Contact me or a classmate if you have questions about the assignment. 2. Homework assignments are will be submitted on Blackboard. You will want to attend an orientation for Blackboard, if you are using it for your first time. For the fall semester, the following times are available for the orientation: Wednesday, August 25 th, 7:00-8:00 PM at SCC, Rm I-112 Thursday, August 26 th, 3:00-4:00 PM at PRC, Rm L-204 Thursday, August 26 th, 7:00-8:00 PM at CPC, Rm C-115 Sign up for a class at: 3. Assignments will not be accepted after the due date. If you consistently turn in assignments late, you should drop the course before the drop date. PJS/Revised: 8/10 5

6 Tutoring: I want you to succeed in college level reading. To ensure your success and based on the results of on-going assessments, you will be required to attend tutorials to increase your academic success. You will be given tutorial schedules in class. Lab Work 20% Each week one day will be spent in the computer lab where you will complete assignments. The assignments are located at Upon visiting the lab for the first time, you will be given an access code to set-up your account. Each week you will have work to complete within the program. At the end of the semester, the average of your work will be entered in the grade book and count for 20% of the overall course grade. Major Skills Reading Tests 40% Four (4) Major Skills Tests will be administered through out the class. You will have the opportunity to earn 100 points per Major Skills Test. These tests will cover the material from your text books and in class. Final Exam 20% You will have an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of all the class material on the comprehensive final exam. Be on time and ready to show off! Some suggestions for success: 1. Maintain a positive attitude. You may or may not have wanted to enroll in this course, but since you are here, make the decision to get the most out of it. 2. Get off the a good start by obtaining off of the needed course materials during the first day or two of the semester and by getting yourself organized. Make it a priority to stay organized and to stay caught up. 3. Be courteous. When a class discussion is going on, when a classmate is asking or answering a question, or when I am speaking, listen courteously. This encourages others to do the same for you. Listening carefully is positively contributing to our class and is reflected in your professionalism. 4. Take responsibility for your own learning. Your classmates and I are here to help, but in college, students must do much more f the learning on their own, outside of class. This includes doing the assignments faithfully, doing the assignments even when you are absent so that they are ready to be submitted when you return, asking for help, getting tutoring in short, doing whatever it is takes to succeed. Academic Honesty and Cheating Academic Ethics: The College District may initiate disciplinary proceedings against a student accused of scholastic dishonesty. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree and/or the submission as one s own work or material that is not one s own. Scholastic dishonesty may involve, but is not limited to, one or more of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion, use of annotated texts or teacher s edition, and or/falsifying academic records. Cheating is the willful giving or receiving of information in an unauthorized manner during an examination, illicitly obtaining examination questions in advance, copying computer files, copying internet material, using someone else s work for assignments as if it were one s own, or any other dishonest means of attempting to fulfill the requirements of the course. Plagiarism is the use of an author s words or ideas as if they were one s own without giving credit to the source, including, but not limited to, failure to acknowledge a direct quotation. Collusion is intentionally aiding or attempting to aid another in an act of scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to, providing a paper or project to another student; providing an PJS/Revised: 8/10 6

7 inappropriate level of assistance; communicating answers to a classmate during an examination; removing tests or answer sheets from a test site, and allowing a classmate to copy answers. Most students feel pressure to make good grades, and the temptation to cheat can be great. Cheating is unfair to others in the class, but most of all, you cheat yourself when you are dishonest. You cheat yourself by not learning the skills you will ultimately need to know. You cheat yourself because dishonesty lowers your opinion of yourself and makes you feel like a fraud. Although cheating, unfortunately, is a common occurrence, it is a serious offence in college: you can be given a failing grade on an assignment, on a test or in a course, or even be suspended from college. Unless instructed otherwise, you are expected to do your own work on homework, labs, and tests. Moreover, you should avoid any behavior that could be mistaken for cheating, such as looking on someone else s test or talking during a test. To avoid cheating, do not: copy anyone else s homework let anyone copy your homework use a textbook that already ahs answers in it copy answers from textbooks that someone else has already used look on another person s test speak during a test Technology in the Classroom: I love technology! When technology is used properly, it makes everyone s life easier. When technology is used inappropriately, or abused, in the classroom it creates an unproductive learning environment. For this reason, I have strict guidelines that will be followed for the semester. Please turn off your cell phones or any other electronic device (i.e. I-Pod, MP3, etc ), upon entering the classroom. You will not need them for the duration of the class. Basically, this is out of respect for your fellow classmates because when they go off during class (and you know they will!), the distraction to others is great. Even the vibration mode is not allowed due to the sound that is heard from the phone. Text messaging during class is not allowed. Your friends, family, and employer will want to respect your desire to learn, and understand that this time is carved out for your improvement. The bottom line is, texting in class will earn you a zero for attendance the date of the infraction. Please respect the learning environment by not texting during class. Finally, computer use in the class is only allowed in two cases: 1. If you have accommodations from ACCESS to use a computer in class, you will be allowed the use of technology for learning purposes. You will need to bring the necessary paper work to me before you can use any of the provisions recommended by ACCESS. 2. If we use a computer in class, one will be provided for you, and you will be expected to participate through technology for the class period. Of course, you are not allowed to surf the net, or check your , during our class time. If you decide to violate this policy, you will not earn attendance credit for the date of the infraction. I know everyone will want to respect these requests and look for positive use of technology for the semester. Evaluation of Instruction: COLLIN COLLEGE seeks to improve the learning experience of all students. To assist in evaluating courses, students will be requested to complete an Evaluation of Instruction form near the end of the fall and/or spring semester(s). PJS/Revised: 8/10 7

8 Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Policy: The TSI was mandated through action of the 78 th Texas Legislature to replace the Texas Academic Skills Program (THEA). Like THEA, TSI is designed to measure competency in reading, writing, and mathematics and to provide developmental courses in areas identified as deficiencies. The developmental courses are designed to promote student success and to ensure college readiness and students are encouraged to complete the required developmental course(s) early in their college career. Obtaining Semester Grades: Collin College does not mail grades to students at the end of the semester. Instead, you obtain your grades on line at: Students will need their College Wide Identification Number (CWID) and Personal Identification Number (PIN) to access the system. If you have not already set up your password or obtained your EUID, you will need to do this before accessing this private information. Anyone needing a paper transcript for any reason may come to the Admissions Office on any campus and it will be printed for you free of charge. General Semester Fall 2010 Schedule Week Focus 1 Syllabus and Course direction 2 Education: American Education (includes vocabulary) & Determining Meaning from Context 3 Health: Nutrition (includes vocabulary) & Identifying the Main Idea and Topic 4 Environmental Science: Global Warming (includes vocabulary) & Identifying Supporting Details 5 E-Commerce: Internet Marketing (includes vocabulary) & Making Inferences 6 Telecommunications: The Cell Phone Revolution (includes vocabulary) & Recognizing Author s Purpose and Tone 7 Criminal Justice: Criminal Investigation (includes vocabulary) & Fact and Opinion 8 Life Science: Nursing (includes vocabulary) & Patterns of Organization 9 Psychology: Human Nature (includes vocabulary) & Argument 10 Business (includes vocabulary) & The Author s Bias 11 Political Science: American Government (includes vocabulary) & Combined Skills 12 Pulling it all together Practice mastering the combined skills 13 Pulling it all together Practice mastering the combined skills 14 Pulling it all together Practice mastering the combined skills 15 Pulling it all together Practice mastering the combined skills 16 Final Exam PJS/Revised: 8/10 8

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10 After you have read the syllabus, please complete this form and turn it in on our second class session. Place a check mark in each box to indicate your understanding. I have read the syllabus and understand it. I understand that I am responsible for my learning in this class and will strive to gain assistance as needed, not wait for others to tell me when or where I am going or doing in this class. I understand my instructor s contact information and know how to access her as needed. I am enrolled in READ 310, Section. Print your name on the line above Sign your name on the line above Date PJS/Revised: 8/10 10