Composition and Modern English I. Term 4, 2016 (March 14 May 15)

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1 Troy Online ENGL 1101 XTIH Course Syllabus Composition and Modern English I Term 4, 2016 (March 14 May 15) For course syllabus posted prior to the beginning of the term, the instructor reserves the right to make minor changes prior to or during the term. The instructor will notify students, via or Blackboard announcement, when changes are made in the requirements and/or grading of the course. Troy Online Courses at Troy University All Troy Online courses at Troy University utilize the Blackboard Learning System. In every Troy Online course, students should read all information presented in the Blackboard course site and should periodically check for updates at least every 48 hours. Remember: This is not a correspondence course in which a student may work at his/her own pace. Each week there are assignments, online discussions, online activities and/or exams with due dates. Refer to the schedule at the end of the syllabus for more information. INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION Mrs. Katherine Brewer 171 Lee Road 409 Opelika, AL (334) kbrewer61187@troy.edu INSTRUCTOR EDUCATION BA English, Auburn University 2003 (minor political science) MA English, Auburn University 2005 Additional course work and training: WebCT, Blackboard, children s literature, tutoring in remedial English, and fiction writing. Course Description This course is designed to introduce students to writing as a rhetorical process. Emphasizing the conscious choices we make as writers, we will explore the techniques by which we hope our writing helps us to work through our own ideas and then communicate those thoughts and ideas to others. Intensive instruction in writing process. Focuses on organization of ideas in well-developed expository and argumentative essays, with stress on grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary development. A grade of C or better is required for credit. Must be taken within first 30 hours of enrollment.

2 Course Objectives Student will improve writing and critical thinking skills through readings and subsequent written essays and assignments. Student Learning Outcomes Demonstrate skill in the stages of the writing process: prewriting, writing, revising. Read, analyze, and evaluate various kinds of writing and recognize patterns of exposition and argument. Use appropriate rhetorical strategies for various situations, purposes, and audiences. Edit and review the writing of others. Perform tasks required generally in college writing, particularly summarizing and evaluating material. Demonstrate comprehension and analysis of literary meaning and convention in academic essays and literary analysis sheets Articulate an understanding of specific course topics by discussion board participation, MLA formatted essays, and final exam. Research Component: Ability to use the internet and show discernment in selecting and analyzing sources and determining their purpose and credibility. This matrix is designed to show how the activities and assessments you will be completing throughout the course will help you to master the student learning outcomes and ultimately the overall course objectives. Course Objectives Student Learning Outcomes Activities (Task Mastery of Knowledge/Skills) Assessments Develop analytical thinking and critical reading skills. Identify the features of assigned rhetorical modes, including: identifying purpose and audience analyzing structure and form of essay development analyzing tactics of persuasion and recognizing logical fallacies Videos and lectures Discussion board dialogue with fellow students MyWritingLab activities/a Writer s Reference activities Writing analysis Discussion board posts (rubric) Online exercises Graphic/advance organizer Demonstrate proficiency with writing in a formal context to include six original extended and revised compositions Self-knowledge of writing proficiency and propensity for certain mistakes; commitment to word choice and tone Demonstrates a command of precise language and enhanced vocabulary Demonstrates the ability to critique one s own work and the work of peers Demonstrate proficiency with rhetorical modes Practice tests for word choice Journaling for selfcritique Self and peer editing/review DQ discussion of assigned readings for each mode Major assigned essay rubrics MyWritingLab activities/a Writer s Reference activities Peer review rubric DQ posts rubric

3 Recognize and avoid clichés and argumentative fallacies Demonstrate appropriate tone and knowledge of audience Develop an appreciation for and ease with essay structure and paragraph development, including thesis statement, topic sentences, transitions, introductions and conclusions. Demonstrate ability to identify and to express ideas using essay parts, including thesis statement, topic sentence, transitions, introductions and conclusions Uses appropriate conventions of structure and format for the situation/style Demonstrates self-awareness of one s own writing style across multiple drafts Demonstrates the ability to pre-write, draft, revise, edit, etc. Discussion board analysis of assigned readings Drafting assigned essays Discussion of assigned rubrics for each essay Reflective journal Self and peer editing/review MyWritingLab activities/a Writer s Reference activities Quiz for identifying thesis and other essay parts Journal rubric Rubric for self and peer reviews Online exercises Demonstrate the use of evidence through research to support argumentation and analysis, develop research and citation skills Develop an ability to incorporate credible outside sources using quotations and paraphrasing and documenting sources using proper citation format, especially MLA Citation exercises Self-analysis through journaling DQ responses Quizzes Journal rubric DQ posts rubric Demonstrate an awareness of proficiency and propensity for certain grammar and punctuation mistakes Employ proper usage (in accordance with standard American English) of grammar, spelling and punctuation Grammar quizzes Self-assessment of DQ posts through journaling Diagnostic Self-guided use of quizzes Exit Exam Course Prerequisites Placement Testing Specific Course Requirements Weekly work includes textbook assignments, lectured documents and discussion board postings. There will be a total of six (graded) papers five essays with one longer research paper. Discussion board postings are required in order to pass the course. They will be graded as participation. In addition there will be a graded Weekly Self Assessment Journal as well as Weekly work in the Pearson My Literature Lab. Research Component: Students will conduct research in their final essay using credible outside resources (books, articles, library references) to complete a research paper.

4 Entrance Competencies Read and understand materials written in English on a college level Write essays following rules of standard English (including grammar, punctuation, capitalization, sentence structure, and vocabulary). The ability to organize an essay which clearly provides a debatable claim Required Textbooks Skwire. Student s Book of College English. Custom Package, with mandatory MyWritingLab access ISBN: Hacker. A Writer s Reference with Exercises. 7 th edition ISBN: The official bookstore for Troy University is Barnes and Noble (B&N). Students can now order textbooks within Blackboard, Trojan Web Express or on the B&N website at For further instructions on how to order your course materials go to How to Order Textbooks. Students should have their textbook by the first week of class. Not having your textbook is not an acceptable excuse for late work. Students who add this course late should refer to the Late Registration section for further guidance. Supplementary Materials None Attendance Policy In addition to interaction via Blackboard and contact, you are required to contact the instructor via or telephone by the first day of the term for an initial briefing. Although physical class meetings are not part of this course, participation in all interactive, learning activities is required. Submitting Assignments Assignments must be typed, in 12pt. font (preferably Times New Roman or something equivalent), double-spaced, and in MS Word format (you may also post assignments in.rtf Rich Text Format if you re using another program as that is accessible by Word). The assignments must be turned in to the section of Blackboard by 10 p.m. CST on the due date listed on the syllabus. Do not papers to the instructor. Make-Up Work Policy Missing any part of this schedule may prevent completion of the course. If you foresee difficulty of any type (e.g., an illness, employment change, etc.) which may prevent completion of this course, notify the instructor as soon as possible. Failure to do so will result in failure for an assignment and/or failure of the

5 course. (See Attendance Policy.) If I have not heard from you by the deadline dates for assignments, exams, or forums, no make-up work will be allowed (unless extraordinary circumstances exist, such as hospitalization). Requests for extensions must be made in advance and accompanied by appropriate written documentation. Computer problems is not an acceptable excuse. Method of Evaluation METHOD OF EVALUATION Essay #1 (Description) 5% Minimum Length: 500 words Essay #2 (Narration) 10% Minimum Length: 500 words Essay #3 (Example) 10% Minimum Length: 650 words Essay #4 (Cause and Effect) 15% Minimum Length: 650 words Essay #5 (Definition) 15% Minimum Length: 900 words Essay #6 (Argumentation) 20% Minimum Length: 1,200 words Discussion Board Participation 10% Self-assessment/journaling 10% Grammar diagnostics/quizzes/ 5 % Online exercises ASSIGNMENT OF GRADES All grades will be posted in the student grade book in Blackboard and will be assigned according to the following scale: Postings: FA: A % B 80 89% C 70 79% D 60 69% F 59% and below I post grades in Blackboard, in the Grade Center. FA indicates the student failed due to attendance. This grade will be given to any student who disappears from the course for three or more weeks. See the Attendance section of this syllabus for additional information. Examination Schedule and Instructions No formal examinations in this course.

6 Late Registration Registration During The First Week of the Term If you register during the first week of the term, you will already be one week behind. If you fall into this category are expected to catch up with all of Week #1 and Week #2's work by the end of Week #2. No exceptions, since two weeks constitutes a significant percentage of the term's lessons. If you do not feel you meet this deadline you should not enroll in the class. If you have registered, you should see your registrar, academic adviser, GoArmyEd or Military Education officer to discuss your options. Also note that late registration may mean you do not receive your book in time to make up the work you missed in Week #1. Not having your book on the first day of class is not an excuse for late work after the deadlines in the Course Schedule. Incomplete Grade Policy Missing any part of the Course Schedule may prevent completion of the course. If circumstances will prevent the student from completing the course by the end of the term, the student must complete a request for an incomplete grade. Note: A grade of Incomplete, I, is not automatically assigned to students, but rather must be requested by the student by submitting a Petition for and Work to Remove an Incomplete Grade Form. Requests for an incomplete grade must be made on or before the date of the final assignment or test of the term. A grade of I does not replace an F and will not be awarded for excessive absences. An I will only be awarded to a student presenting a valid case for the inability to complete coursework by the conclusion of the term. It is ultimately the instructor s decision to grant or deny a request for an incomplete grade, subject to the policy rules below: Policy/Rules for granting an Incomplete (I): The student must request that an incomplete be issued. The student s progress in the course must be satisfactory at the time of the request (e.g. the student must be passing the course), but is unable to complete the course grading requirements because of documented circumstances beyond his/her control. If both of the above criteria are not met an incomplete cannot be granted. An I is not a substitute for an F. If a student has earned an F by not submitting all the work or by receiving an overall F average, then the F stands. TROY All students were required to obtain and use the TROY address that is automatically assigned to them as TROY students. All official correspondence (including bills, statements, s from instructors and grades, etc.) will be sent ONLY to the troy.edu (@troy.edu) address. All students are responsible for ensuring that the correct address is listed in Blackboard by the beginning of Week One. is the only way the instructor can, at least initially, communicate with you. It is your responsibility to make sure a valid address is provided. Failure on your part to do so can result in your missing important information that could affect your grade.

7 Your troy.edu address is the same as your Web Express user ID following Students are responsible for the information that is sent to their TROY account. You can get to your account by logging onto the course and clicking . Internet Access This is an online class. Students must have access to a working computer and access to the Internet. Students can use a TROY computer lab (if available), a public library, etc., to insure they have access. Not having a computer or computer crashes are not acceptable excuses for late work. Have a back-up plan in place in case you have computer problems.

8 COURSE SCHEDULE Week 1 (March 14-19) Review all information and resources provided in the Start Here, Syllabus, and Helpful Resources areas. Post to the Week 1: Introductions Discussion Board. Download and install the WriteClick software from MyWritingLab. Students Book of College English o Critical Reading p o Active Writing p o Finding and Supporting a Thesis p Complete the Pre-Grammar Diagnostic (Path Builder in MyWritingLab) Post to Introduction Discussion Board Post to the Grammar Assessment Journal: Identify grammar issues to work on based on the Path Builder results Week 2 (March 20-26) Students Book of College English, Description p Write and submit Essay #1 Description DUE March 26, 2016 by 10 p.m. CST Week 2 s Discussion Board DUE by Sunday March 27, 2015 Use the WriteClick software to evaluate Essay #1 Post to the Grammar Assessment Journal: Self-assessment of Essay 1 Week 3 (March 27-April 2) Read Essay 2 s assignment sheet and accompanying materials in Week 7 s module Select three or four additional This I Believe essays that are posted on NPR s website to read as examples.

9 Write and submit Essay #2 Narration (This I Believe) DUE Saturday April 2, 2016 by 10 p.m. CST Discussion board post for Week 3 due by Sunday April 2 by 10 p.m. Week 4 (April 3-9) Students Book of College English, p Work on Essay #3 Example DUE April 9, 2016 by 10 p.m. CST Discussion Board #4 DUE by Sunday April 10 by 10 p.m. Use the WriteClick software to evaluate Essay #2 Post to the Grammar Assessment Journal: Self-assessment of Essay 2 Week 5 (April 10-16) Students Book of College English, Cause and Effect p Use the WriteClick software to evaluate Essay #3 Post to the Grammar Assessment Journal: Self-assessment of Essay 3 Post to the Citations and Work Cited Page Discussion Board Week 6 (April 17-23) Students Book of College English, p Work on Essay #4 Cause and Effect DUE Saturday April 23, 2016 by 10 p.m. CST Discussion Board for Week 6 is DUE Sunday by 10 p.m.

10 Week 7 (April 24-30) Students Book of College English, p Work on Essay #5 Definition DUE Saturday April 30, 2016 by 10 p.m. CST Use the WriteClick software to evaluate Essay #4 Post to the Grammar Assessment Journal: Self-assessment of Essay 4 Week 8 (May 1-7) Students Book of College English, Argumentation p Work on DRAFT of Essay #6 Argumentation DUE Wednesday May 4, 2016 by 10 p.m. CST Discussion Board for Week 8 due by Sunday, May 8 by 10 p.m. Use the WriteClick software to evaluate Essay #5 Post to the Grammar Assessment Journal: Essay 5 self-assessment Week 9 (May 8-14) Students Book of College English, Argumentation p Submit Essay # 6 Argumentation (Final) DUE Wednesday May 11, 2016 by 10 p.m. CST Complete the Post-Grammar diagnostic (MyWritingLab) Use the WriteClick software to evaluate Essay #6 Post to the Grammar Assessment Journal: Grammar Diagnostic and Final student selfassessment of improvement