Course Syllabus

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English 1A: Section  6102 Reading and Composition

Class Meeting Times and Location:  Thursday 10:30am – 12:30pm                                            

Instructor:  Jocelyn Shaw

Office:  via Pronto         Office Hours:  Wed 10:45am-11:45am / Fri 10:45am - 11:45am

Contact Information:         Phone:  na       Email:  joshaw@elcamino.edu

Communication: Please send communication through the Canvas inbox and I will respond within 48 hours.

Course Materials

Required:

Description of 1 month Total Access membership on TownsendPress.net 

Recommended: 

  • Flash drive
  • Different colored pens/highlighters for annotating
  • Dictionary (dictionary.com)

 

Course Catalog Description:

This course is designed to strengthen the students' ability to read with understanding and discernment, to discuss assigned readings intelligently, and to write clearly. Emphasis will be placed on the ability to write an essay in which each paragraph relates to a controlling idea, has an introduction and conclusion, and contains primary and secondary support. College-level reading material will be assigned to provide the stimulus for class discussion and writing assignments, including a required research paper.

 

Course Objectives: 

  1. Recognize and revise sentence-level grammar and usage errors.
  2. Read and apply critical-thinking skills to numerous published articles and to college-level, book-length works for the purpose of writing and discussion.
  3. Apply appropriate strategies in the writing process including dissecting and understanding prompts, prewriting, composing, revising, and editing techniques.
  4. Compose coherent, multi-paragraph, thesis-driven essays with logical and appropriate supporting ideas, including in-text citations.
  5. Demonstrate the ability to locate and utilize a variety of academic databases, peer-reviewed journals, and scholarly websites.
  6. Demonstrate the ability to write coherent, text-driven, timed in-class essays.
  7. Utilize MLA guidelines to format essays, cite sources in the texts of essays, and compile Works Cited lists.

 

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, students will:

  1. Complete a research-based essay that has been written out of class and undergone revision. It should demonstrate the student’s ability to thoughtfully support a single thesis using analysis and synthesis.
  2. Integrate multiple sources, including a book-length work and a variety of academic databases, peer-reviewed journals, and scholarly websites. Citations must be in MLA format and include a Works Cited page.
  3. Demonstrate logical paragraph composition and sentence structure. The essay should have correct grammar, spelling, and word use.

  

Students with Disabilities:

It is the policy of the El Camino Community College District to encourage full inclusion of people with disabilities in all programs and services.  Students with disabilities who believe they may need accommodations in this class should contact the campus Special Resource Center (310) 660-3295, as soon as possible.  This will ensure that students are able to fully participate.  

 

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism:

El Camino College places a high value on the integrity of its student scholars.  When an instructor determines that there is evidence of dishonesty in any academic work (including, but not limited to cheating, plagiarism, or theft of exam materials), disciplinary action appropriate to the misconduct as defined in BP 5500 may be taken.  A failing grade on an assignment in which academic dishonesty has occurred and suspension from class are among the disciplinary actions for academic dishonesty (AP 5520).  Students with any questions about the Academic Honesty or discipline policies are encouraged to speak with their instructor in advance.

 

Attendance Policy:

Students are expected to attend their classes regularly. Students who miss the first class meeting or who are not in regular attendance during the add period for the class may be dropped by the instructor. Students whose absences from a class exceed 10% of the scheduled class meeting times may be dropped by the instructor. However, students are responsible for dropping a class within the deadlines published in the class schedule.

If illness or emergency prevents a student from attending the first class session or completing the first required interaction, the student must contact the instructor within 48 hours of the first class session or first required interaction to be considered for continued enrollment.

  • For this class, the first required interaction is an introduction post within 48 hours of the assignment posting.

 

Recording in the Classroom:

The use of any recording device during class without the prior consent of the instructor is prohibited, except as necessary to provide reasonable auxiliary aids and academic adjustments to disabled students who present official documentation from the Special Resource Center to the instructor prior to recording. This is to protect privacy and to create a safe classroom environment where all participants can discuss potentially controversial or sensitive subjects freely. If you want to take a photograph or make an audio or video recording, you must get the prior written permission of the instructor. The instructor also may require the verbal and/or written permission of everyone present. Even if a student gets permission to record, the recordings are only for personal use and may not be distributed, posted, published, or shared in any manner. A student who records without instructor permission or distributes any recordings is subject to disciplinary action in accordance with El Camino College District Administrative Procedure 5500 Standards of Student Conduct.

 

Child Abuse / Gender-Based or Sexual Misconduct:

You should know that if you reveal child abuse, child neglect, or gender-based or sexual misconduct (including harassment, sexual assault, stalking, or intimate partner violence) to any instructor, we are required by law to report the problem to the Office of Staff and Student Diversity. However, psychologists are not required to report your incident. To speak confidentially with a psychologist, contact the Student Health Center for an appointment: 310.660.3643. For more information, visit http://www.elcamino.edu/about/depts/diversity/misconduct.aspx.

Classroom Policies:

  • Please respect the opinions of others.
  • Please think of the class the same way you would think of a job!

 

Grading:

A = 90 to 100 percent                                     D = 60 to 69 percent  

B = 80 to 89 percent                                       F = less than 60 percent         

C = 70 to 79 percent                                     

ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING:

*subject to change

  1. Discussions: 20%
  2. Journals: 10%
  3. Townsend Press: 10%
  4. Essay 1: 15%
  5. Essay 2: 15%
  6. Essay 3: Research: 20%
  7. Essay 4: Final 10%

 

Tentative Semester Schedule *Subject to change

Weeks / Dates

Unit

 

Major Essays

Weeks 1-2 (June 21 - July 4)

Welcome / Intro to Reading and Comp

Syllabus

ECC Resources

Becoming a Better Reader

Annotation Skills

Becoming a Better Writer

Essay 1: Summary Response

Week 3 (July 5 - July 11)

Writing Process and Skills 

 

Essay 2: Analysis 

Weeks 4 - 5 (July 12 - 25)

Research

 

Essay 3: Research Paper

Weeks 6 (July 26 -29)

Wrap Up

 

Essay 4: Final 

 

                                   
Keeping Your Essays:

Please hold on to all graded assignments. Mistakes do happen, and you will want a record of all your graded work. Also, if you ever feel an assignment is graded unfairly, please talk to me. I will be glad to listen to your concerns. This does not necessarily mean I will change your grade; however, I will elaborate on the reasoning behind your grade and double-check my evaluation.

 

Sharing Your Work:

Any writing done for this class might be shared with classmates, so please be prepared for this possibility. I know this can be difficult, but please do not feel self-conscious about sharing your work. My goal is to create an encouraging and supportive environment

Late Assignment Policy:

Deadlines are in place to keep us on track and moving forward so too many assignments don’t pile up. This class moves quickly and I want to be able to give you the feedback you need to improve your writing as you go. There is a grace period of 3 days after a due date for any assignment (other than a discussion board) where you can submit without any additional communication. If you need more time than that, please let me know, but know that I may not be able to give you the same level of feedback.

 

Important Dates:

First Six Week Session Begins

Monday, June 21, 2021

Last Day to Drop and be Eligible for a Refund (M-TH*)

 

Sunday, June 27, 2021

Last Day to Add (M-TH*)

 

Sunday, June 27, 2021

Last Day to Drop Without Notation on Permanent Record (M-TH*)

 

Sunday, June 27, 2021

Active Enrollment Census Monday

 

Monday, June 28, 2021

Independence Day Holiday Observed (Campus Closed)

 

Monday, July 05, 2021

Last Day to Drop with a "W" (Full Semester Courses)

 

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

First Six Weeks Ends

 

Thursday, July 29, 2021

 

COVID-19:

I welcome you to the class; our class will be a great haven during these unprecedented times. The pandemic has brought changes to our lives, including the way we teach and learn. For many, it has also brought new levels of stress and, likely, added responsibility. I understand.  By taking this class, you will be adding more responsibilities.  I will do my best to work with you. Your demonstration of learning the standards and meeting deadlines is still an important part of this class and of the college experience. Standards such as these are an integral part of a college education.  A quality, equity-infused education remains El Camino College’s primary goal. However, in order to serve you fairly and equitably during these times, communication will be more important than ever.  You must remain in constant communication so that I can work with you on a case-by-case basis should a need arise. Check your ECC email, Canvas Inbox, and Canvas announcements often, and write me whenever you have a question or concern. You also must remain vigilant in utilizing our numerous ECC campus resources, which are designed to help you succeed.  I will do my best to help put you in touch with those services.  A list of resources is included below.

 

Student Resources:

If you need any assistance with Canvas, please reach out to Online and Distance Education (Links to an external site.) and/or IT help. (Links to an external site.) 

Please click the links below to access detailed and current information about each service.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due