Welcome to Internet English 101. This class involves a lot of writing, reading, collaboration, and computer use—all good ways to improve our abilities to communicate well. This course will teach you about strategies that you can use to move from "just thinking" about writing...to actually writing! We’ll practice different ways to get started, and you’ll learn different techniques that will allow you to develop, revise and edit your essays. Since each writer’s needs are unique, I will provide you with lots of individual attention and feedback.
A few words about the computer and distance learning elements of this course:
Most Internet-based English 101 classes utilize bulletin boards; however,
ours will not. Also, you will need to establish
an e-mail account through MCC in order to participate in this class.
While you will have the option of forwarding your MCC e-mail to a different
address (such as your Hotmail or Yahoo address), you will not be able to use AOL
for this class. AOL is not compatible with MCC's e-mail system. In
any case, you will still need to begin
with an MCC account. Once you have established your MCC e-mail account,
click here if you would like to forward your e-mail someplace else: Forward MCC
E-mail
Again: whatever e-mail address you choose to use this session, you *must* begin with an MCC e-mail account to ensure that you will always be able to contact me, and I will always be able to contact you. In addition, you must be able to send and receive attachments in a recent version of Microsoft Word, and--of course--you must have access to the Internet. For this class, you don't have to buy an orientation CD or install any special software.
An important reminder: Your grades in this class rest SOLELY on your academic performance; however, your technological abilities (finding web pages on the Internet, how to e-mail and send attachments, how to configure your home computers, etc.) will determine, in large part, your success in this course. Therefore, while the quality of your homework and essay assignments should remain your number one concern, a very close second is honing your computer skills to the point where you are very comfortable using the Internet and e-mail. I will do my best to provide you with all of the directions you need to succeed with the technological aspect of this course.
Establishing Initial Contact: It is up to you to contact me very early in the session. Students who start the class behind schedule run the risk of being withdrawn or "purged" and becoming ineligible for a refund, or earning a failing grade. This class starts on June 2.
*** Please read the Introductory Letter now ***
Required Textbook, Supplies, and Technology:
The St. Martin’s Guide to Writing, 8th edition,
by Rise Axelrod and Charles Cooper (available at MCC's
bookstore, phone number 480-461-7225)
A dictionary (the bigger, the better)
An Internet provider
An MCC e-mail account
An e-mail system that allows you to attach, send, and
download Word documents easily
Microsoft Word (you must be able to save and send a document
between versions 1997-2003, as version 2007 might not work)
Required Course Work:
4 essays (3-5 typed pages each, double spaced, about 350 words per page
using 12 point Times New Roman font)
homework (all weekly homework assignments are usually due by the last day of
that week--Friday--unless I specify otherwise)
Consistent and dedicated class participation
Grading: Each essay counts for approximately 20% of your grade. Homework also counts for approximately 20%. To determine final grades, I will consider your involvement in this class, the quality of your homework, the quality of your essays, and your overall improvement. Special Note: if three out of your four essay grades are "D" or lower, you cannot pass this class. Although I do not require rough drafts, I will gladly review and critique rough drafts if you would like to send them to me early, before the final is due. I highly encourage you to take advantage of this option--let me help you make your essays better! Note: You must send me your invention work before you send me a rough draft. Invention work is explained in detail under "Week One".
Homework: I will grade the homework assignments you e-mail to me with a check plus, a check, or a check minus. Check plus means great, and is the equivalent of an A. To achieve check-pluses, respond directly to the prompts and/or questions, using specific references to the text to support your own opinion. Don't skip parts of the questions; make sure you answer them thoroughly, knowing that I am *very* interested in what you think, and why. Check means okay and is the equivalent of a C; you might earn a check if your homework is brief or arrives a day or two late. Check minus means you have failed that assignment because it is very brief or ungrammatical and/or very late (three or more days late). If your homework is very brief and extremely lacking in detail, you will have to re-do the assignment for credit, so it is in your best interest to write lengthy, detailed homework responses the first time around. If you earn mostly check-pluses, you can swing your final grade up (enough to earn you a B- rather than a C+, for instance) while checks and check-minuses will keep your final grade lower. Homework assignments are NOT optional, and failure to complete them adequately could result in a failing final grade.
If you need to successfully complete this course to fulfill scholarship or insurance requirements, or other types of commitments, you must keep up with the work in order to avoid failing. Finally: If you have not completed all of your homework for each unit by the last day of the session, your final grade will be a D, for all homework is required in order to pass this course.
Late Essays: It is imperative to send in all essays on time. Therefore, any late draft you send in will earn a grade no better than a C on the final paper. Since no e-mail system is entirely reliable and computer "glitches" do happen, I will give you a 24-hour window of time after any essay due date so that you can re-send your essay if it didn't come through (except for rough drafts: they are due when the syllabus states that they are due). However, any essay that is more than 48 hours late will receive an F. To pass this class, all essays must be completed.
Essay Requirements: You are required to send in full-length, well-developed essays in final draft form (always double space). If you would like me to review and critique a rough draft for you before the final is due, e-mail me your rough draft as an attachment, and in the subject line of that e-mail, write our name and "rough draft". I will review it and send it back to you. Then, you should revise it according to my comments and send it back to me (again, as an attachment) when final drafts are due. While I do not require rough drafts, I encourage you to send them to me so that I can help you avoid certain errors and make good parts even better! On all rough and final drafts: type your name, the date and the type of essay in the upper right-hand corner. Always center a title. When it comes time for me to grade your essay, I will review it, type comments within it, and then send it back to you with my comments and your grade.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the planned or inadvertent stealing of somebody else’s written words or ideas, and must be avoided. Plagiarism is cheating, and consequences are severe, including failure of the assignment, probable failure of the course, and possible expulsion from MCC. Whenever you borrow a phrase, sentence, paragraph—or even an idea restated in your own words—from any outside source (Internet, newspaper, magazine, journal article, TV show, book, friend, relative) without giving credit to that source, you have plagiarized. Having someone else write your essays for you also counts as plagiarism. If you have any questions about how to acknowledge somebody else’s words or ideas, let me know.
E-mailing Homework To Me: Never send your homework or other smaller assignments to me as attachments (it will take me too long to download everybody's homework all the time!). Instead, always write your homework in a Word document, save it, then copy it and paste it into an e-mail message to me. This will involve maximizing and minimizing: Write your homework in Word, "select all" of it and "copy" it, then minimize your Word document. Open an e-mail, click once in the big space where you would normally write a note, then choose “paste”: your homework will be pasted into your e-mail and you can then send it. Again: All weekly homework assignments (invention activities and essay questions) are usually due by Friday of that week, unless I specify otherwise.
Weekly Notes From Kate (that's me!): Often, using your MCC e-mail addresses, I will e-mail all of you as a class (if you have your MCC e-mail forwarded to an alternative e-mail address, my notes will go there instead). Look for my weekly updates, informative "lectures", and reminders.
E-mailing Me for Help: I encourage you to e-mail your questions and concerns to me anytime. Send me specific questions concerning essay assignments and how to organize your paper. Send me outlines, and/or small sections that you’re struggling with. Send me rough drafts to review. Send me complaints! I will try very hard to solve problems as they come up.
Seeking Out Other Academic Support: If you struggle with grammar and punctuation, you may wish to visit the following sites to read about how to write more clearly:
Final Notes:
1. Your papers should be double spaced and average 350 words per page. Titles are required. Cover sheets are unnecessary. Always use 12 point Times New Roman font.
2. Papers that contain high levels of grammar and/or punctuation errors are unacceptable and will most likely earn failing grades. I highly recommend that, if at all possible, you make regular tutoring appointments in the MCC Writing Center for help with grammar, transitions, essay organization, etc. Call the Writing Center at 461-7513.
3. When invention activities or other homework assignments are due, always e-mail them to me (but NOT as an attachment). I will review them, grade them, and send them back to you.
4. Regular e-mail correspondence is a must in order to keep on track and not fall behind. Consistently falling behind (as in sending in late work) could result in a failing final grade.
5. All reading assignments are from our textbook, The St. Martin's Guide to Writing.
6. I'm only assigning you two essays to read out of the book per week, but the other essays in the chapters are very interesting as well. I recommend reading all of the essays in the book's chapters, just to see a variety of examples.
7. Always include your section number in the subject line of your e-mails. This will help me to locate you on my rosters more quickly. Your section number is located on your class schedule.
What follows is a week to week schedule of events from now to the end of the summer session. This schedule lists activities and assignments that should be completed in the order that they are given.
***
WEEK ONE, June 2 - June 6
1. Read and study Chapter 1. Keep notes and send me any questions you might have. Read and study Chapter 14, too, and let me know if you have any questions.
2. Read: intro to Remembering Events, top page 18; "Basic Features" 40-41. Our first essay assignment is to write a three to five page essay that describes a significant event in your life. Your essay should convey the meaning of this event through the use of narration, descriptive details, and dialogue. Final drafts are due Monday, June 9. If you would like me to review and critique a rough draft, you'll need to send it to me as an attachment no later than Thursday by noon. Note: You must send me your invention work before you send me a rough draft.
3. Read Brandt 19-21. Send me a response to the following prompt and questions: Reread the essay, paying particular attention to Brandt's use of dialogue (reconstructed conversations from the time of the event). What do you learn about the author from what she says and how she says it? What do you learn about her relationship with her parents? Note: Make sure that you concentrate specifically on the spoken words in quotation marks as you answer these questions. (Due Friday)
4. Read Wolff 29-30. No response required.
5. Read and respond to the Invention activities on pages 43 to top 50.
When you do Invention Activities,
write approximately three double-spaced pages of complete-sentence, specific
responses to the prompts and directions you are given in the book.
Copy the headings and sub-headings from the book so that I can stay on track
as I read through your work. When you are finished, e-mail your Invention
work to me (but not as an attachment!). Invention work
always begins by making a list, as the book directs, and then it breaks down
the essay for you into parts. When you are finished writing your Invention
activities, you have a lot of material to put directly into your essay! Note:
When you copy and paste invention work into an e-mail, the formatting might
get messed up, but don't worry about that. I just need to be able to
read it! (Due Friday)
WEEK TWO, June 9 - June 13
1. Final Drafts of Significant Event Essay Due on Monday, June 9.
2. Read: intro to Profiles, 74; "Basic Features" 100-101. Our second essay assignment is to write a three to five page essay that profiles a particular person, place or activity. You must profile someone or something that is new to you (you cannot profile close family members, close friends, or your own workplace). Observe your subject closely, and then present what you have learned in a way that both informs and engages readers. You will have to conduct an interview for this assignment. Final drafts are due Monday, June 16. If you would like me to review and critique a rough draft, you'll need to send it to me as an attachment no later than Thursday by noon. Note: You must send me your invention work before you send me a rough draft.
3. Read Cable 76-78, and 125-129. Send me a response to this prompt and these questions: Cable obviously put a lot of time and effort into visiting the mortuary, making and recording his observations, and conducting interviews with both Howard and Tim. Consider how Cable integrates descriptive details and quotations from his observations into his final essay. What do the quotations reveal about both Howard and Tim? What do the descriptive details tell you about the effect that Cable's visit to the mortuary had on him? How do the quotations and descriptive details shape your own reaction to the essay? (Due Friday)
4. Read Coyne 91-95. No response required.
5. Read Chapter 20 "Field Research," 688-696, and send me any questions you might have.
6. Read and respond to the Invention and Planning activities on pages
103 - bottom 115 (this is a longer invention assignment than the first one!).
Special Note: This time around, I am having you work through the invention
section AND the planning section. Parts of these activities cannot be
completed until *after* you have conducted your profile interview (namely the
sections toward the end) so please let me know early on who or what you plan to
profile, and then send me your completed invention/planning assignment *after*
you have conducted your interview. Your invention/planning work MUST
reflect the fact that you have already conducted your interview. You will
need to incorporate details, observations, your interview questions AND your
interviewee's answers responses into this assignment to earn full credit.
If you need a little extra time to complete the
invention/planning assignment, that's fine. You can submit it as late as
midnight on Sunday, June 15, and still earn full credit if the assignment is
detailed and complete.
WEEK THREE, June 16 - June 20
1. Final Drafts of Profile Essay Due on Monday, June 16.
2. Read: intro to Arguing a Position 274; "Basic Features" 294-295. Our third major essay assignment is to write a three to five page essay/letter that either argues for or against something in particular. This essay will be in letter format; that is, you will write to a particular person or group in hopes of convincing them to agree with you. For example, you might write a letter to your husband, trying to convince him to change jobs. Or, you might write a letter to your parents, trying to convince them to loan you some money for a specific purpose. Or, you might write a letter to your high school coach, trying to convince him to change his coaching techniques. Just remember that these essay/letters are NOT research papers, and no outside sources should be utilized. This argument is based on what you know and how you feel, using anecdotes and examples for support. If you send me an essay that contains research, I will not accept it, and you will have to write a new, more personalized one. Final drafts are due on Monday, June 23. If you would like me to review and critique a rough draft, you'll need to send it to me no later than Thursday by noon. Note: You must send me your invention work before you send me a rough draft.
Some argumentative topics are prohibited. Your essay-letters cannot be about abortion, the death penalty, the legalization of marijuana (for medical or recreational use), or school uniforms. These topics are overdone in composition courses, not to mention the media. Also, avoid any topic that is political or religious in nature (unless you run the topic by me and get approval). Write your essay-letter to someone you know who you are trying to convince of something in particular.
3. Read Chapter 19 "Arguing" and send me a two-page summary of that material. Write your summary double-spaced in a Word document, then copy and paste it into an e-mail. You don't need to complete the exercises; just summarize the informative material. (Due Friday)
4. Read Estrada 280-281 and send me your response to these questions:
* What is the controversial issue that Estrada is presenting?
* What is the position that he takes on the issue? (What is his opinion?)
* What particular reasons does he offer to support his position?
* What is his counterargument? (That is, who are the groups of people who would disagree with him, what are their opinions, and how does Estrada respond to their objections?)
Refer directly to the text to support your answers. (Due Friday)
5. Read Statsky 276-279. No response required.
6. Read and respond to the invention/planning activities on pages 297-mid 305. Remember that for this unit, we will not be conducting any research or using any outside sources! (Due Friday)
WEEK FOUR, June 23 - June 27
1. Final drafts of Arguing a Position essay/letters due on Monday, June 23.
2. Read: intro to Proposing a Solution 328-top 329. Read "Basic Features" 360-361. Our fourth (and last) essay assignment is to write a three to five page essay/letter that proposes a solution to a particular problem that is significant in your present life. This essay will be in letter format, addressed to a person or group who you hope to convince that a) there IS a problem that exists, and b) your solution is the best. For example: You might write your letter to a work supervisor in hopes of convincing her to help you solve a workplace dilemma in a particular way. Or, you might write a letter to your parents, offering suggestions to improve your younger sibling's unruly behavior. Or, you might write to your partner suggesting ways to improve your relationship. Just remember that these essay-letters are NOT research papers, and no outside sources can be utilized. Use only what you know and how you feel as support (anecdotes and examples). If you send me an essay that contains research, I will not accept it, and you will have to write a new, more personalized one.
Avoid any topic that is political or religious in nature (unless you run the topic by me and get approval). Write your essay/letter to a particular person or group in hopes of convincing them to agree with your solution (or solutions).
Final drafts are due Tuesday, July 1. If you would like me to review and critique a rough draft, you'll need to send it to me as an attachment no later than Friday by noon. Note: You must send me your invention work before you send me a rough draft.
3. Read O'Malley 330-333, and send me your response to these questions:
* Who is O'Malley's intended audience?
* What is the problem that O'Malley is attempting to solve?
* Where and what is O'Malley's forecasting statement?
* List all of the solutions that O'Malley offers to solve the problem.
* What are his audience's objections to these solutions, and how does he address these objections?
* How does O'Malley introduce and conclude his essay? Do you feel that his methods are effective? Why or why not? (Due Friday)
4. Read Kornbluh 334-337. No response required.
5. Read and respond to the Invention activities on pages 363-371. Then, turn to pages 374-375 and create an outline for your letter/essay. Include your outline at the end of your invention work. (Due Friday)
WEEK FIVE, June 30 - July 2
Final drafts are due on Tuesday, July 1. Have a great summer!
The End