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 Yahoo or work e-mail address), you will still need to begin with an MCC account. Special Note: AOL is not allowed for class participation of any kind, for AOL is not compatible with MCC's system.  Once you have established your MCC e-mail account, you may wish to forward your e-mail someplace else.

Again: whatever e-mail address you choose to use this session, you *must* begin with an MCC e-mail account.  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.

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 before the first day of the session, or on the first day of the session.  Students who start the class behind schedule run the risk of being withdrawn.  This class starts on December 22.  More information on how to be successful in the course can be found in the introductory letter:

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 send and receive documents easily
    Microsoft Word (you must be able to save and send a Word document)

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 due by the last day of that week--Friday)

Consistent and dedication 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 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 below, under "Week One".

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 earning a failing grade. 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 Papers: 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 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 two days late will receive an F.  To pass this class, all essays must be completed.

Final Drafts:  When it comes time to turn in final drafts for a unit, you are required to send in full-length, well-developed essays as attachments.  You must type your full name, the title of our class, and date in the upper right hand corner.   You must also center a title on top of the first page.  I will review your essay, grade it, and then write 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 due by Friday of that week.

Weekly Notes From Kate (that's me!):  Often, using your MCC e-mail addresses, I will e-mail all of you as a class.  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:

Useful Links for Writers
ASU's Online Writing Center

1.   Your papers should be double spaced and average 350 words per page.  Titles are always required, even if the essay is in letter format.  Cover sheets are unnecessary. Always use 12 point Times New Roman font.

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, December 22 - December 26

1. E-mail me to establish initial contact.

2. 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.

3. 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 correctly formatted dialogue.  Final drafts are due Friday, December 26.  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 Wednesday by noon. Note: You must send me your invention work before you send me a rough draft.

4. Read Wolff 29-30.  Send me a response to question one on page 31 (Under Analyzing Writing Strategies).

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!
 

WEEK TWO, December 29 - January 2

1. 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 (or a combination of those elements).  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, and you may not use other sources such as books, web sites, or pamphlets. Use only the information that you gather through the interview and firsthand observation.  Final drafts are due Friday, January 2.  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 Wednesday by noon. Note: You must send me your invention/planning work before you send me a rough draft.

2. Read Chapter 20 "Field Research," 688-696, and send me any questions you might have.

3. Read Coyne 91-95.  Send me a response to these questions:

* Is this profile organized topically, narratively, or with a combination of both? Explain your response.

* Does Coyne play the role of detached observer or participant observer? Use references to the text to support your response.

* Write a short paragraph about what you learned about this prison environment and experience from reading the profile.

* What do you feel is added to this essay by including the direct quotations? What might have been lost if they were not included?

*What do you feel is this profile's main theme?

4. Read and respond to the invention/planning activities on pages 103-bottom 115 (this set of invention work is longer than the others, for I have extended the assignment through the Planning section). Special Note: Parts of these activities cannot be completed until *after* you have conducted your profile interview (namely the sections towards the end), so please let me know early on what particular subject you plan to profile, and then send me your completed invention work *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 responses into this assignment in order to earn full credit.

WEEK THREE, January 5- January 9

1. Read: intro to Arguing a Position 274.  Read "Basic Features" 294-295.  Our third major assignment is to write a three to five page essay/letter that argues either for or against something in particular.  This essay will be in letter format; that is, you will write to a particular person in hopes of convincing him or her to agree with you.  For example, you might write a letter to your husband, trying to convince him to return to college. Or, you might write a letter to your parents, trying to convince them to loan you some money.  Or, you might write a letter to your high school coach, trying to get him to change his coaching technique. Just remember that these essay-letters are NOT research papers, and no outside sources can be utilized.  This argument is based on what you know, how you feel, and what you've experienced.  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.

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.  Write your essay-letter to someone you know who you are trying to convince of something in particular.

Final drafts are due on Friday, January 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 Wednesday by noon. Note: You must send me your invention work before you send me a rough draft.

2. Read Chapter 19 and send me a two-page, double-spaced summary of that material. Type it up in Word and then copy and paste it into an e-mail.

3. Read Estrada 280-281, and send me your responses to these questions:

* What is the controversial issue that Estrada is presenting?

* What is the position that he takes on this 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?)

* How do you feel about this issue?

Refer directly to the text to support your  answers.

4.  Read and respond to the invention activities on pages 297-mid 305.  Remember that for this unit, we will not be conducting any research or using any outside sources!

WEEK FOUR, January 12 - January 16

1. Read: intro to Proposing a Solution 328-329.  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 problems 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) this IS a problem that exists, and b) your solution is the best.  For example: You might write a 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 a suggestions to improve your younger siblings' unruly behavior.  Or, you might write to your partner, suggesting ways to improve your relationship.  Keep in mind that these essay/letters are NOT research papers, and not outside sources may be utilized.  Use only what you know and what you've seen as support. 

Avoid any topic that is political in nature.  Write your letter/essay to a particular person or group in hopes of convincing them to agree with your solution (or solutions).

Final drafts are due on Friday, January 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 Wednesday by noon.  Note: You must send me your invention work before you send me a rough draft.

2. Read O'Malley 330-333, and send me a 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 this essay?  Do you feel that his methods are effective or not?

3. Read and respond to the invention activities on pages 363-371.  Then, turn to pages 374-373 and create a detailed, specific outline for your own letter/essay.  Include your outline at the end of your invention work.