Preparation for College Reading and Critical Reading in the Humanities English 089/106 Syllabus

Items 1138/1140 Winter 2010

Instructor: Arline Davis

E-mail: adavis@bellevuecollege.edu

Phone: 425-564-2509

Office location: C207

Office Hours: by appointment

Course Outcomes

Identify patterns of organization which provide order to written text.
Identify and explain the rhetorical balance which must exist among the writer, the audience [reader], and the writing [text] in an example of expository writing
List strategies for distinguishing major ideas [thesis, theme, etc.] from the supporting details
Prepare an outline - using traditional outline criteria, a mapping technique, or a visual diagram - of a whole piece of text, so that the sequence of key ideas and their relationship to one another is traced through the entire work.
Identify characteristics of and strategies for reading text in a variety of
subject areas in the arts, the sciences, and the social sciences.
Identify ways to read actively, rather than passively.
Identify literal information in a given piece of text. Distinguish this information from information which can be inferred from the same text.
Locate examples of fact in a given piece of text. Distinguish this information from information which can be classified as opinion.
Identify reading tasks at a variety of cognitive levels and distinguish them from reading tasks at other cognitive levels.
Identify reading tasks associated with the learning paradigms of philosophers and/or learning theorists such as Plato, Bloom, etc.
Identify criteria, which characterize a critical reader.
Summarize a writer’s underlying, but unstated, assumptions in a given selection of text.
Select a piece of writing which contains symbolism and/or imagery, and explain how the writer’s use of figurative language enhances MEANING.
Identify ways to evaluate the effectiveness of a selected piece of text based on the information it contains and the writer’s strategies for communicating that information

How Outcomes will be met

This course emphasizes increasing reading comprehension, vocabulary skills, and reading speed. You will use your critical thinking skills to achieve your personal reading goals. Students will spend two to five hours a week in the reading lab, five hours a week in class, and at least ten hours outside of class to reach these goals. Since this has been coined The Communication Age, you will be discussing and writing in class, and reading and writing outside of class.

You will be reading a chapter each week fromBridging the Gap and stories from Listening is an Act of Love. You will be completing textbook assignments and participating in Reading Role activities weekly. There will be four quizzes on the material throughout the quarter.

Attendance: I will take attendance at the beginning of each hour. Be here. Be prepared and ready to work. If you are tardy, see me after class, so you can get credit for attending. If you do miss a class, check the calendar and keep up with the assignments. Check with another student about notes and/or other assignments. If you miss ten class hours, you may fail the class and not receive credit for the class. If you arrive late or leave early three times, that counts as one absence.

Your final grade will rely on your attendance 100 points if you have ten or less absences. Reading Roles are worth 1100 total points, 100 per week. Quizzes and tests are worth 500. You can earn 1700 points for the quarter.

We may need to adjust the points as the quarter progresses.

The link to the College Grading Policy is located on page 10 of the Course Catelog and also on the web at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/policies/3/3000_grading.asp.

Books and Materials Required

BRIDGING THE GAP:COLLEGE RDG.-W/ACCESS
SMITH
ISBN:9780205727971
REQUIRED

LISTENING IS AN ACT OF LOVE
ISAY
ISBN:9780143114345
REQUIRED

Supplies: Bring college ruled notebook paper, pencils, pens (blue or black ink) a USB for the writing lab, a soft folder for your port folio, a portable stapler, and highlighters. Know where an English-English dictionary, a thesaurus, and a three hole punch are available.

Instructor’s Expectation

Come to class on time and prepared to work. We only have eleven weeks, and we have a lot to cover. Feel free to bring water to class. Please eat breakfast before class. Turn off your cell phone and put it away before class.Please do not use electric translators in class. I am happy to help you with new words and expressions. Feel free to bring an English-English dictionary.Class participation is important to go over vocabulary, redefine and review grammar and mechanics rules, and to discuss the readings. Be respectful when others are talking. We all have different experiences and backgrounds, so do not expect to agree with everything that is expressed in class. Wait, listen, and bravely take your turn.

If you are having a problem with another student or with me, talk to me privately after class, or set an appointment for a more convenient time.This is a Safe Space for all students. Lesbian,gay, bisexual,queer-identified, and transgendered students are welcome in this classroom. Students of all faiths, beliefs, political affiliations, ages, races, and ethnic origins are welcome.

Affirmation of Inclusion

Bellevue College is committed to maintaining an environment in which every member of the campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college, free from harassment and discrimination.

We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue College, and students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat one another with dignity and respect. http://bellevuecollege.edu/about/goals/inclusion.asp

Division Statements

Plagiarism is taking someone else’s work and turning it in as your own. It is cheating and will not be tolerated.

Information about Bellevue Colleges copyright guidelines can be found at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/lmc/links/copyright.html

A good resource for Plagiarism is the Writing Lab: http://bellevuecollege.edu/writinglab/Plagiarism.html

Information about Bellevue Colleges copyright guidelines can be found at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/lmc/links/copyright.html

A good resource for Plagiarism is the Writing Lab: http://bellevuecollege.edu/writinglab/Plagiarism.html

Student Code

“Cheating, stealing and plagiarizing (using the ideas or words of another as one’s own without crediting the source) and inappropriate/disruptive classroom behavior are violations of the Student Code of Conduct at Bellevue College. Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to: talking out of turn, arriving late or leaving early without a valid reason, allowing cell phones/pagers to ring, and inappropriate behavior toward the instructor or classmates. The instructor can refer any violation of the Student Code of Conduct to the Vice President of Student Services for possible probation or suspension from Bellevue College. Specific student rights, responsibilities and appeal procedures are listed in the Student Code of Conduct, available in the office of the Vice President of Student Services.” The Student Code, Policy 2050, in its entirety is located at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/policies/2/2050_Student_Code.asp

Bellevue College E-mail and access to MyBC

All students registered for classes at Bellevue College are entitled to a network and e-mail account. Your student network account can be used to access your student e-mail, log in to computers in labs and classrooms, connect to the BC wireless network and log in to MyBC. To create your account, go to: https://bellevuecollege.edu/sam .

BC offers a wide variety of computer and learning labs to enhance learning and student success. Find current campus locations for all student labs by visiting the Computing Services website.

Disability Resource Center (DRC)

The Disability Resource Center serves students with a wide array of learning challenges and disabilities. If you are a student who has a disability or learning challenge for which you have documentation or have seen someone for treatment and if you feel you may need accommodations in order to be successful in college, please contact us as soon as possible.

If you are a person who requires assistance in case of an emergency situation, such as a fire, earthquake, etc, please meet with your individual instructors to develop a safety plan within the first week of the quarter.

The DRC office is located in B 132 or you can call our reception desk at 425.564.2498. Deaf students can reach us by video phone at 425-440-2025 or by TTY at 425-564-4110. . . Please visit our website for application information into our program and other helpful links at www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc

Public Safety

The Bellevue College (BC) Public Safety Department’s well trained and courteous non-commissioned staff provides personal safety, security, crime prevention, preliminary investigations, and other services to the campus community, 24 hours per day,7 days per week. Their phone number is 425.564.2400. The Public Safety website is your one-stop resource for campus emergency preparedness information, campus closure announcements and critical information in the event of an emergency. Public Safety is located in K100 and on the web at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/publicsafety/

Final Exam Schedule

We will go over this in class.

http://bellevuecollege.edu/classes/exams

Academic Calendar

The Bellevue College Academic Calendar is separated into two calendars. They provide information about holidays, closures and important enrollment dates such as the finals schedule.

Enrollment Calendar - http://bellevuecollege.edu/enrollment/calendar/deadlines/. On this calendar you will find admissions and registration dates and important dates for withdrawing and receiving tuition refunds.
College Calendar - http://bellevuecollege.edu/enrollment/calendar/holidays/0910.asp. This calendar gives you the year at a glance and includes college holidays, scheduled closures, quarter end and start dates, and final exam dates.