Personal Journeys
English 101 - sections OCS, OCC

• Introductory Remarks
• Student Responsibilities
• My Expectations
• Learning Outcomes
• What do I have to do for this class?
• How do we communicate with each other?

Introductory Remarks

English 101 is a completely online class; you are NOT required to attend classroom sessions. However, English 101 is NOT a correspondence course, completed on your own timetable in isolation. You must participate in this course in an ongoing manner to successfully fulfill the requirements of the course.

This online course will require you to have some particular attributes and skills:

• college level reading and comprehension skills,
• good self-motivation,
• good problem solving skills,
• the ability to communicate clearly in writing,
• the ability to learn well in a totally visual medium,
• the ability to follow written directions, and
• the ability to use your computer to complete various tasks, including (but not limited to) uploading and downloading files as well as attaching files to e-mail messages and in the assignment dropbox as required, and
• the ability to ask questions as needed.

Many students mistakenly believe that writing is a talent, gifted to everyone else. But writing is not a single task, accomplished in isolation. Writing is a skill, developed with practice in reading texts, analyzing texts, thinking through the texts and then lastly, writing these ideas down. Anyone with enough determination and effort can learn to communicate effectively in writing. This class is designed to use writing, in the form of an academic college essay, to improve your written communication skills as well as your critical reading and thinking skills. Some students probably have a measure of these skills already; some students may be better at some skills and feel less comfortable with the others. Whatever your abilities before now, I ask you to approach the class with compassion and tolerance for each other.

If you signed up for this course thinking that it would have less work than a course in the classroom, you were mistaken. Any online course has more writing work than a class in the classroom as all of our communication must be written. Please be advised that the workload may be very difficult for you if work and/or family demands do not allow you a minimum of two to three uninterrupted hours every weekday to work on the assignments for this class. I have tried to focus and space assignments to facilitate as many learning styles as possible, but you may need to schedule extra time, especially around paper writing/editing time, depending on your ability to read or write.

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Because of the special method of course delivery, several requirements must be met.

1. First and probably most important, the student enrolled in this course MUST have a computer and required software and services, including a word processor (Office 95/Word 7.0 or better minimum), an Internet Service Provider (avoid AOL), and a browser service (Netscape Communicator 4.7 or Internet Explorer 6.1 work best). Perhaps more importantly, the student must be familiar with the use of the above-mentioned items. Whatever web browser you use, be sure to upgrade to the newest version. I do not teach computer skills; I teach English. I will help if I can, but I am no expert in computer systems.
2. In order to use our class website effectively, you MUST set up your computer to the appropriate specifications. Check out that information by clicking on the "Run a Browser Check" link on the "Log In" page, to the right of the box where you enter your username and password.
3. Always keep me informed if you have problems with the technology, and I will try to find help for you. However, I expect that you bring some expertise with you to help in solving problems that arise. Ultimately, your computer and internet services are your responsibility. If you are signed up for the OAS section and you have computer problems, you may use the computer labs on the BCC campus if you have an emergency.

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As you know, every teacher has expectations. These are mine.

1. I expect that you signed up for this course because you want to learn to read, think, and write critically. We call that formal academic writing. Therefore, I expect that you will complete the work I have created to teach you these skills.
2. I expect that you have come to this class with a working usage of modern English grammar as English 101 does not teach grammar. I may suggest additional non-graded work for students who struggle with grammar. I set aside a segment of our website to provide a grammar and mechanics help area, complete with exercises; use it if you have these problems. I encourage you to schedule an appointment in my office or utilize the Writing lab's virtual tutor or go to A262 (Writing Lab) on campus for help with grammar problems. All papers with major grammatical errors lose points in this class. See the Major Grammar Errors page in the Mechanics area under the Resources and Tool link for help in identifying these errors.
3. I expect that you will participate in ALL class activities, including peer reviews, Marius seminars, and literature discussions. Failure to participate in these areas may cause you to fail the course, even if your formal written papers are passing.
4. I expect that the final grade for your portfolio will be a C-(70) or better to move to English 201, 270, 271 or 272. In addition, you must submit all formal papers and the final completed portfolio in order to move forward.
5. I expect that you will take care to back up your papers and other assignments on more than one disk and/or store them on your hard drive AND a disk. It is your responsibility to keep track of this material--not mine. If some computer catastrophe should occur, you will still be responsible for producing the work by the due date in order to get a grade. Be careful--save and back your work up regularly!
6. I expect that you will show respect to everyone by responding to e-mail and discussion postings in a way that is not judgmental, degrading, or derogatory. Even though we may disagree with the interpretations of others, please use some self-restraint and compassion in responding to others' ideas. Logical and questioning responses are encouraged. Choose your words and the tone of your message with utmost care. I also expect tolerance for others' abilities and learning styles.
7. I expect each revised draft will be submitted to assignment dropbox link provided in each module. These submissions must be made by the date shown on the class calendar. Revised papers submitted after that date will lose 5 points per 24 hour period that they are late. I will not comment on papers more than 3 days (72 hours) late. Don't ask. To avoid losing points for late work, do not wait until the last minute to submit your work.
8. Start early. Sometimes the technology takes longer than you think. Points for submitting your work late will be deducted from your Total Points for the class. I will not accept Portfolios more than 48 hours after the due date posted on the class calendar.
9. I expect honesty. I expect that you will neither do work for others nor use work done by others. Cheating and/or plagiarizing will not be tolerated. Plagiarizing is cheating, as is copying answers on a test, glancing at nearby test papers, swapping papers, buying papers, using ideas from other sources without proper documentation, writing papers for others, or having them written for you. BCC utilizes a plagiarism detection software, and I use it for random spots checks. Plus, if I even remotely suspect your paper sounds plagiarized, I will submit it to this site. If you cheat or plagiarize, the following actions will be taken:
   • You will receive a grade of "0" on the work (period).
   • A report of the incident will be filed in the Dean of Students' Office. This report may become part of your permanent record or the Dean may choose to pursue further disciplinary action.
10. Personal conferences on your paper can be held in my office if you can/want to come to the campus and we can work out a mutually convenient time; otherwise, e-mail or local phone conferences can be held. Please contact me first to set up an appointment BEFORE coming to the campus.

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Learning Outcomes

According to the English department at BCC, by the end of the quarter, you should be able to:

• Demonstrate various invention practices: brainstorming, free writing; outlining, journaling
• Demonstrate ability to write in various modes: personal narrative, expository, analytical, descriptive, argument
• Demonstrate the phases of writing: draft, revision, final copy
• Explore sources of writing: reading, thinking, analyzing, discussion
• Create a thesis statement that suggests the focus of the paper; does not point out the obvious, and is written as a sentence.
• Develop and include enough details and examples to support the identified thesis and reinforce focus
• Demonstrate various patterns of organization and use the organization pattern that suits your identified purpose & audience.
• Illustrate the concept of Audience in your writing.
• Artfully combine Audience, Purpose, and Tone in compositions written in and outside of class
• Write in a vocabulary appropriate to your subject and identified audience.
• Begin and conclude a paper effectively. Show effective control of mechanics: paragraphing, punctuation, spelling.
• Differentiate between key ideas and supporting details in reading
• Locate the thesis statement in reading assignments
• Practice good group skills: how to give useful feedback, and how to make use of feedback you receive
• Develop self-assessment skills

I have designed writing and reading assignments that require you to practice the necessary skills to help you achieve these outcomes. I have designed discussions of our literary texts and our rhetoric (Marius) which will guide you to develop reading, writing and critical thinking skills. Likewise, some of our paper assignments will depend on your use of these skills in order to complete them successfully.

In reading, discussion and writing assignments, you will be guided to develop the following reading skills:

• understands literal meaning of text
• makes reasonable inferences and offer support for them
• analyzes, evaluates and interprets complex material
• demonstrate synthesis of multiple texts
• can differentiate personal opinions and assumptions from another's
• applies disciplinary framework to the text

In the formal writing assignments, you will be required to:

• use a variety of prewriting methods to develop ideas and organize a writing plan.
• revise, edit, and proofread papers (both on and off the computer) until the final submitted draft shows the skill and effort you have put into it.
• write for a specific audience with a specific purpose, as assigned, using an appropriate voice and tone.
• build a complex, but coherent paper around your own thoughts and analyses.
• use a single, well-stated sentence that clearly expresses the central idea of your essay, focuses your topic, and controls ideas to the point of creating unity.
• connect paragraphs to the thesis and to each other; produce a smooth flow of ideas using appropriate coherence techniques.
• construct unified paragraphs that develop and support the main idea with specific examples and concrete details.
• write essays with effective introductions and conclusions.
• construct clear, grammatically correct sentences of precise and appropriate words.
• understand and apply subordination and coordination in sentences to emphasize important ideas.
• be able to self-assess. (Please see the Resources & Tools/Composition Skills page for more information on the skills listed above).

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Formal Papers/Portfolios: You will write 4 original formal academic papers (750-1000 words) in this class. The process for writing, revising and submitting work is on a tight timeline. Even though I accept late papers (up to 3 days late), failure to meet the deadlines will put you at a disadvantage. We will follow this process for all papers.

1. You will compose an original draft on your computer, then revise it yourself to get rid of obvious errors.
2. You will POST this original, self-revised draft of each paper to the discussion area in the appropriate peer review forum by the date on the calendar. This draft MUST be copied/pasted into a message composed in the correct forum. If you expect to get help on your papers, you must post them by the deadline for posting your paper to the review area. Papers posted later in the review process may get overlooked.
3. While you wait for comments on your paper, you will give peer comments on two other classmates' papers. The peer review process is described in detail under Resources & Tools/How to?/Peer Review Instructions. Please take care to spread your comments around; if one paper already has two sets of review comments, please choose another paper to review. Don't leave anyone out.
4. After giving comments, collect your comments and revise your paper. Then, using the editing tool provided under Resources & Tools/Evaluation Tools, thoroughly edit your paper before submitting it to me by the date and time listed on the calendar. Please take the time to proofread your work.
5. Directions for submitting your revised draft to me are posted in the Resources & Tools/FAQ/How to Submit an Assignment. Once the paper crosses my virtual "desk," I will give you detailed comments. However, I do NOT give grades at this point in the process. I will only assign grades after the final portfolio has been submitted.

I will read and comment on your papers beginning on the due date. I will provide detailed written comments on the revised draft of Paper 1, including specific grammar comments. I will also provide comments for Paper 2 and Paper 3; however, I will not mark all grammar errors, though I will tell you what kinds of errors I see. The reason for this change is that I do not want you to be dependent on me to point out grammar errors; I cannot follow you around for the rest of your life and show you these mistakes. If you are still making these kinds of errors, now is the time to learn how to find and correct them for yourself. The website contains tools to help you achieve this goal. I will also assist you in any way I can.

For Paper 2 through 4, I will give you brief in-text comments for your paper; plus, I will also send a grading rubric with my evaluation of your work. The grading tools I use in this class are posted under Resources & Tools/Evaluation Tools.  All rubrics correlate with the posted Grading Standards and the Outcomes for a Good Essay. Check them out as you prepare your paper to better understand what I am looking for in your work.

Portfolios:

Your final portfolio shows me your ability to write. Though writing can always be further revised and edited, I consider your portfolio your best work: the final product of a quarter's worth of hard work. Therefore, the portfolio for this class is critically important to successfully completing this class. All other assignments in this class--Marius homework, literature discussions, and peer review assignments--are structured to help you improve your thinking, writing and revising skills, so that you can produce an excellent final product for the portfolio assignment.

To prepare your portfolio, you will choose your three best papers from the four formal papers that you have written. Then, you will revise and edit them according to my comments. Portfolios allow you the opportunity to improve your skills before your paper gets an actual grade. Specific instructions on how to prepare your portfolio are given under the Portfolio icon posted on the homepage.

• Your Portfolio will be graded based on the standards posted under the Grading Standards link (see Resources & Tools/Evaluation Tools).
• Your Portfolio is worth 700 points. Each of the three best essays is worth 200 points. The self-evaluation is worth 100 points.
• You MUST score higher than a C- on the Portfolio to move to the next course in the English composition sequence. If your portfolio scores lower than a C-, points earned for the other work (discussions, homework, and peer review) will not be considered to raise the grade to a "passing" mark. This class is a composition class; therefore, the formal papers as presented in the portfolio are the best indication of your ability to write.

• Total Paper/Portfolio available -- (700 points)

Peer Review Assignments: Much of what you will learn about writing in this course will come from participating in a peer review of others' papers. Do not fail to participate in this area of the course. See the Peer Instructions link located under Resources & Tools/How To? for instructions on how to complete this critical work! In general, to participate successfully in peer review, you will complete these tasks:

(1) You will analyze and evaluate two other students' papers using a Peer Review Tool that is posted in the specific paper module. You MUST use this assessment tool in order to earn full credit for comments on student papers. Furthermore, your evaluation must be thorough; I expect around 200--250 words per peer review as a minimum; though certainly, better reviews may have more words. In order to earn credit, all peer reviews must be posted at least 36 hours before the formal paper is due. More information on the peer review assignment is posted under the Resources & Tools/How to?/Peer Review Instructions.

(2) After you have analyzed and evaluated each student paper, copy-and-paste your evaluation of each paper as a REPLY to the paper you reviewed in the peer review forum on the discussion board. This work must be completed by the deadline posted on the class calendar. I have set aside two class days for this work; do not fail to do it. If you fail to follow these guidelines, you will NOT receive full credit for your work.

• You will be required to participate in peer review for Papers 1, 2, 3 and 4 for at least two of your peers. For completing this task per my directions, you will receive 20 points per review assignment (10 points for each review). REMEMBER reviews must posted in the proper review forum by the due date and time posted on the calendar or they will receive ZERO points. I will not accept late peer reviews; please don't ask.

• Though I have also created a peer review forum for the Portfolio Workshop, you are not required to post your paper there or to give comments on papers posted there. I have created the forum for voluntary use; I will not award points for reviews done on rewrite papers. However, learning how to recognize good/poor writing is an important skill when learning to write more effectively. I encourage you to work on your analytical skills by giving help whenever and wherever you can.

• Total Points for Peer Review: (80 points)

Discussions/Homework:

I have created an individual forum in the discussion area for weekly discussions on the Literature texts and homework assignments on the Marius text. Specific instructions and requirements for participating in discussions are posted in the module for our first paper as well as under the Resources & Tools icon. The minimum number of entries for each discussion is 6 entries; please locate and read the Seminar Discussion Requirements page for specific information on discussion entries. I do my best to participate in the discussion; however, I cannot possibly respond to every comment or answer.

Total points available -- Literature discussions (18 pts. each X 4 discussions) total 72 points; Marius Homework (15 points X 5 assignments) total 75 points.

• Total discussion points: (147 points)

TOTAL POINTS FOR THE COURSE= 927 points

* NOTE.To figure out your grade at any time, simply divide the total points you have earned by the total points you have submitted to that point. I use standard percentage markings:

94-100% = A, 90-93% = A-, 87-89% = B+, 84-86% = B, 80-83% = B-, and so on. . .

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How do we communicate with each other?

In the toolbar at the top of each page, you will find links to class announcements, your mailbox, the class discussion area and your personal gradebook. Also note the "More Tools" link which will help you access the assignment dropbox. All relevant links to specific discussions and assignment submission areas are located in the relevant module.

• Announcements will be posted for you as needed throughout the quarter. Please read these announcements carefully so that you will know of any important changes or issues in the class.
• A mailbox has been provided for private e-mail communication between you and I or you and other classmates. Since I get between 40 and 50 e-mail messages every day at my various work addresses, I will appreciate "URGENT" notices in the subject line, if you have a real emergency. I check my class email morning and afternoon in order to respond in a timely manner to all messages, whether or not they are urgent. Please do not use e-mail to submit your work unless you have contacted me for approval FIRST.
• The discussion area provides a place for asynchronous discussions of course materials. The discussion area has several categories which contain links that have a specific purpose.
• • The Student Union - This area is for student-to-student discussion. For example, you may post announcements here if you wish to petition your classmates to join you in a face-to-face discussion group or a chat room discussion. However, be aware that I do not read this forum regularly; therefore, do not post questions for me here.
  • Questions for Instructor area - Post questions for me in this area if you think that others in the class may benefit from knowing the answer to your question. I will check this area at least twice per weekday, (morning and afternoon) if not more. However, if your question is of a very personal nature, please use my website mailbox.
  • Literature discussion - These topic areas will house your discussion about our literature readings. Each forum is listed with the author's last name. Please follow the dates on the class calendar for posting questions and for commenting. I have allowed time for you to do this work; don't fail to do it before the deadlines posted on the class calendar.
  • Marius Homework group - Like the areas above, these sites will house all of our homework assignments on the Marius text about writing and editing.
  • Peer Review area - These 5 areas are named by paper number and draft number. Here is where you will post your rough drafts and evaluations for peer review.
• The My Grades link will take you to the gradebook for this class. This area will contain all of the grades for your work WHEN I have completed the grading.

You are responsible for posting the discussion messages into the correct area depending on its purpose. You must also handle the postings, downloading messages you wish to keep to your home computer and creating folders to store that information. Please do save any messages you wish to keep.

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Bellevue Community College
URL: vista.bcc.ctc.edu
Site Updated: 01/01/2007