Bellevue Community College

Jeanne Morel: English 101 Composition # 1177/1204

Spring 2009

Start to write and let one thing lead to another. —Ring Larnder

Required Texts:

Customized Reader: Readings for Writers / Jeanne Morel

A Writer’s Companion 4th Edition, by Richard Marius

The Everyday Writer, by Andrea Lunsford

Additional readings will be assigned and provided in class.

Course Objectives:

After successfully completing English 101, students will 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 no 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

the intended purpose and audience

• Illustrate the concept of Audience in writing

• Artfully combine Audience, Purpose, and Tone in compositions written in and outside of

class

• Write in a vocabulary appropriate to the 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: both how to give useful feedback and how to accept and use feedback

• Develop self-assessment skills

Some of the things that happen to us in life seem to have no meaning, but when you write them down, you find the meanings for them. –Maxine Hong Kingston

Writing and re-writing are a constant search for what it is one is saying.

—John Updike

Course Description:

This course is designed to launch you as writers, readers, and critical thinkers. Writing both demonstrates learning and increases understanding of complex material. The ability to write well is critical for academic success. Throughout the quarter, we will explore writing as an extension of thinking and explore readings as models for writing. We will interpret and interact with the world as writers both online and in the classroom. We will do this through the process of writing, reading, and thinking and in the product of our finished work.

Workload

Five credit college courses typically require 5 hours of class time and an additional 10 hours of homework for a total of 15 hours per week. Since we will

spend only 2 hours per week in the classroom, it is imperative that you work steadily at home and keep up on readings, assignments, and online submissions. Expect an average of 15 hours of study per week. Please consider whether you have the time to devote to the class this quarter.

A Few Words About a Hybrid Course

The Hybrid structure is well suited for writing workshops as it allows for the formation of community both online and in the classroom, thereby accommodating different learning styles. It is important to make the connection between names online and faces in the classroom early in the quarter.

Attendance

This is a writing class, and on days when we meet in the classroom you are expected to be in the classroom on time and ready to write. Chronic tardiness will count as an absence. You will lose 100 points if you are miss more than 4 classes. When you are absent, you are responsible for getting any information, assignments, and materials from another student.

Please talk to me if you have a serious illness or family crisis during the quarter that prevents your participation.

Writing is the act of saying I, of imposing oneself upon other people, of saying listen to me, see it my way, change your mind.

—Joan Didion

Writing Genres

Two Summary Response papers (25 points each)

Observation—This project is divided into four parts. Each component is worth 25 points for a total of 100 points. The due dates are staggered throughout the quarter.

• Angle of vision assignment

• Coffee shop observation

• Art museum visit

• A reading at the Elliot Bay Book Company or Open Books

Personal Narrative—Tiny Masters (100 points)

Exploratory Reflection (100 points)

Argument—Position Paper or Evaluation on topic related to prison (100 points)

Final—Self Reflection (50) points

Full credit for the Personal Narrative, Exploratory Reflection, and Argument essay requires a rough draft, a critique of another student’s essay, and a self-evaluation. Rough Drafts must be full length and must be posted by the due date for credit. Late Final Drafts will lose 10 points per calendar day and will not be accepted after the third day.

Discussion Board—I will post a Discussion Thread prompt for each reading. Respond to each prompt with a thoughtful paragraph. Post your paragraph and read the responses of other students before class discussion.

Discussion Board Portfolio—this will include your best three posts, your worst post, and an analysis of your participation in the Discussion Board. How successful were you in interpreting texts, exploring meanings, and analyzing writing? In what ways did you further the intellectual dialogue of the class? Did you miss any posts? Based on your critical analysis, you will evaluate your work and propose what grade you think you deserve. I will take your evaluation into consideration when I make my decision. (150 points)

Quizzes based upon exercises in The Everyday Writer will be done online.

Writing is hard, and writers need help. — Richard Hugo

Try again. Fail again. Fail better. —Samuel Beckett

Other Important Information

• You are required to go to the Writing Lab at least once for help with a Rough

Draft.

• You are strongly encouraged to make an appointment to meet with me

individually.

• Please keep hard copies of all your work in a safe place until the end of the

quarter—technology sometimes crashes and things disappear!

• I may keep copies of your work to help students in future classes unless you

register your objection in writing.

• If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability; if you have emergency medical information to share with the instructor; or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated; please let me know.

NO cell phone, i-pods, laptops in class………

Academic Honesty

Plagiarizing is a serious offense in an American academic institution. It is not acceptable to take even one sentence from another person’s writing and present it as your own. Students plagiarizing will receive a zero for the assignment and cannot make it up.

Learning to write well takes time and much effort, but it can be done.

—Margaret Mead

This syllabus is a draft and is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion.