Course Syllabus
ENGL& 101 – English Composition I -Fall 2014
INSTRUCTOR: MARTHA SILANO
TELEPHONE (425) 564-2078
(messages go to email)
EMAIL ADDRESS:
OFFICE LOCATION: R-230 K
OFFICE HOURS: BY APPT, EMAIL, OR SKYPE
PREFERRED MODE OF COMMUNICATION: CANVASE-MAIL
TEXTBOOKS
Textbooks are available at the BC Bookstore and online at to an external site.).
THE HUNGRY EAR: POEMS OF FOOD AND DRINK. YOUNG, KEVIN, EDITOR. BLOOMSBURY BOOKS. 2012.
THE LITTLE , BROWN HANDBOOK, 12THED. FOWLER & AARON. PEARSON. 2012.
COURSE OUTCOMES
After completing this class, students should be able to:
WRITING:
- Demonstrate various invention practices: brainstorming, free writing; outlining, journaling, along with the phases of writing: draft, revision, final copy;
- Demonstrate ability to write in various modes: personal narrative, expository, analytical, descriptive, argument;
- 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 sufficient details and examples to support the identified thesis and reinforce focus;
- Demonstrate various patterns of organization and use chosen organization patterns that suit the identified purpose & audience;
- Illustrate the concept of audience as well as artfully combine audience, purpose, and tone;
- Choose a vocabulary appropriate to the subject and identified audience;
- Begin and conclude effectively;
- Show effective control of mechanics: paragraphing, punctuation, and spelling.
CRITICAL READING:
- Differentiate between key ideas and supporting details;
- Locate the thesis statement in reading assignments.
GROUP FEEDBACK & SELF-EVALUATION:
- Practice effective group skills, including providing useful feedback and making effective use of feedback received;
- Develop and practice self-assessment skills.
SUSTAINABILITY
- Become prepared to be a responsible citizen in a globally interconnected and diverse society;
- Obtain an increased understanding regarding
* The link between food and culture
* The negative consequences of industrialized, processed, and profit-motivated food production
* The relationship between food and health
* The benefits and drawbacks of local and alternative food systems
* Local and world hunger
* Increased understanding of contemporary food movements such as locavorism, the slow food movement, biofabrication, veganism, etc.
* Ethical arguments and conscious choices regarding what to eat.
FOOD SUSTAINABILITY THEME
This course focuses on the theme of sustainable food practices, that is, ones that could continue in perpetuity without damage to existing cultures, the environment, or to those people who live in proximity to or who work to grow, harvest, and distribute our food. Sustainability, having its root insustain, also relates to the eating of food that sustains rather than causing illness or disease. When we label a practicesustainable, we are also considering the degree to which this practice preserves biodiversity, achieves its affects by taking small actions that lead to large impacts, and fosters healthy and just economies, along with taking into consideration the impact the practice will make on the local ecosystem. Sustainability skills include intellectual openness, a sensitivity to cross-cultural perspectives, an ability to work collaboratively in groups, an ability to think laterally (connect the dots), an ability to reflect on how one’s personal choices affect sustainability, thinking critically and relying heavily on observation and empiricism, practicing civic responsibility, and reflecting on one’s knowledge, values, and commitment through a variety of media, including literary and artistic expression. As a student in a sustainability-themed course, you will be expected to consider the local as well as global impact of your personal food choices, including how far your food has traveled to get to your plate, and how it is grown, produced, processed, packaged, and disposed of. You will begin to see the connection between small changes in behavior and how they can result in positive change at the personal and global level.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & STRUCTURE
This is a 100% online course; all course work—discussions, quizzes, journaling, peer editing, and the submission of all writing assignments, including essays—will be conducted online via our Canvas course website.
If you run into problems with accessing Canvas, or require assistance, please consult the following websites:
You must have access to a computer and a reliable Internet service provider to fully participate and succeed in this course. Due dates are firm.If your travel plans take you to distant/remote lands where Internet service is spotty or non-existent, please plan on turning in assignments prior to your departure.
Active participation is mandatory. At a minimum, expect to be active on our course site (posting to Discussions, peer reviewing, etc.) at least one hour each weekday (M-F).
Please remember to back up your hard drive on a weekly basis; save all your work for this course in several places, including hard drive, flash drive, memory stick, and/or by emailing drafts of your draft and final assignments to yourself.
ESSAYS
Our focus will be on critically reading assigned texts and videos that will provide the content forFIVE essaysthat explore and address our course theme,food sustainability. Assignment guidelines and an accompanying video lecture will be provided for each essay. When possible, supporting materials, such as sample student models and relevant links to helpful websites/articles, will also be provided. Each essay is worth 100 points(500 points total).
ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS
In addition to the five required essays, you will be responsible for participating in/completing the following: five peer review sessions (25 points each/125 pts total), weekly online discussions (20 points per week/200 points total), weekly journal entries (120 points total), and three quizzes (50 points), and a course evaluation (5 points), to total 1,000 possible points.
GRADING BREAKDOWN:
Five formal essays / 500Five Peer Review workshops / 125
Weekly online discussion posts / 200
Weekly private journal entries / 90
Three (3) quizzes / 50
Final assessment journal assignment / 30
Course Evaluation / 5
TOTAL / 1,000 POINTS
FINAL GRADING SCALE (BASED ON 1,000 POINTS):
Letter Grade / Number Grade / # of PointsA / 4.0-3.8 / 1000-930
A- / 3.7-3.4 / 929-890
B+ / 3.3-3.1 / 889-860
B / 3.0-2.8 / 859-820
B- / 2.7-2.4 / 819-790
C+ / 2.3-2.1 / 789-760
C / 2.0-1.8 / 759-730
C- / 1.7-1.4 / 729-690
D+ / 1.3-1.1 / 689-660
D / 1.0 / 659-650
F / 649 & below
TIPS FOR SUCCESS / CLASSROOM LEARNING EXPECTATIONS
- Log ontoCanvas a minimum of five times per weekto read and reply to discussion posts, participate in the discussion, and/or in that week’s grammar exercises or peer review.
- Post your assignments and responses on time (late discussion posts will receive a zero; late papers will be marked down 10 points each day they are late up until three (3) days past the due date;after three days the missed paper will receive a zero grade.
- Treat your instructor and your peers with respect. Rude, inconsiderate, or disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated. The offending student or students will be referred to the Dean of Student Services for possible probation, suspension, or expulsion. I do not expect it to occur, but just covering all bases by letting you know BC instructors have the right to remove a student from a class who interferes with instructor effectiveness and/or student learning.
- Obtain and maintain access to the Internet, including having a back-up computer with ISP available and in mind should yours crash, break, get stolen. Computers are available to enrolled students on the BC campus, in the BC Library Media Center, as well as area public libraries.
Withdrawals:Students who are not making satisfactory progress in the course (missing class often, not completing assignments) will be advised to withdraw from the course to avoid receiving an F grade.
Paper format/late assignments:I expect all assignments to be formatted in MS WORD (.docx or .doc). Manuscript formatting guidelines are available on our course site.Late papers will be deducted 10 points each day they are late (a paper is considered late if I do not receive it by midnight on the day it is due). Unless we have made other arrangements, papers over 3 days/72 hours late will not be accepted (for instance, an essay due Monday must be turned in by Thursday midnight).Late assignments may not be revised.
Option to Revise:You will have the option of revising one (1) your essays after I have graded them. All revisions are due the Monday of Week 9. I will grade the revised essay and thenaverageit with the grade you initially received on the paper. This averaged grade will be your final grade for the essay.LATE PAPERS, along with the final essay, cannot be revised.
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. to an external site.)
PLAGIARISM
▪ Student Code of Conduct and Academic Integrity
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, inappropriate behavior toward the instructor or classmates. The instructor can refer any violation of the Student Code of Conduct to the Dean of Student Success for investigation. Specific student rights, responsibilities, and appeal procedures are listed in the Student Code of Conduct at: to an external site.)
All the writing you do for this course must present your own ideas in your own words. If you copy someone’s exact words, you must put them in quotation marks. If you summarize or paraphrase someone else’s ideas, facts, or words, you must say where they came from. Saying where words and ideas came from is called “citing your sources.” I’ll teach you the basic conventions for citing your sources now, and you’ll learn more about these conventions as you take higher level courses, such as English 201.I won’t accept/grade an essay you’ve downloaded from the Internet or copied from someone else, an essay you wrote for an earlier class, an essay that does not address the specifications of the assignment guidelines, or an essay in which you present someone else’s words or ideas as your own. These types of essays will receive an automatic zero. Again, not expecting these types of essays to be turned in–but do want you to know my policies. Plagiarizing more than once in any given course may result in receiving an F/no credit. For a more detailed explanation of plagiarism, please read the official policy of the Division of Arts and Humanities: "Student Procedures and Expectations" to an external site.). Note: Unintentional plagiarism is still considered plagiarism and is punishable; saying you did not know you were plagiarizing is not an acceptable defense. Just in case a question of ownership arises, print out or save drafts of your workoften.
RESOURCES
YOUR INSTRUCTOR
This fall I begin my 21st year of teaching college English.Teaching all these years has helped in the experience category, but I am eagerto receive your input on how to make my courses more worthwhile, user-friendly, etc. Please do not hesitate to make suggestions for how to improve this course. I also (always) welcome your emails. Also, I'm here to clear up uncertainties, provide further examples, etc. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!
YOUR CLASSMATES
Your most reliable resource. REALLY. Five times this quarter they will be the ones who get your rough draft essay ready for final submission. You owe it to them to be punctual and thorough with your discussion posts,and to post rough drafts and peer reviews in a timely manner.Everyone knows who the 12th Man is. Be a 12th Man to each of your classmates this quarter, and watch the touchdowns add up.
ACADEMIC SUCCESS CENTER - WRITING LAB – D204
Individual tutoring is available at the Academic Success Center if you receive a C grade or lower at any time during the quarter. Please email me if you have any questions about the support available on campus or if at any time you feel confused or unsure about my expectations or the course material.
DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER (DRC)
Please have the DRC email me your accommodation letter at the beginning of the quarter. If you believe you qualify as a DRC student, please visit them in B132 or call 425-564-2498. A student may document a disability any time during the quarter, so do not feel that you have to wait till next quarter to receive a letter and accommodations.
ACADEMIC CALENDARThe 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 - to an external site.). On this calendar you will find admissions and registration dates and important dates for withdrawing and receiving tuition refunds.
- College Calendar - to an external site.)This calendar gives you the year at a glance and includes college holidays, scheduled closures, quarter end and start dates, and final exam dates.
PERTINENT PHONE NUMBERS
Public Safety:(425) 564-2400. Use this number for medical emergencies, fire, theft, lost & found, for a jump start or to unlock vehicles.
Library Media Center Reference Desk:(425) 564-6161 to an external site.)/
BC Counseling Center:(425) 564-2212,B234 – to an external site.)
Please review the Arts & Humanities division standards to an external site.)
THERE IS NO FINAL EXAM IN THIS COURSE.
Date / DetailsFri Sep 26, 2014 / Introduce Yourself / due by11:59pm
Questions: Orange Crush & Sunday / due by11:59pm
Share/Comment on Essay 1 Topic Ideas / due by11:59pm
Syllabus Quiz / due by11:59pm
Journal 1 / due by11:59pm
Mon Sep 29, 2014 / Practice Exercises: Repairing Fused Sentences / due by11:59pm
Wed Oct 1, 2014 / Quiz 1: Repairing Fused Sentences / due by11:59pm
Fri Oct 3, 2014 / Essay 1: Narrative / due by11:59pm
Journal 2 / due by11:59pm
Fri Oct 10, 2014 / "From Blossoms" (Lee) / due by11:59pm
"Ode to Gumbo" (Young) / due by11:59pm
From "Letters to Wendy's" (Wenderoth) / due by11:59pm
Journal 3 / due by11:59pm
Share Your Essay 2 Poem Choice & Ask Questions / due by11:59pm
Tone: "First Thanksgiving" (Olds) / due by11:59pm
Mon Oct 13, 2014 / Practice Exercises: Repairing Sentence Fragments / due by11:59pm
Tue Oct 14, 2014 / Sentence Fragment Quiz #2 / due by11:59pm
Wed Oct 15, 2014 / Essay 2: Practicing the Analytic Method / due by11:59pm
Fri Oct 17, 2014 / Essay 2: Analyzing Tone / due by11:59pm
Essay 2: Tone / due by11:59pm
Journal 4 / due by11:59pm
Fri Oct 24, 2014 / "A Short History of the Apple" (Laux) / due by11:59pm
"Oysters" (Heaney) / due by11:59pm
"Refrigerator, 1957" (Lux) / due by11:59pm
"Sherbet" (Eady) / due by11:59pm
Share Your Essay 3 Poem Choice & Ask Questions / due by11:59pm
Journal 5 / due by11:59pm
Wed Oct 29, 2014 / Essay 3: Practicing the Analytic Method / due by11:59pm
Sun Nov 2, 2014 / Essay 3 - Diction in Poetry / due by11:59pm
Essay 3: Analyzing Diction / due by11:59pm
Journal 6 / due by11:59pm
Fri Nov 7, 2014 / Essay 4: Practicing the Analytic Method / due by11:59pm
Journal 7 / due by11:59pm
Wed Nov 12, 2014 / Practice with introducing borrowed text / due by11:59pm
Fri Nov 14, 2014 / Essay 4: Causal Analysis / due by11:59pm
Fri Nov 21, 2014 / Journal 8 / due by11:59pm
Journal 9 / due by11:59pm
Mon Dec 1, 2014 / Resubmission of Essay 1, 2, 3, or 4 / due by11:59pm
Wed Dec 3, 2014 / Essay 5 / due by11:59pm
Fri Dec 5, 2014 / Journal 10: Final Reflection / due by11:59pm
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