ENGLISH 085.54 College Reading
Fall 2014 Course Syllabus
Instructor: Virginia Imperial email: H - 517-789-8503 (before 9pm)
Center for Student Success BW123: 796-8415 (call ahead for most current hours)
Class day/time:Tuesday and Thursday, 1:00 – 3:25pm (Sept. 23 – Dec. 16)
Class location: JW 203
Textbooks, Materials and Supplies
1. Experience Reading by Liff and Stern ISBN 978-0-07-329239-7
2. The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore ISBN 978-0-385-52820-7
3. Making Connections ENG085 Course Pack (articles)
4. College-rule loose leaf paper, pencils, pens
5. Highlighters and sticky notes
6. Two-pocket folder or thin binder
7. Portable dictionary
Course Objectives:
- Improve reading comprehension
- Expand vocabulary
- Know and be able to apply a variety of reading strategies
- Write clear summaries of and responses to reading selections
- Create connections between texts and personal experiences
- Combine information from several sources
- Read for pleasure and information
Associate Degree Outcomes (ADOs): The Jackson College Board of Trustees has developed a list of essential skills that all graduates should develop. The Board has said:
JC’s goal is to prepare students to live productive and meaningful lives. Implicit in this goal are efforts to prepare students to:
a)live and work in the 21st century
b)be employed in situations which will require retraining several times during a productive life, and
c)function in a rapidly changing international society.
In support of these guidelines, ENG 085 students will develop critical thinking skills, including the ability to do the following:
- Generate questions about a text before and while reading.
- Distinguish between fact, opinion and inference.
- Recognize bias in a piece of writing.
- Incorporate new knowledge with old.
Your instructor’s area of responsibility for your learning
Accessibility – E-mail, call me, or set an appointment. I will be glad to discuss your college experience and assist you with this class. Don’t hesitate to ask any questions. I am usually in the classroom fifteen minutes before class and at the Center for Student Success. Remember, I want you to succeed!
Variety – The class will offer a variety of activities includingindividual, pair and group activities, discussion, a final research project and of course, a lot of reading.
Your areas of responsibility for learning
Punctuality – Turn in your work by the due date. If you are absent, you are responsible for turning in the work that was due on the day you were absent AND the work due the day you return. Be punctual in coming to class. Constant tardiness will affect your grade.
Late work policy - All homework assigned is due at the beginning of class. Any work submitted at the end of class or at the next class meeting is considered late work and receives half credit. Any work turned in after this grace period is an automatic “0”.
Attendance and Participation – You will get the most from this course by reading the assigned works thoroughly, attending every session, participating in the learning activities, being respectful and cooperative, and completing the assignments. Let me know if you can’t make it to class. Consult your course calendar to stay on schedule with the class requirements. Please have all your textbooks and materials with you each class meeting. Habitually forgetting textbooks will cause you to lose participation points. Class engagement is vital to your success as a college-level reader.
Quizzes and Exams – Consult your class calendar and mark the dates for quizzes and exams. If you decide to skip class on that day, you cannot make up a quiz or exam unless you have notified me beforehand. In case of a serious health or family emergency, please notify me as well so we can make other arrangements.
Classroom Etiquette
·Please turn off cell phones and keep them visible on top of your work space. If you must be available for family emergencies, let me know ahead of time.
·Absolutely NO text-messaging during class.
·If you need to leave, please do not disrupt the class.
·A small snack or drink is acceptable in the classroom.
·No vulgar language, profanity or disrespectful behavior will be tolerated.
Academic Honesty
Academic honesty is expected. This means producing your own work, not using others’ work as your own, not plagiarizing any other person’s work, cheating or helping others to cheat. Please refer to the JCC Student Handbook of Rights and Responsibilities. Any work violating academic honesty will be marked “0”.
Assessing Your Reading Skills Progress
At the beginning and end of the semester, you will take the Nelson-Denny Reading Test. This will help in assessing your vocabulary and reading comprehension. The more you read, attend class regularly and put in the necessary work, the better chance you will have to improve your score.
Keys to reading skill and development
1. The more time and effort you invest in reading, the more reading skills you develop.
2. Effective reading requires vigorous mental activity. Be alert and actively seek out what the author wants to say by asking questions, making predictions, reflecting on ideas, establishing connections, and drawing on your own knowledge and experience as you read. Stay curious!
3. Pay attention to how the author organizes ideas, noticing heading titles, bold or italicized words, central themes, patterns, etc. (Noticing how writers organize their ideas can also make you a better writer.)
How You Earn Your Grade for ENG085
Participation in Class Activities/Attendance - 20%
Active Reading Assignments, The Other Wes MooreQuestion and Response Guides (QRGs), Quizzes, Exams, Homework – 60%
Active Reading Pages– Making Connections (MCs) articles and selections from our textbook, Experience Reading, and a variety of sources will be assigned for in-class reading. For each article, you will be asked to demonstrate your thinking, questioning, making connections, clarifying areas of confusion, and finally getting the big picture. After reading each article, you will write a thorough, 15-line handwritten summary and reflection on loose leaf notebook paper.
The Other Wes MooreQuestion and Response Guides (QRGs) – after reading each assigned section of the Glass Castle, you will answer questions from a study guide and submit your work, typewritten using 12-pt. font in Times New Roman style.
Quizzes/ Exams – Always come to class prepared with your reading/writing assignments. Some quizzes will be unannounced and will mostly be on reading comprehension. Other quizzes and exams will be announced at least one week ahead of time.
Final Project – PowerPoint Presentation - 20%
During the course of the semester, I encourage you to read about anything that interests you. Look for books, magazines, articles and web sites, take notes, jot down ideas, list sources, and finally, organize all your research in an informative PowerPoint presentation. This project is due on Thursday, Dec. 11. Specific details and instructions will be handed out at mid-semester. If you need assistance with PowerPoint, please see me or any of the staff at the Center for Student Success in BW123.
Expectations for success in this class
You are expected to read the assigned works and complete any homework assignments before class starts. Please refer to your course calendar to stay current with all assignments and deadlines. You should spend 2 hourspreparing for each 1-hour class. As this is a 4-credit course, this means around 8 hours per week.
Grade Scale
94-100 = 4.0
87-93 = 3.5
80-86 = 3.0
75-79 = 2.5
70-74 = 2.0
65-69 = 1.5
60-64 = 1.0
55-59 = 0.5
Less than 55 = 0.0
Check your grades and announcements regularly on our JetNet class site. See me or the staff at the Center for Student Success in BW 123 if you need help logging in.
Center for Student Success (CSS)
For tutoring and additional free services for academic success, call (517) 796-8415 or stop by the Center for Student Success, Bert Walker Hall 123. Faculty and tutors will help you with writing strategies, effective study skills, overcoming test anxiety, math, reading, creating PowerPoint presentations, etc.
CSS Hours: Monday - Thursday: 8am – 6pm; Friday: 10am – 5pm.
Students requiring special assistance, including those affected by the Americans with Disabilities Act, should also contact the Center for Student Success at (517) 796-8415 or go to Walker Hall Room 123. This is the first step in acquiring the appropriate accommodations to help you with your courses.
I look forward to working with you to make this semester one filled with rich, rewarding, learning experiences, and a love of reading and language.
“We read to know we are not alone.” – C.S. Lewis
“No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.”- Confucius
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