Great Basin College

English 095 –Basic Writing II– Spring 2011

Section I01 – Internet

Instructor: Michael Moss

Office: Academic Success Center—EIT Building 114

Phone: 775- 753-2144

Office Hours: Tuesday, Thursday 6-8 p.m.

Email: Email me through WebCampus

Texts:The Special Prisonerby Jim Lehrer

Supplies: Jump Drive for backing up assignments

Prerequisite: ACCUPLACER 85, 17 ACT or 439 SAT

Course Objectives/Description: English 095 is considered a refresher course; we will work on writing skills so that you may confidently advance to college transferable courses. This course provides you with an intensive writing experience. We will work on grammar and mechanics as well as sentence structure, paragraph structure and essay development to prepare you for college-level writing. The course is supported by the GBC online writing center tutors where you will receive individual attention in the areas of mechanics, content, and organization. My hope is that you will leave this class with a new confidence about your writing.

Methods of Instruction: Internet.

WebCampus Enhancement: ENG. 095 utilizes WebCampus. Our course calendar and course information is available on WebCampus. Each student will receive a user name and password for WebCampus early in the semester. You will access course information via WebCampus. You can also email your instructor or other classmates via WebCampus. In addition, you will be asked to submit certain assignments into the Assignment Drop Box. The web-enhanced feature is designed to help you keep class materials more organized, communicate more effectively, and learn some of the basic features of electronic classes.

To find WebCampus: go to < Find the WebCampus icon on the home page. Click on it. Enter your user name and password.

Remember: Writing is a process. All writers are constantly in the process of improving. In this class we need to trust ourselves and each other: you need to trust your own ideas, that you have something worthwhile to say; you need to trust that I will do all I can to help you learn the skills of writing; and finally, I need to trust that you are putting your best efforts into your writing because learning to write well requires considerable time and energy from all of us.

Learner Outcomes /Measurements

Identify main ideas and differentiate those from supporting details./ Student discussion of readings; evidence in written essays.

Recognize and correct faulty mechanics./ Error Analysis Assignments; Academic Success Center (ASC) tutor requirement.

Use appropriate language and tone based on purpose, audience, and topic./ Quality of written essays; rubric evaluation; evidence of improvement through revision.

Construct coherent, well-developed paragraphs./ Quality of written essays; rubric evaluation.

Revise written assignments using the writing process./ Evidence of revision in student portfolio.

Construct a basic essay demonstrating techniques of solid organization./ Quality of written essays; rubric evaluation; evidence of improvement through revision.

Write clear, focused materials./ Instructor observation of skill development in practice sessions; evidence in written essays; rubric evaluation.

Utilize the GBC library services to find appropriate articles and information./ Instructor observation of skill; appropriate choice of articles for written essays.

Apply the basics of MLA format and documentation to all written work./ Evidence in written work; rubric evaluation.

Show readiness for ENG. 101./ Successful completion of final department read; successful completion of Academic Success Center (ASC) requirement.

Portfolio: You will be required to keep an electronic portfolio of your writing in this class. The portfolio needs to contain each assigned paper and all rough drafts. This will show the process you went through to attain a final paper.Please make sure to backup everything you do in case of computer difficulties.

Final Read: Your final essay will be submitted to a GBE English Department Final Read. This means that English instructors from across the GBC service area will read your work to help determine if you are ready for ENG. 101. If your essay does not receive a passing score at the final read, you may fail ENG. 095. It is your job to show the faculty that you have mastered the essential skills of ENG. 095 and are ready to advance.

Evaluation:

Students will receive a pass or withdraw (P or W) designation for English 095; you will not receive a letter grade. A passing designation means that you have at least 70% of all of the available points for the semester. If you receive a W for the course, you will not be able to enroll in English 101 the next semester unless you retake ENG.095 or retake the ACCUPLACER and receive a qualifying score of 86. You will be able to retake English 095 for an additional 3 credits.

Some of the assignments you will be expected to participate in are:

• Blackboard Discussions

• Reading assignments

• Paragraph and essay assignments

• Peer editing sessions

• Assigned on-line tutor visits

• Final portfolios

• Satisfactory participation

Expectations of Attendance: Just as a student in a live course is expected to attend every class session, you are expected to log on, become acquainted with course expectations, and fulfill all assignments by their proper due date. Keeping up and turning in assignments on time is essential to your success in the class. If difficulties occur, it is your responsibility to communicate with me. I will check my email on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Academic Success Center Requirement:As a developmental English student at GBC, you will be asked to utilize the GBC online writing center. For your convenience tutors have been embedded in this class. Tutor feedback will be invaluable as an aid in reviewing and rewriting your work. Though it is administered out of the Elko campus, the tutors are located throughout the GBC system.

Written Work: Please present work that is neat, carefully proofread, and attractively presented, using MLA formatting. Practice proper paragraph structure: indent the first sentence; use complete sentences. We will always discuss major writing assignments in detail. You will receive separate assignment sheets detailing criteria and due dates for proposals, peer editing, and essays.

Communication: Communication is important in an internet class. Please email or phone me if you are having problems or questions. I will try and reply in a timely manner. Don’t become overly frustrated or discouraged. Contact me and see if we can resolve the problem. If you are having difficulty with the technology aspect of the course, please contact the technology help desk FIRST. The number is 775-753-2167.

Confidentiality: The English Department respects the policy that your grades are your and your instructor’s business only. However, during the semester, student writing will be shared with peers and/or on-line tutors for revision purposes. This is an integral part of the college writing program. If you have comments concerning this policy, please make them known to me during the first week of the course.

Accommodations: GBC supports providing equal access for students with disabilities. An advisor is available to discuss appropriate accommodations with students. Please contact the Student Services Office in Elko at 753-2271 at your earliest convenience to request timely and appropriate accommodations.

Policy of Academic Integrity: You are expected to be honest. Acts such as cheating and plagiarism are violations of the University of Nevada System’s code of conduct as well as violations of the standards of intellectual honesty. Students who violate these standards are subject to consequences ranging from dismissal from a class to dismissal from the academic institution.

Policy of Communication Conduct: This is an on-line class. As such, the communication between your instructor and your classmates occur as if in a classroom. Please be considerate and use only proper language. Please be respectful. Mass emailing the entire class on your part is definitely not encouraged. Any disrespectful incidents aimed at either the instructor or another member of the class, may result in withdrawal.

***This is your class. If you have any concerns or academic problems, or if you need special assistance please discuss all matters with me first – as soon as you can. If you have further concerns, see page 46 of the current GBC catalog 2003-2004 on the procedure you must follow to protect your rights.