English 21
Ticket Number: 0224
Class Meetings: F 9:00-12:10. Class Location: CBS 102A
Instructor: Dina Abdel Hady
Office Hour: 12:00-1:00. Email: dabdelhady@gmail.com
Introduction:
Welcome to English 21! This is a reading and writing course where we begin your journey to become strong writers and critical readers. In this class, we gradually transition from writing effective paragraphs to short essays all while working with different forms of writing. Mostly, we learn skills and habits that make us successful college students (and hopefully in whatever careers we end up choosing).
Course Description (from Los Angeles Mission College catalog):
This is a course in reading and writing designed to strengthen the student’s basic communication skills, including grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence construction. Greatest emphasis is placed on the writing of competent paragraphs and short essays.
Student Learning Objectives (SLO’s):
- Produce an essay of at least 250 words, which has a thesis, introduction, body and conclusion
- Self edit and correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors in his/her essays
- Differentiate fact from opinion, identify and paraphrase the main ideas and supporting points in a reading, generalize meaning by recognizing and interpreting inferences and predict meaning of vocabulary through contextual clues in a reading
Required Materials:
Reviewing Basic Grammar by Mary Laine Yarber and Robert E. Yarber (eighth edition as well)
The Mercury Reader
Pens and a notebook
Two folders with pockets
Access to the internet
Access to moodle
Access to MySkillsLab
Grade point breakdown:
This class is graded credit/no credit. In order to receive a grade of “Credit,” you must have above a 70% in the class. Your grade will consist of the following:
Take-home paragraph: 50 points
Three Take-home essays: 100 points each
Midterm and Final: 100 points each
Participation: 100 points
Portfolio: 200 points
Homework and In-class assignments: 5-20 points each, depending on length and difficulty.
Policies:
In order to make this class a successful experience, I have a few policies to keep in mind:
Attendance:
Or: Did I Miss Anything Important in Class?
Writing, reading, and thinking critically are all skills that need to be developed over time. Every day in this class is of the outmost importance. We only meet once a week and we go over so much material. Your grade will be lowered if you miss three or more classes.
Class starts at 9:00 am. Be here, be on time, and be ready to participate. This is a class about communication. It is hard to communicate if four or five people are doing all the talking; speak up in class and in your group work. Participation helps you grasp and learn the material we discuss in class. So, try not to be shy.
Tardiness: It is absolutely important that you come to class on time. I take roll at the beginning of each class and try to engage everyone in class. If you arrive after I take roll, you will be marked tardy. Three tardies will count as one absence.
Missing Classes:
One of my goals in this class is to train you for college and the post-collegiate world as well. It is your job to make sure you turned in everything on time. The syllabus has a schedule that outlines our progression, as a plan. Looking it over is always a good idea. However, you should also email your classmates so they fill you in on what you missed. Moodle allows you to contact anyone in the class. Please let me know what’s going on and what’s prevented you from showing up to class. It is common courtesy to inform your teachers of what is going on, so they can assist you.
Email:
In your emails, please be respectful and courteous, regardless of whether the emails are to me or to your classmates. Just because you are online, it does not mean that we are not communicating. I forget things sometimes, so ask me questions, even if you are shy or uncertain. Make sure you check the syllabus first and then feel free to ask me for clarifications should there be any confusion. Finally, please make sure you use proper spelling and full sentences to avoid any misunderstanding (usually, I understand what you are saying. It is good practice, though. This is a writing class after all).
Avoiding Late Assignments:
If you know you are not going to be in class on a specific day, you can turn in your assignment early. If you do need the time, email it to me by 9:00 AM the day it is supposed to be due. Regardless, please let me know what is going on so I can help (if I can).
Conduct:
Please be respectful to every person in this classroom, not just me. I will not allow any racist, sexist, homophobic or any form of offensive language or attitudes in class. Be respectful and mindful of other people. Allow your classmates to talk and share their opinions. Encourage the shy ones to do so as well. Bring in a positive attitude into this classroom to both learn and teach, because we all have unique experiences and knowledge that are worth sharing. Please note: There will be no laptops in my classroom or computer lab unless you need it for a disability. I will also not allow texting in our classroom either. We only meet once a week; let’s make the most out of our time together.
Disability and Accommodations:
Finally: If you have a disability or a special circumstance that you would like me to know about, please do that here as well. Anything you tell me will be kept confidential.
Laptops, Cell Phones, and Side Conversations:
Please note: There will be no laptops in my classroom unless you need it for a disability. I will also not allow texting in our classroom either. Finally, should you have any questions, please speak up and ask me in class. Side conversations are very distracting and disrespectful. Rather than ask your peer, just raise your hand and ask me. Chances are, if you have this question, others may also be wondering about it as well.
Tentative Schedule:
Unless otherwise stated, please bring a copy of the readings that we will be discussing for the day. Make sure you read and annotate them. I expect you to summarize every reading on this list. I will tell you explicitly if I am expecting a specific word count for these summaries. Please remember to bring the readings and summaries to the classroom. This includes our textbook.
Remember that this is a tentative schedule and that changes can come up. I will always tell you about these changes in a timely manner.
Week 1: Introduction to the Class and College
Sept. 2: how to use syllabus, college success, study habits
Week 2:
Sept. 9: Introduction to moodle, Learning Resource Center, and MySkillslab
Week 3:
Sept. 16: Chapter 1 “Getting Started: Computers, Grammar, Sentences, and Paragraphs,” and chapter 2, “Parts of Speech.” “Public and Private Language,” and “Mother Tongue”
Writing process: “Shitty First Drafts”
Week 4:
Sept. 23
Reading: “How to Mark a Book” **Turn in a paragraph on the importance of literacy
“Me Talk Pretty One Day” and “Procrastination Kills,”
Writing: Chapter 3 “Finding the Subject and the Verb in the Sentence” and chapter 4 “Making the Subject and Verb Agree”
Week 5:
Sept. 30 Paper 1 assigned. Start working on draft 1. Brainstorm: bring ideas with you next week! On moodle: “My Awakening” and “A Narrative Involving Cops.” A reading on giving comments on drafts and peer review
Grammar: Chapter 5, “Common Errors involving verbs”
Week 6:
Oct. 7: Writing day, how to give comments on drafts, and Chapter 6 “Using the Correct Form of the Pronoun,” and chapter 7 “Common Errors in Pronoun Agreement and Reference”
Reading: “My Name is Margaret,” and “The Chase,”
Week 7:
Oct. 14 Conferences. Second draft due.
Week 8:
Oct. 21 Analysis examples: “Rebellion,” and “Power of Love.” Chapter 8 “Compound and Complex Sentences,” On moodle: “Strategies For Timed Writing,” and “What’s a thesis.” Paper 1 due.
Week 9
Oct. 28 Midterm. Paper 2 assigned online.
Week 10
Nov. 4 Draft 1 due. Chapter 9, “Correcting Sentence Fragments, Run-on Sentences, and Comma Splices.” On moodle: **Advertising and analyzing graphics website.
Week 11:
Nov. 11 Conferences
Week 12:
Nov. 18 Paper 2 due. “Advertising vs. Sexual Icons” and “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall.”
Chapter 10 “Confused Sentences” and Chapter 11, “Punctuation and Capitalization”
Portfolio prep.
Week 13: No class
Thanksgiving Holiday
Week 14:
Dec. 2 Paper 3 conferences
Week 15:
Dec. 9 Paper 3 due. Grammar and punctuation post test. Read On reflections: “Story Time” and “Game Time,” “This is Water” David Foster Wallace (print speech and watch video).
Week 16:
Dec. 16: Final. Bring Blue Book.
Reflections and evaluations due.
The end! Have a fabulous winter break!
