Course DescriptionRequired for all baccalaureate degrees, English A111 provides instruction in responding to academic and civic writing situations. Students learn rhetorical knowledge (e.g., how to write for a purpose and an audience, how to adopt an appropriate voice, tone, and level of formality); they engage in critical thinking, reading, and writing; they learn about processes and technologies available for producing texts; and they refine knowledge of academic conventions, including inquiry and research writing, documentation, and Standard Written English.

STUDENTS LEARN TO

1. Apply rhetorical knowledge2. Engage in critical reading and

thinking3. Use composing processes and

strategies to create and revise4. Follow conventions of form and style5. Demonstrate inquiry and information

literacy

Our class will explore literacy themes throughout the semester and will strive to develop in each student multiple literacies so that all will be equipped to communicate effectively in a variety of situations, civic and academic, using a variety of strategies.

Unit 1: Critical Literacy: Reading and Responding to Ideas

Unit 2: Cultural Literacy: Stories of Personal Literacy Development

Unit 3: Media Literacy: Rhetorical Analysis of Media Messages

Unit 4: Community Literacy: Advocating for Change on Local Issues

Four Learning Units

By Johnson-Sheehan & Paine (2012).

ISBN: 9781256522133

MyCompLab (bundled with book)

Course ID: cason71838You will need an access code.

By Graff and Birkenstein, 2nd. Ed.

ISBN: 9780393933611

ENGLISH 111--ONLINESECTION 205 CRN 31771

TEXTBOOKS--SEE UAA BOOKSTORE

PROFESSOR JACKIE CASON SPRING 2013

Developing Literacies

“What is written without effort is in general read

without pleasure.”

~Samuel Johnson• • •

Online Learning & Participation

I will strive to make this course interactive and supportive of your learning, and that will require some commitment from all class members to be timely and on task with each assignment. I encourage any and all to post comments or questions about each of the assignments on our class blog. Through these discussions, we can stay engaged and informed throughout the semester.

Important Note: Because each writing unit is vital to a writer’s development, you must complete all four units in order to pass ENGL 111 with a grade of C or better.

Attendance in an Online Class

On the job site, your presence is required. You are expected to show up on time and remain at work until your shift ends. This class is no different. What is different, however, is that this takes place online. Therefore, you can’t “miss class” when weekly meetings are not required. However, this is not a self-paced course in which

you determine the deadlines. You will have weekly assignments, deadlines, and projects. This means that you should log on to Blackboard at least 3 times weekly. I always accept assignments early; however, you must gain permission before a deadline to submit an assignment

late. Your absence from Blackboard is noticeable and affects the entire class. I encourage active learners.

Active learners are students who ask questions if they do not understand something, engage in discussion posts, participate in small group projects, and have the desire to succeed in their course work.

EMAILING INSTRUCTOR AND CLASSMATES

CONTACT INFORMATIONInstructor: Dr. Jackie Cason

Office Location: ADM 103L or via gmail chat

Email: jecason@uaa.alaska.edu

IM email: jackiecason@gmail.com

Office hours (face-to-face, email, or IM via gmail chat): Monday & Wednesday from 11:30

to 1:00 pm, by appointment, and via email

Phone number: 786-4367

Please know that I am here to help you succeed in this course. A lack of understanding something is not an excuse for low participation or incomplete assignments, especially if you did not come forward with questions ahead of time. Please take advantage of office hours and email communication to help you succeed in this course. I enjoy the interaction. The best way to reach me is via email, which I check regularly. However, in order to give thoughtful and accurate responses to each email, I may take 24-48 hours to reply, especially on the weekends. In addition to emails, please come to my office hours or set up an appointment to discuss any questions, concerns, or problems.

Blackboard uses your university email, so you are required to use that account or forward to an account you prefer. Before e-mailing questions to me, please check the syllabus and Blackboard to seek answers to your questions. You’ll find a Questions? tab on our course blog where you can post questions and comments. Use a specific subject line for all email correspondence. You should always be professional in your correspondence with me and your classmates and remain conscious of your tone. This means you must open all emails with a greeting (Hi Name,) and conclude each email by signing your name. If you need further information about using your mail program, just click on Help, then UAA Resources once you have logged into the course. It is your responsibility to check Blackboard and your student email regularly.

Course EligibilityUAA checks eligibility for this course according to these prerequisites:

• Grade of “C” or better in English 109, PRPE 108, or approved transfer of a similar course from another institution;

• Assessment test placement into English 111 or higher;

• Appropriate SAT or ACT score.

Withdrawing from CourseUAA allows instructors to withdraw a student from a course if she or he fails to attend class. At the end of the first week of classes, anyone who has not checked in online or otherwise contacted me will be dropped from the class to allow other students to add the course. If you decide not to complete this course after the add period ends, be sure to drop the class. If you do not complete the class but appear on the roster at the end of the semester, you may receive an “F”.

IncompletesTo be considered for an incomplete, you must be passing the course; you must have completed the majority of the assignments; you must have participated in class regularly; and the obstacle to completion must be unexpected. Once a course ends, the instructor is not obligated to provide guidance for completing assignments. If you do receive an “I,” you are no longer eligible for an “A” in the course.

NegotiationsThe policies in this syllabus are not negotiable, although I do recognize different learning styles and grant some flexibility in how you complete assignments. Just like the work place, I will not adjust the workload, the deadlines, the absence policy, and so forth because of special circumstances in your life.

Writing AssignmentsThe course writing assignments can be located by clicking on the “Learning Units” tab in Blackboard. The assignments are organized by Units, and the unit folders contain assignment directions, discussion board links, extra readings etc. in the order I would like you to complete them. You will have the opportunity to plan, draft, revise, edit, get feedback, and reflect on your writing. Your grade for each unit will be based on your final draft, completion of coursework, participation in peer review, quizzes, and other activities. More details will be provided in each learning unit.

If you have any questions, if a link does not work, or there is some other issue, please let me know as soon as possible. Please keep all drafts, notes, research records, peer reviews, etc. until semester has ended.

Reading RequirementsCourse readings will challenge you, but you are expected to complete them as a foundation for all writing assignments and class discussions. I will inform you of the goal and relative importance of each assigned reading. All of you have hopefully begun to develop strategies for dealing with the amount of reading and research required by college courses. You may have learned to skim, to read closely certain parts of a text, to review subheadings to get the sense of the text, etc - steps necessary for you to deal with the rising tide of text-based information you encounter. We will practice critical reading skills within the first few weeks of the course. Use this course to help you learn and engage with skills that will help you through the remainder of your academic career.

Turning in PapersYou must submit papers through MyCompLab. Please make sure to register right away. If you are experiencing difficulties, try switching browsers and make sure that you are able to accept cookies through your internet preferences. Please contact Pearson Education for technological issues. The Start Here Module and the

Turn in Papers tab will direct you to MyCompLab.

*Remember, you may turn in assignments early but must get permission to turn in an assignment past its due date. IF you will not be able to meet a deadline, contact me before the due date to discuss the matter. I am not obligated to accept late papers and responding to them will not be a priority. Late papers are not eligible for an “A.” You are required to include your name on everything you turn in. I am not obligated to accept a paper if it does not have your name within the document and/or a file name that does not include your name and the assignment name.

Academic IntegrityPlagiarism is a serious crime in the academic and professional world. I expect you to use appropriate citation practices (APA), always noting when you are using ideas, words, images, etc. from a source. I will guide you in further developing your citation practices. I also expect you to write your own papers. In short, you will fail the assignment and risk failing the course as well as being reported to the Dean of Students for any instance of plagiarism. The same policies apply to collaborative writing.

Policies and Procedures

More on Reading & Writing

Reading QuizzesThroughout the semester, there will be reading quizzes to check for comprehension and understanding. Quizzes are designed both to reinforce key concepts in the textbooks and to reward you for keeping up with the readings. Quizzes will account for up to 100 points or 10% of your final grade. Quizzes cannot be made up.

Unit Writing AssignmentsEach unit assignment will have a unique set of requirements, so please be sure to read the assignment sheets and grading criteria carefully when they are posted on Blackboard and MyCompLab. Papers are due by 11:59 pm on the due date provided. Late, pre-approved submissions will be ineligible for a grade of A. Most assignments will be submitted through MyCompLab. Once you access this site, you will then locate the assignment link appropriate to each paper. You may compose directly within MyCompLab or you may copy and paste your assignments from Word (.docx) or PDF (.pdf) formats. I will give you electronic (typed) feedback through MyCompLab. Please be aware that unit assignments will also have preliminary and/or post work as part of the overall unit score.

Important Note: Because each unit is vital to a writer’s development, you must complete all four units in order to pass ENGL 111 with a grade of C or better.

RevisionOne of the key steps in the process of writing is revision, which will be strongly encouraged in this course. You will have opportunities to engage in peer review and to revise papers, so long as they are submitted on a timely

basis. The last paper cannot be revised because its due date is too close to the end of the semester. The UAA Reading and Writing Center and the MyCompLab tutoring service can help you with any step of the writing process. Please note that surface revisions alone (grammar, punctuation, etc.) will not yield as much improvement as changes in structure and clarity that take into consideration the writing context and the needs of audience.

Peer ReviewBecause this class values revision and purposeful writing for specific audiences, we will participate in peer review, which will take place within MyCompLab. To be prepared for and to earn credit for peer review, you must submit complete working drafts by the deadline. If you do not submit on time for peer review, you will not receive peer review participation points. Alternatively, you may recover points by submitting your paper to Pearson Tutoring Services (located within MyCompLab) or have a tutor from the UAA Reading and Writing Center look at your paper for half credit. Alternative methods of review will require a written reflection on the experience.

Writing ReflectionsTo develop rhetorical knowledge and your ability to use writing processes and strategies, you will reflect on your writing processes and choices following each assignment. These reflections will be fairly informal, but you should seek to discuss the decisions you made in your writing, how you revised your early drafts, and what you learned about yourself as a writer.

Extra Credit OpportunitiesThere will be opportunities to receive extra credit throughout the semester. You may receive up to 50 points toward your final grade. In most cases, you will write a brief reflection (one page) about what you learned from the event.

Technology Issues

If something is not working correctly on Blackboard for you, chances are it is not working for everybody else, either. If Blackboard or MyCompLab is down and you have an assignment due, please do not panic; simply post your assignment at the next earliest opportunity. If you are experiencing a technology issue, please contact IT Services or Pearson Education for further assistance. You will not be penalized for technology glitches, but you should strive to troubleshoot and be resourceful.

AccommodationsIf you experience a disability and would like information about support services, please contact Disability Support Services directly to arrange for accommodation.

http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/dss/

Policies and Procedures continued

Course Calendar

AssignmentsDiscussion Boards or Voice Threads (Interaction) 150Quizzes 100Unit 1 150Unit 2 150Unit 3 200Unit 4 250Total 1000

This is a writing-intensive course. Activities throughout the semester require you to apply the knowledge you learn about writing stylistically, writing in various genres, and writing following APA citation practices. Your grade reflects the quality of your documents and not necessarily the effort put forth.

Throughout the semester you will write and revise four major units using a range of genres and technologies. Each assignment builds skills needed for the remainder of the semester. Assignment sheets for each unit will have specific guidelines, outline criteria to be met, and itemize point values. Additionally, you will earn points for written and oral interaction and quizzes.

GRADING POLICY

All major writing assignments must be completed to receive a grade of “C.”

(90-100% = A; 80-89% = B; 70-79% = C; 60-69% = D; Below 60% = F).