Accelerated (ALP) English Pierce College at JBLM Stone Education Center, Room C123 Course Title: Accelerated (ALP) English (English 98, 99, and 101) Course Dates: 4/4/2017-6/1/2017 Credits: 5 credits / 50 contact hours Professor Erin Latona Email: elatona@pierce.ctc.edu Phone: (253)912-2260 Campus office hours: T/Th 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Location: Stone Ed Ctr. Room B-244 When it comes to communication with students, I have an open-door policy. Please don t hesitate to stay after class to talk. You can also email me or send me a Canvas message via your Canvas Inbox, to which I will reply within one business day. If you'd like to schedule a time for a phone conference or a face-to-face meeting, please message me to arrange a time. Prerequisite: Compass placement, completion of the equivalent of English 98 or English 99 with a grade of 2.0 or higher, or acceleration. Course Description: Accelerated English is a writing course designed to prepare you for academic writing at the college level and is part of a national initiative called Achieving the Dream (also known as ATD). ATD colleges, including Pierce College, recognize and appreciate that placement testing does not necessarily provide an accurate picture of a student's writing ability. ATD seeks to address that dilemma. Students in this course placed in one of three courses: ENGL 98, ENGL 99, or ENGL& 101. The accelerated English class is designed to provide all students, regardless of placement, an opportunity to accelerate (move up) and earn credit for a higher level English course within one quarter. Therefore, students in this class who were placed in English 98 or English 99 will have the opportunity to accelerate and complete a higher level course before the end of this quarter. Those who accelerate will remain in this course with me as the instructor and will continue with the same modules, the only noticeable differences being scoring criteria for remaining writing assignments. What this means to you: English 101 students: You are exactly where you need to be. Course curriculum is designed so that each student who successfully completes the course will have a foundational aptitude in collegelevel academic essay writing. English 98 & 99 students: Colleges across the country and we at Pierce College have found that many students who test into English 98 or 99 are capable of completing a higher level of English over the course of one academic quarter. Therefore, you will have the option to decide at the midway point of this course whether you wish to accelerate and earn credit for English 99 or English 101, depending upon where you started. If you choose not to accelerate, requirements are modified to align with the outcomes of the course in which you enrolled.
Here are the differences: English 99 students: If you enrolled in English 99, you have the option to accelerate and complete English 101 this quarter, depending on your performance. Acceleration is entirely voluntary. We will have a conversation at the end of Week 4 about acceleration. If you wish to accelerate and your progress supports acceleration, you will be held to the requirements for English 101 and awarded credit for English 101 on your transcript upon successful completion of the course. If you do not wish to accelerate, you will remain in English 99 and will be evaluated as an English 99 student. English 98 students: If you enrolled in English 98, you have the option to accelerate and complete English 99 or English 101 this quarter, depending on your performance. Acceleration is entirely voluntary. We will have a conversation at the end of Week 4 about acceleration. If you wish to accelerate and your progress supports acceleration, you will be held to the requirements for either English 99 or English 101 (depending upon which level you reach) and awarded credit for the higher level course on your transcript upon successful completion. If you do not wish to accelerate, you will remain in English 98 and will be evaluated as an English 98 student. If you wish to read more about Achieving the Dream, you can access their website here: http://achievingthedream.org/ (Links to an external site.) In addition, you can read more about acceleration here: http://alp-deved.org/ (Links to an external site.) Catalog Description To review the catalog description of the course in which you are enrolled (English 98, English 99, or English 101), please follow this link http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/pubs/catalog/ Textbook/Material Requirements: This course uses Open Educational Resources; therefore, course readings and assignment materials will be provided to you at no cost. Canvas: Portions of this course will be available online in Canvas, our online learning platform. Canvas is a means for you to track your progress (located in Grades ) and review class content (located in Modules ). Although I encourage you to become familiar with Canvas, this is a face-toface course, so instruction and assignment submission will take place during class. Canvas log-in: Pierce College at JBLM maintains a Canvas server separate from the server used by our Ft. Steilacoom and Puyallup campuses. Therefore, when accessing Canvas for this course, it s important that you access Canvas from the Pierce College JBLM webpage, which can be found here http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/military. Once you log in, hover your cursor over Online Education, and then select Canvas. To log in to Canvas, your Username is your Pierce College Student ID Number, and your password is the eight-letter version of your last name. If your last name is longer than eight letters, use only the first eight letters of your last name. If your last name is shorter than eight letters, input your last name once and then start over until you reach eight letters. For example, for my last name, which is 6 letters, I would type latonala to reach eight letters. Canvas Help: If you need help with your Canvas account, please contact Chris Medina, our Canvas Support administrator, at cmedina@pierce.ctc.edu or by phone at (253)912-2250.
Attendance is recorded pursuant to military funding requirements. Please notify me of changes in your circumstances (deployment, illness, childcare difficulties, etc.) that affect your ability to attend class and/or complete course work within the course timeline. Course extensions ( Incompletes ) are not automatic and must be requested by me. Extensions must be arranged and approved prior to the last day of instruction. Please note that Pierce College JBLM policy requires that 50% of course work be completed for an extension to be considered. If you are receiving financial aid, including TA or GI Bill funds, please familiarize yourself with federal policy regarding course extensions and tuition recoupment. Etiquette: Please treat others with courtesy, patience, and respect. We re all here to learn (yes, even me!). In addition to improving writing skills, we will work on improving critical thinking and communication skills, both of which are critical to success in college and in the professional world. I encourage hearty discussion, even debate, as these skills are necessary in the professional world and in society. You may hear ideas in this class that challenge your own. You may even hear ideas and opinions that you don t like. However, an important part of the college experience is to learn how to listen and communicate with others, even those who disagree with us. Despite this, it s important that we maintain a level of civility commensurate with a professional environment. Therefore, we must direct our comments toward topics and ideas, not people, and we must communicate in a way that is free of personal insult. Students who do not honor and respect their peers and/or me will be removed from the course. Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, you will: 1. Apply the writing process (outlining, drafting, revising) to writing coherent, college-level essays that logically support and develop thesis statements. 2. Write a research essay that effectively integrates (e.g. signal phrases, transitions) outside sources when quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing. (This requirement is modified for students enrolled in English 98 who do not wish to accelerate to English 99 or 101.) 3. Demonstrate writing ability in an effective in-class essay. 4. Demonstrate a competence with regard to the conventions of standard academic written American English and be able to edit/revise papers to allow for such demonstration. 5. Determine how and when to quote, paraphrase, and summarize sources to avoid plagiarism and establish credibility. 6. Use the techniques and tools of research to locate outside sources appropriate for college-level essays (e.g. library catalog and databases such as ProQuest and CQ Researcher). 7. Follow MLA format guidelines to generate parenthetical citations and works cited entries for a variety of sources. 8. Analyze, synthesize, and evaluate readings as effective compositions, reflective of a wide variety of voices and rhetorical strategies. 9. Discuss reading and writing as products of social identity (such as gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and class). Course Policies for Late and/or Missing Work Grace period: Some assignments will be accepted, with no penalty, before 9:00 p.m. one calendar day after the due date (i.e. the next day). Eligible assignments include: Writing #1 (final draft); Writing #2 (final draft); Writing #3 (final draft). Missed the grace period? Assignments submitted beyond a due date and applicable grace period will be accepted no later than 9:00 p.m. two calendar days after the due date, with a grade reduction of one letter grade. Assignments submitted beyond that date will be accepted at the discretion of the instructor with a 50% grade reduction if accepted. Please note: Research papers are not accepted beyond the specified deadline.
Course Policies Regarding Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty In this course, you will learn how to prevent unintentional plagiarism when we cover material such as quoting text and citing our work. When learning any new skill, mistakes are inevitable. In fact, they're downright normal. However, for more intentional plagiarism, the following policies apply: Plagiarized work will result in a grade of 0 for the assignment, possible course failure, and potential referral to the district level for student code of conduct proceedings. A grade of 0 resulting from plagiarism is final. Plagiarized assignments cannot be made up or revised for credit. Research papers submitted without a Works Cited page and/or in-text citations are considered plagiarized. Plagiarized research papers will result in course failure. Grading: Grades are entered into Canvas and can be accessed via the Grades tab at the left side of the course homepage. Scored assignments are given a specific point value. The earned value of all possible points will determine a grade, per Pierce College published policy, which can be viewed here http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/about/policy/grading Quarter grades are calculated as follows: Assignment Type Points Possible % of Quarter Grade Daily assignments & quizzes 10 or 20 points each 25% Graded Writings Midterm Research paper (ENGL 99 & 101) Final writing (ENGL 98) 100 percentage-point scale 30% 100 percentage point scale 20% 100 percentage-point scale 25% Important information regarding quarter grades: Quarter grades are calculated in Canvas and submitted to the Pierce College registrar for posting to your transcript. Canvas grade calculations are final. In the interests of fairness to all students and the integrity of grades that I assign, I will not raise the grade reflected in Canvas, so please do not ask me to do so. If a program a student desires to enter, such as nursing, requires a certain GPA, it is the student s not the instructor s responsibility to do everything necessary over the course of the quarter to achieve that GPA. Grades aren t given by instructors; rather, they are earned by students. Grade Conversion Tables: Grades are converted to your transcript from a percentage to a numeric grade as follows: Percentage (Canvas) Letter grade Grade Points (Transcript) 100-95% A 4.0-3.9 94-90% A- 3.8-3.5 89-86% B+ 3.4-3.2 85-80% B 3.1-2.9 79-78% B- 2.8-2.5 77-76% C+ 2.4-2.2 75-70% C 2.1-1.9
69-68% C- 1.8-1.5 67-66% D+ 1.4-1.2 65-60% D 1.1-1.0 59-0% F 0.0 Please note that Pierce College District requires that English 101 students earn a cumulative grade of 75% to receive a 2.0 for the course. Questions Regarding the Syllabus/Pierce College s Assumed Consent: A Pierce College course requires frequent interaction with your instructor. Therefore, it is essential that you understand the information provided in the course syllabus. After you have reviewed the course syllabus, please let me know if you require clarification or have questions regarding any of the information provided. Pierce College JBLM administration assumes that if no questions are raised within three (3) days from the start of the course, you understand the conditions set forth in this syllabus. Pierce College Policies and Procedures Access Pierce College at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Pierce College District here: www.pierce.ctc.edu/military/canvas/policies/index.html Access and Disability Services (ADS) Your experience in this class is important to me, and it is the policy and practice of Pierce College to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you experience barriers based on disability, please schedule a meeting with the ADS manager to discuss and address them. ADS offer resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you and the ADS manager, and I am committed to providing them in this class. If you have already established accommodations with the ADS manager, please bring your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course. If you have not yet established services through ADS but have a temporary or permanent disability that requires accommodations (this can include but is not limited to mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are encouraged to contact ADS at 253-840-8335 to schedule an appointment. Week 1 4/4-4/6 Week 2 4/11-4/13 TENTATIVE* COURSE SCHEDULE Areas of Focus Exercises and Assignments Outcomes Syllabus review Annotation-Article 1 8 9 Evaluation-Article 1 (group) Critical Reading, Annotating, Inferences-Article 1 (group) Summarizing, Evaluating, Inferring Critical Reading continued Annotation-Article 2 due 4/11 1 8 9 Analyzing Summary-Article 2 due 4/11 Evaluation-Article 2 due 4/11 Intro to College-level Essay Writing Inferences-Article 2 due 4/11 Writing 1 Assigned Grammar & Punctuation Grammar & Punctuation Week 3 Peer Review & Revision Writing 1-draft due 4/18 for peer review 1 4 8 9
4/18-4/20 Week 4 4/25-4/27 Week 5 5/2-5/4 Week 6 5/9-5/11 Week 7 The Role of Rhetoric Audience, Purpose, Tone Peer Review due 4/20 Writing 1-revision due 4/20 Introducing & Asserting a Thesis Intro & Thesis exercise Writing 2 Assigned Peer Review & Revision (in-class) Introducing & Framing Support Peer Review & Revision (out of class) Instructor-student conferences (via sign-up sheet) Writing 2 draft due 4/27 @ 9:00 Peer Review due 4/27 @ 11:30 Writing 2 revision due 4/27 @ 11:30 Body Paragraph (exercise) Writing 3 Assigned *Acceleration paperwork due today* *No class on 5/4* Writing 3 Peer Review due 5/9 @ 11:30 Writing 3 revision due 5/9 @ 11:30 Conferences (via sign-up) In-class essay (computer lab) Midterm 5/16 @ 9:00 1 4 7 8 9 1 4 7 8 9 1 4 7 8 9 1 3 4 7 8 9 5/16-5/18 Week 8 5/23-5/25 Introduction to Research Writing Topic development Developing a Working Thesis Searching for & Selecting Sources Database Searching The Annotated Bibliography Open lab/catch-up day on 5/18 Research Writing The Critical Chorus (video) Working thesis due 5/25 Academic databases (demo) Boolean searching (video) 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 Week 9 5/30-6/1 Incorporating Research Open lab (research writing) Blending quotations MLA in-text citation MLA Works Cited Informal conferencing 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 *deadlines are subject to change Research Paper due 6/3/17 at 11:59 pm Quick-Reference Assignment Log BOC = beginning of class EOC = end of class Week Description Due Date Points 2 Article 2 Annotation Article 2 Summary Article 2 Evaluation Article 2 Inferences 4/11/17 3 Writing 1 (DRAFT) 4/18 for peer review
Peer Review packet Writing 1 (first revision) 4 Writing 2 (DRAFT) Peer Review packet Writing 2 (Final) 6 Writing 3 Peer Review packet Writing 3 (Final) Conferences 4/20 4/20 4/27 (BOC) 4/27 (EOC) 4/27 (EOC) 5/9 (EOC) 5/9 (EOC) 5/11 (assigned time) / 50 / 50 / 50 7 Midterm 5/16 @ 9:00 a.m. / 100 8 Working thesis statement 5/25 (EOC) / 20 9 Research Paper 6/3/17 at 11:59 p.m. / 100