Learning Management System

CRN #: 76544 AND 75157 email: jlmitchell-wagner@pasadena.edu (mailto:jlmitchell- wagner@pasadena.edu) or janetml1@verizon.net (mailto:janetml1@verizon.net)

Office Hours: Live on Zoom, 1-2 hours per unit TBD

Course Guide

Welcome to our English 1A class! This class is fully online which begins on August 26th and ends on December 11th.

I answer email on Mon-Fri within 24 hours unless otherwise noted; please send a second note if I don’t respond. Emails are my preferred method of contact. Include your name and course in the subject area. Please keep correspondence to the weekdays unless there is an emergency. The platform for the course is Pasadena City College’s Learning Management System, Canvas. Please plan to get on Canvas each weekday with your regular log-in which includes your registration name and password. Check announcements regularly, and be prepared to work each day. Anytime you see BLUE TEXT it means that it is a link to an assignment or handout or website, etc.

Assignment #1: While you are reading this syllabus, please take notes. I recommend printing out pages 1- 9. For EACH heading that is underlined such as the one above titled “Course Guide,” please answer the following question: “What answer(s) did the section provide about the course?” Any text that is blue is a link; follow each link to help add to your notes. Turn in your notes to Assignment #1: Syllabus Notes (%24CANVAS_OBJECT_REFERENCE%24/assignments/i03669369ab59ec31e6c9d50dfbdc277e) .

2019/9/9 Syllabus for Fal19 ENGL 001A #76544 READING AND COMPOSITION-Online

https://pcc.instructure.com/courses/1100002/assignments/syllabus 2/9

Course Description:

My hope is that you will discover personal growth and value in the writing process. In this class, *we will embrace different types of knowledge, not just our own; value different ways of knowing; center student experiences; engage one another as partners; facilitate a group-centered process; and rebuild collectivism and empathy

The course assignments will emphasize critical reading, analysis, and synthesis of varied perspectives including your own. Please think of our class as a public forum. Throughout the semester, you will be expected to share your writing with others and to participate in class discussions. Active participation is crucial for all students to insure a more rich learning experience.

*From Dr. Melina Abdullah’s definition of Coalition Building.

Themes:

We will be focusing on Identity & Using My Authentic Voice to Make a Difference as we delve deeply into questions of class, race, gender, and the media.

Microthemes:

Within the larger theme, we will be focusing on specific topics or “microthemes” which are the following:

Learning Power, The Wild Wired West, & True Women and Real Men.

Our research paper topic is Revolutionary Writing.

Course Mission: Increase access to and success in transfer-level composition courses Celebrate the cultures, experiences, and abilities of our students Guide students toward authentic, critical literacy Give students a sense of hope that they can become accomplished writers and scholars Empower students as thinkers and world changers

English 1A Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Write cogent, well-developed arguments that clearly articulate a thesis supported by textual evidence; 2. Read critically by summarizing, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating college-level texts; 3. Select, evaluate, interpret, and synthesize sources in the service of an argument; 4. Document sources (print, electronic, and other) in MLA style; 5. Use effective strategies for pre-writing, composing, and revising of essays.

In order to help you meet your SLOs, you will be reflecting metacognitively (i.e., developing various ways of solving problems and observing your own practices) on your scholarly reading and writing. You will also choose your OWN goal to focus on this semester: The SLO I Plan to Add this Semester . . .

2019/9/9 Syllabus for Fal19 ENGL 001A #76544 READING AND COMPOSITION-Online

https://pcc.instructure.com/courses/1100002/assignments/syllabus 3/9

Grades:

For the Orientation and Project #1, you will receive Pass/No Pass Grades only (except for

quizzes).

Writing Project and beyond will receive grades based on points.

All grades will be weighted based on the following:

Writing Projects-70%: (6,000 Words)

Writing Project #1: 10% (750 Words) Writing Project #2: 15% (1,000 Words) Writing Project #3: 15% (1,250 Words) Writing Project #4: 10% (1,000 Words) Research Project #5: 20% (2,000 Words)

Quizzes-10%

Preparatory Work-20%:

Flipgrid VoiceThread Padlet Low Stakes Reading and Writing Assignments Discussion Forums

Deadlines & Late Work Policy:

All deadlines are clearly highlighted in our Weekly Announcements, Road Maps, and Calendar. As you are responsible for your assignments, refer to these often.

WRITING PROJECTS: You have 2 late passes to use through Week 16 for Writing Projects. Use them wisely OR keep them for 40 points extra credit.

PREPARATORY COURSE WORK: Assignments which are designed to help you successfully complete your Writing Projects are due on Canvas by either a SPECIFIC TIME noted on your ROAD MAPS or 11:59 pm if there is NO SPECIFIC TIME. The lowest 6 assignments will be dropped at the end of the semester automatically by Canvas.

All other assignments turned in late after I have begun grading them WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED and will receive zero credit. This is not just an arbitrary decision. This policy will only be negotiated in the event of

This allows you to learn HOW to to do the assignments without worry of making mistakes. As long as you turn something in, you will receive credit. The GOAL is for you to be willing to TAKE RISKS so that you can become a better scholarly reader and writer.

2019/9/9 Syllabus for Fal19 ENGL 001A #76544 READING AND COMPOSITION-Online

https://pcc.instructure.com/courses/1100002/assignments/syllabus 4/9

absences due to emergencies. More details are on Canvas.

Required Texts and Materials:

Colombo, Gary; Cullen, Robert; and Lisle, Bonnie. Rerading America 10 Edition. (The edition # is important) Stockett, Kathryn. The Help Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference. 9 Access to the Internet, Google, VoiceThread, Flipgrid, Word, etc, that is, the ability to use various apps some of which require you to set up an account (free) Access to a computer with a webcam or a mobile phone with a video camera Various handouts printed out from Canvas

Meeting Your Needs (Accommodation Policy): My goal is to help my students grow with respect to critical analysis and writing. This includes accommodating students with a variety of approaches to learning. Students who find themselves confronted by personal obstacles of any kind should consult with me. Even seemingly insurmountable problems sometimes have simple solutions.Moreover, individuals with established disabilities have a legal right to reasonable accommodations. If you qualify for classroom accommodations because of a disability, please consult with the Disabled Students Programs & Services (https://cerritos.instructure.com/courses/23304/assignments/cms.cerritos.edu/dsps) online, in LA Rm 130, or at 562-860-2451, ext. 2335. Again, if you believe you need accommodations, DSPS will help you receive services. Without specific DSPS notation, accommodations will not be possible.

Safe Space for All:

Our classroom is a “Zero Tolerance for Intolerance,” safe space for all environment. All people of all identities are welcome here.

Success & Writing Center:

The Student Success Center offers writing workshops and tutoring. These are valuable at any stage of the writing process. It is located in the Student Success Center in the LRC Building. You can also check it out online at https://pasadena.edu/academics/support/success-centers/writing-center/index.php

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2019/9/9 Syllabus for Fal19 ENGL 001A #76544 READING AND COMPOSITION-Online

https://pcc.instructure.com/courses/1100002/assignments/syllabus 5/9

(https://pasadena.edu/academics/support/success-centers/writing-center/index.php) Feedback will help everyone grow in writing.

Academic Integrity:

Remember that you are scholars and here to learn. Everything you do in class impacts the rest of the class. Please act accordingly. It is expected that all the work you turn in will be your own. Students usually “borrow the work of others for one of two reasons: they are overwhelmed and getting behind on their assignments or they don’t understand an assignment. I can help with BOTH of these, so see me.

As noted in the Chronicle of Higher Education by Kevin Gannon, “Creators should be able to control what we create; appropriating others’ ideas or labor without credit or attribution is theft; no creators want their stuff stolen. The entire scholarly enterprise depends upon an adherence to those norms. Citation and attribution are also important ways to ensure that scholarly discourse is open to all voices and does not silence marginalized perspectives. In that regard, plagiarism can be a form of censorship, in that it removes someone’s voice (and by extension, scholarly identity) from the conversation.

The Structure of Our Course:

This course is broken down into a 1-week Orientation and 5 projects. Due Dates are generally WEDNESDAYS and FRIDAYS. I will open the MOST projects a couple of days early. It is important to note that YOU SHOULD PACE YOURSELF. Not all assignments take the same amount of time. Waiting until Wednesdays and Fridays to do the work will not work well both in terms of TIME needed to DO THE WORK as well as TIME needed to CRITICALLY THINK so that the the work you do is something of which you are proud!

There are a few more Modules to help you be SUCCESSFUL in our class . . .

Beyond the Books: Required Texts– (Initial readings + required texts that aren’t found in your textbooks.) Supporting your Success: Tutorials & Other Items of Interest (Student and Professor Created) (%24CANVAS_OBJECT_REFERENCE%24/modules/g30651ba6b02883136786245fdb401295) Helpful Handouts

The Nature of our Class & Participation:

The Role of the Professor:

My job is to facilitate your experience so that you can meet the SLOs of the course in a meaningful way that helps YOU continue your growth as a scholar and a writer. What I will do to make that happen:

I will be your Tour Guide, i.e., I will help you navigate the course. I will be your Cheerleader, i.e., I will encourage you in your journey to keep going even if you feel like you can’t.

2019/9/9 Syllabus for Fal19 ENGL 001A #76544 READING AND COMPOSITION-Online

https://pcc.instructure.com/courses/1100002/assignments/syllabus 6/9

I will be your Learning Coach, i.e., I will support you by giving clear instructions and times to practice, practice, practice. I will be your Mirror, i.e, I will give you feedback to help you improve. I will be your Social Director, i.e., I will be facilitating interaction between you and your peers. Once it gets going, you will take over. I will be there, but act as more of a “silent partner.”

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