Welcome to English 1A Online Composition with Georgie Ziff

Myths About Online Classes MYTH: Online courses are easier than those in a classroom setting.  FACT: Students will not have a teacher explaining face-to-face the details of the assignments. All information is available through the student's reading of the details and instructions only, and much more reading is required. MYTH: Since all the course work is set, I can put off doing anything until the last week. FACT: Online success depends on your participation. You have to be "visible". through interactive discussion boards, peer reviews, and timely assignments. Late work receives only partial credit, which will NOT be enough to pass the course! MYTH: Online courses are great because they're so convenient! FACT: Yes, distance learning is convenient, and therefore students must have a great deal of self-discipline to actually do the work, rather than "just" showing up to a class to sit in a chair. MYTH: If students need help the instructor is always available. FACT: Most instructors are juggling multiple classes and responsibilities. Feedback is crucial of course, but students are expected to read all the material in the course and avoid emailing to ask questions whose answers are IN the course. Instructors are NOT online tutors and they are NOT available 24/7.

Required Course Materials Exploring Language, 14th ed. by Gary Goshgarian - available in the campus bookstore or on Amazon - be sure to get correct edition! Reliable computer and Internet access - you will be submitting work to the class Moodle page. Good time management skills! A good work ethic – you can’t pass the class if you don’t turn the work in!

This course is comprised of five tasks: 1. Weekly Writing Assignments - due Fridays by 5pm:  Read the directions for each assignment and respond accordingly to receive full credit: work submitted the week it is due earns 5 pts; the following week earns 3 pts; then 1 pt the next week, after which the assignment expires. For the writing topics each week, you will read an article, read a powerpoint, and watch a video about a writing topic. Then, you will then write a 3 paragraph response: Paragraph 1: a summary of the info/materials Paragraph 2: rhetorical analysis of the media - which was the most effective and why? What was the audience for the different media? How can you tell? Paragraph 3: your response - which of the media you found most helpful in terms of improving your writing.

2. Critical Thinking Reading Questions For each essay; Language Perspectives, Language and Technology, and Language and Thought; you will read 6 articles in the appropriate chapter in the text, Exploring Language. After each article, there are critical thinking questions, to which you will respond while using the article as a reference. Citing the source is unnecessary, but do use quotation marks when using exact words from the article. This is preparatory to sharing your ideas with your classmates in the Moodle Forum Discussion Board. You must answer ALL the questions for full credit. Critical Thinking responses are due 5 pm Friday; and respond accordingly to receive full credit: work submitted the week it is due earns 5 pts; the following week earns 3 pts; then 1 pt the next week, after which the assignment expires.

3. Moodle Forum You will respond to the question in the Forum and share with your classmates. Post your initial thoughts by Wednesday midnight Respond to TWO of your classmates with substantive, thoughtful responses by Friday 5pm to get full credit. 6 pts for posting and responding to two classmates; 4 pts for 2 posts, and 2 pts for one post.  * Note - the Forum CLOSES on Fridays and late posts are not accepted.

4. Essay Writing  Click on the essay guideline pages in Moodle to read about the essay guidelines. Grading is based on overall writing quality. To better understand what a good essay is, read the  Essay Grading Rubric.  In particular, watch this powerpoint - Things to Avoid in Writing Essays.   Late essays are NOT accepted. NO exceptions. You will write three essays in the class, two of which are multi-draft and peer-reviewed online.  ALL essays must be submitted to pass the class. Try uploading your paper to this FREE online paper checking service: www.paperrater.com to get suggestions on grammar and spelling. Try the Merritt College Online Tutoring Service: Info is on the next slide.

Upswing Online Tutoring through Merritt College Upswing is Merritt College's FREE 24/7 online tutoring option for all of your subjects.  Get the help you need in ALL of the subjects you are taking. Here's how you get started:  1. Go to login Page to Upswing Online Tutoring 2. Click New User and enter your Merritt email address that you use in Passport. 3. Click on the reset password link in your email and schedule a session with a tutor!   If you have any questions, please contact Walter Johnson - wjohnson@peralta.edu

5. Rhetorical Presentation In this course, you’ll write arguments.  One way to develop your skill at making arguments is to develop the skill of analyzing the arguments of others.  In this assignment, in a small group, you will analyze an argument, trying to understand the elements of its rhetoric.  This will be a collaborative effort, creating a presentation for the class; either a Powerpoint or a video that is uploaded to the Forum by Wednesday of the last week of class, and will be viewed and receive feedback from your classmates by that Friday. Your group also submits a Group Portfolio Click here for the full description of the  Rhetorical Presentation assignment. 

Instructor Contact I am unavailable for in-person office hours as this course is entirely online. If you experience technical problems, please visit the Moodle Support Center for Students for assistance. Any emails should be sent directly through Moodle by clicking on Quickmail in the column on the left. If you email outside of Moodle,  you must put THIS in the subject line of the email: Merritt English 1A Your Name.  DO NOT email with questions whose answers are found in the course. Emails with informative subject lines will receive a response within 48 hours during the work week: Mon - Fri. before 5 pm. Messages received after 5pm will be responded to the next day; those received after 5pm Friday will be responded to on Monday. Work is NOT accepted by email.

Grading in the Course Three multi draft essays 60% Assignments 15% Discussion Board Forums 15% Rhetorical Presentation 10% NOTE: Final grades are NOT negotiable.

Favorite Quote About Writing… “Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.” William Strunk Jr. Elements of Style

Your To Do List: Buy Exploring Language, 14th edition, by Gary Goshgarian either at the campus bookstore or through Amazon. Be sure to buy the correct edition! Go to the class website on Moodle and on my website– www.georgiesenglishwiki.pbworks.com Download the Syllabus Introduce yourself in the Forum. Submit the Learning Agreement