1. Composition with Georgie Ziff
Welcome to English 1A
Composition with Georgie Ziff

2. About you… On a piece of paper please write the following…
name and contact phone number
other courses you’re taking
what college English courses you’ve taken and where
Current employment and schedule
things - anything I should know to better help y help you during the class
how y – how you feel about your writing

3. About me… Georgie Ziff - Two boys, 17 & 20 - we live in Oakland.
Grew up on the East Coast and the Midwest, but came to California for a one year job and never left : )
M.A. in Composition and Creative Writing from CSUEB
B.A. from CSUEB; double major in English & Women’s Studies
American Montessori Society Early Education
Teaching Credential
9th year teaching college composition at California State University East Bay; 7th year at Merritt College; 4th year at Berkeley City College; 2nd year at Los Medanos College
As a teacher, I hold my students to high standards of excellence, but I will do all that I can to help them succeed (because I know they can).
Why the photo? Because we’re all that kid on the inside; find your own voice in your writing.

4. About Writing…
my favorite writing quote:
“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

5. Required Course Materials
Reading Critically, Writing Well by Axelrod, Cooper and Warriner – 9th edition.
 I’m a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson ISBN
 Composition book for your writing journal
USB flash drive and/or an online free account with Dropbox.com (suggested)
Account with Engrade.com
Reliable computer and printer
Stapler or paper clips

6. Suggested Materials
USB flash drive and/or an online free account with Dropbox.com – the online storage synchronizing website
Account with Engrade.com – the online grade book in which you can monitor your progress and assignments.
Reliable computer and printer
Stapler and paper clips

7. Course Gradebook
Engrade.com is the online grade book used for the course
* Go to
* You will receive a personal registration code from me. You MUST type it in exactly, including the hyphens; for example:
georgieziff
Each of you will have your own code to register, and then you will enter your own , user ID and password to access the grade book site.
YOU are responsible for keeping track of the access code and your progress in the course, including missing assignments

8. Grading in the Course Four out of class essays 60% Homework 15%
Group Presentations %
Individual Presentation %
Writing Journal %
Portfolio %

9. Save Your Work Online
* Create a free account at  saving your work online. You can then access it in the computer lab. This is a great tool – it not only provides you with a place to save work, it also synchronizes any changes you make online, so your Dropbox is always up to date!
* Use a flashdrive as backup, in case you cannot go online.

10. Essay Assignments You will write four essays: Observation Essay
Evaluation Essay
Position Essay
Nonfiction Bill Bryson book essay
These are multi-draft essays, which will be peer reviewed in class; final drafts submitted without earlier drafts and peer review feedback will not be accepted and will receive a failing grade. Come to class prepared with drafts as part of the writing process.

11. Presentations Individual Presentation: Group Writing Presentation:
a) You will choose one story from Bill Bryson’ book,
“I’m a Stranger Here Myself” and read it aloud
b) You will provide a rhetorical analysis of the story in
response to a set of questions
Group Writing Presentation:
In a small group of 3 or 4 classmates, you will select and research any topic about writing and create a 20 minute presentation for the class that has three parts:
1) describe the topic
2) demonstrate the topic
3) involve the class with a learning activity/exercise

12. Presentations, cont. Group Rhetorical Analysis:
In small groups of no more than 4 or 5 students, you will select an essay from the textbook and create a class presentation analyzing the essay from a rhetorical standpoint. 
Rhetorical Analysis Guidelines are available for download from the class web page and details are provided on the Rhetorical Group Presentation webpage. Presentations will be the last week of school. Each group will submit a collaborative Group Portfolio.

13. Homework
On the Schedule online on your class page, the homework assignments are underlined with hyperlinks. These are links to articles are writing topics.
Your task is to read each article and provide
TWO paragraphs (not just a few sentences!)
a) the first paragraph is a summary of what the article said, without opinion, paraphrasing in your own words
b) the second paragraph is your response and analysis of the topic. Specifically:
* How effective/understandable/helpful is the article?
* How is this information applicable to your writing?
* What strategies can you employ from this information
to improve your college writing?

14. Attendance Policy Come to class prepared and on time
Attendance is your job as a student; your life is not my business, so as such, do not feel it is necessary to inform me about reasons for absences or tardy issues. This class meets two days per week; a student who misses three of the classes, regardless of the reason, will have their grade reduced by one full grade.
Missing four classes will result in being dropped from the class. In addition, as participation is required, the instructor reserves the right to drop or reduce the final grade of a student who fails to submit any assignments and essays in a timely manner, i.e. more than a week late.
Computer lab days are required!

15. Today’s Objectives
To get oriented to the course, the syllabus, requirements, expectations, and so forth.
To break/melt the ice with one another
To form and begin working in collaborative groups

16. Break the Ice Form groups of three
Find one item you are carrying that is significant to you and share it with your group; explain the significance
Find one thing that everyone in your group has in common
Exchange /contact information with each other

17. In the Spot Light
Each of you will in turn introduce one person in your group and share something you learned about him/her
Share what everyone in your group has in common

18. Working as a Team
Together come up with 3 to 4 questions you have about this course
Now, with the syllabus, try to find the answers to the questions you came up with
Let’s talk about the questions you couldn’t find answers to…

19. What to expect next class…
Presentation sign ups
In class writing assessment so I can learn more about you
Discussion of writing process
Your first reading assignment

20. Your To Do List:
Buy Reading Critically, Writing Well – 9th edition, Bill Bryson’s book, and a blank composition book for your writing journal
Download the Syllabus and Schedule, noting the homework assignments
Send me an with your school, class and name in the subject line to:
Go to the class website –