Send email to:
carsten@osu-okmulgee.eduArts & Sciences
|
Welcome to Freshman (and -woman) Composition I Many people believe that writing is a mystical activity that people can perform only because of some natural, inexplicable talent. For students, however, it is important to understand that writing is a primary variable that will determine success or failure in school and that it is a process that can be taught and learned if students possess motivation, determination, and persistence. And they can have fun, too--just read some comments made by former students why Comp I is cool! Anyone can be a writer. A writer is simply a person who writes, whether it's for fun or for a living. Granted, there are great writers and people who, well, shouldn't quit their day jobs, but with determination and diligence, anyone can learn to write well for school, work, and life. A composition course, therefore, is nothing to be afraid of. Even if you believe that you have never been good at writing, you can succeed. Think positively! Instead of dwelling on what was in the past, look ahead and tell yourself what you'll be able to achieve in the future. Just because you used to have a hard time does not mean that you cannot become good at writing. I guarantee that you can succeed in this class, and I will do my best to inform you, explain course material to you, demonstrate writing techniques, and, I hope, maybe inspire you a little bit. However, I cannot make you learn. The only person who can make you succeed is you. I need your cooperation to make sure that you will do well in this class. Here are some comments from former students about this class. I could give you dozens of reasons and examples why writing is important in the "real world," but that sounds like preaching. Therefore, my recommendation is that although you might still rather be fishing, make the best of this class, learn something, and have fun. Who knows, you might just realize that writing isn't so bad after all and that it can actually be pretty helpful. Read some ENGL 1113 FRESHMAN COMPOSITION I SYLLABUS ENGL 1113 focuses on the writing process and strategies for improving writing. The assignments reflect the fundamentals of expository writing with an emphasis on structure, organization, and style. The course offers a brief review of grammar and punctuation, a study of sentence structure, and practice writing paragraphs and compositions. Assignments require the use of microcomputers and word processing software. Theory. Credit Hours: 3; Total hours of theory per semester: 48; Total hours of lab per semester: 0. Prerequisites: None
Required Text, References, and Materials
.
Course Activities In this course students will Ø Attend every class meeting on time. Ø Read all textbook assignments before coming to class. Ø Complete and submit all assignments by their due dates. Ø Participate actively and enthusiastically in classroom discussions and small group activities. Ø Submit several individual in-class assignments. Ø Submit several in-class group assignments. Ø Submit several homework assignments. Ø Take several unannounced quizzes. Ø Plan, draft, write, and revise essays as assigned. Ø Be honest in their writing and avoid plagiarism.
GRADES WILL BE BASED ON THE QUALITY AND COMPLETION OF THESE TASKS:
The final grade for the course will be a letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F as defined in the college catalog. Each assignment in this course will be classified in one of three categories: The "3" Paper (Superior) The "3" paper responds to the assignment completely and offers fresh, perceptive insight. The writer presents a strong thesis that is carefully focused and fully explained. The writing is clear, the ideas are logically organized, the transitions are appropriate, and the details are concrete, substantial, and relevant to the central argument, allowing the reader to see the main ideas and the important relationships among them. The writer's voice is strong and guides the reader through a carefully planned text that offers a convincing point of view as well as creative or original thinking. The writer anticipates audience needs. There are few, if any, problems with language. Sentences are forceful and skillfully crafted with good variation. Words are well chosen. The writer is in complete control. The paper is consistently compelling to read. The "2" Paper (Adequate) The “2” paper addresses the assignment and shows that the writer understands how to formulate an idea, organize the supporting material, and present an argument. At times the thesis is trite or too general and needs further refinement and focus. The purpose is not entirely clear to the reader. The writing is generally clear, although transitions are often abrupt or nonexistent. Ideas are not as logically organized as they might be. Details are often predictable and monotonous, are sometimes irrelevant, and often are in need of further explanation. The writer does not always anticipate audience needs. The paper completes the assignment, although the content is predictable. The paper contains no insights or fresh ideas. There are no serious problems with the usage and conventions of written English, although the language could be more controlled. The paper contains occasional deviations from standard usage. Sentences need more variation. Words are needlessly repeated and limited in range. The voice is generic, with little sense of a person behind the words. The "1" Paper (Inadequate) The “1” paper responds vaguely to the assignment, although it is often difficult to see the point the writer is trying to make. The paper lacks a clear, central thesis. There may be several inadequately developed points instead of one strong focus. Details are inadequately explained; the reader often has difficulty understanding the relevance of the examples. The logic of the rhetorical plan is mysterious and hard to follow. Errors in syntax, spelling, and punctuation interfere with the reader's ability to understand what the writer is trying to say. The writing does not make connections for the reader; the paper shows little awareness of the needs of the audience. It is clear that the writer was not entirely sure of what he or she was trying to say. More time needs to be spent planning and writing. The writer may have had something to say but did not present the ideas in a way that the reader is able to understand. Example: Your essay grades are 3, 3, 3, and 2. You have 11 of 12 possible points. 11 is 91.6% of 12 (i.e. a B+). Since the essays are worth 68% of your total grade, I’ll multiply 91.6 by 6.8, and your point total for your essays will be 623 out of 680 possible points. Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) According to the ADA, each student with a disability is responsible for notifying the University of his/her disability and requesting accommodations. If you think you have a qualified disability and need classroom accommodations, contact the Access Services Office located in the Student Union. Please advise the instructor of your disability as soon as possible, to ensure timely implementation of appropriate accommodations. Faculty have an obligation to respond when they receive official notice of a disability from the Access Services Office but are under no obligation to provide retroactive accommodations. To receive services, you must submit appropriate documentation and complete an intake process during which the existence of a qualified disability is verified and reasonable accommodations are identified. Call 293-4988 for more information. Academic Dishonesty Academic dishonesty or misconduct is neither condoned nor tolerated at OSU-Okmulgee. Any student found guilty of academic dishonesty or misconduct shall be subject to disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty and/or misconduct includes, but is not limited to, the following actions: (1) Plagiarism: The representation of previously written, published or creative work as one’s own; (2) Unauthorized collaboration on projects; (3) Cheating on examinations; (4) Unauthorized advance access to exams; (5) Fraudulent alteration of academic materials; (6) Knowing cooperation with another person in an academically dishonest undertaking. Students are required to actively protect their work against misuse by others. For details, refer to the OSU-Okmulgee Student Handbook available in the Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, each division office, and online at OSU-Okmulgee Student Handbook Student Conduct Students are expected to cooperate in maintaining a classroom environment conducive to learning. Courteous and respectful behavior will be expected from all students each day. All pagers, cellular phones, and CD and MP3 players should be turned off. The use of tobacco in any form in University buildings is prohibited. CLASSROOM PROCEDURES Class time is used to discuss readings, to plan writing projects, to clarify questions about structure, and to exchange ideas about writing. Freshman Composition I is a college-level course that demands that students use self-discipline and time-management skills to complete assignments. Students must effectively use class time and time out of class to achieve course goals. Much of this class will be taught in a workshop format. ATTENDANCE Since this course is taught primarily in a workshop format, your attendance is vital and mandatory. Attendance will be taken at every class meeting, and you are expected to arrive on time as set forth in the OSU-Okmulgee student handbook. If you are absent for any reason, you are responsible for all work missed. In addition, you are expected to be prepared when you return to class after an absence. Therefore, please get the name and telephone number of at least one of your classmates so that if you are absent, you can find out about missed work and assignments that are due. If you know in advance that you will be absent, ask me for assignments first. ASSIGNMENTS During the semester, you will write and revise essays as assigned. Each essay must be at least 500 words in length. In order to pass Engl 1113, you must write all essays according to announced specifications. Detailed information about each essay will be distributed throughout the course. To ensure compatibility and effective classroom management, you may write your essays using only the word processing program specified by your instructor. You will also take short quizzes at irregular intervals. These quizzes will generally not be announced, but you may expect that a reading assignment will be followed by a quiz. You may miss one (1) quiz; any additional quizzes missed will receive a grade of zero (0). In addition, you will submit some of your in-class work and some homework assignments for a grade. Homework assignments are always due at the beginning of the next class meeting. Do not blow this off--it accounts for more of your grade than you think.
LATE WORK Everyone receives one act of mercy for late essays (including revisions). This means that you may submit one late essay for full credit–no questions asked. All other essays submitted after their deadlines will be penalized one grade for each class meeting they are late. Late homework assignments will not be accepted. If you come to class more than ten (10) minutes late, your homework will also be considered late and can no longer be accepted. “I was absent that day” or similar comments are never acceptable for turning in late work. If you know that you will be absent on a day something is due, be sure to turn your work in early. If you have an excused absence (departmental functions, job interviews on campus, jury duty), arrange to submit your essay or your homework early. In case of longer excused absences or other problems, talk to me or call me before your absence. I will work with you, but do not assume that you are automatically entitled to turning in late work. Questions about missed work and absences need to be discussed during my office hour, not during class. COPIES OF PAPERS Copies of student papers (with names removed) will be used during class discussion. Students will also be required to trade essays for peer-editing exercises. Peer reviews are mandatory and graded. To earn a 3 on an essay, you must attend the peer review session for that essay. Please be advised that fellow students will read your papers; choose your topics accordingly. PLAGIARISM Students who are caught cheating on a quiz (unauthorized use of books or notes, talking with a classmate, etc.) will receive a zero (0) for that assignment. Students committing plagiarism (see attached plagiarism guidelines) or cheating repeatedly will be referred for disciplinary action according to the OSU-Okmulgee student handbook (see above). RULES OF THE CLASSROOM · A significant amount of time will be spent in a computer lab. The only programs you may use are the ones specified by your instructor. Surfing the Internet (including e-mail and chat), playing Solitaire or other games, or changing any settings on the computer is not allowed, regardless of how much you know about computers. Violating this policy may lead to disciplinary action against you. If you must use a program other than the ones specified, ask me first. You may bring a drink into a regular classroom, but food is not allowed. If I find you eating, I will ask you to leave. Food and drink are not allowed in the computer labs. “I didn’t see,” “I didn’t hear,” “I didn’t know,” “I didn’t understand,” and “I was absent that day” are never acceptable as excuses for missing an assignment or turning in late work. Raise your hand when you have questions. Don’t just shout them out during class .
 [Back to Carsten Schmidtke's Homepage]
Send email to: carsten@osu-okmulgee.edu
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
