First Class

August 21, 2012

Welcome to English 101 - a course that is live and virtual! You get the best of both worlds.

Required:  Write Now
This must include YOUR registration code. You cannot complete the assignments without it. You need to have it by this afternoon. If the book is not available in the bookstore, you can purchase it on-line at the Pearson site.

Class Work

1. Introductions
2. Getting around BlackBoard . . . don't give up!
3. Syllabus Overview . . . click on the "syllabus" icon to view the syllabus.
4. Review of assignments in the Orientation Module.
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5. Who likes to write????? What was your best writing experience? What was your worst?
(This discussion will help with the reflection paper in the Orientation module. It is due Thursday - posted in BlackBoard. )
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6. Locating quotations about writing:
http://www.quotegarden.com/writing.html

http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/writing/

http://thinkexist.com/quotations/writing/

 Locate a quotation that sums up your personal opinion about writing. (This activity will help you with the Report Project in Module 1. It is due next Tuesday.
7. Learn to use EasyBib . . . add the source information that goes with your quotation.

www.easybib.com

You are required to give credit to your sources on all papers.

This first day covers technical aspects of the on-line course. You might get frustrated, but do not give up. I will check my e-mail every afternoon and do my best to answer your questions. 

There will probably be many questions with the orientation unit. Bring those questions to class on Thursday and we will work on solutions together.

Homework:  Complete the Orientation Module. Also, register for MyCompLab. You must do this in order to complete the orientation module.

Grade Update . . .

The grading is in progress. Final grade will NOT be available until Friday afternoon.

Exam Day!



Reminder to my 11:30 class. . . our exam begins at 11:00 in our regular room. The exam period ends at 12:45. Once you have printed and submitted the final copy of the "artifact" essay, you are free to leave.

Reminder to my 1:00 class . . . our exam begins at 1:00 in our regular room. Computers are available. You will need to e-mail the final to me as the computers are not linked to the printer. If you printed a paper copy at home, you may submit that. There is no need to send a copy via e-mail. Once the final copy is submitted electronically or on paper, you are free to leave.

Papers will be returned. Some are still in progress. Do not panic yet. If a grade is missing on Thursday, let me know. Grades are not due until Friday afternoon. There is time to get everything in order.

If you want the exam and any as yet ungraded papers returned to you, write your name and address on an index card and leave it with me. I will mail them to you. The college pays for postage to provide this service.

Thank you for an outstanding semester! I wish all of you the best of luck in your future studies. You will make a positive difference in this world!

Class Work

We will finish the review...see Tuesday's post.

We will complete a peer editing activity.

Homework
Work on the final copy of your artifact essay.

You MUST come to the exam on Tuesday. You will have the entire time to finish your essay. There is also a short "reading" activity where you will be asked questions about an article to be given on the day of the exam.

Exam times:

The 11:30 class will begin the exam at 11:00 am in our regular class room. It ends at 12:45 pm.

The 1:00 class will begin the exam at 1:00 pm in our regular class room. It ends at 2:45 pm.

Class Work

Let's review some important writing tips.

Name: ___________________________________   Class: ________________________________

Last Minute Tips

Directions: Correct the following sentences. There may be more than one problem. There are many correct ways to write beautiful sentences!

1.       Moving side-to-side; feeling seasick and not knowing where to go or what to do. (fragment)

2.       Leaving lights on in empty rooms, computers left on for days and using dishwashers and washing machines when they are not completely full are the effects of these carbon footprints. (parallel structure and causes vs. effects)

3.       Try as one might, a person can be a difficult to get rid of as a fungus. They can disrupt us and even use up all of our food and take up all our space. (Pronoun agreement and parallel structure)

4.       I got to thinking to myself what could be the cause of the temperature rising and the only think I could think of would be from this well-known problem known as global warming. (point-of-view and sentence structure)

5.       It is never too late to make a change and although we may not have the power to change every single person’s opinion, we have the power to take action for our own decisions.  (run-on sentence/confusing message)

6.       We as humans need to stop polluting our earth because it harms the ocean which then affects our food sources, animals and will affect us. (Confusing)

7.       On the back of this paper, sketch the first page of an MLA essay. Make up a title for the work and punctuate it correctly.

8.       List guidelines for a Works Cited page. What does it look like? What font(s) should be used? How is the spacing?

9.       Using an interview, web site, and book create a three-entry Works Cited page.

10. What are the top five things to remember about in-text citations? List them.

11. Know the difference:

·         To/too/two

·         Their/there/they’re

·         Wear/where/were

·         Accept/except

·         Use of numbers vs. numerals

1.       How does one go about writing effective introductions? Pretend you are writing for a new 101 student. Give guidelines. (Paragraph or bulleted list)

The exam!

Exam Date:

•  11:30 class - The exam begins at 11:00 am on Tuesday, May 8, 2012. It ends at 12:50 pm. We meet in our regular room.
• 1:00 class - The exam begins at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, May 8, 2012. It ends at 2:50 pm. We meet in our regular room.
• You must be present the day of the exam - no exceptions. This is a college rule.
   

Here it is:

101 English Exam – Spring 2012

Note: You must be present the day of the exam. You may NOT e-mail the paper to me and then skip the class.

Inscribing a Personal Artifact

Don't let the title of this exercise fool you. Inscribing a personal artifact is not like ordering an engraved name plate to put on your suitcase, nor is it like your parents writing your address on the inside of your underwear. This is an exercise in personal archaeology—an opportunity to describe a personal object and explain what it says about you.

The following tips will help you complete the assignment below:

·         Focus on an overall insight or impression. In the drafting process, you will probably clarify what your object says about you. Focus your description of the object around that insight or impression. All the details you decide to include should be relevant to that focus.

·         Organize the description logically. You can structure your writing in many ways. You might describe each detail and explain what it says about you. You might describe the object entirely and then explain what it says about you. The details you choose first depend on your purpose. If you want to recreate the experience of seeing the object, for instance, you might begin with its most obvious feature and proceed to its least obvious feature.

·         Provide vivid descriptions and sensory details. If you have a digital camera, you might include a picture of the object. Either way, you have to create it for us using words. As you describe it, consider letting your attitude toward the object show through in your choice of words and details (e.g., "This baseball glove is triple stitched and made of genuine Black Angus leather. It is so soft and supple that it folds together as flat as a book.").

·         Conduct research. Find and share the history of the object. For example, if your object is a ring, locate information about the first rings in history. What did they symbolize? Are there any famous rings? How does your ring compare to the rings in history emotionally and physically? Why are rings important? Why are rings used as symbols of marriage? Keep track of your sources.

• You might also consider an interview if the person who gave you the object is still living. Or, you could interview others who have artifacts like yours.

Assignment

To help you write, try asking yourself these questions:

·         Would people's opinions of you come from the object itself? For example, is it rare, valuable, or collectable?

·         Would their opinions come from its condition? Perhaps it's old and worn?

·         What would people think about the object's significance within the culture? Would it label you as a certain kind of person?

·         Would the artifact only have meaning for other people if they knew more about your individual life?

·         How do other similar artifacts found in history relate to you and your object?

Pay attention to organization. Will you start with a description of the object or tell the story of how it came into your possession? Where will you include the research? How will you explain the importance of the object to you? How will you end the essay?

During the revision process, work on connecting what the object is with what it tells others about you. Include the researched information about the other such objects.

Include a Works Cited page and in-text citations. Use MLA formatting.

 When you are finished, this paper should be 3-5 pages long.

Homework

Write the draft of your artifact essay. Bring the draft to class on Thursday.

April 26, 2012

Class Work

1. We will finish the presentations. Your notes will be collected.
2. Let's talk about your artifacts...
3. Look to the future - where will your artifact be 20 years from now? Will it still be important? Will others want it? Will it be useful? Will you keep it? Will it be kept in the family? Will you donate it to a museum? Will its usefulness end?

Homework
Write about the future of your artifact.  On Tuesday, bring to class. your research notes, description of the artifact, story of how you obtained the artifact, and your predictions for the future of the artifact. (Hard or electronic copies - both are OK.)

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Class Work

1. We will continue with the presentations. If you have not presented, be ready today.
If you have presented, take good notes and ask questions.

2. How is your  artifact research coming along?

Homework
Write a detailed description of your artifact.

Tell the story of how the artifact came into your possession.

Bring both to class on Thursday.