Laura Garrett
Office: E&T 608
English Department Mail Room: E & T 636
Office Hours: MW 11:40-1:20, 3:20-4:00
Campus Phone: 323.343.4156
Email: lgarret@calstatela.edu
Course Web Site: www.calstatela.edu/faculty/lgarret/096/
Course blog: https://proflgarrett.wordpress.com
Learning Objectives
§
Write with greater focus by generating a thesis that
states a controlling purpose
§
Develop ideas more fully and fluently
§
Read and respond critically to outside texts
§
Analyze personal experiences with specific reference to an
outside text
§
Incorporate quotations and paraphrase into essays with
correct attribution
§
Use the writing process effectively to develop ideas and
substantively revise essays
§
Edit final drafts to eliminate systematic errors in
English sentence structure, mechanics, and usage
The purpose of this course is relatively
straight-forward: To
work on improving your ability to think critically about texts (in
whatever form you encounter them) and communicate clearly your ideas.
No magic solutions will be offered nor will you be taught a
one-size fits all college essay format.
Upon successful completion of this course you will be eligible to
take English 101.
Required
Work
There will be weekly reading and writing
assignments in this class. You
will need to plan ahead carefully in order to complete the following
tasks on time:
§
Weekly reading
assignments
§
Four short essays
(at least 3 pages each)
§
Two revised essays
§
One final exam
essay/reflection
§
Six Reading
Journals in which you will summarize and respond to the reading
assignments from our text.
Please note
that every assignment (the readings, the essays, and the journal
entries) is required. I will
not accept a portfolio from anyone who has failed to complete all of the
assignments.
Expectations:
Attendance is mandatory. I will take attendance at the start of
every class. If you are not present I will mark you absent. Arriving
late will count as half of an absence.
If you miss more than four classes (or are late more than eight
times) you will be disqualified from taking the final and therefore will
fail the class. The English Department has a firm policy that states
that no student may miss more than 20 percent of the class meetings.
If you must miss a class for a valid reason, please call the
department number or email me and leave a message that includes how I
can reach you so that we can make sure you don't fall behind the rest of the class. In
addition, English Department policy states that composition students
must attend the first two classes of the quarter to retain their place
in the class. Any student who is absent either the first or second class meeting will be dropped
and the space given to another student who is trying to add.
Throw nothing away, and bring paper, our text, and
your journals to class every time, unless otherwise instructed.
In conjunction with regular attendance, you must
keep up with the work. Late
work is not acceptable and a missing assignment is counted as an
absence.
Supplies: You
will need some regular, lined notebook (8.5 x 11) paper, some dark-ink
pens (blue or black), and one pen in a bright, unusual color—this
we'll use for our class workshop exercises.
It’s a very good idea to purchase a decent American language
dictionary. From the
bookstore pick up at least two standard-sized (8.5 x 11) bluebooks (exam
books) to use for your reading journals and a 8.5 x 11 Manila folder for
your portfolio.
Texts:
Our text is Parable of the Sower
by Octavia Butler. It should
be in the bookstore. I will
supply other supplemental texts.
Your
Portfolio: For this class, ultimately you will be evaluated on the
basis of three writing samples: two
essays written during the quarter, revised and edited (with rough drafts
attached beneath the revision), and your final exam.
Due dates for each revision are noted on the schedule.
Respect: Please
turn off all cell phones, iPods, MP3 Players, etc. before class begins.
If you text during class, this indicates that you are not
interested in what the class is doing or what I am saying, and
therefore, not interested in passing the class.
Careful—you may get your wish. Please be
respectful of the classroom experience of others. Please do not be one
of those insufferably rude people. Unless the use of such devices is
approved by the Office of Students with Disabilities, please do not use
electronic devices during class.
Plagiarism: All students
are expected to do their own work. Please
refer to the Academic Honesty Policy.
Plagiarism/cheating leads to failing the class and serious
trouble for you. If you plagiarize or otherwise misrepresent the source
of your work, you will receive a zero on the assignment and be reported
to the Student Disciplinary Officer.
If you panic and are tempted to plagiarize or cheat, DO NOT. Contact
me and we can negotiate a solution. Once you cheat, it is too late for
you to negotiate anything.
Grades: Unless
announced otherwise, these are the final grades that can be assigned:
CR—Credit: You pass the course and are eligible to enroll in English 101
ADA
Accommodations: Reasonable accommodation will be provided to any
student who is registered with the Office of Students with Disabilities
and requests needed accommodation.