Course Syllabus

Course Syllabus 

Fall 2017 Session (August 26-December 9)

Composition and Critical Thinking (English 103)

Distance Education – CRN 20628 and 20636

 

 

Instructor: Dr. Dale Salwak

Office: CI-203

Office Hours: MW 7:30-8:00am and 11:30am-1:00pm

                        TuTh 7:30-8:00am and 11:30-12:45pm (or by appointment)

Telephone: (626) 914-8859

E-mail (preferable): dsalwak@citruscollege.edu

Course web: www.citruscollege.edu (CANVAS)    

 

TEXTS

Required text: The Norton Introduction to Literature: Shorter 12^th Edition (e-book also

available) 

Recommended text: MLA Guide to the Research Paper (8^th edition) 

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION  

This courses uses literature as a basis for the teaching of critical thinking and composition. The emphasis is upon the analysis of issues, problems, and situations represented in fiction, drama, and poetry, and on the development of effective written arguments in support of the analysis. Meets the IGETC critical thinking requirement. CSU;UC.

 

WELCOME

Welcome to the English 103 Composition and Critical Thinking distance education course.  Please read through the entire website now.  Knowing all that will be required from the start will help you plan and succeed.  The class will require a significant time commitment on your part. I look forward to working with you throughout your study.

 

COMMUNICATION

E-mails from personal accounts (Hotmail, Yahoo and the like) are ultimately unreliable, and the Citrus mailing system may block or count your e-mail as SPAM. Citrus has assigned you your own e-mail address.  Please use it to e-mail me at all times, and make sure that you are able to retrieve replies to that email address (by forwarding them to your private e-mail or checking them on a regular basis).  This is the only way to be sure I receive your e-mails.  You are responsible for making sure that I receive all work assigned (this is especially important when you send me your paper). 

 

If you do not know how to operate your Citrus e-mail or how to set it up, then please contact technical services: 626-914-8810. If you have questions about CANVAS please call the hotline at (844) 589-3857 or link onto the Course Guides (video and text) or Live Chat – all of which you will find on the course site.

 

It is my desire to respond quickly to your attempts to contact me and make communication between us as timely and convenient as possible. As a result I will make every effort to respond to your emails within 24 to 48  hours of receipt except for weekends.  If you do not receive a return email from me within 48 hours, however, please follow up with another e-mail since there may be technical issues preventing transmission. 

 

DROPPING

If you plan on no longer taking the course, please make sure to officially withdraw from the course before the deadline either online or at the admissions office. You do not need permission from me to do so. You are ultimately responsible for making sure that the college has recorded your status as dropped so you do not receive an “F” in the course.

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

(1) reading and class preparation (you are expected to read all assignments before turning to the discussion page, to prepare observations/insights/questions you have for online class discussion, and to review and re-work your class notes from the previous sessions);

(2) class participation on the discussion page:

(3) three formal essay examinations on the reading and discussions (submitted to me at dsalwak@citruscollege.edu as well as turnitin.com);

(4) research paper, 5-7 pages plus Works Cited page, on an assigned topic, following the MLA format for research papers, and due the final day of the semester (submitted to me at dsalwak@citruscollege.edu as well as turnitin.com). 

 

Note: Credit will be given only for original work. Any use of outside sources, including the Internet, must be documented. The penalty for plagiarism is an immediate F for the semester, no exceptions. 

 

GRADE COMPUTATION

Examinations = 100 points x 3 = 300 points

Weekly Discussion = 15 points x 10 = 150 points (based on thoroughness and clarity)

Research paper = 250 points. 

Total points possible: 700

700-630 = A

629-560= B

559-490 = C

489-420 = D 

  419 and below = F

 

FIRST TASKS

Roll Call will occur in the following fashion: I need your current, working e-mail address, so please make sure that the address registered with Wingspan is correct. If you do not have a registered e-mail registered, then make sure that you provide Wingspan with one. Once you have done this, go to the DISCUSSION BOARD and introduce yourself to both your classmates and me by answering as completely as possible the following questions:

 

(1) Why is this course important to you? To know your answers is to know something of what you understand about its purpose and scope. It also moves you beyond any predictable, pre-packaged answers you may have in mind. “I need the units” or “It’s required by my major” or “It fits into my schedule” may be true enough, but such rationales offer little insight into the particular contours of your thinking.

(2) What is your declared major (if any)? 

(3) What will you bring to this experience? Right away this question lets you know that I am not looking for passive vessels merely taking up space and expecting to be filled with facts. Instead, I expect each of you to play an active role.  The burden of responsibility for your education should be upon yourself. 

(4) How will your presence benefit the rest of us? 

(5) Identify the title and author of one book – any book – that has had a significant impact upon your thinking, and explain why.

 

Your Discussion Board comments are available for all students to read and comment on. Therefore, do not include comments you wish to remain private. In addition, please avoid making any distasteful or offensive comments. If a student makes such comments, he or she will be removed from participation and points will be deducted from his or her grade. 

 

The sociologist Verlyn Klinkenborg has written much about the culture of "polite, self-negating silence". Although I encourage lively peer debate about the texts, the assertiveness such discussions require can be intimidating, especially if students are unused to expressing deep, somewhat personal or perhaps even revealing thoughts. Many students have been led to believe at some level, unconscious or otherwise, that on matters of deepest importance or in the presence of icons as powerful as the literature we are going to discuss, they are not "authorized" to speak; in other words, their observations are not valid.

 

If that describes in any way your own thoughts and feelings, please let go of them for this class. Don’t hold back. Show me how smart and thoughtful you are. Let loose with your claims, your thoughts, but always remember that “saying so doesn’t make it so.” In other words, in my classes any claim or position is acceptable but only if you can back it up with evidence, and in this class, the evidence comes from the texts we are studying.

 

ASSIGNMENTS

For your weekly assignments, due dates, and exam dates, consult the schedule attached to the end of this syllabus. Assignments must be e-mailed me (either as an attachment – MS Word only – or directly in the body of your email). 

 

WEEKLY DISCUSSION BOARD   (150 points – 10 points per week) 

Each week post on the Discussion Board an insightful statement or observation or question about the week’s reading assignments. These should be thoughtful and probing contributions that go beyond the obvious and that will provoke your peers to become engaged. Avoid the superficial! Post your entry on the Discussion Board as follows: Click on the week of the Discussion Board you are responding to (Week 1, Week 2, etc.); then click on the link at the top of the page entitled "Create Thread"; then enter your paragraph in the box that appears; finally, click the "Submit" button. Your entry should now appear on the Discussion Board. 

 

In addition to posting your observation, also post a response to at least one other student’s entry – just as if we were having a class discussion.  Your reply may be brief (one or two lines), but it must contain some content beyond “I agree” or “I disagree.”  To post your reply, click on the post thread that you are interested in, read it, click on the “Reply” button just below the main post field, type your reply into the “Message” box, and finally click on the Submit button at the bottom right of the screen.  Do not click on the “Thread” button to post a reply.  The “Thread” button should only be used for your main entry/response.  

 

To earn discussion board credit, you must post both your question and a reply to another student’s question no later than Sunday or announced day if different) 11:59pm. Given the speed with which we work through the semester, it’s to your advantage to post these early in the week.

 

Within this mix you’ll find my contributions most days as we try to establish online what Joyce Carol Oates calls “sustained, collective concentration.”

 

EXAMINATIONS

Exams will consist of essay questions.  There are three exams in all – covering poetry, then short fiction, then drama (as the final exam.) Make-up exams are discouraged and will only be given in the event of illness or exigent circumstances.  No make-up exam is allowed for the Final Exam. Each exam is worth 100 points (300 total points). Students will receive a failing grade on the final if the exam is missed. 

 

ATTENDANCE

In a traditional classroom setting, an instructor knows if a student is attending class by taking roll at each class meeting.  However, roll cannot be taken for a distance education class.  In this distance education class I require that students log into Canvas and complete weekly online assignments.  By completing these assignments, I know that you are actively engaged in this class.  If you fail to complete two consecutive weekly assignments, I may suspend your access to Canvas and send you an email requesting a detailed explanation of why you failed to complete the assignments. Failure to respond to my e-mail within 24 hours with an acceptable explanation may result in you either being dropped from the class or being awarded an “FW” grade at the end of the term.  However, do not assume that if you fail to complete two consecutive weekly assignments that you will automatically be dropped from the class.  If you wish to drop the class, it is your responsibility to officially withdraw by the deadline.  If you do not drop the class prior to the drop deadline (and are not dropped by the professor), you will be assigned a grade for the class.

 

SYLLABUS CHANGE

I may revise the syllabus as deemed necessary or appropriate.

 

GENERAL DE TIPS

Students who do well in online courses are typically self-motivated, organized, and proactive about their education.  In addition, online classes rely heavily on the exchange of information through reading and writing, so proficiency in these skills is important.

 

As a distance education student you will need access to a computer, the Internet, and a CITRUS COLLEGE e-mail account. There are computer labs on campus that are available to Citrus College students.  The computers are located in the Citrus College library and the main computer lab (IS107). Students are also encouraged to take full advantage of our Writing Center on campus.

 

While distance education offers a convenient way to earn college credits, it can also pose its own unique challenges. It is not uncommon for a student to struggle in the online learning environment, and it is easier to fall behind and fail a distance education course. There is also the potential for isolation and less group support. Finally, a distance education course requires more technical expertise and there is the potential for technical problems and delays.

 

Successful online students must also be able to: 

           •  Access the Internet 

           •  Send and receive e-mail 

           •  Send and receive attachments 

           •  Participate in discussion boards 

           •  Read and follow directions on a website

 

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

If you have a disability documented by a physician or other appropriate professional and wish to discuss academic accommodations, contact the DSP&S office (914-8675).  Also please discuss your accommodation needs with me. Some assignments in this course may direct you to web sites not controlled by Citrus College.  If any of these sites are not accessible to you, please notify me and I will assign an alternate accessible assignment/project.

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

After students have completed this course, they should realize the following:

 

• Examine and evaluate written texts and materials pertaining to literature including video presentations and internet resources to apply critical analysis
• Demonstrate understanding of literature and critical analysis of literature to differentiate and contrast critical perspectives
• Read analytically and critically evaluate the personal, cultural, philosophic, religious, and social issues represented in literature
• Identify and evaluate the writer’s use of literature as a persuasive tool to identify and assess the effectiveness of literary works
• Employ deductive and inductive forms of reasoning in the development and defense thesis and judgments to demonstrate knowledge of critical analysis tools
• Write well-organized critical essays in response to questions posed in literature to demonstrate and synthesize literary theory with critical analysis
• Recognize the historical and cultural context of material to evaluate the impact of various cultural phenomena on perspectives presented in literature
• Analyze differences in cultural perspectives to comprehend, recognize, and distinguish cultural perspective demonstrated in literature
• Demonstrate command of appropriate technology in research and information acquisition

 

During the first week of class please complete and e-mail me as an attachment the following (my e-mail: dsalwak@citruscollege.edu):

 

I, ________________________________, have read the student and teacher expectations

              (Print your name)

and I understand them. I understand that there are no make-ups and I understand the attendance policy for this class.

 

“Through the entry of my username and password, I affirm I am the student who enrolled in the course. Furthermore I affirm that I understand and agree to follow the regulations regarding academic integrity and the use of student data as described in the Student Conduct Code that governs student rights and responsibilities.  Failure to abide by the regulations may result in disciplinary action up to expulsion from the college.”

 

I have read and understand my Drop Date responsibility. I will be responsible for my participation on Blackboard, and completion of the assignments for this class. I also understand the importance of participation in a DE class, having my textbooks and materials.  I understand the meaning and consequences of an FW grade. If I experience any difficulties in this course, I will contact [Professor_______] immediately.

 

 

Date   Signature (typed is allowed) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Please see the following pages for the assignments)

 

SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS

 

Below you will find the weekly reading assignments for this course. At the start of each week I will post on the Announcements page more details along with a question or two to respond to on the Discussion page. Throughout the course if you have any questions or concerns please e-mail me at dsalwak@citruscollege.edu.

 

 

 

POETRY

 

WEEK 1 (August 26, 28-September 1)

Introduction of Yourself Post

Introduction to Poetry (698-702, 712-19, 727)

Narrative Poetry (703, A7-A8)

“Richard Cory” (Edward Arlington Robinson, 703)

“Because I could not stop for Death” (Emily Dickinson, 839)

“The Ruined Maid” (Thomas Hardy, 704)

“Church Going” (Philip Larkin, 909-10, 911, 914-17)

 

As part of this week's study, be sure to listen to the poet himself, Philip Larkin, as he reads his poem, "Church Going." The recording may be found at this link:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5aKknj-q3o

 

It's quite revealing to hear a poet read his own work. Listen as you follow along with the text, and with a pencil mark the emphasized syllables or words; listen carefully to his pauses, to his rhythm, and see if listening to his recitation doesn't bring you deeper into the poem. After all, Larkin is "at one" with the poem; he is speaking as an insider for he lived through this, emotionally, and he wrote it. Always you can trust Larkin to tell the truth, emotionally; in person, if he didn't feel something, he stayed quiet. He never wasted words, never spoke anything but the truth.

 

WEEK 2 (September 5-10)

Lyric (705, 739-40, 863-71, 885, A7)

“Stop all the clocks” (W. H. Auden, 802)

“I wandered lonely as a cloud” (William Wordsworth, 705)

Tone of Voice (735-9, 794, 761-3, A12)

“When I Consider How My Light Is Spent” (John Milton, 935, 931-2)

“Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” (Dylan Thomas, 922)

“Dover Beach” (Matthew Arnold, 766-7)

Figurative Language (834-5, 837-9, 848-54, A5-A6)

“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (T. S. Eliot, 1110-13)

 

Listen to T.S.Eliot reciting his own poem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAO3QTU4PzY

 

WEEK 3 (September 11-17)

Poet in Depth: Robert Frost (Dramatic, 704, 709, A4)

“Home Burial” (1113-16)

“Design” (939)

“The Road Not Taken” (856-7)

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” (1116)

“Range-Finding” (938)

 

WEEK 4 (September 18-24)

Essay Examination #1

Explication Essay Due 

Introduction to Short Fiction (12-13, 15-16, 53)

 

SHORT FICTION

 

WEEK 5 (September 25-October 1)

Narrator (174-77) and Theme (383-87)

“Girl” (Jamaica Kincaid, 184)

“The Management of Grief” (Bharati Mukherjee, 432-45)

Symbolism (334-39)

“The Birth-Mark” (Nathaniel Hawthorne, 339-51)

 

WEEK 6  (October 2-8)

Characterization (218-25) and Setting (284-90)

“The Lady with the Dog” (Anton Chekhov, 290-302)

“A Pair of Tickets” (Amy Tan, 302-16)

 

WEEK 7 (October 9-15)

Plot and Structure (85-7, 88-92)

“The Jewelry” (Guy De Maupassant, 655-61)

“Boys and Girls” (Alice Munro, 152-62)

 

WEEK 8 (October 16-22)

Women Fiction Writers in Depth (519-23)

Theme (384-87)

“A Good Man Is Hard to Find” (Flannery O’Connor, 470-81, 506-18)

“Lusus Naturae” (Margaret Atwood, 261-62, 262-67)

“Roman Fever” (Edith Wharton, 115-25)

 

WEEK 9 (October 23-29)

Essay Examination #2 (Inductive)

Inductive Essay Due

Introduction to Drama (1152-55, A3-4)

 

 

DRAMA

 

WEEK 10 (October 30-November 5)

Character (1178-80) and Plot and Structure (1180-82)

Trifles (Susan Glaspell, 1155-65)

 

WEEK 11 (November 6-9, 12)

Trifles continued

 

WEEK 12 (November 13-19)

Setting (1182-84) and Tone/Language/Symbol (1185-87)

A Doll House (Henrik Ibsen, 1654-1704)

 

WEEK 13 (November 20-22, 26)

A Doll House continued

Theme (1188-89)

Antigone (Sophocles, 1549-83, 1584-1608)

 

WEEK 14 (November 27-December 3)

Antigone continued

 

WEEK 15 (December 4-9)

Research Paper (deductive) Due 

            Final Examination (covering drama) 

 

Please note: The above is a lot, I know, given that you are also working on your research paper, but if you budget your time carefully and work at the projects a bit each day, you'll find you have enough time. Also, as I like to remind DE students all through the semester, overall you have at least an extra 60 hours of free time given that you aren't having to drive back and forth from campus and aren't attending three or more hours of class each week. Make good use of your time, stay connected with me, and you’ll do well.