Welcome!
Welcome to English 1302! This course has undergone changes over the past year. It was originally set up as a literture course, but we have shifted to the use of an "Argument" textbook. However, we will still be incorporating literature into the course. Be prepared to read daily and write weekly; 6-8 hours outside of the classroom is the average time students at this level of study are expected to devote to a course such as this. I am excited to guide you on this wonderful journey of growth and enlightenment.
Formula to Remember:
Showing up + Completing all given assignments + Following all given directions = SUCCESS!
I'm always available to answer your questions; just email me: [email protected]
Everything that you need for this class can be found RIGHT HERE on this website; that includes the syllabus, assignments, and class notes. Bookmark this page!
Comment on the class facebook page: [email protected]
Search for Composition Cafe!
Professionalism: Like the workplace, the college campus is a place where a certain amount of professionalism is expected. This encompasses things like attendance, tardiness, late work, playing on your cell phones (facebook, music, games, etc.) lack of preparedness (all of which will not be tolerated), as well as participation in class, completing drafts and contributing during peer editing sessions, speaking respectfully (all of which are expected). In a workplace, you could be fired for acting unprofessionally; in a college course, you could fail.
MEDIA: This is the overall theme for the class. We will be examining "the message in the media", although we are using the term "media" rather loosely here, applying it to literature, film, and essays, in addition to television, news, etc.
Technology in Class: For 50 minutes, 3 times a week, I expect your full and undivided attention. I should not see anyone on their cell phone or other devices. In addition, I DO NOT ALLOW STUDENTS TO RECORD MY CLASSES (Video or Audio).
Student Comments:
"I'm not very good at good byes, but I have learned so much from you this past year and a half and you are an amazing teacher. I'm not sure if any teacher that I have in the future will be able to compare to what you have given me. :)"-Student, English 1301, 1302, & 2332
"Thanks, I wanted to let you know I really enjoyed your class, and thank you for giving us actual "college" assignments. Almost all of my other courses felt like high school, many of the professors do not expect much from us, making us not want to give anything back. With your class I enjoyed doing my work, and am proud of myself for what I did." -Student, English 1302
"I think it is great that you do not back down on the assignments, we need more teachers like you in our schools today..."-Student, English 1302
"I have thoroughly enjoyed this journey. Thanks for helping me find my way and getting me to believe in myself. (I'm sure there were times you wanted to strangle me. :) Thank you!" -Student, English 1302 & 2332
"Thank you for sharing your wisdom and for being an inspiration to us all!" -Student, English 2332
"I want to tell you that I really enjoyed your class a lot. I bitched about it the whole time because it was challenging, but I did find it rewarding. Thanks for a great semester."-Student, English 2332
Instructor's top 10 bits of advice:
10. Complete ALL of your assignments. You cannot pass the class unless all major assignments are completed.
9. I teach by the philosophy of "The Apple". What I mean by that is this: My sage professors gave me "the apple" (of knowledge), and I've devoted my career to sharing that apple. I will offer you a bite; whether or not you take it is up to you. Your success will be measured by how much of your apple is eaten by the end of the semester.
8. Realize that I expect a lot from my "scholars"-- I will hold you to high standards. I will push you and challenge you. Yes, I know you all have jobs, families, lives... and many of you are not simply "full time college students" with nothing else going on but that; however, instructors cannot be expected to water down standards to accommodate students' busy lives. You may be at a "community college"-- but college is college! Every degree should "mean something"; when we water down education, we water down the value of a degree... of mine and of yours! I will not do that. You are here to earn 3 credit hours in Composition II, the same 3 credits you would receive at UNT, TWU, UT Austin, etc. The standards are not less just because you are at a community college; in fact, these credits are transferable to those other institutions, so the course material and assignments should be and will be equal.
7. Just because you made "A's" in highschool English does not mean you will make A's in college English. The chart I use to determine your grade on essays will be available on this website. And, just because you don't make "A's" on your essays does not mean you can't still get an "A" in this course. Your grade is determined by many factors; formal essay writing is a major factor, but it is still only one of several. Fair grading is the objective here; an "A" paper will be given an "A", but by the same token, a "C" paper will be given a "C"... all personal preferences aside.
6. While everyone should strive to "do their best", it is also important to remember that it is unreasonable to believe that everyone is expected to get "All A's". This is absurd. We are all HUMAN-- we have strengths and weaknesses; not everyone can be an "A" student in English, and that is OKAY. There is so much more to the measure of success than "the almighty A".
** Grading is the way that an instructor measures the LEVEL OF MASTERY a student has for a given subject. You will not all attain the same level of mastery, and the burden of proof is on YOU to demonstrate your mastery of the material. A's are possible, and while I'd love for everyone in every class to earn an "A," this is statistically unlikely. Do your best work, complete all of your work, and attend class; this makes an "A" possible.
5. Buy a stapler! Also, invest in a good computer and PRINTER. You are spending quite a bit on your tuition; continue the investment in yourself with these items! I can't tell you how many 'A' students downward spiral into 'B' range because they rely on printing out their essays 10 minutes before class starts here on campus (with NCTC's outdated technology). They are then forced to take a late grade deduction... not good!
4. Keep an open mind. Realize that while the world may be viewed in "black and white" by your family, friends, community leaders, etc., there's actually a whole lot of gray area out there. The study of "argumentation" and "literature" requires us to examine ideas, issues, history, people, etc. with a much broader perspective. It also requires us to get out of our comfort zones and think outside of the proverbial box. Sometimes what we study solidifies our own views; sometimes it challenges them. That, my friends, is called "education"!
3. Do not tell me that you have "tried your best" unless you can answer "yes" to ALL of the following: 1. Have you put in a fair amount of time to writing your essays (approximately 1 hour per page, more if it is a research paper)? 2. Have you sought the help of the free on-campus tutors for the planning, revising, and editing of your essays? 3. Have you adequately studied each assignment sheet (available here on this website) and undestood exactly what is required of you each time? 4. Have you contacted your instructor and followed any advice given, minus excuses of why you can't? 5. Have you consistently used Grade Results to edit and revise your essays-- not only submitting your essay, but also your assignment directions AND making adequate corrections afterwards? Doing all of this does not guarantee you an "A" on any assignment; however, it is highly unlikely that you will fail if you put this much effort into your assignments.
2. Always be respectful. Understand how much time and effort I put into this class and how little monetary compensation I get for doing so. I do this job because I'm passionate about it, and more than anything, I want to see you all succeed, learn, and grow... as students, scholars, and citizens of this world. Treat the class with the importance it deserves, treat me with the respect I deserve, and you will find that this class can be rewarding and fun in a variety of ways!
1. Students are not "given" grades; they "earn" grades.
You are not giving me what "I" want; you are being asked to write according to MLA standards, which were not invented by me.
Formula to Remember:
Showing up + Completing all given assignments + Following all given directions = SUCCESS!
I'm always available to answer your questions; just email me: [email protected]
Everything that you need for this class can be found RIGHT HERE on this website; that includes the syllabus, assignments, and class notes. Bookmark this page!
Comment on the class facebook page: [email protected]
Search for Composition Cafe!
Professionalism: Like the workplace, the college campus is a place where a certain amount of professionalism is expected. This encompasses things like attendance, tardiness, late work, playing on your cell phones (facebook, music, games, etc.) lack of preparedness (all of which will not be tolerated), as well as participation in class, completing drafts and contributing during peer editing sessions, speaking respectfully (all of which are expected). In a workplace, you could be fired for acting unprofessionally; in a college course, you could fail.
MEDIA: This is the overall theme for the class. We will be examining "the message in the media", although we are using the term "media" rather loosely here, applying it to literature, film, and essays, in addition to television, news, etc.
Technology in Class: For 50 minutes, 3 times a week, I expect your full and undivided attention. I should not see anyone on their cell phone or other devices. In addition, I DO NOT ALLOW STUDENTS TO RECORD MY CLASSES (Video or Audio).
Student Comments:
"I'm not very good at good byes, but I have learned so much from you this past year and a half and you are an amazing teacher. I'm not sure if any teacher that I have in the future will be able to compare to what you have given me. :)"-Student, English 1301, 1302, & 2332
"Thanks, I wanted to let you know I really enjoyed your class, and thank you for giving us actual "college" assignments. Almost all of my other courses felt like high school, many of the professors do not expect much from us, making us not want to give anything back. With your class I enjoyed doing my work, and am proud of myself for what I did." -Student, English 1302
"I think it is great that you do not back down on the assignments, we need more teachers like you in our schools today..."-Student, English 1302
"I have thoroughly enjoyed this journey. Thanks for helping me find my way and getting me to believe in myself. (I'm sure there were times you wanted to strangle me. :) Thank you!" -Student, English 1302 & 2332
"Thank you for sharing your wisdom and for being an inspiration to us all!" -Student, English 2332
"I want to tell you that I really enjoyed your class a lot. I bitched about it the whole time because it was challenging, but I did find it rewarding. Thanks for a great semester."-Student, English 2332
Instructor's top 10 bits of advice:
10. Complete ALL of your assignments. You cannot pass the class unless all major assignments are completed.
9. I teach by the philosophy of "The Apple". What I mean by that is this: My sage professors gave me "the apple" (of knowledge), and I've devoted my career to sharing that apple. I will offer you a bite; whether or not you take it is up to you. Your success will be measured by how much of your apple is eaten by the end of the semester.
8. Realize that I expect a lot from my "scholars"-- I will hold you to high standards. I will push you and challenge you. Yes, I know you all have jobs, families, lives... and many of you are not simply "full time college students" with nothing else going on but that; however, instructors cannot be expected to water down standards to accommodate students' busy lives. You may be at a "community college"-- but college is college! Every degree should "mean something"; when we water down education, we water down the value of a degree... of mine and of yours! I will not do that. You are here to earn 3 credit hours in Composition II, the same 3 credits you would receive at UNT, TWU, UT Austin, etc. The standards are not less just because you are at a community college; in fact, these credits are transferable to those other institutions, so the course material and assignments should be and will be equal.
7. Just because you made "A's" in highschool English does not mean you will make A's in college English. The chart I use to determine your grade on essays will be available on this website. And, just because you don't make "A's" on your essays does not mean you can't still get an "A" in this course. Your grade is determined by many factors; formal essay writing is a major factor, but it is still only one of several. Fair grading is the objective here; an "A" paper will be given an "A", but by the same token, a "C" paper will be given a "C"... all personal preferences aside.
6. While everyone should strive to "do their best", it is also important to remember that it is unreasonable to believe that everyone is expected to get "All A's". This is absurd. We are all HUMAN-- we have strengths and weaknesses; not everyone can be an "A" student in English, and that is OKAY. There is so much more to the measure of success than "the almighty A".
** Grading is the way that an instructor measures the LEVEL OF MASTERY a student has for a given subject. You will not all attain the same level of mastery, and the burden of proof is on YOU to demonstrate your mastery of the material. A's are possible, and while I'd love for everyone in every class to earn an "A," this is statistically unlikely. Do your best work, complete all of your work, and attend class; this makes an "A" possible.
5. Buy a stapler! Also, invest in a good computer and PRINTER. You are spending quite a bit on your tuition; continue the investment in yourself with these items! I can't tell you how many 'A' students downward spiral into 'B' range because they rely on printing out their essays 10 minutes before class starts here on campus (with NCTC's outdated technology). They are then forced to take a late grade deduction... not good!
4. Keep an open mind. Realize that while the world may be viewed in "black and white" by your family, friends, community leaders, etc., there's actually a whole lot of gray area out there. The study of "argumentation" and "literature" requires us to examine ideas, issues, history, people, etc. with a much broader perspective. It also requires us to get out of our comfort zones and think outside of the proverbial box. Sometimes what we study solidifies our own views; sometimes it challenges them. That, my friends, is called "education"!
3. Do not tell me that you have "tried your best" unless you can answer "yes" to ALL of the following: 1. Have you put in a fair amount of time to writing your essays (approximately 1 hour per page, more if it is a research paper)? 2. Have you sought the help of the free on-campus tutors for the planning, revising, and editing of your essays? 3. Have you adequately studied each assignment sheet (available here on this website) and undestood exactly what is required of you each time? 4. Have you contacted your instructor and followed any advice given, minus excuses of why you can't? 5. Have you consistently used Grade Results to edit and revise your essays-- not only submitting your essay, but also your assignment directions AND making adequate corrections afterwards? Doing all of this does not guarantee you an "A" on any assignment; however, it is highly unlikely that you will fail if you put this much effort into your assignments.
2. Always be respectful. Understand how much time and effort I put into this class and how little monetary compensation I get for doing so. I do this job because I'm passionate about it, and more than anything, I want to see you all succeed, learn, and grow... as students, scholars, and citizens of this world. Treat the class with the importance it deserves, treat me with the respect I deserve, and you will find that this class can be rewarding and fun in a variety of ways!
1. Students are not "given" grades; they "earn" grades.
You are not giving me what "I" want; you are being asked to write according to MLA standards, which were not invented by me.
From an article in Forbes magazine, "Dear Student: I Don't Lie Awake at Night Thinking of Ways to Ruin Your Life":
"First, I do not “take off” points. You earn them. The difference is not merely rhetorical, nor is it trivial. In other words, you start with zero points and earn your way to a grade. You earn a grade in (say) Econ 100 for demonstrating that you have gained a degree of competence in economics ranging from being able to articulate the basic principles (enough to earn a C) to mastery and the ability to apply these principles to day-to-day affairs (which will earn an A). I’ve hurt my own grades before by confusing my own incompetence with competence and my own (bare) competence with mastery, so trust me: I’ve been there, and I understand." [The same is true for English: You earn a grade for demonstrating your competence in writing various types of essays, research, and of literary studies ranging from being able to show the very basic principles (C) to absolute mastery and excellence (A). Not everyone will "master" the course material, but everyone is expected to try.]
This means that the burden of proof is on YOU to demonstrate that you have mastered the material. It is not on me to demonstrate that you have not.
http://www.photoshow.com/watch/Ga9fE8RI
"First, I do not “take off” points. You earn them. The difference is not merely rhetorical, nor is it trivial. In other words, you start with zero points and earn your way to a grade. You earn a grade in (say) Econ 100 for demonstrating that you have gained a degree of competence in economics ranging from being able to articulate the basic principles (enough to earn a C) to mastery and the ability to apply these principles to day-to-day affairs (which will earn an A). I’ve hurt my own grades before by confusing my own incompetence with competence and my own (bare) competence with mastery, so trust me: I’ve been there, and I understand." [The same is true for English: You earn a grade for demonstrating your competence in writing various types of essays, research, and of literary studies ranging from being able to show the very basic principles (C) to absolute mastery and excellence (A). Not everyone will "master" the course material, but everyone is expected to try.]
This means that the burden of proof is on YOU to demonstrate that you have mastered the material. It is not on me to demonstrate that you have not.
http://www.photoshow.com/watch/Ga9fE8RI
Instructor's Bio
Here is a picture of my family. Scott (my best friend) and I have been married since 7.11.97; he is the Director of Acute Care at Presbyterian Hospital of Plano. My daughters are Claire (12) and Reece (11); they are "my heart and my soul".
Here are a few more "facts" about me:
Graduated with my Master's degree in Liberal Arts, English from ULL, Spring 2000+I'm a cajun girl, born and raised in south Louisiana+I love fried catfish, fried oyster po'boys, and GOOD pizza+I am a gay rights advocate+I try to be "eco-conscious"+I am a gen-x'er and proud of it+My favorite music includes Radiohead, Nirvana, Ryan Adams, and Marilyn Manson+I love rebels+One of my favorite actors is Owen Wilson+My favorite current TV shows are "American Horror Story," "The Middle", "Modern Family" and "The Big Bang Theory", but my favorites of all time are "Family Ties", "ER", "Roseanne", and "Queer as Folk".+ The best movies I've seen recently are "Tree of Life" and "Midnight in Paris"+I love anything 80's+My favorite writers are Tennessee Williams and Arthur Rimbaud (you'll meet them this semester)+I treat the characters that we study like "old family members"; we know them and love them, sometimes despite and sometimes because of, their flaws, which we can learn from+I personalize teaching and relate the readings to my own life; I hope you'll do the same+I like to use multi-media in my teaching and allow my students to express themselves creatively whenever possible.
A few of my favorite quotes:
"The best art comes from indiscretion." -Tennessee Williams
"Be curious, not judgmental." -Walt Whitman
And...
“The first study for the man who wants to be a poet is knowledge of himself, complete: he searches for his soul, he inspects it, he puts it to the test, he learns it. As soon as he has learned it, he must cultivate it! I say that one must be a seer, make oneself a seer. The poet becomes a seer through a long, immense, and reasoned derangement of all the senses. All shapes of love suffering, madness. He searches himself, he exhausts all poisons in himself, to keep only the quintessences. Ineffable torture where he needs all his faith, all his superhuman strength, where he becomes among all men the great patient, the great criminal, the great accursed one--and the supreme Scholar! For he reaches the unknown! ....So the poet is actually a thief of Fire!” -Arthur Rimbaud
Here are a few more "facts" about me:
Graduated with my Master's degree in Liberal Arts, English from ULL, Spring 2000+I'm a cajun girl, born and raised in south Louisiana+I love fried catfish, fried oyster po'boys, and GOOD pizza+I am a gay rights advocate+I try to be "eco-conscious"+I am a gen-x'er and proud of it+My favorite music includes Radiohead, Nirvana, Ryan Adams, and Marilyn Manson+I love rebels+One of my favorite actors is Owen Wilson+My favorite current TV shows are "American Horror Story," "The Middle", "Modern Family" and "The Big Bang Theory", but my favorites of all time are "Family Ties", "ER", "Roseanne", and "Queer as Folk".+ The best movies I've seen recently are "Tree of Life" and "Midnight in Paris"+I love anything 80's+My favorite writers are Tennessee Williams and Arthur Rimbaud (you'll meet them this semester)+I treat the characters that we study like "old family members"; we know them and love them, sometimes despite and sometimes because of, their flaws, which we can learn from+I personalize teaching and relate the readings to my own life; I hope you'll do the same+I like to use multi-media in my teaching and allow my students to express themselves creatively whenever possible.
A few of my favorite quotes:
"The best art comes from indiscretion." -Tennessee Williams
"Be curious, not judgmental." -Walt Whitman
And...
“The first study for the man who wants to be a poet is knowledge of himself, complete: he searches for his soul, he inspects it, he puts it to the test, he learns it. As soon as he has learned it, he must cultivate it! I say that one must be a seer, make oneself a seer. The poet becomes a seer through a long, immense, and reasoned derangement of all the senses. All shapes of love suffering, madness. He searches himself, he exhausts all poisons in himself, to keep only the quintessences. Ineffable torture where he needs all his faith, all his superhuman strength, where he becomes among all men the great patient, the great criminal, the great accursed one--and the supreme Scholar! For he reaches the unknown! ....So the poet is actually a thief of Fire!” -Arthur Rimbaud