English 1A with Anna Mills
CRN# 71261, Section 535, Weds 6:30-9:30, Room 224, Castro Campus, 450 Church Street
Contact Information | Texts | Requirements | Teaching Philosophy | Course Description |
Grading | Extra Credit | Grammar | Blogs | Late Assignments | Attendance | Plagiarism
Class Website: http://fog.ccsf.edu/amills/1A.htm
Anna Mills' Email: amills@ccsf.edu
Phone: (415) 452-4886 (Email is much preferred. I check voicemail very infrequently.)
Office Hours: Wednesday 5:45-6:30 in our regular classroom and by appointment.
Office: 560 Batmale Hall, Ocean campus
You might want to know a little bit about where your teacher is coming from. I am the daughter of a math professor and of an elementary school teacher who writes poems and teaches creative writing. My parents taught me to love reading, writing, and thinking and to see the classroom as a dramatic and exciting place to be. What I want to do most as a teacher is to share the excitement of the learning process with students.
In my spare time, I write personal essays and argumentative essays on everything from nature to family to technology, and I send them out for publication. I get a lot of rejection slips and some acceptances. I read books that interest me and make notes on them and often talk about other writers’ ideas in my own writing. Writing helps me figure out what I think and feel and gain insight into problems or issues that matter to me. It also allows me to share my ideas with others and get their responses. I find writing to be difficult, fun, frustrating, humbling, exhilarating, and always intellectually stimulating. It takes me a long time, I do a lot of revisions (sometimes ten or twenty), and I always get feedback from friends and family.
I would like to make my class an environment where reading and writing are as challenging, exciting, and meaningful for you as they are for me. I also feel it is important to be strict, rigorous, and demanding because I know that improving writing is difficult and I know that whatever profession you choose, you will be judged on your ability to write clear, articulate standard English.
I expect students to put a lot of time into the writing process because in my experience that is what it takes to produce polished writing and to improve. I like to learn from my students and understand perspectives different from my own, so I want to know what you really think even if I don’t agree with you. Also, I often make changes to my courses based on student feedback. If you have comments or suggestions, don’t hesitate to let me know.
The goal of the course is to help improve your writing, reading, research and analytical skills. We will focus on the themes of sustainability and global warming as a context for these skills. At the end of the semester, a successful student will be able to do the following:
Time
Success in this course requires a significant investment of time--perhaps an average of 6-12 hours per week outside of class. I try to make my expectations as clear as possible so you can do well if you can put in the time.
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Students who fail to complete any essay will not pass the class.
Please note: My students tell me I am a difficult grader. The average grade on an essay in my class is usually between a C+ and a B-. I look for adherence to all the essay requirements and I hold you to a high standard, a standard comparable to that at competitive four-year colleges. My goal is to encourage you to improve and produce college-level writing. If you think a grade is unfair, please come and meet with me to discuss it.
If you are able to go to the Ocean campus for tutoring, you can earn extra credit. Each time you meet with a tutor in one of the following labs to work on your English homework, you will receive a 1% boost to your overall homework average. The maximum boost to your homework average is one letter grade, or 10%. Keep track of your extra credit by obtaining a stamp or signature from the tutor on this sheet.
1) Writing Lab: Meet with a tutor at any stage of the writing process. You can request to work with the faculty tutor (See the faculty tutor schedule).
3) Reading Tutoring: Discuss our assigned reading with a faculty tutor (see the Reading Lab faculty tutor schedule) and increase your comprehension and knowledge of reading strategies. Extra credit is only for meeting with a tutor, not for working individually in the lab or for reading groups.
4) Read a poem or short passage of dazzling prose to the class. Once during the semester, if you would like to share a favorite piece of writing no longer than five minutes and explain why you chose it, I will give extra credit. Let me know ahead of time when you would like to read.
I encourage you to use the Cyberia English computer lab on the Ocean campus as well; however, you will not receive extra credit for Cyberia time.
Error Logs, Grammar and Proofreading
In English 1A the expectation is that you can write Standard English without many major errors. We will not spend time in class on grammar instruction; instead I will offer individualized feedback and assignments based on Rules for Writers to address your most common errors. 12.5% of your semester grade will be the average of the grades you get on the three error logs. In the error logs, you will use Rules for Writers to correct errors I have identified on your essays and explain your corrections (preview the instructions for this here).
Grammar and grades: For every out-of-class essay, you will do a final proofread of grammar and sentence-level errors such as punctuation and turn this version in the class period after the official due date. I will base the overall essay grade on the content of the earlier version and the grammar of the grammar version. In-class essays will be graded partly based on grammar as well, though the minimum standard will be slightly lower.
In most sections of English 1A, each student will write 6 essays. In this section, however, you will write four essays and do the rest of your writing in the online format of a weekly blog which only class members can access. I will give suggested topics for each blog entry, all of which will involve responding to readings for the class. You will also be asked to comment on other students' blogs as a homework assignment. Your blog grade will count as much as two essay grades. Your blogs before midterms will count for 10% of your overall grade, and your blogs after midterms will count for another 10%. Blog entries are time sensitive and feed in to class discussion, so blogs cannot be turned in late. Blogs will be graded on their thoughtfulness, adherence to the assignment, skillful citing of the readings, demonstrated understanding of the readings, cohesiveness, grammar, and style. I encourage you to use them as an opportunity to develop a voice that is both academic and authentic to you.
You are allowed to miss one blog entry all semester without any affect on your blog grade. If you miss more blog entries than that, see me.
Quizzes
I will sometimes give pop quizzes and sometimes advise you of quizzes beforehand. Quizzes may focus on anything assigned for homework.. Each quiz will be graded and will count for two or more homework credits.
Late papers are accepted up to one week late, but they are graded down. Once during the semester, you may turn in a paper up to one week late without penalty.
Late blog entries are not accepted for credit. You are allowed to miss one blog entry in the course of the semester without any affect on your blog grade. If you miss more blog entries than that, see me.
Late homework is not accepted for credit. However, there is no need to email homework or essays to me if you miss class. Any papers you would have handed in are due the day you return. They are not considered late. You are responsible for keeping track of what you miss.
I will allow 2 absences only during this semester, which you should save for doctor’s appointments, illnesses, and emergencies. After 2 your grade will go down a letter grade with each absence.
If you miss a class for whatever reason you are still responsible for everything that went on in class or was handed out. Email or call a fellow student and check the class website. Any homework you missed is due on the day you return.
Lateness: Class begins after the ten minute passing period. Please be prompt. If you arrive after I take roll at the beginning of class, you will be counted late and will receive a half-absence. If you leave early you will also receive a half-absence.
Almost every semester students fail essays in my class because they plagiarize. Don’t put yourself in that situation! Plagiarism means presenting someone else’s words or ideas as your own. It is a serious academic offense which carries severe consequences. It can happen accidentally as well as intentionally. In this class, you are responsible for understanding what plagiarism is and for avoiding it in your papers.
The Four-Word Rule: Plagiarism means using four or more words in a row from another person’s writing without putting those words in quotation marks.
Please note: even if you mention the author and page number, a string of words is still plagiarism if you do not put it in quotation marks.
Any work handed in that contains plagiarism, whether it is accidental or intentional, will automatically receive a ZERO. That is worse than an F (an F is 50% credit) and makes it very difficult to pass the class.
Please read this handout on plagiarism from the CCSF library and then see me if you have any questions about what plagiarism is or how to avoid it.
Disabilities and Learning Differences
Several of my best students have told me about their learning disabilities. They have advocated for themselves, taken advantage of the support services on campus, and earned excellent grades. If you have a disability, you may not realize how much is available and how many rights you have. Make sure to register with the DSPS Department so you can get documentation of your disability and request appropriate accommodations such as extended time on tests or a notetaker. Contact me about accommodations during the first week of the semester so that we can make arrangements.
If you wonder whether or not you have a learning disability, you can meet with a counselor at the Disabled Students Programs and Services Department (DSPS) in Rosenberg 323 to discuss your questions and possibly receive free testing.
Whether or not you have a disability, you can get individualized help with class work, time management, and learning strategies through the DSPS Strategy Lab or the Academic Assistance Program. See me for more information or stop by Batmale 231 and speak with Vivien Mun.
Rules
Getting My Help
I am happy to talk or email about any question or concern you have about the class. If you can attend my office hours, do so! A face-to-face conversation is always helpful. If you cannot come to my office hours, feel free to email me.
When you email, use a professional style of communication. Use your best spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Address me in the first line, and sign the email. Sample:
Subject: Thesis
Hello Ms. Mills,
I am having trouble coming up with a thesis for the paper on An Inconvenient Truth. I was wondering if I could make an appointment to meet with you tomorrow after class.
Thanks,
Janette Smith
Welcome to Class!