Course:  ENGL 1A               

Location:  26D-3280

Professor:  McFaul

Office:  26D-1240E

Office Hours:  See website:  https://faculty.mtsac.edu/jmcfaul

Phone:  (909) 274-4716

e-mail: jdmcfaul@mtsac.edu

Books and Supplies

Claro, Belandra.  College Level Writing, 3rd Edition. Day & Nite, 2014.  ISBN:  978-1-884155-81.

Money Words.  Princeton.  2012.

Six "large" bluebooks.

           "The function of a great university is to

ask right questions, not to give right answers.”

--Cynthia Ozick

English 1A is a university-level course in critical thinking and writing.  Above all, in the sections that I teach, it is a course about the relationship between thinking and writing.  I say that I teach this course, but that is not how I would most carefully define my role.  I am here to help you construct a serious course of study that will enable you to become a more careful user of language, a better thinker, and a better writer.

Critical thinking, as I like to understand the phrase, is not so much a subject as it is a verb.  That is, in this course you will not so much learn about critical thinking as learn to apply critical thinking in several environments:  in class discussion, in your written responses, and in “the real world.”  My main role in class will be to prod, to provoke, and to keep your learning as active as possible.

Critical thinking consists in thinking about your thinking while you’re thinking in order to make your thinking better. Of course, if we can accept that we are defined by the words we use, then critical thinking--as represented in our writing--plays an essential role in our ability to undergo mental growth.

“You cannot afford to think of being here to receive an education. You will do much better to think of yourselves as being here to claim one.”

 --Adrienne Rich

One of the best ways of “claiming an education,” I would argue, is through writing.  Writing gives you an opportunity to present your critical thinking abilities in a tangible form.  This semester I will ask you to engage in two different “ways” of writing:  formal take-home essays and formal in-class essays.

Student Learning Objectives:

English 1A/1AH 
SLO 1: Students will write an essay in which they synthesize information from multiple texts.
SLO 2: Students will apply MLA format for citing and documenting sources.

Hybrid English 1A:

Students in Hybrid English 1A enjoy 50% less classroom time than students enrolled in a traditional English 1A. The extra time outside of the classroom is intended to stimulate and liberate the self-motivated, driven, purposeful student. Students of Hybrid English 1A are not expected to view this extra time as "free" time but, rather, time that is simply reallocated to specific, course-related, online activities/exercises/assignments/discussions/online-chats that will take place each week. Expect that the time you save by spending 50% less time in the classroom will be wholly reassigned to our weekly online activities/exercises/assignments/discussions.  Your time will also go toward library research groups, study sessions, review sessions, Writing Center workshops, and office hours. Additionally, please plan to allocate much time to this website, for it is where you will find the prompts for each of our essays, and it is also where you will examine the expectations for each essay. There are also screenplays and articles that are posted on this website, and you'll be expected to read them. Make sure to stay focused on our class by visiting the Announcements page each day. Also, set aside an additional 3-5 hours per week to read the essays and stories in our textbook and to complete the Exercises and the 5x8 card assignments. You'll likely require another 2-4 hours per week to learn the words for your vocabulary quizzes. Finally, because this is a composition course, plan on commiting an additional 3-5 hours per week to producing essay drafts, sharing them with me online, and revising them accordingly. Of course, in a Hybrid course, students will often rely on email to ensure regular and effective contact. Know that when you send me emails, I'll reply within 24 hours.

1.      Formal Take-home Essay (400 points)

Essays will all house 1,000 typed words (minimum) presented in the standard format for formal academic writing.  Pages should all be numbered in the upper-right corner, quoted material should be parenthetically referenced, and all papers should be carefully edited and proofread.  A word count should be found at the bottom of the last page.  All essays should be double-spaced.

Essays will be graded based on the following criteria:  clarity (choice of words, logical syntax, sequentially linked paragraphs), comprehension (demonstration of a full understanding of the ideas presented), connections (use of supplemental text from readings or class discussion), care (appropriate format, evidence of proofreading and editing), full development (ideas fully supported with evidence or reasonable argumentation).

2.      Formal In-class Essays (600 points) + One Paper (100 points)

This essay, similar to the take-home essays, will be graded on the following criteria:  clarity, comprehension, connections, care, and full development.  Potential prompts will be provided to students one week ahead of time, and students will have the opportunity to commit a specified number of quotations (no longer than three “text lines” each) to a sheet of paper (simply check the Due Dates page for the specified number of quotations).  The quotations can be used during the exam to bolster a student’s credibility as a writer, help advance her claim, and help substantiate anything which would have otherwise gone unsubstantiated.

For the in-class essay, please bring TWO large bluebooks to class, as you will be expected to double-space and to write on only one side of each page.

3.     Quizzes (96 points)

It seems that some college graduates are without the broad written and spoken vocabulary that should be representative of a college education.  To actively combat this ugly trend, students in this class will be expected to complete the Money Words vocabulary program.  In doing so, students will be expected to take four quizzes (24 points each).  As an incentive to learning additional words, however, students will have the opportunity to earn up to 36 points for each quiz.  These "extra points" will represent "extra credit."  

4.  Homework (50 points) 

Homework will consist of Exercises and Discussion Boards.  Each will be worth 3 points. Students must earn, at minimum, 80% (19 points) in order to be eligible to pass the class. While the Exercises come from the textbook (and are reasonably self-explanatory), the Discussion Board assignments are a bit more complicated.  Each Discussion Board assignment asks you to examine a text, typically one that represents the central focus of the paper/essay we are preparing to write. Many of the Discussion Board assignments require students to identify the following components:  Main Argument, Five Significant Quotations (and why each is significant), One Example of Precise Language (and why it is precise), and an Evaluation (at minimum this should include one Point, one Example, and two Commentary). Discussion Boards will be found online by going to your Mt. SAC Portal and then to Canvas. Regarding Exercises and Discussion Boards, extra credit will be awarded to students who do more than is expected.

Grade Determination:   If you are grade conscious, you will keep an on-going account of your point standing.  Figure out your percentage by taking your point total and dividing it by the total points possible. 

90%=A      80%=B     70%=C     60%=D

 Attendance Policy

Students are expected to come to class. Students will be given one excused absence. If a student misses three classes, he/she will be dropped from the class. (If it is beyond the drop date, he/she will receive a failing grade in the class.)

Students are expected to arrive on time. If the class starts at 7:00, "on time" is 6:59 or earlier. If a person arrives at 7:00, he/she is already late. Two "late arrivals" will equate to one absence.

Physical presence in the classroom is not enough. If a student is not paying attention, or if a student is unprepared, the student will be classified as absent for that class session. 

Additional Policies

Late Formal Take-home Essays will receive a twenty point deduction per day.

Formal Take-home Essays that fall short of 1,000 typed words will start from 100/200.

*I reserve the right to make changes to this syllabus throughout the semester.