English 1A

Instructor:                    Leila Easa                            E-Mail:  leasa@ccsf.edu

Class Deadlines:          Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 11 p.m. each week

Office Hours:               tbd

 

Welcome to class! I’m so glad to be working with you this semester as we collaborate in a learning community to develop reading, writing, and critical thinking skills that will serve our futures in college and beyond! Ours is an inquiry-based course with driving question that will inform all the work we do together this semester. We will build a bank of shared knowledge around the topic area while also developing and following our own individual interests within this question. Each week we will complete three units/activities: skill building (due Tuesdays), reading and discussing (due Thursdays), and writing (due Sundays). While the due dates will remain consistent each week, you are welcome to complete the work at any time prior to the deadlines.

Key Inquiry Question: Technology: Are We Making It, or Is It Making Us?

English 1A is a 4-unit course that gets you through all the writing of transfer-level English in one semester. Successful completion of this course requires a serious commitment of your time and attention. To complete a 6-unit class during a 16-week semester, please budget to spend at least 19 hours on this class per week (note: I didn’t make this up! This is mandated by California Title V Section 55002 and is based on the Carnegie Unit model for allocating college time). Some weeks will be much lighter than others. I highly recommend that you read ahead, especially during weekends and breaks.

Our class will be held asynchronously online. This means that we will not meet in person or on Zoom during set hours (though I will meet you all for conferences and optional office hours!). Asynchronous online learning works well for students who like to learn on their own schedule or whose other commitments make coming to campus or scheduled zooms challenging. On the other hand, students who like to learn synchronously may find this class to be not an ideal match for their learning styles; please reach out to me so that I can help you find a class that better matches your needs.

A Note on Content

We will discuss some topics that may be difficult for everyone. Feeling some tension is natural, but I ask that you please treat the conversation as a learning experience and an opportunity to practice how to talk about controversial issues with people who might have differing perspectives.

On Respect

I understand that students represent a rich diversity of backgrounds and perspectives. City College of San Francisco is committed to providing an atmosphere for learning that respects diversity. While working together to build this community I request all student members to:


 1) Share their unique experiences, values and beliefs
 2) Value each other’s opinions and communicate in a respectful manner
 3) Be open to the views of others
4) Honor the uniqueness of peers
 5) Appreciate the opportunity that we have to learn from each other in this community

English 1A Course Description and Student Learning Objectives

CATALOG DESCRIPTION

College reading, writing, and critical thinking with a major research component. Reading, writing, and research assignments are based predominantly on non-fiction texts.


ENGL 1A: STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this course, a student will be able to:

Required Texts

 

All readings are available free through Canvas, though I encourage you to purchase a hard copy of How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell through the bookstore or your local library, bookstore, or online retailer.

Here is the information about the book:

How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/42771901-how-to-do-nothing

Grading

For everything you do in this class, you will earn points. The sum of your points will determine your grade. To pass the course, you must turn in all essays, achieve “passing” level in your formal writing by the end of the term, and earn at least 70% of all possible class points. If you do those things, your grade will be computed based on points you have earned for assignments all semester.

 

Your final grade will be calculated roughly as follows:

 

o   Personal narrative: 1000 words

o   Synthesis/Comparison of different thinkers: 1500 words

o   Your Solutions: What steps moving forward? 2000 words +500 researched words = 2500 words

o   Metacognitive reflection on all formal writing: 1000 words

 

Note: Earning 70% or higher will also allow you to pass the English 31 section of our class.

 

Evaluation and Revisions for Formal Essays

Your essays will be evaluated as either complete or not complete. For an assignment to be complete, it must meet the criteria specified in the assignment descriptions provided separately. Revisions are accepted and encouraged on any assignment that is submitted but does not yet meet the criteria for completion. Revisions are due within one week of receiving your assignment back from the instructor.

 

Informal Assignment Points

Informal assignments will be given full points if they are submitted on time and according to the guidelines, so keeping on top of homework assignments can really help your final class grade.

Late Work

Essays are accepted up to one week late with no penalty. The final portfolio may not be submitted late due to deadlines for course grading for faculty. Homework assignments are not accepted late unless you have informed me of the need for the late submission and we have created a learning plan for you.

MLA Format:

All out-of-class essays must be submitted in MLA format (typed, appropriate headers, 1” margins, Times New Roman 12 point font only, word count listed in the header, Works Cited pages included as required.). Please consult your writing handbook or come see me if you have questions about this.

Plagiarism/Cheating:

Plagiarism is not tolerated at City College. Plagiarism includes using words and ideas that are not your own without crediting the source properly, getting someone else to write your paper (whether a person or an AI language model), or having someone rewrite sentences for you. Students engaging in plagiarism will receive an “F” on the assignment and may be dropped from the course. If you are confused about how to cite a source properly, always ask me, a writing tutor, or a librarian for help. Please read this handout on plagiarism.

Special Accommodations:

For academic accommodations, please contact the Disabled Students Programs and Services [Ocean Campus Room R323, (415) 452-5481], and be sure to speak with me at the beginning of the semester about your needs.