English 1A Summer School Welcome Letter
😀 Hello! Welcome to ENGLISH 1A ONLINE College Reading and Composition
Some of you may be on the waitlist. Be sure to check your school e-mail regularly to see if your registration opportunity comes up.
Class officially begins June 10 and runs through July 20. This is a City Online short semester, but we do a full semester's work in it. Your final exam is on the 20th. You can view this course starting now even as it’s being worked on, and I encourage you to do so. The due dates will not be accurate until the class is done being created, but you will be able to see what will be expected work-wise.
*Please review carefully the information in this email before emailing me with questions; chances are, they are answered here!
Our course syllabus will answer all sorts of questions, from what you need for the course to how to plan your time. Please read it carefully and bookmark it for reference. There may be quizzes on it later.
🖥️ Logging In
Please plan to log into the course on June 10 so I can ensure everyone has access to the course material. As summer school is a full semester’s work in only six weeks, you don't log in after two days, your seat may be given to someone on the waitlist. If you don’t log in after four days, you will be dropped.
CCSF operates the online learning management systems (LMS) called Canvas. You access Canvas at http://ccsf.instructure.com. Please check your official school email account regularly throughout the semester for notifications from Canvas.
(Please note that you cannot do homework in our course until the course start date listed in the schedule of classes. If you have just added, you will be enrolled in your online course within the next business day. Please wait 24 hours before contacting the Ed Tech Department. You will use your RAM-ID to access Canvas.)
📚 Course Format
Here are some details about the structure of our course:
The class is organized into modules with each module representing one day for summer school. Work through each module in order. Each new module begins at 10AM on the Saturday before the upcoming week, escept for the first week of school. Time management and pacing yourself will be key, so note due dates ahead of time in each module. You can always see what's coming in the module or calendar views.
If I do not publish all of the semester’s modules ahead of time, make sure to read the syllabus to find tentative due dates for papers. Essay or paragraph workshop participation is a high-point quiz because this is a collaborative process class where each of you is an indispensable set of eyes and ears for each other.
📜 Tips for Success
Set up your notifications in Canvas. I’ll provide you with feedback, and I’ll send out weekly announcements. Setting your notifications will ensure you receive this important information quickly.
Set up your profile and add a profile picture in CANVAS.
Set up your schedule and stick to it. The #1 piece of advice former students consistently offer incoming/new students is to plan your time well; carving out focused, sustained, and the suggested number of hours for work time - and sticking to that schedule - will ensure you have the time and space to be successful. We want your final grade to reflect your skills, not your rushed schedule! This class is designed to take 15+ hours per week. This is typical for a 4 credit-unit summer-school course. When you are in face to face classes, each credit hour you are in class requires 3+ hours of outside reading and work at the college level. This is why taking 12 credit hours is considered full time (12X3 = 36 hours a week). This is not an arbitrary number I came up with - this is the formula for how college course credits are calculated. Of course, some students may need less time and some may need more, depending on reading speed and focused time applied. Summer school is equivalent to a full-time class schedule in regular semesters.
Work through the modules (days) chronologically. The modules for a week will open at once, but should be worked through in order. The chapters you will read in each book are listed in the module title. Homework assignments -- discussions and other things you will submit -- require your reading comprehension. If you get stuck, please reach out to an English lab tutor or me!
Plan to attend the orientation hour mon Monday June 10 if possible. If you are not able to attend, you may watch the recording later.
I encourage you to attend the homework support hour each Tuesday from 10-11. This is the place to bring your questions, and to possibly work with others on your homework.
Each module is different and will require more time at different stages of the reading and writing process. Plan to devote extra time to homework in the week before each essay is dueessay composition and revision. Essays will be graded when 70% of the reading and responding work for the unit has been completed.
I don’t make late extensions for homework in summer school as it moves too quickly.
Grab those earbuds. If you do your coursework in a group or family setting (like I often do), keep a pair of simple ear buds nearby. There are (captioned) videos interspersed throughout the modules so be prepared for this content variety.
🌱 Believe in yourself. This course has the potential to really change the way you think about reading, writing, and success. I think we have a great reading list, and some of your homework will be to journal about your personal application of our readings. At the same time, some of the assignments may make you feel nervous. Feeling nervous when you try something new is normal! Remember three things: One, moving outside your comfort zone is the most powerful way to grow and learn; two, making mistakes is a very important part of true learning that goes deep and lasts; and three, I have designed this class for beginners and I have the utmost confidence in you. Take things one step at a time. Each homework assignment builds on the previous work. Message me if you’d like to conference. I can offer your support, encouragement, and I’m a good listener if you want to talk about your life!
⏱️Countdown to June 10! Try to get our books right away, and start reading them! You may want to start reading How Children Succeed early, as it is the longest book. We will start with mindset right away on June 10, so be sure to have that on hand. You may always start out with a library book (get one now!) before your own copy arrives.
Okay, are you ready to get started? I hope so, and I can’t wait to meet you!
Welcome!
Elizabeth Zarubin (Instructional Facilitator)
Need more help logging on?
Logging in to Canvas for course access:
Claim RAM ID and Login to Canvas: Student Guide (Links to an external site.)
Login to Canvas HERE- http://ccsf.instructure.com
For more information or help, use the student guides below:
Student Services (Links to an external site.) (including information about special accommodations)
Once you log into Canvas, you can access more help at the Canvas Help Menu in the left sidebar including 24-hour phone support.
The above links are always available to you at the City College home page, https://www.ccsf.edu (Links to an external site.), and from there, MyCCSF. Look in the For Students column, the Distance Learning section. More are under Educational Programs, Online Learning.
Need more help?
Go to the Online Course Support Center (Links to an external site.)
Contact the CCSF Educational Technology Office, Batmale Hall L310, Monday through Thursday 9am-4pm (beginning January 19) , (415) 452-5689,
You may contact me although you will likely be referred to the Online Course Support Center anyway).
Remember that the folks at Canvas Support can assist you. Click the question mark icon at the bottom of your Canvas page left-hand column.
If you no longer plan to take this course, please complete the quick drop course steps to open up a seat for a fellow student.
See You Soon!
Elizabeth Zarubin