Course Essentials
What is English 120/020 all about?
In this class, we will become a community of writers, learners and critical thinkers. You all have stories to share, opinions to express, and arguments to make, and I am here to help you do all of that. There is no such thing as "bad writers" in our class. We will all work together to be the best writers we can be.
Course Description
English 120: Freshman composition course. Students study the elements and principles of composition through the practice of writing expository essays and a research paper. Emphasizing the reading and writing processes, revision is stressed as a means of achieving effective skills in reading and writing college-level texts. Analysis of assigned readings stimulate critical thinking and serve as models of effective writing. Emphasis is on using outside sources as evidence in students’ argumentative essays and documenting source material in MLA format. The course allows students to develop metacognitive awareness of the role writing plays in their lives.
English 020: This course is designed to review and reinforce the skills necessary to be successful in English 120 (freshman composition). Students will study the elements and principles of composition through the practice of editing and revising narrative, expository, and argumentative essays. Students will also be introduced to effective reading skills and strategies necessary for the reading of college level material. Pass/No Pass only. Non-degree applicable. ***Concurrent-enrollment support course for ENGL 120 for students who do not meet the prerequisite for ENGL 120.
Prerequisite
English 120/020 is an open access course.
What this course will be about:
This course will begin by focusing the purpose of education and our own educational journeys. From there, I hope for us to discuss important social justice issues, starting with free vs hate speech and ending with a social justice issue of your own choosing.
Why this course is important to you.
You need this course to graduate or transfer. But there is more to it than that. Many of you might think of writing as difficult or tedious. But being able to write clearly, express your ideas well, and critically analyze information will be valuable to you far beyond this course. Whether it is communicating with other instructors, your employers, your children's schools or anyone else., it is essential that you can do so clearly and confidently. Writing well does not only help you, but it is tremendously valuable for our community. You each have individual perspectives and experiences, and sharing that within our community is hugely important.
Course Organization
Our course will be divided into weekly modules. Each module will contain all the lecture materials, handouts, videos, assignments (including discussion boards, peer reviews, and quizzes), and submission links for the week. Each module will become available Sunday at 7am.
Tips for Success
Complete all reading and writing assignments on time
Annotate the readings to ensure comprehension
Enthusiastically participate in class discussion
Start your writing assignments early: create an outline, a thesis (if necessary), compile any sources thoughtfully, and leave time to thoroughly edit
Listen to your classmates and build off of their insights
Take advantage of the revision policy!
The Disability Support Programs & Services Department can help make sure that you are receiving proper accommodations for this class.
Contact me if you need help accessing any resources on campus, and I can point you to the most appropriate resource.
Never attack another person’s input; if you disagree, say so respectfully and share why
Textbook
This is a no cost course, meaning there are no textbooks required. All of the information/readings/lectures you need will be uploaded to our Canvas container. What that means is that you want to go through our weekly modules very carefully rather than only clicking on the assignments due.
