First 6 weeks of class schedule

Week 1 of class – I meet you on day 1! Including the final exam, I see you 45 times. Since this class was MARKED AS WEB-ENHANCED, YOU MUST BE ABLE TO GET INTO THIS VERY IMPORTANT INTERNET LOCATION. Not having a computer is not an excuse. If it is, you may want to switch to a class that isn’t web-enhanced since you pay a technology fee to the school, AND you are now accountable to being able to access the vast quantity of items that I have created for this class. If there be any issue, you can use RACC’s computers if necessary (they’re not just for Facebook). I also tell you that you should get a USB drive to store all of my attachments on (trees don’t have to die for ALL of the handouts that I give to you (and I give you a lot of handouts and PowerPoints to help improve your chances of success)). We go over the Bad Letter handouts and I explain to you why you need to do well in English (If I can’t tell you this, then the class has no foundation). I tell you how to access Angel Online so that you can see all of the handouts that are listed on the Sid Stocker Memorial Assignment Book Page. I give you the syllabus (which I explain to you), the rules sign off sheet, the To My Students letter (you will sign off after having RECEIVED this and listening to my 15-20 minute overview of class), and the Plagiarism explanations, which you will keep for future reference (if necessary, but hopefully, you won’t need this). The most IMMEDIATELY important stuff online (other than the schedule) are the Can You Pass My Class handout with all assignments and rationales on it, the RACC rules for students (as does every other teacher that you have), the Issues in Your Paper handout, and the journals paper (not optional). You will read through the RULES SECTION of this and take the quiz by Monday January 31st at 6am (or you will be locked out and unable to take the quiz). You will do the same thing for the Issues in Your Paper quiz. Students, who don’t read, don’t do well. I’m just saying. You are told to go on ANGEL where you must send me an e-mail (the only one that IN CLASSROOM STUDENTS will ever send from the Angel site – on the other hand, ONLINE STUDENTS WILL SEND ALL OF THEIR E-MAILS TO ANGEL) to prove that you were there and have read the RACC Rules for Students). When this is done, you will watch the introduction to my class video. I also assign you to go online and see the class website (www.onlymypride.blogspot.com) and then read and follow the directions from the first entry so that I know that you know where the website is and so that I know what your RACC e-mail is (ASAP, but prior to your first class of week 2 – no personal e-mails – just RACC e-mail via SCHOOL POLICY).
I give you the assignment to read Death of an Innocent and take an online quiz prior to the beginning of class on Friday (6am in the morning it shuts off). The story can be located at the following hyperlink and in Week 1 stuff as a Word file. (http://outside.away.com/outside/features/1993/1993_into_the_wild_1.html ) On Friday, we go over this test and watch the video associated with how this magazine article became my favorite book and then a very good movie entitled Into the Wild.
On Wednesday, you take an in class grammar “pushups” test so that I can see where you stand. While this doesn’t count towards your final grade, the highest grade in each class will be rewarded. You will redo this test the last week of real class to see how much you have improved. Also, for the 2nd class of the week, I touch on journals, Issues in Your Paper, the Right Word Handout, and an introduction to prewriting. I CONTINUE TO STRESS the idea of completing your journals early. If you do them, you get full credit. If you procrastinate, you may lose out on “free points” or you will find yourself bogged down when essays are due. I warn you that while you are very smart and capable, equally smart and capable students have failed this class because they procrastinated doing their journals (and other assignments). Your first 1 (why you are at college) is due ONLINE ONLY prior to the first class of week 2. I do not accept paper replies in an effort to eliminate paper waste – trees are more important than printing every handout and homework assignment down the pike.
I also want a topic and 8 reasons why sent to me on ANGEL online that answers the question “SOMETHING THAT IS EMOTIONALLY VALUABLE TO ME.” Don’t write the paper yet. I’ll teach you how to do that over the coming weeks.
That more than covers everything that we will have time for. What we don’t do, we will continue with next week.
Week 2 - I tell you to go online and start looking over the Karate Kid Method of Learning Grammar handout since we begin grammar this week. You will have the choice to print this out and bring it to class or to take your own notes. It’s up to you. I suggest printing it out since I know what makes people pass and fail this class. While not all handouts are necessary, this 1, the Big 10, and Issues in Your Paper are. The Journals paper is a book, so keep that on your computer for this class and every other class you ever take. It’s a lot of good research topics – really.
If you feel like you have extra time, you can always look at stuff like the Image Handout (a journal option) and 15 Rules for Class and Life if you want to figure yourself out and learn how to be better at school and life. They’re not required, but they’re there to help you (if not now, then maybe later).
ASAP, I want you to take the opinion quiz on Survey Monkey Dot Com. Your name is not attached to it, so don’t worry about being “connected” to your opinions. We will use the data from this at a later date. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VMFLLNX This may take a while. Give yourself some time to make it happen (30 minutes).
For the first class of week 3, you should be done with journal 2 (a positive accomplishment). From here on out, you need to finish a journal a week. They will be listed on the ANGEL site with which one is due. You will have 10 of these total, and you need to make sure they’re getting finished and submitted.
Week 3+4+5 – Continue grammar. Discuss the Karate Kid handout. Discuss the Grammar Terms PPT. Begin to discuss What’s Wrong With this Sentence PPT. Go over Grammar Errors PPT (which one to be determined). Discuss prewriting. Do the in class outline assignment with National Parks of the Colorado Plateau video. This is worth 50 points, so you will need to be here (DUE DATE PENDING HOW LONG EVERYTHING ELSE TAKES). In addition, you need to work on the outline of your essay at this point. Outline sheets are available online as well.
WEEK 6 – Discuss all things that need to be done to get you going and finishing your essay by the first class of week 7. Continue grammar. I’m going to say this a lot. This is because grammar is everything to your ability to write well. Go over good essay (Shoes) and bad essay (Judging Individuals by Their Music). Discuss final issues to be concerned with for the first essay due on Monday. All essays must be turned in on Monday to redo if you get less than a 90. If you do not turn in during our class on Monday (all excuses are equal), then you will not get a redo. If you do not turn this essay in by the following Monday, you cannot pass the class as the rules for my class specify doing all 3 essays at a minimum to pass the class. You will be advised to drop the class or face failure (an F). Students will also be assigned to create a topic for their persuasive research essay, which will be due (submitted on ANGEL) on Monday with a brief summary of what they hope to prove in research as opposed to just telling me straight up (report). Since this is persuasive, you have to find something researchable to persuade me on (not why you should have an A).