Introduction to the Composing Process
Syllabus for English B
El Camino College – Spring 2010
Section 6161: M & W 9:15 – 11:20 am
in Adm 208
Section 6186: T & Th 2 – 4:05 pm
in H110 & H103
Instructor: Ms. Briita Halonen
Phone: 310-660-3593 x.5161
E-mail: bhalonen@elcamino.edu
Office: 321A (3rd flr, Humanities Bldg.)
Office Hours:
Tues. & Wed. 4:15 – 5 pm
Thurs. 10:15 – Noon & 4:15 – 5 pm
TEXTS & MATERIALS:
REQUIRED (Bring daily)
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English Essentials (Second Edition) by John Langan & Beth
Johnson (about $30)
Baseball in April and Other Stories by Gary Soto (about $7)
Flash drive (1-2 GB, about $10-20)
Three-ring binder with paper & dividers
Writing utensils (a highlighter, black or blue pens)
An actively-checked MyECC email account
RECOMMENDED
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College-level dictionary (see p 349 in English Essentials for suggestions)
(www.dictionary.com and www.dict.org/bin/Dict are also good resources.)
Stapler (strongly recommended)
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This class introduces students to the processes of creating, developing, and revising
paragraphs and short essays based on personal experiences, observations, and
reactions to short reading selections. Students learn basic rules of grammar,
mechanics, and usage. Students practice a variety of sentence types and paragraph
structures. Students revise their writing with the assistance of weekly one-on-one
tutorials.
This course is worth 3 units and to receive credit, you must average a 70% or higher
and demonstrate the ability to plan and write an academic essay using standard
grammar.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
 Read and apply critical thinking skills to pre-collegiate texts for the
purposes of writing and discussion.
 Apply appropriate strategies from the writing process to create,
compose, revise, and edit drafts.
 Demonstrate ability to participate in draft-review activities, such as
peer review and one-on-one tutorials.
 Plan, write, and revise paragraphs based on personal experience
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and observations, including a topic sentence and supporting details, and avoiding
grammatical and mechanical errors that interfere with meaning.
Write and revise summaries of, and personal responses to, short magazine or
newspaper articles.
Compose a variety of sentence types and edit them for correct grammar,
appropriate word choice, and accurate spelling.
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
Write a brief descriptive, reflective, or narrative paragraph(s) that has gone through
multiple revisions and responds to a text previously discussed in class. The
paragraph(s) should provide readers with a thesis that makes a clear point and provides
supporting details. It should be logically organized and focused. Grammar, spelling,
punctuation, and sentence structure should not impede comprehension.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING:
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Student profile
Syllabus Quiz
Materials Check (Week 2)
3-ring binder checks (2 at 15 pts each)
Exam Study Guides (2 at 20 pts each)
Grammar Homework (3 at 20 pts each)
Reading Response Homework (3 at 20 pts each)
In-class Grammar Assignments (8 at 10 pts each)
Attendance, preparation, & participation
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
Papers (3 paragraphs & 1 essay at 100 pts each)
Total Points
5
10
15
30
40
60
60
80
100
100
100
400
1,000
Grading Scale
P (credit/passing) = 70% or higher (700 or more points)
NP (no credit/not passing) = 69.9% or lower (699 or fewer
points)
****A brief commercial interruption: The number one reason why students do not
pass my class is because they do not turn in assignments. I am rooting for you and
will do all that I can to help you learn this material, but to be successful in the
class, you need to show up consistently and complete all the work thoughtfully. ***
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ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION:
Keep track of your attendance each day on the schedule.
Since you are enrolled in this class, it is your responsibility to attend class meetings
prepared physically (with your own books and materials) and mentally (awake & with a
readiness and willingness to learn). I expect you to have completed all assignments, to
have thought about those assignments, to volunteer your ideas and questions in class
discussions, to treat your peers with respect, and to proactively work on improving your
writing skills. Like the lottery, “you have to be in it to win it.”
ABSENCES
MYTH: College is cool because you don’t have to attend class.
FACT: Each of you gets one “free” absence for each 5-week period of this class. Any
absence thereafter will result in a 10-point deduction from your attendance
grade. There is no such thing as an “excused absence;” this is not high school.
Keep in mind that I reserve the right to drop any student who misses more
than 6 class sessions.
MYTH: Not much happens the first week of class.
FACT: If you miss the first or second day of class, you will be dropped from the class.
If you must be absent from class, it is your responsibility to find out what we did and
when any assignments may be due. You should contact a classmate (or e-mail me) to
find out what you missed. If you know in advance that you will be absent, or if an
emergency comes up, please contact me immediately. We will make arrangements so
that you will not fall behind in the course.
*If you are absent on the day of the midterm, you must contact me within 24
hours in order to be eligible to make it up.*
**If you are absent on the day of a peer review or a tutor-draft-review day, you will
need to use a NQA coupon and visit the Writing Center to get credit for the
assignment.**
STUDENT PHONE NUMBERS
(allies, writing group members, or both)
Name
Phone Number
Best time to call
Email Address
LATE ARRIVALS/EARLY DEPARTURES
MYTH: If a student has a good reason, it’s okay to be a little late or leave a little early.
FACT: You will be considered tardy if you come to class after I have taken roll or if you
leave before class is excused. If you are tardy, it is your responsibility to see me
after class to confirm that I have accurately recorded your attendance and to find
out what you missed. Each of you will get one “free” tardy for each 5-week
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period of this class; any subsequent tardy will result in a 5-point deduction from
your attendance grade. If you are more than 45 minutes late, you will be
considered absent.
PARTICIPATION
MYTH: If a student is texting under their desk, the instructor won’t see it.
FACT: It is painfully obvious when your attention (and your hands) are
focused on something just below your desk. Types of behavior that
will result in 7-point deductions to your attendance grade include
but are not limited to side conversations, leaving the room in the
middle of class, ringing cell phones, text messaging, not
having your materials, inappropriate computer use (e.g.,
solitaire or Facebook), blatant apathy, and silence.
This is college, and I expect maturity. Students learn best in a safe, comfortable,
cooperative-learning environment. This type of environment requires respect and
patience between students. Please be respectful of other students and their education
by turning off any electronic devices (e.g., cell phones, iPods, bluetooths, etc.) and
putting them away. A student who is behaving inappropriately may be asked to leave
the class.
HOMEWORK:
 Do the work carefully to be successful. You should plan on about three-four
hours of work outside of class per week.
 All homework assignments (except outlines) and paper drafts must be typed in
12 pt. Times New Roman font, double-spaced, with 1” margins. (See
sample.) (Handwritten assignments will not receive credit.)
 Multi-page assignments must be STAPLED or I will not accept them.
 All assignments must be completed before class starts.
 I will only accept assignments via e-mail if the following conditions are met:
o The assignment is received before the start of class on the day it is due.
o My computer is able to open the attached document. All documents you
e-mail to me should be saved either as a Microsoft Word document
(yourpaper.doc) or as a rich-text format (yourpaper.rtf).
o This option should only be used in case of emergencies. If the privilege is
overused, I will disallow it.
By the way, it is always good to keep an extra copy of any assignment. (At least save a
copy of the file to your flash drive!) This will save you from any potential tragedies.
LATE HOMEWORK POLICY:
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Late work will not be accepted unless a NQA (No Questions Asked) Coupon is
attached (see bright green sheet).
If you know you will miss a class, you can turn in work early for full credit.
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ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Plagiarism or any other form of cheating WILL NOT BE
TOLERATED in this course. All plagiarism refers to the same act:
representing someone else’s words or ideas as your own. If
you are using words or ideas from another text or the internet, you
must name your sources. If you have any questions about
plagiarism, please come to me or read the “Cheating or Plagiarism”
section of the 2009-2010 El Camino College Catalog (pg 27). I will
submit student assignments to Turnitin.com to check for similarities between student
submissions and the Internet. The first time a student plagiarizes, he or she will
automatically fail the assignment, and an Academic Dishonesty Report Form will
go on his or her permanent record. The second time a student plagiarizes, he or she
will automatically fail the class. It’s cheating. Don’t do it.
OTHER WRITING RESOURCES:
 El Camino College Writing Center (Humanities 122)
310-660-3873 or www.jeconsults.com/wc/virtualtutor/
On-campus tutors offer individual prewriting and full draft
conferences. Bring your flash drive, assignment sheet, & your
student ID #.
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Computers
are available for free use in the Writing Center (H 122) and in the
East Lower Level of the Library. Bring your student ID # & flash
drive. The Writing Center also offers free essay-printing.
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Office Hours (see the top of page 1)
I’m here to help  If you can’t make my office hours, we can make an
appointment to meet in person, or we can discuss your questions via e-mail. If
you have a quick question, feel free to ask me before or after class.
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Library & Learning Resource Center (LRC)
310-660-3511 or www.elcamino.edu/library
o The LRC Tutorial Program (West Wing of the Library) offers free drop-in
tutoring. For the tutoring schedule, www.elcamino.edu/library/lrc/tutoring
o The library hours are usually as follows:
M – Th
7:30 am – 9 pm
F
7:30 am – 4:30 pm
Sa
9:30 am – 2:30 pm
o The textbook depot (main floor of the library at the periodicals/ reserve
window) has many ECC textbooks. You may borrow these books for two
hours, but they cannot leave the library.
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OTHER STUDENT RESOURCES:
 EOP & S (Extended Opportunity Programs & Services): 310-660-3466
o EOP & S provides students (who meet the BOGW income level and have an
educational need) with services like priority registration, counseling, and
emergency loans.
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Special Resource Center (SRC):
310-660-3295 or www.elcamino.edu/academics/src/
o El Camino College and I are eager to accommodate students with disabilities.
If you need accommodation, please contact the Special Resource Center on
campus and alert me as soon as possible.
**Notes: This syllabus and schedule, like life, are tentative and
subject to change.**