English 1101 English Composition Fall 2012 Online Ms. Karen Roop , Instructor First Day of Class

English 1101English CompositionFall 2012 OnlineMs. Karen Roop, InstructorFirst Day of Class Module: First Day of Class

Welcome to English 1101 • Welcome to our class! You may be wondering… • Who is your instructor? • Who are your fellow classmates? You may be feeling unsure about even taking an online class. Keep going, I’ll try to help you work through some of these questions….. Module: First Day of Class

Who is your instructor? • My name is Karen Roop • I am a part-time instructor at NGCSU • I also work at The Carter Center in Atlanta • I am an alumnus of NGCSU – class of 2007 • I have an MAPW (Master’s in Professional Writing)from Kennesaw State University • I am married to John Roop, who teaches in the Psychology department at North Ga. • I have 2 kids: Nikki and Tyler • I have a Rat Terrier named Clyde • You can learn more about me on the class website as well as see some cute pictures of Clyde! Module: First Day of Class

Who are your classmates? • Believe it or not, your fellow classmates are probably a lot like you • I have opened a blog post on our class website for each student to share some info about him or herself, so be sure to read other’s posts after you have completed your own. • You’ll learn where to go for this at the end of this presentation. Module: First Day of Class

Not sure about an online class? • Taking a class online can feel a little weird at first • I’ll admit that it feels a little weird preparing to teach a class online, since I can’t see you and you can’t see me. • Raise your hand if you’ve ever taken an online class… I’m raising mine. I took an online class in my master’s program, and I enjoyed it. • Let’s all agree from the start that we’re not going to freak out or lose our minds, but that we’ll work through this together. • If you’re ever confused, just say so right away. Don’t struggle on your own. Let me help you. Module: First Day of Class

I don’t plan to keep silent… • Each week, you’ll review a module similar to this one where I’ll explain what we’ll be reading for the week and some key points I want you to consider while you’re reading. • This will probably be the only presentation that will be silent, because I’m preparing videos for the other modules so that you can see me as I’m discussing our weekly readings and homework. • I also plan to Skype with each of you at least once during the semester, so I can see you, too. • Now, let’s talk about what we’ll be doing during the semester by looking at the syllabus… Module: First Day of Class

Syllabus • If you haven’t already found it, you can find the syllabus on our class website. Please locate the syllabus before going to the next slide. www.writingaintscary.com • I’ll discuss some of the most important parts here, but you should carefully read the entire syllabus. It’s the document that will guide our course. • If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to email me. Module: First Day of Class

Here’s what our class website home page looks like: Module: First Day of Class

How you can reach me My contact information: email: kroop@northgeorgia.edu cell: 706-344-2390 (text or call) Skype: karen.roop1 Virtual Office Hours: Mondays/Wednesdays 7:00 – 9:00 pm Module: First Day of Class

Required Texts & Other Required Stuff Our Textbooks: • Course textbook: Writing About Writing: A College Reader – (referred to as WAW) • Course handbook: The St. Martin’s Handbook – (referred to as HB) • College-level dictionary • Microsoft Word (not Google docs) For writing papers • Be sure to check your North GA email daily Please note that you will need both of the textbooks, as there is a lot of reading from each one. Get them ASAP. Module: First Day of Class

Course goals My goals for the class are that at the very least, students will: • Become familiar with rhetorical principles and how to incorporate them into their writing strategies • Understand that writing is a skill that can be learned (as opposed to something one is born with) and that every writer needs feedback and guidance from others • Learn that writing is a useful skill that is valued in their academic career and beyond • Comprehend that, like any other skill, with practice they can improve their writing • Realize that the act of writing is a process, that the process is different for every writer, that the process is recursive, and that writers are always learning and renewing their writing processes • Appreciate that through writing we can discover what we already know and create new knowledge Module: First Day of Class

So how will you spend your week? This is a reading and writing intensive course. Students should plan to spend sufficient time each week in reading and writing activities in order to be successful. The readings are scholarly works, so you will need to spend some time with them. You won’t be spending 3 hours/week sitting in a classroom, but you will still need to allot that time to do the work outlined in the Course Schedule. Plus, just like you would for a regular class, you’ll need to plan on the normal 2 hours/class period for work outside the classroom. Module: First Day of Class

“Attendance” is important Attendance: Your “attendance” is extremely important to the success of the course both for you and for your fellow students. Because this is an online class, your attendance will be gauged by your timely posts and responses on our class website (details in the Course Schedule). Please refer to the syllabus for how attendance affects your grade. Module: First Day of Class

Assignments Major assignments: • Definition of Academic Writing 5% • Rhetorical Ad & Analysis Essay 10% • Portrait of a Writer 10% • Letter to Literacy Sponsor 10% • Researched Essay 15% • Final Portfolio 20% Remainder of Course Grade: • Journal Entries 20% • Class Participation (Blogs/Responses) 10% Module: First Day of Class

Syllabus, still, still continued Please refer to the syllabus for detailed info on: • My policy for accepting late work • Drafts and Peer-Review • Class decorum • Plagiarism • Campus Resources • Student success program • Accommodations for disabilities • The writing center • Student Counseling & development Module: First Day of Class

OK, enough already! OK – I have a first-day assignment for you – well 4 really… • Be sure you can sign into Vista • Register for our class on Turnitin.com (link on class website homepage) You will need to set up an account on Turnitin.com, then choose our class ID: 5364626, enrollment password: English1101 • Register as a class member on the class website: www.writingaintscary.com • Then, click on the “Weekly Blog” button where you’ll see my welcome to the class blog post with instructions . You can respond in the comments section with the information requested. This is a good way for us to get acquainted. Module: First Day of Class

Finally!!!!! If you have trouble with any of these websites or programs, please let me know ASAP. After you’ve completed the tasks from the pervious slide … Click on the “Course Schedule” button on our class homepage. This document will be your guide to what you’ll be reading, writing, sharing, blogging, and journaling this semester………………………………. Module: First Day of Class

Finally!!!!! #2 As you will see, we are kicking off the semester with a bang! There are readings and responses for you to complete this week. Our weeks run Monday through Sunday I’ve tried to explain everything, but if you have questions, you know what to do … that’s right, email me. Module: First Day of Class

Sample of our weekly schedule: • Week 1 - August 20-26 • Review: • Module 1.1 on class website • Read: • WikiPedia Founder discusses using WikiPedia in school – See Readings page on class website • Mortimer Adler’s “How to Mark a Book” – See Readings page on class website • HB – Pgs. 44-48 on Freewriting, brainstorming, and clustering • Introduction to the Conversation WAW pgs 1-5 • Swales WAW pg 6 – “’Create a Research Space’ (CARS) Model of Research Introductions” • Greene WAW pg 9 - “Argument as Conversation” • Write/Respond: • Write a well-developed paragraph choosing one of the prompts below. Post it to the class blog. Respond to at least one other student’s post. • The difference between formal and informal writing is . . . • Effective writing is . . . • The trouble with writing an essay for class is . . . • Student writing should be evaluated based on . . . • Write a 200-word response to one of the reading assignments for this week. Post it to the class blog. Respond to at least one other student’s post. • Journal: This will be your first entry in your online writing journal. • Write a 250+-word (total) response to the following questions based on Greene’s essay: • According to Greene, what role does reading play in the kind(s) of writing you will be asked to do in college? • Explain the concept of framing. What metaphor underlies it? What does framing allow the writer to do? • Unit Assignment: • Definition of Academic Writing Assignment discussion Module: First Day of Class

One last thought… Again, let me say that I’m looking forward to all that we will learn together about writing this semester. Most importantly: Don’t stress or freak out if you have problems getting signed into something or can’t figure out where to go. Even though we have a good bit of work on our syllabus for the week, this week is for getting our feet under us and figuring out the lay of the land. Hang in there… We’ll figure everything out together. Module: First Day of Class

English 1101 English Composition Fall 2012 Online Ms. Karen Roop , Instructor First Day of Class