English 201B Summer 2020
English Composition, Introduction to Literature: Critical Thinking / CRN 50137
Instructor: Professor Thomas Patchell
Welcome to English 201B!
My name is Professor Patchell (PA-chell, or Patch-ell). Get ready for a motivating, fast-paced summer class of reading, thinking, writing, and interacting with your professor and peers! Read, study, and know this entire document as you will learn about the mechanics of the class and see if it is right for you by doing so. You will learn more about the class, your instructor, and your peers in the coming days. For now, take the time to mindfully read this document in its entirety, so that you are prepared to begin our class on Monday, 6/15/20. By 9am on 6/15/20, the first weekly module will be available to all students, and the class will be published. I am excited to meet all of you!
Yours, &c.
Professor Patchell
Contact Information
Email Address: tpatchel@cuesta.edu (note the lack of one ‘l’ in email address)
Office Location/ Hours: Zoom Office Hour Wednesdays 13:00-14:00 or by appointment.
Instructor/Student Contact Expectations
Student Initiated Contact
The best and fastest way to contact me is email through your Canvas course Inbox. I will generally respond to your emails within 24 hours during weekdays only. During busy times of the semester, the response time may increase to 48 hours. On weekends, I will do my best to get back to you ASAP, but I cannot guarantee an expeditious response.
Instructor Initiated Contact
Over the length of this class, I will be communicating in a few significant ways. Always check Announcements as that will be my primary form of communication with course information and weekly updates and guidance, Discussions will occur regularly, and most of them will be graded, so put your words and presence into them as you are directed for each one. I will join in on these discussions with commentary, guidance, and sometimes redirection or corrections; this is where a lot of the class's action occurs! I will also use Canvas notifications and Inbox at times to communicate with you. Other ways I will be in touch are comments on the electronic drafts of your essays, Zoom sessions, and through Pages and Assignments, so please familiarize yourself with these modes. If I ever note anywhere that I would like to conference with you personally, please get in contact with me right away, especially concerning coursework or attendance.
Class Opens /Getting in to Canvas
Prior to the Monday classes start, 6/15/20, you will receive an email to your my.Cuesta.edu address providing you with a reminder that class will be starting and log in procedures for Canvas, the learning management system (LMS) used to deliver course content. You can access Canvas by logging into MyCuesta, then clicking on the Resources Tab, then clicking on Canvas in the Online Learning Channel, or by typing the Canvas address (https://cuesta.instructure.com/) into your browser address bar. Do not bookmark / favorite the Canvas site after your login, or you will get an error message next time you try to log in. You must access the Canvas log in directly.
If you are not familiar with logging into Canvas, please refer to the Canvas Quick Reference Guide.Links to an external site.Links to an external site. Once logged into Canvas, you will be directed on where to get started. Be sure to read all the directions on the course home page.
If you are having difficulty logging into Canvas after 6/15/20 and need assistance, please email me or technical support at this email address: support@my.cuesta.edu.
Online Learning
If you have never taken an online class or this is your first experience with Canvas, please be patient with yourself. Online classes are not inherently easier, although they may be much more convenient for many students. You should expect to spend at least as much time, if not more on this course as you would on a course that meets face to face. Since there is no lecture component, much of this time will be self-directed and there will be a substantial amount of reading, viewing, studying, and writing required. This course is completely online using Canvas; all coursework (discussions, assignments, quizzes) is submitted online. There are no face-to-face meetings. Believe it or not, please be prepared to spend 24-36 hours per week on coursework for this class. Because this is a six-week, accelerated summer course, it will require substantially more time weekly than the traditional eighteen-week, full-length semester course. Please be mindful of what this time commitment entails.
IS an ONLINE CLASS YOUR CUP OF TEA?
Because this class is completely online, you may find it more demanding than a face-to-face course. As a guideline, you should expect to spend about 24hours per week on this summer class alone. This estimation is based on an established norm known as the Carnegie unit. We are trying to cram 18-weeks of work into a 6-week window. All of the content but 1/3 of the time. Thus, the accelerated pace of a summer class amplifies an already demanding course. There is a significant amount of reading in this class as the information that you will need to succeed is presented in written form via your textbook, and the Canvas pages.
- First, go to the Online Readiness ResourcesLinks to an external site.Links to an external site. to take a "self-assessment”. There are many resources that were designed to help you understand the basis for an online class and the skills necessary for success. (If the tutorials do NOT describe you, then taking this class online is NOT for you, and I strongly suggest that you drop the online class and enroll in a traditional classroom section when that opportunity returns—and it will, in time.)
- You should have basic computer skills to complete this class successfully. These include but are not limited to knowing how to
- Download, open, save, attach files; make and annotate PDFs; insert links
- Use Google Slides to create brief, engaging presentations
- You must have access to
- A computer, email account, and reliable internet connection.
- You will also need to have a backup plan in case your internet provider or computer goes down. All assignments will be submitted online through Canvas.
- It is also essential that you understand the basic concepts of email, web navigation and online communication to succeed in this course.
Mandatory Online Orientation (You Must Complete it!)
- You must complete the mandatory online orientation to stay enrolled in this course.
- You will log into Canvas on the first day of the course and complete the required orientation exercise which will include: completing the online tutorial, watching an orientation video, posting in the discussion forum, sending an email, and submitting your first assignment. Failure to complete these exercises will result in confusion and inability to find the necessary course links for a successful semester. If you do not complete this orientation by the end of the first week, you will be dropped from the course. This tutorial will assist you by offering helpful tips and resources to make your online experience successful.
Regular Effective Contact Policy
- Regular and Effective Instructor Contact will be met through weekly instructor initiated threaded discussion forums, weekly announcements to students, timely and effective feedback on student assignments, email, Zoom conferencing, messaging to individuals, and virtual office hours.
- Students are required to log in a minimum of three times a week to read and post content. Because this is an accelerated summer course, if a student does not log in and participate for one week, or if their posting percentage is 60% or below, the student will be dropped from the course.
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Course Description
English 201B builds on the skills and ideas of 201A and moves beyond them. Students will continue to develop critical reading, analytical, and argument skills and apply them to the broad and diverse subject of literature. We will read poems, short fiction, essays, narratives, and plays. We will also view Hamlet. We will discuss these works in class and write about them informally and formally. We will investigate the qualities that make writings literary and present arguments about literature. Students will also have a chance to develop the skill of writing under pressure in this course. This class is about human stories and conceits and the power of words to reach others—not just the words of famous writers, but your words. We will study different ways and techniques of reading and writing and learn the terminology of literature. Take this course seriously to become a more proficient reader, writer, thinker, and to learn to suspend judgment until you have studied and thought about a topic.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate advanced critical thinking and reasoning skills in a literary context (PO 1, 2, 3);
- Write interpretive literary arguments using advanced rhetorical and composition skills (PO 3, 4, 5, 6, 7); and
- Demonstrate information competency in a literary context (PO 8)
Textbook and Materials
This class requires a significant amount of weekly reading. We will be completing weekly homework assignments and discussion forums based on weekly reading assignments. Therefore, you will need the textbooks right away. Textbooks may be purchased reliably through the Cuesta College Official BookstoreLinks to an external site.Links to an external site., but you may rent or purchase a new or used copy through other sites. Be certain to purchase the correct edition.
- Mays, Kelly, Ed. The Norton Introduction to Literature, Portable 13th Edition. W.W. Norton and Co. Inc, 2019.
- All other course materials are accessible through our Canvas LMS.
Technical Support
- Cuesta students are encouraged to direct all technical support inquiries to support@my.cuesta.edu. If you are having issues with Canvas, you should contact the Canvas Support Hotline at (877) 921-7680, or click on the help button on the Canvas Navigation to report a problem.
Accommodations
- This course is designed using an accessible Learning Management System, and course materials have been created with ADA compliance in mind. If you have a disability and might need accommodations in this class, such as extended time on exams or other resources, please contact the instructor as soon as possible so that you can receive appropriate accommodations in a timely manner. You should also contact DSPS (Disabled Student Programs & Services)Links to an external site.Links to an external site. at 805-546-3148.
College & Course Policies
Academic Honesty Policy
- This is serious stuff! If we use another person’s work, we must give that individual credit. If a student willingly takes credit for someone else’s words or ideas, or if he/she is discovered cheating in any way, the student will receive a zero on the assignment and a Student Misconduct Report will be filed with the College Vice-President or Executive Dean. Basically, I want to see your work; I want to help you become an even stronger writer. In addition to my course policy, please note all students attending San Luis Obispo County Community College District at any district site and when representing Cuesta College in any off-campus activity, assume an obligation to conduct themselves in an acceptable manner compatible with the Student Code of conduct. Please review the Cuesta College Student Code of ConductLinks to an external site.Links to an external site..
Add / Drop Policy
If a student does not log in for one week, or if their posting percentage is 60% or below, that student will be dropped from the course. One week of absence in a six-week summer session accounts for 12 “lecture” hours of absence, the equivalent of being absent for three weeks in an eighteen-week semester course. In addition to my policy, please review the Cuesta policies for adds and drops.
WELCOME, BOLD COUGARS OF CUESTA COLLEGE!
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