ENGL 101 - English Composition - Amelia Norton-Cooke
| Course: | English Composition |
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| Professor: | Amelia Norton-Cooke |
| Email: | amelia.norton-cooke@canyons.edu |
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Introduction
Online classes are capable of creating a unique community. Many students who are unable to attend traditional classes on campus for a wide variety of reasons can and do complete their education through online courses. This tends to create rich, diverse academic environments, and it is one of my favorite things about teaching online classes. We get to meet and learn from a wider range of people. Students and instructors alike are introduced to new experiences and viewpoints that enhance our ability to think critically about, and engage positively with, the world around us.
In this class, we are going to encourage that critical thinking and positive engagement while developing reading and writing skills. Words, written and spoken, are a powerful tool for communicating with others. Whether you already enjoy writing, or actively avoid it whenever you can, strengthening your writing will only lend power to a voice that is uniquely your own. This class is designed to help achieve that goal. It will take hard work - remember, it's called the writing process for a reason - but it can also be fun!
Course Description
English 101 builds critical reading and expository writing skills through the analysis and evaluation of college-level texts and the composition of well-organized, full-length essays containing properly documented evidence.
What to Expect in this Course
ONLINE FORMAT
This course is 100% online - there are NO required face-to-face meetings or in-person video class sessions. However, there are specific deadlines and due dates for assignments and activities. Lectures and explanations of concepts will be given in various formats: YouTube videos, PowerPoint presentations, and PDF or Word documents. We will use Canvas as our learning platform. This is where you will access course information and lecture material, complete all assignments, and interact with your classmates (and me!).
Because there are no required meeting dates and times, online classes offer students a great deal of flexibility. You can learn the material and complete the assignments when it best fits your schedule (do you do your best work at 2am? Great! Log in and get some work done then. Does your schedule change daily making it difficult to come to class on a consistent basis? No problem! You can log in at different times on different days. Are you physically unable to come to campus, or required to stay home as someone's caregiver? You can still be successful in an online class!). This amazing flexibility and freedom to tailor the course to your needs does come with some added student responsibilities. This course requires a great deal of discipline, organization, reading, and participation several days a week because online courses are student driven. This means that it will be YOUR responsibility to read the material, do the work, keep track of deadlines, and notify me if you have any questions.
VERY IMPORTANT: To avoid being dropped from the course as a “no show”, you must login to the course website on Canvas and complete THREE activities by 11:59pm on the first day of the course (a discussion board, a syllabus quiz, and a professional email). If you do not complete these assignments by the deadline, you will be dropped from the course. The website becomes available for student access at 1:00am on the first day of class. It is not enough to log in to our Canvas course; you must complete the discussion board activity and syllabus quiz to be counted as “present”.
TIME COMMITMENT
In general, for every 1 unit a college course is worth, you will spend about 3 hours per week outside of class reading and practicing the skills you’ve learned. For a 4-unit course like ours, you should expect to devote about 12 (maybe more) hours PER WEEK reading, writing, thinking, researching, receiving tutor assistance, and completing homework assignments. IF you're taking this course at an accelerated pace (for example, if you're registered for a 5 or 8 or 12 week class), then you will need to increase this estimation of time - you may very well be spending twice as much time each week completing work for the class. The time commitment also differs from student to student based on differences in learning styles, organization, and time management.
Since this is a time-intensive course, you will want to be mindful of your time management from the very beginning of the semester. This means you should find time management techniques that work best for you, such as using a calendar (paper or electronic) to note important due dates, inputting reminders in your phone, considering giving yourself extra time for reading tasks and assignments, and avoiding waiting until the last minute to complete assignments. This is not a course where you can log in once at the beginning of the semester and do all of your work ahead of time, nor can you log in once at the end of the semester and catch up on an entire semester's worth of work at one time. Time management can be challenging, but it is a key component to your success! Please do not take this class because you don’t have time in your schedule to take a “real class.” We cover the same material, tackle the same concepts, and complete the same academic goals as a "in person" course. This class requires the same amount of time as a traditional course, if not more.
REQUIRED TECHNOLOGY
To be successful, students should have regular access to a reliable computer with stable, high-speed internet connection. Be aware that lack of internet access, poor Internet access, or malfunctioning technology – including software and computer programs – are not acceptable excuses for not completing assignments on time. If your computer suddenly crashes, or your internet becomes unstable, it is your responsibility to problem solve and find an alternate solution before the deadline.
You will need proficiency in the following apps and techniques:
- Canvas (phone app available)
- Canvas works best with the Google Chrome browser
- Zoom
- Microsoft Word (free to COC students - click here)
- PDF reader (free to COC Students - click here)
- YouTube
Types of Assessments
The specific assignments, and grading policies, can be found on the course syllabus. This is available to you on our Canvas page once the course starts. Generally, you should expect four multi-paragraph argumentative essays (including outlines, drafts, and peer-reviews), reflections, discussion board posts, assignments, activities, and quizzes,
Textbook Information
The textbooks for this course can be found through the COC bookstore (to find textbooks online - click here). You will need access to these texts by end of week one in order to complete some assignments. It is always best to have your textbooks as soon as possible (even before the first day!) to give yourself plenty of time. Assignments missed because of missing, late, or incorrect textbooks will not receive credit.
Other Relevant Course Information
Students who do well in online courses tend to share the following qualities:
- They are good at motivating themselves to complete work by deadlines
- They are strong readers and communicate well in writing.
- They have strong time management skills.
- They enjoy active, cooperative learning experiences.
- They have reliable access to the Internet.
- They have basic computer skills, including the ability to cut/copy and paste between documents, send and receive email attachments, and most importantly, save documents in the appropriate requested file formats.
Additional Resources
Canvas
This course can be accessed on the first day of class via Canvas at https://coc.instructure.com. Log into Canvas using your CanyonsID single sign-on:
- CanyonsID Username is your COC student email address (Ex: username@my.canyons.edu)
- CanyonsID Password is your COC student email password
Please visit the Get to Know Your Online Classroom page for help logging into Canvas and for tips on using Canvas and Zoom. Canvas Chat Support is also available 24/7 for any Canvas related issues.
Online Education
Check out the Online Education website for more information on a variety of topics that can help you be a successful online student such as: exam proctoring, learning styles, computer skills, and tips for student success. If this is your first online course, feel free to take our online learning readiness assessment to assess your skills.
The Learning Center (TLC)
The TLC provides FREE online tutoring resources to COC students!
Academic Accommodation Center (AAC)
College of the Canyons AAC provides educational services and access for eligible students with documented disabilities who intend to pursue coursework at COC. A variety of programs and services are available which afford eligible students with disabilities the opportunity to participate fully in all aspects of the college programs and activities through appropriate and reasonable accommodations. For more information on their services visit the Academic Accomodation Center website.
Online Counseling
The Counseling Department offers appointments online. You can schedule an appointment by visiting the Online Counseling website. Counselors can help you map out a plan to reach your educational goals as well as advise you on course selection and registration.
Management of Stress and Mental Health
Often the pressure on our students is very strong, involving academic commitments, relationships, outside jobs and family pressure to name a few. The staff and faculty of College of the Canyons are here to see you succeed academically and care about your emotional and physical health. You can learn more about the broad range of confidential student services, including counseling and mental health services available on campus by visiting the Student Health & Wellness Center in the Student Services Building (across from the bookstore). The phone number is 661-362-3259 that you can call 24/7. You can also e mail for an appointment at StudentHealthCenter@canyons.edu. At the Canyon Country Campus the Health Center will be in the new Student Services Building.
Also, the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline number is now 988. All students at COC are encouraged to enter that phone number in their cells. You can call it when you, or someone you know, is having thoughts of suicide or is in severe distress.
You can also now use the Crisis Text Line: Just text "Courage" to 741741. Someone will get back to you immediately. Its free, 24/7, and confidential.
Veterans Resource Center
The College of the Canyons Veterans Resource Center is a department within the Student Services Division at the college, created to help veterans and veteran dependents with applying to College of the Canyons, enrolling in classes, and requesting VA Education or Vocational Benefits. For more information please visit the Veterans Resource Center website, email veterans@canyons.edu or phone (661) 362-3469.
Library
The Library provides live online and in-person research help, access to a full range of e-resources and physical materials that support the curriculum, individual and group study areas, and much more!
Last updated: 09/06/2023 Sub#: 603