** English Composition 2 **

Office: Room 410 (phone:450-3373)

Textbook: Words in Motion: An Interactive Approach to Writing

Grade:
  Attendance 20%
  Participation in class, pair work, group work, homework 15%
  Secret Partner Journals 15%
  Final drafts of writing projects(3) 50%
  TOTAL 100%

Attendance Policy: Attendance is very important(It's worth 20%!). Remember that this English class could be your only chance to speak, write,and practice your English. So come to class and have fun using your English. Also, don't be late. Attendance will be graded as follows:

1 absent = -2
2 late = 1 absent(-2)
5 absent = F

Participation: Participation in class is also very important. There will be a lot of pair and group work writing activities in this class. You will share your writing with other students and you will help each other improve your writing. The following things will help you get a good participation grade:

- Participates well and actively in pair work and group work writing activities.

- Encourages and helps other students when they are having difficulty.

- Has a positive attitude.

- Completes homework.

Secret Partner Journals: Fun, Motivating, Helps Develop Fluency

Beginning in the 3rd or 4th week of the semester I will find you a secret writing partner from another class. Each week you will write to each other in a journal notebook you will share together in which you will write in a freewriting-diary style(about 3/4 to 1 page). You will be free to write about anything you want(if you don't know what to write about I can give you some topics to write about). I will check your journal every week but I will not grade you on accuracy(grammar-spelling). I will only grade you on three things: (1) appropriate length (2) completed on time (3) interesting writing-content. I will explain more about the secret partner journals later in the semester.

Final Draft Writing Projects: There will be 3 writing projects for this class. These 3 writing projects form the most important part of this class(50% of your grade!). All of the pre-writing, planning, and writing of the projects will be done in class. I and the other students will help you each step of the way. So don't worry. You will see that the writing projects will be quite fun and interesting. Here are the 3 projects:

1. A Personal Profile/Interview of a person that you admire a lot in your life.(10%)

2. An E-Mail Pal Letter. (15%)

3. Your free choice. * (25%)

* Possibilities: A Movie Review - A Tourist Pamphlet - A Story (any kind)

- A Speech - A Newsletter for the English Department and for English Majors

- A Literature Essay Report - Anything else you want to write(with my approval).

Office Hours: Please come to my office(room 410) if you ever have any English questions or if you just want to have a pleasant conversation. Don't be shy! You are always welcome. I will announce my office hours during Week 2 of the semester.

Final Comment : I hope that you will learn a lot in my class and that you will have fun and enjoy yourself. Always remember: Learning is Power!

The 7-Step Process to Writing:

1- Pre-writing / Planning
- Thinking about your topic.
- Collecting and organizing ideas and information.

2- Drafting
- Using your ideas and plans to write a first draft.
- Just write without worrying about grammar or spelling.
- Don't try to be perfect.
- Think of new ideas as you write.

3- Sharing(Peer Editing)
- Get help from your classmates and teacher.
- Read each other's drafts.
- Give ideas to your partner(don't be afraid to criticize your partner).
- Ask questions about your partner's writing.

4- Revising
- Improve the focus, content, and organization of your writing using your classmates and teacher's suggestions.
- Add more ideas and information.

5- Editing
- Check grammar, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and word choices.

6 Final Draft
- Make the final changes to your paper.

7- Audience - Who will read your writing?
- Classmates - Other Classes - Teacher - Other Professors - Your Family/Friends - Glen's Billboard

~ The university has a special grading system.
  A Grade = 25 % of class
  B Grade = 30 % of class
  C Grade = 35 % of class