Update: April 4, 2010

Instructor: Dr. Alisa Klinger

Email: aklinger@cuesta.edu

Please put Fall Accelerated English 201A in the subject field when you email me.

Welcome to ENGLISH 201A:

Accelerated Online English Composition

Fall 2010 – Cuesta College

Course Reference Number 72061

Meets 9 weeks (August 16 – October 15, 2010)

Prerequisite: ENGL 156 with a grade of "C" or better.

If this is the first online course that you are planning to take and you feel that you may not have the necessary technology skills to succeed, you should consider taking DIST 101. DIST 101 is a half unit, 3-week course that will introduce you to some of the basic technologies that are used in online courses, including this one.

To find out if distance education is right for you, go to Cuesta Collegeπs ≥Distance Education is For Whom? information page and self-assessment survey: http://library.cuesta.edu/distance/who.htm

COURSE DESCRIPTION

English 201A (formerly English 1A) provides a study of and practice in the use of language and writing of argumentative/analytical essays and research papers. Transfer: CSU; UC.

There are no mandatory meetings for this course. However, students are required to work in a library for the Library Research Workbook component of English 201A. Local students may use the Cuesta College SLO or Paso Robles campus libraries; other students will need to use a full-service public or academic library in their vicinity. Keep in mind that most libraries are closed on weekends and Mondays because of budget cutbacks. It is not possible to complete the Library Research Workbook requirement by using cyber or virtual sources alone, so please do not take this course if you are unable to go to a full-service public or academic library.

Because this is an accelerated online course, you must participate in the discussion at least four times a week to remain in the course. Assignment and discussion due dates come rapidly with only a few days in between because of the accelerated format. So please be prepared for this participatory type of online course, and know in advance that it is not a correspondence or self-paced course. Students who do not access and participate in the course at least 4 times a week, will be denied access. So I urge you to consider carefully your schedule, as well as your family, work, and travel obligations, before signing up for this transfer-level online course. Many students think that distance education will somehow be easier than a face-to-face class, only to discover that the workload is different but by no means less time consuming or difficult. For success in this course, be sure you have both the time and the technology to undertake it.

CONFIRM YOUR SPOT IN THE COURSE – FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS

Once you enroll in the course or register, please send me your name, telephone number, address, and the email address you plan to use for this course. This will confirm your place in the course. I will send you a letter of response with very specific information about the course for you to read and consider in advance of the start of class. Once the course begins, log on right away. You will not receive a notification from me; all you need to do is log onto the course on the first day of the semester (not before, since the course is only available to you on the first day of classes). Keep in mind that you cannot access the course until the first day of instruction: August 16, 2010.

ADD CODES – Directions

Please note that I do not give out add codes before the second day of classes. If you wish to get into the course before it begins, keep trying to get a spot through Banner. When a student drops, his or her spot is available to the first person who accesses the online registration system. For this reason, it is important to keep checking Banner. If you cannot get a spot in the course before classes begin, you may send me an email (including your first and last name, the course name, and the CRN) on the first day of instruction, requesting a place on my waitlist. I will begin distributing add codes, according to my waitlist, after 5p.m. on the second day of instruction.

LOG ON TO YOUR BLACKBOARD (Bb) ACCOUNT – Directions

You will need to log on to Blackboard. You can get there from Cuesta Collegeπs homepage, down at the bottom right hand corner where you see the Blackboard logo/icon (http://cehosting.blackboard.com/webct/entryPage.dowebct) no later than 5p.m. on the second day of the session: August 18, 2010. If you do not log on (or contact me to report an emergency situation), you will be dropped from the course so that someone on the waitlist can have your spot.

In order to log on to your Blackboard account, please follow these instructions: Go to the Blackboard site at http://cehosting.blackboard.com/webct/entryPage.dowebct

using your Internet browser. When you get to http://cehosting.blackboard.com/webct/entryPage.dowebct, you will see 2 choices: "Course List" or "Login".  You should just select "Login" and never select "Course List". Your user ID is your Banner ID: typically your first name underscore last name--all lower case. The default password is STUDENT--all upper case. Please donπt forget to change your password from the default, and then donπt forget your new password. If you have an existing account in Blackboard from a former or current class, then use the same password that you have already established in Blackboard to get into the system. You can change your password subsequently, should you wish to do so.

COURSE MATERIALS - Required Texts and Materials

1. Diana Hacker, A Writerπs Reference with 2009 MLA Update, Sixth Edition, (Bedford/St. Martinπs) ISBN-13: 978-0-312-59332-2

2. Barbara Kingsolver, Pigs in Heaven

3. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz, Everythingπs An Argument, Fifth Edition (Bedford/St Martinπs) (This text is yellow, so be sure to get the right one. It is the version without Readings.) ISBN-13: 978-0-312-59613-2

4. Library Research Workbook 2010 (available to you for free online; or feel free to buy a hard copy to carry with you to the Library)

5. Sherman Alexie, Smoke Signals (1999) You will need to view the film at the Cuesta College Library (SLO campus) or rent or buy it, during the first week of the course. Please find out in advance where you will get a copy of the film.

6. Other articles available online to be assigned

All books and materials are available from the Cuesta College Bookstore except for Smoke Signals. Please contact the Bookstore to arrange for shipping of course materials to your address, if you live outside of the area.

Disabled Students

If you are a student with a verified disability, please discuss your needs for accommodations with me as soon as possible, but no later than the first day of the course.

Student Veterans

The Veteran's Center is in Building 6900, Room 6903, SLO Campus. Phone: (805)546-3142.

MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS TO RUN Blackboard (web-based course management program this course uses)

In order to participate in an online class from home, your system will need to meet the following requirements:

1. Computer - Pentium-class or Macintosh PC

2. Operating System - Windows 95 or Mac OS 8 or above

3. Hard Drive with at least 150 megabytes of free space

4. 32 MB of RAM or above

5. Recent Video & Sound Card

6. Speakers

7. Internet Service Provider - e.g. MSN, AT&T, Earthlink, AOL, etc.

8. 28.8 speed modem or higher (DSL or Cable Modem is best)

9. Internet Browser (AOL is NOT recommended, but can be used - some functions may not work with our online courses)

10. Email Account

For success in this course, you must have access to a reliable computer, an email account, and a functioning Internet connection. You should also have a backup plan should your system or your Internet provider fail you. Since you will email all of your assignments to your classmates and me via the Blackboard internal email system, you must at least have a basic understanding of how to use email, navigate the Internet, and communicate online.