Instructor: Shawn Ford	Class Hours: M/W 7:45 – 9 a.m.
Office: I‘liahi 220	Classroom: Mokihana 101
Phone: 734-9327	E-mail: sford@hawaii.edu
Office Hours: M/W 9 – 10 a.m.	Web: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~sford

Course Description

ESL 100 Expository Writing: A Guided Approach (3) KCC AA/WR

Prerequisite(s): Qualification for ESL 100 on the KCC placement test, or a grade of C or higher in ENG 22, or instructor recommendation, or successful completion of ESOL 94.

ESL 100 is a content-based course, focusing on various concepts associated with education in the U.S. Kindergarten to twelfth grade (K-12) public education is said to be ineffective and in need of change. Higher education is said to serve only the elite in society and must change to meet the needs of the middle and working classes. In this course students will explore and analyze problems with the education system in the U.S. and reforms for these problems. Readings about the American education system are included in the textbook for this class. The instructor will provide additional information about the U.S. education system through discussions and handouts.

Writing development is approached in the context of a language input/ output model. Students will be reading (input) about the U.S. education system and writing (output) about associated issues with the overall purpose of demonstrating and improving their abilities to express themselves clearly in academic writing. In addition, students will have opportunities to develop their academic vocabulary and other study skills and strategies necessary to be successful in American colleges and universities.

Course Requirements:

Required Texts – available in the KCC Bookstore

· McGraw-Hill Primis Reader for ESL 100

· Keys for Writers (w/ Smarthinking tutoring service)

Required Materials – available in the KCC Bookstore

· 3-ring binder for your “Academic Writing Portfolio” (≥ 1/2” with inside pockets)

· Notebook paper for free-writing: American college-ruled 8-1/2 x 11” loose-leaf

Recommended Reference – available at local bookstores and online

· Longman American Dictionary paperback –or–

· Collins Cobuild Dictionary paperback

Additional Requirement

· U.H. e-mail account. Students are required to use their U.H. e-mail address (username@hawaii.edu) for any and all e-mail correspondence in this course. Only e-mails from U.H. accounts will be accepted. E-mails from any other server (MSN, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.) will be trashed, unread and un-responded to. BE WARNED.

· For account and password help, please go to the IMTS Help Desk in the 2^nd floor of the Naio building.

Course Goals (G)

This ESL course is designed to

G1) provide students with a variety of information about the American education system, including the basic theories of American education, the purposes of public education in the U.S., various issues and problems associated with the American educational system, and reforms of the educational system based on these issues and problems;

G2) help students evaluate and analyze the content provided in Goal 1; and

G3) help students demonstrate their understanding in writing of various issues and problems associated with the education system in the U.S.;

with the overall goal to

G4) prepare students for their future college careers at KCC and elsewhere by providing students with guidance and feedback on various academic writing tasks, including free-writes, discussions, e-mails, summaries, reflections, analyses, reports, research papers, and portfolio development.

Student Objectives (O)

In this course, students will study academic content about education in the U.S. The purpose of this academic content is to facilitate the process through which students will develop their writing and critical thinking skills in order to achieve specific learning objectives. In short, students will develop the way that language is used to express thought. We will work together to understand and achieve these specific objectives as detailed in the KCC catalog, and reproduced here:

ESL 100 focuses on critical reading and expository writing for the non-native speaker of English. Students will benefit from extensive practice in writing expository essays focusing on the discovery and use of various linguistic devices that make an essay effective.

Upon successful completion of ESL 100, the student should be able to:

O1) read critically and evaluate literary selections and to apply the same techniques to the student’s own writing;

O2) write clear, coherent prose, for specific purposes and for specific audiences;

O3) practice writing expository essays using rhetorical and writing techniques;

O4) identify details that support an author's thesis;

O5) discover in reading various techniques and devices used by the author;

O6) review topic sentence, paragraph and supporting details;

O7) write various types of academic essays;

O8) write a research paper with bibliography, demonstrating mastery of this form;

O9) organize outlines and thesis sentences as aids to writing;

O10) spontaneously write an organized and well-developed essay on a given topic;

O11) keep a journal for spontaneous writing assignments; and

O12) promote ideas and increase writing skills.

In addition, students in this ESL 100 section should be able to:

O13) develop a personal writing portfolio for academic and career purposes.

Writing Requirement (W)

ESL 100 fulfills the Written Communication Foundation Requirement for degrees at UHM and KCC.

To satisfy the Written Communication requirement, this course will:

W1) introduce students to academic discourse and different forms of college-level writing, and guide them in writing for different purposes and audiences;

W2) provide students with guided practice of writing processes – planning, drafting, critiquing, revising, and editing – making effective use of written and oral feedback from the faculty instructor and from peers;

W3) require at least 5000 words of finished prose – equal to ~20 standard typed pages;

W4) help students develop information literacy by teaching search strategies, critical evaluation of information and sources, and effective selection of information for specific purposes and audiences; teach appropriate ways to incorporate such information, acknowledge sources and provide citations; and

W5) help students read texts and make use of a variety of sources in expressing their own ideas, perspectives, and/or opinions in writing.

Course Grading

Each assignment in the categories below is assigned points, and you accumulate points throughout the semester towards your final grade by submitting complete assignments in a timely manner.

Grading Categories:

• Online/ Homework Assignments
• Discussion Board Postings
• Journal Postings
• Papers/ Essays (including all drafts)
• Peer Feedback
• Vocabulary Quizzes
• Writing Exam
• Group Debate
• Course Project

Once I receive an assignment, I will assess it for a grade based on the course 4-point holistic rubric for rating and scoring all course assignments. The assignment is given a rating based on the holistic scale of 1 to 4. The assignment rating corresponds to a points percentage, which is multiplied by the assignment's total possible points. As such, every assignment's total possible points is divisible by 4. For example, a 4-point assignment that scores a 4 rating receives all 4 points. An 8-point assignment that scores a 3 rating receives 6 points. A 12-point assignment that scores a 2 rating receives 6 points. And a 40-point assignment that scores a 1 rating receives 10 points.

You accumulate grade points in this manner throughout the semester towards your final grade.

Your final course grade is determined by dividing your total accumulated assignment points by the total possible course points. Your percentage is then assigned a letter grade as follows:

Rating	Points Percentage	Total Points Range	Final Grade Percentage	Final Letter Grade
4	100%	1200 - 1500	80-100%	A
3	75%	900 - 1199	60-79%	B
2	50%	600 - 899	40-59%	C
1	25%	300 - 599	20-39%	D
0	0%	0 - 299	0-19%	F

Course Requirements

The following are required of each student:

1) Participation

· Participation by each student in all aspects of the class is a primary requirement for receiving a passing grade.

· Since a portion of the course work will be dedicated to peer response, group discussions, and group writing, active participation by all class members is essential.

· Participation refers to how seriously students take themselves, their classmates, this course, and the topics raised in the classroom.

· It also has to do with the amount of effort students put into their assignments and the degree to which students work towards making this course their own.

· Lack of respect for others, their thoughts, and their work will not be tolerated and will negatively affect the evaluation of participation and overall course grade. However, careful attention to the thoughts of others, incorporating those ideas into appropriate assignments (with proper credit when necessary), contributing to the learning of others in the class by sharing thoughts, and other collaborative gestures will affect grades very positively.

2) Class/ Homework Assignments

· Students will have various regular class and homework assignments during the semester.

· Students should complete all required homework assignments on time, and be prepared for any associated class activities on the due date.

· Assignments may not be submitted as regular email attachments.

3) Quizzes

· Students will have several vocabulary quizzes throughout the semester covering terms from the articles.

· Students will have 1 essay quiz near the end of the semester based on the course readings.

· In addition, students may have unannounced quizzes throughout the semester on anything covered in the course.

4) Papers/ Essays

· All drafts of papers and assignments must be word processed using either Times New Roman or Arial, 12-point font, double-spaced, with one inch margins. If using an Asian word processing system (such as MS Word), students need to make sure that the paper size is set to 8-1/2 x 11” instead of A-4.

· Students will write the following essays and papers in addition to other writing assignments:

1 Reflection essay on the Purpose of Education and Learning (minimum 375 words)

4 Summary essays based on the first two articles (minimum 375 words each = 1500 words)

2 Analytic essays based on the first two articles (minimum 375 words each = 750 words)

1 Reaction essay on Bilingual Education Reform (minimum 500 words)

1 Research Paper (minimum 1500 words) – plus cover page, proposal, outline, bibliography

1 final Reflection essay on Education in America (minimum 375 words)

· Papers may not be submitted as regular email attachments for any reason.

· Be aware that submission of one paper for two different courses without approval will result in failure of the papers in both courses and academic action taken against the student. Please refer to the UH policy on plagiarism for more information on this matter http://www.hawaii.edu/student/conduct/

5) Peer Feedback

· During the semester, students will be responsible for several peer feedback assignments.

· After writing 1st drafts of select course essays, students must bring a copy of each essay to class on the associated due date for paper exchange and peer feedback. Please note: if a student does not bring a paper to class, the student will not be able to participate in feedback activities on these dates, and the student will not receive valuable peer feedback on their writing.

· Using the peer feedback guidelines given to you, you must provide feedback on the papers of several of your classmates.

6) Class Speaking Tasks

· Students will have two in-class speaking tasks based on class readings and the research paper assignment. The first task is a group debate based on the Bilingual Ed. Readings. The second task is a seminar-style solo presentation based on the research paper.

· In addition, students will be responsible for assessing the speaking of their classmates.

· Participation is an integral part of each student’s final grade.

· Requirements for the speaking tasks will be given at a later date.

7) Final Course Task: Writing Portfolio on the American Education System

· This semester, students will compile selected assignments into a Writing Portfolio project.

· The Writing Portfolio will include the following categories:

Table of Contents

Personal Education History

Summary and Reflections of American Education Issues

Analyses of Select Reform Issues

Personal Opinion of Bilingual Education

Course Research Paper on Education Reformers

Final Reflection on the American Education System

· The portfolio is due at the end of the semester. It will be reviewed by the teacher for student, curriculum, and program assessment and returned to students with their final course grade. This is a major course requirement, amounting to roughly 25% of the course grade.

RULES, RULES, AND MORE RULES

Attendance

Students are expected to attend class on time every day. Attendance will be reflected in student class participation, class assignments, quizzes, presentations, and timely submission of papers and other assignments.

If a student misses class, not only will opportunities to develop language skills be missed, but also important course information will be missed, and classmates will miss the student’s participation in class.

Students are responsible for all material covered in class and for all assignments.

It is understood that there may be times when a student is unable to come to class due to sicknesses, emergencies, scheduled appointments, or other personal reasons. Understanding of this situation does not mean that a student is not responsible for the material missed. If a student misses class, the student must get any assignments, explanations, directions, information, and handouts from classmates. Upon return to class, the student should be prepared for any scheduled class activities.

Quizzes, exams, and tests missed due to absence cannot be made up unless the student provides an acceptable and verifiable excuse, such as a Dr.’s note, an accident report, or a police report. Class activities missed due to absence cannot be made up for any reason. Any group assignments missed due to absence should be made up with the respective group members.

Also, general class announcements and directions will be given in the first 10 minutes of class. If a student is late and does not get this information, the student will be responsible for getting the information from a classmate.

Late Work

All homework assignments should be completed before class and submitted in class on the date that they are due. Students should always be ready for classroom activities or discussions. When you submit your assignments on time, you help me manage the course and give you the credit that you have earned.

Late submission of assignments makes it very difficult for me to manage the course and grading. Therefore, late assignments will only be accepted for up to two class periods after the original due date for credit at a penalty of 25% of the credit points before assessment. Assignments will not be accepted for credit after two class periods late. However, any required assignments, whether accepted for credit or not, must still be included in the final portfolio projects.

Keep in mind that many classroom activities require related papers and homework assignments in order to receive credit. Full participation is a requirement, and these daily classroom activities cannot be made up. The exception to this is late work that has an acceptable and verifiable excuse (a Dr.’s note, an accident report, a police report, etc.).

Repeated late submissions of work will result in failure of the course.

Academic Honesty

All incidences of academic dishonesty and plagiarism will be treated severely. Academic dishonesty includes submitting assignments that are not the student’s own work. Plagiarism includes copying or borrowing another writer's material without proper references, and submitting assignments in more than one course without receiving permission.

I will regularly utilize the resources available to me by the university to detect academic dishonesty. These resources include Internet websites and software.

At the end of the semester, while working on the research paper, we will discuss plagiarism in depth. In the meantime, please refer to the university's policy on academic honesty online at http://www.hawaii.edu/student/conduct/

Course Communication/ Netiquette

All students are expected to follow Netiquette guidelines in all of their online course communications with their peers and instructor. Netiquette refers to proper behavior in an online environment.

At some point of the semester, we may formally look at Netiquette issues. In the mean time, students should familiarize themselves with Netiquette guidelines by searching for the term “Netiquette” on a search engine such as Google.com

Violations of Netiquette guidelines that interfere with course instruction, disrupt course operations, or result in harassment of classmates or the instructor will not be tolerated and will be immediately referred to the Dean of Students for disciplinary action, including possible removal from the course. For additional information, read the university's policy on student behavior at http://www.hawaii.edu/student/conduct/

Office Hours/ Conferences

My office is in I‘liahi, Room 220, and my telephone number is 734-9327. I am available for office hours most every day of the week with at least 24 hours request and confirmation.

Keep in mind that I can always be reached by e-mail for questions or messages of a personal nature. I check my mail frequently and usually respond within hours. However, students should not make it a habit of sending me e-mails about homework assignments if they missed class or did not understand assignment directions. Students should speak to me immediately before or after class about these issues.

Additional Notes

Since this is a course for developing academic English writing, it is expected that only English will be used for all course activities and assignments. First languages should not be used for general group or peer discussions, or to “chit-chat” in class, especially when language is used to exclude from conversations classmates who do not speak the same native language. Disregard of this expectation will negatively affect your class participation.

It is a natural tendency for students to sit in the same seats and form their own groups with friends or classmates with similar interests. However, these practices can limit a student’s development in a learning environment like our classroom. Therefore, students are encouraged to sit in different seats each day and form groups with different classmates, and the teacher will change seating arrangements and form groups as necessary for classroom activities.

Please do not send regular course papers or assignments by e-mail or by attachment unless told otherwise. Turn in hard copies only.

Please turn off all cell phones, pagers, and other things that beep, ring, chirp, chime, or can play music, while in our classroom. At no time may anyone engage in phone conversations in the classroom for any reason.

Please do not smoke on the lanai outside of the Mokihana classroom, nor on the stairways, nor under any roofed area, which are all considered areas of the building. Smoke in the open areas around buildings where there are ashtrays.

This class is a safe zone. I will not tolerate discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, or native language. Any violation will be referred immediately to the dean of students for disciplinary action.

If you have a disability and have not voluntarily disclosed the nature of your disability and the support you need, then please contact the Special Student Services office at 743-9552, located in Ilima 105.

This syllabus and the course schedule are subject to change at the teacher’s discretion with appropriate notice.

If you have any questions, please feel free to talk to me after class, by e-mail, or make an appointment for an office conference.