Welcome to English 1109

Introductions and Networking Opportunity Frequently, students can feel lost and disconnected in an unfamiliar class. Often they have few resources among their peers, which can hider them. Therefore, an activity that enables students to connect and develop contacts in the class can be of great benefit.

Introductions and Networking Opportunity Fill out the index card that has been distributed to you. Include the following information: Your name (either your formal name or the name you’d like to be called in class) Your major Three interesting things about you The last English class you’ve had What you hope to learn in this class

Introductions and Networking Opportunity Form groups of 3-4 people Choose one person from your group to interview Initially ask for information provided on your partner’s card, but if you are both comfortable sharing more, please do. Once everyone in the group has been interviewed, each group member will introduce one person from the group to the class, providing the information on that person’s card as well as anything else appropriate that the person has chosen to share

Instructor Introduction Name: Tamara Lynde Major: English Three interesting facts: I’ originally from Iowa I went to CSUB I love the color purple. Last English class: 19th century American Literature What I hope to learn: More and better ways of helping students to write, read, and research more effectively.

Syllabus The syllabus is the most important document for any course. It provides students with a wealth of important information necessary for the entirety of the course. Examine the course syllabus as I go over it. Note the important information that the syllabus contains.

The Course Website Unlike other courses that use blackboard, this course has a course website. This will be used throughout the course and is where I will post all of the handouts, extra copies of the syllabus, class powerpoints, and important links for the class. The website, as indicated on the syllabus, is located at tammylynde.weebly.com. Please visit the website regularly to check for important course information and documents.

My Writing Lab Plus This is a website and educational tool that allows students to practice the foundational skills necessary for a course like this. We will be doing 10 topics in this program in addition to the pathbuilder at the beginning of the program and final diagnostic at the end. We will have regular due dates for all of the topics as listed on the syllabus. Also note that we do have the My Writing Lab headquarters located in CB 100 to help you with the program. Please either see them or me if you run into problems or have questions.

Turnitin.com This is a website that helps students check their documentation for their papers to avoid or avoid the appearance of plagiarism. We will be submitting most of our assignments to this site in addition to turning in paper copies of the assignments in the due dates.

Library Assignment Since this is a research-based class, we will have a library assignment, which will require you to work with the librarian assigned to our class. Note that unless the student is enrolled in a separate research course put on by the library, each student will need to visit the librarian at least 4 times this semester. Within the first few days of class, our librarian will visit our class and give more detailed information.

Diagnostic Essay During the first week, we will be writing a diagnostic essay. This will be a take-home assignment based on a reading called “How to Fix Poverty: Write Every Family a Basic Income Check,” which I will post on the class website. The article will have an essay question at the bottom which your essay will respond to. I will also have a powerpoint on the website with basic directions outlining length and other basic directions. Note that this is a credit/no credit assignment that simply gives me an idea of where you are starting with your writing skills and gives you an idea of some of the basic expectations of the course. Please stop me after class if you have specific questions about this assignment.