This course offers an intensive study of reading, writing and critical thinking skills, focusing on the types of reading and writing expected in college. This course will:

• emphasize the basics of the writing process and build upon the skills you have already developed.

• improve your ability to organize information and ideas through reading, writing, and discussion.

• help you to produce writing which demonstrates appropriate grammar, sentence structure, and usage, reflecting the mature thinking of a college student.

• help you to understand the impact of language use in a multi-cultural society and to recognize the effects of biased language on readers and writers.

• develop your ability to analyze, assess and contribute to online sources.

This course focuses on all aspects of the reading / writing process: pre-reading, pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing and publishing. Much of class time will be spent discussing, writing, and working in small groups, both offline and online. Students are strongly encouraged to use the resources of Oviatt Library and the Learning Resource Center. We will be using CSUN's Moodle and Mahara electronic portfolio system.

• Three sets of "progressions," leading to academic papers (30%):
  • Literacy Narrative

  • Rhetorical Analysis

  • Textual Analysis

• E-Portfolio (20%) Includes revised papers, annotated bibliography, and literacy portfolio.

• Journal (45%): Summaries and Responses for EACH text discussed in class. The work for each S&R is started in the composition notebook and completed online after class discussions.
  Credit as follows:
  
  • 25%: online journal entries
    • Complete S/R within one week of class discussion -- 2 points.
    • Complete S/R withing two weeks of class discussion -- 1 point.
    • Complete S/R more than two weeks after class discussion -- 1/2 point.
    • ALL S/R's are subject to 1-2 point range scale for quality.
    Weekly progress reports.

  • 20%: In the composition notebook, unless otherwise assigned.
    • a short summary of each chapter of Ender's Shadow.
    • homework assignments
    • in-class writing assignments.

• Annotated Bibliography (5%)

• Class Participation: Students are required to fully participate in all classroom activities, small group and whole class discussions, and writing workshops. Activities include in-class essays, short writes, composition book, preparation for discussion, assigned readings and various other assignments. Negative points will be deducted from total class grade. Students are also required to work with the classroom SI both in class, one-on-one, in groups, and outside the classroom. Scheduled conferences are mandatory.

No student can receive higher than a C in 113-A without earning a CR in English 061.

• Bullock, Goggin and Weinberg. The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings and Handbook. 3E ed. Norton, 2013.
• Card, Orson Scott. Ender's Shadow. New York: Tor, 1999.
• New Voices
• College level pocket dictionary (to be used in class). Electronic dictionaries not acceptable.

Required Materials:

A personal computer. While information can be accessed with a variety of devices, papers and online work cannot be completed on smart phones or tablets. Emails from smart phones are discouraged as they are rarely thoughtfully processed or clearly written.

• Composition Notebook (journal) spiral notebooks are not acceptable.
• Pocket Folder
• Stapler: all work over one page must be stapled.
• Memory device: all work must be saved (backed-up) in a safe, stable environment until final grade is recorded.

• colored hi-liters
• post-it notes or small colored tabs