Course Structure
12 Is the Magic Number
Each week I assign twelve class preparation and participation points. That arbitrary sounding number actually serves as a reminder of how much time per week you should be spending on this class (four units of "classtime" plus eight hours of study). Each point represents an hour of study/work time.
You can always calculate your overall class participation grade by dividing the number of points you have earned (you will find these in blackboard) by the number of points possible. If, for example, by week five of the course, a student has 40 of 50 possible points, that student has an 80% or B for class participation (40 divided by 50 = .8. or 80%).
Reading & Discussion
Typically you will have 8-15 pages form CDR (California Dreams and Realities), a web lecture on the reading, and a contribution to the class discussion board. The combination of reading and writing should take 2-3 hours.
Writing Activities:
Emphasizing the writing process, this course will have you writing approximately three hours for each Monday and Thursday unit. Activities will include reading instructions, rubrics, and sample esays as well as prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing your work. Writing activities will require about three hours of work for each unit. They are the heart of this class, and you will find them the most challenging aspect of the course.
Peer Response Activities
Designed to encourage us to talk to each other about our writing, these activities will range from group brainstorming to one-to-one feedback on drafts. Peer response activities will require 1 to 1.5 hours of work in each unit.
