This transferable three-unit course is taught almost entirely by email, with only one class meeting. Find out if the course is right for you by taking our test. Read the syllabus for the class for Fall, 2008, which also lists our only class meeting (SRC W216, Thursday, Aug 21 (5-6 p.m., 6-7 p.m., or 5:30-6:30 p.m.; the room is on the second floor of the East Building). Find directions to the campus at http://www.srvc.net/newcampus.asp#directions. Read essays written by past and present Online English 122 students; your essays will also be published on the World Wide Web, if you wish. Read feedback from recent students. Students in this class turn their papers in on the same day every week. If you'd like to pick a specific day, email me, saying something like, "I'm John Doe, and I'll be in your English 122; I'd like to have my papers due Tuesdays". Texts are Writing with a Thesis by Skwire and Skwire and Rules of Thumb; because of the high prices at the Book Center, I have not listed with them. Instead, visit amazon or any reliable bookseller; any edition will do. You may well do without Rules of Thumb; the Web has several reliable guides to student writing, and I link to some of them. Writing with a Thesis is vital to your success in the class, so get a copy as soon as possible.
Here's a letter I sent to the class before the first meeting last fall, updated as necessary:
Welcome to Online English 122. All the information about
the class is available on the class webpage, at http://home.comcast.net/~bcmckinne/122.html.
There you will find a variety of helpful material, including a
test you can take to see if the class is right for you (and you
for it); a complete course schedule (syllabus); textbooks; feedback
from former students about the class; and successful essays by
former students. If you have questions not answered on the class
webpage, please email me at bmckinne@dvc.edu.
This course has two first meetings, Thursday, Aug 21, from 5 to 6 p.m., and 6 to 7 p.m. If you are enrolled in the class, feel free to come to either meeting. (You may also come from 5:30 to 6:30, if your schedule requires it.) If you cannot make it to the meetings, you must let me know before the meetings, or I will replace you with students who are sitting in. Also, you'll need to read the webpage thoroughly, particularly the syllabus, the assignment due dates (choose a day when your papers are due and email it to me), the list of assignments, my grading symbols, and the class FAQ (frequently asked questions), as well as the other pages mentioned below. Feel free to email me with any questions.
If you are waitlisted lower than that, please come to the 6 p.m. meeting; I will have a clearer idea then how much room I have in the two sections. That goes also for those who are not on the waitlist but who want to take the course.
The texts are not in the bookstore because of the high prices charged there. Also, any edition will do. Used copies are available from a variety of sources, including www.amazon.com. You must have a copy of the basic text, "Writing with a Thesis". You will also need a workbook, and I recommend "Rules of Thumb," but I list a couple of handy workbooks on the webpage.
You will need to choose a day of the week when your assignments are due. You may email me any time (bmckinne@silcon.com) (notice, no "y" on "bmckinne." only one "i" in "silcon"). ["My name is John Doe; I would like my papers to be due Tuesdays."] Be sure to use the name you used when you registered when you ask about a due date. Or you can email me from the link in the list of online classes.
I recommend again that you take a look at the class webpage, so you have some idea of how the class works before the first meeting. Also, I'm always available to answer any questions.
Cordially,
Brian McKinney
DVC online courses |
Online English 122 syllabus | McKinney's
homepage | Student essays | Grading symbols | Are
you ready for Online 122? | feedback
from past students | FAQ | Journals
| Deadlines | Sample
essay analysis | Assignment checklist
| Advice from
Oregon State on avoiding plagiarism
Online guides for writers:
Purdue's
online resources for writers
Capital
Community College
Jack
Lynch's guide to grammar and style (Rutgers)
Common
errors in English (and non-errors to which some English teachers
object)
Questions? Email Brian McKinney
(bmckinne@silcon.com)