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English 1A---College Composition---Online
Fall 2009
Section 0411
Instructor
Riba Taylor
Email
taylor@siskiyous.edu
Office hours, plus
I'm always happy to make arrangements to speak with you.
We'll be interacting regularly inside the online course site via private messages, classroom discussions and assignment feedback. We can make plans to speak on the phone or online.
Textbooks
There are two main texts for this class, and they are both available at the college bookstore. (The second one is recommended but not required.) You will also need to choose an additional full-length book. Here is the current list of these extra book choices. (Note, you can wait until after the course begins to decide on this additonal selection.)
1) Models for Writers, Rosa and Escholz, 9th edition---ISBN 0-312-44637-3
2) A Writer's Reference, Hacker, 6th edition (Bedford/St. Martin's)
(The 5th edition is also acceptable if you already have that one.)
Syllabus
My syllabus is a relatively fluid, everchanging document, and it's pretty long. :) This incarnation of my syllabus is for Fall 2009.
English 1A syllabus
Assignment calendar
My assignment calendar (I call it the Tasks List because it lists everything you need to complete and submit for each week) can change radically from term to term. Here is the one for Fall 2009 to get a sense of the (heavy) work load, but please note changes may still be made to it.
English 1A Tasks List
Getting started
I will be sending out a "Getting Started" message on or before the first day of class to the email addresses you have listed with the college. (If you don't receive this, no worries. All the information you'll need for getting started will be on the home page of our course site and on the Course Info page of the course. A copy of the Getting Started email will be in the Announcements section there, as well.)
There is no need to begin this work before the first day of class, but if you'd like to get a bit of a head start, I recommend visiting the Etudes NG portal and doing the following:
1) Click on System Requirements at the far left of the page.
2) Confirm you have all the necessary computer hardware and software outlined there.
3) Follow the instructions for reconfiguring your browser with care. Please walk through each of the steps outlined for you there.
Almost all the technical difficulties people have using Etudes NG come from incorrect browser settings. Follow each of the steps outlined for you on this page, and then walk through them again to verify you've set everything exactly as specified.
Logging in
You should be able to log in at the Etudes NG portal by 8:00am on the weekday following the day you become officially registered in the course. However, this course won't be "live" until 8:00am on the first day of the semester. When it goes live, you will see the course tab at the top of your screen once you log in. Clicking on that tab will take you to the home page of the course site.
Be sure to read the recent announcements on the home page with care before proceeding in the course site. :)
Login instructions
This COS page gives you step-by-step instructions for a successful login (including your User ID and Password). Note, if you have already logged into Etudes in the past and have created your own unique password, you will continue to use your existing password.
Instructions for logging in
Etudes NG portal
Once you've learned how to log in, go to the Etudes NG portal and try it out! (Remember, you won't be able to login until the day after you register for the course, and you won't actually have access to this course until the first day of class.)
Etudes NG portal
More you can do to prepare
If you haven't already checked the college's webpage for preparing to be an online learner, be sure to do so. This page offers helpful tips for your online learning success. (Note, I recommend translating the title here into "Being madly successful in your online class"!)
Surviving the Online Class
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