Skyline College      http://skylinecollege.net/

               Reading 836:  Academic Reading Strategies  --  Fall 2004

                                       Course Theme: Two Americas      

 

 

               Instructor:  Rachel Bell                                                                           

                                            Webpage: http://www.skylinecollege.edu/bellr

                                       Email: bellr@smccd.net, Voice Mail: (650) 738-4349

                                                   Office: Building 5, Room 5108

                                                                                                                                     

English office & mailboxes:  Room 8110-12, 738-4202               Course Meetings: Tues evenings 7-10:05pm

Computers and Tutoring in TLC: Bldg 5, Room 5100       Room 5102, Course Dates: 8/24 – 12/14

Engl 853: Get help writing papers—enroll now CRN #87409   Schedule #88207  – Read 836JB, Units 3.0

 

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“Words set things in motion.  I’ve seen them doing it.  Words set up atmospheres,

         electrical fields, charges.”       --Toni Cade Bambara

 

 

Course Requirements: 

 

Prereq: READ 826 or ESOL 840 or ESOL 841 and 842 with Credit or a grade of C or better, or eligibility for READ 836 on approved college Reading placement test and other measures as necessary. Students placing in READ 836 and ENGL 836 should enroll in both courses concurrently.

 

 

Course Objectives:  

 

The objective of this course is to guide students toward becoming more active, purposeful, and confident readers.  To achieve this goal, we will work on strengthening and developing study skills as well as reading strategies.  By the end of this course, students will be able to read more efficiently, distinguish the main ideas from supporting details, apply strategies to increase retention, evaluate a writer’s argument or reasoning, and draw from a larger vocabulary.

 

 

Required Materials:  

 

William Faulkner said, “The tools I need for my work are paper, tobacco, food, and a little whisky.” 

Here are the “tools” required for this course:

 

    The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

              Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol                         

              Growing Up Asian American ed. Maria Hong

                Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich

              Course Reader available at Skyline's Bookstore

              Reading Hour-by-Arrangement Folder—available at the Skyline Bookstore                              

 

 

 

 

      “Language is the mother, not the handmaiden, of thought;

      words will tell you things you never thought or felt before.”  -- W.H. Auden

 

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Course Policies:  

 

(1) Attendance-- Your active participation is necessary for you and your classmates to realize the objectives of this course.  Therefore your attendance is crucial.  A maximum of 2 (two) absences is permitted; each absence after the second will significantly lower your grade. 

 

(2) Late Assignments—No late work will be accepted.  All due dates are given well in advance;  therefore I feel that it is unfair to the students who complete their work on time to accept the work from those who do not.  However, because “life happens,” each student will be allowed two “late tickets” during the semester; twice students may choose to turn an assignment in the following class period after the due date.  Late assignments beyond this will not be accepted.

 

(3) Class participation--- Remember that participation counts--both for your grade and in your life.  It is essential that you become consciously involved in class by participating in discussions and contributing thoughtful comments, questions, and answers. 

 

(4) Disabled Students—Reasonable accommodation will be provided for eligible students with disabilities. Contact the DSPS office for an accommodation letter (650) 738-4280.

 

 

 

 

 

Assignments: 

 

In this course we will be keeping reading journals, taking in-class quizzes, working on vocabulary building exercises, completing reading strategy assignments, and the course will end with a 2 ½ hour final exam.

 

 

 

 

Course Grade:                                                          Record Your Own Grades:

 

Reading Journals                                      40%              Average Journal score______ x .40  =  _____

Homework                                              15%              Average HM score     ______ x .15  =  _____

Quizzes                                                   15%              Average Quiz score    ______ x .15  =  _____

Final Exam – 12/14                                  20%              Score for Final Exam  ______ x .20  =  _____

Hour by Arrangement                                 5%              Hour by Arrangement  ______ x .05  =  _____

* Participation                                            5%              Participation                ______ x .05  =  _____

          *TOTAL:      (convert total to %)   ________

 

* Participation includes being prepared each day, meeting   

with me at least once during the course of the semester,      * Deduct 1% for each absence over allowed 2.

and adding to daily discussion.                                            Scoring as follows:  100-90=A, 89-80=B

               79-70=C, 69-60=D, 59-0=F        

 

 

 

 

 

   “Wrestling with words gave me my moments of greatest meaning.”  -- Richard Wright