Course Syllabus

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WELCOME TO READ 099 CRITICAL READING

Mrs. Toll   Spring 2016

Office Hours

Mondays         7:00AM-7:45AM   OF3-165 or ME-115

Tuesdays        11:45AM-1:45PM  OF3-165 or ME-115

Wednesdays    2:00PM-3:30PM   OF3-165 or ME-115

Thursdays        No Office Hours

CRN  is a hybrid course and will be taught primarily online with the first class meeting on Thursday, 2/11/16, and subsequent meetings on 2/25/16, 3/10/16, 3/24/16, 4/14/16, 5/12/16, and 5/26/16. 

PHONE: (661)722-6300 Ext. 6908                  E-mail: mtoll@avc.edu (preferred)

UNITS: 3 (pass/no pass only)                         HOURS:  3 Hours Per Week

PREREQUISITE: Eligibility for READ 099 (per AVC assessment) or completion of READ 095.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:   In this course the student works on development of analytical and critical reading skills, vocabulary building, rate improvement, literary comprehension, and study skills related to reading. NOTE: No grade will be given for this course; students will receive "pass" or "no pass" only. (Credit course not applicable to the associate degree and certificate programs.)

 COURSE OBJECTIVES:  Upon completion of this course, the successful student will be able to:

1. Expand knowledge of academic vocabulary.

2. Differentiate between authors' informal and formal language use (as determined by tone/purpose). 3. Use context clues and the dictionary for determining the meaning of unknown words.

4. Utilize metacognitive strategies to construct meaning from text.

5. Identify, paraphrase, summarize, map, and outline the thesis statement, stated or implied main points (main ideas) and the major and minor supporting details in a passage.

6. Distinguish among patterns of organization in written materials.

7. Make inferences, identify and evaluate factual statements, opinion statements and statements of bias, determine purpose and tone, formulate generalizations, analyze arguments, and draw logical conclusions about an author's ideas in a written selection.

8. Apply strategies for increasing reading rate and improving reading flexibility according to context and purpose.

9. Apply study skill strategies to instructional passages from different academic disciplines.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOS) READ 099:

  1. Reading Comprehension, main idea, and supporting details: The student will be able to analyze several factors of a passage written at 12th-grade reading level, including the main idea, the supporting details, and the primary pattern of organization.
  2. Vocabulary Development and Dictionary Usage: The student will increase their knowledge of academic vocabulary commonly used at the 12th-grade level.

YOU WILL NEED REGULAR ACCESS TO THE INTERNET TO COMPLETE SEVERAL ASSIGNMENTS IN THIS CLASS

Reading Plus https://login.readingplus.com   Site Code: AVC

Username: AVC e-mail   _________________@avc.edu Password: 900 _____________

You will complete several homework assignments using this site. You must complete the Insight Assessment and Start-up the first week of school. You will then be expected to complete 9 See Reader (SR) lessons every week and complete 2 lessons in vocabulary or Read Around (RA). You may also choose to work on  iBalance (IB) lessons; this is optional. These assignments can be completed at home if your computer or tablet meets the technical requirements. Otherwise you will have to complete the assignments in the Learning Center/Reading Center or in one of the computer labs on campus. Note that the Library is open on Saturday morning. There is computer access. These assignments are due every Sunday at 11:59PM. I suggest you complete your lessons during the week. If you wait until the weekend and are suspended because of low scores, I may not be available to unsuspend you over the weekend Do not wait until the last minute. Try to do at least 2 SR lessons a day and half of a RA lesson a day. This way, you will not have to scramble at the end of the week.

 GRADING:  In order to pass READ 099, students must:

  1. First, earn a minimum of 70% of the Course Grade,

TESTS Advancing College Reading Skills tests    

25%

Advancing Vocabulary and Reading Plus Vocabulary (RA) Read Around

25%

Reading Plus See Reader (SR) Lessons

20%

Reading strategies and outlines

15%

Townsend Press exercises and other homework assignments

5%

DLAs 10/5 hours

5%

Final Exam

5%

 MATERIALS NEEDED: (As Soon as Possible)

__Highlighters or colored pencils Blue, Green, Yellow, orange, and pink

__College ruled paper

__3 ring binder (one inch) and index tabs

__Black or Dark Blue pen or pencil Only

METHODS OF EVALUATION:

  1. Comprehension SLO Reading Plus Insight Assessment pre and posttests.
  2. Vocabulary SLO mid-term and post final and/or cumulative score.
  3. Completion of assignments (both in-class and homework assignments including computer assignments).
  4. Participation in the class discussions and homework review discussions in class.
  5. The Ten Steps to Advancing….tests
  6. Performance on end-of-semester Reading Proficiency (RPE)tests.

 WORK ETHICS POLICY: To receive passing credit for assignments, all assignments must be turned in when due, as per the class schedule.  In addition, tests must be taken on time.

 DLAs: You are required to complete at least 2.5 hours (5 sessions) in the Learning center to work with a tutor on Directed Learning Activities (DLAS). This is outside the class. You are responsible for having materials to work on for each DLA session. Do not show up empty handed.

SOCIAL / CLASSROOM NORMS: We will establish “Social or Classroom Norms” in the first or second session. They will be added as an attachment to this syllabus.

 VIOLATION OF THE ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY: Dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, or plagiarism.  Plagiarism – from the Latin word for “kidnap” – involves using another’s work without giving proper credit, whether done accidentally or on purpose.  Do not copy another person’s work and/or do not give another person the answers. If you copy from someone else or they copy from you, then neither of you will earn credit for the activity.  Instead, see me if you don’t understand the assignment.

ATTENDANCE EXPECTATIONS:

“When the number of hours a student is absent in a specific course exceed the number of hours the course meets per week, the student may be dropped from the course. If the course is less than sixteen weeks, the faculty will determine at what point the student may be dropped for excessive absences (typically in excess of 1/16th of the course has been missed). The attendance policy for tardies and/or leaving class early for each course is established by the instructor and should be stated in writing in the syllabus. At the instructor’s discretion, tardies and/or leaving class early may be equated to absence(s). While it is the responsibility of the instructors to communicate attendance policies and to apply them equally to all students, it is the responsibility of the students to know the policy in each of their classes and to be aware of their current attendance status (2015-2016 College Catalog).”

  1. It is expected that you will attend all face to face class sessions this semester. We begin class on time, and with few exceptions, utilize our entire allotted instructional time. Most of our tests and some assignments are given during the face to face classes. There will be no make-ups if you miss class. There will also be a penalty for tardiness.
  2. Attendance will be taken on online weeks through participation. All work is due on Sundays at 11:59PM. I you have not participated by completing your assignments, you will be marked absent. If you are absent more than what is allowed per the course catalog, you may be dropped from the class. It is your responsibility to contact me or drop the class if you decide not to continue.
  3. There are no excused absences. You must communicate with the instructor if you miss class beyond the allowed number of absences. Otherwise the absence may result in a drop from the course. You may be required to provide documentation for a court date or a medical appointment or emergency. If you have excessive absences, it will be at the instructor’s discretion whether or not you are dropped from the course.
  4. If you miss class, it is most important that you keep up! Follow the homework assignments on the course schedule. covered and the work you need to make up. Late time counts toward absences.    
  1. Do not leave class early unless there is an emergency; I will mark you as absent unless you have made prior arrangements with me. If you leave early, the time will count towards absences.

 AMERICANS FOR DISABILITIES STATEMENT: If you have a legally protected disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or California discrimination law, and you believe you need reasonable accommodation to participate fully in this class, please make an appointment to see me during my private office hours to discuss your need.  (Statement of policy provided by the Academic Senate, AVC)  Please let me know if you need an accommodation.

 YOU MUST HAVE ACCESS TO BLACKBOARD IN THIS COURSE: Blackboard is a Web-based course-management system designed to allow students and faculty to participate in classes delivered online or use online materials and activities to complement face-to-face teaching. Blackboard enables instructors to provide students with course materials, discussion boards, virtual chat, online quizzes, an academic resource center, and more.

  1. Sign onto Blackboard at avc.edu or in the “My Courses” section on MyAVC
  2. You will use your MyAVC username and password to access Blackboard. A username and password was created when you registered. I can give you your username if necessary. The first time you access Blackboard, your password is your birthday. For example if you were born January 3, 1993, try 010393.
  3. If you have lost or forgotten your username and password, call (661) 722-6300 ext. 6605

    Monday –Thursday from ___ a.m. to ___ p.m. 

    helpdesk@avc.edu to reset immediately or go to BE-320 and request help.

  1. Once you access Blackboard, click on the “Courses” tab and then the course.
  2. Navigate through the links on the left side of the page to get to your destination.

 ALL TESTS MUST BE TAKEN IN CLASS IN BLACKBOARD (UNLESS OTHERWISE DIRECTED). IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO BLACKBOARD ON TEST DAY, YOU WILL RECEIVE A ZERO ON THE TEST.

Course Summary:

Course Summary
Date Details Due