ANNOUNCEMENTS

Prepare for Writing Assignment 3, to be written in class. This is the paper based on the presentation that was given on September 24. Everyone is expected to write this essay. If you were absent September 24, you need to get notes from someone.* If you were absent October 1, you can get the topics by requesting them by e-mail.

*I will be in LA 148 from 7:30 to 8:30 on Tuesday, October 7. One of my appointments is with a student who had an excused absence on Sept. 24 and will be getting a briefing on the presentation. That is an opportunity to get some notes.

If you are up-to-date, you should be working on the rewrite for Writing Assignment 2. I will accept these rewrites on October 8 or October 15.

WEEK 5 — ASSIGNMENTS FOR WEEK 6 (OCTOBER 1)

We will be having a test next week on previous assignments and class coverage. Emphasis will be on parts of speech and on sentence punctuation (proper punctuation of compound and complex sentences). This is the emphasis – all previously assignmed material may be covered.

Add to the assignments listed for previous weeks, these new assignments:
> Study Guide 2 (Sentence Patterns)
> Study Guide 8 (Semicolon)
> Handbook Sections B3 and B4

TOPICS WILL BE ASSIGNED FOR WA 3. These topics will be based on the presentation by the guest speaker at the September 24 class. The essay will be written IN CLASS on October 8. If you missed this class, you will need to get notes from another student.

WEEK 4 — ASSIGNMENTS FOR WEEK 5 (SEPTEMBER 24)

> Writing Assignment 2 is due.
> Study Guide 18 and Handbook G5 (p. 204) – Fragments
> Study Guide 9 and Handbook G6 (p. 210) – Comma Splices

WEEK 3 — ASSIGNMENTS FOR WEEK 4 (SEPTEMBER 17)

> Rewrite WA 1 (essay on intelligence). Remember that you must turn in the marked (corrected) version with your rewrite.
> Review all previous assignments (see the listing below for Week 2). A quiz on these assignments is likely.
> Do the reading for WA 2 (essay on education). You will discuss it next week. It will be written out of class and handed in on Sept. 24.
> Read Study Guides 15 and 16.

WEEK 2 — ASSIGNMENTS FOR WEEK 3 (SEPTEMBER 10)

Writer's Reference: pp. 14–18 (Section C3: Drafting); pp. 491–502 (Section B1: Parts of Speech, Section B2: Parts of Sentences).
Study Guides: No. 1 (Basics of Essay Writing); Supplement to No.1 (The Five C's); No. 19 (Parts of Speech).
Strongly Recommended: CompClass Exercise B1-3.
And Your Point (if available): pp. 23–26 (The Thesis Sentence); pp. 403–405 (Parts of Speech).

The papers that you wrote this week will be returned next week. Be prepared for some shocks. Standards are probably higher than in any other English class you have taken, so grades on the first real essay are always very low. On a positive side, you will get to rewrite these papers for September 17.

We move ahead rapidly. The second major essay (Writing Assignment 2) will be assigned next week. We will discuss the topic on September 17. You will write it out of class and turn it in on September 24.

WEEK 1 — ANNOUNCEMENT (Assignments are below)

> Monday, September 1. I have just checked CompClass and have found that only three students have registered. I expect everyone to have registered by the time that class meets on Wednesday.

WEEK 1 — ASSIGNMENTS FOR WEEK 2 (SEPTEMBER 3)

Assignments will always be posted here (not on CompClass), at least for now.

> Read all the materials in the envelopes handed out in class on August 27.
> Sign the "Contract," to be turned in next week.
> Get the textbooks and familiarize yourself with what is in them.
> Register for CompClass. (The procedure is described in the handout that you received. Your registration code is in the front of A Writer's Reference.)
> Do the reading and prepare for Writing Assignment 1, to be written in class next week.

Writing Assignment 1 (in class next week) should be the focus of your attention, after you have taken care of other orientation and registration matters. You have already received the assignment sheet. Read it carefully and understand what you are expected to do. Do the reading and consider the list of questions to generate ideas and to narrow the broader topic to a more focused viewpoint that you can cover in a short essay. Read pages 14-17 and 24-26 in A Writer's Reference to help you with your approach and organization.

You will start writing about 8:30 p.m., allowing you an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes to create the essay. You may bring an outline to class. I strongly recommend that you spend an hour at home writing a rough draft of the essay. Although you may not simply copy this draft in class (you must write a brand-new essay), you could use it as the basis for the outline. If you have written a draft (that is, if you have done a "dry run"), you will have a better idea of what you can cover in a limited time and will feel more relaxed and confident about what you are doing.

If you have any questions about the class or the assignments, please do not hesitate to phone or e-mail me.

Introductory Notes

This website is one of several resources that you have to assist you in English 101. If you are sincerely interested in improving your writing skills, you can do so by using the weekly classes (which are the principal means of instruction), your texts and other written materials provided in class, and a wide variety of electronic/online tools. (If you are not interested in improving your skills, why are you here?)

This page of the MCCC Students' section is your source for announcements concerning the class, so here's the first announcement.
► Our texts are – A Writer's Reference (sixth edition) by Diana Hacker; And Your Point (fifth edition) by Laura D. Knight and W. James Franklin. Be sure to get the specified editions, both of which should be available in the college bookstore.

The next announcement concerns what to expect at the first class meeting.
► We meet for the first time on Wednesday, Aug. 27, in LA 204. Do not think that the first class is optional; it is one of our most important sessions. You will receive orientation materials for the course (including a set of Study Guides), will do a diagnostic quiz and an in-class diagnostic assignment, and will receive the topic for your first major essay, to be written in class the next week (on September 3).

The next page, titled Resources, contains links to other tools on the Internet, including links to some sites specifically geared to our text, A Writer's Reference. New this semester is a utility called CompClass. When you purchase A Writer's Reference, you will receive a code that enables you to register for and to use CompClass as a resource for two years as long as you are registered at MCCC. (There is no additional cost to you.) Since this is a new feature, I am still learning myself how it works. As I do, I will posting information here and on the Resources page. I will also be answering questions about its use in class.

I look forward to meeting you next Wednesday. If you have any questions before then, you may e-mail me at turnerre@mccc.edu.