English&101: Academic Research and Writing

Instructor: Mary Fox (she/her/hers)

Because of COVID-19, this course -- and all TCC courses -- will be fully online. None of signed up for that, and we know you may be anxious, especially if being in an online class is new for you. Please know that we'll work together to make sure all students have the support they need to learn and succeed in this online class. We'll learn and practice research, reading, and writing skills that you'll use as you move through your academic journey. We are experiencing a unique time in the world, together, and we'll make this class work!

This is our Canvas Home Page, and it's what most of you will see when you enter our Canvas course. Please click on "Modules" on the left side of this page to work through each week's activities. You are welcome to work ahead!

Each week, you'll have readings or videos to watch and a discussion post, quiz, and writing assignment to complete. Make sure to keep track of deadlines -- They'll be the same every week: Tuesday discussion posts, Wednesday replies to classmates' discussion posts, Thursday quiz, Friday writing assignment.

Welcome Outcomes Getting Started Tips

Welcome

Welcome to English&101, college research and writing. I'm your instructor, Mary Fox, and my pronouns are she/her/hers. Please call me Mary or Ms. Fox, whichever you are comfortable with. I'm looking forward to getting to know you and working with you this quarter.

Our work this quarter will be grounded in an exploration of the topic "work and career." You will be asked to imagine your own future work life: What would you like to be doing in 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? Why? How will you get there? What is important to you in work or a career? What is the future of work?

Photo of the word "Imagine" with multicolored, abstract background

Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to...

1. Develop and support a clear thesis; organize essays logically.

2. Use writing strategies appropriate to audience, purpose and situation.

3. Read critically.

4. Conduct research, use authoritative resources, and follow documentation rules.

5. Use standard grammar and academic writing conventions.

6. Use a writing process of pre-writing, drafting and revision.

7. Use academically accepted collaboration to improve writing and understanding.

8. Take responsibility for own learning and ethical behavior in academic course-work.

Getting Started Checklist

In order to get started, you will need to complete the following activities and assignments that will be posted before class starts on Monday, April 6.

Read & Watch: Required Module Readings & Resources
Post & Discuss: Icebreaker Discussion
- Initial Post: April 7
- Replies: April 8
Complete: Student Acknowledgement Quiz
- April 9
Submit: Practice Assignment Submission
- April 10

Tips for Success

To help in the completion of activities this week, you should…

To ensure you don't lose work, it is recommended that you work offline using a word processing application such as Microsoft Word and then copy/paste your post into the course's discussion forum.
Make sure you ask questions when you don't understand something. We'll be doing practice discussions, quizzes, and assignments during the first week of class so that all students become comfortable with Canvas and are prepared to work online this quarter!
Please check out these Canvas resources to become familiar with some of the tools we'll use this quarter.
Find a specific space and time that works for you to do your work. You may submit work on or before the deadline for full credit. For many students, it's helpful to complete more than one assignment in one sitting. In fact, you may often do all of the week's work in a day or two, if that helps you to stay organized and focused.
Get yourself organized. One of the best things about online classes is that you can do the work at a time and pace that works for you and the people around you. One of the serious challenges is that it is easy to procrastinate or run into unexpected life issues, such as sick children. Online classes mean you have both freedom and responsibility! I encourage you to be realistic about the time commitment you'll need for your classes and make sure to carve it out. I want you to learn and do well, and I will support you.

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