Course Assignment Schedule Readings Pages Due Week 1 "Introduction," Essays 3-21 Forum Post 1 "On Keeping a Notebook," Essays 75-82 Write-up 1 "Learning to Read," Essays 96-102 Week 2 "A Fable for Tomorrow," Essays 66-68 Forum Post 2 "The Stunt Pilot," Essays 83-95 Write-up 2 S-1, S-2, S-3, Handbook 230-237 Write-up 3 Essay 1 Week 3 "Time Lines," Essays 196-205 Forum Post 3 "College Pressures," Essays 396-404 Write-up 4 "University Days," Essays 343-350 Write-up 5 Week 4 "Civil Disobedience," Essays 321-343 Forum Post 4 "Once More to the Lake," Essays 369-376 Write-up 6 S-4, Handbook 237-246 Write-up 7 Essay 2 Week 5 S-5, S-6, Handbook 246-256 Forum Post 5 "The Myth of 'Moderation'…" Essays 123-128 Write-up 8 "The Human Cost of an …" Essays 186-195 Write-up 9 All Assignments for Weeks 1-4 Due by July 18 (No Exceptions) Week 6 "A Modest Proposal," Essays 297-307 Forum Post 6 "I Want a Wife," Essays 57-59 Write-up 10 S-7, S-8, S-9, L-1, Handbook 256-264 Write-up 11 Essay 3 Week 7 "Shooting an Elephant," Essays 242-250 Forum Post 7 "Letter to President Pierce," Essays 283-285 Write-up 12 "Virtues Versus Values," Essays 376-380 Write-up 13 Week 8 Writing Help/Q&A/Final Comments Forum Post 8 L-4, L-5, P-1 through P-4 272-295 Write-up 14 Essay 4 All Assignments Due by August 7 (No Exceptions) Start Here Welcome to English 1101 Online! Purpose and Structure of the Course “If we have seen further, it is because we have stood on the shoulders of giants.” – Isaac Newton “Everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” – Sylvia Plath What is English 1101? English composition is a course for every student of every discipline to study, practice, and improve writing. There are many ways to help develop skills as a writer: reading textbooks and literature, studying grammar and mechanics, and practicing, practicing, practicing. Throughout the course I will point out what you are doing well, and offer suggestions to improve areas in your writing. Like any skill (or art), writing can be less difficult if approached with certain tools. The course will focus on providing you with those tools, and then giving you opportunity to practice them throughout the writing process. We will spend time with grammar and conventions of standard English. By using many of these methods – by daring to try new things and committing to consistent writing practice – you will develop as a confident writer, and your career as a student will be easier and more successful. For an idea of the specific learning outcomes of this course, read the Course Objectives section. How will this class be structured? This course is organized into eight, on ...

1. Course Assignment Schedule
Readings Pages Due
Week 1
"Introduction," Essays 3-21 Forum Post 1
"On Keeping a Notebook," Essays 75-82 Write-up 1
"Learning to Read," Essays 96-102
Week 2
"A Fable for Tomorrow," Essays 66-68 Forum Post 2
"The Stunt Pilot," Essays 83-95 Write-up 2
S-1, S-2, S-3, Handbook 230-237 Write-up 3
Essay 1
Week 3
"Time Lines," Essays 196-205 Forum Post 3
"College Pressures," Essays 396-404 Write-up 4
"University Days," Essays 343-350 Write-up 5
Week 4

2. "Civil Disobedience," Essays 321-343 Forum Post 4
"Once More to the Lake," Essays 369-376 Write-up 6
S-4, Handbook 237-246 Write-up 7
Essay 2
Week 5
S-5, S-6, Handbook 246-256 Forum Post 5
"The Myth of 'Moderation'…" Essays 123-128 Write-up 8
"The Human Cost of an …" Essays 186-195 Write-up 9
All Assignments for Weeks 1-4 Due by July 18 (No
Exceptions)
Week 6
"A Modest Proposal," Essays 297-307 Forum Post 6
"I Want a Wife," Essays 57-59 Write-up 10
S-7, S-8, S-9, L-1, Handbook 256-264 Write-up 11
Essay 3
Week 7
"Shooting an Elephant," Essays 242-250 Forum Post 7
"Letter to President Pierce," Essays 283-285 Write-up 12

3. "Virtues Versus Values," Essays 376-380 Write-up 13
Week 8
Writing Help/Q&A/Final Comments Forum Post 8
L-4, L-5, P-1 through P-4 272-295 Write-up 14
Essay 4
All Assignments Due by August 7 (No Exceptions)
Start Here
Welcome to English 1101 Online!
Purpose and Structure of the Course
“If we have seen further, it is because we have stood on the
shoulders of giants.” – Isaac Newton
“Everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing
guts to do it, and the imagination to
improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” –
Sylvia Plath
What is English 1101?

4. English composition is a course for every student of every
discipline to study, practice, and improve
writing. There are many ways to help develop skills as a writer:
reading textbooks and literature,
studying grammar and mechanics, and practicing, practicing,
practicing. Throughout the course I will
point out what you are doing well, and offer suggestions to
improve areas in your writing. Like any skill
(or art), writing can be less difficult if approached with certain
tools. The course will focus on providing
you with those tools, and then giving you opportunity to
practice them throughout the writing process.
We will spend time with grammar and conventions of standard
English. By using many of these methods
– by daring to try new things and committing to consistent
writing practice – you will develop as a
confident writer, and your career as a student will be easier and
more successful.
For an idea of the specific learning outcomes of this course,
read the Course Objectives section.
How will this class be structured?
This course is organized into eight, one-week modules. Each
module will include its own readings and
assignments which can be submitted through the links within
that module. Because this is an eight week
course, you should be prepared to spend several hours each day
working on course material. Some days
may take more time than others, so be sure to use your time
wisely and get ahead when you can. As
stated in the Course Policies section, missed or late assignments
cannot be made up in this course.

5. Modules will include reading assignments, discussion boards,
and essays. Assignments will also be
posted within the module in which they are due. Every two
weeks finishes with the submission of an
essay.
Feel free to explore the course before you get started – be sure
to read the Course Material and review
the course schedule (I recommend printing these documents for
reference). After you have read these
documents, go to the Week 1 section and begin the assignments
and readings for the first week. Good
luck!
Meet your Instructor
My name is Seth Clark and I am excited to be working with you
this summer. I hold a Master of Arts
degree in English Language and Literature and am currently
working toward a PhD in English and the
Teaching of English from Idaho State University. I have taught
writing courses for a few years now,
including English Composition (ENGL 1101) and Critical
Reading and Writing (ENGL 1102). I have also
enjoyed teaching English to ESL (English as a Second
Language) students over the past few years,
anywhere from Nampa and Pocatello to Nizhni Novgorod,
Russia. I have a one year-old son who is just
learning to laugh and a one month-old son who is learning to eat
and sleep. My wife and I enjoy taking
them on jogs and hikes around the hills and lakes of our home
in Coeur d’Alene. I look forward to

6. getting to know you all better as the semester progresses!
Tips to Succeed in this Course*
Take the Time to Learn the Course Structure and the
Technologies
Every online course has a unique look and feel, and there are
many different styles of online courses.
They range from independent study correspondence courses to
highly interactive courses with a great
deal of student interaction. This course relies in large part upon
group discussion. There is an
expectation that you share with and provide feedback to one
another using the course discussion tool.
However, no matter what the format of the online course, you
will find much more satisfaction and save
yourself many frustrations if you take the time to get to know
how the course is organized, and get to
know the learning management system (in this case Moodle).
Some of these technologies may be new
to you. Give yourself permission to experiment and make
mistakes. That is part of the learning process.
As you explore and experiment with the technologies and course
structure, please don't hesitate to
contact me with questions.
Ask and Seek Help
The online world tends to be absent of visual cues and the
nonverbal communication that is so central
to learner-learner and learner-instructor interaction in a
classroom. As a classroom teacher, it is often
easy to see a look of frustration or confusion on the face of a
student sitting in the back of the room. It is
also easy for the student to quickly raise her hand and ask a
clarifying question. This doesn't work in an
online course. Often student confusion and frustration is shown
by "silence" and procrastination. The

7. learner is confused or frustrated, and she doesn't let the
instructor know. Before long, time has passed
and the added stress of being behind in work only adds to the
stress. The good news is that the solution
to this problem is very simple. Whenever you are confused or
frustrated, do not delay in contacting me
by phone, email, or both. Either I will be able to help you or I
will get you in to touch with the person
who can help (the technology help desk at ISU, for example). I
will do my very best to reply to your
questions within 48 hours. The best first contact is via email. If
it seems like a phone conversation will be
more helpful, then we can consider that next.
Commit 10-15 Hours a Week
Online learning tends to put even more emphasis upon you to
learn and apply the material. The
instructor is less the provider of all information or lecturer, and
more the guide and resource as you
work with the course content, your classmates, and assignments.
The benefit is that, in many cases, the
learning that takes place online is more lasting and applied than
what takes place in some traditional
face-to-face classes. The downside is that it does require hard
work and commitment, an amount that is
often more than a traditional face-to-face course. This is
especially the case with 8-week accelerated
courses like this one.
Log Into the Course About 5 Times a Week
Please take time to log into the course often, check the course
mail, see if I have posted any course
announcements, and play an active role with your colleagues in
the course discussion area. As noted in
other places, it is expected that you participate in the online
discussions at least 3-4 times a week. It is
best to post your first message as early as possible in the week.
This may mean starting on the main

8. assigned readings before the week starts.
Create a Tentative Work Schedule for Yourself
Time management is an important part of this course. The main
readings and assignments have been
provided in each unit. The main activities are listed for you so
that you can create a tentative schedule
for yourself. For example, you may want to set the goal of
completing the main readings each weekend,
trying to post your initial messages by Tuesday, and then
logging into the discussions at 2-3 other set
times during the week. While your schedule may need adjusting,
this plan may be helpful for you.
Course Objectives
English 1101 Objectives
Overall Goals
ENGL 1101 is a course “in which students read, analyze and
write expository essays for a variety of
purposes consistent with expectations for college-level writing
in standard edited English” (ISU
Undergraduate Catalog). It is designed to prepare students to
succeed in ENGL 1102, which completes
general education’s Goal 1, and to write across the disciplines
in college work.
Learning Objectives
-writing
skills, including consideration of
audience and purpose, thesis development, unity and

9. organization, support of claims through
examples, and a variety of rhetorical strategies. Students will
also learn basic research and
documentation methods.
ill explore the writing process, including idea
generating, drafting, revising, and
editing.
and published texts as the basis for
expanding academic literacy.
Policies
Attendance While the nature of an online class prevents face-to-
face attendance, your consistent
interaction within the online course environment is important to
class discussions on the discussion
boards. While it may be tempting to complete several postings
at once, your continued online presence
is necessary for you to benefit from class instructions, updates
and online discussions. Students should
expect to engage with the Moodle classroom around five times
per week.
Withdrawal The last day to drop this course (without a “W”) is
June 20. The last day to Withdraw is June
27. Dropping or withdrawing from the class must be completed
through Bengalweb or the office of the
Registrar.
Preparation for Class Course material is required and it is

10. expected that you complete required readings
before participating in discussion forums. Assignments which
do not reflect familiarity with assigned
readings or an attempt to engage with course materials will lose
credit.
Technological Assistance As this is an online course, a certain
level of technological familiarity is
assumed. This course will not require particularly advanced
technological skills; however, students will
need to be familiar with Moodle, be able to follow links and
navigate some online material, and
communicate via email. Should you need additional assistance
during the semester, please contact the
IT Help Desk at 282-HELP or the ITRC at 282-5880 (the ITRC
is located in the basement of the library on
the Pocatello Campus). As online students, it is your
responsibility to learn how to navigate course
content on Moodle.
Late or Missed Coursework Given the accelerated nature of
summer courses, no late work will be
accepted. Do not procrastinate! Be sure to plan ahead and work
on assignments each day. Assignment
due dates and times will be listed on Moodle; after assignments
are due, Moodle will not accept late
submissions. Assignments which are not posted (including
discussion postings) by their listed due dates
will not receive credit. If you anticipate conflicts with a
deadline, plan ahead to have the assignment
turned in early (once assignments are posted to the course
website, you are free to hand them in early
throughout the semester).

11. "Netiquette" Communicating online can often feel less formal or
less personal than face-to-face
interactions, but it is important to remember that guidelines
pertaining to class conduct apply to online
communication as well. The English Department’s statement on
student decorum states that
“Because university coursework requires focused study and
open exchange of ideas, the
Department of English and Philosophy expects the classroom to
be a place of courteous
interaction. The demonstration of mutual respect between
teachers and students includes
arriving and leaving class at the designated times, participating
in classroom activities, and
adapting to new and varied learning styles and tasks. Academic
communication requires that all
of us listen carefully to each other (whether we agree or not),
and to state our positions with
clarity and our disagreements with tact. Classroom standards for
academic courtesy apply to
group work and student-teacher conferences as well.”
In terms of online discussion, be considerate of your tone, and
be aware that you are “speaking to
classmates,” not typing to the internet. Instances of aggressive,
offensive, racist or sexist comments
simply will not be tolerated. Warnings will be issued for
inappropriate language or behavior on the
course website, and persistently problematic behavior will
result in a loss of credit.
Student Success Center The Writing Center, located within the
Student Success Center, is available to
you as an excellent learning resource. During the semester, you
can make an appointment to work on

12. your paper with a trained tutor. I highly recommend that you
consider making an appointment for each
essay. The Writing Center is provided as a free service to ISU
students and is located in Rendezvous
room 323 (additionally, the Idaho Falls campus writing center is
located in CHE room 220). As summer
hours have been cut back, I recommend calling to make an
appointment ahead of time.
Academic Dishonesty, including intentionally or unintentionally
presenting someone else’s ideas or
words as your own, will result in an automatic failure of the
course.
Plagiarism includes submitting someone else’s work pretending
it is your own, as well as submitting
passages (long or short) from someone else’s work without
documenting the source. All work submitted
in this class must be your own and must be original work
written for this course (re-submitting work
from former classes is not allowed). If you use a quotation or
idea from someone else’s work, you must
indicate so (even if you don’t take the time to use proper MLA
guidelines, you will save yourself from
failing the course of you make an honest effort to credit your
sources). If you have questions about
plagiarism, ask them before assignments are due.
Again, plagiarism will result in failing the course (not just the
assignment in which the plagiarism is
found).
A Message from the ADA Disabilities & Resource Center: Our

13. program is committed to helping all
students achieve their potential. If you have a disability or think
you have a disability (physical, cognitive,
auditory, visual, or psychiatric) which may need reasonable
accommodation, please contact the ADA
Disabilities & Resource Center located in Gravely Hall, Room
123 (282-3599) as soon as possible.
Assignments and Grading
Expectation of Student Work/Participation
As previously stated, this course will be largely self-motivated.
Once assignments are posted to the
course Moodle site, you are welcome to read, write, and post
assignments at your convenience,
although I highly recommend maintaining a routine that will
help you consistently complete tasks
throughout the semester. Also, completing multiple assignments
before receiving feedback from me
makes it difficult to adjust and correct issues in later
assignments. Consider waiting for feedback before
racing ahead.
Each week, you will be given a list of readings from our
textbook. One of these readings will require a
minimum of two discussion posts. The others will require write-
ups. Every other week, you will be
assigned an essay. Each of these assignments must be submitted
through Moodle, and prompts will be
given alongside the assignments. Your grade for the course will
be determined by your thoroughness in
completing these three types of assignments each week.
Discussion Posts – 10 points each. Each week, one of the

14. readings will be the topic of a discussion
forum. I will supply a prompt dealing with the reading, but you
may choose to address another issue
from that reading (it is important, though, that your post address
the reading and demonstrate your
understanding of it). You will need to post two times each
week, and your posts should be
approximately 100 words in length. Additional posts can be
shorter and more informal, but at least 2
posts should directly engage with the assigned reading and your
classmates, and should do so in several
thoughtful sentences.
Write-ups – 10 points each. For two readings each week, I will
supply prompts and submission links on
Moodle to respond in about 1 page to the readings. Like the
discussion post, you may choose to respond
directly to the prompt or to another issue in the reading, but it is
important to demonstrate your
understanding of the text and ability to engage with the ideas
presented in it. These write-ups do not
need to be painstakingly edited, but they should be thoughtfully
written and demonstrate thoughtful
engagement with the text (in other words, these write-ups
should not summarize unless indicated by
the prompt).
Essays – 30 points each. Every other week an Essay will be
assigned. Essays will need to respond to
prompts which will indicate the goals of the essay and the
expectations they should meet. Essays will
typically be between 3 and 5 pages in length, although you may
find yourself writing longer or shorter
papers based on your skills and needs as a writer. Since these
four assignments will produce the bulk of
your total grade in the class, it is essential that you give

15. yourself plenty of time to prepare, brainstorm,
and edit the essays. Your Seagull Handbook should prove useful
for editing and style help.
As mentioned above, there are only two deadlines throughout
the semester; you may submit
assignments as early as you like, but no assignments will be
accepted after the deadlines. All work
assigned through week 4 is due by July 18. All work assigned
through week 8 is due August 7.
Course Schedule
See the Course Assignment Schedule link for a guide to the
readings and assignments due throughout
the semester. I recommend printing out this page as a reference
for the next eight weeks!