This document provides information about an English composition course titled EWRT 1B: Winter 2015. It outlines the course goals, requirements, texts, grading breakdown, policies, and logistics. The main goals are to develop students' ability to understand complex texts and convey that understanding through essays. Requirements include class participation, assignments, four formal papers, online posts, and tests. The grading is based on a 1000 point scale divided among essays, online posts, exams, and participation. Various policies cover essay submissions, attendance, conduct, late work, and revisions.

1. EWRT 1B: Winter 2015
EWRT-001B Reading, Writing, and Research
Kim Palmore, PhD Class Time: 7:30 AM- 9:45AM MW
Email: Palmorekim@fhda.edu 8:30 AM- 10:45 PM T/TH
Office: F1-IL Office Hours: MW 10:00-11:15 am
Cell Phone: 408-674-3005 TTh 7:30-8:15 am
and by appointment
Goals: Through reading, discussion of, and writing about literature, students will develop a greater ability to
understand complex texts and critical essays they read and to convey that understanding in a variety of clear,
unified, coherent, well-developed and effective essays.
Requirements:
1. Participating in class discussions and regular attendance.
2. Keeping up-to-date on the assignments and reading.
3. Writing four formal papers, one of which will be written in class.
4. Posting homework and comments to the class website.
5. Taking tests and quizzes and doing in-class assignments.
Class Website:
Our class website is http://palmoreenglish.wordpress.com. In order to do the homework, you must establish
an account. To make your own FREE Word Press account, go to wordpress.com. The system will walk you
through the steps to signup for a username or to set up your own user-friendly Word Press blog.
Alternatively, you can sign into our website through Facebook.
If you prefer not to use your own name, you may use a pseudonym. Just make sure you sign in with YOUR
Word Press username before you post on our class page so you get credit for your work. Please email me
your username once you have established which account you shall use for the quarter.
If you cannot establish your website and username, please come to my office hours as soon as possible, and
I will help you with the process. Much of our work will take place online, so establishing this connection is
mandatory.
Texts and Required Materials:
PRIMARY TEXTS
Available on the Website
v Assorted short stories
Available at the Bookstore or online
v Passing by Nella Larsen
v Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg
SECONDARY TEXTS
Available on the Website
v Assorted essays and journal articles
Please bring the appropriate text to every class meeting; this means that you should print the short stories
from the website or be able to access an electronic copy. Bring your laptop or draft copies on the days
we write in class.

2. GRADING:
Grades for this course will be based on a 1000-point scale divided as follows:
Assignment My Score Point
Value
Assignment My
Score
Point
Value
Essay #1 500-750 words 100 Website Posts 150
Essay #2 (4-6 pages) 150 Four Terms Exams 3x25 1x50 125
Essay #3 (4-6 pages) 150 Participation, Quizzes 125
Essay #4 (5-7 pages) 200
Total 1000 points
I will assign traditional + and - grades
Grade Points Required Grade Points Required
A 900-1000 D 600-699
B 800-899 F 599 and below
C 700-799
CLASS POLICIES:
Essay Submission:
All out of class essays are to be submitted to me electronically before the class period in which they are due.
1. Before you submit your essay, please save your file as your last name and the number 2, like this: Smith 2. That
will help me keep your essays organized.
2. Submit your essay through Kaizena, a Google Drive add-on, at https://kaizena.com/palmoreessaysubmissiongmail.
Or simply use the link on our class website home page. This system allows me to respond to your essay with both
voice and written comments and to insert helpful links.
3. Sign in to your Google Account and allow Kaizena access to your Google Drive. You may want a dedicated Gmail
account for this class.
4. Click on the “Ask Dr. Kim Palmore for feedback” link.
5. Choose your document from your Google Drive. You will be directed to a new page to choose a delivery box from
a drop down menu.
6. Add your essay to the appropriate ELIT box (Essay #1 or #2). Then, click the “Ask for feedback” button again.
7. Once I have graded your paper, Kaizena will automatically share with you the link to the Google document in the
comments section — located on the top-right corner of the Google document.
8. Click on the highlighted sections of the paper to find both audio and written comments concerning your essay or
links to materials that will help you improve your writing.
De Anza Free Tutoring: Smart Thinking
1. De Anza offers free writing tutoring for students. You will find the url for this page here
http://www.deanza.edu/studentsuccess/onlinetutoring/ and a link on our class website. If you choose to use this
service (which may prove to be very helpful) please submit copies of your “live whiteboard tutoring sessions.”
The services they offer include the following”
Ø Interact with a live tutor
Ø Submit a question and receive a reply from a tutor
Ø Submit an essay or paper for a tutor to review and receive feedback
Academic Dishonesty:
Plagiarism includes quoting or paraphrasing material without documentation and copying from other students or professionals.
Intentional plagiarism is a grave offense; the resulting response will be distasteful. Depending upon the severity, instances of
plagiarism may result in a failing grade for the paper or the course and possible administrative action. All assignments will be
scanned and scrutinized for academic dishonesty. Please refer to your handbook for more information regarding
plagiarism.
Attendance:
Attendance is a significant part of this course, and success in this course depends on regular attendance and active
participation. Participation points will be part of our daily activities. If you are not in class, you cannot earn these points.
You should save absences for emergencies.
It is your responsibility to talk to me your absences or other conflicts. Work done in class cannot be made up. Also, please
arrive on time, as you will not be able to make up work completed before you arrive, including quizzes and exams.

3. Conduct, Courtesy, and Electronic Devices:
In this class, we will regularly engage in the discussion of topics that may stir passionate debates. Please speak freely and
candidly; however, while your thoughts and ideas are important to me and to the dynamics of the class, you must also
respect others and their opinions. Courtesy will allow each person to have the opportunity to express his or her ideas in a
comfortable environment.
Courtesy includes but is not limited to politely listening to others when they contribute to class discussions or while they
give presentations, not slamming the classroom door or walking in front of classmates giving presentations if you do arrive
late, and maintaining a positive learning environment for your fellow classmates. To help maintain a positive learning
environment, please focus on the work assigned, and do not text-message in class. If your behavior becomes disruptive to
the learning environment of the class, you may be asked to leave and/or be marked absent.
Participation:
Participation includes doing all work asked of you inside and outside of class, maintaining a positive learning environment
for your classmates, and contributing to class discussion. Participation points are accrued based on your in class
participation. Do not underestimate the impact that participation has on your final grade. You must be in class to earn
participation points.
Quizzes:
I may decide to include pop quizzes from time to time to ensure you are completing all readings in a timely fashion. There
are no make up opportunities for quizzes.
Exams:
We will have several terms tests during the quarter. I will offer one opportunity late in the quarter to re-take or make-up one
of the first three terms tests.
Late Work:
I do not accept late work. I do, however, extend an opportunity to revise either essay #2 or #3 for a better grade. If you
miss an essay due date, you may submit that essay when the revisions are due on the last day of the term. This does
disqualify you from revising another essay.
Revisions:
Revisions must be significant to earn a grade change. This means you must do more to your paper than edit the grammar
and punctuation errors I point out to you on your first submission. I recommend reading my suggestions and corrections
carefully and then thinking about how to apply what you have learned to your entire paper. Feel free to make an
appointment with me to discuss further revisions after you finish the first step. Any revisions submitted with MLA
errors will not be considered. This includes those essays you are submitting for the first time as a “revision.” Do be
careful.
Appointments:
You can schedule an office visit with me by using the appointment finder on the class website. Alternatively, you can just
drop by to see if I have a vacancy. Or, you can email me if you need to make an appointment outside of my formal office
hours.
Adding and Dropping:
Adding and dropping this class is the responsibility of the student. Please observe all deadlines regarding the same should
you wish to add or drop this class.
Educational Use of Student Papers:
Occasionally, I retain copies of written work to share with this class or future sections of the course; selections of student
work used in these ways will be anonymous. However, if you absolutely object to the use of your work in these ways,
please let me know now, so that I can respect your preference.