REA 0001C, College Prep Reading I CRN 14748 Spring Term 2008
REA 0001C, College Prep Reading I
CRN 15628-Fall Term 2010
Mon. /Wed. Class: 6:00 – 7:15 PM room#112
Mon. /Wed Lab: 7:15- 8:05 PM Room #132
Course Syllabus—Winter Park Campus
Instructor: Professor McClure
E-mail:Through Atlas e-mail:
—best method of communication. Generally, e-mailswill be responded to within 24 hours, except on weekends or holidays.
Office Hrs:On the portico before class and by appointment
Texts & Materials:
- Ten Steps to Improving College Reading Skills, 5th ed, John Langan
- Improving Vocabulary Skills, 4th/e, Sherrie L Nist and Carole Mohr
(Theseabove texts are workbooks, so purchase only unmarked copies.)
- A hardback, ½ inch, 3-ring binder
- Access to an online dictionary at A good, hard-back, college-level book dictionary may also be used. You will want to insert a page in the front slip pocket that labels your binder and includes your name and class. A nice picture is optional but always appreciated.
- Pack of index cards for learning vocabulary
- Pencils and blue or black ink pens—no felt-tip pens, please
Read this syllabus carefully. It is an agreement; by accepting it, you agree to meet the following requirements.
REA 0001 Description from the Catalog:
Pre-requisite: Appropriate score on CPT or other approved assessment. Co-requisite: REA 0001L. This course comprises the study of literal and critical comprehension skills with emphasis on literal skills and organizational patterns of information. Also included are strategies for vocabulary development. Minimum grade of C required for successful completion. Upon successful completion, degree-seeking students must take REA 0002 and REA 0002L. REA 0001 credit does not apply toward any associate degree. (Special fee: $25.00)
Class Format and Philosophy: ValenciaCommunity College believes in the following learning principles:
- People learn by doing activities themselves.
- People learn by being as active and interactive as possible.
- People learn by making mistakes, seeing why they are mistakes, and then trying again as many time as necessary.
- The human brain is born wanting to learn and knowing how to learn by practicing, practicing, and practicing. This is the natural process for learning a skill; therefore, you will read extensively both in class and outside of class.
Grading Policy:
Points awarded for assignments, tests, quizzes, lab work, writing assignments, and general courtesy will determine grades. Note: Midterm grades and Final grades will be posted on Atlas.
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A = 85 – 100 %
B = 75 – 84.9 %
C = 69 – 74.9 %
D = 60 – 68.9 % (not passing)
F = 0 – 59.9 % (not passing)
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Assignments:
- Please note that no Online Lab assignments will be accepted late. However, assignment may be turned in before the due date. Otherwise, you will receive a “0” for that assignment. No exceptions.
- NO bookwork-assignments will be accepted except on the due date. However, the lowest Skills category score is dropped during the semester.
Classroom Protocol:
- Class attendance is required. Two or more absences will initiate the college warning-letter through Atlas. Students can miss no more than three classes in Prep Reading courses. You may be marked absent if you enter class 10 minutes or more after the period has begun, or if you leave class early. Missing an entire WebCT Learning Module will also constitute a missed class.
- Lab attendance is required. You cannot pass this class if you do not attend lab;. therefore, the online Lab work is required.
- The instructor assumes that students have made adequate arrangements for transportation, child-care (if necessary), work schedule, and study time prior to enrolling in this course and that, therefore, they will not be an issue.
- Students are responsible for being prepared for class and, if absent, for finding out what was missed from other classmates. The class calendar is also an indication of what was reviewed for any given day.
- Cellular phones, pagers, and all gizmos must be left in your car during class and lab. Parents anxious about children, or students with family emergencies should 1.) alert the security officer and 2.) give that number (407-582-6000) as well as our class and lab room numbers to their family, so students may be pulled from class if necessary. But remember, if you are pulled during an exam, you forfeit that grade. To repeat: Cell phones, pagers, and all electronic devices must not be brought to class. Should one ring/beep/buzz/burp/noise-of-any-sort be heard, the owner must bring Krispy Kreme donuts (or the equivalent) the next class period. At some point in the semester, the instructor will have her fingers crossed for just such an infraction, so the class can accrue Universe-mandated sugar highs. If the owner fails to bring donuts, he or she must do extra homework or perform some task as seems just by the other class members. (The instructor is partial to oral recitations of Rudyard Kipling and Alfred Lord Tennyson.)
- No food or drink should be brought into any computer lab, including Labs 132 and 134. However, the classroom is open for discussion as long as odors are not pungent, and students are careful, neat, and clean up after themselves. No spilling allowed. No full-course meals with cloth napkins allowed. No loud-crinkling chip/pretzel bags allowed during testing. Sharing is always polite.
- College is an open forum for discussion and debate. All opinions are respected, but are open to challenge. Moreover, active listening and participation in class is, of course, expected. This includes asking questions when you don’t understand something, being alert, laughing when the mood hits, and not dozing off.
- If you have any disabilities or special requirements, please let me know as soon as possible. All requests will be kept in confidence.
- In order to earn an “A” in Prep Reading 1, students must read, think, and study. Good study habits can be learned and, fortunately, once such habits are routinely practiced, your grade average will climb like mercury in hot weather. No one learned to swim by merely watching puppiespaddle in the shallow end…. We learn to swim by swimming, and being coached to swim better. The same goes for the human brain. The brain muscle must be exercised and practice schedules adhered to. You CAN do it!
Important Dates:
- Please check for all important, college-wide dates.
Photo IDs:
- Check a bulletin board, or check with Student Services or Advising.
- Be sure to activate the number on the back of your ID at the Library, so you can check books out and use the computer search engines leased by Valencia.
Exiting Requirement:
- You must receive a grade of “C” or better in this class to take REA 0002.
Final Class Exam:
- Please check ATLAS and/or the class calendar.
Academic Honesty:
All course work submitted must be the student’s own original work. If you are caught cheating on assignments or tests, whether in class or in lab, you will receive a “0” which cannot be made up. Plagiarism, as well as other forms of academic dishonesty, will result in a failing grade for the class.
Expected Student Conduct:
- ValenciaCommunity College is dedicated not only to the advancement of knowledge and learning, but is also concerned with the development of responsible personal and social conduct. By enrolling at Valencia, a student assumes the responsibility of becoming familiar with and abiding by the general rules of conduct.
- The primary responsibility for managing the classroom environment rests with the faculty.
- Violation of any Valencia or classroom rules may lead to disciplinary action, including being withdrawn from class, disciplinary warning, probation, suspension, expulsion, or other appropriate and authorized actions. Students will find the Student Code of Conduct in the current Valencia Student Handbook.
- Basically, be polite and courteous. College is an adult, public, educational forum, not a beach, dance club, or high school classroom.
Valencia Core Competencies: In this class, students will develop abilities that are hallmarks of a Valencia graduate:
- Think clearly, critically, and creatively. Analyze, synthesize, and evaluate written texts that deal with varied domains of human inquiry.
- Communicate with different audiences using varied and appropriate methods—oral, written, visual/graphic, and non-verbal.
- Make reasoned value judgments and responsible commitments.
- Actpurposefully, reflectively, and responsibly in the context of adult life (personal, professional, academic, and community).
Reading Skill: The assignments covered in this course introduce and reinforce the following skills:
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Literal Comprehension Skills
- Recognize main ideas
- Identify major and minor details
- Determine meaning of words
Critical Comprehension Skills
- Recognize author’s central point
- Identify organizational patterns
- Recognize relationships within sentences
- Distinguish between fact and opinion
- Make inferences and draw conclusion
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College Notes:
- Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a letter from the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and discuss specific needs with the professor, preferably during the first two weeks of class. OSD determine accommodations based on appropriate documentation of disabilities (Winter park Campus, Room # 203, [407] 582-6887).
- We ask that students follow college policy relating to children on campus. Please make arrangements for childcare outside of classrooms or labs.
- Please make note of evacuation routes from your classroom in case of emergency. Interpret all audible alarms as valid and act accordingly.
Disclaimer: The calendar may be subject to change.
My Final Thoughts:
- College Prep Reading 1 will equip students with the knowledge, thinking, and attitudinal skills necessary for success in college. Material presented in class will (1) help student develop effective reading and studying strategies, and (2) encourage students to be personally involved in developing themselves as persons and as learners.
- Two and a half hours of classroom instruction plus 100 minutes of online lab each week are requirements for successful completion of this course. Students who complete this course should be well-prepared to take college-level courses that emphasize reading and critical thinking skills.
My Final, Final Thought:
An academic environment is similar to a professional work environment. Courtesy at all times—in the classroom, on campus, via e-mail, and over the telephone—is expected. Want an example? Well, if you arrive to class late, don’t make lots of noise—slip in quietly at the back. Want another one? Don’t fall into sidebar conversations while the instructor is speaking—stay focused on learning and allow other students to concentrate as well. Following the four Toltec agreements below may help us:
Be impeccable with your word—Speak with integrity. Avoid using your words to speak against yourself, or to blame or gossip about others. Use the power of your words in the direction of truth and goodwill.
Don’t take everything personally—What others say and do is often a projection of they own reality, their own interior dream. You never have to play the role of victim.
Don’t make assumptions—Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Don’t jump to conclusions. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and dramas.
Always do your best—Your best will change from day to day; it will be different when you are healthy, as opposed to sick or tired. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.
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