Spring Semester

School starts next week! I both love and hate the beginning of the new semester, how about you? On the one hand, I love the possibility of it all: the new students, the new curriculum, the new learning opportunities, the new relationships… it’s all so exciting! On the other hand, the first week is so stressful! Just like students, instructors worry about things. I worry about how badly I will mispronounce students’ names! Also, I wonder if my students will like me. Will someone yell at me the first day? That often happens. Will I yell at someone the first week? That can happen too! All in all, it is a stressful time until everyone learns the new routine and settles in to the semester.


How then to start a college class well?  Aristotle wrote, “Well begun is half done.” What he meant by this is if you begin something well, you already have a head start for a successful completion. Here are three tips that will help you to begin your successful spring semester. 

Be Prepared the First Day!

  • Come to class early, yes even for a 7 a.m. class like mine! At the least, BE ON TIME!!
  • If you can, check out the syllabus before class. Maybe come up with a question or two about the details.
  • Bring your materials to class. It is never the instructor’s responsibility to provide pen and paper for you, so don’t embarrass yourself by asking the professor to borrow a pencil. Seriously.
  • Once you are in class, say hi to the instructor. Be polite. Smile. Make a good impression, which means don’t use your cellphone during class! That irritates every single instructor I’ve ever known!

Review After the First Class!

  • Read the syllabus. Make sure the class policies are clear. Note any questions that need to be answered.
  • Get whatever resources are required. If your instructor uses technology, make sure you can access it. If you have to buy books, get them quick. The clock waits for no one!
  • Complete any homework. In my class, my students have to read an article the first day and complete four or five homework assignments the first week! They are easy, of course, but still have to be completed. I find that students who have difficulty the first week often struggle the whole semester.
  • Get organized early! You probably have several classes to manage and maybe a job too. You’d like to have a bit of a life of fun too. It is possible to do all that, but to successfully juggle the student demands requires organization!

Make a Friend

  • Most college classes incorporate peer learning and group work, so the more comfortable you are with your peers, the easier the semester will be.
  • Exchange numbers with someone so that you can keep in touch throughout the semester.

Tray Washington has another list of ten things to do in order to have a successful semester. If you have time, check them out here! 

 

I hope you have a great first week and I have one too!

Diagnostic Revision

Diagnostic Revision

Assignment

The first week of class you responded in class to a prompt. For this revision, use whatever information that you wrote in class and

1.Add any needed content.

2.Edit your text for grammatical correctness.

3.Type in MLA format.

4.Submit through  the Turn It In link below on this page by 6 am, Monday January 23.

5. If you have problems submitting this paper, email it to Mrs. C and stick around after class so we can resolve the problem.

Remember, this is a new submission process so it may take some time to figure out.

Don’t stress about it if it doesn’t go correctly the first time! We’ll figure it out!

Grading

The purpose of this assignment is so that Mrs. C can see what you do and don’t know about writing and grammar. If you submit it, you will get full credit. Do your best as this will set the tone for your entire semester.

Set Up Canvas

 Canvas Logo

Canvas will be our primary learning management system this semester although though we will use blackboard for submitting to turn it in as well.

This is a new system for me and for many of you as well. We will figure it out together!

It is imperative that you familiarize yourself with the system as soon as possible. 

Here is a video that gives you an overview of using the canvas system.

Also, here is the student guide with step-by-step instructions for anything you may want to do on canvas. 

Canvas Assignment

This assignment is due by 6 a.m. Sunday 1/22 although you may of course complete it earlier.

1) Update your profile by adding a picture.

Click here for how to upload a picture 

2) Add a brief biography. You can see mine for an example.

Click here for how to add a biography

 

Grading

Click here for Homework Assignment Rubric

 

Introduction for Mrs. C

Effective communication will be important to your success this semester. In a writing course, much of your communication will occur in your written work, but you may find it important to discuss things with me as well. As such, I’d like to start out the semester by ensuring that you and I both know you can reach me digitally if needed.

In a college course, certain behaviors are expected in communicating with your instructor. Please review this SlideShare presentation of an email etiquette lesson if you are unsure what is required.

For this semester, you have two choices for communicating digitally with me. You may use either one you prefer.

Choice 1:
Email me at ccoleman@ivc.edu. I check my email several times a day and will respond to your email within 24 hours unless I have otherwise announced in class an exception like going out of town for a weekend or such. If you have not received a response from me in 24 hours, please email again as I did not receive the first one.

Choice 2:
You can also contact me directly through the Canvas Inbox . Click here for some step-by-step instructions on how to do this. As with the email, I will respond to your message within 24 hours and I expect appropriate email etiquette in your post.

Introduction Assignment
This assignment has 2 parts.

Part 1) You are required to introduce yourself to me through email or canvas by Friday morning at 7 am. You can, of course, do so earlier if you prefer.

Part 2) You should also reply to my response to your email once you have received it. This is an aspect of good digital communication.

This assignment is a completion only assignment. You will receive points for the assignment in your midterm portfolio grade.

1) Introduce Yourself by answering the following questions:

Do you have a particular nick name that you would prefer to be used this semester?
What is your language background?
What other ESL classes have you taken?
What are your long-term academic goals?
What are your goals for this semester?
What difficulties have you had with writing? Language? Grammar?
What is an interesting fact about you or experience you have had?
Is there anything else you would like to share?
2) Respond to my reply to your original introduction.

A reply does not need to be lengthy. Basically, you are simply acknowledging that you received the response. When it doubt, a simply Thank you Mrs. C will suffice.

Grading
In this two part assignments, both parts must be complete to receive full points.

Click here for Homework Assignment Rubric

Winter Poetry

As I have worked with many international students in my writing classroom, one of the complaints I often get is that they don’t have enough vocabulary to write meaningful sentences. It is certainly difficult to express complex thoughts with simple vocabulary; there is no doubt of that. Nonetheless, given care, beautiful images can be expressed even with the most simple of words.

Consider this poem by Douglas Florian from his book Winter Eyes, available at amazon.

Winter Eyes

by Douglas Florian 

Look at winter
With winter eyes
As smoke curls from rooftops
To clear cobalt skies.

 

Breathe in winter
Past winter nose:
The sweet scent of black birch
Where velvet moss grows.
Walk through winter
With winter feet
On crackling ice
Or sloshy wet sleet.

Look at winter
With winter eyes:
The rustling of oak leaves
As spring slowly nears.

 

Isn’t that just a wonderful phrase, winter eyes? It makes me wonder how I might see the world differently in the winter. So, I thought I’d find out when Mr. C and I took a winter vacation and ended up in the middle of the winter storm Helena.

After two days of blizzard white out conditions, I was able to stand on the mountain in Mammoth Lakes, California and take this picture, with my winter feet in waterproof snow boots, breathing in the icy air past my winter nose and squinting against the sunlight on the snow with my winter eyes. As I looked out toward the mountains, covered in heaps and heaps of snow, I was reminded that there is a season for everything, including resting and renewing.  Even when I am not accomplishing all I’d like to because of the winter weather or because of life’s obligations, the experience is not wasted. Instead, I’m like a garden in winter, slumbering under a layer of snow, dreaming of “happy hours to be” for the “the summer days of blue” when “all its dreamings will come true” (Montgomery).  

The English language provides a marvelous vehicle to express our thoughts and dreams. Perhaps neither you nor I have the linguistic wherewithal of Robert Frost as seen in the classic must read poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”  We can, however, be like Frost and “have promises to keep,” hopefully, some of which will be to improve our vocabulary and language usage in the new year!  If you aren’t familiar with this beautiful poem, you can read it here and you can listen to Frost himself read it here.

If you enjoyed these poems and would like to read others, check out this wonderful page here.

Reading Homework

Essay 1 Articles

For ESL 201, many of our resources will be printed by you. I will mostly give you the choice to print the article or simply read it online. However, it will probably be most beneficial to you to print each, especially the more difficult ones, so that you can annotate the readings. You will have many in-class discussions and out-of-class homework as well as various essay related assignments for theses articles. Thus, the more familiar you are with them, the easier you tasks will be. Nonetheless, the choice to print or not print is up to you.

Perkins-Gough article

Dweck article

Holt article

 

 

Essay 1 Vocabulary

Most of the articles will be have many new and perhaps difficult vocabulary words. As you read each article, you will see bolded, underlined words that I thought were important. To aid you in your comprehension and vocabulary improvement, online vocabulary practice with these identified words has been set up for many of the articles. While it is not specifically required to use these resources, it is HIGHLY suggested for your overall improvement. Also, there may be vocabulary quizzes on this unit. Note: some of the Pink vocabulary may be particularly difficult for you as it is quite advanced.

 

Perkins-Gough Vocabulary

Dweck Vocabulary

Holt Vocabulary

 Reading Strategies

Reading quickly and effectively is something that many students struggle with. Successful readers employ a variety of strategies to understand, remember, and synthesize what they’ve read.This unit will provide 7 specific strategies which will help you improve your academic reading ability. Each strategy is correlated with one of the Essay 1 articles. These strategies are designed to give you opportunities to experiment with and reflect on different strategies that are often used when reading challenging, college-level material.  I think that you will find that it is often necessary to employ more than one strategy at a time when reading college-level texts!

Dweck Reading Strategy 1

Holt Reading Strategy 2

Assignment

Complete the reading strategy that corresponds to each reading assignment.  Read through the instructions on each strategy before you begin the reading assignment then reflect on the strategy at the end of your reading. 

You have three format choices for submission:

  1. Download the strategy doc and type your answers. Then print and submit in class when due.
  2. Print the strategy pdf and handwrite your answers. Then print and submit in class when due.
  3.  Handwrite BOTH the questions and the answers to the strategy. Then print and submit in class when due.

 

Grading

You will submit each of the worksheets in class on the due date posted. Mrs. C will stamp it for completion at that time. THEN you will submit the hard copy in your end of semester portfolio. Points will not be given for the work until the portfolio. Missing or unstamped work will be given a zero at that time.

Thursday 1/19

 

Daily Motivation: 

Henry Ford changed the way the world worked. We are still reaping the rewards from his accomplishments today. While simple, his statement below is also a profound. 

Whether you think you can or can't, you are right.

I not only think you all can succeed this semester, I KNOW you can! Let’s think sportively this semester and work towards substantial improvement!

In Class:

  • Go over Diagnostic Revision and Turn It In.
  • Quick Quiz on Perkins-Gough Vocabulary 
  • Discuss Daily Edits 
  • Pair Share and Class Discussion about Gough
  • Go over Semester Assignments
  • Go over Class Policies.
  • Discuss Blog and Peer Responses.
  • In Class Writing

Homework:

*Refer to the Syllabus for the specific details. This links are not active.
Click here for links to the homework below

  1. Required: Read Dweck and complete Stratgey 1. Click here for the assignment details.
  2. Required: Complete Blog Discussion 1.Click here for the assignment details.
  3. Required: If you haven’t already, complete the assignments from Tuesday’s class. Click here to review Tuesday’s homework.
  4. Required: Don’t forget your Diagnostic Revision! Find the details and submit here!
  5. Recommended: Go the the LAC. Begin your grammar review. Start with modals or conditionals. Your first LAC exercise log will be due before you know it!  Your first LAC assignments can be reviewed here.
  6. Recommended: Get to know Canvas. The more familiar you are with the system, the more smoothly your semester will progress.
  7. Check the calendar. Did you complete all the assignments for the week?
  8. Get your Writing Clearly! We begin working in it next week!

 

Tuesday 1/17- First Day

Welcome to Mrs. C’s ESL 201!

I am so glad to be starting the Fall 2017 semester with you! It will be a challenging endeavor, but you will learn a great deal, your writing will improve, and you might even have some fun!

Daily Motivation:

Every class I will try to have a quote or video to help us all continue to be motivated and stay the course. Sometimes, I will include a bit of writing lesson in the quote as well!  Today is the first step in our challenging semester writing course. I’d like you to consider the quote below from Zig Ziglar, a motivational speaker.

As ESL students in an American college, you are reaching for big dreams and high goals. More than anything, what will help you be successful this semester and in your college career overall will be your attitude!

Language deficiencies can be overcome, vocabulary can be assimilated, grammar can be learned, and writing can be mastered if you have the right attitude.

I encourage you to start this semester with a good attitude toward learning, and I know you will succeed! 

In Class Today:

First Day Introduction

Course Overview 

Homework:

*Refer to the Syllabus for the specific details. This links are not active.

Click here for links to the homework below

  1. Required: Read Article Handout from today’s class. Click here for assignment details. 
  2. Required: Introduce yourself to Mrs. C. Click here for assignment details. 
  3. Required: Get your Canvas account set up. Click here for assignment details.
  4. Required: Buy your Supplies! You will need Writing Clearly next week. You can use the RESERVE copy in the library, but you will have to make photocopies of the materials to have in class. You will need Power of Habit by Week 5. You should get your portfolio binder immediately.

 

let's have a great semester