ENGLISH 111/009

Unit 1

Dr. Diane Thompson, NVCC, ELI

Begin the course by sending your NVCC email address to Diane Thompson. Include your name and the course you are in, so that I can send you your grades.  If you do not send me your email address before posting your Introduction, I will delete ten points from your Introduction. Because of privacy regulations, I can only send your grades to a College email account, so please do this immediately!

If you do not already have an NVCC email account, go to Email Instructions to learn how to open and use your NVCC student email account. 

**You must successfully (work I have accepted and graded) complete ALL of the first two units by your Last Withdrawal Date, or I will withdraw you from the course with a grade of W.**

I will under NO CIRCUMSTANCES grade more than one piece of work in a single day, so you must plan accordingly.

Please read the entire Course Guide before starting to work on Unit 1. 

UNIT 1 will introduce you to the course, the instructor, the other students, the writing process, and the Internet. This Unit involves seven tasks.

You may want to print out this page before going on, so that you will have the instructions in front of you as you work through the tasks. However, the print-out will NOT include the hotlinks to other instructions, so you need to always refer back to this web page to access the hotlinks.

Unit 1, Task 1

First, go to  Blackboard, put in your username and password using the log in instructions linked to the course Home Page. Once you are logged in, choose the class:

• select "English 111" from the menu on the right;

Once you are in the class:

• select "Discussion Board" from the menu on the left.

This will bring you to the task table. Click on "Unit 1, Task 1" to go to the forum for this task. Read the instructions for the forum, and then open the forum, so you can read some of the other students' introductions. Think about what you would like your classmates and teacher to know about you. 

Then,  write your own introduction. Tell the class about yourself, your background, your interests and hobbies, why you are going to college, and what you hope to get from this course. Develop your ideas fully; don't skimp. Help your classmates and teacher get to know you. Unit 1, Task 1 is worth up to 30 points.

Write your Introduction on your own word processor, and run a spell check before posting it. I will grade down for poor English mechanics, grammar and spelling as well as for lack of development.

Your posting may not show immediately; to see it, click on the "reload" or "refresh" button on your browser. Do not press the submit button more than once, or you will get multiple postings. 

***Please do not attach files; I will not open them and you will have to repost your message.

Depending on the number of posted messages, I may delete work after one month.. If you think you will need any of your writing for longer than that (such as early work on your research project), be sure to keep a copy in your own files. 

Essay 1

Tasks 2 through 6 will take you through the steps of thinking about, planning, drafting and revising your Essay 1. This essay asks you to select a problem you have successfully dealt with in your life and write about why it was a problem, how you solved it, and the outcomes of that solution. Be sure it is a problem that YOU solved, not that someone else solved for you.

Please do not select a problem so intimate that you will not feel comfortable with other students reading it, or with your teacher reacting to it as an essay and possibly suggesting substantial changes. Try to find some topic that you can easily share with other readers and easily accept suggestions about.  The purpose of this essay is to analyze a problem and its solution, not to expose some deeply personal issue that you would rather keep to yourself and your closest friends. Remember, you are writing for your classmates as well as for your instructor.

Unit 1, Task 2

Go to  Blackboard and click on "Unit 1,Task 2." This will take you to the forum for posting your response to another student's Essay 1. Read the instructions on this forum and follow them.

Be sure to use grammatically complete, correct sentences.  Task 2 is worth up to 20 points. 

When I read and respond to your work, I will note any areas where you need to review areas of grammar and/or writing. I will tell you which sections of the Hacker textbook to study, and then ask you to go to the  Diana Hacker: Companion Web Site, where you will find the corresponding exercises. Select the Grammar Exercises from the menu across the top of the page, and then select the area(s) you need to test yourself on. The exercise menu comes up when you select the area you need to work on. For example, if you select Word Choice (W), the menu for that area will pop up. Then, select the specific area I have asked you to study and do the self-correcting exercises to check your understanding of the concepts.

You can do a better job if you write on your own word processor, so that you can run a spell check before posting to the forum. Here is how to copy/paste a worksheet. 

Unit 1, Task 3

Do a problem-finding worksheet. This task will help guide you as you plan your essay on "A Problem I have Solved Successfully." Go to  Blackboard and select "Unit 1, Task 3" to go to the forum for this task. 

Follow the instructions for Unit 1, Task 3 on the forum. Unit 1, Task 3 is worth up to 20 points.

Unit 1, Task 4

Prepare the Essay 1 Draft. Go to Instructions for Writing the Essay 1 Draft. Read this page carefully. Then click at the bottom of the page to go to Blackboard and select the forum "Unit 1, Tasks 4, 5 and 6," where you will post your own essay draft. You will write your own essay draft: "A Problem I Have Solved Successfully," receive feedback on your draft, and work on revision. 

No points, but Unit 1, Task 4 is required for an eventual grade on this essay. You may only post one draft, so be sure and do your best work before posting it.

You must post the revised, final version within thirty days after the draft is posted, or it may not be graded. (I need to see the draft when I grade the final version of the essay).