DeAnzaCollegeReading2115unitsP/NP
MarianWronskyEmail:[email protected]
Office:MW9-10:00amat408-720-1544andatthePartTimeOfficesinBaldwinWineryonrequest.
Reading211isaclassforstudentswhoareseriousaboutdevelopingtheirreadingcomprehension,study,andlearningskillsvital
forsuccessincollegeclassesandcareerprosperity.ItisaprerequisiteforEnglish1A.
WhatwillIlearntodo?Youwilllearnto
1. Applycriticalskillsinordertoread,analyzeandcriticizenonfictionandfiction.
2. Getvocabularymeaningincontextforcomprehensionandusage,andincreaseyourvocabulary.
3. Showflexibilityinadjustingreadingratetosuitpurposeandmaterial.
4. Improvepresentreadinglevelthroughpracticeofstudyskills,readingstrategies,andmemorytechniques
5. Comprehendmainideas,thesis,examinepurposeandeffectsinbothexpositoryandpersuasivetexts.
StudentLearningOutcomes
1. Studentswilldecideontheuseofappropriatereadingstrategiestoimprovereadingcomprehension.
2. Studentswillrespondanalyticallyandcriticallytoreadings.
WhatmaterialswillIneed?
WarnerandHilliard,VisionsAcrosstheAmericas,8thedition
Doctorow,WelcomeToHardTimes
Reading211StrategiesandResourcesforWinterQuarter2017
Collegedictionary,2-3small8-½”X7”bluebooks
3ringbinderforStrategiesandResources
HowwillIbeevaluatedandgraded?Thisisapass/nopassclass.ToreceivearecommendationforEnglish1A,studentsmust
passtheFinalExam(70%orbetter);receiveaPassgradefortheclass(70%+oftotalpoints).Theserequirementsare
firmandneedtobetakenseriously.
33%Daily(Homework,In-classPerformance,andQuizzes)
17%BookReview
17%Midterm
25%FinalExam 8%VocabularyTest
Whatarethestandardsandpenaltiesofthisclass?Whilethestudentisresponsibleforhis/hersuccessorfailure,theinstructor
hastheresponsibilitytofacilitateanenvironmentthatguaranteestheindividual’srighttolearnandsucceed.Studentsare
responsibleforallclassmeetings,havingallinstructionalmaterials,andcompletingallassignmentsontime.
Involvementinclassmeetingsinsuresmeetingofcourseobjectivesandsuccessfulcompletionofassignments.
1. Assignmentsmustbeturnedinonthetimeanddatedueandmeetstandardsspecifiedorwilllosepointsorwillnot
beaccepted.Itisstudent’sresponsibilitytocommunicateissues,withtheinstructortodiscussoptions.Students
areresponsiblefor100%classnotes,inclassactivities,andinstructionalmaterialsdistributedatclassmeetings.
Studentscanaccessmywebsiteathttp://www.deanza.edu/faculty/wronskymarian/.Addcoursematerialsafterlast/to
getcoursedocuments.
2. Respectforthestandards,thesubject,themselves,otherstudents,andtheinstructorisrequired.Studentswho
disruptclasslearningthroughmorethan3combinedabsences/tardiness/earlydeparturesforanyreason,come
toclassunprepared,and/orpreventclassmatesfromlearningaresubjecttodismissalfromclassfortheday
and/orbeingdroppedfromtheclass.Othertypesofdisruptionincludeverbalorphysicalabuse,threats,
inordinatedemandsfortimeandattention,harassment,anddiscrimination.
3. Studentscanbedroppedduetoneglectofassignments.Studentswhofailtoturninmorethan2assignmentsare
subjecttobeingdropped.Assignmentsnotcompletedasdirectedlosepointsormaynotbeaccepted.
4. Studentswhomissanyclassorcomelatethefirstweekofschool,maybedroppedtoaccommodateotherstudentswho
wanttogetintotheclass.
5. Students’successdependsonpreparationandparticipationinclassmeetingsandassignments.Studentsare
expectedtoplanappointmentsandoutsideactivitiesaroundthescheduledclasstimeandtakeresponsibilityforall
classesandassignments.Thismeansthatwhenthereareabsencesduetodirecircumstances,studentsare
responsibletogetnotes,handouts,andcompleteassignmentsbyandforeachclassmeeting.Studentswhodesire
tosucceedandhavespecialorunforeseenproblemsareexpectedtocontactandconsultwiththeinstructor
immediately,beforetitcreatesaseriousproblem.
6. Plagiarismwillnotbetoleratedandwillresultinlossofpointsonthepartcopiedorthewholeassignment.
Noclass:Monday1/16andMonday2/20
TheFinalExamPart1willbeMonday3/20andPart2willbeMonday3/271:45-3:45.
WinterQuarter2017MWclass
DearReading211student:
Welcometothisclass.Ilookforwardtojoyfulandsatisfyingtimestogether,sharingmeaningfulexperiences,struggles,
performances,andachievements.
InthisclassyouwilllearnnewstrategiestocomprehendexpositoryessaysandfictionalliteraturetosucceedinEnglish1A,as
wellasstudystrategiesforallcollegeclasses.Thereadingcontentisveryrelevantandstimulatingandwillgiveyousomeideasto
improveyourpersonallife.
Ihaveafewsuggestionstoensuresuccessinthisclass.First,recognizeaconnectionbetweenyourselfandthisclass.Askyourself
whatareyourchallengesinyourcourses,atwork,orinyourpersonallife.Lookforanswersinthisclass.Beopentootherideas,
skills,andstrategiesoffered.
Second,findouthowyourinstructorwillgradeyou,onwhatactivities,howmanypoints,orwhatpercentofthetotalgrade.Find
outthestandardforgradingoneachassignmentanddoyourbest.Usethestrategiesyouknowandlearnnewones.Realizethat
readingdemandsalotofskillsandpracticeandacceptyourselfwhereyouare,whileworkingyourhardesttoimprove.
Third,findoutyourinstructor’svalues,goals,andpolicies.Studiescontinuetoshowthatgettingalongwithyourbosswillgetyou
rewards.Punctualitycommunicatesrespectforyourinstructor,yourself,andclassmates.Findouthowmuchtimeandeffortyou
willneedtoputintothiscourseinclassandoutofclasstosucceed.Whatactivitieswillhelpyoulearn?
Fourth,recognizethatinordertogetvalueoutoftheinstructorandthecourse,andgetagoodgrade,thattherearecertain
preparationssuchasreading,studying,reviewing,havingpropermaterials,knowingdailyobjectives,relatingnewinformationto
objectivesandtoyourself,makinginferences,gettingtoclassearlyandgettingreadytolearn.Forthissummerclass,youneedto
setaside5hoursperclassmeeting.
Finally,whileyouareallowedacertainamountofabsences,itisadvisabletonotmissanyclassesbecauseeachclassisvitalto
performingwellontests,assignments,andprojects.Whileclassmatesarehelpful,remembertheyarelearning,andcannotbe
dependedonsolelytogetaccurateinformation.Also,classofferslearningactivitiesthatcannotbedoneoutsideofclass.
Therefore,todowell,todaycreativelymakechangesinupcomingappointmentsorotherplanstonotconflictwithclass.If
relativeswantyoutohelpthemout,explaintothemassertivelythatyourfirstpriorityisschoolandthattosucceedyoucannot
affordtomissclasses.Respectthemtotakecareofthemselvesandfindalternatives.
IpledgetogiveyouallthatIcantohelpyousucceed.Therestisuptoyoutobereceptive,responsible,andproactive.
Nowit’syourturn,pleasehelpmeunderstandyoubycompletingthefollowinginformationandbywritingmealetterabout
yourself(aboutapage).Thisassignmentisrequiredanddueatthenextclassmeeting.Pleasehelpmeworkbetterwithyou.
Bytheway,ifyounoworeverhaveanyconcerns,pleasefeelfreetocontactmebeforeclass,afterclass,orbytelephoneat7201544.Ifyouneedmoretime,askforanappointment.Dothisbeforeit’stoolate!
Sincerely,
MarianWronsky
TwoRecentStudies
Tworecentstudiescomparedunderpreparedstudentswhosucceededincollegetothosewhodidnot(Nelson,1998;Yaworski,
Weber,&Ibrahim,2000).Theirfindingsrevealanumberoftraitscommonamongsuccessfulstudents.Specifically,successful
students:
1)Attendclassontime,
2)Arepreparedforclass(bycompletingcourseassignments),
3)Perceiveinstructorsasexperts,
4)Adheretoanorganizedstudyroutine,
5)Developarepertoireofstudyskillsstrategies,and
6)Takeresponsibilityfortheirownlearning.
WinterQuarter2017MWclass