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Welcome to English 261! This course will begin with a short history of American short story and then will embark on a journey through the diverse collection of short stories. The class will begin with a discussion of stories written in the 19th century and then continually move forward until reaching the present, reading and analyzing stories by such diverse and talented writers as Herman Melville, Flannery O’Conner, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Edgar Allen Poe. We will primarily perform close textual readings and in-class and on-line discussions in order to both understand such crucial components as plot, character, point-of-view, and narrative, and also to examine and understand the historical and cultural backgrounds to each text. This course is being taught as a hybrid course--a mix between the traditional classroom and the distance education classroom. According to the Learning Technology Center at UWM, "Hybrid courses combine face-to-face and online instruction to deliver material previously taught solely face-to-face. Because Hybrid courses combine face-to-face and computer-based learning, instructors can use instructional techniques best suited for teaching different content. Hybrid courses allow instructors to use computer-based technologies selectively--to present case studies, tutorials, self-testing exercises, simulations or other online work in place of some lecture or lab material--but without relinquishing all classroom interaction." Therefore, we will be meeting only twice per week (each Monday and Friday) in the classroom. The time that you would normally have spent in the classroom on Wednesdays will be spent by completing weekly, on-line assignments. Although at times, this course will be difficult and time consuming, the skills that you learn will become invaluable in your college studies and eventual career. If you ever have any questions, need additional information, feel overwhelmed, or just want to talk, do not hesitate in contacting me directly at any of the methods above. Let's have a great semester! Course Assignments and GradesThe class will be divided into three groups. Each week, one group will write a Reading Response (approximately 250-400 words) commenting on the course readings specified for that week. Another group will then write responses (approximately 250-400 words) to those responses, while the final group will not have a response writing assignment for the week. The groups will switch responsibilities each week so that one week you will be responsible for writing an original response and the next week you will be responsible for writing a response to a response, and the third week, you will not have a writing assignment. Always check the course website if you have a question about which type of response you are responsible for in any given week. You are also responsible for reading the short stories, the responses, and the responses to the responses by the appropriate class days (stories and responses, Monday; responses to responses, Friday).Reading ResponsesAfter you have read the short stories and the supplemental readings that are assigned each week, write a response to one of those stories. Then, post that response to the "Reading Responses" discussion board available at the “Discussion Board” section of the class webpage. Your response should be 250-400 words and should follow the following format:
Responses to ResponsesFor your responses to responses, you will need to post a response to someone else's reading response. After you have read through all of the reading responses for the week, choose the one that interests you and then respond to that person by posting another discussion board entry that is at least 250-400 words. Post that response to the "Reading Responses" discussion board available at the Discussion Board section of the class webpage. Your weekly responses should follow the following format:
Final ProjectYou are responsible for completing one final project over the course of the semester. While the project will be discussed in depth in class and is explicitly explained on the Final Project section of the course website, a short precis to the project is warranted here.For the final project, you will be preparing a website for a specific short story of your choosing. The story cannot be one that we read in class and must be approved by me in advanced, but other than that, there are no restrictions on what you can choose. Your website will feature and be organized around the following components:
GradesIn this class, your final grade will be figured based on the following percentages: 40% -Reading Responses and Responses to Responses; 20% - Quizzes and Final Exam; 20% - Final Project; 20% -Class Participation. We will not have a midterm examination, but will have several short reading quizzes and a short final exam.Reading Responses and Responses to Responses: Reading Responses and Responses to Responses that you post to the discussion board will be assessed as Acceptable or Unacceptable. You will be notified if your work is Unacceptable; otherwise assume that completion automatically equals Acceptable. Acceptable work is on-task, actively engaged, cites reading, reflective, around three to six hundred words, and is posted on-time. Unacceptable posts are sloppy, careless, rushed, have mechanical errors, are facually or logically inaccurate, are too short or non-sunstantive, and/or are late. If you have 90-100% Acceptables, you will receive an A for this portion of your grade. 80-90% = B; 70-80% = C; 60-70% = D; 0-60% = F. Final Project: The longer project will be graded on an A-F scale, focusing on writing quality, not time and effort expended. Failure to turn in your early draft(s) or to respond to peers appropriately and on time will reduce your final grade by one letter. The criteria for your final project will be discussed extensively in class and is available in the Final Project section of the website. Class Participation: Class participation will also be graded on an A-F scale, focusing on how much you participate in class and how substantial and thoughtful the comments that you make are.
Course PoliciesAttendance and Late WorkBecause this class will be covering different topics in almost every class period, your attendance, discussion, and interaction with both myself and your fellow classmates is vital. And, because we will be meeting face-to-face only twice per week, even a single absence will cause you to fall behind. Therefore, the course has a very strict attendance policy. You are allowed two absences (equal to one full week of class) without being penalized. Each absence over two will hurt the class participation portion of your grade. If you miss more than four classes (equal to two full weeks of class), regardless of the reason, you will automatically fail the class.Finally, be aware that I take attendance at the beginning of every class. If you are not there, I will count you absent. If you are late, please come into the class with as little disruption as possible. Also, be sure to check with me after class to make sure that I changed your absence to a tardy in my attendance record. Three 'tardies' count as one absence. Please be aware that late work will receive half-credit for the assignment. Class WebsiteBecause this course will be taught as a hybrid course (half online and half face-to-face), the class website, available at www.uwm.edu/~rchay/eng261, will become invaluable to you. On the website, you will find the traditional information that you would expect, such as the syllabus, assignment information, and class calendar. In addition, the website also contains several additional resources including an information page with articles on everything from plagiarism, to quotes about writing, to the hours of the UWM Writing Center. Also, the website has a discussion board where you can post your responses and questions and ideas and have myself and your fellow classmates respond. Assignments and handouts will appear on the website the week before they are assigned in class.Required Electronic LiteracyBecause this is a "hybrid" course which meets partly online and partly in the traditional classroom, by the second week you need to be able to: start and end programs on a Microsoft Windows or Macintosh PC; open, edit, save, and store files; create, send, receive, and read e-mail, including attachments; and upload and edit files on a UWM website--only UWM websites will be accepted for grading purposes. No exceptions. We will cover some of this at least once in class. But, as always, please see me for any additional assistance--I'm always more than happy to help!Academic DishonestyAcademic dishonesty including plagiarism, cheating, or submitting another person's material as one's own, violates university policy and is unacceptable in this class and in the academic community in general. Commission of an act of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, will result in severe negative consequences including, but not limited to, a lower grade in the class, an automatic "F" in the class, and/or expulsion from the class or from the University. Whenever you draw on the ideas or language of another writer, you must clearly indicate your source.If you have a chronic health condition or disability which may interfere with your attendance or ability to complete any of the assignments, you must register with a counselor at the Student Accessibility Center (Mitchell 116, 229-6287) and schedule a meeting with me within the first two weeks of classes.
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