Course Description

This English Composition Class is instructed by Connie Densmore. Connie has a Bachelors of Arts degree in English Language and Literature with World Literature Concentration, Fine Arts Drawing and Painting, and Humanities. She a Master of Arts in English Language and Literature with a 20th Century Concentration. Connie's Master Thesis is Toni Morrison: Silence, Revealed, and Spoken. Connie also has a Master of Arts in Humanities with History and Cultures Concentration. The focus of this online composition course is to prepare students for what is expected of them in a college and university composition course. The focus will be on the writing process as a whole. The process of writing includes invention, free writing, organization, shelling, outlining, drafting, and revisions. Another focus will be on areas of developing a thesis statement, content development, organization, clarity, and supporting evidence for your thesis statement. Students will become acquainted with many facets of the writing process including the following: developing a composing technique; developing the skills, attitudes, and character of a critical thinker; testing and evaluating ideas; and using standard written English effectively. Composition is a writing class, but it is also a writing class that is research driven, which means you will need to do your research in order to effectively write your paper. Almost every college and university requires a student to take two-composition course for all degrees, which means you will be writing a narrative, compare and contrast, argumentative, and research essay with some variations, which depend on the college. This online course will cover these four genres of essays, which each contain specific elements. This course will teach you the necessary skills to survive a college writing course and feel more confident in your writing skills, which in turn will improve your writing skills. This is a self-paced, online course. You have 5 weeks to finish. If you need additional help understanding the material presented, you can communicate with the instructor and fellow classmates. The instructor will monitor and track your progress throughout the class. LVS Online offers many wonderful learning tools to help you get the most out of your online course, including an online portfolio service that manages all your course registrations, certificate of completion option, a class discussion board to interact with your instructor and fellow classmates, free hosting account, and a student upload area. LVS is a Corel Training Partner. LVS students may purchase Corel products at a significant savings. Follow this link for details. LVS students are also eligible take advantage of special offers made available by famous software developers such as Andromeda, AV Bros, Extensis, Harry Heim, namesuppressed, Nik Multimedia, and Ulead. Details are provided in the classinfo link found in the confirmation of registration. If you would like to receive more information regarding this course, click on the "Contact Us" link in the Information section and we'll try to answer any of your questions within the day.

Course Requirements

A working knowledge of your computer is essential: Free Windows Class Here A dictionary with at least 100,000 words - suggest Merriam Webster's Collegiate latest edition or make sure to use the grammar and spell check in your computer program. To complete your assignments, you must have access to a word processor such as Microsoft Word. Plan to devote approximately 3 - 4 hrs per week on the lesson, quiz, and assignment.

Course Prerequisites

None

Course Syllabus

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Writing Process (Composition) Lesson 2: Critical Reading and Analysis Lesson 3: Narrative Essay Lesson 4: Compare and Contrast Essay Lesson 5: Argumentative Essay Lesson 6: Research Essay

Course Excerpt

Lesson 1: Introduction to Composition The writing process can be thought of as a group of elements that are combined into a certain structure and organization according to the genre of the writing. For lesson one and assignment one you will be familiarizing yourself with the elements of the writing process. Below you will find general information about the writing process and it's elements. These are important for the essay assignments. Writing Definition: 1). Writing is a highly complex act that demands the analysis and synthesis of many critical levels of thinking, reading and writing. 2). Writing develops initiative. In writing, the learner must supply everything: the right relationship between sounds and letters, the order of the letters and their form on the page, the topic, information, questions, answers, order. 3). Writing develops courage because the writer becomes more confident with practice and praise. At no point in learning is the learner more vulnerable than in writing. 4). Writing, more than any other subject because it can lead to personal breakthroughs in the learning process. 5). Writing can contribute to reading. Writing, some say, is active, whereas reading is passive, but both involve the person. 6). Writing contributes strongly to reading comprehension, as children grow older. The ability to revise writing for greater power and economy is one of the higher forms of reading. More...

Course Goals

Students will become acquainted with many facets of the writing process including the following: developing a composing technique; developing the skills, attitudes, and character of a critical thinker; testing and evaluating ideas; and using standard written English effectively. Composition is a writing class, but it is also research driven, which means you will need to do your research in order to effectively write your paper and meet your deadlines.

Suggested Books

These books are not required at LVS, however these books are required in most college composition courses. Gibaldi, Joseph. Modern Language Association Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York: 1999. Can be purchased at the bookstore or read online through the library's website or MLA website: www.mla.org Keene, Michael & Katherine H. Adams. The Easy Access Handbook: A Writer's Guide & Reference. California: May, 1999: webster.commnet.edu/mla/index.shtml Hacker, Diane. The Bedford Handbook for Writers. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford Books, 1994: www.dianahacker.com/bedhandbook/

Course Reviews

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