English Composition I with Sarah Surma
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In English Composition I, students learn how to develop better writing skills by identifying and understanding the steps involved in the writing process-all in this one online English course.
The online English composition course examines five fundamental types of writing: compare and contrast, argumentative, persuasive, narrative, and descriptive. Lessons in this online English course also highlight the importance of proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling, and explain effective research techniques, editing, and revision.
In Professor Surma's version of ENG101 students can expect a much more engaging course including,
Diverse Communication Methods
- E-mail communication gives students the opportunity to submit partial work for review or ask less urgent questions.
- In-class discussion forums offer students a space to ask general assignment or course lesson questions as well as communicate with their peers.
Assignment Guidance Materials
- Assignment guidance materials further explain assignment objectives and expectations, they provide helpful tips and sample thesis statements, and finally, they offer suggested essay structures.
Preliminary Essay Evaluations
- Preliminary essay evaluations (optional) give students the opportunity to have their drafts evaluated by me prior to submitting the final copy for grading.
Self Paced
English
Buy the course for only $129 and get a copy of "College Writing Skills" at no additional cost
By including eTextbooks in our courses, StraighterLine is helping students achieve their academic goals by providing best-in-class tools to make studying more convenient.
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Great method of learning and achieving good results. Learn grammar, punctuation skills, and an overall guide to English literature.
I was really able to learn good writing skills and improve my essay writing.Content Rating Overall Rating -
Great method of learning and achieving good results. Learn grammar, punctuation skills, and an overall guide to English literature.
I was really able to learn good writing skills and improve my essay writing.Content Rating Overall Rating -
This course is not hard. There is a second chance for each essay in case you do bad the first time. You learn how to write better grammar.
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I needed to be able to take a class that I could do at my own pace. I also needed a class that allowed me to go back and reread items I had previously been taught. I also provided me easy to read and learn from additional links. They Professor got back to you immediately with clarifications.
Content Rating Overall Rating -
I needed to be able to take a class that I could do at my own pace. I also needed a class that allowed me to go back and reread items I had previously been taught. I also provided me easy to read and learn from additional links. They Professor got back to you immediately with clarifications.
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This course was excellent! I really appreciated its in-depth coverage of the subject matter, combined with the many opportunities I was given to write essays and research papers. My only real critique is that there seems to be a disconnect between the instructors who review written drafts of assignments and the instructors providing the final grade. I had at least one instance of my primary instructor disagreeing with my secondary instructor's notes which was confusing. Generally speaking, however, the course provided a lot of great information and I gained a lot in taking it. Kudos and thanks!
Content Rating Overall Rating -
This course was excellent! I really appreciated its in-depth coverage of the subject matter, combined with the many opportunities I was given to write essays and research papers. My only real critique is that there seems to be a disconnect between the instructors who review written drafts of assignments and the instructors providing the final grade. I had at least one instance of my primary instructor disagreeing with my secondary instructor's notes which was confusing. Generally speaking, however, the course provided a lot of great information and I gained a lot in taking it. Kudos and thanks!
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The professor was timely with corrections on papers and was also very nice. She answered any question I had on any assignment.
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The professor was timely with corrections on papers and was also very nice. She answered any question I had on any assignment.
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I found that this course took much longer to complete than the advertised 80 hours. While it was a good course, students should expect it to take much longer than SL says.
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I found that this course took much longer to complete than the advertised 80 hours. While it was a good course, students should expect it to take much longer than SL says.
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This course is not hard. There is a second chance for each essay in case you do bad the first time. You learn how to write better grammar.
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Professor Tidwell made a huge difference in this class! She is very supportive and responsive to student needs.
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This course was very thorough with thorough explanation of all assignments.
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English Composition is a very good course when it comes to improve ones writing skill as well as getting familiar with different types of writing.
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The course was a lot of work. However, the professor was very helpful and encouraging. She graded assignments promptly allowing me to be able to revise and move on to the next topic quickly.
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Gave me the ability to complete what i needed when i needed it.
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Each section has an online lesson that explains all the concepts relevant that part of the course. After reviewing the lesson, there is usually a quiz that helps solidify these concepts. The course helps one in constructing a well-written essay. The essays were often on topics of choice.
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The English Composition I at Straighter Line shows students all the basic knowledge for academic writing. All the available resources are extremely helpful to gain knowledge and, the professor, if there is one, does the best job in explaining the topics that remained unclear.
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The English Composition I course was fairly easy as I did so alongside with a professor. I was able to ask any and all questions I had and they were answered pretty quickly. I enjoyed writing the essays as they gave me a chance to be challenged in a creative way. I would recommend this course to any student who needs to get through College courses in a quick but efficient manner.
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Sarah Tidwell, who graded most of my written assignments was amazing. She gave helpful suggestions and is a wonderful resource to Straighterline.
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I loved the way Sarah Tidwell explained to me what needed to be corrected on the way I was writing my essays.
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Really enjoyed receiving commentary and corrections from one in particular of your graders, Sarah Tidwell. She provided excellent, helpful feedback and was incredibly prompt. When one of my essays was graded by another grader I was disappointed with the lack of depth to answers, and the brusque, unhelpful formatting of responses.
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I liked the material used such as purdue, and the lesson presentations. And there was one grader that was particularly helpful.Her name is Sarah Tidwell. When I recieved my draft papers back from her she was always SO helpful. She tried to focus on my strengths but also let me be aware of my weaknesses. She never made me feel intimidated or as if I was not doing things right. Some of them seem more focused on pointing out wrong things instead of acknowledging strengths.
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Total Students Served: 910 and counting
My Experience:
I received a Bachelor of Science in Human Services and Management and a Master of Arts in Education/Adult Education and Training/E-Learning from University of Phoenix. I have taught an array of online entry-level English courses where I specialize in assisting students develop their writing skills.
What Students Can Expect:
I have a passion for teaching online, and my dedication to student success is evident by my consistent presence and convenient availability in the virtual classroom. I understand that it is imperative for students to receive answers to their questions quickly so that they feel comfortable moving forward in the course and with assignments. When students understand course concepts, they gain a learning confidence that allows them to move through the course at their preferred pace. Students will also benefit from supplemental guidance materials that clearly explain assignment expectations as well as general writing tips.
Course Objectives
After completing this course, students will be able to:
- Explain and identify the steps involved in the writing process.
- Compose a strong thesis statement.
- Organize an essay into a well written introduction, body, and conclusion.
- Evaluate the different types of fictional and non-fictional readings.
- Successfully identify and apply the use of analogy.
- Identify and compose the following types of writing: argumentative, compare/contrast, descriptive, narrative, persuasive, and summary.
- Employ proper research techniques.
- Analyze and judge the validity of the various kinds of reading materials.
- Correctly use the MLA style of citing.
- Summarize and paraphrase without plagiarizing.
- Successfully revise and edit all aspects of an essay.
- Construct grammatically correct sentences.
- Compose sentences and paragraphs with correct spelling and punctuation.
| Topic | Lesson Topic | Subtopics | Objectives |
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| 1 | Proper Grammar: Friend or Foe? |
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| 2 | Punctuation and Spelling: The Finer Points |
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| 3 | The Writing Process: You Can Do It! |
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| 4 | Thesis Statements: What's the Point? |
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Research Paper Objective:
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Writing a Good Paragraph & Researching Your Topic: Half the Battle! |
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| 6 | Popular Types of Writing: Who Knew? |
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| 7 | Types of Readings: Can This Really Influence my Writing? |
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Research Paper Objective:
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| 8 | Analysis of Reading and Writing: Now What? |
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| 9 | Using Evidence and Reference Materials Properly: Give Credit Where It's Due! |
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Research Paper Objective:
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| 10 | The Process of Revising and Editing: You're Almost There! |
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Research Paper Objective:
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| 11 | Checking Your Final Essay: You've Come This Far! |
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Research Paper Objective:
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| 12 | Submission of the Final Draft of the Research Paper and Final Review |
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There are no prerequisites to take English Composition I.
The required eTextbook for this course is included with your course purchase at no additional cost. More information on StraighterLine eTextbooks
Prefer the hard copy? Simply purchase from your favorite textbook retailer; you will still get the eTextbook for free.
The seventh edition of John Langan's College Writing Skills focuses on the essay using Langan's renowned clear writing style, as well as his wide range of writing assignments and activities that reinforce the four bases of effective writing: unity, support, coherence, and sentence skills. For this new edition, John Langan has added a variety of fresh elements to his proven approach.
Langan, John. College Writing Skills, 7th edition. McGraw-Hill, 2008. ISBN 9780073384092
This course follows the research guidelines of the Modern Language Association (MLA). These guidelines were most recently revised in 2003 in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (6th ed.). A summary of these guidelines is provided in the Purdue Online Writing Lab.
StraighterLine provides a percentage score and letter grade for each course. A passing percentage is 70% or higher. If you have chosen a Partner College to award credit for this course, your final grade will be based upon that college's grading scale. Only passing scores will be considered by Partner Colleges for an award of credit.
All required assignments (even those that are ungraded) must be submitted in order to be issued a transcript.
There are a total of 1000 points in the course:
| Topic | Assessment | Points Available |
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| A1 | Graded Quiz: Plagiarism | NA |
| 1 | Graded Quiz: Transitions | 30 |
| 1 | Graded Quiz: The Kris Chronicles, Part 2: Banana Bread Brainstorm | 60 |
| 2 | Graded Quiz: Good Word Choices Positively Affect Your Writing...Or Is it Effect? | 30 |
| 2 | Graded Quiz: Homonyms | 40 |
| 2 | Graded Quiz: Grammar at Dinner | 75 |
| 2 | Graded Quiz: Grammar and Punctuation | 100 |
| 3 | Graded Quiz: Writing to Your Audience | 90 |
| 5 | Writing Assignment: Final Draft of the Descriptive Paragraph | 10 |
| 5 | Graded Quiz: Building a Better Paragraph | 15 |
| 5 | Graded Quiz: Website Validity | 20 |
| 6 | Writing Assignment: Final Draft of the Comparison/Contrast Writing Assignment | 50 |
| 7 | Writing Assignment: Final Draft of the Personal Narrative Writing Assignment | 40 |
| 8 | Graded Quiz: Text Analysis | 30 |
| 8 | Graded Quiz: A Different Look at the Mail | 30 |
| 8 | Writing Assignment: Final Draft of the Persuasive Writing Assignment | 50 |
| 9 | Graded Quiz: Works Cited | 30 |
| 9 | Writing Assignment: Final Draft of the Argumentative Writing Assignment | 100 |
| 10 | Graded Quiz: Different Perspectives | 20 |
| 10 | Final Graded Quiz: Be an Editor | 30 |
| Review | Writing Assignment: Final Draft of the Research Writing Assignment | 150 |
| Total | 1000 |
In English Composition I, students learn how to develop better writing skills by identifying and understanding the steps involved in the writing process-all in this one online English course.
The online English composition course examines five fundamental types of writing: compare and contrast, argumentative, persuasive, narrative, and descriptive. Lessons in this online English course also highlight the importance of proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling, and explain effective research techniques, editing, and revision.
In Professor Surma's version of ENG101 students can expect a much more engaging course including,
Diverse Communication Methods
- E-mail communication gives students the opportunity to submit partial work for review or ask less urgent questions.
- In-class discussion forums offer students a space to ask general assignment or course lesson questions as well as communicate with their peers.
Assignment Guidance Materials
- Assignment guidance materials further explain assignment objectives and expectations, they provide helpful tips and sample thesis statements, and finally, they offer suggested essay structures.
Preliminary Essay Evaluations
- Preliminary essay evaluations (optional) give students the opportunity to have their drafts evaluated by me prior to submitting the final copy for grading.