Course Syllabus

Creative Writing Syllabus Course Number: 1092

 

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION


Mrs. Jessica Young

CGHS and CG Global Campus Teacher

Click on the media content link above the instructor's name (above) to watch her introduction video. Her name has changed since video was created.

Email (preferred method): youngj@centergrove.k12.in.us

Phone: (317) 881-0581 ext. 4245, M-F 7:35-2:55 (Voicemail messages will be returned within 48 hours through the week and within 72 hours if left on the weekend.)

Office Hours: This is a completely online course, and office hours are available upon request. We can meet online via Canvas Collaborations or in-person at a mutually convenient location. 

Note: I generally respond to email within 12-48 hours. For general questions, please email me first. If there is an emergency, please indicate that fact in the subject line of your email.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is based on Indiana's Academic Standards for English/Language Arts and the Common Core State Standards for English/Language Arts.  It is a study and application of the rhetorical (effective) writing strategies for prose and poetry. Using the writing process, students demonstrate a command of and/or understanding of the following: vocabulary, the nuances of language and vocabulary, English language conventions, awareness of the audience, the purposes for writing, and the style of their own writing.

CREATIVE WRITING PROJECTS

Students complete projects such as a blog site, a short story, a collection of poems, a children's book, and other creative compositions, which demonstrate knowledge, application, and writing progress in the Creative Writing course content.

• Recommended Grade Level: Grades 11 or 12
• Recommended Prerequisites: English 9, English 10, or teacher recommendation
• Credits: 1 credit
• Fulfills an English/Language Arts requirement for the General, Core 40, Core 40 with Academic Honors, and Core 40 with Technical Honors diplomas
• Note: Students are strongly encouraged to combine this course with a literature course that they take before, concurrently, or after the course. 

OVERARCHING LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Students will develop their creative thinking and creative writing skills through blogging.
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of the importance of critique in writing.
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of the writing process by continually using the process to better their writing.
• Students will view themselves as writers and contributors to a writing community.
• Students will explore avenues for publication.
• Students will communicate and collaborate effectively with peers to create mutually beneficial relationship aimed at improving writing skills.

RESOURCES AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

Students will need reliable access to the Internet, access to Word, and access to a microphone in order to be successful in this course. Students are expected to use technology responsibly. Students are expected to use a desktop computer rather than an iPad in order to complete some assignments that do not lend themselves well to completion on a tablet.

GRADING

Students should concern themselves mainly with improving their writing and enjoying the assignments. Students’ grades will be determined in part by their willingness to:

• participate in online discussions
• follow instructions
• meet assignment deadlines
• revise extensively
• take peer editing seriously

Students will be required to complete modules in sequential order. If assignments are not submitted leading up to the submission of final writing projects, the final project will NOT be graded. Additionally, students should create new pieces of writing for the assignments in this class. In other words, students are not permitted to submit writing assignments that they've worked on prior to this class. 

“Okay the way it is” is not good enough for this class.  All students will be expected to work at making their writing better on each assignment.

The following school-wide grading scale will be used:

93-100 A                     90-92   A-                    87-89   B+                   83-86   B

80-82   B-                    77-79   C+                   73-76   C                     70-72   C-

67-69   D+                   63-66   D                     60-62   D-                    0-59     F

CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS

The most important classroom expectation for this class is that students respect the rights of others at all times.  In addition, students in this class will be expected to:

• participate.
• be a positive force rather than a negative one.
• respect other people’s opinions, feelings and property (including mine).
• use appropriate language in discussions, blogs, and all other assignments.
• be prepared to prove that the work they turn in is their own.
• create new writing and continuously work to improve writing skills.

STANDARDS FOR WRITTEN WORK

Students should turn in assignments that reflect positively on them both in content (good ideas/thinking) and appearance (neatness, organization). Manuscripts and assignments should be clean and neat—text aligned properly, page breaks clean, etc.

COURSE EXPECTATIONS

The specific information about learning activities and assignments will be found in the modules.  Students can also refer to the course overview, which will list the reading assignments, learning activities, and assessment points identified for each module.  You will receive a module overview from your teacher at the beginning of each week. Read the overview carefully and plan your time for working on the course according to the weekly structure and your needs/habits.

Before beginning a module, you should get online and read through the entire module.  Readings and initial posts will be due earlier than longer assignments and final products.  You can expect to be online three times a week and to spend at least 6 hours per week on this class.

Assignments are due by 11:00p.m. on the designated due date.  Failure to post or submit assignments on time will result in the student only being able to earn up to 1/2 credit for the assignment if it is submitted within 48 hours of the original due date.  After the 48 hour window, you can no longer earn any credit for the assignment (read: you will earn a ZERO).  If you run into a legitimate roadblock that keeps you from turning your work in on time, please send me an email explaining your situation.  I may work with you to adjust the deadline if it is evident that you have planned ahead and put forth effort to complete the assignment on time and to communicate clearly with me.  Please plan ahead to avoid technical issues and late assignments.  Your grades will be posted in the Skyward grade book as soon as your assignments have been evaluated.

CRITIQUE

You are required to work diligently at critiquing your peers' work and revising your work based upon critiques you receive from your peers. If an assignment requires collaboration and/or critique, and you have not heard from your peers regarding the assignment, you need to immediately email your classmate to ask about the assignment AND immediately email your teacher to tell her about the issue. Do not wait until the day an assignment is due to contact your peers and teachers.

If you are to share an assignment with your peers, you need to do so AT LEAST 24 hours before that assignment is due to be critiqued. For instance, if your peers are asked to provide you with a critique by Wednesday night at 11:00 pm, then you need to share your assignment with them before Tuesday night at 11:00 pm. Obviously, the sooner you share assignments with your peers, the better the critique you will receive. Communicate and collaborate effectively in order to be successful!

GOOGLE DOCS

The majority of our assignments, especially our big writing projects, will be completed using Google docs. You must be familiar with this program. Here are some tips for effectively working the program/app:

• EVERY TIME you create a Google doc for this course, get in the habit of IMMEDIATELY sharing it (including editing rights) with your teacher. 
• When you share your Google doc with your peers, make sure to email them separately and ask whether or not they have been granted access correctly. 
• If you are struggling with using the Google doc app, then open your documents/drive using the Safari or Google Chrome browser on your iPad.
• If you are struggling with using Google docs on your iPad (in an app and in a browser), then use a desktop computer.

MODULES (UNITS) OF STUDY

Module 1: 10 Truths about Me | Creating a Classroom Community

Module 2: Developing a Writer’s Blog

Module 3: Critique

Modules 4: Poetry Exploration

Module 5: Poetry Creation

Module 6: Poetry Revision, Publishing, Sharing, and Reflection

Module 7: Blog Work

Module 8: Short Story Exploration

Module 9: Short Story Creation

Module 10: Short Story Revision, Publishing, Sharing, and Reflection

Module 11: Children’s Book Exploration

Module 12: Children’s Book Creation

Module 13: Children’s Book Revision, Publishing, Sharing, and Reflection

Module 14: Reflection and Celebration

Module 15: Final Exam

FINAL EXAM

There will be a final exam in this course consisting of literary terms discussed throughout the course. You will take the final exam through Canvas.

HELP-SEEKING STRATEGIES
Please be proactive and seek help whenever possible. The online environment is full of helpful people and resources.  If you are having a problem, reach out to those around you who might be able to help. Consider the following:

• Classmates. I have created a discussion in Canvas dedicated to questions and ongoing support. The discussion is called “Have a question?” and it appears at the top of the Modules page. This is a place for you, the class, to ask each other questions, help clarify for one another, and provide each other with support. I will periodically check-in here, so if you have a specific question that you feel only I can answer, then please email me.  Don't be shy! Chances are that someone else in the class has the same question you do. Help each other out!
• Classmates. You can email individual students in the course through Canvas email. You can access this feature by clicking on "Inbox" at the top right of the browser and searching for a specific classmate's name.
• Instructor Support. You can contact me anytime using my school email account at northardj@centergrove.k12.in.us. Please do not use Canvas mail to contact me. I will respond to your emails within 48 hours. 
• Technical Support. If you are having issues with Canvas, you may use the “Help” link to search the Canvas guides, or report a problem. As a rule of thumb, try using a different internet browser or reboot your device. For technical support related to any school-issued hardware, please ask a tech person (if you are in the school building throughout the day) or notify your teacher (if you do not attend school in the building) and he/she will file a help ticket with the Center Grove Technology Department.
• Online Support. If you have a question regarding Center Grove Global Campus in general, please contact the eLearning Coordinator, Joanna Ray, at rayjl@centergrove.k12.in.us.

DISABILITY SERVICES FOR STUDENTS

If you have special needs that may require modification of instruction or assessment, please make sure a copy of your IEP is on file. You may contact Kathy Stricker, Director of Special Needs at strikerk@centergrove.k12.in.us, so that we can determine how to make necessary accommodations to best support your learning needs. Also, please notify me of your specific needs through email prior to the start of the course.  

PLAGIARISM, CHEATING, AND ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

It is expected that students will not cheat, plagiarize, or engage in any other form of academic dishonesty. This behavior includes but is not limited to:

• using another's thoughts or words as your own without correctly citing the source.
• giving your thoughts or words to another student in a way that would benefit that student or his/her grade in the course.
• submitting work created prior to the course in order to earn a grade for an assignment that is to be completed while taking the course.
• working with another student to complete an assignment, quiz, or test when not explicitly told by the instructor that working with a partner is permitted.
• submitting a blank assignment so as to blame a "technical issue" for a submission problem when, in reality, you are trying to gain more time in completing the assignment.

If a student is discovered to be involved in any of these or similar behaviors, that student will be subject to consequences determined by Center Grove Administrators, which could include receiving an “F” in the course (no credit given) or dismissal from the Global Campus program entirely.