Course Syllabus

English 9, Semester 2 Syllabus

Course Number: EN112

Summer2015.mp4

Click on the image above for the course introduction video! You should watch this before you take the syllabus quiz. :)

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION 

Mrs. Jessica Young, M.Ed.
CGHS and CG Global Campus Teacher
Google Voice Number: (317) 662-0943
School Voicemail: (317) 881-0581 ext. 4245 

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

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. Please contact me to setup a time/place.

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

Should all people be treated equally?

Students in this English 9 course will explore a variety of literature that forces them to deeply analyze this question. Through reading and writing in a variety of genres, students will fully develop, explain, and justify their own ideas related to equality, fairness, government control, utopia, and dystopia. A variety of technologies will be used to create documents, presentations, and visual aids with the goal of improving students’ skills in reading, writing, grammar, speaking, and collaboration.

English 9 through Global Campus is available to students who have not successfully completed English 9, Semester 2.  For Center Grove High School students, this course is used for credit recovery purposes only. Students outside of the district may be eligible to take this course for initial credit.

This course is based on Indiana's Academic Standards for English/Language Arts and the Common Core State Standards for English/Language Arts.  

OVERARCHING LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will:

TECHNOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS

Students must have access to a computer or tablet with high-speed Internet access and video/voice recording capabilities. Students on mobile devices will be required to annotate PDF documents; iPad users should use the Neu.Annotate app.

GRADING

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

The following 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

VIRTUAL 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 work and continuously work to improve skills related to English/Language Arts and technology.

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 at least three times a week and to spend at least 12 hours per week on this class.

Assignments are due by 11:59 p.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.

FINAL EXAM

There will NOT be a final exam in this course.

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! Students who correctly respond to other students' legitimate questions will have the opportunity to earn extra credit. 
• 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 youngj@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 have a technology need or problem, click here to find the best resource to get that problem solved.
• Canvas App Support. If you can't figure out how to submit documents with the Canvas app, watch this video.

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.