Greetings to all Frosh!

So starts your first semester at KMLA.  Hopefully you'll settle into a good routine, make some good friends, and are ready to face all the new challenges that await you.  Let me say:

Welcome to all Frosh! 

What is a Frosh?  Basically, you.  It is a gender neutral term to describe all new incoming first year students.  Since you are either male or female, calling you freshmen seems a bit off, hence the term Frosh.  It actually is a very common term on many North American university campuses.

Who am I?  While my actual moniker is Richard Menard, on this blog I am known as El Generalissimo, Benevolent Dictator.  The image is of Hank Scorpio, one of my favorite Simpsons one off characters, found in the episode "You Only Move Twice" (s08e02).

You can contact me at: rchrd@minjok.hs.kr

This blog will serve as the common home for the Frosh writing classes of 10V1, 10V2, 10V3, and 10V4.  All assignments for the class will be posted here for your convenience and easy referral.  Check the syllabus posted below for detailed information.  ***PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SYLLABUS LISTED BELOW IS MERELY A GUIDE, AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITH SOME OR LITTLE NOTICE***

To join the class, you will need to create a blog on this site.  I find a gmail account makes things simpler, so if you don't have one, consider creating one.  After, go to the Blogger home page and follow the instructions.  Once you have done this, I'd ask that you post in the comments section to this post your name, student ID, class, along with the link to your blog.  I will add you to the blogroll on the right side column.

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I do have some bad news: here is your first assignment (haha).  One of your assignments will be to post a monthly response to a TOEFL prompt to your blog, to which you will receive peer feedback.  You will also be responsible to post reviews to three different blogs.  Once a blog has received three comments on their TOEFL post, comments will be closed on that blog and you will need to post to a different blog.  Once comments have been added, you will then participate in a Peer Editing / Essay Workshop.  This month's prompt is:

Essay Prompt #1

Describe a custom from your country that you would like people from other countries to adopt. Explain your choice, using specific reasons and examples.

Word Count: 500-600 words.  No more/no less. 

To be completed before: Class 7 

Your Blog Post should be clearly labeled with the following title:

             Monthly TOEFL Essay #1: (creative title that reflects thesis)

Essays should reflect traditional TOEFL structure as follows:

Introduction: The introduction is the first paragraph of your essay. The first few sentences of this paragraph simply introduce the reader to the topic. The last sentence is called the thesis statement and clearly states your opinion. This is the most important sentence in the essay.

Body: The body of the essay is usually two to three paragraphs long. Each paragraph begins with a topic sentence that tells the reader what the rest of the paragraph is going to be about. The remaining sentences are called supporting ideas because their main function is to "support" and expand the ideas related to the topic sentence.  

Conclusion: The conclusion is the last paragraph of the essay. It restates the thesis and gives the reader a brief summary of the essay's main points. This paragraph is usually about 3 sentences long.

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Course Title: English Reading & Writing / Composition and Speaking

Units: 2

Time: 2 hours of class per week

Goals and Methodology: To aid students in developing their English writing and speaking skills through the use of:

             -Timed in-class essays

             -Take home essays

             -Blog Writing: Free Writing, Forum Responses

             -Presentations / Speeches / Skits

             -Peer Editing / Essay Workshops

             -Grammar Exercises

Evaluation: Grade

-  Midterm: 15%

-  Final Exam: 15%

-  In class argumentative essays: 2 timed essays @ 5% = 10%

                           Reading of a short story/article with 40 minute timed in class response.

                           Second drafts must be typed and uploaded to blogs.

 -  Speech: 5%

One 5 minute creative speech. Must be narrative/anecdotal.

 -  Group Skit: 5%

    Students dramatize themes and key words chosen from a hat.

 -  Blogs: 30%

1.       Reflections on material / discussions from class, free writing (5%)

2.       Second drafts of in-class essays must be typed and uploaded with grammatical edits and content improvements. (10%)

3.       Monthly TOEFL prompt will be assigned.  Students have one month to respond to the prompt.  These will be peer edited at the end of the month: students will be expected to write comments on minimum three peer blogs (2*5%).  Students will learn by example.

Blogs will be checked regularly by teachers.  Late submissions will be docked. Formatting, attention to detail, and presentation (hyperlinks, multimedia enrichment) will contribute to part of a holistic score. (5%)

 -  Take home essays: 1 @ 5%, 1@ 10% = 15%

Documentary Review (The Age of Stupid) (5%) + Reflection on the concept of Minjok (10%). Second drafts must be uploaded to blogs.

 -  Participation: 5%

Grading for essays, including midterm and final exam, will generally receive one of the following grades: 95 – 92 – 89 – 86 - 83.  Late submissions, work of poor quality, or work that has been plagiarized will receive a lower grade, with the latter earning a score of 0 without exception.

To succeed, students should carefully plan their in-class essays outside of class before writing them in class.  This emphasizes essay organization and thinking.

To ensure honesty and integrity, essays written in class will not be able to be edited or improved by other students or outside teachers. This improves test writing ability.

Essays will be graded on the following criteria

-mechanics: proper diction, grammar, internal logic, transitions

-content: responding to topic and following instructions

Weekly Schedule:

Week 1:

             Class 1 content:

Ice breakers, course explanation, 1st Monthly TOEFL Essay assigned.

Homework: Setting up blogs at Blogspot.com. Students must write a short post introducing themselves, and “My Goals” post that outlines how they want to improve their writing, and what needs to improve. Self-evaluation.

Class 2 content:

First essay reading assigned: The Personal Narrative. 

             -Students read and discuss “Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan.

             -Students plan and design their essay for next class.

Week 2:

Class 3 content:

In Class Writing: Personal Narrative (first essay)

Class 4 content:

                           Writing exercises

                                        -correct the mistakes/structure/organization in sample writings

                                        -verb tenses, concision

                                        -misused articles

                                                    

Week 3:

             Class 5 content:

                           Writing exercises/quiz

             Class 6 content:

Review of strengths / weaknesses of graded Narrative essays.  Students must then post revised and corrected version of their essay to their blogs

Week 4:

Class 7 content:

Introduction to Public Speaking. 

-Expectations, topic selection, delivery. Review famous speeches.

Class 8 content:

Impromptu exercises. Speech schedule set.

1^st Monthly TOEFL Essay Workshop. Discuss strengths and weaknesses.

   Peer Editing     -correct the mistakes

                                                                  -verb tenses

                                                                   -misused articles

                                                                  -use of pronouns for antecedents

                                                                  -concision

Week 5:

Class 9 content:

Speeches (6-8 students). 2nd Monthly TOEFL Essay assigned.

Class 10 content:

Speeches (6-8 students)

Week 6:

Class 11 content:

Speeches completed. Discussion of strengths and weaknesses of speeches

Class 12 content:

Discussion/preparation for take home essay: Writing an Academic Review

-Introduction of the documentary The Age of Stupid. Students must watch entire film outside of class, and write a review submitted through their blogs. Focus on emotional, ethical, and logical appeals.

Week 7:

Midterm exams

Week 8:

Class 13 content:

Students submit take home essay writing through their blogs.  

In class impromptu essay (2^nd essay): Developing a Voice and Perspective

-Students read a short essay in class and write a response, to be submitted by the end of class time.

Class 14 content:

2^nd Monthly TOEFL Essay Workshop. Discuss strengths and weaknesses.

   Peer Editing     -correct the mistakes

                                                                  -verb tenses

                                                                  -misused articles

                                                                  -use of pronouns for antecedents

                                                                  -concision

Week 9:

Class 15 content:

Group Skits assigned.

Students post revision of their essays on blogs.

3^rd Monthly TOEFL Essay assigned.

             Class 16 content:

Skits (2-4 groups)

Week 10:

Class 17 content:

Skits (2-4 groups)

             Class 18 content:

                           Discussion on strengths and weakness of skits

                           Third in class essay assigned: Creative Writing

-Students read the story “The Open Window” by Saki

-Brainstorm new characters and setting based on structure of the story.

Week 11:

             Class 19 content:

Third in class assignment: Students write a creative adaptation of “The Open Window” making use of an information gap.

             Class 20 content:

Work shopping the short stories. Students share and comment on each other’s work, discussion of approaches

Week 12:

Class 21 content:

3rd Monthly TOEFL Essay Workshop. Discuss strengths and weaknesses.

   Peer Editing     -correct the mistakes

                                                                  -verb tenses

                                                                  -misused articles

                                                                  -use of pronouns for antecedents

                                                                  -concision

             Class 22 content:

                           Writing exercise/quiz

Week 13:

Class 23 content: 4^th Monthly TOEFL Essay assigned.

Critical analysis of a text

             Historical, social, political

             Class 24 content:

                           How to choose a source

Embedding cited sources using MLA (Modern Language Association) format.

Week 14:

Class 25 content:

Discussion and preparation for second take home essay: Critical analysis and research essay (The history of the concept Minjok)

Class 26 content:

Discussion and preparation for second take home essay: Critical analysis and research essay (The history of the concept Minjok)

Week 15:

Class 27 content:

Students submit second take home essay

Discussion/Evaluation of approaches, sources used

Class 28 content:

Writing exercises/quiz

                                                    

Week 16:

Class 29 content:

4th Monthly TOEFL Essay Workshop. Discuss strengths and weaknesses.

   Peer Editing     -correct the mistakes

                                                                  -verb tenses

                                                                  -misused articles

                                                                  -use of pronouns for antecedents

                                                                  -concision

Class 30 content:

Review – “What I Learned” discussion.  Students must later write about their experience in this class on their blogs. Self-evaluation on how they improved and will continue to improve.

Week 17: Final Examination

If you made it this far, your reward is this amusing cat fail video: