Welcome to Intermediate Foundations class!

It's a pleasure to have you in my class.
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ELA – Intermediate Foundations

Course Syllabus

Course: English Language Acquisition (ELA) Intermediate Foundations

Course #: BAST 072

Instructor: Raquel Poteet

Starts: April 2nd  

Ends: June 20th, 2019

Credits: 10

Quarter: Spring, 2019

Modality: Hybrid (Face-to-face: 66 hrs.  & Online: 44 hrs.)

Days: Tue-Wed-Thu (7:10 - 9:00 pm)

Room: D102 B

No Class

May 21st – Faculty Meeting Day

May 27th – Memorial Day

Faculty Information & Contact

Hi everyone! My name is Raquel Poteet, your instructor, and I am happy to have you in my class. I’m here to support you and here is how you can contact me:

Email: rpoteet@rtc.edu

Tel.: (425) 235-2352 ext. 2162 (I’ll contact you back in 24 hours)

I am available to meet with you during these days and times throughout the quarter.

                                     (Mon-Thu 2:30 pm – 5:00 pm)

                           Building D – room # 106 (inside room D102B)

My Teaching Philosophy

I’ve been teaching ESL for over 20 years and I love what I do. As an educator, I believe in the value of social and cultural construction of a language, and student’s previous knowledge. Classes should provide students with motivation and engagement opportunities. My goals are to build confidence, competence and help students to become independent learners in a safe, respectful and trustful environment.

Course Description

This course will offer contextualized instruction to improve our skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking. This course will also help you to improve your skills in understanding and using technology. You may earn high school credits for this class, depending on competency demonstrated.

Course Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Relate prior knowledge to a context or topic to convey a point of view or initiate a course of action.
• Form correct focused questions that accurately and effectively elicit the information desired.
• Identify and analyze information from a source, e.g. a reading, lecture, or online material, to serve a specific purpose, express a point of view or solve a problem.
• Employ vocabulary appropriate to a specific context in order to convey a message.
• Provide and organize relevant and sufficient facts and reasons as evidence to express an opinion orally and in writing.
• Analyze and interpret numbers, graphs, charts and data to address everyday life situations and facilitate decision making.
• Utilize technology to communicate and relay information in a variety of formats and applications.

Canvas for Online Learning

You will use the CANVAS system to do your online coursework and you will learn how to use it the first week of class. You can also take a tour by accessing Canvas page.

You must go online each week to complete the required activities. If you don’t have a computer, you can use the computers at the Library, the Learning Resource Center, or D-112.

Course Overview & Assessment

This course will offer contextualized instruction for you to your skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking. It will review grammar, vocabulary, reading, and writing skills. You will practice conversation by discussing on daily issues, working in pairs, collaborating in groups and making presentations.

This is a Hybrid class in which 66 hours are face-to-face and 44 hours online. Your online work will be on Canvas and will include quizzes, writing assignments, and projects. In addition to Canvas work, the class will include quizzes and a few projects each quarter. We will also write several paragraphs.

You will receive writing feedback from me and from your classmates on your writing. At the end of the quarter, you will take CASAS reading and listening tests on the computer. You will also take a writing and speaking test in class. Based on the end-of-the-quarter assessments, quizzes, attendance, and your CANVAS work, I will recommend courses for you take next quarter. You will study at this level for 1-3 quarters or more.

There are no grades for this class, but I keep a record of completed assignments and attendance, which will affect future eligibility for the class. I will give your personal feedback on your progress weekly.

Attendance

Attending classes is the key to your success!

Missing class will impact your learning progress and consequently your classmates’. If you need to be absent please communicate with me by calling, texting or sending an e-mail. If you know you are going to be absent in advance, please let me know. If you need to miss classes for 1-2 weeks, you can ask me for a Leave of Absence Agreement.

Your online classwork is an important part of attendance and will help you progress and succeed in class. Each week, you will have 4 hours of work to do. It may take you more or less than 4 hours, but you will receive 4 hours of attendance for completing the work.

Plagiarism

In the United States, it is important to give credit to the person that created an idea. This means that if you use an idea that was created by someone else, you must give that person credit. Using their idea as your own without giving them credit is like stealing their idea. It is called plagiarism. Plagiarism is not tolerated at this institution. If a student is caught plagiarizing, the student will be disciplined. To help you better understand plagiarism and see examples of what is acceptable and not acceptable, visit plagiarism.org site.

College Services

The college wants to help you reach your goals. Please use these resources:

• For books, resources, or computers, visit the RTC Library page or go upstairs in building C.
• For computers, study help, or help to find a job, visit the Learning Resource & Career Center in C-102.
• For help planning for college or a new career, visit an advisor.  Stop by D-106 on Tuesday or Thursday or make an appointment or 425.235.2352 ext. 2340.
• For help with a physical, mental, or learning disability, contact Disability Resource Services at drs@rtc.edu or (425)-235-5840 to make an appointment.
• Reflection areas for quiet thought or prayer are available. You can go to Building B in front of room 113, D-108, or a library study room. (www.rtc.edu/campus-reflection-areas).  If you need an area closer to your classroom, please ask me.
• For support with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), check our site for further information.
• For further information on policies, support services access RTC’s page.

Reflection Areas

RTC has several areas set aside for quiet reflection by students and staff. Access our page for a short video explanation is at Campus Reflection Areas.

If you need an area closer to your classroom, please talk to your instructor about creating or finding a small area for you.

College Closures

Sometimes the college will close due to bad weather or other emergencies. Emergency closures and rave alert can be found at our page.  

Non-Discriminatory Policy

Renton Technical College provides equal opportunity in education and employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color national origin, age, perceived or actual physical or mental disability, pregnancy, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, creed, religion, honorably discharged veterans or military status, or use of a trained guide dog or service animal, as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act and ADA Amendment Act, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act and Washington State Law Against Discrimination, Chapter 49.60 RCW and their implementing regulations.

Title IX and Sexual Misconduct

Our school is committed to fostering a safe, productive learning and working environment. Title IX and our school policy prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex.  Sexual misconduct — including harassment, domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking — is also prohibited at our school. Our school encourages anyone experiencing sexual misconduct to talk to someone about what happened, so they can get the support they need, and Renton Technical College can respond appropriately. All employees of our institution must report concerns of sexual misconduct immediately to the Title IX Coordinator.

If you wish to report sexual misconduct or have questions about school policies and procedures regarding sexual misconduct or discrimination, please contact our school’s Title IX Coordinator and EEO Officer Lesley Hogan, Executive Director of Human Resources in J-202, 425-235-7873 or titleix@rtc.edu.

Disability Resource Services

A student with a documented disability who would like to request accommodations (i.e. an ergonomic chair or extended time on tests), needs to meet with Disability Resource Services (DRS) to make this request.  A student may request an accommodation at any time, including many weeks before the quarter begins and/or during the quarter.

A student who is experiencing learning and/or testing difficulties is also encouraged to make an appointment with DRS to request services (learning and/or testing strategies, information with regard to other services available both on and off campus).  This would include (but is not limited to) any student who is new to the process of requesting an accommodation, or who are experiencing difficulty obtaining documentation of a disability.

To schedule with DRS, you can send an email to drs@rtc.edu, call (425) 235-5840 or come in person to the Student Success Center (I bldg.) or the Educational Support Center (J-218).

Further information is available on our page.  

Policies & Resources

Renton Technical College has policies and support services to help you including DACA. Check our site for further information.

Emergency Information

RTC Emergency Information can be found on our page.  

Welcome to my class!

I hope you have a fantastic quarter!

Raquel Poteet