ONLINE RGTR 0198  SYLLABUS―SPRING 2011

 
To get started in this course you should send Mrs. McMillan an e-mail to let her know that you will be taking her class. Also include in the message your home mailing address, home phone number, cell phone number, and the e-mail address for the account you check most often. Send this message to cmcmillan@sgc.edu or if you are able to login to the GeorgiaView course, you can send your e-mail through the GeorgiaView course mail system. From the SGC homepage click on Online Learning. Then click on the Georgia View Log In tab. Use the part of your Tigermail address that comes before the "@" as your user ID. Then use your Banner PIN as your password. If you get in, check your mail. There should be a welcome message there for you. You will also find some instructions for getting started in the course on the course homepage. Login Help

Course Description

 

RGTR 0198. Regents’ Test Reading Preparation.  A course providing reading skills improvement for students preparing to take or retake the reading section of Regents’ test. (South Georgia College 2002-2004 Catalog, p. 124)

Instructor: Claire McMillan

 

Contact Info: Davis 104, 260-4297     cmcmillan@sgc.edu     912-487-6166 (cell)

 

Virtual Office Hours

 M/T/W/TH

12-12:30PM (e-mail/cell phone)

Campus Office Hours

 

M/W

M/T/W/TH/F

12:30-1PM (e-mail/cell phone/Peterson 204)

 (other hrs. by appt.)

This course addresses the following South Georgia College General Education Outcomes:

  • Students will apply critical thinking processes in the development of informed opinions and values.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate at a college level in written and oral form.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to use appropriate technology to produce presentations and reports and/or to conduct research and data analysis.

 

The following learning outcomes are expected in this course:

 

  • Students will identify a number of aspects of reading proficiency and create a personal reading improvement plan which addresses their weaknesses. They will list problem areas, set goals for each problem area, and propose learning tasks that they will carry out in order to achieve their goals.
  • Students will become familiar with the format of the Regents’ test and the types of questions included on the test. They will develop strategies for dealing with each type of question so that their competency and confidence levels increase and their anxiety on test day decreases.

Special Needs

Students requiring classroom accommodations or modifications because of a documented disability should discuss this need with the instructor at the beginning of the semester. Students who have not presented validation for learning disabilities from the Regents’ Center for Learning Disabilities (University System of Georgia) should complete all necessary paperwork and submit this to Angela Nuga in Student Support Services. The telephone number is (912) 260-4434. Students who have not presented validation for physical disabilities should register with the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs (Mr. Wes Brown). The telephone number is (912) 260-4317.

Required Materials

 

Texts: Langan, John. TEN STEPS to ADVANCED READING, and Gordon, Belita. STEPS for better reading skills (4th  ed.), and Nist/Mohr. Advancing Vocabulary Skills (3rd ed.)

 

Other:   dictionary and thesaurus, 300 3x5 note cards

Online Resources

Information about the Regents’ Testing Program and practice tests are available online at http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwrtp/

There is a CNN site where you can read articles and then take tests over the material you have read. http://www.literacynet.org/cnnsf/archives.html

Townsend Press, the publisher of the vocabulary and reading skills books we are using, has a very helpful website with online vocabulary and reading skills exercises and other resources. www.townsendpress.com and www.townsendpress.net

Attendance    

Your attendance in an online class is determined by your participation. If you fail to login, submit assignments, and/or participate in online class discussions for more than a week, then you should expect to be administratively withdrawn from the course. If there are extenuating circumstances, please contact your instructor as soon as possible.

If you are administratively withdrawn from the course you will not be eligible to take the reading portion of the Regents' test this semester.

Grades

Students who earn at least 700 points from course assignments will be eligible to take the Regents' Reading Test on March 15, 2011 (Douglas), March 9, 2011 (Valdosta), or TBA (Americus). Students will be provided with a list of assignments and the point value of each the first week of class.

Assignments will include practice paper and pencil reading tests, online vocabulary tests, online discussions and exercises, practice exercises in vocabulary text and reading skills text, online reading skills tests, one essay, and a personal reading improvement plan.

U→ Unsatisfactory work in course and/or excessive absences (not eligible to take Regents’ Reading Test this semester) or failure to report for Regents' Test

IP→ Satisfactory work in course with a failing score on the Regents’ Test

S→ Satisfactory work in course with a passing score on Regents’ Test

The Regents' Test will be given on March 15, 2011 (a Tuesday) on the Douglas campus, March 9, 2011 (a Wednesday) in Valdosta, and TBA in Americus (See GSW Calendar)!

Make sure that you are registered for the test as well as this class.