Instructor Contact

Ed Murray

• Preferred contact method: Canvas Inbox
• Email: emurray@ccsf.edu
• Office Hours: By arrangement
• I will respond to all course email within 24 hours Monday-Friday.
• Once the course begins, I prefer to get messages through the Canvas Inbox. 
• You can visit my CCSF instructional website outside of Canvas.

Communication Plan

• I'll answer your messages within 24 hours during the work week (Monday-Friday).
• I will check your work in Canvas, and I will make comments on it within one week of the due date. Please note that you will receive private comments on your discussion posts. Your weekly quizzes also contain feedback for your own self-assessment. 
• I will participate in the weekly discussions, but I won't respond to every student post. You will receive private comments on your discussion posts.
• Office hours are by arrangement on Zoom. To arrange a Zoom meeting, please send me a Canvas Inbox message.

Building Community

The heart of this class is the Canvas Discussion. Each week you and your classmates will discuss the ideas that come up in the module. As ESL Level 7-8 students, you have proven that you are very good language learners! You can learn lots of very useful things from each other—not just from the teacher. I look forward to participating in discussions with you.

We will also have a Forum discussion in each module. The Forum is a place for you to ask and answer questions about the current module and generally check in personally with your classmates. I will be active on the Forum discussion page, too. I'll try to answer your questions, help with Canvas problems, and offer you tips on the exercises and assignments in the module.

Instructor Announcements 

I will post Canvas Announcements, which you can find at the top of our course Home Page, throughout the semester. I will also post an Announcement when a new module is ready for you to use.

Canvas notifies students according to their preferred Notification Preferences (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. as soon as the instructor creates an Announcement. 

Q&A Discussion

• The “Q&A (Questions & Answers) Discussion” is for you to ask for assistance of your classmates or of the instructor. You can link to this Discussion from the blue "quick links" menu near the top of the Home page.

Official ESL 7/8 Course Outline

Advisory

This course is for students who have completed ESL Level 6 or the equivalent.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLO)

1. Identify major points and relevant supporting details in adapted and authentic oral English texts.
2. Use high-intermediate English language structures and vocabulary to communicate in extended oral discourse.
3. Identify major points and relevant supporting details in adapted and authentic literary and informational written English texts.
4. Use high-intermediate English language structures and vocabulary to communicate in written discourse.

Our Class Goals

(SLOs translated into functional English)

1. Listening Skills: We will be able to identify the main ideas and important details when listening to conversations, lectures, videos, etc., both in the student book and in real-life materials.
2. Speaking Skills: We will be able to use the grammar and vocabulary learned in our course to have meaningful and successful extended conversations in English.
3. Reading Skills: We will be able to identify the main ideas and important details in readings from the student book, creative writing such as short stories, novels, and  memoirs,  and real-life materials like newspapers, websites, etc. 
4. Writing Skills: We will be able to use the grammar and vocabulary learned in our course to communicate in writing in real-world situations such as writing emails, contributing to the comments section of online newspapers, etc.

Class Meetings

We meet on Zoom each week on Monday and Wednesday from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Please join the class by accessing the CityZoom link in the Course Navigation menu.

Course Website: Canvas

Students will use the Canvas Learning Management system for assignment instructions, submitting assignments, viewing classmates' work, sharing resources, and viewing grades. I can help with with some Canvas issues; but if you need help with the mechanics of Canvas, please call the Canvas Student Help Line.

For 24/7 help with Canvas call: 1-833-249-3993.

You can visit my CCSF instructional website outside of Canvas

Recommended Textbook

Passages Student Book 1 (3rd Edition)

Canvas

Students will use the Canvas Learning Management system for assignment instructions, submitting assignments, viewing classmates' work, sharing resources, and viewing grades].  I can help with the course material and with some Canvas issues. But, if you need help uploading an assignment or with the mechanics of Canvas, please call the Canvas Student Hotline.

For 24/7 help with Canvas call: 1-833-249-3993.

Zoom Video Conferencing

If you would like to meet with me, we can meet on Zoom. To set up a meeting, please send me a Canvas Inbox message.

Required Software

• Adobe Reader (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• Update your browser (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Important Dates

• Day Class Begins: Tuesday, August 15
• Monday, September 6: Labor Day — no classes
• Monday, October 3: Faculty Development Day — no classes
• Friday, November 11: Veterans Day — no classes
• Thursday, November 24 - Sunday, November 27: Thanksgiving Holiday — no classes
• Day Class Ends: Wednesday, May 21

Attendance and Participation

 I encourage you to attend all Zoom class meetings and complete the assigned work in each module (learning unit). By participating regularly in online classes, students can maximize their learning potential. 

If you need to be absent for more than a week or so, please send me a Canvas Inbox message and let me know. If you are absent from Zoom classes or don't participate on Canvas for two weeks, I may drop you from the class.

Explanation of Noncredit Grading

Even though this is a noncredit class, the teacher assigns each student a grade for the course.

• P: Students who participate in at least 70% of the class activities, including Zoom meetings and Canvas activities, will receive a grade of P for Pass.
• SP: Students who attend Zoom class and participate regularly but don't complete at least 70% of the class activities will receive a grade of SP for Satisfactory Progress.
• NP: Students who don't attend Zoom class and participate regularly will receive a grade of NP for No Pass.

Methods of Evaluation

Each week you will complete assignments. There are Discussions, Assignments, and Quizzes. I will also evaluate you on your participation in our live Zoom class meetings.

Grading Policy

Visit the “Grades” in Canvas to keep track of your grades.

  How do I view my grades, teacher comments, and an assignment rubric as a student?

If you need classroom or testing accommodations because of a disability, or have emergency medical information to share with me, or need special arrangements in case the building needs to be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible. My office hours are by appointment either on the Ocean Campus (9-4 p.m., Monday through Friday) or by Zoom video-conferencing.

Students seeking disability-related accommodations are encouraged to also register with Disabled Students Programs and Services located in Room 323 of the Rosenberg Library (415) 452-5481. Please see the DSPS website (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for more information and alternate locations.

Every person deserves to be treated respectfully. Please be polite and kind to your classmates and the teacher in Zoom meetings and in our Canvas Discussions.

Please do your own work when completing individual assignments such as Quizzes and Assignments.

Student Expectations

You will succeed in this course if you meet the following expectations:

• Complete the assigned activities. Please let me know as soon as you can if you have problems submitting assignments on time. 
• Complete the Discussion posts and replies within the due date. Normally your initial Discussion post will be due on Thursday, and your follow-up post will be due on Sunday. Our discussions are much more vibrant when we all participate!
• Complete assignments on time if possible. You are encouraged to turn in late work if you can't submit it on time.
• Do your best work. 

Instructor Expectations 

Here is what you can expect of me:

• I will respond to your email or message within 24 hours during the work week.
• I will treat each student as an individual person.
• I will treat you and your ideas with respect.
• I will grade your Assignments and Discussion posts and replies within one week of the due date. (If you post late work, it may take longer.) 
• You will see your grades in the Canvas Grade Book.
• I will work hard to make this a great class. 

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity for me means that you should submit your own work when completing assignments in our course. Here are some examples:

•  When doing quizzes and assignments, please don't ask your classmates to give you the answers or write something for you.
• It's wonderful to do research and discover the ideas of other people. It's a great way to learn! However, it's not okay to use other people's exact words unless you let the readers know that they aren't your original words.

• If you want to use language directly from a website (for example,  Wikipedia), use quotation marks to show that it isn't your original work and tell where you found that language.

Attendance

Our course is a non-credit course, so attendance is not mandatory. However, I strongly encourage you to come to all of our live Zoom class sessions. The more classes that you prepare for and attend, the faster you can learn. 

Assigned Work: Assignments, Quizzes, and Discussions

As a noncredit student, you are not required to submit class work. Again, though, I strongly encourage you to do your best to complete all of the tasks in each module.

You want to improve your abilities in English, and completing tasks and preparing for class by doing the assigned homework will help you achieve your goals.

Late Work

Noncredit classes are designed for busy people. Many of you have a full-time jobs (or two!), are raising a family, or caring for a loved one—or all of these at the same time. So I understand that noncredit students sometimes don't have the time to attend all the Zoom classes or do the assigned tasks and homework.

For that reason, it's okay for you to submit late work. You won't lose any points if you turn in assignments, quizzes, or discussion posts late. If you can't do some of the assigned work because of your regular obligations or an emergency, it's okay.

If it's possible, though, please try to post your contributions to  Discussions by the due date. The success of the Discussions in each module depends on the active participation of class members. If you turn in a late Discussion post, very few of your classmates will see it because they have moved on to the next module. 

Student Textbook

Noncredit students are not required to buy the student textbook, but it's a really good idea to do it. I highly recommend it!

We will use our student book in almost every Zoom class meeting, and many of the Quizzes, Assignments, and Discussions come directly from the book. 

It will be very difficult for you to do well in the course if you don't get a copy of the book. 

Respectful Behavior

Please be respectful to your classmates and the teacher during our live Zoom classes and in our online communication. Every person is valuable and deserves respect. 

It's okay to disagree with your classmates or the teacher; but if you have a difference of opinion, please state your ideas in a kind and friendly manner.