Course
Description:
While developing English
language skills, College Success is designed to inform students about American
colleges and teach strategies that aid college success. The course will be taught in a small class
environment with lecture, discussion, small group work, and individual student
presentations. Course topics will
include an overview of American higher education and an introduction to the
college application process, to learning psychology, and to life and lifelong
learning strategies that make for successful postsecondary learners.
Objectives:
By the end
of the course, students are expected:
Instructional
Methods: Students will listen to
mini-lectures, take notes, read textbook and source material, work in small
groups, discuss, present, and write shorter and longer responses to questions
arising from classwork. Textbook
reading and exercises will be supplemented with actual college catalogs, model
syllabi, and resource material such as the CUNY Undergraduate Admissions
Guide and College Bound Magazine.
Grading: The final grade is based on the following:
|
Class Participation |
25% |
|
Assignments |
50% |
|
Exams |
25% |
|
Total |
100% |
The grading scale is: A=90-100%, B+=85-89%, B=80-84%, C+=75-79%,
C=70-74%, D=65-69%, F=60-64%
Course Outline:
|
Week |
Topics |
Assignments and Tests |
|
1 |
Understanding American
colleges: comparison of system of
education in the United States and in students' home countries; introduction to
terminology of American higher education; overview of typical two- and
four-year programs and majors. Discussion, note taking,
and classifying information. Weekly vocabulary
guidelines: write two complete
sentences for each word, one that describes its meaning and one that gives an
example of its use. |
Vocabulary log. Classification exercise
based on board notes about different levels of education. Chart formation comparing
one element in education system of any two countries for any one characteristic. Reading/writing: pp. 1-35, CUNY Guide, question
formation and brief explanation of a degree program of interest. |
|
2 |
Applying to college: college promotional and informational
materials, reading the catalog, understanding college and degree requirements;
understanding application processes, especially for international students;
completing an application. |
Vocabulary log. Read pp. 236-237 Compile a checklist of
admissions application requirements based on the CUNY process for
international students. Complete the sample CUNY
admissions application. Research international
student admissions process for any CUNY college on-line and write a summary. |
|
3 |
Understanding American
classroom culture: understanding the
syllabus and other sources of information about course requirements; college
grading systems; the semester; class participation and group projects. Being prepared for each
class session. Surprise quiz. |
Vocabulary log. Read pp. 245-46. Read pp. 15-16. Start 5-day Time Log exercise,
p. 19. |
|
4 |
Chapter map and other
textbook learning aids. Processing information from
lectures: listening, note taking
based on mini-lecture (teacher reading of p. 114 on left or right brain);
strategies for recording and reviewing notes. Introduction to sensory
learning styles. Mapping (textbook
note-taking): label in the margin and
visual representation; mini-lecture (instructor reads text on p. 134),
different kinds of mapping. Review for quiz. |
Vocabulary log. Read pp. 115-116 on note
taking. Write a paragraph or more
of advice for the case study described on p, 120. Read pp. 127-130 on
learning styles. Complete practice
quiz 129. Read p. 125. Complete the exercise on p. 126. Then turn each quiz item into a complete
sentence. Read "practice with
mapping" p. 133 and map the second paragraph. Quiz. |
|
5 |
Mapping Chapter 7 before
studying it. Understanding individual
learning profiles: close reading of
passages; left/right brain dominance.
Close reading and oral
summarizing of homework reading passages.
Surprise quiz. |
Vocabulary log. Read pp. 148. Answer questionnaire on pp.
149-151. Read pp. 152-56. Read pp. 157-165. Prepare guided writing
paragraph on hemispheric dominance and sensory learning styles. |
|
6 |
Understanding how you
process information: Sensory Modality
Inventory: discussion of results Small group inventory and
group report of group member's auditory learning strategies. Ditto for visual strategies. Multiple
intelligences. Begin preparation for
guided essay. |
Vocabulary log. Read pp. 160-161. Read pp. 160-161. Answer any one of the questions using
complete sentences. Read pp. 161-165. Complete the "Social
Inventory." Read p. 165. Complete exercises pp. 167-169. Write at least one sentence
explaining how each of the intelligences listed on p. 166 could be used to
learn the biology classification system on p. 170. Pre-writing essay
assignment: notes and topic sentences for a five-paragraph essay on
individual/personal learning styles |
|
7 |
Developing individual
learning strategies and applying to essay writing. Essay pre-writing
strategies: small group peer feedback
on topic sentences; pair-share feedback on introductory and paragraphs. Organizing principles (e.g.
general to particular) and learning styles.
|
Vocabulary log. Draft first developmental
paragraph, then review in different learning modes. Draft introductory and
concluding paragraphs. Use variety of
learning strategies to review and improve. Complete essay |
|
8 |
Understanding and improving
memory: mini-lecture (p. 68) and
memory inventory with and without note taking; the biology of memory; short-
and long-term memory; applying memory principles. Ten memory principles (Students
are asked to list five from memory at the end of class and again the next day
after they have studied them.) Mnemonics. Small group work to develop
mnemonic(s) for ten memory principles on p. 83. Small-group work: drawing charts of how memory works. Review for exam. |
Vocabulary log. Read pp. 68-71. What a summary paragraph or more of how
memory works. Read p. 83. In well-written sentences, describe the
memory principles that Kelly uses in at least five situations (Refer to the
list on p. 72.) Read pp. 74 (bottom) to 77
and 84-85. Take notes (to be read in
class tomorrow). Do exercises on pp.
77 Read pp. 88-93. Review the case on p. 96
and write a paragraph or more of advice.
Exam. |
|
9 |
Lifestyle management and
college success. Managing time: scheduling, time logs, timesavers and
wasters, prioritizing; "spending" time. Close reading, p. 15. Analogies. Surprise quiz (open book,
explanation of the number 1,440 in time management). |
Vocabulary log. Read the critical thinking exercise,
p. 16 and write a paragraph or more explaining the analogy. Read pp. 17-19. Continue work on 5-day time
logs. Read pp. 28-29 and 31. Come to class with a prioritized "to
do" list for today. Write a paragraph or more
naming your three biggest time wasters and your plans for dealing with them. |
|
10 |
Stress management: the psychology, biology, and sociology of
stress; stress analysis, stress alleviation, internal and external
distractions, study habits analysis, etc.
American concept of self-help
therapies. Ten Commandments and ten
commandments for managing stress. Guided essay: writing an essay that goes from the
general to the specific. Pair-peer review of
drafts. |
Vocabulary log. Read pp. 225. Pick one of
the commandments and explain why it is a good one for you. Read pp. 226-229. Guided essay
assignment--draft of an essay that moves from the general concept of coping
with stress to the specific (one method of coping with stress) due this week
and finished essay due the following week. |
|
11 |
Financial management: budgeting, bank accounts and services,
credit, credit history, financing college, insurance, etc. Video: Master Your Future: A Program on
Financial Responsibility. In-class worksheets and problems
from video support material. |
Read "Tuition and
Related Costs," pp. 75-76 of the CUNY Guide. Write one or more
paragraphs about how you would go about getting the best credit card you can
in your current circumstances. Write a paragraph or more
explaining why Bill is a good or bad credit risk, based on the data in
Worksheet 7. |
|
12 |
Managing academic
work: preparing for tests and
assignments, subjective vs. objective answers, following directions,
predicting questions, asking questions in class, etc. Close reading, p. 179, and
exercises. Understanding negative and
double negative statements and questions; distinguishing absolute and general
qualifiers. Test-taking strategies for
true/false, for objective multiple choice, and for essay exams. Understanding direction
words. Small group
work--developing topic sentence for presented situations. Small group work—scoring
and critiquing sample student essays.
Review for quiz. |
Vocabulary log. Read pp. 192-93 and
complete all exercises. Read 194-201 and complete
all exercises. Read pp. 201-204 and
complete all exercises. Develop topic sentences for
introductory paragraph to an essay on presented situations 4 to end, p.
206-207. Quiz. |
|
13 |
Information literacy: locating library holdings online. Finding print full-length
title and reference material in automated catalogs—searching by author, by
title, or by subject (keyword), saving, browsing, and other typical
electronic search features. Basic and advanced search
features. Locating titles in the
library, based on catalog information.
Narrowing the search. Understanding
bibliographical information. |
Vocabulary log. Chapter 11 readings and
exercises, as assigned. Locating information from
the Spanish-American Institute Library automated catalog, the NYPL, and an
off-site college library. |
|
14 |
Information literacy: using electronic periodical
databases. Finding full-text and other
periodical information on line—searching by author, by title, or by subject (keyword),
saving, browsing, and other typical electronic search features. Basic and advanced search
features. Narrowing the search. Understanding
bibliographical information. |
Vocabulary log. Chapter 11 readings and
exercises, as assigned. Locating information from
the Spanish-American Institute Library periodical databases, the NYPL's, and
an off-site college library's. |
|
15 |
Thinking
critically—thinking about thinking, learning taxonomies, facts vs. opinions. Thinking critically about
information. Surveying chapter two,
anticipating the chapter's information and unfamiliar concepts that will
require more attention. Reviewing decisions and
consequences and choosing among options.
|
Vocabulary log. Read pp. 37-38 and 42 and
do the exercise on p. 42. Write at least a paragraph
in response to one question on p. 41.
Read pp. 43-44 and complete
the exercise. Assume you might have a
quiz tomorrow on this information—describe how you might prepare for it. Write a paragraph or more
in which you analyze the problem in the case on p. 47 and provide relevant
advice. |
|
16 |
Information literacy: applying critical thinking to Internet and
other searches Internet search techniques
compared to those for electronic catalog and periodical database
searches. Narrowing a search using
different search engines. Assessing information
validity; distinguishing between reliable and unreliable information. |
Vocabulary log. Locate information about a
college that interests you from the Internet. Find the information asked for by your instructor. Then write a description of how you
found the information. Write a short essay in
which you: §
describe your goals
for going to college; §
explain why you picked
the college you would like to attend,; §
describe what you
would like to study and explain why; §
describe the education
you will need to prepare for the career you have chosen; §
describe what you
learned about the college you selected and courses you will take from
reliable sources; §
indicate how you
know/knew when you got unreliable information; and §
explain how you could
use automated resources including a catalog, a periodical database, and the
Internet to find out more about the college and the program you wish to
study. Prepare a brief oral
presentation to the class based on your essay. The essay and oral report
will be considered the exam for this grading period. |
rev. 2/04