August 21, 2013
Orientation Notes
You must have successfully completed ELO 100 before you can
be properly enrolled in this class. If somehow you have
“slipped through the cracks” and enrolled without meeting this
requirement, you must do so immediately. Check the
elearning page on the Shelton State website for information on
EL0 100.
Characteristics of a Success Online Learning Student:
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Be a self-starter who does not procrastinate.
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Have the discipline to complete projects by deadlines instead of
waiting until the end of the semester.
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Have time to devote to the course, minimum 6-12 hours a week
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Have the ability to work independently.
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Have patience and flexibility in dealing with technology problems.
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Have excellent reading and writing skills in the English language with
the ability to learn from the printed word. The majority of materials
and communication are available through reading and writing. For
example, if you are a kinesthetic or an auditory learner, online classes
may not be for you.
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Have the ability to set aside specific times on a routine basis to
'participate' in the course.
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Readiness to ask questions when they do not understand.
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Access to a current computer and a high speed connection to the
Internet.
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Good basic computer and email skills.
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Good time management skills.
The Course: In many ways, this course is really about you—your life, your
experience. If “it works,” it will give you a new way (or new ways) to
understand those things and a new vocabulary to describe and explain them.
As I mentioned in my online comments, this course has the potential to
transform you life—but that is really what all education is about, is it not.
Syllabus: I have tried to make it as comprehensive as possible. Read it
carefully; refer to it often when you have questions.
Do not get behind in this course.
Work on it frequently and consistently !!!--
Instructor web page: The address for my web page is listed on the
syllabus. When it is ready, you can use it as a kind of backup for
information needed in the course. Right now it is pretty useless because I
have not updated it. When I do get it updated, I will let you know. If you
have trouble with the web address from the syllabus, you can access my web
page through the Shelton State web site. There is a faculty web page
directory.
Instructor Comments: Please read the instructor comments—starting with
my opening remarks. These are in the Course Information section.
Material from these comments finds its way into the Chapter Quizzes and,
certainly, I expect you to include such material in your journal assignments.
Calendar: Check the Blackboard calendar to see when things are due. Be
aware that the calendar actually “controls” nothing. The real time
something is due may be a bit different—not earlier, but an hour or two
later. For example, it the calendar says something is due on September 13, I
may have the actual time when the assignment will vanish from sight set at
1:00 a.m. the next morning, i.e. September 14h. The start times and end
times for things on the Calendar are absolutely meaningless. Pay no
attention to them. The Blackboard software forces me to put something “in
the blanks”. Just look at the due dates.
But, be assured, however, that the assignments and quizzes will
disappear some time soon after the due dates.
That being said, the assignment and quiz deadlines are not “written in
stone.” The purpose of the deadlines is to encourage students to make
steady progress through the course. I am pretty lenient about opening
an assignment and/or a quiz back up for a student if she/he has a
reasonable or even semi-reasonable excuse for not meeting the deadline.
You just have to go through the “hassle” of asking me. ‘Tis my hope
that avoiding that irritation will help you stay on track.
Email: That is by far the best method of communication in this course. If at
all possible, use the Blackboard email system. Use my Shelton State email
only as a last resort. Otherwise, things get too confusing, especially if you
try to submit assignments “outside of Blackboard.”
Send me a Blackboard email message within the next twenty-four hours
so that I can be sure you know how to use this function.
Do not get behind in this course.
Work on it frequently and consistently !!!-Telephone Numbers: Probably, the best number to use is my cell number.
You are least likely to get me quickly using my office number. I don’t mind
you calling me at home, but do not call after 9:30 p.m. or before 8:00 a.m.
I can get voice mail on all the numbers. Text messages to my cell phone
are probably the best way to get the most prompt response.
Underscore: the critical nature of communication—check your Blackboard
email, at least, once a day.
Chapter Quizzes: use any material that you like to help you determine the
answers. The textbook and the online instructor comments are the sources
for the questions.
Mid-term Exam: You will have about a week during which you must
schedule a time to complete each exam. Check the Course Calendar. The
exam must be taken on campus. Unless you make other arrangements, it
will be given in the SOAR Institute on the Martin Campus. You will need
to bring some kind of valid identification that includes a picture. You also
will not be able to use any material—no books, no “phone a friend”-- to
assist you on the mid-term. You must do it “on your own.”
Final Exam: The final will be given in the same way as the mid-term. It
must be taken on campus in the SOAR Institute on the Martin Campus. It
must be taken on one of the days indicated on the syllabus and on the Course
Calendar.
The final exam consists of two parts. The first part consists of multiple
choice questions from the quizzes on textbook chapters 6-13. The second
part is four discussion questions. You can find the discussion questions in
the Course Information section. You should think about and prepare for
these questions throughout the course. You will be getting further
information about just exactly what is involved in doing these questions.
Do not get behind in this course.
Work on it frequently and consistently !!!--
Journal Assignments
Underscore: the 750-word requirement is an absolute, i.e. I will not grade
your paper if that minimum is not achieved. Use the word count feature of
your word processing program.
Underscore: I am “dead serious” about writing well. The failure to
paragraph appropriately and the comma splice are two errors that occur
much too frequently. I have provided information to help you avoid those
errors. I am also a little picky about the proper use of italics. And, there are
rules for using commas. Every one should have a distinct purpose. Do not
just sprinkle them about over your writing. See the Course Information
section.
Underscore: Do your own work. I have a copy of every journal ever
submitted to me on my computer. I can have Google search for words and
phrases that I think that I have seen before.
Underscore: In the Course Information section, there is a chart that links the
journal assignments to the chapters. Do not do the journal assignment until
you have finished reading and understanding the chapter (and the instructor
comments for that chapter) that is linked to the assignment
Uploading Assignments:
This is a critical function of this course. Check the Course Information
section on directions for doing this important function. Do the practice
assignment to ensure that you know exactly how to upload an assignment.
NOTE: The practice assignment does not have to be 750 words. That is
the only one, however.
Extra Credit:
There will be opportunities for extra credit. Students will be notified by
email about these.
Grade Center/GradeBook/My Grades:
Use the Blackboard grade book only for grades on individual quizzes,
journal assignments, and extra credit. Pay no attention whatsoever to any
total columns which may appear. I have provided detailed information
about how your grade is actually calculated behind the Course Information
button.
Do not get behind in this course.
Work on it frequently and consistently !!!--
The Exclamation Point in the Green Box: When you submit an assignment
and it has not been graded, you will see an exclamation point in a green box.
All that means is that the assignment has been submitted but has not been
graded. Do not worry about it. It does, however, let you know that your
work has been received for grading.
Journal Assignments in the Blackboard Grade Center (My Grades):
I usually put my comments on the Journal Assignment that you
submitted. Then, I return it to you.
In the Blackboard Grade Center (My Grades), in the comments box
next to your score on an assignment, you will usually see something like
"See the file that I returned to you for my comments." To get to the file
that I returned to you from the Grade Center itself, you must click on the
actual score that you received.
The other way to get to that file is to go back to the Assignments page
and click on the assignment itself again. Blackboard will tell you that the
assignment has been submitted but with a click on "OK" it will allow you to
see the results. Then, you open the file that I returned to you and you can
see my comments.
Help Desk
If you have difficulty with some aspect of Blackboard, there is a help desk.
There is a link to the Help Desk on the page where you log into Blackboard.
You can also find a link behind the External Links button in the course
menu.
Do not get behind in this course.
Work on it frequently and consistently !!!--