Office Hours Reminder

As a reminder, office hours for this week have been reschedule to Wednesday, June 30th from 12:00pm to 2:00pm. If for some reason I am delayed in my travels, I will update my blog as soon as possible. If you do not hear from me again about office hours this week, I will see you online on Wednesday from 12-2pm.

Critical Thinking in News and Politics - Questions Answered

Hello Class!

I have gotten a repetitive question regarding the group assignment due on Friday.

Section 2f states: "Finally, each member should write a 1 page explanation stating whether you agree or disagree with the writer in this argument and why. Please use specific principles from the book regarding strong/valid/weak arguments, types of reasoning used, fallacies, etc.... This is based on what YOU think, and should NOT be a group discussion. You are working individually on this portion of the project. The individual 1 page essay should be attached to the name of the group member who wrote them. (This is separate from the 1200-1500 word essay)."

Please include these individual 1 page papers at the end of the group portion and simply put the writer's name at the start of the individual paper. The individual papers are not counted in the total word count required. This means that whoever is the elected person to compile the paper and send it to me should have the 1 page papers early so they can format the papers to match, and include them in the final draft to be submitted to me before the 11:59pm deadline.

Let me know if you have more questions about this. :)

Week of June 27 - July 3

Listed below is a summary from the Participation and Schedule Pages on D2L:

***Read Chapter 6 - Compound Claims
***Read Chapter 7 - Counter Arguments

Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 12 hours apart:

1). Discuss one concept from Chapter 6 that you found useful. Please explain the concept, and give a personal example or personal story that exemplifies this concept. In other words, please apply the concept to everyday life and everyday argumentation.

2). Discuss one concept from Chapter 7 that you found useful. Please explain the concept, and give a personal example or personal story that exemplifies this concept. In other words, please apply the concept to everyday life and everyday argumentation.

3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

***Remember to post 3 comments to your colleagues blogs this week. As a reminder, the comments must be about the discussion this week. Posting on a past discussion will NOT count for credit.


REMINDER: Assignment due - - - Critical Thinking in News and Politics is due no later than Friday, July 2nd, 11:59pm. Please make sure your assignments are turned in on time. Late penalties will be assessed after 11:59pm (even one minute late is considered late).

Quiz Issues

Hello Folks!

I have received a number of emails from folks trying to take the quiz tonight. D2L is down until tomorrow for site maintenance, so I will go ahead and extend the quiz until tomorrow at 11:59pm. I will do this tomorrow morning, so check back at some point tomorrow to take the quiz.

So sorry about the inconvenience.

Have a great night.......or great morning, as it may be!

;)
Carol

Last Week's Posts

Just a quick note:

Good job on last week's posts and comments. It looks like you all are getting the hang of blogging (for those of you unfamiliar with blogging). Grades for the discussion week of 6/13-6/19 will be posted to D2L upon my return. I will post to my blog when I have uploaded those grades.

What is an editorial?

Hello Folks!

I hope you are all diligently working on your first projects, as they are due next Friday, July 2nd by 11:59pm. As you know, this first project is a group project. It is required that you work with a group for this project! (See the assignment sheet for more information).

I have been getting a few questions here and there and wanted to clarify something. Here is the definition of an editorial in case there is any ambiguity:

An editorial, also called a leading article, is a piece of writing intended to promote an opinion or perspective. Editorials are featured in many newspapers and magazines, usually written by the senior editorial staff or publisher of the publication. Additionally, most print publications feature an editorial, or letter followed by a Letters to the Editor section.

I hope this helps, and I can't wait to see what your group puts together.

Note to Students

Hello Folks!

I will be traveling from 6/25 to 6/29. I will have internet access on and off throughout my travels, but please be patient with me if I take a little longer to reply to emails than normal.

Also, since I will be traveling on 6/29, office hours for next week will be rescheduled to Wednesday, June 30th at 12:00pm to 2:00pm on Yahoo Messenger. If for some reason I am delayed in my travels, I will be sure to update my blog and let you know.

Have a wonderful evening!

Week of June 20 - June 26

Listed below is a summary from the Participation and Schedule Pages on D2L:

***Read Chapter 9 - Concealed Claims
***Read Chapter 4 - Repairing Arguments
***Read Chapter 5 - Is that true?

***There is a Test this week on Chapters 1-5, 9 & 11. Please go to D2L to take the test. Prior to taking the test, please review the Quizzes/Tests Page on D2L.

***Please complete the Library Tutorial quiz. No need to email any information about the tutorial.

Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 12 hours apart:

1). (Concerning Chapter 11) Violating the Principle of Rational Discussion (page 202) and Content Fallacies (page 201). Pick on, explain the fallacy in your own words, then give a real world example that you have heard in the past. (You may need to do additional online research for the fallacy that you have chosen, if the concept is not clear from the text. You can 'google' the particular fallacy you have chosen for an additional explanation).

2). Concerning Section C in Chapter 5, Advertising on the Internet. Please find a piece of advertising on the internet, provide a link on your blog, screenshot, or include the advertisement in your post, so the class can see what you are discussing. You should then relate the piece of advertising back to the concepts in Sections A and B in Chapter 5. Be sure to discuss the advertising and the concepts you are covering.

3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

***Remember to post 3 comments to your colleagues blogs this week. As a reminder, the comments must be about the discussion this week. Posting on a past discussion will NOT count for credit.

Keep Track of Posts and Comments

Good Morning Class!

As this week comes to a close (remember, our weeks run from Sunday to Saturday), please keep track of all of your posts (dates/times) and your comments (locations/dates/times) in case there is a discrepancy in my grading. I am human *gasp* and I do make mistakes sometimes. I am instructing two classes over the summer, and that adds up to a lot of posts and comments to keep track of. While I strive for complete accuracy in recording where comments are located, in addition to the dates and time of both comments and posts, sometimes I make mistakes. All in all, I am keeping track of about 250 posts and comments every week.

Once I have completed the grading for posts and comments, probably at the start of next week, I will notify you that I have posted the grades to D2L so you can review them. If there is any discrepancy in your grade, having a record of your posts and comments will come in VERY handy.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! :)

Contacting your Instructor

Believe it or not, there's a person at the other end of the computer - that would be me, The Blogging Prof! I know, I know, I'm stating the obvious, right? It's easy to forget that an online instructor is here to help you and converse with you just like an in-person instructor would be. I love love love chatting with students whether that be over the phone, in-person or otherwise. In fact, I often find myself staying after class (my f2f classes) chatting with students for quite a bit of time, sometimes hours. So yeah, you can say I love my students and I love my job!

Going from instructing classes in person to online classes was a bit difficult because it's hard to convey to students over the computer that you are there to answer questions and to help when needed. It is much easier to do that when you are in a classroom setting. But, I'm here to tell you that I'm available if you need to chat about something in class.

I strive to communicate with my students whenever possible and I have already had the pleasure of chatting with a number of you over the phone. I have also chatted with quite a few of you over Yahoo Messenger and through email.

Here is a little reminder about how you can go about contacting me. There are 3 ways:

1). Email. I check my email during the week, M-F numerous times a day. I also check my email periodically on the weekends, but response time may take a little longer than during the week.

2). Yahoo Messenger. Download Yahoo Messenger if you haven't already and add me as a friend: carolperezcommclass As it states on the "Getting Started" page, I do not use Yahoo Messenger for personal use, so anytime day or night you see me online, feel free to message me. My 'official' office hours are on Tuesday's from 9:00am to 11:00am, but I am online quite a bit more than that. Even if you see me available at 2am and you have a question, feel free to pop in. I normally don't log onto Yahoo Messenger unless I'm ready to chat with students. (I guess I have no life). ;)

3). Phone conversations. I am always available to schedule a phone conversation whenever you'd like. If you have a question you don't think can be solved over email or yahoo messenger, we can certainly chat over the phone. It's just like on campus office hours, but quite a bit more convenient for you since you don't have to come down to campus.

I hope to chat with y'all in the near future.....

Happy Blogging!

Comment Moderation

Hello Folks!

I posted directions on how to receive a notice when someone has commented on your blog. If you would like to get email notification about when someone posts a comment to your blog, please follow the directions below.

However, please DO NOT use the Comment Moderation field. You should not be moderating your comments. Following the directions posted below, once you follow steps 1-3, you will see the Comment Moderation field. Please click NEVER.

1). Log into blogger
2). Click on "Settings" in the middle of the page
3). Go to the 4th tab over labeled "Comments"

If you have not changed anything in the comment moderation section, leave your blog as is. NEVER should be clicked. If you have changed it to moderating your comments, please change it back.

Thanks everyone!
:)
Carol

Receive Comments via Email

Hello Folks!

I have gotten a couple of questions about how to receive comments on your blog via email. This means that you can receive notification through email when someone comments on your blog. Here's how to do it:

1). Log into blogger
2). Click on "Settings" in the middle of the page
3). Go to the 4th tab over labeled "Comments"
4). Scroll down to the bottom and enter your email address in the box titled "Comment Notification Email"
5). Click "Save Settings" at the very bottom

Once you do this, whenever someone comments on one of your posts, the comment will get sent directly to your email.

Chapter Exercises and Activities

Hello Class! In case you haven't already noticed, the 'Chapter Exercises' link on D2L contains some useful handouts for you.

Some concepts in the book may be a bit difficult to pick up on right off the bat, and since we are not in a traditional classroom setting, I have posted the answers to the exercises in the book.

For example, this week's reading is Chapter 3 & 11 in the Epstein text. There are numerous, vast pages of exercises you can complete in order to understand the material a bit better. Completing these exercises will reinforce the ideas in the chapters when a concept or idea may be difficult for you to grasp.

These exercises are not graded, but HIGHLY recommended in order to really grab a hold of the concepts in the book. In short - please complete the exercises in the book when reading the chapters. DO NOT SKIP OVER THE EXERCISES!!!!

Again, since this is an online class, you may need a bit of a boost when it comes to understanding a concept. Even if you feel you understand the concept well, you should still complete the exercises in the book (and compare your answers with what I have posted under the 'Chapter Exercises' link on D2L). Those exercises will reinforce your understanding and really solidify it (which you will need for tests and quizzes in this class - especially the FINAL EXAM.

FAQs

Some of you have emailed me with questions and I thought it would be helpful if the entire class saw the answers. Here you go:

1). Q- Do I have to post on 3 different blogs? Or can I post two or three times on the same blog as long as they are different posts?
A- You should comment on 3 different blogs.

2). Q- How do you keep track of our posts and comments?
A- I keep track of every post and comment on a spreadsheet every week we have a discussion. Each post you make on your blog will have a date and time stamp and I keep track of them to make sure they are at least 12 hours apart. Then, I check all comments made for that week. I will record the location of your comments.

3). Q- If I comment on someones post from last week, will I get credit?
A- No, I only check the blog posts for that week. Make sure you are checking the dates of the posts you are commenting on and of course, the content of the question to make sure it is an appropriate post.

4). Q- Do comments have to be at least 100 words?
A- Yes, while posts require 150 words, comments need to be at least 100 words. I do word counts on all posts and comments to make sure you are reaching the word minimum. Of course you can post more than the minimum amount of words required, but please meet the minimum.

5). Q- Should I keep track of the location of my comments?
A- Yes. Please keep track of comments and locations in case there is a discrepancy in recording or grading.

6). Q- What do I post as a comment?
A- Whatever you'd like as long as it has to do with the content of the post and related to the question I have asked. You can agree, disagree, add to the comment, ask thoughtful questions to the poster,give feedback, etc.... The comment content is up to you as long as it relates to course material, and of course the post itself.

7). Q- If I comment back to someone on my blog, do I get credit for it?
A- In short, no. You will only get credit for your three posts and three comments on other people's blogs. However, when someone asks you a question face to face, do you ignore them or give them the courtesy of an answer?

8). Q- How do you grade posts?
A- Content, answering the question in full, expressed thoughtfulness of course content and of course word count.

9). Q- Can I post to my blog and comment at the same time?
A- Yes. You only need to worry about posting 12 hours apart on YOUR blog. You can comment anytime as long as it is within our discussion week (12:01am on Sunday through 11:59pm on Saturday). You can post to your blog and then comment at the same time.....or you can do all three comments at the same time. As long as the posts on your blog are 12 hours apart, go ahead and make three comments on three different blogs at any point during our discussion week. Make sure you comment on a qualifying post on the other persons blog. This means you must comment on a post that was made during the current discussion week.

More about Blogging

Since Sunday morning at 12:01am marked the beginning of our discussion week, I thought I would post a bit more about blogging. You can post anytime during the discussion week as long as it is between Sunday morning 12:01am and Saturday night at 11:59pm. Each post to your blog should be a minimum of 12 hours apart. There is no time restriction when it comes to commenting, meaning you can comment on three blogs at the same time.

To post to your blog, please log into your blog and hit the New Post button. Make sure to publish your post when you are finished typing your post. It is your responsibility to make sure that the posts to your blog are at least 12 hours apart.

After you post, make sure to go back and view your blog. If you can't see your post, neither can I or your classmates. You should check your blog to make sure your post appears, and that it looks the way you want it to look.

Date and Time Stamps: Each post you create on your blog will have a date and time stamp. I record each of these to make sure your posts are at least 12 hours apart (yep, it's a lot of paperwork). Again, once you have posted, go back and check to make sure your posts date and time stamp are at least 12 hours apart. Again, I can only see what is on your blog. If your posts are not at least 12 hours apart, your post will not count and you will not earn points for that post. Also, make sure each post to your blog is at least 150 words minimum.

Commenting: For every discussion week you should comment on at least 3 blogs. It is your responsibility to make sure your comments are within the discussion week. This means that if you post a comment to a blog and that comment was made on the previous week of discussion, you will not earn credit for your comment. Comments need to be 100 words minimum. To comment on another blog, please go to my blog and look at the list located at the lower right hand corner of my blog. Click on the names, read the post, and comment. The 'comment' button will be below the post. Again, I WILL NOT go back and check posts from a past week to see if you mistakenly commented on a post from a previous week.

Keeping track of posts and comments: I keep track of posts to your blog and comments. Because I'm human, sometimes I make mistakes. I HIGHLY recommend that you keep track of your posts and your comments. This should include dates/times/locations of your posts/comments. If you ever have any questions about your points total for a week, or if you think I'm missing a post or comment, YOU will need to provide the dates/times of YOUR POSTS and also the dates/times/locations of your COMMENTS. Please keep a log every week of where and when you posted and commented.

Sunday Morning: I will post to my blog on Sunday morning everything that is due for the coming week. The information I will post to my blog will be the same as what is listed on the Schedule and Participation Pages on D2L. To get a head start, check out those pages.

Have a fabulous day!

Group Assignments

Hello Class!

I am waiting to hear back from a couple of folks who are adding the class a little late. Once I hear back from them, I will send out the group assignments.

Let me know if you have any questions.
:)
Carol

Blogging Questions

I have been receiving some repetitive emails about how a few things in the course work. Please read the blog in its entirety:

Blogging:
Since we will be blogging throughout this course, I thought I would explain how blogging works. There is quite a bit of information located on the "Participation" page about how blogging works. Here is an abbreviated version.

We have all created a blogspot webpage. This is where we will be having discussions rather than on D2L. Each week that there is a discussion, you will write 1 new post for each question, every week typically has 3 questions. You should post your first blog, wait AT LEAST 12 hours, then you are able to post another blog. Blogging must be done at least 12 hours apart. For example, you can post on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As long as the date/time stamp on your blog is 12 hours apart, you should receive at least some credit for your blogs. I record dates and times, and it is your responsibility to make sure they are at least 12 hours apart.

In addition to blogging, you will need to comment on 3 other people's blogs in the course during a discussion week. Log onto my blog and visit some other blogs. There is a list on my blog in the lower right hand corner that contains every one's blog in the class (yours should be there). Click on any of the icons and read the blog then comment on it by clicking on "comment" at the bottom of the post. You need to make sure that when you leave a comment, you see your alias name so I can record that you have actually left a comment. It is your responsibility to make sure your name appears on the other person's blog. It may take a few tries to get it right, but you will soon catch on and become an expert at blogging. You are more than welcome to practice by leaving a comment or two on any of my posts to make sure you are commenting correctly.

As I have noted on the "Participation" page located on D2L, each post is worth 6 points (which needs to be done on your blog as a "New Post"), and each comment is worth 4 points (which is where you comment on other people's blogs). There is NO TIME restriction for commenting on other people's blogs. You can comment anytime during the week, and it does not need to be 12 hours apart. Make sure you are commenting on a post from the CURRENT week of discussion.

So to summarize, you will post 3 times in a given discussion week. You will create a new post for each question and make sure your posts are at least 12 hours apart. You will also comment on 3 other blogs during a discussion week. Each post should be 150 words minimum and each comment should be a minimum of 100 words, otherwise there will be a point deduction.

Week of June 13 - 19

Hello Class, here is what's listed on the Schedule and Participation Pages on D2L. Pay close attention to deadlines, specifically dates and time. Please read this post in its entirety as it explains a bit about the first assignment (due Friday, July 2nd) as well.

Our week started this morning, Sunday at 12:01am and will end on Saturday at 11:59pm. Please have everything completed for this week by 11:59pm on Saturday.

Assignments this week:
*Read the assigned chapters

*Post the answers to the 3 questions below to your blog (in 3 different posts at least 12 hours apart)

*Comment on at least 3 other blogs

*Take the plagiarism tutorial (quiz worth 50 points) and email the results to comm41summer2010@gmail.com This Plagiarism Tutorial (quiz) is worth 50 points of your grade. Please pay close attention to the tutorial an all information given so you can do well on the quiz at the end of the tutorial. When it asks if you want the results emailed, please email me the results. The tutorial can be found here: http://tutorials.sjlibrary.org/tutorial/plagiarism/index.htm

*Get in touch with your assigned group to get started on the first group paper in the class. The first paper is due in 3 weeks on July 2nd.

Reading:
Read Chapter 3 in the Epstein book - What is a Good Argument?
Read Chapter 11 in the Epstein book - Fallacies: A Summary of Bad Arguments
Read Chapter 3 in the Small Group Comm book - Leadership and Decision Making in Groups and Teams
Read Chapter 4 in the Small Group Comm book - Communication in Organizations

Discussion Questions:
Answer one question in its entirety in each of your three separate posts, at least 12 hours apart. Please make sure you are creating a NEW POST for each question on your blog. You MUST WAIT at least 12 hours from the first post in order to create a second post. The same is true for the second and third post. I will record dates and time of your posts, so make sure they are at least 12 hours apart. EACH POST MUST BE 150 WORDS OR MORE. Each post is worth a maximum of 6 points.

1). (From the reading last week) Use an example from outside of the classroom. Discuss Subjective and Objective Claims. Give an example of a Subjective Claim you have heard or used recently AND give an example of an Objective Claim you have heard or used recently. Describe the situation. Describe the claims IN DETAIL.

2). Discuss Strong versus Valid Arguments in detail. Give an examples of each from everyday life.

3). Pick one concept from the reading (either Epstein or the Small Group Comm book) and discuss it in detail.

Comments - Remember to post ONE comment ON THREE DIFFERENT BLOGS between 12:01am on Sunday and 11:59pm on Saturday. This means that you will log onto MY BLOG at: and look at the lower right hand corner to see a list of your colleagues blogs. Click on those blogs, read what was posted for this week and respond. You need to make sure you are responding to only what was discussed THIS WEEK (starting Sunday and ending Saturday of the current week). Comments posted to blogs that were NOT within this week will not be counted for points. Each comment must be a minimum of 100 words and is worth a maximum of 4 points.

Note about comments: When you leave a comment on another blog, make sure you are logged into your blogspot account. In other words, you will need to make sure your "Display Name/Alias Name" shows up on the blog you are commenting on. I record the locations, dates and times of your comments. Please keep record of your posts and comments in case there I have questions about where they are located.

Reminder: At some point today I will email each of you with who you will be assigned to work with for the first assignment. You will work in groups for this assignment and meet at least once in "real time". This means you will meet in person, over the phone in a group conference or in a 'real time' chat room. The choice is yours. From experience, it is easier to meet in person the first time, but some groups never meet in person.

I know some students do not like group assignments, however, one of the purposes of this class is Critical Decision Making in Groups. In short, there is a group component to this course which is why you are reading two texts - the Epstein text and the Small Group Communication text. You will turn in one assignment for the group. This means that you will write a group paper with an individual component (more details will be given on the assignment sheet), and turn it in as a group by the deadline. It has been my experience that group assignments do quite a bit better than individual assignments, so working in a group for this assignment is a positive thing!

NOTE: Because this is an online class, things are going to seem like they are moving quickly at first. But please keep in mind that we are not meeting in person 3 hours a week like we normally would. In addition, like every class, there is outside work to be done in addition to the 3 hours of 'in class time'. Stick with the class, you'll be glad you did. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but since we're working in groups this will make things a bit easier.

Let me know if there are any questions about the first assignment or the discussion week.

Good Job!

Hello Wonderful Students!

I wanted to drop a little note commending all of you for a job well done on your blogs. I am still waiting to hear from a handful of folks, and will be getting their links on my blog as soon as I hear from them. In the meantime, I wanted to let you guys know that you are troopers! Blogging can be quite confusing at first, but this is a skill some will likely use outside of this classroom, and a skill I wanted you all to learn just for experience sake.

I know blogging and online classes for that matter can be intimidating. Thank you for sticking with it and learning about blogging and such to get going in the class. I promise, things WILL GET EASIER as the semester moves forward.

As a reminder, I'm available through Yahoo Messenger during office hours, and through email during most of the week and of course, we can always schedule a chat over the phone. In short, I'm an accessible instructor. :)

Let me know if you have any questions - I'm here to help!

Look out for my blog post tomorrow morning........

Reminder, First Assignment Due

Hello Folks!

I have been returning hundreds of emails this week trying to get each student established in the course.

By tonight at 11:59pm you should have sent me in an email:

*Your name
*Phone number
*Alias Name
*Blog Address

You should have also posted your introductory post to your blog.

In case there is any confusion, here is how you create a new post:

*Log into your blogger account
*Click "New Post"
*Type a Title
*Type your post into the big box
*Click "Publish Post"

If you do not Publish Post, your post will not become public.

For the upcoming discussion week, you will do the same thing for each question I pose, but you will write and publish your posts at least 12 hours apart. (See the "Participation Page" on D2L for more detail about participation in this course).

I will be checking my email on and off today, so email me with any questions.

Tomorrow morning I will post what is due for this coming week, so check my blog early tomorrow for the assignment summary (which is simply a summary from the Schedule and Participation Pages on D2L).

Blogging

Hello All!

I have already started to receive your blog addresses. Many thanks to those that have already submitted the required information. As a reminder, by Saturday (and hopefully sooner since this first assignment takes very little time), please submit to me:

*Your full name
*Alias Name
*Link to your blog
*Phone number (most accessible phone number)
*Post to your blog the required introductory post

Check your Display Name:
Please go to the "Getting Started" page on D2L to find instructions about how to check your Display Name.

Links to your blog:
Once you send me your blog address I will add a link to your blog located on the right hand side of my blog. You should be able to click on your Display Name and it will take you directly to your blog.

Introductory Posts:
Once you have created your blog, please post your introductory post ASAP. Sometimes blogger (blog spot) will flag a blog that has been created but not used. In order to avoid this, please post your introductory post to your blog when you create it.

How to post to your blog:
Once you have created your blog and posted your introductory post, sign out. Go ahead and sign back in to your blogger account and hit "new post". This will create a new blog post. DO NOT HIT CREATE NEW BLOG - this will actually create a whole different blog. You are simply POSTING to your blog, NOT creating a new blog.

Commenting:
When you comment on a classmate's blog, or even my blog for that matter, your Display Name should show up. This is how I track blog posts and comments. You must be logged into your blogger (blog spot) account in order for your Display Name to show up. Whenever you leave a comment, please make sure you are logged into your blogger account and then comment so your Display Name shows up. Feel free to play around with commenting this week by commenting on your classmate's blogs and of course my blog. If you are having issues, please email me.

Start Checking Out Other Blogs:
Please start checking out your classmates blogs. Again, the list of class blogs is found on the right hand side of my blog. You can simply click on any blog link, read it and comment on it. Start to get to know your classmates by welcoming them to class. In essence, you are greeting your classmates by doing this - and don't we all like to be friendly? ;)

Access to D2L Granted!!!

You FINALLY have access to Desire2Learn. Please obtain your log on name and password by follow the directions in a lower post (look down to previous posts on my blog) to figure out how to do that. You should see Comm 41 in your class list, and should have access to everything that I have uploaded.

Time to get started.......

Note: If you have not added the class yet, it should take about 24 hours to get loaded into the system after officially add the course in mysjsu. However, if you email me with the title "Access to D2L" and include your full name AND your student ID, I should be able to manually enter you into D2L.

Week of June 7 - 12

I post to my blog numerous times each week, the first of which will likely be on Sunday mornings. The Sunday morning blog post will contain everything that is due for that week, and will also contain some reminders. Since yesterday marked the first day of our week, here is the 'official' post for this week. Please read all blog posts so far and make sure you follow any instructions I have posted here. At the start of the semester there are usually repetitive questions students have and my blog is a good place to get some answers.

Here is what's due for this week as listed on the Syllabus (and Schedule Page) on D2L - also sent to you through email:

1). Review the "Getting Started" page I sent you through email yesterday. Follow instructions on that page to get started in the course.

2). Due Date #1 - email instructor by Wednesday, June 9th at 11:59pm from the email address you would like all class emails to go. Please include your full name, a contact phone number (preferably a cell #), and your intent to participate for the duration of the semester.

3). Due Date #2 - email instructor by Saturday, June 12th at 11:59pm with the following (as noted on the "Getting Started Page"):
*Name
*Alias Name you have chosen for the semester
*Include a link to your blogspot webpage
*Phone number if not previously sent

4). Post to your blog an introductory post as soon as you create your blog. In this first post you should introduce yourself to the class. Talk a little about your 'communication experience', and let us know what you hope to get out of this course. Also talk a bit about your experience with online classes, and perhaps let us know what some of your interests are so we can get to know you better.

5). Review all pages on D2L as soon as you have access.

6). Review the Syllabus including the Late Work policy. I am strict about deadlines, so get to know the deadlines in this course well.

7). Review the Schedule Page and Participation Page (once D2L access is granted).

8). Read Chapter 1 & 2 in the Epstein text - Critical Thinking.

9). Read Chapter 1 & 2 in the Small Group Text - Foundations of Communicating in Small Groups and Teams

10). Read over the Netiquette Homepage (including links) and Learn the Net: Netiquette.

Reminder #1 - I hold office hours on Tuesday's from 9am to 11am on Yahoo Messenger. This means that while I am working I keep Yahoo Messenger open. If you see me available that means I'm available to chat in real time. Go ahead and pop in if you'd like to chat with me. If you do chat, please follow normal pleasantries by using a greeting at the start of the conversation and a closing salutation at the end of the conversation. Many students have gotten into the habit of abruptly logging on and off without a word that the conversation is over.

Reminder #2 - Typical weeks run from Sunday morning at 12:01am to Saturday night at 11:59pm. Again, I'm a stickler about deadlines so get to know them well!

I will likely post again later or tomorrow. Until then.......

The Blogging Prof signing off!

Access to D2L

As of 6:20pm last night, most students still do not have access to Desire2Learn. The chair of the Communication Studies Department is aware of the issue, and is actually teaching an online class this summer. All online instructors are encountering the same problem.

Thankfully, I anticipated eCampus having issues with Desire2Learn since this is the very first time it is being used campus wide. As I mentioned in a previous email, the only thing we are using D2L for over the summer is quizzes/tests, tracking grades, and hosting the content (all of the pdf files for the class). I sent all of the "Getting Started" pdf's in an email yesterday. If you did not get it, please send me an email and I will be able to forward you the "Welcome to Comm 41" email. Please check your spam, or trash folders, as the class email address might be flagged as spam or 'junk'.

Having no access, or limited access to D2L is frustrating. Most students should be able to log into D2L, but will not be able to see their classes. It is absolutely frustrating for the instructors as well. Unfortunately, while the instructors have done their part in setting up their classes, eCampus has encountered some issues loading students into their classes.

I will update you again later today.

Message from Ecampus

Hello Class!

I just received this message from eCampus about the issues with Desire2Learn. If you have retrieved your user name and password, you can probably log into D2L, but probably cannot see the class. This is the issue they are having. eCampus is working to get this issue resolved, but since I have already sent you the materials to get started in the class, there should be no issue with you all buying books, creating your blog, logging into Yahoo Messenger, etc..... The materials that I sent you are exactly the same as they are on D2L. Email me at the class email address if there are any issues. Remember, I'm here to help! :)

Dear Summer Instructors,

We ran into a technical issue and were not able to load the most recent enrollment data to your Desire2Learn (D2L) course shell(s). If you are receiving calls/messages from students that they are not able to access D2L or your specific course, this is likely the reason. ECampus is working with the CMS/PeopleSoft group to address this problem which we plan to have solved by the end of the day (Monday, June 7). Thank-you for your patience as we resolve this.

Email Sent to all Students

Hello Class,

If you have received this email it is because you have either enrolled in Comm 41, or because you have been given an add code to the course. Allow me to extend an official welcome to Comm 41!

Desire2Learn is the learning system SJSU uses for online applications. This being an online only course, you will use Desire2Learn for a number of things (i.e. Quizzes, Course Materials, and Grades). We will use external blogs for our weekly discussion (see the "Getting Started" page I have attached here, and the "How to create a blog" page), rather than Desire2Learn. I have found over the last few years that students really like using blogs for discussions rather than a learning system. Once you review the Getting Started Page, please email me the appropriate information requested. Once you have done that, you should see a link to your blog appear on the right hand side of my blog.

If you haven't already, you can find your Desire2Learn user name and password by going to this page: http://www.sjsu.edu/ecampus/students/D2L_students/index.htm

Once you have your log on name and password, you can log on here: https://sjsu.desire2learn.com/

(please bookmark this page, as you will be using it often).

I just spoke with the folks at SJSU's ecampus. Apparently they are having issues loading students into the D2L database. If you do not have access to Desire2Learn, please don't worry. Ecampus is doing everything they can in order to get students loaded so they have access to their online classes. What I have attached to this email should get you started in the class.

Please bookmark the class blog: http://comm41summer2010.blogspot.com/

This is how I will generally keep in touch with students. I will post messages sporadically throughout the week, so make sure to check my blog everyday so you do not miss important updates about the class. It is your responsibility to check my blog everyday, and the email address you have provided me with.

If there are ever any questions about this class, please do not hesitate to email me at the class email address: comm41summer2010@gmail.com During the course of this summer session, I will reply more quickly to emails at this address than at my sjsu.edu email address.

Welcome to Comm 41!
:)
Carol

The Schedule is Complete

Hello Class!

I know that you all are not currently reading my blog since class hasn't started yet, but I thought you would like some 'process updates' nonetheless.

I just finished grading and submitting grades for the Spring 2010 semester, and have finally finished the Summer 2010 schedule for my classes. The Schedule Page on Desire2Learn, along with the Participation Page will be your best friends during this class. Please print those out and use them every week to keep track of what is due in this class. I will also update my blog at the start of every week using those two pages (Schedule and Participation) reminding you of what is due. I, however, encourage you to take a proactive approach and print out the pages so you know what is coming up in the course. After all, an online class is all about time management, right?

Back to my original point - as you will notice on the Schedule Page from Desire2Learn, the reading is front loaded. This means that you will have a decent amount of reading to do in the first two weeks, and then the amount of reading tapers off a bit. Try not to let this scare you. I scheduled the class this way so that towards then middle/end of the class you can focus on your assignments and the weekly discussions.

I can't wait to get started with y'all! :)