Last Post

Hello Folks,

This will be my last post.

As of this morning all grades have been entered into D2L. I have added a column in D2L that is a "Final Grade" column. This reflects all of the points you have earned in the class, and as you can see, the class is out of 1,000 points total. On the syllabus, and at the end of this post, you will find a grade scale. Go ahead and compare your total points accrued to the grade scale to see what your final grade is in the course.

I will enter grades into mysjsu system this weekend, and as I have read on the SJSU website, grades should be available to you for viewing next week at some point.

I very much enjoyed reading the posts and comments for the final week of discussion. One common theme with the posts was about the 12 hour time limit between posts. I usually address this issue early on in the semester so students understand the rationale behind the 12 hour requirement. Here is the explanation:

Let's face it, college students really like to wait until the last minute to get things done, right? As a college student (which wasn't all that long ago), I used to wait until the bitter end to complete assignments. Since the class requires posts and comments in order to simulate face to face conversation, there must be a gap in the time students can post in order to avoid students doing all of the work at the same time and not really processing ideas, theories and topics of discussion. In addition, the 12 hour gap requires students to get at least 1 post in before the end of the week. If no one posted early (and trust me, it does happen), what would you comment on? This can be quite frustrating for students who want to get their work done early in the week. As an online instructor I have explored a number of different posting options, and have collaborated with other online instructors with much more experience than I, and 12 hours seems to be the consensus.

Having said that, I really enjoyed all of the feedback you have given me in during the final discussion week. If you have any questions after Sunday (when I will stop checking the class email address), please contact me at my sjsu.edu email address which I emailed to you last night.

Again, I have really enjoyed sharing the semester with each of you, and hope we will meet again either online or face to face at some point.

The Blogging Prof. signing off for the last time!

Have a wonderful evening, and a very enjoyable Fall semester!

:)
Carol


Grade scale:
A 950-1000
A- 900-949
B+ 870-899
B 840-869
B- 800-839
C+ 770-799
C 740-769
C- 700-739
D+ 670-699
D 640-669
D- 600-639
F 600 and below

Critical Evaluation of a Social Organization - Participation Grade

Hello Folks!

I have posted grades for the Participation portion of the Social Organization assignment. Please look it over and let me know if you have any questions.

I added up the grades your classmates gave you and divided. This time though, I also took into account the comments that were made, and used those in addition to the grades to come up with a final number.

Email me immediately if there are any questions.

:)
Carol

Proctor Form

Hello Class,

I have gotten a few questions about the Proctor Form. Here's how it works:

1). Download the form from D2L under "Quizzes and Tests".

2). Complete the final exam, having someone over 21 years old watch you. They are to make sure you are following the SJSU academic integrity policy.

3). After you are done with the final exam, send me your signed proctor form through email. Please scan it or take a high resolution digital picture of the signed form and send it to me through email.

REMINDER: The discussion week ends on August 12th at 11:59pm. Please have all of your comments and blog posts completed by that time. There is NO 12 hour time restriction this week. You should also complete 3 comments on your classmates blogs by 11:59pm on Thursday.

I hope this clarifies some things.

:)
Carol

Week of August 8-12

I'm a little sad that this is our last week of class. I hope you all have had a good time over the summer in Comm 41. I like instructing this class online for a number of reasons, but I really enjoy the interaction you all have with one another. In other words, when something is unclear, I really love the fact that reading other people's blogs in the class really help to clarify the concept. It would be easy for me to explain a concept to the class, however, I find it's more effective if it is explained by a colleague. It seems y'all speak each others language a bit more than I do. :) I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have.

Listed below is a summary of what's listed on the Participation and Schedule Pages on D2L for this week:

You have two things to complete this week:
1). Discussion this week - there is NO TIME RESTRICTION this week, but PLEASE please PLEASE complete the discussion as early as possible.

2). Final Exam - see notes below. The final exam will be available on August 11th and 12th, all day. Please take the final exam on either the 11th (Wednesday), or 12th (Thursday). After the final exam closes on the 12th, there will be no other opportunity to take the final exam, so please plan ahead.

***Final exam - Please download the Proctor Form from D2L. You will have a proctor, someone over the age of 21, fill out the form and sign it after they have watched you complete the entire final exam within the allotted time. Send the proctor form to me through email. You can scan the form and email it, or take a high quality digital picture and send it to me in .jpg format.

The final exam will include all of the chapters we have covered throughout the semester. It is open book/open notes.

Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts:

1). What have you learned in this class over the summer? Be specific!

2). What have you learned throughout this class? What was your favorite thing about the class? What was your least favorite thing about the class? How can this class be improved?

3). Pick one concept throughout the semester you think could use further discussion.

***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: This week is the last week I will hold office hours.

Connected full time again

Hello Class,

I am glad to say that I am connected full time again. Yes, that's right, I finally have a stable internet connection.

You wouldn't believe how anxious I get when I'm not connected to the internet. I know, I'm a communication geek. ;)

I am still in the process of grading your papers, but I should have them back to you this week at some point.

Email me if you have any questions, or want to chat. I should be around.
:)
Carol

Week of August 1st - August 7th

Listed below is a summary of what's listed on the Participation and Schedule Pages on D2L for this week:

***Read Chapter 14 - Generalizing
***Read Chapter 15 - Cause and Effect
***Participate in the Causal Argument Exercises.
***Read over the Mission Critical website.

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

1). What was useful about the Cause and Effect website reading and exercises?

2). What was useful about the Mission Critical website?

3). Gather a group of folks (no less than 4 other people - friends/family members, etc...) and discuss either the first or second assignment. Present your groups paper, and find out THEIR opinion. See if you can pick out flaws in your groups reasoning and arguments. Discuss the group activity in your post.

***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*** I will not be holding office hours this week due to being out of town. However, I will be checking my email on and off all week given that I will be in an area where there is spotty internet access at best, meaning I may not have reliable internet access everyday. I will try to check my email as often as possible, but I my response time may be delayed a bit this week. I will resume having consistent internet access as of August 6th in the evening.

Grades added to D2L

Hello Folks,

A couple of days ago I updated your grades on D2L. Please look them over and let me know if you have any questions.

As a reminder, starting tomorrow, I will have limited access to the internet. However, I will check my email on and off over the next week. I will resume full-time internet access on August 6th.

Next week is a pretty light week, and I anticipate very few issues. If any arise, please let me know.

Have a great weekend everyone!
:)
Carol

Email from July 28th

Hello Class,

As a reminder, your final project in the class is due by tomorrow night by 11:59pm. It is a good idea to have all components of the paper completed tonight, so that a final revision can take place either tonight or tomorrow.

It is also a good idea to get the final revision done by tomorrow evening so each member can look over the final paper (to address editing issues, etc...) before the final submission. Also, try to get together with your group members one more time, either by phone or over the internet (live chat room or the like) to have one last discussion about your final draft. It is also a good idea that every member reads over the final draft in case one person misses something. Many minds are better than one, right?

The paper you will turn in tomorrow night should be the best writing possible, the best analysis, etc... In short, this should be your group's very best work.

I look forward to hearing from each group by tomorrow night.

Have a fabulous day!
:)
Carol

Individual Paper - Social Organizations

Hi Folks!

I have been getting repetitive emails regarding the assignment due this week. There is NO individual paper due for this assignment, only the group portion. However, I really appreciate your willingness to write individual papers. ;)

Thanks for checking in with me, those of you who did.

:)
Carol

Week of July 25th - July 31th

Listed below is a summary of what's listed on the Participation and Schedule Pages on D2L for this week:

***Read Chapter 13 - Numbers?
***Review Chapter 15, as it is included in this weeks test.

***There is a Test this week on Chapters 8-10, 12, 13 & 15. Please go to D2L to take the quiz.

***As a reminder, the Critical Thinking in Social Organizations group essay should be turned in by Thursday, July 29th by 11:59pm. Go ahead and submit you papers early if you'd like.

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

1). Discuss one concept from Chapter 13 that you found useful. Please explain the concept and give a personal example or personal story. In other words, please apply the concept to everyday life and everyday argumentation.

2). Discuss the usefulness of the first or second major course assignment. Please use specific examples in your discussion.

3). Pick one concept from Chapter 13 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*** I will be out of town starting on Friday, July 30th and will return on August 6th. However, I will be checking my email on and off throughout my travels, given that I will be in an area where there is spotty internet access at best, meaning I may not have reliable internet access everyday. I will try to check my email as often as possible, but I my response time may be delayed a bit this week. I will resume having consistent internet access as of August 6th in the evening.

Reasoning by Analogy

Chapter 12 covers the topic of reasoning by analogy. While I have taught this course before, the texts that I have chosen have covered many forms of reasoning, not just one or two. I used to use a book called "Everyday Argumentation", but have since switched over to the Epstein text for a number of reasons.

Other forms of reasoning I cover in my other classes are:

1). Reasoning by Analogy
2). Sign Reasoning
3). Causal Reasoning
4). Reasoning by Criteria
5). Reasoning by Example
6). Inductive
7). Deductive

You can click on the links above to take you to another webpage that explains different types of reasoning. While I do not encourage students to use wikipedia as a source on formal papers (at least until more regulation is in place for wikipedia), it is a great place to start research. The bottom of most wikipedia pages will have a list of resources. That list is a students best friend, not the wikipedia page itself.

You are more than welcome to apply any of these types of reasoning to your final projects in this course. Since you must apply a number of course concepts, feel free to use this list of reasoning when writing your final papers.

Grades posted for the week of 7/11-7/17

Hello Folks! I hope tonight finds you well.

Just a quick note to let you know that I have posted the grades for the discussion week of 7/11-7/17 to D2L. Please log onto D2L and take a look at your grade. If you have any questions about it, please email me immediately.

As a reminder, you should be checking your grades consistently. Please do not wait until the end of the semester to ask about a particular grade or discussion week. It is much easier to keep track as the semester progresses.

Have a great night!
:)
Carol

News and Politics

I have posted your grades for the News and Politics assignment to D2L. I have yet to fill out one category titled "News&PolParticipation". This category consists of how your colleagues have graded your group effort. I will send you an email today with your grade, and I will post it to D2L by the end of today.

Until later.........

Week of July 18th - July 24th

Listed below is a summary of what's listed on the Participation and Schedule Pages on D2L for this week:

***Read Chapter 10 - Too Much Emotion
***Read Chapter 12 - Reasoning by Analogy

***Continue to work on Assignment #2 (Critical Evaluation of a Social Organization). Assignment #2 is due on Thursday, July 29 by 11:59pm.

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

1). Discuss the idea of Appeal to Emotion. There are different aspects of Appeal to Emotion; which type of Appeal to Emotion strikes you, and why?

2). Pertaining to page 195, complete objective 1, 2, 3, 6, OR 7. (Chose only one to complete).

3). Pick one concept from Chapter 12 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.

Individual Papers

Quick Note: You should receive an email with the grade for your individual paper late tomorrow night (Saturday).

Midterm Grades Changed

Hello Class!

I hope today finds you well. Next time you log on to D2L you will notice that your midterm grade has changed. Unfortunately when the information from Blackboard (our old learning system) was transferred to D2L (our new learning system), the points value for each question on the midterm was changed from 2 points to 1 point. The questions were in fact worth 2 points, so I changed the points value and your grades appropriately.

As a reminder, please get in contact with your new groups ASAP and schedule a "real time" meeting. Meeting over email is not sufficient. Groups that score the best on their papers have great, and consistent communication, so please communicate with each other often, starting with a "real time" meeting.

I should have the group portion of your papers returned by late tonight. The individual essays will take me another day or two.

Email me if you have any questions, I'm always here to help!
:)
Carol

New Groups Assigned

Hello Class!

I just emailed everyone letting you know who is in your new group for the coming assignment. You will have approximately 2 weeks to complete this group assignment, so get started right away.

You should contact your group NO LATER than Friday. By Saturday night (hopefully earlier), you should have 1 person email me with the date/time/location of your 'real time' meeting. This means that you should NOT be meeting over email, rather you should meet in-person, over the phone or in a live chat room. You MUST have at least 1 'real time' meeting for this assignment.

Email me immediately if you have questions pertaining to the coming assignment!

Have a wonderful evening!
:)
Carol

Week of July 11th - July 17th

Listed below is a summary of what's listed on the Participation and Schedule Pages on D2L for this week:

***Read Chapter 8 - General Claims
***Read Appendices - Truth Tables pg. 359-372 and Aristotelian Logic pg. 373-383
***Argument Mapping Tutorial: http://austhink.com/reason/tutorials/index.htm

***Start working on Assignment #2 (Critical Evaluation of a Social Organization)

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

1). Discuss one concept from Chapter 8 that you found useful. Please explain the concept and give a personal example or personal story. In other words, please apply the concept to everyday life and everyday argumentation.

2). Discuss one concept from the Truth Tables or Aristotelian Logic that you found useful. Please explain the concept and give a personal example or personal story. In other words, please apply the concept to everyday life and everyday argumentation.

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.

Grades Posted

I will post grades from the discussion week of June 27th - July 3rd later this afternoon. Check D2L this afternoon for your grade, and as always, please email me if you have any questions about your grade.

My goal in this class is total transparency with grading, so make sure to email me if there are ever any questions.

Good luck on your midterm!

Reminders

Hello Folks!

The evaluations of your classmates are due by Saturday at 11:59pm. Once the deadline passes, I will respond to each individual submission, most likely on Sunday or Monday.

REMINDER: Please have the midterm completed by Saturday at 11:59pm.

Let me know if you have any questions about either of these.

Have a fabulous evening!
:)
Carol

Groupmate Evaluation Forms

I hope each of you had a great (and safe) 4th of July. Around where I live (3 hours from campus) there were numerous fires due to illegal fireworks. It was quite the evening!


This post is actually about the evaluation forms that are part of the Critical Thinking in News and Politics assignment. I will send out the evaluation forms tomorrow, and they will not be due until the end of the week (on Saturday). The evaluation forms are fairly easy to complete, and should only take you a matter of minutes to fill them out and return them to me by email.

The evaluations that you will complete are anonymous. This means that only I will see the evaluation forms that you fill out. I will then compile the grades that you have earned from your classmates, average the grades and assign a point value.

If there are any questions about this, please do not hesitate to ask!

Have a wonderful evening!!! :)

Week of July 4th - July 10th

Hello Folks!

This week there is no discussion. Listed below is from the Schedule Page on D2L:

*MIDTERM on Chapters 1-7, 9&11 on D2L. Log on to D2L anytime between now and Saturday to complete the midterm. Log on early as the midterm needs to be submitted by 11:59pm. (See the quizzes page for policies, time frames for quizzes/tests, etc.....)

Critical Thinking in News and Politics - Due TONIGHT

Reminder: The first paper, Critical Thinking in News and Politics is due tonight, no later than 11:59pm.

Evaluation of your group memebers

I will send out information about evaluating your group members participation over the weekend. At that time I will let you know of the due date.

I look forward to receiving your papers tomorrow. Remember, send the papers early to avoid late penalty.


ALSO: Please attach the individual papers to the end of the group portion of the paper with the writers name attached to the top of the individual paper. Let me know if there are questions about this.

Grading

Hello Again!

Since I have started to post your grades to D2L, I thought I would give you some additional information about grading in this class so there is no question about how I grade blogs every week.

A bit about grading: If you ever feel any ambiguity in the evaluation process in this course, please email me. My goal for this course is total transparency for each student. However, since this is an online course, transparency begins with you as the student. I can only address issues if I know they exist. If this were a face to face class I would be able to easily explain how grading works, chat with you before/after class about your grades, etc... Online classes face many challenges and some of you are aware of these challenges due taking repetitive online courses. Others may have expectations that are not being met. I have mentioned a few times so far that I'm always available to chat through email, Yahoo Messenger and over the phone in case there are every any questions.

How I evaluate your blog posts and comments: As stated on the Participation Page, I look for a few things:
*Have you complied with the guidelines listed on the Participation Page?
*Does the content of your post/comment relate to our reading this week?
*Have you address the question in its entirety on your post?
*Have your given thought to the post you have commented on?
*Have you included the minimum number of words required in each post/comment?
*Is your post/comment within our discussion week?

If all of these questions have a 'yes' answer, there should be no reason why you earn anything less than full credit.

I hope this helps to clear up any ambiguity as it relates to the evaluation of your posts.

Have a wonderfully fabulous (and communication filled) day!!!

Grades Posted and Blog Reminders

Hello Class! I just updated grades to D2L for the first discussion week and some other things. Please look over your grade and let me know if you have any questions.

Here are some reminders about blogging and commenting (just to reinforce the parameters):

1). There are 3 questions per discussion week. Please answer those questions in 1 post each on your blog. Make sure your posts are at least 12 hours apart. Pay attention to your date and time stamp. Each post should be 150 words minimum - there is no maximum.

2). Comments should be on 3 different blogs. Each comment should be a minimum of 100 words each. There is no time restriction for comments, and can all be done at the same time. Make sure you are logged into your blogger account when leaving comments so your alias/display name appears.

3). I check the word count for all blog posts and comments. It is your responsibility to make sure your posts and comments meet the minimum requirement.

4). Your posts and comments need to be within a given discussion week. This means that if our week runs from 6/13 to 6/19, and you comment on a post that is not within that date range, you will not receive credit for that comment. I only check the posts and comments for that week. I do not go back and re-check past posts to see if someone has mistakenly commented on a past post.

5). It is recommended that you keep track of all dates/times/locations/word counts of your posts and comments. If you would like to email me about a grade, please include the following information in your email:
*Time and date of your posts including word counts
*Time and date of your comments including word counts

The information I have included here is located on the Participation Page on D2L. It is your responsibility to know everything that is on D2L and what is posted to my blog.

As a reminder, check my blog frequently for updates.

As always, I am available for questions through email, over Yahoo Messenger and of course to schedule a phone conversation at any time.

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.