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Welcome!
I'm glad to have you in my online courses this semester. If this is your first online course you may be a little nervous. Relax … the online part of online courses is not that difficult and I think you will enjoy the experience once you get used to everything.
Cultivate those habits and you're on your way to a successful semester! This page is the main Online Courses page and is the starting point for all courses. Please read through this page carefully. It contains general course policies and all announcements posted during the semester.
Table of Contents
Each course link takes you to the course syllabus. Each course syllabus has:
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| Return to Top | ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Want to take a survey but not sure how many responses to collect? The calculator at www.surveysystem.com/sscalc.htm gives you the number for any given population size and desired confidence level. A reverse calculator lets you enter characteristics of an existing survey and gives the confidence interval (±X%) to apply to the results. The Survey System site, sponsored by a survey software company, also gives clear explanations of statistical significance, survey design and related concepts. |
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20 Questions a Journalist (and you, too!) Should Ask About Poll Results - www.ncpp.org/?q=node/4 |
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Annenberg Political Fact Check at www.factcheck.org describes itself as a nonpartisan, nonprofit, consumer advocate for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in US politics. The site provides original articles, with summaries and sources, analyzing factual accuracy in TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. Searchable. From the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. |
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White House Tapes: The President Calling - Three of America's most compelling presidents (Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon) bugged their White House offices and tapped their telephones. In this documentary project, American Radio Works eavesdrops on presidential telephone calls to hear how each man used one-on-one politics to shape history. Includes audio, a transcript of the documentary and background information on each president and the tapes. At www.americanradioworks.org/features/prestapes. |
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The Government Performance Project: The Way We Tax: A 50-State Report - This report from Congressional Quarterly analyzes the tax structures and tax management of the 50 states and evaluates the way each state raises its revenues. It includes an overview of major sources of state revenue (sales taxes, personal income taxes, property taxes and corporate taxes) and features a description of the tax structure for each state. Also provides related reports back to 1999. At www.governing.com/gpp/2003/gp3intro.htm. |
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What Home Pages Tell (and Don't Tell) About a Candidate - www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=13000586. |
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PBS's 30 Second Candidate site at www.pbs.org/30secondcandidate allows you to view more political ads than you ever knew existed. Choose the Historical Timeline link to see how political ads have changed over the years. And just to get you interested, start with the infamous Daisy ad at www.pbs.org/30secondcandidate/timeline/years/1964.html#movie. Click on Watch Johnson ads. Then click on either the QuickTime link or the Real Video link next to Daisy. |
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Were You Counting on Social Security? Enter your age and sex into the Heritage Foundation's Social Security Calculator to see what a comparable worker can expect to receive. The calculator is at www.heritage.org/research/features/socialsecurity/SSCalcWelcome.asp. |
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Financial Tools - If your results from the Social Security Calculator were less than encouraging, try the Heritage Foundation's Personal Retirement Account Calculator, the Social Security Retirement Planner, Retirement Planning Resources from Smart Money, First Service Bank's Financial Planning Tools or New Tools on the Web. |
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Now that your know whether you have it made or don't stand a chance when it comes to retirement, it's time to check out the site at www.politicalcompass.org. Political Compass does a good job of explaining political ideologies (although with definitions different from those I use) and gives you a chance to discover your own political philosophy. |
E-LINKS PAGES
I have hundreds of links on my E-Links pages which you are welcome to use in my classes, other classes or just for the fun of it. At the top of this page use the Up link to go to my home page. Then click on E-Links. If you run across a link that no longer works, let me know. If the site still exists, I'll track down the new link and correct the page.
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Ø I know how to connect to the Web using a web browser.
Ø I can navigate around the Web and know how to use search engines.
Ø I know how to send and receive email using the email system of my choice.
- New to e-mail? Visit www.albion.com/netiquette for tips.Ø I know how to do basic word processing including cutting and pasting.
Ø I know how to open, save and manage files.
Ø I have access to a computer 5-7 days per week.
Ø The computer I use meets the basic requirements for online courses.
Ø I have 12 to 15 hours a week to work on each online course.
Ø I can motivate myself to log in to the virtual classroom at least 5 days a week.
Ø I have good reading comprehension skills and written communication skills.
Ø I enjoy communicating in writing.
Ø I like figuring things out on my own but I'm able to ask for help when I need it.
If you're not sure all of those statements apply to you, you may not be quite ready for online learning. Visit some of the links below to learn more.
Ø Just How Ready Are You for Distance Learning?
Ø Are You Ready For Distance Learning?
Ø What Makes A Successful Online Student?
Ø Is Distance Learning Right For You?
Ø You Know You're An Online Student When ...
Ø Are Distance Learning Courses for You?
Ø Self-Evaluation for Potential Online Students
Ø What Makes a Successful Online Student?
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IMPORTANT LINKS TO YOUR COLLEGE
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Library Links |
Student Services Links |
Tutoring Links |
NLC |
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| Aims | www.aims.edu/kieferlibrary/index.php | www.aims.edu/student/services.php | www.aims.edu/student/tsi/index.php |
Jacksonville |
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Angelina |
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Lon Morris |
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UTT |
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| You can find lots & lots of useful links on the Student Resources page. | |||
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1. Never use all capitals. This is the written equivalent of shouting and people consider it rude. Too, it’s simply not correct grammar.
2. Never include irrelevant items - emoticons :), pictures, fancy signatures, closing quotes, scriptures, sales pitches, stationery, business slogans or etc. in course emails. If your software automatically adds any of those things when you send an email, disable that feature when you send a course email. If you email from your workplace, this applies to your work email as well. The only exception to this is if you use an email service that requires the company name be at the bottom of all emails. (In order to reply to an email, you have to download any graphics, pictures or etc. included in the original. Because I receive so many emails, I have very strict security controls. Those controls block downloading pictures, graphics and etc because they so frequently carry viruses. If your email includes any of those things, I will not be able to reply to it.)
3. Never use colored backgrounds or ink. All course emails should use black print on a white background. You don’t use pink paper and add smiley faces to your assignments in traditional courses. The same should be true for online courses.
4. Never use IM lingo. As with any written college communication, your emails should use appropriate grammar and spelling. At the beginning of your course, I will encourage you to work on any spelling and grammar problems I see. As the course progresses, I will expect improvement. Almost all colleges have writing labs and tutors that can help you improve in these areas. Take advantage of those resources. If your college does not offer help, let me know. I have some excellent online resources.
5. Never send group emails. My software classifies group emails as spam and deletes all future email from that address before I ever see it.
6. Never send forwarded emails. I don’t accept assignments or other items in forwarded emails.
7. Never send attached files for any reason. I never open attached files because of the danger of viruses and the extra time involved. Instead, copy and paste your work into the body of your email message. It is never okay to send attached files.
8. Never assume I know what you are talking about! If you and I are in the middle of an ongoing discussion always include or refer to previous messages. I may not remember what you’re talking about otherwise.
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9. Always expect a response. I respond to every email that requires a response. If you don’t get a response from me within 48 hours, chances are I did not get your email. If you don't get a response within 48 hours, try the following suggestions.
a. Check the original email you sent me to make sure you used the correct subject line. (It's probably in a folder labeled something like Sent Items.)
b. Check for replies to the correct email address. When I reply, I do not type your address into a new email. I use the Reply button. This means that the reply goes straight back to the address from which you sent your original message. If you sent your message using a friend's email address, your work email address or your school email address, that's where my response went.
c. Check the announcements on this page. You should check the announcements frequently. I post announcements for things that affect most students - things such as schedule changes, absences, computer problems and so on. If I'm going to be out-of-town for a few days, for example, and won't have access to my emails, I'll post an announcement so you'll know to expect a delay.
If you discover you made a mistake sending your assignment or if you're simply not sure, paste it into a new email and send it again before it's too late for me to accept. Be certain you've used the correct subject line before resending it.
[Take Note: If you send an email late Friday night or Saturday morning, it may take longer than 48 hours to receive a reply. I usually do not have email access from about mid-day Saturday until sometime late Sunday evening. If I am unable to reply to all of those emails before noon on Saturday, I probably won't be able to do so until Sunday night at the earliest.]
10. Always exercise patience. There are exceptions to my normal 48-hour replies. You are welcome to send assignments early but if you work ahead so that I receive assignments much earlier than they are due, I probably won’t reply until after I’ve replied to students who are working on schedule or behind. Too, there are certain times in the semester when it’s difficult to keep up with the load – for example, at the beginning or end of a semester.
11. Always sign your emails with both your first and last name. I will not assume I know who you are from your email address or a first name only. Nor will I hunt for your name. If I don’t see your name in your email message, I will either return your email or delete it.
12. Always assume the best. Keep in mind that email communication is not face-to-face. Always be specific and friendly. Since we cannot see each other’s facial expression, there is always the possibility of miscommunication. Two things to remember:
a. Brevity: Out of necessity, I am usually very brief in my replies to you. I don’t do that due to a lack of concern.
b. Responsibility: I will not do your work for you ... this is college! If you email asking about something that’s in the syllabus, I will tell you to check the syllabus. If you email asking for the definition of __, I will tell you to read chapter X. If, on the other hand, you don't understand a concept and it's clear to me in your questions that you’ve done what you can to figure it out, I'll spend as much time as you need. That's my job!
If you are a person who tends to be easily offended, remember that things are different when you communicate by email. I’ll assume you’re polite if you’ll assume the same of me!
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THE TEXTBOOK IS REQUIRED| Return to Top | | Return to Orientation |
Your course is an online course designed to give you direct, one-on-one feedback on assignments. I expect you to complete your work online. If you have problems transmitting your assignments to me, contact me and we'll come up with a plan B.
1. Submit each assignment in the body of a new email. Due to the course management system I use, I do not accept: assignments in attached files, assignments in forwarded emails or assignments in reply emails. Nor do I accept faxed assignments, mailed assignments or several assignments in one email.
2. I consider an assignment to be on time if it is correctly completed and in my Inbox by midnight of the day assigned. I am not concerned with when you send an assignment … I have no real way of knowing that. I can prove only when I receive an assignment. Too, note the phrase correctly completed ... you can’t, for example, decide to save time by ignoring the instructions and then say "but it was there before the deadline!" If you want to avoid late assignments, always try to submit early. That gives you a chance to beat the deadline even when the unexpected occurs.
3. Use email for all course communication ... not the telephone. If you have an emergency, don't hesitate to call me. My cell number is above on this page for exactly that reason. However, impending deadlines do not constitute emergencies. If you wait until the last minute to start an assignment and need help, you’re unlikely to get an email reply from me quickly enough to beat the deadline. You can’t fix the problem by calling me … you can avoid the problem by better organizing your time. Handle all communication other than emergencies by email.
4. Always include your first & last names at the beginning of every assignment. If you email with a question, comment, etc. always sign your email with your first & last names. I don't want to hunt for or guess who you are.
5. It's important that you frequently check the Announcements at the top of this page. I post things that affect everyone as announcements. I don’t know how many times I’ve received emails from students angry or distressed about something that would never have been a problem if they had read the Announcements.
6. Some of you print out the syllabus. Please make sure you remember that the official syllabus and schedule are online. Although I detest making changes in the middle of a course, I do have that right as your professor and occasionally it is necessary. You are responsible for knowing any changes I make while you are in the course. If I have to change an element in your syllabus - a due date, assignment instructions, etc - I make the change in your syllabus. I always make the change obvious BUT ... if you're working from a printout that won't help you. If you feel better working from a printout that's fine with me ... just make sure you remember to check the online syllabus - the official syllabus - often!
7. In a college course you have rights AND responsibilities. It was your choice to take this course, it is your choice whether or not to follow course policy, and it is your choice whether or not to participate. You have the right to make those decisions. But you must also take responsibility for those decisions and your performance in the course.
EXTRA CREDIT: If you do not complete the assigned work in the manner requested, you will not get the points for that work. I cannot (and will not) 'fix' that by giving you alternative work or extra credit work. The assignments I want you to complete are those I've assigned in the syllabus.
WITHDRAWING FROM THE COURSE: I will not drop you should you decide to stop participating in the course. If you stop participating, you will earn whatever points you had accumulated at that time. If you do not want that to happen, you need to complete the course or initiate a drop yourself by contacting the college through which you registered. I have provided the online address for your college's Student Services web page above. [See Important Links TO Your COLLEGE.] You can find that office's phone numbers and/or email address on the web page.
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Copyright © 1996 Amy S. Glenn |
At the top of this page are links to
the following pages.
Until you have successfully completed the orientation,
I will not accept any work from you