Assignment Two: Indentifying Similarities and Differences

Assignment #2: Complete the 4 part assignment format as you read, reflect, and respond to Chapter 2 – Identifying Similarities and Differences.

Although your course packet asks you to post to blog for parts A, B, C, and D…we are asking that you only post part D to the blog. We are trying to make the blog more user-friendly and easier to read...Please remember to keep your responses brief so that all participants will read your thoughts! Thanks!

A. Guiding Questions for Self Assessment of Current Beliefs and Practices: This component asks you to reflect on how and why you currently use the instructional strategies of identifying similarities in your classroom. The intent of this is to activate your prior knowledge of your strategy use so that you can make comparisons as you read the chapter. Below are the questions to help you complete your self-assessment. (Complete – but do not post!)

• What is the purpose of asking students to compare?
• What kinds of activities do I use to help students compare?
• I can think of a time that I asked students to compare, and I was pleased with the results. Why did it go well?
• I can think of a time that I asked students to compare, and I was not pleased with the results. Why did it not go well?
• What questions do I have about using comparing in my classroom?

B. Read & Reflect “Research & Theory”: This portion of the assignment asks you to read chapter 2 and reflect briefly on your thinking after reading the “Research and Theory” section for identifying similarities and differences. (Complete – but do not post!)

C. Practice: Choose one of the specific “classroom practice” strategies or techniques shared in this chapter to teach to your students (If you are not currently teaching, think how you would use this strategy in your classroom.)

D. Final Strategy Reflection: Use the following sequence of questions/prompts to reflect on what you’ve learned about both the strategies presented in the chapter and what you’ve learned about yourself as both a teacher and a learner. Please post your brief reflection to the posting labeled Week Two: Identifying Similarities and Difference by clicking on the “comment” link below.

How has the information you read in this chapter on comparing affected your thinking about teaching and learning? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher and learner?

Use the following questions to assist you in writing a brief strategy reflection:

• How has reading this information affirmed some of what you already knew about comparing?
• What is something you now understand better about comparing?
• How might you change how you use comparing in your classroom?

Assignment One: Introduction

Hi and welcome to our course! 

Please remember that one of the benefits of a blogging course is to have communication between participants. Remember to read and respond to other participants' comments each week. ***  Please keep your responses to the assignments brief so that everyone is willing to read and respond to each others' comments.  It is always a better learning environment when participants are more interactive!!! :)

Also, you may want to type your comments in a Word Document and either copy from Word and paste onto the blog or save it in a folder on your computer and then post it to the blog. I have written a couple of lengthy comments that I lost before I was able to post it to the blog. This extra step may save you some frustration later on this term.

Last of all, we will write our comments to your posts on the blog, so you will need to check back to the corresponding week for feedback (and to make additional comments if you wish.)

Let us know if you have any questions. You can email us, but please put the words "Question for Classroom Instruction" in the subject line so that we can respond in a timely fashion.


Assignment #1: Introductory paragraph. Please post your introduction to the course blog in the blog archive under the posting: Week One: Introduction.

 Please tell us a little about yourself. Where do you teach? What grade and how long have you been teaching? How many students are in your class and do you have instructional support? What does your current literacy program look like? (If you aren’t currently teaching let us know what your educational background and experiences are.) What is your knowledge/training in the area of literacy? Does your district provide literacy training? If so, what exactly have they offered? Also, let us know a little about you outside the classroom: Interests/Hobbies/Family Life.

Also please read: Classroom Instruction that Works - Chapter 1 – Applying the Research on Instruction: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

Sign in to the blog (follow directions below)
o Click on the comment link below. If you do not have a Google account you will need to create a free one. Underneath the “leave your comment” box – click where it says “no Google account? Sign up here.” Then follow the direction to create an account.
o After you create your account you can just type in your user name and password from when you created the account and then click the button “publish your comment” and it will be posted. You should post Assignment # 1 explained below as your first comment.

(Please Note: In addition to posting your first assignment (Introduction) to the blog, please email it to us. This is to enable us to contact you individually should the need occur. Please also make sure that you label your assignment with your name when posting to the blog to ensure that you receive proper credit for your work.)

Assignment Ten: Cues, Questions and Advance Organizers - Summer 2013

This is your last assignment for this course...all assignments are due 8/20...thanks so much for participating in our course!!!

You know the ropes....please only post "Part D"!

Assignment #10: Complete the 4 part assignment format as you read, reflect, and respond to Chapter 10: Cues, Questions and Advance Organizers.

A. Self Assessment of Current Beliefs and Practices: This component asks you to reflect on how and why you currently use the instructional strategy of Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers in your classroom. The intent of this is to activate your prior knowledge of your strategy use so that you can make comparisons as you read the chapter. Below are the questions to help you complete your self-assessment.
• What is your purpose of using cues and questions in your classroom?
• Study the research results in Figure 10.1 for "Cues and Questions." In your experience, what makes some experiences with cues and questions better than others?

B. Read & Reflect “Research & Theory”: This portion of the assignment asks you to read chapter 10 and reflect briefly on your thinking after reading the “Research and Theory” section for Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers. You may want to consider the point below in your reflection.
• Many teachers who are aware of the research on the use of "wait time" will confess that they do not use it often enough. What do you think are some of the reasons that might explain why teachers do not use this strategy systematically and effectively?

C. Practice: Choose one of the specific “classroom practice” strategies or techniques shared in this chapter to try out with your students (If you are not currently teaching, you may reflect upon how you would use this strategy in your classroom).

D. Final Strategy Reflection: Use the following sequence of questions/prompts to reflect on what you’ve learned about both the strategies presented in the chapter and what you’ve learned about yourself as both a teacher and a learner. Please post your brief reflection to the posting labeled Week Ten: Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers by clicking on the “comment” link below.

How has the information you read in this chapter on Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers effected your thinking about teaching and learning? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher and learner? Use the following questions to assist you in writing a brief strategy reflection:

• Research confirms that advance organizers are powerful when they help students focus on what is important, not on what might be unusual. All the different types of advance organizers described in this chapter, however, require up-front planning on the part of the teacher. How would you respond to a teacher who complains that there just isn't time to prepare the organizers?

• What will you do to improve the effect of using cues, questions, and advance organizers in your classroom? – Will you make changes?

• How might you monitor the effects of cues, questions, and advance organizers on student learning?

Assignment Nine: Generating and Testing Hypotheses - Summer 2013

Assignment #9: Complete the 4 part assignment format as you read, reflect, and respond to Chapter 9: Generating and Testing Hypotheses.

ALL PARTICIPANTS PLEASE READ THE NOTE BELOW!!!

***Don't forget to only post "Part D" ;)

A. Self Assessment of Current Beliefs and Practices: This component asks you to reflect on how and why you currently use the instructional strategies of Generating and Testing Hypotheses in your classroom. The intent of this is to activate your prior knowledge of your strategy use so that you can make comparisons as you read the chapter.

B. Read & Reflect “Research & Theory”: This portion of the assignment asks you to read chapter 9 and reflect briefly on your thinking after reading the “Research and Theory” section of Generating and Testing Hypotheses.

C. Practice: Choose one of the specific “classroom practice” strategies or techniques shared in this chapter to teach to your students (If you are not currently teaching, you should reflect upon how you would use this strategy in your classroom.)

D. Final Strategy Reflection: A sequence of questions posted below asks you to reflect on what you’ve learned about both the strategies presented in the chapter and what you’ve learned about yourself as both a teacher and a learner. Please post a brief reflection of how this went to the posting labeled Week Nine: Generating and Testing Hypotheses.

How has the information you read in this chapter on Generating and Testing Hypotheses effected your thinking about teaching and learning? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher and learner? Use the following questions to assist you in writing a brief strategy reflection:

• How might I change how use Generating and Testing Hypotheses in my classroom?
• What is something you now understand better about Generating and Testing Hypotheses?

Assignment Eight: Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback

Assignment #8: Complete the 4 part assignment format as you read, reflect, and respond to Chapter 8: Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback.

ALL PARTICIPANTS PLEASE READ THE NOTE BELOW!!!

***Please post part D, as we continue to make the blog more user-friendly and easier to read. Thanks!

A. Self Assessment of Current Beliefs and Practices: This component asks you to reflect on how and why you currently use the instructional strategy of Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback in your classroom. The intent of this is to activate your prior knowledge of your strategy use so that you can make comparisons as you read the chapter. Below are the questions to help you complete your self-assessment.

• What is your purpose when you set objectives and/or feedback in your classroom?
• How do you set objectives in your current classroom instruction?
• When and how do you communicate classroom objectives to your students?
• What kind of feedback do you provide for your students?

B. Read & Reflect “Research & Theory”: This portion of the assignment asks you to read Chapter 8 and reflect briefly on your thinking after reading the “Research and Theory” section for Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback.

C. Practice: Choose one of the specific “classroom practice” strategies or techniques shared in this chapter to try out with your students (If you are not currently teaching, you may share how you would use this strategy in your classroom).


D. Final Strategy Reflection: Use the following sequence of questions/prompts to reflect on what you’ve learned about both the strategies presented in the chapter and what you’ve learned about yourself as both a teacher and a learner. Please post your brief reflection to the posting labeled Week Eight: Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback by clicking on the “comment” link below.

How has the information you read in this chapter on Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback effected your thinking about teaching and learning? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher and learner? Use the following questions to assist you in writing a brief strategy reflection:

• The generalizations related to setting objectives explain that goals should be clear and specific, but also flexible enough for students to personalize the goals. Consider the objectives you are expected to use, that is, those provided by your school, district, or state. To what extent do you feel they meet the criteria of clarity, specificity, and flexibility?

• How does the information in Figure 8.3 about "Corrective Feedback" shed light on your own experiences with giving and receiving feedback? For example, does it surprise you that research indicates that simply telling students whether an answer is right or wrong can have a negative effect on their achievement?

• How might you change how you communicate objectives to students and parents?

• How will you monitor how well students are meeting their learning objectives?

• How will you engage students in the feedback process (consider use of rubrics?)

Assignment Seven: Cooperative Learning

***Just a reminder to only post part D to the blog, as we continue to try and make the blog more manageable for participants to read and respond to each other - Thanks!

A. Self Assessment of Current Beliefs and Practices: This component asks you to reflect on how and why you currently use the instructional strategy of Cooperative Learning in your classroom. The intent of this is to activate your prior knowledge of your strategy use so that you can make comparisons as you read the chapter. Below are the questions to help you complete your self-assessment. After completing your self assessment please post a thought or two as a comment (click on comment link below) to this posting labeled Week Seven: Cooperative Learning.

• What is your purpose for using cooperative learning in your classroom?
• What kind of cooperative learning activities do you use with your students?
• Think of a time when you used cooperative learning and was pleased with the results. Why did it work well?
• Think of a time when you used cooperative learning and was not pleased with the results. Why didn’t it work well?

B. Read & Reflect “Research & Theory”: This portion of the assignment asks you to read chapter 7 and reflect briefly on your thinking after reading the “Research and Theory” section for Cooperative Learning After completing your chapter reflection, please post it as a comment (click on comment link below) in the posting labeled Week Seven: Cooperative Learning.

C. Practice: Choose one of the specific “classroom practice” strategies or techniques shared in this chapter to try out with your students (If you are not currently teaching, you may share how you would use this strategy in your classroom.)


D. Final Strategy Reflection: Use the following sequence of questions/prompts to reflect on what you’ve learned about both the strategies presented in the chapter and what you’ve learned about yourself as both a teacher and a learner. Please post your brief reflection to the posting labeled Week Seven: Cooperative Learning by clicking on the “comment” link below.

How has the information you read in this chapter on Cooperative Learning effected your thinking about teaching and learning? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher and learner? Use the following questions to assist you in writing a brief strategy reflection:

• How might I change how use cooperative learning in my classroom?
• What is something you now understand better about cooperative learning?

Assignment Six: Nonlinguistic Representations - Summer 2013

ALL PARTICIPANTS PLEASE READ THE NOTE BELOW!!!

Although your course packet asks you to post to blog for parts A, B, C, and D…we are asking that you only post part Dto the blog. Thanks!

A. Self Assessment of Current Beliefs and Practices: This component asks you to reflect on how and why you currently use the instructional strategies of Nonlinguistic Representations in your classroom. The intent of this is to activate your prior knowledge of your strategy use so that you can make comparisons as you read the chapter. Below are the questions to help you complete your self-assessment.

• Nonlinguistic representations help us to recall and use information every day. Think of a topic that you understand very well and notice how many images related to this topic you can generate in your head. Now identify a topic with which you are familiar but that you do not understand well. Try to generate images and notice how difficult it is.
• What would be the purpose of representing knowledge in different forms everyday in our classrooms across curriculum areas?

B. Read & Reflect “Research & Theory”: This portion of the assignment asks you to read chapter 6 and reflect briefly on your thinking after reading the “Research and Theory” section for both Nonlinguistic Representations.

C. Practice: Choose one of the specific “classroom practice” strategies or techniques shared in this chapter to teach to your students (If you are not currently teaching, you may reflect on how you would use this strategy in your classroom). You may want to consider the bullets below.

• This chapter explains that nonlinguistic representations are powerful ways to learn and recall information but that many classrooms are very linguistically oriented. Think of classroom experiences that are often effective but that are inherently linguistic (e.g., reading the textbook, engaging in a discussion, listening to an explanation). Suggest several specific ways that these linguistic experiences could be even more effective by guiding students to generate and use nonlinguistic representations, such as graphic organizers, multimedia, and role-plays.
• When do you ask students to represent knowledge using forms other than words?

D. Final Strategy Reflection: Use the following sequence of questions/prompts to reflect on what you’ve learned about both the strategies presented in the chapter and what you’ve learned about yourself as both a teacher and a learner.

How has the information you read in this chapter on Nonlinguistic Representations effected your thinking about teaching and learning? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher and learner? Use the following questions to assist you in writing a brief strategy reflection:

• How might I change how use nonlinguistic representation in my classroom?
• What is something you now understand better about nonlinguistic representations?

Assignment Five: Homework and Practice - Summer 2013

ALL PARTICIPANTS PLEASE READ THE NOTE BELOW!!!

Hi there!  I am posting the next two assignments early as I'll  be heading to the Delaware shores this coming week.  We were told there's internet access, but you never know....:)

Please continue to post your response to section D, as we're continuing to try and make the blog more user-friendly and easier to read. Thanks!

A. Self Assessment of Current Beliefs and Practices: This component asks you to reflect on how and why you currently use the instructional strategies of Homework and Practice in your classroom. The intent of this is to activate your prior knowledge of your strategy use so that you can make comparisons as you read the chapter. Below are the questions to help you complete your self-assessment.

• Think about the kinds of homework you assign to your students and what some of the purposes of those assignments might be.
• Do you have questions about using homework?
• How do you decide which skills students need to practice a great deal and which skills they can just have a basic proficiency in?
• What makes skill practice effective?

B. Read & Reflect “Research & Theory”: This portion of the assignment asks you to read chapter 5 and reflect briefly on your thinking after reading the “Research and Theory” section for both homework and practice. You may want to think about the bulleted thoughts below.

• Reviewing the research on homework emphasizes the importance of commenting on students' homework assignments. What strategies would your recommend to a teacher who wants to assign homework but claims that it is logistically impossible to comment on students' work?
• The research described in this chapter suggests that, especially for older students, homework seems to be positively correlated with student achievement. Even when some parents who are opposed to homework become aware of this research, they express strong negative feelings about homework. What do you think are some of the reasons for these feelings?

C. Practice: Choose one of the specific “classroom practice” strategies or techniques shared in this chapter to teach to your students (If you are not currently teaching, you may reflect on how you would use this strategy in your classroom.)

D. Final Strategy Reflection: Use the following sequence of questions/promps to reflect on what you’ve learned about both the strategies presented in the chapter and what you’ve learned about yourself as both a teacher and a learner. Please post your brief reflection to the posting labeled Week Five: Homework and Practice by clicking on the “comment” link below.

How has the information you read in this chapter on homework and practice effected your thinking about teaching and learning? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher and learner? Use the following questions to assist you in writing a brief strategy reflection:

• How might I change how use both homework and practice in my classroom?
• What is something you now understand better about homework or practice?

Assignment Four: Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition - Summer 2013

ALL PARTICIPANTS PLEASE READ THE NOTE BELOW!!!

Although your course packet asks you to post to blog for parts A, B, C, and D…we are asking that you only post part D to the blog as we’re trying to make the blog more user-friendly and easier to read. Thanks!

A. Self Assessment of Current Beliefs and Practices: This component asks you to reflect on how and why you currently use the instructional strategies of Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition in your classroom. The intent of this is to activate your prior knowledge of your strategy use so that you can make comparisons as you read the chapter. Below are the questions to help you complete your self-assessment.

• This chapter discusses the potential influence of reinforcing students' effort and providing recognition for their accomplishments. Think back to your own personal experiences and try to identify situations in which your learning was positively influenced when someone reinforced your effort or recognized your accomplishments in some significant way. You might also remember situations that would have been improved if someone had reinforced your effort or had given you recognition.

• Now try to remember examples of situations that you positively influenced because you did reinforce students' effort or provide recognition.

• How do you currently reinforce students’ effort in your classroom and what is your purpose?

• What makes reinforcing effective or ineffective?

• Although verbal recognition seems to be most effective, providing concrete tokens (e.g., stickers, candy, toys) can also be effective. What advice would you give to a new teacher about using tokens as rewards?

B. Read & Reflect “Research & Theory”:This portion of the assignment asks you to read chapter 4 and reflect briefly on your thinking after reading the “Research and Theory” section for both reinforcing effort and providing recognition. You may want to consider reflecting on the bulleted comment below.

C. Practice: Choose one of the specific “classroom practice” strategies or techniques shared in this chapter to teach to your students (If you are not currently teaching, you may share how you would use this strategy in your classroom). You may want to consider reflecting on the bulleted comment below.

• This chapter recommends the use of rubrics to help students see the relationship between their effort and their achievement. Try to identify a specific long-term, challenging assignment that might be enhanced by using these rubrics.

D. Final Strategy Reflection: Use the following sequence of questions/promps to reflect on what you’ve learned about both the strategies presented in the chapter and what you’ve learned about yourself as both a teacher and a learner. Please post your brief reflection to the posting labeled Week Four: Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition by clicking on the “comment” link below.

How has the information you read in this chapter on summarizing affected your thinking about teaching and learning? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher and learner? You may use some of the following questions to assist you in writing a brief strategy reflection:

• How might I change how I reinforce students’ effort in my classroom?
• What is something you now understand better about reinforcing effort or providing recognition?
• How might you change how you provide recognition in your classroom?

Assignment Three: Summarizing and Notetaking - Summer 2013

Assignment #3: Complete the 4 part assignment format as you read, reflect, and respond to Chapter 3 – Summarizing and Notetaking

ALL PARTICIPANTS PLEASE READ THE NOTE BELOW!!!Although your course packet asks you to post to blog for parts A, B, C, and D…we are asking that you only post part D to the blog. Based on previous suggestions, we are trying to make the blog more user-friendly and easier for participants to read and respond to each other. Thanks!

A. Self Assessment of Current Beliefs and Practices: This component asks you to reflect on how and why you currently use the instructional strategies of summarizing and notetaking in your classroom. The intent of this is to activate your prior knowledge of your strategy use so that you can make comparisons as you read the chapter. Below are the questions to help you complete your self-assessment. (Complete – but do not post!)
• In what situations is it important for my students to summarize?
• What does summarizing help my students do?
• What do I do to help students understand and use the process of summarizing?
• What questions do I have about using summarizing in my classroom?

B. Read & Reflect “Research & Theory”: This portion of the assignment asks you to read chapter 3 and reflect briefly on your thinking after reading the “Research and Theory” section for summarizing and notetaking. (Complete – but do not post!)

C. Practice: Choose one of the specific “classroom practice” strategies or techniques shared in this chapter to teach to your students (If you are not currently teaching, reflect on how you would use this strategy in your classroom.) 

D. Final Strategy Reflection: Use the following sequence of questions/prompts to reflect on what you've learned about both the strategies presented in the chapter and what you've learned about yourself as both a teacher and a learner. Please post your brief reflection to the posting labeled Week Three: Summarizing and Notetaking by clicking on the “comment” link below.

How has the information you read in this chapter on summarizing affected your thinking about teaching and learning? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher and learner? Use the following questions to assist you in writing a brief strategy reflection:
• How has reading this information affirmed some of what you already knew about summarizing?
• What is something you now understand better about summarizing?
• How might you change how you use summarizing in your classroom?

Assignment Two: Identifying Similarities and Differences - Summer 2013

Assignment #2: Complete the 4 part assignment format as you read, reflect, and respond to Chapter 2 – Identifying Similarities and Differences.

Although your course packet asks you to post to blog for parts A, B, C, and D…we are asking that you only post part D to the blog. We are trying to make the blog more user-friendly and easier to read...Please remember to keep your responses brief so that all participants will read your thoughts! Thanks!

A. Guiding Questions for Self Assessment of Current Beliefs and Practices: This component asks you to reflect on how and why you currently use the instructional strategies of identifying similarities in your classroom. The intent of this is to activate your prior knowledge of your strategy use so that you can make comparisons as you read the chapter. Below are the questions to help you complete your self-assessment. (Complete – but do not post!)

• What is the purpose of asking students to compare?
• What kinds of activities do I use to help students compare?
• I can think of a time that I asked students to compare, and I was pleased with the results. Why did it go well?
• I can think of a time that I asked students to compare, and I was not pleased with the results. Why did it not go well?
• What questions do I have about using comparing in my classroom?

B. Read & Reflect “Research & Theory”: This portion of the assignment asks you to read chapter 2 and reflect briefly on your thinking after reading the “Research and Theory” section for identifying similarities and differences. (Complete – but do not post!)

C. Practice: Choose one of the specific “classroom practice” strategies or techniques shared in this chapter to teach to your students (If you are not currently teaching, you may share how you would use this strategy in your classroom).

D. Final Strategy Reflection: Use the following sequence of questions/prompts to reflect on what you’ve learned about both the strategies presented in the chapter and what you’ve learned about yourself as both a teacher and a learner. Please post your brief reflection to the posting labeled Week Two: Identifying Similarities and Difference by clicking on the “comment” link below.

How has the information you read in this chapter on comparing affected your thinking about teaching and learning? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher and learner?

Use the following questions to assist you in writing a brief strategy reflection:

• How has reading this information affirmed some of what you already knew about comparing?
• What is something you now understand better about comparing?
• How might you change how you use comparing in your classroom?

Assignment One: Introduction

Hi and welcome to our course! 

Please remember that one of the benefits of a blogging course is to have communication between participants. Remember to read and respond to other participants' comments each week. ***  Please keep your responses to the assignments brief so that everyone is willing to read and respond to each others' comments.  It is always a better learning environment when participants are more interactive!!! :)

Also, you may want to type your comments in a Word Document and either copy from Word and paste onto the blog or save it in a folder on your computer and then post it to the blog. I have written a couple of lengthy comments that I lost before I was able to post it to the blog. This extra step may save you some frustration later on this term.

Last of all, we will write our comments to your posts on the blog, so you will need to check back to the corresponding week for feedback (and to make additional comments if you wish.)

Let us know if you have any questions. You can email us, but please put the words "Question for Classroom Instruction" in the subject line so that we can respond in a timely fashion.


Assignment #1: Introductory paragraph. Please post your introduction to the course blog in the blog archive under the posting: Week One: Introduction.

 Please tell us a little about yourself. Where do you teach? What grade and how long have you been teaching? How many students are in your class and do you have instructional support? What does your current literacy program look like? (If you aren’t currently teaching let us know what your educational background and experiences are.) What is your knowledge/training in the area of literacy? Does your district provide literacy training? If so, what exactly have they offered? Also, let us know a little about you outside the classroom: Interests/Hobbies/Family Life.

Also please read: Classroom Instruction that Works - Chapter 1 – Applying the Research on Instruction: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

Sign in to the blog (follow directions below)
o Click on the comment link below. If you do not have a Google account you will need to create a free one. Underneath the “leave your comment” box – click where it says “no Google account? Sign up here.” Then follow the direction to create an account.
o After you create your account you can just type in your user name and password from when you created the account and then click the button “publish your comment” and it will be posted. You should post Assignment # 1 explained below as your first comment.

(Please Note: In addition to posting your first assignment (Introduction) to the blog, please email it to us. This is to enable us to contact you individually should the need occur. Please also make sure that you label your assignment with your name when posting to the blog to ensure that you receive proper credit for your work.)

WELCOME NEW STUDENTS! Summer 2013

Hello and Welcome to our Course.

The official start to the term is June 24th. We will be updating the blog with this term's Posts on this date. You are free to work ahead on the assignments and save them on your computer.

WE WILL STILL BE USING THE FIRST EDITION OF THE TEXT THIS TERM. If you already have the second edition we will work with you to adjust the assignments if needed. Just let us know.

One of the benefits of the blog format for online courses is the discourse between students. We post only one or two assignments at a time in order to foster communication between the course participants. Please keep your responses to the one allotted blog post in order to make the blog easier to read and more likely that other students will read and respond to your comments.
 

If you do work ahead you will need to post your reflection on the blog when the corresponding assignment is posted.
 

If you have a question please email us and put "Question" or "REPLY NEEDED" in the subject line so we can get back to you in a timely fashion. We frequently scan our inbox for questions but wait to reply to assignments for when we have a good chunk of time. If there is no notation in the subject line of the email, we assume it is just an assignment.
 

You can expect us to reply to your reflection in about a week from when you submit it-- though at times it may be longer. Again, if you have any concerns or questions email us and note in the subject line that a reply is needed or that you need "Help."
 

A couple of notes:
 

We suggest you save your work in a word processing document before posting to the blog. There have been times where something happens and a post may disappear. (Having this saved, makes it easier to repost.)
 

Some students have experienced problems posting using Firefox. There are work-arounds, but the easiest is just to use a different browser.
 

Summer Term starts 6/24
 

All work due 8/20
 

Grades available online 9/5
 

We look forward to learning and working with you this term. :D

Mary and Jackie