I'm always looking for ways to improve this space and the class in general. One thing I've done is add a list of links to each of your blogs; you'll notice a "Class Members" module in the sidebar to the right. Those are the blogs for which I have links. I recommend you use them or the Class Community page to read what your classmates are posting; reading what they're doing in response to assignments may be extremely helpful.
I've mentioned this previously, but it bears repeating . . . If you take a look in the sidebar of this blog -- to the right >> somewhere over there >> --
you'll see "Technology News & Bits." These are technology related articles I'm reading that you may find of interest or that are directly relevant to some of the things we're talking about or exploring in class. Very recently, I've added several articles of particular interest to that feed:
Week 7 Plan
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We have four modules on the Course Assignments page for Week 7. This week, we'll start working with MS Powerpoint, and we'll continue the System Software series of projects by selecting spyware/malware, pop-up blocker and web filtering software for installation on your computer.
Assignments this week that will be included in your grade (with category and due dates noted):
- System Software: Spyware & Malware
- System Software: Popup Blocker & Web Filter
- Powerpoint Chapter 16
- Powerpoint Chapter 17
Assignments this week that will be included in your grade (with category and due dates noted):
- Daily. Blog post on "Spyware/Malware." Due no later than March 7 @ 11:59pm.
- Daily. Blog posts on "Pop-Up Blocker" and "Web Filter." Due no later than March 7 @ 11:59pm.
- Daily. Powerpoint Project 16A. Due no later than March 7 @ 11:59pm.
- Daily. Powerpoint Project 16B. Due no later than March 7 @ 11:59pm.
- Daily. Powerpoint Project 17A. Due no later than March 7 @ 11:59pm.
- Daily. Powerpoint Project 17B. Due no later than March 7 @ 11:59pm
Grading Notes, Weeks 4 & 5
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I've gone through most of the work from Weeks 4 and 5, and grades are available in the Angel System.
Grades from the MyITLab MS Word projects 7A, 7B, and 8A have all been transferred, and the Word MyITLab project grade has been calculated and entered into Angel as well. In addition, I've also read all and commented on most of your blog posts regarding Searching the Internet Effectively, Wikipedia, and All the News that's Fit to Print. Those grades are also available in Angel.
The only work I've not gotten to yet is the Internet Sources blog post (evaluating websites). I hope to get to that sometime soon. Plus, I will hopefully soon start going through the Word Resumes which have been submitted.
Grades from the MyITLab MS Word projects 7A, 7B, and 8A have all been transferred, and the Word MyITLab project grade has been calculated and entered into Angel as well. In addition, I've also read all and commented on most of your blog posts regarding Searching the Internet Effectively, Wikipedia, and All the News that's Fit to Print. Those grades are also available in Angel.
The only work I've not gotten to yet is the Internet Sources blog post (evaluating websites). I hope to get to that sometime soon. Plus, I will hopefully soon start going through the Word Resumes which have been submitted.
Week 6 Plan
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Sunday, February 21, 2010
We have five modules on the Course Assignments page for Week 6; that's more than we typically have, but it's not any more work than what you should already be used to. In fact, the first module listed doesn't have any required work but is important, and one is simply a link back to the MS Word module from last week since you should be finishing up your resume this week. The others include two blog posts and two MyITLab assignments.
Assignments this week that will be included in your grade (with category and due dates noted):
- Open Source vs Proprietary Software
- System Software: Operating System
- System Software: Virus Protection
- Word: Personal Resume (finish)
- Powerpoint Chapter 15
Assignments this week that will be included in your grade (with category and due dates noted):
- Project. Word Personal Resume. Due no later than February 28 @ 11:59pm. This is the second of two weeks to work on this.
- Daily. Blog post on "My Operating System." Due no later than February 28 @ 11:59pm.
- Daily. Blog post on "My Virus Protection." Due no later than February 28 @ 11:59pm.
- Daily. Powerpoint Project 15A. Due no later than February 28 @ 11:59pm.
- Daily. Powerpoint Project 15B. Due no later than February 28 @ 11:59pm.
Technology News & Bits
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Sunday, February 14, 2010
If you take a look in the sidebar of this blog -- to the right >> over there >> --
you'll see "Technology News & Bits." These are technology related articles I'm reading that you may find of interest or that are directly relevant to some of the things we're talking about or exploring in class. I was able to successfully add the RSS feed to this blog. You may want to try adding it to your blog again, going back to the Website module from week 1. The address/URL for the feed is:
http://www.google.com/reader/public/atom/user%2F13313276495702348316%2Flabel%2Fshared_cfclass
You can see a webpage of the published feed also.
Let me know if you find success with adding it to your blog. Remember, keep working on your blog; try to "perfect it" throughout the semester. Get it to look the way you want. Work out the kinks to get the items, links, and feeds to appear where they're supposed to. If you need help, let me know.
you'll see "Technology News & Bits." These are technology related articles I'm reading that you may find of interest or that are directly relevant to some of the things we're talking about or exploring in class. I was able to successfully add the RSS feed to this blog. You may want to try adding it to your blog again, going back to the Website module from week 1. The address/URL for the feed is:
http://www.google.com/reader/public/atom/user%2F13313276495702348316%2Flabel%2Fshared_cfclass
You can see a webpage of the published feed also.
Let me know if you find success with adding it to your blog. Remember, keep working on your blog; try to "perfect it" throughout the semester. Get it to look the way you want. Work out the kinks to get the items, links, and feeds to appear where they're supposed to. If you need help, let me know.
Week 5 Plan
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Saturday, February 13, 2010
We have two modules on the Course Assignments page for Week 5; that's less than we typically have, but you will want and need to spend just as much time on these two modules as the others in previous weeks. Both are generally important, and one could have significant personal implications.
I do want to continue emphasizing the importance of posting responses and assignments in the correct space(s). The Evaluating Internet Information module asks you to respond to questions with several posts to your personal learning space or blog (the website you created during Week 1 in the Web Page module). If you need a little help on how to add a new post to your blog, this video and this help file may be useful.
Assignments this week that will be included in your grade (with category and due dates noted):
I do want to continue emphasizing the importance of posting responses and assignments in the correct space(s). The Evaluating Internet Information module asks you to respond to questions with several posts to your personal learning space or blog (the website you created during Week 1 in the Web Page module). If you need a little help on how to add a new post to your blog, this video and this help file may be useful.
Assignments this week that will be included in your grade (with category and due dates noted):
- Daily. Blog post on Wikipedia (parts 1 & 2). Due no later than February 21 @ 11:59pm.
- Daily. Blog post on All the news that's fit to print. Due no later than February 21 @ 11:59pm.
- Project. Blog post on Internet Sources: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. Due no later than February 21 @ 11:59pm.
- Project. Word Personal Resume. Due no later than February 28 @ 11:59pm. You have two weeks, so I expect very high quality work.
Grading Notes, Week 3
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I mentioned this last couple of weeks but am including it here again. With the schedule that we have - Monday through Sunday midnight - I'm realizing I likely won't get an opportunity to get work graded untijl later in the week, and most often, that may often be the weekend *after* assignments were due. So, with Week 3 assignments having been due last Sunday night, I got to those assignments this weekend.
I've transferred the grades for your work on Word 6A and 6B from MyITLab to Angel, which has your official course grades. I've also checked for the blog postings on Personal Computer Use Profile and Information Security Awareness. Those grades are all posted in the Angel System.
Important Note! You need to take time to read the assignment information - follow the links and read the pages - to be sure you are completing assignments and posting information where you're supposed to. If you're confused about how to follow things in this class, be sure to read the Workflow blogpost I posted this past week (Feb 2). The key is to READ ALL OF THE SCREEN. The vast majority of questions I get and the vast majority of confusion results from not reading the information that's posted. The information you need to be successful in this class is there; you only have to follow the path laid out for you to earn a grade with which you're happy.
I've transferred the grades for your work on Word 6A and 6B from MyITLab to Angel, which has your official course grades. I've also checked for the blog postings on Personal Computer Use Profile and Information Security Awareness. Those grades are all posted in the Angel System.
Important Note! You need to take time to read the assignment information - follow the links and read the pages - to be sure you are completing assignments and posting information where you're supposed to. If you're confused about how to follow things in this class, be sure to read the Workflow blogpost I posted this past week (Feb 2). The key is to READ ALL OF THE SCREEN. The vast majority of questions I get and the vast majority of confusion results from not reading the information that's posted. The information you need to be successful in this class is there; you only have to follow the path laid out for you to earn a grade with which you're happy.
Catching Up & Actual Learning
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Getting Caught Up!
If you are behind, catch up. Now's the time to do that. If you've received 0's for grades, that's not an absolute final grade. I am reasonably lenient as long as it doesn't increase my workload or bend the integrity of the class as I see it. I'm interested in you completing this class. If you need help, YOU HAVE TO ASK! I don't know you're having difficulties if you don't ask; it's not like a classroom where I can read the confusion or frustration from your face or body language. PLUS, if you don't say anything, you prevent me from helping you; if we were in class, I could corner you and help you if I thought you needed the help. In an online class, you can lurk and hide all semester, and I'll never know you there. Sound off if you need help or have frustrations.
It's What You Make It!
In many online classes, the class and what you learn from will be what you make of it; much of the responsibility to take advantage of the opportunity to learn is yours. Because you're not in a classroom with a faculty member managing the workflow, the instructor has much less influence over how you interact with your classmates, learning resources etc. I encourage you to make something of it.
For example, the goal for the Information Security Awareness module was to make you more cognizant of issues related to your computing safety and privacy. It's not possible for me to observe and give you a grade for doing certain things that are valuable: modifying your password to be more secure, installing virus protection on your computer etc. HOWEVER, if you want to get something out of this class and actually improve your computing skills, I strongly encourage you to follow up on the information security awareness blog post you wrote (or were supposed to have written ;-). If you said you're not certain whether you have virus protection on your computer, explore the links to AVG I provided and figure out how to install it on your machine. If you learned your password is weak, take time to modify your password you use for Facebook or other important site - make it a strong password. If you don't know how secure or private your profiles on social networking sites are, take the time to learn how to make them as secure and as private as you need or want them.
Much of the true learning in this class is up to you. And, I *know* this information is useful beyond the purpose and function of this class as a class for which you need credit.
If you are behind, catch up. Now's the time to do that. If you've received 0's for grades, that's not an absolute final grade. I am reasonably lenient as long as it doesn't increase my workload or bend the integrity of the class as I see it. I'm interested in you completing this class. If you need help, YOU HAVE TO ASK! I don't know you're having difficulties if you don't ask; it's not like a classroom where I can read the confusion or frustration from your face or body language. PLUS, if you don't say anything, you prevent me from helping you; if we were in class, I could corner you and help you if I thought you needed the help. In an online class, you can lurk and hide all semester, and I'll never know you there. Sound off if you need help or have frustrations.
It's What You Make It!
In many online classes, the class and what you learn from will be what you make of it; much of the responsibility to take advantage of the opportunity to learn is yours. Because you're not in a classroom with a faculty member managing the workflow, the instructor has much less influence over how you interact with your classmates, learning resources etc. I encourage you to make something of it.
For example, the goal for the Information Security Awareness module was to make you more cognizant of issues related to your computing safety and privacy. It's not possible for me to observe and give you a grade for doing certain things that are valuable: modifying your password to be more secure, installing virus protection on your computer etc. HOWEVER, if you want to get something out of this class and actually improve your computing skills, I strongly encourage you to follow up on the information security awareness blog post you wrote (or were supposed to have written ;-). If you said you're not certain whether you have virus protection on your computer, explore the links to AVG I provided and figure out how to install it on your machine. If you learned your password is weak, take time to modify your password you use for Facebook or other important site - make it a strong password. If you don't know how secure or private your profiles on social networking sites are, take the time to learn how to make them as secure and as private as you need or want them.
Much of the true learning in this class is up to you. And, I *know* this information is useful beyond the purpose and function of this class as a class for which you need credit.
Grading Notes, Week 2
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Sunday, February 7, 2010
I mentioned this last week but want to include it here again. With the schedule that we have - Monday through Sunday - I'm realizing I likely won't get most grading done until the Friday-Sunday after assignments were due the previous Sunday. We have the week ending Sunday at midnight, so I probably won't start grading things until I have the time later that week, which will often be the weekend. So, with Week 2 assignments having been due last Sunday night, I got to those assignments this weekend.
I've graded transferred the grades for your work on Word 5A and 5B from MyITLab to Angel, which has your official course grades. I've also checked for the blog postings on Computer Literacy and the discussion postings on the technology videos. Those grades are all posted in the Angel System.
Important Note! You need to take time to read the assignment information - follow the links and read the pages - to be sure you are completing assignments and posting information where you're supposed to. If you're confused about how to follow things in this class, be sure to read the Workflow blogpost I posted this past week (Feb 2). The key is to READ ALL OF THE SCREEN. The vast majority of questions I get and the vast majority of confusion results from not reading the information that's posted. The information you need to be successful in this class is there; you only have to follow the path laid out for you to earn a grade with which you're happy.
I've graded transferred the grades for your work on Word 5A and 5B from MyITLab to Angel, which has your official course grades. I've also checked for the blog postings on Computer Literacy and the discussion postings on the technology videos. Those grades are all posted in the Angel System.
Important Note! You need to take time to read the assignment information - follow the links and read the pages - to be sure you are completing assignments and posting information where you're supposed to. If you're confused about how to follow things in this class, be sure to read the Workflow blogpost I posted this past week (Feb 2). The key is to READ ALL OF THE SCREEN. The vast majority of questions I get and the vast majority of confusion results from not reading the information that's posted. The information you need to be successful in this class is there; you only have to follow the path laid out for you to earn a grade with which you're happy.
Week 4 Plan
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Friday, February 5, 2010
Getting this posted a little early . . .
We have three modules on the Course Assignments page for Week 4.
There are not any time sensitive assignments this week. HOWEVER, I do want to again emphasize the importance of posting these in the correct space. The Searching the Internet Effectively module asks you to respond to questions with a post to your PLE (personal webspace you created in Week 1 in the Web Page module). If you need a little help on how to add a new post to your blog, this video and this help file may be useful.
Again, I mention posting an example of the Searching the Internet Effectively blog entry. I have those available on the sample blog as the latest post (here). You can use that as a guide, but your answers are unique and specific to you.
Assignments this week that will be included in your grade (with category and due dates noted):
We have three modules on the Course Assignments page for Week 4.
There are not any time sensitive assignments this week. HOWEVER, I do want to again emphasize the importance of posting these in the correct space. The Searching the Internet Effectively module asks you to respond to questions with a post to your PLE (personal webspace you created in Week 1 in the Web Page module). If you need a little help on how to add a new post to your blog, this video and this help file may be useful.
Again, I mention posting an example of the Searching the Internet Effectively blog entry. I have those available on the sample blog as the latest post (here). You can use that as a guide, but your answers are unique and specific to you.
Assignments this week that will be included in your grade (with category and due dates noted):
- Daily. Blog post on Searching the Internet Effectively. Due no later than February 14 @ 11:59pm.
- Daily. Technology in Action Chapter 3 Quiz.
- Daily. Word Project 7A. Due no later than February 14 @ 11:59pm.
- Daily. Word Project 7B. Due no later than February 14 @ 11:59pm.
- Daily. Word Project 8A. Due no later than February 14 @ 11:59pm.
- Project. You will have a single project grade for MS Word that is the combination of all the MyITLab assignments you complete. Word Project 7A, 7B and 8A are the fifth, sixth and seventh assignments within that grade.
Workflow for this Class . . .
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Tuesday, February 2, 2010
All of this is described, in more detail, in the Technology Orientation module from Week 1, but I've received enough questions about this that I want to list it, in summary, here. If the summary is confusing, go back to the Technology Orientation and read the full descriptions.
This is what I recommend you do to keep up with assignments, announcements etc in this class . . .
Read http://cmduke1401.blogspot.com/ (this page; aka Course Home or Course Blog) once a day, or at the very least, 4+ times a week. Be sure you've read every post I've made here. You'll see weekly work plans, with assignments listed; daily notes, and notes about graded assignments.
Check http://www.twitter.com/cyfair1401dl once a day, even if you're not going to the main course blog every day; the announcements will be worth checking once a day. Personally, I'd create a twitter account so I could have any posts to this announcements feed hit my cell phone via text message.
Those two pages will tell you when to visit the other pages and use the other tools we have for the course; the key is to make sure you're reading the assignments and other information closely. They will tell you what to do, what to read, and which tools to use.
This is what I recommend you do to keep up with assignments, announcements etc in this class . . .
Read http://cmduke1401.blogspot.com/ (this page; aka Course Home or Course Blog) once a day, or at the very least, 4+ times a week. Be sure you've read every post I've made here. You'll see weekly work plans, with assignments listed; daily notes, and notes about graded assignments.
Check http://www.twitter.com/cyfair1401dl once a day, even if you're not going to the main course blog every day; the announcements will be worth checking once a day. Personally, I'd create a twitter account so I could have any posts to this announcements feed hit my cell phone via text message.
Those two pages will tell you when to visit the other pages and use the other tools we have for the course; the key is to make sure you're reading the assignments and other information closely. They will tell you what to do, what to read, and which tools to use.
- Your personal blog space from the Website & Personal Learning Environment project in Week 1.
- Group discussions via Google Groups : http://groups.google.com/group/cyfair1401-spring10
- the Angel System : http://myonline.lonestar.edu
- the class community page at NetVibes : http://www.netvibes.com/cmduke#Class_People
- MyITLab which is described in more detail in the Getting Started with MyITLab module in Week 2.
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