Click on the audio link below to hear my voice. I'm human.  You might understand me better if you can hear my emphasis and tone.
Hi -- this is Marianne Boretz, your teacher. A few words about the class: Interactivity: Online classes differ from each other in the amount of interactivity. I don't think most people learn very much from reading texts without discussing them. If you try to write what you think, and read what others have to say, those acts help to clarify your thoughts and intensify your understanding. In this way you increase your powers of analysis -- you become a better reader, writer, and thinker. My Online Philosophy: So that's why my online classes are as interactive as I can make them. What this means is that if you’re the kind of student who likes to sleep in the back row, skip classes a lot, do minimal work, and somehow hope to pull a C at the end of the semester, this class may not be for you. But if you are genuinely interested in learning, discussing, reading, and writing, then you'll do fine. I'm easy to work with (I think), enthusiastic about the material we'll cover, and I want to do what I can to make this a good class. Communication: If there’s anything you don’t understand, if something puzzles you, if a link doesn’t work, let me know! You can email me, use the personal message system, or the Online Office (See Discussion). I’ll usually respond within 24 hours. Asynchronicity: There is no set time when we are all together online. But you should try to check in often to see what's going on in Discussion, to see if you have a private message or if there’s a new announcement. Flexibility: It doesn't matter what time you log on! You may do your work at 3AM if that’s what you like. Deadlines: But there are deadlines and you should meet them. You need to be organized and motivated enough to be on time with your assignments. You must schedule time to do your work regularly so that you do not fall behind. Though I can cut you some slack if you need it, falling behind has a snowball effect -- it gets worse with each succeeding day and usually ends up in disappointment on my part and yours. Reading: Much of our reading is available on the Internet. Often the selections are short, so don’t feel overwhelmed by the size of the list for each week. Discussion: We also have class discussions. This discussion is written and not spoken. I've included more information on what I expect from discussion in the Syllabus to your left. Next step: On your left is a button that leads to the (revised) Course Syllabus. Click on it to see course requirements and schedule. |