As you enter this course, you are embarking on a new educational journey. As with anything new, you may be entering this course with a variety of expectations, excitement, and even fears.

As you start this journey, know that you are not alone. We are here to work through the semester together. Think of me as your ally and guide. Additionally, as the semester progresses, we will form a learning community in which, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with and support your peers. Success in this course depends on our ability to work as a team and support one another. This is particularly important in our current remote learning environment.

You all have the potential to be successful if you are prepared to fully participate in our developing learning community

Find Some Key Tips for Community Success Here

We're here to support one another, and I am absolutely available to support and guide you through the course. At the same time, Family, friends, and self-care are important for everyone's success in the classroom, as such we want to be respectful of these important aspects of our lives. While I encourage you to reach out to me (your instructor) and your peers, it's important that we all respect each other's time outside of class. Here are a few tips to help you with communication:

1. Allow 24 hours response for emails for all members of our community on weekdays.

2. Be conscious of weekends! While some weekends may be spent working/studying others are spent on non-school obligations. You will likely not receive a response until Monday.

3. I am here to help with your papers! Take advantage of Zoom conference days for immediate feedback and discussion on drafts. When emailing drafts, make sure to indicate what you would like feedback on and concerns that you have. Avoid emailing just for a "look over."

4. I also encourage you to take advantage of the peer feedback and response activities and peer communication. We are all here to help one another.

   1. 1. You can use the canvas messenger to reach out to peers

Because our course is rooted in community, active and meaningful engagement, and growth, our grading system will work differently than what you will be used to. We will be reviewing the grading system in detail over our first week, and it's crucial that you carefully review and fully understand our system. This will help ensure that you reach your goals for the course. Never hesitate to ask me questions!

Grade Goals Overview

You can find a tentative outline of our assignment due dates here.

Our Canvas course has been designed with your success in mind, and there are a few important tips in ensuring you get the most out of our Canvas course.

• Avoid following the Canvas "To Do"

• Follow assignment due dates and tasks in modules or on our homepage. Assignments are listed in an intentional order for your success and their are many important pages and resources available to support you.

• The homepage will be updated prior to each week with an overview of our content and a clear outline of assignments

• Each week's activities will be posted at the end of the prior week (Thursday)

• Make sure to visit Canvas on Thursday's to review the coming week's assignments, so you can gauge the required time commitment and get started early.

• I encourage you to break down tasks. You do not need to complete every single item or read an entire article in one sitting. If you plan ahead, you can complete the tasks in pieces.

  • This is particularly true for your writing assignments.

• The small activities are important, as they help you break down the larger writing tasks and provide you opportunities for feedback to help you be more successful in the major assignments. Get these in on time to ensure timely and effective feedback.

The first week can always feel a bit overwhelming but know that I'm here to support you, as we all find our footing. Below are a few key steps in getting started.

• Make sure to review our video on navigating the course as well as the tips above

• Get logged into and familiar with Canvas as soon as possible

• Set up your Canvas notifications, so you are receiving all messages and announcements where you will see them immediately

• Read through our homepage and get familiar with the set up. Using our homepage will be the key to your success in the class.

• Thoroughly read our grading policies and watch the video. It's crucial that you understand our grading approach, so you can succeed in the class!

• Ask questions. I am here to help.

• Reach out for support for the online tools. There can be a bit of a learning curve on some of our online tools. Don't spend hours trying to figure something out. If it's not making sense reach out to me or online support to help you. Don't freak out if this means something might be a little late. We'll get it figured out and you can get your work in!