Welcome to Anne Marenco's Class

·   This is a short-term fully online course.

·   This class does not meet in Zoom. Your learning will be conducted asynchronously (which means "not live") in Canvas.

·   There is no required textbook. All your required readings will be included in our course modules in Canvas.

·   You will learn in a community with your peers. This is not a self-paced course. You will interact with your peers throughout each of our weekly modules.

·   Each module contains one or more of the following: readings, videos, quizzes, discussion forums.

I recognize that this is an especially stressful time to be a student. COVID-19, more visible racial injustices, mass shootings, war, inflation, and political climate shifts have added significant stress and trauma to our lives, some more than others. Our lives may feel heavier, and in turn, you are likely coping with a lot more than you might even realize.

These stressors affect your ability to process information and manage your learning--that's a fact! The way you feel informs your ability to learn. Give yourself grace as you try your best. I am committed to being flexible throughout this course to support you towards your academic success. I am your partner on this journey. I will support you, guide you, believe in you, and challenge you. Let's lean in together and do this.

I believe everyone is capable of learning and the differences each person brings into a course enrich the learning of the group. Each person learns at a unique rhythm, which is precisely why I love online classes! Unlike a live classroom, online environments like ours provide you with the luxury of thinking and reflecting before you engage.

·   I will provide you with a clear, organized course that is designed to ensure you meet our course outcomes in a meaningful manner.

·   I will provide a variety of assignments to ensure your learning needs are met.

·   I will be actively present in your learning.

·   I will provide a supportive and safe environment for you to share and discuss ideas with your peers.

·   I will reach out to you when I sense that you need support.

·   I won't be perfect. I am human and will make mistakes at times. I will view mistakes as an opportunity to learn and grow.

·   You will treat me and your peers with dignity and respect.

·   You will strive to be an active participant in this course and meet due dates.

·   You will maintain an open line of communication with me so I understand how to support you.

·   You will contact me if you have a concern.

·   You will strive to regularly contribute to collaborative activities to ensure other members of the community have ample opportunity to read, listen, reflect, and respond to your ideas.

·   You will do your best to have patience with technology. There will be hiccups, expect them. We will get through them together.

·   You will give yourself grace. Expect to make mistakes. You are human and mistakes are part of learning and growing.

·       Short-tern online courses move quickly and getting off to a good start is the best way to prepare yourself for success. Read the syllabus in Canvas thoroughly so that you know what the requirements of the course are. 

·   Poke around in Canvas so that you know how to navigate the course.  You can’t break it so don’t worry about clicking on something you are not sure about.  Learn by exploring.

·   I design my class to ensure that all students can succeed. I believe in you!

·   Make it a goal to log into our course every day or so to work on the content.

·   Always start a new module at the “welcome” or “focus” page indicated by an icon such as 😁 👁️‍🗨️ 👀 🙃

·   Progress through the module using the “next” button at the bottom of the page.

·   Refer frequently to the course calendar found in the downloadable syllabus at the bottom and also in the Syllabus menu item right below where you can download the syllabus.  I suggest students print this so they can keep it handy and cross off things as they complete them.

·   Set a personal goal for yourself to have all your assignments done by 24 hours before they are due. Why? Because life happens and when you wait until the last minute, you're more likely to have problems meeting a due date. I am here to support you when things go awry but procrastination will always be your worst enemy.

·   Communicate with me and the class.

·   Have a little fun along the way.