How This Class Works

You will not be logging in for a lecture at a fixed hour. Instead, Canvas gives us a weekly path: readings or media, a few focused activities, discussion with classmates, writing practice, and progress on the current project. Due dates keep our community moving together, but you decide how to arrange the work across your week.

A few things to know up front

• This is a 16-week course. Plan on regular work throughout the week, not one last-minute visit to Canvas.

• No live meetings are required. Everything necessary for the class is available asynchronously in Canvas.

• Plan for about 9.75 hours a week: 3.25 hours of online course work and about 6.5 hours of homework. That time may happen in short sessions across your week; it is still real college work, and I want you to have the honest number from the start.

• The work is built in pieces. You will not be asked to produce a polished essay out of nowhere. We build through observation, reading, annotation, discussion, research, drafting, feedback, and revision.

• Your experience matters, but it is not the whole evidence base. We will start with what we have seen and lived, then test it against research, other perspectives, and the limits of what any one source can tell us.

• You can get help early. A question, a half-formed idea, or “I’m behind” is enough reason to reach out.

Your weekly rhythm

• A short instructor welcome that explains the week’s judgment move and why it matters

• Reading, viewing, or listening that gives us something real to think with

• An annotation or short written response that makes your thinking visible

• A discussion or exchange of ideas with classmates

• Writing and research work for the current project

• A brief reflection on what changed, what remains uncertain, or what you need next

Dates worth saving

• Monday, August 17 — first day of class

• Wednesday, August 26 — last day to drop with a refund

• Monday, September 7 — last day to add; last day to drop without a W

• Tuesday, September 8 — census date

• Tuesday, November 3 — last day to drop with a W

• Thursday, December 3 — last day of class

I share these because knowing your options protects you. If you are thinking about adding, dropping, or need help figuring out what is realistic, contact me before a deadline closes.

Getting into Canvas

Through the portal: https://my.vcccd.edu/

Directly: https://vcccd.instructure.com/

Canvas is planned to open early so you can look around before the first week. Read the official syllabus, find the first module, and make sure you know how to contact me. That small bit of preparation makes the opening week much easier.