Note: It is not my intention to make your life difficult, in fact it's the opposite, I am here to support you and your learning. Because each instructor has different expectations, it is important that we clarify a few things. Please read this section at least once and refer to it at any point during the course! Feel free to reach out to me with any questions.

Class Policies

• Let's discuss and edit/add any policies we want. What would you like to be included? Let me know!!

Participation Policy

As an educator who cares about your learning and success, I would love to see you participating in our course multiple times a week and submitting all assignments on time, but as a human being and former student myself, I know that this isn’t always possible. If you miss an assignment or discussion in Discord, you are likely missing important information and practice that is meant to prepare you for the assessments, your future courses, and your career.

Participation is crucial in this course. Every week will be packed with information and activities. If you will not be able to participate or be in contact with your team for more than 3 days, please reach out to me right away so we can try to make a plan.

Here are the brief "rules" we'll follow to guide participation in online classes:

• Be ready to participate and work together - to both offer up your own voice and listen carefully to other voices.

• Plan to spend about ~7 hours each week on absorbing the content, taking notes, completing activities, hands-on lab assignments, and discussions/collaborations with your classmates in Discord.

• Students tend to be most successful when they check-in and interact with the material in Canvas at least 2-3 times per week.

• If you have any questions or concerns at any time, reach out. You are not alone in this!

Professionalism

As adults in college, preparing for a career, you are expected to act with professionalism in this course.

Interacting with your Instructor

• 3 B4 Me (see below for details)

• Emailing/Messaging your professor (polite attitude, complete thoughts and as much detail as possible when asking for help, using communication methods mentioned on the first page of the Syllabus)

• Using appropriate spelling and grammar in all assignments and communication

• Asking for help with plenty of time to receive a response (not waiting until the last second)

• Displaying respect for your instructor

In class, lab, and online

• Positive and helpful attitude

• Displaying respect towards Lab Assistants

• Staying on topic in Discord channels

• Asking questions at appropriate times so as to benefit the class

Interacting with other students

• Teamwork and collaboration

• Displaying respect for your classmates

• Positive and kind attitude when working with classmates

• Using conflict resolutions skills when appropriate

3 B4 Me

At work, you don’t go to your boss with every single little problem you encounter. You are expected to try to solve it on your own first. Then, if you are still having trouble, you go to your boss and explain the problem as well as what you have done to try and fix it. We are going to apply this principle to our class as well. Students should attempt to solve problems in at least 3 ways and use 3 resources before asking their instructor. Be sure to tell me how you tried to solve the problem when you ask for help.

Resources you might consider:

• Syllabus / Handouts

• Textbook

• Classmates in Discord

• Computer Lab

• Library

• Sierra College Website

• Google / YouTube

• Extra resources listed in Modules

Online Etiquette - Let's Be Collegial, Ok?

Often referred to as "netiquette," here is a gentle reminder of the interaction practices and rules we'll follow in all our interactions in this course.

If you ever feel that someone is not following these rules, please send me an email and describe your concerns.

View a text-only version of The Core Rules of Netiquette in a new window.