Online Learning

As this is a web class, it is asynchronous. You do have due dates, but there are no mandatory meeting times. You will have the flexibility to manage your time each week. 

There will always be important class information on the class website. The class will be accessible on Brightspace, Pellissippi's Learning Management System. If you are working on a computer, you should log on to Brightspace through the Pellissippi website. You can also access Brightspace here.

I encourage you to download the Pulse app, which will allow you to access your Brightspace courses from your phone or tablet.  The Pulse app will also notify you when you receive feedback on assignments and remind you of due dates. 

You do not need to buy a book for this class. 

All of your course materials will be provided in Brightspace (either embedded or linked). 

I encourage you to join the class's Slack group, but it is optional. the advantages to Slack are that

1. it works even if Pellissippi's systems crash (which usually happens at least once a semester)

2. it is usually the fastest way to get in touch with me because I use it on my phone

3. it organizes discussions and information by topic

4. it lets you post to the whole class or privately message me (or other people in the class. 

Using Slack is encouraged but optional.

Join our class's Slack here*: https://join.slack.com/t/pstcc-space/shared_invite/zt-2p48e0fy9-cyW3cdsQJD6NTxgAR5OKng 

Please use your Pellissippi email and name to join, so we know who is posting. 

The Slack page is an extension of our classroom, and so the same rules of discourse apply as would apply in a physical classroom. In other words, treat each other, the material, and the instructor with respect. 

*I am teaching two sections of College 1000 this semester. Slack will have a combined group for  these  two sections.

Research shows that you are more likely to successfully complete classes and graduate if you work with your peers. I encourage you to use Slack to connect with classmates. You can also find a study buddy on Navigate. 

Navigate can be used to schedule appointments with your advisors , connect with study groups, get tips for success, and more. It also has a feature where you can virtually raise your hand to indicate that you could use support from the college. 

You can find out more about Navigate here. 

If you have any technology problems, such as being locked out of your Webmail account or having issues with Brightspace, contact Pellissippi's Help Desk. 

You can contact Help Desk at (865)694-6537 or helpdesk@pstcc.edu. They also have a livechat during office hours.

If you need any technology related tools, such as a computer or hotspot, you can both use resources on campus. There are also technology items that you can check out from the library.

If you have an issue with Slack, contact Slack directly. 

Contact me with class specific questions on any platform. 

You may have heard people talk about learning styles before, and you might have even taken a test to determine what type of learner you are. It has widely been proven now that strict learning styles do not exist, as all people can learn in a variety of ways. However, it is also true that different people have different learning preferences, and we bring different strengths and weaknesses with us to our academic work. Within reason, I try to help everyone to learn and succeed by offering instruction and assignments in a variety of ways. For example, in addition to reading written text, this class also involves listening to podcasts, watching videos, looking at images, and other activities. This has been carefully designed to allow you all to learn in ways that are already comfortable to you, while also helping you to better learn in ways that may still be challenging or uncomfortable.  As we will learn when we study neural plasticity, it is possible to train your brain to learn in new ways. 

Zoom is an important part of our virtual learning space, and we will use Zoom for optional meetings. You may also use Zoom (or a similar program) to meet with other college services, such as the advisors (advising@pstcc.edu), counselors (counseling@pstcc.edu), or tutors (865-539-7182). 

Just like you would be expected to respect a physical classroom, you can show respect for our virtual classroom by adhering to these Zoom expectations:

• You are not required to turn on your camera or sound, particularly if it is uncomfortable or unsafe for you to do so.

• When you are not actively speaking, mute yourself. 

• Don't lurk. If you are still in a Zoom meeting, you should be actively engaging with the meeting in some way. Often, using the chat will be an appropriate way to show that you are still present and engaged. 

• If you turn on your video, you should be clothed to the same standards you would be in a physical classroom. I don't care if you show up to a Zoom meeting in a hoodie and fuzzy pajama pants or in your work uniform, but you should be dressed. 

• When you are logged on to Zoom, you are in our virtual classroom, and so you should not be using tobacco products (including vaping). 

• Students on Zoom are expected to be awake, sober, and attentive. 

• If you turn on your video, your background should be academically appropriate. Backgrounds (and attire) may not include any language or imagery that is hateful or disrespectful of any individual or group, or that would otherwise be inappropriate in a classroom (no nudity, violence, hate symbols, etc.). You are welcome to use a virtual background or filter.

• Be respectful of the material and others.

• If you share your screen on Zoom, keep in mind that your entire screen, including all open windows and tabs, will be visible.

Materials in this course are generally protected by United States copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code). Materials are presented in an educational context for personal and educational use and study and should not be shared, distributed, or sold--either in print or digitally-outside the course without permission. 

As a student, your ability to post or link to copyrighted material is also governed by United States Copyright law. The law allows for students to post or link to copyrighted materials within the course environment when the materials are pertinent to course work. It does not allow you to submit anyone else's words, ideas, or information as your own.

Plagiarism is not only an ethical and academic issue, but also a legal one, as plagiarized work may be in violation of copyright law. 

Sharing materials from this course--including posting assignment sheets on student websites--is in violation of copyright law. Copyrighted course materials may not be further disseminated. Click here to learn more about copyright laws and restrictions. 

Zoom sessions and discussions may not be recorded or shared by the student. If a student has an official accommodation plan from disability services allowing them to have recordings of class, the instructor will record the class and share it with them. Recording class with the knowledge or permission of the instructor and all other class members could violate both intellectual copyright and FERPA laws. 

This policy supports the achievement of all student learning outcomes by creating a safe, legal classroom. 

As a student, your personal and educational information is considered confidential under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Here are some of the ways that your information is protected:

• I legally cannot speak with your parents, guardians, or other people outside of the college about you without your written consent. I cannot even confirm your enrollment in the course without your properly documented permission. Someone else paying for some or all of your tuition does not change FERPA and your privacy.

• I will never disclose information about your grade to any other students.

• Because I cannot verify your information over the phone, I will not discuss information about grades over the phone. 

• I can only speak with other faculty and staff at Pellissippi about you if there is a documentable reason to do so, and I will notify you if there is a reason to share your information. For example, if you disclose that you are struggling with anxiety, I may ask your permission to ask one of the counselors to contact you. 

• I will keep our conversations and any information that you share with me confidential, unless you give me permission to share with another faculty/staff member as relevant. For example, if you share that you are interested in creative writing, I may ask your permission to give your name and email address to the creative writing club advisor. 

• There are only a few exceptions to this confidentiality. If you pose an immediate risk to yourself or others, I am legally obligated to report that information. This is for the safety of you and others. Also, if you report sexual abuse, assault, or rape, or if you report the abuse of children, I am legally obligated to report that information to Pellissippi. You will then be given options about how to proceed, such as if you want to speak with one of the counselors.

• I generally will not record any individual meetings with students, review sessions, or class meetings in which any student faces, names, or voices may be identifiable. If there is a reason to record a meeting, I will make it clear and get consent from all participants.

You are legally obligated to help protect the privacy of your peers in the following ways:

• You cannot record or screenshot classes, meetings, etc. unless you have an accommodation plan that allows for recording and has been discussed with the professor or the instructor specifically invites you to screenshot class material on the screen. 

• You should be the only one to attend class meetings, and you must disclose the presence of anyone else in virtual class meetings. 

  • If you are a parent, I understand that you may need to have young children in the same room as you, at times, while you are working. It is your choice whether you want them to be visible or not. 

  • As a general rule, other adults are not allowed to be present for classes, reviews, or meetings with professors. Parents, roommates, and others legally cannot sit in on classes, review sessions, or other group meetings, as that violates the privacy of other students, which is federally protected by FERPA. If you must be in a shared space, you should wear earbuds/headphones, and, if possible, sit so that your screen is not easily visible to others. 

You can learn more about FERPA here.

If you would like more help with the technology, Pellissippi offers focused technology tutoring . You can email tuneup@pstcc.edu to set up an appointment. Tutors can help you navigate Brightspace, use your PSCC Webmail, format papers, format presentations, etc.

You can also get help with things like MLA formatting and saving files in the Academic Tutoring Center, which has locations on every campus. The library is also on every campus and offers formatting support, such as formatting templates.

• Online Course Readiness Quiz (Survey to help you assess your strengths and weaknesses as an online student)

• Navigate (You can use Navigate to notify Pellissippi of any need you have. If you're not sure who to message, use the feature to digitally raise your hand.)

• Tech Tools for Online College Students (Technology tools that might be useful to you this semester)

If you do not have WiFi and/or computer access:

1. Go to the Pellissippi Library, which has devices and hotspots available for student use. (You can check out devices for up to a semester at a time.

2. Work from campus. All of our campuses have open computer labs and wifi.

3. Work from a public library.

4. While working from a computer is preferable, it is possible to complete course work on a smart phone. 

5. Find out if you qualify to receive free emergency WiFi with a free modem and a free $150 computer: internetessentials.com/Apply (not an advertisment and not affiliated with Pellissippi in any way--provided merely as a possible resource).