Requested e-mails from Prof. Bolaski

English 100 1295 Online‏ 6/12/09
Hello all,

An early welcome to English 100 online. I wanted to let you know that I will release the course to you late Sunday evening. I don't release courses early for various reasons, but you will certainly have access to everything you need.

A heads-up: we use Blackboard for very few things in my course. We will be working primarily with a Google website and blog. These sites are relatively easy to use, for those of you who may be taking your first online class.

I usually send updates/messages via email, but I don't use BB's email/messages system at all, so make sure you always use abolaski@miracosta.edu if you want to contact me.

When you access the course, you will find a brief list on the Home page of our site directing you from place to place as you explore the course. I highly encourage you to follow this "path" so as to avoid confusion and to ensure that view the most important components, especially those we will use very quickly.
As always, text information is available at the bookstore. You can go down there, call, or email regarding if you don't yet have the text. You can also purchase both texts cheaply online at Amazon.com. However, if you haven't yet purchased your books, you will need to do ASAP. We use them immediately and often, and you will fall behind quickly without them.

I think that's it for now. I do a few face-to-face office hours over the summer, so you will have a chance to meet with me for some one-on-one help if you want/require that. Have a great weekend, and I'll "see" you on Monday!

Best,
Amy


Access to English 1295 Online‏ 6/15/09
Hi all,

Here is the web address to our course site: http://sites.google.com/site/english100onlinesummer20091295/Home

You can link to everything else you need (mainly, the blog, Blackboard, and the Writing Center) from the left-hand menu of the course site. Always enter the course from this starting point as announcements and updates are always posted here.

The home page is a brief list of "things to do" to get started. Follow this; there's a LOT of information, and you won't "get" it all immediately. I know you will have questions, and I will review things as they come up. I send out a weekly email/letter going over what we're doing and addressing points that come up and post reminders about work so you can make sure you are on track. You need to go through the course carefully, and this will take some time. Most important right now? The syllabus, then the course schedule. I will send out blog invites to you individually tomorrow so you can begin using the blog pretty quickly if you want to do so. Your first assignments are due this Saturday; most all assignments are due on Saturdays. The "week" runs Monday through Saturday, every week. Of course, you can always upload assignments BEFORE Saturday if you want your weekends free.

The course is quite time-intensive, as are all summer sessions. English (and math!) is particularly challenging given the nature of the work. I hope you will stay enrolled and give it a go, but if you decide the class isn't for you, I would appreciate it if you let me know so that your spot can go to someone on the waiting list. That said, don't drop without contacting me first: I may be able to walk you through something or address questions that could result in your feeling positive about staying enrolled.

I generally check emails Monday through Friday, and I am always online at night, so this is when I will return emails. If you send something late on Friday, I will get back to you on Monday.

Lastly, please make sure you read everything, and carefully, before sending me a barrage of questions. Many questions are legitimate; many are the result of not paying attention to what's uploaded and/or reading it carefully. You are responsible for the information in the syllabus, so make sure you are familiar with all policies. If you have questions about technology or about distance education in general, visit this website: http://www.miracosta.edu/Instruction/DistanceEducation/index.cfm
Welcome to the course! I'm excited to get started with you, and I hope you are, too. "See" you in class this week.

Best,
Amy


You have been invited to contribute to This Must be the Place . . .'s blog‏ 6/16/09
The Blogger user This Must be the Place . . . has invited you to contribute to the blog: English 100 Summer 2009 1295.
To contribute to this blog, visit:
http://www.blogger.com/i.g?inviteID=2845166980516095855&blogID=55532811251955527
You'll need to sign in with a Google Account to confirm the invitation and start posting to this blog. If you don't have a Google Account yet, we'll show you how to get one in minutes.

To learn more about Blogger and starting your own free blog visit http://www.blogger.com.


Blog Invites 6/16/09
Hello,

Your blog invites have been sent to the address you have in SURF. I meant to get them to you yesterday, but the blog was down a bit longer than I thought it would be. All you have to do to become an author is accept the invite, and you'll be able to post. You'll see a "new post" signal in the upper-right-hand corner.
If you do not see an invite, then you do not have your correct/most recent email in the system. We need to make sure we're up and running quickly here, so make sure you take care of this quickly if you are in this situation.
Thank you,
Amy


07401295: Welcome to English 100!‏ 6/16/09
If you're enrolled in English 100, 1295, you've made it to the right place. Sort of. This is our BB shell, but you need to spend most of your time on our course website. The address is: http://sites.google.com/site/english100onlinesummer20091295/

A few of you had issues with course availability. I believe I just solved that with a click of a button. :) You should be able to enter now. I have not put up all the assignment submission links, but you don't need to worry about those just yet. They will be in place soon, and it's unlikely you will have your first assignments done today or tomorrow (unless you're very ambitious :)

Welcome!


This Week's Assingments 6/17/09
Hi all,

I know there's a lot to look at. You will get quite used to the "system" in the next week or so, but for now, allow me to walk you through a few things.
What's due this week: blogs and your first ancillary assignment (this information is in the schedule).

Use the lecture posted in "General Handouts" to help you complete Ancillary 1. The prompt for the assignment is in "Writing Prompts". This assignment is actually a worksheet of sorts, and you will need the lecture to help you complete the assignment. Your first ancillary (and major paper) is based on a text. You may choose any of the articles available in "Online Readings" as the basis of your ancillary and paper.

So: do the reading (including the lecture). Complete the blogs. This is the easiest part. I except thoughtful blogs, but this is an informal, conversational forum. You aren't working on things like paragraphing and transitions here -- just write.
Then, review the worksheet for Ancillary 1 and start going through the readings until you find something you think you might want to use for your analysis. The ancillary answers you come up with are based on that reading. For instance, what's the purpose of the article you chose? Which major rhetorical strategies does the author use? You will record these answers on the worksheet.

Basically, you need only the rhetorical lecture in Course Handouts and an open copy of Ancillary 1 to complete this assignment. Remember, you will submit it via the appropriate Blackboard link to turn it in. Of course, you post the blogs to the blog, not Blackboard.

I used this format last semester, and the students got it down very quickly. Most found they liked it. You may not, and that's okay. But you will get used to it. I find Blackboard very limiting to run an entire course through . . . and issues crop up with Blackboard. The website we use will never go down, need maintenance, etc.

Feel free to ask any questions you need. The course moves VERY quickly, as I know you already know, and YES . . . it's a lot of work. I am here to help you accomplish this successfully. Don't panic if you can't find something or don't understand something. Just let me know. I will walk you through it.
Amy


07401295: Links for Assignment Submission‏ 6/17/09
If you look to your left, you'll see "Links to Submit Ancillaries . . . " Once you click on that, you'll be taken to upload menus/text boxes. Submission is very simple -- it's much like attaching a document to an email. If you submit successfully (and you shouldn't have any problem doing so), you can see an exclamation point in Gradebook sitting in the gradebox. It will remain an exclamation point until it's graded. If you should happen to see a "lock" icon, your submission did not go through. You need to contact me ASAP so I can clear the submission (BB takes only one submission without an administrator clearance. One of its minor annoyances).

Hope this provides some clarification.
Amy