Last Post

Hello Folks,

This will be my last post.

As of this morning all grades have been entered into D2L. I have added a column in D2L that is a "Final Grade" column. This reflects all of the points you have earned in the class, and as you can see, the class is out of 1,000 points total, though the D2L system reflects 1,005 points (I have given each of you 5 extra credit points). On the syllabus, and at the end of this post, you will find a grade scale. Go ahead and compare your total points accrued to the grade scale to see what your final grade is in the course.

I will enter grades into mysjsu system this weekend, and as I have read on the SJSU website, grades should be available to you for viewing next week at some point.

I very much enjoyed reading the posts and comments for the final week of discussion. One common theme with the posts was about the 12 hour time limit between posts. I usually address this issue early on in the semester so students understand the rationale behind the 12 hour requirement. Here is the explanation:

Let's face it, college students really like to wait until the last minute to get things done, right? As a college student (which wasn't all that long ago), I used to wait until the bitter end to complete assignments. Since the class requires posts and comments in order to simulate face to face conversation, there must be a gap in the time students can post in order to avoid students doing all of the work at the same time and not really processing ideas, theories and topics of discussion. In addition, the 12 hour gap requires students to get at least 1 post in before the end of the week. If no one posted early (and trust me, it does happen), what would you comment on? This can be quite frustrating for students who want to get their work done early in the week. As an online instructor I have explored a number of different posting options, and have collaborated with other online instructors with much more experience than I, and 12 hours seems to be the consensus.

Having said that, I really enjoyed all of the feedback you have given me in during the final discussion week. If you have any questions after Sunday (when I will stop checking the class email address), please contact me at my sjsu.edu email address which I emailed to you last night.

Again, I have really enjoyed sharing the semester with each of you, and hope we will meet again either online or face to face at some point.

The Blogging Prof. signing off for the last time!

Have a wonderful evening, and a very enjoyable Fall semester!

:)
Carol


Grade scale:
A 950-1000
A- 900-949
B+ 870-899
B 840-869
B- 800-839
C+ 770-799
C 740-769
C- 700-739
D+ 670-699
D 640-669
D- 600-639
F 600 and below

Proctor Form

Hello Class,

I have gotten a few questions about the Proctor Form. Here's how it works:

1). Download the form from D2L under "Quizzes and Tests".

2). Complete the final exam, having someone over 21 years old watch you. They are to make sure you are following the SJSU academic integrity policy.

3). After you are done with the final exam, send me your signed proctor form through email. Please scan it or take a high resolution digital picture of the signed form and send it to me through email.

REMINDER: The discussion week ends on August 12th at 11:59pm. Please have all of your comments and blog posts completed by that time. There is NO 12 hour time restriction this week. You should also complete 3 comments on your classmates blogs by 11:59pm on Thursday.

I hope this clarifies some things.

:)
Carol

Week of August 8-12

I'm a little sad that this is our last week of class. I hope you all have had a good time over the summer in Comm 105. This is one of my very favorite classes because it covers a wide variety of theories, ideas and topics. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have.

Listed below is a summary of what's listed on the Participation and Schedule Pages on D2L for this week:

You have two things to complete this week:
1). Discussion this week - there is NO TIME RESTRICTION this week, but PLEASE please PLEASE complete the discussion as early as possible.

2). Final Exam - see notes below. The final exam will be available on August 11th and 12th, all day. Please take the final exam on either the 11th (Wednesday), or 12th (Thursday). After the final exam closes on the 12th, there will be no other opportunity to take the final exam, so please plan ahead.

***Final exam - Please download the Proctor Form from D2L. You will have a proctor, someone over the age of 21, fill out the form and sign it after they have watched you complete the entire final exam within the allotted time. Send the proctor form to me through email. You can scan the form and email it, or take a high quality digital picture and send it to me in .jpg format.

The final exam will include all of the chapters we have covered throughout the semester. It is open book/open notes.

Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts:

1). What concept/s in the class have you found most interesting? What was it about that concept/s that you found interesting?

2). What have you learned throughout this class? What was your favorite thing about the class? What was your least favorite thing about the class? How can this class be improved?

3). Pick a favorite concept that we have covered through this course and post about it. Explain the concept. Tell the class why you have chosen this concept, and what it is you like about it?

***Remember to post 3 comments to your colleagues blogs this week. As a reminder, the comments must be about the discussion this week. Posting on a past discussion will NOT count for credit.

***Reminder: This week is the last week I will hold office hours.

Connected full time again

Hello Class,

I am glad to say that I am connected full time again. Yes, that's right, I finally have a stable internet connection.

You wouldn't believe how anxious I get when I'm not connected to the internet. I know, I'm a communication geek. ;)

I must tell you HOW MUCH I have been enjoying your journals over the last week. It is still going to take me a little while to return them because some are quite long, but I should have them back to you this week at some point.

Email me if you have any questions, or want to chat. I should be around.
:)
Carol

Week of August 1st - August 7th

Listed below is a summary of what's listed on the Participation and Schedule Pages on D2L for this week:

***Review Chapter 2 (We are coming back to Chapter 2 because it was not focused on at the start of the semester)

Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 12 hours apart:

1). Consider the social constructionist perspective. How do we "build worlds" through communication? Think of some ideas we talk about in our culture that may not exist in other cultures. How do these concepts contribute to our happiness or success (or the lack of these) in our culture?

2). Consider the pragmatic perspective. Does it make sense to think of communication as a patterned interaction? How is communication like a game? How is it different from a game?

3). Pick one concept from Chapter 2 that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

***Remember to post 3 comments to your colleagues blogs this week. As a reminder, the comments must be about the discussion this week. Posting on a past discussion will NOT count for credit.


***REMINDER*** I will not be holding office hours this week due to being out of town. However, I will be checking my email on and off all week given that I will be in an area where there is spotty internet access at best, meaning I may not have reliable internet access everyday. I will try to check my email as often as possible, but I my response time may be delayed a bit this week. I will resume having consistent internet access as of August 6th in the evening.

Grades added to D2L

Hello Folks,

A couple of days ago I updated your grades on D2L. Please look them over and let me know if you have any questions.

As a reminder, starting tomorrow, I will have limited access to the internet. However, I will check my email on and off over the next week. I will resume full-time internet access on August 6th.

Next week is a pretty light week, and I anticipate very few issues. If any arise, please let me know.

Have a great weekend everyone!
:)
Carol

Cyberspace Relationships

While grading posts from last week, I came across this post and comments. Give it a read and let me know what you think. Go ahead and leave a comment on my post here.

A quick note: I have been teaching Comm 105P for a few years now, and rarely do students make the connection that the relationships we have in this class either solely exist (or mostly exist) in cyberspace. What are you thoughts??????


From thelittletomatoe

Interestingly enough, the only cyber space relationships I have ever made are in this class. This being my first online class, I figured we would still have to meet with the teacher from time to time, or come to campus to take exams. As it turns out, I feel I am probably getting to know my fellow students from this class better than many of my other courses because I have a chance to read each and everyone’s point of view on our subject matter. This is great because often when we are physically in class, students don’t always take the opportunity to voice their opinions. The downside to these relationships that we have made in comm. 105p is that we are less likely to keep in touch afterward. We most likely wont recognize each other and say hi while cruising around campus. And unlike other classes where we are physically present, we wont go grab a beer together afterward.

7 comments:

Eleanor Rigby said...

When writing my post I didn’t even think about this class as a cyberspace relationship but it totally is. And I agree with you on the fact that this class lets me get to know my classmates better then a regular seminar class would. Because we all have our blogs under an alias whatever we write is protected so we can be completely honest even though we do not know anyone who is reading our posts. An online classroom setting is definitely more comfortable for me. I am not under the pressures that are presented in a normal classroom setting and unlike formal classes, we all get to communicate with each other instead of just a few people in the front of the class participating.

July 21, 2010 10:54 AM

Sunshine said...

You are right this class has helped to form cyberspace relationships!!! This class is my first time blogging. Like you said we all get an opportunity to have our say and have others view it. This does not happen in regular classroom settings. It is really sad that we will not recognize each other on campus. However, I feel this anonymity factor has allowed more students to participate and give their views without the added pressure of being recognized. I agree with Eleanor this class has given every one an equal opportunity to participate unlike in normal classrooms where the people in the front dominate classroom participation!!!

July 21, 2010 5:14 PM

Sweet Dee said...

I also agree with the previous comments. The fact that this is an online class makes it easier to discuss our opinions honestly. I also think that we get to know each other better because we are so open with our viewpoints.
It is sad that when the class is over we probably won't talk anymore. I have really enjoyed this class and getting to know everyone. I also think that is what makes this class special. We are able to get to know each other on a deeper level than in a seminar class but the downside is that the relationships probably won't continue.

July 22, 2010 4:40 PM

NeneD said...

I love how you used the relationships from this class as your cyber relationships. It didn’t even occur to me that we all are building relationships through our blogs, but we are. I agree with you about feeling like you are getting to know the people in this class better than people in other classes. Although we are not meeting in a classroom and seeing each other every week, we are learning a lot more about each other and we are sharing more information than we would necessarily be sharing in a physical classroom. This brings up a point in which I have thought about many times before. Relationships that are based upon writing, such as letters, emails, or AIM, sometimes get to a deeper level quicker than face to face. I know many people who are able to write their thoughts better than express them when talking to me face to face. It is odd but something that seems to be true, at least from my experience. I have been able to share my opinions on our class subjects much more in this class than I do when I am physically sitting in class. It may be just my personality but it is easier to write and discuss with a computer screen than it is to a whole bunch of faces. Great points! Sorry for my rant. Haha.

July 23, 2010 6:18 PM

MyComm said...

So true! It is very unlikely that I will stop you on campus and say hi because I don't know what you look like. Actually, now that I think about that it is kind or weird. But, I must say that I agree that I feel the same way about getting to know our classmates better online vs. in a classroom. I am normally very reserved about what I say in class compared to our posts. I love that I have the freedom to write what I am really thinking and have to reservations. Well, that's not true. I have many hestitations about what I write in my posts. :)

July 23, 2010 10:16 PM

Abraham Rademacher said...

Obviously you've struck a cord with the members of this class by the amount of posts to your comment :) I too never considered this class as an example of purely cyberspace relationships, but it obviously is a great one.
One possible explanation for the quality of relationships formed in our class, as compared to conventional classes, is the thoughtfulness of the responses. In a typical classroom discussion we need to respond on the spot. Conversely, in this class we have more time to construct a thoughtful response. I believe it is the quality of the responses that give us deeper insight to one another. I do however feel, as you do, that these relationships will likely only last as long as the class. It seems that f2f is needed for truly lasting relationships.

Submitting Journals

Another one of your brilliant colleagues has asked for clarification about how to submit the journals. Here is the info. on that:

1). All journals should be copied/pasted into one document in number order. See the Schedule page on D2L for that order. This is the order that you completed them. No need to include a cover sheet for each journal. Just list your name at the top with the information requested in the left hand, or right hand corner. For example, you would put your name, event name, date/time, location in the upper left or right hand corner of the page. Make sure that these 4 lines are single spaced rather than double spaced.

The reason why each assignment said to have a cover page is because this assignment was adapted from a previous assignment for Comm 105P. The former assignment asked each student in class to grade other students journals. However, this assignment is a bit different during the summer, as you know. I will be grading all of your journal entries.

2). Please insert page numbers by using the 'page number' function in word, rather then inserting them manually. You can do this by opening up your document, go up to 'insert', and click 'page numbers'. Then, choose where you want the page numbers.

3). Title your journal like this: CarolPerez_Journal.rtf In other words, name_journal.rtf or Rich Text Format.

4). Only 1 reference page at the very end of your journal is necessary. Of course use the course text, but also add any outside sources you have used.

REMINDER: The journal assignment is due by Thursday night at 11:59pm.

Journal Grading 'Rubric'

As promised, listed below is how I will evaluate your journal assignments. As previously stated (the post below this one), I will not use the same rubric as I did for the first assignment, however, it is similar.

When the assignment calls for 'essay format', which each of the assignments in this course have, you are talking about fairly common attributes, correct? So what does essay format mean? Cohesiveness, writing style, using an intro and conclusion, editing (grammar, punctuation, etc...). There are also other things to consider such as meeting the requirements of the assignment sheet, applying/explaining course concepts well, presenting a sound analysis, and so on.

Without further ado, here is the grading aspects for the journal assignment:

1). Met the requirements of the assignment: (see assignment sheet) 50 points

2). Applied course concepts well (at least 4 for each) 50 points

3). Analysis - weaved in course concepts and applied them to the event, drawing global conclusions 50 points

4). Used proper essay format (intro/body/conclusion) 25 points

5). Presented a cohesive essay (using proper transition sentences between ideas) 25 points

6). Editing (grammar, punctuation, word choice, etc...) 10 points

7). Used proper writing style per the writing guide course text, and properly cited sources 15 points

Overall grade out of 225 points.

I sure hope this helps! Let me know if there are any questions about this.

Journal Grading

Hello Students,

One of your brilliant colleagues brought the idea of grading the journals to my attention. I will NOT be using the same grading rubric I used for the Cultural Event Paper, rather I will be using a different grading rubric/grading scheme. I will post to my blog either tonight or tomorrow morning how I will be grading the journals so you can do one last edit.

I hope this helps!

Until later......

Week of July 25th - July 31th

Listed below is a summary of what's listed on the Participation and Schedule Pages on D2L for this week:

***Read Chapter 13 - Methods of Discovery

***There is a Quiz this week on Chapters 11 & 13. Please go to D2L to take the quiz.

***Revise Journal this week: As a reminder, all journal entries will be turned in on Thursday, July 29th by 11:59pm. Go ahead and submit the journal early if you'd like. Please do not worry about attaching a title page to each journal entry, but include the required information such as the date/time/duration/location, etc.... at the top of each journal entry. Be sure to submit the journal in 1 document only, not 5 separate documents.

Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 12 hours apart:

1). Which of the research methods listed in Table 13.3 seem the most interesting? Assume you want to study some aspect of deception. Frame a research question. Which method would you choose to answer the question. Why?

2). What are some of the moral dilemmas that face ethnographers? How would you resolve them?

3). Pick one concept from Chapter 13 that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

***Remember to post 3 comments to your colleagues blogs this week. As a reminder, the comments must be about the discussion this week. Posting on a past discussion will NOT count for credit.


***REMINDER*** I will be out of town starting on Friday, July 30th and will return on August 6th. However, I will be checking my email on and off throughout my travels, given that I will be in an area where there is spotty internet access at best, meaning I may not have reliable internet access everyday. I will try to check my email as often as possible, but I my response time may be delayed a bit this week. I will resume having consistent internet access as of August 6th in the evening.

What it's about

One of my goals in this course, from the start, has been to reinforce the course concepts we have covered in this class. As a student at SJSU a number of years ago, I found that I often did not apply course concepts to everyday life. Instead, the class covered theory, and from the basis of theory, the students engaged in research theory discussion. There was some application of course, but in my opinion, not nearly enough.

I understand that some of the concepts in this course are review for some students. However, is my hope that you will come out of the class remembering the concepts we covered, even years later.

Of course I remember the concepts I learned throughout my education, but the concepts I remember the most and still apply today are the concepts that I applied in some way. It is my hope that you all will come out of Comm 105 with new experiences that have applied to the course concepts.

Here is a reminder about what this class and assignments are all about:

1). The course objectives give you opportunity to see what other folks in the class are writing about and discussing.

2). Some of these assignments allows you to give your opinion about your colleagues writing.

3). The journal assignment give you real world experience applying concepts.

4). Each of these assignments are intellectually challenging.

5). The assignments increases diversity in the class on multiple levels.

6). Each assignment provides meaningful feedback, not only from the instructor, but from others in the class, thus diversifying understanding!

7). The assignments establish an atmosphere of community and enhanced learning.

8). Reinforces relevant course material from a number of different perspectives.

9). Helps you analyze complex and abstract ideas as presented by others relating to course material/content.

10). Applies course content in a real-world setting.

I hope you all have a wonderful day today!

Grades posted for the week of 7/11-7/17

Hello Folks! I hope tonight finds you well.

Just a quick note to let you know that I have posted the grades for the discussion week of 7/11-7/17 to D2L. Please log onto D2L and take a look at your grade. If you have any questions about it, please email me immediately.

As a reminder, you should be checking your grades consistently. Please do not wait until the end of the semester to ask about a particular grade or discussion week. It is much easier to keep track as the semester progresses.

Have a great night!
:)
Carol

Cultural Event Paper Note

Just a quick note:

I am L-O-V-I-N-G your Cultural Event Papers! Keep up the good work!!!!

I should have them returned by the end of the week. You will receive a grading sheet (pdf document) through email once I have finished grading all of the papers.

I can't wait to read your journals. Remember, completed journals are due by Thursday, July 29th @ 11:59pm. You are more than welcome to email them to me early if you'd like!

Until later......

Week of July 18th - July 24th

Listed below is a summary of what's listed on the Participation and Schedule Pages on D2L for this week:

***Read Chapter 8 - Organizational Communication
***Read Chapter 11 - Communication and the Mass Media

***There is a Quiz this week on Chapters 6 & 8. Please go to D2L to take the quiz.

***Complete Journal #5. As a reminder, all journal entries will be turned in on Thursday, July 29th by 11:59pm. Go ahead and submit the journal early if you'd like.

Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 12 hours apart:

1). Have you made friendships that exist exclusively in cyberspace? If so, how are they different from f2f relationships? If you have no formed cyber relationships, why not?

2). Do you agree with Marshall McLuhan that the medium is the message, i.e., that the format or logic of a medium is as important as its content and, in fact, determines what content will be broadcast through the channel? Evaluate his idea that television is a cool medium.

3). Pick one concept from Chapter 8 that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

***Remember to post 3 comments to your colleagues blogs this week. As a reminder, the comments must be about the discussion this week. Posting on a past discussion will NOT count for credit.

Interpersonal Communication

"Our survival as social beings depends in large part on our interpersonal communication skills"

Interpersonal Communication theory is one of my favorite aspects of communication studies. When I was at school in the Midwest (for merely a semester), we conducted an experiment that went against interpersonal norms. For instance, we got in an elevator and faced the wrong direction to see how people would react. We also had 2 students go into a swanky department store, one dressed in sweats and the other dressed nicely, to see how the store attendants would treat each 'customer'. The results were as you would expect. The elevator riders became very uncomfortable when someone was facing the wrong direction, and the department store associates ignored the student dressed in sweats and offered help to the person dressed nicely.

Interpersonal communication has many facets. Your book covers dyadic communication, managing interpersonal communication, relational development (stages in intimate dyad's) which also includes Duck's Relational Dissolution Model (quite an interesting section), increasing relational skills (disclosure - always a great topic to study), managing interpersonal conflict, and becoming a more responsible communicator.

This chapter is, by far, one of my favorites in the book. Each of us engages in dyadic communication on a continual basis, and understanding some of these concepts might help to improve those relationships.

Personal Note: You all can probably see my passion when it comes to communication, but there is something special about interpersonal communication that draws me in. These are the weeks I wish that we were able to meet in person. Discussing personal experiences with interpersonal communication, conflict, etc... can really draw a class together.

When I was a graduate student at SJSU a number of years ago, I took Shawn Spano's graduate seminar on interpersonal communication. We studied many theories, covered many topics and shared many personal experiences. One of the major course assignments was about mediation (yet another facet of interpersonal communication). We had to mediate a disagreement between two people, and write a research paper about it. That assignment was one of the most interesting assignments I had completed in graduate school. It really showed the inner workings of a close, intimate relationship between two people, and it helped them to workout some issues they were encountering.

As you can see, interpersonal communication has many different facets. I hope that you all enjoy reading and discussing this week. I can't wait to read your posts and comments.

Wrap Up of Last Week's Discussion

I wanted to take a second to commend you all on a great discussion last week. As I was reading over the posts and comments, I noticed the richness and diversity of perspectives in the class. Each person had such a different perspective, and a different example when it came to Ruth Benedict's idea that we are 'creatures of our culture'. It is exciting to read about diverse perspectives and ideas, especially from my brilliant students. ;)

Keep up the good work!

Week of July 11th - July 17th

Listed below is a summary of what's listed on the Participation and Schedule Pages on D2L for this week:

***Read Chapter 6 - Interpersonal Communication
***Read Chapter 7 - Group Communication

***There is a Quiz this week on Chapters 7 & 12. Please go to D2L to take the quiz.

***Complete Journal #4. As a reminder, all journal entries will be turned in at the end of the semester.

Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 12 hours apart:

1). Which pattern (rigid complementarity, competitive symmetry, or submissive symmetry) do you think would be the most difficult to change? Why? Which would be the most damaging to a relationship? Which would be the most potentially damaging to the self-esteem of the individuals involved?

2). Think about the filters you use to eliminate people from consideration as potential romantic partners. What characteristics or behaviors lead you to judge others as unattractive? Does Duck's theory make sense to you? Have you ever eliminated someone by using a sociological or pre-interaction cue only to reconsider them based on interaction and cognitive cues?

3). Pick one concept from Chapter 7 that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

***Remember to post 3 comments to your colleagues blogs this week. As a reminder, the comments must be about the discussion this week. Posting on a past discussion will NOT count for credit.

Grades Posted

I will post grades from the discussion week of June 27th - July 3rd later this afternoon. Check D2L this afternoon for your grade, and as always, please email me if you have any questions about your grade.

My goal in this class is total transparency with grading, so make sure to email me if there are ever any questions.

Good luck on your midterm!

Cultural Event Paper - Due Tomorrow

Hello Folks!

The Cultural Event Paper is due by tomorrow. Once the deadline passes, I will respond to each individual submission, most likely on Saturday morning.

Please send your paper early to avoid the late submission penalty. Email the paper as a .rtf (rich text format) file to the class email address.

REMINDER: Please have the midterm completed by Saturday at 11:59pm.

Let me know if you have any questions about either of these.

Have a fabulous evening!
:)
Carol

Week of July 4th - July 10th

Hello Folks!

This week there is no discussion. Listed below is from the Schedule Page on D2L:

*Assignment #1, Cultural Event Paper, is due by Friday, July 9th @ 11:59pm. Please send your paper in .rtf format through email to the class email address. Send your paper early to avoid late penalty. See the syllabus for the late work policy.

*MIDTERM on Chapters 1-5, 9&11 on D2L. Log on to D2L anytime between now and Saturday to complete the midterm. Log on early as the midterm needs to be submitted by 11:59pm. (See the quizzes page for policies, time frames for quizzes/tests, etc.....)

Cultural Event Paper - Due in ONE WEEK

Reminder: The first paper in this course, Cultural Event Paper, is due one week from today, Friday, July 9th.

Please let me know if there are any questions about this project.

Grading

Hello Again!

Since I have started to post your grades to D2L, I thought I would give you some additional information about grading in this class so there is no question about how I grade blogs every week.

A bit about grading: If you ever feel any ambiguity in the evaluation process in this course, please email me. My goal for this course is total transparency for each student. However, since this is an online course, transparency begins with you as the student. I can only address issues if I know they exist. If this were a face to face class I would be able to easily explain how grading works, chat with you before/after class about your grades, etc... Online classes face many challenges and some of you are aware of these challenges due taking repetitive online courses. Others may have expectations that are not being met. I have mentioned a few times so far that I'm always available to chat through email, Yahoo Messenger and over the phone in case there are every any questions.

How I evaluate your blog posts and comments: As stated on the Participation Page, I look for a few things:
*Have you complied with the guidelines listed on the Participation Page?
*Does the content of your post/comment relate to our reading this week?
*Have you address the question in its entirety on your post?
*Have your given thought to the post you have commented on?
*Have you included the minimum number of words required in each post/comment?
*Is your post/comment within our discussion week?

If all of these questions have a 'yes' answer, there should be no reason why you earn anything less than full credit.

I hope this helps to clear up any ambiguity as it relates to the evaluation of your posts.

Have a wonderfully fabulous (and communication filled) day!!!

Grades Posted and Blog Reminders

Hello Class! I just updated grades to D2L for the first discussion week and some other things. Please look over your grade and let me know if you have any questions.

Here are some reminders about blogging and commenting (just to reinforce the parameters):

1). There are 3 questions per discussion week. Please answer those questions in 1 post each on your blog. Make sure your posts are at least 12 hours apart. Pay attention to your date and time stamp. Each post should be 150 words minimum - there is no maximum.

2). Comments should be on 3 different blogs. Each comment should be a minimum of 100 words each. There is no time restriction for comments, and can all be done at the same time. Make sure you are logged into your blogger account when leaving comments so your alias/display name appears.

3). I check the word count for all blog posts and comments. It is your responsibility to make sure your posts and comments meet the minimum requirement.

4). Your posts and comments need to be within a given discussion week. This means that if our week runs from 6/13 to 6/19, and you comment on a post that is not within that date range, you will not receive credit for that comment. I only check the posts and comments for that week. I do not go back and re-check past posts to see if someone has mistakenly commented on a past post.

5). It is recommended that you keep track of all dates/times/locations/word counts of your posts and comments. If you would like to email me about a grade, please include the following information in your email:
*Time and date of your posts including word counts
*Time and date of your comments including word counts

The information I have included here is located on the Participation Page on D2L. It is your responsibility to know everything that is on D2L and what is posted to my blog.

As a reminder, check my blog frequently for updates.

As always, I am available for questions through email, over Yahoo Messenger and of course to schedule a phone conversation at any time.

Office Hours Reminder

As a reminder, office hours for this week have been reschedule to Wednesday, June 30th from 12:00pm to 2:00pm. If for some reason I am delayed in my travels, I will update my blog as soon as possible. If you do not hear from me again about office hours this week, I will see you online on Wednesday from 12-2pm.

Cultural Event Paper

The deadline is fast approaching for the Cultural Event Paper. I hope you have had a good time at your chosen events so far.

As a reminder, there is a grading rubric attached to the assignment page located on D2L. This is the exact rubric I will use to grade your papers. Please look over it before turning in your final drafts - it will help you tremendously.

Also, use your Pocket Wadsworth Handbook for writing tips and follow the principles contained within that little book. It is amazingly helpful! (You can also go to the Writing Center on campus. Those guys are extremely helpful as well.)

I strive for absolute transparency when it comes to grading in this course. There should be no surprises or ambiguity about my grading practices if you look over the rubrics for the course projects (Cultural Event Paper and Journal Assignment). If there is any residual ambiguity, please let me know and I would be more than happy to clarify anything that is unclear. I'm here to help! :)

Week of June 27 - July 3

Listed below is a summary of what's listed on the Participation and Schedule Pages on D2L for this week:

***Read Chapter 12 - Intercultural Communication

***Complete Journal #2. As a reminder, all journal entries will be turned in at the end of the semester.

***Continue to work on Paper #1 - Cultural Event Paper.

Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 12 hours apart:

1). Do you agree with anthropologist Ruth Benedict that we are "creatures of our culture" and that our habits, beliefs, and impossibilities are shaped by our culture? If so, how can we break through the limits of our cultures?

2). Do you believe in the rationality, perfectability, and mutability premises? What social institutions and practices are based on these beliefs?

3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

***Remember to post 3 comments to your colleagues blogs this week. As a reminder, the comments must be about the discussion this week. Posting on a past discussion will NOT count for credit.

Quiz Issues

Hello Folks!

I have received a number of emails from folks trying to take the quiz tonight. D2L is down until tomorrow for site maintenance, so I will go ahead and extend the quiz until tomorrow at 11:59pm. I will do this tomorrow morning, so check back at some point tomorrow to take the quiz.

So sorry about the inconvenience.

Have a great night.......or great morning, as it may be!

;)
Carol

Note about the Cultural Event Paper

As you know the Cultural Event Paper is due on Friday, July 9th. If you have questions about what would qualify as a 'cultural event', please email me ASAP to verify that the event you have chosen is indeed, a cultural event.

Last Week's Posts

Just a quick note:

Good job on last week's posts and comments. It looks like you all are getting the hang of blogging (for those of you unfamiliar with blogging). Grades for the discussion week of 6/13-6/19 will be posted to D2L upon my return. I will post to my blog when I have uploaded those grades.

Nonverbal Communication

I am very excited about this week's discussion. These are the weeks I wish I could talk to you all face to face so we could really get into a deep discussion about nonverbal communication and share what we have learned through our reading, and of course through our life experiences. While I was in school I participated in a Nonverbal Research Study as a research assistant, which was quite interesting. Although the statistics in that particular research study did not prove to be significant, my conjecture was that the sample size was too small.

Now that you are probably asking, "What was the study about?"....I'll tell you briefly in case you are interested.

Dr. Tim Hegstrom who is the Dean of Social Sciences at this point in his career, videotaped dyads to see if their body positioning matched each other during the course of their 10 minute conversation. Most of the participants did have matching body language at some point in the discussion (An example of this would be where one person crosses their arm, and the other follows shortly after. This could either be matching or mirroring with body positioning with legs, arms, etc...). I analyzed the videos one by one (I think there were 50 or so 10 minute videos) and recorded their body positioning to reflect matching, mirroring, or no correlation at all. I stopped the video every minute and recorded their body positions. Like I said, when we ran the statistics through SPSS (a statistical database), the results were not significant. But, had the research been done a bit differently, it absolutely would have produced statistically significant results. Had it proved significant, we probably would have been published in a Communication Journal, but alas, it was not written in the stars. :)

Needless to say, Nonverbal Communication interests me quite a bit. My husband's family is constantly trying to figure out if I'm analyzing them. A couple of years ago one of his family members looked over to a few people and asked me what their body language was saying. Of course this sparked a very interesting conversation between a few people, myself included.

Have fun with this weeks discussion.

Note to Students

Hello Folks!

I will be traveling from 6/25 to 6/29. I will have internet access on and off throughout my travels, but please be patient with me if I take a little longer to reply to emails than normal.

Also, since I will be traveling on 6/29, office hours for next week will be rescheduled to Wednesday, June 30th at 12:00pm to 2:00pm on Yahoo Messenger. If for some reason I am delayed in my travels, I will be sure to update my blog and let you know.

Have a wonderful evening!

Week of June 20 - June 26

Listed below is a summary of what's listed on the Participation and Schedule Pages on D2L for this week:

***Read Chapter 3 - Listening and Perception
***Read Chapter 4 - Encoding Messages: Spoken Language
***Read Chapter 5 - Encoding Messages: Nonverbal Communication

***There is a Quiz this week on Chapters 9 & 10. Please go to D2L to take the quiz.

***Complete Journal #2. As a reminder, all journal entries will be turned in at the end of the semester.

***Start working on Paper #1 - Cultural Event Paper.

Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 12 hours apart:

1). Is it possible to perceive others without, in some way, judging or categorizing them? If so, how? If not, how can we make the judgments we do make, more fair?

2). Do you agree that men and women use language differently? In what areas? Use specific examples.

3). Pick one concept from Chapter 5 that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

***Remember to post 3 comments to your colleagues blogs this week. As a reminder, the comments must be about the discussion this week. Posting on a past discussion will NOT count for credit.

Keep Track of Posts and Comments

Good Morning Class!

As this week comes to a close (remember, our weeks run from Sunday to Saturday), please keep track of all of your posts (dates/times) and your comments (locations/dates/times) in case there is a discrepancy in my grading. I am human *gasp* and I do make mistakes sometimes. I am instructing two classes over the summer, and that adds up to a lot of posts and comments to keep track of. While I strive for complete accuracy in recording where comments are located, in addition to the dates and time of both comments and posts, sometimes I make mistakes. All in all, I am keeping track of about 250 posts and comments every week.

Once I have completed the grading for posts and comments, probably at the start of next week, I will notify you that I have posted the grades to D2L so you can review them. If there is any discrepancy in your grade, having a record of your posts and comments will come in VERY handy.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! :)

Contacting your Instructor

Believe it or not, there's a person at the other end of the computer - that would be me, The Blogging Prof! I know, I know, I'm stating the obvious, right? It's easy to forget that an online instructor is here to help you and converse with you just like an in-person instructor would be. I love love love chatting with students whether that be over the phone, in-person or otherwise. In fact, I often find myself staying after class (my f2f classes) chatting with students for quite a bit of time, sometimes hours. So yeah, you can say I love my students and I love my job!

Going from instructing classes in person to online classes was a bit difficult because it's hard to convey to students over the computer that you are there to answer questions and to help when needed. It is much easier to do that when you are in a classroom setting. But, I'm here to tell you that I'm available if you need to chat about something in class.

I strive to communicate with my students whenever possible and I have already had the pleasure of chatting with a number of you over the phone. I have also chatted with quite a few of you over Yahoo Messenger and through email.

Here is a little reminder about how you can go about contacting me. There are 3 ways:

1). Email. I check my email during the week, M-F numerous times a day. I also check my email periodically on the weekends, but response time may take a little longer than during the week.

2). Yahoo Messenger. Download Yahoo Messenger if you haven't already and add me as a friend: carolperezcommclass As it states on the "Getting Started" page, I do not use Yahoo Messenger for personal use, so anytime day or night you see me online, feel free to message me. My 'official' office hours are on Tuesday's from 9:00am to 11:00am, but I am online quite a bit more than that. Even if you see me available at 2am and you have a question, feel free to pop in. I normally don't log onto Yahoo Messenger unless I'm ready to chat with students. (I guess I have no life). ;)

3). Phone conversations. I am always available to schedule a phone conversation whenever you'd like. If you have a question you don't think can be solved over email or yahoo messenger, we can certainly chat over the phone. It's just like on campus office hours, but quite a bit more convenient for you since you don't have to come down to campus.

I hope to chat with y'all in the near future.....

Happy Blogging!

Comment Moderation

Hello Folks!

I posted directions on how to receive a notice when someone has commented on your blog. If you would like to get email notification about when someone posts a comment to your blog, please follow the directions below.

However, please DO NOT use the Comment Moderation field. You should not be moderating your comments. Following the directions posted below, once you follow steps 1-3, you will see the Comment Moderation field. Please click NEVER.

1). Log into blogger
2). Click on "Settings" in the middle of the page
3). Go to the 4th tab over labeled "Comments"

If you have not changed anything in the comment moderation section, leave your blog as is. NEVER should be clicked. If you have changed it to moderating your comments, please change it back.

Thanks everyone!
:)
Carol

Journal Assignment

The Journal Assignment is the semester long assignment in this course. You will write the journal entries as they are assigned. Since this is a "Practice" course, you will 'practice' by observing communication principles in everyday life, then write about them.

The due date for the entire journal is not until the latter part of the class. You will not be turning in the journal entries as they are assigned, rather, you will turn them in all at once.

Let me know if there are other questions about the journal assignment.

Receive Comments via Email

Hello Folks!

I have gotten a couple of questions about how to receive comments on your blog via email. This means that you can receive notification through email when someone comments on your blog. Here's how to do it:

1). Log into blogger
2). Click on "Settings" in the middle of the page
3). Go to the 4th tab over labeled "Comments"
4). Scroll down to the bottom and enter your email address in the box titled "Comment Notification Email"
5). Click "Save Settings" at the very bottom

Once you do this, whenever someone comments on one of your posts, the comment will get sent directly to your email.

FAQs

Some of you have emailed me with questions and I thought it would be helpful if the entire class saw the answers. Here you go:

1). Q- Do I have to post on 3 different blogs? Or can I post two or three times on the same blog as long as they are different posts?
A- You should comment on 3 different blogs.

2). Q- How do you keep track of our posts and comments?
A- I keep track of every post and comment on a spreadsheet every week we have a discussion. Each post you make on your blog will have a date and time stamp and I keep track of them to make sure they are at least 12 hours apart. Then, I check all comments made for that week. I will record the location of your comments.

3). Q- If I comment on someones post from last week, will I get credit?
A- No, I only check the blog posts for that week. Make sure you are checking the dates of the posts you are commenting on and of course, the content of the question to make sure it is an appropriate post.

4). Q- Do comments have to be at least 100 words?
A- Yes, while posts require 150 words, comments need to be at least 100 words. I do word counts on all posts and comments to make sure you are reaching the word minimum. Of course you can post more than the minimum amount of words required, but please meet the minimum.

5). Q- Should I keep track of the location of my comments?
A- Yes. Please keep track of comments and locations in case there is a discrepancy in recording or grading.

6). Q- What do I post as a comment?
A- Whatever you'd like as long as it has to do with the content of the post and related to the question I have asked. You can agree, disagree, add to the comment, ask thoughtful questions to the poster,give feedback, etc.... The comment content is up to you as long as it relates to course material, and of course the post itself.

7). Q- If I comment back to someone on my blog, do I get credit for it?
A- In short, no. You will only get credit for your three posts and three comments on other people's blogs. However, when someone asks you a question face to face, do you ignore them or give them the courtesy of an answer?

8). Q- How do you grade posts?
A- Content, answering the question in full, expressed thoughtfulness of course content and of course word count.

9). Q- Can I post to my blog and comment at the same time?
A- Yes. You only need to worry about posting 12 hours apart on YOUR blog. You can comment anytime as long as it is within our discussion week (12:01am on Sunday through 11:59pm on Saturday). You can post to your blog and then comment at the same time.....or you can do all three comments at the same time. As long as the posts on your blog are 12 hours apart, go ahead and make three comments on three different blogs at any point during our discussion week. Make sure you comment on a qualifying post on the other persons blog. This means you must comment on a post that was made during the current discussion week.

More about Blogging

Since Sunday morning at 12:01am marked the beginning of our discussion week, I thought I would post a bit more about blogging. You can post anytime during the discussion week as long as it is between Sunday morning 12:01am and Saturday night at 11:59pm. Each post to your blog should be a minimum of 12 hours apart. There is no time restriction when it comes to commenting, meaning you can comment on three blogs at the same time.

To post to your blog, please log into your blog and hit the New Post button. Make sure to publish your post when you are finished typing your post. It is your responsibility to make sure that the posts to your blog are at least 12 hours apart.

After you post, make sure to go back and view your blog. If you can't see your post, neither can I or your classmates. You should check your blog to make sure your post appears, and that it looks the way you want it to look.

Date and Time Stamps: Each post you create on your blog will have a date and time stamp. I record each of these to make sure your posts are at least 12 hours apart (yep, it's a lot of paperwork). Again, once you have posted, go back and check to make sure your posts date and time stamp are at least 12 hours apart. Again, I can only see what is on your blog. If your posts are not at least 12 hours apart, your post will not count and you will not earn points for that post. Also, make sure each post to your blog is at least 150 words minimum.

Commenting: For every discussion week you should comment on at least 3 blogs. It is your responsibility to make sure your comments are within the discussion week. This means that if you post a comment to a blog and that comment was made on the previous week of discussion, you will not earn credit for your comment. Comments need to be 100 words minimum. To comment on another blog, please go to my blog and look at the list located at the lower right hand corner of my blog. Click on the names, read the post, and comment. The 'comment' button will be below the post. Again, I WILL NOT go back and check posts from a past week to see if you mistakenly commented on a post from a previous week.

Keeping track of posts and comments: I keep track of posts to your blog and comments. Because I'm human, sometimes I make mistakes. I HIGHLY recommend that you keep track of your posts and your comments. This should include dates/times/locations of your posts/comments. If you ever have any questions about your points total for a week, or if you think I'm missing a post or comment, YOU will need to provide the dates/times of YOUR POSTS and also the dates/times/locations of your COMMENTS. Please keep a log every week of where and when you posted and commented.

Sunday Morning: I will post to my blog on Sunday morning everything that is due for the coming week. The information I will post to my blog will be the same as what is listed on the Schedule and Participation Pages on D2L. To get a head start, check out those pages.

Have a fabulous day!

Blogging Questions

I have been receiving some repetitive emails about how a few things in the course work. Please read this post in its entirety:

Blogging:
Since we will be blogging throughout this course, I thought I would explain how blogging works. There is quite a bit of information located on the "Participation" page about how blogging works. Here is an abbreviated version.

We have all created a blogspot webpage. This is where we will be having discussions rather than on D2L. Each week that there is a discussion, you will write 1 new post for each question, every week typically has 3 questions. You should post your first blog, wait AT LEAST 12 hours, then you are able to post another blog. Blogging must be done at least 12 hours apart. For example, you can post on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As long as the date/time stamp on your blog is 12 hours apart, you should receive at least some credit for your blogs. I record dates and times, and it is your responsibility to make sure they are at least 12 hours apart.

In addition to blogging, you will need to comment on 3 other people's blogs in the course during a discussion week. Log onto my blog and visit some other blogs. There is a list on my blog in the lower right hand corner that contains every one's blog in the class (yours should be there). Click on any of the icons and read the blog then comment on it by clicking on "comment" at the bottom of the post. You need to make sure that when you leave a comment, you see your alias name so I can record that you have actually left a comment. It is your responsibility to make sure your name appears on the other person's blog. It may take a few tries to get it right, but you will soon catch on and become an expert at blogging. You are more than welcome to practice by leaving a comment or two on any of my posts to make sure you are commenting correctly.

As I have noted on the "Participation" page located on D2L, each post is worth 6 points (which needs to be done on your blog as a "New Post"), and each comment is worth 4 points (which is where you comment on other people's blogs). There is NO TIME restriction for commenting on other people's blogs. You can comment anytime during the week, and it does not need to be 12 hours apart. Make sure you are commenting on a post from the CURRENT week of discussion.

So to summarize, you will post 3 times in a given discussion week. You will create a new post for each question and make sure your posts are at least 12 hours apart. You will also comment on 3 other blogs during a discussion week. Each post should be 150 words minimum and each comment should be a minimum of 100 words, otherwise there will be a point deduction.

Week of June 13 - 19

Hello Class, here is what's listed on the Schedule and Participation Pages on D2L. Pay close attention to deadlines, specifically dates and time. Please read this post in its entirety as it explains a bit about the first assignment (due Friday, July 2nd) as well.

Our week started this morning, Sunday at 12:01am and will end on Saturday at 11:59pm. Please have everything completed for this week by 11:59pm on Saturday.

Assignments this week:
*Read the assigned chapters

*Start working on Journal #1. See D2L for the assignment sheet for Journal #1.

*Complete Quiz #1 on D2L.

*Post the answers to the 3 questions below to your blog (in 3 different posts at least 12 hours apart)

*Comment on at least 3 other blogs

Reading:
Read Chapter 9, Public Communication
Read Chapter 10, Preparing and Presenting Public Speeches

Discussion Questions:
Answer one question in its entirety in each of your three separate posts, at least 12 hours apart. Please make sure you are creating a NEW POST for each question on your blog. You MUST WAIT at least 12 hours from the first post in order to create a second post. The same is true for the second and third post. I will record dates and time of your posts, so make sure they are at least 12 hours apart. EACH POST MUST BE 150 WORDS OR MORE. Each post is worth a maximum of 6 points.

1). (Concerning Chapter 2 from last weeks reading): Consider the social constructionist perspective. How do we "build worlds" through communication? Think of some ideas we talk about in our culture that may not exist in other cultures. How do these concepts contribute to our happiness or success (or the lack of these) in our culture?

2). Have you ever been influenced by a speaker? Think of the best speaker you've ever heard. What was in about that speaker that made his or her communication memorable? Think of the worst speaker you've ever heard. What do you remember about his or her message?

3). Pick one concept from Chapter 10 that you found useful or interesting and discuss it in detail.

Comments - Remember to post ONE comment ON THREE DIFFERENT BLOGS between 12:01am on Sunday and 11:59pm on Saturday. This means that you will log onto MY BLOG at: and look at the lower right hand corner to see a list of your colleagues blogs. Click on those blogs, read what was posted for this week and respond. You need to make sure you are responding to only what was discussed THIS WEEK (starting Sunday and ending Saturday of the current week). Comments posted to blogs that were NOT within this week will not be counted for points. Each comment must be a minimum of 100 words and is worth a maximum of 4 points.

Note about comments: When you leave a comment on another blog, make sure you are logged into your blogspot account. In other words, you will need to make sure your "Display Name/Alias Name" shows up on the blog you are commenting on. I record the locations, dates and times of your comments. Please keep record of your posts and comments in case there I have questions about where they are located.

NOTE: Because this is an online class, things are going to seem like they are moving quickly at first. But please keep in mind that we are not meeting in person 3 hours a week like we normally would. In addition, like every class, there is outside work to be done in addition to the 3 hours of 'in class time'. Stick with the class, you'll be glad you did. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but since we're working in groups this will make things a bit easier.

Let me know if there are any questions about the first journal entry or the discussion.

Good Job!

Hello Wonderful Students!

I wanted to drop a little note commending all of you for a job well done on your blogs. I am still waiting to hear from a handful of folks, and will be getting their links on my blog as soon as I hear from them. In the meantime, I wanted to let you guys know that you are troopers! Blogging can be quite confusing at first, but this is a skill some will likely use outside of this classroom, and a skill I wanted you all to learn just for experience sake.

I know blogging and online classes for that matter can be intimidating. Thank you for sticking with it and learning about blogging and such to get going in the class. I promise, things WILL GET EASIER as the semester moves forward.

As a reminder, I'm available through Yahoo Messenger during office hours, and through email during most of the week and of course, we can always schedule a chat over the phone. In short, I'm an accessible instructor. :)

Let me know if you have any questions - I'm here to help!

Look out for my blog post tomorrow morning.......

Reminder, First Assignment Due

Hello Folks!

I have been returning hundreds of emails this week trying to get each student established in the course.

By tonight at 11:59pm you should have sent me in an email:

*Your name
*Phone number
*Alias Name
*Blog Address

You should have also posted your introductory post to your blog.

In case there is any confusion, here is how you create a new post:

*Log into your blogger account
*Click "New Post"
*Type a Title
*Type your post into the big box
*Click "Publish Post"

If you do not Publish Post, your post will not become public.

For the upcoming discussion week, you will do the same thing for each question I pose, but you will write and publish your posts at least 12 hours apart. (See the "Participation Page" on D2L for more detail about participation in this course).

I will be checking my email on and off today, so email me with any questions.

Tomorrow morning I will post what is due for this coming week, so check my blog early tomorrow for the assignment summary (which is simply a summary from the Schedule and Participation Pages on D2L).

Blogging

Hello All!

I have already started to receive your blog addresses. Many thanks to those that have already submitted the required information. As a reminder, by Saturday (and hopefully sooner since this first assignment takes very little time), please submit to me:

*Your full name
*Alias Name
*Link to your blog
*Phone number (most accessible phone number)
*Post to your blog the required introductory post

Check your Display Name:
Please go to the "Getting Started" page on D2L to find instructions about how to check your Display Name.

Links to your blog:
Once you send me your blog address I will add a link to your blog located on the right hand side of my blog. You should be able to click on your Display Name and it will take you directly to your blog.

Introductory Posts:
Once you have created your blog, please post your introductory post ASAP. Sometimes blogger (blog spot) will flag a blog that has been created but not used. In order to avoid this, please post your introductory post to your blog when you create it.

How to post to your blog:
Once you have created your blog and posted your introductory post, sign out. Go ahead and sign back in to your blogger account and hit "new post". This will create a new blog post. DO NOT HIT CREATE NEW BLOG - this will actually create a whole different blog. You are simply POSTING to your blog, NOT creating a new blog.

Commenting:
When you comment on a classmate's blog, or even my blog for that matter, your Display Name should show up. This is how I track blog posts and comments. You must be logged into your blogger (blog spot) account in order for your Display Name to show up. Whenever you leave a comment, please make sure you are logged into your blogger account and then comment so your Display Name shows up. Feel free to play around with commenting this week by commenting on your classmate's blogs and of course my blog. If you are having issues, please email me.

Start Checking Out Other Blogs:
Please start checking out your classmates blogs. Again, the list of class blogs is found on the right hand side of my blog. You can simply click on any blog link, read it and comment on it. Start to get to know your classmates by welcoming them to class. In essence, you are greeting your classmates by doing this - and don't we all like to be friendly? ;)

5th edition of the textbook

Hello Folks!

Go ahead and use the 5th edition of the textbook. The 5th edition will be cheaper.

:)
Carol

Access to D2L Granted!!!

You FINALLY have access to Desire2Learn. Please obtain your log on name and password by follow the directions in a lower post (look down to previous posts on my blog) to figure out how to do that. You should see Comm 105 in your class list, and should have access to everything that I have uploaded.

Time to get started.......

Note: If you have not added the class yet, it should take about 24 hours to get loaded into the system after officially add the course in mysjsu. However, if you email me with the title "Access to D2L" and include your full name AND your student ID, I should be able to manually enter you into D2L.

Week of June 7 - 12

I post to my blog numerous times each week, the first of which will likely be on Sunday mornings. The Sunday morning blog post will contain everything that is due for that week, and will also contain some reminders. Since yesterday marked the first day of our week, here is the 'official' post for this week. Please read all blog posts so far and make sure you follow any instructions I have posted here. At the start of the semester there are usually repetitive questions students have and my blog is a good place to get some answers.

Here is what's due for this week as listed on the Syllabus (and Schedule Page) on D2L - also sent to you through email:

1). Review the "Getting Started" page I sent you through email yesterday. Follow instructions on that page to get started in the course.

2). Due Date #1 - email instructor by Wednesday, June 9th at 11:59pm from the email address you would like all class emails to go. Please include your full name, a contact phone number (preferably a cell #), and your intent to participate for the duration of the semester.

3). Due Date #2 - email instructor by Saturday, June 12th at 11:59pm with the following (as noted on the "Getting Started Page"):
*Name
*Alias Name you have chosen for the semester
*Include a link to your blogspot webpage
*Phone number if not previously sent

4). Post to your blog an introductory post as soon as you create your blog. In this first post you should introduce yourself to the class. Talk a little about your 'communication experience', and let us know what you hope to get out of this course. Also talk a bit about your experience with online classes, and perhaps let us know what some of your interests are so we can get to know you better.

5). Review all pages on D2L as soon as you have access.

6). Review the Syllabus including the Late Work policy. I am strict about deadlines, so get to know the deadlines in this course well.

7). Review the Schedule Page and Participation Page (once D2L access is granted).

8). Read Chapter 1 - The Communication Tradition.

9). Read Chapter 2 - Definitions, Models & Perspectives.

10). Read over the Netiquette Homepage (including links) and Learn the Net: Netiquette.

Reminder #1 - I hold office hours on Tuesday's from 9am to 11am on Yahoo Messenger. This means that while I am working I keep Yahoo Messenger open. If you see me available that means I'm available to chat in real time. Go ahead and pop in if you'd like to chat with me. If you do chat, please follow normal pleasantries by using a greeting at the start of the conversation and a closing salutation at the end of the conversation. Many students have gotten into the habit of abruptly logging on and off without a word that the conversation is over.

Reminder #2 - Typical weeks run from Sunday morning at 12:01am to Saturday night at 11:59pm. Again, I'm a stickler about deadlines so get to know them well!

I will likely post again later or tomorrow. Until then.......

The Blogging Prof signing off!

Access to D2L

As of 6:20pm last night, most students still do not have access to Desire2Learn. The chair of the Communication Studies Department is aware of the issue, and is actually teaching an online class this summer. All online instructors are encountering the same problem.

Thankfully, I anticipated eCampus having issues with Desire2Learn since this is the very first time it is being used campus wide. As I mentioned in a previous email, the only thing we are using D2L for over the summer is quizzes/tests, tracking grades, and hosting the content (all of the pdf files for the class). I sent all of the "Getting Started" pdf's in an email yesterday. If you did not get it, please send me an email and I will be able to forward you the "Welcome to Comm 41" email. Please check your spam, or trash folders, as the class email address might be flagged as spam or 'junk'.

Having no access, or limited access to D2L is frustrating. Most students should be able to log into D2L, but will not be able to see their classes. It is absolutely frustrating for the instructors as well. Unfortunately, while the instructors have done their part in setting up their classes, eCampus has encountered some issues loading students into their classes.

I will update you again later today.

Message from Ecampus

Hello Class!

I just received this message from eCampus about the issues with Desire2Learn. If you have retrieved your user name and password, you can probably log into D2L, but probably cannot see the class. This is the issue they are having. eCampus is working to get this issue resolved, but since I have already sent you the materials to get started in the class, there should be no issue with you all buying books, creating your blog, logging into Yahoo Messenger, etc..... The materials that I sent you are exactly the same as they are on D2L. Email me at the class email address if there are any issues. Remember, I'm here to help! :)

Dear Summer Instructors,

We ran into a technical issue and were not able to load the most recent enrollment data to your Desire2Learn (D2L) course shell(s). If you are receiving calls/messages from students that they are not able to access D2L or your specific course, this is likely the reason. ECampus is working with the CMS/PeopleSoft group to address this problem which we plan to have solved by the end of the day (Monday, June 7). Thank-you for your patience as we resolve this.