Course Description:

This class is designed for the beginning teacher to get started.  It focuses on planning, organizing and interacting with your students.  The student will complete a series of lessons, assignments, discussions, as well as quizzes and tests.

Course Objectives:

The course objectives should be stated clearly so that they can be related to the expected learning outcomes in each section or module of the course and to the goals of the overall assessment process.

None

Lessons should be completed in sequential order.  The discussion each week will center on the lesson for that week as well as any questions or comments posted by students or the professor.

Students will complete a series of assignments; quizzes; tests and participate in online discussions.  The discussions are often considered the most valuable component of this class and participation will be graded weekly.

No text book is required.

No supplementary materials are required.

The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm. Specific hardware requirements for this course include...

The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm. Specific hardware requirements for this course include...(A list of software the student is required to purchase or download for the course, Real Player, Media Player, Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Office, etc).

Please see the separate page inside the course to find instructor contact information as well as a statement of virtual office hours and other communication information.

Tests may be completed online from any location.  Each quiz/test will indicate the time frame allowed to complete the items.

Assignments                       Due Date                      Points

1. Assignment 1                Jan. 31                           5
2. Assignment 2                Feb. 7                          15
3. Assignment 3                Feb. 14                        15
4. Assignment 4                Feb. 28                        50
5. Assignment 5                Mar. 21                        10
6. Assignment 6                Mar. 28                        10
7. Assignment 7                Apr. 4                          20
8. Assignment 8                Apr. 11                        20
9. Assignment 9                Apr. 25                        35

Weekly Discussion will run from Tuesday to Tuesday and will be worth 10 points per week for a total of 150 points.

Two quizzes will be worth 35 points each for a total of 70 points.

The Mid-term and Final are each worth 50 points for a total of 100.

The maximum number of possible points is 500.

You can earn a total of 500 points in this class as outlined above. 

451-500 =A

401-450 = B

351-400 = C

301-350 = D

< 301     = F

Assignments                     Due Date                   Points

1. Assignment 1                Jan. 31                           5
2. Assignment 2                Feb. 7                           15
3. Assignment 3                Feb. 14                         15
4. Assignment 4                Feb. 28                         50
5. Assignment 5                Mar. 21                         10
6. Assignment 6                Mar. 28                         10
7. Assignment 7                Apr. 4                           20
8. Assignment 8                Apr. 11                         20
9. Assignment 9                Apr. 25                         35

Each assignment corresponds to the lesson of the same number.  The points available for each assignment are listed.  Remember that the assignments (except for the last one) will be accepted late (up to a maximum of 1 week) but will receive an automatic 50% in available points for being late.  If you find yourself falling behind and experiencing problems, be sure to contact me so we can address your issues.

While this class will never meet in a tradition face-to-face classroom, you will  be working with and helping each other.  This will be accomplished through the weekly discussions.  When you enter the discussion, you should remain in the same thread to participate in the existing conversation.  If you are posting a different topic/question, you should initiate a new thread.  Participation in the discussions is the most valuable component in this class.  Active participation is anticipated in each of the discussions.

While some  of you may choose to work faster than the outline indicates, it is very important to complete your assignments and post them no later than the due date.  Utilize the schedule of due dates to keep yourself on track and avoid any late penalties.

 

This class is broken down into a series of lessons.  Each lesson will include a reading that I have posted.  That reading will be in place of a lecture in a traditional class.  Just as you would ask a question in a traditional classroom you can ask me questions about the material presented.  In the WebCT format you will ask your questions by email.  Please be as specific as you can in asking (phrasing) your question.  I want to be certain that I understand what you are asking before I try to respond.  Please communicate with me for this class, using the WebCT email structure.

Once you have completed the reading of a particular lesson, you will have an assignment to complete.  The assignments are listed in the assignment section of the class on WebCT.  You will find the specific assignment, and the date it is due.  All assignments are to be posted on the website or emailed to me, according to the directions, no later than 4:00pm Central time on the day the assignment is due.  Assignments, except the final assignments, will be accepted up to one week late, but with a grade reduction of 50% of the maximum points.  Final assignments will not be accepted late and will receive zero points if not submitted by the established date.  Of course, you are welcome to submit any assignment early.

Each week you will find Discussion questions.  Participation in the discussions is a course requirement for which you will receive 10 points per week.  During discussions you will have the opportunity to discuss the lesson involved, as questions of fellow students, explain to the class how you have already dealt with a particular circumstance and suggest thoughts to others on how to prepare for or respond to a particular issue.  I will initiate most discussions, monitor your interactions and occasionally enter in myself.  The Discussion, however, is designed for you to interact with your fellow students, seek help and offer suggestions based upon your experiences.  While you are not required to be online at any specific time, discussions will occur weekly that will show on the course calendar.  You are expected to participate in the discussions, by making postings to the discussion page, during the time window of the discussion.  Each time window will span a week and include weekends.  Once the week for a particular discussion ends, WebCT will close that discussion and you will not be able to make further postings.

It will be helpful if you practice navigating in WebCT before you attempt to complete assignments or enter into discussions.  If you have difficulties, you can always call or email  the Help Desk (see below for number/address).  Help is available 24 hours a day.

Please remember to use your assigned college or university email address and not a personal address when communicating with each other, the professor or the Help Desk.

• Columbia Guide to Online Style by Janice R. Walker and Todd Taylor
• Citation Styles Online http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite6.html

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in the Regents Degree Program. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading must be included in all courses. 

Students With Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Technical Support

If you are having problems logging into your course,
timing out of your course, using your course web site tools, or other technical problems, please contact the AskRODP Help Desk by calling

1-866-550-7637 (toll free)

or go to the AskRODP website at:

http://help.rodp.org