WELCOME TO ELRL 631-80!
Written Expression with Technology
Welcome to everyone! I look forward to working together in this intensive course and want to share some useful information with you. For some of you this will be your first time taking an online course. For some of you this will be your first time taking an online course with me as your teacher. And for some of you this will be the second or third online course you have taken with me. So, some of what I say below will be new and some of it will be “old!” I appreciate your patience if this is a repetition of what you have already heard in my other courses …
First, please be sure to print out this letter and keep it handy! Also, be very, very sure you read all of this information very, very carefully! I provide this information in the form of frequently asked questions:
How/when does class begin?
Right now! As soon as you receive this welcome letter please send me an email (be sure to put ELRL 631 in the subject box) acknowledging that you have read and understood the welcome letter. Also be sure to include any questions you may have and finally, be sure to watch your email for a reply from me.
How will I be able to do homework when we have to meet every day?
I can’t imagine that we will have time to do “homework (reading)” between October 19-October 30 so here are your “homework (reading)” assignments which I want you to complete BY October 19 at 8:00, p.m. Here is what you need to do:
1) Read your text book, the writer autobiography book, and the various position papers listed below by October 19. Keep a journal (in addition to whatever underlining and marginal notes you like to make) in which you record your reactions to the readings so that you can refer to these notes when we address these readings in class.
2) Purchase a web camera (you can purchase one for under $30—this camera and one book will be the extent of your purchases for this course). There are a wide variety of cameras you can choose and I don’t have any specific recommendations. You don’t need anything very expensive, though.
3) Go to the website, www.skype.com and explore it. Be sure to look for the areas that address webcamera and conference calls. (Try not to stress this—we will spend October 19 learning how to do this together—I just want you to have a “feel” for this site!)
4) Check out our Blackboard (BB) class by logging into Blackboard from the WPUNJ homepage. Click on the link for the course and “take a look around” … depending on when you visit there may be a few items for you to review.
Any questions/problems/concerns about 1-3 please share these with me in your email …
What is the required textbook I need to purchase and where/how do I get it? Are there any other readings?
You are required to read, before October 19, one of the books below. In earlier reading courses we learned and experienced the role that “choice” plays in reading. So, I want you to choose, from my list, a book that you would like to spend your hard earned money on!!! Your second criteria for this selection … choose a book because you want to learn more about the writing issues for the particular age group the book addresses … you might select a book because it explores writing issues for the grades you work with … or you might choose a book because you want to learn about writing for a group of children you don’t work with … you might choose a book because the age group matches your own children’s ages or matches a niece or nephew or grandchildren who you have (Note that I am trying to be very non-ageist here! J ). Spend some time browsing the publisher websites to review the texts and then make an informed decision. Purchase your book wherever you wish but be very sure to read this book before our class begins. I don’t expect there will be time between October 19-October 30 to do this type of “homework.” Also note that I have built into the course hours this “homework.”
Required Textbooks—Choose ONE!
· Anderson, Jeff. (2005). Mechanically Inclined: Building Grammar, Usage, and Style into Writer’s Workshop. York, ME: Stenhouse. .www.stenhouse.com or (800) 988-9812 (Setting is middle school children but can be appropriate for all grade levels.). Note that this text is available as an e-book, too.
· Christensen, Linda. (2000). Reading, Writing, and Rising Up: Teaching about Social Justice and the Power of the Written Word. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools. www.rethinkingschools.org or (800) 669-4192 (middle school and high school)
· Fletcher, Ralph. (2006). Boy Writers: Reclaiming their Voices. York, ME: Stenhouse. www.stenhouse.com or (800) 988-9812. (all grade levels, especially middle school.)
· Stead, Tony. (2001). Is that a Fact? Teaching Nonfiction Writing K-3. York, ME: Stenhouse.
· Routman, Regie. Writing Essentials: Raising Expectations and Results While Simplifying Teaching. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. www.heinemann.com (grades K-6).
· Wilson, Lorraine. (2006). Writing to Live: How to Teach Writing for Today’s World. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. (K-6)
Writer Autobiography—Choose ONE!
· Cofer, Judith Ortiz. Woman in Front of the Sun: On Becoming a Writer. Available at Barnes and Noble.com and Amazon.com
· King, Stephen. On Writing. Available at Barnes and Noble.com and Amazon.com (I am aware that this text is much longer than the Cofer book so you can just read ½ of this text if you choose it)
Required Reading: Position Papers—Follow Directions Below!
Group One List:
Everyone must read the following 4
1) NCTE Policy Brief: Writing Now
http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/PolicyResearch/WrtgResearchBrief.pdf
2) NCTE Position Statement: Beliefs about the Teaching of Writing
http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/writingbeliefs
3) NCTE Policy Brief: 21st Century Literacies
http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/PolicyResearch/21stCenturyResearchBrief.pdf
4) CCCC Position Statement: Writing Assessment a Position Statement
http://www.ncte.org/cccc/resources/positions/writingassessment
Group Two List:
From the group below, everyone must select at least two:
1) National Day on Writing
http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Involved/DayonWriting/NDW_Flier.pdf
2) From ReadThinkWrite: Audience, Purpose and Language Use in Electronic Messages (middle level)
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=159
3) NCTE Position Statement: Guideline—How to Help Your Child Become a Better Writer
http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/howtohelpenglish
4) NCTE Position Statement: Resolution On Grading Student Writing
http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/gradingstudentwrit
5) CCCC Position Statement: Teaching, Learning and Assessing Writing in Digital Environments
http://www.ncte.org/cccc/resources/positions/digitalenvironments
Exception to the Group Two List
If you absolutely can’t find anything in the Group Two List above, then you may select any two from the follow:
NCTE Position Statements on Writing
http://www.ncte.org/positions/writing
What about our class meeting times? When will we be required to meet online?
Here is our schedule from October 19-October 30 … (Just a reminder that this is a full graduate course that is required to meet for 45 graduate credit hours … FYI: I have included 9 hours for you to read and email me about this welcome letter—I will reply and give you a few questions to respond to, browse through and select your textbook, learn to work the web camera, and explore skype.)
October 19—from 8:00-10:00, p.m. We will meet on BB and set up our skype account at that time.
***Between October 19 at 10:00, p.m. and
October 21 at 8:00, p.m. you will be
expected to participate for 2 additional hours asynchronously by logging into the BB course.
October 21—from 8:00-10:00, p.m. we will meet online, location to be announced.
***Between October 21 at 10:00, p.m. and
October 22 at 8:00, p.m. you will be
expected to participate for 2 additional hours asynchronously.
October 22—from 8:00-10:00, p.m. We will meet online
in skype.
***Between October 22 at 10:00, p.m. and
October 23 at 8:30 you will be expected to
participate for 2 additional hours
asynchronously.
October 23—from 8:00-10:00, p.m. We will meet online
in skype.
October 23—from 10:00, p.m.-October 24—10:00, p.m.
you will be expected to participate for 2 hours
asynchronously. ***
October 24—from 10:00, p.m.-October 25—10:00, p.m.
you will be expected to participate for 2 hours
asynchronously. ***
October 25—from 10:00, p.m.-October 26—8:00, p.m.
you will be expected to participate for 2 hours
asynchronously. ***
October 26—from 8:30-10:00, p.m. We will meet online
in skype.
***Between October 26 at 10:00, p.m. and
October 28 8:30, p.m. you will be expected
to participate for 2 additional hours
asynchronously. ***
October 28—from 8:30-10:00, p.m. We will meet online
in skype.
***Between October 28 at 10:00, p.m. and
October 29 at 8:30, p.m. you will be
expected to participate for 2 additional hours
asynchronously.
October 29—from 8:30-10:00, p.m. We will meet online
in skype.
***Between October 29 10:00, p.m. and October
30 at 8:30, p.m. you will be expected to
participate for 2 additional hours
asynchronously. You will be expected to
complete and submit your final exam to me
electronically.
How Often Must I Participate/Log On?
Please note that a significant part of your grade is based on your attendance and participation. Unlike a traditional class where you are physically present and you can use your body to indicate involvement and interest by raising your hand, calling out/or speaking to a neighbor, your presence on-line can only be “felt” when you log-on and post a message. So, please be sure to log-on and post a message at least ONE TIME per asterisk (*) above. I will evaluate your participation by the quantity and quality of your contributions to questions and/or comments your classmates and I offer as well as your own postings of questions and reflections. Your comments and questions should be engaging, academic, thoughtful, and designed to support and encourage our learning. The purpose in logging on frequently is so that we can maintain an on-going conversation and participation levels that meet the needs of all the students.
One more word about participation and contributions … I do not consider a posting like, “I agree” or “What do you think?”, or any personal comments (such as: “Do you know ‘so-and-so’?”, “Did I meet you in last year’s class?”, etc.) as thoughtful, academic, and learning-supportive comments.
Will We Ever Meet On Campus?
NO!
The information that follows is similar to what I distribute for CIRL 617 and CIRL 625 … You are all responsible for it …
Does my computer need to be able to do anything special?
In addition to the technical recommendations given to you by the WPUNJ IT services, you need to be sure you:
o Have an up-to-date antivirus program running at all times throughout the course;
o Submit all documents using Microsoft Word. Word Perfect, Works and other word processing systems are not accepted … If you use an Apple/Mac, be sure to learn how to save files in “rich text format” so that I can read your them … all Mac users will need to send me their work in this format. Any questions? Contact WPUNJ IT services…;
o Download the Adobe Acrobat Reader (information for this free download is available through WPUNJ IT services;
o Download the Powerpoint Viewer (available on the WPUNJ Blackboard homepage) if you do not have powerpoint on your computer;
o Consider using a high-speed internet access line rather than a telephone connection (I recommend this but it is not required).
o If you have VISTA be sure to learn how to save a file in “RTF” … contact BB for help with this.
o Do NOT use file names for your documents that have any characters in them except letters and numbers … do not use !, @, #, $, %, ^, &, *, (.\>, etc.!!
What do I do if I have a technical problem?
Contact Blackboard immediately for any/all technical problems you have. BB Support Center Form (http://euphrates.wpunj.edu/bb/sc/ )
A copy of your completed form is sent to me so that I know you have registered your problem in the proper location (the Blackboard tech support people will respond within 24 hours, often just as quickly on weekends). If your technical problem is a BB issue and you do not register your problem officially with BB I can not give you credit for missed/late work.
You can email Blackboard directly even if you can’t log onto the WPUNJ homepage or the Blackboard homepage. You must be sure to tell them what course you are in and what your problem is….a copy of your problem will be forwarded to me.
If you have your own computer problems I can not give you a “pass” until you resolve your problems. You need to find a working computer. Work from your school computer, your public library computer and/or come to the WPUNJ campus and use one of the numerous student computers available to you (you may need to show your WPUNJ ID card to do this, however.)
Note: If you have travel vacation plans I will still expect you to “attend” class. In previous semesters students have gone to Mexico, Hawaii and the Netherlands and still participated online.
[For anything having to do with class that is NOT technical, please feel free to contact me at: maluk@wpunj.edu; (973) 720-2679—! Please remember that I am a reading teacher—not a technical support person!]
Email Addresses
I expect you to use your WPUNJ student email account. In fact, WPUNJ expects you to use this account as well (For information regarding your account, check the BB homepage). They forward all important campus information to that account and you should check it regularly. I will hold you accountable for all communications that I need to forward to you at that account. As well, I expect you to email me from that account—if you use a different account I will not be responsible for ensuring that I will read and respond to your messages. A final reminder … be sure to check your account regularly and delete any unnecessary information as it may overload the account.
What Must I Do When I Can’t Log Onto Blackboard and/ or I Experience Other Technical Difficulties?
Please note that I am NOT a technology specialist. I am a reading teacher. I CAN NOT HELP with computer problems, including logging onto blackboard, losing e-mail messages, deciphering errors. BUT, there are marvelous, helpful, efficient, technology specialists who CAN help you.
There is information located on the Blackboard webpage (http://euphrates.wpunj.edu/bb/sc/) and a form to e-mail for help if you have trouble. Any technical problems will be responded to within 24 hours on weekdays and 48 hours on weekends (often within 24 hours even on weekends). If you experience technical difficulties you must do the following:
1) Complete and submit the BB Support Center form on the Blackboard page at http://euphrates.wpunj.edu/bb/sc/, The tech people forward a copy to me as well so we ALL know you are having a problem);
2) If you do not receive a reply within the designated time, contact the technical support again;
3) Please inform me of your problem but do NOT expect me to be able to help you. If you cannot complete an assignment because of technical problems, I expect to be able to find your complaint logged in with technical support services.
Please DO contact me during the course regarding questions, issues, and concerns about the academic content of our work together this semester.
Kathleen Malu at maluk@wpunj.edu or (973) 720-2679 (please leave a message). My on-campus office hours are Wednesdays, 12:00-3:00 and by appointment.
“Help, Teacher! I’ve never taken a course in cyberspace before!”
Don’t Worry! And, guess what? I have never taken one either! And, most of your classmates haven’t either! The chances are greater this semester than when I began teaching online 9 years ago that a few people have taken a cyberspace course before. However, I began my teaching online when not a single person had ever taken (or taught) an online graduate class at WPUNJ so I have lots of experience (and patience!) working with individuals who are new to online work!
So……. Relax! If you are new to cyberlearning … The more time you spend becoming familiar with Blackboard, the easier it will be. Don’t be afraid. Try everything—you can’t “break” the computer or erase/ruin the class!
Reach out for help! Most of my students with families have found this course becomes a marvelous way to extend family relationships, especially for teens who can help their parents navigate technology! The possibilities are enormous here. My students tell me that I am an open, patient, adventuresome teacher, willing to take risks on this cyberspace adventure! So, I hope you’ll “catch my spirit!”
I have now taught this course on-line for more semesters than I care to count! Based on these experiences, I have learned that the biggest problem students have is reaching out for help. In cyberspace, I can’t see “puzzled” faces—so you need to let me know whenever you have problems so that we can solve them together! I can not help you succeed if you do not tell me what I can do to help! Please … ask me for help! I will be delighted to support you and help you become successful! By asking for help, you give me valuable feedback and an opportunity to learn from and with you—something I find most exciting! Also, don’t wait until the last minute to tell me you are having difficulty….you should let me know immediately about your problem ….
Remember this: I believe we are here to help each other learn and make this cyberspace way of learning meaningful and helpful. I welcome you to this pioneering adventure of exploration and discovery. I encourage you to take risks, be creative, flexible, and patient! If you keep the metaphor of astronauts, spaceships and exploration in mind throughout the course—it will help you get through your fears (if you have any) and problems……
Most importantly: Good luck and see you soon in cyberspace!
And now we’re ………………
b l a s t i n g o f f !