Bb Collaborate - Introduction to New Format - recording_1

Hi, INRW 0340.

Welcome back to ACC.

I hope that you had, was able to relax
on your extended Spring Break.

But now we're back to
finish out the semester.

I'm using this medium as a way to
introduce, the way, um,

the structure of the course,
um, through May.

Due to the virus that's, you know,
crippling our country,

ACC has decided that all courses,
face-to-face courses, will move online,

and so that includes us.

So I want to kind of cover a
few things that, um, have changed.

Um, and so you can be mindful
of that and respond accordingly.

A couple of days ago, I uploaded
a revised, uh, syllabi,

or syllabus, excuse me, syllabus,

that outlines some changes that will be
made to your grading, as well as your,

um, assignment submissions
and as far as exams.

The first thing I want to address
is, uh, attendance.

Uh, for this course, prior to Spring Break,
there was a attendance requirement

and it was part of your grade.

Um, but it still stays, up until
Spring Break, but after Spring Break,

starting Monday, March the 30th,
the attendance will not be, um,

calculated the way that it was previously.

Basically your attendance is just you,

is your participation, your
getting your assignments done

your checking in, your doing your work,
that is your participation grade.

There will be no more attendance
taking going forward.

Another thing is your assignments.

All of your assignments will be
submitted through Blackboard.

I-I do believe, um, 0340, paired with
Sociology, has had extensive experience

with me uploading assignments
into Blackboard.

I'm not sure about 0430 with English 1301.

So you guys will have to reach out
to me if you're having difficulty,

not sure how to upload
assignments in Blackboard,

and I can do a little,
mini, um, introduction

to how to do that as well for you.

So just let me know.

Another thing that has changed
is, uh, your exams.

Your exams will—

We have two left in the semester and
they will all be on Blackboard.

Uh, they will be timed.

Most likely they will be open-book.

Uh, so, you, you, it's good that
you study, but you will

have the opportunity to use your notes.

The longer you're in your notes, the less
time you will have to finish your exam.

So take that in consideration.

So don't just go "I'm not gonna study,

I'm not gonna be prepared;

I'll just use my notes or
books when I get the test."

Remember, the test is timed, so if
you are constantly looking up things,

you're more likely gonna run
out of time to finish your exam.

And that will count against you.

So just be mindful of that.

Another thing with your assignment
submission, uh, previously, you had

an extra day past the due date
to turn in your assignments,

because of this changes, because of the
changes that are happening,

I've decided to go ahead and
allow an extra week.

And that assignment will be,
there will be a due date,

and it will be at midnight that you
have to submit your work.

It will not be taken after
that time period.

So, for instance, if I say the due date
is March the 30th, you have until,

I believe it's, uh, April, I think, 7th.

It's on time March the 30th, but it's late

between March the 30th and April the 7th.

And after April the 7th,
it will not be accepted.

So you will have a week to get it done.

So, and you'll lose 10% or 10 points,
whichever is greater, on the assignment.

I've outlined that in your syllabus.

So please take this time to
go ahead and look at it.

Like I said, it's been updated in the
Syllabus Textbook section of Blackboard.

Um, another thing that has
changed is, of course,

how we are going to be communicating

with one another.
Since we are not on campus,

then, um, email, uh, phone,
and live streaming

are going to be our options.

Uh, please email me, feel free
to email me, of course.

Uh, if my response or my reply
is going to be extensive,

I'll probably tell you to call me.

Um, or I could tell you, you know
these are some dates

I'm available so we can livestream,

and we can have this back
and forth conversation

or discussion about your question.

Um, I don't, I'm trying to
avoid sending long emails.

Uh, that's very cumbersome
and time consuming,

and then you're having to reply

and then there's a loss in translation
in terms of understanding

what's being said.

Did we accurately write what we meant?

So it's a lot, it's going to lead to
a lot of back and forth,

so I just want to minimize that
as much as possible.

So even if you ask me a question and
my reply is going to be extensive,

I'm going to reach back and say
call me or, you know, log in to, uh,

Blackboard collaborate for
further information.

Um, call my office: 512-223-0067.

Of course I'm not in my office,
but that number

has been forwarded to my private number.

Uh, so I will be more than happy to,
I'll be answering those.

If by chance you are reaching out to me
about the phone and I'm not responding,

then that must be a disconnect with
the phone, so send me an email

saying hey I've been trying to call you,

and then we'll, and then we'll
kind of go from there.

Um, what I want to emphasize with
this new format going online,

is that it's going to require a
significant amount of self-discipline and

a significant amount of self-motivation

for you to complete the course.

Because now, you're no longer
going to a class, coming on campus,

walking up the steps,
going into the classroom.

You're now going to have to be very
intentional about trying to sit down,

read what's available to
you, since you process that,

and do the work or reach out for
questions, and, uh,

questions, if you have questions
or need clarification.

So it's going to require a lot from you.

And so the stretching out of the homework
and those kinds of things,

I'm hoping is going to help
with the transition.

Please don't take advantage of it,
because I will not be able to respond

to something, um, if you have a
question the night before it's due.

That's not gonna work.

So, it didn't work when we were on campus,
trying to make that happen now

is almost, is gonna be almost
impossible to do as well.

Uh, I do, uh, there was a question
that was brought up to me, uh,

with my colleague, um,
in terms of availability.

You guys, I'm not available at night.

So, you know, trying to reach me
after 5:00 is off the table.

Get me during those office hours,
uh, which are on the syllabus.

Reach, you can reach me through
my office hours, but I will be responding

to you beyond the office hours, if I can.

But definitely not, you know,
in the evening.

Um, so, just because we're online
doesn't mean I'm, you know, I don't want

you to think that I'm available 24 hours,
that's not the case.

Uh, but I will try to respond to you
timely, you know, timely because I will be

sitting and working and doing,
you know, on the computer.

Uh, please be, uh, patient with me as
I'm learning this new medium.

Um, I'm, this was a severe crash course
in even putting this video together.

It took me three days to do this.

Uh, so I'm now trying to figure out how
to edit my videos, so you're probably

gonna get a lot of stuff you don't want
to hear, or some weird things.

I apologize to you up front about that.

Hopefully I'll get better in editing
by the end of the semester.

If not, we're just, just push through it,
just push through it,

cause our goal, our goal and
objective is to finish

this semester and finish it successfully.

Um, if there is a concern
about your grade,

all I can tell you is stay on top of it

and make an effort.

Make an effort.

Self-discipline is what it's gonna take.

And make an effort.

Uh, questions, don't, you know,
don't hesitate to ask.

I will also, I also encourage you to,
uh, at the beginning of the semester

I told you about the sending
an email link in Blackboard,

on the left side of your screen
to your classmates or peers,

I strongly encourage you to communicate
with one another about,

on topics, clarification or
those kinds of things.

Don't just feel like I'm the only one
that can talk to you.

I will be available.

But, you know, you have
other sources to use.

So please use those.

Um, prior to the Spring semester,

we did some extensive note taking on SQ3R

which is guiding the rest of our
assignments for the remaining semester.

It is important that you have those notes
accessible, um, and refer to those notes.

In addition, we also, you took
lots of notes weeks

early on main idea and supporting detail

make sure that you have
access to those as well.

If you don't, then please use the send
an email link to your peers to get

that information because I don't
have any notes for you.

You're going to have to reach out
to your peers to get that information.

Um, I will say that Blackboard will still
be organized in the way its always been.

The current, because what we're talking
about now, if you need anything

that happened a week ago, previous week,
then you're going to have to go

to the previous folder, previous
week folder, open it up, and then search

for the information you're looking for.

So I'm trying to keep that as,
um, familiar as possible.

Uh, these are trying times,
but we can do this.

We will do this.

Um, I'm very confident in what you can do.

I'm very confident in what I can do.

And between the both of us, this is,
we're gonna end this on a high note.

Again if you have any questions,
please reach out and ask.

But, uh, practice, uh,
good social distancing.

Stay safe.

Stay healthy.

Get out and breathe some fresh air.

Get some exercise when you can.

Thank you so much.

And I look forward to visiting
with you in the near future.

Thank you.