s16
s16
Spring 2016
GERON 302 (10489) (10437) (10717)
PSYC 374 (10481), (10490), (10718)
Selfie
of Professor Sue
INSTRUCTOR
CONTACT INFORMATION
Office: Behavioral/Social Sciences
Division
: Davies Hall/office Rm.303
Home office 530-205-5307 ( for panic emergencies only please)
FAX: 916-484-8519
9am-1P.M. Wednesday
On Line: Tuesday 3-5 pm
F
PLEASE NOTE:
The class week runs from Monday morning at 12:05 A.M. and ends on the
following Sunday Night at 11:55 P.M.
When you finish reading this page you should proceed to the syllabus link. It is located at the top of this page and the top of the D2L page. You will also find a link to the syllabus at the top of most pages in this site. There are no required face-to-face meetings for this course. If someone would like to arrange a face-to-face get-together -- I'm in.
OPTIONAL- You can also enroll in a "free online course to help you learn how to use Desire2Learn (D2L), Through five quick and easy self-paced modules, you will learn how to successfully use D2L's online tools. During the semester you can return to the course as often as you wish or complete it in one session. It takes most students less than two hours to complete. Once you have finished the course, you will be able to print your D2L Free Sample Class Certificate of Completion." See your D2L home page for information
You can also ask for help from your colleagues at the discussion boards each week. Put the word "HELP" in the subject line of your post. Everyone is welcomed to help each other. If you know the answer to your colleague's questions please help out. It's fun to learn from each other. Especially new technology tricks .
Caution, this class does not utilize ALL of the D2L features such as:
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Content Area |
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Drop Box |
Instead it uses the KISS method (keep it simple stupid) by utilizing an "Assignment Link" . This link shows week-by-week what is expected of students. Most students really like this because all of the assignments are there for you to see at the beginning of the semester thus allowing you to know what is expected of you and to work ahead of required posting dates if desired.
It is expected that you have very basic word processing and e-mail skills to complete this course. We will, however help each other with most everything else. If you question your skills email me . If you logged on to this site, you probably have enough skills to complete the course.
For those a bit more advanced you might like to know that the Assignment link is linked out to another server. Here is the external link to the Assignment page http://ic.arc.losrios.edu/~wards/302gero/Assignment_Menue.htm If d2L is ever down you can access your assignments using this URL.
ACCESSIBILITY :
Every attempt has been made to accommodate students with learning disabilities. Text follows all audio and video files and tags have been instituted in all graphics. If you find something that needs additional accommodations please report it to me at wards@arc.losrios.edu. Please put the words Gero302 or PSYCH 374 in the subject line of all your emails. It puts them in the class folder so as not to get lost in the 300 + emails I receive each week.
QUESTIONS and HOW TO CONTACT ME
When you don't understand something I want you to ask. I don't want you to wait and then fall behind and feel lost when you finally get help. There are lots of ways to find both clarification and help. If you don't hear back from me within 24 hours (except week ends and holidays) assume I did not get your message. I check this site often and during school hours will reply with one day.
You can either :
use the threaded discussion to ask questions (remember to put the word "HELP" in the subject line. ) and if you are able, answer your class mates questions.
email me wards@arc.losrios.edu
use the instant message feature in D2L
call me at school- 916 484-8160
call my home office 530-205-5301
fax me- 916 484-8519
Find the weekly email I send to each of you with instructions and comments
check the Announcement page of this class' web site
use the CLASS LIST to contact a class mate. (you might not have access to every name you see on the board. If you want to contact some one not on your list email me and I will let them know.
contact me for a one-on- one session either in my office or electronically.
Read the syllabus take time to surf around the course site. Get a feel of how things are organized. If you find that you need one-on-one help or if you think you would benefit from a face-to-face orientation contact me and I will arrange a time for us to meet.
WHERE ELSE TO GET HELP
New to the web? Don't worry. Help will always be available. Here are the many ways to find help
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Post your question to the "Discussion" area and use the word "HELP" in the subject line of your posting. That way, we will all know to respond to your posting immediately and you can receive help or assistance from other classmates. Please help classmates as you are able. Many times other students have the same question that you have and discussing them at the discussion link will help everyone gain a better understanding. Students will guide those discussions and I will only step in when asked or when clarification needs to be made. |
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Read and respond to
other's "HELP" questions.
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When all else fails, use the telephone and call my office at 916-484-8160. Tell me the best time to contact you if we play phone tag. If you are panicked and its an emergency home office is 530 205-5301. |
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WHERE's THE BEEF- ASSIGNMENTS?
The instructions FOR ALL class assignments as mentioned above are found each week at the "Assignment's Link" located at the top of the D2L pages and at the top of most pages in this class.
The "Assignment" link is the hub of this course. Reading across the columns you will find all the quiz due dates, text book readings assigned, lectures, web discussion topics and electronic handouts located there. Ever wonder what's due? Go to the assignment link and look under the current week.
DISCUSSION BOARDS
Look for the column heading "Web Discussion Topics" at the Assignment Link to find the materials needed for each week's discussion board postings.
In case you missed it above (skipping around reading can be hazardous to your grade) you will note that all the lectures and assignments are posted there upfront (except for the final post, more about that later) for those of you who like to work ahead. We will however post to the "Discussion" board and complete weekly quizzes week-by-week together.
Discussion boards are academic centered and are not BLOGS. Your posts and replies MUST have class materials and citations in them. That is the minimum requirement for a passing grade. Pay attention, there is a huge amount of points assignment to these postings. It is impossible to do well in the class if you miss too many postings or receive low grades too often. If you are unsure of your post send it to me several days before it is due and I will give you feed back. Again, please be sure to put Gero 302 or Psych 374 in the subject line of any emails you send to me. That way they go into the class email box and I find them sooner
Information on how your posts are graded can be found here- Grading Criteria for Discussions
You should only post to the Discussion board after you:
Complete the text readings
Read the week's lecture notes
Most discussion topics/ assignments will require web research, others will simply be from the text or your own discovery. If you post opinions or WAGS and not necessarily facts or SWAGS you must tell us that this is your opinion. See below for WAGS and SWAGS
Your answers must be SWAGS and opposed to WAGS (yes look it up on the web they are real terms)
SWAGS are scientific wild-ass guesses, (which are preferred because they are based on class materials) as opposed to WAGS which are just wild-ass guesses. WAGS are for fun and conversation. They are not eligible for credit. You can still post " I think" or "It's my opinion" to express yourself but those usually do not satisfy the assignment unless you are specifically asked for your opinion in the assignment.Ground all your posts in class materials and not gleaned from web sites not used in class. You must be very careful on the web. There are many inaccurate sites especially concerning the elderly.
We will complete an exercise in class to help you sift through the trash and BLOGS on the web. Make sure your postings are grounded in theory and readings. Back up your statements by telling us where you got that information (citing it). Also, make sure your materials come from class and class links. Surfing the internet to find answers often leads to inappropriate answers especially on quizzes . For example we will be discussing convoys in gerontology which certainly are very different than convoys described on the internet.NOTE: In the beginning the class will be very full and approximately 50 students will be on each board. Not to worry, sad as it is statistically, more than 50% will drop in the first few weeks. Just like the parking lot at school, after the 4th week, the numbers thin out and we will develop a core group that will get to know each other-- so hang in there.
IN'S AND
OUT'S OF THE DISCUSSION BOARDS:
The discussions are threaded, meaning that each
student starts a new thread with their assignment and each
response to that topic is posted under the thread as a
reply. The discussions will correspond to the "Web Topics"
you find at the
Assignment Link each
week. This will be obvious after you surf the site .
If you have not already done so read
Grading
Criteria for Discussions Please note the requirement to post on two different days.
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The most common mistake students make
with weekly postings is forgetting to post A
SECOND REPLY OR
NOT POSTING on two
separate days. I don't care how you divide it up.
Post as much as you like however. The more you post the
more interesting the class is (up to a limit I suppose
:-). |
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If you would like to send a reply
specifically to someone you may put TO: their name
and FROM your name. |
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Note that all your posts and quizzes need to be
posted before 11:55 P.M.. on the last day of class
for the week it is due. Where do you find these due
dates? Yep that's correct, at the Assignment
Link which is located both at the top of this page
and the top of the D2L page (they go to the same
place). |
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Effort has
EVERYTHING to do with the number of points you receive.
We can all spot lazy posts-- they really are a
bummer
and if you copy your classmates assignments you are
committing plagiarism. |
Please remember
that plagiarism
is a serious offense and can result in your being
dropped from this course with a grade of F. The
incident, by school policy, must also be reported to the
proper college authorities for appropriate disciplinary
action .
Please, don't
risk your college career. If you notice a
posting that looks too much like yours, please drop me a
line.
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I know that all of your responses may not be 'brilliant', but I do look forward to thoughtful participation and evidence you have done the research and are familiar with the materials at hand. NOTE |
ATTENDANCE
If you miss three week's postings you might be dropped from the course. Postings constitute coming to class. If you don't post I have no way of know you are in class. So, you must post to remain in this class. If this happens you must contact Admissions and formally drop the course or you will receive a grade of F on your transcripts.
EXTRA CREDIT: Extra credit is peppered all through out this course. It will show up in unsuspecting places. It is your reward for making your way though all the web site pages.
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Extra credit is only available for students who have posted their assignments and replies and received a passing grade on both. |
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Please note, any extra credit offerings must be completed in the week they are offered. |
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Any grade dispute must be done within two weeks of the assignments offerings and all requests must accompanied either a reference to the original assignment or my reply email that I received it. Make sure your points are posted within that same week also. After two weeks adjustments can not be made. |
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Be sure to check the method of submitting extra
credit. If, for example, I ask you to send me an email and you mistakenly
post it to the discussion board you will not only lose the points but no one
else will then be eligible for the points because the answer has been
posted. |
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If the assignment requires you to email the answers to
me I will reply that I received it. |
__________________________________________________________________________________
Most weeks I will send out an email to the entire class commenting on the prior week, clarifying assignments etc. To receive these each student will need to have their Los Rios Gmail (e-mail) account activated. One has already been assigned to you when you enrolled. It can be forwarded to your current email account so you don't have to check two accounts each week. Be sure to do this You probably won't want to miss my announcements. Also, we will occasionally be e-mailing assignments back and forth . This class does not utilize the DROP BOX in the course. Your final grade will also be posted at the Gmail site before it goes out snail mail.
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You can activate this account (its called GMail by logging on to https://apps.losrios.edu/login.html look for the info on how to forwarded to any email you want to use. |
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After that you can access your account from anywhere you have internet access. See the Information Technology Center (ITC) on campus if you need help. District Help Desk - (855) 321-3232 |
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School
policy does not allow me to email grades, sorry.
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SENDING ME E-MAIL
I have set up a special e-mail box for this course. To submit to this box you
will need to put either Gero302 or Psych374 in
the subject line of your e-mail message so it is not lost in the 300 plus emails
I receive each week. You should get a response from me within 48 hours
(usually faster unless its the week-end). If you do not, I did not get it
and you will need to contact me
before any deadlines or you run the risk of not receiving
credit for your work. So allow plenty of time for techno glitches. Technical
difficulties are not an adequate reason for a late work.
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Save a copy of all your emails from me on your hard-drive in the unlikely case you do not receive credit for an assignment or in the event of a system crash. Without this documentation there is no way to know if the assignment was submitted on time. |
I am always willing to pre-read any assignments, interview postings etc., one week before their due dates. I will read them, make comments, and return them. This will allow you to make the needed changes before the due date to ensure a "A" on the assignment. Please note when you send it that it is being submitted for a preview grade. These submissions must be complete works and not drafts.
FRUSTRATION ?
On-Line learning can be challenging. Remember, learning takes place when you are thinking outside the box which is usually outside your comfort level.
Sometimes frustration and even excitement are signs that new learning is about to take place. These feelings are normal and often the path to higher learning.
The diagram above illustrates how your knowledge base increases in size. The input of new knowledge combines with your current body of knowledge to produce a larger knowledge base. While new information is outside your knowledge base it creates uneasiness because it is foreign and unfamiliar.
Once you learn how a certain task is done, it becomes part of your knowledge base and your knowledge box increases in size, (along with your comfort level).
I tell you this because many first time on-line students will find that the first three weeks or so of an on-line course requires patience while learning how to navigate the new environment. To succeed you need the willingness to ask questions and the ability to feel discomfort. You should know that about 40% of all new on line students drop during these first few weeks, I don't want you to be one of them.
COURSE INFORMATION
Check the dates for each week. Class runs from Monday at 12:05.a.m. to the next Sunday night at 11:55 p.m.. Check the clocks on your computer if you are a last-minute sort of person. The quizzes and discussion boards close automatically and often computer clocks can be off by as much as 15 minutes. All quizzes and postings to the Discussion Boards must be done before the end of class to receive credit. Sites can not be reopened once they are closed for the week.
SUBMITTING QUIZZES AND ANY EXTRA CREDIT ASKED FOR:
Quizzes will be on D2L and will be open book and open note. I know -- this excites many of you. But don't be mislead, if you do not do the reading and complete the Web Discussion assignments you will not pass the quizzes in the allotted time period. Late quizzes are never accepted- for any reason. If I accept yours I would have to extend the offer to all sections of the class. There will be however one make-up quiz offered at the end of the semester to replace a low score or a missed quiz.
Please don't post your assignment as an attachment or send me any attachments. I prefer that you cut and past into your email any work you want to submit (such as extra credit). The school's server sees them as spam. Thanks
BROKEN RECORD NOTICE (OR IS IT A SCRATCHED CD?): Everyone Please use gero302 or psych374 in the subject line of all e-mail messages that you send to me. Thanks
TECHNO GLITCHES
You need to understand that this type of technology will have some glitches. For example, when I post each assignment the internet link is active or "hot". That does not guarantee they are still active when you get there. If you find a broken link, or if you find an outstanding link that relates to the subject we are studying, please let me (and the class know ). Ill need to know the page (URL) address of any broken links you find and where you found it in the course. Try to access them at least twice before you are sure they are broken. Sometimes it's just a server problem.
Computers sometimes crash, servers go off line, assignment links may go dead. Be patient. I check the site several times a week and will attempt to correct our techno glitches. Post any problems in the discussion area (put" HELP" in the subject line) to bring it to my attention and send me an email.
Lastly, I want you to know that I just adore teaching gerontology and especially on line. I keep close tabs on the class and I want you to have a good experience. It is your responsibility to let me know if you need help. I want you to succeed!!! Have a great course- see you in the discussion area.
Professor Ward- but you can call me Sue
P.S. I sometimes leave messages for you on the discussion board. Check for entries entitled: NOTE FROM INSTRUCTOR. - Now check the syllabus link to continue your orientation.
Return to:
Orientation: Class Home Page
American River College: Home Page
E-Mail: Instructor
Gerontology Program Home Page