1.Introductory Blog Post
What: Create an introductory post about yourself on our course blog.
Why: In order to allow your classmates to get to know you a bit more and to begin the process of identifying and understanding our own core values and their origins.
How: Using a list format, please identify five key facts about yourself. These should be things that, for one reason or another, are essential features of your identity, personality, or way of being in the world. For each of the five facts, write a few sentences explaining how this aspect of your identity helps to shape your perspective or behavior. (As an example, if I were completing this assignment, one of the items on my list might look like this: “I was raised by a single mom. This experience made me a feminist from a very early age. I always understood that women were just as capable and just as powerful as me, and I also observed some of the ways in which our society judges women by a different standard than we do men. Gender equality continues to be a very important issue for me.”)
Please include a picture with your post. It could be a photograph of you or some other image that is connected to the items on your list.
Create these posts by selecting the “Add New” option under “Posts” on the blog. Tag your post with the category “introductions” before posting it.
Due: Introductions should be posted by midnight on Sunday, August 30th.
2. Read and Comment on Blog Posts
What: Read your classmates’ introductions and offer a minimum of three comments.
Why: To continue to develop relationships with one another by connecting around some of the things we have in common.
How: Use the “comment” button to add a comment to a post. Your comment should be something substantive – more detailed than simply saying “me too” or “interesting.” You can comment on as many of your peers’ introductions as you like, but must leave a minimum of three comments.
Due: Comments should be posted before our Zoom call on Wednesday, September 2nd.
3. Read the Syllabus
What: Read and respond to our course syllabus.
Why: To understand what we can expect from English 2100 and to get started using our Slack channel.
How: You can find the syllabus on our course blog at the top of the home page. Read it carefully. Then go to our Slack channel (using the link that you can find by clicking on the “Technology” button on our blog’s homepage and then scrolling down until you see “Slack.” ) Once you are on slack, in the conversation titled #syllabus please share one thing that you learned from reading the syllabus and one question you have about the course.
Due: Your responses should be shared on Slack by midnight on Monday, August 31st.
4. Complete Technology Audit
What: Respond to a brief survey about your technology resources and experience.
Why: To give me a better understanding of what your resources are and what concerns you have about distance learning.
How: Use this link to access the form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1AVHCHU9jy5zTbq8PZmLTx261Oi71MbJE86NcPjH32iY/edit
Due: Please complete this form by Monday, August 31st.
5. Check Course Blog
What: Check for new posts on course blog.
Why: To see new assignments for week #2 and to establish the habit of logging on to the blog several times a week, especially on Mondays when new material will be posted.
How: Simply log on to the blog. Posts will always appear in the order in which they were posted, with the most recent posts on top. This may mean that you will need to scroll down to be sure that you have seen all the material that was posted since your previous log-on.
Due: Weekly assignments will be posted by 9 am each Monday.
