Final Blog Post

Hello Class!

This will be my final post to this blog *sheds a tear*. I hope that you have learned a bit over the course of the semester. My students never cease to amaze me. I think I learn just as much from my students, if not more, than my students learn from me. In short, I have had a great time with you this semester, and wish each of you a relaxing and happy summer.

Once I post the Group Facilitation grades to Blackboard, you should be able to easily calculate your grade on Blackboard. I will update grades on Blackboard and return your graded papers tonight. Simply add up all of your points and find your total on the following scale:

A 950-1000
A- 900-949
B+ 870-899
B 840-869
B- 800-839
C+ 770-799
C 740-769
C- 700-739
D+ 670-699
D 640-669
D- 600-639
F 600 and below

I will post grades at some point tomorrow, but I don't think they will be released for a day or two. The mysjsu system will release grades at its own pace.

I will check the class email address until Friday. After Friday, if you need to contact me, please do so at my SJSU email account, which can be found on my faculty webpage. I will no longer check the class email address after Friday, please make note of this!

Again, I have had a great time with you all this semester, and hope that you have a wonderful summer!

Signing off for the last time.....

The Blogging Prof

Grades Posted for the Discussion Week of May 9th - 15th

Hello Folks!

I have posted the discussion grades for May 9th - May 15th. Please take a look at your score and let me know if you have any questions.

Your Group Facilitation Papers should be returned to you via email in the middle of the week, so look out for that.

I will post one more time to this blog in the middle of the week (Wednesday or Thursday), to end the semester.

I hope finals week is kind to you.

:)
Carol

Final Exam Grades Posted - and Reminders

Hello class!

This morning I posted your grades for the final exam. As expected, some groups did better than others, but overall no one failed (wooohooo!). ;)

I will post the grades for the final discussion week sometime next week. Please DO NOT delete your blog yet. I will post a few more times, and will let you know when it is ok for you to delete your blogs.

Have a great day!
:)
Carol

Final Paper

Hello Folks!

It was a pleasure to finally meet you all in person.

I should have your final exam scores uploaded sometime this weekend. I will post a note on my blog when I have those tests scored and the scores uploaded.

I will have your papers returned to you next week by the end of finals week.

Have a great night! :)

Final Exam

Hello Folks!

Tomorrow evening is your final exam. Here is some information that you will need:

When? 5:15pm - 7:30pm

Where? HGH 122

What? Final exam

What should I bring? Your Epstein textbook and any notes you would like to use.
Are we doing anything else besides the test? Yes! You will complete the SOTE evaluation for Comm 41.

It's around dinner time, can I bring snacks? Yes, please bring whatever you'd like as long as it's not in the family of tuna sandwiches, Taco Bell, onion salad, hard boiled eggs, or anything else that might have a strong scent or distract your colleagues while taking the test.

Can I leave after I'm done with my test? Sure!

What if I take longer than the others to complete my test? I will stick around. No worries, I won't leave until every person is finished with the exam.

Is the test multiple choice, true false, essay and/or fill in? The exam is multiple choice - nothing more, nothing less. And let's face it, you don't want to write another essay, and I sure don't want to read another essay. ;)

If there are any other questions, please email me TONIGHT. I may or may not have access to email tomorrow morning. I will be on campus all day for meeting prior to the final exam and will most likely not be able to check my email. However, if you need to contact me in case of an emergency, please send an email and I will check it a few minutes before the final exam if possible (although I can't promise that I will have internet access before the final exam).

Office Hours

Hello Class!

I will be holding online office hours tomorrow from 9am to 11am. I will also be on campus on Thursday in case you want to drop by my office. If you want to meet with me in person, please send me an email so we can schedule a time to chat.

I hope you all are doing well during this very short, last week of classes.

Week of May 16-17

Hello Folks! Welcome to your last two day of class. The only responsibility you have this week is to study for the final exam. I will post more about the final exam on Wednesday.

I will be available through email all week. My office hours this week will be posted to this blog tomorrow.

Have a great evening!

Group Facilitation Paper

Hello Class!

I will send confirmation emails that I have received your project at some point tomorrow. I will not be online at midnight (at least I hope I won't be), so the replies will have to wait until tomorrow.

I hope you all have fabulous night!

Final Exam Date/Time/Location Reminder

Hello Class!

Our final exam is quickly approaching. The final exam for our class is scheduled for Thursday, May 20th @ 5:15pm and should last no later than 7:30pm. We will meet in Room HGH122. Please arrive early.

The exam is open book/open notes, so please come prepared. The test will cover everything we have learned throughout the semester, so make sure to review the book, websites, etc.... that I have provided you with throughout this course.

Remember to bring a pen or a pencil, your book, and any notes you think you may need.

I look forward to meeting you all in person on May 20th @ 5:15pm in HGH122.

REMINDER: Your Group Facilitation Paper is due by Friday, May 14th @ 11:59pm. Submit your papers early to avoid late penalty. (To review the late work policy, please see the syllabus).

Grades Posted for the Week of 4/25-5/1

Hello Folks!

I posted grades for the week of April 25th to May 1st. Please take a look at your grade and email me if you have any questions.

Check my blog tomorrow for a post about the FINAL EXAM!

Have a great evening!

Week of May 9 - May 15

Hello Class! I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend so far. Here is what's on the Schedule and Participation Pages for this week:

*Read Chapter 14: Generalizing

*Participate in Week 16 discussion

*The Group Facilitation Paper is due by Friday, May 14th @ 11:59pm. Please submit your papers early to avoid late penalty. Remember, this assignment is worth a full 20% of your final grade!!!

Class Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 12 hours apart:

1). Pick one concept from Chapter 14 that you found useful or interesting.

2). Discuss some of the things you learned throughout the semester in this course.

3). Pick one other concept in the book (any chapter) that you feel needs further discussion?

Remember to post 3 responses to your colleagues blogs during this discussion week.

***This is your final week of discussion - let's make it a great week!


REMINDER: Thursday, May 13th is a furlough day.

More Group Facilitation Questions

Hello Class!

I have been receiving some interesting questions from students across both of my Comm 41 classes about the final project in the course. Here is some additional information:

1). Read through the entire assignment carefully.

2). When you gather your group of 5-7 people (not including yourself), you will act as the facilitator and observer. You will NOT participate in the decision making process. Rather, you will be observing and asking questions.

3). Hand out the LAST page of the assignment sheet. (My apologies for including an additional "tip" at the top of the page. Tell your group to ignore that, as it is for you and not your group.)

4). Your group will then, INDIVIDUALLY, rank the people in order of who they would offer the job to first. This means that #1 on the list will be the most qualified candidate to each individual person. Have them write down, in descending order, who would qualify the most.

5). Have them write down "WHY" or a rationale for their decisions.

6). Have a group discussion about their ranking order and their reasoning.

7). You will then discuss the case as a group, and have the group make a decision about who is the most qualified. Make sure to focus on the discussion aspect of the assignment. This is where you will get examples of 'reasoning' and 'arguments'.

8). After a decision is made, and everyone agrees (by majority vote of course - not every single person has to agree), you will then have a discussion about HOW the group interacted. Follow the list of questions on the assignment sheet. Feel free to ask more questions though. Do not feel limited by what I have written down for you.

9). Right after the facilitation, while everything is still fresh in your mind, write down some notes. This is CRITICAL so you do not forget the arguments and reasoning. Remember to record sound reasoning as well as flawed reasoning.

10). As the assignment sheet states, you will need to include at least 4 concepts from the Epstein text, and at least 2 from the Small Group Communication text.

11). FOLLOW the grading sheet when writing and editing your paper. That grading sheet is EXACTLY how I will grade your essay.

Let me know if you have more questions about the final assignment. Remember, the final assignment (and video/audio/CD/DVD) needs to be submitted NO LATER than Friday, May 14th @ 11:59pm.

FAQ's about the Small Group Facilitation Project

Here is a re-post from my blog on April 14th. These are FAQ's about the Group Facilitation Project. Email me if you have additional questions, and I will post more FAQ's as they come in.




Hello Wonderful Students! I have come up with a frequently asked questions list to answer some questions that have come up over the last week or so about the Small Group Facilitation Project. Here they are:

1). Do I have to gather 5-7 people at the same time?
Yes - this is THE culminating project in this class and will cover concepts from both texts. Because it is a small group project, you will need to gather 5-7 people to make that happen. You can gather family, friends, folks from church, etc... to help you with this project. Promising people food is always a motivator.

2). Am I a part of the project?
Yes and No - You act as the facilitator of the project (see assignment sheet), but you will not be a part of the small group itself. You will ask probing questions to find patterns of small group communication, critical thinking, reasoning, arguments, etc.... but you will not be a part of that process. Rather, you will facilitate the process. Then you will write about what concepts emerged in the required essay.

3). What is the due date of the project?
The due date is no later than May 14th @ 11:59pm. Any submissions after 11:59pm (even one minute) will result in a 50% deduction. Since this project is a full 20% of your grade, make sure to turn it in early to avoid a FULL LETTER GRADE deduction.

4). I can't upload more than 10 minutes to youtube, what do I do?
You can do a number of things. You can split up your video into multiple parts and upload it that way. You can find another free video hosting website and upload it there. You can copy the facilitation onto a DVD and turn it into the Communication Studies Office. As long as I can verify that they facilitation took place with the minimum number of folks required, I will accept it.

5). I can't find 5-7 people. All of my friends are busy. What do I do?
You are more than welcome to work with a partner from the class to facilitate your projects. By this, I mean that you can work together on the facilitation ONLY. Your papers will be completely separate entities.

6). If I submit an audio tape will I get it back?
No. I cannot return the audio tapes.

7). What type of probing questions should I ask my group when I'm facilitating the discussion?
Whatever types of questions you would like. You might want to think it through ahead of time to possibly be prepared with some questions before your group arrives to your facilitation activity.

8). Since this is a small group project, will I be working with the same group from class?
No - this is an individual project that encompasses a small group component. You will gather 5-7 family members, friends, acquaintances and facilitate the group project. If you are having a hard time finding 5-7 people to join you for the group portion of the project, you can work with a classmate and facilitate the project together.

9). How are you going to grade the essay?
There is a grading sheet attached to the assignment sheet. Please review the grading sheet in its entirety before beginning the project, and refer to it often while writing your paper. There should be NO ambiguity when it comes to how I will grade this project.

10). I don't have a tape recorder and I don't know how to post a video to youtube.
Well, to be honest, you're just going to have to figure this one out. You are required to turn in an audio tape, video tape, or youtube video so I can verify that your facilitation took place. You wouldn't believe how many people will try to fake a project like this.

Cutting Office Hours Short

Hello Folks!

If you need to contact me, please do so through email. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I have to cut my office hours short today.

My deepest apologies!

Week of May 2 - May 8

Hello Class! I hope you all are enjoying the beautiful weather today.

Here is what's on the Schedule and Participation Pages for this week:

*Read Chapter 13 - Numbers?

*Take Test#4 in the class on Chapters 8-10, 12, 13 & 15 by 11:59pm on Saturday

*Continue to work on your final project in this course. Remember, your Group Facilitation Projects are due by May 14th @ 11:59pm. Please submit your projects early to avoid late penalty. As you will notice on the syllabus, the penalty for late submissions is 50%. As a reminder, this project is worth 20% of your grade, so please work on it diligently over the next couple of weeks.

REMINDER: May 6th is a furlough day. I will not be holding office hours on Thursday, May 6th.

Grade Updates - Blackboard

I have updated grades on Blackboard. As the semester winds down, please continuously check your grades on Blackboard for updates. You should know where you stand in the class at all times, and your current grade, as well as your grade at the end of the semester should not be a surprise.

If you have questions about the most current grade update, for the discussion week of April 11th - April 17th, please email me immediately. Remember to include in your email the following:

Dates/Times/Word Counts of the posts to your blog
Dates/Locations/Word Counts of the comments you made

I find that if students keep records of this information on a continual basis, the grades really speak for themselves. However, if something is ever ambiguous or unclear, I am always available to chat over email, yahoo messenger and the phone. Please do not wait until the last week of class to question a grade, be proactive and keep track!

I will be available on and off throughout the weekend over email. Have a fabulous day!

Cause and Effect

Hello Folks!

I was going to write a post about this weeks reading, but I think the websites Mission Critical and the Cause and Effect websites do a magnificent job of covering the material. Be sure to read both websites, as they are pretty important to the course.

I will post an update again tomorrow morning.

Have a great night everyone!

Week of April 25 - May 1

Hello Class! I hope today finds you well. Here is what's on the Schedule and Participation Pages for this week:

*Read Chapter 15 - Cause and Effect
*Read and complete Cause and Effect exercises - CLICK HERE
*Read through Mission Critical - CLICK HERE
*Participate in Week 14 discussion
*Continue to work on assignment #3 - Group Facilitation (due on Friday, May 14th)

Class Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 12 hours apart:

1). What was useful about the Cause and Effect website reading and exercises?

2). What was useful about the Mission Critical webiste?

3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading (chapter 15), that we have not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

Remember to post 3 responses to your colleagues blogs during this discussion week.

On Campus

Hello Folks!

I will be on campus tomorrow. I should be in my office, HGH 216, from approximately 11:30am to 12:15pm. If you would like to come by and meet me in person, you are more than welcome to. Please email me first so I can make sure I am in my office at the time you will be stopping by.

I hope to see some of tomorrow! :)

Reasoning by Analogy

Chapter 12 covers the topic of reasoning by analogy. While I have taught this course before, the texts that I have chosen have covered many forms of reasoning, not just one or two. I used to use a book called "Everyday Argumentation", but have since switched over to the Epstein text for a number of reasons.

Other forms of reasoning I cover in my other classes are:

1). Reasoning by Analogy
2). Sign Reasoning
3). Causal Reasoning
4). Reasoning by Criteria
5). Reasoning by Example
6). Inductive
7). Deductive

You can click on the links above to take you to another webpage that explains different types of reasoning. While I do not encourage students to use wikipedia as a source on formal papers (at least until more regulation is in place for wikipedia), it is a great place to start research. The bottom of most wikipedia pages will have a list of resources. That list is a students best friend, not the wikipedia page itself.

There are also a couple of different types of links listed above.

You are more than welcome to apply any of these types of reasoning to your final projects in this course. Since you must apply a number of course concepts, feel free to use this list of reasoning when writing about your group facilitation's.

Week of April 18 - 24

Here is what is on the Schedule and Participation Pages for this week:

*Read Chapter 12 - Reasoning by Analogy
*The discussion this week is canceled due to furloughs. (Wow, I can't wait until that word is no long in the collective vocabulary at SJSU).

*Continue working on the final project in the class. It is worth 200 points, or 20% of your total grade in the class and will incorporate all of the concepts you have learned so far this semester. This will include both the Epstein book and Group Communication Book. In essence, you will apply ALL course concepts learned in the paper. The final project is due by May 14th @ 11:59pm. Please submit your papers early to avoid late submission penalty (late work policy is located on the syllabus. The deduction for turning in a an assignment late is fairly hefty, so plan ahead and turn your papers in early).

NOTE: Thursday, April 22nd is a furlough day and I will not be holding office hours.

Grade Updates - Blackboard

Earlier yesterday afternoon I updated Blackboard with grades. Your News & Politics paper and your Social Organization paper grades are uploaded to Blackboard. You can now view your grades up to date for the semester so far.

In order to calculate your current grade, log into Blackboard and click on "My Grades" on the left hand side. A screen should pop up with all of your points earned. To calculate your current grade, here are the point values so far:

Midterm - 100 points
Plagiarism Tutorial - 50 points
Webpage Creation - 10 points
Disc. 1/31 - 2/6 - 30 points
Disc. /7 - 2/13 - 30 points
Test #2 - 50 points
Disc. 14/31 - 2/20 - 30 points
Disc. 2/28 - 3/6 - 30 points
Disc. 3/21 - 3/27 - 30 points
News & Politics - 100 points
Social Org - 100 points

Total: 560 points possible so far

Divide your total point value by 560, and you should have your grade percentage in the class so far. I recommend that you check your grade often, especially towards the end of the semester to keep track of your standing in the course.

One of the beautiful things about online classes is the fact that you can see and calculate your grade at any point.

Please calculate your grade and let me know if you have any questions.

Have a fabulous evening! :)

Final Exam Clarification

Just to clarify, the final exam will be in-person on the SJSU campus. It will be on Thursday, May 20th at 5:15pm to 7:30pm. SJSU has yet to assign us a classroom, but I will be sure to email the class once the location is set. My apologies for the confusion.

Have a wonderful night!

Reminder: Read the posts below this one as well. :)

FAQ's about the Small Group Facilitation Project

Hello Wonderful Students! I have come up with a frequently asked questions list to answer some questions that have come up over the last week or so about the Small Group Facilitation Project. Here they are:

1). Do I have to gather 5-7 people at the same time?
Yes - this is THE culminating project in this class and will cover concepts from both texts. Because it is a small group project, you will need to gather 5-7 people to make that happen. You can gather family, friends, folks from church, etc... to help you with this project. Promising people food is always a motivator.

2). Am I a part of the project?
Yes and No - You act as the facilitator of the project (see assignment sheet), but you will not be a part of the small group itself. You will ask probing questions to find patterns of small group communication, critical thinking, reasoning, arguments, etc.... but you will not be a part of that process. Rather, you will facilitate the process. Then you will write about what concepts emerged in the required essay.

3). What is the due date of the project?
The due date is no later than May 14th @ 11:59pm. Any submissions after 11:59pm (even one minute) will result in a 50% deduction. Since this project is a full 20% of your grade, make sure to turn it in early to avoid a FULL LETTER GRADE deduction.

4). I can't upload more than 10 minutes to youtube, what do I do?
You can do a number of things. You can split up your video into multiple parts and upload it that way. You can find another free video hosting website and upload it there. You can copy the facilitation onto a DVD and turn it into the Communication Studies Office. As long as I can verify that they facilitation took place with the minimum number of folks required, I will accept it.

5). I can't find 5-7 people. All of my friends are busy. What do I do?
You are more than welcome to work with a partner from the class to facilitate your projects. By this, I mean that you can work together on the facilitation ONLY. Your papers will be completely separate entities.

6). If I submit an audio tape will I get it back?
No. I cannot return the audio tapes.

7). What type of probing questions should I ask my group when I'm facilitating the discussion?
Whatever types of questions you would like. You might want to think it through ahead of time to possibly be prepared with some questions before your group arrives to your facilitation activity.

8). Since this is a small group project, will I be working with the same group from class?
No - this is an individual project that encompasses a small group component. You will gather 5-7 family members, friends, acquaintances and facilitate the group project. If you are having a hard time finding 5-7 people to join you for the group portion of the project, you can work with a classmate and facilitate the project together.

9). How are you going to grade the essay?
There is a grading sheet attached to the assignment sheet. Please review the grading sheet in its entirety before beginning the project, and refer to it often while writing your paper. There should be NO ambiguity when it comes to how I will grade this project.

10). I don't have a tape recorder and I don't know how to post a video to youtube.
Well, to be honest, you're just going to have to figure this one out. You are required to turn in an audio tape, video tape, or youtube video so I can verify that your facilitation took place. You wouldn't believe how many people will try to fake a project like this.

I will add more to this list as students send me questions.

Final Exam Date

Hello Folks!

As some of you have already inquired, the final exam date on the Syllabus and Quizzes Page says TBD. I have scheduled the final exam for Thursday, May 20th @ 5:15pm to 7:30pm.

Please check your schedule to make sure there is no schedule conflict with your other finals. This date and time complies with the SJSU Final Exam Schedule, so there should be no conflict. However, if you do have a schedule conflict, please email me by the end of the week (Saturday @ 11:59pm). If I do not hear from you by Saturday, I will assume that you will be able to make the final exam.

Have a great day folks! :) scheduled the final exam for

Week of April 11 - 17

Hello Class! Here is what's on the Schedule and Participation Pages for this week:

*Read Chapter 10, Too Much Emotion.

*Participate in Week 12 discussion.

*Start working on Assignment #3 - Group Facilitation Project. As a reminder, this project is due on May 14th by 11:59pm. Please submit your paper early to avoid a late penalty. See the Syllabus for the late work policy in this class.

Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 12 hours apart:
1). Discuss the idea of Appeal to Emotion. There are different aspects of Appeal to Emotion, which type of Appeal to Emotion strikes you, and why?

2). Pertaining to page 195, complete objective 1, 2, 3, 6 or 7.

3). Pick one concept, idea or exercise from the assigned reading, that we have no already discussed, that you found useful or interesting, and discuss it.

***Remember to post 3 responses to your colleagues blogs.

NOTE: I am scheduled for jury duty on Tuesday, April 13th and will not be holding office hours. However, I will be available by email all day.

Social Organization Paper

Hello Folks! I will return your second paper to you either tomorrow or Monday at the latest. Some groups will receive their papers back tomorrow, other groups on Monday. I apologize about the delay - Spring Break and furloughs have been wreaking havoc on my grading schedule. From what I have read so far though, you guys have done well on this second round of papers.

Until then, let me know if you have any questions. I will be around on an off all day tomorrow.

NOTE: Office hours are canceled on Tuesday, April 13th. I am scheduled for jury duty that day and may not be around.

Have a great evening! :)

Furlough Day

Hello Folks!

As a reminder, today is a furlough day for me. While I will not be holding office hours, I will be checking my email on and off throughout the day today. It may take me a little longer to respond since it's a furlough day, but I will get back to you.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

What's the Point?

Hello Folks! There have been numerous objectives to be met in this course. To reiterate the point of the assignments: Blogging weekly, quizzes, readings, Critical Thinking in News and Politics, Critical Thinking in Social Organizations, Group Facilitation, etc..... I have listed out some ideas for your review answering the question WHY? Why are we writing papers? Why do we blog every week? Why do we interact so much with our classmates? Why do I have to do so much reading? It all comes down to the goals of the course, and the goals/requirements of the University. Expanding diversity on multiple levels within this class is a big goal. Read the list below and let me know if the purpose and goals of these assignments are still ambiguous. As you can see, each objective is aligned with University goals. So this list should answer the "WHY?" question.

1). These objectives give you opportunity to see what other folks in the class are writing about and discussing.

2). Some of these assignments allows you to give your opinion about your colleagues writing.

3). The variety of assignments and different requirements will diversify your grading.

4). Each of these assignments are intellectually challenging.

5). The assignments increases diversity in the class on multiple levels.

6). Each assignment provides meaningful feedback, not only from the instructor, but from others in the class, thus diversifying grading, and understanding!

7). The assignments establish an atmosphere of community and enhanced learning.

8). Reinforces relevant course material from a number of different perspectives.

9). Helps you analyze complex and abstract ideas as presented by others relating to course material/content.

10). Applies course content in a real-world setting.

As always, I am available to chat with you over email, Yahoo Messenger, and my personal favorite - over the phone! I am committed to each student in this class, so if you need some extra help, please contact me ASAP.

I hope this list of objectives clarifies the "WHY?" question! Some folks go through classes while never truly understanding the point of their assignments. I will post this list a few more times before the end of the semester, just as a reminder of 'what it's all about'.

I hope you each have a fabulously happy Wednesday evening!

Grades Posted for the Week of 3/21-3/27

I posted grades this morning for the discussion week of March 21st-27th. Please look over your grade and email me with any questions. When you email me please include the following:

1). Dates/Times/Word Count of the posts to your blog
2). Locations/Word Count of the comments you made to your colleagues blogs

I tend to find that if students keep track of their posts and comments (locations, dates, times, word counts), grades are somewhat self-explanatory. However, if there are every ANY questions, I'm here to chat about your grade.

Grades in this course should be clear! If there are ever any questions about how something is evaluated, please email me immediately so I can clarify the grading process for you. If a question is posed by a student, I will usually post to my blog about it in case others have the same question.

NOTE: I really enjoyed reading your posts about Chapter 8, General Claims. I hope you liked the openness of the discussion during the week of 3/21-3/27 instead of answering preset questions. In a future blog I will ask for your individual feedback about which type of discussion you like better. After all, this is YOUR class, and if the majority of you liked the openness of last week's discussion, we can certainly more weeks of that rather than preset questions.

(Nerdiness alert.......) I really miss reading your posts during the weeks we do not have discussion. I think students can bring great diversity and richness to the virtual classroom setting, and I miss that when y'all have a week of from discussion. I can't wait until your next discussion week. Have a fabulous day everyone! :)

Grade Updates - Blackboard

Hello Class! I hope today finds you well.

I will update Blackboard with the blogging grades for the week of March 21st - 27th by tomorrow morning. I will post to my blog when that is complete. Once the grades are updated, please check your grades and let me know if you have any questions.

I hope you all have a fabulous night! :)

Group Facilitation Project Uploaded

Hello Class! As some of you probably noticed, the Group Facilitation Project was not available on Blackboard. I had some issues uploading the assignment, but was finally able to get it uploaded this afternoon.

Please go to the "Essays" page on Blackboard to download the final assignment. You will notice that this is an INDIVIDUAL project but that it encompasses concepts from both course texts - Small Group Communication AND the Epstein text.

The project is worth 200 points, which translates into 20% of your total grade in this course. Please read all directions prior to starting your Group Facilitation as there are some good reminders and notes on the assignment sheet.

Email me with any questions you might have. Remember, I'm here to help! :)

Week of April 4 - 10

Welcome back from Spring Break. I hope your Spring Break was as restful as mine was. I am very glad we have a week of during the spring semester, because I'm sure each and everyone of you could use a bit of time off to catch up on assignments.

Here is what is on the Schedule and Participation Pages for this week:

*Read Chapter 9 - Concealed Claims
*Read Truth Tables: Pages 359 - 372
*Read Aristotelian Logic: Pages 373 - 383

*Start working on the final project in the class, which is an individual project rather than a group project. It is worth 200 points, or 20% of your total grade in the class and will incorporate all of the concepts you have learned so far this semester. This will include both the Epstein book and Group Communication Book. In essence, you will apply ALL course concepts learned in the paper. I will post the project to Blackboard on Sunday.

NOTE: Thursday, April 8th is a furlough day and I will not be holding office hours.

Week of March 28 - April 3

This week is Spring Break. Have a wonderful and relaxing week.

I will still be available by email on and off all week. My response time may be a bit longer this week, but I will still be around.

See you next Sunday!

Furlough Day Reminder

As a reminder, Thursday, March 25th is a furlough day for me. I will not be holding office hours. I will however, be checking my email on and off, but not consistently. I will resume checking my email consistently on Friday.

Gosh I can't wait until this furlough stuff is over......

Until Friday......

Recap of Discussion

The discussion week of Feb. 28 through March 6th was very interesting. I was hoping folks would come up with a variety of advertisements to discuss, and you did just that. I noticed quite a few diverse advertisements, and the discussion you all had about them did not disappoint.

I truly hope this weeks discussion will be equally as interesting, considering I have given you much more freedom. I'm sure you all will do great this week. But I must remark, the week of Feb. 28th through March 6th was one of the most active discussions we have had in our class. There was more participation during that week, mostly about the 'seductive' advertisements, but it was lively participation nonetheless.

Side Note: I must comment on your discussions over the course of the semester so far. Some of the concepts covered in the text have been quite difficult to grasp. Each of you have done a magnificent job of understanding the course concepts and explaining them on your respective blogs. Even when there is ambiguity in the book, you all have rallied together, read over each others blogs and understood the concepts fairly well. I keep reading comments like, "I was unclear about the concept until I read your post. You did a great job of explaining the concept". YES YES YES!!! This is exactly what this blogging thing is all about. It is about creating community, engaging in diverse ideas and helping each other out to understand difficult concepts. This is EXACTLY what I had hoped for my Comm 41 courses. Both of my Comm 41 classes has impressed me. Good job everyone!

Grades Updated

Hello Folks!

I have updated grades. Please log onto Blackboard and check your grade. Do this often to avoid contacting me at the very end of the semester with questions about your grade.

I will blog again later.

Until then......

Week of March 21 - 27

Hello Folks!

We are going to try something a little different this week to enhance the diversity of the ideas we are covering in the class. I am going to give you free reign to chat about whatever you would like this week as it pertains to Chapter 8 - General Claims. See the questions below for what to blog about.

*Read Chapter 8 - General Claims
*Participate in Week 9 Discussion
*REMINDER: Critical Evaluation of a Social Organization is due this Friday by 11:59pm. Please submit early to avoid late penalty.

Class Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 12 hours apart:

1). Discuss one concept in Chapter 8 that you found useful. Please explain the concept and give a personal example or personal story.

2). Discuss the usefulness of the first or second major course assignment. Use specific examples.

3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading, that has not already been discussed during this discussion week, that you found useful or interesting, and discuss it.

Remember to post 3 responses to your colleagues blogs during this discussion week.

Week of March 14 - 20

Hello Folks! I hope you all are adjusting to the time change.

This week you have only one thing due - the MIDTERM! The midterm is available from 12:01am on March 14th and ends on March 20th at 11:59pm.

Please log on to Blackboard and go to Assessments on the left hand side of the page. You have 75 minutes to complete the midterm which consists of 50 questions.

Review the Exam Page prior to starting the midterm for the quiz and tests parameters (I am not referring to past quizzes, rather the page marked "Exam" when you first log into Blackboard from the homepage) . The Exam Page also contains the chapters that are included on the midterm. Feel free to use any notes and the book during your exam.

Please do not give out any test questions or answers. You can review the Academic Integrity Policy on the SJSU website.

It will be a bit quiet around my blog this week, but please stop by anyway in case I post something about the midterm or the class.

Good luck on the Midterm, and as always, I'm available to chat over Yahoo Messenger during office hours, to answer emails and to chat over the phone if needed.

Have a good week everyone! :)

Spring Forward!

Hello Folks!

Please remember to turn your clocks forward and hour tonight.

I will post again tomorrow morning. Have a fabulous Saturday!!! :)

Week of March 7 - 13

Here is what's on the Schedule and Participation Pages for this week:

*Read Chapter 6: Compound Claims

*Read Chapter 7: Counterarguments

*Meet with your small group to work on Assignment #2 - Critical Evaluation of a Social Organization. Since there is NO DISCUSSION this week, it is HIGHLY SUGGESTED that you meet with your groups about the second assignment. I will post tips about writing the second assignment to my blog this week.

*Complete the Argument Mapping Tutorial: CLICK HERE to go to the tutorial.

MIDTERM: As a reminder, the midterm exam is next week. It will cover chapters 1-7, 9 & 11. Please start studying early. You are more than welcome to study in groups, but the midterm is AN INDIVIDUAL EXAM. Please do not share questions/answers with anyone - you must work alone on the exam.

REMINDER: March 11th is a furlough day. I will not hold office hours, answer emails or conduct other SJSU business on that day.

Friday

Hello Folks! I will return your first assignment by Friday night. I want to look them over one more time to make sure I'm grading fairly across the board.

Expect an email by 11:59pm tomorrow, hopefully much earlier, but probably in the evening sometime.

Until then.......

Grades Posted for 2/14-2/20

Hello Folks!

I have posted discussion grades for the week of 2/14 to 2/20. Please look over your grade and let me know if you have any questions.

As always, grades in this class should be fairly clear. Remember, clarity starts with the student. If I am not aware that you are unclear about a grade, how I can clarify it for you?

All parameters for discussion are listed on Blackboard, and of course, I'm more than happy to chat with folks about their grade in case something is unclear. I'm available during office hours on Tues-Thurs. from 9:00am to 11:00am. We can also chat through email, and of course over the phone. Again, I love chatting with students - y'all should know that by now. I must add, I have had a great time chatting with my students this semester. :)

I hope you all have a wonderful evening.

Week of Feb. 28 - March 6

Here is what's listed on the Schedule Page from Blackboard:

1). Read Chapter 4 - Repairing Arguments

2). Read Chapter 5 - Is that true?

3). Quiz/Test - There is a Quiz/Test on Blackboard this week. It will be available from today and will end on Saturday. You must log onto Blackboard, click on "Assessments" on the left hand side of the page and click Test #2. There are 25 questions on the test, each question is worth 2 points. The quiz/test is on chapters 1-5, 9 & 11. You will have 35 minutes to complete the quiz/test. It is an open book/open notes quiz. DO NOT SHARE ANSWERS WITH ANYONE FROM THIS CLASS OR ANOTHER Comm 41 CLASS. Please review the Academic Integrity Policy on the Quizzes/Tests Page on Blackboard.

4). Start working with your group on Assignment #2 - Critical Evaluation of a Social Organization. It is quite a bit more involved than Assignment #1, so please start early. I will need notification of when your group meets for this assignment as well, so please set up a meeting and email me ASAP with your meeting date and time.

5). Participate in Week 6 Discussion.

Answer one in each of your three posts, at least 12 hours apart:

*In our last discussion week we talked about Violating the Principle of Rational Discussion (page 202) and Content Fallacies (page 201). This week I would like you to discuss the idea of repairing arguments. For this question, please come up with an argument that needs to be repaired. Look over the examples on pages 63-67. Come up with your own example and 'discuss' it as they do in the text. To accomplish this, you should understand the Principle of Rational Discussion and the concept of Repairing Arguments.

*Concerning Section C in Chapter 5, Advertising on the Internet. Please find a piece of advertising on the internet, provide a link on your blog, a screenshot, or include the advertisement in your post so the class can see what you are discussing. You should then relate the piece of advertising back to the concepts in Sections A & B in chapter 5 and discuss.

*Pick one concept from the assigned reading, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

Reminder: Please post three responses to your colleagues blogs within this weeks time frame.

Group Assignment #2 Follow Up (Results from vote)

Hello Class,

Over the last few days I have heard from 16 folks in the class. An overwhelming 14 people said that they wanted to stay in the same group. The other two votes were undecided (but ok with staying with the same group) and switch groups (only because they wanted to meet other folks in the class, not because they didn't like their original group).

I must say, I'm a little stunned, but VERY pleased that you want to work with the same group of folks again. I'm also glad that most folks responded to my email in a timely manner. Ultimately, this is YOUR class and I want you to have some say in the course.

For the next assignment you will work with the same group you worked with for the first assignment. I will email out Assignment #2 either tonight or tomorrow morning so you can get a start on it.

Again, it makes me very happy that you all (for the most part) really liked the groups I originally put you in.
:)
The Blogging Prof

Week of February 21 - 27

Here is what's listed on the Schedule Page from Blackboard:

1). Read Chapter 9 - Concealed Claims
2). Contact your group and start working on Assignment #2 - Critical Evaluation of a Social Organization
3). Reply to email from instructor regarding groups. See your email.

There is no discussion this week. Please get started right away on assignment #2.

I will email out group assignments once I have heard from a majority of the class. I will also post the second assignment to Blackboard and email it out to the class early this week.

FURLOUGH DAY: Friday, Feb. 26th is a furlough day.

Grades posted for 2/7-2/13

I posted grades for the week of 2/7-2/13. Please take a look at your grade and let me know if you have any questions. If you do have questions about your grade, when you email me, please include the following:

1). Time/date/word counts of the posts to your blog
2). Locations/date/word counts of the comments to other people's blogs

NOTE: The first few weeks of discussion have gone really well. One thing that is common across both Comm 41 sections that I am instructing is the clarity that the posts bring to the concepts. It would be fairly simple for me to reiterate the concepts in the book on my blog, however, I feel that the clarity the community we have created here helps a bit more in this area. I have noticed comments such as "the concept was a bit hard for me to understand, but after reading your blog I understand it now". This is exciting because our blog posts and comments are creating community. If one persons blog post and examples do not clarify a concept, another persons blog post will. Each person in the class is contributing to a larger community, even though it may not 'feel' like it because this is an online class. However, each persons contributions are really expanding the understanding of the concepts we cover and helps other students really grad a hold of ambiguous ideas.

The book does a decent job of explaining concepts. However, the textbook, as with any textbook, can be a bit unclear at times. This is where building a diverse community here in blog world really helps. I hope you can see the richness and value in blogging and commenting.

Lookout for another post tomorrow morning with what is due for the coming week.

Just finished.....

I just finished grading all blog posts and comments from the week of February 7th - 13th. I will post the grades to Blackboard at some point by the end of the day. Look out for those grades and another post here on my blog a bit later.

Until then.......

Grading

Hello Again!

Since I have started to post your grades to Blackboard, I thought I would give you some additional information about grading in this class so there is no question about how I grade blogs every week.

A bit about grading: If you ever feel any ambiguity in the evaluation process in this course, please email me. My goal for this course is total transparency for each student. However, since this is an online course, transparency begins with you as the student. I can only address issues if I know they exist. If this were a face to face class I would be able to easily explain how grading works, chat with you before/after class about your grades, etc... Online classes face many challenges and some of you are aware of these challenges due taking repetitive online courses. Others may have expectations that are not being met. I have mentioned a few times so far that I'm always available to chat through email, Yahoo Messenger and over the phone in case there are every any questions.

How I evaluate your blog posts and comments: As stated on the Participation Page, I look for a few things:
*Have you complied with the guidelines listed on the Participation Page?
*Does the content of your post/comment relate to our reading this week?
*Have you address the question in its entirety on your post?
*Have your given thought to the post you have commented on?
*Have you included the minimum number of words required in each post/comment?
*Is your post/comment within our discussion week?

If all of these questions have a 'yes' answer, there should be no reason why you earn anything less than full credit.

I hope this helps to clear up any ambiguity as it relates to the evaluation of your posts.

Have a wonderfully fabulous (and communication filled) day!!!

Grades Posted and Blog Reminders

Hello Class! I just updated grades to Blackboard for the first discussion week and some other things. Please look over your grade and let me know if you have any questions.

Here are some reminders about blogging and commenting (just to reinforce the parameters):

1). There are 3 questions per discussion week. Please answer those questions in 1 post each on your blog. Make sure your posts are at least 12 hours apart. Pay attention to your date and time stamp. Each post should be 150 words minimum - there is no maximum.

2). Comments should be on 3 different blogs. Each comment should be a minimum of 100 words each. There is no time restriction for comments, and can all be done at the same time. Make sure you are logged into your blogger account when leaving comments so your alias/display name appears.

3). I check the word count for all blog posts and comments. It is your responsibility to make sure your posts and comments meet the minimum requirement.

4). Your posts and comments need to be within a given discussion week. This means that if our week runs from 2/7 to 2/13, and you comment on a post that is not within that date range, you will not receive credit for that comment. I only check the posts and comments for that week. I do not go back and re-check past posts to see if someone has mistakenly commented on a past post.

5). It is recommended that you keep track of all dates/times/locations/word counts of your posts and comments. If you would like to email me about a grade, please include the following information in your email:
*Time and date of your posts including word counts
*Time and date of your comments including word counts

The information I have included here is located on the Participation Page on Blackboard. It is your responsibility to know everything that is on Blackboard and what is posted to my blog.

As a reminder, check my blog frequently for updates.

As always, I am available for questions through email, over Yahoo Messenger and of course to schedule a phone conversation at any time.

Critical Thinking in News and Politics

Hello Class!

I have gotten a repetitive question regarding the group assignment due on Friday.

Section 2f states: "Finally, each member should write a short paragraph stating whether you agree or disagree with the writer in this argument and why. The paragraphs should be attached to the name of the group member who wrote them."

Please include these paragraphs at the end of the paper and simply put the writer's name above the paragraph. The individual paragraphs are not counted in the total word count of the paper. This means that whoever is the elected person to compile the paper and send it to me should have the paragraphs early so they can format the paragraphs to match the paper, and include them in the final draft to be submitted to me before the 11:59pm deadline.

Let me know if you have more questions about this. :)

Week of February 14 - 20

Here is what's listed on the Schedule and Participation Pages for this week:

Requirements:
*Read Chapter 4 in the Group Communication text - Communication in Organizations

*Read Chapter 11 in the Epstein text - Fallacies: A Summary of Bad Arguments. Remember to read all the way through the chapter and engage in the exercises contained within. This chapter runs from page 199 - 250.

*Participate in this week's discussion. (3 posts to your blog, 150 words each and 3 comments on your colleagues blogs, 100 words each). Make sure your comments are within this week's discussion. Do not comment on past weeks posts.

*Reminder: Assignment #1 - Critical Thinking in News and Politics is due on Friday, February 19th by 11:59pm. Please submit your paper on time. Only one person from your group needs to submit the paper.

Class Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts at least 12 hours apart:

1). Concerning 221 - 225 Complex Arguments for Analysis: Page 225 contains Exercises on the Structure of Arguments. Please choose one of the 5 exercises and complete the exercise in one post to your blog. After you have completed the exercise, discuss whether or not this exercise was useful.

2). Violating the Principle of Rational Discussion (page 202) and Content Fallacies (page 201). Pick one, explain the fallacy in your own words, then give a real world example that you have heard in the past. (You may need to do additional 'research' for the fallacy that you have chosen if the concept is not clear from the text. You can 'google' the particular fallacy you have chosen for an additional explanation).

3). Pick one concept from either text, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

***Remember to post 3 responses to your colleagues blogs with this week's discussion. Make sure you are not posting a comment on a previous week's questions.


REMINDER: Monday, February 15th is a furlough day so I will not be conducting any university business that day. That means that I will not answer email, hold office hours or be available to students.

What is an Editorial?

Hello Folks!

I hope you are all diligently working on your first projects, as they are due next Friday, February 19th by 11:59pm. As you know, this first project is a group project. It is required that you work with a group for this project! (See the assignment sheet for more information).

I have been getting a few questions here and there and wanted to clarify something. Here is the definition of an editorial in case there is any ambiguity:

An editorial, also called a leading article, is a piece of writing intended to promote an opinion or perspective. Editorials are featured in many newspapers and magazines, usually written by the senior editorial staff or publisher of the publication. Additionally, most print publications feature an editorial, or letter followed by a Letters to the Editor section.

I hope this helps, and I can't wait to see what your group puts together.

Week of February 7 - 13

Here is what's listed on the Schedule and Participation Pages for this week:

Requirements:
*Read Chapter 3 in the Group Communication text - Leadership and Decision Making in Groups and Teams

*Read Chapter 3 in the Epstein text - What is a Good Argument?

*Participate in this week's discussion. (3 posts to your blog, 150 words each and 3 comments on your colleagues blogs, 100 words each). Make sure your comments are within this week's discussion. Do not comment on past weeks posts.

*Complete the Library Tutorial: http://tutorials.sjlibrary.org/tutorial/librarybasics/index.htm

Class Discussion: Answer one in each of your three posts at least 12 hours apart:

1). Concerning part "C" in chapter 3 of the Epstein text, The Tests for an Argument to Be Good - there are three tests an argument must pass in order for the argument to be good. There are many examples in the book on pages 42-45. Please come up with an argument just like the examples, and discuss it using the three tests on Page 42. Keep in mind that your test should be different from the examples in the book and that you should discuss the three criteria in detail. This post may be quite a bit more than 150 words. In addition, it is imperative that you understand the concepts contained within the 3 tests for an argument (page 42).

2). Discuss Strong versus Valid Arguments in detail. Give an example of each from everyday life.

3). Pick one concept from either text, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

***Remember to post 3 responses to your colleagues blogs.


***Reminder: Group Assignments (Critical Thinking in News and Politics) are due next Friday, February 19th. Please email me with the date/time your ENTIRE group is meeting. It is required that EVERY person in your group meet in 'real time' at least once.

Reminders

Please complete everything that is due for this week. See the post below titled: Week of January 31 - February 6th for more details about what should be completed by Saturday at 11:59pm.

Contacting Your Instructor

Believe it or not, there's a person at the other end of the computer - that would be me, The Blogging Prof! I know, I know, I'm stating the obvious, right? It's easy to forget that an online instructor is here to help you and converse with you just like an in-person instructor would be. I love love love chatting with students whether that be over the phone, in-person or otherwise. In fact, I often find myself staying after class (my f2f classes) chatting with students for quite a bit of time, sometimes hours. So yeah, you can say I love my students and I love my job!

Going from instructing classes in person to online classes was a bit difficult because it's hard to convey to students over the computer that you are there to answer questions and to help when needed. It is much easier to do that when you are in a classroom setting. But, I'm here to tell you that I'm available if you need to chat about something in class.

I strive to communicate with my students whenever possible and I have already had the pleasure of chatting with a number of you over the phone. I have also chatted with quite a few of you over Yahoo Messenger and through email.

Here is a little reminder about how you can go about contacting me. There are 3 ways:

1). Email. I check my email during the week, M-F numerous times a day. I also check my email periodically on the weekends, but response time may take a little longer than during the week. I am teaching on M&W in person, so my response time may take a little longer as I teach 4 hour classes on those day.

2). Yahoo Messenger. Download Yahoo Messenger if you haven't already and add me as a friend: carolperezcommclass As it states on the "Getting Started" page, I do not use Yahoo Messenger for personal use, so anytime day or night you see me online, feel free to message me. My 'official' office hours are on Tuesday's and Thursday's from 9:00am to 11:00am, but I am online quite a bit more than that. Even if you see me available at 2am and you have a question, feel free to pop in. I normally don't log onto Yahoo Messenger unless I'm ready to chat with students. (I guess I have no life). ;)

3). Phone conversations. I am always available to schedule a phone conversation whenever you'd like. If you have a question you don't think can be solved over email or yahoo messenger, we can certainly chat over the phone. It's just like on campus office hours, but quite a bit more convenient for you since you don't have to come down to campus.

I hope to chat with y'all in the near future.....

Happy Blogging!

Chapter Exercises and Activities

Hello Class! In case you haven't already noticed, the Handouts Page on Blackboard contains some useful handouts for you.

Some concepts in the book may be a bit difficult to pick up on right off the bat, and since we are not in a traditional classroom setting, I have posted the answers to the exercises in the book.

For example, this week's reading is Chapter 2 in the Epstein text. There are numerous, vast pages of exercises you can complete in order to understand the material a bit better. Completing these exercises will reinforce the ideas in the chapters when a concept or idea may be difficult for you to grasp.

These exercises are not graded, but HIGHLY recommended in order to really grab a hold of the concepts in the book. In short - please complete the exercises in the book when reading the chapters. DO NOT SKIP OVER THE EXERCISES!!!!

Again, since this is an online class, you may need a bit of a boost when it comes to understanding a concept. Even if you feel you understand the concept well, you should still complete the exercises in the book (and compare your answers with what I have posted on the Handouts Page on Blackboard). Those exercises will reinforce your understanding and really solidify it (which you will need for tests and quizzes in this class - especially the FINAL EXAM.

Let me know if any questions arise about what's on the Handouts Page.

Until later........

FAQ's

Some of you have emailed me with questions and I thought it would be helpful if the entire class saw the answers. Here you go:

1). Q- Do I have to post on 3 different blogs? Or can I post two or three times on the same blog as long as they are different posts?
A- You should comment on 3 different blogs.

2). Q- How do you keep track of our posts and comments?
A- I keep track of every post and comment on a spreadsheet every week we have a discussion. Each post you make on your blog will have a date and time stamp and I keep track of them to make sure they are at least 12 hours apart. Then, I check all comments made for that week. I will record the location of your comments.

3). Q- If I comment on someones post from last week, will I get credit?
A- No, I only check the blog posts for that week. Make sure you are checking the dates of the posts you are commenting on and of course, the content of the question to make sure it is an appropriate post.

4). Q- Do comments have to be at least 100 words?
A- Yes, while posts require 150 words, comments need to be at least 100 words. I do word counts on all posts and comments to make sure you are reaching the word minimum. Of course you can post more than the minimum amount of words required, but please meet the minimum.

5). Q- Should I keep track of the location of my comments?
A- Yes. Please keep track of comments and locations in case there is a discrepancy in recording or grading.

6). Q- What do I post as a comment?
A- Whatever you'd like as long as it has to do with the content of the post and related to the question I have asked. You can agree, disagree, add to the comment, ask thoughtful questions to the poster,give feedback, etc.... The comment content is up to you as long as it relates to course material, and of course the post itself.

7). Q- If I comment back to someone on my blog, do I get credit for it?
A- In short, no. You will only get credit for your three posts and three comments on other people's blogs. However, when someone asks you a question face to face, do you ignore them or give them the courtesy of an answer?

8). Q- How do you grade posts?
A- Content, answering the question in full, expressed thoughtfulness of course content and of course word count.

9). Q- Can I post to my blog and comment at the same time?
A- Yes. You only need to worry about posting 12 hours apart on YOUR blog. You can comment anytime as long as it is within our discussion week (12:01am on Sunday through 11:59pm on Saturday). You can post to your blog and then comment at the same time.....or you can do all three comments at the same time. As long as the posts on your blog are 12 hours apart, go ahead and make three comments on three different blogs at any point during our discussion week. Make sure you comment on a qualifying post on the other persons blog. This means you must comment on a post that was made during the current discussion week.

More about Blogging

Since Sunday morning at 12:01am marked the beginning of our discussion week, I thought I would post a bit more about blogging. You can post anytime during the discussion week as long as it is between Sunday morning 12:01am and Saturday night at 11:59pm. Each post to your blog should be a minimum of 12 hours apart. There is no time restriction when it comes to commenting, meaning you can comment on three blogs at the same time.

To post to your blog, please log into your blog and hit the New Post button. Make sure to publish your post when you are finished typing your post. It is your responsibility to make sure that the posts to your blog are at least 12 hours apart.

After you post, make sure to go back and view your blog. If you can't see your post, neither can I or your classmates. You should check your blog to make sure your post appears, and that it looks the way you want it to look.

Date and Time Stamps: Each post you create on your blog will have a date and time stamp. I record each of these to make sure your posts are at least 12 hours apart (yep, it's a lot of paperwork). Again, once you have posted, go back and check to make sure your posts date and time stamp are at least 12 hours apart. Again, I can only see what is on your blog. If your posts are not at least 12 hours apart, your post will not count and you will not earn points for that post. Also, make sure each post to your blog is at least 150 words minimum.

Commenting: For every discussion week you should comment on at least 3 blogs. It is your responsibility to make sure your comments are within the discussion week. This means that if you post a comment to a blog and that comment was made on the previous week of discussion, you will not earn credit for your comment. Comments need to be 100 words minimum. To comment on another blog, please go to my blog and look at the list located at the lower right hand corner of my blog. Click on the names, read the post, and comment. The 'comment' button will be below the post. Again, I WILL NOT go back and check posts from a past week to see if you mistakenly commented on a post from a previous week.

Keeping track of posts and comments: I keep track of posts to your blog and comments. Because I'm human, sometimes I make mistakes. I HIGHLY recommend that you keep track of your posts and your comments. This should include dates/times/locations of your posts/comments. If you ever have any questions about your points total for a week, or if you think I'm missing a post or comment, YOU will need to provide the dates/times of YOUR POSTS and also the dates/times/locations of your COMMENTS. Please keep a log every week of where and when you posted and commented.

Display Names: If you haven't already, please go back and check your Display Name. There are directions on the "Getting Started" page on Blackboard.

Sunday Morning: I will post to my blog on Sunday morning everything that is due for the coming week. The information I will post to my blog will be the same as what is listed on the Schedule and Participation Pages on Blackboard. To get a head start, check out those pages.

Have a fabulous day!

Blogging Questions

I have been receiving some repetitive emails about how a few things in the course work. Please read the blog in its entirety:

Blogging:
Since we will be blogging throughout this course, I thought I would explain how blogging works. There is quite a bit of information located on the "Participation" page about how blogging works. Here is an abbreviated version.

We have all created a blogspot webpage. This is where we will be having discussions rather than on Blackboard. Each week that there is a discussion, you will write 1 new post for each question, every week typically has 3 questions. You should post your first blog, wait AT LEAST 12 hours, then you are able to post another blog. Blogging must be done at least 12 hours apart. For example, you can post on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As long as the date/time stamp on your blog is 12 hours apart, you should receive at least some credit for your blogs. I record dates and times, and it is your responsibility to make sure they are at least 12 hours apart.

In addition to blogging, you will need to comment on 3 other people's blogs in the course during a discussion week. Log onto my blog and visit some other blogs. There is a list on my blog in the lower right hand corner that contains every one's blog in the class (yours should be there). Click on any of the icons and read the blog then comment on it by clicking on "comment" at the bottom of the post. You need to make sure that when you leave a comment, you see your alias name so I can record that you have actually left a comment. It is your responsibility to make sure your name appears on the other person's blog. It may take a few tries to get it right, but you will soon catch on and become an expert at blogging. You are more than welcome to practice by leaving a comment or two on any of my posts to make sure you are commenting correctly.

As I have noted on the "Participation" page located on Blackboard, each post is worth 6 points (which needs to be done on your blog as a "New Post"), and each comment is worth 4 points (which is where you comment on other people's blogs). There is NO TIME restriction for commenting on other people's blogs. You can comment anytime during the week, and it does not need to be 12 hours apart. Make sure you are commenting on a post from the CURRENT week of discussion.

So to summarize, you will post 3 times in a given discussion week. You will create a new post for each question and make sure your posts are at least 12 hours apart. You will also comment on 3 other blogs during a discussion week. Each post should be 150 words minimum and each comment should be a minimum of 100 words, otherwise there will be a point deduction.

Until later......

Week of January 31 - February 6

Hello Class, here is what's listed on the Schedule and Participation Pages on Blackboard. Pay close attention to deadlines, specifically dates and time. Please read this post in its entirety as it explains a bit about the first assignment (due in 3 weeks) as well.

Our week started this morning, Sunday at 12:01am and will end on Saturday at 11:59pm. Please have everything completed for this week by 11:59pm on Saturday.

Assignments this week:
*Read the assigned chapters

*Post the answers to the 3 questions below to your blog (in 3 different posts at least 12 hours apart)

*Comment on at least 3 other blogs

*Take the plagiarism tutorial (quiz worth 50 points) and email the results to comm41spring2010sec81@gmail.com This Plagiarism Tutorial (quiz) is worth 50 points of your grade. Please pay close attention to the tutorial an all information given so you can do well on the quiz at the end of the tutorial. When it asks if you want the results emailed, please email me the results. The tutorial can be found here: http://tutorials.sjlibrary.org/tutorial/plagiarism/index.htm

*Get in touch with your assigned group to get started on the first group paper in the class. The first paper is due in 3 weeks on February 19th. There will be further instructions on the assignment sheet which I will email out to each student along with their group assignment on Sunday.

Reading:
Read Chapter 2 in the Epstein book - What Are We Arguing About?
Read Chapter 2 in the Small Group Comm book - Participating in Small Group Communication

Discussion Questions:
Answer one question in its entirety in each of your three separate posts, at least 12 hours apart. Please make sure you are creating a NEW POST for each question on your blog. You MUST WAIT at least 12 hours from the first post in order to create a second post. The same is true for the second and third post. I will record dates and time of your posts, so make sure they are at least 12 hours apart. EACH POST MUST BE 150 WORDS OR MORE. Each post is worth a maximum of 6 points.

1). Use an example from outside of the classroom. Discuss Subjective and Objective Claims. Give an example of a Subjective Claim you have heard or used recently AND give an example of an Objective Claim you have heard or used recently. Describe the situation. Describe the claims IN DETAIL.

2). Use an example from everyday life: Describe a vague sentence or ambiguous sentence you have heard recently. Where did you hear this sentence? An advertisement? Was it a conversation with a friend? What qualified the sentence as vague or ambiguous?

3). Pick one concept from the reading (either Epstein or the Small Group Comm book) and discuss it in detail.

Comments - Remember to post ONE comment ON THREE DIFFERENT BLOGS between 12:01am on Sunday and 11:59pm on Saturday. This means that you will log onto MY BLOG at: http://comm41spring2010sec81.blogspot.com/ and look at the lower right hand corner to see a list of your colleagues blogs. Click on those blogs, read what was posted for this week and respond. You need to make sure you are responding to only what was discussed THIS WEEK (starting Sunday and ending Saturday of the current week). Comments posted to blogs that were NOT within this week will not be counted for points. Each comment must be a minimum of 100 words and is worth a maximum of 4 points.

Note about comments: When you leave a comment on another blog, make sure you are logged into your blogspot account. In other words, you will need to make sure your "Display Name/Alias Name" shows up on the blog you are commenting on. I record the locations, dates and times of your comments. Please keep record of your posts and comments in case there I have questions about where they are located.

Reminder: On Sunday I will email out your first assignment and post it to Blackboard. You will work in groups for this assignment and meet at least once in "real time". This means you will meet in person, over the phone in a group conference or in a 'real time' chat room. The choice is yours. From experience, it is easier to meet in person the first time.

I know some students do not like group assignments, however, one of the purposes of this class is Critical Decision Making in Groups. In short, there is a group component to this course which is why you are reading two texts - the Epstein text and the Small Group Communication text. You will turn in one assignment for the group. This means that you will write a group paper with an individual component (more details will be given on the assignment sheet), and turn it in as a group by the deadline. It has been my experience that group assignments do quite a bit better than individual assignments, so working in a group for this assignment is a positive thing!

NOTE: Because this is an online class, things are going to seem like they are moving quickly at first. But please keep in mind that we are not meeting in person 3 hours a week like we normally would. In addition, like every class, there is outside work to be done in addition to the 3 hours of 'in class time'. Stick with the class, you'll be glad you did. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but since we're working in groups this will make things a bit easier.

Let me know if there are any questions about the first assignment or the discussion week.

Good job!

Hello Wonderful Students!

I wanted to drop a little note commending all of you for a job well done on your blogs. I am still waiting to hear from a handful of folks, and will be getting their links on my blog as soon as I hear from them. In the meantime, I wanted to let you guys know that you are troopers! Blogging can be quite confusing at first, but this is a skill some will likely use outside of this classroom, and a skill I wanted you all to learn just for experience sake.

I know blogging and online classes for that matter can be intimidating. Thank you for sticking with it and learning about blogging and such to get going in the class. I promise, things WILL GET EASIER as the semester moves forward.

As a reminder, I'm available through Yahoo Messenger during office hours, and through email during most of the week and of course, we can always schedule a chat over the phone. In short, I'm an accessible instructor. :)

Let me know if you have any questions - I'm here to help!

Look out for my blog post tomorrow morning........

Reminder, First Assignment Due

Hello Folks!

I have been returning hundreds of emails this week trying to get each student established in the course.

By tonight at 11:59pm you should have sent me in an email:

*Your name
*Phone number
*Alias Name
*Blog Address

You should have also posted your introductory post to your blog.

In case there is any confusion, here is how you create a new post:

*Log into your blogger account
*Click "New Post"
*Type a Title
*Type your post into the big box
*Click "Publish Post"

If you do not Publish Post, your post will not become public.

For the upcoming discussion week, you will do the same thing for each question I pose, but you will write and publish your posts at least 12 hours apart. (See the "Participation Page" on Blackboard for more detail about participation in this course).

I will be checking my email on and off today, so email me with any questions.

Tomorrow morning I will post what is due for this coming week, so check my blog early tomorrow for the assignment summary (which is simply a summary from the Schedule and Participation Pages on Blackboard).

Furlough Day and Reminders

Hello All!

Tomorrow is supposed to be a furlough day. However, I will be returning emails in the morning and will be taking the rest of the day as a furlough day. I normally will not participate in University business on a furlough day, but since I set a deadline for tonight at 11:59pm and it is the first week of class, I will answer emails tomorrow. Any emails sent today will be returned tomorrow (Thursday).

Reminder: If you are just logging onto my blog for the first time, please read all previous posts.

I will resume official work for the University on Friday.

Have a good evening folks......

Blogging

Hello All!

I have already started to receive your blog addresses. Many thanks to those that have already submitted the required information. As a reminder, by Saturday (and hopefully sooner since this first assignment takes very little time), please submit to me:

*Your full name
*Alias Name
*Link to your blog
*Phone number (most accessible phone number)
*Post to your blog the required introductory post

Check your Display Name:
Please go to the "Getting Started" page on Blackboard to find instructions about how to check your Display Name.

Links to your blog:
Once you send me your blog address I will add a link to your blog located on the right hand side of my blog. You should be able to click on your Display Name and it will take you directly to your blog.

Introductory Posts:
Once you have created your blog, please post your introductory post ASAP. Sometimes blogger (blog spot) will flag a blog that has been created but not used. In order to avoid this, please post your introductory post to your blog when you create it.

How to post to your blog:
Once you have created your blog and posted your introductory post, sign out. Go ahead and sign back in to your blogger account and hit "new post". This will create a new blog post. DO NOT HIT CREATE NEW BLOG - this will actually create a whole different blog. You are simply POSTING to your blog, NOT creating a new blog.

Commenting:
When you comment on a classmate's blog, or even my blog for that matter, your Display Name should show up. This is how I track blog posts and comments. You must be logged into your blogger (blog spot) account in order for your Display Name to show up. Whenever you leave a comment, please make sure you are logged into your blogger account and then comment so your Display Name shows up. Feel free to play around with commenting this week by commenting on your classmate's blogs and of course my blog. If you are having issues, please email me.

Start Checking Out Other Blogs:
Please start checking out your classmates blogs. Again, the list of class blogs is found on the right hand side of my blog. You can simply click on any blog link, read it and comment on it. Start to get to know your classmates by welcoming them to class. In essence, you are greeting your classmates by doing this - and don't we all like to be friendly? ;)

Week of January 26-30

I post to my blog numerous times each week, the first of which will likely be on Sunday mornings. The Sunday morning blog post will contain everything that is due for that week, and will also contain some reminders. Since today marks the first day of our week, here is the 'official' post for this week. Please read all blog posts so far and make sure you follow any instructions I have posted here. At the start of the semester there are usually repetitive questions students have and my blog is a good place to get some answers.

Here is what's due for this week as listed on the Schedule Page on Blackboard:

1). Log onto Blackboard and start with the "Getting Started" page. Follow instructions on that page to get started in the course.

2). Due Date #1 - email instructor by Wednesday, Jan. 27th at 11:59pm from the email address you would like all class emails to go. Please include your full name, a contact phone number (preferably a cell #), and your intent to participate for the duration of the semester.

3). Due Date #2 - email instructor by Saturday, Jan. 30th at 11:59pm with the following (as noted on the "Getting Started Page" on Blackboard):
*Name
*Alias Name you have chosen for the semester
*Include a link to your blogspot webpage
*Phone number if not previously sent

4). Post to your blog an introductory post by Saturday, Jan. 30th at 11:59pm (preferably earlier). In this first post you should introduce yourself to the class. Talk a little about your 'communication experience', and let us know what you hope to get out of this course. Also talk a bit about your experience with online classes, and perhaps let us know what some of your interests are so we can get to know you better.

5). Review all pages on Blackboard. I have yet to post the "Participation Page" or course projects, but expect them to be uploaded shortly.

6). Review the Syllabus including the Late Work policy. I am strict about deadlines, so get to know the deadlines in this course well.

7). Review the Schedule Page and Participation Page (when it is uploaded).

8). Read Chapter 1 in the Epstein text - Critical Thinking.

9). Read Chapter 1 in the Small Group Text - Foundations of Communicating in Small Groups and Teams

10). Read over the Netiquette Homepage (including links) and Learn the Net: Netiquette.

Reminder #1 - I hold office hours on Tuesday's and Thursday's from 9am to 11am on Yahoo Messenger. This means that while I am working I keep Yahoo Messenger open. If you see me available that means I'm available to chat in real time. Go ahead and pop in if you'd like to chat with me. If you do chat, please follow normal pleasantries by using a greeting at the start of the conversation and a closing salutation at the end of the conversation. Many students have gotten into the habit of abruptly logging on and off without a word that the conversation is over.

Reminder #2 - This Thursday is a furlough day. That means that I will not hold office hours on that day. You will hear quite a bit about furlough days this semester, not only from me, but from other instructors on campus. If there is any confusion about furlough days, please email me.

Reminder #3 - Typical weeks run from Sunday morning at 12:01am to Saturday night at 11:59pm. Again, I'm a stickler about deadlines so get to know them well!

I will likely post again later or tomorrow. Until then.......

The Blogging Prof signing off!

Getting Started and Other Info

Hello Class! Allow me to extend an official Welcome to Comm 41 Section 81!!!

To get started in this course, please take the following steps:
1). Review the Blackboard website. You should have received information from SJSU instructing you on how to long into Blackboard. Review all pages on Blackboard and get to know the class well. (Blackboard should have opened up for you this morning).

2). Read over the "Getting Started" page straightaway. This page will direct you on what things you need to do to get started in the course.

3). Create a blogspot webpage @ www.blogger.com. When you do this, please create a new post immediately by introducing yourself to me and your classmates. If you create a blogspot webpage but do not immediately post, blogspot may flag your page and you may be locked out. So create the blog and post ASAP.

4). When creating a blog, make sure to choose an alias that is different than your name. You also need to follow these steps to make sure your Display Name is the same as the Alias Name you send me. *Create your blog. *Once your blog is created, go into your Dashboard. *Once in your Dashboard, click on "Edit Profile". *Look halfway down the page and make sure your Display Name is the same as the Alias Name you have chosen.

The Alias you choose is the name your colleagues will use for you. So, if you choose a name like "Pookie" as your alias, you will be known in this class as "Pookie".

5). Email me at comm41spring2010sec81@gmail.com with your Name, Email Address that you check often, your Alias Name, and a contact phone number - preferably a cell#.

6). Download Yahoo Messenger and add me as a friend: carolperezcommclass I will be holding most, if not all of my office hours online. You can chat with me at any time during my office hours, or anytime you see me online. I do not use Yahoo Messenger for personal use, so anytime I am logged on (which might be quite often), feel free to message me with any questions you might have.

7). Technical Support for Students having trouble logging into Blackboard:
For students have problems using Blackboard CE8 (eg. unable to log in, need password re-set, etc.), please contact San Jose State University's Informational Technology Support Services (ITSS) at 408-924-2377, or email at helpdesk@sjsu.edu ITSS is located on the first floor of the Academic Success Center in Clark Hall, so students can speak with someone in-person if they so desire. This not was sent to me directly from SJSU.

From what I recall last semester, if you are having problems logging in to CE8/Blackboard, please call the help desk during normal hours, as sending them an email may take a day or two to respond.

I will update my blog again soon. Until then, have a fabulous day!

Welcome

Greetings Students!

As most of you know the semester starts on January 26th. Most students are scrambling to fill their schedules for the coming semester, and with the shortage of classes, this is no easy task.

I want to make sure each of you were aware of a few things about Communication 41 online, Critical Decision Making, before the semester begins:

1). The class you are enrolled in for Comm 41 is an online class. This means that most coursework is completed online and not in a classroom setting. This has confused some in the past.

2). There are no scheduled class meetings for this course except for the final exam. I will hold office hours online through Yahoo Messenger on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the semester. I will also answer email consistently.

3). If you need to contact me at anytime from this point forward, please DO NOT USE the sjsu email address that I have sent this message from. Rather, use the following email address: comm41spring2010sec81@gmail.com

4). Please bookmark my blog address: http://comm41spring2010sec81.blogspot.com/

I will make announcements, post class updates, and generally keep in touch with the class as a whole through my blog and through mass email. So bookmark my blog, and check it often.


Some of this information may seem a bit foreign to you, and will make more sense once you are able to access the class through Blackboard. Until Blackboard opens up for access, which should be a the day the semester begins, use the email address I have listed here, and check my blog for updates. During the semester I update my blog numerous times a week. Prior to the semester I will update periodically.

Again, if there are any questions about the course, please contact me at: comm41spring2010sec81@gmail.com and please bookmark my blog address at: http://comm41spring2010sec81.blogspot.com/ and be sure to check it often!

I look forward to sharing this semester with you, and hope that your break has been an enjoyable one.

:)
Carol-Lynn Perez, M.A.