Welcome Letter
/ Important information for
Online CAOA 125 ~ Ten Key Mastery ~ Business Calculations
with Cynthia Wilshusen
Dear Student,
Welcome to distance
education at Cuesta College! My name is Mrs. Cynthia R. Wilshusen, and I will
be your instructor for the online version of Ten Key Mastery. This letter is to
inform you of some important details prior to the commencement of the Spring 2010 online class. Please read this page very
carefully!!
1.
IS an ONLINE CLASS FOR YOU?
First
of all, go to the Cuesta
College Online Resources and take the "self assessment survey"
then read "How to survive in an online course". (If that
survey does NOT describe you, then taking this class online is NOT for you and
I strongly suggest that you drop the online class and enroll in a traditional
classroom section.
2.
Computer and Class Requirements:
·
You must have access to a computer
(Pentium III or better with 256 megabytes of RAM running Windows XP or better)
·
Email
account
·
Reliable Internet
connection. You will also need to have a backup plan
in case your internet provider or computer goes down. All of your assignments
and tests will be emailed to me via WebCT/Blackboard's internal email.
We will also be using a link directly to the publishers
website where you will complete the ten key assignments.
·
Must obtain the
following textbooks prior to the first day of class.
on Monday March 22, 2010. The textbooks you will need
to obtain for this class is Tern Key Mastery by Ellworth Publishing.
o
Textbooks can be
ordered through Cuesta College bookstore
online or any other textbook seller. Order early to avoid missing the first assignments. Class
starts on Monday March 22, 2010 and it is expected that you have your textbook,
hardware and software in place prior to the semester beginning.
·
It is essential that you understand the basic concepts of
email, web navigation and online communication to succeed in this course.
3.
BROWSER CHECK
Your
browser must be configured so the complete functionality of our online class
platform called Blackboard available to you. Complete a Browser
Check. Click on Check Browser in the list. Follow directions
carefully. This will save you many problems during the semester!
4. Mandatory Orientation: You will
be required to watch an orientation video the first time you log in on Monday
March 22, 2010, failure to watch this video could result in confusion
and inability to find the necessary links.
Important
Notes
Given the fact that this class has a tendency to fill
quickly, and there are several students that need take this class it is
imperative that you
send me an email
prior to the first day of class to confirm your placement,
and receive instructions for orientation. Failure to comply will result in an
immediate drop from the class. Note that once class starts all communication
will take place within the Blackboard's environment.
Additionally, if you are using a web access email account
or any email account with high spam settings, it is likely that you might not
receive some initial
emails that detail
important class information. My suggestion is to add my name (Cynthia
Wilshusen) and email address (cwilshus@cuesta.edu
to your contact list to ensure that my emails are not blocked, and you are
able to continue in the class without missed deadlines or being dropped.
Once you add me to your contact list, please do not
forward me any of your fun or junk mail, as this is my email
for work, and I cannot or do not want to be bombarded with junk email, managing
this class, other traditional classes, and a fulltime job will be
more than enough. At the completion of the course, please remove me from your
contact list. Thank you
One more note: You should be fully aware that a large portion
of this class will consist of working in groups. The business
world in every industry utilizes groups and teams extensively, and part of your
learning experience will include collaboration with other class members. You
should be prepared from the beginning to contribute significantly into these
groups, and gain a huge learning experience from them.
Participation:
Online classes are
available and make your education experience more convenient. However, this
is not a self pace; learn on your own class. I have structured weeks with
material for you to read, watch and interact with. I ask my students to find
time in their busy schedules to log into the classroom three out of seven
days a week to discuss topics related to the material being learned. This
helps to answer questions, clear up confusion, and we have a chance to learn from
other students experiences. The days in which you log
on are up to the students and can be weekdays or weekends whichever works best
for your situation.
You should also print
out a copy of this letter and keep it handy for reference.
First
Assignment
Your first assignment
is to log into the class on Monday March 22, 2010 at: Blackboard
review the orientation. Your user name for Blackboard login matches their
My.Cuesta login name. As in: firstname_lastname. There Blackboard
default password is: STUDENT, it would be suggested you change this after you
log on the first time. The class will not be available until the first day
of the class: Monday March 22, 2010, the same day as our orientation. Once you
locate the site, please bookmark it or add to your favorites for future
reference. Please read my Bio under the discussion board area, and post your
own Bio in similar format. This assignment will be due the on the
first day of class.
If you have any further
questions prior to the first day of class, please feel free to e-mail me.