Author: Carrie Hall

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Due by (8/31) 

Being an online student can be intimidating, confusing, and just plain difficult!

So for these first few days, you get to vent about it! No kidding. Share your concerns with each other. Maybe give each other some advice or just a good old bit of support. Believe me — online instructors have many of the same worries you do. This is new to all of us.

Here’s what you’ll do (the schedule is at the bottom):

• CHECK OUT this website. You can’t break it. Honestly. I’ve tried. Click around on all the tabs. See what’s there! This is our classroom for the semester, so make yourself familiar with the room. CHECK OUT Blackboard too. We will be using both. 
• READ: these two “Tips” pieces
  • “Tips for Online Learning Success”  https://www.nhcc.edu/student-resources/online-learning-d2l/tips-for-online-learning-success
  • “Online Discussions: Tips for Students” https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/developing-assignments/blended-learning/online-discussions-tip-students

• WRITE: a new post.  There are some instructions about how to do that in the post at the top of this page under the DISCUSSIONS tab.

1. • Start with one word that describes how you’re feeling about this course as we get started. No need to explain, but you can if you want to. 
   • Talk about your worries, concerns, reactions to the readings and/or to being an online student… whatever you want to. No censoring… except keep it kind of clean, please ;-). And
   • Add a picture that means something to you, and explain why you chose it — why does it mean something to you?

• Check back in and see what other people are saying, and reply  to a couple of people. It’s nice to know we’re not alone!